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Home My WebLink AboutCSD-11-032 - LEAF Steering Committeee Staff Re opt KiTCx~nT~~ CommunrtySer~rcesDepar~ment REPORT TO: Council DATE OF MEETING: February 14, 2011 www.kitchenerca SUBMITTED BY: Jeff ~Ilmer, Deputy CAO Community Services Department PREPARED BY: Barbara Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner, 519-741-2293 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: February 8, 2011 REPORT NO.: CSD -11 - 032 SUBJECT: LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION FUND (LEAF) APPOINTMENT OF CITIZEN ADVISORS RECOMMENDATION: 1. THAT the LEAF Steering Committee be comprised of the following individuals: the Deputy CAOs of the three (3) City departments, the Director of Planning, the Senior Environmental Planner responsible for LEAF, and at least two (2) to a maximum of five (5) citizen advisors; and further 2. THAT Scott Piatkowski, Karen Redman, Charles Priddle, Teresa Cornwell and James Dankert be appointed to sit on the LEAF Steering Committee for the period of 2011-2012. BACKGROUND: At the April 16, 2007 meeting of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, Council approved the $5 million Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF). Throughout 2007, input on how LEAF should operate was obtained from staff, Council and the public. Based on this direction, an Operating Framework for LEAF (DTS-08-33), including the formation of a LEAF Steering Committee, was approved by Council on March 17, 2008. The goal and objectives for LEAF are attached. In considering the LEAF application and evaluation process recommended in staff report DTS- 08-194 on November 17, 2008, Finance and Corporate Services Committee members requested more information on options for the composition of the LEAF Steering Committee, specifically, how to incorporate citizen input into the process for evaluating applications. On December 8, 2008, after considering DTS Reports 08-194 and 08-202, Council approved a process for incorporating public input which includes publicizing and selecting two citizen advisors. The terms of the two citizen advisors for 2009-2010 have expired and new appointees for the 2011-2012 period are required. 2-1 Staff Re ort ~ITCH~I`r?E~ X01111'1']~1111~~'$E1'V1[QS~~pQ~'~~T?~Q1~ w~+w.kitthenerca REPORT: LEAF Steering Committee's Role The role of the LEAF Steering Committee is to receive and review all of the applications, to evaluate them, and then to make recommendations on each of those applications to Finance and Corporate Services Committee and Council. City Council will be the final decision-making authority on whether or not an application for LEAF funding is successful or not. During the evaluation process, the LEAF Steering Committee may contact applicants for more information or clarification, and may also solicit the advice of other knowledgeable individuals or organizations. Criteria & Selection Process for Citizen Advisors on LEAF For the period of 2009-2010, two (2) citizen advisors were advertized for and selected. For future two-year terms including the imminent 2011-2012 term, it is recommended that additional citizen advisors be appointed to the LEAF Steering Committee. Therefore, between two (2) and five (5) citizen advisors should be appointed based on the qualifications of the applicants and the selection criteria previously approved by Council below. Additional citizen advisor positions are recommended to achieve a greater balance between staff and citizen members of the committee. The citizen advisors should provide expertise that reflects the goals and objectives of LEAF (Attachment A) and / or can add value to the Steering Committee with respect to their experience as community leaders in a granting organization. The citizen advisors to sit on the LEAF Steering Committee must: - Be prepared to commit to a two-year term with the evaluation work to occur in each of the two years of their term between mid-February and mid-April; and - Be passionate about improving Kitchener's biophysical environment; and - Have demonstrated experience in one or more of the following environmental areas: • Climate change, mitigation and/or adaptation • Public awareness of environmental issues • Air quality • Energy use and efficiency, alternative energy sources • Land trusts and natural lands management, or • Green transportation, walkable communities and alternatives to the automobile OR - Have demonstrated experience as a community leader in a granting organization. At least 50% of the total number of citizen advisors appointed MUST provide environmental expertise from the areas noted above to the Steering Committee. 2- 2 Staff Re ort ~ITCH~I`r?E~ X01111'1']~1111~~'$E1'V1[QS~~pQ~'~~T?~Q1~ w~+w.kitthenerca Preference is given to applicants who live, work, own/operate a business, or own property in the City of Kitchener. Citizen advisors may not apply for funding from LEAF, nor be associated in any substantial way with any individual, group or organization applying for funding. Citizen advisors are also required to sign both a confidentiality as well as a conflict of interest agreement, as are all staff members of the LEAF Steering Committee. After publicizing the City's need for citizen advisors to sit on the LEAF Steering Committee (see Community Engagement section below), applications were reviewed and evaluated by the Kitchener staff members of the LEAF Steering Committee based on the criteria noted above. During the evaluation process, applicants for the citizen advisor positions may have been contacted for more information or clarification. The standard City form for Application for Appointment to Advisory Committees and Boards is used. The candidates who best meet the criteria have been recommended to Council to be appointed to the LEAF Steering Committee. The staff members of the LEAF Steering Committee recommend the appointment of Scott Piatkowski, Karen Redman, Charles Priddle, Teresa Cornwell and James Dankert to the citizen advisor positions on the LEAF Steering Committee. A summary of the candidates' qualifications with respect to the selection criteria for the committee is provided in Attachment B. