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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 13, 2012 Cicq 00 Executive Committee Meeting Agenda Monday, February 13, 2012 PICKERING Council Chambers 7:30 pm Chair: Councillor O'Connell (1) Matters for Consideration Pages 1. Director, Office of Sustainability, Report OS 02-12 1-7 Sustainable Pickering Program -2011 Year-end Summary and 2012 Work Plan Recommendation That Council receive for information Report OS 02-12 respecting the 2011 year- end summary and 2012 work plan for the Sustainable Pickering Program. 2. Director, Community Services, Report CS 08-12 8-14 Local Look Back Program Essay/Speech Competition Recommendation 1. The Report CS 08-12 from the Director, Community Services regarding the Local Look Back Program be received; 2. That the City of Pickering assist with the promotion of the Local Look Back Program by posting the program flyer/information on the City's website; 3. That the program flyer/information be modified to meet Corporate'standards and that the City of Pickering provide 150 copies of the program flyer to Rosemary McConkey for distribution to participating Pickering schools; 4. That Rosemary McConkey put together and coordinate a selection team to review the essays submitted by participating Pickering schools and that not more than 15 student essays be selected for recognition; 5. That City Council recognize the selected students from Pickering schools with certificates of appreciation at a future Council meeting: and Accessible For information related to accessibility requirements please contact I~ ,r C n Linda Roberts n r KG U~ V Phone: 905.420.4660 extension 2928 TTY: 905.420.1739 Email: Irobertsna.aickerina.ca I Citq oo Executive Committee Meeting Agenda _ Monday, February 13, 2012 PICKERING Council Chambers 7:30 pm Chair: Councillor O'Connell 6. That the Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic District School Board coordinate the attendance of selected students from Pickering schools to the Council meeting. (II) Other Business (III) Adjournment I Report to Executive Committee PIC ERING Report Number: OS 02-12 Date: February 13, 2012 01 From: Thomas Melymuk Director, Office of Sustainability Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program - 2011 Year-end Summary and 2012 Work Plan - File: D-1000-003 Recommendation: 1. That Council receive for information Report OS 02-12 respecting the 2011 year- end summary and 2012 work plan for the Sustainable Pickering Program. Executive Summary: This Report provides a summary of the actions and accomplishments undertaken through the City's 2011 Sustainable Pickering Program and information on the 2012 work plan. A significant amount of work in 2011 was devoted to the completion of the City's second Measuring Sustainability Report that establishes a baseline measurement for 55 indicators of sustainability. The Report will be distributed in February, 2012 both as a hard copy and a user-friendly web-based version. The 2012 work plan was developed in consultation with the Sustainable Pickering Advisory Committee. The work plan includes a number of priority projects including the development of a corporate sustainability policy and the completion of Milestones 4 and 5 of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Partners for Climate Protection Program. Community and corporate engagement will continue to be expanded in 2012 through existing and new initiatives including Sustainable Pickering Day and Smart Commute events, and a Neighbourhood Sustainability Challenge. Financial Implications: Annual funding approval for the City's Sustainable Pickering Program is established through the Council's budget process. The 2012 funding request for consulting and related services for Sustainable Pickering is $58,475 which includes $8,475 from the City's continued studies reserve (to complete studies that were started and budgeted for in 2011) and $10,000 through our 2012 Sustainable Pickering community contribution program. The remaining amount ($40,000) would be funded through property taxes. This amount is a 20% reduction relative to 2011. Report OS 02-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program Page 2 0 In addition, the City has been asked by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to coordinate a technical assessment on the potential use of compact thermal energy storage technologies for space heating in Canadian buildings. This $35,000 research project will be 100% funded by NRCan and completed in early 2012. Discussion 1. Significant work was completed in 2011 on the City's Measuring Sustainability Report, providing valuable baseline information for tracking Pickering's progress towards becoming a more sustainable city. In June 2010, the City completed its first Measuring Sustainability Report providing baseline information on just over half of the 32 indicators of sustainability that had been identified through a community consultation process. Certain indicators could not be