The Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes

Minutes

Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting

CKLEAC2024-004

Thursday, May 16, 2024

2:30 P.m. - 4:30 P.m.

Electronic Participation Meeting

Members:

• Councillor Pat Warren
• Grant Barker
• Nicole Bruneau
• Virginia Colling
• Josh Feltham
• Jamie Morris
• Ola Pasternak
• Santosh Patel
• Doug Paterson
• Deborah Pearson
• David Ryrie
• Barry Snider
• Christine Szabados

Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. The City of Kawartha Lakes is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. Please contact [email protected] if you have an accessible accommodation request.

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1.

Call to Order

In attendance:  Councillor Pat Warren, Virginia Colling, Jamie Morris, Doug Paterson, Deborah Pearson, Barry Snider, Christine Szabados, Ola Pasternak, Grant Barker, Santosh Patel, Josh Feltham, Logan McInnis

Absent:  David Ryrie

Observer:  Shirley McCormick

Staff:  Mark Jull, Policy Supervisor, Max Faulhammer, Planner II, Nancy Ord, Administrative Assistant, Robyn Carlson, Solicitor, Sarah McConnell, Deputy City Clerk

Chair Pearson called the meeting to order at 2:33 p.m., welcomed Logan McInnis as CKLEAC’s Youth advisor and invited Logan to describe his background, volunteer work and interest in climate change issues.

2.

Administrative Business

2.1

Adoption of Agenda

• EAC2024.027
  Moved By V. Colling
  Seconded By J. Morris

  That the Agenda be approved as amended by the addition of subsection 5.7 Rural Zoning By-law.

  Carried

2.2

Declaration of Pecuniary Interest

There were no declarations of pecuniary interest disclosed.

2.3

Adoption of Minutes

City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee meeting of April 18, 2024.

 

• EAC2024.028
  Moved By C. Szabados
  Seconded By B. Snider

  That the minutes from the Environmental Advisory Committee meeting of April 18, 2024 be received and adopted as presented.

  Carried

3.

Deputations/Presentations

3.1

Deputy City Clerk (Member and Sub Committee membership)

S. McConnell, Deputy Clerk commented on committee and subcommittee membership, the use of volunteers and referred to CKLEAC’s Terms of Reference and indicated:

• Subcommittees are meant to be a portion of the Council appointed EAC, be tasked with a specific focus and be made up of only appointed EAC members.
• Subcommittees may meet outside of regular EAC meetings to work on specific tasks but must not meet quorum and are required to keep notes and report back to EAC at its regular meetings.
• Subcommittees are appointed by EAC through approval of motions and are not intended to include non EAC members.

The Deputy Clerk agreed to provide an update after consultation with the City’s Risk Management advisors on the following CKLEAC activities:

• Longstanding activities in conjunction with separate entities such as Bee City Canada.
• Events and projects such as the Enviro Fair and the Pollinator Garden which rely on volunteers to achieve projects. The Committee advised that in the past volunteer non-member waivers were signed by participants.
• On June 8, 2024 CKLEAC’s Bobcaygeon Enviro Fair participation with Impact 32 and other groups and that no one entity as the organizer.

The Deputy City Clerk left the meeting after this presentation.

3.2

City Solicitor (Tree Preservation and Clean and Clear By-laws)

The City Solicitor referred to a previously circulated memorandum on the status of the by-laws and a summary of public engagement results from the City’s Jump In website and highlighted the following:

• Strong opinions were expressed on tree cutting restrictions on private property with an interest in incentivization rather than restriction to encourage replanting. Consideration be given to potentially two by-laws – one for regulation and a second for incentivization.

• Interest in urban tree and woodlot protection.

• Fee recovery for tree removal and financial caps for new developments which would still enable large developments to proceed. The $250,000 cap was arrived at after discussion with aggregate producers as a reasonable cap that did not jeopardize the viability of new development proposals.

