Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (“ERO”) posting 019-8370 and Ontario Regulatory Registry (“ORR”) posting 24-MMAH012 regarding the proposed changes to regulations under the Planning Act and Development Charges Act, 1997 Relating to the Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024 (Bill 185): Newspaper Notice Requirements and Consequential Housekeeping Changes.

Please note that the following comments and recommendations are provided by City of Mississauga staff and have been endorsed by City Council at its meeting on May 1, 2024. The report to City Council is provided in the supporting link below.

The following contains a summary of the City of Mississauga's comments on ERO 019-8370 and ORR 24-MMAH012. Detailed comments are included in the attached table.

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS TO DCS AND CBCS

The City is supportive of this change to modernize the public notice requirements.

STATUTORY LAND USE PLANNING NOTICE REQUIREMENTS

The City of Mississauga (City) supports the Province of Ontario’s (Province’s) proposal to allow for digital notification through municipal website if there is no local print newspaper available.

Key Recommendation:

• Digital notification should also include online newspaper even if local print newspaper is available, and further consideration should be given to the use of other digital media.

ENGAGING WITH CULTURALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

The City supports the Province’s proposal to explore best practices for public engagement and how to involve culturally diverse communities.

Key Recommendations:
• A process for equitable engagement should be considered that involves culturally diverse communities and equity deserving groups in a meaningful way.
• The City would welcome collaboration with the Province to identify best practices for engaging with the public.

LIMITS THIRD PARTY APPEALS

The City generally supports this change, but there should be consideration to recognize unique circumstances where additional participation rights are warranted (e.g. areas where there are potential for land use compatibility issues).

Key Recommendation:
• Enhance criteria in Planning Act to enable OLT to grant party status to third parties to recognize unique circumstances where additional participation rights are warranted.
• Equip municipalities with more concrete/mandatory policy direction in PPS that municipalities are required to implement to help protect third-party interests.

PROCEDURAL CHANGES: MOTION RE DISPUTE FOR COMPLETE OPA APPLICATION

Generally, improvements to the OLT are welcomed, however, the City does not support the proposed policy in its current state. The draft is too ambiguous and would lead to uncertainty for proponents and City staff in the development application process.

Key Recommendation:
• The policy should be amended to provide clearer guidance for the municipality and applicant.