reported on at that time because of data limitations and/or the need for additional information or analysis. In 2011, staff and the Advisory Committee initiated a detailed technical review and analysis of the original indicators, and completed a community sustainability survey. As a result of this work, the list of sustainability measures was clarified and enhanced, and data was collected on a total of 55 indicators of sustainability. This information was compiled into version two of the City's Measuring Sustainability Report that will be released in February 2012 both as a hard copy, and a highly readable, user-friendly web- based version. The release of version two of our Measuring Sustainability Report marks a significant accomplishment in our Sustainable Pickering journey. Having reliable data on 55 indicators of sustainability gives us an excellent baseline from which to openly and n ble cit explicitly measure Pickering 's progress towards becoming a more _sustai a y. The intention is to update the Report approximately every two years. 2. The City completed and participated in a number of important corporate and community sustainability programs, initiatives and events in 2011. a. Sustainable Pickering Day The City in partnership with the Pickering Town Centre (PTC) hosted the 6t" annual Sustainable Pickering Day event on March 26, to coincide with the 2011 Earth Hour event. Attendees participated in a variety of family activities, took home tree seedlings for pledging to partake in Earth Hour, learned about energy conservation, and had a chance to win PTC gift cards. The event was an excellent opportunity for the City and our partners to educate and interact with hundreds of individuals from the area. There was good interest and participation in the event (similar to previous years) and approximately 250 seedlings were distributed. CORP0227-07/01 revised Report OS 02-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program Page 3 03) b. Smart Commute Durham In 2011, the City received an honourable mention from Smart Commute Durham for its participation in this program. Throughout the year, staff organized and participated in a number of Smart Commute events, including Bike to Work Day, Clean Air Commute Week, Smart Commute Week, Presto Giveaway, Gimme 5, and a lunch 'n learn/expo for Carpool Zone. In addition to these events, the City enhanced its Carpool Zone program by providing for an emergency ride home, updated the City's intranet with information on the Smart Commute program, and provided additional resources for those who bike to work (e.g. bike rack at City Hall). c. Community engagement programs Throughout the year staff used opportunities to engage the local community in our Sustainable Pickering program through events such as the Devi Mandir green lighting celebration and the construction and opening of a passive solar straw bale house on Sideline 4 in Pickering. Awareness about the program was also raised within the community through regular emails sent to approximately 500 contacts on our Sustainable Pickering a-list. Also, as in previous years, the Office and the Advisory Committee distributed a number of Sustainable Pickering contribution packages to local businesses. In 2011, a total of $12,000 was received in contributions to help fund existing and future programs. Although, traditional tools such as email blasts, news releases, posters, and newsletters were used throughout the year, the use of social media is becoming an increasingly important way of communicating information on Sustainable Pickering. To this end, staff has undertaken social media training in 2011 to explore options and determine which social media tools would be most appropriate to integrate into the program. Over the course of the year, Office of Sustainability staff also actively participated on a number of internal staff teams that are examining ways of enhancing the City's communication and engagement efforts, including an E-Services Team, a Community Engagement Core Team, and a Corporate Communications Team. In 2011, the Sustainable Pickering program was presented to a gathering. of sustainability practitioners and leaders at an OCETA Forum on Growing a Green Durham - Sustainability for Business, Home and Schools. CORP0227-07/01 revised Report OS 02-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program Page 4 04 d. Corporate engagement initiatives The Office of Sustainability continues to engage and promote the City's sustainability efforts across the corporation through various programs and events (Sustainable Pickering Day, Durham Smart Commute, etc.) as well as through sustainability training for all new staff hires and the on-going staff involvement in the development of the City's Sustainable Place-making framework. The Office also commissioned a third-party analysis to consider and report on the perceived barriers and motivators for staff engagement in sustainability. The results of this analysis will be used to help determine and structure future