Ottawa City Council Environment and Climate Change Committee, 18 Apr 2023

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From YouTube: Environment and Climate Change Committee - April 18, 2023

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Environment and Climate Change Committee
Meeting #: 3
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation

A

Okay, so we're going to get started, we've got a good full room here and a lot of counselors online today. I'm glad folks have joined us today, because there's a busy agenda and a lot of educational items on here first want to just recognize we're on unseated uncerated, Algonquin anishinaabe territory. For our meeting here today, uh Council Brockton and you've you've made it.

A

You don't have to mention how the tire change went well um and uh just another note to just start our meeting I think after the last couple of meetings, I've had members approach me about ensuring that our business is conducted in an efficient and fair Manner and with respect for staff, counselor and delegate time, and obviously, we've had a lot of uh heated and discussions at this committee.

A

So I want to make sure that we move forward collaboratively uh hearing those counselors that have approached me and certainly wanting to work together with you so appreciate those conversations, we've had and uh I think it's going to be important that we all move forward in a collaborative way so with that I think I'll move to to roll call. uh So if Chris go ahead,.

B

Councilor Brockington here councilor Brown here, I'm sorry, councilor, Brown.

C

B

Councilor Curry.

B

Counselor Devine here councilor Hill, present councilor Kavanaugh here counselor King here councilman president counselor Tierney, president Vice, chair Carr president. You have corn Mr chair. Thank.

A

You very much for that. Are there any Declarations of Interest, okay, seeing none uh confirmation of minutes are the minutes of the environment and climate change committee meeting of Tuesday, the 21st of March 2023 confirmed.

A

Thank you for that. So we have a response to inquiry that was listed on the agenda uh from counselor Brockington. Thank you, counselor for that on the tree, damage from the 2022 directo and the corresponding tree planting plan that City staff have laid out thanks for that uh inquiry. uh We have uh presentations or delegations on all the items today. So I think we'll move forward uh just item by item rather than carrying anything because we've got to to hear from folks. Our first uh item is the Ottawa climate action fund annual update.

A

uh There is a a an update for that from us today. So I'll I'll ask Steve. We come in to come forward and give a presentation. The Ottawa climate action fund or ocaf exists to accelerate ottawa's transition to an equitable carbon, neutral future, uh and so Steve winkelmann is the executive director and just going to provide us. Our annual update Steve go ahead.

D

Good morning, thank you um and I think there's a slide deck that Chris has um told I have 15 minutes in light of your intro I want to make sure. That's still true. Is that fair, um okay, um the uh you can go to the next slide Chris, please um so ocaf the Ottawa climate action fund uh is being incubated by the Ottawa Community Foundation we're one of seven lc3 centers low carbon cities, Canada modeled after the atmospheric run in Toronto, um Council Bernard's already stated our mission.

D

uh We have an mou with the city to help reduce emissions through implementation of energy Evolution, um and we give you an annual update on our progress which I'm doing today and we'll share with you uh in early June. Our annual report to fcm uh next slide. Please.

D

So our priorities are around where the carbon is. You know around 90 from buildings and transportation, but also 15-minute communities, um the connective tissue between where we live and where we go, that David Wise knows so much about and the importance of land use in terms of climate change, our motto, carbon down and Community up, which is kind of asking for it every day. Why isn't? Every project transformational: why is it helping the most vulnerable, Auto ones and for us, a good conversation starter to say, okay, how can we do better next slide?

D

um Our Advisory board has expertise from the private sector, public sector policy, experts, energy experts, investment, uh Finance advocacy uh and there's a motion later on the agenda to approve the I believe the climate change master plan in which councilor King uh is nominated to be our 11th Advisory Board member The, Advisory Board is a committee of the Ottawa Community Foundation, um and the plan has always been after incubation that will spin off as an independent organization, which a year from now may be the case next slide.

D

um So you know it takes a village right. It takes more than a village. um We know that there's a lot of finger pointing city council should do this. Federal government should do this, the private sectors, consumers. We really need to figure out how to you know it's a little hokey, but not point fingers at each other. How do we join hands and say? How do we make the policy case? How do we make the business case? How do we work together, use philanthropy uh to really make transformative climate action happen?

D

Last year, I talked about the green bubble, whatever that is the 15 or 20 percent of us that really care about climate. You know that's not going so well. How do we bring in suburban ottawans small businesses we're a lot of wins, low-income people, um so we're all engaging in climate action in ways that make sense next slide, uh so give you an overview about what we're doing, but first we know the clock is ticking right.

D

The the recent ice storm last year's direct show the damages were approaching a billion dollars uh and, of course, we couldn't skate on the iconic Rito Canal, it's getting hotter wetter, Wilder and more free install. These are just threatened multipliers to all sorts of things that disrupt our infrastructure economy and daily lives next slide, uh and so we're work to advance the business case and the community case, which is the only way to make the policy case.

D

You need to know, there's that support that people get it uh next slide, um because we're wasting money when we could be saving money and actually making money and prospering and improving Our Lives. That's the frame we bring next slide. My colleague Keegan aramchuk, uh presented um on this first point, encouraging you to approve the five million dollars. Thank you, Kudos. In terms of supporting climate action, I know the climate team is going to do really good things with that.

D

A lot more is needed, as we all know, but let's go up a few orders of magnitude to the 25 billion dollars of damage that climate change has already caused um the projected 100 billion dollars by mid-century and that doesn't even include I, don't think more than 100 billion dollars. That power outages uh cause losses in Canada, but there's some green numbers with the B with the billion on them, um the biggest one.

D

You know in terms of energy Evolution, the expected 30 billion dollar net benefits, but also recent study from TAF the atmospheric front in Toronto Ontario could save about 10 billion dollars. If we invest in efficiency instead of new fossil gas generation, and- and that's because you know when we invest in efficiency, invest in our own Community, that's less money on centralized generation and transmission and less exposure to extreme weather that can cause power outages. Every dollar we spend in efficiency can save three dollars.

D

Every dollar we spend on resilience can save 15 and by the way, I don't think the energy Evolution or the climate Canadian climate Institute numbers take into account the opportunity costs of sprawl and what happens if we don't meet our intensification targets and Analysis for Calgary put that price tag at 10 billion dollars. I think that's a number.

D

We need to know in Ottawa to understand what what does it cost us in terms of infrastructure, more wires, roads, pipes, Etc if we don't actually meet intensification targets next slide so, and you can jump over this one give you some highlights of some of the things we've done uh in the past year, uh three hundred thousand dollars in Grants um leveraging about a million dollars uh in external funds. Next slide, I'll start to tell you about some of those projects.

D

This past year, um working with the city with Andrea flowers team, uh we put out a simple website uh and climate comes campaign um website- is climate action Ottawa um and just to Let's frame. Make sure people understand really simply where do emissions come from mainly buildings and transportation? What can you do about it? What can you do about it again? Not just as a consumer buy an EV buy a heat pump.

D

If you know what that is, but also act as a citizen act as a community member, so the first campaign- hopefully you saw some of these. We took a goodbye, hello, goodbye old Tech, hello, new tech, goodbye filling up your gas tank, hello, charging goodbye furnace, hello, heat pump.

D

We need a better I, don't think, there's a sexy picture of a heat pump, but heat pumps are like the most important, misunderstood climate technology that we need so we're working on that next slide um in the context of the city's the zoning bylaw process and the official plan goodbye driving to everything, hello, everything close by and on this website everything links to like this one.

D

So the zoning bylaw process, the other ones, to better buildings uh and and Better Homes next line, so we brought together um around two dozen experts from the public sector from the private sector from Community groups around land use and climate change, calling it common ground, um because energy, Evolution, modeling and a whole bunch of literature shows that intensification can cut driving in half and I think as Council Bernard, who requested these I believe older data about the infrastructure costs from low density versus infill development. There's about a thousand dollar per capita Delta.

D

On that again we're wasting money. We could be saving money and making money in terms of tax revenues in terms of Municipal sales, uh and so we had you know. David Wise can speak to this. There's a high level agreement on, let's say the intro to the official plan and all the potential benefits you get to some of the details. There's, maybe not you know full agreement about what to do next, but a lot of energy.

D

A lot of understanding need for more public education and awareness that land use policy is climate change policy and importantly, because Bill 23 dropped between our two meetings like oh right, provincial policy is really important here. The new housing bill, which could weaken density targets, is important. We engage vehicle from Quebec to co-facilitate this effort with us, because they've been working for a decade, they have the head of the Quebec provincial Chamber of Commerce. Understanding that land use is the key climate change strategy that it's key for economic development.

D

We're not there in Ontario we're reaching out to colleagues in Toronto. How can we help make that stronger case to make sure provincial policy is allowing municipalities you all to have the resources need that so growth can pay for for growth, and we can advance climate goals stay tuned on that front next slide on the transportation side. Obviously, electric vehicles are key key measure and energy Evolution. We helped envirocenter secure a few hundred thousand dollars from Natural Resources Canada um to bring five electric vehicles into communoto's.

D

Car sharing Fleet um that resulted in 2000 test drives many of those from Volunteers. In the evco organization, their own, EVS um and and I spoke to this next year. Probably no one remembers, but the key point about this was that getting behind the wheel. It's common sense um is documented to lead to not only sales of electric vehicles, but talking to your friends about it and maybe wanting to use them more through a car share. So not just a billboard, and we had Billboards on this to encourage people to do the test.

D

Drive get that experience. We've just uh approved funding for a next round of this, which is going to include electric bikes as well, but importantly, have a strong Equity Focus reach out to those folks outside the climate bubble, lower income communities, new immigrants and not just here's the technology when we think of climate change here is what you should do, but also use it as a conversation starter. What do you think about when you see this EV? Can you afford one? What does this mean?

D

What's important to you, the Pilot's ongoing with a community electric vehicle at Ottawa, Community Housing, or discussions to them about how to scale that again. Not only are you sort of saving people money when you live in a food desert at 811 Gladstone, you know the taxi is expensive. The bus takes a long time. This starts to fill a gap there and if you can scale this, that means less money for parking cars, more money for housing people stay tuned there.

D

We also have, across the lc3 network, developed this guide around Municipal policies on EVS six recommendations. Six pages, quick to read some of you have seen it seeing: let's send it back around to council Menard um one small example: in there car sharing in many other cities can be flexible. You don't have to go round trip back to the same site you can park on the street. Ottawa parking is complicated. There's some opportunities there I think to allow for more flexible car sharing that can make that service more efficient than affordable next slide.

D

um Bike Share study we're co-funding with envirocenter. We know the Bike Share failed a couple times here. uh We need to understand why, because it's thriving in other places. So what are some of those best practices um that it's working, um where the electric assist bikes are actually generating more revenues because they're, popular and people can use them longer distances?

D

um What could Bike Share? Look like we're agnostic about ownership models, but we know it needs to be unpacked. We hired Ultra planning through an RFP process. That's been developing successful Bike Share systems around Canada around the U.S and see what this, um what this means I have my unmuted I have to the host a spotlighted video. Okay, just get that off my screen.

D

um The uh important framing on this is: can Bike Share help improve the significant public investment in transit can help with the Last Mile and fill some of those seats.

D

Stay tuned, we'll brief You in the Summer on this study next slide um buildings again about 45 of the emissions on the residential side, supporting Enviro Center in terms of their future homes program to try to build that pipeline of demand for the city's Better Homes Loan program um with some demonstration projects that are resulting in significant reductions, trying to build that Workforce so that we can scale deep retrofits uh and resulting in significant savings projected about 80 percent greenhouse gas savings.

D

Key part of that is electrification, switching to those heat pumps, getting the building envelopes efficient and, as you know, in Ontario, with lack of provincial incentives and with relatively low fossil gas prices and higher electricity prices. The financial case for a deep retrofit is tough, maybe not there for as deep as we need to go except again for the earlier numbers, I shared the more we can do on efficiency, the more we save and we can avoid building new power plants and new transmission lines.

D

uh And so we came up with this idea um called um it's hokey. um You heard about granny Suites like secondary Suites, that basement apartment, greeny Suites right. If there's no Financial case well, what if you could get a thousand dollars a month or more for that apartment in the basement or the attic can that help buy, that heat pump and the insulation you need and help fill some of this empty building built empty bedrooms in Ottawa from empty nesters widows, widowers um and there's some interesting models out of uh Vancouver.

D

That I can share with some ways to do that, to match seniors with Borders or to sort of do a retrofit of a secondary Suite stay tuned early discussions, but secondary Suites are included in kudos to Janice Ashworth in the Better Home Zone prank program as an eligible expense, because if you have an empty bedroom or an empty room and you bring someone else in there, you're already heating that building.

D

So it saves emissions and if it's in close to Transit well, even better and I, want to scoop ourselves too much next week, we're going to have a big press release around this machine learning to develop decarbonization road maps for commercial buildings with this company called audet and mentioned it. Last year it's been a while uh in the in the cooking, but importantly, it helps building owners integrate the efficiency into their Asset Management. It's not just saying here's what you could and should do it's helping them hear. How does this fit into?

D

How you actually do your budgeting and planning on an investment? It's an important ingredient into at least two proposals that are coming forward from Ottawa from the city and hydro and from Enviro Center to Natural Resources Canada that could bring millions of dollars into Ottawa for to accelerate commercial building.

D

Retrofits stay tuned on that on the merb front, we have a Blog around again that deep value proposition, let's not just look at the Energy savings, but what is it for building owners in terms of tenant retention in terms of other revenues and how do we avoid Renovations? So we have a recent Grant just approved to acorn to help engage their tenants on climate and hopefully look for some collaborative engagement with landlords on deep retrofits, including bringing in federal resources Etc next slide.

D

And finally, um you just approved this pilot project for Wastewater energy transfer at lebreton Flats at the dream project about six months ago. We engaged in Vari and they have Partners to say what are the economies of scale. If you build a bigger wet well, you need about two megawatts a bit more for the dream project and that costs about five million dollars in civil cost to dig that. Well, if you triple the size of that wet well, so you could serve seven and a half megawatts of capacity.

D

um The costs only go up. Civil costs only go up about 30 percent, so tremendous economy of scale which are important because it doesn't really pencil- it's not quite financially viable at that smaller scale. So this is one of those opportunities when we say gee we could have we should. This is a moment where we say.

D

Can we find the extra couple million dollars to build, that bigger, wet well or to somehow in Varian fear, recommend, could NCC or the city uh potentially acquire the capacity for later resale or require mandate connections number of different Pathways there? We want to make sure that we don't miss either building a well that's too small, amidst the economic and environmental benefits or or miss the opportunity all together. Last slide.

D

um So in our year, three, which started um April 1st uh we're gonna have a stronger focus on equity and Reconciliation. Building on some of the work we've done uh in the past year, we're going to continue working with the city on climate Communications and see how we can align and leverage existing climate Communications efforts from environmental groups from the city to ensure some consistent messages, simplify things but also Target things to to the appropriate audiences, so I'll leave it there. Thanks for your time and look forward to your questions.

A

Thank you very much for that presentation. Mr winkelmann, very educational I'm, just looking to see if there's some questions from committee, I see counselor Curry as.

E

A

Panda Professor Curry.

A

Councilor I'm not hearing you I'm, not sure. If uh there's a mute issue there.

A

I'll um perhaps move to counselor King and then councilor Kirby come back to you after that counselor King.

F

uh Thank you, chair and uh I didn't have any questions. I just wanted to really congratulate the fund and Steve for all the work that has been undertaken. I've experienced a number of the uh projects that have been funded through the fund, uh I. Think of uh the EV uh uh demonstration project. That was uh excellent. uh We had a excellent demonstration that I had been invited to a few months back at the Overbrook Community Center, where uh you know you got to trial uh the uh the technology and uh have volunteers.

F

Tell you about the benefits of of the technology as well as uh when I was a member of the Ottawa Community Housing board uh participating in discussions around the car sharing um and uh I know that uh uh the uh current chair, counselor kavda, uh would probably uh want to see the expansion of this type of of program uh throughout uh multiple properties.

F

We do have multiple OCH properties and in in my ward, and we do see the benefits there and I also wanted to congratulate you on the work that you're doing in terms of innovation, which I think is important. If we are going to be serious about addressing climate change, um you know we know that.

F

uh Often it's stated that buildings are responsible for 30 of the energy consumption uh and and so if we can leverage new technologies such as machine learning, which I'm going to be excited to see how that takes, shape um and other Innovative Technologies uh to to Really address these challenges. You know the the city uh will be better off, so I I'm, just really excited by the amount of innovation that's being undertaken by the fund and I really just wanted to to acknowledge that. So thank you for the hard work that you've engaged in.

A

Thank you for that counselor King and looking forward to having you as a as a member of ocaf in the near future- and this is time for uh delegation, uh questions or committee discussions. So uh anyone else I see Kathy Curry, uh councilor Curry. Hopefully, you've got those sound issues worked out and then councilor Kavanaugh after counselor Curry we're still still having trouble there. I'm, not sure if um it's on our end or yours, but your mute button is off.

A

I can see your mute buttons uh release, so you should be okay, but uh it's not working. Maybe try speaker issue on your side. Counselor Curry I'll go to counselor Kavanaugh.

G

A

Then hopefully we can sort this out answer Kavanaugh.

H

Thank you very much. um I appreciate the work that you're doing with the OCH as well. Of course, um and um the other thing that um I promoted with OCH is to promote the uh the transit passes, the equipass and Community pass, which is um because people don't know about them necessarily. So it's one of those things that OCH can do itself to uh as part of the welcome to uh the housing so that that's a good tie-in as well. But the car sharing is a is a really good idea on our properties.

H

One of the big things I find is education for residents again during uh last weekends. Last weekend's two weekends ago, I guess the storm and just making that connection with the the climate change and what happened and what they can do in their part, and it sometimes doesn't seem obvious and I really appreciate the work of places like the Environmental Center. So what more can can be done, and certainly as counselors, we have a lot of communication. So um you know just low hanging fruit, stuff.

H

So I think that would be really great to you know, continue to promote education on what you can do to make a little bit of difference.

H

I, don't know if you have. If you have information you can send to counselors that we can promote, but uh yeah that's constantly needed.

D

Yeah I think certainly there's what to share from from the city team and partly that our our focus of let's bring together folks and make sure the climate communication is clear. I think that that website, we'll we'll send it around it's in the in the deck um just for folks to understand where the emissions come from, and how do we make sure that something that someone really cares about and is active on? It could be plastic straws or washing their plastic bags? How do we make sure they don't stop there?

D

Like that's great, and do you know that 90 you know your next vehicle purchase or how you heat, your home is probably a place to be most impactful more impactful like get involved in the zoning bylaw and understand how?

D

Where does your community not have a crosswalk to the park, or you know just to help folks not just buy stuff but figure out how to get involved and learn, and it's challenging, because if all you did and it's lovely, you built the Butterfly Garden in your neighborhood and you're really proud of that and it's great and helps pollinators. Okay and what else is needed in terms of climate? So it's uh you know, thinking of all the hats we wear as soon as business, consumers and uh and uh and uh community members is important.

D

So definitely we'll share. Some of that and uh you know, stay tuned on what comes out of the climate comes uh work and I. Think with the engagement of OCH as well. um When we did that pilot there was information around Transit around car, share and I. Think that's great and I forget I forget who had the idea so I'll steal it, but so someone said you know, could OCH the same way like the university is going to you pass for Transit. Here's your you know: here's your trans, press! Here's your car share membership.

D

You know how do we figure out ways to make things that have a public service make make them sort of more affordable, so appreciate the creativity there and um look forward to staying in touch on that? Thank.

H

A

Okay, thank you, chair, Council, Curry, I, think you're good. Now,.

I

Yeah, when I switched to Canada sorry it changes my whole system and I have to switch everything back. Sorry about that. Thank you very much for this presentation. I love a lot of the things you say you know: I love, Ottawa, Community, foundation's work on this uh I really want to make sure that that's clear and all I drive. Electric car I've said this before uh my issues are always around uh whether what we are doing is really going to make a big enough difference and I love the last slide.

I

You know, I see that you're working with envary I wonder how much time you spend talking to hydro, Ottawa and really and Enbridge Gas and asking them what their thoughts are on this. The reason I ask is because you know a lot people a lot of people like me bought an electric car.

I

Then you find out that really little children are collecting Cobalt for the batteries and you know parts of our planet are devastated because of all the battery production, and then you think ugh you know here: I wanted to try to do something really good and now it's actually terrible.

I

um So I hate making decisions like that finding out that we're really doing bad things in a different way and so I wonder how much time you spend talking to many different energy providers before you uh come forward with your recommendations.

D

Great question: thanks yeah they I mean the Cobalt issue is: is a tragedy, a lot of uh Mining and uh Democratic Republic of Congo? My understanding is that on the battery side, um there's move to because Cobalt's also expensive I mean I I, wish as humanitarians driving issues driving it but um shift towards nickel shift towards um other uh materials for the batteries um in order to basically try to scale up to you know a billion Vehicles instead of the the millions there so the supply chain issues in general.

D

Are there all the more reason that anything we can do to minimize Demand with 15-minute communities with investments in public transit will mean less. We need to spend on batteries and EVs and Chargers, but the technology is evolving. There's a lot of recycling companies there in terms of EVs, and we work closely with uh with Hydro um uh on a number of they co-funded, um the the charger at uh at Ottawa Community Housing.

D

One of the issue issues that I raised to them that they're interested in didn't have a lot of bandwidth to deal with right now was: let's not do one thing at a time so that doing this cool project with Blue Wave AI, to say, if we look at the charge, the timing of the charging of the electric vehicles, how can that reduce uh impact on the grid? That's great? But what?

D

If we sort of combine that with some on-site, solar and some on-site storage and some of the deep retrofits, the city and Enviro Center are doing to understand what are going to be the real costs and I know, there's some constraints and in Canada North in terms of capacity and let's say what, if we really invest and have a you know, a model green electrified, neighborhood understand what that cost is and understand what the resilience benefits are.

D

If you have more efficiency, if you have some storage, if you have some backup capacity, can we keep the lights on and the heat on in the next ice storm? So let's look at some sort of broader integrated solution, hydro and Vari. Our our key Partners in analyzing that and understanding, what's it going to take to to Electrify everything and stay resilient.

I

And I just to follow there Mr chair, but Enbridge, do you ever talk to Enbridge about some other natural uh question, natural gas um options that are more green and- and my final uh comment would be yesterday- Erickson announced 450 million dollars of investment into Ericsson Canada, which is Canada and uh Montreal, specifically for digitization, which their statistics on how this will help reduce greenhouse gases were fascinating, and that is one of the main reasons other than you know.

I

We have great people here in in Canada that they are investing because they know that Canada is moving towards a Greener economy and digitization is the one of the most significant ways to do that. So I would encourage everyone to look at what Erickson's investing in with almost half a billion dollars into Ericsson here in Ottawa and Montreal. But anyway my question is about the gas Industries and uh whether you talk to them as well right.

D

So my colleague Tina Nicholson who's, going to join us today and she got sick over the weekend um uh spent most of her career in the gas industry. So I was in touch with Enbridge with others and I think certainly renewable natural gas. It shows up in energy Evolution. uh It can imply a meaningful role going forward um if we really increase the thermal efficiency of our building.

D

So these issues sort of work together in terms of the the capacity of that, but the gas industry has so much capacity and expertise with heating systems and pipes and digging. So the question is: how can that um align with the needs for uh geothermal energy for ground couple heat pumps for district energy that the city is is is looking at I think there's an important role for that industry's future.

