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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-04-01ENVY1998-04-01 APRIL 1, 1998 ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES CITY OF KITCHENER The Environmental Committee met this date commencing at 4:00 p.m. under Councillor Jake Smola, Chair, with the following members present: Councillors J. Haalboom and T. Galloway, and Ms. A. Coffey, Ms. D. Luhowy and Messrs. K. Cenerelli, P. Kay, and M. Schmidt. Officials Present: Messrs. B. Stanley, C. Ford, J. Moore, L. Masseo and L. W. Neil. 1.ELORA GREEN COMMUNITIES Mr. Don Eaton appeared as a delegation on behalf of Elora Green Communities to explain the purpose of their organization and talk about opportunities for members of the FCM 20% Club. He pointed out that the Green Communities Initiative was started by the Ministry of Energy and Environment in 1993 based on support funding for non-profit community groups. He explained that guidelines were put in place and partnerships developed with a focus on energy saving within the home. He advised that currently there were fourteen such Green Communities and one of the purposes of his organization was to assist other groups to become a Green Community. He pointed out that when the Guelph 2000 Green Community failed his organization had been requested to fill that vacuum. Mr. Eaton indicated that the MEE was now anxious to inject money into municipalities that are members of the 20% Club and noted that Environment Canada views the Green Communities Initiative as a means of addressing the country's C02 reduction goals. He noted that one of the tasks of his group was to improve the energy efficiency of Canadian homes under the Energuide Program administered by Natural Resources Canada. A brochure summarizing the program and explaining how the home energy evaluation works was distributed to Committee members. He indicated that Elora Green Communities was currently doing a pilot project for Enercan which ends in June and stated that at that point the Government intended to roll out the program nationwide. Further he commented that the program was a useful tool for contractors to promote products that create energy efficiency. He also advised that his organization had been approached by Environment Canada, who the MEE referred to them, to run a program that would assist new immigrants in understanding the technical operations of homes in the Canadian climate. He indicated that his organization had the ability to deal with translation of material to other languages that would benefit these new immigrants. Mr. Eaton advised the Committee that he was looking for support for the Home Energy project for new immigrants and also would like to discuss with a member of City staff what Kitchener's plans were for C02 reduction so as to determine if Green Communities could be part of that process. Mr. Eaton explained that the Elora Green Communities was a registered non-profit charitable organization run by a group of volunteers and that staff were only retained when needed. He pointed out that the organization tends to operate in a project orientation as to organizational structure. Ms. Darlene Luhowy advised that she previously worked with the Guelph 2000 organization and posed a few questions to Mr. Eaton who indicated that the $59.95 charge for the Energuide Homes Report was a subsidized cost and that Action 21 funds the immigrant programs. In response to Councillor T. Galloway, Mr. Eaton advised that he was looking for endorsation of groups goals and general municipal support as the program would not be successful if the Municipality was not behind it. It was pointed out that WREACH was no longer active. Mr. Stanley indicated that the previous Council had given support to the Guelph Green Triangle organization and Mr. Eaton emphasized that the undertaking was an opportunity to inject funding into the community. Mr. B. Stanley suggested that Mr. Eaton meet with him to better define the issues being requested and Councillor J. Haalboom commented that she would rather have staff obtain additional information before endorsation of the delegations request was considered. Mr. K. Cenerelli noted that he would like the Elora group to provide a history of its past successes. It was noted that in the material supplied that in the Fall of 1997 Worldwide Opportunity for Women Inc. (WWOW) partnered with the Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence to design and deliver the Home Energy Saver project in Waterloo Region. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMII-FEE MINUTES APRIL 1, 1998 - 17 - CITY OF KITCHENER 1.ELORA GREEN COMMUNITIES (CONT'D) Councillor J. Haalboom advised that she had questions as to how homeowners were approached and who governs the Green Communities organization. Mr. Eaton indicated that his organization has representatives from eight ethnic groups and that essentially links are developed with the ethnic organizations before an approach is made to homeowners through their own organization. Following further discussion, the Committee requested that Mr. Eaton return at a future meeting and provide more detailed information on the specifics of the program approaches, obligations etc. and also advise what information is available from Immigration Canada on this subject. 2.UPDATE RE: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS (ELS) AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) - HURON NATURAL AREA WESTERN BOUNDARY The Committee was in receipt of Planning and Development Staff Report PD 98/37 dated March 24, 1998 and an "Executive Summary" of the Middle Strasburg Creek Environmental Impact Statement and mapping of the subject area illustrating developable and non-developable limits along with other environmental attributes within the study area. It was noted in the report that the Middle Strasburg Creek Comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (ELS) was undertaken by the Department of Planning and Development to determine the boundary between developable and non-developable lands on the west side of Strasburg Creek, between Huron Road and Westmount Road. This study was necessary to permit the rezoning of the lands within the Huron Community from Business Park to Open Space and Residential in accordance with the City's Municipal Plan and the Huron Community Plan. The Huron Community area is generally bounded by Bleams Road, Westmount Road, Huron Road and Strasburg Road and includes the Middle Strasburg Creek corridor and its associated natural areas. The entire Huron Community area was designated and blanket zoned for business park purposes in the early 1980's in response