corporate engagement initiatives. e. External partnerships The Office of Sustainability actively participated on a number of external working groups and committees in 2011 including the Durham Environmental Coordinating Committee, the GTA Clean Air Council, the National Advisory Committee on Sustainable Cities (facilitated by Royal Roads University, BC), and the Global City Indicators Facility Project (facilitated by the University of Toronto). Participation in these partnerships allow staff to share their expertise with colleagues within the region and across the country and to learn from the experiences of others working in the field of sustainability. In 2011, Pickering was selected by an internationally respected sustainability organization (The Natural Step) as one of eleven municipalities to participate in a national study called Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government. The study involved an assessment of the work being done by the selected municipalities on corporate sustainability engagement, and testing this work against an engagement model developed by The Natural Step. A number of Sustainable Pickering initiatives were included in the final report as examples of corporate best practices. 3. Innovative work on the City's Sustainable Place-making framework was undertaken in 2011, and the six disciplines identified as being integral to Building a Sustainable City were further researched and described. Sustainable Place-making is one of the City's 5 corporate priorities. In 2011 innovative work was done on establishing a clear and workable framework for this priority. The framework involved two interrelated components: (i) Building a Sustainable City, and (ii) Living and Working in a Sustainable City CORP0227-07/01 revised Report OS 02-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program Page 5 05 Significant work was completed in 2011 on identifying the various technical disciplines that need to be considered and integrated in building a sustainable city. Six disciplines were identified, and will be described and illustrated in an up-coming information piece that will be used for staff training in 2012. The six technical disciplines that are included in the framework are: land use planning, transportation planning, urban design, environmental management, infrastructure engineering, and energy management. The City's sustainable place-making priority was also embedded in a Request for Proposal (RFP) that was prepared for Pickering's Downtown Intensification Program. The RFP was issued in October 2011 and the successful consulting team (Urban Strategies) was hired in December. With the assistance of the Office of Sustainability and the Advisory Committee, Urban Strategies will prepare Sustainable Place-making Guidelines for Downtown Pickering for Council's consideration in 2012. 4. Energy management continued to bean important interest in 2011. In 2007, the City completed the first three of five milestones of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program. In 2011, this Office retained Durham Sustain Ability to provide an update on Pickering's corporate greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, and consider barriers that may exist to implementing the City's greenhouse gas action plan and reaching our greenhouse gas emission targets. Durham Sustain Ability's work provides a foundation for refining the City's action plan and completing milestones 4 and 5 of the PCP program (for corporate emissions). In 2011, the City participated in a national Town Hall Challenge for energy and water conservation. Pickering received a lot of positive media coverage as a result of this participation when City Hall was ranked third out of sixty Canadian municipalities for energy and water use. Over the past few years, the City has implemented a series of measures to reduce water and energy use at City Hall including energy-efficient lighting, upgrading HVAC systems, and switching to an automated chilled water system. These and other efforts have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 500 tonnes annually. 5. The work plan for 2012 includes a number of new initiatives that will further enhance the profile and significance of the Sustainable Pickering program. The Office of Sustainable and the Sustainable Pickering Advisory Committee have a number of important initiatives planned for 2012. Some of the key initiatives are outlined below. CORP0227-07/01 revised Report OS 02-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program Page 6 0 a. Enhancing opportunities for community and corporate engagement in the Sustainable Pickering program, including: • Developing and launching a Sustainable Neighbourhood Challenge • Holding the 7th Annual Sustainable Pickering Day with a focus in 2012 on local food. • Encouraging, increased staff involvement in Smart Commute Durham including Carpool Week, Bike to Work Day, Clean Air Commute, and Smart Commute Week. • Enhancing external partnerships with the Durham