COMMUNITY
SERVICES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
2004-11-15
Meeting
No. 7
Attendance
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J. Livey,
Chief Administrative Officer
J. Sales,
Commissioner of Community &
Fire Services
A. Taylor,
Commissioner of Corporate Services
D. McClean,
Fire Chief
P. Loukes,
Director, Operations & Asset
Management
S. Bertoia,
General Manager, Construction and
Utilities
J. Klaus,
General Manager, Waterworks
B. Roth,
Director, Recreation and Culture
Services
L. Wells,
Manager, Programs, Recreation and
Culture Services
M. Urquhart,
Acting Manager, Environmental
Leadership
B. Labelle,
Committee Clerk
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The Community Services and Environment Committee convened at the hour
of 1:00 p.m. with Councillor A. Chiu in the Chair.
DISCLOSURE
OF INTEREST
None disclosed.
1. INFRAGUIDE
(3.0) Report
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
Whereas
the Town of Markham currently spends approximately $25,000,000 on Capital and
Operating Budgets for the maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction of its
water, storm, wastewater and road system infrastructure and;
Whereas
the National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure (InfraGuide) gathers
and documents best practices that reflect proven approaches to build
sustainable infrastructure to Canadians in those areas and;
Whereas
the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has partnered with the National
Research Council of Canada to develop InfraGuide with support from Government
of Canada and;
Whereas
application of such best practices will assist communities across Canada to get
the maximum return on every dollar invested in infrastructure while being
mindful of the social and environmental implications of their decisions and;
Whereas
the Town of Markham strives to be a leader in ensuring the quality of life of
its citizens through appropriate short and long-term sustainable infrastructure
investment decisions;
Now
therefore be it resolved that the Town of Markham endorses the use of the
appropriate best practices developed by InfraGuide;
And
that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities share the motion with their
members and the Federal and Provincial Governments to encourage ongoing
commitment and support for InfraGuide;
And
further that this report be forwarded to the Region of York and all local
municipalities in York Region for their consideration and endorsement of the
InfraGuide.
CARRIED
2. FITNESS
CENTRE HOURS OF OPERATION AND AGE
REQUIREMENTS (6.6) Report 1 2
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That the
report entitled “Fitness Centre Hours of Operation and Age Requirements” be
received;
And that
Council approve the realignment of weekend Fitness operational hours from
8:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
And that
approval be granted to lower the membership age limit from 18 years to 16
years;
And further
that these changes be effective September 1, 2005, to coincide with the
completion of the Thornhill Community Centre expansion.
CARRIED
3. EARLY
BIRD CAMP REGISTRATION PRICE
DISCOUNT (6.0) Report
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That the
report entitled “Early Bird Camp Registration Price Discount” be received;
And that the early
bird camp registration price discount be reduced from 15% to 10% effective
January 2006.
CARRIED
4. BY-LAW TO CREATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM AND STATUS OF
COMPLIANCE WITH THE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT
(3.0) Report 1
Mr. Shayne
Mintz, Deputy Fire Chief, Markham, presented the Committee with a plan to
create
an Emergency
Management Program structured to comply with statutory requirements provided
for in the Emergency Management Act. He noted that a
public awareness campaign is in
development
and information has been posted to the Fire Services website, Town of Markham
website and in
the Economist and Sun. Mr. Mintz requested assistance from Town of Markham
staff to
complete outstanding program items. He compared the administrative organization
of
the proposal
to other municipalities which have deployed a similar program.
The
Committee commended Mr. Mintz and Fire Services on their work to date. Members
posed questions relating to the Town of Markham’s transmission of essential
messages in times of emergency, citing difficulties that occurred during the
summer, 2003 black out. Staff noted that they have been working to improve upon
the protocol that relates to this type of public communication. The Committee
requested a briefing session on how to engage the Emergency Management Plan to
be determined at a later date.
Moved by Deputy Mayor F. Scarpitti
Seconded by Regional Councillor J. Heath
That the Town adopts the proposed Emergency
Management Program as required by the Emergency Management Act., R.S.O. 1990,
c. E9.;
And that the Town adopt, as part of the
Emergency Management Program, the Emergency Plan which governs the provision of
necessary services and municipal responses during the emergency;
And that the Town adopts the proposed revised
By-law establishing an Emergency Management Program for the protection of
public safety, health, the environment, the critical infrastructure and
property to promote economic stability and a disaster-resilient community;
And that a Community Emergency Management
Coordinator Assistant, .25 (1/4 time) Full Time Employee (FTE) be considered in
the 2005 operating budget;
And that the previous By-law on this matter,
94-1999, be repealed.
CARRIED
5. TERMS
OF REFERENCE – ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT PLAN (5.7) Report
Ms. Mavis
Urquhart, Acting Manager, Environmental Leadership, outlined a report regarding
the terms of reference for an Environmental Management Plan. She noted that a
consultant will be retained to work with the Technical Advisory Committee and
provide an assessment of what is currently in place, to determine improvement
areas and to assist in future planning. Ms. Urquhart acknowledged that she is
planning to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) before the end of this year.
