Report to: Development Services Committee Date: February 2, 2010
SUBJECT: Staff
comments on the “Markham
Permanent Foodbelt Proposal – Blue Ribbon Task Forces” as
per December 1, 2009,
Council Meeting.
PREPARED BY: Lilli
Duoba, Senior Project Coordinator
Environmental Planning
& Rouge Park
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the staff
report entitled ‘Staff Comments on the “Markham Permanent Foodbelt Proposal
– Blue Ribbon Task Forces” as per December 1, 2009, Council Meeting’, dated
February
2, 2010, be received;
2)
And that based on the discussion in this report, public
and stakeholder input into growth management and sustainability initiatives
continue to be addressed through the established Town committee structure,
policy studies and public consultation processes currently underway, under the
direction of Council;
3)
And that, as per the recommendations of the
Agricultural Assessment Study endorsed by Council in principle on December 1,
2009, the Town advance the creation of an Agricultural Advisory Committee to
assist with Rouge Park agricultural matters,
Official Plan agricultural policies and other initiatives to support
agriculture viability and sustainability in Markham;
4)
And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all
things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On December 1, 2009,
Councillors Shapero and Burke presented a proposal entitled “Markham’s
Permanent Foodbelt”. Certain
recommendations in the proposal pertaining to creation of five Blue Ribbon Task
Forces were directed to staff for a report.
The term ‘Blue Ribbon’ in reference to a Task Force
generally refers to a specific structure independent of political
influence or other authority, comprised of
distinguished and independent persons specifically
selected to investigate or study a
given topic or issue. Councillors Burke
and Shapero have clarified in a recent meeting with staff that the intent of
the recommendations was to establish a series of task forces comprised of those
stakeholders identified in the recommendations, but also including direct
participation of Members of Council and Town staff resource support. Therefore, the proposed additional
stakeholder input could occur within the framework of the established Town
committee structure and public processes.
This report comments on the Town’s current Committee
structure and public processes already underway through the Growth
Management Strategy and Green Print (Community Sustainability Plan) and related
studies. Town Standing and Advisory
Committees, as well as public consultation events, are available to seek advice
and engage the community and stakeholders in matters regarding sustainability
and growth.
This report addresses each of the five proposed Blue Ribbon
Task Forces, and comments on the correlation to existing Town Committees and
policy formulation processes. Council has
broad discretion in determining the mandate, composition and
timelines in the establishment of Town
initiated committees and consultation processes.
The recent Agricultural Assessment Study recommends the
creation of an Agricultural Advisory Committee to assist the Town with advice
on matters pertaining to local agriculture.
Council may wish to advance the creation of such a Committee, as a
sub-set of our normal Advisory Committee framework, to assist with agricultural
policy development, Rouge
Park agricultural
matters and other initiatives to support agricultural viability and
sustainability in Markham.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to
respond to the December 1, 2009, Council request for staff
comment on certain recommendations
presented as part
of the “Markham
Permanent Foodbelt Proposal” presentation
received at the December 1, 2009, Council
Meeting (see Appendix ‘A’, attached). On
December 1, 2009, Council
also directed staff to engage in consultation with the Ministry of Municipal
Affairs and Housing on potentially expanding the Greenbelt. A separate information report on this
direction will be forwarded to Development Services Committee for consideration
at a future meeting.
BACKGROUND:
At the December 1, 2009, Council meeting, Councillors Shapero
and Burke presented a proposal
for a Permanent
Foodbelt in Markham
(See Appendix ‘A’ Presentation). Council directed that
the proposal be included and
presented as part
of the upcoming Growth Management
Strategy public consultation
now scheduled for February 16, 2010 (See Appendix ‘B’ resolution). Council also
directed that six of the eight recommendations
be referred to staff for a
report. These six recommendations
pertain to the suggested formation
of a number of “Blue Ribbon Task
Forces” to address a
variety of growth management
and sustainability
issues.
OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:
Purpose and Function
of a Blue Ribbon Task Force
The proposed recommendations
by Councillors Shapero and
Burke include the formation of five issue
specific ‘Blue Ribbon Task Forces’ (BRTF). The term ‘Blue Ribbon’ is generally used to
describe a group of distinguished persons
specifically selected to investigate
or study a given topic or issue, usually
of an exceptional
or controversial nature. The composition of a BRTF does not typically
include elected officials that are currently in office. The term connotes a
degree of independence from political influence
or other authority, and
such panels usually
have no direct authority
of their own. Rather,
their value comes from their ability
to use their experience and expertise to issue independent and
objective findings or recommendations which can
then be used by those with decision-making
power to act.