• Review of the lot size threshold for exemptions to tree recovery fees/replanting.

• Addition of staff, fleet vehicle and creation of a funding reserve for implementation.

Questions raised by CKLEAC included:

• Encouragement to refer to other municipal by-laws such as Peterborough as a resource.

• Responsibility for developing the incentivization approach is under review and anticipated to involve the new Environmental Planner as well as staff from other divisions.

• The need to balance long term urban expansion while ensuring the viability of Kawartha Lakes’ unique biodiversity and significant number of flora and fauna species.

• Regular measurement of the tree canopy to study the effectiveness of incentives and regulations with aerial photography to occur every five years involving specialists to review the tree cover.

• Definition of shoreline by a 30.0 metres setback from any navigable waterway as not reflecting the lake system, tree canopy and larger zones created by native plants.

The Solicitor provided the following comments on the proposed amendments to the City’s existing long grasses by-law:

• Restrictions be removed in urban areas for long grasses and that natural native plants and weeds be differentiated.

• Review with KRCA on rainwater capture for natural native plants over and under 8 inches in height in light of the by-law proposal to increase the allowable height.

• A lack of evidence or study to determine if allowing native plants and long grasses will create economic problems.

• Coordination with the Climate Action Plan assumed to occur with the City’s Strategy and Innovation Division.

The Solicitor was requested to attend the next CKLEAC meeting of June 13, 2024 to allow for additional CKLEAC questions/follow up.

The Solicitor left the meeting at 3:30 p.m.

3.3

Anticipated for June 2024 CKLEAC Meeting (Heritage Planner on sustainability and energy saving in historic buildings).

An information item for CKLEAC members.

4.

Correspondence

4.1

Multi-Municipal Energy Working Group

Councillor Warren and G. Colling provided an overview of the correspondence and commented that CKLEAC not support the request for municipalities to renew 2013 pledges to be unwilling hosts for wind and solar energy.

Discussion followed on the benefits of appropriately located wind and solar projects.

After approval of the following motion, discussion followed on the appropriate avenue for conveying the motion to City Council with Staff to clarify with the Clerk’s Division the protocol.  G. Colling was requested to develop background work on the issue for submission to the Planning Division.

• EAC2024.029
  Moved By C. Szabados
  Seconded By D. Paterson

  That City of Kawartha Lakes become a willing host to green energy projects keeping in mind that the City will look at each proposal on a case by case basis.

  Carried

5.

Action Item Updates

5.1

CKLEAC Work Plan Updates by Project Team Leaders (Pollinator Action, Bird Friendly, Transportation, Healthy Environment Sub Committees)

Pollinator Action Subcommittee           

C. Szabados provided the following update:

• The Landfill pollinator project is on hold to clarify a number of details.

• Attendance and participation at recent events included:
  • Migratory Bee Day at Ken Reid Conservation area.
  • Earth Day at the Gamiing Nature Centre.

• Ongoing projects include:
  • The Seed Project involving revisiting the seed stock and library.
  • Participation in upcoming events/festivals including the Monarch Festival in September 2024 and the June 8 Bobcaygeon Enviro Fair.

Bird Friendly Subcommittee 

J. Morris provided the following update:

• May 22, 2024 Nature Canada Bird Friendly City news release announcing cities that have retained or improved their certification with Kawartha Lakes the 26^th City and one of two new cities to be named.

• Mayor Elmslie announced May 11, 2024 as World Migratory Bird Day and City Hall lights were turned off to observe the day.

• Activities included KRCA sponsored events including Dawn Chorus, bird walks and a Bird Count Day where 81 species were recorded and EAC representative J. Morris assisting with Schoolyard and Bird Blitzes.

• Results of the City’s Bird-of-the-Year contest with a total 416 votes cast and 28% of votes favouring the osprey. The final round of the contest will conclude June 28, 2024 with promotion through weekly Instagram and Facebook posts and a Lindsay Advocate article.

