The Town of Newmarket values…

The Town of Newmarket values the role of Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) in protecting watershed health, advancing stormwater and climate resilience, and supporting municipal infrastructure. The Town supports goals of enhancing consistency, reducing duplication and strengthening conservation authority capabilities as set out in the proposal. LSRCA is considered to be the gold standard for watershed management, and any changes should aim to achieve or exceed this level of service and expertise.

To safeguard local priorities, maintain municipal service levels, and protect municipal fiscal and operational interests, the Town requests the following:

1. Guaranteed Local Representation - ensure watershed/municipal representation on the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency’s board and transitional committees to maintain locally informed decision-making.

2. Transparent Cost Rules - establish clear, public, and detailed rules for how the Agency will apportion costs and recover expenses. The Town requests that no net new costs be imposed on lower-tier municipalities without consultation and explicit municipal approval.

3. Municipal Fiscal Impact Assessment - require the Agency or Province to undertake and publish a comprehensive municipal fiscal impact assessment of proposed consolidation, including any new costs or fee burdens for municipalities. Implement a protection mechanism to prevent municipalities from absorbing new or increased costs arising from consolidation without prior municipal approval.

4. Service Level Commitments - The Town seeks a commitment that existing service levels (turnaround times, local inspections, and LSRCA technical guidelines) will be maintained during transition. Any move to centralized permitting should be piloted and evaluated in the Lake Simcoe watershed first. Clear transitional timelines are also requested.

5. Data Governance and Access - The Town requests that data governance rules guarantee municipal access to data.

6. Governance Structure for Huron-Superior Regional Conservation Authority - The Town requests that the proposed governance structure ensure dedicated representation for municipalities within the Lake Simcoe watershed and include experts with watershed-specific knowledge (e.g. nutrient loading, urban stormwater, watercourse naturalization) on the board or relevant committees.

7. Preservation of Locally Tailored Programs - The Lake Simcoe watershed presents unique challenges (e.g. urban growth, phosphorus loading) that LSRCA has developed expertise to manage. The Town requests explicit language in regulations or transition plans to preserve locally tailored programs and technical guidelines.