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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 4, 2023 Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 1 Present: Mayor Kevin Ashe Councillors: M. Brenner S. Butt L. Cook M. Nagy D. Pickles L. Robinson Also Present: M. Carpino - Chief Administrative Officer K. Bentley - Director, City Development & CBO P. Bigioni - Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor S. Boyd - Fire Chief B. Duffield - Director, Operations R. Holborn - Director, Engineering Services S. Karwowski - Director, Finance & Treasurer L. Gibbs - (Acting) Director, Community Services S. Cassel - City Clerk M. Guinto - Division Head, Public Affairs & Corporate Communication L. Arshad - Manager, Economic Development & Strategic Projects A. Mostert - Manager, Landscape & Parks Development C. Redmond - (Acting) Deputy Clerk A. MacGillivray - Committee Coordinator 1. Call to Order/Roll Call The City Clerk certified that all Members of Council were present and participating in-person. 2. Disclosure of Interest No disclosures of interest were noted. 3. Delegations 3.1 Lindsey Morrill, Food Bank Director, St. Paul’s on the Hill Community Food Bank Stephanie Douglas-Bowan, Incumbent, St. Paul's on the Hill Anglican Church Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 2 Re: Food Insecurity in Pickering Lindsey Morrill, Food Bank Director, St. Paul’s on the Hill Community Food Bank, and Stephanie Douglas-Bowan, Incumbent, St. Paul’s on the Hill Anglican Church, appeared before the Committee to speak to food insecurity in Pickering. Ms. Morill provided an overview of the food crisis in Pickering and the need to explore ways that they could work with the City to respond to growing food need. Ms. Morill thanked Mayor Ashe for approaching Coughlan Homes to ask for a break in rent for their facility, and for offering guidance. Ms. Morrill also thanked Councillor Butt for his assistance and to all those who have donated to food needs or running food drives. She spoke to the challenges faced by the food bank and provided statistics from a recent report from Feed Ontario that states that food banks are experiencing the largest visits on record, more than double the increase from the 2008 recession. Ms. Morrill commented that at food banks across the province, there has been a jump of 38% from 2022 to 2023. She noted that the Report points to insufficient social support programs, lack of quality employment and unaffordable housing as the drivers. Ms. Morill provided current and previous statistics on the local food bank including that 49% of clients using the community food bank are new client registrations this year. She also noted that in 2021 they helped 14,046 individuals, in 2022 they helped 20,688, and are projected to serve 29,139 clients by end of 2023. She noted the rising number of homeless individuals, and individuals in mental health crisis among its clients, and disintegration of services from supporting agencies. She noted changes to operations since 2021 in the way they distribute food and that they have streamlined the intake process. She noted that despite increased funding, they are projected to end the year in a deficit. To help reduce the deficit they introduced an income cap in line with practices at other food banks. She stressed that they are experiencing individuals and families in crisis that have nowhere to turn. Staff and volunteers at the food bank are also experiencing stress while they try to cope with the rising need. Rev. Douglas-Bowan reiterated Ms. Morrill’s concerns regarding the stress that staff and clients are experiencing at the food bank. She advised that their budget had increased to cover security and other overhead costs. Rev. Douglas-Bowen stated that the City’s elected officials should be aware of the food crisis in Pickering and suggested that the City look to develop its own food insecurity plan as the crisis has moved beyond the responsibility of a faith- based organization. She concluded her delegation by offering an open invitation for Members to come to tour the food bank. A question and answer period ensued between Members of Council, staff, Ms. Morrill and Rev. Stephanie Douglas-Bowan regarding: • the number of families the food bank sees weekly and how often they are allowed to visit the food bank; Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 3 • if the food bank had both corporate and private funding and whether they were seeking more funding opportunities; • clarification regarding how people could make donations and the types of donations that were most needed; • whether the food bank had reached out to the Region of Durham with the same request, given that the Region of Durham is responsible for Health & Social Services; • whether or not the food bank had seen an increase in clients when schools are closed for the season; • whether programs were in place to support children that don’t have access to the Healthy Snack Program they receive at school; • whether the food bank tracked data on the increase of individuals and children that are visiting the food bank; • the role that the City of Pickering and the Town of Ajax could play to better support the root causes and solutions to address food shortage; • the amount of support needed due to increased expenses, including security costs; and, • the possibility of needing a new location for the food bank in the future. 