Weekly newsletter: August 15, 2023
Good morning!
There is much to cover in this week’s newsletter, so I’ll just get into it.
Recreation registration
It’s fitting today is National Relaxation Day (apparently), because that’s probably what’s needed after the battle with swim registration last night.
Thank you to the residents who shared their frustration and disappointment with me on social media and email. My understanding is the registration portal crashed at least once or twice and many users lost their spot in the queue — even more nightmarish for parents registering multiple children.
This is not the experience that was promised to you when the City switched to ActiveNet in late-2022, the platform on which the City’s registration portal is built. It’s used by several municipalities in Canada and United States, including cities like Chicago and Vancouver, as well as organisations like the YMCA.
A local server is what runs the ActiveNet platform; Depending on what the platform requires, servers can meet minimum standards or can be far above and beyond base requirements.
Basically, it’s like having Microsoft Teams and a computer that supports running it.
As of when I wrote this, 10:30 pm on Monday, August 14, a preliminary investigation by the City’s IT staff indicates no issues with the City’s servers, but a fuller picture should be available later on Tuesday.
Among the several tweets and emails of frustration and disappointment included suggestions — further staggering the registration process. For example, dividing aquatics registration by age group, activity type, etc.
You and your family can’t miss out on programming because of a faulty registration process. Whether it’s upgrading the platform, upgrading servers, or taking a new direction (again) completely, this has to improve.
My uninformed opinion has one or two speculations, but I’d rather wait for the full picture first.
The bushy curb situation
You may have noticed some curbs in Barrhaven East are getting quite bushy — that is, weeds are poking through the gaps between the curb and sidewalk and/or the curb and roadway.
After a roadway settles, vegetation growth through the gravel underneath up to the through cracks and gaps are inevitable. Good exposure to sunlight, moisture, and seed travel are perfect for growth.
Gravel typically holds vegetation back for 15 to 20 years, but where conditions allow, plants can be quite aggressive in growing through the gravel, finding any gap to poke through.
This is why vegetation is visible usually on streets 15 years of age and older. Unfortunately, that’s 90 per cent of our ward. The last 10 per cent either doesn’t have curbs or is under construction.
However, nature isn’t an excuse for neglect.
I took the Public Works Manager responsible for roadside maintenance on a short tour of my ward last week and pointed out the unmaintained curbs. The Manager got the idea after travelling a short stretch of Cresthaven (which isn’t the worst by far). In some places, plants have grown to knee height!
Anyway, whether it’s workmanship, frequency, or equipment that needs to improve, I’m working with staff to improve roadside maintenance. A few stretches of curb missing is fine, but 90 per cent of a ward is certainly not.
This includes the way the grass in boulevards, medians, and islands have been maintained as well.
Waste collection trucks
Residents on several neighbourhoods have noted garbage trucks have been spilling green bin material on their streets.
Staff in the Solid Waste Services Department are aware Miller Waste (our area’s contractor) has one or two vehicles with routes in Barrhaven that have been leaking since July.
Unfortunately, Miller is not immune to challenges faced by the transportation industry in finding and retaining people to repair the trucks (not sure if repairs are in-house or contracted out, though). The staffing challenges are also affecting buses (school buses, OC Transpo, coaches) and trucking as well.
Staffing challenges may not be entirely the contractor’s fault, but there remains an expectation our streets should be kept clean, especially if it’s recurring. Although the priority is getting the vehicles out to collect garbage, recycling, and compost, having to constantly send crews later to clean spills is not sustainable.
Staff and contractor are meeting this week to discuss a plan of action to address the issue.
Woodroffe resurfacing
Lastly, most people who regularly use Woodroffe between Longfields and Fallowfield should know roadway resurfacing is in progress. The project includes the first 60 metres of Earl Mulligan and Longfields west of Woodroffe.
As of today, concrete works and pavement grinding have been completed. Crews are in the process of fixing the level of manholes and sewer grates where needed. Paving will proceed soon, following by line painting and other final cosmetic works.
There has been lots of construction-related pain given how busy the roadway is most of the day.
Some residents have written to me about lane reductions and the lack of police directing traffic at intersections. To allay some of those concerns, here is what is expected of the contractor per the job agreement:
No northbound (to Fallowfield) lane reductions 7:00 am to 9:00 am
No southbound (to Strandherd) lane reductions 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Minimum of one lane kept open at all other times, except northbound within 100 metres of the Woodroffe/Fallowfield intersection, where a minimum of one through lane and one left-turn lane must be kept open at all times
Paid duty police officers (not patrol officers pulled from regular duty) are required to be posted where work takes place within 30 metres of an intersection and/or where the work requires crews to contravene the traffic signals.
Work is expected to be completed by September 1, 2023.
I hope you have a good rest of your week,
Wilson