Council Highlights from the January 18, 2021 meeting

Council decides to maintain current ward boundaries for the next election

Clarington Council has voted to maintain the Municipality’s current four ward boundary system for the next election in 2022. In 2020, Municipal staff began a ward boundary review to ensure residents across the Municipality are fairly represented by their chosen elected officials on Clarington Council. An independent consulting firm was retained to assess Clarington’s ward boundaries, look at their strengths and weaknesses, conduct research, and consult with the public and identify potential alternate ward boundary options. The ward boundary review was founded on several key principles, including representation by population, population trends, community access and connections, geographical and topographical features, community and diversity of interest, and effective representation. Report LGS-002-21 outlines the ward boundary review process, while attachment 1 shows the results and proposed alternate ward boundary options. After careful review of each option, which would have changed electoral boundaries based on some of the key principles, Council has decided to maintain the current ward system.

Clarington to maintain an additional winter trail in Newcastle

During the provincewide COVID-19 shutdown, exercise is allowed and encouraged, and the Municipality is clearing more trails to enable our residents to enjoy the outdoors safely. Council has added a one-kilometre section of trail that the Municipality will maintain during the winter months. The maintained section of trail stretches through the Foster Creek Valley between Sunset Boulevard and Gusul Avenue in Newcastle.

The Municipality is also maintaining the following trails for public enjoyment this winter:

Bowmanville Valley 2000 Trail
Soper Creek Trail Bowmanville
Farewell Creek Trail Courtice

Read resolution GG-032-21.

Council adopts a new Municipal Law Enforcement Policy 

Clarington Council has adopted a new Municipal Law Enforcement Policy. The policy gives additional transparency to the enforcement process and reinforces the importance of accountability for all municipal enforcement staff. The document also sets out parameters for the interaction between Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and elected officials. The policy strives to ensure that all individuals who interact with Municipal Law Enforcement Officers will receive fair and consistent treatment.  

Read Report LGS-005-20.

Council approves a new Development Charges By-laws

Clarington Council has approved new Development Charges By-laws and corresponding Background study, which outlines the Municipality’s approved development-related capital program and approved development charges (DC) fee structure. The newly-approved By-laws include a municipal-wide fee structure and an area-specific fee structure for development in certain key nodes in Clarington such as the Industrial Park.

DCs are fees collected from developers at the time a building permit is issued to pay for the infrastructure costs required to provide municipal services to support new development, including roads, fire services, road maintenance and more. The Provincial Development Charges Act requires that municipalities adopt a new DC by-law every five years. Clarington’s new DC By-laws will come into effect as of January 18, 2021. The new municipal-wide fee structure calculated based on cost per unit for residential and non-residential development and based on annual indexing is:

Single and semi-detached dwelling - $21,461 per unit
Apartments: two bedrooms or more - $11,426 per unit
Apartments: bachelor and one-bedroom - $7,014 per unit
Other Multiples - $17,590 per unit
Industrial - $37.46 per square metres
Non-industrial - $107.3 per square metres

For more information and details on the DC By-Laws and Background Study, read report FSD-004-21.

Clarington is making some changes to parking and stopping to improve road safety

Clarington Council has signed off on some changes and updates to its Traffic and Parking By-law 2014-059. The changes were made throughout 2020 to respond to new development, construction and traffic patterns to improve safety.

Here’s what you need to know:

No stopping signs: will be in place in several areas, including Cove Road and Cedar Crest beach Road intersection. Restriction on stopping on King Lane at M.J. Hobbs School on the west side due to the school driveways, bus access, recent ditch work and future traffic signals at Taunton Road. Parents will be able to use the east side of King Lane as an additional drop-off and pickup area, which is more suitable for stopping. Residents will also see an adjustment in stopping areas on Parkway Crescent at St. Joseph Elementary School related to traffic. The changes include replacing some of the no stopping areas with no parking.

No parking areas: Staff will change the written restrictions to reflect the rules of no parking on Cove Road. Staff will also work on replacing some of the no stopping areas with no parking on Parkway Crescent at St. Joseph Elementary School because of school-related traffic. Port Darlington Road will see new no parking restrictions because of increased traffic at East Beach Park with visitors coming to enjoy the outdoor area during COVID-19. West Beach Road will also have additional parking restrictions due to increased traffic at West Beach Park.

New stop signs: Council has directed that staff install several new all-way stop intersections at George Reynolds Drive and Devondale Road; on Prestonvale at Robert Adams Drive and Phair Avenue. Another all-way stop will be installed at Yorkville Drive and Granville Drive. This was an area monitored by staff and identified as an intersection that needs additional safety measures.

Traffic speed limit changes: as directed by Council, the speed limit on Darlington Boulevard has been reduced to 40 km/h, and the speed limit on West Beach Road has been reduced to 20 km/h.

Read report PWD-001-21 to learn more about the changes to the Traffic and Parking By-law.

The next council meeting is Monday, February 8, 2021.