[0:14] Yeah. Okay.

[0:37] respectfully we acknowledge the land on which the town of Bonfield is located.

[0:43] We pay our respects to the Alangquin people who are the tra traditional

[0:48] custodians of this planet, its natural resources and the

[0:53] surrounding local watersheds of the Ottawa and Ottawa

[0:58] rivers. We acknowledge the Albangquin's longstanding relationship with this

[1:06] territory which remains unseated. We acknowledge the traditional knowledge

[1:12] keepers of this land, culture and language. We are also

[1:18] respectfully acknowledge the presence of all indigenous peoples past and present

[1:25] as we commit to action, education, meaningful dialogue, and

[1:30] necessary change.

[1:48] I recognize

[2:37] I will turn it over to Mayor.

[2:43] I'd like to welcome everybody here tonight. It's very um good to see how

[2:48] many people have come out and how many people are interested in our community.

[2:54] Hopefully tonight that uh you'll get some answers and uh we have quite a long

[3:01] agenda. So I'll move on. So next we have I'm going to uh

[3:09] introduce Councelor Corbett, our deputy mayor. He um he's going to sleep on the

[3:16] municipal achievements and message about our

[3:20] community.

[3:43] Good evening everyone. Thank you for your worship and on behalf of the mayor

[3:47] and my fellow counselors, thank you for joining us tonight for our second town

[3:51] hall meeting in this term of council. Can everybody hear me? Okay. Check

[3:55] before

[4:03] [Music] we don't think I can see my notes

[4:07] anymore. Just my page. I did my best.

[4:12] So, it's great to see so many people here tonight. For the next few minutes,

[4:15] I'll be providing an update on some of the investments that bond taxpayers have

[4:19] made, share some of the successes we have had over the last year, and provide

[4:23] some context for a few of the topics we are

[4:27] discussing. During the election and for the last two years, we have heard from

[4:32] many constituents who have shared their perspectives and thoughts on how this

[4:35] municipality should move forward.

[4:40] As examples, we have heard that the municipality needs to be cleaned up and

[4:44] that we need to increase community pride. And we have heard that bylaws

[4:48] should be enforced consistently and equitably for everyone. But we have also

[4:52] heard that because we live in a small northern community that the municipality

[4:56] should leave people alone and that the people in Blondfield should be able to

[4:59] do whatever they want in their property. We've heard that it's taken too long to

[5:04] get things done, but we've also heard that we're making changes too fast.

[5:09] Another theme we've heard is that the township roads are in terrible shape and

[5:13] the community infrastructure is falling apart and it needs to be fixed. But

[5:17] we've also heard that the township should lower taxes and that there should

[5:20] be no user fees or permit fees. We've heard that people want municipality to

[5:25] run more like the business and people want a return on investment for their

[5:29] tax dollars. The next few slides will demonstrate how this the investments

[5:33] that we have made are done so considering both return on investment

[5:38] and by weighing the staggering infrastructure deficit we face as a

[5:42] municipality. In fact, did you know that our municipality has an immediate

[5:46] infrastructure deficit of $5 million and we only have a reserve savings of $1

[5:50] million? A strategic decision has been made to invest in our public works

[5:54] department so that we can accomplish more inhouse as opposed to contracting a

[5:59] This decision allows for more work to be completed each year at a cheaper rate

[6:03] than contracting out those [Music]

[6:11] services. As an example, in the past, the used to rent an excavator to perform

[6:16] work that needed to be done. Did you know that in 2023, the town of Rwanda

[6:21] rented an excavator at a cost of $1,950 per week to perform ditching

[6:26] work? It took seven weeks of rental costs to ditch Pine Lake Road. Then the

[6:31] equipment needed to be returned. This was not only a very costly run time per

[6:35] hour, it was also restrictive in the amount of work that could be completed

[6:39] due to only having the equipment for a few short weeks. In May 2024, the

[6:43] taxpayers purchased an excavator for $271,000. This investment allows the

[6:48] municipality to complete significantly more work each year by creating a

[6:52] multi-year public works operational plan. The municipality also purchased

[6:56] tobacco for $167,000. The return on investment or

[7:00] the business case was easy to make given that the old equipment was at the end of

[7:04] its life cycle and was costing a significant amount of money in repairs

[7:08] each year. We also knew that in order for these investments to be strategic

[7:12] that we wanted to support staff to receive proper training to ensure

[7:15] efficient and safe use of the equipment. And we also knew that we had to ensure

[7:19] that there is a rigorous maintenance schedule being followed to help get the

[7:23] full life expectancy from the equipment. As you can see in this slide,

[7:29] the public works department has used the new equipment to perform multiple

[7:32] ditching projects last year and there's more to come in 2025.

[7:39] So this is brushing work before and after in uh on line three. I know it's a

[7:44] bit hard to see because the slides not huge with the projector, but you can on

[7:49] the left not see the hydropoles and on the right you can see the hydroples. So

[7:53] did you know that in 2023 the municipalities spend just over $20,000

[7:58] to have an outside contractor perform brushing. The new equipment has also

[8:02] allowed us to invest in a few attachments such as a brushing which

[8:05] cost $47,000 a return on investment in less than 2.5

[8:11] years. Here's the list of programs that the public works department completed

[8:15] during the 2024 and again much more to come in 2025 and beyond.

[8:30] The municipality spent nearly $7,000 every year to have an outside contractor

[8:35] sweep the road to sand every spring. The municipality invested in a new sweeper

[8:40] attachment at the cost of $18,500, a return on investment in less

[8:44] than 2.5 years. Did you know that from July 2023 until

[8:51] July 2024, the landfield recorded a total of

[8:54] $35,67 bags of garbage, excluding trailer loads and free yard cleanup

[9:00] days. The municipality purchased a used compactor for $30,000 to help manage

[9:04] waste and significantly extend the life of our land, which is a big asset that

[9:09] our municipality may never be able to

[9:14] replace. The municipality has begun to invest in fixing our roads. Did you know

[9:19] that all five plers of line three south

[9:24] rece five plumbers of line three south received 4 in of gravel last summer and

[9:29] Maple Road also received new gravel? Additionally, 6 km of development road

[9:34] was pulverized allowing couple works to grade and apply calcium to to control

[9:38] dust. Did you know that we owned an ice

[9:44] resurfacer for our outdoor rink that had not been used in many years? Thanks to

[9:49] the public works department for fixing the ice service inhouse and providing

[9:52] some great ice for everyone to enjoy this year and many to come. These

[9:57] investments and equipment not only provide financial savings over time, but

[10:01] the impact is immediate with the increased capacity for improvement in

[10:04] our municipality. When I drive around our municipality, I can honestly say

[10:08] that I'm proud of the work a public public works crew have completed. They

[10:12] are stepping up in a big way. They have welldeserved pride in the work and it

[10:18] shows. This council was elected to make progress on behalf of the residents of

[10:22] Bont. And while it's clear that change can feel overwhelming, they recognize

[10:26] the tremendous amount of work that needs to be done just to catch up with current

[10:30] standards. In fact, there is gaps that we must address. Bond is going if Bond

[10:37] is going to grow in a way that meets the needs today and positions us for success

[10:41] tomorrow. As a few examples, did you know the fire establishing bylaw is 30

[10:46] years old and does not current does not meet current standards or that the user

[10:51] fees have been reviewed have not been reviewed in over 15 years leading to

[10:56] unfair distribution of taxes? Did you know that it's been 22 years since the

[11:01] last strategic plan was done for Bonfield? Or that there have been no key

[11:05] performance indicators developed to measure success or to ensure that

[11:09] taxpayers are getting value for their money. These are not issues exclusive to

[11:13] southern Ontario. These are real challenges here in Bonit and we take our

[11:17] responsibility seriously. We are working hard to ensure that Bont is not just

[11:22] keeping up but is in a strong position for the future. We owe it to our

[11:26] residents to bring things up to date, to create systems that work, and to ensure

[11:29] that our community thrives. In line with this, we we've

[11:34] taken steps to ensure that the new by clear and applicable. We want to clarify

[11:39] specific guidelines for property owners and to make sure that there is

[11:42] transparent and open communication channels for addressing concerns. We

[11:46] understand that implementing these changes can seem daunting. So, we are

[11:50] providing reasonable time frames for compliance while keeping fairness and

[11:53] integrity of the regulations intact. Tonight, we'll be talking about some of

[11:58] our new potential bylaws. These bylaws address various items including time

[12:02] camps, shipping containers as storage units, trailers on vacant properties,

[12:07] and short-term rentals.

[12:12] to ensure that we all have the same context when discussing some of the

[12:15] bylaws this evening. Did you know that hunt camps are not currently permitted

[12:18] within Bonfield? The proposed new bylaw we discussing tonight will allow them.

[12:24] Did you know that shipping containers for storage on your property is

[12:27] currently not permitted within Bonfield? The proposed new bywall we are

[12:30] discussing tonight will allow them. Did you know that additional dwelling units

[12:35] will expand the number of additional dwellings you can have on your property

[12:38] and that secondary dwelling units will go unchanged for the ROS zones? Did you

[12:44] know that RVs are currently not permitted on vacant property anywhere in

[12:48] the municipality? The draft bylaw we are discussing tonight will allow trailers

[12:52] on vacant property within parts of our community.

[12:57] For those of you who who say that we are moving too fast, here's the timeline for

[13:01] trailer and short-term rental by public consultation started in April of 2023.

[13:07] We are now in March of 2025. After two years of working on these bylaws, we are

[13:12] finally nearing the finish line. There have been quite a few meetings, surveys,

[13:17] and consultations which can all be found on the municipalities website.

[13:23] What we've heard throughout the process is there are many views on how council

[13:26] should proceed. We have heard that council shouldn't allow any short-term

[13:30] rentals in Montfield. We've also heard that council shouldn't restrict

[13:33] short-term rentals in Bfield at all. Council shouldn't restrict what I can do

[13:38] on my property. The renters next door are ruining my ability to enjoy my

[13:42] property. Short-term rentals take away from long-term housing stock in

[13:46] Minnesota and where short-term rentals are great for tourism and need to be

[13:50] encouraged.

[13:56] We have heard from all sides and the proposed short-term b short-term rental

[14:00] bylaw is rooted in allowing the opportunity for people to visit and stay

[14:03] in our beautiful community while ensuring safety and accountability by

[14:08] protecting guests by enforcing safety standards such as fire codes and health

[14:12] regulations and holding hosts accountable for providing safe and

[14:16] legitimate rental experiences. This bylaw will also help housing

[14:20] affordability issues by bal by balancing the number of short-term rentals in our

[14:24] community so not to negatively impact the availability of long-term rental

[14:28] properties or homes or homes to purchase. And we all know that a

[14:33] shortage of housing stock drives up rental prices or home ownership prices.

[14:37] Additionally, this bio will help maintain community integrity by setting

[14:41] clear rules that will decrease overcrowding, noise, and disturbance in

[14:46] residential neighborhoods and help and help them to maintain the balance

[14:50] between tourism and quality of life for local

[14:54] residents. We have also

[14:58] heard we have also heard from all sides on allowing trailers of vacant property.

[15:04] We have heard council shouldn't allow any trailers in bondfield and needs to

[15:07] be enforced and we need to enforce the existing B. Council shouldn't restrict

[15:11] trailers in bondfield at all. Council shouldn't restrict what I can place on

[15:15] my property. The trailer next door is ruining my ability to enjoy my property.

[15:20] Trailers take away from housing development in our new trailers are

[15:24] ruining our lakefront and our lakes. I should be allowed to have a trailer

[15:28] while I build my house.

[15:32] We have heard all of the sides and the trailer on vacant property issue. The

[15:38] proposed bylaw will loosen the restrictions. As I stated early earlier,

[15:43] currently trailers are not allowed on any vacant property throughout the

[15:46] municipalities. Trailers will be permitted in rural areas with conditions

[15:50] to protect the environment and to maintain the character of the

[15:53] neighborhoods. This new bylaw will maintain that trailers are not permitted

[15:57] within the hamlets or on the lakefront properties to ensure those lost are

[16:01] ready for appropriate

[16:05] development. Our goal is not to stifle progress. It's about ensuring that

[16:09] growth is sustainable and that it respects the needs of the entire

[16:13] community. We recognize that change can be uncomfortable, but it's necessary to

[16:17] find a balance between individual freedoms and the collective well-being.

[16:21] It's about finding a middle ground that works for everyone where fairness is at

[16:25] the heart of the process. We are committed to listening to many voices

[16:29] within our community, adapting where we can and ensuring that everyone is

[16:33] treated fairly and with respect. This includes the loud and boisterous voices

[16:38] and the quiet more reserved voices as they all deserve equal weight. In this

[16:42] respect, we are also equally committed to ensuring that the rules that

[16:47] we that the rules are complied with to provide with a secure and prosperous

[16:52] future. Thank you very much. I'll now turn it over to our CIO to introduce the

[16:57] strategic

[17:28] Yeah. Is it okay?

[17:49] [Music]

[17:56] There are seats over at the front just a [Music]

[18:05] few. Is this better? if I start to fall for that

[18:14] again. Okay. So, I'm Thank you, Deputy Mayor

[18:20] Corbett. Um, I am here to speak about the strategic plan for 2025

[18:25] 2023. Um, I know some of you have perhaps read this plan from our website

[18:29] and there are copies at the back. I think they are gone now, but they're

[18:33] still on the website as well. We first introduced some of the themes and

[18:37] concepts of the strategic plan at the town hall meeting last year. Since then,

[18:42] we have fine-tuned the pillars in our set goals. The mission, the mission, and

[18:46] principles we will explain have been considered when making decisions. The

[18:51] strategic plan for 2025 2030 emphasizes three key initiatives aimed at fostering

[18:58] community growth and sustainability. It's essential to recognize that these

[19:02] initiatives are not just about immediate benefits, but also about line laying a

[19:07] foundation for long-term prosperity. By focusing on sustainable

[19:11] practices, we can ensure that our community thrives while preserving

[19:15] resources for future generations. This plan serves as a roadmap for the

[19:19] township, guiding us toward a more resilient and vibrant community. The

[19:24] strategic plan touches on corporate responsibilities, community growth,

[19:28] investment and business development as well as protecting the natural

[19:32] environment. The last strategic plan for Bonfield was in 2003 with a focus on

[19:38] economic development.

[19:49] The council instructed early on in the term to take measure of the township

[19:54] find gaps and deficiencies both within the municipal operations and what could

[19:59] be barriers to bondfield's future. This slide shows the timelines

[20:04] to date. While the top says adoption in March of 2025, this is fluid. In fact,

[20:09] the document is only a draft when we are proud to present to you tonight. You are

[20:15] welcome to take notes, comment, and reach out to me any member of the

[20:18] council or staff to share your feedback. It is important all states, all

[20:23] stakeholders agree on the priorities as the strategic plan guides decisions and

[20:29] discussions among council. As you can see, there are a number of steps that we

[20:33] have taken to get to this stage. All previous studies, including the

[20:37] municipal energy plan, the waterfront living master plan, and comments from

[20:41] the official plan openhouse in April 2023, were all reviewed to evaluate the

[20:47] outstanding recommendations. Council had two

[20:50] brainstorming sessions and a community satisfaction survey was conducted. The

[20:54] background report has also been prepared that summarizes how these consultations

[20:59] turned into the strategic plan.

[21:06] So this at a glance summarizes the strategic plan and the goals we hope to

[21:11] achieve within the next five years. Again, it's a living document that will

[21:15] change as new trends emerge, new legislation is adopted, and as projects

[21:20] get completed.

[21:27] So the vision for the township of Bonville is a reliable, effective and

[21:31] trusted provider of services to community. The mission for the township

[21:36] is a modern municipal government which fosters safety and a sense of community

[21:40] through fiscal responsibility and sustainable growth. The vision and

[21:44] mission are the cornerstones of our strategic plan. They articulate our

[21:48] aspirations and the fundamental purposes of our initiatives. A well-defined

[21:53] vision inspires and motivates the community while a clear mission provides

[21:57] the direction. There are many versions of these crafted and as we asked, what

[22:02] do we want residents to say in 50 years about the township? We have words such

[22:07] as familyfriendly, efficient, reliable, proud community and a place to raise a

[22:12] family with a great quality of life. If we have all of those things, we are

[22:17] considered reliable, effective, and a modern community.

[22:25] As we move forward, it's important to also keep the following guiding

[22:29] principles at the forefront of our discussions and dec decisions. Ensuring

[22:34] that all actions align with our overarching goals. Service excellence is

[22:39] key to building trust and pride in the community. By fostering transparency and

[22:43] accountability, we create a positive relationship between officials and

[22:47] residents. Financial prudence must be top of mind for all decisions. We heard

[22:52] you. We know there is much to be done to manage the infrastructure we have. You

[22:57] want better roads and you want to know you are getting value for your tax

[23:00] dollars. Pennies on each dollar are collected for these municipal

[23:03] improvements. It's understood that decisions must be made wisely.

[23:08] Sustainable growth comes from being ready for investment for new

[23:12] developments and retaining the balance of all compatible uses within the

[23:15] township. Supporting local business and promoting resources to residents that

[23:20] enhance quality of life will achieve community prosperity. Environmental

[23:25] awareness and stewardship are critical to protecting our natural assets and

[23:29] ensuring a healthy future for all residents. Over and over we heard that

[23:34] residents value our lakes, rivers, and forests. And when making decisions, it's

[23:38] necessary to consider the long-term impact. Encouraging active participation

[23:44] in local decision making empower citizens and strengthens the community

[23:48] engagement. As we will present the new trailer and short-term rental bylaws

[23:52] later this evening, it shows this collaborative approach and ensures that

[23:56] the voices of all community members are heard and

[24:02] valued. And these are the strategic pillars. They provide a structured

[24:06] approach to achieving our goals and ensure that our efforts are aligned with

[24:10] the community's core values. Each pillar represents a critical area of focus that

[24:15] will guide our actions and decision-making

[24:18] processes. Understanding these pillars helps to prioritize our efforts and

[24:22] allocate resources effectively and to drive meaningful change. Each pillar

[24:28] lists the goals and action steps needed to achieve them. These goals are

[24:32] intended to be achieved within the next five years. Some will be sooner and some

[24:36] require additional resources so they may take longer. These goals are in addition

[24:41] to our strategic review of the official plan and the comprehensive zoning but

[24:46] they intertwine and to build and define the township.