3.2 Allison Hansen, Rodenticide Free Ontario Re: Report CS 35-23 Animal Poisoning Prevention - Pest Management Policy - Rodenticides Education Campaign Allison Hansen, Rodenticide Free Ontario joined the hybrid electronic meeting via video connection to provide information regarding the danger of rodenticides. Ms. Hansen advised that since the loss of her dog, and dogs of other people she knew, she has continued to educate the public on the dangers of rodenticides. She commented that rodenticides also affected other species, and shared statistics from studies on the number and types of species affected. She advised that since the loss of her pet, she had completed the education and licensing program for Pest Management Professionals in Ontario, and stated that she was shocked that the course content included limited information, a poor evaluation process, and did not include hands-on training. Ms. Hansen advised that she was pleased with the Report but expressed concern that the Report only spoke to Anticoagulant Rodenticides and questioned what was included in the other Regulated Substances referred to in the Report. She advised there was a whole other area of toxins referred to as Neurotoxins. Ms. Hansen noted further concerns with the exemptions in the Report and was interested in understanding what checks and balances were in place to ensure they are not taken advantage of. Ms. Hansen thanked Council for taking action on this important matter. Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 4 A brief discussion ensued between Members of Council, and Ms. Hansen regarding the work that Rodenticides Ontario is doing in other municipalities, and the effects of Anticoagulant Rodenticides and Neurotoxins on pets. 4. Matters for Consideration 4.1 Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor, Report LEG 06-23 The Corporation of the City of Pickering - Corporate Strategic Plan Paul Bigioni, Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor provided an introduction to the presentation regarding the City’s Corporate Strategic Plan and introduced Karen Wianecki, Planning Solutions, who was retained to guide the City through the strategic planning process. Mr. Bigioni provided a summary of the definition of Strategic Plan, why the City needs a Strategic Plan, the Planning Process, including communication efforts, and Staff’s commitment to the Plan. Ms. Wianecki joined the hybrid electronic meeting via video connection, and through the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, provided an overview of the Strategic Plan. Ms. Wianecki provided an overview of the engagement process, and the level of community engagement which included a broad demographic of survey respondents, Advisory Committee presentations, as well as Council and staff participation. She spoke to how the City’s Corporate Strategic Plan was built and shaped, including the vision, mission, values and the key messages they heard across the community. Ms. Wianecki provided input on the common topics of interest heard, including, transit, density of development, social issues and access to medical service, and the promotion of community building and civic pride. Ms. Wianecki advised that the Vision, Mission and Core Values of the Corporate Strategic Plan were drafted from feedback received from all who participated. She provided details on the six strategic priority areas and the corporate key, including good governance and service excellence. She commented on how the Strategic Plan had been revised since she first met with Council to discuss the Plan, and provided details on the four strategic areas of focus including, being financially sustainable, promoting organizational efficiency and effectiveness, providing exceptional customer service, and to being an employer of choice. Ms. Wianecki summarized the presentation noting that the enhancements to the Plan reflect input from staff, community and partners and was a solid reflection of Council’s collective Work Plan priorities. Marisa Carpino, Chief Administrative Officer advised that next steps, pending Council approval, would include moving the project file from the Corporate Services Department to the Office of the CAO for implementation. Ms. Carpino provided an overview of the implementation and reporting process. Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 5 A question and answer period ensued between Council, staff, and Ms. Wianecki regarding: • whether the Indigenous Relationship Building Circle (IRBC) could be included in the equity, diversity, and inclusion commitment section of the Plan; • the survey responses and total website visits; and, • the inclusion of the Region of Durham services in the plan. Council recessed the Meeting due to technical difficulties. The Committee recessed at 3:38 p.m. and reconvened at 3:58 p.m. The question and answer period between Council, staff, and Ms. Wianecki continued regarding: • whether building on the diversity of farmland resources in both north and south Pickering could be considered; • the motivating factors for the decision to implement a strategic plan, and the coincidence that many cities and countries are currently adopting strategic plans; • what had sparked the start of the process to embark on a strategic plan and what benefits were expected as a result of implementing the plan; • clarification regarding the staff position dedicated to roll out this project and whether there would be any anticipated changes to the corporate structure, processes, or resources at the City as a result of implementing the strategic plan; • how the success of the strategic plan would be measured and evaluated; • how the survey questions were drafted and whether the survey results could be shared with Members of Council; • the number of people that were contacted to complete the survey; • clarification on how tailored the process was to the City of Pickering, and the unique and diverse characteristics of Pickering; • clarification as to whether the strategic plan could be changed in the future once it’s adopted; • the need for indigenous consultation; • the need to intersect with other stakeholders and how the plan will intersect with the Region of Durham’s and the Pickering Library’s strategic plans; and, • how the strategic plan would be communicated to Pickering residents. Recommendation: Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 6 Moved by Councillor Butt Seconded by Councillor Robinson 1. That Council endorse 2024-2028 Corporate Strategic Plan, as set out in Attachment 1; 2. That staff be directed to develop an operational plan to establish how the Corporate Strategic Plan will guide the City’s operations on an ongoing basis; 3. That the work plans for each Department shall be consistent with the operational plan, and incorporate the actions set out in the Corporate Strategic Plan, with those actions being reflected in the annual current and capital budgets of the City on an ongoing basis; 4. That staff be directed to report annually to Council on the progress of the Corporate Strategic Plan; and, 5. That appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the actions necessary to implement the Recommendations in this Report. Carried on a Recorded Vote as Follows: Yes No Councillor Brenner Councillor Robinson Councillor Butt Councillor Cook Councillor Nagy Councillor Pickles Mayor Ashe 4.2 Director, City Development & CBO, Report BLD 01-23 Building By-law Amendments under the Building Code Act Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt 1. That BLD 01-23 regarding Building By-law Amendments under the Building Code be received for information; Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 7 2. That the City’s Building By-law 7362/14, as amended, which provides for the administration and enforcement of the Building Code Act, 1992 within the City of Pickering, be repealed, and that the new City Building By-law, as set out in Attachment #1 to Report BLD 01-23, be approved, finalized, and forwarded to Council for enactment; and, 3. That City officials be authorized to undertake the necessary actions to give effect to Council’s decision. Carried 4.3 (Acting) Director, Community Services, Report CS 32-23 Interim Program Space in Seaton Update Seaton Commercial Plaza (Taunton Road and Peter Matthews) A brief discussion ensued between Members of Council regarding: • the status of the project, including approvals, and construction timelines; • what City programming could be accommodated in the space; and, • clarification of the zoning currently in place for the plaza. Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Nagy 1. That Report CS 32-23, regarding Interim Program Space in Seaton Update, be received; 2. That staff be directed to continue discussions with the ownership group of the Seaton Commercial Plaza at Taunton Road and Peter Matthews Drive to negotiate lease terms for commercial space, and report back to Council in Q2, 2024; and, 3. That the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as outlined in this report. Carried 4.4 (Acting) Director, Community Services, Report CS 33-23 City Property Naming - Doubles Squash Courts Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 8 Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Cook 1. That Council approve to name the doubles squash courts at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, the Ian Parsons Doubles Squash Courts; and, 2. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.5 (Acting) Director, Community Services, Report CS 34-23 Civic Awards Policy - Repeal of By-law Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Cook 1. That Report CS 34-23 regarding the Civic Awards Policy be received; 2. That Council approve CUL 150, Civic Awards Policy, as set out in Attachment #1 to this Report; 3. That the By-law included in Attachment #4 to this Report be enacted to repeal By-law #1448/82, a By-law establishing the Civic Recognition Committee; and, 4. