Council approves further actions to support downtown residents and businesses

[guest]

Today, Council passed several motions to support downtown residents and businesses affected by the demonstration. They included:

• Exploring deferral of interim 2022 property taxes for affected businesses in areas impacted by the demonstration.
• Providing a total of $450,000 to affected Business Improvement Areas, Business Associations and the Ottawa Markets Corporation to support business resumption, encourage customer visitation, and highlight main street vibrancy.
• Approving a funding contribution of $50,000 to the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition to deliver an expanded City Sounds outdoor concert series in 2022 to support ongoing economic recovery in the areas impacted by the demonstration.
• Expanding no-charge transit to include service on O-Train Line 1 as of Friday, February 25 and continuing until 30 days after the City’s State of Emergency ends.
• Approving free parking at City-owned lots at 210 Gloucester Street, 234-250 Slater Street, 422 Slater Street, 70 Clarence Street, 142 Clarence Street and 110 Laurier Avenue West. The free parking would be in effect from Friday, February 25 through Thursday, March 31.
• Requesting the provincial government match the federal government’s business relief program funding to cover fixed costs and sales shortfalls during the demonstration and urging both levels of government to cover lost income of employees during this period.
• Studying the feasibility and cost of implementing a temporary closure of Wellington Street between Bank and Elgin streets until the end of 2022 and discussing with the federal government the possibility of closing Wellington Street permanently to all vehicles except public transit and active transportation and transferring the street to federal ownership. Wellington Street will remain closed to vehicular traffic until the temporary closure study is considered at the Transportation Committee at the beginning of the next term of Council. Staff will also review the potential to close O’Connor and Metcalfe streets, north of Queen Street, to vehicular traffic.
• Declaring Monday, March 14 as a second Valentine's Day in Ottawa to promote downtown businesses.

Council approved a transfer of land at 3380 Jockvale Road to the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation to build affordable housing. The City has already declared the lands surplus and the housing corporation has secured funding to build 32 modular housing units, including seven accessible units, geared to families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with the potential for another 25 units in a second phase.

Council also heard that Paul Hutt is the successful candidate and the new permanent Chief of Ottawa Fire Services. Chief Hutt brings more than 28 years of experience and a record of success in emergency management and fire service and had been acting Fire Chief.

Council also declared Tuesday, March 8 as International Women’s Day in Ottawa.

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