[25:00] Len shows a responsible government fosters trust and community pride by

[25:04] engaging residents in projects, promoting healthy living, equal

[25:08] opportunities, and creating robust policy by collaborating and being

[25:12] transparent. The township aims to deliver modern inclusive spaces and

[25:17] effectively address strategic

[25:22] challenges. Through the community satisfaction survey, we heard from you

[25:26] that peer communication and community participation is important. In addition,

[25:31] complying with regulations is a requirement of all legislative bodies

[25:36] tying back to our direction of being the responsible government. The example

[25:40] driven by the survey results, we know that there is 67% satisfaction with the

[25:45] township's communication to date. However, there's not a clear direction

[25:50] on how best to provide information effectively. Creating a communication

[25:54] plan without the how and the while, the why and the when, so you know how to

[25:59] find the information. Hosting events is important

[26:03] to building community and a sense of belonging. This applies to long-term

[26:07] residents as well as new community members. Goals are to facilitate and

[26:12] support more events and opportunities with service clubs and community groups.

[26:16] The township must comply with a number of senior level government regulations

[26:21] and the township is working on updating several internal policies and procedures

[26:25] to be more current with the municipal sector. The one constant is change and

[26:30] the current dynamics of both the provincial and the federal government

[26:34] are proof of that. Later tonight are further examples

[26:39] of keeping up with the legislation and trends for improvement to bond built

[26:43] through our zoning.

[26:49] Pillar 2 aims to support economic and social development by collaborating with

[26:53] residents, agencies, and neighboring communities. This plan is to maintain

[26:57] municipal infrastructure, conduct regular inspections, and boost

[27:01] productivity. Additionally, the plan will accelerate the innovative housing

[27:05] solutions for bond residents, ensuring the future growth and development while

[27:10] making smart investments to a avoid burning taxpayers.

[27:18] This is a complex pillar which includes matters of health and well-being,

[27:22] community prosperity, access to attainable housing, a diverse economy

[27:27] which builds upon the assets and resources of the community of

[27:30] bonding. The goals within this pillar recognize that by modernizing and

[27:35] simplifying processes and working with partners, we can build capacity and

[27:39] sustainable economic growth in the community.

[27:46] This goal under pillar two speaks to the importance of municipal services and

[27:50] infrastructure including roads and bridges and ensuring that we have robust

[27:55] systems in place to manage these assets so residents can get to work, visit

[28:00] family and friends and enjoy a good quality of life.

[28:07] The township uh pillar three supports critical governance by making funding

[28:12] decisions based on asset management priorities and best practices with clear

[28:17] policies and rules. The township plans to modernize administrative processes

[28:21] and seek efficiencies to lower costs. Long-term planning and budgeting will

[28:26] help demonstrate and achieve departmental efficiencies.

[28:32] Goals within this pillar include finalizing the 10-year capital asset

[28:36] management plan that's mandatory for July 2025. This document will set

[28:41] priorities through evidence-based reports in asset condition. We'll

[28:46] prepare multi-year operational operating budgets to allow for better long-term

[28:50] decisions and a more stable tax funding. And we will continue to seek out

[28:54] partners and opportunities for shared services.

[29:00] Pillar four demonstrates how Bonfield can become greener, more resilient, and

[29:04] prosperous by focusing on environmental sustainability. The goal is outlining

[29:09] environmental solutions to reduce the community's footprint and prepare for

[29:13] climate

[29:17] change. The township must make hard decisions today to protect the future.

[29:23] We have LA capacity and blue green algae blooms. There were more rain events with

[29:28] poor drainage systems in place which deteriorate our roads and eventually

[29:31] floods into the lakes. Some households still get their drinking water from the

[29:35] lakes. There are several changes coming to landfill operations due to the

[29:40] provinially mandated full producer responsibility for recycling and

[29:44] stricter rules for protecting land sites. Decisions today can negatively

[29:48] impact the health and safety of the water and environment. Council is aware

[29:52] of this and proceeds with caution in making decisions.

[29:58] So to conclude our session with the strategic plan, it outlines a clear

[30:01] vision aimed at enhancing the quality of life for residents while promoting

[30:05] sustainability. As a living document, the strategic pillars will guide our

[30:09] initiatives, ensuring they align with the community's values and long-term

[30:13] goals. Identifying priority action items that need immediate attention will drive

[30:18] progress and the community engagement. Setting clear goals will help us measure

[30:22] success and adapt strategies as needed over the

[30:29] years. To learn more, um the background report and I already said it's all gone,

[30:34] but there is a link on our website as well if you'd like to read that or you

[30:38] can come into the office and grab a copy. Um tomorrow we'll put them on our

[30:44] website on the first page. just have to scroll down and they are currently on

[30:49] the website under late under the about last night if you want more information

[30:53] full documents. Um we are happy to take any

[30:58] questions or or comments over the next 10 minutes if you have any ideas on the

[31:03] strategic plan.

[31:08] I don't necessarily have this plan but you spoke about how like we're

[31:16] brush for the hydrop is that not

[31:21] well I use the I mean I will actually allow our public works manager to answer

[31:26] kind of their their project plan but I used obviously just the hyper pools as

[31:30] an example to show that we've pushed the brush back off the road but in the past

[31:35] what we don't understand

[31:42] no so that's our road allowance we own 33 f feet from center of road to each

[31:47] side of the road. So that is our road allowance that we cleared. But we're not

[31:50] clearing for No, we're clearing for bondfield lines of sight. Why do you

[31:54] think about clearing? He didn't. He just said a point of reference. You can see

[31:58] the hydrop poles. Now I just wanted to point out the difference in the picture

[32:00] is that you can see the brush was cut back off the road. Basically the

[32:03] hydroples sit on property line. Pardon me. Brush. Yeah, we're clearing

[32:09] the brush for roadside brush. Yeah. Yeah.

[32:20] Um, uh, would you be receptive to having any volunteers,

[32:25] uh, with your process re-engineering initiative that you have, uh, on your

[32:31] strategic plan as far as finance goes? like I'm I'm not sure how you said that

[32:38] uh you want to modernize your financial processes. I have a lot of experience in

[32:44] process engineering and retired. I don't I don't know how you're going to go

[32:49] about that. But it's a pretty complicated process if you don't have

[32:53] any experience. So we have our first volunteer to help

[32:57] you create. Let's talk after meeting. Thank you.

[33:02] Yeah, that's great. and all of the processes that we do, all of our

[33:06] meetings, um if the budget was coming up, all of our committee meetings, all

[33:10] of them are reported and they're on the website. Uh all of the minutes, the

[33:14] agendas, packages for council, they're on the um website as well. And if you

[33:20] can't get to the website, you can certainly come into the office and get

[33:23] anything. So we always um like when the communities

[33:28] engaged talking about coming in calls you get told different things are

[33:35] you going to make an appointment everybody has got time to make an

[33:39] appointment come in next week at 20 after 1 and be kicked out of there by

[33:44] 2:00 and the thing is your staff has been changing so much in the last two

[33:49] years none of the people don't go unless they go in and all the cars out the wall

[33:54] and then they're outdated. Now, this this is one point

[33:59] that I like to get about and another thing is I'll include this in about the

[34:04] containers. You're not containers. Well, I'm going to bring it up right now

[34:10] anyway. Are you going to be liable coming in when you had a

[34:17] container out there? I can't afford. So, I'll address the customer service and

[34:22] we'll get to the containers. I rather answer that question after we've done

[34:25] the

[34:27] presentation around my place. They better have safety pants on. I don't

[34:33] care. They want to have good safety pants

[34:37] because you're going to get your ass. So, in the customer service, yes,

[34:42] absolutely. Please come into the office. We have a great team. Yes, we've um

[34:46] we've built a great team over the last few years. Uh and we are certainly here

[34:49] to help you. Sometimes we're out on inspections or in another meeting. Um

[34:53] so, ADA is always great if you can call ahead and we can get prepared and be

[34:56] able to answer your questions much quicker as well.

[35:01] My name is Jules Garnier and I've been born and raised in

[35:06] Bonfield here and I've been paying tax since

[35:10] 1980. And the way you're going on a statistic of the growth in this

[35:15] township, we sure don't have the support of your township for council. So, and

[35:20] even myself, I'm calling myself like I've been discriminated against this

[35:25] township. I was in

[35:33] business people in this township to be coming here. Now I'm a

[35:38] developer and you're talking about growth and you're separating

[35:46] the growth of this township between people to discriminate. I've tried to

[35:51] develop a subdivision. 30 years. 35 years I've been arguing with this town.

[35:57] I don't know who's discriminating, the counselors or the staff, but I'm

[36:01] prepared. I've been to court with the township

[36:05] 1983 and and I've been to court before with the

[36:09] counrip and I still own my land. and try to take it away from

[36:14] me and now and I even been on council and I went to court for the contract and

[36:20] I saved the contract. Now you're talking about growth now all these doning thing

[36:26] you're trying to promote on these bylaws. You're discouraging people to

[36:31] come in stock and

[36:38] not the question is why why are you putting the

[36:43] subdivision to a separate part of this township to not have whatever it is that

[36:50] grow in this township. Now you're eliminating me from selling my property

[36:56] as a subdivision when you're not allowing trailers on subdivision. You're

[37:02] not allowing this on a subdivision. Why is it the word subdivision is in your

[37:08] growth of plan? We should be all equal. We're only one township here and we

[37:15] should be all equal. Never mind.

[37:24] has their own agreement when you go through and there's a long process that

[37:28] I'm sure that you went through. We weren't here when you have the

[37:31] subdivision. Yes, you are. So, each one of those subdivisions has their own

[37:37] parameters on that. So, we'd have to look into each one individually. But I'm

[37:42] not seeing any questions about the strategic plan. So I can carry on with

[37:46] the

[37:50] questions.

[38:00] So one question I had was in your strategic plan. I was just noting you

[38:04] had diversifying the local economy. You had encouraging visiting family and

[38:09] friends and good quality of life supporting local businesses.

[38:14] The bylaws you are bringing trying to bring into place limit short-term

[38:18] rentals. They limit families being able to bring their trailers on their

[38:24] parents' properties or family gatherings.

[38:28] In other words,

[38:33] it's trailers later on and I think there will be a lot of misconceptions that are

[38:37] cleared up.

[38:46] Take the question. Come on, take the question.

[38:51] Is it about the strategic plan? Is it about any of the pillars or the

[38:56] anything in the strategic plan? I do have one. Sorry.

[39:03] 2025 9 10 and 11. We're not talking about those right now. We will get to

[39:09] them, but we need to speak to the strategic plan. And I do have a lady

[39:13] that was speaking before you that what did one

[39:25] addressing in his Tesla? Well, that's who it was. Is Is

[39:31] there a question to the strategic plan?

[39:38] I don't know. I don't know that. But we'll move on to the

[39:59] next zoning.

[40:13] we move forward. I messed up when I started. I didn't introduce everyone of

[40:22] the staff and the council. So, I would like to correct that so everyone knows

[40:29] uh who's in the township. So I start with Nikki Ko the CEO clerk

[40:42] treasurerly he's our planners Alex Hacken Brook is the public

[40:47] manager

[40:55] the fire chief I'm not worried thanks Chris

[41:00] not worried thank

[41:05] Unfortunately,

[41:08] and then Mike, why would I be waiting? Chief welding

[41:13] official Andre, deputy clerk,

[41:17] treasurer, and Christina Young and Cassandra Cluster, their administrative

[41:23] assistance.

[41:31] Clark is here and we have pastor

[41:36] [Music] Corettstone and

[41:40] [Music] Counc. And everybody brought their cards

[41:45] here tonight. So if you want any of the business cards before the evening's

[41:50] over, um they have them here. So um next we

[41:56] have I have to uh to read the public notice.

[42:09] This is a declaration of public hearing. Take notice that the council of the

[42:15] corporation of the township of Bonfield is holding public meeting tonight, March

[42:21] 18th, 2025 to consider proposed zoning bylaw

[42:26] amendments under section 34 of the planning act. The proposed zoning bylaw

[42:33] amendments are 2025-09 being a bylaw to amend

[42:40] comprehensive zoning bylaw number [Music]

[42:46] 202-49 to permit certain provisions for travel trailers and recreation vehicles.

[42:56] 2010 being a bylaw to amend bylaw number 2018-06.

[43:04] [Music] zoning amendment bylaw to permit certain

[43:09] provisions for travel trailers and recreation

[43:13] vehicles being a bylaw to amend properties comprehensive zoning bylaw

[43:21] 2012-49 for the township of Bonville for additional dwelling

[43:26] units, hunt camps, and accessory structures.

[43:31] If a person or public body that files an appeal of a decision of the township of

[43:39] Bonfield in respect of the proposed zoning bylaw does not make oral

[43:47] submission at this public meeting or has made a written submission to the

[43:51] township of Bonfield before the proposed zoning bylaw is adopted, the Ontario

[43:58] Land Tribunal may dismiss.

[44:01] All are part of the appeal. Staff will now provide

[44:08] presentations on the details of these proposed amendments. And at this time,

[44:14] I'm going to ask everybody out there to be respectful. You have your issues, you

[44:19] have questions, but if it goes beyond that, then I have to close the meeting

[44:25] down. That's not something that I want to do, but I'm just asking I'm asking

[44:32] your cooperation and make this meeting worthwhile. Everybody wants answers,

[44:38] then you will not uh start yelling because I'll

[44:45] just close the meeting. And that again, I said that's not what I want to do. I

[44:51] want people to be able to get the answers that they're here for.

[45:04] I'll be starting um with the bylaw 2009 and 10. Um as mayor pet said under

[45:13] section 34 of the planning act prior to council adopting the bylaw relating to

[45:17] zoning matter public meeting must be held. This is the public meeting. Um it

[45:22] was the notice was issued on February 26, 2025. It was posted on the township

[45:27] website and mailed to each household within the township. It was further

[45:31] communicated through social media. Copies of the bylaws have been posted

[45:36] and were available at the municipal office. We have additionally created

[45:39] these presentations to ensure the policies are well communicated.

[46:01] So bylaw 20259 is to amend the comprehensive

[46:05] zoning bylaw 201249 to permit the use of RVs and

[46:10] trailers. So, under the current and existing rules, RVs and trailers are not

[46:15] permitted to be used or stored on vacant land in Bonville. This has never been

[46:21] permitted. This issue has been at the forefront of councils in the past and

[46:25] remains a contentious topic today. In 2018, council of the day undertook a

[46:30] public process to review the use of trailers and passed bylaw

[46:35] 201806, which better defined RVs and trailers, but still held firm the zoning

[46:41] bylaw to not allow the use of RVs or trailers on vacant land. Since the

[46:47] meeting to council in 2022, this issue has come forward again. There were a

[46:53] number of surveys, meetings, and consultations on the draft of the bylaw.

[46:57] While we will speak to the outcome of the public consultation and the final

[47:00] draft of the trailer use bylaw later, the legal review did reveal that the

[47:06] current bylaws in place for zoning prevent the use of trailers and

[47:11] they must be amended. So bylaw 20259 and

[47:16] 202510 are those such amening bottles. They are not about the regulations for

[47:21] the trailers.

[47:36] So these the amendments required are shown here. These changes only relate to

[47:41] the use of RVs and trailers. Other accessory buildings or structures will

[47:45] not be permitted for human habitation under the current rule. If you have a

[47:50] trailer on your property that has an existing permitted dwelling, this bylaw

[47:54] has little impact to you. You will not have to have a license on the trailer,

[47:59] but you will be allowed to use the trailer on your house property for a

[48:03] total of up to 120 days instead of 90 in a 10-month period. And the intent, of

[48:09] course, would be no living in it during the winter months. real clear. You do

[48:14] not need a permit. If you have a property that has a house and you store

[48:18] or use your trailer on that property, you do not need a license. The license

[48:24] is only for vacant land. Currently, there are no use or

[48:28] storage of an RV or trailer on vacant land anywhere in the township. Adding

[48:34] the section 3.23 will now permit the use and storage of certain properties under

[48:39] the licensing system. This is this a significant change to the comprehensive

[48:44] zoning

[48:47] product. So furthermore, the use of an RV or trailer has to be permitted has to

[48:53] be a permitted use within a designated zone. Zoning by lawars are exclusive by

[48:58] nature, meaning that unless it is explicitly stated as a permitted use in

[49:02] the zoning bylaw, it is not allowed. The use is being added to the rule zone for

[49:08] properties under rule uses. The rule zone has both residential

[49:13] uses and rule uses outlined on the slide. The trailer will not be

[49:18] considered a residential use. If any new use, it is also

[49:23] necessary to put setbacks in place and they are out outlined here with the

[49:27] intent to keep the character of the neighborhood in a rural area with

[49:31] trailers required to be set back from the road.

[49:37] But I need a foodaker. I need more than one.