D

In addition to, as you point out, some of the lower carbon gas and on the Erickson piece, we'll we'll reach out love to hear more about that. uh As uh Council King mentioned, the sort of the machine learning applying artificial intelligence, there's there's huge opportunities to get better information and accelerate action efficiently and ottawa's in a great place to lead there so we'll reach out about that counselor. Thank you.

I

Super. Thank you very much.

A

Okay, thanks very much Council Curry and just a final thanks for myself.

A

uh You know obviously you're doing excellent work in Partnership uh with the city and those air source, heat pumps, I always talk to people about them and try to do be simple about it, because it can replace your air conditioner and your furnace, those cold climate ones, uh your air, conditioner and your furnace, uh and so, if you're looking to replace an air, conditioner or furnace at that time, great time to to think about an air source, heat pump and obviously, you've spoken a lot about the savings that can come from this type of action.

A

There's a lot of potential savings here on buildings on Transportation, as we scale up so I appreciate all your work in this regard, and thanks for this annual update, uh is this item received? Okay, thank you for that. So we're moving on now to the infrastructure and water service department, protecting ottawa's water, Clean, Water, Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.

A

There's no registered speakers on this item, but there is a presentation from staff and just wanted to make sure we got this in early in the term, because there's a lot of responsibility that us as individual counselors have on this committee and staff's uh great work here: I'm wearing a I, drink, tap water button and excited to hear from staff about this item. So we'll pass it over to you when you're ready.

J

Thank you, chair Mercedes.

J

We appreciate the opportunity to provide an overview related to the relevant legislation and how the city complies with this legislation to ensure Safe Drinking Water for residents who are served by the city's Municipal Water System. My name is Sue Johns I'm, the director of asset management, the new foreign.

J

The presentation will walk you through the city's responsibilities and the legislation regarding the protection of our water.

J

Ontario currently has some of the most protective drinking water legislation in Canada, Municipal, Drinking, Water Supplies are governed by the Safe Drinking Water Act and Source water protection, including the wells and the Ottawa river, is governed by the Clean Water Act when described at the highest level. There are five key components in providing safe drinking water.

J

The first is Source water protection, protect our resources, the place where we take water from for our residents, who rely on Municipal, Drinking, Water Supplies. Next, robust treatment facilities remove contaminants and treat the water properly disinfected. Water is safely distributed from our treatment facilities through secure water, Distribution Systems to our communities.

J

Finally, continuous monitoring and frequent testing and inspection help ensure our drinking water meets Ontario's regulatory requirements. Next slide, please.

J

After Walkerton, the province of Ontario, Ontario municipalities and our partners in water built a comprehensive safety net for municipal drinking water, two key Acts were established. The first is the Clean Water Act, the Clean Water Act is a powerful piece of legislation administered by the ministry of environment, conservation and Parks. The ACT gives municipalities the the authority to manage activities on public or private properties to protect Municipal Water Resources.

J

The purpose of the Clean Water Act is to protect existing and future sources of drinking water, with a focus on protecting Municipal drinking water supplies. This is achieved through Source protection plans which are science-based and locally developed. These policies that identify activities that are threats to drinking water and they're, how they are managed for drinking water supply protection, Source protection plans range from the prohibition or management of certain significant drinking water threat activities, as well as incentive programs and Outreach, and education, Source protection committees and Source protection authorities provide oversight of the local process.

J

The Committees are made up of local stakeholders with equal representation from your Municipal economic and public interests, and conservation authorities were delegates as the source protection authorities under the ACT, since they were already established as local watershed management agencies, municipalities, Implement, Source protection policies such as screening proposed development applications that are close to drinking water protection zones or the management of existing significant threat activities, and there are required reports annually to the source protection authorities about the implementation of the local Source protection plans, and this report is prepared by February 1st each year. Next slide.

J

J

The Clean Water Act and its legislation provide for shared duties and responsibilities to several partners. The ministry of environment, conservation and Parks provides regulatory oversight and guidance.

J

They Implement and enforce the provincial instruments, such as the license we have for the water treatment plant or the Environmental Compliance approvals that are issued for any pipes and they also review and approve the source protection plans.

J

The Source protection authorities, which are the conservation authorities, are responsible to establish the local Source protection processes and they establish and support the source protection committees. The Committees bring together the local stakeholders and it's Ontario municipalities, who are the owners and operators of the drinking water systems and are responsible to implement and enforce local Source protection measures. Next slide, please.

J

There are two Source protection regions within the city of Ottawa. The first is the Mississippi Rito Source protection region, which is shown in the map in dark gray. It's in the Central and West part of Ottawa, and the second is the raisin South Nation Source protection region, which is the east side of Ottawa shown on light gray on this map.

J

So each of those two regions has its own locally developed Source protection plan with policies to protect drinking water. Drinking water protection zones are in place for the two surface water. So that's the Ottawa River it's pink on this map, so we take surface water from the Ottawa River for Britannia and Lemieux. Those are protected by intake protection zones.

J

There are well head protection areas surrounding the six Municipal well systems, which are the multi-colored areas on the map. We have six systems located in carp, Richmond, Munster, Greeley and bars.

J

In addition, the city must Implement protection measures for other municipalities, where their well-head protection areas extend into the city boundary and on this map you can see that's the case for Almont Temple and lamosh.

J

Source protection policies are implemented within drinking water protection zones, with the most restrictive policies being implemented closest to the intake. These are shown on red in the map. The most more restrictive policies closer to the well can include prohibiting certain land uses as an example. Next slide, please: both of our source protection plans took effect in 2015., and the protection plans implement the policies of the Clean Water Act.

J

One of these policies is, there is a risk management official appointed under part four of the Clean Water Act, and this position is held by a city employee who's on the call today this official represents the city on Source water committees and has the authority under the act for specific functions. One of them is preparing that report. That's due by February every year, The Source protection plan content implements three directions outlined in the policies.

J

The first is education and Outreach to ensure that people are aware, if they're located within a protection Zone and help them understand those responsibilities and manage risks such as how to store chemicals in their garage or if they have fuel they store on their property. There's a management responsibility of all of the existing significant drinking water threats, including some future development activities and, lastly, there's prohibition to prevent activities that could pose a significant threat to drinking water. I'll now pass the presentation to Jen Nielsen, director of water facilities and treatment services.

K

Thank you sue for your overview of the source protection under the Clean Water Act. We will now discuss the components of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which focuses on how we treat and protect the water once it has been drawn from the source next slide. Please and the next slide after that, thanks I can tell you with confidence that ottawa's drinking water is safe and of high quality.

K

Here's. Why I have this confidence, and my goal today is that you can have that same level of comfort as well.

K

The Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act has five pieces that work together to provide a consistent approach for all drinking water treatment systems across the province.

K

The first piece is robustly designed and well-maintained water treatment facilities and water distribution Networks. These provide multiple barriers to remove contaminants and maintain water quality, all the way to Homes located all across the city.

K

The second piece is a drinking water quality management system, which provides the essential framework to ensure transparency and oversight of our drinking water systems.

K

The third piece is that each water system and staff who work within it must be licensed and permitted. This ensures that the operators, the trades people and the engineers have the appropriate, Education and Training to do their jobs well, including ongoing annual training permits and licenses, provide specific criteria for the operation of the systems, including how much water we may take from our sources, the maintenance requirements and other site-specific operating criteria.

K

The fourth piece is that we do careful, monitoring and testing to make sure we're doing what we say. We will do as well as follow the applicable laws and rules. The testing, provincial inspections and audits provide a verification and oversight to ensure that we are meeting our drinking water quality management standards and Regulatory obligations. This ensures that we are producing safe and high quality drinking water.

K

Annual reporting demonstrates full accountability and transparency to our community, to the ministry of the environment, conservation and parks, and to you, as owners of the drinking water system. Next slide, please, the Safe Drinking Water Act provides the foundation and direction for the provision of safe drinking water across the province of Ontario.

K

The applicable legislation and regulations are the rules and laws that govern the treatment and delivery of safe drinking water. The permits and licenses that the province issues to the city provide additional details for compliance and are specific to the city's Water Systems, including permissions about what changes we may or may not make to the systems.

K

Operational plans are specific to the water system owner and document our own set of plans and procedures. There are two main partners that share in these duties and responsibilities. The first is the ministry of the environment, conservation and Parks, who provides regulatory oversight, licensing and inspections.

K

They also provide compliance, monitoring and Consolidated incident reporting. The ministry establishes through legislation and following guidance, set by Health Canada limits and acceptable concentrations of various parameters which include physical, chemical, microbiological and radiological parameters.

K

Ontario municipalities provide operations, maintenance and management of individual Water Systems. In accordance with the regulations, permits licenses and operational plans within the city. Many different people, including elected officials, have a role to play in providing Safe Drinking Water to Ottawa communities. It is a shared responsibility. Our team is very proud of the work that we do. We have a deep understanding of how our work has a direct impact to the people that we serve and we take that responsibility very seriously.

L

Next slide, please.

K

Ottawa has a total of eight licensed large Municipal Water Systems. We have two surface water treatment plants that work in tandem to supply the central system, which is about 950 000 people. One is located at mu Island, which was originally constructed in 1932 and has seen lots of upgrades since then, and one at Britannia, which was built in 1959. That has also seen upgrades over time.

K

We have six communal wealth systems which service the rural villages, all facilities produce high quality drinking water through a combination of treatment processes.

K

The combination of processes varies depending on the makeup of the source water and may include additional chemical treatment or filtration steps to produce safe water that also tastes good. The systems are monitored and operated 24 7 from control rooms located at the two plants.

K

There is a high-tech monitoring and control system that allows operators to see what is happening across the network at all times. It also has alarms that trigger immediate action, as required.

K

The plants also act as a base of operations for our skilled trades people, our operators and our water quality specialists.

H

K

Slide please, so you might be wondering how we're doing Ottawa I am very happy to report that the city consistently produces excellent drinking water and operates and maintains robust facilities and infrastructure. We test over 100 000 samples per year and we look for over 300 different substances, which is well beyond the regulatory requirements and within our facilities. We have continuous monitoring as well.

K

Overall, our 2022 test results demonstrate that drinking water supplied from ottawa's, Municipal, Water Systems, is of high quality and meet the Ontario drinking water standards and health Canada guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality.

K

The city continues to maintain its accreditation as an operating Authority, which means that an external auditor has confirmed that the city's operational plan was implemented successfully and conforms to Ministry standards. Next slide. Please.

K

There are a number of reports to keep sorry to the province to council and the public that are required under both Acts to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act, a source protection, Source water protection, annual report. You can I think forward the French slide. Please we're missing the image so to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act.

K

A source water protection annual report is required by February 1st of each year under the Safe Drinking Water Act City staff, as the operating Authority for the drinking water systems is required to generate three key reports annually. The first report is actually a set of eight annual reports, one for each of the city's Drinking Water Systems. They provide a summary of water quality results. These reports must be made available by the end of February each year.

K

The second report is the summary report which provides committee and Council information on Regulatory Compliance. The report contains general information about each drinking water system, and it also provides a summary of how we maintain compliance related to the city's Municipal drinking water licenses, our permits to take water operator, certification and training and our water quality assurance program. The report must be provided to council every year by March 31st.

K

Lastly, the management review report is related to our drinking water quality management system. It considers the results of the management review and identifies deficiencies and follow-up action items.

K

It provides a record of any decisions and actions in action items related to the management review, including who is responsible for delivering the actions and the proposed timelines for their implementation. This report is brought forward in late Q2 or early Q3 next slide. Please.

E

K

Is committed to consistently deliver high quality drinking water through comprehensive Source water protection, robust water treatment, Safe, Water distribution, transparent reporting and a deep understanding of regulatory obligations. The city will continue to meet the drinking water needs of residents for now and the future. If ever you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. It would be our pleasure to engage with you on this subject. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much for that comprehensive presentation and educational update I see. Councilor Brockington uh has his end up in counselor Curry afterwards, councilor Brockington.

M

Thank you chair, and thank you very much for the report. It's always good to receive this I do see it as a good news report every year, I think we are blessed with um clean water in this part of our continent, and the citizens of Ottawa certainly reap those benefits. I have a few questions. If I may, um as our city grows, I assume our two water filtration plants still have capacity to meet the demands of an increasing population. What is the maximum capacity or what's the maximum population that those plants can serve before?

M

We think about a third Filtration plant.

K

So there's ongoing work through Sue's team with regards to the infrastructure master plan and it's based on quantity. So in terms of Mega liters per day um that will determine and likely we have enough locate enough space at both Britannia and Lemieux that we wouldn't need a third plant. We would likely look at upgrades and optimization of those two facilities and I'll pass it to see if she has anything to.

J

Committee and Council will see the infrastructure master plan, this fall as part of implementing the official plan and we do a master plan. Documents To The Horizon year of the official plan in preparation for for the infrastructure master plan. So, yes, we have capacity and we are be able to offer you more detail about how that will be implemented through the infrastructure master plan. Excellent.

M

That's good to hear: um can you give an overall comment on our water infrastructure as a whole? We're certainly seeing a lot of water main and infrastructure renewal projects in my ward and in other words, but can you just provide a brief comment on the challenges you're facing with the infrastructure.

J

We do spend a lot of money, it's important to think about what we've just been through with the budget cycle, for example, where we itemize for Council, based on our knowledge of the system based on our assessment of the condition of these assets and the services they provide, and we make recommendations for the investments in Rehabilitation that we should make to make sure that the system is reliable and meeting the expectations of our community.

J

It's the rigorous prioritization risk assessment process that we do in preparing the budget that gives us the confidence going into every year that we are spending money wisely. We're getting good return on our investment and we're meeting the expectations of the community with regard to Servicing, Water Service I,.

M

Asked this question every year and I will ask it again as part of our due diligence. But can you confirm for committee members that all infrastructure that you have deemed in a critical state has either been fixed or is has a budget allocation to be fixed this year? On the immediate timeline.

J

Yeah, sir, thank you for the opportunity to speak to this. I can confirm that all critical assets specifically today we're talking about water infrastructure. We have adequate budget in place to ensure continuous service, good performance, high quality drinking water. We have adequate resources to provide that service. Excellent.

M

Very good, my final question is what keeps you up at night with respect to the delivery of water in the city? What are you concerned about.

K

That's a great question: I have a high degree in com of confidence in the systems that we have in place and the people that are involved in the provision of safe, clean drinking water in the city and I. Don't lose sleep over it because I have these pieces in place and I have excellent, Partners Sue being one. My colleague Marilyn who looks after the linear system as well, and we work very closely together to ensure that residents and businesses and communities across Ottawa get clean, safe drinking water in a continuous every day.

M

Excellent. Thank you for your presentation. Thanks chair, okay,.

A

Thank you, councilor Brockington, counselor, Curry,.

I

Thank you, Mr chair and really following up on Council brockington's question Clark, Kelly and I were at the Mississippi Valley conservation Authority meeting yesterday, but I think Glenn was on the phone as well, and we heard an impassioned plea from the conservation authority to protect the wetlands because we had the source water report and um you know I think is it Mr chair? Is it Bill, 23 I think it might be 23., that's the brutal one.

A

That's right, yes, yeah.

I

So they're they were really asking us for help because I mean their concern. Is that if there is considerable uh construction on our wetlands and there isn't respect for them, then we have that uh lack of a good source. I love the slide, protect your land and your land will protect uh your water.

I

um It is it's a real thing that you know we. We have a provincial government right now and legislation coming at us that could do considerable damage, so they certainly indicated that was what was keeping them up at light at night. We have carp monster, Richmond, uh King's Park. Is that Shadow, Ridge and vars? That would you not say they are relying on a source that would be cleaned by Wetlands, that that is not, or maybe our biggest concern other than the fact that we can control the quality of water at our two plants.

J

Councilor Curry: this is a great question about a very active issue. We're we're all working to understand the implications of bill. 23.

J

um we've had comparable meetings with rbca, where, together we are trying to understand the implications of these changes and trying to find a way where we can address our most pressing issues in other ways. That's that's really what we're being asked to do.

J

The Wellhead protection zones that are identified around the wells that are the source of those Village um Water Systems, have protections, have mechanisms through the Clean Water Act for steps that the municipalities can take through encouragement and Outreach, and education and management like we talk about, but there are also Provisions through prohibition and I.

J

Think where we're getting to is when we get down to the very fine print of the existing regulations that haven't been affected by Bill 23, the conservation Authority has been affected by Bell 23 and is understanding is their overlap or Gap in that in those changes. So it is, it is a very active issue. It is something that we are working closely with the conservation authorities, because it is critical to the drinking water of all of the residents that rely on that um that Source in in our Villages.

J

So it is not something that we we need to find a way and we will find a way. I believe that the Clean Water Act protections, um while the rbca responsibilities have changed the Clean, Water Act I, don't believe, has changed.

J

So we we will be making sure that we are implementing the all of the tools to the greatest possible extent to ensure the protection of those wellheads.

I

Thank you very much, Mr chair. The other thing we heard at that meeting yesterday with the mvca was how the mvca staff are very willing to help uh look at reports and be the expertise. Even though you know their authorities have been really reduced. They are really wanting to partner, so I would just uh we as a board. There uh were completely supportive of that. So I'm glad to hear you work.

I

I knew you worked very closely with them anyways, but given the change with Bill 23 I'm really glad to hear that uh you'll be talking to them more about what their role can be going forward. It's critical anyway. Thank you very much for your work. I think some would argue. This is the most important work we could ever do. uh It's always a competition, but water is is pretty important. So thank you for all. You do.

A

Thank you, Council curry, good questions and comments. uh Counselor Kavanaugh.

H

Thanks very much I'm so proud of your work. I'm always proud to have Britannia in my ward and uh I. Think how fortunate we are. We can't take it for granted. That's for sure um and I do wonder about the effects of climate change and and how we monitor it and uh and the effects on our our drinking water. How? How do we look at that issue?.

K

That's a great question: there's a lot of climate change topics at this committee today, so it's uh it's very relevant. The we're very fortunate because the Ottawa river, which provides drinking water for the vast majority of the City's population, is very plentiful. So we we have a lot of quantity of drinking water. So, from that perspective, we're not concerned from a protection of the plants perspective because they're located along the river, we developed mitigation plans and Preparatory plans with a phased approach, so that should we encounter another flood as we did in 2019 and 2017.

K

We are well prepared to put into action these emergency plans and protect those critical facilities and make sure that there's a continuity of drinking water in the event um of wind, storms and energy. We have redundancy within our drinking water systems by Design. That's how drinking water systems are designed, and we also have backup generators at our facilities to ensure that we can have that continuity of drinking water so that, even in a critical event, people can still open their tops and and rely on the water.

H

Thank you and I appreciate councilor Curry's questions I'm a member of the RVCA, and um yes, that's where the water starts. We have. We have to protect those sources in terms of storm water Outlets, that's something that I'm hoping we're phasing out, because I do worry about it in terms of our of our water sources. What are our plans in terms of reducing storm water, Outlets.

K

May we ask a clarifying question.

A

H

A

Want to have five more details: councilor Kavanaugh.

H

I mean I, see, see stormwater Outlets, even just before we, the water flows down to Britannia, it's right in my neighborhood and um and and I I'm concerned about it, because it's untreated water, that's uh from rain water and it's going directly into the river. It's it's storm, water Outlets. So it's uh that's untreated water that goes into our River so um and hopefully we're we're facing these out as much as possible.

J

We do have thank you for clarifying. We do have um Legacy systems right that were storm water systems that were built before storm water management, as the science came came into effect, and so we do have some of those um like the one you're describing like the one I think uh there's a few in your ward because and it it's part of updating to today. Current standards would happen as part of renewal where possible.

J

um It is preferable to have some form of treatment of storm water and that's what we see in all of new areas, but it would take us some time to to make those changes for existing neighborhoods that were built under under different standards. So.

H

Understood: okay, understood that it'll take a while, but as long as we're it's on our radar, sure, okay, thank you um yeah and how is it going for promotion of drinking water? I was just thinking about it because it drives me crazy when I go places and I get bottled water thrown.

N

H

Know offered to me, um but as if people think that there's a problem with regular water but I was just thinking about it. Just talking about free drinks like everybody likes free drinks. So maybe that's a good promotion.

H

Free drinks of.

K

Water, thank you for the question. It drives me crazy too, when people bring drinking water, um I, guess a key message around this is that but drinking water from our tops costs or one liter of drinking water from our top cost less than one percent of what a liter of bottled water costs. So in today's Financial constrained times it's a great way to save money, and you can have a level of confidence, as we've talked about today that the tap water is safe and of high quality.

K

We do have Outreach programs as well proactive, Outreach programs through either directly with the community at different events that might be happening. We are very happy to work with counselors offices. If you have upcoming events, we can send our Outreach team to participate in those. We would love to be there and we're happy to talk about drinking water, to anybody who's willing to listen. We also have Outreach programs in schools as well, so they do some pretty creative stuff with Minecraft little Minecraft activities with the kids, where they can design different systems.

K

So there's lots of creative opportunities and we are so happy to talk about drinking water. Please please reach out to us and we will get you in touch and provide our Outreach team.

H

Thank you appreciate it.

A

That's great information. Thank you for that. I'm, sorry, Tammy, Rose, I think I saw your hand up previously. If you I don't know if you wanted to add to the previous uh discussion.

G

Thank you, Mr chair uh I, just wanted to provide some clarification around Bill 23 and the way that the ministry has, uh or even the Ontario government how they've put the hierarchy in place of legislation regarding Clean, Water, Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. They they are above all else right.

G

So if there's any other acts or regulations that come in by behind to either impact the safety of the water or potentially impact the safety of the water, the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act will always be the first one that they have to comply with. So I just wanted to clarify that that's built into the legislation and that we can be confident with any other changes around Bill, 93 or other uh regulatory uh changes that the government is thinking about, that that will not change the overarching protection of the water. Okay.

A

Thank you, that's very helpful. Councilor Hill did you want to add something I.

O

Did have my hand up, but I took it down. uh I just wanted to give a little story about my appreciation for the safe Waters as well. So I lived for eight months in Port, Prince, Haiti and I can remember many times going down the street and seeing meters of decaying garbage in the water systems with uh with animals running around, uh and you know Upstream from that you'd see somebody changing their uh their cars.

O

Oil filter, tossing it into the into the water stream, and then you go down a little bit and you'd see kids down there. Bathing and drinking out of it. So I just I want to say you know so sincerely. uh You know I appreciate the work that you do so that my kids can drink, safe water- and you know the families here in Ottawa as well and I, just really appreciate what you do. Thank you.

A

Thank you counselor and on that note, is this item received?

A

Okay thanks, very much counselor, so we're now moving on to the high performance development standard update, so there's no PowerPoint for this I understand staff will just to give a brief introduction on this item. Obviously, we've dealt with this item last term. uh This is an update to it and there are also I believe four delegations registered here for this item too. So after we hear from staff we'll go to those delegations.

K

Good morning, uh thank you for uh telling me the time to speak today. My name is Rebecca Hagan and I'm. Just going to give a brief introduction to the report on the high performance development standard. So the high performance development standard was approved by City Council in April of 2022.

K

The hpds is the city's tool to advance sustainable and resilient design practices in new construction projects.

K

The hbds is a collection of voluntary and required standards that are applied through the development approval process, using authorities under the planning act enabled by the implementation policies and the new official plan.

