Report to: General Committee                                                       Report Date:  April 21, 2008

 

 

SUBJECT:                          Update on the Markham Green Print: a Community Sustainability Plan

PREPARED BY:               Victoria McGrath, Manager, Executive Operations

                                           

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

That the report entitled “Update on the Markham Green Print: a Community Sustainability Plan” dated April 21, 2008, be received;

 

That Council endorse the work plan outlined in this report;

 

That Council representation on the Green Print Steering Committee be comprised of Mayor Scarpitti, Regional Councillor Wong, Councillor Shapero, Councillor Burke, Councillor Kanapathi;

 

And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not applicable

 

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide Council with an update of the activities underway to support the Green Print: a community sustainability plan and the work plan and activities planned for the next several months to advance the Green Print. In addition, the purpose of this report is to establish Council representation on the Green Print steering committee.

 

 

BACKGROUND:

Green Print in strategic framework

In his inaugural speech, the Mayor outlined a strategic framework for the upcoming term of Council, including a Green Print for Markham, tree planting, growth and transportation initiatives. Subsequently, in March 2007, Council developed six themes within the strategic framework: growth, transportation, environment, parks recreation, culture and library master plan and public safety, service levels and diversity. Municipal action around each of these strategic areas would help move Markham towards community sustainability.

 

Green Print will be a comprehensive community sustainability plan

The most significant action identified for the strategic priority area around environment was the establishment of a Green Print for Markham. In September 2007, Council approved a staff report “Proceeding with a Community Sustainability Plan” authorizing staff to engage a consultant for the Green Print.  Working together with Council, staff and the community, the Green Print will include a vision, goal, objectives, guidelines and policies and an implementation plan that will contribute to Markham’s future as a sustainable community, ensuring long-term prosperity, social well being and environmental health.  The Green Print will build on the strategic plan, Official Plan, Environmental Management Plan and other initiatives, policies, guidelines and processes underway, to become a comprehensive, integrated framework that guides the Town, over time, to the desired sustainable future.  The Markham Green Print will also meet the criteria of the Federal Gas Tax Agreement to complete a community sustainability plan.

 

Building Markham’s Future Together

At its March 25, 2008, meeting, Council approved the six strategic areas of focus: Growth Management, Transportation/Transit, Environment, Municipal Services, Parks, Recreation, Culture & Library Master Plan/Public Safety, and Diversity including the corresponding issue statements, action plans and phasing targets for each of the six strategic areas of focus. The issue statement, action plans and phasing targets for the environment will inform and guide the Green Print process.

 

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

Application to Federation of Canadian Municipalities for Grant Funding

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recently announced that grant funding up to fifty per cent would be available under the Green Municipal Funds (GMF) program for municipalities undertaking community sustainability plans. Staff submitted an Intent to Apply in January 2008 and were approved to submit a complete application to FCM. This application, attached as Appendix A, was submitted to FCM on March 11, 2008, in order to be approved in the Fall 2008 GMF approval process. If approved, grant funding of up to $175,000 will be provided from FCM, to be matched by the municipality. In the 2008 budget process, $120,000 from Gas Tax funding was approved to be used for the Green Print. Within the FCM application, municipalities may include up to ten per cent ($31,500) as “in kind” contributions with the remaining $23,500, to be provided in cash.  Staff will submit a request to the 2009 budget process for the remaining amount.

 

Work Plan

As a result of the application to FCM for additional funding, staff have developed the following work plan for completing the Green Print. The Green Print will be a single, comprehensive, document created and approved by incorporating the following components:

Stage One – May – September 2008

· Community Consultation Plan (CCP) - Stakeholders and the public will be asked how they want to be involved and every task will include public consultation activities. Staff will begin the CCP process immediately and will engage a consultant to assist with the process.  The CCP will build upon the highly successful Click With Markham web based public consultation, the residents’ survey from Environics and it will incorporate feedback from stakeholders and community groups. The project team will ask stakeholders and key community contacts `Do you want to be involved in this process?', and if yes, `How would you like to be involved?' and `What are the ways in which you would like to be engaged?' The answers to these questions will provide guidance that will be essential to meaningful engagement and the resulting plan will ensure that there is consultation at every stage of the project.

 

Staff have developed a lengthy list of potential consultation activities and they are designed to reach youth; senior citizens; members of ethno-cultural groups; businesses; educational institutions; social groups; environmental groups and other community partners. In addition, staff have considered a number of methods to engage the community in the process, including workshops, focus groups, charettes, forums, symposia, business breakfasts and luncheons, public meetings and other animation opportunities and activities.

