Council Highlights from the December 13, 2021 Meeting

Clarington Fire presents a Master Fire Plan developed to assist the organizations to better serve the community

Clarington Emergency and Fire Services (CEFS) has a new strategic document - a Master Fire Plan developed by an external consultant. The Master Fire Plan looks at the organizational structure, service delivery and suggests improvements where necessary. The plan focuses on a business approach for CEFS and recommends some internal staffing restructuring. The proposed restructuring would allow Clarington's Platoon Chiefs to take on the daily management and operational role within the Fire Department to free up the Fire Chief and Deputies to work on strategic initiatives and develop business plans. The plan recommends additional staffing to help accomplish this change, as well as increased training for both career and volunteer firefighters. The plan also shows a decline in fires across the Municipality and recommends a shift in focus to a prevention and education-based approach as a proactive way to protect the community. Like any business plan, the Master Fire Plan also proposes measuring outcomes and achievements. The plan was received by Council.

View report ESD-004-21 and the Master Fire Plan for more information.

Council votes to preserve the red oak tree on Beech Avenue

Work will begin as soon as possible to preserve a red oak tree on Beech Avenue believed to be between 150 and 200 years old. The tree needs some maintenance and ongoing work to improve safety from the heavy limbs. The work will involve pruning to reduce the size of the crown on the tree. A system of cables will also be installed to support the heavy tree limbs. The tree will also undergo deep root fertilization to ensure that the roots get the proper amount of nutrients needed to maintain the health of the oak tree. Staff will continue to inspect and maintain the tree annually.

Read report PWD-030-21 for more information.

Playground near you may be getting an upgrade in the next five years

Clarington Council has approved a proposed five-year work plan to improve and enhance numerous playgrounds across the Municipality. In the plan, some 19 playgrounds across the Municipality have been slated for upgrades and improvements, including replacement of play equipment, splash pads, play surfaces and shelters. Over the fall and summer, staff in the Public Works Department inspected Clarington's 62 playgrounds to evaluate their overall conditions, age of the equipment, accessibility, character of the neighbourhood, and looked specifically at making suitable enhancements to the playgrounds based on how they are used. Staff assessed walkways, shelters, benches and garbage receptacles, hard surface sports courts, and fields. Staff took a holistic approach when recommending upgrades by looking at all the park features so that any proposed work can be done simultaneously, minimizing the disruption to the community and costs.

Read report PWD-031-21, for a complete list of playgrounds slated for improvement.

Spend your winter walking Clarington's trails as the Municipality commits to clear snow and ice from certain paths

Residents will be able to enjoy walking nearly eight kilometres of trails during the winter months as Council approves snow and ice clearing operations. Certain portions of the following trails will be cleared during the winter months: Farewell Creek Trail, Bowmanville Valley Trail, Soper Creek Valley Trail, Newcastle Lions Trail and Samuel Wilmot Nature Valley Trail. Additionally, Council has committed to clearing a 1.6-kilometre portion of the Waterfront Trail along Lakebreeze Drive in Newcastle. The cost to clear the approved 9.4-kilometres of trail is approximately $71,000 and will be contracted out. Clarington continues to enhance its winter maintenance services, recognizing that during the COVID-19 pandemic, residents need access to outdoor recreational space year-round.

Read report PWD-032-21 for details on which trail portions will be maintained.

Sidewalk snow clearing – Clarington adds 49 locations to the list

In response to feedback gathered from over 40 residents, staff in the Public Works Department evaluated sidewalk snow clearing practices and will now add 49 locations across the Municipality to overall winter clearing operations. The identified locations will enhance Clarington's services in some core areas across the Municipality.

For more information, read report PWD-034-21.

A future plan for parks is in the works

Clarington will prepare a Parks Master Plan for the portion of the Bowmanville Zoo Lands now owned by the Municipality. The master plan will take the whole neighbourhood and planned future development into account when looking at what recreational facilities and amenities are best suited for the area. It will consider potentially including a skating trail as requested by Council. Staff will develop the master plan and associated costs over the next year and provide an update for Council in October 2022.

For more information, read resolution GG-524-21.

Going Green: Clarington eliminates Recreation & Leisure Guide and replaces it with expanded social media marketing and promotion

Some exciting changes are coming as the Municipality continues to reduce our environmental footprint by stopping the printing, production and mass distribution of the Recreation and Leisure Guide. Instead, residents can expect updated, fresh, and interactive social media marketing and advertising across various platforms to promote Clarington's highly popular seasonal recreational programs, activities, camps, and so much more. We continue to evolve our planning and communications to ensure that residents can preview new programs and activities each session three weeks in advance of registration. It allows participants to pre-plan family activities and create a wish list ready for booking. Clarington continues to upgrade the online booking and search system to make it more intuitive and customer friendly. The Municipality will also leverage existing publications approved by Council, namely the newly launched 'What's Up in Clarington' quarterly newsletter to promote our new recreation sessions and programming. Clarington will also post any program updates and ask partners in our Community Halls to share our posters and materials to get the word out about program registration. The Municipality has developed a large social media footprint, working alongside many online community groups who support Clarington's communications initiatives. Using a combination of traditional advertising, online and social marketing, and posters and flyers, the Municipality will ensure that new programs are promoted widely, saving nearly $60,000 annually in printing and distribution costs while simultaneously saving the environment from the paper waste incurred.

Read report CSD-008-21 for more information.

