The Council of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton met at Haydon Hall, Regional Headquarters, 111 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, on Wednesday, 12 January 2000 at 1:30 p.m.

The meeting was called to order at 1:45 p.m. and opened with the signing of the National Anthem, sung by Tammy Raybould.

The Regional Chair, Robert Chiarelli, presided and led Council in prayer.

ALL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT EXCEPT COUNCILLOR STEWART.

Members of Regional Council and residents of Ottawa-Carleton, I am pleased to join you in looking forward optimistically to 2000 and a new millennium.

Aux conseillers régionaux et résidents d’Ottawa-Carleton, il me fait plaisir de me joindre à vous pour accueillir l’an 2000 et le nouveau millénaire avec optimisme et confiance.

This year will bring tremendous opportunity and daunting challenges. Together, we will be building a new City for everyone from Cumberland to Kinburn – centretown to Ashton. Coming together as one city will not be easy – but with open hearts and open minds our community has a tremendous opportunity to make our community even better.

As Chair, and on behalf of the people of Ottawa-Carleton, I want to say "Thank you" to Council and to the entire administration for excelling in 1999 during a time of tremendous change.

En tant que président et au nom de la population d’Ottawa-Carleton, je veux publiquement remercier les membres du Conseil ainsi que tous les employés pour l’excellent travail accompli en 1999 durant cette période de grands changements et de défis.

We have made the tough decision to work through downloading. Together, we have been able to pass a budget this year that reduces debt, increase reserves, improves the people services that are vital to the community and deliver the biggest tax cut in the history of Regional Government.

We, together, have also changed the tone of debate. In every instance where additional responsibilities and leadership were assumed by Council members, the outcome has been superb. Every member of Council has provided leadership in a different area.

Whether the issue is green space preservation, budget planning, public transit, creating jobs, putting more police officers on the street with community policing or ensuring those most in need get the health services and support so essential to providing opportunity to everyone – the leadership has been taken by all members of this Council.

We have worked with each other well – with respect – without recrimination when votes didn’t go our way – constructively putting the needs of our community first.

Together, we are pushing ahead our community’s agenda. We are also dealing with unprecedented change as a team.

In 1998, downloading and property tax changes hit municipalities across the province like a lightning bolt. Most municipalities could not cope – most took the easy way out and increased taxes.

Some Councils, many faced with lesser challenges than our own, simply said "this is impossible – the easiest thing to do is download the download – to pass the cost on to the property taxpayer and blame the Province."

Our Council understands that property taxes are already too high. Over this term, Council proved that we have respect for ratepayers, by first holding the line and then reducing taxes. Many said that this could not be done, that there was no hope of holding the line on taxes.

There were many doubters, many who thought partnership with the Provincial Government would not work. But in the end, Ottawa-Carleton did receive its fair share of transition assistance with the help of our local caucus.

In fact, this year’s Regional tax cut would not have been possible had the Province not restored 50/50 funding for public health and ambulance costs.

Facing the challenges of the new millennium, improving our quality of life, pushing forward the diversification of our local economy and sheltering ratepayers from the turbulent changes ahead will not be easy. But this Council has shown that it is up to the challenge.

We will work with the transition team to make the new city a city for everyone. This year will set the foundation for a future together, and we plan to work hard to make that foundation sound and solid.

The work done over this term at the Region has already set a large part of this solid foundation for the new city. We acted to fix the problems at OC Transpo with a management shakeup and a new business plan. Even before the terrible tragedy at OC Transpo that traumatized our community, decisive action had been taken to empower employees and turn around the ridership decline.

Last year, for the first year in nearly a decade, public transit usage went up – up by over 3%. That is a big accomplishment after years of decline. We have also undertaken a low cost Light Rail Pilot Project that will put rail transit to the test in our community.

Creating jobs has also been a priority for this Council. Along with our economic development agencies, we created The Ottawa Partnership last year to bring our economic development agencies, Regional Government and the private sector together under one strategic development plan.

It was not easy, but now TOP has brought the best minds together around a common table to ensure our boom economy continues to deliver historic prosperity to our residents.

Monday, we kicked off Ottawa.com – part of marketing the dynamism of this community in the medium of the 21^st century. Ottawa.com is a true partnership and an example of the new way of doing things – not government acting alone, but acting in partnership with the private sector and the entrepreneurial leaders in our community.

In conclusion, I refer to the old adage that "politics is the art of the possible", and that is very true. So it is possible that we, working together with our community and business partners and other levels of governments, can continue to create the foundations for the best place to live in the best country in the world.

We should strive for nothing less.

We will continue our sense of fiscal responsibility and respect taxpayers with a commitment to enhancing the supports and services that residents count on from their local government.

Enfin , je suis convaincu qu’en travaillant ensemble avec nos partenaires du secteur privé et les autres paliers de gouvernement, nous allons continuer à mettre en place les bases qui nous permettront tous de mieux vivre dans notre nouvelle communauté et ce, dans le meilleur pays du monde.

One thing we have demonstrated as a Council and administration over the last two years is that "working together works."

Everyone needs to redouble their efforts as we come together as a new community.

Thank you.

Moved by Councillor P. Hume

Seconded by Councillor C. Doucet

RESOLVED THAT the Regional Chair’s Address to Council be recorded in the Council minutes.

No declarations of interest were filed.

The following members of Council advising that they will be absent from Council and Committee meetings during the dates indicated:

Councillor W. Stewart 12 January 2000 {Regional Business}

Moved by Councillor A. Munter

Seconded by Councillor C. Doucet

RESOLVED THAT the following by-laws be enacted and passed.

Moved by Councillor H. Kreling

Seconded by Councillor D. Holmes

RESOLVED THAT by-law 3 of 2000 to confirm the proceedings of Council be enacted and passed.