MARKHAM ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES

June 17, 2010

ATTENDANCE

Members Philip Ling, Chair Mylene Bezerra Batista Erika Lontoc Tom Rado Carrie Sally Christopher Sauer Guests James Lin Vicky McGrath, Director, Sustainability Office Staff Bev Shugg Barbeito, Committee Secretary

Regrets Gary Diamond Lloyd Helferty Brent Mersey Louis Priftakis Zahra Parhizgari Deputy Mayor Jack Heath

1. CALL TO ORDER

The Markham Environmental Advisory Committee was called to order at 7:15 PM with Mr. Philip Ling presiding as Chair. He welcomed Vicky McGrath, Director, Sustainability Office to the meeting.

2. CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA

The agenda was accepted with the following additions:

- Approval of the Minutes of the April 22, 2010 meeting

- GreenPrint Sustainability Plan - a presentation by Vicky McGrath

- Update on the Regional Environmental Advisory Committee meeting

3. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE MARKHAM ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON APRIL 22, 2010

It was

Moved by Chris Sauer
Seconded by Carrie Sally

That the minutes of the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee (MEAC) held on

April 22, 2010 be adopted as distributed.

Carried

It was

Moved by Mylene Bezerra Batista
Seconded by Chris Sauer

That the minutes of the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee (MEAC) held on

May 27, 2010 be adopted as distributed.

Carried

4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

A. TOWN PATHWAY THROUGH ROUGE VALLEY LANDS

Chris Sauer reported that he participated on May 22 to help mark the trail that would be used for the planned walk on May 29th. During the planned walk, he was on the bus and coordinated the timing of the stops at the entry and exit points; he observed that participants could walk faster along the trail between the exit points than the bus could be driven there. Philip Ling, Brent Mersey and Mylene Bezerra Batista also took part on the walk. There were roughly 40 participants, it was a beautiful day, and comments from attendees were that they were astounded that such an experience was so close to home, and that a continuous, maintained trail would be a great asset for the Town and residents.

Chris Sauer also reported that Bill Golding, a representative of Sustainable Trails Ltd., participated in both walks and felt that he had interesting ideas relating to accessibility, water flow, and erosion that would impact the creation and management of pathways.

It was

Moved by Chris Sauer
Seconded by Mylene Bezerra Batista

That the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee (MEAC) recommend to CPAC (Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee) that Sustainable Trails Ltd. be invited to make a presentation to the committee about their approach to creating pathways, and further recommend that MEAC be invited to the same meeting.

Carried

B. SOLAR ENERGY AND COMMUNITY POWER INITIATIVES

Chris Sauer advised that the community based solar project on the rooftop of a condo building to be built at Kennedy Rd. and Castan Ave. will be considered at a Development Services Committee meeting before the end of June. It is a green initiative and the community will benefit directly from it.

At the MEAC meeting held in May, the Committee received a presentation by SolarShare, a for-profit co-operative and a strong supporter of community power, that will build multiple rooftop solar- electric projects of up to 250kW in size, which it will finance, develop, maintain and operate. Projects can be wholly owned by the SolarShare co-operative or through a joint venture partnership; shares may be purchased by any person or business, including the roof host and its employees.

SolarShare projects can be quite varied including multiple projects with various models and ownership structures, rooftop systems up to 250 kW, but to be viable, SolarShare requires projects to be 10 kW or greater. It was agreed that a viable pilot project would involve the Markham Theatre roof. Another advantage of the project is that it would be highly visible since the theatre is located beside the Markham Civic Centre.

The Committee agreed it was interested in working with SolarShare on the Markham Theatre rooftop solar panel project; the Committee would rely on SolarShare for collateral, and its expertise in marketing and project management. Chris Sauer will follow up first with Graham Seaman, Manager Climate Change and Energy, to determine available support and with Mike Brigham of SolarShare to determine whether SolarShare can commit to this pilot project at this time with the intention of it possibly leading to larger projects over time. Philip Ling will complete an application for Markham Environmental Sustainability Fund (MESF) funding for this pilot project.

5. NEW BUSINESS

A. GREENPRINT SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

Vicky McGrath, Director, Sustainability Office, reviewed the draft Markham GreenPrint Sustainability Plan, the result of an extensive consultation process with Markham residents. The draft plan is much broader than "green"; it is a long-term plan to address environmental health, economic vitality, social well-being and cultural vibrancy. The GreenPrint Sustainability Plan is a community driven, comprehensive strategy, using a 50 to 100-year time frame, to make Markham a great place to live, work and play. The plan proposes twelve sustainability priorities intended to be integrated into all aspects of community planning, development and operations. A set of three strategies focus on place, function, and people: Creating Complete Neighbourhoods as the Foundation of a Great Community, Create and maintain a robust and resilient infrastructure, and Support Continuing Health and Prosperity. These strategies integrate Markham’s sustainability priorities, and frame a number of goals and recommended actions for moving from the current state to a sustainable future.

Ms. McGrath advised that the draft GreenPrint Sustainability Plan has been endorsed in principle for consultation by the Town of Markham General Committee and it is hoped that Town of Markham Council will also endorse the plan in principle at its June meeting. Then Markham residents will have opportunities to review and provide input to the plan throughout the remainder of the year. Sustainability Office staff would review and incorporate public feedback into the plan, then present the final plan to Council for approval in spring 2011.

Ms. McGrath wishes to engage as many residents as possible in the review of the plan and is planning a number of options, such as an online survey, discussions at ratepayer association meetings, as well as visits to local schools, senior`s centres and Town committees. MEAC members agreed they would be interested in assisting with the "Kitchen Table Sessions" initiative. This would involve hosting informal sessions of 4-5 residents to discuss the draft plan to determine their reaction to its strategies. Ms. McGrath will have staff complete a GreenPrint workbook and forward it to Philip Ling for distribution to committee members; the workbook will assist committee members in hosting the Kitchen Table sessions.

B. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Tom Rado reported that the focus of the meeting was an enlightening presentation about the Maskinonge River remedial and revitalization project in Georgina Township. The next regional EAC meeting will be held in the fall after the municipal elections.

6. ADJOURNMENT

It was

Moved by Chris Sauer

Seconded by Tom Rado

That the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee adjourn at 9:35 PM.

7. NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee has been scheduled for Thursday September 16, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the Ontario Room.