WHITEWATER REGION — Whitewater Region council is moving forward with the second phase of the Community Improvement Plan following a public meeting held last Wednesday evening prior to the council meeting.
Phase 1, which was for villages and hamlets within the township, was approved earlier this year.
A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a planning tool that establishes a framework for achieving community improvements to rehabilitate and revitalize project areas; includes incentives to stimulate or encourage private and public sector investments; provides programs for municipal grants, loans and rebates for improvements; and requires municipal funding and community buy-in to be successful.
Marc Rivet, a senior planner with J. L. Richards & Associates Limited, and Tyler Duval, also a planner with the consultants, provided council with a power point presentation regarding Phase 2.
From the outset, the CIP was to be implemented throughout the entire Township of Whitewater Region, Mr. Rivet noted. An amendment will have to be made to the County of Renfrew Official Plan so that it’s not just hamlets and villages that can take advantage of the CIP.
The idea is that property owners can seek a 50 percent grant from the township up to a certain amount, which is approved by the proposed bylaw, to make improvements to their homes or properties. Phase 2 is for property owners who want to improve agricultural lands, septic system remediation, brownfield redevelopment and do water quality improvements.
The Planning Act allows municipalities to designate a Community Improvement Project Area by bylaw and prepare and adopt a CIP for this area.
Mr. Rivet reviewed the CIP tools and incentives, noting the grant amount cannot exceed $10,000 per property. Under the septic system improvement grant program, a grant can be applied for up to 50 percent of the eligible costs to a maximum of a grant of $7,000. In the cattle fencing grant program, the grant is for up to 50 percent of eligible costs up to $1,000.
Phase 2 CIP is expected to start in March 2019, with $30,000 being set aside in the budget, Mr. Rivet said. This amount can be reviewed each year and revised.
“It’s a work in progress,” Mr. Rivet said. “This is a first approach. It should be a very successful program. It’s a very proactive, very forward-thinking approach. Usually you see these types of programs for signage improvement and store font improvements. This is very pro-active and will be a model used in Ontario right now. There are not too many of this nature.”
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Tremblay said there are no examples in terms of water quality, but Prince Edward County has similar projects in value added agriculture.
“We would be the first in the province to support residents in support of septic,” CAO Tremblay said. “We’re encouraging people to look at their septics.”
In regards to the CIPs, CAO Tremblay noted Whitewater Region was late in providing a CIP for villages and hamlets, however, it is the leading force in agriculture and water quality improvements.
In answering a question from resident Donald Deer, if the 50 percent grant can be in-kind, or are invoices required, CAO Tremblay said invoices are required.
“They have to prove they did the work and show the proof of the costs incurred,” he said.
Mr. Deer also questioned if septic systems, which have an average life of 20 years, have to be inspected.
CAO Tremblay said that’s up to council to decide, noting there is no requirement for septic inspections.
Nel Rooney, township resident and business owner, was concerned that council was getting into loans.
Mr. Rivet said loans are a tool the municipal act has allowed councils the opportunity to use. However, he pointed out, Whitewater Region is only opting for grants, not loans.
Ms. Rooney also wanted assurances that the government is not telling the township to do this program and that once the work is completed, the property owner does not have to pay any money back to the township.
CAO Tremblay said council was encouraged to look at a variety of tools available to it to help with water quality, and that’s why Phase 2 of the CIP is being implemented.
As for paying back, he explained this is a grant program, and once the work is completed and the cheque has gone to the property owner, the file is closed. As for any paperwork that must be sent onto a provincial ministry, it would have had to be done even if the CIP grant wasn’t used, he explained.
Mr. Deer questioned if the cattle fencing program is only for cattle and if it’s only along streams. Mayor Hal Johnson said it’s for livestock in general and in sensitive areas, including direct access to water bodies.
Donna Burns said council is trying to force property owners to do improvements to their properties, of which council cannot do.
“I’m just trying to make you aware, I realize you have a lot to read and deal with,” she said. “I’m trying to share this information with you, because there’s a bigger picture here, and that’s to shut down rural Ontario. What I’m talking about, not just my property, it’s your property as well, your children’s property. The incentive is to remove us off our private property.
“I respectfully request you read (the information she provided),” she said. “Read it and educate yourself. The Canadian Institute of Planners…and the planners, sorry to say this, you are being used to do this,” she continued.
“Learn from it, because what is happening is about removing our property rights, and that’s what I’m concerned about, removing our freedom and our property rights, as well as yours.”
Mayor Johnson stressed that each land owner can apply, it’s their choice.
“It’s not that we don’t care,” he said. “We are putting this out with the idea that if we can help some people in our municipality move forward on their goals on their property with a grant that they apply for with no repercussions at all, then we feel we’re doing a good thing and it’s not going to cause anybody in this room to lose their land.”
Dave McGonegal, representing the Renfrew County Beef, questioned if the grant for cattle fencing is for anywhere on a property or is it restricted to environmentally sensitive areas.
CAO Tremblay said it’s only for direct access to water bodies.
He then asked if there is any other funding program that can be considered for fencing along township roadways. He noted at one time, townships used to assist with fencing along roadways. Currently, the provincial government will help with funding along major roadways and the county will help along county roads, Mr. McGonegal explained.
“Fences are being torn out, which may or may not be a good thing, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep cattle where they’re supposed to be and it’s difficult to get pasture, because fences aren’t looked after,” he said.
CAO Tremblay said staff can research on how the fencing program used to be done.
As for the next steps, CAO Tremblay said on Wednesday, May 2, the two bylaws regarding the CIP will be brought to council for discussion.
Mayor Johnson reiterated, “This is a program that we entered into to try and help some members of our community, to offer support to our landowners and community, and none of these things have ever been done in the past within Whitewater Region, so we brought it forward because we think it’s valuable to our residents, the ones who wish to participate in the program.”
