ROBERT FISHER
Staff Reporter
BARRY’S BAY – Mayor Mark Willmer opened the Feb. 19 council meeting for the Township of Madawaska Valley by thanking the township operations staff for their work in clearing snow following the two recent significant snowfalls. “They do a fabulous job. It was a major storm, I think close to 70 centimetres and all our roads are in good shape.”
Council immediately entered into closed session and upon exiting, Chief Administrative Officer Suzanne Klatt read a resolution for the township to engage J. L. Richards, “to oversee the planning requirements and peer review for the zoning bylaw amendment for Hasanville.” Council approved the motion unanimously with Coun. Joseph Olsheski absent. Olsheski tendered his resignation from council Thursday afternoon.
Council removed three items from the consent agenda for further discussion.
The province, in the 2022 More Homes Built Faster Act included an amendment to the Ontario Heritage Act that changed the designation of municipal heritage properties. Previously, a municipality could designate a property within 90 days of a development application. The amendment only allows a municipality to designate a property within 90 days of a development application if was previously on the provincial register of historical sites. A municipality could not stop development on a historical property that was not already on the provincial register. Coun. Shelley Maika asked staff to develop a motion supporting a resolution from the Municipality of South Huron asking for the change to the Ontario Heritage Act to be reversed. Staff will bring a motion to a future council meeting.
“I think that’s very important,” Maika said. “I would hate to see important heritage structures or buildings torn down.”
Maika raised questions about the county council summary included in the agenda with respect to the roads rationalization study as part of the county Transportation Master Plan project. The Gazette reported in our Feb. 5 edition that the county received feedback from municipalities which was opposed to the downloading of further road responsibilities and asked that a new study be done using different criteria. The county agreed to do that study. Under the revised criteria, fewer roads would be downloaded to municipalities and more roads would be uploaded to the county. The roads in Madawaska Valley which were proposed to be downloaded previously would no longer be.
Klatt reminded council that the initial proposal was only a draft and the county was seeking input from the municipalities. Willmer and Klatt said township operations staff have participated in meetings and have been providing feedback to the county on the file regularly and will continue to do so.
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