[49:45] So then we move on to bylaw 202510. And as mentioned earlier in 2018

[49:53] council passed bylaw 201806 which further defined the RVs and

[49:58] the trailers but still held firm to the zoning bylaw not you are not allowed to

[50:03] use the you on not allowed to use RVs or trailers on vacant land. Bylaw 202510 is

[50:10] being considered to amend this bylaw and now permit trailers on certain

[50:18] properties to be compatible with the trailer bylaw. Section 5 and section 6

[50:23] of bylaw 201806 needs to be repealed. All other

[50:28] provisions in that bylaw remain valid. It is also important to highlight if

[50:33] there's a current invalid building permit issued for a primary dwelling on

[50:37] the property and work is continuous on the house, a trailer is permitted

[50:41] without a license. Likewise, an amendment from the last council meeting

[50:45] that if you purchase a trailer license and later within that same year you were

[50:49] issued a building permit for a primary dwelling and start construction, you can

[50:54] apply for a refund on that trailer license. This will conclude the proposed

[50:58] amendments for the biolog trailers and I'll pass the meeting over to Simon

[51:03] Blakey our planning administrator for a presentation on bylaw 202511.

[51:19] We'll do questions at the end. Yeah, question this section.

[51:27] [Music] Hi everybody. My name is Simon Blakeley.

[51:31] I'm the planning administrator here for the township of Bonfield. So I started

[51:36] the role back in September. Um I can see a few familiar faces in the room there.

[51:40] So have to see everybody else too. So my role I'll be kind of overseeing planning

[51:45] economic development and kind of sustainability initiatives. Uh and if at

[51:50] all anybody wants to contact me can reach me at any time. My email address

[51:54] is planning

[51:57] onfieldtownship.com. So, as you might detect from my accent, I'm not

[52:00] originally from this area. Um, but I have lived in Northern Ontario for over

[52:04] 10 years now. So, I'm familiar with the context, the people, and I'm here to

[52:09] help. I've gained experience in planning and economic development um here in

[52:14] Northern Ontario as well as in the UK. But enough about me.

[52:20] So, as you are likely um have guessed, this next section is going to be

[52:23] actually quite technical and I'll try my best to explain it. But again, we have

[52:28] some cheat sheets. We're here to talk to you. So, please come see us at the

[52:32] meeting or anytime at your convenience. And in this next section

[52:37] public meeting I'll summarize uh bylaw 2025-11 which is a bylaw proposed to

[52:43] amend comprehensive zoning bylaw which is the comprehensive plan to permit

[52:48] users within different zones across the township and at the same time the

[52:53] proposed amendment um seeks to ensure land use compatibility issues uh and

[52:58] other planning matters being addressed. So the key bits I want to cover here are

[53:02] additional volume units, accessory structures which include shipping

[53:07] [Music] cont. So as I go through the

[53:12] presentation, I'll first define each of those uses and then I'll provide some

[53:17] details as to how the current bylaw will be amended so you can see the changes

[53:22] and also summarize some of the more generalized housekeeping matters that

[53:26] we're proposing.

[53:35] Okay. So the first definition says building primary or primary building uh

[53:40] which means the principal building on a lot. So the consultation version of this

[53:45] document originally defined a building primary buildings as being the principal

[53:50] dwelling unit on a lot. This was written um so sorry um it was written that way

[53:56] as the very nature of additional dwelling units means the ancillary to

[54:01] the principal dwelling unit. However, it's noted the primary building is more

[54:06] than just a dwelling unit. So it should read as a principal building and not a

[54:11] principal dwelling on a lot. And in this regard, the broadening

[54:16] of the definition um could allow for the conversion of other non-residential

[54:20] properties in select circumstances. But for clarification,

[54:25] ADUs will not be permitted on a property that's currently designated for

[54:29] employment

[54:34] uses. Another definition is garden suites. So the township is not actually

[54:39] aware of any approvals um having been granted the use of garden suites within

[54:43] the township and as such the provision is considered redundant and the

[54:48] definition and that permitted use will therefore no longer be permitted uh

[54:52] within the comprehensive zoning by that said uh the uh provisions for

[54:58] detached additional dwelling units or ADUs uh which we will cover soon um will

[55:04] replace that provision but without the limitation

[55:07] 20 year period as was the

[55:13] case. Next, we have tiny homes. Quite topical right now. Although the proposed

[55:18] amendment of the bylaw does not explicitly state where tiny homes could

[55:22] be implemented within the township, they generally refer to small growing units

[55:27] uh which are compliant with the Ontario building code. So in addition in

[55:32] accordance to the other bylaws proposed by the

[55:35] township tin homes shall not be permitted to be on wheels

[55:39] um will not be required to have permanent cutings or will be required

[55:43] permanent cutings plus servicing arrangements um including onsite sewage

[55:49] system and the small dwelling unit or tiny home will also be uh required to

[55:55] obtain CSA A277 certification. That's a mouthful, but we'll be putting resources

[56:01] and information on the website to explain what that is and which house mod

[56:06] house that tiny homes will only be considered

[56:11] as a detached additional dwelling unit by

[56:14] detached and not primary dwelling. So, we need to make sure in

[56:19] all of this minimum distance separation is being required to prior safety

[56:23] protection reasons under the Ontario building code. If in doubt at all,

[56:28] please speak to my colleague Mike, chief building

[56:34] official. So next definition we have semi detached dwellings. These are

[56:39] currently listed of dwelling semi detached in the bylaw. So really this is

[56:42] a tightening up again of the wording uh to ensure the new definition is that

[56:47] each semi- detached dwelling would fall under separate legal ownerships. And

[56:52] this is really to try and reduce some of the conflicts that occur between

[56:55] servicing. So when sewer line is being run

[56:59] um between the septic and the building there they need to be served separately

[57:05] for each

[57:09] document. So next we have the definition for accessory building structures or

[57:14] uses. This proposed amendment was simple change in the order of the words. Um so

[57:20] in this regard accessory refers to a building structure a use that is

[57:25] incidental subordinate and exclusively devoted to the principal building

[57:30] structure or use and located on same [Music]

[57:36] law. So a little bit more on the details. Um they shall not be erected

[57:41] prior to the construction of the permitted

[57:43] dwelling where it's necessary and it should be necessary the storage of tools

[57:47] and materials in connection with the construction of a new dwelling and it

[57:52] shall only be used for storage. The township is currently

[57:56] enforcing existing provisions but this amendment provides mechanisms that will

[58:00] prevent any future misuse of what was always intended to be an accessory

[58:05] structure. So permits for access restored sheds

[58:08] will now be issued at the same time as the primary building

[58:15] permit. In keeping with the previous slide, another proposed regulation um on

[58:20] this is the time frames within which accessory structures can exist on a

[58:25] property while the new building is being constructed.

[58:29] So the most provision state where the principal dwelling is not substantially

[58:34] commenced within one year of issuing a building permit or

[58:38] where the applicant does not obtain an occupancy permit within 3 years of the

[58:42] building permit uh that the chief building official would have certain

[58:47] provisions that say to work with the provision also reinforces the

[58:53] minimum premediard set requirements which apply to all zones And it

[58:58] specializes specializes that accessory uses shall not occupy more than 15% of

[59:05] the total lot area. Now any of you that have larger rural blocks I know that's

[59:10] quite a lot of

[59:13] land. to continually accessing buildings and

[59:17] structures. The proposed amendment

[59:23] to the proposed amendment to section 3.11.7 primarily applies to properties

[59:29] within the hands where a mix of residential and or rural zones and

[59:34] associated uses exist. But it does not include land that are truly zoned for

[59:39] employment purposes. And in this regard, we refer to section

[59:44] 3.45.9.4 of the uh bylaw. There's a copy at the back uh which confirms that

[59:50] detached ADUs shall be considered accessory building structures or uses

[59:55] for the purposes of calculating block coverage which again is

[59:59] [Music] 15%. Um it also recognizes instances

[1:00:03] where within hamlets where that lot coverage could be increased to 20%. And

[1:00:08] that just recognizes that the the lot size is smaller and the development is

[1:00:12] more

[1:00:16] compact. Okay, keep it up. So, next definition is additional dwelling units

[1:00:22] or ADUs as we refer to them. Uh these are also known by the province of

[1:00:26] Ontario as additional residential units. Uh and this use classification was

[1:00:32] originally proposed to substitute secondary dwellings which we'll point to

[1:00:37] or granny suites as you might know them. So in this regard if the new use

[1:00:42] is permitted as additional dwelling units by council secondary dwellings

[1:00:47] would no longer be permitted in all zones with the exception of the

[1:00:51] residential limited services zone which I will turn to

[1:00:56] short. Well, before I continue with additional dwelling units, uh it's

[1:01:00] important to note that um this could substantially increase the amount of

[1:01:03] development that you would be permitted to do on your properties. This is a

[1:01:07] positive change that everybody could potentially benefit

[1:01:10] from. And um I have to inform you also that township's not actually obliged to

[1:01:15] do this, right? All of these government regulations and that have been

[1:01:19] introduced to accelerate housing delivery on across Ontario do apply

[1:01:24] primarily to uh urban areas that don't apply to rural townships in the same

[1:01:28] way. So this is actually a proactive measure that we're taking to allow

[1:01:33] additional development and provide new housing in the township.

[1:01:39] So, we're trying to be creative and proactive in this process. Um, and

[1:01:44] potentially, um, on lots that have sufficient land, etc., able to service

[1:01:48] them, you would be permitted to have up to two additional dwelling units on your

[1:01:52] property. That includes one attached ADU and one detached ADU.

[1:01:59] And the idea is really to try and accelerate the delivery of affordable

[1:02:04] and table attainable housing because we know that the shortages and that's

[1:02:07] bumping up rents and bumping up the price of land etc. So the more smaller

[1:02:12] units that we can build the more that price can come down be affordable for

[1:02:16] everybody and the overall intent behind this therefore is to diversify that

[1:02:20] supply and there's funding for it too. If anybody's checked out the District of

[1:02:25] Nicholas Social Service Administration Board or federal government programs,

[1:02:29] you can receive sizable amounts of money up to $50,000 per

[1:02:43] unit. Okay. So, a maximum of three dwelling units is uh allowable per

[1:02:48] eligible lot of which a maximum of two within the primary building. So it's the

[1:02:53] same as what was the secondary school. The reason is that you have more than

[1:02:56] two units within one building then it's then categorized as a residential

[1:03:01] multiple attached. There's different regulations of that and it means you

[1:03:05] have to get

[1:03:14] change. So the prescribed zones in which ADUs will be permitted are the

[1:03:18] residential residential first density zone, the residential second density

[1:03:23] zone and the rural zone and the introductions of ADUs will require prior

[1:03:29] approval from the North Bay mat conservation authority and won't be able

[1:03:33] to include uh mobile homes, recreational vehicles, hunt camps, guest cabins,

[1:03:38] shipping containers or any other structure that is not designed for human

[1:03:43] occupation.

[1:03:47] So the minimum of any habitable ADU is 188 square ft or square ft 17.5

[1:03:56] m and the gross floor area of the ADU shall not exceed 60% the total gross

[1:04:02] floor area of the primary residence and where an ADU conversion is proposed

[1:04:07] that's another provision um in which case a new dwelling will be built and

[1:04:12] what is the existing dwelling will prefer to be an

[1:04:15] ADU that um shall not be 60% greater in terms of this floor space area than the

[1:04:22] original

[1:04:25] Dwell. Okay. So the final provision for ADUs is

[1:04:30] that they should be located in the rear or sideyard of the primary dwelling in

[1:04:34] the residential first and second density zones. That's the

[1:04:38] hands. In the rural areas, there's more flexibility around where these ad could

[1:04:44] be provided subject to kind of setbacks and buffering

[1:04:51] landscaping. So as you've likely gathered by now the definition further

[1:04:55] distinguished into attach detached ads and on the screen you can see the

[1:05:02] proposed definition for an attached ADU. So let's read this. It's a

[1:05:08] self-contained dwelling unit with separate kitchen bathroom facilities

[1:05:13] within a single detached or semi- detached dwelling of the same lot as

[1:05:19] constructed, renovated or altered and considered

[1:05:24] attached easily. Um so next we have additional

[1:05:29] dwelling units detached. Uh and on screen you can see the prop definition

[1:05:34] for this. uh is required to be positioned within the rear yard or

[1:05:37] sideyard of the same lot that accommodates the primary single detached

[1:05:41] dwelling unit. Also, as mentioned, there could be

[1:05:45] some exceptions to proposed uh positioning of that within the

[1:05:49] row. Please do speak to us about

[1:05:53] that. So, as mentioned, there is this potential to convert. So if you have a

[1:05:58] property, you want to build another potentially larger property on on the

[1:06:02] property to maybe you've got a multigenerational family household,

[1:06:05] something like that, we're going to allow for this. Um so the next

[1:06:09] definition, I say digital dwelling unit conversion and the intent behind this is

[1:06:14] to provide a way for families to grow and invest into their property at the

[1:06:18] time. The proposed new single family dwelling

[1:06:22] should not exceed 2,000 square ft or be more than 60% larger than the original

[1:06:29] dwelling. And let's uh be clear on this as well. The 60% that's considerably

[1:06:34] larger than what the average is across the province. We've done a lot of

[1:06:37] research on this over the last couple years and the average is about

[1:06:41] 45%. We're looking to exceed that. And the key again is that these detached

[1:06:46] ADUs cannot be severed from the main property. So changes in the same

[1:06:55] legal. Next we have secondary dwellings. So the proposed amendment to the

[1:06:59] comprehensive zoning bylaw um originally proposed to delete this um but this was

[1:07:05] based upon the township's understanding that some of the local lakes are

[1:07:08] increasingly subject to declining water quality and lake health. And it's

[1:07:13] something that we've seen evident through the increase in algae blooms in

[1:07:16] the last few years, meaning that these lakes are increasingly vulnerable to

[1:07:20] additional development. So the original proposal to

[1:07:23] remove this from the RLS was based on professional opinions that were given to

[1:07:27] us by the North Bay natural conservation authority which we are required to um

[1:07:32] abide by applicable law. The township is also aware of other

[1:07:37] studies and professional opinions taken back over two decades which have

[1:07:41] indicated the declining lake health is a problem needs to be

[1:07:51] addressed. Okay. Um so it was also decided the second dwelling unit

[1:07:56] provision um may remain in place for the residential limited services zone for

[1:08:01] the time being. This is until we can do some updated studies. Um there was some

[1:08:06] conversations uh at the planning advisory committee which is appointed to

[1:08:11] kind of advise and guide on these matters. Um and it was felt that until

[1:08:16] we were clear on that position that we should stick with that as the the way

[1:08:20] forward. So there's no change within the RLS to anybody that might consider

[1:08:24] asking that question. no change. But however, recognizing the

[1:08:29] uncertainty, um we are committed to doing the further studies at some

[1:08:36] stage. In the meantime, uh any applications for secondary dwelling

[1:08:41] units within the RS zone will be considered on a casebyase basis. So

[1:08:46] we'll consult with the conservation authority anyway as we always oblig to

[1:08:49] do on every single application and we'll we'll see we'll see what is the response

[1:08:54] and we'll try and get the best

[1:09:01] output. Okay. So next one is hunt camps. Had that on the screen earlier there,

[1:09:06] but hunt camps are not currently permitted anywhere in the township of

[1:09:10] Bonfield, but if this bylaw is passed, they will now be permitted in select

[1:09:18] locations. Um they are seasonal structures. They're not permitted for

[1:09:23] year round occupancy. Um, and if the bylaws pass, they should not exceed a

[1:09:27] maximum gross floor area of 800 square f feet or

[1:09:32] 74.3636 square meters. Um, they would only be permitted in the rural zone and

[1:09:38] applicants uh would need to have at least 10 hectares or 25 acres under

[1:09:44] their ownership to construct camp. On this point, um it's important

[1:09:50] to note that some robust discussions have again happened at the climate

[1:09:54] advisory committee level and on council. Um initially it was proposed that um it

[1:10:00] would be just one hectare for one camp. Uh one one of the members of council did

[1:10:05] uh raise concerns around that. Um and so uh no council was contradicting that.

[1:10:10] Let's say um it was agreed that we should move forward consultation on the

[1:10:14] basis of 10 hectares which is where we're at today.

[1:10:18] But in this uh context, it's important to note that Chisum Township only

[1:10:23] permits and counts and lots that are minimum 20 hectares in size. So what

[1:10:28] we're proposing is already half of what that size is.

[1:10:36] Half of what is and the size currently proposed in Bonfield. Uh so the maximum

[1:10:43] size of 100 building in Chisum is also less than that proposed in Bondfield

[1:10:48] being just 600 square ft

[1:10:52] 1,800. There's obviously some concerns around immenity considerations. So land

[1:10:57] compatibility is somebody owns a property next door. Do you want hunt

[1:11:00] camp right on your doorstep and a one hectare lot? There's potential for

[1:11:05] noise, traffic generation complaints. People are not happy in that

[1:11:10] circumstance frankly. So that's something that we need to take on take

[1:11:14] on board as we we policy. Um and whatever the final

[1:11:19] outcome is regarding size resell accounts, uh it's key to not is they

[1:11:23] must comply with the Ontario building code as all structures should and must

[1:11:28] be obtained uh from the chief building official prior to the construction of

[1:11:32] home camp wood stove decks or

[1:11:37] plumbing. Next we have shipping containers. These are not currently

[1:11:41] permitted anywhere in the township beyond the smaller shipping uh

[1:11:44] containers that we see. They're typical 8 by 20 ft ones um which are 15 square

[1:11:51] meters and they do benefit from permitted development rights. But

[1:11:56] recognizing these have been more frequently used in the township. It was

[1:11:59] upon two counselors uh and staff that we developed a policy around this. Again,

[1:12:04] it's been subject to lots of consultation these past few

[1:12:08] years. So now uh shipping containers will be permitted in the township, not

[1:12:13] just permitted ones but other ones. Um, so long as um if if you're attaching

[1:12:18] them or if they're not being used for anything that's other than just personal

[1:12:23] storage um or they're greater than 161.5 square ft that they will require a

[1:12:30] building. So again, you can reach out to us anytime and we can answer that help

[1:12:34] you in terms of the placement of it all the rest.

