Report to: General Committee Report
Date: February 3, 2008
SUBJECT: Concrete
Fence Replacement Program - Update
PREPARED BY: Morgan
Jones, Supervisor, Contract Administration
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report entitled “Concrete Fence Replacement Program – Update”
be received;
AND THAT Council endorses the proposed 2008 program.
AND THAT the same three-way cost
sharing arrangement, whereby the Town, Corporate sponsors and the individual
homeowners each contribute one-third of the cost for the fence replacement
program be continued.
AND THAT Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to
give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Not applicable
PURPOSE:
This
report has been prepared to update Committee and Council on the progress made
on the concrete fence replacement program from 2005 to 2007. In addition, the Operations
Department is requesting Council’s authorization to continue the program on new
projects throughout the town, as sponsorship funds are made available.
BACKGROUND:
In November 2004, the Operations
Department completed construction of the first phase of the concrete fence
replacement project on both Birchmount
Road and Steeles
Avenue within the pilot project area. The first phase of the replacement program
proved quite successful with 65 homeowners participating in the program
resulting in the replacement of approximately 783 lineal meters of concrete
fence. The photographs included in
Attachment ‘A’ of this report provide an excellent demonstration of the
aesthetic improvements achieved within the project area, as a result of the
fence replacements.
At its meeting on April
12, 2005, Council approved the Town wide expansion of the program
Completion of Pilot Project
In 2005, the Operations
Department completed both phases of the concrete fence replacement pilot
project. Upon receipt of corporate sponsorship funds, homeowners backing onto
both Warden Avenue
and Denison Street
were invited to participate. The Operations
Department conducted public meetings to advise affected residents of their
opportunity to participate in this phase of the project. The program recognized the participation of
110 residential units or 1256.63 lm of new fence.
Town Wide Expansion of the Concrete Fence Replacement Program
2006 Program
In 2006, with secured funding, the program continued in Ward 8. Community meetings were conducted, sites
targeted, and the program was successfully completed in the fall of 2006 with
improvements made to fences in the general area of Denison Street and Brimley Road affecting 14 residents or 366.78
lm of new fence. Initial community
meeting was conducted for Ward 2 with a project area targeted. Due to seasonal timing, the project was
deferred to 2007.
2007 Program
In 2007, two phases of the program were undertaken by the Operations Department with Wards 2 and 8 targeted
for the continuation of the program. The
Community meetings were conducted and fence improvements in Ward 2, specifically
Evergreen Drive,
were completed by the fall of 2007 allowing 11 residential units to participate. The residents of Chichester Road, Hainsworth Court, Dolson Court, Dunbar Crescent and Finchley Circle were invited to
participate in the continued program in Ward 8, resulting in a resident
participation of 9 additional households.
A combined total of 334.63 lm of new fence was replaced through these
two projects.
Summary
Improvements to the streetscapes in the project areas clearly
demonstrate the benefit of the concrete fence replacement program. Continued concrete fence replacement provides
a comprehensive program to address the fundamental objective of the Markham
Beautification Committee, which is to revitalize the streetscapes on the Town,
Region and City of Toronto
roads throughout the Town.
OPTIONS/
DISCUSSION:
2008 Fence Replacement Program;
Ward 2
There is a current
balance of $34,254 from the $50,000 originally allocated to fence replacement
in Ward 2. The Operations
Department will target and assess potential sites in Ward 2. Selected locations for consideration will not
exceed the total funding available in both Town and sponsored funding, (i.e.
approximately $34,200 in each).
Ward 8
Ward 8 will see an
additional replacement of fence located on the south side of Denison Street east to the point of
intersection of the new fence as a 100% development funded program. The funding source is to be provided by the
development of the site on the northeast corner of Warden Avenue and Denison Street, for the soon to be
constructed hotel.
With only $21,354 of
sponsorship funding remaining, potential fence replacements in Ward 8 will be
very limited. Operations
will target and assess potential sites in Ward 8 and limit the project scope to
available sponsorship and Town funding.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE:
Currently there is a
total of $55,608 in corporate sponsorship funds available for concrete fence
replacement projects. In addition, there
is approximately $214,208 of Town Capital funding available. The Operations
Department will endeavour to undertake replacement programs in Wards 2 and 8 to
the upset spending limits, of sponsorship and Town funding, of $34,254 and
$21,354 respectively, subject to receipt of matching homeowner
contributions. These dollar amounts do
not include the 100% development funded location on Denison Street in Ward 8. Additional contributions from both corporate
sponsors as well as homeowners will be required to expand the fence replacement
program in 2008 and beyond.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Not applicable
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Not applicable
RECOMMENDED BY:
________________________ ________________________
Paul Ingham, Peter Loukes,
General Manager, Operations
Commission
Lead, Community and Fire Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment ‘A’ – Photos of first phase of concrete fence replacement
program
Attachment ‘B’ – Financial Template – Markham Beautification Program
Attachment ‘A’
