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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-06-17ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 17, 2010 CITY OF KITCHENER The Environmental Committee met this date commencing at 4:02 p. m. Present: Mr. B. McColl -Chair Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Ms. J. Young, Ms. L. Matthews, Ms. M. Thomson-Howell, Ms. S. Smith and Messrs. D. Ryrie, M. Peterson, C. Schneider and G. Zador. Staff: D. Schmitt, Environmental & Urban Forest Project Manager C. Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner D. Saunderson, Committee Administrator C. Goodeve, Committee Administrator EMERALD ASH BORER PREPAREDNESS PLAN Mr. D. Schmitt gave a presentation on the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a federally quarantined and invasive tree pest that affects all ash trees. Mr. Schmitt explained that the EAB, since being introduced to North America, has caused catastrophic tree loss with 100% ash tree mortality within 10 years. The EAB has been confirmed in the Cities of London and Toronto and it is expected to affect Kitchener in the near future, which would result in a significant loss of ash trees on City streets and in natural /active parklands. He advised that including the lost environmental benefits from those trees, the cost to remove and replace affected street trees is estimated at $7.75M. He added that this does not include replacement in nature areas and parklands, as a comprehensive tree inventory has yet to be completed for those areas. Mr. Schmitt advised that a report was considered at the June 7, 2010 Community Services Committee meeting providing two options that the City could take in dealing with this problem, being: a passive management program of removing and replacing dead trees; or, an active management program of communication and education, protecting some of the ash tree population through aggressive tree removal and the use of pesticides. He advised that staff recommended, and Council approved, the active street tree management program, which will require increases to capital and operating budgets over the next ten years. He noted that a park tree inventory was scheduled to be undertaken in 2014/2015, but approval was given for it to be advanced to 2011; thereby providing enhanced data on the City's ash tree population and costs for mitigating the impact to those trees. In response to questions, Mr. Schmitt estimated that ash trees account for approximately 8% of the street trees in Kitchener. He stated that until there is a confirmed EAB population in the City, raising public awareness of this issue is preferable to encouraging residents to pursue their own protection methods. He advised that options for EAB pest control include various chemical treatments, or clear-cutting depending on the severity; however, hiring an arborist for tree protection would be the best course of action for the average homeowner. Mr. Schmitt agreed to present the updated street tree inventory to the Committee in the fall of 2010. 2. 2010 COMMUTER CHALLENGE UPDATE The Committee was in receipt of materials regarding the 2010 Commuter Challenge in Waterloo Region, dated June 1, 2010, which included information on the Great Commuter Race between Regional Chair K. Selling, and City Councillors J. Gazzola and B. Vrbanovic. Councillor B. Vrbanovic provided an update on the 2010 Commuter Challenge, advising that it is a nation-wide challenge encouraging Canadians to walk, cycle, carpool, tele-work or take transit instead of independently driving to work. He noted that as a highlight to the Commuter Challenge in this area, several local politicians participated in the Great Commuter race on to increase awareness of the different transit options open to residents. The race was a challenge between a Toyota Prius Hybrid, a bicycle and a Grand River Transit (GRT) bus to see who would be the first to arrive at Kitchener City Hall starting from the Davis Center at the University of Waterloo. He stated that the finishing times between the first place and third place were minimal, with the bicycle finishing first, the Prius finishing second and the GRT bus coming in third. A discussion ensued regarding the potential alternative modes of transportation that could be implemented in this area. Staff were requested to investigate the possibility of having representatives from the Region of Waterloo give a presentation on this topic at a future Committee meeting. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 17, 2010 - 18 - CITY OF KITCHENER 3. REVIEW OF THE DRAFT 2010 AIR QUALITY IN KITCHENER REPORT The Committee was in receipt this date of the final draft of the Air Quality in Kitchener Report 2010, containing the final list of recommendations, action items and facts which will form the basis for future best bets. Ms. C. Musselman led the Committee in a review of the circulated Report. Members spoke in support of the final list of recommendations and provided the following comments /suggested changes for the draft Air Quality in Kitchener Report 2010: • item 1.1.a -the action item be changed from "can" to "should"; • item 1.1 - add a link to the website for the Parks Master Plan on the City's website as an additional fact; • item 1.2 -the action item be clarified by adding in "by offering incentives"; • item 1.2 -adding an additional fact regarding street trees and their positive impact on retail sales; • item 2.1 -adding the following additional action item: "to encourage the Region to actively enforce their water conservation by-law through more through monitoring"; • item 2.4 -the recommendation be changed to read "maintain basic water management systems"; • item 3.3 -the action item be changed to "the City can adopt planning tools to assist with the development of Community Energy Plans that would support the Air Quality in Kitchener 2010"; • item 3.5.b -the action item be removed as redundant; • item 6.1 -the addition of a fact providing examples of special wastes as outlined in the action column; • item 6.2 -begin the recommendation with the word "encourage"; and, • item 6.3 -begin the recommendation with the word "promote." Ms. Musselman advised that the final copy, endorsed by the Committee, would be forwarded to the City's Communications Division for editing and graphic design. She further advised that the finalized Report is anticipated to be presented at the August 23, 2010 Development and Technical Services Committee meeting. Mr. G. Zador volunteered, and it was agreed for him to further review the Report with Ms. Musselman and offer suggested formatting /grammatical changes. On motion by Mr. G. Zador - itwas resolved: "That the Air Quality in Kitchener 2010 be endorsed as amended." 4. ADJOURNMENT On motion, this meeting adjourned at 5:37 p. m. D. Saunderson C. Goodeve Committee Administrator Committee Administrator