HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnv Minutes - 2018-06-21ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
JUNE 21, 2018 CITY OF KITCHENER
The Environmental Committee met this date commencing at 4:02 p.m.
Present: Ms. C. Gaetani - Chair
Councillor Y. Fernandes, Messrs. J. Gray, J. Jackson, and E. Saxon, and Ms. E. Kelly,
S. Danckert, T. Driver, and T. Belanger.
Staff: B. Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner
A. McCrimmon-Jones, Transportation Planning Project Manager
J. Rodrigues, Committee Administrator
1. WINTER SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE REVIEW
The Committee was in receipt this date of an internal memo entitled "Winter Sidewalk
Maintenance Review Update", dated June 7, 2018 and a staff report entitled "Winter Sidewalk
Maintenance Review", dated June 18, 2018 regarding a winter sidewalk maintenance strategy.
Mr. A. McCrimmon-Jones provided an overview of the Winter Sidewalk Maintenance Review
project conducted by staff and provided a summary of the Winter Sidewalk Maintenance
program components being considered for the 2018/2019 winter season. He advised the
Winter Sidewalk Maintenance Review was brought forward to the Audit Committee on June 11,
2018 and the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee on June 18, 2018 for
consideration. He further noted staff's recommendation will be going to City Council on June
25, 2018 for approval. He requested feedback from the Environmental Committee on salt
management and collecting winter maintenance data on salt usage within the City.
The Committee provided the following feedback regarding sidewalk snow removal, salt
management, and collecting data on salt use:
• Identify the current salt use in the City of Kitchener to establish a benchmark before
implementation;
• Educate the public about salt use during extreme temperatures;
• Be aware of how to manage the negative implications that can arise from penalizing
some neighbourhoods through proactive by-law enforcement, while providing full-
service sidewalk snow removal to other neighbourhoods in the City;
• Involve the Region of Waterloo to discuss clearing snow at transit stops;
• Prioritize snow -removal in low -socioeconomic areas of the City to eliminate these
individual's risk of getting a by-law infraction;
• Explore other methods of de-icing as opposed to salt use;
• Include institutions, such as the hospital, in the public engagement process;
• Amend Chapter 687 of the City's Municipal Code (Snow and Ice) snow removal
requirement to 8 cm of packed snow instead of bare pavement to encourage less salt
use; and,
• Test the watershed chloride levels now and compare to the data collected in a few years
to determine the impact of increased salt use due to sidewalk winter maintenance; and,
further,
• Monitor the actions of areas within the City where none of the components are being
implemented.
2. SUB -COMMITTEE UPDATES
Ms. C. Gaetani led a discussion on the various Sub -Committees. The following updates were
provided:
Item 1.2 - Bee City Kitchener Working Group -
Ms. E. Kelly advised the Bee City Kitchener Working Group was requested to provide input on
pollinator -friendly plants if residents wish to beautify their boulevard through the City's
Boulevard Beautification initiative. She indicated the Working Group has been endeavouring to
raise awareness about pollinators and CTV News is aware of a pollinator project taking place
in Thomas Slee Park in partnership with Groh Public School. She further stated there was a
pollinator event at Huron Natural Area on June 16, 2018 to celebrate pollinator week, noting
this event included planting a pollinator garden at the park.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES
JUNE 21, 2018 - 11 - CITY OF KITCHENER
2. SUB -COMMITTEE UPDATES (CONT'D)
Item 2.1 - Water Management Stewardship -
Mr. J. Jackson advised the Committee of the correspondence included in the City's May, 2018
utility bills encouraging residents to view their Stormwater Report Card for awareness of how
healthy the streams are in their area of the City. He further indicated the Water Management
Stewardship Sub -Committee recommended wording to be included in the correspondence.
Item 7.1 - Environmental Events -
Ms. E. Kelly suggested the Committee discuss in Fall, 2018 what presence they would like the
Environmental Committee to have at events in 2019.
Councillor Y. Fernandes suggested, and it was agreed, that if there was an environmental
matter that may be of interest to the Environmental Committee arising from Council, she would
endeavour to provide an update to the Committee on those initiatives.
3. ADJOURNMENT
On motion, this meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
Jaclyn Rodrigues
Committee Administrator