HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-03-19
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
MARCH 19, 2015 CITY OF KITCHENER
The Environmental Committee met this date commencing at 4:02 p.m.
Present: Ms. S. Danckert, Chair
Councillor Y. Fernandes, Messrs. J. Jackson and M. Yaeger and Ms. T. Driver, Ms. T.
Belanger and Ms. K. Milicic
Staff: C. Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner
B. Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner
J. Ouellette, Facilitator, Volunteer Resources and Community Engagement
D. Saunderson, Committee Administrator
1. PRESENTATION - 2015 EARTH DAY
The Committee considered information material entitled, Earth Day outlining various
programs in place for the 2015 Earth Day, including: Earth Hour; 20-Minute Makeover; Tim
Hortons Community Clean-Up; and, KNAP Earth Day Celebration.
M. J. Ouellette gave a presentation outlining the following City of Kitcheners 2015 Earth Day
events, and gave a brief summary of their overall goals and objectives:
Earth Hour;
·
20 Minute Makeover;
·
Tim Hortons Community Litter Pick-up;
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Community Organized Litter Pick-ups;
·
School Yard Clean-ups PLUS; and.
·
Huron Natural Area Earth Day Celebration.
·
Mr. Ouellette encouraged anyone interested in taking part in Kitcheners Earth Day events to
register as a participant on the Citys website at http:// www.kitchener.ca/earthday. She
suggested that all members of the Committee could volunteer or plan their own Earth Day
event, and further advised anyone wishing to participate specifically in the Huron Natural Area
Earth Day Celebration email volunteers@kitchener.ca directly.
2. CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION PAPER
The Committee considered a memorandum entitled Ontario Launches Climate Change
Consultations Province Invites Public to Offer Ideas on Climate Change Action, dated March
2, 2015 regarding an invitation to comment on and share ideas about climate change, as well
as Section 4, Summary and Discussion Questions, of the Climate Change Discussion Paper
2015. The Committee was in receipt this date of a presentation entitled Ontarios Climate
Change Discussion Paper, 2015 providing a summary of the discussion questions for the
Committee to provide feedback on.
Ms. C. Musselman advised that the Province of Ontario has released a Climate Change
Discussion Paper inviting citizens, First Nations and Metis communities, municipalities and
businesses to comment on and share ideas about how to fight climate change. She noted that
in conjunction with the Mayors office, the City is preparing a consolidated response to the
Province for the March 29, 2015 deadline. She stated that all comments received by the
Province will be taken into consideration when developing a new Climate Change Strategy and
Five-Year Action Plan which is anticipated to be released prior to the end of 2015.
Ms. Musselman advised that staff have narrowed their focus on questions regarding two
themes: Actions in Key Sectors; and, Communities and Built Form, as those themes have
direct correlation with items within the scope of the Citys jurisdiction.
The Committee was provided four questions under the theme of Actions in Key Sectors to
generate discussion and receive feedback. A summary of the questions and the Committees
feedback are as follows:
What can each of the key sectors, including transportation, industry, buildings, electricity,
agriculture, waste and forestry, do to contribute to Ontarios 2020 and 2050 targets, the
following suggestions were provided:
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
MARCH 19, 2015 - 11 - CITY OF KITCHENER
2. CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION PAPER (CONTD)
maximize the amount of recycling content required for new products;
·
create easy ways for partnerships to be found/formed; and,
·
bring back the proposed Ontario Waste Reduction Act so industry is responsible for
·
the full costs of waste disposal not the municipality.
What can government better do to encourage industry to further increase rates of innovation
that would lead to improved productivity of all capital, including natural capital, in order to
reduce emissions, the following suggestions were provided:
the government should adopt an innovation-driving tool. This would generate a
·
push in a new direction to make people/businesses think/ create new innovative
solution. A carbon tax could do this;
research dollars at all levels of government should be provided;
·
market tools are needed to make change because businesses need (an) incentive(s)
·
to change;
cap-and-trade would be counter-productive; and.
