6. RURAL SUMMIT - AGRICULTURE
AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTE REVISED TERMS OF REFERENCE and Rural Issues
Advisory Committee Terms of Reference SOMMET
RURAL - MANDAT RÉVISÉ DU COMITÉ DE L'AGRICULTURE ET DES QUESTIONS RURALES ET
MANDAT DU COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS RURALES |
commITTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS AS AMENDED
That Council approve:
1.
The Committee’s Terms of
Reference as outlined in Document 1 and as amended by the following;
a) That the Transportation
section of the revised Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of
Reference be clarified with respect to this Committee’s responsibilities versus
the Transportation Committee’s responsibilities for making recommendations to
Council on roads (i.e. secondary roads in rural areas versus major arterial
roads, hard-surfacing of gravel roads, gravel roads, etc.).
b) That the revised
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference be amended to
include the responsibility for making recommendations to Council for the naming
of parks and facilities in rural areas pursuant to the City’s Commemorative
Naming Policy.
2.
The Terms of Reference for the
Rural Issues Advisory Committee as outlined in Document 2; and
3.
The modified appointment
process for interim members to the Rural Issues Advisory Committee.
Que le Conseil municipal approuve :
1.
le mandat du Comité décrit dans le
document 1 et tel que modifié de la
façon suivante :
a) Que
la section sur les transports du mandat révisé du Comité de l’agriculture et
des affaires rurales soit précisée en ce qui a trait aux responsabilités du
Comité face à celles du Comité des transports pour la présentation de
recommandations au Conseil en ce qui concerne les routes (c.‑à‑d.
routes secondaires dans les secteurs ruraux face aux artères principales,
revêtement rigide pour les routes en gravier, routes en gravier, etc.).
b) Que
le mandat révisé du Comité de l’agriculture est des affaires rurales soit
modifié pour comprendre une responsabilité quant à la présentation de
recommandations au Conseil pour la dénomination des parcs et des installations
dans les secteurs ruraux en accord avec la Politique sur les noms commémoratifs
de la Ville.;
2.
le mandat du Comité consultatif sur
les questions rurales décrit dans le document 2; et
3.
la modification du processus de nomination des membres
intérimaires au Comité consultatif sur les questions rurales.
Committee Review
Date / Date d’examen par le Comité
20 April 2006 / 20 avril 2006
Present / Présences :
Chair / Président : R.
Jellett
Vice Chair/vice-président : D. Thompson
Members / Membres : R. Chiarelli
E. El-Chantiry
Documentation
1.
Chief Corporate Services Officer’s report (ACS2006-CRS-CCB-0027)
2. Extract of Draft Minutes 24, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting of April 20, 2006.
Report to/Rapport au :
Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee
Comité de l'agriculture et des
questions rurales
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted
by/Soumis par : Greg Geddes,
Chief Corporate Services Officer/Chef des Services généraux
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : M. Rick O'Connor,
City Solicitor, Legal Services/ Contentieux
(613) 580-2424 x21215, Rick.OConnor@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend Council approve:
1.
The Committee’s Terms of
Reference as outlined in Document 1;
2.
The Terms of Reference for the
Rural Issues Advisory Committee as outlined in Document 2; and
3.
The modified appointment
process for interim members to the Rural Issues Advisory Committee.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité de
l’agriculture et des questions rurales recommande au Conseil municipal
d’approuver:
4.
le mandat du Comité décrit dans le
document 1;
5.
le mandat du Comité consultatif sur
les questions rurales décrit dans le document 2; et
6.
la modification du processus de nomination des membres
intérimaires au Comité consultatif sur les questions rurales.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
In November 2005, the City of Ottawa hosted the Rural Summit where
participants reviewed and endorsed options for solutions developed by six
sub-committees in six main categories: Access, Communication and Consultation;
Governance; Service Issues; Policy Issues; and Agriculture. The Rural Summit Task Force was struck to
review options for solutions under all six categories and co-ordinate The Rural
Summit Solutions Implementation Program, which would include: timing; costing
and scheduling of recommendations endorsed at the Summit.
Of primary importance to the Governance Sub-Committee, participants of Day-Two and the Rural Summit Task Force, was strengthening the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee by enhancing its Terms of Reference and establishing the Rural Issues Advisory Committee. In effect, the Terms of Reference of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee would be expanded to include additional areas of policy development and service delivery that affect rural communities of the City of Ottawa.
The enhanced Terms of Reference for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee include responsibility of rural planning, transportation, heritage and forestry issues. The Terms of Reference for all other Standing Committees of Council have been amended accordingly.
Should Council approve the enhancements to the Terms of Reference, there exists an opportunity to conduct a six-month pilot project between May and October 2006 to evaluate the effectiveness of the enhanced Terms of Reference, to determine what elements work and to verify if there is a need for additional enhancements or revisions. As the level of responsibilities will increase substantively for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, the amendments to all noted Terms of Reference will be reviewed during the next full Governance Review in November 2006 and, where appropriate, amended to address any issues that may have arisen.
En novembre 2005, la
Ville d'Ottawa a été l'hôte du Sommet rural où les participants ont examiné et
approuvé des options de solutions élaborées par six sous-comités dans six
secteurs clés : l'accès, les communications et consultations, la
gouvernance, les services, les politiques et l'agriculture. Le Groupe de
travail du Sommet rural a dû examiner des options de solutions dans les six
secteurs et coordonner le Programme de mise en œuvre des solutions du Sommet
rural qui comprenait : l’échéancier, les coûts et l'établissement du
calendrier pour les recommandations approuvées lors du Sommet.
