Supplementary Council Agenda

August 8, 2016

7. Delegations and Petitions

7.1 Presentations

a) Brandon O’Quinn will present a cheque to Quinte West Minor Hockey from the proceeds raised at the “Batter Up Ball Tournament” held recently.

9. Committee Reports, Staff Reports and Approval of Accounts

9.1 C.A.O.

a) Staff Report 16-023CAO from Charlie Murphy, Chief Administrative Officer regarding Ontario 150 Community Capital Program. Resolution: That the City of Quinte West submit an application for funding to the Ontario 150 Community Capital Program for renovations to the Batawa Community Centre.

9.4 Public Works & Environmental Services

a) Staff Report 16-39PWES from Chris Angelo, Director of Public

Works & Environmental Services regarding Wild Parsnip. Resolution: That City of Quinte West Council adopt the Integrated Management Strategy/Program for Wild Parsnip; And further that City of Quinte West Council approves the funds required for the first round of wild parsnip spraying for health and safety concerns within the City.

b) Staff Report 16-40PWES from Chris Angelo, Director of Public Works & Environmental Services regarding Low Water Conditions. Resolution: That the Director of Public Works and Environmental Services Report 16-40PWES regarding Low Water Conditions be received as information.

STAFF REPORT16- 023 CAO

A Natural Attracrion

TO

DATE: August 5,2016

Mayor Jim Harrison andMembers of City of Quinte West Council

FROM: Charlie Murphy, M.Sc., MCIP, RPPCh ief Ad ministrative Officer

RE Ontario 150 Community Capital Program

Recommendation:

THAT the City of Quinte West submit an application for funding to the Ontario150 Community Capital Program for renovations to the Batawa CommunityCentre.

Background:

The provincial government recently released details regarding funding for theOntario 150 Community Capital Program.

This program wíll support the Province of Ontario's initíative to commemorateCanada's 150th anniversary. ThÍs one-time $25 million fund is intended to supportthe repair, renovation and retrofitting of existing infrastructure to better addressthe diverse needs of Ontario communities.

The program will fund up to 50% of the project cost to a maximum of $500,000Projects must be completed by March 31,2018.

Eligible projects include

. renovations, repairs and retrofits to community spaces;

. fixed equipment;o developmental costs associated with construction - such as development

of plans, legal fees or survey costs;. projects that increase access to community facilities and programs,

improve health and safety, accessibility and environmental standards, or

improve the capacity of organizations to support the economic, physicaland social well-being of Ontarians.

I nelig ible projects include:

. new buildings;¡ land purchases;o temporaryinstallations. moveable equipment, furniture and computers;o motorized vehicles;. technological improvements;o overhead and administration costs;. salaries and other employment benefits of any employees of the grant

recipient;o contributions to funding drives or campaigns;. activities completed or costs incurred prior to grant approval.

Applications will be assessed based on the same Priority Outcomes and GrantResults used by the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Investment Stream. Projectsmust align with at least one outcome or result, which include:

o fostering more active lifestyles;. building inclusive and engage communities together;o encouraging people to support a healthy and sustainable environment;. enriching people's lives through arts, culture and heritage;. supporting the positive development of children and youth;. enhancing people's economic well-being.

Senior staff have met and identified that upgrades to the Batawa CommunítyCentre would be eligible for the program. The project would include: renovationsand new equipment for the kitchen and resurfacíng the parking lot.

Financial lmpact:The estimated cost of renovations to the Batawa Community Centre kitchen is$75,000. New equipment would cost an additional $125,000. Resurfacing of theparking lot is expected to cost $300,000.

Public lnput:

N/A

I nternal/External Consu ltation :

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N/A

GommenUAnalysis:

ln June, Council approved three applications for funding through the Canada 150Community Infrastructure Program. The projects identified as priorities at thattime were the Trenton Town Hall, the Waterfront Trail Extension from FraserPark to Research Castings International and the Centennial ParkRedevelopment.

