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01 - October 7, 2020 Environmental Advisory Committee Agenda Package - Orientation Session ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORYCOMMITTEE ORIENTATION SESSION Wednesday, October 7, 2020 10:00 a.m. Meeting to be held electronically. Agenda 1.Introductions 2.Review of Terms and Conditions and Code of Conduct – Supervisor of Legislative Services 3.Overview of Current Elgin County Environmental Initiatives – Supervisor of Legislative Services, Director of Engineering Services 4.Who Does What? – An Overview of Government Jurisdictions – Supervisor of Legislative Services 5.Date of Next Meeting 6.Adjournment October 7, 2020 Committee Orientation Environmental Advisory making authority. - ovide input, advice and make pr Terms of Reference hief Administrative Officer, Supervisor of Legislative C scretion of the Chair. When possible consultation of the Committee will take ouncil. An Advisory Committee has no binding decision The Environmental Committee is an Advisory Committee which reports to CThe role of the Committee is to recommendations on environmental matters affecting the County of Elgin. The term of appointed Members coincides with the term of County Council. Meetings will occur approximately once (1) a month and will be called at the diplace. Staff Supports: Services ••••• Committee Mandate ironmental concerns and to report with recommendations to the Rural Initiatives tiatives and Planning Advisory Committee, Municipal Council and its Committees County Council, its other Committees, or civic administration. To serve as an advisory, resource and information support group to the Rural Inias required, and to the citizenry to encourage and promote sustainable programs and functions such as: Waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs; Water and energy conservation measures; and Climate change mitigation.To investigate such other aspects of environmental concern as may be suggested byTo initiate and/or receive submissions and/or delegations regarding any envand Planning Advisory Committee and/or County Council when appropriate. ••• Code of Conduct General DutiesConflict of InterestInteractions with the Public, Other Members and County StaffConfidential Information eputy Warden, All Members of Council, and Members of the public who –––– he Elgin County Code of Conduct. This orientation will focus on the As Members of the Environmental Committee, you have received a copy of tparticularly relevant sections of the Code:The Elgin County Council Code of Conduct is applicable to the Warden, Dhave been appointed to Committees and Advisory Boards. •• Part 5: General Duties ition as a Member; anner; ouncil even if they disagree with Council’s decision; and, onfidence in the position to which they have been elected or appointed. Abide by all applicable legislation, policies and procedures pertaining to their posServe and be seen to serve their constituents in a conscientious and diligent mConduct their dealings with each other in ways that maintain public cMembers will be open and honest, focus on issues rather than personalities, and avoid aggressive, offensive or abusive conduct; Accurately and adequately communicate the attitudes and decisions of the C Every Member shall:•••• General Duties Continued imilar circumstances;nowledge and ability. Seek to advance the common good of Elgin County; Exercise care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in sExercise his or her powers only for the purposes for which they were intended; and, Truly, faithfully and impartially exercise his or her office to the best of his or her k cordance with the following guiding principles: a)b)c)d) Conduct themselves at all Council and Committee Meetings with decorum; and,Exercise his or her power and discharge his or her official duties in ac •• Part 6: Conflict of Interest after the meeting. atter in the meeting (verbally at the meeting and in written form to the Clerk); disclose the general nature of the member's interest prior to any consideration of the mrefrain from participating in the discussion of the matter or in any vote on the matter; and,refrain from attempting to influence the voting on the matter or question, before, during or unicipal Conflict of Interest Act and complaints are subject to investigation i. ii.iii. ollowing steps whenever a member has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest Members have strict obligations to avoid conflicts of interest by taking the fin any matter that is before the Committee in a meeting where the member is present:Members shall be responsible for ensuring that they are familiar with the Mby the Integrity Commissioner. •• and County Staff free from discrimination and harassment; and, ith respect and dignity and without abuse, bullying or intimidation; dministrative Officer or the appropriate Department Head. Members have a duty to treat members of the public, each other and staff wMembers have a duty to ensure that the