Completed by-law reviews

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Clothing Donation Box By-law

Description

City staff conducted a review of the Clothing Donation Box By-law (No. 2013-98) which regulated the location and use of clothing donation boxes on private property.

The Clothing Donation Box By-law review considered:

  • The accumulation of donated items, waste, and debris at clothing donation box locations
  • The unauthorized placement of clothing donation boxes on private property
  • Operator eligibility requirements
  • Health and safety concerns
  • Textile waste diversion opportunities

Results

On September 27, 2023, City Council approved a new Clothing Donation Box By-law (No. 2023-425) and permit requirement for clothing donation box owners in Ottawa. This new by-law took effect on January 31, 2024 and replaced the previous 2013 By-law.

The new by-law includes:

  • A mandatory permit requirement for clothing donation box owners operating boxes outdoors on private property and at approved City facilities
  • Updated regulations for the location, signage, maintenance, and safety of clothing donation boxes in Ottawa
  • Annual reporting requirements for permit holders to help inform textile waste diversion initiatives and enhancements

The new by-law ensures that donation boxes are:

  • Placed in appropriate locations and are safe for operation
  • Properly labelled so that residents know who is responsible for the box and who the donations are benefitting
  • Emptied and maintained on a regular basis

Reports

September 21, 2023 - Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee

September 27, 2023 – City Council

Contact

For questions about enforcement and permit administration, please visit the Clothing donation box permit page or contact:

The Business Licensing Centre
613-580-2424 ext. 12735
businesslicensing@ottawa.ca

For questions about the By-law review, please contact:

The Public Policy Development Branch
613-580-2400, ext. 29529
BylawReviews@ottawa.ca

 

On-Demand Accessible Taxicab Service Study

Description

In June 2023, Council approved the following changes to improve on-demand accessible taxicab service in Ottawa: 

  • A centralized dispatch dedicated to on-demand accessible taxicabs
  • Several financial incentives to accessible taxicab plate holder licensees and drivers that recognize the higher costs of operating an accessible taxicab
  • A three-year pilot to provide an opportunity for evaluation of the efficacy of the proposed initiatives

Results

To support these changes, several updates were made to the Vehicle-for-Hire By-law (No. 2016-272) including:

  • Reducing the accessible plate holder license transfer fee to $312 per plate transfer
  • Removing the requirement that standard and accessible taxicab vehicles must be less than five model years of age upon entry to the fleet
  • Increasing the current ten-year vehicle age limit to 12 model years for taxicab vehicles that are fully wheelchair accessible, fully electric or hybrid

Future work includes reviewing the feasibility of implementing a City of Ottawa operated centralized dispatch system respecting on-demand accessible taxicab service and reporting back to Council before the end of the proposed three-year pilot project.

By-law and Regulatory Services expects to report annually on the changes made to improve on-demand accessible taxicab service in Ottawa.

Reports

June 15, 2023 - Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee

June 28, 2023 – City Council

Contact

Christine Hartig
613-580-2400, ext. 25629
christine.hartig@ottawa.ca

Status Update on Short-Term Rental Regime

Description

In April 2021, Council approved the reports entitled Short-Term Rental By-law and Zoning By-law Amendments to Permit the Short-Term Rental of Residential Dwelling Units City-Wide to implement a complete regulatory regime for short-term rentals in Ottawa.

This regulatory regime was implemented following a number of community complaints about nuisance associated with short-term rentals and arising concerns regarding the impacts of short-term rentals on housing availability and affordability.

Nuisance complaints included:

  • Neighborhood disruptions such as ghost hotels
  • “Party” houses resulting in an increase in by-law complaints for noise, parking, property standards, and exterior waste and debris
  • Damage to neighbouring properties and several criminal incidents investigated by Ottawa Police

The regulatory regime under the Short-Term Rental By-law and the zoning amendments work together to create a regulated environment that provides an opportunity for short-term rental activity where it is most appropriate in the city and mitigates the negative impacts of unregulated short-term rentals.

Results

Following a one-year implementation, the Short-Term Rental regulatory regime has been operating as intended. There has been some decline in community nuisance issues. Additionally, an increasing number of property owners are reverting to long-term rentals due to permit ineligibility, thus improving the available housing supply.

For more information, visit the Short-Term Rentals page. For further studies and reports, consult the Literature Review and Multi-jurisdictional Environmental Scan and Rental Market Analysis.

Reports

September 21, 2023 - Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee

Contact

Kayla Woods
613-580-2424, ext. 12389
kayla.woods@ottawa.ca