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Hello you fine members of Harbord Village

The Board has been deliberating on two items that it will bring to the AGM for your approval On Tuesday Oct 21.

I apologize for the length of of this email.... but we are required by the constitution to do so for item #1 and by our desire to come to you, our constituents for approval of the kind of proposal that is contained in item #2.

Best Wishes

Rory 'Gus' Sinclair
Chair

1: The creation of a new board position called Communications Director
The way we communicate with you our members and with those outside the membership has changed dramatically since we were founded in 2000 -eg the Newsletter and the Website. Up to date we have assigned these tasks to various members of the Board but as the work is so much more complicated and time consuming, it is now time to have a full time position to deal with such matters alone

To create such a position we would propose a constitutional amendment as follows:

-Article 6 (a) shall be amended as follows: “There shall be five (5) officers of the Association: a Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Membership Secretary and a Communications Director. The officers shall be elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting for one-year terms and shall serve as members of the Board.”

-Article 6 (f) shall be added as follows: “The Communications Director shall, as directed by the Board, develop and implement the systems by which the HVRA Board communicates with its members and with the broader community, including the oversight, management, and production of the semi-annual Newsletter as well as the oversight and management of the website with the assistance of web experts as necessary."

2: Proposed HVRA Protocol for Patio Applications in Harbord Village

Patios in Harbord Village contribute to the ambiance of the Village. They can also be a source of concern to residents. The Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA) wants to ensure representation of residents’ interests in patios, as well as good communication among applicants, residents, City staff, and the ward councilor. HVRA thus proposes the process set out in the following paragraphs.

These are in essence three types of patio:
1. A patio on City property on a residential street (usually at the side of a corner business on a main road). For this, business operator must have a patio permit from the City and, if applicable, a licence for use of the patio from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). As well, such a patio must be supported by a majority of the neighbouring residents who respond to a poll conducted by the City.
2. A patio on City property on a main street (usually on the sidewalk in front of the business). The requirements are as for #1, without the need for a poll.
3. A patio on private commercial property (usually at the rear of the property). The licence from AGCO is required, if applicable, but not a patio permit from the City.

For an application in respect of any of these types of patio, particularly the first and the third, HVRA, if asked, can facilitate a public process designed to ensure that a proposed patio will not imperil residents’ quality of life. Elements of such a process might include the following:
1. Make available relevant information, e.g., about zoning requirements and ACGO’s requirements.
2. Help ensure that an applicant understands the kinds of concerns neighbours can have about patios and the desirability of distributing plans to nearby residents.
3. Convene one or more meetings at which an applicant and nearby residents can air concerns so there is a baseline of understanding among all parties.
Topics of a negotiated settlement could include: hours of operation, number of patrons, alterations of plans to mitigate noise, conditional licensing, onsite staffing arrangements, trial periods, and others.
HVRA will act impartially during such a process.
When an applicant refuses to participate in the process, HVRA will usually oppose the application.
When there is HVRA-facilitated negotiation without a settlement, particularly for the third type of patio, HVRA may itself conduct a poll of neighbours, using the City’s rules, and be guided by the results of the poll. [see below for how such a vote would be taken]
When a settlement is reached and the patio operator does not abide by its terms, HVRA will usually take whatever steps are required to secure enforcement of the settlement.

Notes on Conducting a Poll

-HVRA would follow the City Clerk's guidelines with respect to the number and location of people to be polled. i.e. use the City Clerk’s formula for distance from the establishment in question a house qualifies for a vote..[Note: We would use this because it is arbitrary, it is in force by the City for this kind of question and we do not have to decide the boundaries ourselves]
-The question would be posed with the consultation with and the agreement of both sides, but if there were a disagreement, the wording would be finally decided by the President of HVRA and the President of the local BIA. If there is no BIA, a respected member of the local business community could be consulted or the President of either the Bloor-Annex BIA or the Harbord BIA could be asked to participate
-The ballots would be distributed by people chosen by the BIA [or its substitute as above] and HVRA. Stamped self addressed envelopes would be supplied with each ballot as in a City Poll
-The ballots would be counted publicly by representatives of both the BIA [or its substitute as above] and HVRA

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