Why Doesn’t Ottawa City Hall Listen?

12/02/2024

What has happened to citizen involvement in decision making at City Hall, especially on issues directly impacting residents?

And is there anything we can do to change what many see as a serious problem with genuine engagement?

These questions are being raised by citizen groups across the city and repeatedly this past year-plus with members in our publication.

In the past weeks, some examples have come up. One was council’s approval earlier this month (and which we have been sharing information on since September) that passes authority to staff to approve “minor zoning by-law amendments”, including building height increases of 25 per cent and some severance rules on a case-by-case basis, with no public consultation in advance required.

One addition that might offer a bit of hope is that an area councillor is now to be notified via a ‘memo’ before staff finalizes the bylaw change and will have seven days to issue “their concurrence.” If they do not, staff will meet with them to try and reach consensus and if that does not materialize, then the item can be sent back to the appropriate committee for review. Also of note: the “comment” period on a minor zoning amendment application has been halved to 14-days (previously 24 days).

We will share more on this issue as we learn more, and please share your insight and questions.

Now, questions about the city’s ‘engagement’ practices have been shared here multiple times by residents who have tried to be involved with the city on a range of issues and say they left feeling like the process was more of a show than genuine engagement and has them concluding they have had little to no actual impact on the results.

A lack of consultations with residents before the approval of sites for Sprung Structures to house asylum seekers and immigrants, with the first now planned for Nepean by the end of 2025 (and possibility of a second one built in Kanata if needed), is an example. Local citizens say they feel blindsided after only hearing about it after the sites were approved and while knowing next-to-nothing about Sprung Structures, from full costs of purchase and building and maintenance to who will actually be housed in them.

And criticisms of anyone raising questions about city hall proposals is another serious concern, with those asking raising concerns after facing declarations by fellow citizens or City Hall staff and representatives, that they are nothing more than NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) complainants. The Sprung Structure issue is one example.

This newsletter excerpt is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours