Councillor Kelly Broome Newmarket Council March 29 2021

Top three things that happened at the Newmarket Council Meeting on March 29, 2021 

Voting Methods in the 2022 Municipal Election

Council approved online voting for use in the 2022 Municipal Election. Council also approved the use of paper ballot options and eliminated telephone voting.

In 2018 the Town ran a successful municipal election using online and telephone voting. In a survey following the 2018 municipal election, the majority of respondents cited 'convenience' as the rationale for having used online voting however the Town also received complaints regarding the telephone system, absence of paper ballots and other concerns including security and privacy. In order to provide voting options while still providing convenience and accessibility, Council decided to approve the continued use of online voting while also providing a paper option. Town staff will develop an election model using online and paper voting that is accessible, secure and convenient. The Town is committed to improving the voting experience for all voters.

Single-use plastics

In efforts to support federal and provincial commitments to develop policies and action plans to curb the use of single-use plastics (SUPs) in Canada and to make Newmarket an environmentally-conscious municipality Council has approved the elimination of plastic cutlery, plastic straws, stir sticks, black plastic, and single-serve milk and cream containers available for event/staff use within Town facilities by July 1, 2021, as well as implementing public education on reducing/eliminating SUP for the public.

Single-use plastics (SUPs) such as bags and straws are difficult for recycling facilities to manage and can contaminate other recycling streams. With end-markets in countries like China prohibiting the import of 24 categories of recyclable material, including eight categories of plastic from Canada due to high levels of contamination, managing these materials has become a burden on many waste management systems. Furthermore, growing public concerns around how plastic waste is polluting the environment, harming wildlife, and entering the food web have prompted action among all levels of government for change.

Staff is also reviewing and looking for new ways to implement policies to further reduce or eliminate the use of non-essential SUP products sold or distributed to the public by the Town and third-party vendors at Town events with exceptions for accessibility.

Newmarket Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program (NEER)

In June 2016 Council approved the Community Energy Plan (CEP) which included a recommendation to create a program that would increase the energy efficiency of 80% of the existing housing stock in Newmarket, called the Newmarket Energy Efficiency Retrofit program (NEER).

The Town has been approved for up to $133,000 in funding to complete the NEER Business/Implementation Plan. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recommends that staff apply for capital funding once the Business/Implementation Plan has been completed and the NEER program is in a position to be financed. 

Read the full details, minutes, agendas, reports or watch our recorded council meetings by visiting newmarket.ca/meetings.

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

With Gratitude,

Kelly Broome
Councillor - Ward 6
Newmarket, Ontario