[1:12:38] So, it's important to reaffirm that shipping containment itself is not

[1:12:41] considered a permitted use and cannot therefore be placed on the property

[1:12:45] except where it's accessory to an existing or proposed primary building.

[1:12:50] So, you need to have a house or something on there to have an accessory

[1:12:53] shipping container. In all cases, the shipping

[1:12:57] container shall comply with the Ontario building code and all all applicable

[1:13:01] laws. In addition, the amendment to zoning

[1:13:05] bylaw post restrictions on the height and placement of shipping containers uh

[1:13:10] so to prevent stacking uh this limit is 5 m. It also directs these not be placed

[1:13:16] within 2 m of the main building in all

[1:13:22] zones. Getting there. Uh so the provisions on uh shipping containers

[1:13:27] continue by stating these shall not be permitted within the shore road

[1:13:31] allowance or any area where section 28 permit is required by the north

[1:13:36] conservation authority. We don't want the shipping containers floating off

[1:13:40] into work. And it also proposes a minimum landscape buffer of 30 mters

[1:13:46] around the perimeter of the property to ensure satisfactory screening of the

[1:13:50] shipping container unless uh some kind of design solution can be brought

[1:13:55] forward siding fences landscape buffer. So these should be rust

[1:14:02] protected. Markings should be removed. Nobody wants big giant container

[1:14:07] lettering all over it and they should be painted neutral color not used for

[1:14:11] marketing or advertising

[1:14:17] purposes. The following slides also apply uh so to all applicable zones. The

[1:14:24] first provision applies to access to properties. Um these confirmed access

[1:14:28] shall be provided by the existing point of access to the primary dwelling. uh a

[1:14:34] new secondary access is permitted which um would be served by a municipal road

[1:14:39] um and it should not have a diverse impact in the traffic flows and things

[1:14:43] like that

[1:14:46] etc and where a provincial highway is concerned that's where the access would

[1:14:51] be uh permission would be required from the MTO as it would for any access of a

[1:14:55] provincial highway of course the municipal level

[1:15:00] Alex the works um assist you there. So no on park

[1:15:12] matters. Um section 3.45.9.7 confirms each proposed ADU

[1:15:18] shall have one designated parking space which can include tandem parking spaces.

[1:15:24] So particular outlets where it's a little bit more compact. Um that might

[1:15:28] be the solution.

[1:15:44] Um, next we have building requirements. Maybe I better deal with this first. So,

[1:15:48] apparently it's a black Ford uh F250 F150 um registration. Is

[1:15:57] that says

[1:16:01] BV72525? Apparently it's blocking somebody else in. So if you don't mind

[1:16:05] moving [Music]

[1:16:08] it anybody moving.

[1:16:12] Okay

[1:16:19] 150. Okay. Um so now to the building design standards um this confirms that a

[1:16:26] maximum of one attached ADU shall be permitted in that detached well as long

[1:16:32] as it does not alter the character of the street scene and again cannot be

[1:16:35] seeded legally. It's not a standalone um unit. The entrance should be located

[1:16:41] located at the ground level unless building code or fire code dictates

[1:16:45] otherwise and the designated parking spot should be

[1:16:51] provided. Now the detachus uh that unit shall be provided in the same lot as the

[1:16:57] primary structure so under the same

[1:17:02] ownership. This bit refers to um kind of the servicing arrangements. So uh the

[1:17:08] need to obtain an on-site sewage system permit from the North Bay M conservation

[1:17:12] authority or a file review certificate to confirm that where an ADU is proposed

[1:17:17] it will tie into the existing septic and then this is capacity to achieve that

[1:17:22] role. Nobody wants them backing up and this will ensure that the existing

[1:17:27] system has the capacity to accommodate those additional loads. In all cases,

[1:17:32] the on-site sewage system proposed in association with the ADU um is required

[1:17:38] to meet the minimum clearance distances as required in section 8.2 of the

[1:17:42] Ontario building

[1:17:47] code. Okay. So, in terms of planning policies related to the creation of new

[1:17:51] lots, um important to notice that um where the lot is less than um 0.6 six

[1:17:57] hectares or has less than 60 meters of frontage, a hydrogeeological assessment

[1:18:02] may be required um in order to allow that to take place as it would for the

[1:18:07] creation of new lots. So that's not a policy change. It's just applying what

[1:18:11] already exists. Other provisions require access

[1:18:15] to a designated laundry facility, whether standalone or shared. Um there

[1:18:19] were some questions raised about this which we'll likely hear about tonight

[1:18:22] but it's a requirement of the Ontario building code. We have no authority on

[1:18:27] that matter. It needs to have laundry services and also that the ADUs uh shall

[1:18:33] not adversely impact the immunity character or functional and committed

[1:18:37] use of adjoining

[1:18:42] properties. So section 3.45.97 45.9.17 relates to occupancy and

[1:18:47] confirms that the occupancy of these ADUs can be anybody. Doesn't have to be

[1:18:51] a family member. Doesn't have to be somebody on um social assistance. Any

[1:18:56] person is entitled to rent or occupy with the

[1:19:01] unit. And finally, for the rules and regulations to be observed, proponents

[1:19:06] of any post primary ADU conversions, that's the flip that we said if you want

[1:19:10] to build a bigger home on property where you want to got one, are required to

[1:19:14] sign a written agreement with the township confirming uh the existing

[1:19:18] principal dwelling will become a detached

[1:19:23] ADU. So, I'm going to wrap up here. Here you can see how the expansion of these

[1:19:28] new admitted uses uh under the proposed changes are applied in the residential

[1:19:33] first density zone and the residential second density zone which is the

[1:19:38] hamlets. Existing provisions for secondary dwellings and garden suites

[1:19:43] will be removed. However, up to two ADUs shall be permitted in appropriate

[1:19:49] locations circumstances to a net gain in the amount of housing that you can

[1:19:53] provide. This includes one attached ADU and one

[1:19:58] detached [Music]

[1:20:02] ADU. And in the residential limited services zone, existing provisions for

[1:20:06] secondary dwellings shall be maintained as is. However, garden suites uh which

[1:20:12] uh we are not aware of any in the township will be removed.

[1:20:17] over permitted users to be retained within the residential limited services

[1:20:20] zone, including cottage if you have one or single detached dwelling. You can

[1:20:26] still have a a guest cabin or a bonkey as you might know it. And uh but that

[1:20:31] should be for seasonal use only and will not have its own servicing

[1:20:36] arrangement. And in the rural zone, existing provisions for secondary

[1:20:39] dwellings will be removed as they are for all zones except the adolescent and

[1:20:44] garden suites would never have permitted use in the rural zone anyway. So that

[1:20:48] doesn't apply. So instead in the rural zones up

[1:20:53] to two ADUs can be provided, one attached, one detached. Um and that's

[1:21:00] it. So with that, I'll pass it back to Mickey.

[1:21:10] There is

[1:21:15] [Music]

[1:21:26] no um so we shared a great deal of technical information. So to summarize,

[1:21:32] bylaws 20259 and 10 are amending other bylaws

[1:21:37] that currently prohibit the use of trailers on vacant land. The intent of

[1:21:42] this these is to now permit the use of trailers on vacant land. There are

[1:21:47] regulations required in order to use the trailer, but we'll present that later

[1:21:51] tonight. Without these amendments, the rules would stay the same and nobody can

[1:21:55] use a trailer in the town in the township. So these trailer bylaws

[1:22:00] address yes you want to you yes we will use them you they're allowed to be used

[1:22:06] in the rule zone and what the setbacks are. So those are the only three

[1:22:11] amendments in open for discussion on the comments. By law

[1:22:17] 2025 11 is one making it a requirement that

[1:22:22] for vacant land you must take out an accessory structure building permit at

[1:22:26] the same time as the primary dwelling permit. You will have significant time

[1:22:31] to build the house, but vacant land cannot be used, cannot be issued an

[1:22:35] accessory structure permit since there is nothing for it to be accessory to.

[1:22:39] It's a timing change. Number two is the use of

[1:22:42] shipping containers will be permitted. Yes, they have to be set back on the

[1:22:46] road as any accessory structure currently does and they have to remain

[1:22:51] attractive. We have heard that the community wants more community pride and

[1:22:55] ensuring that your yard is neat will achieve this. Smaller units used as

[1:23:00] storage only under 161.5 square feet do not need a permit. However, a container

[1:23:06] over the over that is considered a building under the Ontario building code

[1:23:10] act and does require a permit. Any container that is modified from its

[1:23:16] manufactured state in the use of the container must have a permit if it's not

[1:23:21] for storage. Those are provincial rules and in place to keep everyone safe. So

[1:23:26] those are the existing ones. Number three is we have removed garden suites

[1:23:30] as is an outdated term and adus will replace the concepts. Garden suites

[1:23:35] regulated through the planning act for a period of 20 years. There must be an

[1:23:40] agreement and typically there is a very large deposit required to ensure that it

[1:23:45] is removed. The township does not know of any such sweets in Bonfield and ADUs

[1:23:50] are far less restrictive restrictive and they do not require deposits.

[1:23:56] Number four, secondary dwellings in most zones are also being replaced with the

[1:24:01] new ADU concept. The caveat here is the residential limited services zone, which

[1:24:07] is typically the waterfront. We have evidence included in our 2012 official

[1:24:11] plan that the lakes are at or near capacity for development. Properties are

[1:24:16] or were calculated as single family dwellings for cottages when the studies

[1:24:20] were conducted over the last 20 years. New studies are required before more

[1:24:25] than one dwelling can be constructed on the property. Council left the bylaw as

[1:24:29] is for the RLS zone allowing the secondary zone which means that one wall

[1:24:36] of a secondary has to be connected to the primary dwelling and that's only for

[1:24:40] the RLS and it's um so it's not a rule that's

[1:24:45] changing. Additional dwelling units would now be permitted. The township has

[1:24:50] had several requests from family members saying they want to build on a section

[1:24:54] of their property to allow a parent or a child to stay, but they want to give

[1:24:58] them privacy and independence. In 2024, the province amended the planning act to

[1:25:02] allow this. In fact, we mandated it for larger centers, but not for rural

[1:25:06] communities. If you were on a municipal water and sewer system, it was mandated

[1:25:10] three as a right, but not for Bonfield. Council recognized that the need exists

[1:25:16] here and are creating the rules that give residents the tools and

[1:25:18] opportunities they requested. So now turn to the meeting um back over to

[1:25:24] Mayor Bquette. But before I do, I just want to clarify that in in when we come

[1:25:29] to the public comments, the comment um or the the three issues on the trailer

[1:25:34] bylaw and any of the issues in two um 202511 that Simon spoke to, we do have

[1:25:41] written comments and we have some um submitted comments where they will speak

[1:25:46] to those and then we will open it up to the floor for questions after that. If

[1:25:50] there are any questions about the trailer regulations, that is opened

[1:25:55] later after the the presentation on trailers and short-term rentals and

[1:25:59] those had to be submitted by yesterday at noon. And then we'll so I pass this

[1:26:04] back over to Pette.

[1:26:11] Has any person has a person or public body made a written submission to the

[1:26:17] town? Yes.

[1:26:35] Okay. So, these are the ones for the 2025-1 which I just spoke to. Um, so

[1:26:43] this one is from Nat Bertan Burton. So with respect to public input

[1:26:49] regarding shipping containers, I have no problem with a well-maintained shipping

[1:26:54] container and personal property, especially if it's well placed on the

[1:26:57] property, i.e. with consideration for neighbors, office setbacks,

[1:27:02] etc. They're solid, secure, and great for storage. We'd rather have that

[1:27:07] beautiful lot that ends up looking like a dump uh from pro property owners lack

[1:27:12] of storage options. Besides, Bonfield was built specifically because of the

[1:27:18] railway. So, there's a cultural aspect to it that cannot be denied. In fact,

[1:27:23] seems like a great opportunity for Bonfield to celebrate a railroad by

[1:27:26] using the Cam as a symbol of its growth. Just takes a little creativity and

[1:27:31] thinking outside the box to make it [Music]

[1:27:35] work. Next comment is from Diana Joa. Um, although I can appreciate that the

[1:27:41] bylaws have to be written with a certain amount of legal ease, I found some of

[1:27:46] this to be difficult and confusing to read. So, apologies in advance if my

[1:27:50] questions or comments have been addressed in the documents already. I

[1:27:54] will not be making a presentation at the March 18th 25 meeting. Here are my

[1:27:59] questions and comments for your consideration.

[1:28:03] bylaw

[1:28:05] 2024-42.3. What does it mean to have a valid license with the township or field

[1:28:10] for recreational vehicles or trailers and how is the fee schedule

[1:28:15] determined? How will the township deal with the property owners who are

[1:28:18] currently in non-compliance with new and in some cases existing bylaws as it

[1:28:24] pertains to the placement number and use of trailers and other secondary living

[1:28:29] units? Will these be grandfiled? How property tax has been adjusted to

[1:28:34] account for these spaces and how was the 120day usage of these units arrived at?

[1:28:40] I think it is outside the scope of the township to mandate that additional

[1:28:45] units must include laundry facilities. In terms of parking of spaces, if the

[1:28:50] intention is to provide easy access for emergency vehicles and to prohibit

[1:28:54] street parking, perhaps the bylaw should simply state those requirements and let

[1:29:00] the homeowner determine how to meet the requirements of their property. Thank

[1:29:04] you for the opportunity to contribute the process respectfully and team

[1:29:09] director. The next one is from Pat just say in

[1:29:14] terms of response that we will provide response in the next section

[1:29:19] right so this one's from Pat Kelly to Bonfield tangent may counselors I would

[1:29:25] like some questions answered I was wondering who decided not to have

[1:29:29] trailers and lengthen property I didn't see any discussion on any council

[1:29:33] meeting or corporate service meeting planning department to allow trailers

[1:29:38] and water from property then refers to a survey some statistics

[1:29:43] where they say yes uh by 180 people and no by 20 people. I only saw one

[1:29:52] corporate service meeting where Jason Corbit said there would not be trailers

[1:29:56] on lake from property at the beginning beginning of the meeting. I also noted

[1:30:00] that trailer parks and both uh Lake Talon and Lake Northbing in multiple

[1:30:07] townships have trailers at Lakefront as prime locations. Why are individual land

[1:30:13] owners not allowed the same privilege? Why is Vonville Township acting like it

[1:30:17] is a homeowners association regulating everything? This is a rural community.

[1:30:23] There is no sewer or water treatment plants, no garbage pickup, and one of

[1:30:28] the highest tax rates with no service and care.

[1:30:39] [Music]

[1:30:50] Okay, sure. So in reply from Pat Countyy's um

[1:30:57] and questions. Thank you. Um so not having trailers on the waterfront

[1:31:04] there are or in the RLS zone. So there are several subdivision agreements which

[1:31:09] we spoke about before and they explicitly prohibit trailers to be used

[1:31:13] on those lots. So we carried that forward into this

[1:31:17] bylaw. They are no trailers to protect our lakes. Um there are trailers.

[1:31:24] Um we have had a number of concerns on what they where the septic and how is

[1:31:30] that managed. Um and then that will obviously not protect our lakes. We've

[1:31:34] heard through the strategic plan through our surveys that we everybody wants our

[1:31:38] lakes to be protected. This is one way that we can do that. Children are not

[1:31:42] currently allowed anywhere. So we're opening it into the rule as we explained

[1:31:46] that you know we have to start somewhere. Let's start where we know it

[1:31:50] will be safer and on the lake on the RLS we want to be available for the prime

[1:31:56] developments um for cottages and homes

[1:32:03] taxes

[1:32:18] Have you? So, we actually have a few people who submitted in a question and

[1:32:21] we're going to get to them first and then we'll open it up for the floor for

[1:32:24] questions. Okay.

[1:32:28] Yeah, we'll get to all the

[1:32:40] answers.

[1:32:49] Any person that is attending the public meeting shall be afforded an opportunity

[1:32:54] to make an oral representation in respect of the zoning

[1:32:58] bylaw proposal. Does any person attending wish

[1:33:02] to make an oral presentation for zoning bylaw amendments?

[1:33:17] nine people that will be making a presentation. Uh speakers shall be

[1:33:23] entitled to address the council focusing on the topic of discussion. There are

[1:33:30] several participants and we ask that you keep your your comments to council on

[1:33:37] target so that we can hear everybody's concern. All speakers must identify

[1:33:44] themselves to the recording secretary by name, address, and contact telephone

[1:33:51] number. There shall be no comments or

[1:33:58] outcry made during the individual's

[1:34:03] address. Should you not conduct yourself in an orderly fashion, you may be asked

[1:34:09] to leave. The committee may or may not be able to answer your questions or

[1:34:16] concerns at this time, but we shall do our best to ensure that any unanswered

[1:34:21] questions will be followed up. And I have a list of nine names to

[1:34:27] speak and I'll call them out according to the way their name was in the order

[1:34:33] they were submitted. And I'd just like to say for people standing up there,

[1:34:38] there's six or seven chairs. If you'd like to come and sit here at the

[1:35:08] front Um, I'll probably ask you to come up here so and speak at the mic so that

[1:35:16] people can hear you. And first we have Trevor Bottle.

[1:35:45] Kathy Gray

[1:35:49] setbacks. You're happy.

[1:36:05] So my question

[1:36:14] on livestock trailers. So, some livestock trailers have amenities in

[1:36:19] them, some don't. So, are they included in this fee or not included in this

[1:36:24] licensing fee? And then the other part of it is that this thing literally says

[1:36:29] no on any lands, no trailer can be stored or maintained for more than 120

[1:36:36] days. My livestock trailer is on my property 365 days a year unless I need

[1:36:41] it to transfer

[1:36:45] over and I don't agree to pay this township or any other

[1:36:50] township on my own

[1:36:59] property. This is just not ours. Yeah, that's your question. Yeah, thank you.