By virtue of the municipality’s statutory structure and requirement for
activities to be undertaken in a fully transparent and open manner, it would be
difficult for a BRTF to operate as independent bodies without Council formally
delegating authority to such bodies.
This would require a subsequent report to be brought forward to address
the legal and governance issues relative to the composition and degree of
independence afforded to such a body. However, in a recent meeting with staff,
Councillors Burke and Shapero clarified their intent in recommending the
establishment of “Blue Ribbon Task Forces”.
The Councillors have indicated they recommend task forces composed of
those stakeholders listed in the recommendations, but also including direct
participation of Members of Council and Town staff resource support. Therefore, the proposed additional
stakeholder input could occur within the framework of the established Town
committee structure and public processes.
Town
Boards/Committees and Bodies to which Councillors are appointed to
The current Committee structure at the Town is as follows:
1. Standing
Committees of Council (comprised of all Members of Council) include Council, Development Services and
General Committees. Sub-Committees of
Development Services Committee include Markham, Milliken, Thornhill, Unionville
and Markham Centre.
2. Other
Sub-Committees of Council (comprised of Council members only) include Budget, Environmental Issues,
Communications Grants, Information Technology, and Parking.
3. Statutory
Bodies (comprised of membership as directed under legislation) include
Cemetery Board, Committee of Adjustment, Heritage Markham, Library Board, Licensing,
Accessibility and Property Standards.
4. Advisory
Committee/Boards and Task Forces (comprised of Council members, residents
and outside agencies) include among others, Animal Care, Beautification, Canada
Day, Cornell Advisory, Green Print, Rouge
Park Implementation, Traffic Calming, Mayors Youth, Environmental Advisory Committee, and
others.
5. Community Centre Boards (include Box
Grove, Cedar Grove, German Mills, Heinzman House, Markham Village Train Station
and Victoria Square).
6. Outside
Committees/Boards (comprised of Council member appointments to outside
organizations) include Buttonville Airport,
Information Markham, Rouge Park Alliance, Toronto
Region Conservation Authority, Yonge Subway and others.
In dealing with policy and
program issues, Council has from time to time established Advisory Committees,
Sub-committees and task forces, which can include representation
from the public, specific interest groups and agencies
where appropriate. Council has broad
discretion in determining the mandate, composition and
timelines in the establishment of these
supporting committees, and in appointing community representatives to Town
committees. Such committees have been
internal to the Town’s structure and administration, including direct
participation by Members of Council and Town staff resource support. To date, the Town has not opted to create
separate and independent “Blue Ribbon Task Forces”, and through subsequent
discussion with Councillors Burke and Shapero they indicated that this was not
their intent.
It is suggested that if
Council wishes to engage additional constituents and community representatives to
address growth and
sustainability
related issues, that
consideration should be given to working
within the framework of existing Standing and Advisory
Committees, Growth Management and
Sustainability studies and ongoing processes. The appointment of community representatives
to Town committees is at the discretion of Council.
Comments are provided below on each of the specific
recommendations referred to staff on December
1, 2009, and the existing processes and structures underway to help
achieve the objectives as noted.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF MARKHAM’S PROPOSED PERMANENT FOODBELT PROPOSAL:
Recommendation #3: Council creates a Blue Ribbon Taskforce of
existing farm families and ratepayers and other relevant stakeholders to create
a plan with the goal of expanding agricultural employment and local food
procurement in the Town of Markham.
The Green Print (Community
Sustainability
Plan) is being prepared by the Sustainability
Office with extensive consultation with Town
Council, staff and
community stakeholders. This consultation
is laying the groundwork for a
plan that
will address agriculture
and local
food. Food Security
is one of the 12 sustainability
goals established for the Green
Print. Other goals
that have a
relationship to agricultural
employment and local
food procurement include economic vibrancy,
ecosystem integrity, identity and culture,
education and
skills, water efficiency and
energy and climate.
Work is underway on the
“Big Moves for a Sustainable
Markham”,
which will be strategies to help Markham
move toward the 12 sustainability
goals.