Environmental Coordinating Committee, GTA Clean Air Council, National Advisory Committee on Sustainable Cities, and the Global City Indicators Facility Project. • Enhancing our use of social, media (facebook, Twitter, etc.) and exploring new community engagement tools for the Sustainable Pickering program. • Creative marketing of the second Measuring Sustainability Report b. Development of a Corporate Sustainability Policy A staff team will be struck to help draft a corporate sustainability policy that will relate to various elements of the City's sustainability program including vehicle idling, energy use, waste management, etc. c. Completion of Milestones 4 & 5 of the Partners for Climate Protection Program A report will be completed and submitted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities outlining the City's efforts toward achieving milestone 4 & 5 of the Partners for Climate Protection program with respect to corporate greenhouse gas emissions. d. Continued work on the. City's Sustainable Place-making framework An information piece will be completed on Building a Sustainable City, and additional work will be undertaken on Living and Working in a Sustainable City. In association with Urban Strategies and others, Sustainable Place-making Guidelines for Downtown Pickering will be prepared. e. Completion of a research project on Compact Thermal Energy Storage Technologies Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) approached the Office of Sustainability in late 2011 with a request to fund a technical assessment on compact thermal energy storage technologies and their potential integration into residential, commercial and institution buildings in Canada. The project will be 100% funded. by NRCan, and completed on the City's behalf in early 2012 by renewable energy experts at SAIC Canada with assistance from thermal energy experts from the Netherlands. CORP0227-07/01 revised Report OS 02-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Sustainable Pickering Program Page 7 07 Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By: Chantal Whitaker Thomas Melyr auk, Coordinator, Sustainability Director, Office of Tustainability Doug Dickerson Deputy Mayor and Chair, Sustainable Pickering Advisory Committee CW:cw Recommended for the consideration of PickerCo n it • 3 Zo l~ Tony Prevedel, P.Eng. Chief Administrative Officer CORP0227-07/01 revised City 0~ Report to Executive Committee PICKERING Report Number: CS 08-12 08 Date: February 13, 2012 From: Everett Buntsma Director, Community Services Subject: Local Look Back Program Essay/Speech Competition File: A-1440 Recommendation: 1. The Report CS 08-12 from the Director, Community Services regarding the Local Look Back Program be received; 2. That the City of Pickering assist with the promotion of the Local Look Back Program by posting the program flyer/information on the City's website; 3. That the program flyer/information be modified to meet Corporate standards and that the City of Pickering provide 150 copies of the program flyer to Rosemary McConkey for distribution to participating Pickering schools; 4. That Rosemary McConkey put together and coordinate a selection team to review the essays submitted by participating Pickering schools and that not more than 15 student essays be selected for recognition; 5. That City Council recognize the selected students from Pickering schools with certificates of appreciation at a future Council meeting: and 6. That the Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic District School Board coordinate the attendance of selected students from Pickering schools to the Council meeting. Executive Summary: Ms. Rosemary McConkey appeared before Council in December 2011 to present a new program she would like to initiate for grade 7 and 8 students. The proposed project encourages students to research history, prepare written essays and make presentations, all important skills that schools currently teach to students. While the proposed Local Look Back Essay/Speech Competition for grades 7 and 8 students has merit in principle, it is a project that requires a significant amount of coordination and time. Report CS 08-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Local Look Back Program Page 2 09 At the January Council meeting Ms. McConkey presented a revised program outline for Council's consideration. The City of Pickering staff have reviewed Ms. McConkey's revised expectations of the program and the involvement of the City and feel we could assist with the promotion of the event through the City's website and the photocopying of promotional literature. The City would also invite 15 winning student(s) from participating Pickering schools that have been selected by the selection team, to be recognized with certificates of appreciation at a future Council meeting. Financial Implications: The copying of material, minimal staff time and recognition of winning essays would result in minimal costs for this project. Background: i At the December 14, 2011 