Council amendments to the structure of Planning and Development Committee meetings that went into effect January 1 make public consultation and Council deliberation separate stages in a new, two-part planning process.

But other changes mean opportunities for  public consultation are diminishing. Municipal staff will no longer host Public Information Centres. These will be held only at the discretion of the developer. 

CAO Marcia Wallace said the move was intended to distinguish between PICs and the Statutory Public Meeting convened by the Planning and Development Committee. 

Not all councillors attend the staff-led Public Information meetings, meaning many public comments are heard for the first time at the decision meeting. For those who did attend, the process feels repetitive.

“The confluence of all that is what we’re trying to untangle,” said Ms. Wallace.

But in the absence of staff-led PICs, the municipality does not have the authority to make development-led PICs mandatory. That means less public consultation around new development proposals.

But Councillor John Hirsch warned that a developer who chooses not to invite the public to a public information meeting would do so “at their own peril.” Such meetings are important in creating community support for new projects.

The new two-step approval process at Planning separates the Statutory Public Meeting from the debate over approval, which will now happen at a later meeting. 

As Ms. Wallace noted, holding an approval vote on the same night as the Statutory Public Meeting resulted in “staff and developers answering questions on the fly.” 

Ford’s Bill 185 prevents residents and environmental advocates from challenging municipal decisions at the OLT.
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“The County should do more to foster third-party engagement in the planning process, to restore some of the power Bill 185 strips from the public”
—Paula Peel

Statutory Public Meetings will continue to include a ten-minute presentation from the applicant, followed by comments from members of the public of up to five minutes each.

By the time of the decision meeting, staff will have been able to prepare a detailed report on the application, including public comments and the applicant’s  responses. 

Deputy Clerk Becky O’Hara said “separating the Statutory Public Meeting from the decision meeting gives the opportunity for questions and answers prior to decision by the committee and alleviates any perceived pressure in the decision process from committee members.”

The final amendment is the removal of the Consent Agenda from the application approval process. 

This is another move aimed at creating more clarity. The Consent Agenda, which groups already approved items into a single ratification, or “consent,” motion, can create confusion over whether a particular item has been passed, and when the appropriate time to comment may be. 

“Consent agendas can save time, they can also waste time,” said Councillor Kate MacNaughton. 

But it also means another opportunity for public comment — and, perhaps, revision — has been removed.

Paula Peel, in a comment from the audience, said the changes do not promote either public engagement or transparency. 

“The public should be the starting point when proposing to change by-laws, not an afterthought in the form of a public service announcement or as an item on the next Planning Committee’s agenda,” Ms. Peel said.

Bill 185: “Cutting Red Tape”

Fewer opportunities for public consultation are in part the result of Premier Ford’s Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, in effect since June 2024. 

The Bill restricts third-party appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal. With very few exceptions, only the developers directly involved or the Minister may appeal municipal council decisions to the Tribunal.

Neighbours and residents, environmental advocates, and other special interest groups can no longer challenge municipal development decisions.

Ms. Peel said the County should do more to foster third-party engagement during the planning process, to restore some of the power Bill 185 strips from the public. 

“Some municipalities have mediation or negotiation processes to address unresolved concerns and conflicts before final decisions are made. I would ask this Committee to be open to these and other possibilities,” she said. 

Bill 185 also removes the ability for municipalities to impose a mandatory pre-consultation by-law, which leaves the pre-consultation by-law the County passed in 2023 unenforceable. 

Instead, the pre-consultation process, wherein the developer is guided by the municipality through application requirements, is now voluntary.