DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Alan Brown, Director of Engineering
	PREPARED BY:	same as above
	DATE OF MEETING:	November 18, 2003
	SUBJECT:	Utility Management

RECOMMENDATION:

That the YDUCG Model Utility Procedures Manual, to provide a consistent guideline for the installation of utilities in the Town’s right-of-ways, be adopted;

And that staff from the Operations and Asset Management Department be authorized to continue to participate in the York/Durham Municipalities Utility Coordination Group as stewards of the manual;

And that staff report back to Council whenever there are revisions to the manual representing significant policy changes;

And that staff be authorized to update the Utility Procedures Manual, as required, in consultation with the York/Durham Municipal Coordinating Group, Utility Companies and the Urban Development Industry;

And that the Commissioner of Fire and Community Services, CAO and Town Solicitor be authorized to negotiate Municipal Access Agreements with the utility companies for a term of 5 years and that the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the agreements;

And that in accordance with the Markham Core Services Review, responsibility for the management of utility coordination and municipal access agreements be transferred from the Engineering Department (Development Services Commission) to the Operations and Asset Management Department (Community and Fire Services Commission).

BACKGROUND:

Staff submitted the enclosed report (Attachment ‘A’) to Development Services Committee on June 17, 2003 requesting authorization to utilize the Utility Procedures Manual for the management of utilities in Markham.

Rogers, Enbridge and Bell attended the committee meeting advising of outstanding issues and advised they felt there was insufficient dialogue between the utility companies and the York/Durham Utility Coordinating Group (YDUCG). Committee requested staff meet with the utility companies to review their outstanding issues.

The Director of Engineering as Chairperson of the YDUCG submitted June 24, 2003 to the following utility Companies and UDI a request for formal comments of the Utility Manual by July 14, 2003:

Enbridge

Bell Canada

Telus

Futureway

Rogers

Markham Hydro

AT & T

UDI

Responses were received from 6 utility companies that were forwarded to the 14 municipalities represented on the YDUCG, and to Totten Sims Hubicki as consultant for the project.

A half day meeting was held August 7, 2003 with the YDUCG and utility companies. Bell, Rogers and Enbridge attended the meeting and presented a consolidated list of issues.

The YDUCG then met to discuss each issue in detail and to formulate an agreed upon response. A copy of the YDUCG formal response is attached (Attachment ‘B’).

Generally the YDUCG position is that the utility companies comments are not so significant as to warrant any further delay in implementing the procedures manual. There was unanimity from the municipalities on the following principles to address outstanding issues:

- there will be ongoing consultation with the utility industry and UDI on policy issues and modifications to the Utility Procedures Manual

- Municipalities, based on past problems, expect better service from utility companies in a number of fields (i.e. record keeping, pre engineering survey, aesthetics, notification, etc).

- Municipalities will work with utilities to meet their customer service needs in respect to delivery schedule

- the implementation of certain issues (i.e. record keeping, blanket permits etc.) require further clarification between the parties either with an YDUCG sub group or individual municipalities through their Municipal Access Agreements.

The YDUCG received the attached E-mail (Attachment ‘C’) on behalf of the utility representatives agreeing to continue to work with the YDUCG to resolve outstanding issues.

CONCLUSION:

The recent consultation process has been helpful in summarizing both the utility industry and YDUCG positions on various issues. There is a commitment among all parties to continue this important consultation. However, there may continue to be issues where municipal objectives may not be fully supported by the utility companies or the urban development industry. The commitment of the municipalities has and will continue to be one of consultation and problem solving to deal with such issues.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment ‘A’ June 17, 2003 Staff report and Committee Resolution

Attachment ‘B’ August 26, 2003 Summary of response from YDUCG

Attachment ‘C’ September 22, 2003 E-mail from Bell Canada

Alan Brown, C.E.T. Director of Engineering

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

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