Joint Meeting

Community and Protective Services Committee and

Transportation Committee

 

Réunion conjointe du

Comité des services communautaires et de protection et du

Comité des transports

 

Disposition 1/ Suite À donner 1

 

Thursday, 3 May 2007

le jeudi, 3 mai 2007

 

 

Notes:    1.     Underlining indicates a new or amended recommendation approved by Committee.

2.     Reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on 23 May 2007 in Community and Protective Services Committee Transportation Committee and  Joint Report 1

Nota :     1.     Le soulignement indique qu'il s'agit d'une nouvelle recommandation ou d'une recommandation modifiée approuvée par le Comité.

        2.     Les rapports nécessitant un examen par le Conseil municipal devraient être présentés au Conseil le  23 mai 2007 dans le conjointe  rapport n1 du Comité des services communautaires et de protection et du

Comité des transports.

 

 

1.         Graffiti Management Strategy

STRATÉGIE DE GESTION DES GRAFFITIS

acs2007-PWS-SOP-0001                                     CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE

 

That the joint Transportation Committee and Community and Protective Services Committee recommend that Council approve:

 

1)   The Graffiti Management Strategy employing the 4E model of eradication, empowerment, education and enforcement as outlined in this report and including the items listed in Recommendation 3.

 

2)    One-time funding in 2007 from the City-Wide Reserve in the amount of $65,000 to develop and implement a public awareness campaign providing education and promoting the prevention and removal of graffiti to private and business property owners, and to support the implementation of the by-law proposed in Recommendation 3 iv).

 

3)         Subject to the approval of Recommendation 1, implementation of the following items be contingent upon approval of funding through the 2008 Budget Process:

i.        That four (4) zero tolerance zones, as described in the report and Document 2, be added to the existing Graffiti Management Program in 2008 at an annual cost of $350,000;

ii.      That the Director of Surface Operations be delegated the authority to approve future zero tolerance zones provided that,

(a)         the area is one with high graffiti occurrence as determined by the volume of calls to the City and consultations with City staff involved in removal of graffiti;

(b)         the area is located in a high visibility area of the City such as a business or tourist area; and

(c)          there are sufficient funds in the budget to implement the zero tolerance strategy.

iii.    That graffiti prevention and removal techniques be shared with private property owners and businesses through a public Graffiti Symposium in 2008 at a cost of $20,000;

iv.    That the Graffiti Management By-law attached as Document 3, to take effect January 1, 2008, be enacted;

v.      That expenses for increased eradication of graffiti on City owned and maintained assets be approved on an annual basis to support the implementation of Recommendation 3 iv at an annual cost for 2008 of $1,540,000;

vi.  That expenses for enhanced volunteer programs be approved at an annual cost of $10,000.

 

4.         That as part of the Graffiti Management Strategy the City of Ottawa use on a proactive basis the Parental Responsibility Act to recover costs of graffiti removal from graffiti vandals and/or their families.

 

5.         WHEREAS the staff report on the Graffiti Management Strategy recommends against the implementation of “legal walls” in light of a number of issues including but, not limited to the high prevalence of graffiti in the areas surrounding such walls;

 

AND WHEREAS there are currently two “legal walls” within the City, one underneath the George Dunbar Bridge and another at the Ottawa Technical High School on Slater Street, both of which have been in existence and generally accepted for a number of years;

 

AND WHEREAS the enactment of the proposed Graffiti Management By-law would render these two walls illegal unless an exemption is provided;

 

AND WHEREAS, while the intent is to phase-out such walls, the two existiong walls could remain in operation until such time as the phase-out is complete;

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Community and Protective Services Committee and the Transportation Committee recommend that the proposed Graffiti Management By-law, attached to the staff report as Document 3, be amended to provide and exemption for the two existing “legal walls”, described as follows:

 

a.         The Honourable George Dunbar Bridge as 1301 Bronson Avenue, specifically the north abutment, excluding the wing walls, which faces south, and the pillars/bridge supports immediately facing the abutment wall, as designated by sign;

b.         The Ottawa Technical High School at 422 Slater Street, specifically the concrete retaining wall on the south side of the western portion of the property

 

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to monitor the two existing “legal walls” and report back to Committee in one-year on their status and effectiveness in deterring graffiti.

 

6.         That staff investigate partnerships with local paint suppliers to develop programs such as:

§         discounting colour matching

§         discounting paint supply as developed in the City of Calgary

 

7.         The staff investigate a program similar to the City of Toronto’s Graffiti Transformation Program where unemployed youth and community groups work in problem areas to create a mural.

 

8.         WHEREAS several BIAs spend in the range of $40,000 to assist businesses in removing graffiti;

 

WHEREAS there is a request for a 20% city contribution to the program;

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that $140,000 be made available as an annual grant to the 14 BIAs ($10,000 per BIA), to use for graffiti removal.

 

9.         WHEREAS the last six to eight months have seen the appearance of an aggressive graffiti problem in the area surrounding the Manor Park School (K-6 elementary school), and;

 

WHEREAS the messages include threats of violence;

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the proposed expansions to the “ZERO TOLERANCE ZONES” include the Manor Park area.

 

 

10.       That House of PainT and Ottawa Tech Wall representative be included in the External Stakeholder Committee.

 

                                                                                                            CARRIED, as amended