L'importance
primordiale pour le Sous-comité de la gestion publique, les participants de la
deuxième journée et le Groupe de travail du Sommet rural, était de renforcer le
Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales en étendant son mandat et en
créant le Comité consultatif sur les questions rurales. Une fois le mandat du
Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales en vigueur, il sera étendu
afin d'y inclure de nouveaux pouvoirs d’élaboration de politiques et de prestation
de services qui touchent les communautés rurales de la Ville d'Ottawa.
Le mandat élargi du
Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales comprend la responsabilité de
la planification de l'aménagement rural, le transport et les questions relatives
au patrimoine et à la sylviculture. Les mandats de tous les autres comités
permanents du Conseil ont été amendés en conséquence.
Si le Conseil
approuve les ajouts au mandat, une opportunité se présentera pour mettre en
œuvre un projet pilote de six mois, qui se tiendra de mai à octobre 2006, afin
d'évaluer l'efficacité du mandat amélioré, pour déterminer quels sont les
éléments qui fonctionnent et pour vérifier si d'autres ajouts ou révisions sont
nécessaires. Comme le niveau de responsabilité du Comité de l'agriculture et
des questions rurales augmentera considérablement, tous les amendements au
mandat seront examinés lors de l'Examen de la gestion publique complet qui aura
lieu en novembre 2006 et, le cas échéant, de nouveaux amendements seront apportés
afin de réponde à toute question qui aurait pu être soulevée.
In January 2005, Mayor Chiarelli announced that the City of Ottawa would
host a Rural Summit to identify ways in which the City could improve how it
delivers services to its rural constituents and to promote greater
understanding between the City’s rural and urban residents. In June 2005, City Council approved the
approach for Ottawa’s Rural Summit, a two-day event to be held in the fall of
2005. Day One of the Summit focused on
“The Rural-Urban Relationship” which included presentations and panel
discussions while Day Two involved a workshop format aimed at “Strengthening
Public Satisfaction in the Rural Areas”.
In preparation for Ottawa’s Rural Summit, six sub-committees were formed
to research, investigate and develop options for solutions that could be
considered by participants on Day Two of the event. Over 65 rural citizens worked with City staff over a period of
seven weeks to identify options for solutions in five major categories:
1.
Access,
Communication and Consultation;
2.
Governance;
3.
Service
Issues;
4.
Policy
Issues; and
5.
Agriculture
The Governance Sub-Committee was established to identify realistic and
practical governance options including modifications to both the City of
Ottawa’s political infrastructure and its administrative implementation of
policy. The Sub-Committee focused its
efforts on identifying various options which recognized rural residents as
valuable members of the City of Ottawa.
The options for solutions researched and developed by the Governance Sub-Committee ranged from revising the political infrastructure of the City including Council, Standing Committees and Advisory Committees as well as examining other political governance models. Of primary importance to the Governance Sub-Committee was strengthening the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee by enhancing its Terms of Reference and establishing the Rural Issues Advisory Committee. In other words, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee should be “equal among equals” when compared to Council’s other Standing Committees. In an effort to decentralize policy development for non city-wide issues in the rural areas and improve consultation on any new or revised policies or services that affect the rural community, the Terms of Reference would be expanded to include additional areas of policy development and service delivery that affect rural communities of the City of Ottawa. To assist the Sub-Committee in determining how the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee could be enhanced, Councillor Brooks submitted a discussion paper entitled, ‘ “A Strengthened Rural Voice”: A New Direction For The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC)’, a copy of this paper is on file in the City Clerk’s Office. From this document, the Governance Sub-Committee made use of a reference list of potential policy and/or service delivery areas that could be incorporated into an enhanced Terms of Reference for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
On 19 November 2005, Day Two of the Rural Summit, participants took part
in seven workshops dealing with the Governance options for solutions. Rural Summit participants strongly endorsed
several recommendations of the Governance Sub-Committee, identifying a strengthened
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee as the highest priority. The results of Day Two of the Rural Summit
were provided to the Rural Summit Task Force whose mandate was to co-ordinate
The Rural Summit Solutions Implementation Program, which would include: timing;
costing and scheduling of recommendations endorsed at the Summit; and providing
a Rural Summit Task Force Report to City Council. The Task Force reviewed options for solutions under all five major
categories and indicated an enhanced Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee as
a priority in its 2006 budget report that was submitted to Council and approved
on 9 December 2005.
As a direct result of the governance issues raised by the Rural Summit Task Force, the City Clerk’s Office has been working closely with the Rural Summit Task Force, Executive Management Committee, all City Departments and Moira Winch, Rural Summit Project Manager, to prepare revised Terms of Reference for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and compose the Terms of Reference for the new Rural Issues Advisory Committee. It was proposed by the Rural Summit Task Force that an enhanced Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee deal with policy issues which have a distinct rural component or impact in the rural areas as identified in Schedule A of the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan (attached in Document 1) and defined as follows: that ‘part of the City not intended for urban development’, which ‘contains a number of important natural resources and is characterized by the dominance of the natural rather than the built environment’. This same language has been incorporated into the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference in order to reflect the division of urban/suburban and rural issues and responsibilities.
DISCUSSION
Those matters which are relatively innocuous in nature, such as the correction of grammatical or formatting errors, deletion of duplicate statements and removal of “advisory terminology” are not expressly addressed in this report. However, the more significant issues noted herein and their proposed amendments are addressed individually within the following “Summary of Issues/Proposed Amendments” section. All changes, minor and major alike, have been highlighted in bold and italicized in the attached documents.
