Budget Committee Minutes

Meeting #:	No. 5
Date:	Friday, November 01, 2019 at 9:00 A.m. - 12:00 P.m.
Location:	Council Chamber

Members

• Councillor Amanda Collucci, Chair
• Councillor Andrew Keyes, Vice-Chair
• Mayor Frank Scarpitti (ex-officio)
• Deputy Mayor Don Hamilton
• Councillor Keith Irish
• Councillor Reid McAlpine
• Councillor Karen Rea

Regrets

• Councillor Khalid Usman

Roll Call

• Regional Councillor Jim Jones
• Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer
• Trinela Cane, Commissioner, Corporate Services
• Brenda Librecz, Commissioner of Community & Fire Services
• Arvin Prasad, Commissioner Development Services
• Claudia Storto, City Solicitor and Director of Human Resources
• Joel Lustig, Treasurer
• Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff
• Matthew Vetere, Manager, Budgeting
• Kimberley Kitteringham, City Clerk
• Dave Decker, Fire Chief
• Mary Creighton, Director of Recreation Services
• Graham Seaman, Director, Sustainability & Asset Management
• Morgan Jones, Director, Operations
• Laura Gold, Council and Committee Coordinator

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

The Budget Committee convened at 9:05 AM with Councillor Amanda Collucci in the Chair. 

2.

DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST

None.

3.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

• Moved by Councillor Andrew Keyes
  Seconded by Councillor Reid McAlpine

  That the Minutes from the October 29, 2019 Budget Committee be approved as presented.

  Carried

4.

BUDGET PRESENTATION

4.1

Asset Management Capital Budget Items

4.1       Asset Management Capital Budget Items

Graham Seaman, Director of Sustainability & Asset Management was in attendance to address the 2020 Asset Management Capital Budget Items.

Staff provided the following responses to the Committee’s inquiries regarding the Asset Management Capital Budget Items:

20065 – 8100 Warden Facility Repairs and/or Replacement Projects

An engineering study is required to replace the elevator, which lengthens the replacement time.

20066 –Accessibility Retrofits Program

This Capital Budget items is for the accessibility retrofitting of Morgan Pool and the Milliken Mills Community Centre change rooms. The accessibility retrofits will be done as part of the renovations to these facilities.

20067- Building Condition Audit – Full Time Staff

The Senior Facility Engineering position being recovered through this project is an existing position not a new 2020 request.

20069 – Civic Centre Repair/and or Replacement Project

A Committee Member noted that the Canada 150 banners are still hanging on the streetlight poles located in the Civic Centre parking lot.

20076 – Operations Facility Repairs/ and or Replacement Projects

It was clarified that the work being undertaken on the Berzy Park Maintenance Building is regular maintenance work.

20080 – PVC Salt Dome Demolition

Staff requested that the PVC Salt Dome Capital Budget Item be pre-approved, as the salt dome was deemed unusable for use this winter by the Engineering inspector.

The time sensitivity of the project and the complicated nature of the demolition make the project more expensive.

20081 – Recycling Depots Repair/and or Replacement Projects

Staff agreed to investigate the possibility of putting a cedar roof on the Unionville Recycling Depot in 2021, so that it blends in with the character of the area.

20083 – Roofing Replacement Projects

Staff agreed to investigate the process used for installing the cedar shingles to ensure the shingles are lasting their full lifecycle.

20084 – Satellite Community Centres Repairs/and or Replacement

Staff agreed to look into the possibility of bringing forward a 2021 budget request for the replacement of the cabinets at the Markham Village Train Station Community Centre. If the cabinets are replaced with a higher quality cabinet, the Community Centre Board will be responsible for the additional cost.

• Moved by Deputy Mayor Don Hamilton
  Seconded by Councillor Keith Irish

  That the Capital Budget Asset Management Items be approved; and,

  That Capital Budget Item 20080 be brought forward to Council for pre-approval.

  Carried

4.2

Legislative Services, Corporate Communication & Community Engagement Capital Budget Items

Kimberley Kitteringham, Director of Legislative Services, Corporate Communications & Community Engagement was in attendance to provide the 2020 Legislative Services, Corporate Communications & Community Engagement Budget Presentation.

Staff provided the following responses to Committee inquiries regarding the 2020 Legislative Services, Corporate Communications & Community Engagement  Budget Presentation:

Spoken Languages

The City provides communications in alternate languages with the number of languages offered remaining consistent over the last decade.

Freedom of Information Request

Freedom of Information requests on average take 30 days to complete. Some requests take longer due to the volume of records being requested, the records containing third party information, and/or the records require redactions.

Councillors will be advised when their records have been requested. Councillor constituent records are not subject to the legislation.

