Council In Brief - February 13, 2020

Feb 18th, 2020
By rwhelan
gavel

For February 13, 2020

Upcoming Meetings

Upcoming committee meetings will be held on February 27, 2020 in at 55 Zina St, Orangeville in the Sutton Room at the following times:
Infrastructure & Environmental Services Committee –1 pm
General Government Services – 3 pm
Community Services/Dufferin Oaks/Museum Committee – 6:30 pm

Heart & Stroke Month Month: February 2020


Pictured above: Tom Reid, Chief Paramedic & Gary Staples, Deputy Chief Paramedic accepting the proclamation from Warden White.

Warden White proclaimed February as Heart and Stroke Month in the County of Dufferin.

Tom Reid, Chief Paramedic and Carly Jackson, Public Access Defibrillator Specialist, addressed Council with respect to Heart & Stroke month. Chief Reid, along with Heather LeBlanc, St. John’s Ambulance Service, presented the St. John Ambulance Life Saving Award to Hayden Pritchett, Stephanie Cochrane, Chris Bragger and John Neilson.
 
Warden White presented Good Business Awards to Jim and Lee-Anne Mohr, No Frills Orangeville and Jessie Tippling and Tyler Robins, Athlete Institute Mono for having the life saving AEDs.
 

Dufferin County Climate Change Collaborative (DC4)

On June 6, 2018, the County of Dufferin committed to acting on climate change and transitioning the community towards a low-carbon future by joining the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Program. Milestone two in the PCP framework is the establishment of carbon reduction targets. Milestone three follows in the creation of a Climate Action Plan, both on the corporate and community level, to reach the set targets. In preparation for these milestones in the community stream, the PCP requires a broad stakeholder group of sector experts to inform the process. The Municipal Climate Change Working Group (MCCWG), an existing group of staff representatives from Dufferin’s member municipalities, assisted in the development of a Terms of Reference for the Dufferin County Climate Change Collaborative. It is expected that the MCCWG will dissolve and be rolled into the creation of DC4. The Chair of the DC4 will be County of Dufferin’s Climate Change Coordinator.

Accessibility Advisory Committee

The Town of Orangeville and Dufferin County are establishing a Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee. This Committee will be managed by the Town, with County staff attending. Staff are working on a Terms of Reference for the Committee and further discussion on roles and responsibilities are ongoing.
 


Emergency Health Services Modernization


Paramedic services comprises part of a larger emergency health services system that includes Ministry of Health (Ministry) regulators and Ministry operated ambulance communications centres known as Central Ambulance Communication Centres (CACC’s). In 2001, the Ministry transferred responsibility for local paramedic services to upper and single tier municipalities. Since then, the County of Dufferin contracted services to Headwaters Health Care Centre to operate land ambulance service within the County of Dufferin.

On November 18, 2019, the Ministry released two discussion papers on the modernization of Emergency Health Services and Public Health that set the context and scope for the consultation process. A copy of the papers can be found here.

 

2020 Food For Thought Grants

The “Food For Thought” Grant (FFTG) program is funded by the County of Dufferin in support of registered charities or not–for-profit organizations who are providing Direct Food Services to individuals and families in Dufferin County. Direct Food Services are considered outcomes-based, innovative, food nourishing programs, food access programs, and nutrition education programs that assist in the reduction of poverty and provide services to residents of Dufferin County who are in need.
 
This year, the following organizations are receiving a Food For Thought Grant: Caledon Meals on Wheels, Children's Foundation of Guelph & Wellington, Orangeville Food Bank, Primrose Elementary School & the Shepherds Cupboard Food Bank Shelburne.

 

Tiny Homes & the Ontario Building Code


 

What is a Tiny Home?
The tiny home innovation guide defines a tiny home as - a “tiny home” is a small, private and self-contained dwelling unit with living and dining areas, with kitchen and bathroom facilities, with a sleeping area and intended for year-round use. 

The classification of a small residential building as a “tiny home” has helped broaden the populations view on what could be considered standard living.  The Ontario Building Code does not specifically address or define a “tiny home” but it does give definition of a dwelling unit and further gives us the minimum requirements for this use.
 
Where a municipal zoning by-law gives permissions or allowances for a “tiny home” design on a property or a group of “tiny homes” on a property that corresponds with the requirements of the Ontario Building Code the concept of a “tiny home” could be a viable option.

The full report can be found in the Committee agenda package here (Item #5).


Business Retention & Expansion Project:
Professional, Scientific & Technical Sector

Dufferin County Economic Development, in partnership with economic development functions at the Town of Orangeville and Town of Shelburne, completed a Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) study on the Professional, Scientific and Technical (PST) Sector in Dufferin over the course of 2019. BR+E projects are highlighted as “…core objectives of economic development programs”, in accordance with the Dufferin County Economic Development Strategy (2017, pg. 28). 

Overall, a total of 63 businesses in the PST Sector throughout the County were visited and participated in the Retention Survey created by OMAFRA, which asks questions about business information, business climate, future plans, business development, workforce and community development. 
Based on information collected throughout this project, the County along with the Town of Orangeville and Town of Shelburne have collectively analyzed the data and created complimentary reports and action plans for each of the three jurisdictions. 

To view the full report and action plan, please visit the Council Agenda package (Item #6.5).

 

NEW Building By-Law

Following the Public Meeting for consultation on the new Dufferin County's new Building By-Law, the new by-law was adopted by Council County on February 13, 2020. By-Law 2020-14 will come into effect on March 1, 2020 and the previous Building By-Law 2010-24 and all its amendments (2011-03, 2014-34, 2014-38 and 2015-42) are repealed. To view the new Building By-Law, please visit the agenda package here (Item #10 - By-Law 2020-14). All of our by-laws can be found on our website here.
 

Service Review - Project Launch & Discovery

The Chief Administrative Officer provided an update on the Service Delivery Review Project (SDR). Phase 2 of the SDR project is underway. Phase 2 will focus on gathering information both in person and through document collection to assess the current state of the in-scope services. This process will involve staff at each municipality and the County. The consultants plan to conduct on-site focus groups and interviews over the next several weeks. In addition, to staff engagement a project will be available on Join In Dufferin for members of the public. The first public survey will request residents to identify which of the services under review they have previously accessed and to rate their experience. Please visit https://joinindufferin.com/service-delivery-review to complete the survey.

 

The complete agenda and minutes from the February 13, 2020 County Council meeting will be available on the County website.

There will be a Public Meeting regarding the Dufferin County Official Plan on March 12, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the Town of Orangeville Council Chambers, 87 Broadway, Orangeville, ON followed by a regular meeting of Council.