K

The hpds will apply to all application types to the following application: types: cycling, control in the urban area, all site plan, applications, site plan control in the rural area. Hpds development threshold applications only also referred to as complex applications, plan of subdivision all areas and all applications for new development.

K

This report addresses revised timing and administrative changes to respond to recent provincial planning act. Changes no changes to the previously approved hpds requirements are proposed at this time.

K

The hbds is proposed to come into effect on July 1st of 2023. The building energy performance thresholds will not come into Force until January 1st of 2024.. The report also proposes revised timing for next steps, including reporting back on incentive options and an update to the corporate Green Building policy in 2024..

K

The next iteration of the hpds is proposed to be reviewed and brought forward for approval in 2025.

K

staff will continue to review and consider necessary changes to the hpds as a result of changes to provincial legislation, including building code and planning act changes. Thank you.

A

Okay, thank you very much for that brief introduction and we're going to move now to delegations. I have Barbara long first as a registered speaker. If you can get Barbara on the call from Community associations for environmental sustainability.

P

uh Yes, good morning, um I am Barbara long I joined with cafes, which I know a number of you are aware of what cafes does um I'm with the hiddenberg Community Association environment committee. So um we are going to talk today about the uh DS and how we'd like it to be uh sooner rather than later. So? Can you advance to the first slide for me? Please.

P

So uh bit about who we are I think most of you know cafes is a community associations for environmental sustainability, so we won't get into too much of that here. If you think most of you know us, so could you advance this slide? Please.

P

So the mint for us to this slide is that we fully and strongly support the hpts with some. You know operations we'll talk about here so we'd like you to consider incentives um within that document and also work at the municipal level and actions that we can control dances like please.

P

So the main point of this is that the ipcc has said in many reports that buildings, through their greenhouse gases, are the greatest contributor, um through their fossil fuels for heating and cooling, so we'd like to suggest that we build cheaper uh first rather than try to retrofit later. This is much less expensive option. The cost differential being a huge three percent, typically versus 10 to 15 percent buildings. Coming at this from a real estate standpoint, too, I was a realtor for nearly 20 years, um so the.

B

P

P

So um the main part of this is that um about housing, affordability, because people need to heat and cool their homes and developers and Builders they're, very vocal when it can concerning regulations, because they see it as red tape, but a residence of Ottawa, including tenants who are not very vocal and home buyers who are even a bit vocal, but not as much as tenants at all who aren't really a present at the table. It affects their housing supportability greatly, so we'd like uh addressed. Could you advance the slide please?

P

So the main point of this one is that um we understand that there are a lot of external constraints uh such as Bill 23, because hpds is implemented through site plan. This creates a huge loophole with buildings that are under 11 units, so we'd like you to consider using some incentives that are available to the city for that whole Exempted set of low-rise buildings in tier one. Can you advance this slide? Please so we'd like you to consider using the CIP immunity, Improvement plan to to help with energy and efficiency to build better.

P

This is the tool that the city does have. um It could be used as a policy as opposed to for individual projects um and Perth right now is using it for an energy program, so we'd like to suggest Ottawa could use it advances slide please.

P

So the main point of this is that there are tools in the municipal toolbox that can be implemented. We understand that delays have been created by by external forces that bill 23, Bill, 109 and so on, but we were very surprised to learn that there's no direct, Asset Management implication associated with the recommendations of the street board. So we'd like to see that addressed the corporate Green Building document is extremely old, so we'd like to have that looked at.

P

So let's try to prioritize the actions, and could you advance the slide, please so our recommendations so I'm going to read them because they're pretty clear here, our recommendations are to drive hpds tier 2, update in the corporate Green Building policy to happen this year, 2023 not 2024.

P

Consider adding in Net Zero net carbon zero and reduction in embodied carbon considerations. Consider incentives for tier one hpds to apply to new builds exempt from site plan. 10 units plus and consider Energy Efficiency in Green Building standards, Independence and Community improvement tool review for your time.

A

Thank you for that um really appreciate your presentation. Today. I see counselor Devine as a stands up for a question for you.

Q

Hello, uh can you hear me everyone.

A

Q

A

Me you're good to go. Thank.

Q

You thank you um hi Barbara. Thank you for your presentation. uh You mentioned in your presentation that the uh the corporate green policy I think you said it's quite old. um uh How.

P

Old is it it's apparently 20 years old, so we'd like to see staff starting to work on updating it now, rather than waiting until next year's I think that's within their control.

Q

20 years old, you know what year the policy is from.

P

Well, 20 years old will make it uh 2004. Is that correct, maybe I I think.

Q

Okay, I can clarify that with staff, um but yeah I do um I. Do uh I do appreciate that that is uh you know quite old in terms of a policy I can I can definitely see the benefit of accelerating some kind of policy review um so uh chair. If it's okay, when we, um when we get to questions to staff, um I'll, ask staff um about whether or not there can be an acceleration to the timeline and if so, I might ask for an amendment to the motion. If that's all right, chair.

A

Yeah at uh time for questions for sapped after delegations um sounds good. You can raise those points, then great.

Q

Thank you, Barbara. Okay,.

A

Thank you. Thank you for your delegation.

A

Okay, so yeah questions for staff after delegations. Next up is uh Jason berggraf from the greater Ottawa homebuilders Association I submitted a document and a PowerPoint as well Jason welcome. You have five minutes.

R

Well, thanks so much everybody for the time this morning, uh I wanted to go over a couple of points as to why we feel the HPS is not ready to be implemented right now, uh and let me reiterate that it's uh the industry is not against Improvement on energy performance and residential construction.

R

uh Far from it, our members work every day in improving the Energy Efficiency of their homes, but we are genuinely concerned about the approach laid out here with hpds will impact timelines and costs both on the industry and the city sides and therefore have a negative impact on housing, affordability and supply for context. After my comments, Ryan's going to speak to some specific issues in hpds standards and Ursula is going to speak to issues with the proposed changes in the site plan control, bylaw that were appended to the staff report.

R

Of course, I'd be remiss uh right on the first page here that if I didn't highlight that HPS will have an immediate impact on construction costs for housing across the city. This chart is the city's own estimation of the increases to housing while detached unit homes.

R

Is the bigger number I really wanted to highlight the increase across on multi-units multi-united buildings, especially around Transit stations, as per our official plan, are supposed to be the most significant portion of our intensification and are supposed to be the most affordable type of housing that will be available in this city over the next 25 years. The day this goes to effect by the city's own calculations, the cost to build one of those homes.

R

Just one of those units goes up eleven thousand dollars, and let me emphasize that this is about construction costs, because that's not only about private Market housing, the cost for Ottawa Community Housing, the cost for CCOC and any other housing provider. Profit or non-profit goes up as well. If I could move on to the next slide.

R

Thank you. uh In the last bullet on the slide, I talked about a third party uh reviewers, the costs on the 11 000 and any of the increased construction costs. Don't consider the increased consultant costs either. We expand on this. uh This concern in their submission, but the city is looking to engage third-party reviewers to evaluate the energy modeling, it's requiring, which, frankly, we think is a waste of time and money.

R

If a home builder has engaged professional energy evaluator a certified person that designs the project to meet the requirements, we don't understand why the city wants another professional to evaluate that work. That's not what happens currently with much more severe items like geotechnical and structural issues, where one person's professional sign-off is considered efficient. All we're doing with third-party reviews from the city's end is over taxing a very limited amount of firms, three or four locally that do this work.

R

There are a number of additional appointments on this slide and in our submission, but for the sake of time, I really want to move on to the next slide and talk about the issues we're having with the current requirement for energy Community energy plans for subdivisions.

R

So when the industry and the city started talking about the proposed standards, we immediately expressed concern about the timing for some of the requested reports both for site plan and for subdivisions that were building energy, modeling and Community energy plans that were being asked for at the time of application, which is just way too early in the process countless times.

R

We went over, that the information being requested for the application simply wasn't available and that reports would end up being made on a bunch of assumptions that would then have to be completely redone by the time you got to a building permit. It was only two weeks ago that staff agreed to move the timing of the building energy modeling for site plan to a condition of approval, rather than app submission.

R

Unfortunately, the same shifting timing has not been made for Community energy plans for subdivisions, the issues of which are detailed on that slide and I relate these two items to show that, despite the fact that we've been working on this for a very long time, the work simply has not been done to ensure that the hpds melds together well with the development approvals process that the city already has. Instead, it's introducing friction, which is now going to make approvals longer more difficult and more costly if I can move on to the next slide.

R

Please thanks and my final slide highlights the recommendations from our submission to fix the hpds and make it workable. I've spoken to many of the items, but I wanted to highlight the very first one about provincial compliance. The Minister's letter was circulated as part of the package, and the provincial government says it's going to do an interim building code update and update its site plan green standards this summer, and, given that we all know this is a very interventionist government who are not afraid to make significant changes in the environment that we all work in.

R

It would save the city a lot of grief and hassle just to wait a few moment a few months and see what those new roles are going to be, instead of going ahead right right now and having to revise the hpds likely less than three months after its implementation. Again, we want to see increased energy performance in housing, but the H2 hpds needs to work properly in the framework of how buildings and communities are conceived, designed and built within our own development application process, which it just simply does not do right now.

R

With that all happy to take any questions thanks for your time,.

A

Okay, thank you very much for that presentation and counselor. Curry has a question for you.

I

Thanks a lot Jason and thanks for all the help, you always give me in terms of understanding our real estate market um I, was thinking a very similar thought to yours when I was reading this report, because you know I you're talking about the friction that maybe created just between our staff and the industry, but I find that in this committee that there is this friction where you know you, as you start out with you agree with so many of the things we're trying to do.

I

However, you're highlighting that there may be things we haven't considered. That will be uh an impact that we we actually wouldn't want. That would prevent us from achieving some of our affordable housing goals, and so your recommendation is simply just to wait until the provincial uh regulations are out is. Is that your only other recommendation.

R

uh No so I mean I think that is certainly an important one, because we're going to have to go through a lot of effort to revise uh very much likely revise the hpds um whenever the prevention, Province changes, uh changes the environment. To quote unquote to you, know, regulatory environment that it could be working on, um but they're they're kind of the two big things is: one is drop.

R

The third party reviews uh you know we're already using or any private Builder is going to be using a an energy evaluator, and we use evaluator auditor reviewer kind of interchangeably, um but they're hiring a professional. uh Much like you hire a professional engineer who has an engineering stamp? uh You know once that those plans are signed off by that professional. uh That should be sufficient. You know to hit your check mark on your application process.

R

What the city is proposing to do right now is they want to hire their own energy evaluator to then evaluate the about the evaluators work and the problem where the the real concern we have on a practical scale about this is the capacity in Ottawa for of these energy. Evaluators is very small, like I said, there's only like three or four firms that do this locally. So it's not unimaginable to that.

R

You could find yourself in a situation where uh Minto, for example, hires evaluator a to do all their projects uh to comply with hpds the city, then hires evaluator B, to evaluate evaluators, A's work right to to verify it and certify that work. But then Madame comes along Anatomy is using evaluator B for to do their work in compliance. So then the city has to turn around and hire evaluator a to certify that work.

R

So it you know, given the the infrastructure and the capacity of the the local energy uh auditor, energy of you know, reviewer situation, it's you can see that that's going to be that's just a source for conflict right as you have such a small group that you're pulling for um so that's you know, that's the other big one for sure is the third party evaluator and then finally, it's the community energy plans related to subdivisions as I sort of related we moved over.

R

We staff did eventually agree that the timing of their request for information on site plan was just too early in the process. Well, there's a similar issue on community Community energy plans for subdivisions which a staff have not agreed to kind of move over, but it's the same. You know it's the same sort of issue.

R

uh You know we bring up these three things so that hpds will work in a practical way and that it will move forward in you know in the smoothest way possible and get these applications through, while still achieving the environmental goals uh that it's got laid out and right now, these three things are really impeding that.

I

Thanks Jason I'll ask those questions when we get to staff questions and see what can be done. Thanks. Thank.

A

You counselor councilor Brown.

C

Thank you very much Mr, chair and Jason. Thank you very much for your delegation today. I guess my question to you Jason and on behalf of your members.

C

You obviously know that the goals that the city is trying to accomplish with these development standards- and you had said during your delegation that your members are always looking to build better homes that are more efficient and grow better communities and I. Guess my question to you, then: is this standard required? You know, on top of all of the other standards we have on top of any provincial legislation.

C

Is the industry already responding to the desires of your clients and customers to build these kinds of homes, or do we need to have these kinds of standards implemented by the city to ensure it happens?.

R

I think you know when you see the members who are doing any labeling programs now energy, star r2000. You know those types of programs for sure they're already exceeding those I appreciate that you want to assist like just like the building code right establishes standards so that you bring up sort of the last stragglers on performance. You want to bring them up to the next level, uh so the the goal, the objective can be there.

R

It's that hpds then lays out I, think 10 to 12 different standards and performance criteria, whereas if the city had just said hey look, we want 25 above building code, for you know these types of houses, you figure it out and make sure you can improve compliance by the time you pull a building permit. You know we wouldn't be having this discussion that you know today on on the issues that we see within hpds. So you know the goals are laudable and I.

R

Think a lot of members uh will get there without too much issue it's, uh but it's it's the red tape on hpds in terms of the approvals process. That's the real killer here and some of the impracticalities of its workability that have you know, highlighted already: okay,.

C

Well, thank you very much for that. uh Thank you very much, Mr chair. That's all for me. Thank.

A

You very much Council Brown good question, counselor Hill.

O

Thank you Mr chair and thank you.

O

Perfect, uh thank you Mr, chair, sorry, for that and thank you for the delegation. um You spoke a fair bit about the uh kind of I, don't want to say the redundancy. It's not the right term, but the red tape, issues that go with the third party reviewers for the energy modeling. Are there any other issues that would affect the timelines uh that we're talking about with regard to uh the process? Yeah.

R

Like um again to go back to community energy plans, um because it's being asked for so early in the process, uh you're also going to have to consult with, say, Hydro, Ottawa and Enbridge, uh and that's in at the time of that process. That's not something uh you know that they typically would consult on. We have no idea if they'd be willing to come in at such an early stage when the idea is, you know more nebulous than when they would typically kind of come in.

R

uh We don't have a good idea of what the timelines would be for them to consult on the on the energy plan at that point in time, uh and we don't know, we certainly can't force them to do it and we can't force them. We can't turn to Enbridge or or hydro and say: look you know the the timelines for processing this application is three months or whatever it is right. We can't force them to to fit into our timelines, and the city can't force them to to fit into the timelines either.

R

So you've got these other agencies that uh have to contribute to the evaluation of the community energy plan, and you know in particular that will also certainly impede the process. You know and extend out that timeline.

O

Okay, thank you very much.

A

Thank you very much. Counselor and counselor luloff.

S

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Mr chair.

S

um You know. We've been working on this uh on on these standards for two years. um Do you think that we really need to delay this any further.

R

So I I certainly appreciate that that we've been working on it all. You know two years, Lord I've been at the at the table for it uh this entire time, along with a number of uh members, um but I, think it's evident that if you know we've been working at it two years and only two weeks ago, did we get uh staff to kind of recognize now that uh that, finally, they had to make a change to this to the uh site plan control timing of the the energy modeling for the building.

R

um You know it took two years to get stuff to recognize that that like where they were asking for that information at submission was not the appropriate place, and that's simply that information wasn't going to be relevant uh once you actually got to building permit. So now, yes, it's a it's a win that they've moved it to a condition of approval, um but to me that only illustrates uh that, overall, it's been a very it's been a very big struggle to get the work done to have the hpds work in the frame.

R

You know in our development approvals process that we already have. So when you look at that and then you look at um you know uh you look at what the province is likely going to come in which we don't we don't even know. You know how the rules and regulations or, what's going to change in terms of the province. uh You know you're looking at hpds being implemented in two months and then new provincial rules within four months uh I. You know it seems to me that it's it's it it.

R

It's not going to hurt to hold off another three four months at this point to try to address the issues that I've. uh You know that I've brought up in terms of the practicalities that are impeding uh the applications and hey, let's see where we are in terms of what the province is doing as well, so that when it does launch it launches properly and works with the system with the development system that we have.

S

Can you talk a little bit more about some of the other issues that are that will affect timelines? I mean you spoke a little bit about third party reviewers for energy modeling and that sort of thing can you just give us, give us a little bit more of uh what what could be pushing timelines out yeah.

R

I mean it's the capacity, especially on the building. Inspector's end is also going to be a big issue. They obviously are right now charged with uh ensuring uh standards up to building code, any applicable law, so they're also going to have to take a long time to gear up on what they know about the hpds, uh the standards there.

R

um We always have there's always issues when you break down to individual inspectors. Some are going to be, uh you know better suited than others on applying these higher uh energy standards. So that's going to be a big issue with it, too. Is you know the capacity on that end?

R

um So you know overall, um you know we're just very, and those are just the frictions, basically that we've kind of already seen you know that we see and perceive in the system. Lord knows the unintended ones uh that we're that we're going to find out as implementation eventually happens, and then we have to kind of work through the The Kinks in the system, as things go along.

S

Do you have any idea of how much you know that's going to cost um when it comes to a single home? How much these you know, hiring a third party reviewer and all of these other people is going to end up having like this is going to cost I.

R

I have to admit I, don't um the city, so the cities in construction costs uh for a single-family home is seventeen thousand dollars uh for the uh the increase on the construction cost there.

R

um Perhaps Ryan who's scheduled to speak next I think um will be able to give a better give a better idea of what that is because he does deal with that. Every day.

S

Okay, well, if he's, if he's listening, you know throwing that interior marks would be really helpful. Okay, thanks so much Mr chair, appreciate.

A

It thank you very much Council Bluff and yes, uh Ryan Kuan is our next delegation. Thank you, Jason for for being here and I know. There'll be other questions to staff afterwards, so Ryan cool I'm with project one Studio you're up next.

T

Thank you um so just like to begin. um My name is Project or Ryan Cohen uh owner of project, one Studio I'm, an architect um and I'd like to begin by saying that we're advocates for sustainability and energy efficient design. My architectural practice is dedicated to improving the city of Ottawa, and it's impossible to do this in a substantive way, without considering the environmental impacts of the buildings that we design we've completed over 500 dwell units with 1700 more either already under construction or soon to enter construction.

T

All of these projects have exceeded building code requirements for Energy Efficiency and all of our projects that are all of our recent projects are exceeding National energy code requirements by at least 25 percent. We are well versed in the design of energy efficient buildings that exceed building code requirements.

T

However, the hpds presents a strategy towards Energy Efficiency that neither I nor the vast majority of my industry colleagues are able to relate to it, outlines a process that requires far too much technical information at the early stages of a project and strives to handle undue influence in the process in which design professionals operate, a standard should exist to create a Target, but it should not have influence over how that Target is met.

T

Jason has already spoken to uh the third party energy reviewers, and the conflict of interest issue here cannot be overstated. The requirements of the hpds are also at odds with the order that technical design elements are resolved. Section 1.2 and 1.3 make reference to ventilation systems which would not be designed until well. After the submission of a site plan control application. We also have no understanding of the documentation needed to satisfy these requirements and without a mechanical consultant, we cannot respond to these sections of the hpds sections.

T

1.6 1.7, 110, 111 and 112 are all covered by other bylaws or requirements of the site, time Control process. This is five out of 12 items of the hpds. Why is there such a need for duplication and overlap with respect to the proposed amendments to the site plan control, bylaw um I, don't know if it's possible to bring that up um item two sustainability, section, B I'll go through specific sentences sentence, one.

T

There is no mention of weather, protected bicycles, bicycle areas anywhere in tier one of The hpds Pedestrian friendly infrastructure is a vague term and it is hard to understand how walkways on a site will reduce emissions from transportation sentence. Three passive design measures are not part of tier one, and they are very difficult to accurately record during the planning application stage in the design of a project. Revising building orientation to address these passive design.

T

Measures on Urban sites can be highly problematic because it is entirely likely that there will be a conflict between Urban, Design considerations and neighborhood transition measures. What happens when the best location from a tower from an energy perspective is detrimental to the urban fabric causes excessive shadowing on adjacent properties, causes transition issues, ETC sentence. Four renewable energy production appears only as a subheading under the roofing requirements of section 1.8 of the hpds and is only one of three possible Avenues to pursue.

T

The sentence gives the impression that all buildings subject to the hpds need some form of energy production, which is not in keeping with tier one of the hpds sentence. Five low impact development is completely vague, with no detail or specificity for what is required or what is to be achieved sentence. Seven. There are already bird safe guidelines and there is no need for duplication of these requirements.

T

I would also note that the treatment of glass bird, safe glass is not the only design approach in the bird safe guidelines, but this sentence would require bird safe glass for all buildings sentence. Eight dedicated areas for the collection of recycling and organic waste is not part of hpds tier one and should not be included. The city already has very clear standards for collection requirements for multi-nut residential buildings and, again, if this change is to occur, it should be a change through those policies not through the hpds finally section or sentence nine.

T

What I would like is an understanding how I, as a design professional, can respond to this particular item. How am I to demonstrate that a project is mitigating the impacts of air pollution? How does a building promote access to food? What is the metric and can the approval for us? Can the approval for a site plan control application be delayed, because we have not demonstrated that a building will enhance human health?

T

This is these are all incredibly important topics. Energy Efficiency will Define the Next Generation and it is in critical that we have a better written bylaw to cover these elements that are more that's more in keeping with the way that buildings are designed. Thank you.

A

Okay, thank you very much right on time. There and I'm sure all look to staff to address some of those concerns that you've raised here today with us. I know: they've been working productively with Community groups and development groups to refine these as we move along as we're seeing here today as well, so really appreciate those comments. Our next delegation is Ursula melons from Solway right.

U

Okay technology: okay, can everyone hear me now.

A

We can hear you and you've got five minutes. Please thank.

U

You a brief introduction: I am a lawyer at Solway, right and so I practice, Municipal development and expropriation law. I have not had the privilege of appearing before all of the and the new counselors um and so I'm here on behalf of goba and its members to address this and I'd like to. If we could pull out the slide presentation that I submitted so I did read the staff report in all of the supporting documents.

U

I haven't had the benefit of being a thank you, I haven't had the benefit of being involved in all of the discussions as Mr Cole wine and Mr burgerath had but I think it's important to just draw some other um points that were in The Minister's letter to municipalities in February. So here on the first page, the yellow is, as highlighted by staff, and we certainly.

F

U

That's important, but the second sentence there is that one of the objectives of the site plan review that the province brought forward in Bill 23 was to focus on health and safety rather than architectural or decorative landscape details that increase costs and create unnecessary delays.

U

So you know we can continue down onto the second page of the letter. These are other two paragraphs in yellow uh I, I won't uh read them out. You've heard reference to the fact that the province will be bringing forward an interim building code this summer and that those The Province will also being uh provided guide, will provide guidance, site plan guidance specific to Green Building standards, also in early 2023.

U

So that's all I wanted to draw to your attention in that letter is that the province is very clearly indicated its timelines, and then it's it's important as this is why we are requesting for a delay in the implementation going forward. If we could go to the second slide that I provided please. This is just very quickly.

U

um So everyone knows we keep talking about Bill 23. This was brought forward, last fall, and this these are the changes that were actually made to the planning act, section 41 sub4, so you can see the red is what was struck out by the minister, so matters relating to exterior design, including character scale. Appearance has been struck as being as something that is to be considered as part of site plan, and if we just go down very quickly, you can see that this is now explicitly included in what is not subject to site plan.

