HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-09-027 - Appointments to LEAF Steering Committee - Citizen AdvisorsI
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KITCHENER ~ ~
Development &
Technical Services
Report To: Mayor Carl Zehr, and
Members of Council
Date of Meeting: February 9, 2009
Submitted By: Jeff Willmer, Interim General Manager of Development and Technical
Services
Prepared By: Barbara Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner (519-741-2293)
Ward(s) Involved: ALL
Date of Report: February 5, 2009
Report No.: DTS - 09 - 027
Subject: Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) Steering Committee: Appointment
of Citizen Advisors
RECOMMENDATION:
1. THAT Scott Piatkowski and Karen Redman be appointed to sit on the Local
Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) Steering Committee as Citizen Advisors for the
period of 2009-2010.
BACKGROUND:
At the April 16, 2007 meeting of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, Council
approved the $5 million Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF). Throughout 2007, input on
how LEAF should operate was obtained from staff, Council and the public. Based on this
direction from all stakeholders an Operating Framework for LEAF (DTS-08-33), including the
formation of a LEAF Steering Committee, was approved by Council on March 17, 2008.
The role of the LEAF Steering Committee is to receive and review all of the applications, to
evaluate them, and then to make recommendations on each of those applications to Finance
and Corporate Services Committee and Council. City Council will be the final decision-making
authority on whether ar not an application for LEAF funding is successful or not.
In considering the LEAF application and evaluation process recommended in staff report DTS-
08-194 on November 17, 2008, Finance and Corporate Services Committee members
requested more information on options for the composition of the LEAF Steering Committee,
specifically, how to incorporate citizen input into the process for evaluating applications to the
fund and making short-listed recommendations to Council for their final consideration.
Accordingly, on December 1, 2008, after considering DTS Staff Report 08-202, Finance and
Corporate Services Committee approved a process for publicizing and selecting the two citizen
advisors.
REPORT:
After publicizing the need for Citizen Advisors in / on: Your Kitchener (Jan/Feb issue); the City's
website; www.valunteerkw.ca; Community News advertisements in January; and through a
media release, applications were received and evaluated by the staff members of the LEAF
Steering Committee using the criteria set. out in Staff Report DTS-08-202.
The staff members of the LEAF Steering Committee recommend the appointment of Scott
Piatkowski and Karen Redman to the Citizen Advisor positions on the LEAF Steering
Committee.
Mr. Piatkowski has recently been involved as a citizen advisor on the Kitchener Community
Grant Review Committee. From an environmental perspective, he is the author of
Environmental Code of Practice for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and is a
member of the Region's Cycling Advisory Committee helping to spearhead the bus-and-bike
initiative.
Ms. Redman as an area MP was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
from 2000 to 2003 during which time her government consulted widely on, crafted and passed
federal endangered species legislation: Ms Redman also played a leadership role in Canada's
ratification of the. Kyoto Protocol.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Not applicable.
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Barbara Steiner ~ .Sc. Alain Pinard, M.A., MCIP, RPP
Senior Environ ental Planner Interim Director of Planning
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mer, MCIP, RPP
Interm General Manager, Development and Technical Services
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