GENERAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
October 3, 2011, 9:00-2:30 p.m
Canada Room
Finance & Administrative Issues Community
Services Issues
Chair: Mayor Frank Scarpitti Chair: Councillor Alex Chiu
Vice Chair: Councillor
Carolina Moretti Vice
Chair: Councillor Howard Shore
Environment
& Sustainability Issues Building,
Parks, & Construction Issues
Chair: Councillor Valerie Burke Chair: Councillor Logan Kanapathi
Vice Chair: Regional Councillor Joe Li Vice
Chair: Councillor Colin Campbell
Alternate formats are
available upon request.
Attendance
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Mayor Frank Scarpitti
Deputy Mayor Jack Heath
Regional Councillor Jim Jones
Regional Councillor Gord Landon
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Councillor Valerie Burke
Councillor. Howard Shore
Councillor Don Hamilton
Councillor Carolina Moretti
Councillor Colin Campbell
Councillor Alan Ho
Councillor Logan Kanapathi
Councillor Alex Chiu
|
Andy Taylor, Chief
Administrative Officer
Catherine Conrad, Town
Solicitor
Brenda Librecz, Commissioner of
Community & Fire Services
Peter Loukes, Director, Environmental
Services
Joel Lustig, Treasurer
John Ryerson, Director Culture
Andrea Tang, Manager, Financial Planning
Eric Lariviere, Manager Markham Theatre
Alida Tari, Council/Committee
Coordinator
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The General Committee convened at
9:04 AM with Mayor Frank Scarpitti in the Chair; Councillor Alex Chiu Chaired
Community Services related items; and Councillor Valerie Burke Chaired
Environment and Sustainability related items.
DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST
None disclosed.
Jessica Bell Taliana
Background Documents
Petition
& Municipal Supporters
Letter
from The Hon.Julian Fantino P.C., M.P.
Supporting
information
Ms. Jessica
Bell Taliana delivered a PowerPoint regarding Lyme Disease. She is requesting that Markham Council
endorse her petition.
The Committee
discussed the importance of proper diagnosis for Lyme Disease at the General Practitioner
level.
The Committee thanked Ms. Taliana for her
presentation.
Moved by Councillor Don Hamilton
Seconded by Councillor Carolina Moretti
1) That
the presentation by Ms. Jessica Bell Taliana entitled “Lyme Disease Petition”
be received; and,
2) WHEREAS,
the tick-borne illness known as Chronic Lyme Disease, which mimics many
catastrophic illnesses, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Chohn's, Alzheimer's,
arthritic diabetes, depression, Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia is
increasingly endemic in Canada, but the scientifically validated diagnostic
tests and treatment choices are currently not available in Ontario, forcing
patients to seek these in the United States of America and Europe; and,
3) WHEREAS,
the Canadian Medical Association informed
the public, governments, and the medical profession in May 30, 2000 edition of
their professional journal that Lyme Disease is endemic
throughout Canada, particularly in Southern Ontario; and,
4) WHEREAS,
the Ontario Public Health system and the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
currently do not fund those specific tests that accurately serve the process
for establishing a clinical diagnosis, but only recognize testing procedures
known in the medical literature to provide false negatives 45 to 95% of the
time; and further,
5) THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Markham request the Minister of Health to
direct the Ontario Public Health system and OHIP to include all currently
available and scientifically verified tests for Acute and Chronic Lyme
diagnosis, to do everything necessary to create public awareness of Lyme
Disease in Ontario, and to have internationally developed diagnostic and
successful treatment protocols available to patients and physicians.
CARRIED
Moved
by Deputy Mayor Jack Heath
Seconded
by Regional Councillor Gord Landon
1) That the Council of the Town of Markham
requests York Region's Community & Health Services
Committee hear the presentation regarding Lyme Disease as soon as possible; and,
2) That York Region prepare a response to
the concerns regarding Lyme Disease and report back
to York Region Council and York Region local municipalities on the results of their staff findings.
CARRIED
2. PROPOSED 2012 WATER & WASTEWATER
RATE (7.0)
Presentation
Ms.
Andrea Tang, Manager, Financial Planning delivered a PowerPoint presentation
regarding the Proposed 2012 Water & Wastewater rate.
The
Committee discussed the following:
·
Rates for Peel
Region seem lower than York Region rates
·
Importance of
maintaining the required infrastructure on a yearly basis
·
The need for
reserves for future repairs to the infrastructure
·
York Region water
rate is a fixed cost
·
Ensure that the
public presentation includes a slide on the reserves
·
Provide Members
of Council with the reserve information
·
Have York Region
come to a future General Committee meeting to make a presentation outlining the need for a 10% increase per year
·
Highlight work
that has been done to the infrastructure and what is required in the next 3 to
5 years in the future Workshop
Moved
by Councillor Alan Ho
Seconded
by Councillor Valerie Burke
1) That the presentation by Ms. Andrea
Tang, Manager, Financial Planning
entitled “Proposed 2012 Water &
Wastewater Rate” be received.
CARRIED
3. MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 26, 2011
GENERAL COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by Councillor Alex Chiu
Seconded by Councillor Colin Campbell
1)
That the Minutes
of the September 26, 2011, General Committee be confirmed.
