Council / Committee Meetings – Thursday, April 15, 2021

Regional Electric Vehicle Charging Network Strategy

The Corporate Services Committee approved the Memorandum of Understanding with Wellington County to establish an electric vehicle charging station network strategy. Wellington County is coordinating a grant application with a number of municipal governments to prepare a regional electric vehicle (EV) charging station network that will bridge the gap of charging infrastructure between Highway 401 and Lake Huron and Georgian Bay to the Bruce Peninsula. The plan will use a Tourism Lens to site the stations, promote rural tourism, and reduce ‘range anxiety’ commonly associated with EV owners and long trips. The Committee approved an amendment to the 2021 budget to increase external transfer expenses in Corporate Services department by $5,000 to be funded from the Tax Stabilization Reserve for the joint application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund.

Extending LTC Home Service Accountability Agreements

The Long Term Care Homes Committee of Management approved the Extension of the Long Term Care Home Service Accountability Agreements (L-SAA) between the South West Local Health Integration Network (SWLHIN) and Bruce County, for Brucelea Haven and Gateway Haven, for the period ending March 31, 2022. The purpose of the L-SAA is to define the contracted services, roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities of the parties in the provision of the long term care services within the homes.

Attending Nurse Practitioner Initiative

The Long Term Care Homes Committee of Management approved the funding agreement with the South West Local Health Integration Network (SWLHIN) for the Attending Nurse Practitioner in Long Term Care Homes Initiative. An allocation of $122,854 in annualized funding (2021/22) was approved to create an Attending Nurse Practitioner position whose services will be shared between Brucelea Haven (BLH) and Elgin Abbey Nursing Home in Chesley.

Farm Dwelling Severance in South Bruce

The Planning and Development Committee held a public meeting on and approved the severance of two surplus farm dwelling lots measuring 1.71 ha and 0.57 ha in size from a 40.46 ha agricultural parcel at Lot 30, Concession 3 (Carrick), in the Municipality of South Bruce. An amendment to the Official Plan is required to allow a third parcel to be created from an original Crown surveyed lot. This farm consolidation is strongly aligned with the Bruce County Guiding Principles on Agriculture. Farm consolidations improve the agricultural sector by enabling farms to become more efficient and better integrated and encourage alternative methods of production such as implementation of agri-environmental measures and good agricultural practices.

Lot Severance in Mildmay

The Planning and Development Committee held a public meeting on and approved the severance of a lot in the settlement area of Mildmay, which will be merged on title with an adjacent lot for business park purposes. The balance of the lands will be retained for future development and agricultural. In order for the lot to merge on title with the adjacent business, the original consent associated with the benefitting lot must be spoiled - this will be achieved by conveying a small portion of the benefitting lot to the retained property. The severance will make efficient use of land and infrastructure as these lands will be connected to full municipal servicing and will have access onto a municipal road.

Research on Additional Residential Units

The Plan the Bruce: Homes project has identified thirteen policy directions for consideration to increase the supply and mix of homes in Bruce County. One direction relates to policies that permit additional residential units in single-detached, semi-detached, and rowhouse dwellings, and in an ancillary building to these dwelling types. The Planning Act requires that Official Plans provide policies that permit additional residential units in these building types, subject to servicing considerations. Staff partnered with a team of students from the University of Guelph School of Rural Planning and Development to advance research and policy directions to reduce barriers to additional residential units in Bruce County. The Planning and Development Committee heard from the students’ delegation which highlighted their research findings.

New Kincardine Official Plan

The Planning and Development Committee approved the new Municipality of Kincardine Official Plan. The Updated Kincardine Official Plan includes several policy and mapping changes: Includes a Natural Heritage System, Updates to Land Use Schedule A - particularly the Natural Environment designation, Natural Heritage policies that permit development while protecting the environment, A Mixed-Use designation that permits both Commercial and Residential uses, Confirmation of that the existing urban boundaries can accommodate Kincardine’s anticipated growth, Clarification of servicing policies, and Updated secondary-suite policies in alignment with recent Provincial updates.

