Town of Newmarket Council Highlights: Monday June 24, 2019

On Monday June 24th 2019 Newmarket Council gave formal consent to all matters discussed at our Committee of the whole meeting. You can WATCH, READ AND SHARE the information via this link newmarket.ca/meetings.

“I AM SHARING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE FROM THE JUNE 2019 EDITION OF 'NEWMARKET NOW!' SEND YOUR FEEDBACK OR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE EDITIONS BY SENDING COMMENTS TO COMMUNICATIONS@NEWMARKET.CA”

Newmarket receives the Roger Brown Award from the Ontario Public Works Association

Newmarket Council, along with Public Works Services staff, were presented the Roger Brown Award from the Ontario Public Works Association for its excellent educational programs during last year's National Public Works Week.

The Roger Brown Award is given to one Ontario municipality with a population of 150,000 or less and is committed to:

Promoting excellence in programs and events which create awareness of the public works profession

Illustrating the important role that all public works employees play in the everyday health and well-being of the public

Protection of Trees on Private Property

Newmarket Council received a report regarding the protection of trees on private property that provided Council with background information, consultation done to date, and the proposed approach to protecting trees on private property going forward.

The Town engaged the public in multiple ways in order to seek feedback from residents. This included a randomly-selected phone survey, use of the Town’s online engagement platform HeyNewmarket, an information page on the website and a resident’s petition.

The Town will continue to conduct research and consult the public on this matter. Recommendations are expected to be developed and presented to Council later this year.

ENVI 2018 Annual General Meeting

Newmarket Council received an update from ENVI on their business activities for 2018. To date, ENVI has installed primary points of presence at the Robert N. Shelton Operations Centre and Upper Canada Mall. These points of presence connect directly to Toronto in order to interconnect to public internet networks.

Fibre connectivity has been installed along the Harry Walker Parkway corridor that includes the streets of Nicholson Road, Gorham Street, Kerrisdale Boulevard and Ringwell Drive.

ENVI has signed 50 customer locations that include 20 enterprise locations and 30 small to medium business locations. Some of ENVI’s customers are the Town of Newmarket, Newmarket Hydro, New Market Group, International Safety and more.

Minutes for the Town of Newmarket Council Meetings, outlining Council decisions, are available under Agendas, Minutes and Meetings on the Town of Newmarket website. For more information or to view the reports, visit newmarket.ca

Music & Poetry Without Borders

Drop in and experience the vibrancy of diverse cultures through performances, that include: First Nations Hand-Drumming, Chinese pipa, Middle Eastern Oud, East Indian tabla and flute, western classical music and original poetry in Arabic. Try your hand at a variety of musical instruments, and learn to make one of fruits and vegetables!

When: June 29, 2019 at various times noted below

Where: Newmarket's Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street)

Performances:

11 a.m. Doors Open

11:15 a.m. Land Acknowledgement

11:30 a.m. to noon Artists Showcase, by The Arts Music Store

Noon to 12:20 First Nations Hand Drumming, by Nin Os Kom Tin

12:40 to 1 p.m. Original poetry in Arabic, by Abdulrahman Matar

1:05 to 1:30 p.m. Pipa performance, by Angel Guo (Chinese lute)

1:50 to 2:30 p.m. Oud performance, by Esmaeel AboFakher (Middle Eastern lute)

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tabla and Flute performance, by Hemant Patel and Jatinder (Jeetu)

Parkash (Classical Indian drum and flute)

Drop-in activities at Old Town Hall from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Print Your Own Guitar Pick, by Newmarket Public Library (in the Atrium) - Explore the world of 3D printing and print your own guitar pick, courtesy of the Newmarket Public Library Maker Hub.

Arduino Musical Fruit and Veggies (in Snapd Auditorium) - Using ordinary fruits and veggies with Arduino technology. The NewMakeIt Build Club will guide participants through the process of making musical instruments.

Free Play (in Snapd Auditorium) - The Arts Music Store is opening the floor to you! This is an opportunity to play, learn, and interact with any of the instruments onsite provided by The Arts Music Store in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Tim Hortons Canada Day 2019, Kanata Festival

Celebrate Canada's birthday with the Town of Newmarket, neighbours, friends and family. Enjoy family friendly activities and end the night at a stunning fireworks show!

Day Activities:

When: July 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon)

Where: Newmarket's Community Centre & Lions Hall, Riverwalk Commons (200 Doug Duncan Drive)

Fireworks Show:

When: July 1, 2019, live music from 7:30 to 10:10 p.m. Fireworks begin at 10:10 p.m. (weather dependent)

Where: George Richardson Park (off Bayview Parkway)

For more information including road and parking lot closures, free bus shuttle schedule and a schedule of performances, visit newmarket.ca/kanata

TD Newmarket Music Series

Join us every Thursday evening starting from July 4 until August 22 and enjoy local musical talent and featured tribute bands.

Where: Newmarket's Riverwalk Commons (200 Doug Duncan Drive).

Upcoming performances include:

July 4: Practically Hip - A tribute to The Tragically Hip from 7:15 to 9 p.m.

Opening Act: Ron Fleming from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

July 11: Bennie and the Jets - A tribute to Elton John from 7:15 to 9 p.m.

Opening Act: Bianca Rollo from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

July 18: Beach Party Boys - a tribute to The Beach Boys from 7:15 to 9 p.m.

Opening Act: Aspiring Legends from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

July 25: Material Girls - A Tribute to Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga and Adele from 7:15 to 9 p.m.

