Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 8, 2007 (Strategy Session) Council Strategy Session Meeting Minutes Thursday, February 8, 2007 9: 15 AM PRESENT: Mayor David Ryan COUNCILLORS: D. Dickerson R. Johnson B. Littley B. McLean J. O'Connell D. Pickles ALSO PRESENT: 1. J. Quinn E. Buntsma N. Carroll G. Paterson A. Allison D. Bentley 1. Melymuk R. Holborn C. Mearns, J. Hannah J. Hodgson, L. Roberts - Chief Administrative Officer - Director, Operations & Emergency Services - Director, Planning & Development - Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer - City Solicitor - City Clerk - Division Head, Corporate Projects & Policy - Division Head, Municipal Property & Engineering - CEO Pickering Library - Superintendent for Municipal Operations, attended for part of thl3 meeting -Manager, Customer & Administrative Services -Committee Coordinator Introductory Remarks The Mayor provided opening comments and welcomed members to the Council Strategy Session. He advised that this would be an informal session, for information and discussion purposes with staff. There will be a number of presentations, but no decisions will be made as a result of these sessions, any formal reports required will be brought forward to Council to be dealt with. The Chief Administrative Officer thanked the Mayor and welcomed everyone to this strategy session. He noted that this was a good opportunity for general open discussions, some of the items being discussed have been around for sometime while others are more recent. He indicated that he was looking for guidance from Council on various issues, and that many were simply policy adjustments. Any items not completed as part of this session would be discussed at a future time. The Chief Administrative Officer advised that the Department Heads would present their Departmental Strategic Goals & Objectives, and would welcome any comments/questions in this regard. The Director of Operations, Emergency & Services proceeded to present. 2007 Department Strateaic Goals and Obiectives: Operations & Emerqency Services The Director, Operations & Emergency Services provided a detailed presentation, eluding to the challenges the City faces, as well as the financial impact on the City. He discussed the Capital projects, plans and the costs associated with the projects. He further outlined the 5 year implementation plan for the waterfront and Frenchman's Bay. The Division Head, Municipal Property & Engineering stated that Council had adopted in early 2006 a storm water management plan for Frenchman's Bay, a list of projects, policies to implement. Once adopted by Council, the City will be well on its way for 5 years of programming to help out Frenchman's Bay. Discussion ensued on the projected costs associated with this project. The Division Head stated that a consultant had been asked to assemble a 5 year plan. They will also investigate funds and identify corporate and private funding. He stressed the importance of having Council endorsement in order to receive this funding. The Director, Operations & Emergency Services indicated that staff were involved with numerous agencies and government bodies on many projects that affect the City, which takes up a significant amount of staff time. Discussion also ensued on parkland needs in Seaton, Duffin Heights based on today's population. He had prepared a significant list of needs over the next 5 years, and indicated the difficulty in dealing with the Province on certain matters. He noted correspondence had gone out to the Federal government for a district park, and noted the definition of a District Park is 100 acres, a stadium and seating for 3 to 5 thousand. The estimated cost projection would be 70 million over a 5 year period. The Chief Administrative Officer asked that more detailed information be provided to Council with respect to these matters. The Chief Administrative Officer, as an example, further indicated that the estimated cost just to build a soccer field today would be approximately $350,000, with a ball diamond being $300,000 along with a 1 to 2 year planning process. Discussion ensued on the problems with parks, the population and acreage involved. It was stated that the biggest problem with parks is population. Going by the standards we have, the City should have 3 community parks, at 35 - 50 acres. The Chief Administrative Officer stated that we were well known for over 25 years for recreation and parks previously and are still known for our recreation complex, although it is becoming dated. He advised that it will be a struggle, but supports the list that was compiled. A question and answer period ensued. The Director, Operations & Emergency Services provided clarification with respect to the fire hall and the recreation centre being considered separate. He further noted that the City should be aware of the multicultural needs with respect to recreation facilities in the future. It was further noted that the future Animal Shelter and Operations Centre should be considered separate and further, that down the road a First Nations Cultural Centre should be a priority. It was further stated that the Town of Whitby Operations Centre was toured and used as the base for the land required etc. It was felt that the Taunton Road site would meet our needs as it consists of approximately 25 to 30 aces. Services are required, access to arterial roads is good and the City does not want to be in the middle of a residential area. Council were further advised that the Toronto Region Conservation Authority was supportive of the proposed location. Discussion continued with respect to the Court issues related to the Seaton land matters. The City Solicitor provided a detailed overview of the current court cases that the City is involved with. The Director, Operations & Emergency Services provided a further review related to private partnerships for an indoor soccer club, the status of the design for the addition to the recreation complex, the Cultural Strategic Plan noted as a priority and the future location of the Fire Services headquarters. Communities in Bloom The Chief Administrative Officer provided an overview of the program and indicated that it would proceed, pending approval by Council. He indicated his support of the program and stated that it would be a significant endeavour for the City as a whole. John Hannah, Superintendent of Municipal Operations provided a detailed powerpoint presentation on the Communities in Bloom program. He explained the intent of the program and its induction, the different levels involved, the benefits involved, and how the program works, who is involved, the rating system, and criteria for judging. He explained the breakdown of the criteria, as well as the expectations of the program and the judging process. He talked about the Communities in Bloom "profile" book and provided an example of Vaughan's book to look through. He reviewed the proposed organizational structure. Detailed discussion ensued with respect to this matter, including discussion related to pesticide free communities, educational program on pesticides, utilization of native plants, budget allocation of $30,000., along with other area municipalities who were involved with the program. Based on the discussion, consensus was reached in favour of this program. Mayor Ryan and Councillor McLean were nominated to sit on this Committee and a further resolution of Council would be required to finalize the Committee as an advisory committee to Council. Council recessed at 10:40 am and reconvened at 11 :00 am. Planninq & Development The Director, Planning & Development outlined the map showing the context of Pickering, showing what can and can't be developed. He noted that the map was not for public use as it required further clarification. The map outlined how much is greenbelt, including the Oak Ridges Moraine. Questions ensued with respect to the map and clarification was sought on the percentage of greenbelt lands. The Director advised that approximately 55% of lands in Pickering are Natural Heritage or Greenbelt, which includes NHS lands which make up another approximate 8% of our total, making it unavailable for any development. Council questioned the Chief Administrative Officer whether there were any other communities with this high a percentage. He said we are one of a kind in Ontario and Canada. 2007 Priorities: The Director, Planning & Development provided a detailed overview with the aid of a powerpoint presentation. He outlined sustainability provision requirements, rating systems, Official Plan Review initiatives, requirements for Official Plan, key areas to examine, establishing plans in Official Plan, greenbelt, and the public comments on the Official Plan, along with a review of Bill 51 and how it effects the Planning Act. With respect to the Downtown Intensification Strategy, it was noted that the City needs to define vision, mix and scale of development. Discussion ensued on changes in the new building code, as well as the training of staff. The Director further advised that the Sign By-law was currently under review, in conjunction with the Clerks Division and this would be presented to Council hopefully by June. Discussion ensued and Council noted that this by-law would entail significant public debate. Capital Asset Reportinq The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer provided an overview of Capital Asset Reporting, through a power point presentation. He stated the major goals and objectives for the department and indicated that Capital Asset Reporting must be in place by January 2009. This could have significant affects on our budget and work must start soon on this. He further noted that assessment information would be provided on the City website this year, but would exclude the homeowners name. He further stated that the shelter for Animal Services in Claremont was a priority this year, and that would be a key focus for the Clerks Division. Purchasinq The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer reviewed the purchasing policy. A question period ensued, specifically if the City had considered a Fairness Commissioner for large projects, similar to what has been implemented at the Region. The Chief Administrative Officer discussed the processes internally as well as the plans for the next two days and the way everything ties into the budget. Discussion ensued on the financial situation of the City and what the priorities and format should be for these two sessions. Pickerinq Public Library Board Cynthia Mearns, CEO Pickering Library, provided a brief overview of the slides to be viewed over lunch and noted that a survey plan had been provided to all members present. She indicated that she would welcome any discussion or questions from members of Council. Council recessed at 12:20 pm and reconvened at 1 :08 pm. Financial Overview: The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer and Chief Administrative Officer discussed in detail the financial overview, with emphasis on: . Limited assessment . Aging infrastructure puts pressure on capital budget . Address sustainability - financial sustainability is most important. Discussion ensued with respect to the City's financial status and questions arose concerning the ceiling on debt. The Director advised that the City was in the 60 million range. We are well below the limit but have limited debt service capacity. Further detailed discussions are noted as follows: . how funds were allotted. . We used 3 million to reduce levy. . Reserves are rapidly diminishing . Discussed one time