U

So this is the law within which uh the site plan approval process is operating um and we're just going to address quickly. You you've heard of this. The city of Ottawa does indeed knows it does indeed know. There's a housing crisis. The housing pledge Jason burgrass spoke to some of the technical uh elements, the delays and the conflicts um just I just want to reiterate, though, that.

U

Some of the changes that are now coming forward, we could go to the third slide that I provided, and this was document one as appended to the staff report uh when I was reviewing and preparing for this. It was interesting, I I know to perhaps staff could answer this- that the City's online site plan bylaw appears to already include the Amendments that are being discussed at committee today and have not yet been approved by Council, so I I was just perhaps that could be clarified if it is indeed included in the online.

U

It should clearly state that it's it's not yet enforced until Council approves it as Mr coolmine referenced. There are several specific points within the proposed amendment to the site plan bylaw that are very vague. It's not known how they can be satisfied and there's the principle in law. That said a bylaw. It needs to be sufficiently clear. You have to know the standard. You have to know what you have to prevent to present Pardon Me In order to satisfy the city.

U

If you can't, then arguably the Violet could be void for ambiguity and that's not what we want to do, but I'm stating that as a principle of law. So if we could just look at the slide, I provided section 9A proposed to be included says that any development and I've just included extracts and I've included. My own, highlighting any development which is subject to the site plan by a lot will not be approved unless the person has submitted and the city has approved and number one. We see exterior design, character, scale and appearance.

L

V

U

I just referenced in the planning act. This has been removed, so this should be updated in the city's own bylaw and now we'll go down to two, which is the part of what proposed to be included. New improvements, Street Furniture, Mr Cool line, addressed that it's not certain as to how that is actually related to hbds.

U

We can continue on to be. um We see the thank you, the high reflective materials, green and cool roofs. This is not applicable in all uh applications that will be presented to the city, and it's really not known how this can be demonstrated. Same comment applies to renewable energy production that is not possible to provide in every application.

A

Your time is up if you can just wrap up yeah.

U

And I just have one more comment: uh we go down to the uh IX, so the last one enhanced human health by increasing opportunities for physical activity and promoting access to food. The question is: how is that related to Land Development, and it is actually, we would say, beyond the city of the authority of the city, as stated in the planning Act.

U

So those are my submissions certainly available to discuss to answer any questions you may have.

A

Thank you very much for that delegation. I know we'll raise some of these points, as well with with staff in Open Session, here I'm just looking to commit. If there's any questions, so I will raise some of these with our legal team uh during our open questions of Staff. Thank you very much for your presentation. So that is that time now is we're going to questions for staff and discussion uh so we'll open it up with Vice, chair Carr.

W

All right, thank you very much, chair I, just have a point of clarification uh for staff. My understanding we've heard today a number of recommendations from from different groups, um including uh you know, from cafes. uh There was a couple as well as from goba.

W

um My understanding is that today, you're just here to provide an update on the implementation of the high performance development standards. They were approved in April, 22 and I. Wonder if you could just speak to um the implications of considering any of these recommendations now at this point in time, and what impact that that would have um on the high performance, development standards and the implementation.

V

Thank you, chair.

K

Yes, you're you're correct in that uh the standard has already been approved. uh The site plan control bylaw changes also did go to Council in July or June of last year um and have were approved by committee and council at that time. uh The reason we're coming back today is because we do require uh the the changes in the cycling control bylaw to be enacted and approval in order for the hpds to come into effect so um well. It has already been approved.

K

It's important that we get um approval on this today in order for week, in order for us to start implementing the high performance development standard.

W

So, just just to point a clarification, some of the recommendations that are being made by the various groups, whether it's um you know, uh incentives for tier one to apply to to new builds that are currently exempt from site plans. Is there an opportunity to reconsider any of these recommendations now and what would be the impact on staff and and uh implementation? Thank.

K

You chair the the recommendations related to incentives. The report uh already recommends that we'll be reporting back on incentives in 2024, so we'll be looking at incentives and engaging with stakeholders through this year and then having to report back in in next year's timeline.

W

Okay, I I had some other questions, but I'll go to uh I'll. Let someone else I'm sure they'll cover uh the different recommendations made by the groups and and the legal questions thanks. Thank.

A

You for that Vice chair, counselor, Hill.

O

Thank you very much. um I just want to confirm some of the uh the delegates uh comments, so I I know there was there's uh mention of the issue with the third party review, uh the duplication on the uh on that in a potential conflict of interest. Concern uh did staff have a comment to that.

K

uh Yes, thank you chair, so uh we're going through the rfso process. Right now on the third party review consultant for energy modeling. For that aspect uh we had eight respondents to that rfso. So there are many uh uh firms and and groups that can complete that activity. So it's uh where we feel like Aid is a is a good number to manage that uh potential risk for for conflict of interest. So.

O

So there's a capacity um does that speak to the the function or the redundancy issue that was mentioned as well, and that they're perhaps doing a professional certification on the same thing.

K

Thank you chair. The the redundancy aspect the that was that was raised. I think the important point is is the reason we've gone with. The third party review process is uh because we feel it's important to have uh if we're going to put it requirements in place, it's important to have that confirmation and somebody reviewing the documents that are being submitted, that they're actually complying with our standards and at the moment we don't have sufficient staff capacity to complete that review.

K

Most uh documents submitted through site plan controls go through a staff review, so this is sort of supplementing that and it's been proposed as uh initial sort of uh approach and at some point we're going to we're going to continue to review this approach as to whether or not we'd recommend that going forward or if there'll be future uh staff capacity, requests and resource requests to support a transition to another method. Council.

A

I'll just ask David.

X

Wise to jump in.

A

X

Well, thank you, chair I, just wanted to just provide a little extra clarification with respect to Rebecca's comments. uh Third party review is, as Rebecca has stated there, that this is an interim solution. This is a brand new process for staff, uh appreciate it's also a brand new process for industry, so there is a learning curve. The intention is is that staff will build capacity and knowledge over the course of seeing how these energy modeling plans work out, and so we can have that expertise within the city itself.

X

So the third party review is really a short-term interim step. In order for us to build capacity, we have uh and do third party reviews and other aspects of development where there are staff, resource issues or expertise is required in certain areas. We see this as being very similar to what we do in other aspects of the development review process.

O

Thank you, Mr chair. um There was comment made to uh the coordination with other stakeholders like Hydro Ottawa Enbridge for early consultation and concern about the ability to actually have that discussion, because there's no obligation that they have to come to the table. uh Staff have comment to that.

K

Yes, Excuse me, yes, thank you. um The the comment that specific comic was in relation to the community energy plan requirements which, uh when, as initially drafted, required that, through for the development of a community energy plan that the applicant engage with the local utilities, we have revised that to say, engage with provide local utilities.

K

The opportunity to engage and I think it's important to have that aspect, because, in order to facilitate a transition to high efficiency communities, having utilities buy-in and utility support is going to be an important aspect, but we concede that we can't require the utility to come to the table. So we did allow for some flexibility there. If there are challenges in that aspect, so.

O

And just so I understand when we talk about the flexibility in that that essentially translates to process delay am I correct if I was to Think Through how this would work. If, if they're unable to come at a certain phase, they would come at a later phase. That would delay the process of the application.

K

Thank you. uh No, the change that we've made is that we that the applicant is required to provide the opportunity for the utility to uh consult on the community energy plan. But if they do not um sort of come in a timely fashion, then they can proceed on the community energy plan without the utility coming to the table and.

O

uh My final question Mr chair um with regard to the expected release of the Ontario uh provincial guidance on this topic. Do we have a time frame where we expect to see that or or an estimate.

K

So the the provincial letter uh that was provided as an attachment to this report does provide some estimates that changes potential. Initial changes are expected uh this summer and we started consultation with them on that yesterday uh and but more fulsome changes are expected in sort of a longer term uh approach they. So they have a sort of a phased approach to this. So the initial sort of easy wins are expected in the summer and then further more later, on which we don't have timing for that. Yet, okay,.

O

um I may pop on in a moment Mr chair, but I'm finished now. Thank you. Okay, yeah.

A

If there is any emotions or uh directions uh to staff better to hear those earlier, so people can speak to them. So if there is something you have counselor help, please do bring it up as soon as possible.

A

um Counselor Curry.

I

Thank you, Mr, chair, uh I, really appreciate. All of these conversations, uh I mean I, go back to what I'm seeming to say. All the time is that I I don't like to go forward with things if we're actually doing the opposite of what we want to accomplish, um but one of the things that we pass as a council and really recently.

I

So you know this was really recently was that what we do as council with staff reports on needs to go to hydro Ottawa, so I hear that you know the community absolutely needs to consult with utilities, but how much um like how? How was this entire report all of this direction, run by Hydro Ottawa for their thoughts and what was their feedback? uh I I? Don't not sure if that had time to take place, but maybe you could comment on that. First.

K

Thank you chair, uh so for the development of the standard, we did consult with Hydro, Ottawa and hydro, one as well as Enbridge. They were part of the external working group that did the detailed uh review of the community energy plan terms of reference, as well as other aspects, so they have been involved in this throughout as part of the community energy plan.

K

The expectation is the Hydra, Ottawa and hydro 1 will be able to participate in these processes, but, as industry is raised, that we can't require them to so there is that sort of a concern that they might not come to the table in in the timely fashion. Thank you. Thank.

I

You for that, but in this report then would would you be able to put into this report at some point that Hydro Ottawa agrees with all of these recommendations supports them all uh you know you're. You talked about. You worked with them, but at the end of the day, with Hydro wadawa say because they have asked to be consulted, they want to be a part of the recommendations going forward.

I

Not just you know talk to a couple of times in the process, but would you be able to say that Hydro Ottawa would fully endorse and support these recommendations.

K

Future we can, we can take that away. I don't want to be speaking on behalf of hydro Ottawa.

K

Yeah we can bring that forward before Council if you would like I.

X

Think Mr, chair uh I think it is important to note just as part of that that uh Hydro Ottawa is a stakeholder uh and as such they were consulted uh within the uh within the framework of this report. um Indicating any kind of approval, uh I think would be uh outside of uh the scope of this report.

A

Okay, thank you for that counsel, Curry, any other questions well,.

I

uh Chair one of the things that we are what I'm trying to get at is that I would like to know what Hydro Auto, as a council I, think what we should want to hear what our 100 shareholder, uh given that we're 100 shareholder what they would have to say about this direction. You know they I know they've spoken on a number of files.

I

You know the generators at apartment, buildings and Och, and you know we've we've asked for their thoughts on that, and that was the intention of the motion that Council passed the other day to get their thoughts on anything energy related. So I would like to hear what they have to say.

I

um The other thing, I would say, is I I, don't want to be seen as or have any of us be seen as against having higher performance development standards. I know, Toronto is ahead of us. I know that Toronto has looked at these things many years ago. I do think, though there is value in US hearing what the province has to say in terms of what they even have to say about Toronto's green standard.

I

uh Before we go down a road, so I am reluctant to support this right now, not because of the intent or where we want to go, but because of the stage it's currently at and also because of some of the problems that were listed by some of our delegations. We value consultation by many stakeholders and if there are some concerns, I do want to make sure we don't rush ahead anyway. Thank you. No.

A

I agree with you: counselor it'd be nice to get um something from from Bryce or Hydro Ottawa prior to the council decision on this so agreed on on uh on that intervention, uh councilor Brockington.

M

Thanks Jerry I was going to add to that that if colleagues felt um that greater uh work needed to be done, if this is passed today at committee, they have time to work with staff uh on something before it comes to council. So there is some time as well, but my question to staff was regarding the presentation from Ms malin's on behalf of goba. She raised a number of points in her presentation. I was just wondering if our staff could comment on that presentation, whether you feel there is anything that required.

M

A second sober thought, whether those issues have already been discussed at length with either globa or other stakeholders. If you could please comment, that's.

A

All I'll ask I'll: ask I, did ask for legal staff to be present for this as best legal staff respond. uh I I think that Tim Mark might be on the line, oh so he's in person here in The, Flash and blood. Thank you go ahead. Tim.

Y

Thank you very much. Mr chair, uh I I have been uh involved in this file uh since oh well, back into 2022 uh and certainly have been Consulting with my fellow staff on this matter. uh I apologize, I, wasn't on a committee all of today and preparing for another hearing.

Y

um There was, of course, concern and staff may have mentioned it. When Bill 23 first came forward that the authority to pursue high performance development standards was going to be moved removed by The Province. uh The province made it clear that that was not their intent and they reintroduced language back into the fighting act through Bill 23, to reinstate the authority of municipalities in order to move forward with high performance development standards such as our proposed in the staff report.

Y

I will acknowledge that the province is looking at the issue and is considering whether or not they wish to bring in province-wide standards as to what can and cannot be done, but the province has not yet done so. It is not in the legislation that was introduced in the legislature a couple of weeks ago, and so it means legal's opinion that at this time the municipality can move forward with what it is proposed in the staff report.

M

Thank you for that legal comment. Mr Merck always appreciate it. I am going to go back, though, to our subject matter: staff, because I would appreciate your comment on whether there was anything that was raised by that delegation that you think still needs additional thought or consideration whether those issues have already been raised through discussions with goba and or other Representatives I'd appreciate hearing.

Z

Yeah, thank you chair.

Z

um The items that are listed in the site plan control bylaw that were outlined in the delegation are taken from the approved official plan, so a site plan control bylaw outlines the things that can be required through site plan, but what you have before you is a series of mandatory metrics that have been consulted upon and that are ready to be implemented at this time.

Z

If there are other items that need to be brought up in the future as part of an update, they may include the items that were brought up in the delegation, but at this time those items have not been included, so there are 12 metrics within the high performance development standard that have been consulted on and have been brought forward and approved by Council.

Z

At this time the report is to bring those metrics into effect.

M

I appreciate that additional context. Thank you. Thanks, chair.

A

Thank you very much counselor good questions and helpful to have those answers from staff uh councilor Devine.

Q

Thank you, chair, um uh I am going to be supporting this, so I don't want uh I, don't want you to think that my question is um is is challenging. uh The recommendation, but I just I do want to ask a question for clarity based on something I heard from one of the delegates earlier.

Q

um So could we have a response from staff about the concerns that were raised by the delegate, Mr coolwein, about what he described as I think um hard to achieve mandatory requirements for home construction uh in the bylaw I? Don't have the document he referred to on a sentence by sentence basis before me, but I heard him make I heard him make references to, uh for example, whether it was mandating specific uh forms of bird safe glass when there may be other bird safety measures as well as referencing um some form of construction requirement.

Q

That's linked to food safety. um Could I just get a general response from staff on the nature of those kinds of uh specific mandatory recommendations and again I asked I, am supporting this I just want to hear a response to those kind of recommendations.

Z

So thank you for the question, I believe the question or the comment from the delegation was in regards to a number of items in the high performance development standard that are contained elsewhere and that are existing requirements um in terms of bird friendly or bird safe design. We currently have guidelines, but, as you know there, they are a guideline and they are they do not.

Z

um You know they their advisory in terms of their applicability, so bringing those into the high performance development standard sets out that those requirements have to be met as part of a site plan, application for Mid and high-rise buildings.

Z

Other items Mr Cool line is correct. There are some items that are existing requirements, but in order to package sustainable and resilient design elements into one place and to make them easier to implement, it was brought, it was decided to put them together. So there it's not a duplication. It's more of a reorganization of these items.

Q

Okay, uh just a quick follow-up to that and then I have a separate question. um Do you have anything? uh Do you have any info on? Can you shed some light on the requirement that I heard him talking about which was somehow linking home construction to uh to food safety? Can you can you explain that one a little bit is it? Is it discussing about proximity of of housing to grocery stores? Can you shed some light on that.

K

Thank you chair, uh so the reference uh the delegate was making was into in the language. That's in the site plan control, uh bylaw Amendment, uh it's it's not one of the requirements within tier one of the hpds, so we make reference to it as as one of the criteria and uh things that sustainable and resilient design uh look to support. But it's not one of the elements that is a mandatory requirement within tier one of the hpds. Thank you.

Q

Thank you and what is the specific requirement, thanks for letting me know, there's not mandatory, but what is the requirement.

K

Thank you well with respect to food production strategies, that of how development could support food production are examples of that could include having amenity spaces that have Community Gardens, as well as addressing things like access to to food and and those types of pieces. Thank you. Okay,.

Q

uh Thank you, my other question with regards to what we heard from one of the delegates earlier about how the current corporate Green Building policy dates back around 20 years and I'm, not sure uh if that is uh extremely long in reference to the policies we have, would staff be amenable to speeding up the timeline for working on uh that policy, review and update, uh and possibly coming back to us sooner, let's say, for example, in Q4 2023 rather than in the current timeline, which is to report back at some point in 2024.

Q

Would that be within the realm of possibility.

K

uh Thank you chair. So with respect to the the age of the Green Building policy, the delegate was correct in that the original Green Building policy was brought forward in 2005. uh the revised date for, but it was revised in 2015. So it's not quite as old as uh as what was uh outlined.

K

Although we do recognize it is uh ready and we're at a good stage to bring forward uh an update to the Green Building policy with respect to advancing the timeline on the Green Building policy, it's important that when we come forward with the Green Building policy uh changes, we have had that be fully vetted by all the implicated Departments, as well as provide the detailed costing of of what it would take uh and and what the asset management or what the requests would be to support that so I I think it would be difficult to advance that beyond the timeline that's been proposed in the report.

K

A

B

A

Okay, thank you. Council Divine, counselor Curry on your second round.

I

Yeah just quickly Mr chair, you know when we talked about this last term of counsel, and you know I, remember being very supportive of it. Then a lot of the conversation was around the increase cost of housing uh that this may uh create.

I

I, wonder in when we get a recommendation like this from staff that they're, why there isn't some kind of a comment, sort of a more of a sophisticated comment about the impact of the price of housing when these things take place, not to say that we shouldn't do it, but just to have monies uh numbers in front of us that we are actually clear that we may approve this, knowing that it will increase the cost of housing. You know, that's, that's the kind of report I think I would like to see as a counselor.

I

What does this really mean so that we're not just saying oh well, it might well, it might not. uh Well, you know, it'll save us money in the long run, maybe hopefully, but that there's an actual report attached. That is very clear about the costs, the impact, the prediction of the impact, so that we can look at it from a financial perspective as well as an environment perspective is, is that something that we would get or could get or no.

A

Sir, absolutely- and it is something staff have previously provided when, because I think there was a lot of questions about this when we first when we first approved this back in April of 2022 and then subsequently at the council, meeting and staff were asked to provide an appendix see the cost benefit information, and so that is there in that original report. They do go through each of the types of units they go through.

A

Each of the costs associated with site plan, accessibility, fresh air intake, tree planting plant species, exterior lighting bird, safe design, sustainable Roofing, these sorts of things that obviously our public has been asking for I. Think a lot of it's important comment to to do these things up front is cheaper than going back and retrofitting and obviously there's cost savings on the other end as well. So there is a minor cost to construction.

A

Obviously, the operational savings over time, which we all know about when we're making changes to to our own homes, make up for that, and so they did provide that cost benefit analysis with specific costs per unit and it's in its penic C.

A

The cost benefit information of that that first report, so I appreciate staff and and that good comment, counselor Curry, just as a reminder to all of uh to uh to committee that that we do have that, and perhaps staff can send that around to counselors again before before Council uh counselor at Council, Courier good uh can move on to council Kavanaugh I.

I

Just would like to say thanks for that, counselor Menard, that uh that could be appended to this, so that we have it all in one place, just especially for new counselors as well, so that they know what has been done and what was asked for I think that would be helpful. Thank you.

A

Absolutely good comment. Thank you. Counselor Kavanaugh.

H

Thank you with all the back and forth here. um I want to know. uh Can you give me what the pros and cons are of approving versus waiting for the province to comment.

K

Thank you for the question, I think. With respect to the the. If we were to delay, we would be missing a number of applications that are coming forward uh in the in the time frame uh as well. uh We have proposed a phase-in approach, particularly to the energy modeling or the energy requirements in the standard uh and to delay. We would lose this time where we've added this approach of learning the process before we're mandating the the thresholds to be coming into a place. I think it would be the the challenge.

K

Is that uh we'd sorry I'm losing my thought there a little bit um we would so if we were to bring It Forward sort of just full stop you don't have that uh sort of phased in approach necessarily uh or we would be delaying it even further in order to have that phase and approach. So that's why it's important to have this kind of come forward and we have that opportunity and the the phasing in the metrics are.

K

The thresholds aren't coming into effect until after we know what the province is going to be proposing it this summer. So there is some time to make some adjustment adjustments, if required,.

H

Thank you, I'm, going to make an assumption that the province isn't going to be the same as us. How does that work then? If ours are stronger, theirs are weaker. How do we blend.

K

Thank you for the question. The I I can't say with certainty with what the province uh is going to do, but what the intent that's been set out is how to make this bridge the connection between uh these site plan requirements and building code. uh So it's not necessarily that they're going to come forward with standards themselves. It may just be enabling um that sort of connection between these two steps in the process as well.

K

The the province has already started to work closely with municipalities that have standards in place in order to uh sort of support and try and bring something forward that works with, what's already been put in place by municipalities,.

H

So the commitment and I saw the letter that is, that to work with work with cities on their standards, so to have a smooth I, don't want to say transition I, don't know. Hopefully it's not that drastically different. Is that correct.

K

That is my understanding of their intent. Okay, thank you.

A

Thank you for that. Counselor counselor, Tierney great.

AA

uh Thank you, chair, I, appreciate that and thank you, councilor Kavanaugh uh great. uh Nobody could ever accuse you for not supporting the environment, but you're asking some pretty important questions here. uh I'm just wondering um again we're talking about four months uh for did I hear correctly in some of the delegations. Four months before the province comes out with, with uh with their set of guidelines, did I hear that correctly, like it's, it's not like a year or two years, because there's been a tremendous amount of work done on this.

AA

uh I I support it, but if the province comes in uh within four months uh and it jeopardizes some of the current applications that have gone through and of course, Tim Mark would probably get challenged. uh There's just so many things just around that staff comment. Is it four months? Do they think that it will come in sure.

X

uh If I may, we have uh no understanding whatsoever if the timeline that the province uh has provided, they have not provided any the indication within the latest legislation that they currently got on the floor with Bill 97, nor have they set out any time frames for when any of these changes may occur. So a timeline for the province is a complete uh unknown, as are the contents of what the province may do.

X

uh So I would like to uh to again uh just recall that part of the reason why we are looking at the Timeline that we are looking at now uh is because of the delays associated with Bill 23 uh and that uh push things and, of course, the delay in the approval of the official plan itself, uh which concluded which can included the implementing policies for this high performance development standard. uh So in terms of those delays, uh there has been significant delay already.

X

As a result of that, uh we don't know what the provincial legislation changes will do uh and, of course, when they do occur, uh we will be able to look at those from a staff level and understand and assess what impact they may be if there are changes that require alterations to the program itself. Those are things that this staff report does suggest that we would come back to this committee to make those changes clear as to what the program, um how we, how we may need to alter that.

AA

Okay, man Mr wise, just as a follow-up to that. If we go ahead and implement this before the province comes out, and somebody just messaged me and said no, it's about four months or less. But if we go ahead and do this and the new applications that come in and we've applied our standards to uh and four months later, the province and again I think we're all right they're going to do something different, uh come back. uh What what?

AA

What can happen from a legal perspective on the applications for that four-month window that we put our stuff out? Are they grandfathered? They have to be held to our standard, or are we going to find ourselves and you being very busy in court dealing with uh development applications that we've applied ours to knowing that the provincial guidance is coming.

