ATTACHMENT 1 PRELIMININARY DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL MASTER PLAN TERMS OF REFERENCE

Transcription

1 1. BACKGROUND ATTACHMENT 1 PRELIMININARY DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL MASTER PLAN BACKGROUND, INTRODUCTION, AND GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The City f Bramptn has grwn t be ne f the largest and mst prsperus cities f the Greater Trnt Area and Hamiltn (GTAH), and accrding t the 2006 Census, Bramptn is the secnd fastest grwing cmmunity in Canada. Supprted by a culturally diverse ppulatin and a strng ecnmy, the City is an exciting municipality with civic pride in the scial, cultural and ecnmic develpment f the cmmunity and prtectin f the envirnment. The City, its residents and businesses recgnize the need t prtect, enhance and restre the natural heritage system, supprt air, water, sil and energy cnservatin, and make wise use f nnrenewable resurces. Current federal and prvincial gvernment and cnservatin agency initiatives prvide directin t ensure cmprehensive, integrated, lng-term management and planning that will implement the principles f strng cmmunities, a clean and healthy envirnment and ecnmic grwth. Federal and prvincial funding is available t supprt sustainable grwth and develpment including the Gas Tax, Public Transit and Municipal Infrastructure Funds, Metrlinks, etc. In additin, emerging glbal envirnmental trends and influences illustrate hw all levels f gvernment must share the respnsibility t cntrl and manage pllutin that affects public health and climate change, and take actins that will imprve the quality f the natural envirnment and its resurces. A mre detailed verview f these issues is prvided in Appendix 1. The principle f sustainable develpment represents the fundatin f Bramptn s Official Plan Envirnmental sustainability is als reflected in many f the City s strategic dcuments and initiatives, and departmental prgrams and services including the Flwer City Strategy, Cmmunities in Blm, Clean City, Master Plans and the Bramptn Envirnmental Planning Advisry Cmmittee; and the management, peratin and maintenance f ver 3 millin square feet f buildings, facilities and structures (such as City Hall, the Flwer City campus, libraries, recreatinal centres, maintenance and wrk yards), 3500 ha f natural areas, parkland, histric cemeteries and urban pen space, etc, and an immense transit and maintenance fleet f buses, cars and trucks. The City as a crpratin and as a land use apprval authrity recgnizes that it must identify, budget fr and mnitr envirnmental initiatives, prgrams and actins acrss all departments t ensure that ur plicies, practices and actins will psitively influence the health and develpment f ur cmmunity. A preliminary inventry f current City f Bramptn envirnmental initiatives, prgrams and activities is prvided in Attachment 2. Defining, advcating and cmmunicating a crprate sustainable envirnmental strategy is the purpse f the Envirnmental Master Plan. The Envirnmental Master Plan in cmbinatin with the Strategic Plan, Official Plan and Grwth Management Prgram, shall utline Bramptn s lng-term sustainable cmmunity bjectives that will prtect and cnserve ur natural envirnment including the water, aquatic and terrestrial resurces, enhance ur heritage as a Flwer City, supprt ur diverse cultural and scial values, cntribute t the ecnmy and enhance ur quality f life. These strategic dcuments will translate int envirnmentally sustainable, achievable, educatinal and affrdable services, prgrams and actins fr all City departments, as well as ecsystem based land use planning and develpment.