funds, inflation. · Projection for 2007 was just under 16%. . Went over forecasted projections, · Half of the budget pressure is due to lack of revenue. (Lack of housing) . Reserve funds high - majority is development charges. The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer, discussed discretionary Reserves & Reserve fund projections and debt charges, noting they are gradually creeping up. It was discussed that with respect to building permits across the GT A, Pickering is still the lowest. Discussion ensued on building permit trends, further noting that shortfall must be made up by tax revenue. (This is the only source the City has). Further discussion ensued related to the Capital budget and the implementation of a five year capital plan. The Director advised that the budget package is to be out March 9th., and a review of possible meeting dates was discussed. The City Clerk was requested to review Council schedules for the month of March, in order to finalize the date by the end of the Strategy session. Further discussion ensued related to economic forecasts and the inability to encourage development, assessment appeals currently before the City, POA revenue, along with the assessment growth of the City. Parking ticket revenue was reviewed, noting that the Clerks Division has exceeded budget allocations for the past two years. Staff were requested to review the market status of Veridian shares and report back to Council on this matter. The Chief Administrative Officer outlined for Council to consider the possible implementation of two ad-hoc committees of Council which would deal with the Province regarding the financial compensation for the North Pickering lands, and one to deal with the Federal Government for financial compensation related to the lack of decision related to the North Pickering lands. Duffin Heiqhts Neiqhbourhood The Director, Planning & Development, provided an overview of the Duffin Heights Neighbourhood. He outlined the historical structure, the definition of the boundaries and existing land uses through the use of a powerpoint presentation. He provided information on the following; land uses within the Official Plan, the Environmental Servicing Plan, the relocation of the Operations Centre, and a 20 acre community park. Discussion ensued on the two options. One option shows no connection, the entire community goes out to Brock Road. Discussion included the Region's involvement, as intersections must be implemented into Brock Road. This creates a concern with the fact that there is no link, forcing everything onto Brock Road, and also a concern with Valley Farm Road and grades, with one lane in each direction. Option two shows three signalized intersections. Region would like to see Rossland going under Brock Road. TSH has been hired to do a traffic study. It was indicated that we can't afford to have it put off much longer than another year. The Director, Plannig & Development, stated there were a number of environmental assessments going on now. Seaton The Division Head, Corporate Projects & Policy provided a detailed presentation on Seaton, with the aid of a powerpoint presentation. The legal matters related to Seaton were discussed and it was noted that the Province had approved the plan. The Division Head went over the three studies currently underway, Transportation Study, Natural Heritage Study, and the Highway 407 Study. It was noted that anything north of Highway 7 was Federal lands. A question and answer period ensued. Parkinq Strateqies The Chief Administrative Officer, with the assistance of the City Clerk outlined the Parking Strategies Discussion paper, with the aid of an powerpoint presentation. Discussion ensued with respect to the provision of permit parking within the City, and the process that is currently in place in a number of municipalities. The percentage of street partidpation for a request for on street parking permits was noted as 50%, and discussion related to the fact that perhaps 2/3rds was a more appropriate number. The Chief Administrative Officer stressed the importance that the request come from the street, not the City and suggested changes be made to this effect. The City Clerk noted that in discussions with municipalities who have permit parking, the majority of requests were not successful, garnering only a 35% rate of street involvement on average. The negative aspects of a permit parking system were further reviewed with winter control being the main concern. Discussion further ensued with respect to pay and display parking units, along with parking availability around the Civic Complex and the proper marking of disabled parking spots. Based on the discussion, the consensus was for staff to continue to monitor the parking situations and report back to Council at the next Council Strategy session. It was noted that it was not a Council priority at this time, rather revenue initiatives should be the focus. Councillor O'Connell left the meeting at 4:32 pm Grant Policy The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer, explained the process for grants, our previous procedures, and how under the new Municipal Act, the grant approval/reporting must change Detailed discussion ensued with respect to the draft Grant policy as presented. Council felt that the policy and procedures related to the grants was too detailed, and that the original grant parameters were sufficient at this time. The Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer was requested to review the policy, and streamline the focus to the original Council intent. Summary The Chief Administrative Officer thanked everyone for a very successful day, and welcomed the opportunity to review further items on the second day scheduled for discussion. The Strategy Session adjourned at 4:53 pm