Initiation of Additional Residential Units Official Plan Amendment

The Planning and Development Committee authorized to initiate an Amendment to the County Official Plan to update the policies on Additional Residential Units. The current County Official Plan has policies for Secondary Suites which can be revised and updated to expand the opportunities for additional residential units. Recommended policy changes include redefining Secondary Suites as ‘Additional Residential Units’, broadening permission for additional residential units and garden suites to any designation where residential uses are permitted as a primary use, and more. A Public Meeting will be scheduled on this amendment at the appropriate time.

Bruce Innovates Foundational Hydrogen Infrastructure Feasibility Report

The Planning and Development Committee received the Bruce Innovates Foundational Hydrogen Infrastructure Feasibility Report and directed staff to share the report broadly with the energy sector and other interested stakeholders. The Committee also directed staff to promote Bruce County as a unique region with the economic profile, location, resources, readiness to build, and partners required to become a leader in clean hydrogen technology, research, and innovation. Staff will also advance conversations with the Nuclear Innovation Institute’s Centre for Next Generation Technologies to align efforts on the advancement of hydrogen in Bruce County.

Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership Settlement Strategy 2025

The Planning and Development Committee received the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership Settlement Strategy 2025 report and approved that the developed action plan be reported to County Council annually for information. Over the next four years, the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership Council will endeavour to create a prosperous and welcoming Grey Bruce, where everybody belongs - moving beyond settlement to inclusion. As a result, the region will be able to strengthen its position to attract newcomers and address labour force challenges felt across sectors by local businesses. The Grey-Bruce Local Immigration Strategy 2025 and its corresponding actions will help build a stronger regional economy into the future.

Travel and Tourism Training (T3) Accelerator

Bruce County is partnering with RTO7 and the Centre for Business and Economic Development in Collingwood to advance the Travel & Tourism Training (T3) Accelerator Program. The program supports tourism-based businesses addressing key challenges because of the adverse effects of the pandemic, including external factors related to operations, consumer confidence, and positioning for growth. The program focuses on those businesses that are looking to develop or expand by connecting them to sector experts who provide advice, coaching, and mentorship. Coaches offer support in the following ways: pivoting business model, sales and marketing, social media best practices, human resources and workforce development, product development and/or financial management. Applicants are ‘partnered’ with a coach who is an expert in the type of support they need. Bruce County’s role is to support and promote the T3 Program to the entrepreneurs they are working with through their Business to Bruce Consultations, as this is another ‘tool’ in our Business to Bruce toolbox. The T3 Accelerator Program aligns with the vision of the “Find Yourself in the Bruce County” Economic Development Plan and supports the Business to Bruce and Explore the Bruce Programs.

Weight Restricted Bridges on Local Roads

The Transportation and Environmental Services Committee approved that a by-law be introduced to restrict the weight of vehicles passing over County bridges on local roads. The Arran Township Shed Bridge near Invermay has been permanently closed and has been removed from the list of weight restricted bridges. The remaining weight restricted Bruce County bridges on local roads include 12th of Brant Bridge on Brant Concession 12, Watson’s Bridge on the Brant-Greenock Boundary, and Hay’s Bridge on the Bruce-Greenock Boundary.

2021 Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste Collection Program and Memorandum of Understanding with Local Municipalities

The Transportation and Environmental Services Committee approved the Memorandum of Understanding with local Municipalities for the Temporary Collection Events for Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste. Contractor Photech Environmental Services Inc. will undertake the collection, transportation, disposal, and/or recycling of the hazardous materials, with the contractor providing additional staff to unload attendee vehicles. Residents of Bruce County are encouraged to remove hazardous waste materials from their homes, garages, and basements and dispose of them in an environmentally safe manner. To assist with this cleanup effort, Bruce County will be hosting thirteen Household Hazardous Waste Collection events in designated locations across the County in 2021.

Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration Update

Bruce County has outlined a plan to ensure that the County meets the Ministry of Transportation’s Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) responsibilities in the future. The Transportation and Environmental Services Committee was recently provided with an update on actions completed, including: retaining Dynamic Transport Solutions who provided a “Carrier Safety Analysis”, hiring a Compliance Coordinator who has been involved with many updates, improving the process to track Hours of Service (HOS), improving documentation of the fleet maintenance program including preventative maintenance, improving process to receive, control, implement, document, and measure vehicle maintenance work, reviewing the system for CVOR documentation, and increasing the use of automated vehicle locators (AVL) to monitor the operator and vehicle performance.

