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TO: |
Mayor and Members of Council |
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FROM: |
Sheila Birrell, Town Clerk Andy Taylor, Commissioner,
Corporate Services |
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PREPARED
BY: |
Pat Miller, Manager, Secretariat
Services |
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DATE OF
MEETING: |
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SUBJECT: |
Executive Summary Report Format |
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RECOMMENDATION:
That an executive summary report format for
staff reports exceeding five pages, included as Appendix 'A', be adopted.
PURPOSE:
In preparation for the paperless agenda, staff
is recommending the Town adopt an executive summary report format for reports of
five pages or more. This would make it
easier for the reader to scan the information on the screen and to target
specific areas of interest.
BACKGROUND:
The Clerk's Department and the IT Department
are currently evaluating various paperless agenda software packages in order to
introduce this technology into the Town of
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
Staff is proposing that all reports of five
pages or more contain a brief executive summary section. This summary together with the staff
recommendation and the bottom line financial implications/summary will be located
at the beginning of the report and will not exceed three (3) pages. Readers will have
the option of scanning the executive summary or linking to the various sections
of the report for more detail, if they so choose and as their interest
dictates, as follows:
- Purpose
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Financial Template
- Business Units
Consulted & Affected
- Attachments (individually by
title)
All reports, with attachments, will be linked to the agenda. Lengthy Development Services Commission conditions of approval will not
be included in the recommendation but will be referred to and attached as an
Appendix. During
implementation, only the executive summary portion of the staff report will be
copied and included in the hard copy agenda package. In order to view the full detail, including
attachments and schedules, readers will need to go on-line and access the soft
copy agenda package.
Council agendas will continue to
include the clauses from Standing Committees requiring Council approval. Background reports to the clauses, however,
will no longer be attached. Committee
minutes will go back to the appropriate committee for approval. Communications and by-laws will be the only
attachments to Council agendas.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
None.
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
In keeping with the Town's Green Initiative, the
paperless agenda itself will have a significant impact on the environment as
indicated in the report recommending a paperless agenda system. It will also improve customer service by providing
complete soft copy agenda packages to inside and outside customers in a more
timely fashion. In addition to environmental
and customer service impacts, the paperless agenda will reduce print shop and
delivery service workload.
BUSINESS
UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
None.
ATTACHMENTS:
Schedule A - sample report containing an Executive
Summary with activated links
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Sheila Birrell, Town Clerk |
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Andy Taylor, Commissioner, Corporate Services |
Q:\Finance
and Administration\Clerks\Secretariat\PAT\Reports\January 9,06 General
Committee - Report on Executive Summary Format -2.doc
SCHEDULE A
MARCH 21, 2005
REPORT TO GENERAL
COMMITTEE
SUBJECT:
CONTACT/AUTHOR: Jim
Sales/Stuart Taylor/Mavis Urquhart X7516
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the
staff report titled “West Nile Virus 2004 Update
and 2005 Action Plan”, dated March 21, 2005, be received;
AND THAT the Town of Markham continue to
support the Region of York, Health Services Department in their activities
to control of the West Nile Virus in 2005, in promoting education and reducing, where appropriate,
standing water on public property;
AND THAT the Town of
AND THAT staff be authorized to continue
working with the Region of York Health Services Department by participating in the
meetings of the West Nile Virus Control Committee;
AND THAT the Town of
AND THAT the Town of
AND THAT staff erect 20 additional bat houses on Town
lands in appropriate locations in an effort to naturally reduce mosquito
populations;
AND FURTHER THAT, Council approve funding in the amount of $95,000 to cover the cost of:
·
One
150-day employee dedicated to surveillance activities, database production,
communications and reduction of standing water on Town property, from April to
October 2005, at a cost of up to $25,000 (including fringe benefits and
overhead);
·
One 150-day By-Law Enforcement Officer dedicated to
enforcement of the Standing Water By-Law, from April to September 2005, at a
cost of up to $20,000 (including fringe benefits and overhead).
