DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Mayor and Members of Council

 

 

 

 

FROM:

Alan Brown, Director of Engineering

 

 

 

 

PREPARED BY:

Jamie Bosomworth, Senior Project Coordinator

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

2004-May-18

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

Cachet Estates/Glenbourne Park - Municipal Water System

 

 

 

           

 

RECOMMENDATION:

That the staff report entitled “Cachet Estates/Glenbourne Park – Municipal Water System” be received;

 

And that the installation of municipal water in the Cachet Estates/Glenbourne Park area be authorized to proceed in accordance with Section 391 of the Municipal Act.

 

And that Masongsong and Associate Engineering Ltd. be authorized to proceed with the detailed design and tender for watermains in the Cachet Estates and Glenbourne Park Area as approved by Council on June 10, 2003;

 

And that the funds in the amount of $76,500 for the detailed design and tender be allocated from the Engineering Capital Account #083-6900-5305-005; 

 

And that staff report back in the Fall of 2004 with the construction contract award, Fee By-law and response to issues related in this report;

 

And that the Region of York be requested to finalize their financial contribution and issues identified in this report for the construction of this watermain system at the earliest opportunity;           

 

And that Mr. Kees Schipper, Commissioner of Transportation and Work, Region of York, be advised accordingly.      

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to seek Council authorization to proceed with the detailed design and tender for the construction of watermains in the Cachet Estates and Glenbourne Park residential area (Attachment ‘A’) under section 391 of the Municipal Act.

 

 

 

BACKGROUND:

Region of York constructing 16th Avenue sanitary sewer.

The Region of York is proposing to start construction of Phase II of a trunk sanitary sewer on 16th Avenue between Mingay Avenue and Woodbine Avenue this year subject to outstanding permits and approvals.  To install the sewer, dewatering will need to be undertaken on the section of sewer from approximately west of Kennedy Road to Mingay Avenue.   The Region has completed hydro-geological studies which have found 43 private wells within the Cachet Estates and Glenbourne Park residential communities are anticipated to be impacted by their dewatering program.

 

To mitigate the effects of the dewatering, the Region has proposed two options to Markham;

 

  • Before the dewatering starts, the Region proactively drill new wells or lower the pumps of those wells they have identified will be affected.    During the dewatering period and recovery period (approximately 5 years), the Region will mitigate any other wells which may be affected by the dewatering process.

or

  • The Region provide a cash-in-lieu contribution (± $1.54 million) for the construction of municipal water system for the ± 297 lots to this area subject to receipt of a release from the impacted property owners.

 

Regional staff provided an update report to the May 5, 2004 Transportation and Works Committee indicating consultants and contracts are in place to proceed with the start of the Phase II contract upon receiving the regulatory and agency approvals/permits.  This includes the proactive mitigation plan for potential wells affected by the dewatering program.

 

Council authorized preliminary and detailed design of watermain system.

At the Committee of the Whole on June 10, 2003, staff outlined the above options and Council, authorized staff to retain a consultant to undertake a preliminary design for a watermain system for Cachet/Glenbourne area, obtain projected costs for the project and each property, at a upset limit of $60,000 plus GST (Attachment ‘B’).     The preliminary design has been completed and the project is estimated to cost ±$6.0 million to construct including engineering fees, consultant fees, etc.

 

Council directed, that subject to receipt of a questionnaire of residents in the area confirming their support for paying for a municipal watermain system, staff could continue with the detailed design and tender to an upset limit of $100,000 plus GST.  

 

Four proposals from consulting engineers were received by the Engineering Department and each where evaluated based on their fees, experience, schedule and other technical issues.   As per the Town’s Purchasing By-law 143-2000, the consulting firm of Masongsong Associates was selected for this project including, preliminary design, detailed design and tender, to an upset limit of $133,500 plus GST.

 

 

 

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

Municipal Act, section 391

The Municipal Act, section 391, allows the Town to impose a fee on property owners benefiting from the construction of a municipal service such as a watermain.   The fee would be assessed on an equal basis per property, similar to the Jennings Gate fee approved by Council in November of 2003 for their watermain system.   The required fee by-law does not need a mandatory percentage of property owners to support the service although Council requested confirmation of support from the residents before imposing this fee.

 

Resident Input

Staff and Ward 6 Councillor, Dan Horchik, met with residents of Cachet Estates and Glenbourne Park communities on April 14, 2004.   Staff provided a background of the general issues relating to the 16th Avenue sanitary sewer, including the dewatering program and identified the two options, noted above, available to them.   A petition was circulated on the basis it would cost ±$20,000.00 per property (fully funded by the residents with no contribution from the Town) with a ±$5,000.00 subsidy by the Region of York (based on $1.54 million contribution) subject to the property owner signing a release that the Region/Town is not responsible for mitigating their wells when dewatering of the 16th Avenue begins.   The net cost to the residents would reduce the cost per property to $15,000.00.   The following is the draft results of this petition which will be verified by the Clerks Department on May 18, 2004:

                       

Response

Percentage

No. of Properties

Yes

66%

195

No

13%

39

No Response

21%

63

Total

100%

297

 

Detailed Design and Tender

As approved by Council on June 10, 2003, the support of ±67% of property owners in the area enables staff to proceed with the detailed design and tender of the watermain system.   Staff will advise Masongsong Associates, previously retained in accordance with the Purchasing By-law, to proceed with the detailed design and tender.  It is expected they will complete the design and tender process throughout the summer months and subject to Council approval of a construction contract, construction will be begin in the late Fall and be completed in early Spring of 2005.  

 

Regional Issues

Staff and Councillor Dan Horchik, met with the Region of York staff on May 6, 2004 to review issues related to their contribution to this watermain system.    Particular issues relate to;

-  updated Regional cash-in-lieu estimates

-  interim storage tanks being made available if municipal water is not available before   dewatering impacts occur

-  how to address property owners who’s well is impacted but do not sign release or want to connect to municipal water

- release form from residents

The Region advised they would submit a report to Regional Council in June 2004, with recommendations to the above issues after further consultation with Markham. 

 

Next Steps

Subject to Council authorization to proceed, the following action is required:

  • Finalize Regional contribution and other issues for watermain system – May 2004/June 2004
  • Detailed design – June 2004 to August 2004
  • Tender award report – September/October 2004
  • Construction period – October 2004 to June 2005 or May 2005 to August 2005 depending on status of dewatering program
  • Council approval for a fee by-law – approval of by-law in Sept/Oct 2004 at same time as contract award and finalization of the fee at the end of the construction contract

  

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Funds are available in Engineering Capital Works Account #083-6900-5305-005 to complete the detailed design ($76,500.00) as previously authorized by Council.  Pre-approval of 2005 Capital budget for this project will be required in September/October 2004 to enable execution of a construction contract.

 

The consulting costs are currently being up-fronted by the Town and will be recovered along with the construction costs from a debenture and eventually from the Cachet/Glenbourne property owners through their tax bill.

 

 

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A – Area Map

Attachment B – June 10, 2003 Council Resolution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alan Brown, C.E.T.

Director of Engineering

 

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.

Commissioner of Development Services

 

Q:\Development\Engineering\REPORTS\2004\May\Cachet Estates Watermain.doc