Council Highlights from the March 1, 2021 meeting

New Clarington plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contains 115 actions to respond to climate change

Clarington Council has approved the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan (CCCAP) to prepare for climate change and reduce the negative impact Municipal service delivery may have on the environment. The CCCAP outlines over one hundred actions the Municipality can take to respond to climate change while adapting services and operations to minimize climate risks. It also sets targets to reduce corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Action Plan was developed in collaboration with some 70 staff members from different departments, working to identify climate change risks to Municipal services and operations. The CCCAP contains 115 specific actions that the Municipality can take to adapt corporate assets, operations, and services to limit the negative impacts of climate change and reduce GHG emissions. All actions in the plan have been identified by staff as achievable and within Municipal control.

The actions within the CCCAP work to achieve seven goals:

1. Reduce corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributing to climate change
2. Maintain public and workplace health and safety
3. Minimize risks to buildings and properties
4. Strengthen the resilience of Municipal infrastructure
5. Protect ecosystems and biodiversity
6. Minimize disruption to corporate operations and services
7. Build community resilience

The Action Plan also sets a target to reduce corporate GHG emissions to 35 per cent below the 2018 baseline levels by 2030. It also aims to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Read the Action Plan for more information.

Durham Region transfers several roads to the Municipality

Following a region-wide road rationalization study, the Region of Durham is transferring the segment of Main Street in Orono (also known as Regional Road 17) to Municipal control. The road segment spans from Winter Road to Taunton Road. In return, Clarington will transfer two road segments to the Region: the first is Holt Road from Highway 401 to Highway 2, and the second is Boundary Road from Highway 35 to Highway 115. The road rationalization process looks at several criteria for roads when

assessing the role and hierarchy within the whole transportation network. Both the Region and local Municipality weigh the criteria out when determining who will be responsible for providing services to each road segment. The road transfer process is expected to be completed by spring 2022.

Read report PWD-012-21.

Council approves a plot of land for Newcastle Community Garden

Newcastle will soon have a community garden. Council voted to establish a community garden on the open space located at 1780 Rudell Road, between the Diane Hamre Recreation Complex and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School. The plot of land will accommodate approximately 70 individual garden beds. The Municipality will sign a memorandum of agreement with the local garden association, allowing those interested residents who do not have access to an outdoor space to grow vegetables and plant flowers.

The Newcastle Community Garden will join Clarington’s two existing gardens, the Bowmanville Garden Allotments located on Haines Street south of Highway 2, and the Liberty Allotment Gardens on Liberty Street south of Baseline Road in Bowmanville. More than 50 residents have expressed interest in establishing a garden in Newcastle.

For more information, read report PWD-014-21.

Clarington extends its annual temporary parking pass to 14 days per year per vehicle

A popular Clarington temporary on-street parking pass program has been extended to 14 days a year for each vehicle. This program is widely used by residents who need more parking spots. This is a temporary solution for those residents with visitors or family staying. Residents and visitors can apply for a temporary on-street parking pass for up to 14 days per vehicle. The passes cannot be used during a winter storm when all residents must remove vehicles parked on the road to accommodate snow clearing operations. Residents can apply for a temporary parking pass online.

For more information, read report LGS-011-21.