5 things to watch at Ottawa City Hall this fall

Ottawa City Hall. (File photo)

The summer break ends for Ottawa City Council this week, kicking off a busy second half of the year at City Hall.

Council will meet on Wednesday, as the mayor and councillors ramp up work after a month-long break from meetings.

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The agenda this fall includes finalizing the city's Long-Range Financial Plan, deciding the future of the Community Improvement Plans and the Brownfields Program (providing grants to developers who clean up sites that are contaminated), and addressing housing and affordable housing in Ottawa.

Council will also eventually approve the hiring of a new City Manager, following the resignation last November of former City Manager Steve Kanellakos.

There's a lot for Council to do in the final four months of the year before the Christmas break.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five things to watch at Ottawa City Hall this fall.

Transit

Transit will remain front and centre at Ottawa Hall this fall, as OC Transpo addresses issues with the Confederation Line, prepares for the launch of the Trillium Line, conducts a review of the bus service and looks to address a $39 million budget shortfall.

It wasn't a quiet summer for OC Transpo staff and councillors, as the LRT system was shut down for 28 days following the discovery of an axle-bearing issue on one train during a routine inspection. The O-Train is now running the full line between Blair Station and Tunney's Pasture Station, with single-car service running through the fall.

This fall will include OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group continuing to monitor the Confederation Line, while addressing ridership challenges due to single-car service. The return-to-service plan includes changing the front and rear axles on light-rail vehicles every 60,000 vehicles.

The Trillium Line is scheduled to launch this fall, but staff warn it will be at least early November before the system is ready for the handover. When it launches, O-Train Line 2 will operate between Bayview Station and Riverside South, with a spur to the Ottawa International Airport.

All eyes will also be on the Transit Commission this fall, as OC Transpo staff present recommendations for possible changes to bus service standards and the route network. The transit service conducted a review of bus routes as it looks to optimize the existing transit system and prepare for the launch of Stage 2 LRT. Critics have warned the route review will lead to bus route cuts.

Aside from the bus and train service, councillors on the Transit Commission will also be asked to address several financial questions. OC Transpo is facing a $39 million budget deficit this year, there are calls for the city to provide free transit/subsidies to compensate for the LRT disruption this summer and the 2024 budget will be finalized in November and December.

Here is a look at the reports scheduled to go to the Transit Commission and Light-Rail Transit subcommittee over the next two months.

• Aug. 29 – LRT Subcommittee will receive an update on construction on Stage 2 of the light-rail transit system, including testing on the north-south line from Bayview Station to Riverside South
• Sept. 14 – Transit Commission will receive an update on the O-Train return-to-service
• Sept. 29 – LRT Subcommittee will receive a "deep dive" on the Trillium Line, according to city staff. There will also be an update on the city's response to the recommendations from the public inquiry into Ottawa's LRT system
• Oct. 12 – Transit Commission will receive a report on the root cause analysis on the axle-bearing issue and a report "outlining LRT incidents related to freezing rain, lightning strikes and other issues."

A train passes under an overpass along the Confedration Line of Ottawa's LRT. (CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa Senators new arena

Ottawa City Council will be watching this fall to see whether the Ottawa Senators build a new arena at LeBreton Flats, as a potential deal will affect a lot of decisions at City Hall in the years ahead.

The National Capital Commission extended the due diligence period for the memorandum of understanding for a new arena at LeBreton Flats until the fall, following the sale of the club to a group led by Michael Andlauer.  Postmedia reported the sale of the club is expected to be finalized by the end of August or early September.

The NCC and Capital Sports Development Inc. announced in June, 2022 the signing of a memorandum of understanding towards the development of a major event centre at LeBreton Flats. The NCC had hoped to sign a long-term lease in the fall.

NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum says the Senators asked for an extension of the due diligence period.

"We understand that the new ownership group is going to need some time to figure things out and take a look at the MOU and engage with us on that. So we've extended that period through to the fall."

If the Senators proceed with building a new arena at LeBreton Flats, it will help shape the future of the land that has sat empty for years west of downtown Ottawa and along the Confederation Line. Council will be asked to approve the arena plans before construction begins.

If the Senators decide not to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has suggested there are several other options for the Senators to consider, including Bayview Yards, the Ottawa Baseball Stadium or in the downtown core.   

A rendering of what a new Ottawa Senators arena on LeBreton Flats could look like. (Capital Sports Development Inc.)

What will Ottawa do with its garbage?

The city of Ottawa will want to hear your garbage opinions this fall, as debate resumes on what to do with the city's solid waste in the future as the Trail Road landfill approaches capacity.

Staff will present the draft Solid Waste Master plan this fall, looking at medium and long-range options to deal with Ottawa's garbage over the next 30 years. The city will hold a final round of public engagement on the draft plan before Council approves it in 2024.

In May, Council unanimously approved a motion from Coun. Allan Hubley to explore new technology to divert waste from the landfill, including incineration.

The Trail Road Landfill is expected to reach capacity in the next 13 to 15 years.

A new landfill would cost the city about $450 million. Staff have also been exploring other options, including waste and energy recovery (mass burn incineration, gasification) and landfill mining.

In June, Council approved a new short-term policy to encourage waste diversion, which would allow residents to put three garbage bags/containers out at the curb every two weeks.

Lansdowne 2.0

Council will vote this fall on Lansdowne 2.0, the $330 million plan from the city of Ottawa and Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group for the land in the Glebe.

The proposal includes tearing down and rebuilding the north-side stands at TD Place stadium, demolishing and rebuilding the Civic Centre at the eastern end of the football stadium, and building three residential towers with 1,200 condo and rental units.

Staff will host public consultations on Sept. 6 , and a report is expected to be presented to committee and council in October.

If approved, the Lansdowne 2.0 project would be built in three phases, with completion expected in 2029.

A financial report published last spring suggested the city might never recoup its investment in the public-private partnership with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) until the second phase moves ahead.

Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard wants the new plan to include more affordable housing, no green space to be lost, a priority placed on public spaces and no skyscrapers on the property.

A rendering of the proposed redevelopment of Lansdowne Park, including new north side stands, a new event centre, and three residential towers. The project is projected to cost $330 million. (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group/Handout)

2024 city budget

One of the final decisions for Ottawa City Council before the end of the year is finalizing the 2024 budget.

The 2023 budget was approved with a 2.5 per cent property tax hike, which increased the average property tax bill by $104 this year. The 2023 budget was approved less than three months after the new Council was sworn in, so the new mayor and councillors had to get up to speed quickly on how the city operates before approving the budget.

Now, councillors will have a full year at City Hall under their belt to look at how the city of Ottawa spends money on programs and services.  

Mayor Sutcliffe has promised to cap property taxes at a 2.5 per cent increase for 2023 and 2024. The mayor launched a line-by-line audit of city spending in a bid to find money that could be spent elsewhere.

"The goal there is to find some savings in some areas and to figure out ways that we can do things better and more efficiently so that we can free up some money to invest in the priorities that we establish," Sutcliffe told Newstalk 580 CFRA in March.

The budget will be finalized as the city and its residents face many challenges, including rising costs due to inflation, a housing and apartment shortage and demands for more funding for several programs and services, including ambulance wait times, public health, cycling infrastructure, improving city services and new mental health and addiction supports.