A

Council attorney I think I'll. Just we had responded to a letter that goba had sent on this exact issue and and I think it's important to recognize that the report has recommended that new development take into consideration these sustainable elements and Energy Efficiency as part of the design approach. But the report also recognizes that and recommends that enforcement of energy Targets in particular will not occur until January 1st 2024.. So we've got some time there to allow to adapt and Encompass any provincial changes relating to building construction.

A

Energy Efficiency staff have also made changes recognizing that phasing with in cooperation with industry, so I think we've got it the time and obviously, there's been been two years of this. Now that staff have been working on this that Council has approved. This is an update to what we have approved and um I think the the important part here is.

A

We don't want to miss those opportunities to improve the building standards that we've got here and we can align those uh as the provincial government may or may not make change changes to this in the future. We just don't know, but after all this time, I know staff have done a good job to make sure that those energy targets are not enforced until after January 1st 2024 to accommodate exactly what you're. What you're speaking about.

AA

Thanks for the extra Clarity and again back to our legal team, Mr wise on my question, if we apply anything in advance, knowing oh I can kind of see you guys, they're all small on my screen, uh I, don't know if it's Mr marker Mr wise, uh two great legal folk. Are we going to find ourselves in a in a bit of a pickle? If we apply our standards like? Are we gonna? Would they all be grandfathered or what would happen from a legal perspective? Because this is where things get a little sticky.

Y

Mr chair, at the end of the day, uh the city is subject to legislation by The, Province, uh and so the province has the legal authority to introduce whatever transitional matters it wishes to, uh or indeed retroactive matters if it wishes to. However, the standard practice that has continued uh through the several amendments to the planning act that have taken place over the past couple of years is that where an approval has been granted that approval continues to be governed.

Y

So committee members of council may be aware of the changes in Parkland standards, where the amount of Parkland uh the city is entitled to has been capped by The Province. However, if there was an approval already in place, uh the city continued to be entitled to that higher standard.

Y

That was in place at the time of the approval, so that, while I cannot guarantee to you that such will be the case in the future Mr chair, it would be my expectation that any approval that had been granted prior to the province imposing imposing different standards, if indeed it does, are likely to continue in place. Mr chair, okay, wonderful.

A

Thank you very much. Mr chair thanks, uh Council tearing you good questions, uh councilor Kavanaugh.

H

Thank you very much. uh It occurred to me that if we putting in our standards- and we stick to our guns and continue on this road, um but this is inspirational to the province because and perhaps uh Council Brockington tell us what other municipalities are doing, but I think it's important for us to send a message that we want to have the high standards so I think we should continue to um go the road we're going and not hold off.

H

That strikes me as important because we're sending a message of what we consider to be highest performance standards, so I'll just leave it at that. No need to comment further. Thank you. Thank.

A

You very much Council Kavanaugh, counselor, Brown I understand there might be a motion coming forward.

C

Yes, thank you very much. Mr chair I have submitted a motion to the clerk's office to review and I just circulated that to our colleagues on committee. Recognizing this is all last minute and certainly not something that we like to do at committee, but I think Mr chair.

C

We've certainly heard enough concern from our partners in the house building Lobby that this could be problematic and that we want to ensure that not only are we reducing duplication where it's not needed, but we're in moving forward in the city of Ottawa with development standards that will benefit our city overall and residents directly and so I haven't heard back Mr chair from the clerk's office, uh whether or in regards to my motion.

C

uh If it is legally acceptable to move forward, but I I will ask that it be brought up on screen and I'll, read it out and then perhaps we could debate the motion to defer Mr chair.

A

So I see the motion that you had emailed to the committee. Thank you for that I'll just ask. If the clerk's office has it ready to um put on the screen, obviously we're just seeing it seeing it now.

A

Okay, so there it is, and you can feel free to to read it in uh and motivate Council Brown.

C

Perfect. Thank you very much Mr chair, whereas concerns have been raised with respect to the high performance development standards as outlined in report acs2023 pre.

C

Edp-0016 and whereas concerns have been raised regarding cost escalations in regards to pending Council approval of the high performance development standards, that could add thousands of dollars to the cost of construction of each new home in Ottawa and whereas the province of Ontario has announced an interim Ontario building code, Amendment expected to be released in summer of 2023, which could impact the recommendations outlined in the subject.

C

Report, therefore, be it resolved that the environment and climate change committee defer the subject report pending the release of the interim Ontario building code amendments and be it further resolve that staff be directed to review any amendments contained in the interim Ontario building code, Amendment expected in summer 2023 and amend the staff report as outlined to ensure compliance with the amended Ontario building code and appear before the ECCC at an appropriate time. Thank you. Mr, chair, okay,.

A

Thank you for that councilor, Brown and so we'll move to discussion on the motion. Vice chair car.

W

Thank you, chair I, just have a question um with respect to deferral. I heard some concerns today um with respect to, uh for example, Consulting with Hydro Ottawa. Is it possible um that if we don't accept deferral but that we move forward with the original um approval of the motion that before it moved to council that there would be time to consult with hydro, and it could be amended at that time,.

A

I think I heard that from staff that you have consulted with hydro and that it was getting their viewer opinion before council. Is that correct? um Can you just clarify.

K

That's correct: we can reach out to hydro and get opinion from them beforehand, but we have consulted with them through the process of the high performance development standard.

A

Thanks very much Vice chair, uh counselor, Curry.

I

uh Actually counselor Carr made my point that the what I want to hear is what count what Hydro Ottawa thinks of the actual recommendations, um so I'm I'm happy to support deferral. Is there not a time and date of this deferral I? You know the motion came back down off the screen, but when we're talking to for all, we usually are talking time and date.

I

I know that we all want to hear from the province, but how much time would it take for hydro Ottawa to look at the actual recommendations and, what's written in this report, for their comment.

A

Yeah, so the deferral was up there and it spoke to Ontario's recommendations coming back and a meeting being called by the chair thereafter.

A

um I'll just comment that we don't know when they're going to come back. Sometimes the province has the best of intentions, but occasionally these things move beyond what their intentions are. Sometimes legislatures are adjourned, and so, even though we may see comments about this, I've seen it so many times where these things come back. You know a year later, instead of several months later and so, but I believe the motion is speaking to um after the province comes back to us, then we would call a meeting to further discuss this.

I

Okay, thank you.

A

Thanks thanks counselor counselor Brockington.

M

There's a giant chair in my field of view where Mr Mark is, is Mr Mark. There he's still there. Okay I am um item four of the staff recommendation before us. This morning says direct staff to respond to changes to the Ontario building code and Ontario building codes, act and report back to this committee as required.

M

That's already in the original staff motion. The counselor Brown motion is talking about deferring this matter until the interim Ontario voting building code amendments come out and I think what he's saying is if we're going to have to change our standards or modify our standards because of the interim building code, we should wait until those are out, and so it's a question about the timing, but the staff, the staff recommendation is saying: they're going to respond to changes to the code anyway, so I'm trying to wrap my head around. What are we?

M

What's the net benefit of counselor Brown's motion before us today? If staff are already proposing to respond to the Ontario building code changes later this year, so Mr Mark. Do you see a benefit in what councilor Brown is proposing.

Y

Mr chair, it is not my role as staff to comment on the benefit from a legal perspective of one Motion versus another. What I can comment on is the difference and counselor. The motion. That's before committee, would um push back the implementation of the high performance development standards, so there would be no steps to implement it until after the province has brought forward uh amendments of the billing code into the planning act.

Y

In that regard, the difference between that and what staff proposed as staffs would allow the continuation of the implementation of the high performance development standards and, at the same time, when legislation comes forward from The Province, they repair a report and bring it back to Canadian Council, which.

M

May include revisions to our standards. Is that correct? Then that's that's the direction we need to go because staff are already going to respond to building code changes and if changes need to be made, then they'll be made, so the counselor Brown motion is not necessary in my opinion. Thank you. Thank.

A

You councilor counselor Hill.

O

Yeah, thank you. Mr, chair, I, I think this is. This is really good discussion.

O

It's such an important topic and- and you know, I go back to you- know kind of University level, business class when there's there's that triangle that talks about price point, timing and quality- and uh you know really what we're doing here is we're looking at the uh the improvements to quality standards uh while at the same time we want to increase the timing that we see more more units developed, and we have an affordability crisis and we're concerned about price point and I think that tension is a really challenging one that we're trying to wrestle with here.

O

um I would really like to see uh you know a continuation of our ability to evolve our our building code standards I'd like to see that done in a unified way, so that we're uh you know we're doing it collaboratively with our provincial Partners, so that we're doing it collaboratively with our industry, Partners um and- and certainly today, I did hear some concern about uh how we're trying to achieve two things at the same time, one of them being to build more houses while at the same time increasing the standards of those houses and I think that kind of comes to the Crux of this.

O

My concern would be if we go forward today uh with this. What does that mean to the pledge that the mayor made about 151 000 houses over the next decade, um I'm supportive of that initiative, and certainly within barhaven I'm, one of the highest growth Awards uh in the city? uh You know we're working hard to try and uh you know, get houses for everybody so that we can uh so that we can uh make good numbers there.

O

um But what this means right now uh I think you know for the for the purposes of what could be uh the opportunity to uh to to wait and see what the province has to say in a few months. Time uh and I understand that there's you know a bit of a discrepancy in terms of timing of what we could see or are not going to see or will see from The Province.

O

Certainly I I was under the impression that we'll likely be seeing something in the next few months and I guess I would just actually confirm you know with staff. Is there? Is there anything that we know we will be seeing from The Province on this topic over the next few months? Or is it a complete crop shoot because I think that's really important to understand uh in terms of uh you know how we want to move forward, because I I would agree, uh I. Think Mr, chair with your comments that you know.

O

If it's a big unknown, then then it's a big unknown, but if we do actually have something we can anchor a decision point on I think it would be worthwhile uh to take due process because uh there there's there's. You know significant policy implications on the line here.

X

Mr Weiss uh Mr, chair I think it is important uh just for us all to refer back to the letter that we received from the Ministry of Municipal, Affairs and Housing, which is also included within the uh the committee folder. uh On this topic, uh and in the letter it does say that the ministry plans to commence discussions in the near term with the municipalities, Builders designers manufacturers to develop a new and consistent province-wide approach for municipalities wanting to implement Green Building standards.

X

So it doesn't say that they are going to provide Green Building standards, but to discuss uh what those uh what those possibly could be. The letter goes on to say that they will work with interested municipalities on transitioning certain Green Building standards that already exist.

X

um We would take that generally, uh just in the context of previous legislation to be Green Building standards that exist in the city of Toronto as the general framework of reference there, uh and uh to look at taking some of those green standards uh into an interim building code. Amendment process. We are not aware that any of those discussions have occurred, uh nor that there has in fact actually been any progress towards any of the identification of any of those standards.

X

Certainly, the city of Ottawa has not been included in any of those discussions thus far uh later in the letter.

X

uh It also notes that the aspects of green standards that will not be brought into Ontario's building code because they do not involve building construction, including green infrastructure, full Paving biodiversity tree plantings, will continue to be optional standards that can be required through a municipal, bylaw and implemented through site plan control, and in the second last paragraph it does say that during the transition period until the green standards are authorized in the building code, we would anticipate that municipalities will continue to use site plan control to address green standards to the extent possible.

X

So from that, we take it to understand that the ministry does have a perspective to review the variety of green development standards that are occurring across the province. To look at what elements of those green development standards may be included within a future interim building code update and apply those, but the letter also indicates that they do anticipate and request that municipalities continue to implement green development standards on a continuing basis until such time as that work progresses.

X

So that is the information that we have Mr chair and that's the framework in which we are moving forward with what we've presented here today.

O

Thank you, Mr chair.

A

Hey thank you. Councilor Hill, counselor, Devine,.

Q

uh Thank you chair. um So um more often than not lately it seems that when we, uh when we wait and see what happens at the provincial level, uh it hasn't exactly been predictable and it hasn't always served our City's best interests. Our best public interests. uh I won't be supporting any uh deferral motion here our job on this committee. Our job at council is to govern not to step out of the way possibly of private interests.

Q

uh When there's a public interest at play, I think this motion uh could undermine our Authority there's a clear public interest here that should be addressed in a timely fashion. The Province will weigh in when it's ready, and we don't really even know when that is I. Think we need to do our job here today, so I won't be supporting any deferral. Thank you.

A

Okay, thank you for that. uh Council Divine, oh counselor, Tierney,.

AA

Sorry about that chair, um first of all, I do want to thank staff for all the great work they've done and uh on the actual main motion. I will be supporting it, but I also am very torn, uh and uh you know, there's been many great points raised today. I will support deferral, uh but if the deferral motion does fail, I will be supporting the actual motion itself, knowing how much great work has gone into this. Thank you. uh Mr, chair, okay,.

A

Thank you for that. Counselor tuning uh councilor, Brown I. Have some comments. Are you you wanting to wrap up.

C

No Mr chair I think uh plenty has been said on the matter. So if you'd like to uh provide your comments and then call for the vote, that'd be great and.

A

If you do want to wrap up after that's, that's perfectly fine as well um I, just I want to say just thank you for the the good discussion here. It's important to have this discussion. I.

A

Think we've been doing this for a couple of years now, and staff have obviously worked very hard uh on this I think the the deferral motion is really a response to Industry The Province uh and what they've said, but I I do want to underscore the good work that staff have done to date on this uh staff have implemented a phasing strategy that has adjusted the phase in for energy performance Targets.

A

In response to those industry and provincial uh comments, they have also agreed um to move the requirement for a condition of approval to the site plan agreement. That was a change uh staff also agreed to adjust the community energy plan uh timing uh in previous consultations on the terms of reference and and agreed to that to that request by um by industry.

A

They have also worked to revise the terms of reference to get us to the place we're here today, so that utilities must be provided the opportunity to participate uh in the community entry plans, uh terms of reference required with with goba, where they express concern that the utilities may not engage in a meaningful or timely fashion. So adjustments have been made to this, and our staff have done a very good job.

A

I just will underscore the city of Toronto has had Green Building standards of this type since 2008., so we're far behind and the public has been asking for these things over and over again make us more efficient homes and you save money on the outset. It's cheaper to do this up front, so we've been pretty delayed, so I would say: I don't want to do more delays here, I think our legal staff have been clear. We've got the ability to do this.

A

I think staff responded well to Ryan, kuwine's presentation uh and it's time that we get going on this now as a committee as a council as a city to start to do this.

A

So if adjustments are needed to be made in the future with the province, maybe that's in six months- maybe that's in a year we don't know, but if adjustments should be made we'll make those adjustments, but in the meantime, as Toronto's had it since 2008 Ottawa needs to get on board with this, and we need to start moving forward as a city on I.

A

Think what the public supports here so I'll encourage you to uh to vote down the brown motion, I'll call yays and nays on the brown motion, then we'll see about going to the main motion so uh Nays on the brown motion. Please.

B

Counselor luloff, yes, counselor Hill, yes, counselor Curry,.

I

B

Councilor Kavanaugh.

H

B

Counselor Devine.

N

B

Counselor Tierney, yes comes for King.

F

B

Counselor Brockington.

M

B

Counselor Brown.

C

B

H

B

And chairmanard, no six Nays five years. Thank.

A

You very much so that is uh defeated. We move to the main motion now in front of us. Can we carry this item carried.

C

Mr chair, if I could descend please thank you.

A

Yeah absolutely Council Brown any other dissent on the main motion. Okay, thank you for that. We do have a another very large item coming up. Thank you to committee on that one we've got uh now 12 speakers registered on the climate change master plan if they've stuck around so it's uh it's 12 o'clock now I'm, just I, think I'm gonna call just a uh two to maybe a five minute break here, we'll come back at 12 17. So just take five minutes and we'll come back for this remaining item. Thanks very much foreign.

W

Oh no I'm gonna ask every delegate a minimum I'm gonna use my five minutes on every delegation.

C

Counselor Carr you're not muted, on your microphone.

C

We can all still be friends.

C

A

A

Members so I think we're good to start so um the climate change master plan annual status update. uh We have 12 speakers on this item and actually 13 speakers on this item and I. Believe staff have a brief presentation as well so come on up and let's do that and we'll go through those delegates.

L

Thank you chair. My name is Andrea flowers, I have the privilege of leading the climate change and resiliency team. Today, Jen Brown is going to do an overview of the presentation. After the delegations, we will be joined by three other section managers to respond to questions, given the breadth of the presentation before you. Those include Julia Robinson, Rebecca, Hagin and Janice.

L

Ashworth, though she has a conflict and may may not be able to join given the number of delegates I also just want to know before we start the presentation that this really is a corporate-wide initiative and that some of the projects which we speak about today will fall under the purview of other departments. So there are colleagues both within the corporation and perhaps online or in the room today, who may be able to respond to questions? Should there be questions specific to their areas of expertise? With that I'll hand it over to Jen Brown.

V

Good afternoon um so I'm pleased to be here to present on the annual status update for the climate change master plan next slide, please.

V

So the climate change master plan uh was approved in 2020 and, as part of that approved plan staff committed to providing an annual update on the climate change framework that includes annual greenhouse gas emission inventories. An assessment of how Ottawa is tracking towards its community and corporate greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, an update on the climate change master plan's eight priorities and recommendations and new budget pressures, as required to advance the climate change master plan priorities. Next slide, please So. Within the report.

V

There are seven recommendations that environment and climate change committee recommend that Council received the annual status update on the climate change master plan and the supporting progress report choose to direct the climate change and resiliency team, with support from departmental Senior Management teams to develop a climate change resource plan for consideration in future budgets.

V

Three and four relate to advocacy so in a nutshell, approved that the mayor and that council's respective represent Representatives on behalf of council Advocate to senior levels of government and local organizations for Accelerated action and ambition to meet the urgency of climate change and provide additional resources for municipalities and the public to reduce their emissions and build climate resiliency next slide. Please recommendation five is to approve of rising priority number five under the climate change master plan to establish a carbon budget and accounting framework and explore the feasibility of including embodied carbon.

V

Six is a recommendation to re-establish the climate change. Council sponsors group and seven is to confirm counselor King's partition participation on The ocaf Advisory board for this term of Council next slide, please.

V

So the last status update for the climate change master plan was provided to community and Council in October 2021. Since then, the city has made considerable progress in a number of projects and programs that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resiliency in Ottawa highlights in this time include the launch of the Better Homes Ottawa Loan program and the better buildings Ottawa program which Target Community Action in reducing emissions in privately owned buildings. There are initiatives to reduce emissions in the transportation sector.

V

This included the first four zero Mission buses entering into service and the installation of publicly available charging stations across the city, Council also improved foundational projects. The climate work, such as the high performance development standard and the climate vulnerability and risk assessment, and a climate lens, was applied to long-range Capital planning documents, including the city's core Asset Management plans, the new official plan and budget 2023..

V

With regards to budget 2023, it identified over 52 million dollars in capital budget projects that have a moderate or major contribution to supporting reducing emissions for building climate resiliency. This includes the first stable and consistent annual funding of 5 million dollars for the climate change master plan and over the same over the same periods since 2021, City staff have secured more than 760 million dollars worth of external funding to leverage Municipal funds over the coming years.

V

Next slide, please.

V

So, as mentioned, the climate change master plan identified eight priority actions to support the plan's Vision. The plan's vision is to take unprecedented Collective action to transition Ottawa into a clean, renewable and resilient City by 2050.

V

of these eight priorities, I am pleased to say that seven have made progress since the last update and progress can mean that the priorities in the development phase or it has moved into the implementation phase.

V

We've also taken that a step further and identified within that development phase or that implementation phase, whether a priority is considered to be on track or off track. An on track or off track is defined as whether priority is still on schedule based on the milestones and timelines identified in the October 2021 status update.

V

You notice that many of the priorities are considered to be off track. This is largely due to the need for further analysis and consultation in response to the large scale and scope for project and limited staff capacity, as well as the aggressive schedule identified to meet the climate change targets and goals. One priority priority number six has not Advanced since the last update.

V

This is primarily due to limited staff resources and prioritizing what resources are available to address the most critical initiatives staff have identified the need to re-evaluate this priority in the short term to identify the scope of the project, the level of effort required and whether this is still considered to be a priority in the coming years. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, staff are recommending revising priority number five to establish a carbon budget and accounting framework and explore the feasibility of including embodied carbon.

V

Emerging bodies of research suggests that embodied carbon is a considerable source of emissions, requires further research on how we can best embed that into our ght emission inventories and targets next slide. Please we drill down into energy, Evolution energy Evolution identified 20 projects to guide action and investment in reducing emissions. In the short term, I would say that the majority of energy Evolution projects are considered to be in the development or the implementation phase, and are considered uh to be off track again.

V

This timeline is based on the milestones and timelines identified in the last climate change master plan status update three primary reasons for why a project could be considered off track where a limited staff capacity again projects requiring further analysis and consultations to advance the project and delays caused by provincial legislative changes.

V

Next slide, please so again. To recap: the climate change master plan's vision is to take unprecedented Collective action to transition Ottawa into a clean, renewable and resilient City by 2050, and, as evidenced by the previous slide, a lot of work has occurred across the corporation to move closer to realizing this Vision. However, what we wanted, or what staff wanted to highlight in this report, for for those internal and external decision makers, is there are considerable challenges to meeting this accelerated and unprecedented scale of action and investment required and try to highlight possible mitigation strategies.

V

Challenges experienced over the past year and a half are related to limited budget or Staffing constraints, governance policy and regular authorities, either causing delays or barriers access to timely and accurate data, delayed timelines supply chain issues and challenges with new and emerging Technologies. So some challenges are within the control of the municipality and can be addressed. This includes, if we go back to that recommendation mentioned earlier. We are proposing to bring forward a climate change resource plan which would address the Staffing capacity issues.

V

Others other challenges are outside of the municipal control and that's why those recommendations highlighted earlier around advocacy are so critical, so further details on what these challenges are and strategies to mitigate these challenges are further highlighted in staff report.

V

Next slide, please.

V

So one such challenge identified as mentioned was related to data, and this brings us to the challenge around the greenhouse gas emission inventories.

V

Greenhouse gas Dimension emission inventories are constantly evolving to ensure that they align with the most up-to-date methodologies, data sources and assumptions and given how foundational inventories are for tracking progress towards achieving our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, given how foundational they are to supporting corporate initiatives such as our future, carbon budgeting exercises staff will undertake a third party review of both inventory methodologies and data sources to confirm accuracy, consistency and alignment with reporting practices in historic and future greenhouse gas emission inventory results.

V

So we staff have are delaying bringing forward the 2021 inventories and we'll bring them forward once a third party is reviewed with the 2022 inventories later this year, regardless of the outcomes of the third party review. Given the current level of action and investment given early indications that emissions are rebounding, post-pandemic does not expected that Ottawa will achieve its short-term Target to reduce city-wide emissions by 43 by 2025.

V

admissions will need to decrease substantially each year and significant accelerated and action. Investment will be required if we are to meet our midterm Target to do city-wide emissions by 68 by 2030.

V

and again, regardless of the outcomes of the third party review staff, anticipate that the corporation is still on track to meeting its short-term and Midterm greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Those targets are to reduce emissions by 30 30 by 2025 and 50 by 2050..