·
Up to $50,000 for: a high-pressure flusher truck as an
enhanced approach to reducing mosquito breeding in those areas without catch
basins; installation of bat boxes at appropriate Town-owned properties;
additional windmill powered aerators, as warranted; establish a pilot project
introducing fathead minnows in storm water management ponds; and, continuation
of the catch basin screening initiative.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The West
Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause flu-like symptoms,
and in rare instances, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain or membrane
protecting the brain) in humans. The WNV
is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Wild birds are the
main host for the virus. Dead crows can be an indicator that the virus
has reached the area because they are the most susceptible. It has also been
discovered that WNV is fatal among squirrels. The chance of humans becoming seriously ill
from WNV is very small. This is because most humans are able to overcome any
infection from WNV by the normal response of their immune system.
Preliminary research
shows that there is a correlation between ambient temperature and the level of
WNV activity within the adult mosquito; in others words, the warmer the
weather, the more infectious the mosquito population becomes. Therefore, a hot summer in 2005, unlike the
cool summers of 2003 and 2004 could potentially result in a significant
increase in the number of human cases of infection. Appendix B to this report
shows the WNV 2004 statistics in York Region and the surrounding regions.
Under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, responsibility for
Health Services falls to the Regional Municipality of York. The Region of
In April 2004, Markham Council approved a staff
report outlining how
·
promoting
education and reducing, where appropriate, standing water on public property;
·
working in partnership with the Region of York to
communicate and distribute information about the West Nile Virus;
·
participating in the meetings of the West Nile Virus
Control Committee;
·
linking
the Town of
·
updating the Town of Markham Internet and Intranet
sites, with current factual information about the West Nile Virus and how the
general public can protect themselves from exposure; and,
·
erecting bird and bat houses in appropriate locations
to naturally reduce mosquito populations.
Council approved $95,000 in funding in 2004, to cover the cost of:
·
$25,000
salary for one 150-day employee dedicated to surveillance activities, database
production, communications and reduction of standing water on Town property,
from April to September 2004;
·
$20,000 salary for one 150-day By-Law Enforcement
Officer dedicated to enforcement of the Standing Water By-Law, from April to
September 2004; and,
·
$50,000 for a high-pressure flusher truck to assist in
reducing mosquito breeding in areas without catchbasins; bat boxes at
appropriate locations on Town-owned properties; and, to pilot fathead minnows
and windmill powered aerators in stormwater management ponds within
Staff were directed to seek reimbursement from
the Region of York for the cost of the high-pressure flusher truck and it was
requested that the
In this report, staff is seeking Council
approval to continue the 2004 West Nile Virus Action Plan in 2005.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS:
There would be an overall project cost of $1,000,000. $500,000 of this would be funded by the 2005
budget from account number 500-998. The
resulting shortfall of $500,000 is to be provided for in the 2006 budget.
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Stuart Taylor,
Director Strategic Services
Department |
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Jim Sales,
Commissioner Community and Fire
Services |
LINKS TO COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION
Business
Units Consulted & Affected
Attachments: Outline
of Activities Undertaken in 2004
2004
West Nile Virus Statistics
The purpose of this report is to outline how
Town staff provided support to York Region Health Services Department in their
activities to control the West Nile Virus in 2004 and to set out a program for
continued support in 2005.
The following section briefly outlines the
responsibilities and involvement of the provincial government, York Region and
the Town of
Provincial Leadership
On
The Ministry also proposed ongoing research, community consultation and
consultation with national and international stakeholders to enable the
province to have the latest information on mosquito control techniques,
surveillance methods and results, and successful education approaches. In
addition, the Ministry of the Environment ensured consistency in the pesticide
programs implemented by regional health units by coordinating application
licenses within the province. Other provincial initiatives included a “Fight the
Bite” prevention campaign, posters, media print ads and brochures distributed
to
York Region Health Services Department
Although there are
several species of mosquito known to carry WNV, York Region Health Services
Department primarily targeted the Culex
species in its control program in 2004. Culex is the most common species of pest mosquito in
urban and suburban settings. This species typically lays eggs:
It is important to understand the habitat of
this species because it increases the public’s understanding that the spread of
WNV is contained mostly within the urban environment. The Culex species
lives in the suburban and urban environment where there are ready sources of
standing, stagnant water. Catchbasins
provide a perfect environment for the Culex mosquito species to
breed. The species that live in natural
areas, such as ravines, wetlands, woodlands and floodplains are plentiful but
not typically of the Culex species and, therefore, need not be
considered a threat.
