APPROVED MINUTES
GCA Board Meeting Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Via Zoom

Chair: John Crump, President

Secretary and timekeeper: Janet Sutherland

Participating Board members: John Crump (Chair), Elizabeth Ballard, Bob Brocklebank, Anthony Carricato, Dan Chook Reid, June Creelman, Colette Downie, Maggie Gorman Velez, Rochelle Handelman, Christina Honeywell-Dobbin, Angela Keller-Herzog, David Kelly, Deborah Long, Carol MacLeod, Carolyn Mackenzie, Angus McCabe, Matt Meagher, William Price, Janna Rinaldi, Laura Smith, James Stuewe, Janet Sutherland, Catherine Waters, Della Wilkinson.

Regrets: Martha Bowers, Laurent Carbonneau, Vaughn Guy, Genevieve McInnes, Brenda Perras, Elspeth Tory, Judy Wilson.

Community Members: Dave Coyle, Jay Miller, Michael Tiger, Beverly Wolfe.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Vice President June Creelman called the meeting to order and welcomed Board members and members of the community in attendance. Quorum was confirmed.

Consent Agenda

The agenda was approved as re-ordered to accommodate the arrival of President John Crump. It was agreed to deal with the motion on Lansdowne as a first item of business. The minutes of February 27, 2024 were approved by consensus, as amended (correction of spelling errors).

Lansdowne Zoning Appeal Update

Carolyn Mackenzie reported that there will be a case conference by the end of April to narrow the issues if possible. A hearing will likely be scheduled in the fall. A Toronto-based lawyer has agreed to take up the appeal on the basis of the loss of green space (not the housing development). June then reported on the fundraising effort, noting that it was still early in its development. There will be a digital communications campaign coming this spring and information booth at the Great Glebe Garage Sale. She also noted they will be digging into the Auditor General’s report for governance and process issues that should also be addressed.

Report from the City Councillor’s Office

John Crump welcomed Jonathan McLeod from City Councillor Shawn Menard’s office and invited him to provide an update. The following points were highlighted:

  • Lansdowne -The Auditor General’s report has been received by the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO). The report is about how the development is structured, not procurement). The Councillor has concerns about the model for how contracting will be done as it proposes full delegation to City staff on procurement (the ‘third best’ model proposed by KPMG).
  • Fire on Bank Street – The Councillor’s office has been in touch with the BIA and McKeen’s and will share information as received. The Apothecary is not open.
  • City Planning Committee – The rezoning of 617 Bank Street is under consideration to allow office space, which is not usually permitted under ‘active street front’ commercial areas. It will likely be approved, although the owner’s business cannot move in.
  • Glebe Centre – With street reconstruction underway on Monk/Oakland/Wilton streets, concerns have been raised by The Glebe Centre, Abbotsford House and Lord Lansdowne regarding access to and walkability around their facilities. There may be some tweaking in the reconstruction to include a parkette and accessibility measures. This is currently a work in progress.
  • Road projects – Work on Ella and Ralph will include traffic calming. Ralph and Fifth road work is currently out of sync with being a school zone (need for traffic calming) and a fire route (no speed bumps or raised crosswalks). We are working on a safety plan. On Pretoria, there are requests to improve safety infrastructure and bike lanes on Metcalfe and O’Connor. City staff are not cooperating.
  • Torrington Street wall – last year there were no bids on this project so no work was done. A few bids have now been received and are under review. Work is anticipated to be done during this construction season.

In the question period that followed the following items were noted:

  • Elizabeth Ballard acknowledged, with appreciation, support from the Councillor’s office to resolve parking at Lansdowne for members and volunteers of Abbotsford House
  • Angus McCabe indicated the Parks Committee’s enthusiasm for the City’s waste diversion pilot program and expressed hope that the program will be fully implemented
  • Carolyn Mackenzie asked if other components of the Lansdowne report coming to FEDCO on April 2nd will be discussed, such as the financials (eg. $20 million line of credit)? Jonathan welcomed any insights or questions from the GCA which can be put before the Finance Committee. Carolyn indicated the GCA Lansdowne Committee will provide Councillor’s office with their concerns.
  • Dan Chook-Reid expressed concern that the Centretown Food Centre, which also serves the Glebe, is not receiving any funding from the City of Ottawa and is surviving on community donations. He asked if there was any collaboration among Councillors to address this issue. Jonathan indicated that this was his colleague’s file but he would forward any information following this meeting.

John Crump thanked Jonathan for attending the meeting and providing these updates.