V

Next slide, please, looking ahead. Staff will continue to move forward on initiatives that support climate change, action and investment, and many of these initiatives are planned to be tabled at committee and Council this year, which can be seen on this slide. There are also major plans, projects and programs that are currently in development and that are anticipated to be tabled at committee and Council Beyond 2023, and these include the final versions of the solid waste master plan and the climate resiliency strategy.

V

The phase two of the transportation master plan a new zoning by a lot on that piece of the green space and urban Forest master plan, Asset Management plans for all other city services, a new Municipal, green Fleet strategy and a new net zero municipal buildings. Project staff will continue to leverage external funding when opportunities arise, continue to advocate for Regulatory and legislative changes that support the climate, change master plan priorities and encourage and support private action.

V

Thank you very much. That's my presentation today and, of course, the question.

A

Thank you very much for that presentation, so we'll move directly into delegations and then we'll come back for questions afterwards. uh Tom Harris you're up first.

A

And I'll just ask you to click your mic on there and you've got five minutes.

AB

AC

You chair and good afternoon everybody. My name is Tom Harris I'm, executive, director of international climate science, Coalition Canada I'm, a resident of uh counselor divine's Ward I'd like to congratulate those of you who are on Council when the climate change master plan was passed for your inclusion of adaptation to climate change.

AC

However, despite the city's assertions, that quote, Ottawa must be an energy conscious, City, where people can live work and play in all future climate conditions. Unquote, cooling adaptation is essentially ignored this, despite the fact that cooling is very threatening for a high latitude City like Ottawa a study in the British medical journal, the Lancet found that quote cold weather kills 20 times as many people as hot weather.

AC

According to an international study analyzing over 74 million deaths in 374 locations across 13 countries, 20 times more people die due to the cold than due to the Heat. If a power failure like that which occurred in Texas happened in Ottawa in the depths of winter and we'd gotten rid of our most reliable power, we would likely see huge numbers of casualties. Local Air Pollution would soar as Citizens increasingly resorted to fossil fuel powered home generators.

AC

A secure and prosperous city is impossible with a weak electrical grid and ottawa's grid would be the weakest imaginable. If our climate change master plan is ever fully implemented, electricity powered systems have been found to fail far more often than those powered by natural gas or any other energy source. Greater electrification means lower reliability and when they fail, the results can be catastrophic.

AC

The climate change master plan asserts that in Ottawa quote on average summers are getting hotter. This is true but Irrelevant. For example, Ottawa Airport summer maximum temperatures have not increased at all other Ottawa temperature stations display similar Trends with the stations that Hogs back even showing a reduction in maximum temperature. Over the years the mean temperature is increasing slightly because the minimum temperature at night is increasing, and that, of course, is not a threat at all.

AC

Temperature Trends apparently follow in accordance with solar cycles, and indeed, we may be entering a grand solar minimum when the sun could be at its weakest in 300 years. This could result in significant cooling. Something Ottawa needs to properly prepare for Professor Valentina zarkova at northumbria university in the United Kingdom wrote The Following in the journal. Temperature quote this period. The time during which the sun produces less energy has started in the sun in 2020 and will last until 2053..

AC

During this modern Grand minimum one would expect to see a reduction of the average terrestrial temperature by up to one degree C, especially during the period of solar minimum, which is in the period from 2031 to 2045..

AC

Dr zarkova continues quote the reduction of a terrestrial temperature during the next 30 Years can have important implications for different parts of the planet on growing vegetation, agriculture, Food, Supplies and heating needs in both northern and southern hemispheres.

AC

This global cooling during the upcoming Grand solar minimum, can offset for three decades any signs of global warming and would require intergovernment efforts to tackle problems with heat in food supplies for the whole population of the Earth.

AC

During a previous Grand, solar minimum called the monitor minimum between 60 and 45 and 1713 glaciers expanded and the Thames river in London actually froze over many times. It never freezes there. Now, of course, as the seventh coldest capital city in the world, it's irresponsible for Ottawa to only plan for warming when cooling is far more dangerous and some scientists would say more likely, it would be like going on a camping trip in an area known to be infested with mosquitoes and black bears and only planning for the mosquitoes.

AC

Yes, the bugs can drive you crazy, but the black pairs can kill you. Similarly, heat in Ottawa is not fatal, except for the elderly and other vulnerable citizens, and those are people, of course we should protect, but everyone can die when it's minus 30 with no heat.

AC

Consequently, I asked the committee to direct City staff to incorporate serious preparation for cooling into the climate change master plan. I, welcome your comments and questions. Okay, thank you.

A

For that delegation, counselor Devine.

Q

Thank you, chair, um hello, Mr, Harris, um I'm, I'm, I'm working from home today, so I can't see below your arm. So I can't tell if you, if you brought in all of those books, uh that you wrote that you brought in last time, I imagine they're pretty heavy to carry um so uh you're a frequent delegate um at these meetings. You're you've delegated at meetings uh for my award as well, um and because you're, a frequent delegate I just want to ask a couple questions to uh to speak to credentials and credibility.

Q

Sir, um so you've. Let us know that you're, the executive director of the international climate science Coalition. Thank you um I, see that you're also associated with the Heartland Institute, where you're listed as a policy expert.

Q

um The Heartland Institute um certainly has a lovely name um from what I understand the Heartland Institute is a us-based conservative think tank that is best known for the work that it does, uh such as what you do challenging climate science, but also for the work that it's done done in challenging the um the well-known negative Health impacts of smoking uh throughout the 1900s.

Q

Sorry, throughout the 1990s and as recently as 2008, the Heartland Institute was working with Tobacco Company Philip Morris to discredit health risks associated with second-hand smoking, and so my first question for you Mr Harris. uh Do you know whether or not the Heartland Institute, with whom you're Associated still denies Damage Done by secondhand smoke.

C

Point of order Mr, chair.

A

Eight, your point.

C

um My colleague's question does not relate to the matter at hand on the agenda.

A

I'm going to agree, I would like.

AC

To say something wrong: I.

A

Think I'll let the delegate just respond on the uh on the piece around uh the Heartland, Institute and then I think we need to move on. Okay, thank.

B

AC

I only advise the Heartland Institute on climate and energy I have no involvement with their tobacco issue and I, don't actually know specifically what they say, but I used to work for Transport, Canada and as a non-smoker, and at that time a very strong anti-smoker I actually petitioned the minister of transport to stop smoking aloud on long-haul flights because of safety uh implications, it actually shares the smoke throughout the whole cabin and the pilots therefore have a reduction in visual Acuity, which is measurable, and we partitioned the minister to ban smoking on airplanes.

AC

So to associate me with tobacco is funny because, of course, I am on the other side of the argument. Heartland have roughly 150 advisors on many many topics and about twice a year. They ask me for some input and I give it to them, but they don't pay me, and certainly uh you know, their other issues are not related to my work on climate Okay. Thank.

A

You uh for that I appreciate the delegation. I do just want to mention for delegates uh coming to these committees. Ideally we speak to the agenda items. So there's there's a lot of pieces on this item around safe drinking water, renewable natural gas savings that have come from the city from building retrofits resiliency on the storms, we're facing so yeah I'd ask delegates to to speak to the agenda items. We've got in front of us I. Thank you very much. Mr Harris for coming out. The next delegate is Angela Keller Herzog.

AD

uh Good afternoon I guess it is now everybody um my pleasure to be here. My name is Angela Keller, Herzog and I'm. The executive director of cafes um interesting that I should be speaking after a bald-faced climate denial presentation, I thought that had gone extinct with all the overwhelming evidence that that we have um next slide. Please um I think that you all know cafes where ottawa's environmental and climate Network next slide please.

AD

So the document in front of us today is the update report on the climate change master plan. So the first question really to ask is: are we on track to meet ottawa's climate targets and we don't actually have the emissions report this year and I think that we should ask staff whether our emissions are still rising or if they have started declining and I suspect that they're still increasing so that we really are not on track?

AD

The next question is whether we're on track to implement our climate plan and I think that it's pretty clear from Jennifer's presentation and from the report that the answer is no most of the deliverables are off track next slide. Please so that then begs the question: well, is it time for review or is it time for action and I would like to remind you?

AD

um Certainly cafes has been around for a number of years now um we spent around five years of study, assessment and modeling between 2015 and 2020, like the end of that year, to arrive at the energy Evolution plan, so we've just had over two years of implementation in company of Highly uncertain resourcing.

AD

So if the question is, should we stop implementing and go back to review analysis study? Our answer would be a resounding no, because delay is a form of climate denial. It would be reasonable to review this plan after five years of implementation, with improvements, and course Corrections on the way, of course, but the bottom line here is that we are failing in implementation of a plan that we took quite some effort to develop next slide. Please some important achievements. For example.

AD

The shift that achieved in the last couple of years is the shift to electric buses. um The Better, Homes energy. Retrofit program is actually operational up and running and benefiting residents, and also the fact that we do now have the climate lands on the capital budget that will steer us onto a much better path where we're not locking in fossil fuels. In terms of how the municipality capitalizes growth next slide, please.

AD

So how do we react to this overall update of this master plan? um First of all, I'd like to say that we very much appreciate the transparency and the accountability in this report.

AD

um As as we take in the information there, there really is substantive admission that we are not on track in a number of things, and this kind of accountability is what I I think Council should welcome, and the public should welcome. But then the next question is well: where are the proposals to actually get back on track? Where is the Senior Management response to this report? That says our big master plan is off track and that's where I think this report Falls enormously short next slide.

AD

Please so cafes has three suggestions for you here um in terms of the incoming Senior Management.

AD

um We we are in the process, I believe of hiring a new city manager, um as well as a new general manager for planning the job, description and medium term expected performance framework of these positions of these new senior senior level staff very much need to include to get the Ottawa climate master plan back on track.

AD

Second of all, we need to get traction on community emissions. Community emissions are 95 percent of ottawa's emissions, and five percent of the financial envelope of energy Evolution was supposed to catalyze the community. So we need to find those Collective solutions that are relevant and benefit a broad base of ottawans and, thirdly, of interest to especially counselor Curry, that the city of Ottawa is really the sole shareholder of hydro Ottawa and should direct Hydro Ottawa to support these plans, because this is about the energy transition. Thank you. Thank.

A

You very much for your delegation. Ms Keller, Herzog, uh counselor Curry has a question for you. Thank.

I

You very much and thanks Angela um here, is the challenge and I'd love your opinion on this on your last comment there about Hydro Ottawa. So when I go to hydro Auto aboard meetings, what I hear is they have great recommendations for us like they they have, and so you saw on that last motion.

I

I'm thinking, you probably were watching where I'm saying I'd love to have hydro, ottawa's view of the other recommendations, because I never want to be making a decision and missing information like there might have been critical information, um so I, don't what I haven't understood all along is why that hasn't been the case, because what people have told me is that sometimes Hydro Ottawa have indicated that they aren't.

I

uh They may not recommend only hydroelectric power, as as the former last delegate said, is that your understanding, because I feel like there isn't a desire to hear from either ottawan yet you're saying you want to hear from Hydro Ottawa I want to try to figure out what the disconnect is here.

AD

Well, I I mean okay, there's there's a couple of levels of analysis here.

AD

um First of all, I think there's a question of like what's the dog and what's the tail right, because if the city of Ottawa is the sole shareholder and the City of Ottawa has spent five years dividing and devising an energy transition plan, then shouldn't it be that our our energy transmission company basically supports that plan and that in their strategic and operational plan they can see what they can do to support the success of the city's master plan and and energy Evolution.

AD

So so, and and I I think that I mean if, if that directive was sent from the sole shareholder, then hopefully we would immediately start getting much better. Collaboration between the two organizations and I think that I I agree with you that that it it could be better than it is right now from what I've heard now at the next level, down I think that there are in some cases, some some conflict of interest.

AD

um Hydro Ottawa does have its subsidiaries right that provide energy service work as well as renewable energy, Investments. So I think that the city needs to be careful where we are strong armed by and Vari to do extremely expensive work, which um private business in Ottawa could be doing for much more reasonable cost right. So I've heard horror stories in terms of how much does enviri charge for the installation of EV chargers, for example.

AD

um So I think that's something that needs to be sorted out in terms of conflicts of interest and how we relate and then going down one more level um in terms of the members of the public that I hear from um I I hear that it's not a no-brainer that you can get your your box upgraded to have a car charging.

AD

um It's not a no-brainer that you can have solar panels on your roof, but there's like barriers and extra charges and depending on the capacity locally um hydro's gonna charge you an arm and a leg or tell you it's impossible. So there's, there's and and there's other um I think issues around billing. That I've heard where it's not necessarily so easy for multi-unit residential buildings to do the kind of Energy Efficiency improvements that they they would like to.

AD

um Because of the the logic of of the utility billing, so um I think there's a lot of work that the city and hydro should be doing together and I. Think we very much agree on that. But part of the reason the the question is: how how do we structure that and and our recommendation is that hey? If we, the city of Ottawa and the taxpayers we own this Corporation, then we should send Direction um that we expect our master plan to be supported and, let's figure out what that looks like.

I

Thank you so much Angela for that I agree, I, 100, agree, I, just I hope you realize that I'm going to ask you a question. Is that do you realize, though, that when you say delay is the new denial that really what what a requested delay is to make sure that we do the right thing? Do you appreciate that.

AD

Okay, I think that's a tough one. um I think that for sure there are times when uh sober second thought is necessary right, um but I'm I'm, sorry, but like looking at like this high performance development standard agenda item that we just went through like I I read through that report right and that's a lot of pages to explain a whole bunch of delay.

AD

Right um so and of course, there's always competing priorities for resources, um but I I think that RI should be on the ball for outcomes and that's the performance that we need to hold the city to account for and If all we're getting is reports that explain delays then that's like, like very time consuming and not good enough and and yes, I understand that that municipality does not have control over neither the weather, nor um what the government of Ontario does. So.

AD

Yes, there's things out of our control, but within those things we can plan and for bad weather. We can't necessarily plan fully for Doug Ford, um but in our mind, there's been way too much delay and one of the ways that delay can be explained is if something is not a priority right. If Senior Management says this is our top priority, then that's going to happen and if it's like priority number nine, then it's going to be delayed.

I

Thanks Angela I do hear you.

A

Okay, thank you very much. uh Councilor Curry and Miss Keller Herzog. We are moving on to Bob Lyman.

N

Mr chairman counselors, ladies and gentlemen, uh my name is Bob Lyman and I'm, a retired energy economist as part of a 37-year career in the federal public service, I spent 27 years analyzing and Advising on energy transportation and environmental issues.

N

Today, I would like to offer my comments concerning the presumptions that underlie the city of ottawa's climate change, master plan, with specific relevance to the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from light duty vehicles and light duty. Vehicles include all cars, SUVs and pickup trucks next slide, please first, of course climate change is a global issue.

N

Greenhouse gas emissions are not falling, they Rose by 60 percent from 1990 to 2019 and continue to do so. Despite all of the international conferences, the non-oecd developing countries constitute two-thirds of current Global emissions. Canada, in contrast, produces only 1.6 percent ottawa's ghg emissions represent less than one percent of Canada's.

N

Thus ottawa's ghg emissions represent about one ten thousandths of the groups of the global emissions. When all the growth growth in greenhouse gas emissions are now occurring in the developing countries.

N

Next slide, please: according to the latest National inventory of emissions released by environment and climate change Canada last week, light duty, cars and trucks accounted for only 11 percent of Canada's total to put that in Stark terms, if we somehow eliminated all cars and went back to work moving on horses and bicycles, that would leave nine tenths of all Emissions on it and changed more important, leading Lim, eliminating all light duty vehicles in Canada and their related emissions would have an effect too small to measure on temperatures and climate.

N

The results of eliminating car emissions in Canada would be even more negligible. Next slide, please.

N

Some of the key measures in ottawa's plan seek to increase Urban density density in most North American cities has in fact been declining, not increasing since at least the 1960s higher density results in significantly more traffic congestion and higher house prices on smaller Lots. The public instead wants more affordable housing on larger Lots. How do we know?

N

Well, statistics Canada in 2022 produced a report indicating that from 2016 to 2021 the population of Canada's distant suburbs, that is the ones that are at least 30 minutes away by a commute, grew by 15 percent, a rate that surpassed the rate of growth in the downtown Urban, Fringe and near suburbs.

N

These long-standing Trends have been reinforced by people's experiences by working from home during the recent pandemic. Next slide, please, the master plan also focuses on a single Transportation metric vehicle miles traveled or the number of cars on the road multiplied by their annual miles. Driven a 2009 meta survey of the published economic Studies by the U.S national research Council found that even doubling the residential density in urban areas, which has never happened in a modern city in recent history, would only reduce vehicle miles traveled by about five to twelve percent.

N

That's at maximum the prevalence of six major air contaminants has dropped by 70 percent from 1980. Despite much higher numbers of cars and miles driven, a new passenger car built in after 2005 emits less pollution traveling at 100 kilometers per hour than a 1970 model did while standing still and idling next slide. Please, the goal of the climate plan is to reduce commuting by car to 50 percent of less by twenty percent twenty Thirty so that half the commuters travel by transit, walking or cycling.

N

Transport Canada recently funded a study by Canadian of the Canadian Urban Mobility that used data on commuting in major Canadian cities drawn from statistics, Canada's, 2016 census. The results for Ottawa were that 71.5 percent of people commuted by car or truck 18.9 percent by transit, 5.3 percent by walking, and only 1.4 percent by cycling that was pre-pandemic.

N

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a study entitled Canada's workplace Mobility, Trends.

A

I'll just ask you to wrap up in.

N

Which it found that, during the the pandemic, the number of people commuting to work by whatever means had declined by 45 Suleiman.

A

I'll, just ask you to wrap up your your time is up. Pardon your time is up. Your five minutes is expired bills, ASCII, wrap up.

N

My recommendation to you is very simple: it is time for the city of Ottawa to completely revisit the presumptions that underlie the approval of the master climate plan that urge that you recommended full council do that.

A

Okay, thank you very much. Any questions from committee or SC counselor Hill stand up.

O

I, thank you. uh Acknowledging your time was up there Mr uh Mr Lyman. uh Did you have any comments in your in your concluding slide there that you'd like to just elaborate on pardon I'm? Sorry, do you have any comments on your concluding slide that you would like to unpack a little bit more uh that you didn't have time to uh to speak to in your conclusion slide my conclusion.

N

Slide um the the the the basic reality here is that reducing emissions in Canada, um we'll have essentially Zero Effect in terms of global temperatures and climate. The Ottawa climate plan proposes to spend somewhere between 52 and 57 billion dollars, to reduce emissions and to do ottawa's share whatever that might be to reduce it to a contribute to climate change. So you have a 52 to 57 billion dollar expenditure and you have zero environmental benefits that won't pass any kind of of a cost benefit test in any government in the world.

A

Okay, thank you very much. Mr Hill, any other questions. Mr.

AE

A

Okay, thank you very much uh for your delegation. I would take issues I think there probably is a lot of environmental benefits that we'll see from that. From that plan, we've already been seeing them uh so appreciate. Your presentation.

A

um Mary sarumi, is next from climate, save Ottawa the PowerPoint.

AB

Hi everyone I would like to thank the council for this opportunity to delegate today. I would like to explain why we need to address the adult agriculture in a climate, change, master plan and hope in doing so, people will see the impact animal agriculture has on our climate change and our planet next slide. Please I'll explain the plant-based treaty, but first I just wanted to address this graph from the 2020 climate change master plan.

AB

Agriculture is underreported in the climate action plan as representing only three percent of the greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory is looking at production in the city itself, which should also count embodied carbon of food. A more realistic number is from the ipcc, which notes that a third of the global greenhouse gas emissions come from food, including 34 of methane.

AB

Fossil fuels are not produced in the city that we we address, how to reduce them and I'm, hoping that we can do the same for animal your culture next slide. Please.

AB

The plant-based treaty mono is eat plants plant trees. It is a science-based solution. Initiative joined on the work of the intergovernmental panel on the climate change assessment report and the Stockholm resilience Center research on planetary boundaries.

AB

We look at how to best, communicate and act on scientific policy, finding findings to help people understand how animal agriculture contributes to The Climate emergency and need for plant-based food system next slide. Please. This year we have added the plant-based treaty. 1.5 upgrade next slide, please. So, in addition to endorsing the call for Global plant-based treaty where there is jurisdiction, Ottawa and other cities, kind of commit plant-based food policies and solutions, this could involve increase in accessibility to plant-based food at schools.

AB

Hospitals day cares, Care, Homes prisons, counseling buildings, public events, businesses and more the next slide, please. So, for example, the following are things New, York City is doing to optimize a plant-based City. They have meatless Monday and powered Fridays at Public Schools serving plant-based food that will advance consumption-based inventory for greenhouse gas emissions with c-40 cities. You felt plant-based in the hospitals, expansions of a lifestyle, medicine program and six other public hospitals and plant-based food policy incentives next slide.

AB

Please another example is University of Gulf child care center and learning center, which is now plant-based, Dr, Catherine, mckeady notes, the child care and learning center at the University of Guelph has proven how feasible sensible this transition can be. The cclc has severely reduced its footprint, its waste costs, and they demonstrate leadership and eliminate the path for Effective organization and social change. Only the adopting a plant-based diet can the rights of old children to a habitable planet via assured yeah next slide. Please.

AB

And making the change in University of growth and the Learning Center has achieved carbon Savings of 74 percent in their meals in the next slide. Please, the following side shows impact of animal culture and notes to shift to the plant-based is key to limiting warming to 1.5 and avoiding societal disruption.

AB

Next slide, please Dr Joseph poor notes that we need to take individual action on all fronts. To limit global temperatures and the biggest thing an individual can do is Adopt A plant-based diet.

AB

Next slide, please animal agriculture responsible for.

B

AB

One-Third of the methane emissions as well according to the 2021 United Nations methane assessment report, cutting methane is the fastest.

AB

And most efficient way to slow global warming.

AB

Sorry, his children is George mobile, says this next cutting methane, not less important, but more.

AF

AB

Given that Android farming is of any cause of human cause and methane emissions, developing Sharp Cuts to methane, this stick this cake. This decade is impossible without ending animal air culture and shift into a plant-based food system. Next slide, this slide shows a cow cause. Milk has the highest emissions, acidification, eutrophication, menus and water use of any milk.

A

So I'm just gonna say that your five minutes is up now. If you could just please wrap up okay.

AB

So um um yeah I'll just say that mammals on Earth just for their farmed animals, their business or humans and only four percent, are wild animals. So we need to move to plant-based diet and thank you. Okay,.

A

Thank you for your presentation. Councilor Brown has a question for you. Thank.

C

You very much Mr, chair and I appreciate the delegates presentation uh Mr, chair Ottawa, as we know, is an agricultural City, and many of my residents, in addition to Residents uh of my rural colleagues, are farmers and I I just want to uh ask the delegate Mr Mayor in terms of land use for animals and as a farmer myself, I can speak to this. Personally.

C

There are particular pieces of land Mr chair in the rural area that are not able to be farmed by the farmer, and that could be due to a high water table, because the the soil is particularly Rocky. But one thing not you can do is graze animals and immediately what comes to mind. Mr, chair and my ward is a sheep farm whose land or this Farmer's land is particularly Rocky, and if you were to drive a farm implement through it, you would destroy the farm implement.

C

But what it is good for is grazing by this Farmer's flock of sheep. I would also say, Mr chair that, at a time when we're trying to lower food prices and help struggling families, I think moving away from traditional agriculture would actually make that more difficult. We have some proud farmers in our our city, Mr chair, who do the good work every day to make sure people in Ottawa and around the world, eat and I would think moving away from agriculture would be a mistake.

