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Frequently asked questions

Complaints of speeding and dangerous driving is one of the most discussed topics in my office; and unfortunately, we as councillors have limited tools at our disposal to help address the ongoing challenges with speeding.

You may be aware that councillors (and city staff) are prohibited by the Ontario Police Services Act from directing daily police operations, so my team cannot request enforcement for a given area or street. That said, we take every opportunity in speaking with OPS to speak to the need for additional traffic enforcement in Ward 19. It has been shared with my office that enforcement is in part determined by reporting, so residents can take steps to submit non-emergency police reports when you notice speeding or dangerous driving. Often, the Ottawa Police will use the volume of calls and reports they receive to help determine where to patrol.

You can file a report here: https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/reports-and-requests/file-a-report.aspxby

Other tools available at the city to tackle speeding is temporary traffic calming measures (also called TTC), neighbourhood traffic calming, and our office can request speed data for streets of concern.

For more information about the city’s Temporary Traffic Calming program including FAQs, please visit ottawa.ca/trafficcalming

This is one of the most effective tools we have as a councillor’s office against speeding, as each ward councillor is allocated an annual budget for Temporary Traffic Calming Measures (TTC). TTC measures are determined based on several factors, including traffic counts, speed data, and street classification.

When a request is made, the traffic department will first determine the classification of the road; some TTC measures (such as flex stakes) can only be implemented on Local/Residential & Minor Collector streets. Speed data & traffic counts are then collected and shared with the councillor’s office. Our office will then work with the traffic department to determine highest priority areas, and what TTC measure is best suited for the area, and work to fit as many areas into her annual budget as possible.

For more information about the city’s Temporary Traffic Calming program, please visit ottawa.ca/trafficcalming

To request traffic calming, please email my office at Catherine.Kitts@ottawa.ca

My office often receives outreach when a resident has been issued a by-law ticket. Unfortunately, my office does not have the legal ability to overturn any by-law, police, and/or automated speed & red-light enforcement. All municipal elected representatives formally recognize the independent function of the Provincial Offences Court process through the oath of office as well as the Transfer Agreement between the City of Ottawa and the Ministry of the Attorney General (the “Agreement”).

This agreement downloaded to the City the responsibility for court administration as well as various prosecution duties under the Provincial Offences Act, which includes matters under the Highway Traffic Act, municipal by-laws, etc. Through the Agreement as well as the Conflict-of-Interest Policy made in relation to the Provincial Offences Act, the City of Ottawa explicitly recognizes the fundamental principle of independence of the court and prosecution processes. More specifically, the Policy provides that “no person shall attempt to influence or interfere, either directly or indirectly, financially, politically or otherwise” with the prosecution function. A copy of the Policy is available at: By-laws and policies related to Council, committees and members | City of Ottawa

When a ticket is issued, the ticket lists the timeframe in which the offender has to pay the fee. In addition, there is printed instructions on the back of the ticket that indicate how to contest the ticket, which can include a court appearance. For additional questions about why you received a ticket, please contact Ottawa By-Law Services or 3-1-1.

Ottawa winters are hard on our infrastructure especially as we can experience multiple freeze-thaw cycles over the course of the winter. Potholes are formed when water (from rain or melted snow and ice) seeps into small cracks or holes in the road. As temperatures drop, the water under the road freezes and expands pushing up on the road above, creating larger cracks – when the temperature rises above zero, the water evaporates and leaves an open space under the road. The weight of cars and trucks travelling over these weak spots breaks the asphalt, resulting in potholes. In winter, conditions are not ideal for pothole repairs. The unstable conditions, including ice and water in the holes, as well as the cold temperatures and frequent freeze / thaw cycles, prevents the patch from adhering as well to the roadway making the repair temporary, until warmer and dryer weather in the spring.

If you see a pothole on the road, you can file a report to 3-1-1 online here, or, by calling 613-580-2400

The City of Ottawa maintains more than $10 billion of existing road infrastructure. The City’s road network consists of approximately 6,000 kilometres of roads. To manage the road network, Infrastructure Services is responsible for determining a schedule that outlines how often each classification of road is assessed for damage and need to be repaired / repaved.

The process for determining road renewal is generally based on three key factors: road classification, age of asphalt, overall condition.

