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The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

Regular, Monday, March 7, 2022 

Council Chambers and Electronic Participation, 6:00 PM

 

This Meeting of Council will be held in person at Council Chambers and electronically for the Members of Council. Due to capacity limits due to the COVID-19 pandemic the public can only participate electronically.

 

 This Meeting may be viewed online at www.stcatharines.ca/youtube

 

Public Comments: The public may submit comments regarding agenda matters to the Office of the City Clerk by contacting [email protected] by Monday, March 7, 2022 before Noon. Comments submitted will be considered as public information and entered into public record.

 

Electronic Delegations: Those wishing to speak to an item on the agenda must complete the City’s Electronic Delegation Form by Monday, March 7, 2022 before 9:00 a.m. and attend a test session with City staff on Monday, March 7, 2022

at 10:00 a.m.

 

His Worship Mayor Walter Sendzik takes the Chair and opens the meeting with a Land Acknowledgement

 

 

 

1.

Mayor's Report

 

 

 

2.

Adoption of the Agenda

 

 

 

3.

Adoption of the Minutes

 

 

 

3.1

Regular Council, minutes of February 28, 2022.

 

[Addenda]

 

 

4.

Declarations of Interest

 

 

 

5.

Motion to Move Consent Reports

Consent Reports are approved in one motion which approves all of the recommendations contained in each report. Prior to this motion, a councillor may request that one or more of the reports listed under Item 6 be moved to the list of Discussion Reports.

 

 

 

6.

Consent Reports

 

 

 

6.1

Financial Management Services

2021 Development Charges Treasurer’s Statement

Report FMS-024-2022

 

 

 

 

6.2

Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk

Annual Report – Animal Control & Licensing Services

(Item removed from agenda)

 

 

 

 

6.3

Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk

Council Correspondence

Report LCS-033-2022

1 - Support for City Council's Motion - re. Acts of Violence, Harassment & Intimidation against Elected Officials and Government Employees

2 - AMO Watchfile - February 24, 2022

3 - Ontario Farmland Trust – re. 2022 Farmland Forum

4 - Outstanding Reports List

 

 

 

7.

Public Meetings

 

 

 

8.

Presentations

 

 

 

8.1

St. Catharines Downtown Association

Update from Rachel Braithwaite, Executive Director, St. Catharines Downtown Association

 

 

 

9.

Discussion Reports

 

 

 

9.1

Planning and Building Services

Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force

(Item removed from agenda)

 

[Addenda]

 

 

10.

Motions

 

 

 

10.1

Minister's Zoning Order

Councillor Kushner will present the following motion:

WHEREAS section 2 of the Planning Act sets out matters of Provincial interest which includes, but are not limited to:

         The adequate provision and efficient use of transportation systems;

         The orderly development of safe and healthy communities;

         The adequate provision of employment opportunities; and

         The appropriate location of growth and development; and

WHEREAS the Province’s Places to Grow Growth Plan directs municipalities to protect for population and employment growth targets; and

WHEREAS the City of St. Catharines undertook a land needs assessment to bring the City’s Official Plan into conformity with the Province’s Growth Plan which culminated in the approval of Official Plan Amendment No. 26 in November 2020; and

WHEREAS Official Plan Amendment No. 26 was approved by Niagara Regional Council in March 2021; and

WHEREAS the entirety of Official Plan Amendment No. 26 was unfairly appealed by a single landowner in April 2021 when instead the landowner had the opportunity to appeal only their property; and

WHEREAS the appeal of the entire Official Plan Amendment No. 26 has resulted in delays to the construction of two long term care facilities and a 55 acre brownfield remediation project in anticipation of a mixed-use residential commercial development; and

WHEREAS in October 2021, the City of St. Catharines requested the application of a Minister’s Zoning Order to re-affirm the employment use of 406 Lakeshore Road to support the provision of employment lands and the future expansion of Welland Canal marine and shipping functions; and

WHEREAS to-date the Ontario Land Tribunal has not issued a decision on four motions filed by cooperating parties against the appellant to scope the appeal to the appellant’s property only thereby postponing projects that are matters of Provincial interest and strategic importance to the City; and

WHEREAS it as been 15 months since the City of St. Catharines brought their Official Plan into conformity with matters of Provincial interest, including the Growth Plan to protect for and secure population growth, employment, and housing amid a housing and affordability crisis; and

WHEREAS these excessive delays are detrimental to these matters of Provincial interest but are entirely in the control of the Provincial government to expedite;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the City of St. Catharines requests that the Minister of Municipal Affairs issue a Minister’s Zoning Order on 406 Lakeshore Road as requested in October 2021 to protect employment lands and to allow other matters of Provincial interest to advance and furthermore

BE IT RESOLVED THAT if an MZO is not issued by March 15, 2022, a City Task Force be established to bring public attention to the lack of action by the Provincial Government in not supporting the unanimous decision by the City and Regional Governments to provide much needed housing and to protect employment lands which are of Provincial and Federal significance.

 

 

 

11.

Call for Notices of Motion

 

 

 

12.

Report Requests

 

 

 

13.

Committee and Task Force Minutes

 

 

 

13.1

Minutes to Receive:

         Accessibility Advisory Committee, meeting of October 27, 2021, November 24, 2021 and January 26, 2022

         Environmental Sustainability Committee, meeting of February 23, 2022

 

[Addenda]

 

 

14.

Closed Session

Council will meet in Closed Session for the following purpose(s):

 

 

 

14.1

Legal and Clerks Services, Director

Legal Services Annual Litigation Report – 2021

(Closed session report pursuant to By-law 2021-124, Section H3.(1), Litigation or Potential Litigation, including matters before Administrative Tribunals, Affecting the Municipality or Local Board)

 

 

 

15.

Motion Arising from Closed Session

 

 

 

16.

By-laws

 

 

 

16.1

Reading of By-laws

By-law List

 

[Addenda]

 

 

17.

Adjournment