The Committee
suggested that the Environmental Issues Committee be used as a steering
Committee for the purpose of developing the Environmental Management Plan.
There was
discussion on current land that may be protected under the Greenbelt
initiative. The Committee suggested that a ‘green-print’ document used to
identify land that could be acquired to link existing areas would be valuable.
Members acknowledged that this suggestion would have to come forward as a
separate report.
Moved by
Deputy Mayor F. Scarpitti
Seconded by
Councillor E. Shapero
That Council
recognise the importance of establishing a Town-wide Environmental Management
Plan, and direct all Town departments to participate and contribute to this
important strategic corporate initiative. Participation of all departments will
be directed through the recently established staff technical advisory committee
comprising selected senior staff from various departments, coordinated and
chaired by the Manager of Environmental Leadership;
And that the
proposed Terms of Reference for hiring a consultant to prepare an Environmental
Management Plan study, attached as Appendix 1 to the original Council minutes
in the Clerk’s department, be endorsed;
And that the
Manager of Environmental Leadership, in conjunction with the staff technical
advisory committee, be authorized to: call for and receive proposals from
interested consultants; oversee the consultant selection process, including
conducting an interview of candidates;
And
that the Environmental Issues Committee be used as a steering committee for the
development of the Environmental Management Plan and that two (2) members from
the Enviornmental Issues Committee be involved with the interview committee.
CARRIED
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Other matters considered by the Community
Services & Environment Committee at its meeting held on November 15, 2004
6. UPDATE ON NEW PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL AND
SPORTS FACILITY - UNIONVILLE (3.0)
Ms.
Jane Ross, Co-ordinator
of Land Use Planning, York Region District School Board (YRDSB), and Mr. Bill
Crothers, Chair, YRDSB, presented an update and
illustrated architectural concepts for the new public high school and proposed
sports facility complex in Unionville. Mr. Crothers noted that the project is
divided into two (2) phases. Phase one (1) of the project relates to the
development of the high school, which is currently underway and planned to open
in September 2007, the second relates to the sports facility complex. The
concept for phase two (2) includes a fifty (50) meter pool and a two hundred
(200) meter track, designed to attract high performance athletes and act as a
facility for major athletic competition. He acknowledged that outside capital
is necessary for the development of phase two (2), and that the structure of
federal and provincial funding is presently inadequate to cover the cost of the
project. Mr. Crothers noted that the School Board is open to partnership
possibilities and have been looking into a number of subsidy options.
Ms.
Ross described the architectural details of the building, noting that they will
be working with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to determine
appropriate buffers and to determine whether walking trails could be structured
around the perimeter of the property. She noted that the School Board is
working with the Town of Markham through the site plan process to ensure
accessibility issues and other site related matters are addressed.
The
Committee conveyed enthusiasm for the project and made various suggestions on
the development of phase two (2). Ms. Ross noted that there was an advisory
committee established to recommend options available for the growth and
operation of the second phase. There was agreement that representatives from
Town of Markham would be appointed to this advisory committee.
The
Committee noted that phase two (2) could service users from York Region as well
as the Eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area, and recommended that the
Region be considered as a possible funding source.
Moved by
Regional Councillor B. O’Donnell
Seconded
by Councillor E. Shapero
That the
presentation by Ms. Jane Ross, Co-ordinator of Land Use Planning, York Region
District School Board (YRDSB), and Mr. Bill Crothers, Chair, YRDSB, providing an update on the new public high school and sports
facility in Unionville be received;
And that the advisory
committee established by the Public School Board in order to review options and
make recommendations regarding the development of phase two (2) appoint, at a
later date, Mayor D. Cousens, representatives from the Council of the Town of
Markham and members of Markham staff.
CARRIED
7. ONTARIO MUNICIPAL WATER ASSOCIATION
(OMWA)
AWARD TO JERRY KLAUS (5.3)
Mr.
Peter Loukes, Director, Operations & Asset Management recognized and
commended Mr. Jerry Klaus, General Manager, Waterworks, for receiving the
Ontario Municipal Water Association Award which is presented to individuals who
have shown exceptional merit with respect to the operations of a safe and
sustainable drinking water program.
Moved by
Councillor K. Usman
Seconded by
Councillor E. Shapero
That
the Ontario Municipal Water Association award presentation by Mr. P. Loukes,
Director, Operations & Asset Management, to Jerry Klaus, General Manager,
Waterworks be received.
CARRIED
8. MINUTES – MARKHAM RACE RELATIONS
COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 4, 2004 (16.10) Minutes
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That
the minutes of the Markham Race Relations Committee meeting held on October 4,
2004 be received.
CARRIED
9. MINUTES – ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON
ACCESSIBILITY
OCTOBER 20, 2004 (16.9) Minutes
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That
the minutes of the Advisory Committee on Accessibility meeting held on October
20, 2004 be received.
CARRIED
10. MINUTES – MARKHAM CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 28, 2004 (16.28) Minutes
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That the minutes of the Markham Conservation Committee meeting held on
October 28, 2004 be received.
CARRIED
11. MINUTES – FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY
ART GALLERY OF MARKHAM BOARD
OCTOBER 25, 2004 (6.12) Minutes
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That
the minutes of the Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery of Markham Board
meeting held on October 25, 2004 be received.
