Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCO 01-04PtCKERiNG REPORT TO COUNCIL Repor~ Number: CO 01-04 Date: September 28, 2004 Councillor David Pickles Chair, Accessibility Advisory Committee Subject: City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee - Ontario with Disabilities Act Special Funding - File: CO3000 Recommendation: That Report CO 01-04 regarding the City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee be received, and That Council concur with the City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee's support for Ontario with Disabilities Act Special Funding as set out by The Council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall, and That Council petition the Government of Ontario to obtain funding for staff to coordinate the requirements of the legislation and set consistent standards and guidelines across Ontario, and 4. Staff at the City of Pickering be given authority to give effect thereto. Executive Summary: Under the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA), all municipalities are required to prepare annual accessibility plans. The purpose of the accessibility plans are to identify, remove and prevent barriers and to improve opportunities for persons with disabilities· The City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee plays a key role to provide input and assess the effectiveness of the City's annual accessibility plan. On August 3I, 2004, the Regionai Coordinating~ Group (which includes City of Picketing s~aff~ received Resoiutior~ # NB-' Jut¥ t2:2004 from The Councii of The: Corporatior} of the City of Comwai! with coverincj iette~" dated July ~,~, 2004.. This information was shared with the City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee at their monthly meetin¢ on September' 22, 2004.. Report CO 0!-04 Date: September 28, 2004 Subject: City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee - Ontario with Disabilities Act Special Funding Page 2 The City of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee supports this Resolution Cf NB-1 July 12, 2004 from The Council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall and recommends that Council petition the Government of Ontario to obtain funding for staff to coordinate the requirements under the ODA and set consistent standards and guidelines across Ontario. Financial Implications: The funds to staff one municipal coordinator whose specific task is to help and coordinate the requirements under the legislation would be approximately $53,000 annually. City-of Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that Council petition the Government of Ontario for these funds. Background: On December 14, 2001, the Government of Ontario (Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration) passed into law the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA). The purpose of this Act is to improve opportunities for persons with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to their full participation in the life of the province. As part of the Act, all municipalities within Ontario are required to prepare annual accessibility plans to identify, address and, where possible, remove barriers to people with disabilities. The Act also legislates that municipalities having a population of more then 10,000 establish or continue an accessibility advisory committee (AAC). In part, the AAC serves to advise Council on the preparation, implementation and effectiveness of its accessibility plan. In recent weeks, members of the Ontario Disabilities Act (ODA) Regional Coordinating Group (which includes City of Pickering staff) received Resolution # NB~I July 12, 2004 from The Council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall with covering letter dated July I4, 2004. This information was shared with the City of Picketing Accessibility Advisory ~.omm~tte~ at their monthly meeting on September ~2 2004.~ The City of Pickering Accessibility ,Advisory Committee supports Resolution # NB-I July .i~_,o 2004. from The Councii of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall arid recommends that Pickerin9 Council petition the Government of Ontario to obtain funding for staff to coordinate the requirements unde~ the OD,~: and sei consistent standards and ?, ' ~",~'"~ Ontario. uUICl..Ih I-~ across' ',;ORP022' Report CO 01-04 Date: Subject: City of Pickerin§ Accessibility Advisory Committee - Ontario with Disabilities Act Special Funding September 28, 2004 Page Attachments: 1. Resolution # NB-1 July 12, 2004 from The Council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall with covering letter dated July 14, 2004 Prepared By: Mansa Carp~no t ? Supervisor, Culture'[ Recreation Approved / Endorsed By: i Councillor David Pickles Chair, Accessibility Advisory Committee MC/ Attachment Copy: Chief Administrative Officer Recommended.f.~:/he c0r~sideration of Pickering City:C/°~ '; Thomas J. Qu~, Chief Administrative Officer CDRP0227-07't( '¢ RESOLUTION The Council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall Resolution number: Moved by Councillor: Seconded by Councillor: NB -1 July 12, 2004 Leslie O'Shaughnessy Huguette Burroughs Ontarians with Disabilities Act Special Funding WHEREAS the Ontarians with Disabilities Act was introduced in 2001 and all municipalities were required to prepare, on an annual basis Accessibility Plan which Plan addresses, identifies and where possible remove all barriers to people with disabilities; and WHEREAS the Act also legislates municipalities to appoint Committees which may including municipal staff as resource personnel to help with the Plan process; and WHEREAS the legislation does not include any standard or guideline to be followed yet enforces municipalities to conduct whatever work is required to address all barriers within its municipal Assets; and WHEREAS due to the diverse disabilities of Committee Members, it has been recognized due to the amount of work involved, that there is a need for the municipality to identify a municipal coordinator who's specific task is to help and coordinate our requirements under the legislation; and where there presently is no provision of any funding to municipalities in order to accomplish its task. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Corporation of the City of Cornwall lobby the Province of Ontario (Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to provide for Special Funding that will help municipalities to employ the staff needed to coordinate our requirement under the legislation and to set, as soon as possible, reasonable standards and guidelines for the advancement of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT these standards and guidelines be consistent throughout the Province; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this special resolution be sent to our Local M.P. MPP and all municipalities throughout Ontario for their assistance in petitioning our Provincia! Government in obtainin~ fundin~ and that they set consistent standards and guicieiines across ©ntarioo Certified to be a true copy ora Resolution oassed by City Council at ~ regular meeting held on the f2th clay o~ Juiy : 2004. Gount? of Stormon~ tn~ 12~', Come'wail Ontario. Canada www. city. cornwall.on.ca July 14, 2004 OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK Bureau de la Secr&taire Municipale P.O. Box / C.P. 877 360 rue Pitt Street Cornwall,~Ontario K6H 5T9 Phone (613) 932-6252 Fax (613) 932-8145 Denise Labelie-G61inas City Clerk / Secr~taire municipale (613) 930-2787, ext.2537 E-Mail dcjelinasC, cit¥. cornwall.on.ca Marion Pokier Administrative Assistant / Assistante administrative (613) 930-2787 ext 2316 E-Mail mpoiderC, city.cornwall.on.ca To all Ontario Munici palites: RE: ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT SPECIAL FUNDING This is to advise you that the council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall, at its regular meeting of Monday, July 12, 2004, endorsed a Resolution regarding special funding for the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The said Resolution is enclosed for your reference. As you are aware, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Was introduced in 2001 and all municipalities were required to prepare, on an annual-basis, an AcceSsibility Plan which addresses, identifies and, where possible, removes all barriers to people with disabilities. The Act also legiSlates municipalities to appoint Committees which may including :.municipal staff as resource personnel to help with the Plan process. Council respectfully subm its that the legislation does not include any standard or guideline to be followed yet enforces municipalities to conduct whatever work is required to address all barriers within its municipal Assets. Due to the diverse disabilities of our Committee Members, it has been recognized, due to the amount of work involved, that there is a need for the municipality to identify a municipal cOOrdinator who's specific task is to help and coordinate the Committee's requirements under the legislation. There presently is no provision of any funding to municipalities in order to accomplish its task. The Corporation of the City of Cornwall hereby .requests all municipalities in joining in lobbying the Province of Ontario and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to provide for Special Funding that will help municipalities to employ the staff needed to coordinate the Corn m ittee's requirements under the legislation and to set, as soon as possible, reasonable standards and guidelines for the advancer~ ent of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act and that these standards and guidelines be consistent throughout the Province. Thank you for your attention to this m otter and we look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully, THE CORPORATION OF THE C~TY OF ,,'-~r~,~¢a'-,, DLGCmk