Opening Act: Blush from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

For a full list of upcoming performances, please view the Newmarket Music Series Webpage

Kids Downtown presented by Longos

This child oriented event allows you to bring a lawn chair and/or a blanket to watch and engage with the evening's entertainment.

When: Tuesday, July 9 and 23, 2019 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Where: Newmarket's Riverwalk Commons (200 Doug Duncan Drive)

Buskerfestival presented by Bell

Come and be amazed by incredibly talented and unique international street performers who will provide an afternoon of entertainment for the whole family on Main Street! Plus vendors, patios, games, and fun activities for the whole family!

This year’s event features the following exciting performers:

Alakazam – The Human Knot (Sydney, Australia/Boston, MA)

John Higby – The YoYo Guy – (Boston, MA)

Rockabilly Joe (Ottawa, ON) and much more!

When: Saturday, July 27 from noon to 10 p.m.

Where: Main Street Newmarket (new location for 2019!)

For up-to-date weather and/or cancellation details of Town-run outdoor events, call 1-877-752-9936 on the date of the event, 2 hours prior to the start time.

Stormwater Charge: We have heard your concerns

Residents may have received a separate stormwater invoice for the stormwater charge. This was done to accommodate a new property tax system and to be compliant with legislation that does not allow the stormwater charge to be directly added on the property tax bill.

Paying for stormwater is not new. The stormwater charge was implemented in 2017 and previously funded through property taxes.

Stormwater management is essential. Without stormwater management services, properties in Newmarket could be at a higher risk of flooding due to aging infrastructure and climate change, and these services require sufficient funding to serve the community.

We have heard from a number of residents who have inquired about streamlining the payment process. We are looking for a better and more efficient way for residents to be billed.

In the interim for 2019, residents can

Pay the stormwater invoice now

You can pay through online or telephone banking (payee: Newmarket Taxes) by mailing in a cheque, or pay in-person at various Town of Newmarket facilities.

Wait for the stormwater charge to be automatically added to your property tax account.

You will see the stormwater charge on the first installment of the final property tax bill (due on July 25, 2019). The stormwater charge will appear in the other charges section of the property tax bill. No late payment fees will be applied until August 1, 2019.

If you pay by an authorized payment plan, the stormwater charge will be added to your regular withdrawal date automatically. No late payment fees will be applied.

Information: newmarket.ca/stormwatercharge

Newmarket awarded for their innovative data collecting solar-powered smart bench network project

Newmarket received the E.A. Danby Award for their Solar-Powered Smart Bench Project from the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) in the category of Municipal Administration - Municipal Population 20,000 or more.

Newmarket’s Downtown Solar-powered Smart Bench Network Project focuses on using the most common piece of public park furniture and transforming it into a data gathering device for the Town to make more informed decisions.

The soofa solar benches network (SSB) collects data hourly by passively listening for Wi-Fi enabled devices and records how many devices were in the vicinity of the bench. The data collected from the devices is then anonymized by Soofa (MIT and Harvard-based technology firm) and the Town is provided with a single figure of how many devices were reported. No personal information is collected. Any data gathered is encrypted and remains completely anonymous.

The encrypted data collected from the soofa benches can be used to assist with event planning, public works resource allocations (garbage pick-up, street cleaning etc.), security requirements, future capital spending decisions (parking). For example, through the use of data collected by the the soofa benches, the Town was able to determine what the busiest month, day or hour is on Main Street in 2018.

Busiest month: July (165,155 visitors)

Busiest Day: Saturdays (over 3000 visitors on average at Main/Botsford)

Busiest Hour: Fridays at 8 p.m. at Main/Botsford (697 visitors on average)

Information: newmarket.ca/soofa

Tree planting program: receive a $100 rebate

As a thank you to residents for supporting the Town's stormwater management program, the Town and Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests is offering residents $100 rebate when they plant a LEAF tree in their yard. Full service or DIY options are available, one rebate per property. Apply online today. Multi-unit residential properties are eligible for the full-service program. Learn more here.

On average, a tree reduces a property's stormwater runoff by 720 litres. Beyond stormwater management benefits, trees remove pollutants from the air, reduce residents' energy and water usage and beautify our community. Trees also intercept rainfall, decrease stormwater runoff and increase the ability for water to soak into the ground.

Residents who removed an ash tree due to Emerald Ash Border are also eligible for a $100 rebate from York Region and Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF) and residents may apply online for one of two tree-planting programs - the Full Service Tree Planting Program or the Do-It-Yourself Tree Planting Program.

You may be eligible for both to receive both the stormwater tree rebate and the Emerald Ash Borer rebate. For the Emerald Ash Borer rebate, there is a limit of five rebates per property and rebates are issued on a first come, first served basis due to limited supply. Restrictions apply. Apply online today!

Learn more and apply online at yourleaf.org/eab-rebate

Canada Day Fireworks Safety from Central York Fire Services

Reminder: Fireworks are not to be ignited on public property. Fireworks are only permitted on Canada Day and the day before and after the holiday for Newmarket residents. You may do so only on your own private property or with written permission from the owner of such property.

Purchase fireworks from a reliable vendor, have a water-source handy and ensure there is always an adult present when handling fireworks. To minimize the risk of fire and burn injury, attend a public fireworks display. Fireworks are only allowed between the hours of dusk (approximately 9:30 to 11 p.m.), as the noise may be disturbing to those around you.

Information: cyfs.ca

By working together, sharing information, ideas and being engaged in our community we can achieve great things for Newmarket.