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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-05-12p *** Subject to Advisory Committee Approval *** Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington Meeting Thursday, May 12, 2022 Members Present: Eric Bowman Henry Zekveld Brenda Metcalf John Cartwright Tom Barrie Don Rickard Councillor Zwart Regrets: Ben Eastman, Jordan McKay, Jennifer Knox, Ryan Cullen, Mitch Morawetz Staff: Amy Burke, Faye Langmaid - Planning & Development Services Guests: Tony Ricciardi, Public Works Department; Bonnie Wrightman, Clarington Board of Trade Observers: Allison Brown, Planning & Economic Development, Region of Durham; Karen Yellowlees, Durham Region Federation of Agriculture 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 022-012 Moved by Don Rickard, seconded by John Cartwright That the Agenda for May 12, 2022 be adopted. Carried Approval of Minutes 022-013 Moved by Brenda Metcalf, seconded by John Cartwright That the minutes of the April 14, 2022 meeting be approved. Carried Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington May 12, 2022 Presentation Local Agricultural Sector Data: Bonnie Wrightman, Manager of Business Development with the Clarington Board of Trade, presented the results of an agricultural sector economic profile recently compiled by the Durham Workforce Authority. The data set was compiled as a component of a larger initiative to understand aspects and trends of the local labour market in Durham. Agriculture is one of five sector profile reports that have been prepared. The full Durham Workforce Authority 2022 Data Walk is available at https:Hdurhamworkforceauthority.ca/. Bonnie noted that Durham is a leading agricultural community in southern Ontario, with 24% of all farm operations in the Greater Golden Horseshoe being situated in the region. She spoke to the diversity of food production, shared sector employment specifics, and spoke to the challenge faced by the sector to find qualified employees and how this effects the growth of local operations. The sector profile data will assist Durham Workforce Authority in identifying opportunities and community collaborations to overcome the labour market challenges being faced. CBOT will do a deeper dive into Clarington-specific agricultural sector data following release of the 2021 census information, later this year. Bonnie highlighted an initial release of overall 2021 Census of Agriculture information released by Statistics Canada on May 11, 2022. Committee members extended appreciation to the Clarington Board of Trade for the promotion and support given to local agriculture, in particular through business support and buy local promotion through the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 Capital Projects Update: Tony Ricciardi, Manager of Infrastructure in the Public Works Department, presented an overview of the rural area capital infrastructure projects planned for 2022. A range of planned projects, including road resurfacing, road rehabilitation/ reconstruction, culvert replacement, and roadside protection were highlighted. In addition, Tony reviewed the 2022 budgeted park upgrades within multiple rural hamlets, provided a brief update on on -going rural broadband actions, and reviewed the Municipality's site alteration requirements. Tony encouraged agricultural operators to reach out to Municipal Staff for assistance and to confirm when site alteration permits are and are not required and provided tips for reducing the risk of importing contaminated fill. In response to questions from the Committee, staff committed to circulating information on the new provincial requirements for the regulation of excess soil, and the Municipality's site alteration requirements. In addition, staff will relay questions raised regarding rural area ditch maintenance to Public Works for follow-up. Committee members expressed concern about some rural area ditches inadequately draining snowmelt and rain runoff due to maintenance issues. The result is interference with the tile drainage systems and delays in planting. Questions were raised regarding budget allocations and prioritization process for the rural roadside ditch maintenance program, and whether the Committee could play a role in supporting the identification of high need areas. Delegations None Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington May 12, 2022 Business Arising from Minutes Re -Opening Advisory Committee Meeting Format: The Committee discussed the future meeting format options provided by Staff at the April 14, 2022 meeting. It was determined that the June Committee meeting would return to in person. No decision was made with respect to future meetings. Don Rickard and Tom Barrie left the meeting and the remainder of the meeting proceeded without quorum. Envision Durham Alternative Land Needs Scenarios — Municipal Comments