CARRIED
12. MARKHAM RECIEVES WASTE MINIMIZATION
AWARD FROM RECYCLING COUNCIL OF ONTARIO (5.1)
Report
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That the
report entitled “Markham Receives Waste Minimization Award from Recycling
Council of Ontario” be received.
CARRIED
13. FITNESS
CLASSES – 2003 CUSTOMER SERVICE
SURVEY RESULTS (6.4) Results
Moved
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded
by Councillor K. Usman
That the
report entitled “Fitness Classes – 2003 Customer Service Survey Results” be
received as information.
CARRIED
14. THIRD
WATER QUALITY QUARTERLY REPORT
FOR 2004 (5.3) Report
Moved by
Councillor S. Daurio
Seconded by
Regional Councillor B. O’Donnell
That
the Third Water Quality Quarterly Report (Attachments “A” and “B”) be received.
CARRIED
15. CIVIC CENTRE LAKE PERIMETER RAILINGS (12.4) Report
Mr. Peter
Loukes, Director, Operations & Asset Management, presented illustrations of
the railings currently in place around selected portions of the Civic Centre pond. The Committee posed various
questions relating to access and wild animal control. There was agreement that Markham staff and the
Committee would review structural alternatives before commencing with the
proposed installation.
Moved
by Deputy Mayor F. Scarpitti
Seconded
by Regional Councillor J. Heath
That the
information report titled “Civic Centre Lake Perimeter Railings” be received;
CARRIED
16. PROGRESS
REPORT ON 2004 WATERWORKS
OPERATIONAL REVIEW (5.3) Report
Mr. Peter
Loukes, Director, Operations & Asset Management, presented a progress
report on the 2004 waterworks operational review. He noted that the plan has
been implemented and that all but one staff position has been filled. Mr.
Loukes acknowledged that a report relating to funding allocation will be going
forward to the budget sub-committee by the end of November.
Moved by
Councillor S. Daurio
Seconded by
Regional Councillor B. O’Donnell
That the
report entitled “Progress Report on 2004 Waterworks Operational Review” be
received.
CARRIED
17. MARKHAM SKATEBOARD PARK (6.3)
There
was discussion as to whether the use of BMX bikes would be permitted at the
newly constructed Markham skateboard park located on the west side of
Centennial Community Centre. Staff acknowledged that the park had been
originally designed for the use of skateboards but provided some possible
arrangements for the use of BMX bikes. It was suggested that the bikes be permitted
during specific times, be allowed to continue through limited use, or that a
separate facility be built strictly for BMX bikes.
The
Committee posed questions regarding potential liability issues relating to park
usage. Staff acknowledged that a feasibility study had been done on the issue,
which supported the current structure of the facility as being the best
possible option.
The
Committee suggested that additional seating and improvements made to the
architectural design would benefit the park. Staff agreed and noted that a plan
to add more seating benches was currently underway and that the temporary fence
presently in place would be taken down in the spring.
There
was brief discussion on re-convening the skateboard advisory committee for the
purpose of enhancing the park. Staff noted that this committee has been
involved in the process to date and will continue to have input on the park’s
development.
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The meeting resolved in camera to discuss a
legal matter (2:30 p.m.)
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The Community Services and Environment
Committee re-convened at the hour of 2:45 p.m.
18. PROVINCIAL
GOVERNMENT RELEASES
“ONTARIO’S RURAL PLAN” (10.0)
Moved by Councillor E. Shapero
Seconded by Deputy Mayor F. Scarpitti
That the letter from the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario regarding the release of a provincial document
establishing a vision and strategy for Ontario’s rural communities be received;
And
that the letter be referred to staff and the Development Services Committee for
their consideration.
CARRIED
19. SCHOOL
BOARD FUNDING PROGRAM
ANNOUNCED BY MINISTRY OF
TOURISM (3.3)
Moved by Councillor K. Usman
Seconded by Councillor S. Daurio
That the letter from the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Municipal
Affairs and Housing regarding the release of a funding program designed to
lower permit costs for the use of school facilities in an attempt to provide
better access for community groups and non-for-profit organizations, be
receive;
And that staff report back on feasibility and provide suggestions as to
how the program could be communicated to stakeholders.
CARRIED
20. MILNE
PARK REPORT (6.3)
Moved by Regional Councillor J. Heath
Seconded by Councillor E. Shapero
That a report
by Christopher Chiu, Town of Markham, noting operational statistics and
providing an assessment of common issues and recommended solutions for Milne
Park be received;
And
that the report be referred to staff for their consideration and that they
report back to the Community Services and Environment Committee.
CARRIED
21. MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY CABLE
COMPANY PROVIDERS (5.10)
There was a brief discussion relating to the process that cable
companies must follow to obtain permission in order to perform maintenance
work. The Committee raised concerns about the safety of the construction being
done and whether there could be damage done to tree lines. Staff explained that
a permit is necessary, outlined the process and acknowledged that a safety
inspector would review the potential problem areas.
ADJOURNMENT
The Community Services and Environment
Committee meeting adjourned at the hour of
2:55 p.m.