• Events coming up include the Kawartha Land Trust “Birding for Everyone” on May 26, 2024 in four locations; June 9, 2024 “Power of Pollinators – Protect Insects, Protect Birds” and the June 8^, 2024 Bobcaygeon Enviro Fair.      

 Transportation Subcommitee

No report was presented and, in response to question raised on the outstanding installation of bike racks in the downtown, the CKLEAC member requested assistance to elicit a response from the relevant Public Works Division.

Healthy Environment Subcommittee 

The Chair reported the subcommittee had met and developed a series of questions but is waiting the City’s action to update the HEP to proceed.

Councillor Warren reported on discussions with the CAO that 2024 funds are allocated for updating, consultants will be retained and CKLEAC will play a major role.

5.2

Bobcaygeon Enviro Fair

The Chair reported on the following for the June 8, 2024 event:

• Event applications have been submitted and Canal Street in Bobcaygeon will be closed between William and Need Streets.

• Participants will include the Kawartha EV Society, Plug'nDrive Discovery Road Show with test driving electric vehicles, display tables for EAC, Pollinator and Bird Friendly Subcommittees and an invitation had been extended to the Waste Management Division to participate.

• The Chair will be meeting with Impact 32 to clarify advertising and communications.

• A call for volunteers was made to assist in setting up and taking down the displays.

• EAC2024.030
  Moved By J. Morris
  Seconded By B. Snider

  That CKLEAC approve the expenditure for signage for Enviro Fair in an amount up to $162.75.

  Carried

5.3

Environmental Hero Awards

Discussion on the number of nominations received and the need to encourage more.  Staff were requested to follow up on timing for presentation of the awards.

• EAC2024.031
  Moved By V. Colling
  Seconded By C. Szabados

  That the date to allow for Environmental Hero Nominations be extended to June 1, 2024.

  Carried

5.4

Environmental Policy Planner

Staff reported that a significant number of applications had been received and work was underway to prepare for interviews the week after next.

5.5

Coboconk Park and Geese

D. Paterson congratulated J. Morris and the KRCA representative for assistance in addressing the geese problem at Coboconk Park.

KRCA will be taking on a project after approval to access City property to create a naturalized shoreline buffer area, to restrict mowing in the naturalized area and to develop a proposal for educational signage to protect the proposed naturalized area.

D. Paterson suggested the Coboconk project could be a template throughout the City and photographs were shared on the proposed Coboconk project area.

5.6

Update on Natural Gas Expansion to Bobcaygeon

Councillor Warren reported that CKLEAC’s resolution was not successful at Council and recent actions by the Provincial Government removed the independence of the Ontario Energy Board and that a pause on natural gas to consider other options would not occur.

Some comments were added on efforts by Enbridge for Pigeon Lake residents to commit to natural gas before April 1, 2024 and that efforts are now underway to discourage such commitments.

5.7

Rural Zoning By-law

Staff provided an overview of actions taken to present CKLEAC’s motion from the April 18, 2024 meeting on removing agricultural uses as permitted in wetland areas to the Rural Zoning By-law consultants.

Discussion followed on the requirement that a zoning by-law conform to the policies of the Official Plan which permits agricultural uses in the Environmental Protection designation, that an update to the Official Plan would be required, is a complex issue with a large and vocal agricultural community that may not agree with restrictions.  Other sections of the Official Plan were referred to which require protection of unique natural characteristics and that uses not contribute to the deterioration of the environment.

Comments may still be made to Council and B. Snider indicated he would appear as a deputation to council in support of Councillor Warren.  The Councillor suggested other CKLEAC members attend.

The Rural Zoning by-law was requested to be added as an Agenda item for the June CKLEAC meeting.

6.

New or Other Business

No other business was presented.

7.

Next Meeting

The next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, June 13, 2024.

8.

Adjournment

• EAC2024.032
  Moved By B. Snider
  Seconded By V. Colling

  That the meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.

  Carried