The enhanced Terms of Reference for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee include additional responsibility for rural planning, transportation, heritage and forestry issues. The corresponding Terms of Reference for the Planning and Environment Committee; the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee; the Transportation Committee; and the Emergency and Protective Service Committee have been amended accordingly to distinguish their responsibilities within the urban and suburban areas. Finally, the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee is not specifically impacted by the enhanced Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference, but may receive advice and input from the Rural Issues Advisory Committee in the future.
Committee Membership
Due to the unique nature of this Committee’s mandate, the majority
membership shall be comprised of those Councillors representing wards with a
rural component. Presently, membership
includes Councillor’s from Wards 5, 8, 15, 19, 20, and 21. As part of the consultation process, various
other Councillors with a rural component in their wards were polled with
respect to the possibility of joining an enhanced Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee. However, prior commitments
as well as the lateness in the term proved to be significant barriers to
expanding ARAC’s composition for six months. Appreciating the pending changes
to the City’s ward structure that will occur in conjunction with the 2006
municipal election, whereby the number of predominately rural wards will be
reduced from five to four, it is suggested that the membership of the Committee
be revisited during the 2006-2009 Governance Review.
Planning Issues
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to review and make recommendations to Council, when applicable, on the following planning matters as they relate to the rural areas:
· subdivision and condominium applications;
· extensions of draft plan approvals;
· site plan control applications;
· approval of zoning by-laws;
· land severance applications and minor variances granted by the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment;
· Official Plan amendments related to the rural areas;
· street openings and closings;
· street name changes;
· rural signage and municipal addressing where the street is wholly located in the rural area;
· administration and enforcement of the Ontario Building Code;
· 30 cm reserves;
· lifting of Holding Provisions;
· signs by-laws, variances and amendments;
· cash-in-lieu of parking agreements; and
· grant program for offsetting building permit fees for the construction of buildings/structures requires as a result of the Nutrient Management Act and other environmental protection legislation.
Transportation Issues
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to review and make recommendations to Council
· when applicable, on the following transportation matters as they relate to the rural areas:
· street naming;
· parking;
· one-way designations;
· road accesses;
· intersection improvements;
· temporary street closures;
· sidewalks and pedestrian paths;
· streetscape;
· speed zoning;
· transit services;
· traffic calming; and
· community safety zones.
·
when applicable, on matters related to
transportation projects, engineering initiatives, municipal design/construction
standards, asset management strategies, etc. of a rural nature emanating from
the Infrastructure Services Branch.
Heritage Issues
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to make recommendations to Council on:
· heritage protection in the rural areas through applications and proposals brought forward by the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act as well as other heritage applications; and
Rural Economic Development Issues, Policies and
Strategies
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to review and make recommendations to Council on the following economic matters when applicable to the rural areas on:
Rural Appointments
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to review and make recommendations to Council on:
Land & Water Conservation, Wildlife and Rural
Forest Management
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to review and make recommendations to Council on:
· items emanating from the City Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee on rural forest issues;
· forest management in the rural areas including identifying the potential of managed forests for enhanced use and supporting appropriate new forms of development and recreation that contribute to the rural economy;
· matters associated with rural issues as defined within the proposed Clean Water Act 2005 and the Conservation Authority Act including Regulation 97/04, “Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses”;
· rural tree by-laws enacted under the Municipal Act, 2001, and encourage a high standard of private forest management; and
· the development of a comprehensive wildlife management strategy for the conservation, management and where necessary, control of wildlife, in conjunction with the appropriate agencies.
By-laws
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have the authority to review and make recommendations to Council on:
· by-laws, policies and programs which predominantly or uniquely affect agriculture and associated industries, particularly those by-laws that deal with matters under the Farming and Food Protection Act, 1998, the Weed Control Act, and the Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act, such as livestock valuators; and
· matters associated with the Line Fences Act such as appointment of fence viewers.
In July 2005, the City of Ottawa submitted its request for a new City of Ottawa Act. The request included a list of regulatory and statutory amendments to support the current operational and fiscal needs of the City of Ottawa. One of the priorities was the authority to enact by-laws that can differentiate based on geography. This issue was raised in various forums throughout the Rural Summit and was highlighted as a priority by many of the Day Two participants. Currently, Section 10 of the Municipal Act, 2001 provides that a by-law may be general or specific in nature and may differentiate in any way and on any basis the municipality considers appropriate. However, Subsection 10 (2) provides that a by-law may only deal differently with different persons or businesses if the persons or businesses constitute different classes of persons or businesses defined in the by-law. The City acknowledges that one size does not fit all and has requested the statutory authority to regulate the same business or activity in the rural area differently in order to recognize the differences between the rural and urban situations.
Recently, Bill 53, a Stronger Toronto for a Stronger Ontario Act, received First Reading in the Ontario Legislature and includes a provision providing the City of Toronto the authority to license according to criteria as determined by the City. Similar arguments have been made to extend this same authority to other municipalities as part of the Municipal Act, 2001 review. It is anticipated that the Ministry of Municipal Affair and Housing will be bringing forward a Bill to amend the Municipal Act effective for late fall 2006 or early 2007. Until the City receives the statutory authority to enact by-laws that differentiate based on geography, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will only have authority to recommend rural-specific by-laws to Council. The existing practice of providing the Committee with briefings on current by-laws will continue and for those by-laws that impact the rural areas significantly, joint meetings should be arranged with the Emergency and Protective Services Committee.