2 2. INTRODUCTION Cuncil directed staff t undertake the preparatin f an Envirnmental Master Plan as part f the Planning Department s wrk prgram. The Envirnmental Master Plan (EMP) will evaluate current methds, appraches and best practices and recmmend imprvements, where apprpriate, in areas f health and safety, educatin, crprate peratins, prgrams and services, transprtatin, cmmunity (land use) planning, energy, waste, water use, the natural heritage system and urban green space. The preparatin f the EMP shuld be undertaken within a transparent planning prcess that includes the creatin f Steering and Technical Advisry Cmmittees and a defined public cnsultatin prcess that seeks cmmunity participatin, feedback and directin fr the EMP. 2.1 Why An Envirnmental Master Plan? The City f Bramptn recgnizes that human needs and desires are being fulfilled by technical slutins that are adversely impacting the earth and climate upn which we depend fr ur lives. In these challenging times while human and eclgical health is diminishing, scial inequities are als being magnified. Yet despite all this, the City f Bramptn is a caring cmmunity, and its staff, residents, businesses and stakehlders have an awareness and interest in creating a healthy, liveable city. The EMP will utline a sustainable envirnmental framewrk t direct the City s effrts t cnserve, restre and enhance the envirnmental health f ur human and eclgical cmmunities within the City f Bramptn. 2.2 Sustainable Envirnmental Framewrk Tday municipalities must address the multiple ecnmic, scial, envirnmental and cultural dimensins f sustainability. The City s Official Plan and philsphy f crprate management are funded n the principle f sustainable develpment, and these will assist the EMP t develp a sustainable envirnmental framewrk particular t the needs and circumstances f the City f Bramptn that will: Prvide a visin that will advcate, mtivate and fcus the City f Bramptn, its residents, businesses and stakehlders t make Bramptn a healthy, liveable city; Define bjectives that are attainable and quantifiable; Identify actins that bridge the gap between strategic dcuments and implementatin prgrams and activities, and between departmental mandates and services; and Identify pprtunities fr cllabratin and partnership, bth internal and external t the City, which will strengthen the City s sustainable envirnmental activities. 2.3 Crprate Sustainability and Management The Envirnmental Master Plan is intended t bring crprate chesin t the many envirnmental initiatives, plicies and prgrams frm acrss the City s departments, peratins and services, withut duplicating the wrk and value f the ther strategic dcuments, studies and prgrams. The EMP will cmpliment and supplement ther municipal initiatives by identifying actins nt addressed by thse plans and prgrams, and by identifying pprtunities t educate, engage and cmmunicate with ur residents, businesses, stakehlders and cnservatin partners the cmmunity s envirnmental and eclgical pprtunities and challenges. 2

3 While chiefly a guidance dcument that utlines actins, an underlying value f the EMP will be its recgnitin f the crprate rganizatinal structure that is necessary t implement the envirnmental actin plans by the respective departments and divisins, and in cllabratin with external agencies and ur stakehlders. The gal, bjectives and actins f the EMP must translate int respnsible, achievable, educatinal and affrdable envirnmental prgrams and activities fr the City departments and the land use develpment prgram. 2.4 Preparatin This RFP may need t cntemplate a phased apprach fr the preparatin f the Envirnmental Master Plan given the cmplexity f issues fr identifying, assessing and implementing sustainability acrss the breadth f municipal respnsibilities. 3. Purpse f the Study The TOR and the Envirnmental Master Plan (the Study) will explre current envirnmental issues and influences that are legislated, prmted and encuraged t achieve a sustainable integrated cmmunity. The Envirnmental Master Plan will apply t the entire City f Bramptn within its spheres f respnsibility as a crpratin and a land use apprval authrity. The Study will define a sustainable envirnmental framewrk t address Bramptn s municipal respnsibilities related t public health and safety, crprate prgrams and peratins, cmmunity (land use) planning and services, and envirnmental prtectin and cnservatin. Senir Management, municipal staff and the EMP Steering Cmmittee will use their cllective knwledge and experience f prvincial initiatives and regulatry bligatins, crprate prgrams and activities, current envirnmental trends and recent public input t direct the preparatin f the fllwing infrmatin t guide the EMP and initiate discussin with Cuncil, residents and stakehlders including the cntent fr: A draft Missin Statement, Guiding Principles, Gals and Objectives and an Actin Plan template; and A framewrk fr a municipal envirnmental netwrk that will prvide the internal cmmunicatin and crdinatin t implement the actin plans f the EMP. The Study will need t summarize the gaps and pprtunities in the City s current envirnmental initiatives, prgrams, services and activities, as well as the fiscal, scial and gvernance challenges and barriers t implementing preferred best practices fr crprate peratins and land use develpment. T ensure the lng-term success fr the City s envirnmental endeavurs, the EMP must be prepared with regard t current crprate sustainability and management strategies wherein: The develpment, implementatin and management f envirnmental prgrams are based n technlgical, fiscal and staffing realities. Crprate peratins and land use develpment are based n a life cycle apprach that recgnizes and plans fr the lng-term management f crprate buildings, facilities, structures, infrastructure, public lands, and envirnmental prgrams and activities. Envirnmental actins are priritized within a cst-benefit framewrk that has regard fr legislative-regulatry requirements, measurable envirnmental results, technlgical realities, envirnmental trends and issues, and public input. 3