County's work environment is safe andInquiries of Employees from Members should be directed to the Chief A Part 8: Interactions with Public, Other Members ••• law. camera deliberations unless - - camera. - Part 10: Confidential Information onfidential Information or any aspect of the inounty that is relevant to matters before the Council or Committee. Beyond oncerning matters dealt with in hat is not available to the general public for any purpose other than his or Members shall hold in strict confidence all Confidential Information cNo Member shall release, make public or in any way divulge any such Cexpressly authorized by Council or required ByNo Member shall use information gained in the execution of his or her office ther official duties.Members are only entitled to Confidential Information in the possession of the Cthis entitlement, Members have the same level of access to information as does any other citizen. •••• elected annually. - Election of a Chair ficial meeting. At this meeting a Chair will be elected from within the ommittee and will be re ntroducing Members to one another, providing background information on A Chair will be elected from the Members at the first official meeting of the CToday’s meeting is considered an Orientation Session for the purposes of iCommittee Membership and providing details regarding the current environmental initiatives at the County of Elgin. At this Orientation Session, the Committee will agree on a date for the first ofMembership. Those interested in acting as Chair should put their names forward at the next meeting and a vote will take place. ••• This also means usable items - hey are choosing to T 19 contamination. 19, the program will continue in the - -circulate collections based on criteria to dollar store goods) in place of re ey re i.e Th time consumables ( Our integration of digital resources is also reducing waste. een recycling program in partnership with the STEAM Centre in St. gr ic, the library had transitioned to making more sustainable choices in regards to arts and craft supplies erm Care Homes have switched to paper straws and metal spoons to reduce plastic waste.erm Care Homes recycle cans and glass bottles from kitchens. TT pandem - The libraries have implemented a E-Thomas.Although the program is temporarily suspended as a result of COVID-fall at five of Elgin’s branches.Preand prizes for programming, avoiding one-such as chalk boards. Libraries by their very nature promote the sharing economy.ensure maximum use before replacing.The libraries are making sustainable choices when it comes to the response to the pandemic.quarantine returned materials for 72 hours to eliminate the possibility of COVIDthat they do not have to be wiped with sanitary supplies which is becoming a major source of waste in many sectors.All departments process invoices electronically to cut down on paper waste.All departments use Laserfiche as a digital repository to reduce paper and storage needs.Printer defaults are set to automatically print documents on both sides.Recycling bins are located in staff offices and lunch areas. Long-Decision to redevelop Terrace Lodge instead of a completely new build to utilize existing infrastructure. Long- Current Elgin County Environmental Initiatives ••••••••••• details 2023. - Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan Energy Conservation ounty operations by an average of 2% per year between 2019 The County of Elgin’s the County of Elgin’s energy conservation goals and objectives. The County has set targets to reduce its consumption of fuels and electricity in all CAppendix B includes a list of planned energy conservation projects between 2019 and 2023. ••• a – , as tonne Place Recycling (CIPR) - mix asphalt which uses approx. - Roads . onstruction. nder. The cold nature of this process reduces the impact on the environment and ections that are typically rehabilitated using Cold Inompared to simply just the placement of new hot Each year Elgin County’s transportation capital projects include a series of road sThis process generally uses 100% reclaimed asphalt pavement mixed with a new bipreserves energy due to the absence of heat application. This method is widely used due to its cost effectiveness, higher life cycle and ease of cCIPR costs about 60% of traditional methods and uses approx. 