and Envision Durham Staff Recommendation: In advance of the meeting, staff circulated Municipal comments on the proposed Alternative Land Needs Scenarios (Report PDS- 021-22) and the Envision Durham Staff Recommendation Report (#P2022-P-11) considered by Regional Planning and Economic Development Committee on May 3, 2022. Staff provided an update on the decision of Regional Committee and the motion carried by DAAC at their May 10 meeting urging Regional Council to support Community Land Needs Scenario 5, requiring no expansion of urban boundaries. Staff advised the Committee that the recommendation of the Regional Planning & Economic Development Committee will be considered by Regional Council on May 25, 2022. Committee members restated previous concerns about lack of protection for agricultural lands and the small proportion of agricultural voices relative to the urban population in light of growth. Staff advised the Committee that in the absence of the population and employment targets, intensification targets and designated greenfield area targets allocated to each municipality, it is difficult to assess the potential implications of the Land Needs Scenarios on Clarington, and that Planning Staff will report back to the Committee on potential local impacts at a future date, once the municipal allocations have been released by the Region. 2022 Trees for Rural Roads Program: Staff shared the results of the 2022 Trees for Rural Roads Program with Committee members, which included the handout of 558 native trees to 35 rural landowners for planting along rural roads in Clarington. Correspondence, Council Items and Referrals None Liaison Reports Durham Agriculture Advisory Committee: The 2022 Annual Farm Tour is scheduled for September 15, 2022 at Sargent Family Dairy in Enniskillen. Tom had informed the committee of the position taken by DAAC on the Envision Durham Alternative Land Needs Scenarios. The next DAAC meeting is scheduled for June 14, 2022. Durham Region Federation of Agriculture: DRFA supports the Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee's resolution regarding the Envision Durham Alternative Land Needs Scenarios and is considering response options. Rural broadband and infrastructure including social infrastructure (e.g. schools and healthcare) are key topics of interest being discussion with local Provincial election candidates. Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington May 12, 2022 Durham Farm Connections: The 2022 Celebrate Agriculture Gala will take place on October 27, 2022 at the Port Perry Community Centre. DFC is looking for more rural participants for the Barn Quilt Trail and is open to exploring other rural options, such as community centres. The mobile exhibit is back on the road and attending numerous community events across Durham Region through the summer. Clarington Board of Trade: A transition back to in person events is underway; roundtables and focus groups to be announced in the near future. The Food at your Fingertips website is found at www.cbot.ca/eat, and showcases local restaurants, farm gate sales and businesses selling locally produced food. If you have comments or if information is missing, please let CBOT know (info(@cbot.ca). CBOT is launching the 6t' Annual Clarington Food Week August 14-21 st, promoting and encouraging the public to celebrate local food and producers. On -Farm Diversified Uses (OFDUs) Sub -Committee: No updates. New Business On -Farm Special Events Guidelines: A new information sheet providing guidelines on the requirements for On -Farm Special Events has been posted on the Development Guidelines webpage of the Municipal website (Resources section). It outlines the land use approvals and licencing processes, providing links to resources and application forms. Questions or comments on the information sheet can be sent to Amy Burke (aburke clarington.net). Tourism Update 2021: In advance of the meeting, staff circulated a copy of the 2021 Tourism Update (Report CSD-077-22) from the Community Services Department. The report highlights tourism initiatives for the past year, including agricultural and `buy local' events, and describes efforts to development measurement and metrics to assess the impact of local tourism campaigns. On behalf of the Community Services Department, the agricultural sector was encouraged to reach out to Clarington Tourism with questions and ideas relating to supporting local agri-tourism. The Committee indicated an interest to invite Clarington Tourism to present to the Committee in the fall on 2022 programming and future agricultural related initiatives. John Cartwright moved to adjourn. Next Meeting Thursday, June 9, 2022 @ 7:30 pm (Municipal Administrative Centre, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville — meeting room to be determined) Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington May 12, 2022