City of Waterloo Comments on…

City of Waterloo comments on Bill 66 – Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018 have been submitted by mail and are also provided below:

The Council of The Corporation City of Waterloo ratified the following resolution at a Special Meeting of Council meeting held on Monday, January 14, 2019 as follows:

1.That report IPPW 2019-010 be approved.

2.That the City of Waterloo not support the Proposed Amendments to the Planning Act as set out in Bill 66 – Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018 as it does not adequately protect drinking water resources and it does not require the comprehensive planning review and analysis or the meaningful community consultation residents and businesses expect from their local government.

3.That the City of Waterloo reaffirms it will continue to appropriately manage growth in a way that protects drinking water resources and sensitive natural areas, and that includes meaningful public consultation consistent with the policies of our community’s Official Plan.

4.That report IPPW2019-010 and the accompanying recommendations be forwarded to the Province as the City of Waterloo’s initial comments in response to the Province’s proposed Bill 66 – Restoring Ontario’s Competiveness Act, 2018.

Carried Unanimously

Approved recommendations from the City of Waterloo staff report:

1. that Council encourage the Province to extend municipal consultation, and provide draft regulations with respect to the conditions under which the by-law may be used, the definition of employment uses and how the number of jobs created by the land use is calculated and maintained.

2. That Council object to the provisions in Bill 66 that would exempt planning decisions from the requirement to conform to the Clean Water Act.

3. That the Province re-examine the need for Bill 66, having regard to Section 47 of the Planning Act. If the Province elects to advance Bill 66, that the legislation be modified as follows:

a) that employment uses be prohibited within significant natural heritage features and areas (and their associated buffers), and prohibited in or proximal to sensitive surface water features and sensitive groundwater features / systems;

b) that employment uses be located within settlement boundaries as identified in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe;

c) that employment uses be connected to municipal water and wastewater servicing and transportation infrastructure sufficiently sized and configured to accommodate the development; and,

d) that employment uses shall be compatible with nearby sensitive land uses, such as but not limited to residential uses, including in terms of adverse effects from noise, vibration, odour and other contaminants.

4. That Council encourage the Province to require municipalities to consult with adjacent and upper tier municipalities prior to adopting an open-for-business by-law. That Council encourage the Province to reconsider its exemption of open-for-business by-laws from appeal, given that the exemption may simply shift land use disputes from LPAT to the courts.