PUBLIC – Minutes of the Gatineau City Council committee of the whole meeting held in the committee room of the Maison du citoyen, 25 Laurier Street, Gatineau, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 10 a.m., at which the following were present, Ms.

Recommendation

CP-SPAI-2025-01

Recommend that the municipal council adopt the Politique de bonification des trottoirs et des passages piétonniers en milieu bâti (PO-054).

A question and comment period took place.

Councillor Catherine Craig-St-Louis mentioned that the intention is to do more. She addressed two requests for clarification. Regarding the first, on page 13, she wishes to confirm that this policy confirms that certain sidewalks will be added without waiting for complete street reconstructions. Regarding the second, in the conclusion, she wishes to know how the maps will be communicated.

For the first part, in the interest of sound management, Mr. Luc St-Arnaud mentioned that the goal is to align the work. However, the objective of the policy is to allow for the addition of sidewalks as standalone projects. Regarding the second question, there are justification criteria and a prioritization process that will lead to a master plan. Following the adoption of the policy, a final review will be conducted to properly apply the criteria; the document will be revised every three years and will therefore be available in the coming months.

Councillor Edmond Leclerc mentioned that citizens of former municipalities often ask what the pooling of resources is for, and he explained that this project demonstrates it. The goal is to establish criteria, as a large city, to allow for the prioritization of certain projects. On page 19, Mr. Leclerc drew the members' attention to a missing criterion, which is technical feasibility or complexity. This means that less urban sectors could be considered. Decision-making will be objective, based on established priorities, which are well explained in the policy and will help increase pedestrian safety.

Councillor Anik Des Marais asked if measures will be put in place to allow for better stormwater management. Mr. St-Arnaud mentioned that the policy does not provide for engineering elements, but that it will allow for different management.

Councillor Mario Aubé asked if a schedule has been established to complete the missing sidewalks. He also asked if the 2025 costs are known and what they will be used for. Among the criteria on page 19, Mr. Aubé asked how the criterion for submitted requests (importance vs. volume) will be evaluated. He also asked if an additional budget will be provided for the maintenance of these sidewalks.

Regarding the duration, Mr. St-Arnaud mentioned that 10 years had been planned in the 2023 budget study. A forthcoming cost review will allow for the adjustment of 2025 costs. Mr. St-Arnaud provided additional explanations regarding the costs included in the projects. For citizen requests, the desire is to gauge public sentiment while preventing mobilization from allowing one project to jump ahead of another. Regarding winter maintenance, the policy does not allocate funds for this purpose, which may eventually be identified.

The recommendation will be presented at the next municipal council meeting.

Public plenary committee adjourned at 11:35 a.m.