General Committee
May 2, 2016
Meeting
Number 7
Finance & Administrative Issues Community Services Issues
Chair: Deputy Mayor Jack
Heath Chair: Councillor Alan Ho
Vice Chair: Councillor Colin Campbell Vice
Chair: Councillor Alex Chiu
Environment
& Sustainability Issues Building,
Parks, & Construction Issues
Chair: Councillor
Valerie Burke Chair: Councillor Colin
Campbell
Vice Chair: Councillor Karen Rea Vice Chair: Regional Councillor Nirmala
Armstrong
Alternate formats are available
upon request.
Attendance
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Andy
Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer
Jim
Baird, Commissioner of Development Services
Brenda
Librecz, Commissioner of Community & Fire Services
Catherine
Conrad, City Solicitor
Joel
Lustig, Treasurer
Alex Moore, Manager
of Purchasing & Accounts Payable
Graham Seaman,
Director of Sustainability
Alida
Tari, Council/Committee Coordinator
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The General Committee meeting convened at the hour of 9:05 AM with Deputy
Mayor Jack Heath in the Chair; Councillor Alan Ho Chaired Community Services
related items and Councillor Valerie Burke Chaired Environment and
Sustainability related items.
Disclosure of
Interest
None disclosed.
1. STORMWATER FEES ON FARM
PROPERTIES (5.5)
Presentation
Moved by Councillor Don Hamilton
Seconded by Councillor Valerie Burke
1) That the
presentation by Mr. Robert Muir, Manager, Stormwater and Mr. Mark Visser,
Senior Manager, Financial Strategy & Investments entitled “Stormwater Fees
on Farm Properties,” be deferred to the May 16, 2016 General Committee meeting.
Carried
2. MINUTES
OF THE APRIL 18, 2016
GENERAL COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the April 18, 2016 General Committee meeting be confirmed.
Carried
3. MINUTES
OF THE MARCH 30, 2016
CANADA DAY COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the March 30, 2016 Canada Day Committee meeting be received for
information purposes.
Carried
4. MINUTES
OF THE MARCH 17, 2016
MARKHAM ENVIRONMENTAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the March 17, 2016 Markham Environmental Advisory Committee meeting
be received for information purposes.
Carried
5. MINUTES
OF THE FEBRUARY 8, 2016
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the February 8, 2016 Environmental Issues Committee meeting be
received for information purposes.
Carried
6. MINUTES
OF THE MARCH 10, 2016
MARKHAM SPORTS HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the March 10, 2016 Markham Sports Hall of Fame Committee meeting
be received for information purposes.
Carried
7. MINUTES
OF THE MARCH 8, 2016
SENIORS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the March 8, 2016 Seniors Advisory Committee meeting be received
for information purposes.
Carried
8. MINUTES
OF THE MARCH 21, 2016
YORK UNIVERSITY MARKHAM
CAMPUS COMMITTEE (16.0)
Minutes
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That
the minutes of the March 21, 2016 York University Markham Campus Committee meeting
be received for information purposes.
Carried
9. STAFF AWARDED CONTRACTS
FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2016 (7.12)
Report Correspondence
The Committee
discussed the following:
·
275-Q-15
Canopy Renovations at Cornell Community Centre
·
044-S-16
Firefighter Recruitment Processing Services
·
004-R-15
Plumbing Service Contract for City Facilities
·
255-Q-15
Printing & Delivery of Councillors' Ward Newsletters
Moved by
Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That the report entitled “Staff
Awarded Contracts for the Month of March 2016” be received; and,
2) That
the correspondence from Eira Keay be received; and,
3) That Staff be authorized and
directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
Carried
10. 2016 FIRST QUARTER INVESTMENT
PERFORMANCE REVIEW (7.1)
Report Attachment
Moved by Regional Councillor Joe Li
Seconded by Mayor Frank Scarpitti
1) That the report dated May 2, 2016
entitled “2016 First Quarter Investment Performance Review” be received.
Carried
11. BAN ON DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES
ACTIVITIES (13.4)
Superintendent Fred Moffat, York Region
Police addressed the Committee and provided some comments relative to fraud
related crimes within York Region.
It was noted that Liberal MPP Yvan Baker
will be introducing a private bill at the Ontario Legislature that would ban
the sale, rent or lease of water heaters, air conditioners, furnaces and water
treatment at the door.
Lauren Black, Enercare addressed the
Committee regarding the proposed ban on door-to-door sales activities and spoke
in support.
There was discussion regarding whether all
private sector door-to-door services should be banned.
