London Civic Works Committee speaks up: over to City Council next Tuesday

Recommendation from Civic Works Committee (March 3, 2015) going to full City Council on March 10, 2015.....

WHEREAS Canada Post has announced the discontinuation of door-to-door mail delivery services in select areas in the City of London in favour of transitioning to community mailboxes and has started this transition in other municipalities;

AND WHEREAS all existing community mailboxes in the City of London were planned and integrated into communities while new proposed community mailboxes were not planned for and will be difficult to situate in many neighbourhoods;

AND WHEREAS the transition to community mailboxes will be especially hard on seniors and people living with mobility and health challenges and could undermine their ability to live independently;

AND WHEREAS the transition to community mailbox delivery will have a negative impact on existing communities requiring increased maintenance for litter pick up, snow and ice control, graffiti cleaning, vandalism repair and potentially cause parking and traffic issues resulting in higher costs for the municipality;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: 

The following actions be taken prior to Canada Post making efforts to replace the door-to-door mail delivery service with community mailboxes (CMB) within the City of London:

a)         Canada Post BE REQUESTED to conduct public engagement sessions with impacted communities for all concerned residents by engaging community associations, where present, to host sessions, and by hosting their own sessions where no community association is present;

b)         Local Members of Parliament BE REQUESTED to attend the public engagement sessions;

c)         Canada Post BE ADVISED that the City of London will not endorse Canada Post’s actions prior to the public engagement process being satisfactorily completed;

d)         the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to negotiate a legal agreement with Canada Post Corporation that defines obligations with respect to community mailboxes located in the City of London’s right-of-ways which would include placement of refuse bins at CMB locations, weekly refuse pick up, as well as compliance with the AODA;

e)         the Mayor BE REQUESTED to send a letter to Deepak Chopra, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Post, to inform Canada Post that the City of London supports the existing delivery system and wishes to retain this valuable service for our community; and,

f)         the staff reported dated March 3, 2015 regarding Canada Post’s Community Mailbox Program BE RECEIVED for information.

Moved by Councillor Virginia Ridley, seconded by Councillor Tanya Park, and supported by Councillor Michael Van Holst. This motion passed 3-1 (Councillor Harold Usher opposed it). 

PLEASE contact Mayor Matt Brown and your City Councillor (others if possible) to let them know you support this motion and you expect them to as well. Councillor contact info can be found here: http://www.london.ca/city-hall/city-council/Documents/Council-Contact-List.pdf

Ask your neighbours, co-workers, friends and other London area contacts to do the same!