CARRIED
Minutes
Moved by Councillor Alex Chiu
Seconded by Councillor Colin Campbell
1) That
the Minutes of the June 16, 2011 Cycling & Pedestrian Advisory Committee be
received for information purposes.
CARRIED
5. PROPOSED 2012 WATER/WASTEWATER
RATE INCREASE (7.0)
Report
Moved
by Councillor Alex Chiu
Seconded
by Councillor Colin Campbell
1) That
the report dated October 3, 2011 entitled “Proposed 2012 Water/Wastewater Rate
Increase” be received; and,
2) That staff be authorized to hold a
public meeting on October 25, 2011 at 6:30p.m. on the proposed 2012
Water/Wastewater rate increase; and,
3) That the 2012 Town of Markham’s (“Town”) Water/Wastewater rate
increase be equivalent to the Region of York’s (“Region”) monetary increase of
$0.1487 per cubic metre (m3) based on Region’s approved increase of
10%; and,
4) That in addition to the Region’s increase, the 2012
Water/Wastewater rate increase includes a surcharge of $0.0626/m3; and,
5) That effective April 1, 2012, the 2012 Water/Wastewater rate
will be $2.6277/m3, an increase of $0.2113/m3; and
further,
6) That Staff be authorized and directed to do things necessary
to give effect to this resolution.
CARRIED
Presentation
Mr.
Peter Loukes, Director, Environmental Services delivered a PowerPoint
presentation regarding Watermain Dead End Improvement Program.
There
was brief discussion regarding potential reutilization of flushed water.
Moved
by Councillor Alan Ho
Seconded
by Councillor Howard Shore
1) That
the presentation by Mr. Peter Loukes, Director, Environmental Services entitled
“Watermain Dead End Improvement Program” be received.
CARRIED
Report Attachments
A-C
Mr. Eric Lariviere, Manager Markham
Theatre addressed the Committee and summarized the key outcomes of the proposed
policy.
The Committee discussed and suggested the following:
·
Need to reach the Chinese community
·
Is the amount of the endowment fund appropriate
·
Provide some examples of the types of endeavours that the Theatre
Endowment reserve fund would support (add to Appendix A)
Moved
by Regional Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded
by Councillor Colin Campbell
1) That the report titled Theatre
Endowment Terms of Reference be received; and,
2) That
the document entitled “Theatre Endowment – Terms of Reference” as outlined in
Appendix A, as amended at the October 3, 2011 General
Committee meeting be approved; and,
3) That the Theatre Endowment comprises of the Theatre
Endowment Reserve Fund and Capital Improvement
Reserve Fund; and,
4) That the funds in the Capital Improvement
Reserve Fund be utilized for funding of new capital projects other
than those projects funded either from Life Cycle Replacement and Capital
Reserve; and,
5) That the Theatre Endowment Reserve
Fund and the Capital Improvement
Reserve Fund receive equal share of the allocated $1.00 ticket
handling fee (currently at $1.00 out of a $3.50 handling fee); and,
6) That the Theatre Endowment Reserve
Fund and the Capital Improvement
Reserve Fund receive equally the proportionate increase in allocated
ticket handling fee for any future increase to fees; and,
7) That an amount of $25,000 be transferred from the Theatre Endowment Reserve Fund to the Theatre operating
account annually for a period of four years (2012-2015), to fund special
initiatives (as per terms of Reference); and,
8) That a report be provided to Council on the usage of the
funds annually; and further,
9) That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things
necessary to give effect to this resolution.
CARRIED
Presentation
Ms.
Claudia Marsales, Senior Manager, Waste and Environmental Management delivered
a PowerPoint presentation providing an update regarding Polystrene
Densification Program.
The
Committee briefly discussed the unit cost for processing polystyrene materials.
Moved
by Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded
by Councillor Colin Campbell
1) That
the presentation by Ms. Claudia Marsales, Senior Manager, Waste and
Environmental Management entitled “Polystrene Densification Program Update”
be
received.
CARRIED
NEW
BUSINESS
9. TELEPHONE
AND INTERNET SERVICE LOSS
IN UNIONVILLE (9.0)
Councillor Don
Hamilton advised the Committee that there was a loss of telephone and internet
service last week in Unionville and wanted to thank Mayor Frank Scarpitti and
Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer for their assistance in getting the
problem resolved. He would like to
ensure that Bell Canada has an improved response time for these situations.
Moved by Councillor
Don Hamilton
Seconded by
Councillor Carolina Moretti
That the Chief
Administrative Officer arrange a meeting with the Mayor, Councillor Don
Hamilton and representatives from Bell Canada to discuss the protocol used when
there is loss of telephone and internet service.
CARRIED
10. IN-CAMERA MATTERS (16.0)
Moved
by Regional Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded
by Councillor Don Hamilton
That,
in accordance with Section 239 (2) (a) of the Municipal
Act, General Committee resolve into an in-camera session to
discuss the following confidential matters (11:49 AM):
1) The security of the property of the municipality or local
board.
CARRIED
Moved
by Councillor Alan Ho
Seconded
by Councillor Don Hamilton
That the Committee rise from the in-camera
session (12:02 PM).
CARRIED
ADJOURNMENT
That the General
Committee meeting adjourn at 12:07 PM.