Road Classification & Asphalt Age:

Road classification is determined based on traffic counts and the types of vehicles that utilize the roadway, as the condition of the road will deteriorate slower or faster. The age of the asphalt also plays a key role. The age of the asphalt determines how often a roadway will be re-examined and falls in-line with the classification of each roadway type. Each classification is assessed accordingly:

· Highway 174 – Annually

· Arterials & Major Collectors – 2 Years

· Minor Collectors – 3-4 Years

· Residential – 5 Years

Condition:

The overall condition of the asphalt is also considered when staff make their annual road renewal plan. Roads management relies on citizen 3-1-1 reports and feedback from the councillors’ office to help identify roads that may be deteriorating faster than anticipated. Should a roadway be determined to be a “Yellow Condition” within the first half of its renewal, staff will determine if sealing/patching will be able to hold the roads life until the end of its lifecycle. Should roads be classified as “Red Condition”, it means sealing and patching has been ineffective, and they are beyond repair. Exception can be made in these situations to have renewal accelerated.

For more information on the city’s road renewal determination process, please visit ottawa.ca/roadrenewal

Per the City’s Winter Quality Standards, the city aims to have all streets cleared within 16 hours of accumulation ending (snowfall finishing). The determination of what roads are cleared is based on their classification:

· Highway 174

· Arterials & Bus Routes

· Major / Minor Collectors

· Local / Residential

· Gravel / Unpaved

Highest priority is given to Highway 174. Please note, the province has ownership over Highway 417, 416, and 401, therefore the provincial road clearing on these networks is considered separately. The next highest priority are arterial roads and bus routes, some examples of these in the east end are Innes, Brian Coburn, Navan, Anderson, etc. Crews will begin clearing arterials and H.174 as soon as snow starts to fall. Arterials are often plowed multiple times prior to crews moving into the Local streets, as these are the key routes that emergency services use.

As snowfall slows, crews prioritize the clearing of Major/Minor collector roads first, and then move onto local streets. There is of course some exception to the formula, for example if a local street houses a bus route, often crews will make a point of plowing the street; but, for the most part the city follows the maintenance skeleton very closely. Crews work to ensure the arteries are all completed before moving into residential areas, with the goal of having the entire city cleared within 16 hours.

Additionally, there are some other factors that could play into areas being cleared after others; for example, some of the dispatch centers in various parts of the city during our most recent storm had to manage equipment breaking down, or delays with 3rd party contractors, hired by the city, tending to their assigned areas. These are unfortunately unpredictable and can cause delays and staff will need to redeploy resources.

To learn more about the city’s snow removal strategy, please visit ottawa.ca/snowremoval

Regardless of windrow size on private property as it relates to width and height, the responsibility is solely on the property owner. The city does have a program in place to assist seniors and persons with disabilities with clearing windrows, for more information regarding qualification and to submit an application, please visit: https://ottawa.ca/en/family-and-social-services/older-adults/help-around-home/get-help-clearing-snow

Staff are also always looking at recent innovations and latest technologies when it comes to winter operations and implementing them when it makes sense to do so. For example, on our snowplows, we have recently made the switch from carbide steel blades to rubber carbide blades. This helps the plow follow the contours of the road better, which removes more ice and snow and allows us to use less salt, decrease maintenance costs and reduce noise complaints. The equipment has also been updated with the latest GPS technology to allow for improved performance tracking. Enhanced training for equipment operators has also been a focus in recent years. Each year operators are trained on salt and salt use to increase understanding of the environmental impacts of salt. Staff also receive annual training on winter barriers and challenges for people with disabilities to create awareness and understanding. Furthermore, the city also instates winter weather street-parking bans during any snowfall that accumulates more than 5 cm or more of snow, which allows for crews to move more quickly. In response to a number of complaints of poor communication regarding these parking bans, the city created a parking ban notification system. You can subscribe to receive these notifications here: https://ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-and-travel/parking/winter-parking#

Ottawa By-law services track all reported coyote movements across the city. The purpose of tracking coyotes is to ensure they have a general idea of where packs of coyotes are throughout the city, allowing a faster response time should an incident occur. Per city guidelines, Ottawa By-law services does not relocate coyotes, as urban coyotes are considered an important feature of the natural urban ecosystem. However, if you are not accustomed to seeing them, it can be very disconcerting to seem them in park spaces. They are a normal part of the urban ecosystem and are considered useful predators in keep vermin population down. Aggression towards humans is extremely rare and is not normal behaviour. You can learn more about the City’s strategy here: https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/animals-and-pets/other-animals#section-0f84b3ae-f121-430b-adbf-f05f29f68836

We would encourage you to learn more about coyotes by visiting Coyote Watch Canada's website, and by completing their interactive e-learning module.

