GENERAL
COMMITTEE
Finance
& Administrative Issues Community
Services Issues
Chair: Councillor
J. Virgilio Chair:
Councillor
A. Chiu
Chair,
Budget Sub-Ctte: Councillor D.
Horchik Environment & Sustainability Issues
Chair:
IT Sub-Ctte: Reg. Councillor
J. Jones Chair: Councillor
E. Shapero
Chair: Grants Sub-Ctte: Councillor V. Burke
Attendance
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J. Livey, Chief Administrative Officer
M. VanBerkum, Assistant
Town Solicitor
A. Taylor, Commissioner of Corporate Services
J. Baird, Commissioner of Development Services
P. Loukes, Commission Lead, Operations and Waterworks
A. Seabrooke, Commission Lead, Library Services, Fire Services and, Recreation and
Culture
S. Birrell, Town Clerk
B. Cribbett, Treasurer
J. Lustig, Director of Financial and Client Services
S. Andrews, Director, Asset Management
B. Roth, Director, Recreation Services
G. Taylor, Manager, Community Centre Operations
C. Raynor, Committee Clerk
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The General Committee convened at the hour of 9:00 a.m. with Councillor A. Chiu in the Chair.
Councillor J. Virgilio assumed the Chair for discussion of Finance and
Administrative Items 4-9.
DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST
None disclosed
1. EAST
MARKHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE ARCHITECTS (6.6)
Committee was
presented with an overview of the public consultation process relative to the
East Markham Community Centre to date and highlights of some of the received
feedback. Additionally, there was an overview of the different program elements
in the Centre and a comparison between those and similar programming space in
the Angus Glen and Centennial Community Centres. It was noted that there will
be a special needs room and a multi-use space that will provide facilities for
rehearsal and storage. Committee suggested the architects meet with the Markham
Arts Council to ensure the space provisions are sufficient.
The size of the
gymnasium was discussed. Staff advised that a proposed third gymnasium was
eliminated in favour of an oversized double gymnasium.
There was discussion of the design elements and the
height of the building. It was noted that the grade of the land drops one
storey in height and that the building is likely to be two and three storeys in
height. It was stated that more detailed design will be undertaken in the
future.
There was brief discussion surrounding the size of
the library facility and Committee noted that residents have expressed interest
in a larger library. There was also discussion about the proposed underground
parking and the associated cost. Alternative power generation facilities such
as solar panels were discussed. It was suggested that companies such as Markham
District Energy may be interested in paying a portion of construction costs in
return for space to install solar panels.
Other energy savings measures were discussed.
Committee suggested that LEED Gold certification be pursued so the Town can be
seen as a role model for other developers to follow. The architects advised
that a sustainability scorecard will be developed and continuously updated
throughout the construction process.
Committee viewed the proposed site plan and
discussed ways to maximize the synergies between the Community Centre and the
Hospital. There was brief discussion surrounding the size of the wellness
courtyard and whether the space might better be used for additional parking. It
was also suggested that the public plaza needs to better integrate into the
site.
Other issues that were briefly discussed included an
indoor walkway to link the two facilities, the location of the helipad, and the
programming at the Hospital. Committee requested that further public
consultation take place with the entire site plan made available.
Mr. P. Ottensmeyer, on behalf of various amateur
artistic groups, including the Markham Concert Band, Unionville Theatre Company
and Village Voices, expressed thanks for the inclusion of a multi-use room
providing rehearsal space and storage in the facility.
Moved by Mayor F. Scarpitti
Seconded by Deputy Mayor J. Heath
That the presentation by the architects for the East
Markham Community Centre and Markham Stouffville Hospital regarding the East
Markham Community Centre be received.
CARRIED
2. 2008
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AWARENESS WEEK (13.12)
Ms. S. Dobson of
the Women’s Support Network of York Region (WSN) presented an overview of the
work undertaken by the WSN. Ms. Dobson noted that all municipalities in York
Region have been requested to support Sexual Harassment Awareness Week 2008 on June 1-7, 2008.