139MJ/c680MJ/tonne pavement rehabilitation technique that reduces the life cycle cost of the pavement structure by reusing the existing asphalt pavement. ••••Source: Natural Resources Canada, Road Rehabilitation Energy Reduction Guide for Canadian Road Builders in Collaboration with the Canadian Construction Association, (Ottawa: Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation, 2005) Cycling Infrastructure St. Thomas Public Health (now SWPH) in partnership with the County - Sunset Road (between St. Thomas and Port Stanley)East RoadImperial Road (between Aylmer and Port Bruce)Dexter Line (between Quaker Road and Port Bruce)Graham Road (between West Lorne and Eagle) Pioneer Line (between Rodney and West Lorne) –––––– Elginof Elgin, the City of St. Thomas and Elgin’s Partner Municipalities developed a Cycling Master Plan to serve as a blueprint for future bikeway planning, design and implementation. To date the following roads have received paved shoulders specifically identified as cycling lanes in the Cycling Master Plan: •• Bicycle Facilities, is currently underway and – Book 18 are completed. Dexter Line (between East Road and Yarmouth Centre Road)Village of Sparta Cycling Lane pavement markings in conjunction with road Village of Rodney Cycling Lane pavement markings in conjunction with road Dexter Line (between Yarmouth Centre Road and Quaker Road). – –––– 20202020reconstruction2021reconstruction2024 A revision to the Ontario Traffic Manual, Book 18 updates will guide route selection and design of future cycling facilities. As the Cycling Master Plan implementation evolves across Elgin County, a comprehensive review in collaboration with Elgin’s Local Municipal Partners will be prudent and will be completed after revisions to the Ontario Traffic Manual ––––• The Plan also identifies four road sections that are scheduled to receive cycling facilities within the next 5 years: • Who Does What? Within the County of Elgin there are several different levels of government (Federal, Provincial, Municipal (Upper and Lower Tier) each of which is responsible for the provision of different services and programs as they relate to the natural environment. • Fisheries and Oceans Canada Sustainably managing fisheries and aquacultureWorking with fishers, coastal and Indigenous communities to enable their continued prosperity from fish and seafoodEnsuring that Canada’s oceans and other aquatic ecosystems are protected from negative impactsEnsuring commercial vessels and recreational boaters can safely navigate our watersBeing there to save lives and protect our environment when emergencies arise Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard manage Canada’s fisheries and safeguard its waters by:••••• are based natural hazards (e.g., floodplains, - authorities - Conservation Authorities natural hazard managementflood and erosion controlice managementflood forecasting and warningdrought/low water programclean water protection (under the Clean Water Act)provide advice to municipalities on natural hazard managementregulate development and other activities in areas affected by watershorelines, wetlands) through a permit processstewardship/conservation (e.g. tree planting, habitat restoration)watershed studies, research and education programsrecreation programs (e.g. operating conservation areas)other services to municipalities (e.g. storm water management advice, tree planting, assessment of environmental impacts, septic system reviews)https://www.ontario.ca/page/conservation Conservation Authorities (under the authority of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks) governed by the Conservation Authorities Act and provide the following services:••••••••Conse rvation authorities may also deliver programs that address local priorities including:••••• Term Care Homes) - Villa, Elgin Manor, Terrace Lodge) County of Elgin Bobier is responsible for providing the following services in accordance with relevant Provincial Legislation: Term Care Homes ( - County Facilities (Admin Building, POA, Heritage Centre, Land Ambulance Stations, LongInternal Operations (Council, Administration, HR, IT, Accessibility, Finance, Community Emergency Management, Legal Services)Planning (Approval Authority, Land Division Committee)Three (3) LongProvincial Offences Administration (POA)Arterial RoadsEconomic Development and Tourism (Promotion and dissemination of information)Land Ambulance Services Social Services (provided by the City of St. Thomas on behalf of the County)Tree Commissioner/Weed InspectionCultural Services (Libraries/Archives/Museum) Transportation Strategies The County of Elgin•••••••••••• are responsible for providing the following services in Local Municipal Partners Local Municipal Partners Local RoadsWater DistributionWaste water collection and treatmentGarbage and Recycling CollectionMunicipally owned parklandRecreational FacilitiesCollection of Storm Water and Drainage Animal Control Building CodeLocal Planning Services Marriage Certificates Etc. Elgin’s seven (7) accordance with relevant Provincial Legislation:•••••••••••• The activities and initiatives of the Elgin County Environmental Advisory Committee are limited to those within the County’s sphere of jurisdiction. The Committee must therefore find creative ways to have a meaningful impact on the Corporation’s environmental footprint.Staff are recommending that the first official meeting of the Environmental Advisory Committee include a brainstorming session with Facilitator Jennifer Kirkham to establish the Committee’s purpose, set achievable and measurable goals, and determine next steps. Facilitated Discussion of Committee Goals •••