Public meeting on Melancthon bylaw set for Thursday

Melancthon Council is continuing to review its 1995 Procedural By-law to bring it up to date and in compliance with the new Municipal Act proclaimed in 2003.

As part of the review, a public meeting will be held next Thursday, April 19, at 10 a.m. in the council chambers to get input regarding the bylaw, which can be viewed at www.melancthon township. ca/public.htm

Recently, the bylaw attracted the interest of residents concerning the manner in which Council agenda attachments are handled.

The attachments, which hold much of the information to be discussed during Council meetings, are currently not available to the public until after the completion of council meetings. A Freedom of Information request has been filed asking that Council make those agendas accessible prior to all meetings.

Mayor Debbie Fawcett now heads the municipal corporation for the purposes of the "Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act". This new committee, which includes councillors John Crowe and Janice Elliot, has a mandate to review any Freedom of Information (FOI) requests received by the municipality and to make a decision on those requests.

Ontario Bill 150, the Green Energy and Green Economy Act tabled at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on February 23, 2009 concerned multiple Municipalities. Quickly realizing the loss of "local land use planning controls" should Bill 150 proceed, many municipalities began to pass resolutions requesting a review of the bill. On April 2, Melancthon passed such a resolution following Grey Highlands, Amaranth, Mulmur and East Garafaxa. It reads, in part, as follows:

"Therefore be it resolved that the Corporation of the Township of Melancthon requests that the Province undertake a comprehensive review of the potential health and land use impacts (including property values) to the General Public associated with the placement of all Renewable Energy Facilities; and review the proposal to remove local and land use planning controls under the Planning Act through Bill 150."

At the same meeting, the Plateau Wind Project Draft Environmental Screening Report was received at Council as an 800-page computer disk. Both Council and residents expressed their displeasure with the format and Council promised to make hard copies available at the Township and Shelburne Library as soon as possible.

Rate payers at the April 2 meeting expressed concern that Council add "a provision in the Official Plan, that all studies submitted by an applicant on significant land use changes be peer reviewed by subject matter experts, at the expense of the proponent."

Council expressed confidence that the provision on application forms, which states that all "study costs are the responsibility of the applicant" was sufficient. Councillor Crowe noted that it was not needed in the Official Plan as it "could be dealt with at the Ontario Municipal Board if necessary".

Melancthon resident Harvey Lyons questioned Council's "hesitation to implement this provision in the Official Plan when you specifically inserted such a clause in the OP for wind turbine projects?"

Referring to expected land developments in Melancthon by the Highland Companies, Karren Wallace said Council "is going to have to deal with issues in this municipality that you have never dealt with before. All studies on a development of significant land use change should be peer reviewed by subject matter [water, soil, trees, health etc.] experts."

Cautioning that the township's planner "is not an expert in these areas," she added, "Without this provision in the OP, which is a legally binding document, this Council could end up spending thousands and thousands of dollars in court trying to prove what the 'small print' "all costs" line on the application form means" (should an applicant refuse to provide peer reviewed subject matter studies).

Ms. Wallace stressed that this provision was not to be used in cases of minor variance, but should only be used for developments and change of land use of significant magnitude. Council forwarded the suggestion to the Municipal Planner for comments.

It was requested that a letter from Highland Companies representative John Lowndes, in response to a submission by NDACT (North Dufferin Agriculture and Community Taskforce) be read to the gallery.

At the March 19 council meeting NDACT submitted that the Honeywood Loam Soils should be given a "Specialty Crop Designation" in the Official Plan. NDACT supporters maintain that with agricultural land disappearing and the demand for food increasing, Canada needs to take steps to protect agricultural land.

Mr. Lowndes' letter stated in part, "The Highland Companies owns and operates potato farming operations on a significant portion of the lands detailed in the Submission" (by NDACT).

"As farmers and landowners, the Highland Companies recognizes the importance of agricultural lands and supports their appropriate protection, although there is no evidence that potatoes are a specialty crop. We also recognize that there are additional land uses that are applicable to, and appropriate for, the lands identified in the Submission….Most importantly, the PPS (Provincial Policy Statement) prioritizes the use of land for mineral aggregate uses and renewable energy systems so that Provincial objectives can be appropriately attained in cases where land uses may be seen to be in conflict."

Council has sent a request for the "evaluation procedures" for establishing "Specialty Crop Designations" to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Next Thursday's public meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the township office, 157101 Highway 10. Council also intends to pass its 2009 Operating and Capital Budgets at this meeting.