Committee
requested clarification on various minor points and volunteered assistance to
help WSN reach out to the multicultural communities.
Moved by Regional
Councillor G. Landon
Seconded by Mayor
F. Scarpitti
That the
presentation by Ms. S. Dobson of the Women’s Support Network (WSN) of York
Region regarding Sexual Harassment Awareness by received; and,
That the week of June 1st-7th,
2008 be proclaimed as “Sexual Harassment Awareness Week”; and
further,
That
the Director, Human Resources be directed to work with WSN to arrange an
educational event such as a Lunch and Learn session on the topic.
CARRIED
3. MARKHAM
WAXERS UPDATE (6.0)
Report
Addendum
Mr. J. Cornacchia,
on behalf of Markham Waxers, spoke to advise that the Waxers are unable to
provide audited financial statements. Additionally, Mr. Cornacchia expressed
concern with the ongoing construction delays and how the disruption might
affect the upcoming playoff games.
There was brief
discussion surrounding the delays and what options might be available to
mitigate disruption during the playoffs.
Moved by Deputy
Mayor J. Heath
Seconded by
Regional Councillor J. Jones
That
the deputation from Mr. J. Cornacchia, on behalf of Markham Waxers Hockey Club,
regarding rates for ice time and expressing concern with the ongoing disruption
resulting from construction delays, be received; and,
That the hourly ice rates applicable to the Markham Waxers be $200 per hour for games and
$144 per hour for practice sessions, effective from February 12, 2008.
CARRIED
Moved by Mayor F.
Scarpitti
Seconded by
Councillor J. Virgilio
That
staff meet with representatives from the Markham
Waxers to discuss options to mitigate disruption during the upcoming playoff
games, including potentially relocating games to an alternative arena.
CARRIED
4. COUNCIL
ISSUES (16.0)
Presentation
Ms. S. Birrell, Town Clerk, presented
recommendations relating to Council and Committee issues including the process
for dealing with deputations, new business at Council meetings, a proposed
schedule for General Committee meetings and a proposal to consolidate the
mandate of the Building and Parks Construction Committee into General Committee.
There was considerable discussion concerning
delegations. Committee suggested that it would be helpful to have timers installed
in the Canada Room and in the portable podiums so delegations can be limited
more easily to five minutes. There was debate as to when deputations should be
heard and whether corresponding agenda items should be considered at the same
time as delegations or remain in the original agenda order. Another suggestion
was a public address system that would allow deputants to wait in the cafeteria
and be advised when their item comes up for discussion. It was agreed to
discuss the matter further at the next meeting of General Committee on March 17, 2008.
There was brief discussion surrounding
appointments to Advisory Committees. Ms. Birrell noted that the number of
Committees has not increased but that the number of Councillor appointments
have increased. In addition, there are more community meetings and an increased
number of working groups. There was agreement that there needs to be a proper
division of Committees between Councillors so that the workload is more evenly
shared. It was suggested that some Committees including the Safe Streets
Committee and the Traffic Safety Committee are no longer required. Committee
expressed concern with the number of ad hoc Committees that are created and
requested attendance statistics for all Committees.
There was considerable discussion concerning
the proposed General Committee schedule. Options that were discussed included
splitting meetings so as to consider Finance and Administrative items in the
morning and other items in the afternoon, dedicating a session to presentations
only, and ordering agenda items so items of interest to the public are
considered in the morning sessions.
Moved by Regional Councillor T. Wong
Seconded by Regional Councillor J. Jones
That the presentation by Ms. S. Birrell, Town
Clerk entitled “Council Issues” be received; and,
That from April to June, 2008 the
Council/Standing Committee calendar be amended to provide for two (2) General
Committee meetings per month from 9:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
on alternate weeks to Council meetings; and,
That at the last meeting in June
a decision be made on continuing with the revised schedule or reverting back to
weekly meetings; and further,
That the other issues raised be
deferred to the March 17, 2008 meeting of General Committee for further
discussion.
CARRIED
5. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 21 AND FEBRUARY
4, 2008
GENERAL COMMITTEE
Jan.
