very year, about a third of OSCA's 20 person Board decide to move on. Therefore, an important aspect of the early fall period is to attract new 'blood' to rejuvenate the organization.
At its June meeting, the OSCA Board established a nominating committee, consisting of myself, Michael Jenkins and Michael Lynch, to manage this rejuvenation exercise. Consequently, we would like to hear from Old Ottawa South residents interested in volunteering their time, either as members of the Board or one of its committees. But this begs the question - what does OSCA really do?
The OSCA mission is a broad one: to enhance the quality of life of the Old Ottawa South Community, bounded by the Rideau Canal to the north, Bronson Avenue to the west, the Rideau River to the south and Main Street to the east and consisting of some 7,500 people.
To accomplish its mission, OSCA undertakes three basic activities: first, it publishes a community newspaper; second, it advocates on behalf of the community on a wide range of issues and third, it operates in partnership with the City of Ottawa a number of recreational and education programs. The Board's role differs in each of these areas, so some elaboration is called for.
Begun about 26 years ago, the OSCAR aims to be a vital, community-based newspaper providing a forum for the community expression. It is self-supporting, relying on advertising revenues to cover all operating costs. Moreover, it operates at 'arms-length' from the Board of OSCA.
OSCA approves its annual plan, which includes a slate of officers, their remuneration, a budget and a statement of assets and liabilities. But editorial policy as well as the day to day management and operation of the paper is the responsibility of the editor, Peter Hecht and his staff.
In short, OSCA acts vis-à-vis the OSCAR as a policy Board and consequently, spends very little time during its monthly meetings focussing on the Review. One of OSCA's Board members, former President, Doug Stickley, has responsibility for liaising with Peter and his staff.
At the other end of the spectrum is OSCA's advocacy role, which encompasses a wide range of issues. These include land use (the new development at Sunnyside and Bronson and the proposed outdoor patio for Patty's pub are two recent examples), traffic (vehicle speed on Riverdale and increasing congestion of Bronson are major ongoing problems), the maintenance of city streets (the rebuilding of Bank Street will be the next major concern) and environmental issues (often concerning the two parks, Windsor and Brewer).
This set of issues usually dominates our monthly meetings. Moreover, given that OSCA has only one part time staff person, Executive Director, Deirdre McQuillan, Board members not only set policy in these areas but also they do most of the work required, usually through three standing committees - OSWATCH, which deals with the land use concerns; ECOS, which focuses on environmental issues, and the Community Relations Committee, which is our major link, among other things, to other community groups throughout the City.
To be effective advocates for the community also means having close relations with our elected representatives. So, we are fortunate in having Clive Doucet, our Regional councillor and Inez Berg, our City councillor as regular attendees of our Board meetings. They offer invaluable advice and support on almost all of our advocacy issues.
Perhaps the role that is most visible to the community is the mounting of recreational programs aimed at the community residents throughout the year. And what variety!
Our mainstay over the years has been programming for pre-school and children in elementary grades through playgroups, after four programs, summer camps and sports such as tennis, soccer and baseball. For adults, we offer fitness courses, dog obedience, dance programs, garden clubs, walking groups, pottery and a number of sports activities, among others.
Several factors underpin OSCA's ongoing effectiveness in this area. Volunteers to run many of the sports programs are one key to our success. Another is our unique relationship to the City.
Our programs are managed by OSCA's Program Committee, which includes not only community volunteers including several Board members but also City staff, who provide expert advice on programming matters and who manage the delivery of the programs in collaboration with Deirdre McQuillan. This includes among other things the hiring and supervising of part time staff to run programs like After Four.
The City also provides space in the Firehall for programming purposes (although programs occur in four other locations as well.) This partnership has worked well for us and the City. It will be interesting to see if it will survive in the new era of amalgamation, given that no other relationship like exists in the Region.
OSCA's programming role is a key element to our financial viability. Of our budgeted revenue of approximately $271,000 for this year, we project that programs will generate over $226,000. Thanks to OSCA's robust programming activities, the Association finds itself in a healthy financial situation overall.
So there you have it - OSCA in a nutshell. I hope I have conveyed the rich variety of our activities. It's never dull at an OSCA Board meeting. So if you are interested in making our community a better place to life and in grappling with some complex issues, why not give me a call at 730-0069. I'll be happy to elaborate on our existing needs.
On July 4, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission held a hearing in Ottawa on the application of Patty's Pub for an outdoor patio. OSCA's Vice President, Michael Jenkin, made a submission on behalf of the Board in support of neighbours opposed to the proposal. In addition to issues of noise and traffic, among others, OSCA pointed out that the outdoor patio would violate City of Ottawa by-laws governing the location of outdoor patios next to residential properties.
During the hearing, the applicant revised his proposal to restrict the size of the patio to 90 persons, prohibit music and establish a slightly earlier closing time, revisions that the Commission is now considering. Should the applicant be successful in obtaining a licence, he will still require approval by the City's Committee of Adjustment. More on this issue in future columns.