MARKHAM ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

TOWN OF MARKHAM

Ontario Room

November 20, 2008

7:00 p.m.

 

 

MINUTES

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Members

Brent Mersey, Chair

Philip Ling, Vice Chair

Mylene Bezerra Batista

Joyce Chau

Lloyd Helferty

Erika Lontoc

Helen Mack

Louis Priftakis

Tom Rado

Christopher Sauer

Deputy Mayor Jack Heath

 

Staff

Bev Shugg Barbeito, Committee Secretary

 

 

Regrets

Stephanie Chan

Justin Chin

Serena Chin

Rini Ngai

 

 

 

 

1.      CALL TO ORDER

 

      Brent Mersey, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.

 

2.      AGENDA

 

      The agenda was accepted with the following addition:

      a) Proposed Speaker – Lloyd Helferty

 

3.      ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE MARKHAM ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2008

 

Moved by Tom Rado

Seconded by Philip Ling

 

THAT the minutes of the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee held on October 16th, 2008 be adopted as distributed.

CARRIED

 

4.      MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

 

a)      Welcome

Chair Brent Mersey welcomed the new members to the committee and all committee members introduced themselves.

 

b)      Annual York Region Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting

There has been much positive feedback about the meeting and Committee members felt it was a success.

 

The Committee wishes to prepare a report on this meeting for Town of Markham Council. Christopher circulated for review a draft Official Report Template so that Committee members may use it to report on their role in planning the meeting. The template will assist the Committee in reporting to Council what was planned, points that worked well and those that could be improved, expenses, and next steps. It is hoped that the template will facilitate standardized reporting for all Committee events, not just this meeting. Christopher Sauer will send the draft to Committee members for their feedback. He would like to discuss with Joyce Chau the results of meeting evaluations, in order to include that information in the Official Report. The meeting Agenda, Minutes and Evaluations Report will be appended to the Official Report.

 

A recurring theme reported during the meeting by the various Environmental Advisory Committees (EAC) was the EACs relationship with their local Council. It was suggested that an informal meeting to discuss this issue be held in spring 2009.

 

c)      Request for Town email address

Chair Brent Mersey will meet soon with Judy Kee of the Clerk’s Office to request a Committee email address be created. Mylene Bezerra Batista gave information to Chair Brent Mersey about the Committee’s past email address.

 

d)      Communication with Town of Markham Clerk’s Office

Chair Brent Mersey will follow up on this matter with Judy Kee in the Clerk’s Office to ensure Markham EAC members are advised of future events on a timely basis.

 

e)      Profiles of Committee Members

Chair Brent Mersey encouraged new Committee members and others who have not yet submitted their profile, to do so as soon as possible.

 

f)        Extending Terms of Committee Members

Chair Brent Mersey reported that approval has been received from Town of Markham Council to extend to November 2011 the terms of the following Committee members:

Mylene Bezerra Batista

Joyce Chau

Philip Ling

Tom Rado

 

g)      Presentation to Town of Markham Council

Chair Brent Mersey will advise Judy Kee in the Clerk’s Office that, on behalf of the Committee, two or three Committee members would like to make a presentation as soon as possible to Town of Markham Council. Using Philip Ling’s letter as a starting point, the presentation to Council will advise who the Committee members are, where the Committee is now and where it would like to be in terms of its role and mandate.

 

Chair Brent Mersey invited discussion about Committee challenges and benefits.

 

The following benefits were identified:

-          The Committee sets its own agenda

-          Potential to arrange and be involved in events such as the York Region Environmental Advisory Committee Exchange Forum

-          Inside look at the Town of Markham’s approach to environmental issues

-          Ability to influence Town of Markham Council on environmental matters

-          Opportunity to meet and engage Councillors and others about environmental issues

-          Gateway to other committees - Insights from sitting on other committees as the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee (MEAC) representative

-          Belief that MEAC can drive the environmental agenda forward

-          Awareness that Mayor Scarpitti realizes MEAC members are well educated in environmental matters and that he will elevate the Committee’s role with Council

 

The following challenges were identified:

-          Frustration related to the perception that the Town of Markham does not consult with or engage Committee members in environmental discussions and issues

-          Desire to feel valued

 

It was suggested that the Committee

-          Identify specific activities and objectives that are aligned with Town of Markham’s strategic plans

-          Raise awareness of Committee plans through increased promotion, perhaps regular articles in the “Markham Economist & Sun” and regular reports to Town Council

-          Have Town of Markham staff make regular presentations to the Committee on emerging environmental matters engaging the Town

-          Continue to enhance its relationship with York Region environmental staff and leverage that relationship to advise on environmental matters

-          Appoint a MEAC member to serve as liaison to York Region staff

-          Recommend quarterly meetings of EAC Chairs with York Region staff to ensure open relations and to have ongoing input to York Region initiatives

 

It was

Moved by Christopher Sauer

Seconded by Lloyd Helferty

 

THAT the January 2009 meeting of the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee be used as a planning meeting to define the Committee’s direction and initiatives for 2009.

 

CARRIED

 

Committee members were asked to review the Green Print web site and bring their feedback about it and their ideas for 2009 initiatives to this meeting.

 

 

5.      NEW BUSINESS

 

a)      Proposed Speaker

Lloyd Helferty proposed that Randy Park be a speaker at a future meeting. It was agreed that this would be considered once the Committee has decided on its initiatives for 2009.

 

6.      OTHER  BUSINESS

 

a)      Holiday Dinner

Committee members agreed to meet for a holiday dinner on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 7 PM at Bombay Bhel Restaurant, 230 Commerce Valley Dr E, Thornhill (Highway 7 and Leslie Street area). A reservation has been made for the group in the name of Chair Brent Mersey.

 

7.      NEXT MEETING

 

The next meeting of the Markham Environmental Advisory Committee is scheduled for Thursday, January 15th, 2008 at 7 p.m. in the Ontario Room.

 

8.      ADJOURNMENT

 

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. on a motion from Tom Rado, seconded by Mylene Bezerra Batista.