Bank Street Fire – John Crump noted that an ebulletin had been issued by the GCA providing information about the fire on the 2nd floor of the Glebe Apothecary on March 24th. While there were no injuries, the offices on the 2nd floor were destroyed. A police investigation is underway. A representative of Ottawa Police Services was not available at short notice to attend tonight’s meeting to provide an update, if any. The Apothecary is owned by McKeen’s, which was also damaged, but anticipated to re-open. Shoppers Drug Mart will match services normally provided by the Apothecary. John encouraged attendees to support McKeen’s – who appreciated the GCA’s timely communications – and he thanked June Creelman and Laura Smith for getting the message out to the wider community.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Membership – Chair Maggie Gorman Velez presented a powerpoint deck with the Membership Committee’s recommendations on how to comply with the requirements of the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) and some issues and challenges for further consideration:

  • Campaign Timeframe: Advancing the timeframe of the membership drive to late April and all of May; set record date as June 1st; allowing for advance notice of AGM for those members recorded in our data. June 1 to May 31 is membership period. Members may also join after AGM.
  • Membership Unit: Keep existing “household” membership category but explain voting rights will be for one individual per membership (if more than one name provided for household, only one may vote); Contact condos with current membership agreements to discuss implications. Note this may result in a loss of current memberships.
  • Membership Data: This is a matter of stewardship and privacy. (Short Term) Consolidate Google Sheets in advance of AGM for member vetting, and fix issues with aggregation. Solicit expertise to a) clean up sheets and formulas, and b) ensure our data management practices are up to standard. (Medium Term) Explore best alternative system that provides “one-stop shop” for managing membership data.
  • Communicating with Members to Increase Engagement: (Short term) Create mechanism to communicate rights and key information to members directly following registration, directing them to information on website. Add members immediately to regular newsletter/communications channels, if they opt in. (Medium term) Explore the broader issue of outreach and engagement with members, to encourage more input and feedback on issues.
  • Campaign Mechanisms: Explore ways to increase online membership numbers through subscription services/platform (e.g. opt in option for automatic renewals electronically).

The next steps in the process are to:

  • Gather feedback from the Membership Committee and GCA Board on these recommendations.
  • Implement short-term changes in the upcoming Spring Membership Campaign.
  • Continue to explore medium-term issues around deeper engagement with members, enhancing online engagement and membership.
  • Develop an “operating policy” for membership, that details our approach, and how our campaign is managed, as part of good governance.

In the discussion period that followed, a question was asked about pro-rating membership fees for anyone who joins later in the year. Given that the fee is low ($10.00) and the administrative complexity this would introduce, it is not planned or recommended. There was general agreement among Board members for this position.

Maggie and the Membership Committee were commended for all of the work that has been done to date to bring the GCA into alignment with the ONCA legislative requirements and to strengthen member engagement.

Lansdowne Committee –Chair Carolyn Mackenzie introduced the following MOTION:

Whereas the GCA has previously approved payment of $5,000 from GCA reserve funds to establish a financial retainer with legal Counsel, Sylvain Rouleau of Weirfoulds LLP to support the Ontario Land Tribunal appeal re: Lansdowne 2.0;

Whereas $3,000 in funds are also required on an immediate basis to put a retainer in place with expert planner, Sean Galbraith;

Whereas an updated cost estimate that includes both legal counsel as well as required expert planning opinion is anticipated to be in the range of $50,000-$70,000;

Whereas the GCA’s intention is to fundraise as much as possible to cover appeal expense, rather than relying further on GCA funds;

Therefore be it resolved:

That the GCA Board approve that a $3,000 retainer for an expert planner be paid on an immediate basis from GCA funds, with the intention of recovering those funds as well as future appeal costs through a fundraising campaign as much as possible.

MOVED/SECONDED: Carolyn Mackenzie/Elizabeth Ballard. Carried. MOTION APPROVED.

In the discussion that followed, the following points were made in response to questions:

  • There is precedent for this level of expense. It was noted that the appeal process will get underway but the Committee will be reporting to the Board on progress and may decide not to proceed to a hearing if it is not the right decision to make. If we do proceed to the appeal process, the range of $50-$70K is the norm.
  • June Creelman reported that the last time we had a fundraising campaign regarding Lansdowne (Friends of Lansdowne), $330K was raised and the challenges raised by the community led to changes in the development

Health, Housing & Social Services – Co-Chair Deborah Young announced the organization of a Community Safety Forum, in collaboration with the Glebe BIA and GNAG. A panel including Constable Stephanie Lemieux, City Councillor Shawn Menard and MPP Joel Harden will discuss how to respond to challenges related to mental health, homelessness and crime in the neighbourhood. Questions can be emailed to the panelists in advance via communitysafetyforum2024@gmail.com. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/4h8vjm93 or scan the QR code on the poster. The event is being promoted on social media and in the Glebe Report.

Deborah also reported on a meeting hosted by Ottawa Public Health as follow up to the joint GCA-BIA-GNAG letter sent to the City on community health and safety and needle cleanup. A letter is being drafted for GCA Board approval regarding affordable housing and social services to encourage the City to establish these across Ottawa and not just in downtown/central neighbourhoods.