The York
Region Health Services Department recommends a multi-jurisdictional approach to
dealing with the West Nile Virus. The
nine municipalities within York Region are each responsible for the following:
Surveillance
Activities
Reporting
dead birds found on municipal property to York Region Health Services
Directing
calls regarding dead birds to Health Connection
Assisting Health Services in identifying mosquito breeding sites (e.g. catchbasins)
Source
Reduction
Communication/Education
Update on York Region Activities
Staff at the York Region Health Services
Department provided an update on the 2004 WNV Control Activities to Regional
Council November 12, 2004. This report outlined the steps that had been taken
to control WNV in York Region in 2004, which included using pesticides to kill
mosquitoes at the larval stage, in all roadside catchbasins within the Region
of York. These pesticides included:
Methoprene
is used as a larvicide because it artificially stunts the insects’ development,
making it impossible for larval insects to mature to the adult stages, and
thereby, preventing them from multiplying.
Methoprene
lasts for thirty days in the environment it is deposited.
BTI
is an invertebrate growth-inhibiting bacterium that is eaten by the mosquito
larvae and causes them to die prior to achieving adulthood. Due to its
dissipation rate of three or four days, the larvicide BTI was only applied to
standing water if complaints were received and larvae was present.
In
addition to larviciding, York Region held public information sessions related
to the possible use of Malathion as an adulticide. The Medical Officer of
Health, under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, may make a
determination, based on local risk assessment about whether action, including
the use of adulticides, is required to reduce the risk of WNV. The Medical
Officer of Health indicated that the use of adulticides may be necessary if an
outbreak of WNV occurred in humans. This did not occur and adulticiding was not
undertaken in 2003, or 2004 within the Region.
York
Region Council received and adopted a report dated February 2005 from the
Commissioner of Health Services recommending
2004 Review of WNV Control in
The
following actions were implemented in 2004 to control WNV in
1.
Supporting the Region of York Health Services
The Town of Markham supported the Region of York Health Services Department control the WNV by assisting with surveillance activities, including reporting dead birds found on municipal property; directing calls regarding dead birds to the York Region Health Services Department or, the Health Connection line; and assisting York Region Health Services in identifying mosquito breeding sites where action has been taken to reduce, or eliminate standing water (e.g. roadside ditches).
2. Increasing Customer Service related to
The 150-day employee was responsible for the
following coordination around public property:
Other efforts
included:
§
Monitoring
Stormwater Management Ponds (SWMPs) for mosquito larvae on a bi-weekly basis,
mapping SWMPs for the Region and issuing work orders if refuse and standing water
was found. A total of 49 SWMPs were monitored with evidence of mosquito larvae
in 12 of them at some point over the summer. A database was maintained of
members of the community who called the Town with concerns about mosquitoes
breeding areas. Surveillance of these
locations was provided over the spring and summer in an attempt to reduce, or
eliminate, standing water, where appropriate. Approximately 108 calls were
received with concerns related to standing water on public property. Each
complaint generated an inspection and action based on the inspection that
ranged from repairing the area to adding the location to the flusher truck’s
list;
§
Working
towards eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites on municipal property by
improving drainage in ditches and filling depressions where standing water may
develop and working with railway companies to eliminate standing water on their
lands;
§
Erecting
19 new bat houses across the Town to reduce the mosquito population;
§
Implementing
a catch basin screening program in
§
Installing
windmill powered aerators in selected Stormwater Retention Ponds throughout
Markham. The purpose of these windmills is to provide continuous aeration
resulting in improved water quality and hopefully a less conducive environment
for mosquito breeding. Monitoring of all ponds began in 2004. We will continue
to monitor all the ponds, specifically those with aerators, in 2005 to get more
conclusive evidence of their effectiveness.
This program is further described in Appendix A.
