Agnew urges Midland to consider joining conservation authority

DOUGLAS GLYNN Midland Free Press June 26, 2012

An environmentalist urged council Monday to consider joining a conservation authority.

In his appearance before council, Sandy Agnew noted the municipalities of Midland, Penetanguishene, and the townships of Tay, Tiny and Severn are not within lands regulated under the Conservation Authorities Act.

The municipalities, however, do belong to the nine-member, municipally-funded Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA), and Coun. Bob Jeffery, who chairs the SSEA, was quick to respond.

“Conservation authorities,” Jeffery said, are “outdated and costly.  We pay $42,000 to belong to the SSEA, which gets things done. If we joined a conservation authority, it would cost us $200,000.

Agnew replied that he would like to see a cost analysis to determine the real cost.

Agnew told council it makes sense to have a consistent approach across Simcoe County to have the environmental protection that a conservation authority could provide.

“Conservation authorities have the powers to protect streams, shorelines and wetlands,” he said. 

The SSEA, he pointed out, “is a municipal agency that has no legislated powers.

Coun. Pat File asked how it could be done.

Agnew said SSEA staff could be absorbed by a conservation authority.

Deputy Mayor Stephan Kramp served notice that he will introduce a motion at the July meeting that the Town of Midland seek co-operation with the other North Simcoe municipalities to hold a public forum in the fall of 2012 to examine the best options for environmental protection and enhancement in North Simcoe including the advantages/disadvantages and costs of becoming members of a conservation authority.

Agnew later explained in an interview that municipalities within lands regulated under the Conservation Authority Act are required to circulate municipal policy documents and planning and development applications, such as official plans and draft plans of subdivision applications, to the conservation authority for review and comment.

“There is no such requirement to submit municipal policy documents or other Planning Act applications to the SSEA for review and comment,” he said.