A number of broadly based
stakeholder workshops have been held, most
recently on December 3, 2009,
to help inform the ‘Big Moves’. Research
is also underway
on municipal best practices
in food related planning
including food charters, food action
plans, urban agriculture
and agricultural
economic development policies. The
results will be compiled into a draft
implementation plan
that will be available
for review in March 2009.
It is expected that the Green
Print Plan will align
with the existing processes underway to ensure
an integrated
approach towards
community goal formation
and sustainability
guidelines. In terms of local food
procurement, the Town has already established a Local Food Plus procurement
policy and this policy is reviewed on an annual basis. As well, the
Community Sustainability Plan work will look at expanding local food
procurement to the private sector (eg. local restaurants and hotels) and
residents. It will explore opportunities to support local food
procurement by assisting stakeholders throughout our food system to connect
with each other and the community, such as through policy (eg. procurement),
marketing (eg. local food guide), events (eg. a local food summit) and
infrastructure (eg. processing facilities). An existing Town
committee (eg. Environmental Advisory
Committee) could be employed to further the objectives of a town wide local
food procurement policy established through the Community Sustainability
Plan, possibly with additional
stakeholder appointments to a sub-committee if felt to be required by Council.
Through the new Official Plan,
the Town’s Planning
Department will be updating
the agricultural
policies to ensure consistency with Provincial
policy, Green Print Plan objectives and to
provide a greater
level of protection and certainty
for the farming community. One of the recommendations
of the Agricultural Assessment Study (a
background study to the new Official
Plan) endorsed by Council on December 1, 2009,
is to establish
a local
Agricultural Advisory Committee including broad
representation from the local
farming community. Given the ongoing interest in securing a
long-term future for agriculture in Markham,
Council may wish to advance the creation of an Agricultural Advisory Committee
to assist with Rouge Park
agricultural matters, agricultural policy development and other agricultural
initiatives as identified in the Agricultural Assessment Study. If supported by Council, staff will
undertake a review of how this committee could be constituted, and potentially
coordinated with the Region’s Agricultural Advisory Committee, and report back
to Council with draft Terms of Reference and resource requirements.
Recommendation #4: Council creates a Blue Ribbon Task Force of
existing industrial landowners and ratepayers and other relevant stakeholders
to create a plan with the goal of revitalizing existing industrial areas and
creating 40,000 new jobs.
In September 2009, Council directed that staff prepare Terms
of Reference for an Employment Intensification Study. In order to
ensure integration with the Green Print
process, the study process includes the creation of a Working Group comprising
industrial landowners and developers, as well as representation in the field of
eco-industrial development. In order to ensure some “new thinking” is
presented and considered through this study, Councillors Burke and Shapero in a
recent meeting with staff suggested that an academic also be included in the
working group. Staff support this
suggestion and will endeavor to locate an appropriate candidate or candidates
for consideration by Council. This study will review opportunities to intensify
and revitalize existing employment areas in the Town. Possible
future changes in land use, development patterns and accommodation within
established business parks must address a wide range of demands, and be
organized to ensure maximum benefits to the businesses, their customers and the
Town. In addition, it is anticipated
that employment intensification will be addressed through the eco-industrial
work and recommendations of the Green Print
(Community Sustainability Plan).
Staff believe the intent
of the proposed Blue Ribbon Task Force can be
addressed through Town studies currently underway. As such, staff
recommends that these studies be completed
with public consultation and
stakeholder input, and
that the recommendations
of the study be considered by Council.
The composition of the proposed Employment Intensification Study Working
Group, with stakeholder and academic representation, will be brought to Council
for consideration.
Recommendation #5: Council creates a Blue Ribbon Task Force of
developers and residents and other relevant stakeholders to create a plan with
the goal of creating a healthy, vibrant, livable, urban village environment in
the Town south of Major Mackenzie Drive.
The Green Print (Community Sustainability
Plan) together with the Growth Management
Strategy and
the pending new Town of Markham
Official Plan
will provide strategies and
policies for all of Markham
to prosper as a
healthy, vibrant
and livable
community.
Social, cultural, environmental
and economic goals
are established as
part of the Green Print process. A “Blue Ribbon Task Force” could not replace
the work of current Town Committees in regard to planning and development
matters, which mandated decision making and public consultation processes must
be followed to ensure compliance with governing legislation.
The next steps in the Green Print process include finalizing
sustainability
indicators and
developing implementation strategies
(Big Moves for a Sustainable
Markham). The Growth
Management
Strategy (Towards a Sustainable Community),
which has been underway
since 2007, is integrated with the Town’s
ongoing Green Print Plan.
