Report to: Development Services Committee            Date Report Authored: June 23, 2009

 

 

SUBJECT:                          York Region, 16th Avenue Trunk Sewer, Phase 2, Environmental Improvements in the Town of Markham

PREPARED BY:               Linda A. Irvine, Manager of Parks

                                            and Open Space Development                              x 2120

                                            Soran Sito, Sr. Environmental Engineer                 x 2521            

 

RECOMMENDATION:

1.      That the report to Development Services Committee dated June 23, 2009 entitled “York Region, 16th Avenue Trunk Sewer, Phase 2, Environmental Improvements in the Town of Markham” be received;

 

2.      That for the Tannery Pond project, staff be authorized to negotiate the terms of a Funding Agreement with The Regional Municipality of York under which the Region will contribute a maximum of $185,000 and the Town of Markham will contribute $30,000. Total project cost is $215,000 (excluding GST and Town internal management fees);

 

3.      That for the Tannery Pond project, funding in the amount of $30,000 (excluding GST) for landscape architectural consulting services, be from Account 25-2100022, Tannery Pond (Ph 2) in the amount of $27,334 and from Account 59-5350-2525-005, Pathways, in the amount of $2,666; 

 

4.      That the tendering process be waived in accordance with Purchasing By-Law 2004-341, Part II, Section 7 (1) – (h) where it is necessary or in the best interests of the Town to acquire non-standard items from a preferred supplier, and subject to finalizing the Funding Agreement, that Council authorize staff to retain Harrington McAvan Ltd., Landscape Architects, as the Town’s landscape architectural consultant, to proceed with detailed design, construction drawings and/or management directions, construction supervision and monitoring as required in connection with the Tannery Pond environmental improvement project;

 

5.      That for the Aitken Circle Pond and the Thermal Cooling projects, staff be authorized to negotiate the terms of a Funding Agreement with The Regional Municipality of York under which the Region will contribute $307,500 and the Town of Markham will contribute $241,000;

 

6.      That for the Aitken Circle Pond and the Thermal Cooling projects, funding in the amount of $241,000 (excluding GST), plus internal management fees be funded from Project 9295, Account 640-1015699-9295, Aitken Circle SWM Pond Retrofit;

 

7.      That staff be authorized to finalize with the Region the project management and collection of internal management fees for the Tannery Pond project, and  for the Aitken Circle Pond/Thermal Cooling project;

 

8.      That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute Funding Agreements for the Tannery Pond, Aitken Circle Pond and the Thermal Cooling projects and any other documents to give effect thereto, in a form and content satisfactory to the Town Solicitor and the Chief Administrative Officer.   

 

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

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not applicable.

1. Purpose                     2. Background                      3. Discussion                        4. Financial        

 

5. Others (HR, Strategic, Affected Units)                                   6. Attachment(s)

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to request authorization from Council for staff to:

a)      obtain Council’s approval to enter into funding agreements with The Regional Municipality of York regarding the Tannery Pond, Aitken Circle Pond and the Thermal Cooling projects.

b)      retain a consultant for the Tannery Pond project

 

BACKGROUND:

On October 1, 2004, the Minister of the Environment (MOE) imposed a number of conditions on the approval of the Region’s 16th Avenue Trunk Sewer Project, Phase 2 (Kennedy Road to Woodbine Avenue). As a condition, MOE requested the Region to “prepare and implement an aquatic habitat improvement plan” for potential projects within the Rouge Watershed that could mitigate some of the environmental impacts caused by the dewatering of the 16the Ave trunk sewer project. The total funding allocation for this program by the Region of York is approximately $2 million.

 

In 2007, the Region agreed to engage relevant stakeholders, and assembled a stakeholder working group comprised of members from the TRCA, Town of Markham, Rouge Park Alliance, Ontario Streams, Friends of the Rouge and local residents for the 16th Avenue Community Liaison Committee. The mandate of the committee was to propose and select environmental improvement projects that would improve the natural system around 16th Avenue.