It is important to note that we are awaiting the results of those applications. Boththe Waterfront Trail Extension and the Centennial Park Redevelopment are noteligible for funding through the Ontario 150 Community Capital Program.

It is senior staffs opinion that the upgrades to the Batawa Community Centrebest meet the eligibility requirements of this funding program. The projectincludes the renovation of the kitchen, purchase of new equipment andresurfacing of the parking lot. The total estimated cost for this project is

$500,000. The funding application would include a request for $250,000 from theOntario 150 Community Capital Program.

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STAFF REPORT 16-39 PWES

TO: Mayor Jim Harrison and Members of City Council FROM: Chris Angelo, Director of Public Works and Environmental Services RE: Wild Parsnip DATE: August 5, 2016

Recommendations: That City of Quinte West Council adopt the Integrated Management Strategy/Program for Wild Parsnip; and That City of Quinte West Council approves the funds required for the first round of wild parsnip spraying for health and safety concerns within the City.

Background:

“Wild parsnip is native to Europe and Asia, likely brought to

North America by European settlers who grew it for its edible

root. Since its introduction, wild parsnip has escaped from

cultivated gardens and spread across the continent. It typically

grows a low, spindly rosette of leaves in the first year while the

root develops. In the second year it flowers on a tall stalk and

then dies. The plant can form dense stands and spreads quickly

in areas such as abandoned yards, waste dumps, meadows,

open fields, roadsides and railway embankments. Its seeds are

easily dispersed by wind and water, and on mowing or other

equipment. Like giant hogweed and other members of the carrot

family, it produces sap containing chemicals that can cause

human skin to react to sunlight, resulting in intense burns,

rashes or blisters.” Photo credit Intelligencer/Trentonian

In Ontario, herbicide use, storage and disposal is regulated under the Pesticides Act. While

many uses of herbicides are banned, certain herbicides may be used to control plants that are

poisonous to humans who touch them, such as wild parsnip. Herbicides that may be used for

this purpose include those containing the active ingredient glyphosate. A commonly used

herbicide to eradicate wild parsnip is called Clearview. For the best results, any herbicide should

be applied to the leaves of actively growing plants in the spring, followed by a summer/fall

application. Herbicide treatments may need to be repeated in following years and it has been

suggested that a 3 year program of spraying in the spring and fall is required to eradicate wild

parsnip. Controlling wild parsnip before it becomes locally established will reduce its impacts on

human health, biodiversity, the economy, and society.

As many of you may now know, wild parsnip is a noxious weed currently spreading throughout the rural roadside ditches of eastern Ontario. A majority of local municipalities are creating City Wide Program’s to control noxious weeds. In general, the southern municipalities report larger infestations on many roads while the northern areas report small infestations on fewer roads. To this end, City staff have travelled and surveyed every rural road within our municipality and have identified well over 470 locations of wild parsnip within our road allowances. Photo credit Intelligencer/Trentonian

Several Municipalities and Counties in eastern Ontario are already conducting wild parsnip control programs which include both County and local municipal roads. These municipalities include Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Leads and Grenville, Lanark, the City of Ottawa and Hastings and Prince Edward Counties etc. Spraying has been established as the most effective means of control of wild parsnip in rural areas combined with regular roadside mowing. From the information that is available, it appears that the cost of spraying our rural roadsides would be approximately $30,000 to $50,000 per event depending on the width and depth of the weeds. In addition, staff have been directed to complete a second cut of the rural roadsides this year in an attempt to eradicate/control this noxious weed. As City Council may recall, there are over 1400 lane km of rural roads in Quinte West which equates to more than 2800 km of roadside ditches to be potentially sprayed. The City’s Purchasing Policy requires staff to obtain competitive pricing for purchase amounts in excess of $5000.00. In addition, staff have been advised that it would be best to wait until September to spray for the most effective application of the herbicide. Staff would also advise that the City should start with the spraying of the main arterial and collector roads, followed by municipal road allowance areas which are adjacent to trails etc and then secondary roadways. To this end, staff are proposing to go out to tender for spraying next week. Furthermore, staff have developed the following program and integrated management strategy for wild parsnip.

