M I N U T E S

GENERAL COMMITTEE

February 7, 2011

Meeting No. 5

Finance & Administrative Issues Community Services Issues

Chair: Mayor Frank Scarpitti Chair: Councillor Alex Chiu

Vice Chair: Councillor Carolina Moretti Vice Chair: Councillor Howard Shore

Environment & Sustainability Issues Building, Parks, & Construction Issues

Chair: Councillor Valerie Burke Chair: Councillor Logan Kanapathi

Vice Chair: Regional Councillor Joe Li Vice Chair: Councillor Colin Campbell

Alternate formats are available upon request.

Attendance

Mayor Frank Scarpitti Deputy Mayor Jack Heath Regional Councillor Jim Jones Regional Councillor Gord Landon Regional Councillor Joe Li Councillor Valerie Burke Councillor. Howard Shore Councillor Don Hamilton Councillor Carolina Moretti Councillor Colin Campbell Councillor Alan Ho Councillor Logan Kanapathi Councillor Alex Chiu

John Livey, Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Conrad, Town Solicitor Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services Brenda Librecz, Commissioner of Community & Fire Services Andy Taylor, Commissioner of Corporate Services Peter Loukes, Director, Operations Joel Lustig, Treasurer Alex Moore, Manager of Purchasing Colin Service, Manager, Planning & Policy Development Mary Creighton, Director of Recreation Kimberley Kitteringham, Town Clerk Alida Tari, Council/Committee Coordinator

The General Committee convened at 9:14 AM with Mayor Frank Scarpitti in the Chair.

DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST

None disclosed.

1. STAFF RECOGNITION (12.2.6)

Mayor Frank Scarpitti on behalf of all Members of Council welcomed, congratulated and presented the Markham Aquatic staff with certificates for their outstanding efforts in using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to respond to a pool emergency on December 6, 2010 at the Milliken Mills Community Centre.

The following Markham Aquatic Staff were recognized:

· Fahim Khan, Lifeguard

· Kenny Leung, Lifeguard

· Caesar Pang, Lifeguard

· Adrian Varghese, Lifeguard

· Paula Wilson, Daytime Supervisor

· Adrian Wong, Pool Supervisor

· Portia Lee, Program Supervisor; and,

Ms. Sheri Krauss was commended for receiving recognition by the Royal Lifesaving Society Commonwealth Council acknowledging her valuable services rendered to the Society.

2. MOVING FORWARD 2015 FOUNDATION (3.0)

Attachment

Ms. Georgina Lee, Moving Forward 2015 Foundation addressed the Committee providing a brief overview of the foundation's fundraising events and the volunteer and loans program.

The Committee congratulated Ms. Lee on their program and suggested connecting with the various cultural social groups within York Region.

There was discussion regarding the micro-loans program.

Moved by Councillor Howard Shore

Seconded by Regional Councillor J. Jones

1) That the presentation by Georgina Lee, entitled “Moving Forward 2015 Foundation” be received.

CARRIED

3. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 24, 2011
GENERAL COMMITTEE (16.0)

Minutes

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the Minutes of the January 24, 2011 General Committee be confirmed.

CARRIED

4. MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 17, 2010 AND
DECEMBER 15, 2010 ANIMAL CARE COMMITTEE (16.0)

November December

There was discussion regarding the feral cat colonies. It was noted that Mr. Bill Wiles, Manager, By-laws Enforcement and Licensing attended the December Animal Care Committee meeting and provided information with respect to Markham's Trap Neuter & Return (TNR) Pilot program.

The Committee suggested that a future Workshop be set up explaining feral cat colonies.

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the Minutes of the November 17, 2010 and December 15, 2010 Animal Care Committee be received for information purposes.

CARRIED

5. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 10, 2011
BUDGET SUB-COMMITTEE (16.0)

Minutes

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the Minutes of the January 10, 2011 Budget Sub-Committee be received for information purposes.

CARRIED

6. MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 13, 2010
PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD (16.0)

Minutes

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the Minutes of the December 13, 2010 Public Library Board be received for information purposes.

CARRIED

7. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 10, 2011
RACE RELATIONS COMMITTEE (16.0)

Minutes

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the Minutes of the January 10, 2011 Race Relations Committee be received for information purposes.

CARRIED

8. MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 13, 2010
VARLEY MCKAY ART FOUNDATION OF MARKHAM (16.0)

Minutes

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the Minutes of the December 13, 2010 Varley McKay Art Foundation of Markham be received for information purposes.

CARRIED

9. ADVISORY BOARD AND COMMITTEE
RESIGNATION (16.24)

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

Cycling & Pedestrian Advisory Committee

1) That the resignation of Councillor Logan Kanapathi from the Cycling & Pedestrian Advisory Committee be received.

