For Immediate Release
October 2, 2024
On Wednesday, Ottawa City Council approved a pilot project to continue to allow councillors to facilitate contributions to the city for needed community improvements under a new set of rules. The new Policy Framework for Voluntary Donations for Community Benefits report establishes a process to discuss such contributions with developers operating in their ward.
The program is welcome news, says Capital Ward Councillor Shawn Menard. “With so much development, so much intensification going on in the city, we need to ensure that existing and future residents benefit, not just the developer,” said the councillor.
In January, Menard brought an agreement for a voluntary contribution, that had been approved by city legal staff, to be publicly discussed at Planning Committee and City Council. The agreement would have allowed for traffic safety improvements and affordable housing funding related to significant developments in the ward he represents. The contribution was eventually withdrawn by the developer when council sought to re-direct the funds away from their intended use.
“The new process,” Menard continued, “codifies a longstanding practice at City Hall—including everything we have done to secure previous community benefits agreements. I’m glad council has taken a second look and confirmed that this is appropriate and beneficial to our city. This is great news for the residents of Ottawa.”
Menard says there is still too much developer influence at City Hall. From artificially low Development Charges to public subsidies to developers, the city often, still, prioritizes the needs of developers over residents. With this new framework, he believes, the city can better ensure that resident needs can be better met when there is a willingness from developers to do so.
“This is an important step forward, but there’s more work to be done to make sure Ottawa is a city working for everyone. Councillor Johnson’s successful motion for a broader Community Benefits Framework to be evaluated is one opportunity for us to ensure city building is about more than real estate profits.”
Staff will report back to the Finance and Corporate Services Committee and to City Council by the end of 2025 on the findings of the pilot.
Click here to download this press release [PDF].
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