 

Throughout 2007 and early 2008, the stakeholder working group recommended 18 projects to the Region for implementation. The majority of these projects are located in the Town of Markham within the Rouge Watershed. Three of these projects are proposed for implementation by Town staff at an estimated total cost of $764,000 (excluding GST and Town’s internal management fees):

 

·        Tannery Wetland Project (ROB 19) (Attachment ‘A’): to improve and repair the wetlands, including sediment removal at Tannery Pond in the old Village of Markham (Project Manager, Linda Irvine, Mgr. Parks and Open Space Development)

 

·        Aitken Circle Stormwater Pond (BRUCE 8) at Carlton Village (Attachment ‘B’): to retrofit the existing 25 year old pond to bring it up to current storm water management standards (Project Manager, Soran Sito, Sr. Environmental Engineer)

 

·        Thermal Cooling Project (ROB 1) at Wismer Commons (Attachment ‘C’): to cool runoff water discharging from storm water management ponds that drain in to the upper reaches of Robinson Creek (Project Manager, Soran Sito, Sr. Environmental Engineer)

 

On June 19, 2008, the Regional Council adopted the recommendations contained in the Transportation and Works Committee report dated May 29, 2008 which included approval of funding to the Town of Markham as follows, and authorization for Regional staff to negotiate terms and execute formal agreements with various groups and agencies including the Town of Markham.

 

Table 1 – Cost Sharing

 

Project

Cost to Town of Markham

(excluding GST and internal management fees)

Cost to Region of York

1. Aitken Circle Pond

 

$212,500

$212,500

2. Tannery Pond

 

$30,000

$185,000

3. Thermal Cooling

 

$28,500

$95,000

Total

$271,000

$492,500

 

 

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

 

Tannery Wetland Project (ROB 19):

At this time, Urban Design staff is prepared to proceed with the Tannery Pond environmental improvement project (see Attachment ‘A’). This project involves improvements and repair to the Tannery Pond wetlands, sediment removal, enhanced riparian vegetation, and selected improvements to the stream including narrowing the low flow channels, removing invasive vegetation, adding appropriate substrate, structure and re-establishing an appropriate meander pattern on site and extending downstream.

 

Town funding is in place to hire the preferred consultant, Harrington McAvan Ltd. Since their former firm, Harrington and Hoyle Ltd., was responsible for the original master plan for Tannery Pond as well as the design and construction supervision of the Tannery Pond wetlands and boardwalk (Phase 1), staff believes that they are the best qualified firm to proceed with the Phase 2 works and represent the best overall value to the Town in this instance. Staff has reviewed the fee proposal in the amount of $30,000 has been received from Harrington McAvan Ltd. and find the hourly rates to be competitive and the scope of work appropriate to this project. Funding from the Region of York in the amount of $185,000 has been approved, subject to the execution of the Funding Agreement.

 

Aitken Circle Stormwater Pond at Carlton Village (BRUCE 8) and Thermal Cooling at Wismer Common (ROB 1):

The Aitken Circle pond was constructed in the early 1980s with limited runoff quality and quantity control (see Attachment ‘B’). Due to the small size of this pond, it requires frequent sediment cleaning by the Operations Department.  The proposed retrofit includes upgrading the pond to current standers and enhancing its storage capacity to improve runoff quality and quantity control. A permanent pool section will be added to the pond to improve runoff quality control 

 

The Thermal Cooling project includes the addition of a new thermal cooling technology at the outlet of the Mattamy (Robinson Creek) Limited Subdivision Pond # 3 (see Attachment ‘C’) to reduce the runoff temperature discharged from Pond # 3 into Bruce Creek.

 

Engineering staff are in the process of finalizing with the Region the assessment of internal engineering fees (9%) for engineering staff to manage the Aitken Circle and thermal cooling projects on behalf of the Region.  If the Region is not prepared to compensate Markham their share of the management fee ($27,675) then staff has proposed that the Region manage the Aitken Circle and thermal cooling projects and Markham will compensate them for our share ($21,735) for these two projects.

 

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)

For the Tannery Pond project, funding in the amount of $30,000 (excluding GST) for landscape architectural consulting services, is from Account 25-2100022, Tannery Pond (Ph 2) in the amount of $27,334 and from Account 59-5350-2525-005, Pathways, in the amount of $2,666; 

 

For the Aitken Circle Pond and the Thermal Cooling projects, funding in the amount of $241,000 (excluding GST), is from Project 9295, Account 640-1015699-9295, Aitken Circle SWM Pond Retrofit;

 

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS

Not applicable.

 

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

This report aligns with the strategic priorities of Environment and Service Delivery (Parks and Infrastructure)

 

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Finance and Legal Departments have been consulted in the preparation of this report.

 

RECOMMENDED BY:  

 

 

________________________                                                ________________________

Ronji Borooah, OAA                                                               Alan Brown, CET

Town Architect                                                                         Director of Engineering

 

 

 

________________________

Jim Baird, MCIP, RPP

Commissioner of Development Services                                   

 

 

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment ‘A’: Tannery Pond

Attachment ‘B’:  Aitken Circle Pond

Attachment ‘C’: Thermal Cooling – Mattamy (Robinson Creek) Limited Subdivision

                            Pond # 3

 

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