[1:37:05] Thanks for the question. or not, they not do. Yeah. So, uh trailers, so this

[1:37:09] bylaw only deals with trailers on vacant property, trailers on a property that

[1:37:14] already is a residence. So, if you have a travel trailer that you park in the

[1:37:18] property, you have family that comes over that stays with you for part of the

[1:37:21] summer, they use your travel trailer. Absolutely. Nothing is changing about

[1:37:26] that. You are allowed. For sure. We can ensure that's clear because the

[1:37:30] intention this makes it seem like I have my voice or my

[1:37:43] I was just having chat. I'm asking them to change the wording of this bylaw as

[1:37:48] far as how it reads right now. It seems like you can only have your livestock

[1:37:54] trailer or your camper trailer stored or maintained is what it says for 120 days

[1:37:59] on any property. So that is just not specific enough to be and leaves way too

[1:38:06] much room for this council to arbitrarily charge people

[1:38:18] not feedback. Obviously, if there's ambiguity in the bylaw, we want to make

[1:38:23] sure that there's no ambiguity. It is the only intention is to deal with

[1:38:27] trailers on on vacant property. So,

[1:38:36] Davidson, do we have this question? You can't remember question.

[1:38:51] Yeah, sure.

[1:39:32] [Music] Uh, I guess my question was, um, I think

[1:39:38] you're trying to deal with some of these issues. Um but every day I drive home

[1:39:44] and um to my left as I drive down my road huge fields

[1:39:55] [Music] um as far as I know

[1:40:07] there's bas

[1:40:13] and several people. They use the road. They used a

[1:40:22] road in the winter. They use the grading of the road to get to their houses and

[1:40:27] campers and cottages with um I don't know codes, all those things. So, I have

[1:40:35] a little bit of concerns. I those concerns over two years ago and nothing

[1:40:40] happened. I was told that there was a bylaw from the township that dealt with

[1:40:45] that and that the matter would be being dealt with. In the meantime, I believe

[1:40:50] there's at least two other trailer that are unlicensed

[1:41:02] [Music] unrely considered rental units in the

[1:41:05] township that are within the primary residences are in other buildings are

[1:41:10] rented without boundary services being supplied.

[1:41:15] is if is the objective to make it easier to create new housing units as per

[1:41:19] provincial guidelines. This does not make it easier. Current septic systems

[1:41:23] and primary residents may be able to handle a bathroom in addition to primary

[1:41:28] resident current use. The Madawa Conservation Authority would in all

[1:41:32] likelihood upon inspection establish substantial septic upgrades if logging

[1:41:37] is included. This factor alone will not encourage current homeowners in this

[1:41:41] township to want to create more important which

[1:41:57] is next. You raised some important concerns about uh how many failers we're

[1:42:03] seeing on vacant pieces of property. Uh as I think we've stated many a time

[1:42:08] tonight. Uh there are noers for property currently within the

[1:42:14] US. Is it happening? Absolutely. Um so this bylaw that's before us

[1:42:21] tonight pause take a look at what was currently uh in place. We're actually

[1:42:25] going to open up the opportunity for B for trailers to be permitted one per lot

[1:42:31] in rural zones, but in Rusty areas, so on lakefront properties or in the

[1:42:38] hamlets, trailers are not permitted. They will be enforced that trailers are

[1:42:42] not to be forbidden on lakefront or in the hamlets. I will turn it over to I

[1:42:48] believe Mike will speak to the public official. you'll speak to the

[1:42:54] uh idea of the good evening. Uh so we got a lot of questions about the laundry

[1:42:59] facilities in the building. So it's regulated under the Ontario building

[1:43:03] code. So perhaps the building you speak of was uh constructed prior to the code

[1:43:08] being implemented whatever. So the building code says laundry facilities or

[1:43:14] space for laundry shall be provided in every

[1:43:18] dwelling unit. um it doesn't necessarily have to be in that unit if it's a

[1:43:23] secondary boiling attached as long as it's in the building. It could be a

[1:43:27] shared laundry facilities but when it's become a shared laundry facilities

[1:43:31] becomes complicated then that room has to be fire separated from both units I

[1:43:37] can't build unit back to the house that allows

[1:43:41] them to use my laundry. Yes. Yes, you can. But now that laundry room must be

[1:43:46] also fire separated because it's a shared shared laundry facility. Same

[1:43:51] thing if you had a shared entrance.

[1:43:56] Okay. But there's also the ceiling and the floor, right? So there there's a

[1:44:01] possibility for it in the uh if you build an ADU that's separated from the

[1:44:05] main buildings, that ADU must have laundry facilities. And when it's washer

[1:44:10] and dryer, they put it in closets. Yeah. It's not it's not washer and a dryer.

[1:44:18] Yes, you might you might you might be adding fixture units, but the building

[1:44:22] code uh I can't I can't tell you don't worry about it. It's a regulation under

[1:44:28] the code. There's even another part in the code that says you have to provide

[1:44:33] electrical facility or gas or propane to accommodate it. So there grants

[1:44:37] available the homeowner to that so they can upgrade. So, just so everybody

[1:44:43] knows, I heard about the VSAP program and there's two people in this community

[1:44:47] that I talked to. They can get up to 50 grand for a secondary dwelling and they

[1:44:52] both got it. They're both getting $50,000 free,

[1:44:57] right?

[1:45:01] So, it's good. The federal federal government also has a program for

[1:45:05] varying super interest rates for if you want to create additional volumes,

[1:45:10] right? couple years out back here.

[1:45:14] So, I'm just saying the federal government has a program for super low

[1:45:18] interest rates if you want to create additional dwelling units. And there's

[1:45:21] two people in uh there's two people in this community that I spoke to and

[1:45:26] they're getting $50,000 each for having created uh additional. So, there's a

[1:45:32] possibility of two u two recipients and they both got it. So,

[1:45:39] [Music] Okay, the question who's up next?

[1:45:44] Uh, Jessica Chris Shepard. Additional units and shipping containers. Come on

[1:45:51] down. Princess,

[1:46:09] right? So, regarding the RV bylaw, um we find the amendments very ambiguous. Um

[1:46:17] at what point, at one point they were allowed in the bylaw, the 201249 on your

[1:46:22] property if it is not a vacant lot.

[1:46:31] It says, yeah, 3.22 of the bylaw, which

[1:46:37] I've confused why you're saying allowed. says no recreational vehicle shall be

[1:46:41] used within the municipality for a period of more than 90 days and then 10

[1:46:46] consecutive months relies. So it was allowed by the way I'm

[1:46:52] reading it as long as it was 90 days and 10 months.

[1:46:59] Yeah. Um and then

[1:47:04] um 25-9 the section says requires a license

[1:47:08] just like the RV used on vacant land. Um question what is the purpose of the

[1:47:16] amendments? Is it to provide an income to the township through the annual fee

[1:47:21] or is it a concern for our environment requiring septic copic or sewage pumping

[1:47:26] or is it something else? Um, but most citizens are requesting.

[1:47:37] Yeah. So, let's start those questions. [Music]

[1:47:43] Do you want us to

[1:48:01] Sorry. So in your questions, you have questions about additional dwelling

[1:48:05] units and storage containers as well as the trailers. So the trailers are after

[1:48:09] the presentation for trailers. So we'll address those questions after, but if

[1:48:12] you can move on to the additional dwelling units and the containers.

[1:48:17] Okay. Addition additional dwelling units have been in this township for many

[1:48:21] years. Um, I think we've covered granny's all the jargon. Um, they are

[1:48:27] not used for full-time occupation, nor are they typically for seasons. Some

[1:48:31] have all amenities such as running water and full kitchenetss and bathrooms, and

[1:48:35] some are used to sleep additional cooking only. Since these ADUs already

[1:48:38] exist, will this bylaw a limit require them to obtain a building permit and or

[1:48:44] be removed? Question. And some of these units were built over 100 years ago. Why

[1:48:49] would this township not grandfather these units into this

[1:49:00] by so you've um the one is since the ADUs already exist then why would we

[1:49:08] remove them um so ADUs have not been permitted what is permitted are

[1:49:14] secondary dwellings garden suites and in the RLS they're also allowed to have a

[1:49:19] guest cabin. A guest cabin is which is used for providing sleeping

[1:49:25] accommodations but no sanitary or kitchen facilities. So if there are

[1:49:31] facilities like that, they're not allowed. They were there. Nobody was

[1:49:35] there. But they are not allowed permits. So they were probably built without

[1:49:38] permits. They were probably built without permissions. So they can't be

[1:49:41] grandfathered in because they're not legal. They were there for years.

[1:49:47] Wait. Well, they've never if if they don't have a permit and they're not of

[1:49:52] permitted use. I said earlier that zoning bylaws are an

[1:49:57] exclusive government body bylaw. So in those bylaws, unless it explicitly

[1:50:02] states it's allowed, it is not allowed. So what was explicitly allowed was

[1:50:06] secondary dwellings, garden suites, and the RLS zone had guest cabins and they

[1:50:11] were defined. So they're very defined. Bies is not defined in our zoning bylaw.

[1:50:16] Yes, they exist. We know this. As long as they don't have sanitary or kitchen,

[1:50:22] then they will fall under. We know that they exist in there.

[1:50:28] Absolutely. They do exist. They do exist. So, in RLS zone, you are

[1:50:35] allowed to have a guest cabin. So, they will fall under a guest cabin. But they

[1:50:41] everybody calls them monkeys but that is nothing like and the zone is technically

[1:50:46] a guest cover.

[1:50:50] Yeah. So the RLS refers to Okay. So what if you're in the rural

[1:51:02] zone? So the rural zone allowed secondary dwellings and garden suites.

[1:51:07] So we don't know of any garden suites. We have not found any agreements. So if

[1:51:11] there are secondary dwellings, a secondary dwelling is attached to your

[1:51:14] house. So one wall has to be attached from the secondary to the primary house.

[1:51:19] So if there were secondary dwellings on your

[1:51:22] property, then they do not meet zoning. So on a case by case that that does

[1:51:27] happen to anyone, you can certainly come into the office, talk to Simon and our

[1:51:32] planning department can help so that we can do a legal non-conforming status if

[1:51:36] it applies. There's no permit. No, it exists. I can't. It's case by case and I

[1:51:41] can't promise anything. It would have I would have to look at the the property

[1:51:45] itself. No additional cost dwelling that's

[1:51:50] there. It should be approved. Does it have two dwellings on your property? If

[1:51:54] a dwelling was purch or was was built without a permit without any built

[1:52:01] before I got there. Yeah. So, we would have to look at that case by case. So

[1:52:05] you kind there there would be a process in order to do that but we can certainly

[1:52:09] look at doing that for you.

[1:52:14] And just to address that one thing um I'm an environmental engineer and place

[1:52:19] regulation all the time and the absence of regulation saying that it's not

[1:52:24] permitted or that something is permitted is not that it's not peritted. If it

[1:52:29] doesn't state that it's not permitted, then there's nothing to say.

[1:52:41] Containers storage buildings are a great way of cleaning your yard and safely

[1:52:45] securing your tools, equipment, and materials. They look good and can be

[1:52:49] extremely handy to the property owner. My first question would be why does this

[1:52:55] council need a bylaw to regulate sea containers slash storage buildings?

[1:53:00] That's question one. Since C containers are the most

[1:53:04] basic and secure secure temporary storage that is

[1:53:11] very easily moved for both the homeowner and the township. Uh why would the

[1:53:15] township promote the use of not promote the use of sea containers

[1:53:20] by not regulating them other than meeting setbacks and accessibility?

[1:53:27] Thank you. What a a great opportunity again to clarify position. Currently

[1:53:32] shipping containers are not permitted over certain size. We're moving forward

[1:53:36] with permitting them. So we agree with you. It's a great storage solution. It's

[1:53:40] safe. It's secure. If it's under Mike, how many square feet?

[1:53:46] 161.4. So it's 161.4. There's no permit required.

[1:53:51] Anything over that? Yes. Required, but that's in the building that

[1:53:57] us on their property. Been there for years.

[1:54:02] Sir, I guess the only thing the only thing I can draw back to is what I've

[1:54:06] said. We are being asked to enforce bylaws equitably and equally across the

[1:54:13] community by many people. So if you have done something or if somebody is doing

[1:54:17] something illegal, it's hard for us, it's impossible for us to say that it's

[1:54:22] legal non-conforming in order for it to be legal

[1:54:25] non-conforming to be legal. So it puts us in a position of wanting to make sure

[1:54:30] that we are already changing the the bylaw for trailers. So, if for the uh

[1:54:38] shipping containers, so if a shipping container is on your property, um my

[1:54:42] guess is Mike's not going to be coming to your property to ask you to remove or

[1:54:45] move your your shipping container before this bylaw is passed. Well, a lot of

[1:54:51] things are permitted with, as you saw, the proper setbacks and we want to make

[1:54:55] sure that they look good for our community. We've heard lots of feedback

[1:54:58] about that. whether they could paint it or whether if it's too close to the road

[1:55:02] that it's you know covered with tree line or fencing or siding. So there's

[1:55:06] there's opportunities to have

[1:55:14] candes. Why would it be a problem for this? It's it's not a problem

[1:55:20] for we're on the same page. That's fantastic.

[1:55:25] Correct. It's not if we pass this bylaw, we're allowing shipping containers on

[1:55:31] properties.

[1:55:34] Well, you need a building permit. Well, you need a permit. Why? I'm not building

[1:55:37] a container. Because that's the Ontario building code, sir. That's not the

[1:55:41] township of Bfield, Julie. I

[1:55:48] don't might have

[1:55:55] Yeah. So you mentioned no shipping containers were are allowed and again I

[1:56:01] read through the whole bylaw current bylaw and I didn't see any

[1:56:05] mention. So I'm just curious.

[1:56:14] So again, it's not specific, but you're saying,

[1:56:20] as as the building official said or somebody said, if somebody has a

[1:56:25] shipping container on the property, that's under the requirements for a

[1:56:29] building permit under the side that that is permitted. What we're now permitting

[1:56:34] is large. So that will continue and we're permitting larger cands to be on

[1:56:40] people's problems. So we are very much. We can't grandfather something

[1:56:46] that has never had when it needed a permit before. Didn't need a permit

[1:56:50] before. Well, I don't know what to tell you.

[1:56:54] That's the province. So, thank you very much. Who's

[1:57:00] next? Who's next? Wesley.

[1:57:06] Wesley.

[1:57:11] Okay, I believe there's no

[1:57:19] [Music]

[1:57:29] westman.

[1:57:42] Should I go give you my information first or talk?

[1:57:59] Hello there. My name is Carmen Jan. Uh here now. Good. Okay.

[1:58:07] Um I live on Top Pond Road. Um a previous lady has covered some of

[1:58:15] my concerns. Uh one of the things I wanted

[1:58:19] to speak about is the RVs and use of them and again uh that was cleared up.

[1:58:28] So, it was very vague in the description. Now, it's cleared up. So, I

[1:58:34] know if you're going to have a dwelling um on your property, you can keep your

[1:58:40] RVs [Music]

[1:58:42] and Okay. [Music]

[1:58:51] Um, also I I was questioning uh I noticed some fees about RVs, but again I

[1:58:59] think that was cleared up. That's concerning vacant plant. Okay, that's

[1:59:06] how come it was so vague. I was questioning

[1:59:17] And there was a mention about um inspections on the RVs and trailers

[1:59:26] as you see fit. I found I found that a

[1:59:32] little rude in so many ways as to say you can show up anytime and inspect

[1:59:38] something. me.

[1:59:48] And just as a background, I worked in the justice system for many

[1:59:53] years and I know that the way that was worded

[1:59:58] uh is not really legit.

[2:00:10] [Music]

[2:00:18] I've always stated how much I've been here for over 20 years and I love this

[2:00:24] community. I love the peace and quiet, friendliness.

[2:00:29] Um but again when it comes to the amount of taxes we do pay

[2:00:36] uh we get very little services. Um I do understand the cost of

[2:00:45] uh maintaining. I know that's quite expensive. I was very glad to hear that

[2:00:49] you have equipment. Um, and again, a lot of these fees I

[2:00:56] found when it came to

[2:01:03] um, Airbnbs or whatever. Um, I've known many of my friends and

[2:01:12] and colleagues that have these things and they've never had to pay fees. They

[2:01:17] pay more house insurance because they're renting their

[2:01:22] home to the public, but I don't think the township

[2:01:28] should take charge of dealing with stuff like this and charging fees when people

[2:01:36] own their property and they also pay more insurance to offer an Airbnb

[2:01:44] service.

[2:01:53] Thanks. A few different things to touch on. Uh so I will call on a couple of

[2:01:58] different people if that's okay. Um let me just go through messing. So

[2:02:04] uh matter of RVs we've cleared up. Do not understand these

[2:02:14] property. Let's see here. Inspections on vehicles uh on property as we see fit.

[2:02:20] So again, I'll just reiterate. I'll go back to the uh

[2:02:25] uh to the trailer bylaw, we will go back through our intention is to make sure

[2:02:31] that it's clear and if it obviously missed the mark, uh we will we will

[2:02:36] ensure that we clean that up before anything that's final. Um I will ask

[2:02:40] Mike to perhaps come forward and speak about the inspections and the

[2:02:44] authorities that are granted to us and inspect. So I'm chief official and also

[2:02:51] the officer under the municipal under the mal act and uh the building

[2:02:58] code act and several other acts. Um I have access to your prop like whatever

[2:03:03] council decides is going to be the bylaw. I have access to your properties

[2:03:06] your reasonable time of day. Right.

