AWARE Simcoe board motion on public participation in Official Plan process

Motion approved by the AWARE Simcoe Board of Directors April 11 2013

WHEREAS Simcoe County’s Draft Modified Official Plan differs significantly from the proposed Official Plan that was the subject of public consultation in 2008 and

WHEREAS most of the changes were made through private negotiations between provincial and county officials that were not part of a public process and did not even involve county councillors and

WHEREAS there was no public debate among county councillors because of pressure of deadlines from Simcoe County Warden Cal Patterson and others to get the Draft Modified Official Plan before the Ontario Municipal Board and

WHEREAS on August 22 AWARE Simcoe and Environmental Defence submitted a petition to the County of Simcoe signed by 295 people that inter alia called on the county “to organize a series of public meetings and find out what Simcoe County residents want before finalizing a blueprint that will guide changes to land use at a time of unprecedented development pressure” and

WHEREAS Simcoe County Council voted against a motion in June 2012 by Penetanguishene Mayor Gerry Marshall to extend the comment period into the fall and

WHEREAS citizens were able to attend only one of two workshops held during the summer for municipal staff by the County of Simcoe on the Draft Modified Official Plan, because no public notice was given of the workshops and citizens only found out about them in time to attend the second, at which citizens were told they could ask no questions, make no comments and make no recording and 

WHEREAS AWARE Simcoe made a last-ditch effort in a Sept. 3 2012 letter to Simcoe County Council, pointing out the deficiencies in the public process, including the fact that the timing of the release of the Draft Modified Official Plan and the deadline for comment, during the summer months of July and August, made it very difficult for individuals and citizens’ groups to adequately review and provide comment and 

WHEREAS Simcoe County Council voted 16-11 against a motion proposed by Penetanguishene Mayor Gerry Marshall at the September council meeting that “staff be requested to organize two open houses before the end of October 2012, both to be scheduled on the same day, with one being held in the afternoon, and the second in the evening, for the purposes of collecting further public input on the draft Modified County of Simcoe Official Plan” and

WHEREAS, despite repeated pleas from within council and from the public the County of Simcoe has insisted that consultation undertaken on a different document five years ago is sufficient, and has chosen the expedient goal of getting its Draft Modified Official Plan before this board as soon as possible instead of taking the necessary time to ensure members of the public across the county are aware of the contents of this document and its implications 

BE IT RESOLVED that AWARE Simcoe respectfully requests Ontario Municipal Board chair Sylvia Sutherland to adjourn this hearing and order the Count of Simcoe to undertake whatever public consultation this honorable tribunal deems necessary.