Third Meeting of the Town of
Advisory Committee on Accessibility
Minutes
Committee members
present:
Carl Bodnar
Jaqueline Bell
Councillor Valerie Burke
Ted Chivers, Co-Chair
Robert Hunn, Co-Chair
Joan Jenkyn
Regional Councillor Gordon Landon
Carole Robertson
Regrets:
Scott Labbett
Sidney Polak
Staff present:
Kitty Bavington, Committee Clerk
Andrew Brouwer, Deputy Clerk
Warren Rupnarain, Accessibility Coordinator
The meeting of the Advisory Committee on
1.
Approval of
Minutes –
A spelling correction was noted.
Moved by: Regional
Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded by:
That the minutes of the
CARRIED
Moved by: Regional
Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded by:
That the minutes of the
CARRIED
2.
Accessibility
Requirements on New and Retrofit Commercial Construction
Chris Bird, Manager of Plans Review, gave a presentation on barrier-free design and the Building Code. The overview of the Building Code Act included an explanation of its purpose “to establish standards for public health and safety, fire protection, structural sufficiency, conservation and environmental integrity, and to establish barrier-free requirements, with respect to buildings.”
Highlights of the presentation included:
- the Building Code Act is a provincial statute that establishes minimum standards, with voluntary higher standards
- enforcement is a local responsibility (the municipality)
- no construction, demolition, or change in use can occur unless a Building permit is issued, and the permit must be issued once all regulated requirements have been met
- standards for barrier-free design are regulated by Section 3.8 of the Ontario Building Code, involving the design of entrances and path of travel, access to parking areas, and design standards (doors, ramps, washrooms, signage, etc.)
- all new building must comply with barrier-free design except where exempt
- 10% of all suites in a new residential apartment building and in hotels/motels must be barrier-free accessible
- the Building Code governs the renovation of heritage buildings, and acknowledges the difficulties in complying with the standards while maintaining heritage integrity, and provides flexibility for alternate methods of compliance
- basic renovations allow for reconstruction to retain the existing character, structural uniqueness and aesthetic appearance
- extensive renovations require minimum structural and fire protection elements but do not require barrier-free standards if the suite is less that 300m2 or 8 inches above the adjacent ground level.
Mr. Bird summarized that new standards will arise out of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and that they are expected to be available for public review in May, 2009. It was suggested that the members visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website to submit comments and recommendations for changes to the Building Code. It was also noted that the Town’s Technical Advisory Committee is completing a review and will be advising this Advisory Committee. Mr. Bird agreed to review the new standards regarding washroom accessibility.
The Committee discussed specific restaurants and locations
that are not currently barrier-free, and suggested that the people who are
constructing or designing the buildings may not be truly aware of the needs of
disabled persons. Other discussions included Heritage issues, restaurant
standards, location of washrooms in relation to food preparation/serving areas,
and door openings. A suggestion was made that a bonusing plan for accessible
construction, similar to the Town’s
The Committee expressed appreciation to Mr. Bird for his informative presentation.
3. GO Train Draft Letter
Ted Chivers read a draft letter addressed to the Chair of
the GO Train Station Board, regarding accessibility issues at the Station on
The Committee had a brief discussion on the accessibility issues at the Station, and endorsed the letter.
Moved by: Jaqueline
Bell
Seconded by:
That the letter to the Chair of the GO Train Station Board regarding accessibility issues and opportunities at the Station, be approved.
CARRIED
4. Update on Accessibility Guidelines
Staff advised that the project is progressing on target. A
copy of the minutes and presentation made at the Development Services Committee
on
The Committee received clarification that a Technical Advisory Committee, consisting of Town staff from various departments, provides information to this Advisory Committee through Warren Rupnarain, Accessibility Coordinator.
An updated Accessibility Committee members list, as well as a list of the members of the Technical Advisory Committee, were requested for the next agenda.
5. Outstanding Items and Issues
The Chair requested that each Committee member document the
top two issues that they would like to see addressed during the balance of
2009. At the April meeting, the Committee will be reviewing current
accessibility opportunity priorities in conjunction with the Town of
The issues should be submitted to Warren Rupnarain within two weeks, and they should be stated in the form of objectives that are actionable.
Warren Rupnarain,
With respect to the Accessible Business Proposal Checklist,
It was clarified that the Board of Trade initiative is aimed at the business community, while the Eat Smart project is specifically for restaurants.
Moved by:
Seconded by: Carole
Robertson
That the Accessible Business Proposal Checklist be endorsed in principle;
And that the Accessibility Coordinator provide an updated project plan summary for the Accessible Business Proposal Checklist, and a mock-up of the format and guidelines from Corporate Communications.
CARRIED
6. Other Business
a) Building
Department
As a follow-up to the presentation made by the Manager of Plans Review, the Committee agreed to formally request the Building Department’s assistance.
Moved by: Joan Jenkyn
Seconded by:
That the Advisory Committee on Accessibility request the assistance of the Building Department to ensure optimum accessibility in new and renovated buildings with respect to the Building Code and other regulations;
And that, when the new standards come forward, the Building Department work with the Advisory Committee on Accessibility to develop feedback to the Province.
CARRIED
b) Lieutenant Governor
The Committee agreed that the Lieutenant Governor be invited to address this and other York Region Accessibility Committees, and Markham Council. The appropriate protocols must be observed, and the invitation would likely be issued by the Mayor. The Business Excellence Awards event may be an appropriate time.
Moved by: Regional
Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded by: Robert
Hunn
That, at the appropriate time and with the appropriate
protocols, The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario be
invited to address the Mayor and Council of Markham, the Town of
CARRIED
c)
Robert Hunn introduced correspondence regarding a
d) Legally Deafblind Art Exhibit
Councillor Valerie Burke encouraged the members to attend
the Legally Deafblind art exhibit, currently on display at the
e) Smart Consumer Calendar
Copies of the 2009 Smart Consumer calendar were provided, and it was pointed out that there are no disabled persons depicted in the publication, produced by the Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services.
Moved by: Regional
Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded by:
Councillor Valerie Burke
That the Clerk’s staff be requested to write a letter to the MPP identifying the lack of disabled persons portrayed in the 2009 Smart Consumer calendar.
CARRIED
7. Adjournment
Moved by: Regional
Councillor Gord Landon
Seconded by: Joan
Jenkyn
That the
CARRIED
The Committee adjourned at