[2:03:23] So we under this legislation we do have the right to and especially for

[2:03:26] enforcing the bylaws. We do not go on property. We are not these are not meant

[2:03:32] to be intrusive. So, if you apply for a trailer bylaw, you are going to make a

[2:03:36] number of like statements in it. When you apply for a short-term rental,

[2:03:40] you're going to make a number of statements in that. Then, our inspector

[2:03:44] will go to make sure that what you said is is accurate and truthful. And that is

[2:03:48] all that those bylaws are intending to do. So, there's even sections in there

[2:03:52] that say that, you know, he will arrange consent with the owners that you are

[2:03:56] there when he goes to to do the inspection or that you have somebody

[2:04:00] there, then he will go and look at those. They're not meant to be

[2:04:03] intrusive. You'll see in the trailer and the short-term rental presentation um

[2:04:08] that we specifically say like we're not looking for building code infractions.

[2:04:13] We're not looking to say that your your house built 10 years ago doesn't meet

[2:04:18] the building code today. So, you have to do a number of changes. That's not the

[2:04:21] intent. The intent is that your application says what is there and that

[2:04:26] he can then sign his name to say yes, I have checked and this is what it is. he

[2:04:31] issues the license, he needs to make sure that what he's issuing is correct.

[2:04:36] Does the only it doesn't

[2:04:44] [Music]

[2:04:51] witnesses talking about this one? I didn't hear the full question, but is

[2:04:57] it inspections for a trailer or short?

[2:05:02] Inspection.

[2:05:14] We'll look into that. I I don't know the details. I can't

[2:05:18] answer to that. I can't speak to it. I don't know the details, but I'm sure

[2:05:21] that I'll look into that. Okay. And who might be next?

[2:05:25] Gina

[2:05:30] Langu and Hunts. Gina. Oh, there she

[2:05:36] is. Gina is also a member of our planning advisor. That's a lot of great

[2:05:41] work. So, here you go. Thank you.

[2:06:10] As mentioned, I'm an appointed member of the planning advisory committee and I

[2:06:16] started almost two years ago and I've been been a member of the community for

[2:06:21] over 35 years. So um my comments so I I may have a lot

[2:06:28] of input for planning advisory committee and into a lot of discussions and

[2:06:35] usually I'm known as one of the ones who is kind of a devil advocate

[2:06:41] uh to take in the opinions of everyone and try to remain unbiased. So I find

[2:06:48] bylaws in general are very restrictive and often the most restrictive bylaw

[2:06:54] contents are used from other municipalities in our

[2:07:01] municipality and also I feel that council seems not to have the time to

[2:07:06] fully review and understand the full impact of such

[2:07:10] recommendations. I had suggested to some council members that they should suggest

[2:07:15] to the CEO that the number of documents preferred for a council meeting so that

[2:07:20] proper time can be committed to council members and to the public in order to

[2:07:25] have time to view um and uh prepare for a question or prepare for the meeting.

[2:07:32] Uh I think like this full agenda for town hall is an example of a lot we're

[2:07:38] meeting

[2:07:43] American example is extensive list of of building fee increases that was

[2:07:48] presented to council. It is it's kind of hard to believe that you would think

[2:07:54] that a 90 900 square foot dwelling should be the same fee and cost as a

[2:08:00] 2400 square foot uh dwelling $4,000.

[2:08:08] So it doesn't seem to seem fair to the person building a 900 square foot

[2:08:14] well. Uh also the fee was 5K originally and put to 4K after complaint and thanks

[2:08:22] to two members in the community came out to a council meeting and at least able

[2:08:28] addressed. So, it's important for all of us to go to council meetings and address

[2:08:34] concerns and uh a minimum paint decrease from the tenant volumes. So, it appeared

[2:08:42] no consideration was taken for affordable housing for builders to come

[2:08:46] to our township to develop or build with the fee schedule.

[2:08:51] Will this fee schedule be reooked at for building permit fees and building fees

[2:08:58] for AGUs? And unfortunately, it um a member

[2:09:03] of our community did go out and um go to other communities and uh did a lot of

[2:09:11] data research and was found that our current fees were higher.

[2:09:16] So um what is and another thing is why is it that RL zone with the highest tax

[2:09:24] base and these services always seems to be targeted.

[2:09:34] Yeah, no wind gas, no trailers, no ADU. Uh we're all for the

[2:09:41] environment. Um we, you know, we live on the lake. We're like to all be

[2:09:47] responsible people. The majority I would I would say that we are. And uh it's our

[2:09:54] lake. It's our area. It's where we it's where we play,

[2:09:59] swim. Um so um so why are we treated differently

[2:10:06] like anyone else in other zones? And what really is the issue? Is it seen as

[2:10:12] another? It is seen as another barrier and not uh and it seems m

[2:10:19] municipalities not given its support. Although secondary dwellings,

[2:10:24] guest cab and garden suites have been allowed since

[2:10:27] 2015. Um it is being uh except for garden suites. However, we don't know

[2:10:35] what the new OP will bring. official plan. Uh I'm going to be back here

[2:10:40] fighting, not fighting, but discussing um RL zones being allowed to do

[2:10:48] that. Uh waterfront property is expensive and it's an aging population.

[2:10:53] So if it was your intent to be looked after by others to be able to stay in

[2:10:58] your home because your home is on water waterfront, you may not be able to stay

[2:11:03] in your home and your aging plan may have relied on a second dwelling or a

[2:11:09] garden suite. both folks in an RLS zone that may not happen. As in PCO and

[2:11:16] planning administration recommendation to council it states despite this

[2:11:21] concession it is consensus and planning that ADUs are not permitted along

[2:11:26] waterfront properties in northern Ontario staff continue to support the

[2:11:31] proposed amendment um for detached ADUs in the RLS zone. It

[2:11:38] will be interesting to see what does uh transpire for the secondary dwellings

[2:11:45] especially as there was a lot of discussion even in the new op to even uh

[2:11:52] have a sleep cabin. So it it still has to be discussed. We will only have it in

[2:11:59] the 2013 but what will happen with the new official uh plan comes out. I know

[2:12:06] there's a lot of talk about the water capacity in North Bay Manwalk

[2:12:10] Conservation Authority, but I thought that um as long as North Bay

[2:12:16] Conservation Authority or any other authority has no uh um problem with this

[2:12:24] um having an additional dwelling or um or a

[2:12:30] trailer, why should not

[2:12:40] And I don't understand the exchange of PAC's recommendation of one hector uh

[2:12:45] for a hunt count of 10 25 hectares. Not only do people leave their lands to hunt

[2:12:51] on crown land, many are given permission to hunt on private lands. This was done

[2:12:57] with one person's recommend a one person's comment to municipal staff

[2:13:02] according to the recommendation of staff to council. How did that happen? It was

[2:13:08] not the recommendation of PAC to council. Um at this time uh am I allowed

[2:13:17] to speak to trailers?

[2:13:23] Okay. As I as I've mentioned in in many PAC meetings

[2:13:29] um we require more discussions and um to not uh to find solutions so that we

[2:13:37] don't have so many constraints. Uh like I mentioned I

[2:13:41] always try to keep an unbiased opinion and in PAC as well everyone is under

[2:13:48] challenging times and these constraints can add to everyday stresses.

[2:13:54] Uh although some some people would like to see milliondoll homes, housing sales

[2:14:00] data does not show that it is the market for Bondville. More people are into

[2:14:05] homesteading, rural living, and a simpler life and enjoying what our area

[2:14:11] provides in recreational and rural living.

[2:14:22] Thank you. Thanks.

[2:14:32] Right. Okay. There's a lot in here. So, you should say

[2:14:37] just first. Thank you for your contributions to the planning advisory

[2:14:41] committee. She is correct. She um does a very good job of making sure that all of

[2:14:45] those bylaws and all of the points when we're crafting them are well thought

[2:14:51] out. Sorry. Yes.

[2:14:55] Um uh I also think I think

[2:15:04] so um why is it that the RLS zone does not have head cams, no trailers and no

[2:15:09] edus? Um so as we discussed earlier that we did hear through our surveys that our

[2:15:15] lakes rivers and forests are important to everyone. We do have an email as you

[2:15:21] know from the North Bay man conservation authority the planners the person who

[2:15:25] has the authority we whenever there's a planning application that the

[2:15:28] municipality looks at we are mandated to send it to the conservation authority

[2:15:32] they provide a planning opinion on that and that's what we have to take as the

[2:15:36] authority. So we have to abide by the initial the the email that we have is

[2:15:41] that ADU should not be permitted in the RLS zones because they are not factored

[2:15:46] into the capacity. So Lake Island is at capacity and we can't sever any more

[2:15:51] lots off of that. So is at capacity. We need to do more studies and until those

[2:15:55] studies are done we cannot have additional dwellings on those

[2:15:59] properties. So we hope as you know at at pack and at the council we did discuss

[2:16:05] that once the north rock conservation authority has the resources and the

[2:16:11] staff in place that we will be looking at and pushing for them to do those

[2:16:14] studies. We're also looking at hiring or or working with other universities to

[2:16:20] see if we might be able to be doing programs under environmental so they can

[2:16:24] also help us get those studies done faster. But until those studies are

[2:16:27] done, we are very limited of what we're allowed to do.

[2:16:32] I thought at the meeting I thought it was from one employee at North Bay Manaw

[2:16:38] Conservation Authority and then I thought that North Bay Manawa

[2:16:42] Conservation Authority uh was not ready to commit to that to what that one

[2:16:49] employee said.

[2:16:55] We'll have an email that employee was the person who had the authority to give

[2:16:59] us the information. I do not have something in writing from the North

[2:17:04] Conservation Authority to withdraw those comments. We've asked um you'll know

[2:17:08] that we asked that member from the North Conservation to come to the planning

[2:17:12] advisory committee so that he could explain it to us and he was not allowed

[2:17:16] to come. So, they are going through a restructuring right now and as soon as

[2:17:19] they have that done, then we can certainly reook at doing these things.

[2:17:22] But at this time we have to go by what they told us to do. But we could since

[2:17:27] he's left someone could like say if someone wanted a

[2:17:32] secondary dwelling tomorrow they could go

[2:17:37] to she's saying that if somebody wanted a secondary dwelling in the RLS they

[2:17:41] could go to North Bay conservation and yes that is what we talked about earlier

[2:17:45] where we said that we do not change the rules in the RLS. So the RLS is allowed

[2:17:49] to have a secondary dwelling. Again the primary and secondary have to share a

[2:17:53] wall but it cannot have a detached additional dwelling unit. So we left the

[2:17:58] secondary dwelling in the RLS because there is a we can't speak today. Um and

[2:18:06] we once that is is rectified and we have the answers then we can we can report

[2:18:11] but until we have that we can't change what they've given us.

[2:18:16] So, and some of your other questions, I know we'll get to the

[2:18:21] trailers after. We've already explained the hunt camp and we are still looking

[2:18:26] for opinions. So, if you have an opinion on what the size of a hunting property

[2:18:29] should be, please make sure to contact council, contact the staff and let us

[2:18:34] know what you feel that that would be the most appropriate land.

[2:18:38] Yes. Why did one change? Right. So at the planning advisory committee staff

[2:18:44] did not recommend a 2.5 acre property or camp. So the plan advisory committee

[2:18:51] staff did not recommend that staff did not recommend that to the

[2:18:57] planning advisory committee. We feel that a staff that is

[2:19:02] the same size as a building lot. We want our building lots to be used for homes,

[2:19:06] not for hunt camps. We did do a survey of all of the lands around Crownland and

[2:19:11] there are no properties in Crownland that are 2.5 acres. So it's

[2:19:16] not no we don't want people to divide land to have four campgrounds on 100

[2:19:22] acres. We'd rather have houses on those and then if they go to me landing then

[2:19:28] they can still but they have to have a bigger and it did get changed. uh staff

[2:19:33] didn't re didn't support the recommendation of pack recommendation

[2:19:37] went forward but counselor asked about it. It was

[2:19:42] discovered that staff did not give that information to council. Council needs to

[2:19:46] hear both sides in order to make an informed decision just like we're asking

[2:19:49] you to do tonight. Tell us what you think the size of that law is. What

[2:19:53] should a hunting property be? So it's just to make an informed decision. We're

[2:19:57] open to ideas.

[2:20:01] I'll just add um to Gina's point, yes, this is a long evening. There is a ton

[2:20:06] of information coming at you. Uh this is the second town hall meeting that we've

[2:20:11] had in this council. I don't believe uh previous councils have done town hall

[2:20:15] meetings like this, but we want to be open and have a conversation with their

[2:20:19] constituents. So, here we are. I would also just say we meet every two weeks as

[2:20:25] council. It's an open public meeting. You're all welcome to join. I'm not sure

[2:20:29] the town hall will hold as many people, but we would love to hear from you on

[2:20:33] any of the items that are important to you as well as well. Uh we all have

[2:20:39] business cards that have mine has my cell phone number on it. Uh it's

[2:20:44] available in the front hall of the uh uh of the town hall. Uh my cell phone

[2:20:49] number I put out in social media. I encourage, as I know other counselors do

[2:20:54] and the mayor, please, please reach out, reach out and

[2:20:59] have a conversation with us. We would be more than happy to have a conversation

[2:21:02] and answer any questions.

[2:21:16] She had one last question for ADUs and the building permits and we've not

[2:21:19] addressed that yet. So that will come to council um within the

[2:21:24] next we can do um all of the the user fees and the permit fees we can't do

[2:21:29] until the bylaws are actually passed. So once our class we know what is the

[2:21:34] what's in the B what are the provisions that's when we can look at the rest of

[2:21:37] the implementation act

[2:21:42] [Music]

[2:22:08] Can everyone hear me? Hello virtual counselors.

[2:22:16] In the last year and a half that I've been following the township and of

[2:22:19] Bonfield council and CEO, I have found that matters are not being presented to

[2:22:23] our community members in an obvious and easily

[2:22:27] understandable way. Tonight I am speaking to all the

[2:22:32] folks who are living in or own property in RLS zone. To simplify things, we

[2:22:37] consider that RLSO mainly refers to waterfront property. So right now, if

[2:22:43] you have a waterfront property, you are allowed a secondary dwelling unit and a

[2:22:47] garden suite. Been that way since 2013. If you have read and understood

[2:22:53] the proposed changes from the township website, you will see they are

[2:22:57] attempting to remove this right. In addition to this, they are developing a

[2:23:01] bylaw that allows homeowners to build additional dwelling units on their

[2:23:05] property, but they have excluded this in If they are truly allowing secondary

[2:23:14] dwelling units in RLS zone, it would be added to this by which it's not. DAO may

[2:23:21] tell you, don't worry, we're alleviating the secondary dwelling units in the

[2:23:24] current bylaw plan. But keep in mind that once the new plan and zoning

[2:23:29] bylaws, which we haven't seen the final draft of yet, once it's passed, they

[2:23:34] will take the place of the government and they have made no guarantees that

[2:23:38] your rights will remain. If this passes, you will likely be

[2:23:43] losing your ability to have additional living quarters on your property. So, if

[2:23:47] you want to put in a granny suite for your elderly parents,

[2:23:51] um have a place for a caregiver when you're older or somewhere for your

[2:23:55] children to reside, you will likely no longer be allowed. The CAO and planning

[2:24:00] clerk have also said in meetings that my wall conservation has restricted this

[2:24:04] because the lake is at capacity, but this is false. If you read the official

[2:24:09] plan from the township for 2013, you'll see that this already speaks to the

[2:24:13] lakes being at capacity, it says that Madawan Conservation Authority has to

[2:24:18] make sure that septic systems for new builds and renovations meet the

[2:24:21] standards and will not impact the lake. That's their job. Under the Conservation

[2:24:26] Authorities Act, it is the responsibility of the conservation

[2:24:29] authority, not municipality, to regulate development in andor near re rivers,

[2:24:34] streams, flood planes, and wetlands. They specifically say that if you're

[2:24:39] building changing, increasing the size of the building or adding dwelling

[2:24:43] units, you may need a permit. They will come to your property, look at things

[2:24:48] like slope, drainage, building location, vegetation, existing septic proposed

[2:24:55] septic site. They will determine whether or not you can go ahead with it because

[2:24:59] they are the experts. Keep in mind that Madawa

[2:25:03] conservation review is required before the township of Bonfield can get

[2:25:07] involved and issue a building permit. That's straight from the website. So if

[2:25:12] they find your septic is not good enough for a secondary dwelling unit, they will

[2:25:16] not give your project going. Why is the township assuming

[2:25:20] expertise in this matter? Why is the township imposing these heavy

[2:25:24] restrictions on community members in the RLS zone? I am here to implore council

[2:25:30] to prove they are allowing secondary dwelling units in RS zone by including

[2:25:34] this zone in the additional dwelling units bylaw. I am respectfully

[2:25:39] requesting that you recognize that you are not the environmental experts

[2:25:48] here. Thank you for your time.

[2:26:06] So, as Laura explained, yes, we have secondary funds in the RLS. We're not

[2:26:11] taking away any right that you currently have that is still allowed in the RS.

[2:26:15] It's still in the current zone by law. Um in regard to the Northland

[2:26:22] Conservation Authority, we as I said before, we do have um an email a

[2:26:27] document from them when we ask for them to provide comments. We have to abide by

[2:26:32] what they say and it's not just about there and North Bay conservation is also

[2:26:38] charged with looking after the natural heritage and we actually pay the North

[2:26:41] Bay Conservation Authority to help us with those guidelines. So those are what

[2:26:45] we use.

