like Montrealers, Londoners expect more from our city council (updated! with full Montreal report)

Dear Mayor and councillors,

On 18 February 2015 at 18:33, City of London, Mayor <mayor@london.ca> wrote:

On behalf of Mayor Brown, thank you for your email. 

Thank you to all those who took the time to have your staff send me copies of the motion passed at the last City Council meeting. Could we perhaps take this discussion a bit further than form letters now? I would like to bring to your attention some recommendations which were recently approved unanimously by the public commission of Montreal's city council, and which now be forwarded to the full council for action:

Following the public commission on the impacts of the elimination of home delivery, the City of Montreal, through the public commission, filed a document* yesterday with the recommendations it will put forward regarding Canada Post's Five Point plan: 

1-      That the city consider all possible remedies to stop the implementation of community mail boxes;

2-      That the city refuse the implementation of the Five Points Plan of Canada Post and urges the Crown corporation to maintain home delivery in urban areas;

3-      That the City file a motion to intervene in federal court in connection with the appeal launched by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers;

4-      That the city demand of Canada Post:

a.       A study on the assessment of the economic consequences of the loss of direct and indirect employment of its employees;

b.      A study on the risks of real estate value loss for property owners located near the locations of community mail boxes;

5-      That the city argue to the federal government and to Canada Post the financial and operational implications which are foreseen and predictable in their jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks, including urban planning, management of the public domain, security and universal accessibility;

6-      That the city argue to the federal government and to Canada Post the failures in the implementation of community mail boxes, including non-compliance with guidelines, guides and standards on which the Five Points Plan in five is based.

These recommendations were adopted unanimously by the members of the Public Committee.

In the London context, the issues raised in these recommendations concern a number of municipal committees that go well beyond the scope of the Civic Works Committee. 

Londoners have a right to expect more from our city council, just as Montrealers do. The Big CIty Mayors caucus' resolution which you supported calls for meaningful consultations: when are we going to start seeing some in London?

Sincerely and persistently,

on behalf of Londoners for Door to Door

News links:

Montreal says no to community mailboxes (City TV, February 18, 2015).

These recommendations were the result of public consultations run by the city of Montreal:

Public hearings for door-to-door mail service (City TV, January 21, 2015).

*UPDATE: full report (Impacts sur la population montréalaise de la décisions de Postes Canada d'éliminer la livraison du courrier à domicile en milieu urbain: Rapport et recommandations. 44 pages, PDF), submitted to Montréal city council on February 23, 2015.