CARRIED

10. STAFF AWARDED CONTRACTS
FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2010 (7.12)

Report

The Committee suggested including the estimated amounts in the "Staff Award Report."

Deputy Mayor Jack Heath requested that staff report back by e-mail to the Mayor and Members of Council the reasons why the CCTV inspection of the sewer was unable to see the blockage clearly for the Bayview Avenue Sanitary Sewer 265-Q-10.

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the report entitled “Staff Awarded Contracts for the Month of November 2010” be received; and,

2) That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

CARRIED

11. STAFF AWARDED CONTRACTS
FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2010 (7.12)

Report

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the report entitled “Staff Awarded Contracts for the Month of December 2010” be received; and,

2) That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

CARRIED

12. ACCESSIBILITY AND DIVERSITY OBJECTIVES
FOR THE 2010 MUNICIPAL ELECTION (14.0)

Report Attachment

The Committee suggested that staff circulate the list of various groups contacted.

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the report entitled “Accessibility & Diversity Objectives for the 2010 Municipal Election” be received for information purposes; and,

2) That the feedback obtained during the 2010 Municipal Election with respect to accessibility be considered by the Returning Officer when planning future electoral events in Markham.

CARRIED

13. 2011 WATER & WASTEWATER RATE INCREASE (7.0)

Report Minutes

Councillor Carolina Moretti requested that the Public Meeting minute document be amended to reflect that she was not in attendance at that meeting and that she did send her regrets.

There was discussion regarding the increase of the Town of Markham's Water/Wastewater rate for 2011. The Committee suggested that staff circulate a chart explaining the Council approved 10 year phased-in infrastructure surcharge.

The Committee briefly discussed new and reconstructive capital work needed to sustain and improve water and wastewater services throughout York Region.

Moved by Regional Councillor Gord Landon

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

1) That the report dated February 2, 2011 entitled “2011 Water/Wastewater Rate Increase” be received; and,

2) That the Minutes of the Public Meeting held on February 1, 2011, with respect to the proposed 2011 Water/Wastewater Rate Increase be received; and,

3) That the 2011 Town of Markham’s (“Town”) Water/Wastewater rate increase be equivalent to the Region of York’s (“Region”) monetary increase of $0.1352 per cubic metre (m³) based on Region’s estimated increase of 10%; and,

4) That in addition to the Region’s increase, the 2011 Water/Wastewater rate increase includes a surcharge of $0.0683/m³; and,

5) That effective April 1, 2011, the 2011 Water/Wastewater rate will be $2.4164/m³, an increase of $0.2035/m³; and further,

6) That Staff be authorized and directed to do things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

CARRIED

14. MACLEAN’S MAGAZINE “TOO ASIAN” ARTICLE
– REQUEST FOR APOLOGY (12.2.6)

At the January 25, 2011 Council meeting, Council referred the above subject matter to the General Committee meeting this date.

Moved by Regional Councillor Joe Li

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

That the following resolution be received:

Whereas the November 2010 university ranking edition of Maclean’s magazine featured an article titled “Too Asian?”, the article as well as the title itself, could only be described as offensive, divisive and intolerant; and,

Whereas, the article racially profiles and stereotypes Asian Canadians as perpetual foreigners in Canada, suggesting that students of Asian heritage may be limiting opportunities for non-Asians at certain Canadian universities; and,

Whereas, Markham is the most culturally diverse community in Canada; and,

Whereas, Markham and the rest of Canada benefits from cultural diversity and have shared in the rich cultural traditions of people of Asian heritage for many years; and,

Whereas, Town of Markham is a member of the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination; and,

Whereas, this council supports Multiculturalism and Diversity and has just launched its leading edge Diversity Action Plan last July to serve as the basis of a ten-year strategy to promote unity and inclusiveness; and,

Whereas, numerous community organizations have called upon Maclean's to issue an unqualified apology for the negative stereotyping of people of Asian descent who form the largest ethnic group within the Town’s population; and,

Whereas, the city councils of Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver have already passed motions to express their concern for the negative impact of this article and Richmond Hill Town Council is also preparing to take similar actions;

Therefore, be it resolved:

1) That Council request Maclean's to issue a comprehensive and unqualified public apology for the negative stereotyping of the Asian-Canadian community and constructively address the stereotypes and perceptions perpetuating racism in their article; and

2) That Council move to write to Maclean's, advising them of this decision and expressing our concern for the title and the contents of their article that may be perceived as racist in nature; and further,

3) That Council call on Maclean’s to affirm its support for ethical reporting and publishing around race and ethnicity and for promoting diversity, tolerance and respect for all cultures.

