Controversial land acquisition for a new Ottawa landfill continues, with frustration shared by residents, and elected officials.

Osgoode Councilor's Isabelle Skalski's response (Source: Councilor's Facebook page) on the latest landfill acquisition by the City of Ottawa:

"Today, Council considered the staff report regarding the purchase of the Taggart-Miller owned CRRRC site in Carlsbad Springs, a licensed landfill that was put up for sale in April and subject to a confidential bidding process imposed by the seller. This discussion had to be held in-camera to respect the confidentially of that process.

I said it last week at committee and I’ll say it again today – I believe this process has not been fair to residents.

What I can confirm is:

•My position has not changed. I do not support using the site for a landfill. No matter who owns the site, I’m committed to protecting resident interests in having a safe, healthy and high-quality rural way of life. 

•All 4 of the motions I presented to mitigate the issues residents have raised were unanimously supported during the open portion of the council meeting – they address environmental protection, operation transparency, truck traffic, community benefits, and provide commitments to human health risk assessments. 

•After today, the seller’s process continues, the city continues to be part of it, and once it is over the city will report publicly on the outcome and disclose all the details.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or wish to share your views - my door is always open."

The south-east rural Ottawa community would be mostly affected by this project and its acquisition and it is currently on the media's radar since the news broke about this potential land acquisition by the City. All major regional news outlets in the City have reported on this matter over the last three weeks.

What happened this past Wednesday (Nov 26) in Carlsbad Springs?

1- Reporter Leah Larocque from CTV Ottawa News contacted one of the CSCA executive board members, asking if she could discuss the issue with residents.

2) CTV News came to the Carlsbad Springs Community Centre in the morning and a number of residents were interviewed. The CTV Ottawa news crew went back to City Hall in order to catch the councilors after their discussion.

3) At 11:30 am, CBC reporter Kate Porter contacted a Carlsbad Springs Community Association (CSCA) rep to identify someone that would be willing to do a short interview after the Council's meeting.

4) Ottawa City Council were « in camera » from 10 am to 12:10 pm and when they were done, they announced to the media that they could not disclosed anything and they did not vote due to this non-disclosure agreement. 

5) At 2:20 pm, Kate Porter contacted the CSCA to let them know that the City had not taken a vote but were continuing the bidding process - her comment « clear as mud ».  She further reiterated that they proceeded to ask many questions to get clarity but were always told that they could not divulge anything because of the confidential process. 

6) The community could sense the frustration in Osgoode ward Councilor Isabelle Skalski's response after the Council's meeting.  « We can't talk at all about the discussion today. Can't say what way it went, only that we remain in the process and will be able to disclose everything once the process is done. »

7) During the 6 pm CTV Ottawa News, the local Councilor said that they were all frustrated because no councilors had ever experienced the limitations of a non-disclosure agreement, navigating in uncertain waters.  

On a positive note, and as indicated by the local councilor the various motions accepted by the Finance Committee last week were all accepted by Council during the open portion of the council meeting on November 26.

Previously the Finance Committee members had passed motions that would apply, if the City purchases the property, including:

• Creating community benefit mechanisms

• Working with a community liaison committee

• Publishing annual environmental impact reports

• Completing a human health risk assessment

• Adjusting truck routes to reduce neighborhood impacts

The bid process therefore continues and the uncertainly around the possible acquisition will only be confirmed when the owners (Taggart-Miller) agrees, to their set conditions and their expected price for the landfill. They may also be other bidders that are competing in this process to acquire the CRRRC landfill site which could cause additional uncertainty and more frustration by the local residents. As an example the acquisition by another large municipality, such as the City of Toronto could be worse than a future ownership of the CRRRC by the City of Ottawa according to the Mayor and others that have shared their input on this bidding process.

The Information below is from the City's report on the potential land acquisition:

Non-binding Definitive Proposal

The non-binding definitive proposal included a proposed purchase price and a set of conditions that would be applied should the City proceed with the acquisition. These conditions pertain to the CRRRC site itself, as well as all existing regulatory and operational approvals associated with the facility. To protect the integrity of the competitive bidding process and ensure fairness to all parties involved, details like the proposed purchase price and terms must remain confidential at this time. The proposed purchase price was determined by a City-appointed team of subject matter experts and technical and financial consultants who were all engaged under the NDA.

The proposed purchase price was developed through thorough due diligence and considered:

• The property’s appraised value

• The estimated worth of the property environmental assessment and approvals that already exist on the property (if performed today)

The potential business opportunity value Should the City acquire the Corporation, the City would benefit from direct ownership and control over:

• Site design and development timelines

• Resident and stakeholder engagement

• Sources of waste accepted for processing

• Site management and operation with a high degree of environmental compliance.

Public Disclosure The City’s exploration of this opportunity has taken place pursuant to the NDA described above due to the nature of the competitive bidding process. As part of the provincial process for the approvals and permits obtained for this site, the Corporation 8 conducted public engagement. The public had formal opportunities to comment on the Terms of Reference and Draft Environmental Assessment report for this site before they were approved in 2012, and 2015, respectively. Tabling this legislative report at Finance and Corporate Services Committee publicizes Ottawa’s interest in potential acquisition and provides residents with an opportunity to share comments on the potential acquisition prior to Council’s consideration of whether or not to pursue this opportunity further. Council has decided to decide to pursue this opportunity and ultimately become the Owner of this site, the City would conduct further engagement with respect to how the City develops the site to support its waste management needs.