meeting of Council, Ms. McConkey made a delegation requesting support regarding a new program she would like to initiate. The following specific requests were made by Ms. McConkey of Council; 1. A commitment to host a City of Pickering Local Look Back event finale in Pickering council chamber sometime in May, 2012; 2. Name the date and time in May decided on by council members for the City of Pickering Local Look Back event finale and post it on the City's website with details about the essay/speech competition; 3. Name one or two council members as the 'point to' person(s) for the City of Pickering Local Look Back project who will respond to media questions/interviews and emcee the event finale; 4. Decide how many members of council will be involved in the City of Pickering Local Look Back event finale in May, i.e. whether all members of council will be participating, or a minimum of three council members, will listen to and help adjudicate the student speeches; 5. Decide on the number of student speeches to be presented in total; 6. Prepare and issue a predetermined number of 'City of Pickering Certificates of Participation' to present to representatives of the top participating schools at the May event; CORP0227-07/01 revised Report CS 08-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Local Look Back Program Page 3 ~n 7. Determine the prize to be awarded the student who has presented the best essay/speech overall (example: a one year family membership at one of the City's community centres) (note: prizes will vary between Durham municipalities.) Each municipality will promote the prize it will be awarding the competition winner on its website and in any media releases and flyers distributed to the schools and/or libraries (Note: the decision about naming the winner will be reserved, and the winner's name will be made public a short time following the May event finale and possibly be invited to repeat their speech to Durham Region Council in June), although the top participating schools may be recognized at the May event finale as in 6 above (that is, those schools that submitted the greatest number of high quality essays). Selection of the overall winning student will be made by a minimum of 3 members of council who listened to the speeches and any other adjudicator(s) (council may want to be involved in the judging); 8. After the May 1st submission deadline, issue formal invitations with RSVP requests to the May event finale in the City's council chamber to the students who have been selected to represent their school and include invitations to the selected student's families, teachers and principal, local school board superintendents/trustees as well as issue a Media Release in advance; 9. Encourage any interested local heritage/library/community groups to assist in whatever capacity the municipal council may consider beneficial ie: displays of local heritage memorabilia and/or offering refreshments ; and 10. Design and print flyers that incorporate the City's logo and other information specific to the City of Pickering (such as the prize being awarded, and the municipality's address and event finale date) into the standard flyer format. Council requested staff investigate the program and provide additional information. In order to garner support for her project, Ms. McConkey has contacted each of the area municipalities and school boards. Ms. McConkey has made similar delegations to Municipal Councils over the last two months. Area Municipalities had concerns regarding the amount of work required to implement the program and the short timelines. It was also noted that Area Municipalities felt the program should be implemented by the school boards with recognition being given by Council during a regular Council Meeting. As of the writing of this report, the following are the responses received: Municipality of Clarington - A report went to the General Purpose and Administration Committee on January 23, 2012. The following recommendation was carried: That the request to participate in the Local Look Back Project be referred to the Clarington Museums and Archives Board with input from the Clarington Heritage Committee for their consideration. CORP0227-07/01 revised Report CS 08-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Local Look Back Program Page 4 City of Oshawa - Endorsed in principle only. Town of Whitby - The Operations Committee recommended the following to Council which should be approved at the February 6, 2012 Council Meeting: 1. That the three Durham Region School Boards be requested to give consideration to the implementation of the Local Look Back Essay/Speech Competition within Town of Whitby schools; 2. That the Durham Region School Boards be advised that if the Local Look Back Essay/Speech Competition is implemented, that the Town of Whitby and the Whitby Youth Council would be prepared to promote the project, and that the winning students from the participating Whitby schools in each Board would be recognized by Council for