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2. TERMS
OF REFERENCE FOR THE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MANDAT
DU COMITÉ DE L’AGRICULTURE ET DES AFFAIRES RURALES |
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
That Council approve the Committee’s Terms of Reference as outlined in Document 1.
RECOMMANDATION DU
COMITÉ
Que le Conseil approuve
le mandat du Comité tel qu’il est décrit dans
le Document 1.
Documentation
1. City Clerk and Solicitor’s report, dated
4 January 2011 (ACS2011-CMR-CCB-0006).
Report to/Rapport au :
Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee
Comité de l’agriculture et des
affaires rurales
and Council/et au Conseil
January 4 2011 / le 4 janvier 2011
Submitted by/Soumis par : M. Rick O’Connor,
City Clerk and Solicitor/Greffier et Chef du
contentieux
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : Leslie Donnelly, Deputy City Clerk / Greffière
adjointe
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City-wide |
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Ref N°: ACS2011-CMR-CCB-0006 |
SUBJECT: TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE Agriculture and
rural affairs COMMITTEE
OBJET : Mandat du Comité de l’agriculture et des
affaires rurales
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend Council approve the Committee’s Terms of Reference as outlined in Document 1.
Que le Comité
de l’agriculture et des affaires rurales recommande au Conseil
d’approuver le mandat du Comité tel qu’il est décrit dans le Document 1.
On December 8, 2010,
City Council approved changes to Council’s committee structure as part of the
2010-2014 Governance Review. Conducted
at the beginning of each term of Council, the Governance Review is an
examination of the City’s governance structure and the corresponding policies
and procedures.
As is customary with
every Governance Review, several changes to the City’s decision-making process
have been adopted, most notably for the purposes of this report, a revised
Standing Committee structure and adjusted Committee mandates for reporting to
Council.
With a new Standing
Committee structure now in effect, it is necessary to update the Terms of
Reference documents that guide each Committee.
The Terms of
Reference provide a clear understanding of: the jurisdiction of each Committee in terms of making recommendations
to Council on municipal programs, projects and issues; departmental reporting responsibilities; and the overarching goals of the Committee. An equitable and clear division of
responsibilities between Standing Committees is essential for providing
effective direction within the Corporation and accountability and transparency
for members of the public.
The
existing Terms of Reference documents were approved in Q1 2006 after the Rural
Summit and require significant updates to reflect how the City is currently doing business.
Since that time, the City’s corporate structure has undergone realignments which
necessitate changes to titles and reporting.
The approval of the 2010-2014 Governance Review did not include any
changes to the mandate of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
The mandate of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee has generally remained the same since the current Terms of Reference were approved in 2006; however, some minor changes still need to be addressed.
The proposed new Terms of Reference for the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee outlined in Document 1 focus on clarifying the mandate and further highlighting the Committee’s focus on matters pertaining to the unique interest of the City’s rural areas.
The Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
was consulted on
the development of the Terms of Reference to reflect the mandate of this
Committee. Additional consultation took
place with the City Manager’s Office, the City Clerk & Solicitor, Legal
Services, and the Deputy City Manager’s Offices. As this is an internal, administrative matter, public consultation was
not conducted.
There are no legal/risk management
implications related to this report.
There are no financial implications
related to this report.
Document 1 - Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee Terms of Reference, 2011
Upon approval of the report by
Council, the Terms of Reference will become the mandate and governing authority
for the Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee to be
implemented by the City Clerk’s office.
Document 1
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Terms of Reference
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee is responsible for ensuring that the unique interests and requirements of the City’s rural areas are taken into account in the decisions made by the City of Ottawa. The Committee will make recommendations to Council on issues and programs pertaining to the agricultural and associated industries, the rural economy, rural residential communities, land development and landscaping, transportation, water and wastewater services, and environmental protection.
Membership of the Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee shall consist of Members of Council, as approved by
Council. Due to the unique nature of
this committee, the majority of the membership shall be comprised of those
Councillors representing wards with a rural component. The Mayor is an ex-officio member
of the Committee.
The Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee shall:
a) The Development Review Rural Service Branch;
b) All departments responsible for issues arising from the rural areas, or with a distinct rural component or impact on rural residents;
c) Any Advisory Committees or Sub-committees that are within the area of responsibility of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee;
d) The rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment;
e)
Such entities as the agriculture and associated industries, rural businesses
and rural communities and their residents,
for matters that are brought forward and within the area of responsibility of
the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee; and
f)
Local boards, agencies and corporations that are
created by, and report to, this Committee.
2. Ensure co-ordination and consultation with other Standing Committees and departments where responsibilities overlap on issues related to the rural areas and on issues relevant to the mandate of more than one Committee.
4. Receive reports from staff regarding the exercise of delegated authority (By-law 2009-231) on items within the Committee’s mandate.
5. Review and make recommendations to Council on all front-ending agreements pertaining to items within the mandate of this Committee.
6.
Subsequent
to the approval of the budget, consider, for recommendation to Council, all
operating and capital budget adjustments pertaining to items within the
Committee mandate.
7.
Review and recommend to Council the recommendations
submitted by the Commemorative Naming Committee with respect to commemorative
naming of City parks and facilities in the rural areas.
8.
Ensure
active public participation by receiving delegations from the public, and
holding public hearings as required by statute and Council.
9. Address all matters related to, and arising from, Advisory Committees or Sub-Committees under the Standing Committee’s responsibility and that are in line with the established Committee and Council Strategic Plans.