Escribe

Staff will be working on adding all of the City’s Advisory Committees to Escribe in 2020.

Cat Adoption and Education Centre

Staff advised that the City does not calculate the cost per cat to run the Cat Adoption and Education Centre.

A Committee Member suggested calculating this information in the future.

Parking

The Planning & Urban Design Department will be working on establishing a Parking Strategy in cooperation with the Legislative Services Business Unit, and the Operations Department. Development trends, policy, and enforcement will need to be considered when developing the strategy. The work will be completed based on Council’s direction with respect to the prioritization of its strategic objectives.

To improve the parking dispute resolution process, the City will be purchasing e-ticketing software which will assist with scheduling of parking hearings.

Cemeteries

The Legislative Services Department works with the Operations Department to maintain the City’s cemeteries.

By-Law Enforcement

By-Law enforcement is typically complaint driven, as a By-Law Enforcement Officer must witness an offence to issue a ticket or violation.

Staff are investigating the possibility of adding extended driveway violations to the Automated Monetary Penalties (AMPs) program to improve the processing of these types of offences.

City’s Draft New Strategic Plan

An update on the status of City's draft new strategic plan was provided. A Council workshop on the draft new strategic plan is being scheduled, and the final report on the City’s new strategic plan is anticipated to be brought forward to the General Committee in early 2020.

Members of Council requested that meeting requests be sent out for the upcoming Council workshop on the City’s draft new strategic plan.

4.3

Human Resources & Legal Services 2020 Capital Budget Director's Presentation 

Claudia Storto, City Solicitor & Director of Human Resources presented both the Human Resources and Legal Services Capital Budget presentations.

Staff provided the following response to a Committee inquiry regarding the 2020 Human Resources Budget Presentation:

Wages

In certain professional areas there is pressure to increase wages due to competitors paying higher salaries. In 2020, the City will be undertaking a competitive analysis of the City's comprehensive compensation package, which includes salaries, benefits, workplace flexibility, and other employee perks.

Wage increases typically occur through negotiations with City’s two Unions. A similar wage increase is then provided to non-union staff.

4.4

Fire & Emergency Services 2020 Budget Presentation

Dave Decker, Fire Chief provided the 2020 Fire & Emergency Services Budget Presentation.

Staff provided the following responses to Committee inquiries regarding the 2020 Fire & Emergency Services Budget Presentation:

Inspections of Illegal Second Suites

Fire Inspectors only have the authority to investigate a valid second suite complaint without an appointment. Typically an appointment is scheduled to inspect the dwelling, if access is denied the City is required to go through a legal process to inspect the unit.

Employee Retention

The majority of firefighters hired by the City are retained for the long term. A small percentage of the firefighters recently recruited are from Markham.

Fire Preparedness

The City is well prepared to handle a fire in a modern high-rise building. The Ontario Building Code ensures that high-rise building are built to prevent the spreading of a fire. Most high-rises in Markham also have a firefighter elevator that can be used by the Firefighters during a fire. The City also provides education on fire prevention.

A Committee Member suggested that a rescue plan may need to be created for the Royal Orchard Subway Station (if approved by the Province), as it will be the deepest station if built.

Meeting with Richmond Hill and Vaughan Fire Chiefs

A meeting will be held on Nov 6, 2019 with Richmond Hill, and Vaughan Fire Chiefs. The Terms of Reference for the joint meeting was agreed upon by all three Fire Chiefs. The purpose of the meeting is to communicate and collaborate.

Large Fires in Markham

There were 35 large fires investigated that required additional investigative supports in Markham in 2019 to date.  All fires are investigated for origin and cause.

Markham Centre Fire Station

Staff will be investigating all options for a Markham Centre Fire Station.

Fire & Emergency Services Capital Budget Items

Staff provided the following response to the Fire & Emergency Services Capital Budget Item:

20086 – Air Cylinders 45 + Minutes Replacement every 15 Years as Required by Legislation.

Capital Budget items are sometimes grouped together so that the component chart is under one budget item. This simplifies the purchasing process for the item.

• Moved by Councillor Andrew Keyes
  Seconded by Councillor Keith Irish

  That the Budget Committee approve the Fire & Emergency Services Capital Budget Items.

  Carried

5.

NEW BUSINESS

None.

6.

NEXT MEETING DATE

Based on the progress made at today’s Budget Committee meeting, Committee agreed to cancel the Thursday, November 7 Budget Committee Meeting. The Committee will decide on Tuesday if the Wednesday, November 6 Budget Committee Meeting is required.

7.

ADJOURNMENT

• Moved by Councillor Karen Rea
  Seconded by Councillor Andrew Keyes

  That the Budget Committee adjourn at 11:49 AM.

  Carried