Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-07ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 7, 2002CITY OF KITCHENER The Environmental Committee met this date, commencing at 4:05 p.m. Chaired by Mr. R. dal Bello, with the following members present: Ms. N. Sonder, Ms. Y. Fernandes and Messrs. H. Alsafouti, B. Lemieux, R. Nandakumar, P. O’Toole, J. Kos and D. Murphy. Councillor B. Vrbanovic was in attendance for part of the meeting. Officials Present:Ms. B. Steiner, Ms. C. Ladd, Ms. J. Billett and Messrs. B. Stanley, G. Meincke and T. Boutilier. 1.APPOINTMENT – 2002 EARTH DAY ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Mr. T. Boutilier was in attendance to provide a brief overview of the activities of the Organizing Committee dealing with Earth Day events and to request volunteer participation from among members of the Environmental Committee. On motion by Mr. P. O’Toole - it was resolved: “That Ms. Yvonne Fernandes and Mr. Danny Murphy be appointed as representatives of the Environmental Committee to the Organizing Committee dealing with Earth Day events.” Ms. B. Steiner introduced Mr. P. Rose, Environmental Minister of the Eastwood Collegiate Environmental Committee, who was in attendance together with several members of the Collegiate’s Committee and suggested that representatives of this group may also be interested in participating on the Earth Day Organizing Committee. Mr. T. Boutilier agreed to exchange contact information with Mr. Rose. 2. APPOINTMENT – BROWNFIELDS COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN WORKING GROUP Mr. T. Boutilier was in attendance to provide an overview of the objectives of the Working Group dealing with development of a Community Improvement Plan to assist in redevelopment of the City’s brownfield sites, and to request volunteer participation from among members of the Environmental Committee. On motion by Ms. Y. Fernandes - it was resolved: “That Mr. Breton Lemieux and Mr. Raj Nandakumar be appointed as representatives of the Environmental Committee to the Working Group dealing with the Brownfields Community Improvement Plan.” 3. BPS-02-007 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The Committee was in receipt of Development and Technical Services Department report BPS – 02-007 dated January 2, 2002 recommending that no action be taken on the request of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to participate in workshops designed to assist and encourage municipalties to create their own Environmental Management System (EMS) or register to ISO 14001; that Kitchener explore development of its own solution; and, if in future the City wishes to move toward certification the focus be on specific individual operations such as Utilities. Mr. B. Stanley was in attendance to present details of the report, including: · definition of an Environmental Management System; · actions taken by the City prior to receiving FCM’s request and the substantial cost to participate in FCM’s initiative; and, · benefits of undertaking a “made in Kitchener” solution. The Committee then entered into a lengthy discussion of issues relating to: public image; cost benefits of an in-house solution and ability to monitor costs; liability and risk to municipalites if a plan is not implemented; benefits of knowing municipal operations and training; and, benefits of ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 7, 2002- 7 -CITY OF KITCHENER 3.BPS-02-007 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CONT’D) documenting operational systems and compliance ratings. On motion by Mr. R. Nandakumar – it was resolved: “That the City of Kitchener take no action on the request by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to participate in four workshops over two years starting in January 2002 and designed to assist and encourage municipalities to create their own Environmental Management System or register to ISO 14001; and, That the City of Kitchener explore the development of its own ‘made in Kitchener’ Environmental Management System based in part on ISO 14001; and further, That should the City wish to move towards certification in ISO 14001 at a later date, such certification would not be on a corporate wide basis but would focus on a specific single municipal operation such as Utilities.” The above noted recommendation will be referred for consideration to the February 18, 2002 meeting of the Development and Technical Services Committee. 4. TERMS OF REFERENCE – REVIEW The Committee was in receipt of Council Policy I-81 (Environmental Committee Terms of Reference). The Committee was reminded that Council has asked each Advisory Committee to review their Terms of Reference and make revisions to reflect Council’s resolution of August 27, 2001. Councillor B. Vrbanovic entered the meeting at this time and briefly outlined the three sections of the Terms of Reference, noting that Council has already implemented a consistent structure for all Advisory Committee’s under 3.2 (Composition & Structure) and focus for this discussion should be on items 3.1 (Purpose and Scope) and 3.3 (Responsibilities). Councillor Vrbanovic pointed out that wording should be general in nature to avoid annual revisions to the Terms of Reference, with only the Committee’s work plan changing annually. For information, he noted that the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee had considered reviewing the term of office to lengthen terms by 2-3 years with staggering of appointments to provide continuity and also wishes to maintain the option of reporting directly to Council. In regard to the reporting structure, the th Committee Administrator pointed out that as a result of Council’s August 27 resolution, the reporting structure for the Environmental Committee now requires the Committee to report directly to the Development and Technical Services Committee. The Committee then entered into discussion relative to the reporting structure, the term of office and proposed revision to existing wording under Item 3.3 (c) to add the words “citizen environment groups”. Consensus appeared to be reached on retaining existing wording under 3.3 (a) to maintain the option of reporting directly to Council and revising wording under 3.3 (c) to include the words “citizen environment groups”. The Committee did not appear to reach consensus on the matter of the term of office. Councillor B. Vrbanovic suggested that further consideration of the Terms of Reference be undertaken at the Committee’s next meeting. Accordingly, it was agreed to defer further consideration of the Terms of Reference to the Committee’s meeting to be held on March 7, 2002. 5. STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION th At the January 10 Environmental Committee meeting, it had been agreed to conduct a Strategic Planning Session for the purpose of bringing focus to issues of importance the Committee may wish to consider and from these, develop a work plan for its term of office. The Committee was in receipt of the following background information to assist with this session: · Environmental Strategic Plan; ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 7, 2002- 8 -CITY OF KITCHENER 5.STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION (CONT’D) · Compass Kitchener documents; · Environmental Strategies for Municipal Plan review; · proposed Natural Heritage Strategy; · proposed Brownfields Community Improvement Plan; · Municipal Pesticides Working Group facilitated by the Region of Waterloo. Mr. B. Stanley began this session with an overview of the Environmental Strategic Plan including the process undertaken to develop the Plan and review of the Plan’s Mission Statement, main functional areas and monitoring process. He advised that to date, the main focus has been on internal initiatives which are either completed or underway and in order to maintain viability of the Plan it should be reviewed and its focus shifted outward toward community/partnership initiatives. Mr. Stanley responded to several questions relating to the relevance of the existing wording of the Plan’s Mission Statement. Ms. C. Ladd advised that she was in attendance to facilitate the Strategic Planning Session and presented the format to be used consisting of a series of questions that would be put forward and responses solicited from each member of the Committee. Ms. Ladd commented that the end result is anticipated to narrow down issues of concern/importance to the Committee and will act as a guideline in development of a yearly work plan. The questions put forward to the Committee for response are as follows: · What is the City doing well with respect to the environment? · What is the City not doing well? · What is the City not doing well that it should be doing? · What can the City do better? · What is important or of particular interest to you as a member of the Environmental Committee? Following this exercise a number of issues of importance to the Committee became evident, such as communication/education, urban sprawl, intensification and brownfield redevelopment. Coucillor B. Vrbanovic suggested that staff review the results and provide a list of the issues, grouping similarities together and with linkages to existing corporate initiatives, for further consideration at the Committee’s next meeting. At that time, he suggested the Committee could proceed to prioritize the issues and develop a work plan. Accordingly, it was agreed to defer this matter for further consideration to the Committee’s next meeting to be held on March 7, 2002. 6.ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m. J. Billett, AMCT Committee Administrator