Great Glebe Garage Sale (GGGS) – Chair Colette Downie reported on preparations underway with the Ottawa Food Bank and Glebe BIA. An event application has been submitted to the City. This year the GGGS is being positioned as an example of the ‘circular economy’. As always the goal is to increase support for the Ottawa Food Bank. The Ottawa Tool Library will have a booth on Bank Street to promote re-purposing and repairing items and appliances. The Councillor’s office has agreed to pay for two portable toilets (hosted by St. Matthew’s church parking lot). An application to the City’s Civic Events Fund requesting $3,000 has been prepared to support the Sale, which requires the following MOTION:

Whereas the City of Ottawa has called for proposals for Civic Events funding for community organizations of up to $3000, with a deadline to apply for the funding of March 28, 2024. If approved, funding would be used primarily to help provide more portable toilet facilities and handwashing stations at the GGGS. It may also be used for more drinking water stations. While the funds cannot themselves be used for fundraising, they could allow the GCA more flexibility in spending its own money to help encourage donations to the Ottawa Food Bank; and

Whereas the Ontario Not for Profit (NFP) legislation specifies that NFPs that receive more than $10k in public funds in a year become « public benefit corporations » and are by default subject to a financial audit the following year. The audit can be waived by members at an AGM. Any funds received from the City would count towards the $10,000 limit for fiscal year 2024/25. No other public funding source for the GCA has been identified as yet for 2024/ 2025 but the total would need to be carefully managed so the cap is not accidentally exceeded;

Therefore be it resolved:

That the GCA Board approve the application for City of Ottawa Civic events funds of up to $3,000.00 for the GGGS and that the GCA continue to monitor public funding sources given ONCA requirements.

MOVED/SECONDED: Colette Downie/Angus McCabe. Carried. MOTION APPROVED.

In the discussion that followed, the following points were made:

  • Della Wilkinson inquired if there would be funds available to repeat the waste initiative conducted last year where flyers were provided to vendors, particularly around schools and public property, re: disposal of leftover goods. Collete noted that this information will be included on the GGGS webpage and on GGGS promotional material.
  • Catherine Waters volunteered for on-site collection of donations to the Ottawa Food Bank from vendors and businesses. She indicated it worked well last year but we need more people to cover a larger territory this year.

SPECIAL UPDATE ON GOVERNANCE

Vice-President Colette Downie provided an update on steps taken to bring the GCA into compliance with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), highlighting the following:

  • The GCA engaged Kim Cunnington-Taylor, an Ottawa lawyer with expertise in non-profit legislation, to revise our Bylaws and Articles.
  • A draft will be tabled with the Executive and further discussed will be held with the Board in April.
  • A special meeting of the Board with the lawyer present will be held in May, with the goal of finalizing the drafts by the end of May/early June
  • Members of the GCA will approve the new Bylaws at the Annual General Meeting (after having been provided 3 weeks’ notice of meeting and receipt of Bylaws, the annual financial statements, and nominations report). The annual membership campaign must also be completed as the official notice of meeting must be direct (not just an ad in the Glebe Report or newsletter). Consequently, the timing of the AGM is yet to be determined.
  • Carole MacLeod noted that the status of the members of the affiliated resident associations, Dow’s Lake and Glebe Annex, needs to be clarified with respect to GCA membership. We do not have membership data on all of their respective members. The Membership Committee is reaching out to the leadership of DLRA and GACA to discuss and clarify how to move forward.

GCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Vice President June Creelman noted the challenge regarding the timing of the AGM, given the requirements and processes that need to be in place to set the date. The AGM must be held before September 15th to be in compliance with the ONCA. Traditionally we have held the meeting in June but the ONCA requirements would indicate we should consider holding the AGM in September, with advertising in June and September instead of May and June. An important implication is that the term of office for all Board members is extended until September. Colette indicated that the GCA is seeking legal counsel on the question of who/what determines whether we should have an audit conducted versus a financial review. An audit must be supported by an Audit Committee and the statements must be approved by the Board before presentation to members at the AGM. Treasurer David Kelly noted that neither could be conducted in time for a June AGM given the current commitments of our accountant.

Given the uncertainty around timing of the AGM, the proposed motion regarding funds for promoting the AGM was withdrawn.

Angela Keller-Herzog asked if the AGM would be in a hybrid format (in person and via Zoom). Colette noted that a task group was identified last year to look into this option for all GCA meetings, but the group has not reported on options and costs. Volunteer capacity is likely an issue impeding the resolution of this question as well as the on-site logistical and equipment requirements. The Board will be open to discussing this further when the group has provided information for decision-making.

ISSUES FROM THE COMMUNITY – None were raised.

CLOSING REMARKS – John Crump thanked everyone for attending and for their participation in the discussions. He highlighted the upcoming Coffee Houses on Sustainability and congratulated Della Wilkinson and the Environment Committee for these learning opportunities.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday April 23, 2024 at the Glebe Community Association.

ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Della Wilkinson. Carried. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.