Meeting # 6 of the
“MAKE IT HAPPEN” TASK FORCE
TOWN OF
Mayor’s Boardroom, Markham Civic Centre
MINUTES
Attendance
Councillor D. Horchik, Chair
Deputy Mayor J. Jones
Regional Councillor G. Landon
Councillor J. Virgilio
Councillor J. Webster
Councillor A. Chiu
Staff
J. Baird, Commissioner of Development Services
J. Bosomworth, Manager, Innovation and Strategy
C. Conrad, Town Solicitor
B. Lee, Manager, Development Engineering
D. Miller, Senior Project Coordinator
V. Shuttleworth, Director of Planning and Urban Design
K. Young, Manager of Municipal Inspections
C. Raynor, Committee Clerk
The Task Force convened
at
Councillor D.
Horchik thanked members and staff for all their work over the summer. The Task
Force was advised that a more detailed presentation will be made at Development
Services Committee on
Each Working Group provided an overview of their findings and recommendations.
Working Group 1: Timelines for Approvals and Reporting of KPIs
It was noted that the development industry is seeking certainty and commitment to timelines. Mapping processes and publishing KPIs should help tackle these concerns. A number of external agencies such as PowerStream, the Region of York and the TRCA were engaged to examine ways to streamline the external consultation element of the development process. Discussions were encouraging and it is hoped that improvements can be made.
Working Group 2: Communications, Client Support and
The Task Force was advised that performance manuals have been reviewed with HR and that discussions are underway on ways that external agencies might be better involved in the update process.
Developers have noted that because urban design guidelines are dynamic and not uniform throughout the Town it is often difficult to know what the Town is looking for. Staff agreed to consider this problem further.
Working Group 3: Streamlining of Legal Agreement Process
Suggested improvements in this area included an abridged DAT manual for
inexperienced applicants, updating subdivisions agreements and providing a list
of standard clauses that can be incorporated by staff, pre-consultation between
staff and the applicant at the time the subdivision agreement is prepared and
to reduce the submission of multiple plans for a site plan application.
Working Group 4: Letters of Credit
It was noted that it is usually the smaller, inexperienced developers that have problems with the Letters of Credit. A suggestion from developers was that the Town take one Letter of Credit to cover multiple developments in order to reduce the amount of capital tied up at any one time.
Working Group 5: Development Application Software/Automating User
Interface
It was noted that AMANDA 5, if approved, will create a number of process improvements.
Working Group 6: Complete Application Submission and
Pre-Consultation Requirements
An Official Plan Amendment has been drafted regarding pre-consultation for Official Plans, Zoning and Subdivisions. Applicants should know within two weeks whether or not they have submitted a complete application. It was suggested that an information brochure on the subject be published.
It was suggested that Councillors review the incoming applications list for contentious items so that issues can be raised earlier in the process.
ADJOURNMENT
The Make it Happen
Task Force meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m.