City of Quinte West Integrated Management Strategy/Program for Wild Parsnip

The Public Works Department has been proactively mapping out wild parsnip infestation levels across the City along roadsides, parkland, and pathways. The identification of wild parsnip collected from staff has been used to identify the control areas for developing and fine-tuning the strategy/program moving forward. By-law Enforcement staff who are also our Weed Inspectors have verified the locations and have identified the wild parsnip growth as a health and safety concern.

The integrated management strategy includes monitoring, mapping, herbicide use, mowing and evaluation. The herbicides Clearview and Truvist were chosen in consultation from other Municipal and Provincial stakeholders. Both herbicides are selective and may impact other weeds/plants but should not impact trees or grass.

Monitoring and mapping are ongoing. The City’s GIS Department has digitally mapped all identified locations to date on the City’s GIS database for annual tracking. A second round of roadside mowing has commenced the week of August 01, 2016. Spring and fall spraying combined with an aggressive roadside cutting program is necessary to eradicate this noxious weed.

Second year growth wild parsnip typically begins to dry up in August, so contact with the plant will be less likely to cause a reaction. However, the sap still remains inside the plant. Avoidance or personal protective gear, when handing the plant, is still recommended.

Existing Policy/By-law:

N/A

Financial Impact:

The estimated cost for spraying for wild parsnip this year is approx. +$30,000 of which these funds have not been budgeted for. The Director of Finance and Corporate Services has advised that at this point this is an unexpected, unbudgeted item that needs to be done due to health and safety concerns. At this point in time we will charge it to the Public Work's operating budget and we will re-evaluate at the end of the year to see if this expenditure created an overall deficit in the budget and if so we will address how to finance the shortfall at that time. Public Input:

N/A

Internal/External Consultation:

Consultation with the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and the CAO.

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STAFF REPORT 16-40 PWES

TO: Mayor Jim Harrison and Members of City Council FROM: Chris Angelo, Director of Public Works and Environmental Services RE: Low Water Conditions DATE: August 5, 2016

Recommendation:

That the Director of Public Works and Environmental Services Report 16-40 PWES regarding

Low Water Conditions be received as information.

Background:

On Thursday, August 4th, 2016 City staff and some members of City Council along with Mayor

Harrison attended the Quinte Conservation Authority Low Water Response Team meeting and

the Lower Trent Conservation Authority Low Water Response Team meeting. At those separate

meetings, water level data was presented on each of the watersheds (groundwater and surface

water conditions etc).

The Ontario Low Water Response Plan was developed by the Province to help coordinate and

support local response in the event of a prolonged period of low stream flows or precipitation.

There are three levels of Low Water Conditions with Level 1 being the least severe and Level 3

being the most severe.

To this end, Quinte Conservation (QC) has recommended/implemented a Level 3 low water

condition effective Thursday August 4th, 2016 and Lower Trent Conservation (LTC) has

remained at a Level 2 low water condition.

Quinte Conservation

The Quinte Conservation area is now in a Level 3 condition as of Thursday, August 4th, 2016.

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In the QC watershed for the months of April, May

and June the area received 50 percent less

rainfall than normal, and for the month of July

they received about 35 percent of what we would

normally have, as an average across the entire

watershed

Quinte Conservation announced on June 2nd,

2016 that the area was in a Level 1 low water

condition. On July 12th the conservation authority

upgraded the area to Level 2.

Lower Trent Conservation Moira River at Mcleod Dam

As City Council may be aware, below normal rainfall during the spring and early summer are

continuing to bring very dry conditions to our area. For the LTC area based on data from

Environment Canada (Trenton), the 3-month average monthly precipitation for May through July

was 35 millimetres which is only 47% of normal. A 3-month average precipitation below 60% of

normal is a trigger for Level 2 Low Water Condition.

