Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-14Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington Meeting Thursday, April 14, 2022 Members Present: Eric Bowman Henry Zekveld Brenda Metcalf John Cartwright Tom Barrie Don Rickard Ryan Cullen Mitch Morawetz Councillor Zwart Regrets: Ben Eastman, Jordan McKay, Jennifer Knox Staff: Amy Burke, Faye Langmaid - Planning & Development Services Guests: None Observers: Stacey Jibb, Planning & Economic Development, Region of Durham Due to COVID 19 restrictions and to ensure social distancing, participation in the meeting was electronic (using Microsoft Teams) and by conference call. Eric welcomed all to the meeting, with introductions of Committee members. Declarations of Interest None Adoption of Agenda 022-010 Moved by Don Rickard, seconded by Henry Zekveld That the Agenda for April 14, 2022 be adopted. Carried Approval of Minutes 022-011 Moved by Brenda Metcalf, seconded by Tom Barrie That the minutes of the March 10, 2022 meeting be approved. Carried Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington April 14, 2022 Presentation None Delegations None Business Arising from Minutes Re -Opening Advisory Committee Meeting Format: With COVID restrictions beginning to lift, Staff updated the Committee that the Committee may be able resume in person meetings in June 2022. The Committee will have the option to hold in -person meetings, virtual meetings, or hybrid meetings, provided all prevailing public health restrictions are adhered to and the meetings remain open to the public. The Committee will discuss their preferred meeting format at the May AACC meeting. Rural Ash Tree Removal: In follow-up to the question raised at the March AACC meeting, Staff shared a brief update from Public Works regarding the rural roads ash tree removal program. With funding provided by Council in the 2022 budget, tendering for removal services is in progress. Tree removal locations will be determined by outstanding work orders, current inspections, and previous hazardous tree inspection activities. Hazardous roadside trees can be reported to Public Works by email (operation s(ab-clarington.net) or phone (905-263-2291). Correspondence, Council Items and Referrals Phase 2 Consultation on Urban River Valleys to Grow the Greenbelt: Notice of the launch of the next phase of consultation on Growing the Greenbelt was circulated to all prior to the meeting. Staff reviewed the Urban River Valley expansions proposed within Clarington, all of which are located within urban settlement area boundaries and are publicly owned lands. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is also seeking ideas for other Urban River Valley areas that could be considered for addition to the Greenbelt. Proposal details are found on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO 019-4485). Envision Durham — Land Needs Scenario Survey: Notice of the Envision Durham Land Needs Assessment Survey was circulated to all prior to the meeting. Staff explained the status of the land needs assessment work being undertaken by the Region of Durham as part of the Municipal Comprehensive Review, and the five scenarios for growth, expansion and development that have been released for comment. Once a land needs scenario has been selected, the next phase of the process is to determine the most appropriate "whitebelt" locations for settlement boundary expansions, if needed. Staff clarified that land needs have not been allocated to the local municipal level as of yet. A Staff Report providing comments on the Land Needs Assessment Scenarios will be considered by Planning & Development Committee on April 25, 2022. A copy of the Staff Report will be circulated to the Committee, once available. It was commented by a Committee member that farmers comprise approximately 2% of the population, so their contribution to the discussion Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington April 14, 2022 typically does not carry equal weight to non -farmers, if politicians only go on what they are hearing members of the public or development community. Liaison Reports Durham Agriculture Advisory Committee: The 2022 Annual Farm Tour is scheduled for September 15, 2022 at Sargent Family Dairy in Enniskillen. Registration details are not yet available but will have a limit on capacity. The So You Think You Want to Farm? workshop series hosted by the 5 County Agriculture EcDev Collaborative has seen significant interest (approximately 130 participants). The next DAAC meeting is scheduled for May 10, 2022. Durham Region Federation of Agriculture: Land Over Landings has marked the 50tn anniversary of expropriation of the Pickering Airport lands with an open letter in the Toronto Star. OFA is engaging in discussions with provincial election candidates. DRFA has formed a working group to prepare comments on Envision Durham's draft Regional Natural Heritage System mapping, prior to the May 2, 2022 comment deadline. Durham Farm Connections: The 2022 Celebrate Agriculture Gala will take place on October 27, 2022 at the Port Perry Community Centre. AACC member Ryan Cullen is on the awards committee and can be contacted for information about nominations. Clarington Board of Trade: No updates. On -Farm Diversified Uses (OFDUs) Sub -Committee: No updates. New Business Durham Agri -food Growth Plan: Committee members reflected on the Draft Durham Agricultural Action Plan 2021 — 2026 previously circulated by the Region of Durham and presented by Stacey Jibb and Allison Brown at the AACC's March meeting. The Committee considered the following three discussion questions posed by the Region: 1. Do the 11 Goal Areas make sense and align with the direction you see for the agri-food industry in Durham? 2. Are there any areas missing which you think the Ag Ec Dev team has a role in fulfilling? 3. Any areas listed which you don't believe should be a priority for the next 5 years? In addition to the comments and questions raised following the March presentation, the Committee offered the following comments for consideration by the Region: Overall, the AACC members acknowledged the action plan was well done; Potential additions to the plan raised by Committee members included action to support food security, and to preserve / maintain / integrate a degree of food production within urban areas. With respect to urban agriculture, the Committee acknowledged some of the potential challenges (e.g. movement of farm equipment in urban / near -urban settings) and potential opportunities (e.g. public education / awareness of where Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington April 14, 2022 food comes from). A less "traditional" approach to the large scale farming that can occur outside urban areas would be necessary for compatibility. Communicating implementation, and the need for monitoring and reporting was expressed. Region staff were in attendance to listen to the discussion and receive the additional comments. John Cartwright moved to adjourn. Next Meeting Thursday, May 12, 2022 @ 7:30 pm (Virtual Meeting) Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington April 14, 2022