Other Minor Changes
In addition to the enhancements to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, there are various housekeeping items that have been previously approved by Council and have been included in the revisions to the Terms of Reference for all Standing Committees including the following:
Approval of the Annual Budget
On 28 September 2005, City Council enacted and passed the Procedure By-law, being By-law No. 2005-431, which stipulated that the annual budget shall be considered by the Committee of the Whole and not by the various Standing Committees of Council. This specific amendment had originally been in place in December 2004 for Council’s debate on the 2005 Budget process. As a result, the Terms of Reference provision respecting the authority and approval process for Standing Committees to review and recommend the annual operating and capital budgets for their respective departments/branches is no longer correct. What remains within the purview of the Standing Committee is the ongoing authority to review and approve budget adjustments within existing funding envelopes for the relevant departments/branches.
At its meeting on 11 February 2004, City Council considered a report from the Acting City Manager entitled “Budget 2004 – Opportunity Log – Corporate Restructuring”, and approved a number of recommendations concerning the reorganization and realignment to the Corporate Structure. Further, on 26 May 2004, City Council approved additional changes to the City’s organizational structure including the realignment of senior management (i.e. General Managers become “Deputy City Managers”). As a result, the Terms of Reference for all Standing Committees have been revised in order to reflect the existing corporate structure.
Should Council approve these changes, it is acknowledged that the division of some planning and transportation matters between urban/suburban and rural is not one that will be easily achieved. In effect, various planning and transportation issues will characterized as being “citywide” in nature and therefore addressed accordingly. Broadly speaking, those issues that have significant citywide implications will continue to report through the appropriate Standing Committee. For example, the Planning and Environment Committee would continue to be responsible for the five-year review of the City’s Official Plan. Furthermore, items with overlapping jurisdictions or having a recognized rural implication should be dealt with, as much as possible, through joint meetings. For instance, by-laws, such as the Sign By-law, with a distinct impact on the rural area in addition to citywide implications, could be considered through a joint meeting with the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and the Emergency and Protective Services Committee. Wherever possible, the Rural Issues Advisory Committee should be consulted to identify or evaluate any rural implications. Given the potential difficulty of dividing urban/suburban and rural issues in some cases, departmental staff and the City Clerk’s Office will endeavour to make use of the upcoming six-month period (from May to October 2006) to establish a protocol for distinguishing between these types of issues.
At present, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets on a monthly basis and holds evening meetings on a rotational basis in the rural areas in an effort to maintain a dialogue with the City’s rural constituents. As the workload is expected to increase as the Committee takes on additional policy and service delivery issues within the rural areas, it will be necessary for it to meet twice a month, similar to the majority of the Standing Committees of Council. Currently the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets on the fourth Thursday of every month. Further, in light of the expected increase in planning applications, there may be an expectation that those matters would be dealt with by the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee at City Hall. In addition, off-site, evening meetings will result in increased staff overtime and transportation costs.
As such, staff recommend that the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meet on the second and fourth Thursday of every month and hold their meetings during standard working hours and at City Hall. However, given the current Committee Schedule approved by City Council as part of the 2003-2006 Governance Review, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will continue to hold a number of off-site, evening meetings to avoid scheduling conflicts with the Emergency and Protective Services Committee as per the attached schedule (Document 3). In a corresponding fashion, it is anticipated that the Rural Issues Advisory Committee will be responsible for providing a forum for rural residents to raise issues and concerns by holding all of their meetings in the rural areas.
As previously discussed, the establishment of the Rural Issues Advisory Committee was among one of the priorities of the Governance Sub-Committee, participants of Day Two of the Rural Summit, and the Rural Summit Task Force. The Rural Issues Advisory Committee will be responsible for providing advice to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and other Standing Committees of Council as necessary on issues affecting the rural and agricultural community. The Rural Issues Advisory Committee will provide a forum for residents to raise issues and concerns with a distinct rural component or impact on rural areas.
Like most other advisory committees, the Rural Issues Advisory Committee’s membership shall consist of up to a maximum of fifteen (15) citizen members comprised of:
(i) A representative from Wards 5, 6, 19, 20, and 21;
(ii) A minimum of two (2) agricultural representatives;
(iii) One (1) rural business representative;
(iv) One (1) representative from the Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton;
(v) One (1) representative from the Ottawa Rural Tourism Council;
(vi) One (1) representative from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture;
(v) One (1) representative from an active agricultural organization in rural Ottawa; and
(vi) Up to a maximum of three (3) members at large from any City ward.
In addition, the Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall also have, in a resource, liaison and/or advisory capacity, the following:
(i) Up to a maximum of two (2) members from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, (non-voting); and
(ii) One (1) representative from a conservation authority, (non-voting).
In light of the success of the Rural Summit and expectations that rural
residents have with respect to the need for a citizen’s advisory committee to
provide comment and advice on policy and programs, it is recommended that
Council deviate from its standard practice of soliciting applications for
membership, as set out in the City of Ottawa’s Appointment Policy and appoint
interim members to the Rural Issues Advisory Committee for a six-month period
(May to November 2006).
Presently, the City’s comprehensive appointment process for advisory committee membership requires 12-14 weeks and generally occurs in the fall. Given the length of time required for the standard appointment process, it is recommended that the Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee lead a condensed appointment process in conjunction with the Rural Affairs Officer. It is suggested that members of the former Agriculture and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee, some of whom now sit on other advisory committees as rural representatives, would be offered a “right of first refusal” with respect to sitting on the Rural Issues Advisory Committee, to a maximum of nine (9) members. In effect, the rural representatives on the City’s other advisory committees would be able to choose to sit on the Rural Issues Advisory Committee and leave their current advisory positions which would then be filled via the reserve members’ list. In addition, sufficient flexibility should permit such advisory members to retain their current seats as voting members but then to join the Rural Issues Advisory Committee as non-voting member only. Subsequently, any remaining positions would be filled by nominated members from the rural community as well as interested representatives of rural associations as recommended by the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
Following the six-month period, recruitment for the Rural Issues Advisory Committee will follow the standard practice as outlined by the Appointments Policy and members will be required to apply for a position on the Advisory Committee. The time served on the Rural Issues Advisory Committee from May to October will not count towards the total length of term of office allowed for an advisory committee member.
