Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

13

Date:

Thursday, May 02, 2024

Time:

10:00 A.m. - 11:00 A.m.

Location:

Ben Franklin Place, The Chamber, Main Floor, 101 Centrepointe Drive, and by electronic participation

Present:

• Chair George Darouze, 
• Vice-Chair Clarke Kelly, 
• Councillor David Brown, 
• Councillor Catherine Kitts, 
• and Councillor Matt Luloff 

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1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and remote participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 in Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Report 13.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, and the deadline to register by email to speak is 9:00 am on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

These “Summary Minutes” indicate the disposition of items and actions taken at the meeting. This document does not include all of the text that will be included in the full Minutes, such as the record of written and oral submissions. Recorded votes and dissents contained in the Summary Minutes are draft until the full Minutes of the meeting are confirmed by the Committee. The draft of the full Minutes (for confirmation) will be published with the agenda for the next regular Committee meeting and, once confirmed, will replace this document.

The Chair read the following statement at the outset of the meeting pursuant to the Planning Act:

This is a public meeting to consider the proposed Comprehensive Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments listed as Item(s) 4.2 on today’s Agenda.

For the item just mentioned, only those who make oral submissions today or written submissions before the amendments are adopted may appeal the matter to the Ontario Land Tribunal. In addition, the applicant may appeal the matter to the Ontario Land Tribunal if Council does not adopt an amendment within 90 days of receipt of the application for a Zoning By-law Amendment and 120 days for an Official Plan Amendment.

To submit written comments on these amendments, prior to their consideration by City Council on Wedneday, May 15, 2024, please email or call the Committee or Council Coordinator.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Confirmation of Minutes

3.1

ARAC Minutes 12 - Thursday, April 4, 2024 

• Carried

4.

Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department

4.1

Amendment to By-law 2004-293 with Respect to Fee for Fence Viewing

ACS2024-PDB-PS-0065 - Orléans East-Cumberland (1) West Carleton-March (5) Orléans South-Navan (19) Osgoode (20) Rideau-Jock (21)

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend Council approve the amendment to By-law 2004-293 respecting fence-viewing fees, to refer to By law 2024-33, as outlined in Document 1.  

  Carried

4.2

Zoning By-law Amendment - 5494, 5500 & 5510 Boundary Road and 5900 Thunder Road

ACS2024-PRE-PS-0021 - Osgoode (20)

• Report recommendation(s)

  1. That Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend Council approve an amendment to Zoning By-law 2008-250 for 5494, 5500 and 5510 Boundary Road; and 5900 Thunder Road, as shown in Document 1, to permit a truck transport terminal and warehouse, as detailed in Document 2.
  2. That  Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approve the Consultation Details Section of this report be included as part of the ‘brief explanation’ in the Summary of Written and Oral Public Submissions, to be prepared by the Office of the City Clerk and submitted to Council in the report titled, “Summary of Oral and Written Public Submissions for Items Subject to the Planning Act ‘Explanation Requirements’ at the City Council Meeting of May 15, 2024,” subject to submissions received between the publication of this report and the time of Council’s decision.
  Carried

4.3

Rural Community-Building Grant Program – Grant Application Review

ACS2024-PDB-PS-0066 - Osgoode (20) West Carleton-March(5) Rideau-Jock (21)

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approve the recommendations on the Rural Community-Building Grants Program applications as detailed in Document 1.  

  Carried

5.

Office of the City Clerk

5.1

Status Update – Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Inquiries and Motions - For the Period Ending April 19, 2024

ACS2024-OCC-CCS-0049 - Citywide 

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee receive this report for information.

  Received

6.

Councillors’ Items

6.1

Motion – Councillor D. Brown - Speed Limit Coherence (Ashton Station Road)  

ACS2024-OCC-CCS-0041 - Rideau Jock (21)

WIthdrawn

6.2

Motion – Councillor D. Brown - Adjusting the inflation calculation for West River Drive Sewer Connection Charges    

ACS2024-OCC-CCS-0042 - Rideau Jock (21)

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs recommend Council approve:

  1. That Schedule A, Schedule 1 to By-law 2003-513, as enacted by By-law 2010-330, be amended to state:
     All charges imposed or continued by this Schedule “A” shall be indexed annually on January 1st by the increase in the Statistics Canada Non-    Residential Building Construction Price Index for the preceding October 1 to September 30 period. 
  2. That Despite the provision immediately above, for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, the indexing to take place on January 1 subsequent to each year shall be 2.59 per cent for each of these years.
  Carried

7.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

8.

Open Mic Session

There were no in camera items.

9.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

There were no Notices of Motion.

10.

Inquiries

There were no Inquiries.

11.

Other Business

11.1

Vacant Unit Tax Exemption for Rural Abandoned Homes

• Motion No. ARAC 2024-13-01
  Moved by D. Brown

  That the Rules of Procedure be Suspended to consider this motion such that it may rise to Council in a timely manner.

  WHEREAS the objective of the Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) is to encourage property owners to maintain, occupy or rent their properties, thereby increasing the housing; and, 

  WHEREAS the net revenue from this tax is used to support affordable housing initiatives in line with the City’s Housing Long Range Financial Plan; and, 

  WHEREAS the goals of the VUT are in direct support of City Council’s strategic priority: a city that has affordable housing and is more livable for all; and, 

  WHEREAS staff have determined that the annual mandatory declaration is the most effective approach in capturing the maximum number of vacant units to apply the Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) to encourage property owners to return vacant units to the market; and, 

  WHEREAS the VUT has prompted residents to update outdated property assessment information with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) leading to fairer taxation; and, 

  WHEREAS staff will be reporting back on the VUT program in the Fall of 2024 with updates to the program.

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend Council approve that staff report back with options to exempt, or exclude, century homes that have been abandoned for decades or hunt camps that are recreational in the rural area from the VUT declaration process; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff develop and report back in the Fall VUT update with an exemption to exclude properties in the rural area that are not fit for occupation, such as properties with no access to services or properties that can only be used seasonally and cannot be occupied full time for the purpose of residential housing.

  Carried

12.

Adjournment

Thursday, June 6, 2024

The meeting adjourned at 10:12 am.