 

Youth online engagement and WikiGreenPrint

In addition to the “traditional” civic engagement process, a consultant will be retained to develop a web-based sustainability forum for youth and children that builds upon the Click with Markham platform.  Within this web based forum will be a wikiGreen Print, based on wikipedia, for review and editing by the community. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia collaboratively written by many of its readers. It is a special type of website, called a wiki, that makes collaboration easy. Many people are constantly improving Wikipedia, making many changes an hour, all of which are recorded on article histories and recent changes. Inappropriate changes are usually removed quickly, and repeat offenders can be blocked from editing. Using this type of forum, a draft Green Print will be posted on the web for community members to edit and manipulate to represent their vision.

 

The consultant will also be asked to identify other innovative communication and consultation tools to effectively provide information on the Green Print to the public and receive comments and feedback, consistent with the Town’s identification with being at the forefront of technology. These tools may include web-based interactive tools, print, news media, and other methods, and including the development of a consistent graphic look for the Green Print.

 

Stage Two – July – December 2008

· Vision and Principles - The vision and principles will provide clear guidance on sustainability and it will be derived by asking consultation participants to visualize Markham 50 years from now.

 

· Action Plans - The project team will work to begin implementing the action plans for each focus area as determined through the Building Markham’s Future Together process:

·        Create a “Green Print” strategy for Markham that protects our environment and includes:

a.       Policies for protection of our air, land, water, vegetation/habitat, wildlife and all living species;

b.      A comprehensive, multi-year, multi-lingual education and communication strategy for staff and the public that involves the community and creates awareness of the Green Print;

c.       Work with all levels of government to endorse and support the sustainability program, and;

d.      Develop a comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

·        Adopt “Green Building Standards” and “Green Community Standards”:

·        Develop and implement a community-wide zero waste strategy

·        Prepare an enhanced Town-wide Beautification Policy.

·        Develop alternative ideas and strategies that encourage maintaining a healthier community including local food production and security, bike paths and trails

·        Establish the Town’s ecological footprint as a baseline and as a tool to help the community understand how to reduce its ecological footprint.

·        Develop a financial funding strategy and modeling tool to support these initiatives.

The project team will also add action plans as required and identify the targets and actions needed to achieve the desired future state.  

 

· Implementation Plan - The project team will develop an implementation plan that identifies performance criteria and a monitoring plan that includes indicators.

 

· Reporting - Monitoring data will be stored in the reporting framework and progress will be monitored on a regular basis. Progress will be reported to General Committee and to the public.

 

· Approval - There are several points where General Committee will be required to review the Green Print and approve plans, policies, new by-laws and expenditures.

 

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee will review and provide input into the Green Print for Markham.  The steering committee will be comprised of up to fifteen members including the chair. Quorum will be achieved with four members attending. The chair shall be elected by the steering committee members at the inaugural meeting. Members of the Committee will be comprised of up to five Councillors, including those Council representatives on the environment priority throughout the development of Building Markham’s Future Together and key stakeholders. These stakeholders may include but not be limited to business, citizens, youth, the agricultural community, Markham Conservation Committee, MDEI, Rouge Park, Regional and Powerstream staff. The final selection of members will be decided upon through discussions with Council.  Senior staff from various departments will provide a resource to the steering committee.

 

It is anticipated that the Steering Committee will evolve over time and new members may be added as required and subcommittees may evolve. A Terms of Reference for the Steering Committee is attached as Appendix B.

 

Staff Advisory Team for Green Print

The Town of Markham Sustainability Office will drive the progress of the Green Print and a cross-commission team will oversee its development and implementation. A Project Manager and a cross-commission staff working group will guide the process, provide resources as required and provide input into the Green Print. Working groups will be assembled to identify existing and potential future actions for specific focus areas. Existing policies and programs from the municipal service areas will be reviewed and incorporated, where appropriate, into the Green Print. This will avoid duplication between departments and will promote meaningful integration of service delivery.

 

The Green Print Steering Committee will identify champions early on and will craft key messages that can be used to motivate the community and staff but in particular the key decision-makers at the middle and senior management levels.

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)

If approved, grant funding of up to $175,000 will be provided from FCM, to be matched by the municipality. In the 2008 budget process, $120,000 from Gas Tax funding was approved to be used for the Green Print. Within the FCM application, municipalities may include up to ten per cent ($31,500) as “in kind” contributions with the remaining, outstanding $23,500, to be provided in cash.  Staff will submit a request to the 2009 budget process for the outstanding amount.

 

Budget requirements needed to implement the action plans will be considered in the normal budget approval process.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

A Green Print (Community Sustainability Plan) for the Town of Markham has been identified in the 2008 Building Markham’s Future Together plan.

 

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

None.

 

ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:

.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

All.

 

 

RECOMMENDED

                            BY:    ________________________

                                      John Livey, CAO                              

 

 

ATTACHMENTS:

Appendix A -  Part B Application to Federation of Canadian Municipalities for Grant Funding

Appendx B - Terms of Reference for the Green Print Steering Committee