New Grass and Weeds By-law
Council approved staff’s request to replace the 1996 Long Grass and Weeds By-law, No. 217-96 with a new Grass and Weeds By-law, No. 31-19. The By-law regulates the height of grass and weeds on private property and boulevards in Richmond Hill. The new By-law includes clarified terminology (for example, defining a garden area that does not need to be mowed); exemptions (such as ditches and natural growth areas); year-round application of By-law provisions; and a boulevard maintenance requirement that aligns Richmond Hill with neighbouring municipalities. The up-to-date Grass and Weeds By-law will ensure lawns are well maintained, which is consistent with Richmond Hill’s Strategic Plan goal of “A More Vibrant Richmond Hill.” To read the new By-law, visit RichmondHill.ca/Bylaws. For more information, contact Tracey Steele, Director, By-law and Licensing Enforcement, at 905-771-2476 or tracey.steele@richmondhill.ca.

Municipality-wide Snow Windrow Clearing
Council endorsed a municipality-wide snow windrow-clearing program. Richmond Hill staff will deliver the new program, which applies to all eligible households in town, beginning next winter. During the 2018 Election, Council heard from residents about the heavy snow windrows resulting from road plowing operations. At the February 4 Council Meeting, Council asked staff to report back with a list of options to clear windrows. Staff presented four snow windrow-clearing program options and the respective benefits, considerations and financial and staff implications for Council’s consideration. The options included status quo; expanding and opening a snow windrow program to a limited number of residents; a municipality-wide windrow-clearing program (contracted service); and a municipality-wide windrow-clearing program with enhanced service delivery (in-house service). Council chose the staff-recommended option for the consistent level of service that will result from the work being performed by full-time staff, increasing program delivery efficiency. The new windrow-clearing program will be funded from appropriate reserve funds of which staff will notify Council of via staff report at an upcoming Council meeting. Future costs will be discussed in the 2020 Budget discussions. For more information, contact Grant Taylor, Director, Public Works Operations, at 905-771-2966 or grant.taylor@richmondhill.ca.

New Pole-Mounted Radar Speed Board Locations
Council approved the reassignment of 36 pole-mounted radar speed boards to 18 new locations, three in each of Richmond Hill’s nine wards. Pole-mounted radar speed boards are essential to community safety, acting as an education tool to raise awareness of driver travel speed on various roads. The Pole-Mounted Radar Speed Boards Program is intended to remind and encourage motorists to reduce their speeds and obey the posted speed limit. Displaying speeds on the radar boards is a strong visual reminder to motorists to comply with the posted speed limits, which increases road and safety awareness of drivers in the community. For more information, contact Richard Hui, Manager, Transportation, at 905-771-5478 or richard.hui@richmondhill.ca. 

Richmond Hill’s Drinking Water is Safe
Richmond Hill is responsible for providing a safe and reliable supply of drinking water. In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, Council received the 2018 Municipal Drinking Water System Report for Richmond Hill’s water distribution system, which details the compliance with provincial standards for testing and reporting processes. The report includes a 98.4 per cent inspection rating from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Municipal Drinking Water Inspection Program. Maintaining a high standard of water quality and preventing health hazards involves diligent administration, communication, testing and cooperation. Richmond Hill’s MECP-certified staff perform regular maintenance on the system, including watermain flushing and repairs, valve exercising, fire hydrant maintenance, sampling for disinfectant levels and bacteriological testing. For more information, visit RichmondHill.ca/Water or contact Diogo Oliveira, Manager, Water and Wastewater, at 905-780-2971 or diogo.oliveira@richmondhill.ca.

Council, Staff and Audience to Stand for O Canada at Council Meetings
Council passed a motion to play Canada's national anthem at the beginning of Council meetings. The resolution states Canadian identity and national symbols like O Canada unite Canadians and provide a joint sense of pride. The National Anthem will be played for the first time at the Tuesday, April 9 Council meeting, replacing the Council statement recited at the beginning of Council meetings. For more information, contact Stephen M.A. Huycke, Director, Legislative Services/Town Clerk at stephen.huycke@richmondhill.ca or 905-771-2529.

To Licence or Not to Licence Airbnb and Short-term Rentals in Town
Richmond Hill Council requested staff examine the feasibility of passing a by-law to licence, regulate and govern Airbnb and short-term rental accommodations in Richmond Hill. The abundance of Airbnb and short-term rentals in Richmond Hill’s residential areas has led to excessive noise, fire safety concerns and alleged mischief conduct. To mitigate these concerns, staff will report to Council with recommendations by November. For more information, contact Stephen M.A. Huycke, Director, Legislative Services/Town Clerk, at 905-771-2529 or stephen.huycke@richmondhill.ca.

Richmond Hill Considering Digital Currency for Payments
Council directed staff to determine the practicability of accepting digital currency as a method of payment for property taxes, services, levies and fees. According to the Bank of Canada, more than five per cent of Canadians hold and use some form of digital currency. The advantages of using digital currency include significantly lower transaction fees and faster processing times. Adopting this new technology would present a unique opportunity for Richmond Hill to provide modern and forward-looking technologies to residents, and may open doors to new business opportunities. For more information, contact Stephen M.A. Huycke, Director, Legislative Services/Town Clerk, at stephen.huycke@richmondhill.ca or 905-771-2529.