OTTAWA – Ottawa city council approved $57 million in upgrades to an environmental centre and made progress on its Older Adult and Community Safety and Well-Being plans in a busy Wednesday (Oct. 23) council meeting.

Council approved a major upgrade project for the cogeneration system at the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre (ROPEC). 

“The city is expected to save an additional $80 million in utility costs over 25 years by replacing and upgrading the cogeneration system at the wastewater treatment plant,” city staff released in a statement yesterday (Oct. 23). “The new system is expected to reduce the plant’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to an additional 1,565 tonnes per year over the current system, which is at the end of its service life.”0

 The upgrades will also allow the plant to operate during a sustained power outage, keeping the Ottawa River safe from untreated wastewater discharge.

The upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and estimated to cost up to $57.2 million. Funding for this project is from the wastewater reserve and existing capital project accounts. The city expects to recoup the cost after approximately 14 years.

Council approved amendments to the Zoning By-law that update flood plain mapping in the City’s urban and rural areas to reduce future flood risk by preventing development within the flood plain. Two maps in the report, maps three and nine, were referred back to Planning committee to allow for further discussions between residents and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.

Council approved the next stage of the Older Adult Plan, to be in place from 2020 to 2022. “The plan outlines 24 actions related to public transportation, pedestrian safety, accessible spaces, aging in place, affordable housing, healthy and active living, social inclusion and communication,” city staff said.

Council approved a six-phase approach to develop a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan by 2021 to address the root causes of crime, social disorder and ill health. Public perception polling will be completed by the end of the year, with further consultation on each phase taking place until mid-2020.

“In response to residents’ concerns about the quality and availability of accessible taxis, the city will be hiring a consultant to study the issue and make recommendations by next fall,” city staff said. “The study will be paid for with existing budget from the Emergency and Protective Services Department.” 

Council approved an agreement with Trinity Development Group that will add $6.25 million to the city’s affordable housing projects over the next few years. The agreement satisfies the terms that city council set in July 2018 when it approved Trinity’s proposal for a mixed-use building with three high-rise towers at 900 Albert Street, across from Bayview light rail transit station.

Council approved a plan for the city to acquire a portion of the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe from the federal government for up to 271 units of affordable housing. Under the agreement, the City will pay $300,000 and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation will pay $4.6 million. Council also approved $10.3 million in capital funding for this development, from the $15 million that Council allocated for new affordable housing in Budget 2019.

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