CARRIED

Moved by Regional Councillor Joe Li

Seconded by Councillor Alex Chiu

Whereas Markham is the most culturally diverse community in Canada; and,

Whereas Markham, while promoting a common goal to make our community a harmonious place to work and live for everyone, stands proudly in its commitment to the inclusion and integration of all communities and the appreciation of differences; and,

Whereas Markham is striving to promote unity and understanding and recognizes that discrimination against any group is a disservice to all; and,

Whereas Markham is home to two Welcome Centres that work actively to assist newcomers in making Markham their home and contributing to Canadian society; and,

Whereas Markham is recognized as a leader in diversity and in 2010 launched its leading edge Diversity Action Plan titled “Everyone Welcome” which serves as the basis of a ten-year strategy to further promote unity and inclusiveness; and,

Whereas Markham has proudly declared its commitment to the removal of barriers and the promotion of the value of diversity by joining, along with more than 35 other Canadian municipalities, the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD); and,

Whereas Markham takes seriously its membership in CMARD and the further commitment to share with the community the responsibility for respecting and promoting Human Rights and diversity; and,

Whereas Markham takes immense pride in engaging its vibrant communities through year round celebrations, proclamations and flag raisings that reflect its rich history and diversity, such as but not limited to: Actifest, Black History Month Awards, Canada Day Celebration, Chinese New Year Celebration, Christmas tree lighting Celebration, India Independence Day, Junior Achievement’s Diversity Day, Many Faces of Markham, Markham Fair, Markham Festival, Menorah lighting Celebration, Milliken Children’s Festival, Pakistan National Day, Philippine Week, Seniors’ events, Taste of Asia, Thornhill Festival, Unionville Festival, all of which underscore our philosophy of “One Family, One Markham, One Canada”; and,

Whereas it is against this backdrop that we read with regret the November 22, 2010, university ranking edition of Maclean’s magazine featuring an article titled “Too Asian?”; and,

Whereas the article racially profiles and stereotypes both Asian Canadian and Caucasian Canadian students; and,

Whereas Markham, regardless of Maclean’s statement and changed headline, continues to find Maclean’s failure to provide a proper analysis of university enrolment and student behaviour troubling; and,

Whereas that failure resulted in and/or contributed to the promotion of division, stereotyping and intolerance; and,

Whereas Markham sees the varied reactions to the Maclean’s article as an opportunity to open a positive dialogue that contributes to the enhanced understanding and inclusion consistent with our shared Canadian values;

Therefore, be it resolved:

1) That Markham Council call on Maclean’s magazine to affirm its support for balanced, fair and ethical reporting, and for promoting diversity, social justice and respect for all; and,

2) That Markham Council direct staff to organize a lecture series with a focus on the portrayal of cultural communities in the media; and,

3) That Markham Council continue to demonstrate its leadership and commitment to “One Family, One Markham, One Canada”; and further,

4) That a copy of this resolution be circulated to Maclean’s magazine, the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the Audit Bureau of Circulations, and the Canadian Newspaper Association.

CARRIED

15. MACLEAN’S MAGAZINE “TOO ASIAN” ARTICLE
– REQUEST FOR APOLOGY (12.2.6)

Communications

Moved by Councillor Alex Chiu

Seconded by Councillor Carolina Moretti

1) That the following Communications regarding the Maclean’s Magazine “Too Asian” Article be received:

- Danielle Sandhu, Vice-President Equity, University of Toronto Students’ Union

- Colleen Hua, National President, Chinese Canadian National Council

- Gordon Pon, Assistant Professor, Ryerson University

- Brad Lee, Administrator, Too Asian? TALK BACK

CARRIED

NEW BUSINESS

16. PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT (5.10)

Regional Councillor Gord Landon advised that Mr. Peter Loukes, Director of Operations provided a presentation regarding Pavement Management (alternative methods for rehabilitating pavement) at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference and as a result of that information York Region has adopted this method.

17. DONALD COUSENS PARKWAY (5.10)

Regional Councillor Gord Landon advised that the extension of Donald Cousens Parkway has been moved up to 2015.

18. SYNCHRONIZING OF STREET LIGHTS WITHIN YORK REGION (5.12.1)

Regional Councillor Gord Landon advised the Committee that Vivanext and York Region are developing a dynamic traffic control monitoring system that will assist in synchronizing the street lights within York Region.

19. OFF-DUTY MARKHAM FIREFIGHTER (7.15)

Councillor Colin Campbell suggested that off-duty Markham Firefighter captain Gord Hooper be recognized at a future Council meeting for his outstanding efforts in helping someone out of their burning Stouffville home.

20. SNOW REMOVAL (5.10)

The Committee discussed the level of service related to snow removal. The Committee suggested that there is a need for more communication on what to expect regarding the level of service for snow removal and to educate residents on the difference between primary, secondary and local roads.

21. REGIONAL SIGNS (5.10)

Councillor Carolina Moretti suggested that the Regional Council request York Region to include the words "By-Pass" to the street signs for Donald Cousens Parkway.

ADJOURNMENT

The General Committee meeting adjourned at 11:27 AM.