Brampton Environmental
Planning Advisory Committee
tables its first meeting minutes

Brampton - Brampton City Council today received the minutes of the first meeting of the newly established Brampton Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (BEPAC). The committee's mandate is to ensure sound environmental management policies City-wide. Comprising three Council members and five citizen representatives, BEPAC is tasked with providing strategic environmental guidance to the City of Brampton.

"The committee will help develop co-ordinated strategies city-wide to ensure healthy, functioning and sustainable environmental initiatives are maintained. We must conserve our biodiversity and ecosystems," commented Mayor Susan Fennell.

The committee will review all environmental planning initiatives undertaken by the City, Region, conservation authorities and provincial and federal governments that are of strategic importance to the City of Brampton.

The five citizen representatives on the committee include:

• Jayne Pilot, Pilot Performance Resources Management Inc., recommended by the Brampton Board of Trade on behalf of the industry/business sector

• Ian Drever, R.J. Burnside & Associates, recommended by the Building Industry and Land Development Association, on behalf of the development industry

• Bill Costigane, School of Applied Computing and Engineering Sciences, Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, recommended by Sheridan College on behalf of the academic community

• Pam Hundal and John Willetts, recommended by the Citizen Interview Committee in accordance with the Citizen Appointment Procedure

The three Council members include: Regional Councillor Paul Palleschi, Chair of the Planning, Design and Development Committee; Regional Councillor John Sprovieri, as the Council Representative on the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA); and City Councillor John Hutton, as the Council Representative on the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC)

City Councillor John Hutton and John Willetts, President of the Friends of Clairville, will co-chair the committee.

"The City of Brampton takes great pride in the fact that we have nearly 6,000 acres of green and open space. However, we have to preserve our environment and this is a step in the right direction for us. We look forward to working with our community and corporate partners to improve and protect our environment," commented Councillor John Hutton.

"It's a great opportunity for us to provide input, advice and comments to Council on environmental planning and policy matters that impact our health, quality of life and ultimately the world we live in. I believe Brampton can lead by example in conservation and environmental stewardship," said John Willetts.