10. Review and recommend to Council revisions to the Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee Terms of Reference, as required.
11. Have the
delegated authority to decide matters that are consistent with the application
of federal and/or provincial statutes and/or regulations.
12.
Recommend to Council, the City of Ottawa’s
participation in federal or provincial funding programs for matters within the
mandate of the Committee.
13.
Monitor federal and provincial
legislation with a distinct impact on agriculture and its associated
industries.
14. Recommend to Council proposed by-laws that are under the Committee’s jurisdiction (i.e. various Kennels by-laws, Appointment of Fence Viewers By-law, and Appointment of Livestock Valuers By-law).
15.
Recommend for approval by Council, the membership
and participation of its Members as municipal representatives in relevant
public associations and other government organizations, such as the Rural
Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA).
16.
Pursuant with the Delegation of Authority By-law (Section – Conferences and
Conventions), approve Councillors’ travel and attendance at conferences that
are related to the Committee’s mandate.
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee shall:
Agriculture
2. Identify and promote specialty-type agricultural operations and businesses such as woodlots, hydroponic greenhouses, orchards and nurseries.
3. Identify ways to promote an understanding of the rural and agricultural communities and their issues.
4. Encourage the use of best practices in nutrient management in association with the rural areas and agricultural industry.
5. Encourage the establishment of agricultural operations that are compatible with the quality of life in the rural areas and existing agricultural operations.
6. Encourage strong linkages between the City and federal, provincial and local research facilities in order to benefit from new applications in the agriculture sector.
a) On issues pertaining to agriculture, agri-food, livestock, horticulture, associated industries and related policy matters;
b) On matters relating to agri-business including farm labour, large scale agricultural operations, transportation, marketing and promotion of agri-businesses;
c) On issues that have significant implications for the rural population including: snowmobile and ATV use; hunting and firearms; use of private agriculture land for public recreational purposes; and wildlife management;
d) On matters under the Drainage Act and serve as the Court of Revision for the purposes of the legislation by reviewing assessment appeals;
e) On by-laws, policies and programs which predominantly or uniquely affect agriculture and associated industries, particularly those by-laws that deal with matters under the Farming and Food Production Protection Act, 1998, and the Weed Control Act;
f) In relation to the municipal role with respect to the administration of the Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act, and appoint livestock valuers from the community to review and process, through the City and in turn to the Province, claims for livestock losses caused by predators;
g)
On the
implementation of federal and provincial legislation related to farm practices;
h)
On matters associated with the Line Fences Act such as Appointment of Fence Viewers
By-law;
i)
On appointments to rural entities including
Rural Business Improvement Associations (“BIAs”), the Mohr-Quyon Landing Port
Authority, the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment, conservation
authorities in the rural areas and the Rural Issues Advisory Committee.
Conservation, Wildlife and
Forest Management
a) On matters respecting the activities of federal and provincial governments as well as conservation authorities, in the management of water, land and associated resources within their jurisdiction and located in the City's rural areas;
b) On forest management in the rural areas including identifying the potential of managed forests for enhanced use, and supporting appropriate new forms of development and recreation that contribute to the rural economy;
c) On matters associated with rural issues as defined within the Clean Waters Act, 2006 and the Conservation Authority Act;
d)
On rural tree by-laws enacted under the Municipal
Act, 2001, and encourage a high standard of private forest management;
e) On issues of rural servicing including water and wastewater;
f) On issues pertaining to the recreational use of City-owned properties in rural areas and regulations concerning the discharge of firearms within City limits; and
g) On matters with respect to the development of a comprehensive wildlife management strategy for the conservation, management and, where necessary, control of wildlife, in conjunction with the appropriate agencies.
Rural
Economic Development
9. Promote agricultural fairs and rural exhibitions, and promote the formation and sustainability of markets and direct farm sales.
13. Promote a cost-effective, environmentally sound, comprehensive servicing policy for the City’s hamlets and villages.
16. Make recommendations to Council on policies related to the location,
use and reclamation of future and existing landfill sites, pits and quarries in
the rural areas.
17. Make recommendations to Council on all transportation matters as they relate to the rural areas, including parking, one-way designations, road accesses, intersection improvements, sidewalks and pedestrian paths, streetscapes, speed zoning, and traffic calming measures.
· Subdivision and condominium applications;
· Extensions of draft plan approvals;
· Site Plan Control applications;
· Approval of Zoning By-laws;
· Land severance applications and minor variances granted by the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment;
· Official Plan amendments related to the rural areas;
· Street openings and closings;
· Street name changes;
· Rural signage and municipal addressing where the street is wholly located in the rural area;
· Administration and enforcement of the Ontario Building Code;
· Lifting of 30 cm reserves;
· Lifting of Holding Provisions;
· Signs By-laws, Amendments and Minor Variances;
· Cash-in-lieu of Parking agreements;
· Grant program for offsetting building permit fees for the construction of buildings/structures requires as a result of the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 and other environmental protection legislation; and
· Other grant programs, as established by Council, with a focus on the rural areas.
19. The Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee shall also be responsible for recommending to Council,
any proposed action applicable to the rural areas, which is at variance with
action taken by staff pursuant to delegated authority.
Heritage
21. Make recommendations to Council on general heritage matters including the development and implementation of heritage policies, by-laws, strategies and programs applicable to the rural areas.
Manotick Mill Quarter Corporation
22. Oversee and make recommendations to Council on items brought forward
by the Manotick Mill Quarter Corporation, that do not fall within the
jurisdiction of another Standing Committee.