The Growth Management
Strategy and
the supporting studies are addressing
Sustainable
Development Standards
and Guidelines, Sustainable
Neighbourhood Guidelines (2010), Employment Lands
and Intensification,
Natural Heritage
Protection and Enhancement, Planning,
Agricultural Lands
Protection and Enhancement
strategies, Transportation
and Servicing Studies and
Fiscal Impact
Analysis.
The Green Print and
Growth Strategies are
also to be integrated
with the Leisure and Recreation
Master Plan and
other Building Markham’s
Future Together (BMFT) initiatives. Once completed, these plans
will provide the sustainability
blueprint for the management
of the existing urban community, as
well as a strategy
to manage new
growth, intensification, and
community development up to the 2031 planning
horizon and beyond.
Staff recommends that
resources remain dedicated to completion of these major
planning initiatives
as they will address the goal
of a healthy,
vibrant and
livable urban
community. Staff
expect that the implementation
of the sustainability
objectives of the Green Print Plan, and
the pending new Official Plan
and other BMFT action
items, may benefit from the support of future
community based Committees and
Working Groups, but the Plans and
public consultation processes should be
completed in order to inform a mandate
and purpose for such advisory groups.
Recommendation #6: Further that the Blue Ribbon Task Force
exploring residential growth consider placing a 6 story height limit on future
development excluding major nodes served by high order transit.
The Town is undertaking a Built Form and Massing Study in
concert with the Intensification Strategy component of the Growth Management
Strategy. The Built Form study identifies principles to protect existing
residential neighbourhoods and employment areas by ensuring compatible
intensification. This study will address
compatible urban design including height, scale and transition policies. The study is expected to be completed and
presented to Council early in 2010. This
Study is intended to guide future local area studies/secondary plans and site
plans for all the intensification areas identified in the existing urban area. These studies provide the most appropriate
opportunity to address building height matters in the local context.
Staff generally support a mid-rise built form and recognize
the human scale, city building benefits and energy efficiencies this built form
provides. However, we also recognize the
benefits of point towers (rather than taller slab buildings), at the
appropriate locations. Staff does not
recommend establishing a Town-wide standard in regard to building height. Such a restriction would preclude the
opportunity to create a diverse stock of multi-storey buildings, attuned to
their specific circumstances and context.
Recommendation #7: Council creates a Blue Ribbon Task Force of
developers, industrial landowners, green renewable energy companies, farmers
and residents and other relevant stakeholders to create a plan with the goal of
having a Carbon Neutral Markham by 2020.
The Sustainability Office has advised that the Green Print (Community
Sustainability Plan) will include a climate action plan. The Green Print has established a goal for
Energy and Climate including the objective to reach a carbon neutral Markham. Sustainability indicators related to this
goal will be available in early 2010.
The implementation plan (Big Moves for a Sustainable Markham) will be
available in draft form in March 2010.
The Manager of Climate Change and Energy/Markham Energy
Conservation Office (MECO) is overseeing this component of
the Community Sustainability Plan and will lead policies and projects related
to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adaption and mitigation, community energy
planning, energy efficiency and renewable green energy.
The Green Print Plan is a longer term plan, but will have
short, medium and long term objectives, actions and timelines to implement the
carbon neutral goal. Staff recommends
that the Green Print Plan process be completed to permit the preparation of a
climate action plan and timelines for Markham,
including a process to engage the public and a wide range of stakeholders in
implementation.
Recommendation #8: Council creates a Blue Ribbon Task Force of
naturalists, residents and natural heritage agencies such as Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
and Environment Canada to achieve the Town’s natural heritage polices including 30% forest
cover.
Though work on the Environmental
Policy Review and Consolidation,
the Town’s Greenway System has
been identified and endorsed in principle by
Council on June 23, 2009. The strategy will be implemented through the
Town’s new Official Plan
upon endorsement of the Growth Management
Strategy.
A number of established Town Standing Committees of Council, Advisory
Committees, and outside Committees (with Markham Council representation) are
focused on policies and programs to achieve the Town’s natural heritage
policies.