As set out in this report.
CONSULTATION
The proposed enhancements to strengthen the Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee were first developed by the Rural Summit Governance
Sub-Committee during six meetings held between September 26, 2005 and November
1, 2005. These proposed enhancements
were then provided for consideration by participants at Day 2 of the Rural
Summit on November 19, 2005. Finally,
the Rural Summit Task Force held nine meetings from November 2005 to February
2006. The draft Terms of Reference were
then tabled at the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting on February
23, 2006. The Chair of the Agriculture
and Rural Affairs Committee was notified and consulted with respect to this
Terms of Reference review. Additional
consultation took place with various operating departments, the City Solicitor,
the City Clerk, and the Financial Services Branch. As this is an internal, administrative matter, further public
consultation was not conducted.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The financial implications with
respect to the enhancement of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and
the establishment of the Rural Issues Advisory Committee are set out in the
report entitled “Creation of the Rural Affairs Office and Rural Summit Workplan
Status Update” (Reference No.
ACS2006-CMR-OCM-0005)
CONCLUSIONS
It is anticipated that the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will officially begin operation under its enhanced Terms of Reference in May 2006. What follows is a unique opportunity to conduct a six-month pilot project between May and October 2006 to evaluate the effectiveness of the enhanced Terms of Reference, to determine what elements work and to verify if there is a need for additional enhancements or revisions. As the level of responsibility will increase substantively for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, the amendments to all noted Terms of Reference will be reviewed during the next full Governance Review in November 2006 and, where appropriate, revised to address any issues that may have arisen.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – Revised Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference (amendments in bold and italic font)
Document 2 – Rural Issues Advisory Committee Terms of Reference (amendments in bold and italic font)
Document 3 – Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee 2006 Meeting Schedule (revised)
DISPOSITION
Upon approval of this report by City Council, the Terms of Reference
will become the mandate and governing authority for the Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee and the Rural Issues Advisory Committee and the City Clerk’s
Office will implement same. Within the
parameters of the Governance Review, staff will revisit the operation of all
Standing Committees, including the enhanced Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee, to provide an assessment of their respective performance.
DOCUMENT 1
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Terms of Reference
City
Council: 26 April 2006
The Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee (“the Committee”) is responsible for promoting and protecting
the interests and needs of the City’s rural areas, as identified in
Schedule A of the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan (Attachment 1) and defined as
follows: that ‘part of the City not intended for urban development’, which
‘contains a number of important natural resources and is characterized by the
dominance of the natural rather than the built environment’. The Committee will consider and make
recommendations to Council on issues and programs of special interest to
residents and businesses in the rural areas including villages and hamlets,
particularly agriculture and its associated industries.
Membership of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee shall consist of up to nine (9) Councillors, appointed by the
Nominating Committee and approved by City Council. Due to the unique nature of this committee, the majority
membership shall be comprised of those Councillors representing wards with a
rural component. The Mayor is
an ex-officio member of the Committee.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall:
1. Be
responsible directly to Council for those items emanating from:
a) the Rural Affairs Office within the City Manager’s Office;
b) all departments as they relate to rural
and agricultural issues as defined by the City
Manager, the Rural Affairs Officer, or the Committee and include:
i.
issues arising from the rural areas; and
ii.
items with a distinct rural component or impact
on rural residents.
c)the City of Ottawa’s Rural Issues Advisory Committee, the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee on rural forest issues, and the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee and the Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee on rural heritage issues;
d) the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment;
e)requests that may consider or address issues that are within the area of responsibility of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee; and
f) such entities as the agriculture and associated industries, rural businesses and rural communities and their residents, for matters that are brought forward and within the area of responsibility of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
2. The Committee will ensure that the unique interests and requirements of agriculture and associated industries, rural businesses, residents and communities are taken into account in the decisions made by the City of Ottawa.
3. The Committee will promote the rural areas as
places:
a) where agriculture, associated industries and the rural economy will prosper;
b) that are recognized as being fundamental to the City’s economic vitality and environmental sustainability; and
c) where hamlets and villages, the visual landscape, the natural and built environments and the rural character and quality of life are protected.
4. Determine priority issues within the mandate of the Committee for review and recommend resolution to City Council.
5. Make recommendations to Council on legislation, programs and funding matters that are brought forward from federal and provincial governments and other agencies which have an impact on agriculture and associated industries, rural businesses, rural communities and their residents and which are within the Committee’s mandate.
6. Monitor City of Ottawa programs and projects with a distinct rural component or impact on rural areas.
7. Ensure active public participation by receiving delegations from the public and holding public hearings on issues that fall within its mandate.
8. Subsequent to the approval of the budget consider, for recommendation to Council, all operating and capital budget adjustments that are within the existing funding envelopes for the Rural Affairs Office.
9. Subsequent to the approval of the budget, consider, for recommendation to Council:
a) the policy direction and prioritization, but not the funding requirements, of new matters which are within the Committee’s mandate; and
b) matters which were not previously approved, but can be accommodated within the applicable departmental existing capital or operating budgets.