§
A
Flusher truck was contracted to flush road side ditches holding water. This initiative is an alternative to applying
the larvacide BTI into our ditches. This program is further described in Appendix
A.
3.
Public Education Information
Communications were developed to improve
awareness and education of staff and residents including links on the Markham
internet and intranet featuring regular updates, frequently asked questions and
links to the Region and the Province.
The two key objectives of the communication included, educating staff
and residents on the importance of eliminating culex mosquito breeding
grounds around standing water, including flushing water in pools, swales,
birdbaths, old tires, flower pots and rain barrels every five to seven days,
and ensuring the public understand the relatively low risk posed by the virus
and how to mitigate the risk.
4.
Standing Water By-law Enforcement
Depressions
capable of holding standing water for more than five days;
Debris of
any kind capable of holding standing water;
Excavations
on the property capable of holding standing water for more than five days; and,
A
swimming pool, hot tub, wading pool or artificial pond unless it is maintained
in good repair and working condition.
In 2004,
the By-Law Enforcement & Licensing Division was allocated funding to hire a
150-day contract position to enforce the Standing Water By-law on private lands
within the Town. A Provincial Offences Officer was hired to fill the position
and the individual responded to over 100 calls from residents concerned about
standing water and the health risk associated with the West Nile Virus. The
Officer also fielded numerous general inquiries from the public providing
information and advice. The Officer responded to each of the property related
calls by completing a site inspection, contacting the property owner/ tenant,
and following up with the caller. Each case required the Officer to make
several visits to the property; first to assess the situation, and then to make
follow up visit to ensure that the matter was resolved.
Overall,
results of the 2004 program were positive. As in 2003, the Officer found the
majority of property owners unaware of the health risk and were cooperative
once they were advised of the necessary action. For 2005, By-Law Enforcement
anticipates an equal number of calls and having to deal with similar numbers of
unused pools where staff will have to proactively enforce the By-Law. Providing
this service requires a dedicated resource. The division requests funding for a
150-day contract position at a cost of up to $20,000 to provide a program this
year.
WNV control program in
Staff proposes that the 2004 WNV control program be carried on in 2005 and that staff:
·
Erect
additional bat houses at appropriate locations on Town-owned facilities, to be
coordinated by staff;
·
Introduce
fathead minnows into SWMPs that were known to have mosquito larvae, and
monitoring the effectiveness of the minnows. Fathead minnows are natural
mosquito predators and are being promoted by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
While staff was to proceed with this program in 2004 a supply of these licenses
and minnows were difficult to obtain and staff are proposing that the program
be undertaken in 2005;
·
Continue
providing directional flushing by the flusher truck to ensure more substantial
and thorough agitation of standing water, particularly in driveway culverts;
and,
· Continue to monitor the effectiveness of the 12 windmills installed in 2004.
The Region of
Promoting public education and outreach to
the community on WNV control and what the public can do to protect themselves
is the best first step towards supporting the Region. By providing current and continuously updated
information on the Town’s website, the community page in the local paper and
distributing the flyers provided by the Region, the Town can work with the
community to provide a message that reduces fear and promotes a preventative
approach.
This
report includes a summary of the WNV control program in
The costs
of the recommendations in this report are estimated to be:
·
One
150-day employee dedicated to surveillance activities, database production,
communications and reduction of standing water on Town property at a cost of up
to $25,000 (including fringe benefits and overhead);
·
One 150-day By-Law Enforcement Officer dedicated to
enforcement of the Standing Water By-Law at a cost of up to $20,000 (including
fringe benefits and overhead);
·
Up to $50,000 be established for a high-pressure
flusher truck as an enhanced approach to reducing mosquito breeding in those
areas of
Funding for these programs has been
incorporated into the 2005 Approved Operating Budget.
