R.V. Burgess playground Source Material

2009 list of locations for infrastructure stimulus funds (ISF)

E-mail thread re community consultation about Leaside Playground replacement

July 21, 2010 from Joan Henry, Admin. Assist., Councillor John Parker, Ward 26

Hello Amy and Bruce,

Councillor Parker has asked that we coordinate a meeting with you to discuss the Leaside Park playground equipment. Please let me know your availability over the next few days. Thanks!

Jul 21, 2010, from Bruce Tisdale, PFR

I am available to meet anytime this Friday July 23, 2010 or anytime the week of July 26, 2010. I am on vacation the week of August 2, 2010 and will return back to work on Monday August 9, 2010.

Jul 29, 2010, from Amy Sutherland, Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee to City Councillor John Parker, and PFR staff Bruce Tisdale

I am writing to following up on the community consultation for Leaside Park. Several community members have approached me to ask about the next steps for this.

Bruce is away next week and I am away the week of Aug 9th. Also, I believe that the time for choosing the equipment is quickly approaching.

Bruce, is it possible that we could meet next week with someone that is covering for you? Or could you provide us with enough details that Councillor Parker and myself could arrange a public consultation?

August 3 2010, from Amy Sutherland to City Councillor John Parker

Could we talk about the playground consultation for Leaside Park? I am getting anxious that we are losing the opportunity to do so with the construction time so quickly approaching.

What do you have in mind? What about having a public meeting or an information booth in Leaside Park, we have tables and chairs that could be moved there. You could display pictures of different options, have a survey, get feedback from the users of the playground? Alot of families use that playground on Monday evenings when the soccer club is running.

Please let me know what you think and what your plans are.

Aug 3, 2010, from Joan Henry, assistant to Councillor John Parker, to Amy Sutherland

What time do you available this Friday during the day?

August 3, 2010, from Amy Sutherland to Joan Henry, assistant to City Councillor John Parker

I am available on Friday from 1-3:30 pm, but it would have to be in Thorncliffe. Alternatively, if John wanted to come to our final Friday Bazaar, we will be in RV Burgess Park between 4-9pm, we could find some time to talk then.

August 3, 2010, from Joan Henry, assistant to City Councillor John Parker, to Amy Sutherland

I forgot to mention this in the previous email. I checked into your inquiry about a larger scale public consultation. There is not enough time for this, so the meeting on Friday will suffice.

from Amy Sutherland to Joan Henry and City Councillor John Parker

I am very disappointed to hear that there will be no public meeting about the new playground in Leaside Park. A meeting with one individual will not suffice as community consultation.

I have been waiting for 2 weeks for your response to Bruce Tisdale and my original emails stating when we were available to meet with you. Moreover, this federal money was announced in September 2009, giving you over 9 months to inform the community and consult them but you waited until July 2010.

I can meet with you on Friday at 2 pm TNO and will invite others as well but a truly public consultation must be organized.

August 3 2010, from City Councillor John Parker to Amy Sutherland

I regret your disappointment with regard to the matter of public consultation in this matter.

Last winter the Executive Committee adopted a motion specifically indicating that projects of this nature would not be subject to formal public consultation (see attached).

The meeting we have set up for this Friday is something that PF&R staff and I have arranged as a courtesy to you and the residents of Thorncliffe.

August 3, 2010, from Amy Sutherland to City Councillor John Parker

The memo you sent outlining the exemption for public consultation only applies to RInC funded projects. I was under the impression that the money for both RV Burgess and Leaside Park was from the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF), not the RInC program nor the State of Good Repair Program.

Please see email attached below from Mike Schreiner from December outlining the funding source as the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. Also please see attached this City of Toronto report. In Attachment 2, page 2, you will see Leaside Park listed under the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.

Isn't there some way to get public feedback on this very large investment? Could you show some options and talk to residents at the Community Market on Friday from 5-8:30 pm in RV Burgess Park? Could you do the same thing during the Thorncliffe Soccer Club games in Leaside Park on Saturday mornings 10:30-12? Both would give you ample opportunities to speak to playground users.