10. Recommend for approval by Council, the membership and participation of its members as municipal representatives in relevant public associations and other government organizations, such as the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (“ROMA”).
11. Pursuant to the Delegation of Authority By-law (Section – Conferences and Conventions), approve Councillors’ travel and attendance at conferences that are related to the Committee’s mandate, such as the Ontario Good Roads Association/ROMA Annual Conference.
12. Review and recommend to Council revisions to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference, as required.
13. Review and recommend to Council matters related to the Advisory Committee under the Standing Committee’s responsibility, such as the Advisory Committee’s membership, Terms of Reference, annual work plans, and reporting and funding requests.
14. Recommend to Council proposed by-laws that are
under the Committee’s jurisdiction (i.e. Kennels by-law, Appointment of
Fence Viewers By-law, and Appointment of Livestock Valuers By-law).
15. Recommend
to Council, the City of Ottawa’s participation in federal or provincial
cost-sharing programs or employment incentive programs for matters within the
mandate of the Committee.
16. Monitor
federal and provincial legislation with a distinct impact on agriculture and
its associated industries.
17. Receive an Annual report from the Rural Affairs Office on the City’s
progress in promoting and enhancing the relationship between the City and its
rural residents including:
a)
enhanced communication between
rural residents, City Council and the City administration; and
b)
improved service delivery
reflective of the needs of rural residents.
Objectives
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee’s objectives are:
· to identify and promote specialty-type agricultural operations and businesses such as woodlots, hydroponic greenhouses, orchards, nurseries, etc;
· to identify ways to promote an understanding of the rural and agricultural communities and their issues;
· to encourage the use of best practices in nutrient management in association with the rural areas and agricultural industry;
· to encourage the establishment of agricultural operations that are compatible with the quality of life in the rural areas and existing agricultural operations; and
· to encourage strong linkages between the City and federal, provincial and local research facilities in order to benefit from new applications in the agriculture sector.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall make recommendations to Council:
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee’s objectives are to:
· encourage the City to manage its rural land and water resources to contribute in a sustainable way to the development of the rural economy and to the quality of life for residents of the City as a whole, now and in the future and;
· promote a safe supply of drinking water in the rural areas.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall make recommendations to Council:
· on matters respecting the activities of federal and provincial governments as well as conservation authorities, in the management of water, land and associated resources within their jurisdiction and located in the City's rural areas;
· on matters with respect to the development of a comprehensive wildlife management strategy for the conservation, management and, where necessary, control of wildlife, in conjunction with the appropriate agencies.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee’s objectives are to:
· encourage the continued viability, vitality and growth of the economic base of the City’s rural areas, including its hamlets and villages;
· support and reinforce a stable and diverse rural economy that is compatible with the natural environment and character of the rural areas;
· promote agricultural fairs and rural exhibitions;
· reinforce agriculture and associated services and businesses as an important part of the City’s economy;
· promote the formation and the sustainability of markets and direct farm sales; and
· support and encourage development of rural tourism in the collaboration with the Ottawa Rural Tourism Council.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall make recommendations to Council:
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee’s objectives are to:
· promote the concentration of rural growth within established and planned settlements;
· advocate the protection of the agricultural land base; and
· promote a cost-effective, environmentally sound, comprehensive servicing policy for the City’s hamlets and villages.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall make recommendations to Council:
·
on policies related to the location, use and
reclamation of future and existing landfill sites, pits and quarries.
Planning:
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee shall:
·
subdivision and condominium
applications;
·
extensions of draft plan
approvals;
·
site plan control applications;
·
approval of zoning by-laws;
·
land severance applications and
minor variances granted by the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment;
·
Official Plan amendments related
to the rural areas;
·
street openings and closings;
·
street name changes;
·
rural signage and municipal
addressing where the street is wholly located in the rural area;
·
administration and enforcement
of the Ontario Building Code;
·
30 cm reserves;
·
lifting of Holding Provisions;
·
signs by-law, amendments and variances;
·
cash-in-lieu of parking
agreements; and
· grant program for offsetting building permit fees for the construction of buildings/structures requires as a result of the Nutrient Management Act and other environmental protection legislation.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
shall also be responsible for recommending to Council, any proposed action
applicable to the rural areas, which is at variance with action taken by staff
pursuant to delegated authority.
Heritage:
The
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall make recommendations to Council:
·
on heritage protection in the rural areas through
applications and proposals brought forward by the Local Architectural
Conservation Advisory Committee for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act
as well as other heritage applications; and
·
on general heritage matters including the
development and implementation of heritage policies, by-laws, strategies and
programs applicable to the rural areas.
Transportation:
The
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall make recommendations to Council:
·
parking;
·
one-way designations;
·
road accesses;
·
intersection improvements;
·
temporary street closures;
·
sidewalks and pedestrian paths;
·
streetscape;
·
speed zoning;
·
transit services;
·
traffic calming; and
·
community safety zones.
Legal Services
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall have
the authority to hear briefings on litigious matters of a planning and
development nature where applicable to the rural areas, and to give direction
to the City Solicitor on such matters.
Receive Delegations
DOCUMENT
2
RURAL
ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Agriculture
and Rural Affairs Committee: 20 April 2006
City
Council: 26 April 2006
MANDATE
The mandate of the Rural Issues Advisory Committee (“the
Committee”) is to provide advice and input to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee and Ottawa City Council on issues affecting the rural and
farming community, including agricultural organizations. The Committee
will assist City Council, through the Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee, in its efforts to: protect and preserve the rural area; promote
healthy rural communities that contain living, working and recreational
opportunities; and respect the natural environment and resources of rural
areas. For the purposes of
clarity, the Committee’s mandate extends to all those areas identified as ‘rural’
within Schedule “A” of the City’s Official Plan (Attachment 1) and defined as
follows: that ‘part of the City not intended for urban development’, which
‘contains a number of important natural resources and is characterized by the
dominance of the natural rather than the built environment’.
The Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall be responsible for:
· reviewing and recommending appropriate means and methods of dissemination of City information to rural residents and promoting two-way communication between rural residents and businesses, City Council and the City administration;
· where requested by a Standing Committee or City Department, serve as the forum for examining specific issues of interest to the rural community;
· liaising or partnering with public and/or private organizations;
· providing a forum for rural residents to raise issues and concerns with a distinct rural component or impact on rural areas;
· advising on the delivery of emergency services, access to health and social services and service delivery (i.e. water and wastewater) in the rural areas;
· raising awareness and promoting an understanding of the rural community and its issues;
· advising on issues that have implications for the rural population including, but not limited to: snowmobile and ATV use; hunting and firearms; use of private land for public recreational purposes and wildlife management;
· advising on the impacts of park and recreation proposals and transportation and utility corridors on agriculture;
· advising the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, on behalf of Ottawa’s agricultural sector, its farmers and farm organizations, on all aspects of the rural community, including land use, municipal services/infrastructure, environmental issues and socio-economic matters affecting agriculture;
· providing input on how agriculture and rural issues can be incorporated into goals and objectives in the review of Official Plan policies;
·
reviewing studies, plans and
proposals as required, or as may be referred by Standing Committee, Council or
departments and providing comments on their agricultural and/or rural impacts;
· advising the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee in the development of policies and programs with respect to agriculture and rural issues;
· advising the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on city-wide economic strategies which may have implications for the rural economy;
· advising the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on the implementation of federal and provincial legislation related to farm practices;
· advising the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on issues relating to agri-business including farm labour, large scale agricultural operations, transportation, marketing and promotion of agri-businesses;
· soliciting issues and concerns from area farming industries, agricultural organizations, community groups and rural communities and making recommendations to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee;
· recommending to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee strategies to improve the delivery of municipal services, programs and information to the rural areas, including the role of the City’s rural client service centres; and
· recommending policies to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee that would ensure that municipal services remain accessible to rural residents and to provide guidance on how such services can be tailored to meet the needs of rural residents.
ORGANIZATION
The representatives of agricultural organizations or agencies should have special rural and agricultural qualifications, interests and experience as well as the ability and willingness to devote the necessary time to the Committee. The citizens-at-large should possess expertise and willingness to liaise with the range of agencies, organizations and interest groups represented on the Committee and represent the interests of the broader community rather than a specific interest group.
All appointments to the Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall be approved by both the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Ottawa City Council.
The Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall have up to a maximum of
fifteen (15) citizen members comprised of:
· A representative from Wards 5, 6, 19, 20, and 21;
· A minimum of two (2) agricultural representatives;
· One (1) rural business representative;
· One (1) representative from the Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton;
· One (1) representative from the Ottawa Rural Toursim Council;
· One (1) representative from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture;
· One (1) representative from an active agricultural organization in rural Ottawa; and
·
Up to a maximum of three (3) members
at large from any City ward.
In addition, the Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall also have, in a
resource, liaison and/or advisory capacity, the following:
· Up to a maximum of two (2) members from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, (non-voting); and
· One (1) representative from a conservation authority (non-voting).
LEAD
DEPARTMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
The lead department for the Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall be the City Manager’s Office, Rural Affairs Office and the staff liaison will be the Rural Affairs Officer. The Rural Issues Advisory Committee may also be asked to review and comment on policies, programs and initiatives emanating from any of the City’s operating departments, which have a distinct rural component or impact on rural areas.
The Rural Issues Advisory Committee shall report
primarily through the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee to Ottawa City
Council or through another Standing Committee as appropriate.
RESOURCES
The Rural Issues Advisory Committee must report annually to City Council through the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. The timing shall be determined by the Committee Chair, Advisory Committee Coordinator and City Clerk as part of the Committee’s setting its work plan for the following year. The Committee shall also outline its resource requirements for each portion of the work plan.
Attachment 1
DOCUMENT
3
AGRICULTURE
AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
* Revised pursuant to the Committee’s amended Terms of Reference *
|
Clerk’s Branch Deadline for receipt of reports (by noon) |
Committee Meeting Date |
Council Meeting Date (if required) |
|
|
|
|
Monday 3 April
|
Thursday, 20 April * SPECIAL MEETING * 9:30 a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 26 April |
|
|
|
|
Monday 10 April
|
Thursday, 27 April 7:00 p.m., West Carleton Ward (Kinburn Client Service Centre) |
Wednesday 10 May |
|
|
|
|
Monday 24 April
|
Thursday, 11 May 7:00 p.m., Rideau Ward (location to be determined) |
Wednesday 24 May |
|
|
|
|
Monday 8 May
|
Thursday, 25 May 9:30 a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 14 June |
|
|
|
|
Friday 19 May
|
Thursday, 8 June 7:00 p.m., Cumberland Ward (location
to be determined) |
Wednesday 28 June |
|
|
|
|
Monday 5 June
|
Thursday, 22 June 9:30
a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 12 July* |
|
|
|
|
Monday 26 June*
|
Thursday, 13 July* 9:30 a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 23 August* |
|
|
|
|
|
Monday 7 August* |
Thursday, 24 August* 9:30 a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 13 September |
|
|
|
|
|
Monday 28 August |
Thursday, 14 September 7:00 p.m., Osgoode Ward (location to be determined) |
Wednesday 27 September |
|
|
|
|
|
Monday 11 September |
Thursday, 28 September 9:30 a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 11 October |
|
|
|
|
|
Monday 25 September |
Thursday, 12 October 7:00 p.m., West Carleton Ward (location to be determined) |
Wednesday 25 October |
|
|
|
|
|
Friday 6 October |
Thursday, 26 October 9:30 a.m., Ottawa City Hall |
Wednesday 8 November |
|
|
|
|
Notes:
1. The
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets on the second and fourth Thursday
of the month.