4 Municipal departments and staff are empwered t adapt prgrams, services and activities, as required, t respnd t current envirnmental trends, issues and requirements; and Envirnmental prgrams, services and activities are assessed t ensure that they are achieving the desired end results, and that thse results can be reprted in a transparent way. Lastly, the Study will prvide strategies fr priritizing, implementing and mnitring sustainable prgrams and actins, with specific emphasis in develping an envirnmental awareness and educatin prgram fr the crpratin, the residential and business cmmunities and stakehlders. Bramptn is cmmitted t a sustainable integrated cmmunity, and the Study will utline bth the City s shrt and lng term bjectives and actins t ensure that ur lcal prgrams, services and activities will supprt a healthy, liveable cmmunity. 3.1 Gals f the Study The Envirnmental Master Plan (EMP) will functin in cncert with the Strategic Plan, Official Plan and Grwth Management Prgram as the City s integrated cmmunity sustainability plan. In cmbinatin with these strategic dcuments, the EMP will achieve the fllwing gals. Cnfirm the City f Bramptn s leadership rle in implementing sustainable urban grwth and develpment in the cntext f its rle in the Greater Trnt and Hamiltn area; Prmte an integrated apprach t municipal sustainability, encmpassing the natural, cultural, built and ecnmic envirnments within the City, and that recgnizes the linkages between these elements and the benefits f cmprehensively planned slutins; Incrprate the principles f sustainability int all aspects f municipal administratin, peratins and grwth; Serve t ptimize the quality f life fr the residents f the City f Bramptn while respecting the prtectin, restratin and enhancement f the natural envirnment and cultural heritage resurces, supprting air, water, sil and energy cnservatin, and ensuring wise use f nn-renewable resurces, while accmmdating planned grwth; Supprt and cmplement sustainability measures emerging frm ther levels f gvernment, public agencies and the private sectr; Serve t ptimize the quality and quantity f emplyment and business pprtunities while prmting green business and respecting the natural envirnment and resurces, and the scial and cultural needs f the residents; Define the City s crprate and land use develpment (envirnmental) impacts and identify benchmarks frm which future sustainability prgress can be measured; Create a synergy between the City and its stakehlders t minimize, mitigate and cmpensate fr ur envirnmental impacts; and Identify an educatin and cmmunicatin strategy that will engage Bramptn s Cuncil and municipal staff, the residential and business cmmunities, cnservatin partners and general public t respect and supprt the City s envirnmental initiatives, prgrams and activities, as well as prmting the value and imprtance f all stakehlders assuming respnsibility fr ensuring that their future actins and decisins are in keeping with the principles f sustainability. 4