to a strong and growing demand for industrial lands. The majority of lands located on the east side of the Middle Strasburg Creek have been subdivided and serviced by the City as the Huron Business Park. However, the lands located on the west side of Strasburg Creek have not developed for business park purposes for many reasons. The staff report outlines further planning history of the area and notes that revised land use designations were included in the City's Municipal Plan in 1994 and as a result of the change from Business Park to Open Space for much of the creek corridor, the Municipal Plan was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board by a number of land owners. The comprehensive ElS is extremely valuable in determining the extent of land which would be deemed undevelopable regardless of the earlier Business Park zoning. Mr. L. Masseo provided an explanation of the Staff Report and the Executive Summary from the Comprehensive ElS. He commented on the purpose of the study and other planning history as detailed in the report. He also referred to the need to conduct a Comprehensive ElS to help delineate the developable/non-developable limits and other matters relating to a joint Environmental Assessment Study and the ElS. He pointed out that the survey line has been developed as the limit of possible development and that four specific areas were identified as Special Policy areas and it has been concluded that there may be some development in the areas under certain conditions. In response to Councillor T. Galloway, Mr. Masseo advised that he was not aware of any objections at this time to the report before the Committee. Further he advised that the studies did not get into detail regarding adjacent development. In response to Ms. A. Coffey, Mr. Masseo pointed that the City owns some of the land involved in this matter. In response to Councillor J. Haalboom, he clarified that prior to 1981, the area was zoned Agricultural and it was after 1981 that it was zoned Business Park. Councillor T. Galloway left the meeting at this point. 2.UPDATE RE: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS (ELS) AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) - HURON NATURAL AREA WESTERN BOUNDARY (CONT'D) On motion by Ms. D. Luhowy - It was resolved: ENVIRONMENTAL MINUTES APRIL 1, 1998 COMMITFEE CITY OF KITCHENER "That we recommend to the Planning and Economic Development Committee that it endorse the following recommendation contained in Staff Report PD 98/37, namely: That the Middle Strasburg Creek Comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement, (December 1997) be adopted by City Council for use in delineating the developable/ non-developable limit of lands on the west side of Strasburg Creek, between Huron Road and Westmount Road." 3.FMC 20% CLUB GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION RE: - CITY OF KITCHENER C02 REDUCTION PROJECT, INTERIM REPORT Mr. James Moore was in attendance further to his presentation made at the Committee's March 4th meeting regarding C02 reduction and the matter of hydrogen as an alternative energy source to bring about such C02 reduction. He briefly commented on the matter of developing a hydrogen based community and advised that he would be meeting with Mr. J. Gazzola to request that the City establish an implementation team and then develop a plan with regard to hydrogen energy. Mr. B. Stanley noted that commercially the Ford Motor Company has strongly endorsed the hydrogen fuel cell alternative as an energy source and commented that the change in technology was very near. Mr. J. Moore stated that every major vehicle manufacturer is now investing in the Ballard Company for its hydrogen fuel cell expertise. Mr. Moore commented that the municipality could expect natural gas profits to eventually become non-existent and noted that the municipality could convert over time to a community hydrogen supplier. He pointed out that by using hydrogen as an energy source, C02 emissions would be reduced dramatically and that such was now feasible and was desirable both from an economic and social viewpoint. He noted that currently it was just a matter of waiting for the technology to unfold with respect to hydrogen and that it could be assured that hydrogen powered vehicles were coming. He then explained two methods to produce hydrogen and suggested that the challenge is location adapting to technology to produce hydrogen without emissions as a source of energy. He advised that he will be taking the subject to Management Committee and could provide another report within a few weeks. 4.A WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN ONTARIO, BOLTON SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1998 Ms. D. Luhowy advised that at Regional EEAC information concerning a workshop "Protecting Nature Close to Home" was distributed. The Federation of Ontario Naturalists is sponsoring a workshop at the Cedar Glen Conference Centre in Bolton on Saturday, May 2, 1998 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the registration form provided indicated a cost of $20 to attend the workshop. It was agreed to provide Committee members with a copy of the registration form and should any wish to attend, the Committee would fund the $20 cost from its special promotions budget. 5.EARTH DAY 1999 It was suggested that the Committee should start planning and work in regard to activities it may wish to undertake for Earth Day in 1999. It was agreed that Earth Day within the area should be undertaken more as a Regional event involving the Region of Waterloo. However, it was agreed to add Earth Day planning activities to the Committees future business agenda. 6.CITY LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM Councillor Jake Smola advised that the Public Works and Transportation Committee was considering the City's Leaf Collection Program in terms of both efficiency and budget context and suggested that the Environmental Committee should also address options available before any 6.CITY LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM (Cont'd) decisions were made with regard to the City's 1998 budget for its Fall Leaf Collection Program. A comment was made that the City's Leaf Collection Program might be a counter productive service in terms of collection availability rather than encouraging residents to dig leaves into their gardens. 7.NEXT MEETING - APRIL 22, 1998 The next regular Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 1998. ENVIRONMENTAL MINUTES APRIL 1, 1998 COMMITFEE CITY OF KITCHENER 8.ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m. L. W. Neil, AMCT Assistant City Clerk