The FCA Nominations Committee has now been reactivated. Its mandate is to seek out candidates for election to the FCA Board as directors and/or officers ahead of the FCA’s Annual Meeting in June, which is when these elections will be held. In accordance with our Bylaws, the Board is composed of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and up to 8 directors at large.

Currently, I am the Chair, the Vice-Chair position is vacant, Leeanne Van der Burgt is Secretary, Lorne Cutler is Treasurer and the directors at large are Warren Waters, Lynne Davidson-Fournier, Elizabeth McAllister, Arto Keklikian, Phil Sweeetnam and Barry Turner, leaving two director at large positions open.  All of our terms will expire at the next General Meeting in June.

Until then, the Nominations Committee will ascertain which, if any, of the current incumbents are willing to stand for election for next year and reach out to the membership to identify other candidates who are willing to run for any of the positions, which technically will all become vacant at the end of the term. 

Maria Luisa Marti and Bob Brocklebank, our long-time super volunteers, will be leading this exercise so don’t be surprised if you get a call from one of them in the next few months 

And please give some thought to standing for election to the Board and participating in the ongoing management of this great institution known as the FCA.

Paul Johanis,
Chair, Federation of Citizens' Associations of Ottawa

FCA Planning & Zoning Committee
Comments from the City
FCA submitted comments to the City on the topic of the first draft of the New Zoning By-Laws.  A response was received. Here is an analysis of that reply created by our Planning & Zoning Committee.

Major Cross-Cutting Issues and Solutions:

1. Integrated Planning Gap

• Problem: Siloed decision-making has led to disconnected planning for density, infrastructure, transportation, and community amenities
• Solution Needed:
• Establish an integrated planning framework that coordinates across departments
• Create a formal mechanism for synchronizing zoning changes with infrastructure capacity
• Develop comprehensive neighborhood plans that consider all elements simultaneously
• Institute regular cross-departmental review meetings

2. Implementation Timeline Mismatch

• Problem: Rapid zoning changes without corresponding infrastructure improvements or transit development
• Solution Needed:
• Create a phased implementation approach that ties density increases to infrastructure readiness
• Establish clear triggers/thresholds for when increased density can proceed
• Develop a funding strategy for infrastructure improvements before approving zoning changes
• Institute five-year evaluation periods to assess progress and adjust plans

3. Community Livability Framework

• Problem: Lack of defined standards for maintaining community character and quality of life while increasing density
• Solution Needed:
• Develop specific, measurable criteria for community livability
• Create a comprehensive green infrastructure strategy
• Establish minimum requirements for community amenities based on population density
• Implement regular community impact assessments
• Return to the vision of Ottawa as "the most liveable mid-sized city" with concrete metrics.