2. City
Council meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in
Andrew Haydon Hall (Council Chambers).
3. Because 2006 is an election year (i.e. Monday 13
November 2006), Committee meetings for November and December will be scheduled
if necessary, at the call of the Chair.
Standing Committees Comités permanents
Joint
Report 2 rapport
conjoint 2
Extract of Draft Minute 24 Extrait
du procès-verbal 24
Agriculture and Rural Affairs ComitÉ
de l’agriculture et des
Committee questions
rurales
20 April 2006 le
20 avril 2006
RURAL SUMMIT - AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS
COMMITTE REVISED TERMS OF REFERENCE and Rural Issues Advisory Committee Terms
of Reference
SOMMET RURAL - MANDAT RÉVISÉ DU COMITÉ DE L'AGRICULTURE ET DES QUESTIONS RURALES ET MANDAT DU COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS RURALES
ACS2006-CRS-CCB-0027
Responding to questions from Chair Jellett, Ms. Winch, Interim Rural Affairs Officer, confirmed that the intent was for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee to deal with Planning reports pertaining to community design plans for villages and estate lot subdivisions. She also clarified, with respect to rural roads under Transportation issues, that the intent was to include any items pertaining to ditches along rural roads. Mr. Jacobs, Director of Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Policy, also confirmed the intent with respect to community design plans and estate lot subdivisions.
Councillor El-Chantiry posed questions with respect to the intent with respect to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee’s (ARAC) responsibility for Transportation issues, versus the Transportation Committee’s responsibilities. In response, Ms. Winch clarified that the reference to road accesses related to unopened road allowances as they accessed the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. With respect to the major arterial roads, she explained that these would remain within the Transportation Committee’s responsibilities. However, the ARAC would assume responsibility for items pertaining to secondary roads within subdivisions in rural areas, gravel roads, etc.
As a result of this brief discussion, Chair Jellett suggested that more detail be provided in the report in order to clarify this issue (i.e. secondary roads in rural areas versus major arterial roads, hard-surfacing of gravel roads, gravel roads, etc.). Ms. Winch confirmed that clarifications would be sought prior to the report rising to Council.
In response to questions from Councillor
Thompson with respect to whether or not a distinction could be made for items
coming forward pursuant to the City’s Commemorative Naming Policy, Mr.
Kirkpatrick suggested Committee recommend an amendment so that items pertaining
to the naming of parks and facilities in rural areas would be submitted to the
ARAC instead of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee prior
to rising for Council.
With respect to appointments to the Rural Issues Advisory Committee (RIAC), Councillor El-Chantiry wondered whether any preference would be given to members of the Rural Summit Task Force who may be interested in sitting on the new Advisory Committee. Ms. Winch indicated that, although it was not specifically indicated in the report, it was understood that some degree of preference would be given to interested Task Force members.
Responding to questions from Chair Jellett, Ms. M. Murdock explained that members of the former Agriculture and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee who currently sat on other City Advisory Committee could participate on the RIAC but that, should they choose to retain their seats on the other advisory committee, they would have non-voting status on the RIAC. In order to be appointed as voting members on RIAC, these members would have to give up their seats on the other advisory committee. Furthermore, she confirmed an interim appointment to RIAC (May/June 2006 to the end of the year) would not count towards members’ 2-term maximum on the Advisory Committee, pursuant to the City’s Appointment Policy for Advisory Committees and Boards. Therefore members appointed to the RIAC would be eligible to apply for re-appointment as part of the fall recruitment process.
Moved by Councillor E. El-Chantiry
That the Transportation section of the revised Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference be clarified with respect to this Committee’s responsibilities versus the Transportation Committee’s responsibilities for making recommendations to Council on roads (i.e. secondary roads in rural areas versus major arterial roads, hard-surfacing of gravel roads, gravel roads, etc.).
CARRIED
Moved by Councillor D. Thompson
That the revised Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference by amended to include the responsibility for making recommendations to Council for the naming of parks and facilities in rural areas pursuant to the City’s Commemorative Naming Policy.
Carried
The Committee then voted on the report recommendations, as amended.
That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend Council
approve:
1. The Committee’s Terms of Reference as
outlined in Document 1 and as amended by the following;
a) That the
Transportation section of the revised Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
Terms of Reference be clarified with respect to this Committee’s
responsibilities versus the Transportation Committee’s responsibilities for
making recommendations to Council on roads (i.e. secondary roads in rural areas
versus major arterial roads, hard-surfacing of gravel roads, gravel roads,
etc.).
b) That the revised
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference be amended to
include the responsibility for making recommendations to Council for the naming
of parks and facilities in rural areas pursuant to the City’s Commemorative
Naming Policy.
2. The Terms of Reference for the Rural
Issues Advisory Committee as outlined in Document 2; and
3. The modified appointment process for
interim members to the Rural Issues Advisory Committee.
CARRIED
as amended