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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-05-12 Minutes Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington Meeting th Thursday,May 12,2016 Members Present:Elgin GreenhamBrenda Metcalf Les CaswellMary Ann Found Tom BarrieEric Bowman Ted WatsonJohn Cartwright Jenni Knox Regrets:Councillor Partner,Henry Zekveld,Don Rickard Guests:Paul Ruttan, Dave Keys, Melvin Ramcharitar, Blackbird and Dawnette Allen, MTO; Councillor Neal Staff:Faye Langmaidand Hana Drlda, Planning Services Brenda welcomed all to the meeting, with introductions. Adoption of Agenda 016-12Moved byEric Bowman,seconded byTom Barrie th “That theAgendaforMay 12,2016beadopted” Carried Approval of Minutes 016-13Moved byTed Watson,seconded byJohn Cartwright th “That the minutes of theApril 14,2016meeting be approved” Carried Construction of 407 and 418 Extend Highway 407 as a four-lane highway about 22 kilometers, from Harmony Road in Oshawa to Highway 35/115 in Clarington; Connect Highway 401 and Highway 407 with a 10-kilometre north-south, four- lane freeway numbered as Highway 418; Include freeway-to-freeway interchanges at Highway 401/Highway 418 and Highway 407/Highway 418; Include a freeway-to-freeway interchange at Highway 407/Highway 35/115; Include interchanges at: o Highway 407 at Enfield Road; o Highway 407 at Regional Road 57; o Highway 407 at Darlington Clarke Town Line; o Highway 418 at Highway 2; o Highway 418 at Taunton Road (partial interchange); and o Establish a supporting maintenance facility By late 2017, Highway 407 from Harmony Road to Taunton Road/Highway 418 will be open to traffic (Phase 2A). By late 2019, Highway 407 and Highway 418 will be open to traffic (Phase 2B). This Project will cost approximately $1.2 billion, which will include design, construction and Operations, Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Highway 407 and Highway 418 for 30 years after Phase 2A of the Project is open to traffic. This project is proceeding under Infrastructure Ontario’s Design, Build Finance and Maintain model. Highway 407 and Highway 418 will be owned by theGovernment of Ontario. Infrastructure Ontario selected Blackbird Infrastructure 407 GP in March, 2015 as the consortium to design, build, finance and maintain Highway 407 East Phase 2. At this point Blackbird is 90% complete in the design stages, the design is audited by an independent design firm and MTO. Earthworks havestarted within 11/2 months will be occurring in all phases. In Phase 2A 8 bridges are under construction another 10 bridges are required. Committee concerns:dust –the growing season is upon us and certain crops are much more vulnerable to dust than others. There needs to be sensitivityof the truck drivers about the crops and the impacts they are have on the adjacent crops. If calcium can be used in certain areas there should be consideration for the crops it could impact or assist. Accessing of all remnant parcels for agricultural equipment, needs to be sorted out between all of the various players. Fencing –for pasture lands has to be implemented immediately when fencing is cut. Along the Highwaynew fence wasto be page-wire not chain link, the Municipality was very clear that they wished to maintain rural character through Clarington. MTO should review commentsin the EA and item to be further discussed at MTAG. Signage on some of the detours is confusing, this needs to be widely and better communicated than just posting to thewebsite. th Agricultural Advisory Committee of ClaringtonMay12,2016 Business Arisingfrom Minutes Surplus Farm Dwelling Severance Policies; Durham Region staff have circulated their discussion paper for comments. Based on the comments from last meeting Don Rickard has been meeting with various politicians across the Region to express concern from the farmers’point of view with the recommendation to eliminate non-abutting severances. Don and others should keep informing Regional politicians of the concern with this shift in policy and the impacts it will have on the ability of local farmers to purchase land and expand their businesses. There will be a report from staff going to Clarington Council with Municipal comments on this policy recommendation in early June. Brenda will write a letter with comments from the Committee to Durham Region. Correspondence and Committee Reports Nominationsfor Agriculture Awards:Brenda clarified that the Spirit of Agriculture Award can go to any one, a business, organization, family or individual. Nominations are due in September. MPAC Assessments of Value-Added:Recent communication from MPAC on their review, new assessments will be out later this year, Mike Porporo from MPAC and one of his colleagues with expertise will come to August meeting to review which is in advance of the assessments being finalized. 4-Plan Review–Announced this week, Fayeprovided links via e-mail and the Open House that are being held locally are in Oshawa and Peterborough are on June 23 and 28 respectively. Staff will be reviewing and providing comments which are due in September. Suggested that the July meeting focus the 4-plan review. th Durham Agriculture Advisory Committee–September15is the DAAC tour. There will be tile drain installation and drone demonstrations. The event will be at the new Loa- de-Mede (Werry) farm and new Schillings farm. $77 million in road works annually in thth Durham is spent, this year RR57 between the 8and 9Concession is included. Durham Region Federation of Agriculture–Farm Connections, having wrap up meeting and beginning planning for next year.Mary Ann has been on day-time TVas follow-up. th Agriculture trailer is arriving next week, kiosk the week of May 27,will try of Brooklin Fair but not sure all will be ready. th Celebrate Agriculture Gala is scheduled for October 27at Royal Ashburn. Clarington Board of Trade-Donis nowthe Past President. Sheila represented agriculture very well this week at the Innovation Summit. As the largest economic sector it was disappointing that the Innovation in Agriculture that is employed across the Region to achieve this status was not well recognized by others. th Agricultural Advisory Committee of ClaringtonMay12,2016 NewBusiness 016-14Moved by Jennifer Knox, seconded by Tom Barrie The Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington thanks Council for its recognition of ArnotWotten, the first chair of the AACCanda well-respected agricultural leader in our community for his involvement and workto ensure the development of Enniskillen Fire Hallwhichsupportsthe rural community by renaming it as the ArnotWotten Fire Hall. Carried Farmers Parade of Lights, recently had wrap-up meeting from 2015, many lessons to be learned. It has been recommended that the route change and utilize RR57 rather than th travelling through Enniskillen and Haydon, it would still travel the 7over to Tyrone. Waiting from a response from Durham Region as to whether they will allow for closing down of RR57 for 1 ½ to 2 hours for the parade. Peterborough Exhibition–focus is shifting and will be more on agriculture than it has been for the past few years. Working to get back to the audience and type of fair it was many years ago, would also like to return to the Memorial Centre. th “did you know”–Faye will send time of Fire Hall renaming ceremony on May 14at 10:30 a.m. and also the video of John Conrad his role in the evacuation of Fort McMurray. Future Agendas Lisa Backus will attend in July to assist with understanding the 4-Plan review. Fire Chief on rehearsal for a forest fire inGanaraska Forest or Long Sault in October. Erin O’Toole MP and Kim Rudd MP will attendfuture meetings, when their schedule can accommodate. Faye to request tour of the Police Building and meeting with Police on bio-security, livestock issues, etc. Eric Bowman moved to Adjourn. Next Meeting,June 9th, 7:30p.m. Room 1C at Municipal Administrative Office Katie Wood is a local girl raised on aSimmental farm on Rice Lake, She has just left her job in Saskatchewan, and is with Universityof Guelph, she is a professorstudying on cow nutrition and the growth on itscalves. th Agricultural Advisory Committee of ClaringtonMay12,2016