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.6 (Acting) Director, Community Services, Report CS 35-23 Animal Poisoning Prevention - Pest Management Policy - Rodenticides Education Campaign Recommendation: Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 9 Moved by Councillor Nagy Seconded by Councillor Cook 1. That Report CS 35-23 regarding Animal Poisoning Prevention be received; 2. That Council approve CUL 160 Pest Management Policy, as set out in Attachment 1 to this report; 3. That Council approve the Rodenticides Educational Campaign as set out in Attachment 2 to this report; and, 4. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.7 (Acting) Director, Community Services, Report CS 36-23 Highway Traffic Act Amendments - Community Safety and Well-Being Committee A brief discussion ensued between Members of Council regarding clarification that the recommendation was requesting additional speed enforcement and that the speed enforcement already in place in community safety zones would not be affected. Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Butt Seconded by Councillor Robinson 1. That Report CS 36-23, regarding Highway Traffic Act Amendments, Community Safety and Well-Being be received; 2. That further to the recommendation of the Community Safety and Well- Being Committee, that Council be requested to send a letter to the Ontario Minister of Transportation and the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act s.205.1, to allow municipalities to locate a temporary Automated Speed Enforcement system on any roadway under the jurisdiction of the municipality, as determined by the municipality, and not restricted to only community safety zone and school safety zones; and, Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 10 3. That the letter be copied to the local area Minister of Provincial Parliament, the Association of Municipalities in Ontario, and all Durham Region area municipalities. Carried 4.8 Director, Engineering Services, Report ENG 14-23 Proposed Community Safety Zone Extension Rosebank Road – Toynevale Road to Maitland Drive Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Robinson Seconded by Councillor Pickles 1. That the attached draft by-law be enacted to amend Schedule “14” to By-law 6604/05 to provide for the regulation of Community Safety Zones on highways or parts of highways under the jurisdiction of The Corporation of the City of Pickering to extend the south limit of the Community Safety Zone on Rosebank Road from Dahlia Crescent/Cowan Circle to Maitland Drive; and, 2. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.9 Director, Engineering Services, ENG 15-23 Detail Design for Sixth Concession Road Reconstruction and Bridge Rehabilitation Project Request for Proposal No. RFP2023-17 Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Cook 1. That Request for Proposal No. RFP2023-17, submitted by The Greer Galloway Group Inc., for the Detail Design of Sixth Concession Road Reconstruction and Bridge Rehabilitation in the amount of $371,147.37 (HST included), be accepted; Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 11 2. That the total gross project cost of $415,685.00 (HST included), including the fee amount, and other associated costs, and the total net project cost of $374,337.00 (net of HST rebate) be approved; 3. That Council authorize the Director, Finance & Treasurer to finance the total net project cost of $374,337.00 as follows: a) the sum of $225,000.00 to be funded by a transfer from the Roads & Bridges Reserve Fund as approved in the 2017 and 2018 Capital Budgets; b) the additional sum of $149,337.00 to be funded by a transfer from the Rate Stabilization Reserve to cover the remaining over expenditure; and, 4. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.10 Director, Engineering Services, Report ENG 16-23 Dedicated Outdoor Pickleball Court Options – South Pickering A question and answer period ensued between Members of Council, and staff regarding: • the various locations proposed; • whether further discussions with Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One would be worth re-visiting to see if they may be interested in looking at exemptions at their site locations; • whether the City had received any written correspondence from Ontario Power Generation or Hydro One with respect to not allowing metal on the proposed sites and whether that correspondence could be shared with Council; • whether pickleball court poles could be constructed from materials other than metal; • the potential opportunities of implementing pickleball courts at Petticoat Creek; and, • staff providing clarification on the questions raised prior to the December 11, 2023 Council Meeting. Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Butt Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 12 Seconded by Councillor Nagy 1. That Report ENG 16-23 regarding dedicated outdoor pickleball court options in South Pickering be received; 2. That staff be directed to continue discussions with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority with respect to possible arrangements for a dedicated pickleball facility in the Petticoat Creek Conservation Park; 3. That staff be directed to continue the investigation of a potential site for a dedicated outdoor pickleball facility within South Pickering through the Recreation and Parks Master Plan update, and to continue dialogue with the 1st Pickering Pickleball Club regarding site selection and facility design; and, 4. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.11 Director, Finance & Treasurer, Report FIN 19-23 2022 Building Permit Stabilization Reserve Fund Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt It is recommended that Report FIN 19-23 from the Director, Finance & Treasurer regarding the 2022 Building Permit Stabilization Reserve Fund be received for information. Carried 4.12 Director, Finance & Treasurer, Report FIN 20-23 2024 Interim Levy and Interim Tax Instalment Due Dates Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 13 1. That an interim property tax levy be adopted for all realty property classes for 2024; 2. That the interim property tax levy instalment due dates be February 26 and April 26, 2024; 3. That the attached draft By-law, providing for the imposition of the taxes, be enacted; and, 4. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.13 Director, Finance & Treasurer, Report FIN 21-23 2024 Interim Spending Authority Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt 1. That the 2024 Interim Operating Expenditures be approved at 50 percent of the prior year’s budget, including adjustments, as contained in Attachment 1, pending approval of the formal 2024 Current Budget by Council; and, 2. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.14 Director, Finance & Treasurer, Report FIN 22-23 2024 Temporary Borrowing By-law Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt 1. That the temporary borrowing limit of $66 million be established to meet 2024 current expenditures pending receipt of taxes and other revenues for the period of January 1 to September 30, 2024 inclusive, and $33 million thereafter until December 31, 2024; Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 14 2. That the temporary borrowing limit for capital purposes for 2024 be established at $73 million; 3. That the attached draft By-law providing for the temporary borrowing of monies be enacted; and, 4. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take the necessary actions as indicated in this report. Carried 4.15 Director, Operations, Report OPS 34-23 Mechanical Harvesting of Eurasian Watermilfoil Weeds in Frenchman’s Bay - Results of 2023 Pilot Project Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt That Report OPS 34-23 regarding Mechanical Harvesting of Eurasian Watermilfoil Weeds in Frenchman’s Bay be received for information. Carried 4.16 Director, City Development & CBO, Report PLN 38-23 Streamlining the Development Application Review Process - RFP 2023-4 Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt 1. That proposal for Request for Proposal No. RFP 2023-4 submitted by Dillon Consulting Limited, for the Streamlining the Development Application Review Process, in the amount of $214,669.00 (excluding HST), be accepted; 2. That the net project cost of $218,447.00 (net of HST rebate), be approved; Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 15 3. That Council authorize the Director, Finance & Treasurer to finance the net project cost of $218,447.00 for these consulting services in the amount from the Approved 2023 Current Budget from Property Taxes; and, 4. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take such actions as are necessary to give effect to this Report. Carried 4.17 Director, City Development & CBO, Report PLN 42-23 Heritage Property Tax Relief Program By-law Recommendation: Moved by Councillor Pickles Seconded by Councillor Butt 1. That the Heritage Property Tax Relief Program and By-law be approved, as set out in Appendix I to Report PLN 42-23, and be enacted by Council; 2. That Council delegates the Director, City Development & CBO to execute the Heritage Easement Agreement for Eligible Properties as described in the Heritage Property Tax Relief Program By-law; 3. That the City Clerk give notice of this by-law to the Ministry of Finance and the Region of Durham within 30 days of the passing of the by-law; and, 4. That the appropriate City of Pickering officials be authorized to take actions as necessary to implement the recommendations of this report. Carried 5. Member Updates on Committees There were no Committee updates from Members. 6. Other Business 6.1 Councillor Brenner raised the issue of some of the Christmas lights not working in Esplanade Park on the weekend of December 3, 2023. Staff advised that the light timers were impacted from a power outage and that the issue had since been fixed. Draft Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 4, 2023 Hybrid Electronic Meeting – 2:00 pm Chair: Councillor Brenner 16 7. Adjournment Moved by Councillor Cook Seconded by Councillor Robinson That the meeting be adjourned. Carried The meeting adjourned at 5:18 p.m.