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3 • POSTED ON February 24, 2005
Posted by ggower 
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Your guide to what happened at City Hall
Your guide to what happened at City Hall
February 23, 2005
City Council Meeting Highlights
Council approves Terms of Reference for new Business Advisory Committee
The City is committed to building an enhanced, two-way relationship
with Ottawa's business community, and to consulting with the business
community prior to major recommendations that affect business. Today, City
Council approved the Terms of Reference needed to create the new Business
Advisory Committee, which will include representatives of seven
organizations, including the participation of a designated rural
representative, and two non-voting Councillors - Councillors Eli El-Chantiry
and Herb Kreling. The Committee will add value to the decisions made by
Council by serving as a means to keep the business community informed and as
a way gather input from business representatives on City policies and plans.
It is anticipated that the Business Advisory Committee will hold its first
meeting in April pending the completion of the member nomination and
selection process. Councillors Rob Jellett and Janet Stavinga represent
Council on the Selection Committee. A meeting schedule will then be
developed for the balance of 2005 and beyond.
Greely Community Design Plan Approved
Today, Council approved the Greely Community Design Plan, as well as
two Official Plan Amendments that represent the first action steps for
implementing the Plan.
Greely has been the fastest growing rural village in Ottawa over the
last thirty years, due primarily to its proximity to the City's urban areas
combined with the draw of its rural atmosphere. Based on the supply of land
designated Residential and current development trends, approximately 1,900
new dwelling units could potentially be constructed in Greely. This
represents a potential doubling of the current total number of dwelling
units in Greely.
The Planning and Growth Management Department completed a Greely
Land Use and Design Study with community input in May 2004, and initiated a
Greely Community Design Plan based on the Study's recommendations. The
Greely Community Design Plan addresses seven components: community vision,
growth management, land use, village core plan, road network, greenspaces,
and implementation strategy.
Other items of interest
Increased Transparency of Council Operations
City Council has voted that whenever meetings of City Council or
Committees move in camera (where proceedings are closed to the public), they
must precisely state the issue requiring the meeting to move in camera.
Council also decided to insist that whenever a meeting moves in camera, the
date must be given as to when the decisions made in camera will be made
public. Both of these decisions increase transparency of Council operations.
Ottawa solutes Somali women with Keys to the City
Ottawa City Council presented Keys to the City to Shukri D'Jama,
Sahra Habbane, Saadia Nuh and Shoon Omar, in recognition of their
contributions to Ottawa's Somali community in the areas of education,
health, policing and youth initiatives.
Shukri D'Jama is the founder and Director of the Ottawa Somali
Women's Organization who actively works with families, single mothers, youth
and elders in the community. Ms. D'Jama has assisted in the school system
to provide support and interpretation to students and their parents. She
has been an active volunteer for more than 10 years, with such organizations
as Better Futures Better Beginnings, South East Ottawa, Ottawa Community
Immigrant Services Organization, Somaliland Newcomers, Canadian African
Women's Organization and the Horn of African Women's Association.
Sahra Habbane is a dedicated Project Manager/Multicultural Outreach
Worker with the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health and Resource Centre.
She has played an important outreach role to many different minority groups
in the west-end of the city by identifying their needs and developing
programs. Ms. Habbane was instrumental in the development of a women's group
and has contributed to local research that has been done on immigrant women
in Ottawa. She has assisted in identifying the needs of immigrant fathers,
which has lead to the creation of the Somali Fathers of Ottawa Association.
Saadia Nuh is a Multicultural Liaison Officer with the Ottawa
Community Immigrant Services Organization, providing assistance to students,
parents and teachers in several Ottawa schools. For the past nine years,
Ms. Nuh has repeatedly received glowing references from principals, teachers
and parents for her invaluable contribution. In 1997, she co-founded the
Somali Centre for Youth, Women and Community Development and served two
consecutive four-year terms as Vice-President. Ms. Nuh also participated in
the creation of SOM-CAN, an international research and development
organization that aspires to keep Somalia alive in the minds of the
international community.
Shoon Omar works as a Community Developer, Multicultural Front-line
Worker at the Lowertown Community Resource Centre and volunteers on a
regular basis with various community groups. She is one of the original
members of the Community Police Action Committee (COMPAC) and an important
contributor to the building of a strong relationship between the Somali
community and the Ottawa Police. She is also an invaluable member of the
Mayor's Task Force - Somali Youth Initiative.
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