21 Feb.
4
Moved by
Councillor A. Chiu
Seconded by
Councillor L. Kanapathi
That the
minutes of the January 21 and February 4, 2008 General Committee be received.
CARRIED
6. MINUTES
OF THE JANUARY 23, 2008
ANIMAL CARE SERVICES COMMITTEE
(16.0)
Minutes
Moved by Councillor A. Chiu
Seconded by Councillor L. Kanapathi
That the minutes of the January 23, 2008 Animal Care Services Committee
be received.
CARRIED
7. MINUTES
OF THE DECEMBER 17, 2007
MARKHAM PUBLIC LIBRARIES BOARD
(16.0)
Minutes
Moved by Councillor A. Chiu
Seconded by Councillor L. Kanapathi
That the minutes of the December 17, 2007 Markham Public Libraries
Board be received.
CARRIED
8. MINUTES
OF THE FEBRUARY 4, 2008
CANADA DAY COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by Councillor A. Chiu
Seconded by Councillor L. Kanapathi
That the minutes of the February 4, 2008 Canada Day Committee be
received.
CARRIED
9. APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS TO
ADVISORY COMMITTEES (16.0)
Moved by
Councillor A. Chiu
Seconded by
Councillor L. Kanapathi
That the resignation of Mr. Tom Giantsopoulos
from the Markham Public Art Advisory Committee be accepted with regret and a
letter of appreciation be forwarded; and,
That the following
persons be appointed to the Markham
Public Art Advisory Committee for the term ending November 30, 2010:
Anderson Coward
Paul Leonidis
Judi McIntyre
Joanne Olson
Alina Tarbhai
Note: The current composition of the Markham
Public Art Advisory Committee is: One (1) Member of Council, eight (8)
residents, and 1 Member of the Varley-McKay Art Foundation Board. Regional Councillor Tony Wong was appointed to
the Committee for the term ending November 30, 2008."
And that the
following appointments to the Canada Day Committee for 2008 be confirmed for
the term ending November
30, 2008:
Willie Reiss
Ken Mack
Sam Sahoy
Mitch Reiss
Jeanne Bowman
Antonette
DiNovo
Javaid Khan
Samuel Carr
And that the
following appointments to the Box Grove Community Centre Board be confirmed for
the term ending December
31, 2008:
Tom Farrar,
Chair
Frank Orovits
Michael
Cavanagh
Dan McCombe
Stan Buell
Murray Cresswell
Lorraine Crivaro
Karen
Feddersen
Bodo Maslabey
James Newell
Bob Watt
Note: The current composition of the Box Grove
Community Centre Board is two (2) Councillors and ten (10) residents. Deputy Mayor Jack Heath and Councillor Logan
Kanapathi were previously appointed to the Box Grove Community Centre Board for
the term ending November
30, 2008."
CARRIED
10. EAST MARKHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE &
LIBRARY (6.6)
**Moved by Mayor F. Scarpitti
Seconded by Deputy Mayor J. Heath
That the report titled “East
Markham Community Centre & Library – Building Program” be received; and,
That the presentation by Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners and Bregman +
Hamann Architects highlighting the proposed building components be received;
and,
That Council approves the recommended programs and associated space
requirements contained in this report save and except the
following:
Gymnasium – space requirements to
be revised to include a third gymnasium;
Library – to be increased by up to 2,000 square
feet subject to design and programming restrictions and further consultation
with Markham Public Libraries Board and the public; and,
That Council authorizes staff to proceed with schematic design having a
Building Program of up to 130,000 square feet and consisting of the following
components:
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Aquatics
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41,668
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sq. ft.
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Gymnasium (see
Clause 3 above)
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sq. ft.
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Fitness
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17,370
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sq. ft.
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Library (See Clause
3 above)
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sq. ft.
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Medical Library
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3,000
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sq. ft.
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Multi-Use/Rehearsal Space
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7,700
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sq. ft.
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Older Adults
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2,970
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sq. ft.