Or has the equipment already been chosen and ordered?

I will confirm the exact TNO location tomorrow.

August 3, 2010, from Jutta Mason (CELOS) to Amy Sutherland

Thank you for including me on your cc list. A few comments:

1. The new guidelines eliminating community consultations refer to "state of good repair" (SOGR) projects, including those funded through RInC. However it's clear from the City's "playground enhancement program" spreadsheet, posted on your website, that the Leaside Playground project is a playground enhancement, i.e it is not an SOGR project. So it would seem that the restrictions on community consultation don't apply.

2. It's also of note that in a 2005 spreadsheet giving Parks and Rec's "priority listings" of playground work , RV Burgess was listed as a much higher priority than Leaside Park. This is obvious when one looks at the two playgrounds. It would be useful to find out when and why that priority listing was changed.

3. Finally, Councillor Parker's information sheet from last week's Jenner meeting contains an important error. He writes that if he were to ask for the new playground equipment to go to RV Burgess instead, it "would require reopening the budget process - which could invite competing claims from other parts of the city."

But the City's playground enhancement spreadsheet states: "In consultation with the local Councillor, park locations can be changed without requiring Council Authority, and redistribution of funds in whole or in part throughout the ward is allowed."

There are many puzzles in this situation, and I certainly agree with your call for public discussion.

E-mail thread seeking information about federal money for RV Burgess waterplay.

Nov.24, 2009, from Amy Sutherland, Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee, to Anna Marra, Director, Parks Development & Infrastructure Management

I am writing to inquire about Federal Stimulus Funding for RV Burgess Park (Ward 26). I am part of the Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee, we are a local citizen's group working to improve and fundraise for our neighbourhood park.

Our City Councillor, John Parker, informed us that Federal Stimulus funding was granted through for play equipment in the park.

I was told that you might be able to give us details about: - how much funding the city applied for and was awarded - what the funds will be used for

If you would be able to provide us with this information, it would be much appreciated. We are currently working on fundraising initiatives for our playground and it would help to know what money has already been granted.

Nov.25, 2009, from Debra Giovannini, Administrative Assistant to Director Anne Marra

By copy of your email to Michael Schreiner, Manager, Capital Projects Section, I will ask that Mr. Schreiner report back on the details.

Dec.1, 2009, from Amy Sutherland to Mike Schreiner, Capital projects manager

I am writing to follow up on an information request regarding Federal Money for the RV Burgess Park Playground.

Anne Marra forwarded our request on to you last week (see below).

We would like to know: - how much funding the city applied for and was awarded for RV Burgess Park - what the funds will be used for

Dec.2, 2009

The Parks Forestry and Recreation (PF&R) Division forward a request for financial assistants in an $88,000.00 project to upgrade the waterplay in RV Burgess Park through the Infrastructure Canada program. The PF&R Division received $26,267.00 from the Federal Government and the Division is required to invest $53,333 in order to receive the funding.

The work plan approved by the Federal Government includes rehabilitation of the existing asphalt waterplay surface and electrical and mechanical components of the waterplay.

This project will have no impact on the existing play equipment in the park.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to call or write.

Dec.2 2009, from Amy Sutherland to Michael Schreiner

Thank you very much for this information.

Would you also be able to forward me the Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) Program in Ontario and Ontario REC Application Form that was filled out for RV Burgess?

Dec.2 2009, from: Michael Schreiner to Amy Sutherland

As I stated in my email the project funded through the Infrastructure Canada program this is not the RInC program, we did not apply for funding under the RInC program. The City Managers Office coordinated the Infrastructure Canada program submission, Parks Forestry and Recreation provided the following request to the City Manager's office:

R.V. Burgess Park - Splash Pad - $80,000 SOGR

The scope of work includes rehabilitation of the asphalt pool surface and walkway, control panels, local switching and electrical components.

Hope that helps.