Coyote Watch Canada

E-learning Module

There are many ways to submit your annual Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) declaration, including online, over the phone, and in-person. To make your declaration over the phone or in person, you will need tour property tax roll number, found on the letter sent in the mail. To declare online, log into your MyServiceOttawa account.

Too book an in-person appointment, please visit https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/taxes/property-taxes/vacant-unit-tax/declare-property-status

Declaring over the phone? Please call 613-580-2444

Rules and Reporting:

In accordance with the Tree Protection and Maintenance By-law, residents are not permitted to maintain or remove trees on the right-of-way. The City of Ottawa is not held liable should a resident choose to maintain a tree, without permission, and the resident sustains personal injury or damage to property. It’s also important to remember, while you can access the right-of-way freely, these trees are city property, and the responsibility is solely on city staff to maintain the tree. Forestry has trained professionals who understand the challenges and risks associated with height and tree work. In addition, not all parts of a tree can easily be pruned and cause long-lasting damage and pose risks to the long-term health of the tree, and once the damage is done, it can’t be undone. There are some very rare exceptions where city forestry staff will deem it safe for a resident to maintain the tree themselves, this is determined on a case-by-case basis. If you have concerns about the tree on the right-of-way, please file a report to 3-1-1 services, or contact our office.

Timeline:

As a result of the May 2022 derecho storm and a series of severely damaging thunderstorms in July & August 2023, the city Forestry department has seen it’s highest number of requests in a decade. This has created a major backlog in requests. Please note the average timeline for pruning services is 6 weeks to 6 months, with stump removal being an estimated 6 months to 1 year. Forestry staff prioritize the removal and maintenance of damaged or dead trees, and trees that pose risk to resident safety.

The right-of-way (ROW) is defined as the space between the private property and the road. The responsibility of maintaining the grass in these sections is solely on the homeowner and is outlined in the Use and Care of Roads By-law and the Property Standards Act. The City’s GeoOttawa program can be a helpful guide to illustrate as to where the approximate boundary of the City’s ROW and your property is located. Residents are responsible for keeping the length of grass short and free of weeds and debris. Recently, changes have been made to the ROW By-laws to allow for pollinator gardens and Little Free Libraries to be installed on the right-of-way with permission. For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/rightofway

For rural residents, problems with connectivity are not new. The need for improved quality and access to broadband in rural areas of the city were highlighted in the Smart City 2.0 Strategy in 2017, and again in the Rural Economic Development Strategy in 2020. Access to reliable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for many everyday tasks.

The provision of internet connectivity and its ultimate delivery to the home is complex and driven by several factors, including market forces, physical infrastructure, and the advancement of technology. There are specific roles played by each level of government and the private sector, with direct regulation under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.

In recent years, both the federal and provincial government have committed to improving connectivity in underserved areas of the country and province through a series of programs and investments. Some of these will have direct positive impacts on Ottawa, with investment in connectivity infrastructure expected to yield benefits as early as 2025.

In addition, Councillor Kitts does encourage residents to advocate for greater connectivity infrastructure with the other levels of government as there is a federal and provincial responsibility. The federal government has heard from Canadians all over the country, and the strong voice of Ottawa’s rural east, and is now actively committing to expanding broadband infrastructure. Read more here or contact your MP for more. High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy - Get connected (ic.gc.ca)

Orléans South-Navan has such a remarkable group of elected officials, all working together to serve you better!

School Board Trustees:

OCSDB: Donna Dickinson

CEPEO: Marc Roy

OCSB: Brian Cobourn

CECCE : Daniel Boudria (President)

CECCE: Johanne Lacombe (Vice-President)

Members of Provincial Parliament:

Orléans: Stephen Blais

E. sblais.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

T. 613-834-8679 (Orléans)

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell: Stéphane Sarrazin