M I
N U T E S

GENERAL COMMITTEE

2006-12-11

Meeting
No.1

Finance & Administrative
Issues                                                              Community
Services Issues

Chair:                                      Councillor
J. Virgilio                                    Chair:
Councillor
A. Chiu

Chair, Budget Sub-Ctte:      Councillor D.
Horchik                                  Transportation
Issues

Chair: IT Sub-Ctte:               Reg.
Councillor J. Jones                              Chair:                           Reg.
Councillor G. Landon

Chair:
Grants Sub-Ctte:       Councillor
V. Burke                                      Environment
& Sustainability Issues

Chair:
Councillor
E. Shapero

Attendance

Regional Councillor J. Heath

Regional Councillor G. Landon

Regional Councillor T. Wong

Councillor V. Burke

Councillor J. Virgilio

Councillor C. Moretti

Councillor J. Webster

Councillor D. Horchik

Councillor L. Kanapathi

Councillor A. Chiu

J. Livey, Chief
Administrative Officer

C. Conrad, Town
Solicitor

A. Taylor,
Commissioner of Corporate Services

J. Baird,
Commissioner of Development Services

S. Birrell, Town
Clerk

B. Cribbett,
Treasurer

A. Brown, Director
of Engineering

J. Wright, Director,
Building Standards

J. Bosomworth,
Manager, Strategy and Innovation

M. Visser, Manager,
Strategy, Innovations &

Investment

B. Nanninga,
Executive Assistant to Mayor and

Council

J. Kee, Committee
Clerk

The
General Committee convened at the
hour of 9:30 a.m. with Councillor J. Virgilio in the
Chair.

DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST

None declared.

1.         AMENDMENTS
TO DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING

AND
TOWN-WIDE FEE BY-LAWS – DEVELOPMENT

SERVICES
COMMISSION (10.13 & 2.0)

Report   Attachment
A  B  C  D  E  F  G

Mr. Jamie
Bosomworth, Manager, Strategy and Innovation, gave a presentation providing
details of the Town’s proposal to amend three fee by-laws to recover
costs associated with the provision of various services, as follows:

Development Fee By-law 211-83 - development applications

Building Fee By-law 2005-190 – building permit
applications

Town Wide Fee By-law 2002-276 – capital administration
fees and disbursement charges for studies, reports and plans

Committee
raised the matter of Committee of Adjustment fees for variances relating to driveway
extensions, and suggested the establishment of an alternate structure, such as
a simple tribunal system and/or special funding.  Staff advised that because this is a
zoning matter, the Committee of Adjustment would have to be the venue for these
applications.  Staff further advised
that a report on incentives is being prepared for Committee consideration in
the New Year, and it will include estimated costs.  Matters relating to surplus revenue and
reserve components were raised, and staff advised that the process to access
funds from reserves would require a Council resolution.

The
Commissioner of Development Services was requested to provide comparative
figures from other Region of York municipalities relating to percentage
adjustments and rates.

Committee
directed that time be set aside during the Budget process to review this cost
recovery fee model in detail.

**Moved by Councillor D. Horchik

Seconded by Regional Councillor J. Heath

That the presentation of the Manager,
Strategy and Innovation, with respect to the Amendments to Development,
Building and Town-Wide Fee By-laws – Development Services Commission, be
received;

And that the report
entitled “Amendments to Development, Building and Town Wide Fee By-laws,
Development Services Commission” be received;

And that the
amendment to the “Tariff of Fees for Processing Development Applications,”
By-law 211-83, substantially in the form attached to this report as Attachment
“A” be enacted;

And that By-law
2005-190 be repealed and the attached “By-Law respecting Construction,
Demolition and Change of Use Permits and Inspections,” attached to this
report as Attachment “B” be enacted;

And that the
amendment to the Fee By-law 2002-276, attached to this report as Attachment
“C” be enacted;

And that the By-laws
come into force and take effect on January 1, 2007;

And further that
staff begin allocating interest revenue to the Building Fee and Engineering,
Planning and Urban Design Fee Reserves, effective January 1, 2007.

CARRIED

**Note:  See
December 19, 2006 Council Meeting minutes for amendment to this resolution.

2.         MINUTES
OF NOVEMBER 20, 2006

GENERAL
COMMITTEE MEETING (16.0)

Minutes

Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded by Councillor D. Horchik

That the
minutes of the November 20, 2006 meeting of General Committee be confirmed.

CARRIED

3.         2007
INTERIM TAX LEVY AND BY-LAW (7.3)

Report

Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded
by Councillor D. Horchik

That Council
authorize an interim tax levy for 2007;

And that the
attached by-law be passed to authorize the 2007 interim tax levy.

CARRIED

4.         BY-LAW
TO AUTHORIZE TEMPORARY BORROWING (7.0)

Report   By-law

Committee
requested that the wording of the staff recommendation relating to temporary
borrowing be amended to ensure that it indicates that a Council resolution is required
to borrow funds.

Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded
by Councillor D. Horchik

That a by-law be
brought forward for Council approval to authorize the temporary borrowing, if
required, of an amount not to exceed $101,340,584 from January 1, 2007 to
September 30, 2007 and $50,670,292 from October 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 to
meet the current expenditures of the Corporation until taxes are collected and
other revenues are received, subject to
Council approval.