The Town’s Greenway System
comprises approximately
35.5% of the lands in Markham,
which includes 25% of the lands within the proposed Natural
Heritage
Network designation. The Town’s
existing forest and natural heritage cover currently encompasses
approximately
18% (an increase from the 13.6% identified in the 1993 Natural Features Study),
with an aggressive new target of 25% introduced
in the Environmental Policy Review and
Consolidation Study, which has been endorsed
by Council (the 1993 target identified in the Natural Features Study was 21%).
|
TABLE 1
|
% of Town land area
|
|
2006 Existing
Natural Heritage Cover
(Woodlands, Wetlands,
Watercourses)
|
18%
|
|
1993 Natural Heritage Cover
(Woodlands, Wetlands,
Watercourses)
|
13.6%
|
|
Increase from 1993-2006
|
4.4%
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Upland Forest
|
8.2%
|
|
1993 Upland Forest
|
3.2%
|
|
Increase from 1993-2006
|
5%
|
The Town has a significant amount of natural heritage
restoration underway yearly through the Rouge Park
Natural and Cultural Heritage Implementation
Program and the Town’s Trees for Tomorrow Program. In 2009 alone, the Rouge
Park restored 30
hectares of terrestrial habitat, 500 metres of stream rehabilitation and
planted 47,000 trees in Markham. The implementation of the Rouge
Park and the
Town’s Trees for Tomorrow program combine to make Markham
one of the most proactive communities with respect to natural heritage
restoration in the entire greater Toronto
area.
The Town’s targets
are supported by the Toronto
and Region Conservation
Authority and implement and
enhance the TRCA’s Terrestrial
Natural Heritage
Program.
The 25% natural heritage cover target was
balanced with
all other competing Town priorities including
the protection of agricultural
lands. It is recommended by staff
that the targets
identified in the Environmental Policy Review and
Consolidation Study continue to be supported and
defended throughout the new Official Plan
process. The Town’s successful “Trees
for Tomorrow” program, and other internal and external Committees, should
continue to engage a broad range of stakeholders and agencies in tree planting,
reforestation and stewardship initiatives.
CONCLUSION:
There is a
significant amount
of policy review and study work underway
by the Town through the Growth Management
Study and the Green Print exercise which will
support the policies in a new Official
Plan and the
Green Print Community Sustainability
Plan.
These studies advance a framework based
on intensification, transit oriented development and a progressive sustainable
community model. The Town’s planning
program is aligned with Provincial requirements (including the Provincial
Policy Statement, Growth Plan
and Greenbelt Plan), and with the newly
adopted Region of York Official Plan. Both the Region and the Town have
included extensive public participation
relating to current growth management and sustainability initiatives.
Staff recommend that
the Town’s growth and sustainability
studies and processes underway
be completed, and that public and stakeholder input and participation continue
to be channeled though established Town Committees and consultation
processes. Council has broad discretion
regarding appointments to a wide range of advisory committees, sub-committees,
and task forces.
The recent Agricultural Assessment
Study recommends the creation of an Agricultural Advisory Committee to assist
the Town with advice on matters pertaining to local agriculture. Council may wish to advance the creation of
such a Committee, as a sub-set of our normal Advisory Committee framework, to
assist with agricultural policy development, Rouge
Park agricultural
matters and other initiatives to support agricultural viability and
sustainability in Markham.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE:
(external link)
There are no direct financial
implications as a result of this report.
Should Council support additional advisory committees
or task forces, staff would need to report back on terms of reference and any
resource or budget implications.
ALIGNMENT
WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
The proposed Permanent Foodbelt
Proposal was presented by Councillors Shapero and Burke as an input into the
ongoing Growth Management Strategy exercise and
has been referred to the Growth Management
Strategy process and public consultation meeting on February 16, 2010. Council direction is required on the “Markham
Permanent Foodbelt Proposal – Blue
Ribbon Task Forces” as discussed at the December
1, 2009 Council Meeting. Some of the recommendations in the
proposed Permanent Foodbelt Proposal also align with the draft goals of the Green
Print Community Sustainability Plan.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED
AND AFFECTED:
This report includes input provided
from the Sustainability Office and the Clerks Department.
RECOMMENDED BY:
________________________ ________________________
Valerie Shuttleworth,
M.C.I.P, R.P.P. Jim
Baird, M.C.I.P, R.P.P
Director of Planning
and Urban Design Commissioner of Development Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix A - Markham’s
Permanent Foodbelt Proposal
Appendix B – Council Resolution of December 1, 2009
Q:\Development\Planning\MISC\MI
520 Agricultural Assessment 2008\Reports\DSC Foodland Report Feburay 2010 Final
Jan 18 version.doc