GENERAL COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Stuart Taylor, Director, Strategic Services
	PREPARED BY:	Mavis Urquhart, Manager, Environmental Leadership
	DATE OF MEETING:	May 16, 2005
	SUBJECT:	Hosting Smog Summit in Markham

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the staff report entitled “Hosting Smog Summit in Markham”, dated May 16, 2005, be received and that hosting of the Summit not be planned at this time, but be reconsidered at a future date.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to establish the Town of Markham’s interest in hosting a Smog Summit, in coordination with the Clean Air Partnership (CAP), York Region and partners, and to outline the scope of the costs and coordination involved.

BACKGROUND:

In 2004, Markham Council directed staff to “review, and to report back on, the possibility of hosting a future meeting of the Toronto Smog Summit in the Town of Markham”. There was no specific timing contained in the resolution.

DISCUSSION:

The Greater Toronto Area Clean Air Council (GTA CAC)

The Town of Markham is a member of the GTA CAC, an intergovernmental working group dedicated to exploring joint clean air initiatives in the GTA and to liaising with municipalities across Canada to discover best practices for reducing smog. Smog Summit 2002, marked the first time when government representatives identified substantive joint initiatives for improving air quality in the GTA and as a result, GTA CAC members recommended financial contributions to achieve the joint actions.

The Role of the Clean Air Partnership (CAP)

CAP is a registered charity, initially established in 1992, as the Toronto Atmospheric Fund Foundation (TAF). CAP’s functions include partnerships, outreach and support for clean air activities. CAP is responsible for managing the GTA CAC budget, its processes and projects (as funding permits), and moderating the GTA CAC meetings.

CAP organizes the Smog Summits and edits and publishes the proceedings. CAP is responsible for activating and coordinating the GTA CAC and working with the GTA CAC to develop new announcements for the Smog Summit from the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government. CAP also works with the Smog Summit Secretariat, a small committee of city departments, community groups and utility partners who plan and determine the Smog Summit agenda and execute the logistics of the event. CAP works with governments, TAF, and other funding sources, such as Enbridge Gas Distribution, to secure funding for the Smog Summit and the GTA CAC.

The Annual Toronto Smog Summit

With its inaugural event in 2000, the Toronto Smog Summit is an annual gathering of industry, community, and all three levels of government, organized by CAP and promoted by the GTA CAC. The Town of Markham has participated in the Smog Summit since 2001, signing the Intergovernmental Declaration on Clean Air and making Clean Air commitments as part of the Clean Air Inventory, a compendium of commitments made by members of the GTA CAC. To date, the Smog Summit has been organized to allow members of the GTA CAC to make announcements based on their individual commitments in the Clean Air Inventory. In future, the Smog Summit will, in alternating years, provide an opportunity for announcements of new clean air initiatives and an opportunity to take stock of what has been done.

Hosting a Smog Summit in Markham

To date, the annual Toronto Smog Summit, with a total budget of approximately $200,000, has been funded by the federal and provincial governments, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, the City of Toronto ($100,000 contribution) and major sponsors, including Enbridge Gas Distribution and Toronto Hydro. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF), who have provided between $30,000 - $50,000 to the Smog Summit since its inception in 2000, and Toronto Hydro, who have contributed $15,000 to the Smog Summit, will only fund events that occur within the City of Toronto, therefore, their funding can not be included in the Smog Summit budget if it were held in Markham. The financial contribution from Enbridge Gas, which was $50,000 in 2005, would require negotiation to ensure their continued participation in a Markham-hosted Smog Summit.

To host the Smog Summit, staff from the Town of Markham would need to work with CAP and York Region staff to establish roles and priorities, funding, communications and an agenda. Some of the issues that will need to be coordinated related to hosting the Smog Summit in Markham include:

· Engaging CAP to organize, coordinate and oversee the Smog Summit;

· Establishing a Smog Summit Secretariat, a small committee of Town and Regional staff, community members and partners (e.g. Power Stream, MDEI) to plan and determine the Smog Summit agenda and execute the logistics of the event;

· Establishing an appropriate venue that is accessible by transit (e.g. Civic Centre Council Chambers);

· Transportation between 416 and 905 which will require YRT coordination with TTC;

· Securing sponsorship, to ensure funding and support for the Smog Summit in Markham to fill the budget gap from the missing TAF and Toronto Hydro sponsorship;

· Engaging participants from the GTA, including businesses and members of the public, and,

· Engaging the media from the 416 and 905 areas.

· Ensuring Adequate Town of Markham resources to plan, organize and administer the event

Before a change in location for this large and complex inter-governmental and public event can be considered, consultation with all of the key stakeholders in the process will also be required, including the current host and other members of the GTA Clean Air Council. This planning would need to commence at least a year in advance.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

A detailed work program would be required to determine the full cost and additional staffing resources required to plan, negotiate, stage and promote this event. The Town of Markham would be required to make a minimum funding contribution of $100,000 and to work to secure additional funding since funding from the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and Toronto Hydro will not be available. In addition, the Town would need to retain contract resources to plan, organize and administer the event.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Corporate Services

Community and Fire Services

CONCLUSIONS:

To host a future Smog Summit, which is a large and complex inter-governmental and public event, would require considerable time, effort and resources. The City of Toronto, which has held the Summit in the past is well resourced and equipped to accommodate this event. At present, Markham does not have adequate resources to stage such a significant event and ensure its success.

Markham’s resources are currently allocated to a number of high priority environmental projects including the development of an environmental management plan, establishing the Markham Energy Conservation Office and a number of other clean air initiatives. Hosting the Smog Summit will require allocating resources to plan, co-ordinate and administer the event. It is therefore the recommendation of this report therefore that plans to host the Smog Summit be deferred for reconsideration at a future date.

Stuart Taylor, Director, Strategic Services

Jim Sales, Commissioner, Community and Fire Services