their essay achievements at a future Council meeting; and, 3. That a copy of Community and Marketing Services Department Report CMS 05-12 be forwarded to the Durham District School Board, Durham Catholic District School Board, Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud and the other municipalities of Durham Region. Town of Ajax - Staff are recommending that the Town provide limited support for this year only, as follows: 1. Having at least three Council members attend an evening of speeches that will last no more than two hours, presenting participation certificates and selecting a winner. If sufficient Council members are unable to volunteer, a suitable panel will be made up of members of the Heritage Advisory Committee, prominent citizens familiar with the Town's history; etc.; 2. The Town will modify the flyer to make it Ajax-specific and provide 150 copies for distribution to the schools and posted, in Town and other public facilities, on their website; etc.; 3. The Town will compile an invite list and send out invites for the final speaking event; and, 4. The Town will determine an appropriate prize for the winner. Township of Uxbridge - Ms. McConkey will make a deputation regarding the project to Council on February 6, 2012. Township of Brock - Council supports the concept by way of hosting the awards but Ms. McConkey's requests are to be referred back to her for implementation. CORP0227-07/01 revised Report CS 08-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Local Look Back Program Page 5 12 Township of Scugog - GP&A Meeting dated January 23, 2012 heard Ms. McConkey's delegation and advised her that staff will research and discuss the mechanics of the program. Region of Durham - Rosemary McConkey appeared as a delegation at the Health & Social Services Committee meeting of November 24, 2011 and then to the December 14, 2011 Regional Council meeting. Questions were asked of the delegation, but no further action was taken. Durham District School Board - Support of the project as it has a literacy focus. Durham Catholic District School Board - Support of the project, ie, circulating flyers through their courier system. Discussion: Given the amount of time and resources required regarding the initial presentation of the project, staff had concerns and felt it more appropriate for the school boards to implement this program and that the City could recognize the winning essays at a Council Meeting. Staff feel that if the revised process as outlined by Ms. McConkey is put in place the City would be able to assist with the program; - Ms. McConkey to distribute the revised program flyer/information to Pickering schools (through their respective school boards); - Ms. McConkey to select a team to review all essays and select no more than 15 students from Pickering schools to be recognized; The school boards to coordinate the attendance of selected students to be recognized at the Council meeting; and - The City recognize the selected students from. Pickering schools with certificates of appreciation at a future Council meeting. Attachments: 1. Local Look Back Program Flyer CORP0227-07/01 revised Report CS 08-12 February 13, 2012 Subject: Local Look Back Program Page 6 13 Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By: Marisa Carpi o 1 Everett 56ntsma (Acting) Ma r, Culture & Recreation Director, Community Services L) Q Debbie Shields Stephen olds City Clerk Division Head, Culture & Recreation As Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council Tony Prevedel, P.Eng. Chief Administrative Officer CORP0227-07/01 revised the Gem ag( P ICKERINC; ------LOCAL LOOK ACK essay/ speech competition Between January and May 2012 the eight municipalities in Durham Region are holding essay/speech competitions to increase awareness of local history. It's an opportunity for young people to connect with members of their municipal government and share a local look back at how their communities have evolved. AJAX BROCK I CLARINGTON I OSHAWA I PICKERING I SCUGOG I UXBRIDGE I WHITBY Open to Grade 7 & 8 Students in Durham Region / write a soo word essay descr'bUvi,o the ortetAz of ~ovr school av"ol what ~ovr coK&vv.L4_v-. tlUi was Lilee at the t'WM uour school was built! essay submission deadline May 1st 2012 Students selected to represent their school will present their essay/speeches to the City of Pickering Council at a special public meeting in Council Chambers at One The Esplanade, S Pickering on Thursday, May 17th, at 7 p.m. ll~ Win a free membership to a City of Pickering community centre! An Award will be given to the student with the essay/speech that best captures the early history or recent past of his or her school as well as the development of the community when the school was founded. Winning essays will be published on the City of Pickering website www.citvofpickering.com and in the Pickering News Advertiser newspaper! Y: FOR RULES & MORE DETAILS VISIT: www.locallookback.com _ = ' Y: email questions to local lookbacka-gmai1.com .14 rx.