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Community Priorities Leadership and Community Engagement Appointing citizen advisors to the LEAF Steering Committee will enhance our partnership with citizens, business, agencies, organizations, school boards and all orders of government in all Healthy Community initiatives (Strategic Direction 1). Environment Having qualified citizen advisors on the LEAF Steering Committee will help achieve the Citizens' Vision for the Environment (2027), in which our community focuses significant energy and resources on becoming more environmentally friendly. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Costs to advertize for the citizen advisors to sit on the LEAF Steering Committee were covered by the Planning Division's advertizing budget. 2-3 Staff Re ort ~ITCH~I`r?E~ X01111'1']~1111~~'$E1'V1[QS~~pQ~'~~T?~Q1~ w~+w.kitthenerca COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The need for citizen advisors was publicized through the City's website; Kitchener Citizen advertisements in January; and through a directed email invitation to the environmental sector. CONCLUSION: After publicizing the need for citizen advisors, applications were received and evaluated by the staff members of the LEAF Steering Committee using the criteria approved by Council. Staff recommends the appointment of Scott Piatkowski, Karen Redman, Charles Priddle, Teresa Cornwell and James Dankert to the LEAF Steering Committee as citizen advisors. REVIEWED BY: Alain Pinard, Director of Planning ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, Deputy CAO Community Services Department Attachments A: LEAF Goal and Objectives B: Candidate Biographies 2-4 Staff Re ort ~ITCHLI`r?E~ X01111'1']~1111~~'$E1'V1[QS~~pQ~'~~T?~Q1~ w~+w.kitthenerca Attachment A LEAF Goal & Objectives Goal To reduce, or repair, Kitchener's impact on the environment focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gases, and to enhance the ability of the Kitchener community to live sustainably into the future. Objectives Projects or programs funded by LEAF MUST: 1. Contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases produced by the City's own operations and / or the community-at-large; AND 2. Increase public awareness of the environmental impact of the behaviours of municipal governments, communities, businesses, families, and/or individuals, and promote changed behaviour at this local level; AND 3. Provide along-term, sustainable, environmental benefit to Kitchener, AND accomplish ONE OR MORE of the following 4. Contribute to enhanced local air quality 5. Result in reduced energy use, increased energy efficiency, increased use of alternative energy sources 6. Increase City-ownership of significant natural lands where other techniques for acquisition have not succeeded 7. Provide capital enhancements to City-owned and -managed natural lands over and above what would occur as part of normal City procedures 8. Facilitate capital improvements that will make existing communities more complete and residents of those communities less dependent on the automobile. 2-5 Staff Re ort ~ITCH~I`r?E~ X01111'1']~1111~~'$E1'V1[QS~~pQ~'~~T?~Q1~ w~+w.kitthenerca Attachment B Candidate Biographies Mr. Piatkowski is a Kitchener resident and has served one term on the LEAF Steering Committee (2009-2010), and has recently also been involved as a citizen advisor on the Kitchener Community Grant Review Committee. From an environmental perspective, he is the author of Environmental Code of Practice for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and is a member of the Region's Cycling Advisory Committee helping to spearhead the bus- and-bike initiative. Ms. Redman is a Kitchener resident and has served one term on the LEAF Steering Committee (2009-2010). As an area MP, she was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment from 2000 to 2003 during which time her government consulted widely on, crafted and passed federal endangered species legislation. Ms. Redman also played a leadership role in Canada's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Dr. Priddle is a Kitchener resident, has a Ph.D. in water resources management, experience in applying for research funding at universities, and is employed at Halton Region Conservation Authority. Ms. Cornwell is a Kitchener resident, possesses a B.Sc. in Environmental Toxicology, has ten (10) years work experience in biotechnology research, and is active in the Green Party of Canada. Dr. Dankert is a Kitchener resident, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, and has extensive experience reviewing grant applications for NSERC and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. He has a personal interest in environmental issues and views participation on the LEAF Steering Committee as a way to become more involved in the community. 2-6