Conservation Authority Seeks Agreement AH Council

Craig Bakay | Sep 27, 2023

After receiving a presentation from Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority Director of Planning and Regulations Matt Craig, Addington Highlands Council directed staff to prepare a bylaw whereby the Township and Conservation Authority would enter into an agreement for the delivery of programs and services over the next five years.

Craig told Council that after 2021, services the conservation authorities provide have been split into three categories.

“We’re going to each municipality,” he said. “There’s some sense of urgency to get these agreements signed by the end of the month.”

He said that Category 1 services are the essential and mandatory things such as flood forecasting, dams and conservation areas.

Category 2 services include watershed planning so that municipalities can make planning decisions.

“We do have a rigorous monitoring program and a part of that comes under Category 2,” he said.

Category 3 services are things like stewardship programs (like the one with the Mazinaw Lake Association), planting and visitor services

He said the 2023 total levy for Addington Highlands is $4,676 (operating) plus $1,002 (capital) for a total of $5,678. Category 2 and 3 programs are included in that figure.

The cost estimate for 2024 would be an additional $427, which includes an additional $31 to reinstate scaled-back education programs.

The proposed agreement allows for continued delivery of Category 2 and 3 programs and services, an allocation of up to 14 per cent of levy to operating costs and an allocation of 2 per cent of levy to capital costs.

“This (Addington Highlands) is the headwaters of the watershed,” he said. “And we need to know what the condition of the water quality is.

“You (in Addington Highlands) have lots of forests and wetlands and this is one of the healthiest parts of the watershed.

“It’s not under pressure like some the other areas but we need to have an understanding of it.”

He said that technically, some of the Category 2 and 3 programs are held at the Category 1 facility Mill of Kintail Conservation Area but “It’s our only area where we can run our education programs for youths.”

He said Category 2 planning support programs include things like technical studies to support watershed plans as inputs to municipal Official Plans and Zoning Bylaws; quality assurance and quality control reviews of natural heritage technical studies; lake planning support to local lake associations; and, Advisory support during preparation and review of municipal documents, programs and services.

Hartsmere Road

Dep. Clerk Planning Secretary Patricia Gray reported that staff is in the midst of preparing a final agreement with the Old Snow Road Association to use the end of Hartsmere Road to access trails.

“If someone else wants to use this route, we’ll just enter into a separate agreement with them,” she said.

Age Friendly

Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch gave a verbal update as Chair of the Steering Committee investigating Age Friendly Communities.

Fritsch said the committee had its first meeting Sept. 12 and set Nov. 22 as the date to bring stakeholders together for brainstorming.

Off shore doctors

During an update on strategic planning, Reeve Henry Hogg noted that there is a recruiting firm that claims they can recruit doctors from outside the country.

“It’s for a fee,” Hogg said. “A substantial fee.”

The return of the turbine debate?

Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch gave notice of motion to have staff research Federal and Provincial Policies, rules and regulations, as well as the role of municipal governments regarding industrial wind turbine renewable energy.

“The reason behind this is that there seems to be renewed interest,” he said. “In 2015, there was a lot of debate about it in our municipality (and) it was a controversial subject.”

“If that resource exists, somebody’s going to want to get at it somehow,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

No joy from feds over BMO closure.

There doesn’t seem to be much more can be done regarding the closure of the Bank of Montreal in Northbrook.

In a letter responding to Reeve Henry Hogg’s request for a branch closure meeting, Philippe Pellerin, Acting Director of Supervision for the Federal Consumer Agency of Canada said: “the decision to close a branch by a financial institution is a business decision.

“While FCAC can require a bank to hold a meeting, it does not have the ability to compel a bank to remain open.”

He said BMO has taken reasonable steps to inform the community and branch customers as well as having an in-person meeting at the Lions Club of Land O’Lakes and “FCAC has concluded that BMO has met the requirements under The Bank Act.”