The following departments may have
responsibility for some portion of the WNV control in the Town of
Appendix
A – Outline of Activities Undertaken in 2004
Appendix
B – 2004
Description of 2004 Town of
Flusher Truck
The Region of York
has identified that open standing water such as that found in many roadside
ditches is an excellent breeding site for the Culex mosquitoes. In an
effort to provide and enhanced approach to WNV control in
The cost for the Flusher truck in 2004 was $11,225.37. Staff
believes that the flusher truck offers an effective alternative to the use of
larvacide and should be continued into 2005
Windmill Powered
Aerators
Storm water
management ponds provide an important water quality benefit and provide a
diverse habitat supporting many species of wildlife including birds, frogs,
fish and beneficial insects. These ponds
also contribute to the life of the community by providing open spaces for
relaxation and walking. Stagnant water can occur in stormwater management ponds
if there is not sufficient rain or wind to disturb the water. Aerating
windmills work year round to provide a continuous supply of oxygen to standing
water. The aerators are installed at the
bottom of the stormwater management ponds where air is released into the entire
volume of the water. As oxygen supply is
maintained, so is water quality, reducing the opportunity for mosquito larvae
to survive. By increasing aeration,
stagnant water is reduced and so is mosquito breeding. In 2004, 12 windmill powered aerators were
installed in 12 of the over 50 stormwater management ponds located in
The 12 Windmill
powered aerators that are currently installed at the following stormwater
management ponds cost $31,063.74 in 2004.
These windmills may be relocated to other ponds should staff identify ponds
that have characteristics that may be better suited for this type of program
through our continued observation of
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Pond Name |
Location |
Ward |
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Pond Drive |
Pond Drive and |
2 |
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Golden Avenue and |
7 |
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Townson |
Behind plaza at |
6 |
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Apple Creek |
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6 |
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East side of
Woodbine north of |
6 |
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Carleton |
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3 |
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Roxbury |
North east corner of |
7 |
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Raspberry Ridge |
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4 |
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Lemsford |
South end of |
7 |
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South end of |
4 |
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Woodbine |
South west corner
of Woodbine and Hwy 7 |
6 |
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Rougebank |
Rougebank and
Legacy |
7 |
Bat Boxes
Mosquitoes
are a source of food to the brown bat which is known to inhabit areas of
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Location |
# of Houses |
Area |
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2 |
Thornhill |
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2 |
Thornhill |
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2 |
Milliken Mills |
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Too Good Pond
Pavillion |
2 |
Unionville |
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Operations Yard |
1 |
Unionville |
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North end of Too
Good Pond off of Normandale |
2 |
Unionville |
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Open space behind
Mt. Joy C.C |
4 |
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Rougebank C.C |
2 |
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2 |
|
Staff will be
monitoring in 2005 to determine if all of the boxes are occupied. Typically
they are occupied within a year of installation and the bats are very effective
in reducing the mosquito population. A single bat can catch hundreds of
night flying insects in just one hour, consuming from 30 to 50 percent of its
body weight in insects each night. On this basis staff are recommending an
additional 20 bat boxes be installed on Town property.
Catchbasin Screening
Program
In 2004, the Region
of York expanded their catchbasin larvaciding program to include catchbasins
located in parks and the backyards of private residences. As an alternative to additional lavacide in
our park catchbasins, staff designed a special screening device to be placed
under the lid of the catchbasin. The
purpose of this fine mesh screen is to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the
stagnant water at the bottom of the catchbasin to lay their eggs. It also prevents any larvae that may be
already developing in the catchbasin from leaving once they have developed into
adult mosquitoes. This screen was also
offered to residents who had back yard catchbasins and opted not to have them
larvacided. In 2004, staff screened 121
catch basins in our parks and 14 residential back yard catch basins. This program was successful and staff
recommends that it be continued and possibly expanded in 2005.
2004
|
Location |
Human Cases |
Positive Birds |
Positive Mosquito Pools |
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0 |
1 |
0 |
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0 |
3 |
1 |
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0 |
1 |
0 |
|
King |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Whitchurch-Stouffville |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
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1 |
11 |
1 |
Surrounding Regions
|
Location |
Human Cases |
Positive Mosquito Pools |
Positive Birds |
|
|
1 |
1 |
11 |
|
|
6 |
31 |
18 |
|
Peel Region |
0 |
4 |
16 |
|
Halton Region |
0 |
5 |
13 |
|
|
0 |
2 |
8 |
