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Home My WebLink About2026-01-15 - Climate Change and Environment Committee Agenda Climate Change and Environment Committee Agenda January 15, 2026, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Conestoga Room City of Kitchener 200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 407 People interested in participating in this meeting can email Committee Administrator, Eda Islemecioglu at eda.islemecioglu@kitchener.ca. Please refer to the delegation section on the agenda below for the registration deadline. Written comments received will be circulated to the Committee prior to the meeting and will form part of the public record. *Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994.* Chair: TBD Vice Chair: TBD Pages 1.Commencement The meeting will begin with a Land Acknowledgement given by the Chair. The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to serve as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Kitchener today. 2.Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof Members of Council and members of the City’s local boards/committees are required to file a written statement when they have a conflict of interest. If a conflict is declared, please visit www.kitchener.ca/conflict to submit your written form. 3.Delegations Pursuant to Council’s Procedural By-law, delegations are permitted to address the Committee for a maximum of five (5) minutes. All Delegations where possible are encouraged to register prior to the start of the meeting. For Delegates who are attending in-person, registration is permitted up to the start of the meeting. Delegates who are interested in attending virtually must register by 1:00 p.m. on January 15, 2025 in order to participate electronically. 4.Discussion Items 4.1 CCEC Roles & Responsibilities 10 m Staff will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter. 4.2 Election of Chair & Vice-Chair 10 m Climate Change and Environment Committee members will conduct the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair in accordance with established procedures. 4.3 Mid-Term Reflections 20 m Staff will facilitate a continuous improvement exercise. 4.4 Rodenticide Sub-Committee Final Report, DSD-2026-023 10 m 1 N. Goss, Manager of Policy & Research, will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter. 4.5 2026 CCEC Calendar and Timelines 10 m Staff will provide a 5-minute presentation. 5.Information Items 5.1 Sub-Committee Updates 15 m 5.1.a Sustainable Food Systems A. Di Battista, A. Hohenadel, and P. Nojo, will provide a 5- minute sub-committee update. 5.1.b Committee/Council Report Template Change(s) P. Boot and P. Nojo will provide a 5-minute sub-committee update. 5.1.c High Performance Development Standards B. Wallis and J. Phan will provide a 5-minute subcommittee update. 6.Adjournment Eda Islemecioglu Committee Administrator Staff Report Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. REPORT TO: Climate Change and Environment Committee DATE OF MEETING: January 15, 2026 SUBMITTED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager Policy & Research, 519-783-8933 PREPARED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager Policy & Research, on behalf of the CCEC Rodenticide Subcommittee 519-783-8933 WARD(S) INVOLVED: ALL DATE OF REPORT: January 7, 2026 REPORT NO.: DSD-2026-023 SUBJECT: CCEC Rodenticide Sub-committee Update RECOMMENDATION: That the CCEC rodenticide sub-committee be disbanded; and, That the CCEC continue to monitor the progress of the city’s potential pilot project of alternative pest management. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:  The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the research conducted by the Climate Change and Environment Committee (CCEC) Rodenticide Subcommittee.  The key finding of this report is that the city is exploring, through a potential pilot project, the use of a non-rodenticide approach to pest management and that limited information is available regarding the implementation of municipal by-laws and policies in other Ontario municipalities. The CCEC Rodenticide Sub-Committee recommends that CCEC continue to monitor the progress of the potential pilot project of alternative pest management approaches at a city facility.  There are no direct financial implications of this report.  Community engagement included the posting of this report with the agenda in advance of the CCEC meeting.  This report supports Cultivating a Green City Together: Focuses a sustainable path to a greener, healthier city; enhancing & protecting parks & natural environment while transitioning to a low-carbon future; supporting businesses & residents to make climate-positive choices. BACKGROUND: In February 2025 the CCEC was presented with information through a delegation on the environmental impacts of chemical rodent control – known as rodenticides. The information shared included alternative pest management strategies and a framework for a municipal rodenticide by-law or policy. In response to the delegation, the CCEC formed a rodenticide 1 sub-committee to explore options for alternative pest management strategies in the context of municipal tools available. This report provides the CCEC with an update of the subcommittee’s work and recommends next steps. REPORT: Throughout 2025 the sub-committee met with facilities management staff to understand current approaches to pest management at city facilities. The sub-committee shared with staff information about the environmental impacts of chemical rodent control and alternative pest management strategies they were gathering information on (e.g. rodenticide by-laws). Facilities management staff shared that they had recently (in spring 2025) engaged a new pest management contractor. As part of that contract staff sought information about the magnitude of pest activity at city facilities. Based on this information, the sub-committee paused further until a report back from the pest management contractor was provided to staff. Over the past few months, staff have reached out the cities of Pickering and Clarington to understand the context surrounding their shift away from rodenticides. These municipalities are the two Ontario municipalities who have implemented municipal policies/by-laws regarding the use of rodenticides on city facilities. The following questions were asked:  What precipitated the shift in approach?  How would you have characterized your pest issue before the shift in methods?  Has the shift in methods been effective, and have you had any issues, complaints, or found yourself unable to manage the pest population?  Are there any other changes you have had to make at the same time (garbage removal, ground cover clearing, etc.)?  Any other comments or suggestions you might have for a colleague considering making the shift away from rodenticides? Cost? Effectiveness? To date, staff have received a response from the City of Pickering. Pickering staff indicated that a Council resolution, based on community delegations, precipitated the shift in approach to rodenticides. In response to this resolution, a Pest Management Policy was created. Pickering staff noted that as part of their policy they included good practices that are important to maintain to discourage pests (i.e. not keeping food at desks). As part of the implementation of this policy, Pickering’s pest control company has increased the frequency of inspections and maintenance which has resulted in a minor increase in costs. A response from the Town of Clarington was not received at the time of writing of this report. Further, Kitchener’s pest management contractor has reported that there continues to be enough activity at all city facilities that moving away completely from rodenticide use would be challenging. In consideration of this information, staff are exploring the potential of a pilot project at one city facility to test a non-rodenticide approach to pest management. The pilot would run for an extended period of time (i.e. multiple seasons) to gather enough data to draw conclusions and recommendations. Finally, the existing sub-committee members indicated in late 2025 that they are unable to continue their work due to time constraints and other commitments. The sub-committee encourages CCEC to continue to monitor the progress of the potential pilot project. 2 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports Cultivating a Green City Together: Focuses a sustainable path to a greener, healthier city; enhancing & protecting parks & natural environment while transitioning to a low-carbon future; supporting businesses & residents to make climate-positive choices. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget – The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget. Operating Budget – The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter. REVIEWED BY: Darren Becks, Director Facilities Management APPROVED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager Policy & Research 3