Environment Committee MINUTES 18 Tuesday, 19 June 2012, 9:30 a.m. Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West Present: Councillor M. McRae (Chair) Councillor S. Moffatt (Vice Chair) Councillors D. Chernushenko, K. Egli, M. Fleury, D. Holmes, A. Hubley, Absent : Councillors S. Desroches and P. Hume DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST No declarations of interest were filed. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES Minutes 17 of the Regular meeting on 3 May 2012 CONFIRMED PRESENTATION 1. ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS CITY WIDE Chair McRae and Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager of City Operations, acting on behalf of the City Manager, presented the following awards: 2012 Environmental Excellence Award - Community category was given to city staff responsible for expanding Ottawa’s Blue Box program to recycle more types of plastics and divert this material from landfills. An honourable mention in the Community category was given to Kevin Cover for the Characterization of Ottawa’s Watersheds, 2012 Environmental Excellence Award - Internal category was given to city staff working to reduce emissions of the City’s fleet through the Electrical Vehicles Introduction project. Honourable mentions in the Internal category were given to two teams: 1. The Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products & New Equipment Project that identified environmentally-friendlier alternatives to the cleaning products regularly used at Transit Services; and, 2. The Cured-in-Place Pipe Lining Improvement Project that found innovative methods to reduce the environmental impact of sewer pipe replacement. RECEIVED CITY MANAGER CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE 2. QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE REPORT TO COUNCIL, Q1: JANUARY 1 – MARCH 31, 2012 ACS2012-CMR- ENV-0005 CITY WIDE REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Environment Committee receive this report for further review and discussion of the service areas’ performance results, as outlined in Document 1. RECEIVED This report will be considered at Council on 11 July, 2012 in the FEDCO Report 22. CITY OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 3. OTTAWA’S WASTE PLAN – PHASE 2: ACHIEVING OUR GOALS ACS2012-COS-ESD-0008 CITY WIDE REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Environment Committee, at its meeting of 19 June 2012, table Ottawa’s 30-Year Waste Plan Discussion Paper and refer it for public consultation in accordance with the consultation process outlined in this report. Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services and Marilyn Journeaux, Manager of Solid Waste Services spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the presentation is held on file with the City Clerk. Staff responded to questions from Committee members with respect to the report. The report recommendation was then put to Committee in which it was TABLED and REFERRED. 4. DRINKING WATER TRANSMISSION MAIN CONDITION ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ACS2012-COS-ESD-0014 CITY WIDE REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Environment Committee receive this report for information. Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services and Shelley McDonald, Program Manager of Water Distribution spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the presentation is held on file with the City Clerk. Staff responded to questions from Committee members with respect to the report. The report recommendation was then put to Committee and RECEIVED. 5. 2011 WASTEWATER ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT ACS2012-COS-ESD-0011 CITY WIDE REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Environment Committee receive this report for information. Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services and Michel Chevalier, Manager of Wastewater Services spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the presentation is held on file with the City Clerk. Staff responded to questions relating to impacts on waterways from other areas such as Gatineau, the disposal of biosolids and the enforcement with the companies who have discharge agreements with the City. The report recommendation was put to Committee and RECEIVED, as presented with the following direction to staff: DIRECTION TO STAFF: Staff to provide, by the Council meeting on 27 June 2012, a list of the industries, which the City has discharge agreements with. This report will be presented to Council on 27 June 2012. At this time, the Committee recessed for 45 minutes. Upon resuming, the Committee proceeded to item 6 on the agenda. 6. ADVANCED METER INFRASTRUCTURE (AMI) PROJECT ACS2012-COS-ESD-0009 CITY WIDE REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Environment Committee receive this report for information. Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services and Fern Marcuccio, Manager of Environmental Engineering spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the presentation is held on file with the City Clerk. Staff responded to questions from Committee members with respect to the report. The report recommendation was then put to Committee and RECEIVED. 7. 2004 AND 2008 GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES, REDUCTION MEASURES AND APPROACH TO FUTURE TARGETS ACS2012-CMR-ENV-0004 CITY WIDE Previously listed as an Information Previously Distributed report on 3 May 2012 REPORT RECOMMENDATION That the Environment Committee receive this report for information. Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services and Michael Murr, Manager of Environmental Sustainability spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the presentation is held on file with the City Clerk. Committee heard from the following public delegations who spoke in favour of the staff report: * *Charles Hodgson, Ecology Ottawa * *Martin Canning, Vice-Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee Committee received a written submission from the following individuals: * *Richard Eveleigh dated 19 June 2012; * *Jason Pearman, Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee dated 18 June 2012; * *Mike Buckthought dated 19 June 2012. *Copies of the presentations from the public delegations and the written submissions are held on file with the City Clerk: Councillor Holmes submitted a motion with respect to holding a Round Table. Subsequently, Councillor Fleury suggested a friendly amendment to include that the Round Table be chaired by the Chair of the Environment Committee. Councillor Holmes accepted the amendment as friendly and the motion was revised and approved as follows: Moved by Councillor Holmes, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the city host a stakeholders’ Round Table, including members representing business groups such as the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee, Invest Ottawa, as well as community groups and organizations, etc. to engage the community on the matter of GHG reductions by examining the following questions and promoting solutions: 1) What strategies according to cost/benefit analysis result in the greatest reduction of GHG; 2) What solutions offer the fastest payback in terms of GHG reductions; 3) What solutions have the lowest barriers to success; 4) What utilities and companies can provide synergies through energy reduction & efficiency programs; 5) How can efficient appliances and/or building features be promoted to a greater degree (e.g., low flush toilets); and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Environment Committee select 2 Councillors to sponsor the Round Table; and that the roundtable be chaired by Councillor Maria McRae, Chair of the Environment Committee; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Ottawa maintain or exceed its current level under the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection program. CARRIED With Councillor Hubley dissenting. DIRECTION TO STAFF: Staff to provide the cost to date of identifying and verifying the GHG inventories as well as the estimated cost to host the oncoming roundtable and to develop the responses identified in the motion for discussion at the round table.   Given that the motion was interpreted to include all 23 Councillors and Mayor if they wish to attend, the estimates should be based on full attendance.  This information is to be provided by the Council meeting on 27 June 2012. This report will be presented to Council on 27 June 2012. NOTICES OF MOTION (FOR CONSIDERATION AT SUBSEQUENT MEETING) Submitted by Councillor McRae: WHEREAS the Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP) was established in May, 1995 by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC); and WHEREAS the CEPGP supported not-for-profit organizations, including community associations, service clubs and schools, who undertook initiatives to enhance the RMOC’s broad-based environmental objectives in the areas of solid waste diversion, water efficiency, wastewater and the water environment; and WHEREAS aside from the inclusion of sustainable development, the project criteria identified by the environmental objectives has not changed since the program’s inception; and WHEREAS Ottawa City Council has adopted Term of Council priorities to focus the work of Council and budgets on specific achievable goals; and WHEREAS it is appropriate to review the City’s Community Environmental Projects Grants Program in light of each Term of Council’s priorities; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to ensure that the project criteria for the Community Environmental Projects Grant Program reflect the current Term of Council Priorities and include items such as: * Increasing the City’s urban forest cover; * Addressing the Emerald Ash Borer issue; * Initiatives related to the move to bi-weekly residual waste collection. INQUIRIES Submitted by Councillor Egli, There are a significant number of non-rural communities that are privately serviced across the City of Ottawa. The City currently provides grants to rural property owners for privately serviced lots. In the past these non-rural communities were eligible, however an evaluation of the program completed in 2009 concluded that the focus of the grant program should be on projects that benefit the public at large (e.g. buffer strips, grassed waterways, stream bank stabilization, livestock restrictions etc.) rather than projects that primarily benefit the private property owner (e.g. private well and septic replacements). Council approved this to the program in early 2010. Currently the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Grants Program is available to both rural farm operators/rural property owners and farm operators within the urban boundary. Non-rural residents with private wells are also eligible to apply for well decommissioning only. 1) Why does the City of Ottawa provide grants to privately serviced rural property owners and excludes privately serviced non-rural property owners? 2) When do we expect to have a review of this grant program? 3) How many privately serviced communities do we have in Ottawa? 4) How many privately serviced homes are there in non-rural Ottawa that are not covered by the grant program? Submitted by Councillor Hubley, Staff to provide a listing of all grant and contribution programs that fall under this Committee. Listing should include the amount of tax dollars associated to each including staff costs to administer. Submitted by Councillor Hubley, Staff to provide details of projects awarded grants under the Community Environmental Grant Program.  Details should include any post project review comments that relate to the value to taxpayers of these grants. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m. Original signed by Original signed by C. Legault Councillor M. McRae _____________________________ _____________________________ Committee Coordinator Chair CORPORATE SERVICES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA 56 19 SEPTEMBER 2006 ii COMITÉ DES SERVICES ORGANISATIONNELS ET DU DÉVELOPPEMENT ÉCONOMIQUE ORDRE DU JOUR 56 LE 19 SEPTEMBRE 2006 PAGE Note: 1. Please note that these Minutes are to be considered DRAFT until confirmed by the Committee. 2. Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on 27 June 2012 in Environment Committee Report 16. ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES 18 19 JUNE 2012 8