5 3.2 Objectives f the Study Specifically, this Envirnmental Master Plan Study will be prepared with regard t the fllwing bjectives: T develp a sustainable envirnmental framewrk particular t the needs and circumstances f the City f Bramptn, including such key cmpnents as: A Missin Statement that will advcate, mtivate and fcus the City f Bramptn, its residents, businesses and stakehlders t make Bramptn a healthy, liveable city; Guiding Principles that define the fundamental values that frm the fundatin f the EMP; Gals that articulate a strategic directin t realize the missin statement and chart the directin fr the EMP. Gals are general statements f desirable achievements, which are nt expected t be measurable, nr achieved within a definitive time perid; Objectives that are attainable and quantifiable and that are meant t cntribute t the accmplishment f a gal. The EMP shuld include bth shrt and lng term bjectives and describe the results t be achieved; Actin plans that identify the varius steps t achieve the bjectives by recgnizing wh will undertake an actin, when it will ccur and what indicatrs will be used t assess the rate f success in meeting the bjectives and gals; A crprate framewrk t manage and supprt the implementatin f the Envirnmental Master Plan acrss all municipal departments, as well as within the cntext f ther Cuncil initiatives, and t prmte the EMP in cnjunctin with the Bramptn Envirnmental Planning Advisry Cmmittee and stakehlders; and A strategy fr hw the City f Bramptn will implement sustainable best practices that is practical, fiscally respnsible and can be achieved within the means and the spheres f respnsibility f a lcal municipality. T cnduct a review f: Other envirnmental sustainability plans t identify envirnmental trends, issues and slutins that are affecting municipalities, large crpratins, etc. Gvernment legislatin, regulatins and initiatives, and agency dcuments t identify municipal best practices in sustainability, infrmed by science and practical applicatin fr: Public heath and safety; Crprate prgrams and peratins including but nt limited t: building cnstructin, management and maintenance; infrmatin technlgy (IT); cmmunicatins; recreatinal services; and administratin and finance, as apprpriate; Cmmunity (land use) planning and services; 5

6 Transprtatin (i.e. transit, pathways, etc.); Infrastructure and servicing; Resurce cnservatin (air, water, sil, energy and waste); Open Space prtectin and cnservatin (natural heritage system, parks, urban frest, and cultural resurces); and Educatin, stewardship and utreach. Current (and planned) municipal initiatives, prgrams and peratins, and identify gaps and pprtunities which will require plicy and/r prgram changes based n current and emerging envirnmental cnditins and trends; Private vendrs prviding gds and services t the City that may cntribute and/r affect Bramptn s envirnmental prgrams and peratins t strive fr sustainable services (i.e. snw remval, recycling, ffice supplies, etc.); The preliminary findings f the Grwth Plan Cnfrmity Exercise studies t determine the impact f prjected grwth and distributin n the City s ability t prvide sustainable envirnmental prgrams and peratins. T recmmend plicies: Based n best practices that are designed t meet the needs f the City, and develped in cnsultatin with Cuncil, affected municipal departments, stakehlders and external agencies. Such plicies will guide the implementatin f prgrams and detailed actin plans; and T update the Strategic Plan, Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and Grwth Management Prgram Strategy, as apprpriate. T identify strategies: Fr the creatin f a data base and apprpriate benchmarks t analyze the effectiveness f the City s sustainable prgrams and peratins, and t prepare a state f the envirnment reprt, with the length f the reprting perid t be determined; T infrm and educate municipal staff, the general public and private sectr public f the City s sustainability initiatives, and the value and imprtance f all stakehlders assuming respnsibility fr ensuring that their future actins and decisins are in keeping with the principles f sustainability; and T cmplement and supprt effrts by ther levels f gvernment, agencies, the private sectr and the public t prmte sustainability, and where apprpriate, partner in the develpment and implementatin f shared prgrams that are cnsistent with the City s values and bjectives. T develp the Envirnmental Master Plan with the benefit f a cmprehensive public engagement and cnsultatin prcess that will develp and prmte cnsensus with the affected stakehlders, including Cuncil, the public, staff, gvernment and cnservatin agencies, the private sectr and nn-gvernmental rganizatins. The Envirnmental Master Plan is anticipated t be undertaken in and may infrm updates t the Strategic Plan and the City s Official Plan. 6