[2:26:58] just to add to that. So all applicable laws, that's the term, right? So within

[2:27:02] the Ontario building code, I don't know if Mike wants to speak to that, but we

[2:27:05] are legally required to consult with and to abide by the advice of the North

[2:27:10] Conservation Authority. So it's not an arbitrary decision of ourselves. We're

[2:27:15] not claiming to be environmental experts as smuggers do have background in this

[2:27:20] um but um we are after consultation advisory committee put in that policy on

[2:27:27] pause. So you will still have your secondary dwelling suit that will be

[2:27:30] permitted but there'll be a case by case basis. So there still involve the north

[2:27:34] bay master conservation priority as it would for any application anyway. Even

[2:27:38] if it's bylaws and passed, they would still be required to come do an

[2:27:42] assessment of the property and guide you and tell you whether you could

[2:27:45] accommodate that unit or not. So nothing has changed.

[2:27:53] I can't guarantee anything and I don't say that to be suspicious in any way. We

[2:27:58] have to do these late capacity studies. There's other people, yes, some people

[2:28:02] proponents more development in the waterfront. Other people write to us and

[2:28:05] say they're deeply concerned by the algae blues and that we can't swim in

[2:28:09] those lakes anymore. So we our duty as a council is to balance all these

[2:28:13] perspectives.

[2:28:21] Cameron Cameron

[2:28:27] Cameron Cameron. Okay, that was the last one.

[2:28:33] Are we opening it up for some questions? Yeah, new any new questions on top.

[2:28:39] Hopefully we answered many of them, but happy to take some questions. I will

[2:28:42] just be cognizant of it's 9:30. We still have more to go. So, if it's repeat

[2:28:47] questions, hopefully, you know, we limit those.

[2:28:52] Hi, I just have a one question kind of regarding Doug's um Doug's statements

[2:28:57] there. I drive past those same places and it's been several years and several

[2:29:02] complaints and no enforcement. I want to hear from council how they're going to

[2:29:08] guarantee enforcement of this stuff.

[2:29:13] Thank you. Um absolutely fair points. This has been something that we heard in

[2:29:18] the last election. Uh we wanted to get this bylaw passed and we will be asking

[2:29:23] for enforcement. So, uh, our viol enforcement officer, Mike, will be

[2:29:28] charged with, uh, extending those properties with trailers illegally, uh,

[2:29:32] working with the property owners to have those trailers removed. Uh, and and

[2:29:37] that's that's the path forward for sure. So, you will be seeing enforcement uh,

[2:29:42] in the coming coming months.

[2:29:47] And we will say it's not happening overnight. I mean obviously you know you

[2:29:51] provide notice sometimes there legal issues sometimes there but I think

[2:29:56] promise you that we're going to be actively working on this new study

[2:30:00] councelor Corbett I'm sorry the name and address oh sorry you mind just name

[2:30:05] address I just need your

[2:30:21] My name and address. Jesus Murphy. I've been here

[2:30:25] for 45 almost 50 years. But Andre, you know where I live. Anyway, uh thank you

[2:30:33] very much. I'm not going to take much time. I just have a few little talking

[2:30:37] points. I'm Karen Gier. Uh myself and my husband have had this

[2:30:44] red and white for over 45 years. Uh I just want to say that uh hopefully it's

[2:30:51] going to open this year soon. We're really really happy with that.

[2:30:58] it wasn't for all of you supporting us from Britain. But I can say the same

[2:31:03] about uh the council, the current council, I'm very very sorry, but um

[2:31:08] it's been 17 months and not one of you except for the mayor have come up to us

[2:31:15] and said, "Geez, um is there anything we can do or or sorry for your lot, you

[2:31:21] know, sorry, you know, and uh not one not one and we're a proud family. So you

[2:31:29] know what kind of form of collection we got. So that's not very nice you know in

[2:31:35] a small community. But I just want to say I don't really have any questions

[2:31:41] but I do want to just emphasize the uh the atmosphere we're

[2:31:47] living in in this world right at this moment. Number one the pandemic. It's

[2:31:52] only been five years since we've got out of it. And to date, people are still

[2:31:58] feeling the mental effects of it. Trade war. We're in the middle of a

[2:32:03] trade war. We're right in the middle of it

[2:32:07] with our closest ally, the US survey. We're also dealing with threats on our

[2:32:13] sovereignty. Economic upheaval. We are feeling the effects of a global economic

[2:32:18] shift in our world. Inflation. Inflation is up to

[2:32:24] 2.6%. 6% as of today. That means higher groceries,

[2:32:30] uh, higher bills all around. All around. So, with all of this happening, you

[2:32:36] know, I was thinking of all this this morning, we're it's certainly not the

[2:32:40] time for our local council and more unrealistic threats and demands coming

[2:32:49] from you people that we have voted for. and and you are you're you're here to

[2:32:59] represent us. Uh not not threaten us with

[2:33:04] $25,000 first offense, $50,000 for the second offense.

[2:33:12] Exactly. Council should be assisting the taxpayers. I have heard that there is

[2:33:17] some assistance, which is wonderful to hear. This is what I'm here for, to

[2:33:20] hear, to see, and to participate. Um, but guys, you have to understand

[2:33:29] this is a small community and and we're a proud community and you have to assist

[2:33:35] us, not throw these threats at us and just try to help us. We'll try to help

[2:33:41] you if you can try to help us. Okay? But there is a petition. There is a petition

[2:33:47] that's going around tonight and the petition does say very good about what's

[2:33:52] happening and um I know that if there's enough signatures some of these bylaws

[2:33:58] will not be passed. I know that and so does most of the people in this hall. So

[2:34:05] please uh just consider everything I've said. Okay. Thank you very much.

[2:34:14] Thank you very much.

[2:34:22] Um, just curious, um, as a community, do we get to vote on these bylaws? Because

[2:34:28] I'm a single mom and all the financials coming my way, I'm feeling extremely

[2:34:34] bullied on my own.

[2:34:42] The best way to engage in this process is to be here tonight to bring your

[2:34:46] comments forward for council here to engage with your individual council

[2:34:49] members or mayor. Share your comments. Democracy takes time. We've

[2:34:54] been working on this for two years. Uh we want to engage with individuals

[2:34:59] including yourself. I will give you my business cardio for you. I will give you

[2:35:03] that. happy to have any conversation with you about your thoughts as I know

[2:35:07] my other fellow counselors and mayors will be also happy to have those

[2:35:11] conversations. Our goal is not to stifle or to infringe on your property. What we

[2:35:18] have trying to do is actually open up the ability for more things to happen on

[2:35:23] your property. So we're not

[2:35:28] allowed not. So right now, right now the option

[2:35:34] is, you know, we we change nothing and then the bylaws get enforced and you

[2:35:40] lose the trailers off your real properties or the bylaws get enforced

[2:35:43] and you have to take shipping containers off of your property if they require

[2:35:47] building code. We think that's unreasonable. So we're trying to open

[2:35:50] up. Council is open to the idea of wanting to allow you to do more on your

[2:35:54] property than you're currently able to do. Why it feels restrictive is because

[2:35:59] this municipality has turned a blind eye to applying rules equitably for far too

[2:36:05] long. So does it feel heavy-handed? Sure. But the reality is is the exact

[2:36:10] opposite. We're actually loosening what is currently in place.

[2:36:14] Why do you say that when your house at any given time which

[2:36:20] is false

[2:36:23] code he can only enter on a vacant property but that's a that's a

[2:36:28] dictatorship not a democracy let's go with that let's start there you

[2:36:33] don't want

[2:36:36] to go like that

[2:36:50] You all here standing here with just so you're false and it's we have extreme

[2:36:58] power. It's a power that we don't have.

[2:37:06] Walking around. No,

[2:37:15] you want me where a dwelling is is occupied. I

[2:37:20] cannot enter the dwelling or remain in the dwelling. Correct. Correct. Can you

[2:37:26] let him answer the dwelling? No, I never said that. On the property, not in the

[2:37:30] dwelling. Did I say your dwelling?

[2:37:45] So during buildings access during a reasonable time of day, I can actually

[2:37:49] access any property to determine if there's an unsafe condition. Um or

[2:37:54] somebody's constructed without a building permit allowed to enter the

[2:37:57] property, not the building. So you I cannot enter a building that's occupied

[2:38:03] unless I present my ID. I identify myself and I ask it to enter and I also

[2:38:08] have to say that you are allowed to refuse my entry and in no way is it an

[2:38:13] obstruction of the law inside a dwelling. I consider that the code does

[2:38:17] and I consider that myself and I will not enter your dwelling.

[2:38:26] Not in the house.

[2:38:29] an unoccupied house. I'll I'll verify it. Yeah. I mean, listen, I think we all

[2:38:34] heard him say property and at no time did he say house. Uh I'm sure that we're

[2:38:39] going to be able to see that on record as well.

[2:38:42] I

[2:38:56] just don't really

[2:39:05] um we did have vacant land. We went through that process. We built a house.

[2:39:10] Um the one question I do have is about sink cans. Um my concern is I just built

[2:39:16] actually a storage shed on my property and the fee itself for the permit was

[2:39:23] atrocious. I didn't get my permit in my application before they went. So if I

[2:39:28] have to get $500 permit for a camp that is now not an affordable

[2:39:36] storage solution. Yeah. I like so I tend to invite them to buy

[2:39:42] them as much as I can. That's all. Um, but I can see people just going ahead

[2:39:47] and doing it. It's kind of why they've already done it. They they got the

[2:39:52] trailers on the property because they just went ahead and did it. They're

[2:39:57] going to keep doing it. you're going to end up coming to the properties and then

[2:40:01] it's going to be another big I can see why the fees but I would like to see

[2:40:07] that if

[2:40:10] cand storage that the fees for those permits to get the but also clarity to

[2:40:18] make sure that the cand would actually get approved too because

[2:40:23] I think of it I just built my shed and the stuff I had to do to get approval

[2:40:27] for was a little nuts for me. So, if I had

[2:40:31] to modify a CCAN to make it fit the building, I don't know if the building

[2:40:36] code includes anything that will cover a C.

[2:40:41] Is it covered under the building code? Am I have to change the structure of it?

[2:40:46] Am I have to change the doors? Am I going to have to do a bunch of

[2:40:49] modifications

[2:40:53] and I have to pay? So, I'd like clear before the actual rules come out. What

[2:40:59] are my fees going to be if I put a CC camp? I want to know those things before

[2:41:04] the bylaw comes and I understand why you have to pass a bylaw and then do some of

[2:41:10] the work. But it declares is important. Fair enough. Uh I

[2:41:21] I'm I and I'm sure uh I speak for the rest of the council point about the

[2:41:25] fees. Um and we will obviously reconsider and talk about and ensure

[2:41:31] that our fees are reasonable uh and not restrictive. Uh I'm not sure if you were

[2:41:36] here the whole time. I want to make sure that you know that there is no building

[2:41:39] uh permit required for an 80 by 20 based on the square foot of a shipping

[2:41:45] container. It's only above and that is actually part of the building code. I

[2:41:49] don't know if we need more clarification from Michael on that or if we understand

[2:41:54] that. Yes. I do. You want more clarification on

[2:42:00] just something he said about the hydro the height

[2:42:05] hydro or height? Sorry. So five meters.

[2:42:12] Yeah. So basically it's saying if you're going to do shipping containers, don't

[2:42:15] stack them above one another because there's Well, no, but five meters you

[2:42:19] could get three cans high. Yeah. Yeah. So typically So you're saying three cans

[2:42:24] high is the limit. No, you can't stand it because that's in that's in the

[2:42:28] bylaw, too. So you said five feet maximum. So the five meters coming five

[2:42:33] meters. Sorry. The five meters is one of the provisions for a shed. So it doesn't

[2:42:39] really apply to why are we talking about see and because we're slipping the seans

[2:42:44] into the new exemption for sheds. You can slip

[2:42:49] it a little Does your she can exceed five meters? I don't have one. Do you?

[2:42:55] No, I don't have one and I certainly encourage them. I'm just speaking to

[2:42:58] what you said about five meters in height. Yes, because that's the

[2:43:02] provisions of a shed. So it can't be attached to a dwelling not over 5

[2:43:06] meters. If you're going to pass that bylaw saying not over 5 m, then people

[2:43:10] are going to stack seat pans up as high as they can. There's a provision in the

[2:43:15] bylaw that says you cannot stack. So that's

[2:43:18] that's it by welding them. Now it's not that it's

[2:43:24] okay. The other question and then I'm done. You said something about I'm not

[2:43:30] sure who was sorry I'm trying should be not must be should be

[2:43:35] painted to look nice exactly who decides what's nice who

[2:43:43] decides what color goes there who decides whether you want to stand it on

[2:43:48] its end who makes these decisions it's easy

[2:43:52] to pass the bylaw and say oh we've got the power one more year Yeah, I know one

[2:43:58] part here, but there you go. Yeah, it's actually not easy to pass the

[2:44:04] bylaw. And so when no, when we're trying to balance

[2:44:09] the feedback that we get, there are a lot of people who don't like CS in the

[2:44:13] in the communities. So what we're trying to do is say we we we can appreciate why

[2:44:18] it is a useful structure to have for storage on people's properties. And the

[2:44:23] balance is as long as we remove the lettering and it's painted a uniform

[2:44:27] natural color then at least we try to make it more but that is too ambiguous.

[2:44:33] It's a completely ambiguous statement. I don't think well my favor from the crowd

[2:44:38] tonight is people won't like to say that we want beige pan tone 16001 as the

[2:44:44] color memory. But but she is allowing we're allowing it to be natural natural.

[2:44:52] This is what I'm saying. It's not an easy balance. No, but you're opening

[2:44:56] yourselves up to ridicule. Yeah.

[2:45:10] Hi, my name is I've been living in here. for 50

[2:45:15] years. I've been married for 50

[2:45:22] years. I've been paying tax here ever since I was 16 years

[2:45:27] old and I'm talking about trailers. I've got a trailers on naked

[2:45:34] land on what right here beside

[2:45:39] me and I don't see any reason why I can't camp in my trailer.

[2:45:49] When we talk about cess poolool, we got a open house for the washroom

[2:45:55] outside and uh as water we use the lake to wash the dishes and whatever I

[2:46:06] have to do. And other than that, I have a home

[2:46:12] in Bonfield. I've been paying tax like I said and I don't see what's the reason

[2:46:19] that I can't camp only for the summer in my trailer with my grandkids and enjoy

[2:46:36] life and I don't see the the reason I feel so discrimination

[2:46:42] or not. It's on real and I don't know I don't know about

[2:46:50] [Music]

[2:46:55] and we're using the same link Bfield and there's trailer a little bit

[2:47:03] everywhere

[2:47:10] like and I'm paying The only reason they want me to do is to sell the lake so

[2:47:18] they can have a house that is worth million.

[2:47:34] So, so again, just reiterate, any trailer, the any trailer currently on

[2:47:43] lakefront property is there illegally and it's been illegally for several

[2:47:47] years. This has nothing to do with this council saying that you're

[2:48:03] in their trailer. We're going to find

[2:48:10] $25,000. You're the one and you said

[2:48:15] no% I stand behind my I stand behind that I don't think

[2:48:22] trailers should be onent.

[2:48:42] Absolutely. Yes.

[2:48:56] Got sick hands.

[2:49:02] Okay, wrap this up.

[2:49:10] Wrap it

[2:49:17] up. Wrap it up.

[2:49:30] Okay, I want to talk about secants. Okay, why don't we allow 50

[2:49:35] foot cands and not 40 foot cands? They're engineered by the same people.

[2:49:39] And who is uh employed by the township that has No, never mind. Who's employed

[2:49:46] by the township that is an engineer and able to stamp a floating woody can over

[2:49:50] a 20 foot can? Nobody

[2:50:05] uh my authority lies under uh anything over 161. So I'm telling you if you want

[2:50:13] it doesn't matter it doesn't listen to me if it's under 161 I can't ask you to

[2:50:19] get an engineer I can't ask you for nothing except

[2:50:23] apply it's not it's not a building under 20 ft is not a building it's not a

[2:50:31] building I can't do It's a gang.

[2:50:42] It's a building over 161. I'm telling you, if you want Yeah. And then it has

[2:50:47] no authority except for the buying.

[2:50:56] Yes, it's the same. But there's no authority.

[2:50:58] 16.

[2:51:27] [Music] Well, uh, when you're talking about

[2:51:31] sheep containers, I agree on the 20 footers as long as they're properly

[2:51:36] placed, not in front of other people. And I got some there. I know I got to

[2:51:43] paint them, but you can't paint them snow. But another thing

[2:51:48] is, like I wanted to say a while ago, the sea containers, the seeds can't get

[2:51:54] in there as easy. Now, any of these little buildings and sheds, they're a

[2:51:59] lot of them are [Music]

[2:52:02] dinosaurs. 531 down here at the highway and that bird shed. I think that maybe

[2:52:08] the duty and inspector should be putting more effort into getting that cleaned up

[2:52:14] and make a lot more impressions of the bombfield

[2:52:17] area. But, uh, that is something to use to do.

[2:52:23] Now why I'm talking about pillars when you're allowing these

[2:52:28] pillars to be set up any of the houses lots there's temporary use and say

[2:52:35] they're going to use the washroom inside I don't

[2:52:39] agree because that's just open up the kind of work to either you do or you

[2:52:45] don't and another thing is what I want to get out

[2:52:51] there He hasn't emphasized of any property being he for storage and

[2:52:57] somebody to put up a storage area where they can be

[2:53:01] stored. I think that's something to be considered something

[2:53:08] for. Thank you.

[2:53:16] So one more question. However, we still have probably an hour to go. So,

[2:53:26] um you would like to I'll give you the phone. Um so, we'll give you a break

[2:53:33] after this lady comes up and a five minute

[2:53:38] break to get a coffee to watch break and then we'll move forward with the rest of

[2:53:43] the presentation on the trailers and uh

[2:53:49] the uh shortterm radicals,

[2:53:53] right?