CARRIED

5.         INTERIM
SPENDING AUTHORITY PENDING

APPROVAL
OF 2007 BUDGET (7.4 & 7.5)

Report

Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded
by Councillor D. Horchik

That Council receive
the report “Interim Spending Authority Pending Approval of 2007
Budget” dated December 11, 2006;

And that Council
approve 50% of the 2006 Operating Budget equal to $101,340,584 as a pre-budget
approval for 2007 operating expenditures.

CARRIED

6.         STAFF
AWARDED CONTRACTS FOR THE MONTHS

OF
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2006 (7.12)

Report   Attachments

The
status and condition of fire hoses installed on the fire pumper trucks was
raised, and Committee was advised that the Commissioner of Community and Fire
Services would forward such information to all Members by memorandum.

Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded
by Councillor D. Horchik

That the report
entitled “Staff Awarded Contracts for the Months of October and November
2006” be received.

CARRIED

7.         DEVELOPMENT
CHARGES INDEXING JANUARY 1, 2007 (7.11)

Report   Attachment

Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded
by Councillor D. Horchik

That the report
entitled “Development Charges Indexing January 1, 2007” be
received;

And that Council
approve an increase in development charges of 4.02%, effective January 1, 2007.

CARRIED

8.         2007
COUNCIL/COMMITTEE MEETING CALENDAR (16.0)

Attachment

Members
were advised that the following changes have been made to the draft 2007
Calendar of Council and Committee meetings:

- no Council
or standing committee meetings scheduled for July or August

- Committee
of the Whole has been eliminated

- General
Committee meetings to be held every Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon

-
Development Services Committee meetings to be held every Tuesday morning from
9:00 a.m.

to
12 Noon, with Part A being the day of Council and Part B the week prior to
Council.

Committee
asked staff to confirm the dates of the March School Break with the local
school boards, not only for 2007, but for future years, if possible.  The matter of including cultural
activities on the calendar was raised, and the Town Clerk advised that these
will be included in the final approved calendar for 2007.  This new format will be reviewed at the
end of one year.

Once
approved, all 2007 Council and Standing Committee meetings will be automatically
inserted into Council’s Scheduler (electronic calendar).

**Moved by Councillor A. Chiu

Seconded by Councillor D. Horchik

That the 2007
calendar for Council and Standing Committee meetings be approved.

CARRIED

**Note:  See
December 19, 2006 Council Meeting minutes for amendment to this resolution.

9.         REQUEST
THAT RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM BE REMOVED

FROM
FRONT OF THORNHILL COMMUNITY CENTRE (12.2.6)

Letter

Moved by Councillor D. Horchik

Seconded by Regional Councillor T. Wong

That the letter from
Mr. Man-Li Morse, Thornhill, requesting that the Jewish Menorah currently in
place on Bayview Avenue in front of the Thornhill Community Centre be removed,
be received;

And that staff be requested to prepare a report in the spring with
respect to this issue and related Town policy.

CARRIED

10.       MARKHAM ARTS COUNCIL -
COUNCIL

REPRESENTATION
(16.24 & 12.2.6)

Letter

Moved by Regional Councillor J. Heath

Seconded by Councillor A. Chiu

That
the letter dated December 4, 2006 from the Markham Arts Council requesting two
Council members to be appointed to the Arts Council Board of Directors be
received;

And that the appointment of members be deferred and
referred to the Committee of the Whole meeting on December 19, 2006.

CARRIED

11.       DUFFINS AND
CARRUTHERS WATERSHED

RESOURCE
GROUP – MEMBERSHIP (16.24 & 13.13.2)

Attachment

Moved by Regional Councillor J. Heath

Seconded by Councillor A. Chiu

That
the email correspondence dated November 23, 2006 from the Watershed Management
Division of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority with respect to
membership on the Duffins and Carruthers Watershed Resource Group be received;

And that the appointment of members be deferred and
referred to the Committee of the Whole meeting on December 19, 2006.

CARRIED

12.       ROUGE
PARK ALLIANCE -
APPOINTMENT

OF
MEMBER AND ALTERNATES (16.24)

Attachment

Moved by Regional Councillor J. Heath

Seconded by Councillor A. Chiu

That the letter dated November 15, 2006
from the Chair of the Rouge Park Alliance requesting the appointment of a
Council Member and one or more alternate for a term to be at the discretion of
the Town be received;

And that the appointment of members be deferred and
referred to the Committee of the Whole meeting on December 19, 2006.

CARRIED

13.       ONTARIO
MINISTRY OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

VOLUNTEER
RECOGNITION PROGRAM – 2007 (13.2)

Attachment

Moved by Regional Councillor G. Landon

Seconded by Regional Councillor T. Wong

That the following correspondence from the
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration calling for nominations for the
following Awards be received:

The Ontario
Volunteer Service Awards – in recognition of continuous years of
service with a community group

The Outstanding Achievement Awards for Voluntarism in Ontario –
awarded for superlative volunteer work undertaken by individuals, groups
or businesses

The Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers – presented to
young volunteers between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age

And
that the request for nominations be referred to Members of Council for their
consideration and possible action.

CARRIED

-------------------------------------------

Moved by Regional
Councillor J. Heath

Seconded by Councillor
J. Webster

That the Committee resolve In Camera to discuss a confidential
matter. (10:20 a.m.)

CARRIED

Moved by Councillor D.
Horchik

Seconded by Regional Councillor
J. Heath

That the Committee rise and report. (10:35 a.m.)

CARRIED

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ADJOURNMENT

The General Committee meeting adjourned at 11:15 a.m.