Veteran's Square: Clarington changes the name of the cenotaph area outside Municipal Town Hall

To honour the contributions of local veterans and war heroes, the Municipality is changing the name of the cenotaph and civic square area outside of the Municipal Administrative Centre (Town Hall – located at 40 Temperance Street) to Veteran's Square. Each year, the site is the centre of the Remembrance Day ceremonies. The name change recognizes the contributions made by the Clarington men and women who have served in Canada's Armed Forces protecting our freedoms.

Read resolution GG-531-21 for the details.

Development of a Rural Zoning By-law is underway without natural heritage system mapping

Clarington will continue work on the Rural Phase of the Municipality’s Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review Project. The second draft of the Zoning By-law was presented to Council and deliberated on during their December 13, 2021, meeting. The protection of the natural heritage system has been in question as the Municipality balances its legal obligation to follow Provincial regulation and the needs of rural residents who want to have the option to build and construct on their lands. As a result, Council has requested the Province to stop all updates of the natural heritage system designations in official plans and zoning by-laws, pending a full provincial review of the natural heritage systems and corresponding mapping from numerous sources, which is considered overlapping between the different authorities. Currently, land use regulations in Ontario are set out by different agencies that map natural heritage systems, including the Province, Conservation Authorities and Regions and local municipalities. Council believes that this mapping does not accurately depict the natural heritage systems and can negatively impact rural property owners and farmers. Following this decision, Clarington staff will stop working on the natural heritage system mapping and regulations in the rural areas until the Municipality hears from the Province.

Overall the work involved in the Zoning By-law Amendment for the rural areas will continue looking at zoning for recreation vehicle storage, on-farm diversified uses, on-farm special event venues and other rural zoning matters. An extensive public consultation process, including open houses, communications and website updates and social media to engage landowners will continue throughout the process.

Clarington staff is preparing a project information sheet that will be mailed to all property owners in the rural areas. The information sheet will also contain updates on Envision Durham, the Region of Durham's Municipal Comprehensive Review of its Official Plan.

Visit Zone Clarington for more information on the Municipality's zoning project and all relevant information.

Clarington creates a new vision for economic development

As the Municipality grows, the critical work of supporting the economy by attracting new businesses and investment in Clarington continues. To that end, Clarington is amending how this work will be done - new business attraction will be handled by the Municipality's Planning and Development Services Department through the work of an Economic Development Coordinator. That newly created position will be filled in the new year and has been budgeted. In the meantime, the dedicated staff at Clarington Board of Trade and Office of Economic Development (CBOT) will continue the integral work of supporting the existing business community with their current needs and help facilitate future expansion opportunities. This new model for economic development services was developed with the help of a consultant. A new contract will be drawn up with CBOT to help cover their work and will be managed through Planning Services. The contract will provide Municipal funding to CBOT in the amount of $325,000 for 2022 and $300,000 in 2023. The contract includes a business retention and expansion plan that CBOT will develop with Municipal staff and submit in April 2022. It will contain a list of mutually agreed-upon deliverables and key measurables.

Read report CAO-012-21 for more information.

Council approves a plan for the development and preservation of Camp 30 area

Clarington Council has adopted Official Plan amendment 121 that outlines the future development for lands known as Special Policy Area F, which encompass the historically and culturally significant Camp 30. Alongside the planning amendment, the Municipality has also negotiated an agreement with the landowner transferring the ownership of the historically significant Cafeteria Building, part of the Camp 30 property. The agreement includes future plans for the transfer of ownership of the remaining heritage buildings and large portions of the property that have been identified as environmentally sensitive. The rest of the land will see a combination of low, medium to high-density development based on location as set out in the Official Plan amendment. Camp 30 is the former Boys Training School - a nationally and locally designated heritage resource made up of buildings and the Ring Road which surrounds them. The former campus area will be designated as a future Municipal Wide Park so that the entire community can enjoy the green space. The Camp 30 buildings will eventually be repurposed and refurbished so that the community can walk in the footsteps of history and experience this significant area.

Official Plan Amendment 121 combines the approved vision for the design of the Municipal Park Lands, including planned green space and public recreation amenities with environmental protection and future growth and development for the area creating a well-balanced community.

In 2013, Camp 30 was designated as a National Historic Site. It initially opened in 1925 as a training school for delinquent boys. During the Second World War, it was used by the Allies as a prisoner of war camp for captured high-ranking German officers. It is the only known PoW Camp left in Canada, with original buildings dating back to that era. Council designated the site in 2018 under the Ontario Heritage Act. The Jury Lands Foundation was established to conserve the buildings and the heritage of the site.

Read report PDS-044-21, resolution PD-266-21 and By-law 2021-096 for more details.

Paving a path for affordable housing: Clarington expands permissions for additional dwelling units

Council has passed Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments to increase permission allowing more additional dwelling units (ADUs), also known as secondary suites, in-law suites, basement apartments and in-house apartments on properties. This will help to increase the inventory of available housing and rental housing in the Municipality. Under the expanded permissions and subject to conditions, an additional dwelling unit will be permitted within a home, and another will be allowed within a detached structure, such as a garage, on the same property. These ADUs will be allowed in urban and rural areas, with restrictions imposed on properties within the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Greenbelt. However, Council has directed staff to ask the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to review the restrictions imposed on properties within the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Greenbelt and ease those if possible. Under the new by-law, any additional dwelling units will have to be registered with the Municipality. These new permissions support the recommendations made within Clarington's Affordable Housing Toolkit, an overarching policy to support affordable housing for people of various income levels and seniors. The Toolkit was developed in 2019 with the assistance of Clarington's Task Force on Affordable Housing and was the first of its kind in Durham Region.

For more information, read Report PDS-055-21.

 The next Council Meeting is on Monday, January 24, 2022.