Resurfacing the Gravel Section of West Road

Bruce County takes quick action to grade the 13.9 km gravel section of West Road and fill in holes, but this only lasts for a few weeks. The County resurfaces the road with new aggregate on a two-year cycle. A tar and chip surface would reduce the maintenance requirements and offer better rideability. The estimated cost for resurfacing is $1,000,000. After a detailed plan and estimates are developed, the project would be submitted as a capital project as part of the 2022 program and prioritized against the other capital road projects. Currently there is a project in progress to Rehabilitate and Reconstruct the West Road. Construction is unlikely to start for at least three years. The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA), the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Environmental Assessment (SON EA), as well as the design and specifications require completion prior to any rehabilitation. Due to the high estimated cost of the project ($6,000,000 or more) it is likely to be phased over three to four years. The paved section of the West Road is scheduled to be micro-surfaced in 2021. If tar and chip is applied to the gravel sections in 2022, it would improve the condition of the road and defer the urgency to rebuild or reconstruct the West Road by five to eight years.

Capital Projects Status Report - April 2021

The 2021 capital budget for the Transportation and Environmental Services Department is $11,790,401. Approximatively $3,250,000 is expected to be carried forward from previous years capital budgets. The following list provides a status update of capital projects for 2021:

• Cold in Place Recycling BR 3 and BR 4 east of Walkerton ($2,313,336)
• Micro Surfacing BR 2, 9, 19 and 29, West Road ($1,176,699)
• Widening and Rehabilitation BR 6East Mildmay to Grey Road 10 ($150,000)
• Cold in Place BR8, from BR 14 to Sauble Beach - Reduced scope, culvert replacements only, defer paving to 2022 ($205,708)
• Pulverize, pave and safety improvement at intersection BR 8 and 13 ($31,100)
• Replace Storm Sewer BR 15 Inverhuron ($35,000)
• BR 25 Improvements and BR 33 Realignment/New Construction. Phase 3 - BR 25 Bruce St to Goderich St - Reduced scope ($5,433,843), roundabout deferred to phase 4, property issues.
• BR 25 Improvements and BR 33 Realignment/New Construction. Phase 4 - BR 33- Ridge St to Hwy 21. - Increased scope, Over budget ($710,000) New property purchase added
• BR6 Teeswater Property settlement - Deferred from 2018 ($20,000)
• New Signage BR 12 Formosa - Revised scope, Over budget ($80,000)
• KIPP Trail Kincardine, Financial Contribution ($70,000)
• Reconstruction BR 30 Chesley ($46,000)
• Rehabilitate and Reconstruct West Road ($150,000)
• Luminaires BR 2 and BR 3 intersection - Deferred from 2018 ($35,000)
• Luminaires BR 8 and BR 14 intersection - Deferred from 2018 ($30,000)
• Land Purchases at Hwy 9 and BR 1 - Deferred from 2017 ($54,000)
• West Ridge Development Kincardine Phase 1 - Deferred from 2018 ($10,000)
• Replace Durham St Bridge, BR 4, Walkerton ($50,000)
• Replace Steffler Bridge, BR 12 North of Belmore - Under budget ($742,979)
• Replace Culvert BR 86 west of BR 7 ($230,500)
• Arran Township Shed Bridge, Invermay - New scope ($78,000).
• Oswald Bridge Replacement - Deferred from 2020 ($25,000)
• Repair Blackwell Bridge BR 23 ($742,000)
• Construction New McCurdy Bridge ($12,000)
• Replace Superstructure Reid Bridge, BR 6, West of Teeswater Deferred from 2020 On scope Under budget ($1,290,000)
• Replace Teeswater River Bridge BR 3 Paisley ($200,000)
• Repair Culvert BR 86 Lucknow east of Havelock St ($6,500)
• Repair Saugeen River Bridge BR 4 West of Hanover, financial contribution only (364,000)
• Resurface the Rail Trail between Walkerton and Mildmay ($100,000)
• Expand the facilities at the Walkerton Yard ($75,000 is budgeted to develop the needs and options).

This publication identifies highlights from recent Bruce County Council and Committee meetings. Bruce County’s Office of the CAO maintains complete agendas and minutes from all Council and Committee meetings, which can be reviewed at www.brucecounty.on.ca/government/agendas-and-minutes