Ottawa Vision: A Bold Vision for the City of Ottawa

Summary

Technology
1. ****"Committee of 100" (volunteers from business, education, civil service, politics, the arts) to welcome and assist new businesses coming from outside the City and startups from within****
2. ****Internet Exchange linked to CDNX and Nasdaq and CDNX and Nasdaq Local Offices****
3. MCF sites 1,000,000+ sq. ft. on pre-approved land at no cost to the New City
4. Majority of services of the New City of Ottawa available on line by the end of 2002 including paying municipal property taxes, all levies and fees, licenses, utilities, applications for building permits, zoning changes, minor variances, by-law enforcement, ice rentals and so forth
5. Strike a committee to encourage broadband internet access for all everywhere in the New City of Ottawa

Education and Youth
1. ****High School for Technological Arts, Centre of Excellence (software arts, multi media development, internet protocol, web site design and development, fibre optics)**** (modeled after Canterbury High School Arts Programme)
2. Student Volunteers for tree'd city/urban forest (see Environment)

Environment
1. ****Establish conservation land trust (deeded to the conservation land trust or by way of conservation easement for tax credit)****
2. tree'd city/urban forest- volunteer planting of 1,009,000 new trees (one for each resident of the National Capital Region) on property and rights-of-way owned by the New City before the end of 2010, funded by private grants (corporate and individual) at no cost to New City except for staff time

Affordable Housing and Housing For Seniors
1. ****$3,500 (or 50% whichever is the lesser) cash rebate to first time home buyers of their Development Charge paid on new homes and townhouses****
2. ****Elimination of development charges on 'granny' flats****
3. Permission to add 'granny' flats or in-home apartments in areas where community consensus is attained

Arts
1. ****Mural Arts Program****

Government
2. ****City-State Annual Council to Promote Eastern Ontario ans West Quebec: Arnprior, Renfrew, Ottawa, Prescott, Brockville, Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Hawkesbury, Rockland, Pembroke, Almonte, Perth, Cornwall, Smith Falls, Maniwaki, Petawawa, Kingston, etc.****
3. City centre density bonus for residential uses or residential uses added to commercial buildings at no cost to New City
4. Accelerate core-conversion of government and other buildings to residential use and mixed use
5. Legalize work at home
6. Legalize in home apartments and 'granny' flats
7. Speed development of Lebreton Flats
8. Implement conservation subdivision design
9. Use piped services including SBS (Small Bore Sewers) and package treatment plants for rural villages
10. Use connected open space and migratory pathways

Tourism and Entertainment
1. ****Casino Completion including hotel, golf course and other compatible facilities****
2. Support for Ottawa Botanical Garden at no cost to New City
3. New City of Ottawa Demography Signage Showing Population of Ottawa and the National Capital Region of 1,009,000 (Highway 417, Highway 7, Highway 416, Highway 17, Highway 174, Highway 31, Highway 31, Highway 16, Hunt Club Road, Highway 401, Bridges to USA, signage inside and outside NCR boundaries) at no cost to New City
4. Friendship Windmill, acquarium, zoo, tethered gas balloon, water park, water taxis, media tower, FEC
5. Beach pavilions
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Music Amphitheatre
8. Climbing rock
9. Sports park
10. Festivals-- lantern festival, summer solistice, Gilbert and Sullivan, Melody Tent

Infrastructure
5. ****expanded Ottawa Congress Centre at no cost to New City (exploitation of signage rights, parking surcharge, hotel and restaurant tax, food and beverage concessions, Federal and Provincial financial support through new Infrastructure Program)****
6. east and west end bridges at no cost to New City
7. Highway 17 four lanes to Arnprior and Renfrew
8. OC Transpo commercialization and exploration of Light Rail at no cost to New City-- turning OCTranspo into a public authority with access to capital markets for expansion of light rail and transitway
9. Transitway Stations Retail Additions at no cost to New City
10. one local telephone zone for all of the National Capital Region
11. Micro utility to operate and provide safe, communal piped water and sewer for rural subdivisions to allow for denser development, less urban sprawl and saving open space in connected networks
12. Carp Airport-- extend taxiway so that freight planes can taxi directly to industrial buildings
13. Broadband access everywhere
14. Roads as economic multiplier
15. frontending of infrastructure by municipalities to promote growth and privide positive fiscal impact on city budgets

Bilingualism and Government Services
1. French services where warranted by population
2. respect for neighborhood traditions and standards- maintaining the region's diversity
3. rural taxation to reflect rural services
4. municipal services operating efficiently on a cost recovery basis
5. merging of electric utilities
6. commercialization only where warranted while protecting the public interest
7. community policing (police on the beat)
8. zero tolerance for misdemeanors


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