Special General Committee Minutes

Meeting #:	Meeting Number: 8
Date:	Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 9:00 A.m. - 12:00 P.m.
Location:	Heintzman House

Roll Call

• Mayor Frank Scarpitti
• Deputy Mayor Don Hamilton
• Regional Councillor Jack Heath
• Regional Councillor Joe Li
• Regional Councillor Jim Jones
• Councillor Keith Irish
• Councillor Alan Ho
• Councillor Reid McAlpine
• Councillor Karen Rea
• Councillor Andrew Keyes
• Councillor Amanda Collucci
• Councillor Isa Lee

Regrets

• Councillor Khalid Usman
• eSCRIBE Admin

Staff

• Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer
• Trinela Cane, Commissioner, Corporate Services
• Arvin Prasad, Commissioner Development Services
• Catherine Conrad, City Solicitor and Acting Director of Human Resources
• Joel Lustig, Treasurer
• Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff
• Kimberley Kitteringham, City Clerk
• Nasir Kenea, Chief Information Officer
• Dave Decker, Fire Chief
• Mary Creighton, Director of Recreation Services
• Brian Lee, Director, Engineering
• Morgan Jones, Director, Operations
• Josh Machesney, Elections & Committee Coordinator
• Fred Rich, Manager, Strategy & Insurance Risk Management
• Catherine Biss, CEO, Markham Public Library
• Meg West, Manager, Business Planning & Projects
• Mark Visser, Senior Manager, Strategy, Innovation & Investments
• Eddy Wu, Acting Director, Environmental Services
• Chris Bird, Director, Building Standards
• Andrea Berry, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications & Community Engagement
• Mona Nazif, Senior Manager, HR Client Services
• Stefanie Navascues, Deputy City Solicitor
• Graham Seaman, Director, Sustainability & Asset Management
• Ronald Blake, Senior Manager, Development
• John Yeh, Manager, Policy & Research
• Sara Tam, Manager, Business Planning & Innovation
• Margaret Wouters, Senior Manager, Policy & Research

​​Note: This meeting will not be Audio Streamed.

Alternate formats for this document are available upon request.​

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

​The Special General Committee meeting Council Strategy Session 1 convened at 9:00 AM with Regional Councillor Jack Heath in the Chair.

General Committee recessed at 9:25 AM and reconvened at 9:30 AM.

2.

DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST

None disclosed.

 

3.

EDUCATION & TRAINING SESSION

3.1

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS OVERVIEW (16.23)

Andy Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer, provided opening remarks and introduced the members of the Strategy Planning Committee. Mr. Taylor provided a background on Markham's Strategic Plan, "Building Markham's Future Together".

Mr. Taylor discussed the following with respect to the strategic planning process:

• Strategy process/framework; and,
• Timeline overview and work plan.

3.2

GUEST SPEAKERS (16.23)

3.2.1

THE HONOURABLE JOHN BAIRD, P.C., SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR, LLP

Councillor Andrew Keyes introduced the Honourable John Baird, P.C., Senior Business Advisor, LLP.

Mr. Baird discussed the current state of governance in Canada and the Province of Ontario, and how Markham can manage and leverage its relationships with the Provincial and Federal governments.

3.2.2

TARA CRAIGEN, ENGINEERING GROUP LEADERS FOR ADAS LETERAL CONTROLS, GM

Councillor Keith Irish introduced Tara Craigen, ADAS Engineering Group Leader.

Ms. Craigen delivered a PowerPoint presentation about the initiatives that her team is leading at the General Motors (GM) Markham CTC facility. She outlined GM's vision:

• Zero Emissions
• Zero Crashes
• Zero Congestion

Ms. Craigen highlighted the need for governments to adapt and innovate in a time of constant change and disruption.

3.2.3

MELISSA CHEE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ventureLAB

Councillor Reid McAlpine introduced Melissa Chee, President and CEO of ventureLAB.

Ms. Chee delivered a PowerPoint presentation regarding ventureLAB's role in growing globally competitive tech firms that build-to-scale in Canada. She explained that ventureLAB's purpose is to establish the region as a destination of choice for technology firms to create globally competitive companies, build and scale in Canada, and spoke about ventureLAB's success in helping to develop Ontario's Tech Corridor.

Ms. Chee spoke about the significance of Enterprise Drive in Markham Centre to the establishment of tech firms and broader local economic development in Markham.

4.

ADJOURNMENT

​Mayor Frank Scarpitti provided closing remarks and thanked the guest speakers for their time and for coming to speak to Staff and Members of General Committee.

The Special General Committee meeting adjourned at 12:16 PM.

• Moved By Councillor Karen Rea
  Seconded By Regional Councillor Joe Li

  1. That the April 16, 2019 Special General Committee be adjourned.

  Carried