Committee of the Whole – September 11, 2024

Please note that all Committee of the Whole decisions are subject to Council approval. The next Council meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. If you have any questions regarding agenda items or decisions made at Committee or Council meetings, please email Amber at amcdonald@ramara.ca.

Notes regarding highlights: The Highlights are presented in order of discussion at the Committee of the Whole meeting. 

Deputations and Presentations

John Mascarin of Aird & Berlis LLP provided a presentation focusing on municipal governance.  The presentation outlined the distinct role of Council, the responsibilities of members of the Council (head of Council vs. Councillor) the responsibilities of staff, and Council / staff relations with numerous pertinent case law examples.

Listen to the presentation

Road Name Review

Through the 2021 Fire Master Plan, it identified the need to review and rename road names that are duplicates or similar to others in Ramara Township or in neighbouring municipalities. Through extensive community engagement and staff investigations, Council approved changing identified roads through a three-year period as identified in the May 8, 2023 report. For the properties affected by the change in 2024, a notice was sent on July 30, 2024 outlining the project and council approved changes.  The Committee approved to rename the identified roads as outlined in the May 8, 2023 report, to be changed as follows:

Bylaw Enforcement Second Quarter report

The Bylaw Enforcement department provided a quarterly report on its activities from April to June of 2024. The report stated that the department responded to over 200 complaints and issued 78 Administrative Monetary Penalties. The increase in complaints was related to Short-Term Rental Accommodations (STRA), Long Grass, Canine Control, Zoning, and Property Standards. As in previous years, four seasonal staff were hired from early May to after Labour Day to assist with the increased calls that occur over the summer. The report also detailed the process for addressing dead or damaged trees on both municipal and private properties.

Reminder! The public is reminded to file complaints directly with the Bylaw Enforcement Department either online using the Report a Concern form that is available 24/7, in person during business hours, or by phone at 705-484-5374 during business hours.

Report a Concern

Mosquito Aerial Larviciding Expansion

On August 26th, 2024, during the combined COW/Council meeting, report ID-48-24 was presented, discussing the potential expansion of the annual Mosquito Larviciding program. According to the report, it was found that expanding the program to cover the entire township, increasing from the current 1,050 hectares to 10,800 hectares, would be feasible operationally and from a regulatory standpoint. Staff had discussions with potential contractors, suppliers, and ministry approval staff, and all parties agreed on the feasibility of the expansion.

The report suggested that with the expansion, the current special area maintenance charge for the service would be eliminated, and the funding for the program would come from taxation. This change would lead to an approximate 4.3% increase in taxation, totaling approximately $625,000. The Committee approved the report for information and tasked the staff to conduct community consultation regarding the expansion of the program and provide education in the spring tax bill insert.

Environmental Registry of Ontario Proposal (ERO Number 019-8945) Aggregate Resources Act

Staff provided a report regarding the proposed licence through the Aggregate Resources Act, RSO 1990, for LCP Quarry Limited that was received from the Environmental Registry Office. The Aggregate Resources Act licencing process is done outside of the application under the Planning Act while generally undertaken concurrently with the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments. The proposal is for a Class A licence, Quarry Below Water, to excavate aggregate from a quarry of 151.4 hectares in size with an extraction area of 91.5 hectares. This is a proposal for a new quarry, with the annual tonnage condition applied for at 2,000,000 tonnes. The Township of Ramara Draft Official Plan provides guidance for commenting on approvals through the Aggregate Resources Act for licence conditions and/or notes on the site plan. The Committee received the staff report as information regarding the application submitted by LCP Quarry Limited for a license under the Aggregate Resources Act to operate a quarry below the water table, ERO Number 019-8945. And that staff work with the municipal solicitor to provide a coordinated response for review at the September 23 meeting Council meeting and subsequent submission.

OLT Appeal – 2298 Highway 12

At the August 13, 2024, Committee of Adjustment meeting, Minor Variance File A-7/24 was brought forward to the Committee to request relief from the interior side yard and parking provisions to allow for new mixed use building. The proposal outlines the development of thirty residential units and three commercial units.  The Committee of Adjustment’s decision on August 13 is to refuse the Application and the applicant has proceeded to appeal the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The Committee approved to receive OLT Appeal for 2298 Highway 12 for information.

OLT Decision (OLT – 23-001002) – 2864 Concession Road A

The Township of Ramara received an Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) Decision regarding Appeal made by Bayside Custom Homes in regards to Council refusal of the Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment and Consent Applications regarding the Appellant’s proposal to facilitate the development of two new residential lots for single-detached dwelling units serviced via septic beds and cisterns. The Committee approved to receive the OLT Decision (OLT-23-001002) for 2864 Concession Road A as information.

View May 29, 2023, report for more information

Reminders

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For More Information

For more details on any of these items, see the full meeting Agenda or view the meeting on the Township of Ramara's YouTube Channel.

The Meeting highlights are prepared to give residents a timely update on decisions of Council. The Council Meeting Minutes are the official record of the meeting.