Council Meeting

THAT Council adjourn its regular meeting at x:xx p.m. to sit as the Court of Revision under Section 97 of the Drainage Act, as amended to consider the Whitfield Drain 2024 and that Mayor Cathy Burghardt-Jesson be appointed as Chair.

THAT the Court of Revision, having met on behalf of the Whitfield Drain 2024, does hereby adopt the revised Drainage Assessment Schedule dated October 15, 2024 as submitted by Spriet Associates Ltd.

THAT the Court of Revision be closed at 6:07 p.m. in order to reconvene regular Council meeting.

THAT Council adjourn its regular meeting at 6:08 p.m. in order to sit as the Committee of Adjustments under the Planning Act.

THAT as permitted under section 53(45) of the Planning Act, the Clerk be authorized to issue a Certificate of Cancellation confirming that Subsection 50(12) of the Planning Act does not apply in respect of the lands legally described as PLAN 340 PT LOT 162 RP 33R21184 PART 1 and PLAN 340 PT LOT 162 RP 33R21184 PART 2, and that Subsection 50(3) or (5) applies to a subsequent conveyance or other transaction involving the land, authorizing the lands to remerge while removing their rights to be conveyed without further future consent.

THAT Applications for Consent B-17/2024 filed by Joan Marie Stiltz, in order to permit the adjustment of a boundary by conveying 0.3 acres from 34339B Granton Line and adding it to the neighbouring parcel at 34399A Granton Line for lots legally described as PLAN 257 LOTS 4-6 & PT LOTS 1-3 S/S CHARLES RP 33R19422 PARTS 1-6 RP 33R12059 PART 6, in the Township of Lucan Biddulph, County of Middlesex; BE GRANTED subject to the following conditions: 1. That the Certificate of Consent under Section 53(42) of the Planning Act shall be given within two years of the date of the notice of the decision. The request for the Certificate of Consent shall be accompanied by a written submission that details how each of the conditions of severance has been fulfilled. 2. That all applicable property taxes, municipal fees and charges be paid to the Township prior to the stamping of the deeds. 3. That, if required, all outstanding work orders or by-law enforcement issues be resolved to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official prior to the stamping of the deeds. 4. That the applicant’s solicitor submits an undertaking, in a form satisfactory to the Secretary-Treasurer, to register an electronic transfer of title consistent with the Acknowledgment and Direction and the decision of the Committee of Adjustment. 5. That the Owners’ solicitor provide a Transfer in Preparation to the Municipality, together with a deposited reference plan and a Schedule describing the land to be transferred for ea

Recommendation: THAT Application for Minor Variance A-9/2024 filed by Joan Marie Stiltz on behalf of Lila Ruth Foster for relief from the Township of Lucan Biddulph Comprehensive Zoning By-law to permit a reduced frontage of 7.6 metres on Granton Line, for a property legally described as PLAN 257 LOTS 4-6 & PT LOTS 1-3 S/S CHARLES RP 33R19422 PARTS 1-6 RP 33R12059 PART 6, in the Township of Lucan Biddulph; BE GRANTED, subject to the following condition: THAT the owner be required to dedicate lands as a condition of Consent Application B 17-2024, up to 13 m from the centerline of construction of County Road 59 (Granton Line) to the County of Middlesex for the purposes of road widening if the right of way is not already to that width. Reasons:  The intent of the Township of Lucan Biddulph Official Plan is maintained;  The intent of the Township of Lucan Biddulph Zoning By-law is maintained  The variance is considered "minor" in nature; and,  The variance is desirable for the appropriate use and development of the lands

Recommendation: THAT Application for Minor Variance A-8/2024 filed by Connor Wilks on behalf of 2219260 Ontario Inc. for relief from the Township of Lucan Biddulph Comprehensive Zoning By-law to permit the construction townhouse units with a minimum lot frontage of 10.0 metres, minimum lot area of 325.90m2, and a maximum lot coverage of 56.3%, for a property legally described as Part of Lots 27 and 28, Concession 5, in the Township of Lucan-Biddulph, County of Middlesex, also known as Timber Ridge Subdivision Phase I, be GRANTED, subject to the following conditions:  THAT the lot area reduction shall only apply to units 2-6, 15-18, and 43 as shown on the attached site plan.  AND THAT the lot coverage increase shall only apply to units 2-6, 15-18, 38-40, and 46-48 as shown on the attached site plan.  AND FURTHER THAT the lot frontage reduction shall only apply to units 2-6, 15-18, and 43 as shown on the attached site plan.  AND FURTHER THAT the townhouse dwelling units shall not exceed one storey in height. Reasons:  The intent of the Township of Lucan Biddulph Official Plan is maintained;  The intent of the Township of Lucan Biddulph Zoning By-law is maintained;  The variance is considered "minor" in nature; and,  The variance is desirable for the appropriate use and development of the lands.