C

I would also ask Mr chair if the delegate has any comments in regards to anaerobic digestion and that Mr chair is a power generating Source on farm that feeds the grid. Manure is a constant input for anaerobic digestion.

C

It's a very efficient way of extracting um resource that otherwise would not have been used and turning that into a power source and in ottawa's energy Evolution plan we're looking at moving away from emitting sources of power generation and one of those ways for renewable natural gas, for example, could be done by anaerobic digestion, with manure produced by animal Livestock on farm. So I just thought. Maybe the delegate might have an opinion on that. Thank you. Mr chair, hey.

A

Thank you, counselor Miss, Remy,.

AB

uh Yeah sure um I would like to say that a lot of farmers are the person began it from you. Now that uses less pesticides and um less less uh neutral um fertilizers, which is better for the soil.

AB

um I've read up on the digesters and it's just really another way of working around the true problem, also um land. That is only good for sheep.

AB

um It still uses a lot of land, and so it's not good. It doesn't reduce your CO2. It increases your methane and CO2 and also this time we're moving towards food insecurity, and it's a proven fact that beans and lentils are cheaper than cows than sheep and pigs.

A

Okay, thank you very much any other questions from uh committee. Okay, thank you to the delegation. Our next delegation is Nigel, Ellis and I. Believe a document has been submitted. Nigel welcome. You have uh five minutes to address the committee.

AG

Foreign, thank you Mr, chair and committee members. My name is Nigel Ellis I'm, a citizen of artwork in my career I've, been as a VP of r d for development of healthcare software and a project manager as relevant to today's discussion, I direct to two large I.T Outsourcing transition projects, one for Dupont Canada and the other for General Motors locomotive group I'm very concerned with ottawa's climate change. Master plan, which I referred to as here as the plan, have two points to convey my concerns, and why have you?

AG

The plan is providing no benefit for the costs. Estimated first point: the plan concentrates on two measures of success: reduction of CO2 emissions and ensuring average temperatures don't rise on analysis. The plan to reduce the city's CO2 emissions will have negligible impact on global CO2 emissions according to University of Guelph Professor Ross mckettrick, even if the whole of Canada completely stopped all CO2 emissions right now. This would only reduce the global concentration of CO2 by three parts per million over the next 100 years.

AG

Given that today's Global CO2 emissions are at 40 billion tons annually, there's three parts per million equates to only a reduction of 0.008 percent out of his plan will obviously achieve a much smaller and even more statistically relevant reduction.

AG

The other element is temperature change in 2018, the late Dr Patrick Michaels past president of the American Association of climate, scientologists using the model, that's stated using the model employed by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, the green gas reduction envisioned in Canada in the 2018 carbon pricing plan would reduce the rate of temperature increased by .001 to 0.002 Celsius by 2100, and the City of ottawa's plan would reduce the global warming by .00014 degrees Celsius.

AG

In my view, this hardly supports the need for ottawa's band. In other words, Otto was almost 60 billion dollar plan, if successfully implemented would result by 2100 about one ten thousandths of a degree Global temperature change. This is smaller by at least two orders of magnitude from what can be even measured. Clearly, even if you accept the un's hypothesis that CO2 emissions are damaging the climate so should be curtailed. The direct impact on both the atmospheric CO2 levels and Global temperature of implementing ottawa's planned are insignificant from that point alone.

AG

The plan provides no benefit to addressing the supported climate crisis and definitely does not want the costs. The second point is regardless of what we do. The CO2 emissions will not reduce anyway. It will not be reduced anyway, because the whole world is not participating in its reduction.

AG

Information from one world in data illustrates interesting Trends in the last 10 years, instead of the following between 2011 and 2021 Canada's emissions declined by 3.7 percent.

AG

In the same period, the United States cut its emissions by 9.7 percent. By contrast, China now the world's largest emitter of CO2 increased its emissions by 20 percent I propose this sensibly putting putting their people calling their people out of poverty is a much higher priority to them than climate control.

AG

So when these issues were raised to the candidates during the marital candidate debate in Orleans last fall, the response given was that it was ottawa's objective to show leadership to the world. We were expected to believe that the world is going to follow artwork. Yet China has made it crystal clear that they are not slowing down.

AG

They will not follow artwork and I would argue that they have no intention of following this they're, actually increasing coal consumption, considerably statisto forecast that they will consume 4420 million short tons of coal in 2023 138 times Canada's forecast consumption.

AG

Also note China has recently approved 20 billion dollars to build another petroleum refining plan, so it seems clear that China's no intention of reducing its CO2 emissions any time in the foreseeable future. The same applies to India. My conclusion is that ottawa's climate change master plan has no perceived benefit and will be a massive fiscal sinkhole.

AG

So my main question is when the key countries of the world are not reducing. Co2 emissions at all and out of his plan, doesn't change the global numbers at all. Why are you expecting this to pay an additional tens of billions of dollars for no benefit.

A

Okay, thank you uh very much for your delegation. I am not seeing any questions from committee at this time. I appreciate you being here. uh The next delegation is Cheryl Randall.

AH

Around on their client and I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak this afternoon, um it is so important that we take stock of our climate progress as a municipality and I'm genuinely grateful to staff in the climate, change and resiliency team for the honesty and transparency of the report in highlighting the many areas where we are not yet on track.

AH

um I'd like to comment specifically on Six Points, raised in the update report. First, um just quickly applying a climate lens for the first time to the new capital requests in the 2023 budget is such a critical step forward for the city in terms of climate. Of course, the lens needs some fine tuning. The screening tool needs to be revised to clearly identify capital budget allocations that will increase emissions and lock in future fossil fuel infrastructure use, but we're glad to have a starting point.

AH

um Second, having climate in the 2023 budget as a line item to fund climate work rather than having to rely on off-budget hydro Ottawa surpluses when they occur, is so important.

AH

um Of course, there is a huge gap between the uh five million dollars annual Capital commitment agreed in this year's budget and the total cost called for mitigation under energy, Evolution and I just wanted to note the uh great works City staff in securing that 760 million dollars in external funding and having campaigned for electric buses for so long at a college as well. We are, of course, thrilled to see that now becoming a reality, and we know that with more funding, specifically this itemized predictable, stable funding.

AH

Now in our city budget, the city can leverage more provincial and federal funding, as well as build capacity through City staff, and it's our hope that this will now reduce many of the delays which are currently listed as attributable to lack of Staff capacity.

AH

uh Third, uh at Ecology Auto, where we are big Believers in the potential of the climate change master plan and energy Evolution to help us meet our climate targets. It's an ambitious strategy with hard Targets in line with ipcc science, but we know that poorly funded plans or ones where improvements are not being actioned will fail to protect our future in Ottawa.

AH

um If the city makes ambitious climate Investments, it will see billions of dollars in return on investment and with climate change. The cost of action is dwarfed by the long term costs of inaction, and it's great that it energy Evolution, sets out the specific return on investment items in that in that document, um looking of course, at the status of energy Evolution projects, the report shows a devastatingly small number of items being on track, while subtle residents experience the effects of living in a climate emergency, and we simply must to do better.

AH

uh So both um there are no uh or very sorry. There are many areas under the ccmp that do not have um key performance indicators set out yet um in any form of planning. We must ask ourselves what we're aiming for and how we will know in five and ten years that we're moving in the right direction.

AH

So it's vitally important that targets indicators, metrics and monitoring- are embedded into all of the policies under the ccmp and so we're glad to see that staff will continue to develop performance indicators and the dashboard for the City website, and we would just push that this is done as rapidly as possible, with truly meaningful metrics for monitoring our progress in terms of both mitigation and adaptation.

AH

A fifth it's disappointing not to have the annual admissions report now a year and a half after the last update in October 2021.

AH

We are, of course anticipating the post-pandemic emissions will rise, and it's important that we know by how much as quickly as possible, um releasing the results between 21 and 2022 following the completion of the third party review later this year must be prioritized with the urgency that it deserves. These key data are essential in propelling action. Finally, we've heard that in body, carbon is outside the scope of council's current emissions targets and Reporting, meaning that new sprawling developments simply don't count in the emissions total as it stands.

AH

But we know that infrastructure projects such as Highway widenings, sometimes 75 of the Project's total carbon footprint, are results from a body carbon, so we're so glad to see the recommendation from staff to explore the feasibility of including embodied carbon and along those lines. We also strongly support the note that staff will review project management processes to embed climate considerations earlier in that development process, so that projects do not experience carbon lock-in.

AH

Thank you. So much for your time.

A

Awesome great thanks for wrapping up right there on the second I'm, not seeing any questions from committee at this time appreciate your delegation. The next delegation is Rod Packwood.

A

Okay, I'm not seeing his dog is uh Rod Packwood here I'm, not seeing the delegation um and I see Karen Boudreau online Bordeaux online Karen.

AI

Bordeaux, yes, yes,.

A

Okay, so I don't see, I, don't see Rod um so Karen. Why don't you go ahead? Okay,.

AI

Thank you Mr, chair and committee members for the opportunity to present to you today.

AI

My name is Karen Bordeaux and I speak to you as a citizen of Ottawa and a retired teacher as an educator I'm concerned that the city of Ottawa has not done its homework before announcing its climate and energy plans.

AI

I've seen no evidence that, even though the basics have been that the basics have been properly covered, with respect to Otto's plans for prohibiting quote autumn automobile oriented land uses unquote whatever that means in the downtown core. Clearly, the city should have fully consulted with the residents and businesses of ottawa's core about prohibiting automobile oriented land uses. When will you do this?

AI

There are other important questions that I ask the committee to direct City staff to properly answer to ensure that our transportation related climate and energy policies will not lead to disaster for many of our citizens and businesses. Here are several more please note that I will email this delegation to all of you later today, so that you can ask City staff to address these issues. I also ask that you share with me their answers to these questions and I will share their responses with many interested parties.

AI

The plan calls for prohibiting surface parking for vehicles in the core of Ottawa. When will this be implemented? Will the wishes of those who live in the core be considered? Has the city asked for estimates of the cost of compensating the people affected, including the parking lot owners?

AI

The city plan also calls for eliminating parking in the byword market by 2030.. Has the city assessed the results of such restrictions on the businesses that Now operate in the market?

AI

If so, what will be the results in terms of loss of businesses and costs to the public if City staff have not conducted such a study? Why not? The plan calls for restricting the sales of personal vehicles so that ninety percent are all electric by 2030.

AI

Why does the city plan to duplicate the federal government's regulations in this regard? Does the city plan to pay for the public recharging stations? What is the estimated cost? They have? The city assessed how the increased electricity demand due to electrifying our transportation infrastructure will impact the frequency and severity of brown oats and blackouts.

AI

Last week's blockout was inconvenient to be sure, but if the same thing happened at -30, the results could be catastrophic. Finally, I have two questions that I ask the committee to address today. Please is the city planning to proceed with road tolls on entering City, Limits congestion charges, Road user fees, a parking sales tax or any of the other proposals identified in the plan? Can you tell us about any other city of a million or more population that has successfully followed the sort of Transportation related climate and energy plans being planned for Ottawa?

AI

If no such example exists, why not carry out a pilot study on a small subset of ottawa's population, perhaps composed of the members of this committee or city employees, who are promoting the plan?

AI

Such a study would entail all participants switching over to an electric vehicle, an electric Home Heating and only commuting by transit, walking and cycling. Participants could also commit to retrofitting their homes in accordance with the plans. The city now wants us all to follow.

AI

Then, after a reasonable time frame, they could report to the committee their experiences during the trial period to better inform you on the likely real impacts of City cities plans, were they to be carried out on the whole of Ottawa.

AI

If a student were to approach me with suggestions that the class switch over to a radically new way of learning, I would ask: have you tried it yourself? If their answer was no, then I would tell them to try it out, and let me know how things went similarly, as this committee to do your homework before further, considering compelling the whole city to radically change the way we live. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much for your delegation I'm, just seeing if any committee members have questions it doesn't appear. So thank you for being here. Our next delegation is Ken Johnson.

A

And I'll just see if we've got Ken on the line.

A

I believe we're just promoting him.

AJ

Good afternoon you can hear me you put my slides up. Please.

A

We can hear you, your slides are up. Please go ahead. You've got five minutes.

AJ

um I'd like to start by uh thanking and showing extreme gratitude for the city staff who've worked on this file over the years. For those who understand the magnitude of the unfolding climate catastrophe, it must have been difficult, as our previous mayor was not what you would call a Visionary on this issue being understaffed and under resources year after year after year. All along have greatly hampered doing what Ottawa needs to do is its fair share.

AJ

We can look to Montreal and Vancouver as examples of what more ambition looks like the example of the 2008 Green Building Code that we still don't have in Ottawa. That's in was put in place in Toronto uh a decade and a half ago as another exam as an example, and we don't have to look far for to find more ambition just across the canal. As a matter of fact, the office of Campus sustainability at Ottawa U has done some great work.

AJ

They have focused targeted action on climate with an office of sustainability, that's dead and a dedicated team and resources to back that team up. It shows quite clearly what can be done with a stronger vision and suitable resources.

AJ

um I'm going to go a little off script here, I, don't realize not much time, but it's very disconcerting that we've had at least three climate deny essentially deniers, denialists or doomests already speak today.

A

I think what we're going to try to avoid to speak to other delegations just State your points about the policy in front of us and we'll we'll continue uh that.

AJ

Way: okay, unfortunately, those have a big impact, because the endless creation of Doubt is what undermines getting on with Ottawa doing what they desperately need to do so I will leave it. There. I will point to the fact that the evidence continues to get more and more overwhelming, that we need to act immediately, that if this is a unfolding climate catastrophe and here's a just a recent example, uh just even off on a slightly different tangent.

AJ

That uh study in the highly esteemed journal Nature about Antarctic of melt water, because it's melting so quickly that it's impacting the global currents and could reduce the current flow by in the next 30 Years 20 years by up to 40 percent, which would have huge impacts. Our first climate first person who spoke might be right that it could be cold or well, probably in Europe, but maybe not in Canada, um in terms of criteria for deciding what we should be doing. I turned to Seth Klein, a brilliant Canadian.

AJ

Researcher who wrote a book called The Good War, where he looked at mobilizing Canada for the climate emergency and what he did he looked at what we did in the second world war, the brilliant federal government action to respond to the threat of the German of Germany and what we could be doing with the same with the climate catastrophe. He runs something called the climate emergency unit in British Columbia, and the overarching goal of the climate emergency is to press for the implementation of wartime scale policies in Canada to confront the climate crisis.

AJ

Despite Decades of calls to action, our missions are not on a path to Stave off horrific future or for our children and future Generations and I realized. Oh I'm, sorry I should um um I would my slide should have been changing here. Could you go to the slide? That is the next one, please next next and the next one uh this one. Thank you. So the climate emergency group came up with a six tactics or six strategies that show whether you're doing what needs to be done.

AJ

The first thing is: it's: you spend What It, Takes and I'd like to just briefly compare those with what Ottawa is doing. It's quite clear that Ottawa is simply not even coming close to spending what it takes to win. Second, create new institutions to get the job done, like ottawiu has done. Where there's an explicit group, that's dedicated to sustainability. Now I know the environment committee is responsible for it, but, as we can see this morning, they have all kinds of other responsibilities.

AJ

We need a unit that is well resourced and both in in terms of people and um and dependable financing, we need to shift from voluntary and incentive-based policies to mandatory measures. So we get the things done. That need to be done, not just offering incentives and a fourth one would be the last one I talked about. Is we need to tell the truth about the severity of the climate crisis that simply isn't being done in Ottawa, so it undermines urgency just a couple points um that were made.

AJ

Oh, you don't want me to talk about China or other things next slide. Please.

A

And I'll just ask you.

AJ

To now the water I just want you just uh 10 seconds Mark, please I just want to say that the Ottawa water system is a great example of where we put the resources that are met necessary the money that's necessary to make the system work and I can assure you that the water system, the CL dealing with the climate, is at least as important as water. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much for your delegation. I am looking to see if there's any questions from committee. It doesn't appear. So thank you for being here and oh I'm. Sorry Vice chair cars just put up her hand.

W

AJ

W

Sorry hi sorry, thank you very much for your delegation. I just wanted to thank you for your delegation. um I grew up in Alberta and uh where the oil sands are and uh part of the reason I wanted to be on this committee and run for office is because of my concern about the environment. I. Don't think that people realize that, even though we only contribute 0.5 percent of the world total to ghg we're in in the top three per capita of ghg emissions, so I just really wanted to thank you for your presentation today.

AJ

Could I comment on that.

A

These are supposed to be just questions to uh delegates, so yes, you may.

AJ

Yeah I think the the attitude of um that we well what we do in Ottawa doesn't matter because it's so much bigger than this in the and China matters so much more. First of all, we get all our we get all our goods from China, as you know, our Muslim from Asia. So that's really our carbon footprint a lot of what China's doing. Secondly, China has the largest solar has built out the most solar, the most wind and has the most electric cars and electric car companies. So it's not like they're not doing stuff.

AJ

The the third thing is: if we use the same attitude about that, only uh we only contribute a small amount. That would mean that why would we bother to have second-hand smoke laws in Ottawa if it only kills? One millionth of the people on the pla uh one millionth of the people on the planet, we're such a small place. It can't make any difference, but we can at the same time see huge benefits of having implemented secondhand smoke laws two decades ago, in spite of what the um Heartland Institute thinks.

A

Great thank you for that. Thank you, Vice chair Carr, any other questions. Okay, seeing none we'll move on to the next delegation uh Danielle. Thank you. Thank you.

A

Foreign, you have five minutes to address. The committee just push that button and you can proceed.

AE

Good afternoon my name is Daniel Mayo. The vision of climate change master plan is to transition Ottawa to a clean, renewable, resilient City by 2050..

AE

The plan is intended to implement energy Evolution, which is designed to transform Ottawa into a CD powered by renewable energy, but most of the sources of power that energy Evolution promotes mainly Sun. Wind batteries from Cradle to graveyard are among the dirtiest and most environmentally damaging Energy Technologies on the planet activists on all political spectrums are starting to recognize this filmmaker Michael Moore is an example. He produced the documentary planet of the humans, which completely destroys the idea that wind and solar power are environmentally friendly.

AE

Moralists Moore's film reveals the extensive Damage Done by nature to Nature when vast regions are converted into wind and solar power plants, he also shows open pit mines gouged deep into the Earth to extract iron, aluminum, copper and other minerals needed for these plants. Hundreds of tons of cement are also required to Anchor the base of massive industrial wind turbines, and then there are Untold terms of Earth and rocks blasted from with thousands of pounds of dynamite to extract small amounts of rare earth. Metals often produced with few environmental controls in China.

AE

Rare Earths are needed for wind turbines machines that produce small amounts of electricity. Only when the wind speed is just right and what about Michael, schellenberger, Time, Magazine, 2019, hero of the environment in his book by Renewables, can't save the planet. He wrote what kills big gets threatened in endangered birds, birds that could go Instinct like Hawks, Eagles, owls and Condors are wind turbines. In fact, wind turbines are the most serious new threat to important bird species to emerge.

AE

In decades, Sherry Lynch, CEO of North American platform against wind power explained that the Spanish ornithological Society, estimated in 2012 at Spain's, 18 000 wind turbines, were killing 6 to 18 million birds and bats every year. Save the Eagles International and others computed that in the U.S, between 13 and 39 million birds and bats were killed per week year and, of course, of numbers and sizes of turbines have vastly increased in recent years in his 2020 book apocalypse. Never why environmental alarmism hurts us all.

AE

Schulenberger explained that 100 Renewable Power would require a hundred times more land than today's power sources. He writes the evidence is overwhelming that our high energy civilization is better for people in nature than the low energy civilization. That climate alarmists would return us to former Sierra Club member and energy expert Paul dreyson found in 2017 that using wind turbines to produce the same amount of energy, as is currently produced by globally globally by fossil fuels, would require over 14 million unsure turbines.

AE

This could cover an area equal to 25 percent of the entire land area of the U.S. Research shows that we do a far better job protecting the environment by continuing our Reliance on fossil fuels than by making a massive transition to so-called Renewable Power I asked the community. It is still time for courageous conversation to do your due diligence and properly investigate every aspect of the question before ruining our environment, with a huge expansion of wind and solar power. Finally, the schillenberg shullen shellenberger concluded his 2019 Ted Talk.

AE

By asking now that we know that Renewables can't save the planet, are we going to keep letting them destroy it? The prosperity is, is 22. Minutes Prosperity created by fossil fuels, has made Environmental Protection, both highly valued and financially possible.

AE

Thank you. Thank.

A

You for your presentation, I'm, not seeing any questions from committee. The next delegation is the other. The next delegation is Brian tansy.

AK

N

You hear me because this is just audio.

AK

A

We can hear you Mr tansy, please go ahead. Thank.

AK

You so sadly it seems an emission report has not not been issued. It's supposed to happen every year. So what I'd like to know is our admissions going up or down whether or not you have an admissions report. Please tell us this outcome. This is the outcome really that matters everybody around the world needs to do their part, including little Ottawa, that we have not turned the corner that your old Graphics used to show.

AK

So please tell me: what are the top three things that we residents of the municipal government need to do to start significantly reducing our emissions? Do we have Solutions and priority actions to get our plan back on track because they've been off track, we're going to be looking at the city's strategic priorities for this term of council. Please tell me what the top three actions are, that Ottawa can do in terms of collective Solutions.

AK

A

Thank you very much. Mr tansy for that and I know we'll have questions to staff after this as well um and which some counselors may wish to raise your points. The next delegation is I, believe Daniel. Buckles is not here and I.

A

Don't believe that the last delegation um to Andrea Edelweiss is here either so I think we're done with delegations now and we're moving to questions for staff and comments by the committee's law staff to come back up to the front for questions, and um we have the report in front of us so I'll ask if any counselors have questions or comments for staff on the on the recommendations in front of committee.

A

And I will just also uh okay, uh okay, counselor Hill.

O

Yeah no thank you very much. This will be a little bit all over the map, because I took a lot of notes down there and and I'll probably ask to come back once I'm a bit more organized Mr, chair, um really polarizing perspectives, there's not a not a whole lot in the middle on those delegations. That's for sure.

O

um So the first thing I'll just say. Thank you very much for the for the time and effort that went into the report. I think everybody, regardless of their perspective, would appreciate the the time effort and the intention uh to do good in our community from an environmental perspective.

O

um I guess I just want to I want to validate some of the numbers and some of the terms that I heard just just uh just so we're kind of all talking on the same, uh the same language. In the same perspective, um so we heard from from one of our delegates that uh that Canada represents one percent uh or one point: six percent, sorry of greenhouse gas emissions uh internationally and then ottawa's. One percent of that is are those numbers accurate.

L

Certainly, we acknowledge that ottawa's percentage is a small percentage of global emissions. I can't speak to the accuracy of the number quoted.

O

Okay and and then I also heard, perhaps what one of my colleagues talking about the per capita rate and the fact that we're actually a fair bit higher than that Canada. Thank you very much. Sorry. Maybe councilor Carr. Could you could you elaborate on that I'm just trying to get my head around? You know what this means from a broader perspective, I.

A

Think well so we'll go I just instead of asking questions of each other on committee. Here's no motion on the floor. I'll just go to staff. I know they're well aware of the per capita figures in comparison, so go to staff for that question.

L

Canada is traditionally represented as a high per capita emitter. It depends on the year, it depends on the source, but we are certainly a high per capita emitter. No.