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Youth
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2,670
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sq. ft.
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Dedicated Children's Indoor Playground
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2,530
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sq. ft.
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Special Needs Room
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500
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sq. ft.
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Common Areas
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12,900
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sq. ft.
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That staff be directed to report back to Council the various schematic design
options; and,
That staff further review the physical link
between the Community Centre and the Markham Stouffville Hospital in order to
maximize synergies; and,
That staff consider ways to enhance the integration
of the proposed public plaza into the site plan; and,
That staff review and report back to Council on the
underground parking proposal to determine whether it might be more cost
effective to accommodate all parking requirements as surface parking until the
proposed shared-cost parking structure is completed, with cost savings being
used to fund additional programming space; and,
That staff be directed to pursue LEED Gold certification
level subject to technical and financial considerations; and further,
That staff be authorized and
directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
**Amended by Council at its meeting on March 25, 2008 to add the
following Clause:
“That staff review and report back on whether
there should be a viewing gallery for the swimming pool and, if so, how to
incorporate same into the plans.”
11. SATELLITE RECREATION POLICIES AGREEMENT
AMENDMENT (6.0)
Report
Committee
received brief clarification on this item.
Moved by
Regional Councillor J. Jones
Seconded by
Councillor J. Webster
That the
report titled “Satellite Recreation Centre Policies Agreement” be received;
and,
That
authorization is given to amend the “Satellite Recreation Centre Policies
Agreement” to reflect that the maintenance and replacement of the playground
equipment at the German Mills Community Centre be the sole responsibility of
the Town of Markham; and,
That
authorization is given to the German Mills Board to amend their lease with the German Mills
Co-operative Nursery
School to reflect the amendment in the “Satellite
Recreation Centre Policies Agreement”; and further,
That staff be
authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this
resolution.
CARRIED
12. UNIONVILLE
WINTER TENNIS CLUB PROPOSED (6.8)
Report
Committee noted that local residents have
expressed concern with the temporary installations for the proposed Winter
Tennis Club. Staff advised that a public meeting will be convened and will
include local residents, ratepayers’ groups and other interested parties.
Committee requested that Councillors be notified of the date of the public
meeting and that Mayfair Tennis Club also be notified. It was suggested that there
be a two stage consultation process dealing first with the immediate neighbours
and then holding a broader meeting with additional stakeholders.
Committee requested that staff report back
with further details including the extent of public access to the facility, the
relationship between this club and the Summer Tennis Club, and clarification of
the relationship between the Winter Club and the Town.
Moved by Councillor J. Virgilio
Seconded by Mayor F. Scarpitti
That the report titled “Unionville Winter
Tennis Club in Carlton Park-Business Plan” be received; and,
That staff be authorized to proceed with a
public consultation meeting with residents of the neighbourhood, and other
interested parties; and,
That staff report back to Council with the results
of the public meeting with recommendations; and further,
That staff be authorized and directed to do
all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
CARRIED
13. TOWN OF NEWMARKET
PENALTIES FOR THE MISUSE OF DISABLED PERSONS
PARKING (13.5.2)
Letter
Moved by Regional Councillor G. Landon
Seconded by Councillor J. Virgilio
That
the letter dated February 11, 2008 from the Town of Newmarket containing a
resolution passed by Council to request the Premier of Ontario to take action to eliminate the
misuse of disabled parking permits and parking spaces be received and endorsed; and
That the
letter dated February 11,
2008 from the Town of Newmarket be referred to the Markham Advisory
Committee on Accessibility.
CARRIED
14. TOWN OF AMHERSTBURG
LEAD TESTING MANDATED BY PROVINCE FOR
MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER (13.5.1)
Letter
Moved by Councillor J. Virgilio
Seconded by Councillor L. Kanapathi
That the letter dated January 25, 2008 from the Town of Amherstburg
containing a resolution passed by Council requesting the Province of Ontario
provide the immediate necessary funding of costs to municipalities for the
mandatory Lead Testing for Municipal Drinking Water be received.
CARRIED
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 12:15
p.m.