THAT the Committee of Adjustment be adjourned at 6:45 p.m. in order to reconvene regular Council meeting.

THAT Council receive the Water and Wastewater rate presentation from Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. for information.

THAT the regular council meeting minutes of November 5, 2024 be approved as circulated/amended.

WHEREAS official statistics from the Government of Ontario confirm that rural roads are inherently more dangerous than other roads; AND WHEREAS, despite only having 17% of the population, 55% of the road fatalities occur on rural roads; AND WHEREAS, rural, northern, and remote municipalities are fiscally strained by maintaining extensive road networks on a smaller tax base; AND WHEREAS, preventing crashes reduces the burden on Ontario’s already strained rural strained health care system; AND WHEREAS, roadway collisions and associated lawsuits are significant factors in runaway municipal insurance premiums. Preventing crashes can have a significant impact in improving municipal risk profiles; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Township of Lucan Biddulph requests that the Government of Ontario take action to implement the rural road safety program that Good Roads has committed to lead. It will allow Ontario's rural municipalities to make the critical investments needed to reduce the high number of people being killed and seriously injured on Ontario’s rural roads; and FURTHER THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation, Hon. King Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs, Hon. Trevor Jones, Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Hon. Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health, and Good Roads; and FURTHER THAT this

THAT items 11.1 through 11.2 (Correspondence) be received for information purposes.

THAT Council receive report PR-08-2024 as information. AND THAT Council support the participation of Lucan Biddulph in the Environmental and Sustainability Working Group.

THAT the Council of the Township of Lucan Biddulph receive the attached accounts as paid for information, as follows:  October 2024 total $1,852,187.73

THAT Council of the Township of Lucan Biddulph authorize, Dave Manders to attend the ROMA Conference 2025 in Toronto, Ontario on January 19 - January 21, 2025 at a registration cost of $670 + HST each.

THAT Council of the Township of Lucan Biddulph authorize, Alex Westman and Jeff Little to attend the OGRA Conference 2025 in Toronto, Ontario on March 30 - April 2, 2025 at a registration cost of $950 + HST each.

WHEREAS it is apparent that the Ontario Government has overlooked the needs of small rural Ontario; AND WHEREAS Ontario’s small rural municipalities face insurmountable challenges to fund both upfront investments and ongoing maintenance of their capital assets including roads, bridges, water/wastewater and municipally owned buildings including recreational facilities, libraries and other tangible capital assets: AND WHEREAS small rural Ontario’s operating needs consume the majority of property tax revenue sources; AND WHEREAS small rural municipalities (of 10,000 people or less) are facing monumental infrastructure deficits that cannot be adequately addressed through property tax revenue alone; AND WHEREAS in 2015 the provincial government moved to standardized billing for all non-contract D.P.P. (5.1) locations; AND WHEREAS the Ontario Government has committed $9.1 billion to Toronto alone to assist with operating deficits and the repatriation of the Don Valley and Gardner Expressway; and $534 million to Ottawa for the repatriation of Hwy 174; AND WHEREAS the annual cost of the Ontario Provincial Police, Municipal Policing Bureau for small rural non-contract (5.1) municipalities is approximately $428 million; AND WHEREAS this annual cost is significantly less than the repatriation costs of the Gardiner Express Way, the Don Valley Parkway and Highway 174 (Ottawa Region) but provides a greater impact to the residents of the Province overall; AND WHEREAS this will afford relief

THAT if no one cares to speak to By-law 54-2024, on its first, second and third reading, that it be considered to have been read a first time and passed, read a second time and passed and read a third time and passed.

RESOLVED that the Council meeting be adjourned at 7:58 p.m.