Weekly newsletter: December 19, 2023

Hi everyone!

Wow, we’re at the end of December and the last newsletter for the year.

A retrospective

I always get weirdly nostalgic for the year that was every Christmas season, and what a unique year 2023 has been for me personally!

From engaging with residents to working with the political and administrative side of the City, and from attending truly fascinating events to sending almost 10,000 emails, my first full calendar year as Councillor brought joy, challenges, and countless learning experiences.

(I also gained 20 pounds, but I’m working on that.)

Alongside the new experiences and responsibilities, I was able to continue doing two things I enjoy most, graphic design and writing— to be able to use those skills for things I begged my old job to let me do has been vindicating!

The demand of being present has been one of the more challenging aspects of the job. As a natural introvert, I usually find myself needing to recharge after a work engagement, especially after back-to-back meetings and/or events.

It took me about half a year to truly grasp my schedule, and since the summer, I have worked in proper days off and have been better at setting the ever-important-but-always-blurry boundary between work and life, with the understanding I’m somewhat “on-call” all the time.

Despite that, my favourite aspect of the job has probably been meeting residents at a local café or just out and about (I don’t have a ward office). I am so impressed and grateful for the care people have for their community.

Our community is also home to many skilled and talented people — authors, opera singers, grassroots charity operators, painters, people with all sorts of unique and interesting jobs, and great parents.

Learning about the many different walks of life in Barrhaven East has truly been a privilege (sometimes eye-opening), and I’m looking forward to continuing to do so over the next few years.

I am thankful to work with such a caring and engaged community. It’s your engagement that allows me to do my job well!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my staff, Charles, Laura, and Julie, for their dedication and work throughout the year. Most residents would have interacted with Julie, as she helps manage my scheduling, phone calls, and some of my emails. Laura is the creative mind who assembles my newsletter, brainstorms and creates most social media posts, and manages the website. Charles is my tireless advisor who says his hair has turned whiter because of me.

Lastly, I’d be nowhere without the wonderful support of my wife and in-laws. From helping keep the household running, to ruffling my feathers by deliberately calling me “Councillor,” I can’t be more grateful for the family support system I’ve had since the very beginning.

Good news for motorists

The westbound 417 offramp at Greenbank-Pinecrest will finally reopen to general traffic at 7:00 am on Friday, December 22!

The ramp has been restricted to OC Transpo vehicles only during substantial LRT works underneath, as the temporary ramp’s geometry was deemed inadequate for use by general traffic by the MTO.

Initially, the offramp will be configured as one lane, but will be widened to two lanes (its final form) next year. The widening work may involve a few weekend closures, which will be communicated in advance!

Thank you for your patience and tolerance (mostly tolerance, probably) throughout the work and delays in reopening.

For motorists who commute downtown, the eastbound 417 offramp to Kent reopened last week.

Property tax payments

Several residents who currently pay their property taxes through their mortgage provided by a bank may have received correspondence from their bank indicating that option is being phased out for existing and new customers.

This is a nationwide change affecting customers of at least two major Canadian banks.

The City has been receiving notifications about which accounts have been rolled off payment-by-bank as the banks phase them out. Although the city is not privy to the banks’ timelines and internal processes, the current understanding is all accounts will be rolled off before March 2024.

Part of the correspondence affected customers have received includes a recommendation to contact their municipality to ensure arrangements are made to ensure residents can pay their property taxes next year. The city has been automatically making these adjustments as the bank notices are being received.

Currently, no action is required on your part to change the payment method from “through financial institution,” but residents who have not already done so are recommended to create a MyServiceOttawa account to view and pay property taxes online. Monthly payment plans are also available through the pre-authorised debit (PAD) plan.

To confirm if this change affects you, please contact your mortgage provider. Residents who want assurances from the city may email revenue@ottawa.ca to advise or confirm a change.

Next newsletter

The next newsletter will be sent out on January 9, 2024, but my email inbox is always open, even over the holiday weeks. Responses may be a bit slower on some days, though.

Anyway, until then, wishing you and those around you a safe and enjoyable Christmas season and a happy, healthy 2024!