However, LTC has stated that with August being one of the drier months of the year, everyone

should make a conscious effort to reduce their water use. In addition LTC are starting to

receive a number of reports of dry wells

and agricultural hardships from across the

watershed.

Water flows in local streams have declined

significantly over the past month due to the

lack of precipitation (ranging from 52 to

71% of the lowest summer monthly

average flow). In order to trigger a Level 3

Low Water Condition based on stream

flows, the monthly average must reach

30% or lower or the total precipitation drops

to below 40% of its corresponding historical

average.

The LTC have stated that “Fortunately, most streams west of the Trent River within

Northumberland County have a source connection to the Oak Ridges Moraine. The Moraine’s

deep groundwater aquifers are helping to augment the base flows for watercourses such as

Shelter Valley, Salt, Cold and Mill Creeks,” in addition “Water is a shared resource. While one

homeowner may have an abundant water supply, excessive water use could be drawing down

groundwater aquifers that could impact nearby wells.”

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To assist with tracking the impacts of the Low Water Condition, Lower Trent Conservation is

encouraging individuals or businesses who are experiencing problems or hardships as a result

of the dry conditions to contact them directly at 613-394-4829 or information@ltc.on.ca.

For the LTC watershed area, a Level 1 Low Water Condition was declared on June 3rd, and was

upgraded to Level 2 on July 4th, 2016.

Under a Level 2 Low Water Condition, residents, businesses, industries, and municipalities are

asked to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20%. The Municipality and the Conservation

Authorities encourage everyone to use water wisely and apply water conservation measures.

Non-essential water uses such as lawn watering, car washing, etc. should be suspended until

natural water supplies recover. Those who hold a Permit to Take Water from the Ministry of the

Environment and Climate Change are also asked to reduce their water taking by 20% as well.

As Council may now be aware, the City of Quinte West is now receiving numerous calls from

residents asking the City what we are doing or implementing in regards to the low water

conditions.

The messaged received after the August 4th, 2016 Quinte Conservation meeting is very

misleading. Only a part of Quinte West is in the Quinte Conservation authority watershed area

and a larger part is in the LTC. The information that is being messaged by QC is that “the

Quinte Area is in a level 3 condition” which is not 100% true. QC recommended a Level 3 for

their watershed and LTC has remained at the Level 2 for the time being.

In terms of advising our residents, the following messages will be shared with staff and the

public:

1. Only the QC area (Moira River watershed, Salmon River etc) has implemented a Level 3

Low Water Condition

2. The City or any municipal property in the QC area will reduce water usage by 50% 3. QC is encouraging any rural property on a private well system in the QC area to reduce

their water usage by 50% and any questions the residents have should phone QC 4. For properties in the LTC area, we are at a Level 2 low water condition 5. All municipal operations in the LTC area have reduced water usage by at least 20% 6. For the urban and municipal water system customers in Trenton, Frankford, Bayside and

Batawa, municipal systems are not at risk however we encourage all water users to practice water conservation methods. Information can be found on the Quinte West website or the Conservation Authorities websites

7. We would encourage any rural property on a private well system in the LTC area to practice water conservation and reduce their water usage by 20% and any questions the residents have should phone the LTC

For Councils information, in the event that the Lower Trent Conservation declares a Level 3 low water condition, City staff will report to Council on the overall municipal water and watershed conditions; in which case Council may declare a Water Conservation Period by by-law. This by-law would remain in effect until Council is advised that the watershed levels have improved. During a Water Conservation Period, water restrictions will be in effect, such as no person shall use any water for any purpose other than normal domestic use, referring to bathing, cooking,

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laundry, etc. These restrictions will be regulated and will be enforced if Council endorses the plan. Existing Policy/By-law:

N/A

Financial Impact:

N/A

Public Input:

N/A

Internal/External Consultation:

Consultation with the CAO and Conservation Authorities

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