The Committee suggested that staff
investigate whether a by-law can be passed at the local level banning
door-to-door services.
Moved
by Councillor Colin Campbell
Seconded
by Regional Councillor Nirmala Armstrong
Whereas the Provincial Government
implemented the Stronger
Protection for Ontario Consumers Act in April 2015 to address, among other things,
aggressive and misleading door-to-door sales tactics;
Whereas Ontarians over the last twelve
months continue to experience unsolicited, aggressive and misleading sales
tactics at their door from companies seeking to sell home energy products,
despite this provincial legislation;
Whereas the door to door agents acting on
behalf of these companies misrepresent their purpose and/or identity, often
posing as utility inspectors and government agents needing to gain access to
the homes of Ontarians;
Whereas people across Ontario, and in
particular Markham residents, have been targeted by these door to door
misrepresentations and misleading sales tactics;
Whereas one such company has been recently
charged with 142 breaches of the Consumer Protection Act due to this fraudulent
and misleading sales conduct, previous attempts by the Province to protect
Ontarians have failed;
Whereas the province has implemented a ban
on door-to-door sales for electricity and natural gas contracts by passing the Strengthening
Consumer Protection and Electricity System Oversight Act, 2015;
Now
therefore be it resolved that Council:
1) Urge the Provincial Government to ban
all door-to-door sales in the home services sector (more specifically the sale
or lease of HVAC equipment, water heaters, water filtration systems and other
related home energy products and services by door-to-door sales agents) as soon
as possible, and before the spring session of the Ontario legislature concludes;
2) Issue an Alert via News Release and
other forms of communication to Markham residents to warn them about ongoing
door-to-door sales activities, and encourage Markham residents to sign the
online petition at Change.org;
3) Encourage other GTA municipalities to
join with Markham in calling on the province to act;
4) That staff be authorized and directed
to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
Carried
12. CITY OF MARKHAM: CHANGING LANDSCAPES (13.4)
Presentation
Lisa Gonsalves,
Director, Strategies and Partnerships, Community and Health Services delivered
a PowerPoint presentation entitled City of Markham Changing Landscapes.
The Committee
discussed the change in demographics within York Region and percentage of
working age population within Markham.
There was discussion
regarding what the Region or local municipalities can offer to make market
rental and/or affordable housing development more feasible for the private
sector.
Moved by Mayor Frank
Scarpitti
Seconded by Councillor
Alex Chiu
1) That
the presentation by Ms. Lisa Gonsalves, Director, Strategies and Partnerships,
Community and Health Services entitled “City of Markham Changing Landscapes,”
be received; and,
2) That
the City of Markham join the York Region Data Consortium.
Carried
13. SENIORS STRATEGY (13.4)
Presentation
Ms. Adelina Urbanski,
Commissioner of Community & Health Services delivered a PowerPoint
presentation regarding York Region Seniors Strategy.
The Committee discussed
the following relative to the York Region Seniors Strategy:
·
Affordable
housing
·
Affordable
transportation
·
The
importance of standardizing the age
·
Importance
of integration and collaboration between York Region and the municipality
·
Community
care supports - look at different models
·
Diversity
within the Senior population
·
How to
ensure Seniors are not isolated
·
Current
stereotypes that many modern Seniors face will need to be redefined
Moved by Deputy Mayor
Jack Heath
Seconded by Councillor
Valerie Burke
1) That
the presentation from Ms. Adelina Urbanski, Commissioner of Community &
Health Services regarding York Region Seniors Strategy be received.
Carried
14. BAYVIEW GLEN SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD
RETROFIT ACTION PLAN (SNAP)
- APPROVAL OF PHASE 2&3:
ACTION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (5.7)
Report Appendix
A Appendix
B
The
Committee suggested that staff report back on whether more land can be acquired
by the municipality to create a larger public area, and if any opportunity to
plan trees on Regional or City of Toronto roads.
Moved by Deputy Mayor Jack Heath
Seconded by Regional Councillor Joe Li
1) That the report “Bayview Glen Sustainable Neighbourhood
Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP) – Approval of Phase 2&3: Action and
Implementation Plan” be received; and,
2) That the Bayview Glen SNAP – Phase 2&3: Action and
Implementation Plan (Appendix A) as commissioned and paid for by the Toronto
and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) be received and referred to staff; and
further,
3) That staff be authorized and directed to do all things
necessary to give effect to this resolution.
Carried
Adjournment
Moved by Councillor Alex Chiu
Seconded by Councillor Colin
Campbell
That the General Committee meeting adjourn at 12:41 PM.
Carried