·
the government must find ways to remove barriers to innovation. Industries are
·
invested in old ways of doing things. For example, some innovative industries (early
adopters) might be characterized as too innovative and their new ideas may take
longer to implement, or they might not happen at all.
Climate change will have an impact on Ontarios food supply. What role should this issue play
in Ontarios climate strategy, the following suggestions were provided:
the Province should support the decisions being made by municipalities to not grow
·
past defined urban boundaries;
protect our food supply/source at the same time as we grow/develop;
·
expand the Greater Golden Horseshoe Green Belt (to include Kitchener and the
·
Waterloo Region);
dont build new roads (like Number 7);
·
support our farmers (all sizes) so they can afford to keep farming;
·
strengthen our capacity to produce an organic, sustainable food system;
·
support marketing tools for farmers so they are more known;
·
develop and implement a Food Security Strategic Action Plan at the Provincial
·
level; and,
Province should place a real emphasis on the best use of our water resources so
·
that we / farmers can be as efficient as possible (e.g. irrigation in light of climate
change; other sustainable farm practices).
How can Ontario best achieve reductions in emissions in the transportation sector sufficient to
achieve Ontarios targets, the following suggestions were provided:
continue to expand and fund public transportation and make it the most efficient;
·
make sure we have mixed communities so that we have walkable/transit supportive
·
options;
dedicate Provincial revenue to improving transit between cities (i.e. more and faster
·
trips between Toronto and Kitchener);
any carbon tax collected should be dedicated to a specific account/project;
·
any carbon tax collected needs to transparent as to where it is being spent after
·
collected;
increase funding for public transit;
·
provide a dedicated funding scheme to municipalities for walking/cycling supportive
·
initiatives; and,
emphasize/publicize that new and existing roads are expensive.
·
The Committee was provided three questions under the theme of Communities & Built Form to
generate discussion and receive feedback. A summary of the questions and the Committee
feedback are as follows:
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
MARCH 19, 2015 - 12 - CITY OF KITCHENER
2. CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION PAPER (CONTD)
Transportation emissions have grown at a rate faster than any other class of emissions largely
because of population growth and urban expansion. What role could the Growth Plan for the
Greater Golden Horseshoe and other planning mechanisms play, in combination with other
government initiatives such as electrified Regional Express Rail, in stabilizing the growth in
transportation and building emissions, the following suggestions were provided:
Councillor Y. Fernandes entered the meeting at this time.
strengthen the Ontario Building Code Act, increase training for those involved in
·
building inspections/trades/construction;
provide more support/funding to municipalities for projects like light rail;
·
walkable communities;
·
firm urban boundaries;
·
dont deceive the public about the costs required to meet the proposed objective
·
(80% reduction by 2050). Meeting the objective (implementing programs/projects)
will cost a substantial amount of money and that should be disclosed upfront; and,
if more/enhanced requirements for sustainability are imposed upon municipalities
·
and individual citizens, Provincial and/or federal incentives are also needed to help
meet these increased demands (re-instate the Home Energy Savings Plan).
Building net zero communities and buildings are already possible from an engineering
standpoint yet few have been constructed. In Ontario, what changes are needed to building
codes and planning processes to ensure greater uptake with regard to geothermal, solar, wind,
natural light, combined heat and power, community energy and other emerging technologies,
the following suggestions were provided:
the Ontario Green Energy Act already removes a lot of previous barriers in the
·
planning approvals process and the issuance of building permits;
for wind projects, have a partnership requirement with municipalities such that a
·
portion of the revenue goes back to the community;
follow through with more building code updates and enforce those updates;
·
have planning approvals incorporate energy efficiencies; and,
·
Provincial or Federal governments will need to provide incentives to help cover the
·
costs of home improvements related to energy conservation.
