The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2001-04-05ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 5, 2001CITY OF KITCHENER The Environmental Committee met this date, commencing at 4:07 p.m., under Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Chair, with the following members present: Messrs. R. Dal Bello, B. Krafcheck and F. Wende. Councillor M. Galloway was in attendance for part of the meeting. Officials Present:Ms. B. Steiner, Ms. J. Billett and Messrs. B. Stanley, D. Daly, T. Boutilier and R. Keirstead. 1. EARTH DAY 2001 PROGRAM - UPDATE Mr. T. Boutilier provided members of the Committee with an invitation to the Opening Ceremonies for Earth Day 2001, which will take place on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 at 11:30 a.m. on the Iron Horse Trail at the end of Cherry Street. The Ceremony will be officiated by Mayor Carl Zehr, Regional Chairman Ken Seiling and the Minister of Environment, The Honourable Elizabeth Witmer. Mr. Boutilier also invited members of the Committee to join other volunteers at Cherry Street and the Iron Horse Trail on Thursday, April 12, beginning at 9:00 a.m., to assist in cleaning up the area in preparation for the Opening Ceremonies. Councillor M. Galloway entered the meeting at this time. Mr. Boutilier also provided the Committee with a program of events during the week leading up to Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, and concluding the following weekend on Saturday, April 28. Events include the Opening Ceremonies on April 17, Transit initiatives, the KDBA Broom Project, projects in each of the 6 Wards, tours, exhibits and 3 Community Fairs. The Community Fairs will take place at Breithaupt Centre (April 21 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Forest Heights Community Centre (April 22 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.) and the Southwest Optimist Park (April 28 – 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). Activities at the fairs will include displays, nature presentations, children’s activities and community barbecues. Volunteers are also needed for the community barbecues and Mr. Boutilier encouraged members of the Committee to come out and support these events. In addition to Earth Day events, a Community Wide Clean-up Campaign is also planned. Campaigns will be conducted by community and Regional groups, Adopt Program groups and the Ministry of Transportation/Steed Evans has already begun clean up of the K-W Expressway at Highway 8. Letters have been forwarded to apartments and businesses to encourage clean up of private property and Fairview Park Mall has indicated they will conduct a clean up of their grounds, including the fenced area. Schools will also participate in cleaning up their playgrounds and are being encouraged to take on one additional area each, such as a park or stream channel. Participating schools will each receive $100 toward the purchase of a tree and, as an added incentive, any school that cleans an additional area will have a Veteran of World War II or a Canadian Peacekeeper attend their tree planting ceremony. In response to Ms. B. Steiner, Mr. Boutilier advised that volunteers are needed for the first 2 Community Fairs to be held at the Breithaupt and Forest Heights Community Centres. Mr. Boutilier also pointed out that Mr. F. Wende has volunteered to act as official photographer for Earth Day events. Various members of the Committee and staff indicated their willingness to volunteer their time to assist with certain Earth Day events. Councillor B. Vrbanovic extended congratulations to Mr. Boutilier, together with members of the Earth Day Organizing Committee, for their work in preparing a very ambitious community wide event. 2. TREES FOR OUR FUTURE PROGRAM – YEAR 2000 REPORT The Committee was in receipt of a report dated January 31, 2001 from Mr. T. Boutilier on behalf of the Trees for Our Future Working Group, summarizing activities of the program in 2000 and outlining plans for 2001. Mr. T. Boutilier provided highlights of the 2000 program, noting that it was the first year that all 3 cities of Waterloo Region had participated. He pointed out that 662 trees were purchased and planted on private lands throughout Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge. The 3 cities were also 2. TREES FOR OUR FUTURE PROGRAM – YEAR 2000 REPORT (CONT’D) ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 5, 2001- 20 -CITY OF KITCHENER the recipients of 2 awards, being the Protecting Tomorrow Today Award given by the Ontario Parks Association and the Public Sector Quality Fair Award given by Fair organizers. As part of the latter award, the Trees for Our Future submission will be displayed at Ontario’s Queen’s Park. Mr. Boutilier commented on funding for the program, noting that costs for marketing had exceeded the budget; however, there was a desire to maintain quality knowing that logos of the program’s sponsors would be prominently displayed on all materials and the program now has a complete set of materials to carry on delivery of the program for several years. He noted that 2 additional nurseries had joined the program and, while 662 trees is significant, program organizers are striving toward increasing the number of trees to be purchased and planted in 2001. In this regard, refinements for marketing will continue to ensure the right people are being targeted. Mr. Boutilier referred to a recent newspaper article that suggests the Trees for Our Future program has been dropped from the City of Waterloo’s budget. He advised that the article is somewhat misleading and assured the Committee that Waterloo has not discontinued the program, but rather has moved funding for the program from its operating budget to its capital budget. In response to Mr. B. Krafcheck, Mr. Boutilier advised that the 2 nurseries who joined the program in 2000 were the Cambridge Garden Centre and the Greenfield Nursery. Councillor B. Vrbanovic congratulated Mr. Boutilier and members of the Trees for Our Future Working Group on conducting a successful program. 3. WATERLOO REGION ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS Councillor B. Vrbanovic advised that it was necessary to establish a working group for the purpose of reviewing nominations for the Waterloo Region Environmental Sustainability Awards and to compile a list of preferred nominees for voting purposes. In this regard, he invited all members of the Committee in attendance to participate. On motion by Mr. F. Wende, it was agreed that the following individuals would form a Nomination Review Working Group for the purpose of reviewing nominations and to compile a list of preferred nominees for voting purposes relative to the Waterloo Region Environmental Sustainability Awards, namely: Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Councillor M. Galloway, Ms. B. Steiner, and Messrs. R. Dal Bello, B. Krafcheck, F. Wende, and B. Stanley. In addition, it was noted that appointment of a voting delegate was required to present the Nomination Review Working Group’s selection of preferred nominees. On motion by Councillor M. Galloway, it was agreed that Mr. B. Stanley be appointed as the Environmental Committee’s voting delegate to the Waterloo Region Environmental Sustainability Awards Selection Committee, and that Mr. Stanley be directed to vote according to instructions given by the Nomination Review Working Group. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE STRUCTURE REVIEW Councillor B. Vrbanovic advised that the process established for review of the City’s Advisory Committee structure is underway and it is anticipated a report will be brought forward for review at the next meeting of the Environmental Committee scheduled for May 3, 2001. 5. INFORMATION ITEMS The Committee was in receipt of the following information items, namely: · Excerpt from Council minutes of March 19, 2001 – Recommendation(s) of March 1st ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 5, 2001- 21 -CITY OF KITCHENER Environmental Committee meeting adopted by Council. · Excerpts from the Public Works and Transportation Committee minutes of March 26, 2001 and the Special Council meeting held the same date – discussion and recommendations relative to the Ministry of Transportation Highway 7 Planning Study. · Letter from the Honourable Michael D. Harris, Premier of Ontario in response to Council’s resolution of February 12, 2001 regarding coal fired power plants. · Letter from Ms. M. Vanden Elzen, regarding coal fired power plants. · Various correspondence relative to the Ministry of Transportation’s Highway 7 Planning Study. · Invitation dated March 16, 2001 to members of the Environmental Committee to attend the Citizen’s Advisory Committee on Air Quality’s 3rd Annual Clean Air Fair to be held on Saturday, April 7, 2001. 6. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m. J. Billett, AMCT Committee Administrator