O

Thank you and and the outcome that we're trying to achieve in in the climate change master plan it it is oriented to an Ottawa solution. uh It's it's oriented towards the the the clean resilient renewable Ottawa 2050. That's the measurable outcome that we're looking to to achieve.

L

That's right: we, our plan, is focused on what the city of Ottawa and the community at large can do to both reduce emissions and build resiliency.

O

And the so the direct linkage, then between the emissions of the city of Ottawa, which we we acknowledge, that they're fairly low from a Global Perspective, but perhaps they're a bit higher uh per capita wise. The direct linkage to the Ottawa climate and temperature issues are are not necessarily direct. It goes through the global Greenhouse composition, for which you know the effects that we have May, in fact, be quite muted. In terms of uh the uh the the outcomes that we that we're looking to accomplish I'm just trying to understand concretely.

O

How are the steps that we're going to take going to get us into a space where we have measurable outcomes that we can actually uh move towards.

L

Or maybe more broadly, if we think about the role of cities, Ottawa, being one of many cities have direct control over a limited number of emissions, but in Direct Control, or of a very substantial proportion anywhere between 50 and 70 percent of emissions within the municipalities, and, of course, that rolls up it rolls up to the province to the feds and both the province and the feds have their own targets. Some which are in line with the same targets that ipcc has called for and Ottawa has set to align with.

L

Ottawa has a proportion of those emissions provincially federally and globally, and what we do to contribute to those will will impact our success in meeting those overall objectives and in managing the risks that we see related to climate change.

O

So I guess I'll I'll close at this phase. Just on my understanding, then, is in order to achieve the outcome we're looking to achieve. There are a significant number of external factors uh outside of the city of Ottawa in terms of what's affecting greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, which then have an effect on the climate here and the temperatures here in the city of Ottawa and I guess. Are we adequately addressing the external components to this that are that are not necessarily directly within the control of the city of Ottawa?

O

You know in our levers, I know that we have an advocacy letter from the mayor, but you know, given that you know the numbers that we heard today. You know it's in the 99 percentile range that are outside of directly Ottawa greenhouse gas emissions effects. uh Are we adequately addressing those significant uh impacts uh through our through our climate change master plan in order to uh to achieve those measurable outcomes.

L

Well, first I would say we are. We have started doing work to reduce those emissions and to start building resiliency we've not done everything we can yet even within Auto with power. So in terms of what Ottawa as a whole needs to do, we still have more to do. Second, we work with other municipalities, both in the province and across the country, in order to assure alignment between the work that we're doing, building on the best practices of others, learning from how they're approaching it and that rolls up.

L

Third, as you've mentioned, we have a lot of advocacy to do and part of this report. Recommendation. Part of the recommendations in this report are to Advocate to senior levels of government to advance ambition and investment in climate action, so that we can roll these up and be more influential at a larger scale. Thank.

O

A

Thank you very much. Counselor Hill counselor Brown.

C

Thank you very much Mr chair I'm, just hoping for a little more clarification on recommendation number five about exploring the feasibility of setting corporate carbon budgets and embodied carbon and I'm hoping staff can provide a little bit more background on that. For me,.

V

Foreign, maybe I'll start and and I'll, let Andrea jump in afterwards. um So we are looking to redefine that uh priority. We're looking our recommendation is that it will establish a carbon budget and accounting framework and research, the I'm looking for the exact wording here um and explore the feasibility of including embodied carbon.

V

So we are looking to to address looking at Carbon budgeting as as a whole for for the the entire entirety of the corporation, rather than and piloting for the for the two departments that were highlighted originally- and this is uh really intentional in terms of trying to capture all the emissions that that are, that is within the corporation, but looking at the embodied carbon.

V

Currently, our targets do not include embodied carbon, neither does our inventories, and so when we're talking about incar or what we currently track on our inventories and our targets are those from and I'll just use buildings. As an example we use, we would track operations, we would track the the operating of that building.

V

So your natural gas, your electricity consumption and then, if you look to do embodied carbon well, then we're looking to include um the life cycle of that construction of that building, so you'd be looking at your materials, the transportation of the materials, the actual construction of that building, the uh maintenance of that building and the disposal of the that of those materials. So the idea is really is to research.

V

What um the the impact we'll say of that of those of that life cycle of material and see and do more research about how that can be included in our inventories and targets.

C

Okay, thank you and in terms of carbon budgets for departments in the city or the city as a whole. Can you explain to me how that budget that carbon budget might be developed and what happens if a particular Department hits their budget limit? You know what do we do.

V

Thank you great question, because I think carbon budgeting is a relatively new new process, and so it's it's great to have this opportunity to talk through it both for staff and decision makers. I. Think when we're talking about our carbon budget, we're really looking at what is the cumulative emissions budget? We have left to hit our targets, and so, when we think about you, know your financial budget, your financial budget looks at you know your set your your budget and you have a certain amount of dollars to spend. Well, carbon budget works very similar.

V

You would set your emissions budget and every action that you take spends that budget, and so we would be looking to set uh really it's intended to be an informational tool for Senior, Management and Council. When it comes uh to the annual budget process, carbon budgets would be brought forward as part of the um annual Municipal budget exercise and really what the intention is to be to understand.

V

um It's really to inform, counsel and Senior Management, but where to focus efforts for action and investment towards meeting our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. So budget 2023 was really the first step of this. We did a qualitative Baseline of where we're currently investing in uh reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we're looking to expand on that in future budgets.

V

Currently, we are developing that framework. How that all works, how the the budgeting and how it works with the Department still is to be determined and we're hoping to bring that information forward over the coming years in a phased approach.

C

Would that also mean, for example, during uh Road operations for winter maintenance uh operations? You know we have a particularly high level of accumulation of snow through multiple events and if the roads Department hits their carbon budget, do we just park the plows and say well we're over, or is this just informational, not nothing would change in terms of operations.

V

I think it's too early to stay at the stage. How that would go I do think there there's somebody said that there is. There are plans to then transition that Fleet uh to or eventually to transition that Fleet that'll come forward uh with recommations for the green Fleet strategy, so I think I think that framework still needs to be developed, and it's probably too early to say how that would how that process would go.

C

I would surmise if that's the way we go and a snowplow hits its budget for carbon and we shut it down. We'll have more issues and I'm also excited to see uh some kind of alternative engine that can move a dump truck full of salt on a 12 or 14 hour, snow clearing, operation, um I'd also uh Mr chair.

C

If I may ask staff, how are their car Centric policies um being focused and how do they impact rural Ottawa, recognizing Ottawa, as the largest municipality in North America by geography and our vehicles out in rural Ottawa, are pretty well the only way we can get in there Transit service, it doesn't exist in most parts of rural Ottawa, and if it does it's unreliable.

C

So how are we going to make sure we don't impact rural residents who have no other option but their vehicles to get into Ottawa.

L

Thank you for the question. Energy Evolution looks at a range of aspects related to Transportation, including expanding Transit, electrifying, Transit increasing and improving cycling, walking infrastructure Etc. Many of those considerations were debated and discussed yesterday as part of the transportation master plan. Certainly, we support the direction of the transportation master plan to to shift towards less car-centric opportunities, and we acknowledge that it is a transition over time.

L

Part of that transition will include a transition to electric vehicles and, as you know, technology is evolving quickly in that space over the course of the num of number of years and with support from the federal government and the sales targets that they have set, we anticipate that will that will be part of the solution in moving towards less fossil fuel options, even if it involves cars.

C

Thank you, Mr chair, I'll, hold the rest of my comments for now. Just to give my other colleagues an opportunity to post questions to staff thanks.

A

Very much councilor Brown and um just on the the point about um you know, plow operations.

A

Obviously the city will continue to operate plows as needed to clear the streets and I think it's clear that this is an information item at this point for Senior Management and for counselors to understand where our carbon emissions are, and so um uh you know, I just want to be clear about how we will operate as a city in terms of um our plows operations, the the things that we need to to make the city run, um even though it may inform changes to Fleet over time, which is I, think what staff were getting at I did want to say: counselor Curry I saw your hand up.

A

I know you have to leave around two o'clock. Did you want to jump in now? If that's? Okay with you, counselor Divine and vice chair, Carr, okay, go ahead, counselor Curry, thank.

I

You for that I just I, wonder if my question's too long but I did want to ask uh staff like I love the part of this report that talked about carbon capture sequestration um I. Just wonder, though, so many of our targets are a hundred percent. uh We want to see- and you know what there's so many terms that are confusing to people in in our goals. Do we not have the concept of Net Zero as opposed to zero? You know, I. Think councilor. Hill has made the point that our buses aren't really zero emission.

I

Yet we say they are they're, actually lower emission, um that we have a hundred percent, not zero, and then we have uh you know Carbon reductions, but is it not important for us to look at net?

I

The word net. I know it's small, because then we can do that offsetting with carbon capture sequestration.

L

Thank you for the question. Yes, certainly we are looking at aspects that deal with net. We know we both need to reduce the amount of energy that we use through efficiencies and conservation, and we need to increase the amount of renewable energy that we generate so that we can use that. So the energy Evolution model includes both aspects of it. We deal with a hundred percent because we have our Baseline that we set relative to 2012 and I agree there. There are a lot of terms functionally.

L

Our Target is a 100 reduction from our Baseline of 2012 to hit our our short mid and long-term targets for the 100 Target.

I

I'm glad to hear that, because I when I was reading, it I just didn't see that clearly enough. That, because I think that the way forward is going to include us determining how we can capture carbon and use that to reach some of our goals. But thank you for that clarification.

A

Thank you, councilor Curry, counselor, Devine,.

Q

Thank you chair, um so my first question is to follow up a little bit on what counselor Brown was um asking with regards to um recommendation five um on the on the carbon budgeting.

Q

um I suppose my question is so as I can, um as I heard, you say in your in your comments that your goal is to apply the carbon budgeting across the entire Corporation, but the language in the in the recommendation speaks to it being a pilot initiative, pilot project or or whatever um so I guess.

Q

My question is um assuming that you uh believe in the uh in the validity of the program to begin with, is there a reason why it's starting off as a pilot project rather being being applied across the corporation as a whole? um Are there examples of other municipalities where they've tried this kind of initiative in a pilot project.

V

Thank you for the question chair. uh We have recommended as a recommendation. Five of the staff report is to revise the priority number five to establish a carbon budget and accounting framework and explore the feasibility of including embodied carbon. This would do away with the pilot.

Q

Oh, thank you then just mind this. So do away with the pilot and apply it across the corporation as a whole.

V

That is correct. Thank.

Q

You then, just my misunderstanding: I apologize for that. um My next question um and again I very, very much uh support your work. uh I recognize the urgency of your work, um and so this question is certainly not a criticism, um but early in your presentation. When you listed all of your the Milestones um of what we you were striving for many of them, um you know I think we weren't we're nowhere close to hitting them.

Q

You mentioned either that they're they're they're falling behind or some or something like that, and so my question, then, is: what can we do uh to help ensure that your important work does hit its targets? um Is the city doing enough to advocate for more from more funding uh um from other levels of government? Is there more that we, as a council can be doing to help uh support your work.

L

Thank you for the question. uh Is the city doing enough? It's it's a big, it's a big question and it's directly related to the level of investment in action. So over the coming year, you will see a number of reports coming forward to committee and Council many of those answer the question: what can you do? It will be to consider the recommendations within those reports and and consider how the decisions that you make relative to those reports will help Advance the work. The recommendations of this report also deal with advocacy.

L

Historically, we have. We have provided letters to relevant Ministries at the provincial and federal level, and some of those letters have been brought back to all of those. Letters have now been refreshed. One of the recommendations in this report is to resend those letters from the from the mayor to the relevant Ministry.

L

They outline the policy and funding requirements to increase the level of ambition and investment within this plan and another recommendation within this report, Works more directly with representatives of council to Advocate to the respective bodies, whether it's the Federation of Canadian municipalities, the association of municipalities, Hydro Ottawa conservation authorities Etc, so that we can ensure that they're hearing from Ottawa.

L

What what we need to do and, of course, we're working with those other municipalities to both ensure alignment with the advocacy requests that they have, that they are putting forward and that they are working with their their own councils on to bring forward to similar organizations.

Q

Thank you um and I. Do you know I I do um uh accept the uh the position that um you are. You are only as capable as the level of investment that we we provide to you um with regards to what you're saying that you know, recommendations are going to be coming to council uh soon down the road um and if those recommendations are for greater levels of investment in order to help you achieve uh your goals, um would would the report or recommendations that you bring forward?

Q

Would they come with any um suggestions of consequences and or adverse impacts that you can factually observe if we do not rise to the challenge you are asking us to rise to? Would that be part of the recommendations and Reporting.

L

That's certainly something for us to consider as we bring forward those reports. uh The obvious implication if we do not make the uh the Investments required will be that we are unlikely to meet our targets either to reduce emissions or build resiliency. But as we get more specific in those reports, certainly we will identify the risks as part of the report both for the project itself and for uh potentially the risk. If counsel does not approve it.

Q

Thank you uh and I guess what I'm hoping for is you know the risk to um to our city safety, to health and well-being to our resiliency? um My final question: um the report um there's a make reference. The the report makes reference to the re-establishment of a climate change. Council sponsors group uh I'm still relatively new to council. um So if it's, if there's a recommendation to re-establish it, I'm not sure if this is a question to staff or to the chair, uh does that mean that the group was temporarily decommissioned?

Q

um And if so, why.

A

I can I can speak to that there was uh a sponsors group uh we've been discussing with the clerk's office, along with other counselors as a result of the governance activity, whether or not we re-establish those groups and that they may should not carry over from previous terms, so I think it's new counselors. Obviously we don't just have the old counselors from last term. We've got new counselors, and so the re-establishment uh with the full breadth of council makes sense in this regard,.

Q

Thank you. Thank you.

A

Okay, thank you very much. Counselor Devine uh Vice, chair Carr.

W

Thank you very much for your question and chair I'll just confirm when you speak about old counselors you're talking about previous counselors and not not by age. That's.

A

W

Excellent: okay, thanks uh just a quick uh comment: question for for staff! Thank you very much for the presentation today um recognizing that this was a status update on the climate change master plan, which was, of course approved uh well before my time, uh but I think uh last term um I wasn't expecting so many uh delegations uh that weren't specific to the report itself, but we're more generally on on climate and and um sort of questioning the activities and I wondered if it would be uh useful.

W

If perhaps you could speak to uh the city's obligations with respect to what the province expects in terms of reporting on climate or incorporating climate policies and if there's any link uh federally. Of course, we all know that uh federally uh there's a commitment to uh being at zero by 2050. I, wonder if you could talk a little bit about how the the city from a planning perspective, has to incorporate any of the the this climate work into the provincial plans.

L

To your point, in addition to the approval and direction that Council has given us, the province has also directed us to consider climate change in a range of activities.

L

Ottawa is required to produce a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change by provincial law under the planning act through the provincial policy statement, as well as Asset Management regulations.

W

Okay, perfect. Thank you.

A

Thank you for that. Vice chair, good question. Counselor Kavanaugh.

H

Thank you very much. When it comes to the carbon budgets, there is a city in Canada. That's doing that successfully in that said, Minton are: how closely are we monitoring that and what can we learn from them?.

V

Thank you for the question, so we are monitoring. Other municipalities. Edmonton is a great example of of a municipality that has come out with a established framework for how they're going to approach carbon budgeting and I think all municipalities are looking to learn from from their experience as well.

V

um So so we are working with other municipalities so to learn from them.

H

Okay, so we're not inventing the wheel here, we're um we're we can. We can learn from others, I I recall when our he started um and having conversations with her um that uh that it was clear that you, you don't have to just um do audits on money that you can do audits on other things, and it occurred to me. Why not do an audit on carbon and uh and see where we are so that we know what the targets are.

H

um I haven't talked to the AG about this question, but it struck me that we could do some kind of environmental audit is. Is that possible to have conversations with the AG about that.

L

Certainly an interesting question: I mean historically, our inventories do a lot of that work doesn't mean we, it does all of it. So it's a question we could take away and give some thought to. We haven't considered it to date. I.

H

Recall when, when I was looking at this topic, that uh I was told that Auditors, don't just that, that's always a misconception. It's not always just about money that it's a performance. So perhaps we can. We can look at that and I don't know what depth but.

L

Just one more comment: Jen reminded me that really the third party audit that we're going to do on our inventories is, is going to be part of that that it will look at the methodologies the data sources and add some say confidence to areas where there is where there's evolving methodologies and data sources also around best practices. So perhaps some of that will come out through the third party review when we do our 2021 and 2022 greenhouse gas emission inventories. Okay,.

H

But the third party review is not the auditor general okay anyway, I think it's worth the conversation. Thank you.

A

Thank you very much. Counselor Kavanaugh councilor Brockington.

M

Thanks chair just a few thoughts from an old counselor here in the corner sitting sitting by himself for some reason today.

M

um First of all, I just want to say um there are times where I agree 100 with a delegation, and there are times when I. Don't. Our job here is to provide a safe accommodating forum for people to share diverse trains of thought and I appreciate. Even people who thought I may not agree with it does at the end of the day, force me to reflect on decisions, I've made and I think that's very important for us in a democracy to welcome at all times.

M

um The emotion before us today has two asks that the mayor doesn't say, write a letter which is interesting, Advocate to senior levels of government and then part four of this motion talks about the various Council reps on associations and other groups. To do the same thing.

M

To advocate for excuse me, accelerated action, ambition, I'm wondering if it would be beneficial for both the mayor and council's representatives to have some examples that we can share with the provincial and federal government's areas that we believe there can be change, whether it be low-hanging fruit not already plucked or areas that we, the city of Ottawa, would like to see greater Focus attention, investment in from the provincial and or federal governments, because even if I have the ear of not just in this case Amo or when I sit down at the mou with provincial ministers in front of me, they may ask me well what exactly?

M

What do you want? So if there are examples that can be shared, maybe we embed them in this motion when it comes to counsel or whether staff just prepare some thoughts after the fact with counselors reps, because hydro's wish list may be different than Amos and Amos may be different than the fcms I. Think that would be very helpful to the committees or council's reps, who will take additional action once this has passed so I'm just going to plant that ask with staff, because I think it's important if they could identify a few examples.

M

That would be helpful thanks, chair thanks.

A

Very much Council, Brockington I think hopefully that's just taken this direction. um Councilor Hill.

O

Thank you very much. Mr chair, um I, heard I heard you mentioned recently uh that we want to build resiliency through the plan and I really want to kind of uh hone in on that theme, because I think it's really important. We need to build resiliency climate resiliency, uh and you know we heard I think both from from staff and from a number of delegates this morning talking about grid resiliency. uh You know we had an incident there.

O

Two weeks ago we had one you know seven months ago uh and and I think it is a very fair point that we're a winter City and had those incidents happen in the winter time we would have had a much more devastating uh impact to uh to our city.

O

um So from that perspective, I guess I would just ask I, don't know if it's necessarily covered completely in the report or or maybe it's something that could be looked at in in the next iteration, but I know that leveraging technology r d things of that nature is also a an important component point to to this solution space and in Ottawa. We have a really special opportunity with our our Tech Park uh and I.

O

Don't know if we have a special relationship with them in terms of liaison or opportunity or or you know whether it be seed funding or just just relationships to look at. You know innovation in the climate space and taking advantage of that one. You know special thing that perhaps you know Edmonton Montreal don't have, but we do uh in order to to. You know, build that resiliency from the perspective of of investing in technology and- and you know, nurturing technology uh to identify solutions to this.

O

So I don't know if that's maybe direction or a question. But uh uh if you have a comment, then I'll be finished. Thank you. Thank.

AF

You for the question, question I, think and I'm glad you're raising the issue of resiliency, because I think through the master plan. We need to be looking at both sides of the solutions, how we're reducing our emissions, but also how we're preparing for the changes that we know already here and are coming um the the we are already working with uh some members of the economic development Community to look at how they are being impacted by climate change, but also to look at where the opportunities are to work together.

AF

So there is a dedicated working group through the development of the climate resiliency strategy, which is looking at Economic Development and has some of those players. There I think it's an excellent suggestion that we should be looking at expanding that conversation to see what are the other opportunities for also addressing our energy Evolution and broader climate change, master plan goals, and there there may be opportunities through other sections of the city to encourage that coverage.

O

Thank you very much. Thank.

A

You very much counselor, Hill, okay, well, really appreciate this I have one thing: I just want to mention before we vote on. This is just uh appreciate. The transparency in the report and I think that's important. We want to see that in All City reports and you are transparent and accountable.

A

um The way you've written this report, that's extremely important for our work. So thank you for all the work that you've done. I'll ask committee. If we can carry the report recommendations in front of us.

C

Mr, chair I'd, like to dissent on recommendation number five. Please.

A

Absolutely councilor Brown, uh we'll we'll note that dissent. um Thank you to committee and the discussion here today. We are moving along. So there's no in camera items uh we have the ipv on the agenda around the drinking water systems already and so we're on to item 10, which is notice of motion um or motions at which notice has been previously given.

A

So a vice chair car. You had previously read this in I'll. Just read the therefore beat resolved. We may not have to speak much to this, but it's that the city move forward with signing the Montreal Pledge on biodiversity and be it further resolve that staff continue their efforts to implement policies and programs supporting the 15 commitments in the Montreal Pledge on biodiversity and report back as further resources be deemed necessary. I understand, counselor, Carr and concierge Pont work with staff on this that they are supportive.

A

uh Can we did you want to comment on this? Or can we ask if it's carried.

W

Yeah I don't think that I have any further comment. We worked with staff carefully, both counselor plant and I went to the the conference um and I think this is an opportunity for ottawata sign on to the pledge. So no other comment. Thank you chair thank.

A

You very much Vice chair Carr, any questions to staff from committee or the Mover. Okay. Is this item carried great? Thank you. So much are there any notices of motion for subsequent meeting okay, seeing none any inquiries, I believe counselor Devine has an inquiry.

Q

Oh, thank you chair, uh so uh my inquiry, this inquiry is, is following up on the inquiry uh that I brought to council at the last meeting on the subject of of uh Taggart AO and uh Taylor uh I'm, not in the room. So I can't tell if it's up on the screen, but I'll, just I'll read off the inquiry, um and this is to the general Manor general manager of planning, general manager of eps, as well as to Legal Services.

Q

So uh further to my inquiry to Council on April 12th I am submitting a supplemental inquiry regarding the ongoing management of this file. In a memo sent to Council on March 6th general manager, hurwear made the following statement regarding the responsibilities of the landowner quote. The onus of maintaining an exemption under the bylaw rests with the ownership group. That said, the city will continue to monitor. Activities at the property should circumstances change that may affect the exemption status. Unquote. uh My questions for staff are number one.

Q

What are the reasonable terms and conditions of quote maintaining a farming exemption under the bylaw end quote. In other words, how soon should we expect that farming will commence and how will we Define what that farming is to meet the exemption question two in what Manner? How and when will staff both monitor the activities at the property? Unquote question three: what would trigger an action under the bylaw I.E? What would the landowner have to do not do to be seen as being in contravention and question four?

Q

What possible actions will ensue from the city quote, should circumstances change that may affect the exemption status. Thank you, chair.

A

Okay, thank you for that uh counselor Devine! Is there any other business committee.

A

Any other business, okay, seeing none, uh we are adjourned, and our next meeting is on May 16th thanks everybody for hanging on this one appreciate it.