When including emissions from electrical demand and heating gas, buildings in Ontario already
account for about ¼ of our emissions. How could emissions from the existing building stock be
reduced sufficiently to ensure Ontario achieves its targets, the following suggestions were
provided:
bring back incentives for home owners to do home improvements that reduce energy
·
consumption;
require (or incent) more passive technologies (i.e. hanging laundry out on a line);
·
have programs geared to the middle class as we already have programs for lower
·
incomes;
have energy audits for homes that are for sale so perspective purchasers can know
·
and compare energy consumptions;
such financial incentive programs should be directed at the middle class, not just
·
those on income assistance programs;
more education regarding the benefits (money saving) of energy conservation in
·
homes in both the winter (heating) and the summer (cooling);
EnerGuide for houses should be required; and,
·
climate change resiliency should be emphasized in incentive/other program.
·
Ms. Musselman noted that if members were interested in providing additional feedback, it can
be done by: going directly to Government of Ontario website and use the online consultation
tool provided by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change; connecting through
social media using the hashtag #ONclimate; or, through town hall style regional meetings
across the province.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
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3. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE LIAISONS - 2015 AIR QUALITY IN KITCHENER BEST
BETS
The Committee considered a memorandum entitled Final Best Bets for Air Quality Sub-
Committee Selection, dated March 5, 2015, regarding the 2014 Where Are They Now? audit
of the remaining 7 outstanding Action Items from Air Quality in Kitchener report to be
completed by the Committee in 2015.
Ms. B. Steiner advised that members are being asked to volunteer for the various Sub-
Committees required to carry out the work on the remaining 7 outstanding Action Items from
the Air Quality in Kitchener report. As several members were not in attendance this date, she
advised that any spaces remaining to be filled can be reviewed at the April 16, 2015
Environmental Committee meeting. It was noted that a maximum of participants on any of the
proposed Sub-Committees is 4 members.
Ms. Steiner then reviewed the seven Best Bets for work in 2015 and requested volunteers for
each Sub-Committee.
Best Bet No. 1 Councillor Y. Fernandes, S. Danckert; and,
·
Best Bet No. 2 J. Jackson, T. Driver, S. Danckert; and
·
Best Bet No. 3 T. Belanger; and,
·
Best Bet No. 4 no one at this time; and,
·
Best Bet No. 5 no one at this time; and,
·
Best Bet No. 6 K. Milicic; and further,
·
Best Bet No. 7 J. Jackson.
·
Ms. Steiner advised that staff will assist the Sub-Committees by making the initial contact with
the identified staff people but it will be the Sub-Committees responsibility to follow up with their
respective staff contact to schedule a meeting.
4. 2015-2016 ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE WORK PLAN
The Committee was in receipt this date of a draft Work Plan based on the Committees existing
goals, objectives and priorities, as well as a summary of the already appointed Sub-
Committees that have been established by the Committee.
Ms. B. Steiner advised that at the February 19, 2015 Committee meeting, Members were
shown various Work Plans previously adopted by the Committee to provide examples for what
the future Work Plan should include. She noted that a draft Work Plan has been circulated this
date with annual project that the Committee undertakes, as well as the various Sub-Committee
projects and times associated with the completion of those projects. She indicated that she
has categorized the annual and ongoing projects under the Seven Themes within the Strategic
Plan for the Environment, and included an additional category for items that fall within multiple
themes of the Strategic Plan. She stated that the Plan provided is in draft form and requested
that members think about suggestions or initiatives that they would like the Environmental
Committee to accomplish in the coming term, and noted time would be set aside for
brainstorming at the Committees April 16, 2015 meeting.
Ms. Steiner requested feedback on the initial draft Plan, noting as an example that the Best Bet
Sub-Committees have all currently been aligned under the theme for Air Quality because of
their correlation with the Citizens Report for Air Quality. She noted that although the actions,
when completed, would improve air quality, there are a few actions that more closely align with
other themes within the Strategic Plan for the Environment and questioned whether they
should be moved on the Plan to their more appropriate themes.
Several members expressed support for realigning the Best Bet items under the more
appropriate themes from the Strategic Plan.
Ms. Steiner further advised that although there is no deadline to bring the Work Plan before
Council for consideration, it would be desirable to bring it forward before the June recess.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
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5. ADJOURNMENT
On motion, this meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m.
Dianna Saunderson
Committee Administrator