[2:54:05] [Music] Okay. So, can you point to me everywhere

[2:54:12] that is

[2:54:21] where it is in the bylaw bylaw does it has to be a permitted use under zone or

[2:54:26] any medicine it's not in there are sections especially in bylaw

[2:54:31] 201806 I don't have that bylaw with me today but those were the sections that

[2:54:35] were in there that said that you cannot have a trailer I don't know

[2:54:49] but not on vacant name. That's only if you have a dwelling.

[2:54:59] If you are in the RL zone and you have a dwelling on your property, you can have

[2:55:04] a trailer with no license because you have a dwelling. It cannot be on vacant

[2:55:09] land. If you live it's it's the vacant land that is

[2:55:14] the concern. So that's what would have if you have a house you can have a

[2:55:20] trail. It doesn't matter on the zone. It's the zone for a

[2:55:28] vac. It's the zone on the vacant land only that is enrolled for a trailer.

[2:55:35] Everywhere else it is not permitted unless there is a dwelling. I hope that

[2:55:39] helps clear that up. How about vacant land and permitted trailers? Why can

[2:55:45] they not be stored on vacant land? There's people in this hamlet here that

[2:55:50] got vacant land and they have no place to park their trailer beside their

[2:55:56] house. They using the vacant land park their trailer over the winter. Why is

[2:56:00] not permitted? I pay tax on vacant land. There's a provision in the zoning bar

[2:56:06] that says that if you are the adjacent land owner on the vacant land, you can

[2:56:11] park it on your propert on that property. You have to own the property

[2:56:15] beside you in order to put the on to store over the winter. Not to use to

[2:56:20] store over the winter. You can do that. That that permission is in

[2:56:25] there in the cabinet area in the R1 commit.

[2:56:32] I will get back to make sure that I give you the correct

[2:56:36] answer. So I don't

[2:56:52] know. This will conclude the public session of this meeting. If anyone wants

[2:56:58] to be notified of the decision of the approval authority, you must fill out

[2:57:03] the requested form at the back. If you do not fill out the form, you will not

[2:57:09] be notified. Council will be considering these bylaws at the March the 25th

[2:57:16] council meeting. Council appreciates all the feedback.

[2:57:21] This meeting was held for public consultation prior to the consideration

[2:57:25] of the proposed bylaws

[2:57:28] and I have to say there's a lot of thought from the people here and they

[2:57:35] are addressing their concerns and that's our concerns as well. It certainly

[2:57:40] should be. So, um, we're going to move on. If you'd like to have a coffee or a

[2:57:46] break for we're going to stick with five minutes and then we're coming back and

[2:57:52] we will have another presentation for the uh, trailer and if the short-term

[2:57:59] rentals and thank you. We'll continue into our next agenda soon as you guys

[2:58:05] have a copy and come back and sit down. Thank you.

[2:58:18] And we only got five minutes. That's okay.

[2:58:31] I'm

[2:58:51] sorry.

[2:59:19] Imagine it's a

[2:59:24] Yeah.

[2:59:44] Don't

[2:59:47] forget to

[3:00:01] do it. That's it.

[3:00:43] Yeah, there's a good question.

[3:00:53] How do we

[3:01:12] increase this for me? for maybe

[3:01:27] That was

[3:01:38] the All

[3:01:56] right. Whatever.

[3:02:23] Benefit.

[3:03:15] Well,

[3:03:25] simply talking about this

[3:03:32] That was cool.

[3:04:02] Even if let's

[3:04:17] say so let's say

[3:04:31] that should be okay.

[3:04:41] So maybe

[3:05:00] Depends on what episode.

[3:05:40] years. Awesome.

[3:06:42] It's Just

[3:07:07] make your eyes.

[3:07:37] Can everybody go back to where we do the final session?

[3:08:03] just two really nice people just came up like great presentation and we want to

[3:08:07] work projects like there's different people in this. Absolutely. It's just

[3:08:13] people recording that. Sorry.

[3:08:20] That's good. It's fantastic.

[3:09:11] Yeah. Yeah. I was

[3:09:22] wondering I know there's there's lot of Yes.

[3:11:27] states, please. We're going to start very

[3:11:30] shortly.

[3:12:47] start. I know.

[3:12:58] It was

[3:13:22] Ready to move on with the next part of the preservation.

[3:13:33] is on

[3:13:37] trailers and

[3:13:55] council contract.

[3:14:10] for shortterm. I know youus.

[3:14:18] So the next presentation tonight short-term rentals and revival

[3:14:30] So council staff and community members have been working on these byas for over

[3:14:34] two years. There have been several opportunities for public consultation as

[3:14:38] evident on the slide. There have been amendments from the first drafts as new

[3:14:42] ideas and comments have come to light. The community has shared diverse

[3:14:46] opinions and the final drafts have been reviewed by the legal team. We're going

[3:14:50] to present the results of the consultations among everyone here

[3:14:53] tonight. The details on the making of these bylaws are posted on the website

[3:14:58] and all documents and meeting recordings are posted and were updated as they

[3:15:03] happened. If anyone wanted to comment or speak to these two bylaws tonight,

[3:15:07] submissions were to be in by yesterday, Monday at the the 17th at noon. We

[3:15:13] received some comments and there are members of the community here tonight to

[3:15:17] speak to those comments which we will do after these presentations although I

[3:15:21] think we've already done a number of them.

[3:15:25] We know we will not make everyone happy with the final bylaws. There are

[3:15:30] polarized opinions. Council council's intent is to create these bylaws to

[3:15:35] permit the uses and provide more flexibility but in a way that ensures

[3:15:39] everyone can still enjoy their

[3:15:47] property. So we'll start with trailers.

[3:15:53] Why is the township introducing the trailer bylaw? The burnt rules do not

[3:15:57] permit the use of a trailer on vacant land. While there are mixed comments on

[3:16:02] permitting them within Bonfield, they are becoming a trend throughout Ontario

[3:16:06] and one that is taken in up in Bonfield. Council is considering this bylaw to now

[3:16:11] allow trailers on vacant land with regulations. The official name of the

[3:16:16] bylaw is to license, regulate, and govern travel trailers and recreation

[3:16:20] vehicles in the township of the bombfield. And tonight, we'll just refer

[3:16:23] it to it as the trailer

[3:16:27] bylaw. The bylaw applies to all to to any trailer as defined on all property

[3:16:33] within the township. However, there are exceptions. If a property has an

[3:16:38] assessed trailer, which means it's considered a permanent structure and has

[3:16:43] been assessed under the assessment act, it does not require a license. This both

[3:16:47] elsewhere in the zone well. The test has two camping establishments and this

[3:16:52] bylaw will not require trailers within those two businesses to be licensed.

[3:16:56] Section four of the bylaw also exempts when there is a dwelling on the

[3:16:59] property. The store trailer does not need a trailer, sorry, a license. You

[3:17:05] know, this is going to seem repetitive because we've already had conversation

[3:17:08] on a lot of the things that we were talking about, but I'll still move

[3:17:11] forward with the presentations we had.

[3:17:15] So, so these definitions outline the type of structure that the bylaw applies

[3:17:19] to, whether they are recreational or vehicles used for temporary eating and

[3:17:23] sleeping or travel trailers that are plenty manufactured for the temporary

[3:17:27] use of living and accommodation. In general, this covers all trailers meant

[3:17:31] for temporary use. Removing the gears and towing equipment renders used as

[3:17:35] non- temporary structures involves under a different section of the zoning by we

[3:17:39] are focusing on permitting the use of trailers in this for the

[3:17:46] purpose the bylaw will permit trailers to be licensed in the rule of zones of

[3:17:50] detention. This means not in the hamlets and not in the residential limited

[3:17:54] services or commercial industrial zones. In reviewing original subdivision

[3:17:59] agreements, some dating back to the 60s and 70s, there are provisions directly

[3:18:03] in those agreements that say a trailer is not permitted. We had carried that

[3:18:07] forward into this volume. Licensed trailers will be permitted to be used

[3:18:12] from May 1st to December 15th of each year and then stored from December 16th

[3:18:17] to April 30th of the following year on the same vacant lot. This means you do

[3:18:22] not have to move your trailer off the property at the end of the season.

[3:18:29] In the research of preparing this bylaw, best practices and lessons learned from

[3:18:34] other communities were applied. While council is willing to open the bylaw up

[3:18:37] to the use of trailers, the regulations within the bylaw are in place to start

[3:18:41] small and evaluate their effectiveness. The regulations set out in section 4 of

[3:18:46] this bylaw are intended to maintain the character of the neighborhood and

[3:18:49] protect long-term health and safety. Building permits cannot be issued for

[3:18:53] accessory structures on vacant land. Therefore, a licensed trailer cannot be

[3:18:57] built cannot build or install any structure that requires a building

[3:19:01] permit. Decks will be permitted as long as they are under 2 ft in height and

[3:19:05] less than 100 10 square meters or 108 square ft.

[3:19:11] I'm still a square feet with their making me person. They cannot be

[3:19:16] attached to the trailer. Storage sheds less than 10 square meters with no

[3:19:20] plumbing or heating will also be permitted. It is understood that to

[3:19:24] enjoy the property owners will need to store lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and

[3:19:29] such and these provisions will allow that without contributing any others or

[3:19:33] the building code act. It's also understood that shade and

[3:19:38] shelter outdoors. It is important to enjoy the trailer as building permits

[3:19:42] cannot be issued. Canopies, pop on tents, and smart placement of a trailer

[3:19:46] are all acceptable options. When considering to license a trailer, there

[3:19:50] are requirements for an entrance permit and application for a civic address. So,

[3:19:55] access to the property, especially for emergencies, is important and mandatory

[3:19:59] mandatory for health and

[3:20:03] safety. One issue that repeatedly surfaced in relation to trailers was the

[3:20:07] environmental services. Concerns are that the sewage and gray water are not

[3:20:11] being managed properly and dumpstra onto the ground surface. These actions are

[3:20:16] inappropriate, illegal, and do not promote long-term environmental

[3:20:21] sustainability. Trailers do come with a septic system that generally goes the

[3:20:25] matter for a short period of time, but certainly not for the length of the

[3:20:29] permitted use under this file. The North Conservation Authority issues permits

[3:20:34] for gray water pit management. It's a class two

[3:20:38] system. For the sewage, the North Envir Conservation Authority outlines classes

[3:20:42] of systems that are appropriate for a long-term

[3:20:45] solution. And this could be a class one, which is an outhouse or class 4, which

[3:20:50] is a VP. Another option is to enter into an

[3:20:53] agreement with the company that will pump out or allow you to dump at their

[3:20:57] site for the system that comes with the trail. A copy of the agreement is needed

[3:21:01] when the application and proof of the year is required for annual renewal.

[3:21:07] When you get to slides, um, you'll see that I have links into both of those

[3:21:11] options from North Carolina Conservation Authority, but you can see there are

[3:21:15] several options for

[3:21:19] considered. Also to note, trailers are not permitted to be short-term rentals,

[3:21:23] nor are they allowed to be stored on township property. Property standards

[3:21:27] and clean yards apply to the licensed trailer and property. Grass must be

[3:21:31] maintained, no outside storage, and no garbage left. Trailer licenses will be

[3:21:37] per trailer licenses will be provided 16 garbage takes for the landful site per

[3:21:41] year. The license for the trailer is meant for one trailer per property.

[3:21:46] However, there are opportunities to invite three additional trailers to the

[3:21:50] lot for a maximum of 14 calendar days in a

[3:21:55] year. This provision allows for a larger group who wants to get together on the

[3:21:59] property for a long weekend or a special occasion. There has to be a main

[3:22:04] licensed trailer on the on the property prior to the special occasion permits

[3:22:08] being issued. And the shorter time frame of

[3:22:11] the additional trailers less more enjoyment of the property while having

[3:22:14] no risk to the

[3:22:26] environment. The bylaw sets out the guidelines for issuing the license. the

[3:22:31] enforcement steps of the bylaw and the appeals process should a license be

[3:22:36] withdrawn. The slide show clearly shows that compliance is our goal. So for

[3:22:41] enforcement for the license the first offense is an education that you have 10

[3:22:46] or sorry 14 days to remedy any offense. The second offense is a penalty and it's

[3:22:52] seven days to remedy. The third offense, the penalty issued an immediate

[3:22:58] suspension of the license for a maximum of two years and removal of the trailer

[3:23:02] in any temporary use

[3:23:07] structure. The trailer license will be annual. There is a prescribed form and

[3:23:13] when submitting you must include a site plan, proof of ownership or consent of

[3:23:16] the landowner, pictures of the trailer, all servicing permits and the license

[3:23:21] fee. There are additional questions about electrical services and smoke

[3:23:25] alarms. These will be annual testations. In addition, if there is no entrance,

[3:23:31] then the entrance permit application request must be build out along with the

[3:23:38] civic. So to conclude, this presentation is meant to highlight the regulations

[3:23:42] within the proposed bylaw. Council is considering this bylaw to not not allow

[3:23:47] the use of trailers in the rural zones while keeping the character of the

[3:23:51] neighborhood and ensuring the health and safety factors are addressed. The bylaw

[3:23:54] considers best practices, lessons learned, and community

[3:24:02] feedback. Now, the details of the short-term

[3:24:07] rental. The formal name of the bylaw is to license, regulate, and govern

[3:24:12] short-term rentals. Tonight, we will reference it as the short-term rental or

[3:24:16] an SDR bylaw. It applies to all buildings within the tension. There is

[3:24:21] if there is an existing short-term rental, it will need to comply with this

[3:24:25] bylaw. On this slide, there's also a list of

[3:24:30] exemptions. To understand some of the provisions in the bylaw, it is first

[3:24:35] important to understand some definitions. A short-term rental means

[3:24:39] all or part of a dwelling use to prov to provide sleeping accommodations for any

[3:24:45] rental period that is less than 28 days in exchange for payment similar

[3:24:50] commercial or industrial use. A principal dwelling means a

[3:24:55] dwelling that is owned or rented alone or jointly with another person where the

[3:24:59] person's is ordinarily a resident and has designated the dwelling as their

[3:25:04] primary place of residency.

[3:25:08] A nonp principal dwelling unit or short-term rental means a

[3:25:13] short-term rental that is not someone's principal dwelling unit. So where they

[3:25:17] live somewhere else. And a dedicated responsible person

[3:25:22] means the owner or agent assigned by the owner of the L E of the short-term

[3:25:26] rental who shall be at least 18 years of age to ensure that the short-term rental

[3:25:31] was operating in accordance with the provisions of this bylaw the license and

[3:25:35] applicable

[3:25:39] loss. A highlight of section two of the short-term rental by to operate an STR

[3:25:44] you must obtain a license. As we move through the presentation, work details

[3:25:49] nobody explained. Trailers will not be licensed to operate as a short-term

[3:25:53] rental. Licensed short-term rental shall not be used for special events. We know

[3:25:58] that a home or property and are occasionally used to host weddings or

[3:26:03] large celebrations. These are hosted by the owner of the property. However, the

[3:26:07] intent is to avoid weekend after weekend of large gatherings. If there's no

[3:26:12] restriction, then there is no enforcement. Neighbors want to enjoy the

[3:26:15] outdoors on their property too. This ensures that they can and that the house

[3:26:20] the house subject systems and parking is not

[3:26:26] overburdened. Continuing short-term rental shall have a maximum of 10

[3:26:30] overnight guests at any time. Each guest room as marked on the application will

[3:26:35] have a maximum occupancy of two guests. To protect the owner and the guests, a 2

[3:26:40] million insurance policy must be submitted with the application. Parking

[3:26:45] is to be enclosed within the short-term rental property. This is summer and

[3:26:49] winter. Owners must have a designated parking area or areas that will

[3:26:54] accommodate the number of guests they rent to. This also applies to municipal

[3:26:58] roads and private roads. If the owner is not available, they must appoint a

[3:27:03] dedicated responsible person and notify the township. The contact information

[3:27:08] will be posted on the mun website so concerns regarding an a short-term

[3:27:12] rental can be addressed prior to the township becoming involved. The person

[3:27:16] responsible must address the concern within 60 minutes of a call or

[3:27:23] email. Throughout this process, the township has heard concerns from both

[3:27:27] sides regarding permitting short-term rentals on private roads.

[3:27:31] The courts have ruled that the use is residential and regardless of ownership

[3:27:36] on the road, the township does not have jurisdiction to restrict the use.

[3:27:40] However, to the concerns we did hear, the bylaw includes provisions for car

[3:27:45] access. It is important that the guest understands that properties and proper

[3:27:50] roads may not have the same emergency response times for a variety of reasons.

[3:27:54] There are other provisions in the bylaw that require the guests to be notified

[3:27:58] of emergency envelopment township information such as rental

[3:28:06] landlites. Initially, there will be 50 short-term rental licenses issued per

[3:28:11] year. Currently, we are aware of 35 in the tension, but it's understood that

[3:28:16] once this bylaw is adopted, more may be started. This number will be reviewed if

[3:28:21] the weight list warrants, but as we've heard earlier tonight, housing is a

[3:28:25] concern, so a balance must be struck. This will ensure affordability as well

[3:28:29] as attainable home

[3:28:33] ownership. Class A licenses are for the principal dwellings where the owner

[3:28:38] resides and non-principal dwellings, which are typically second homes or

[3:28:42] cottages. A principal dwelling can rent up to four bedrooms as the owner lives

[3:28:47] and stays in the house. Facilities are common areas and shared. A non-principal

[3:28:54] dwelling is rented as a full suite. The owner does doesn't stay in the dwelling.

[3:28:58] It cannot be broken up into the sections to be rented to more than one party at a

[3:29:02] time. At the beginning of the year, class A applications will be considered

[3:29:07] prior to class B licenses. The fee for any short-term rental is $1,200.

[3:29:19] So, I have to pause for a moment because under our procedure bylaw, um, we are

[3:29:23] not allowed to have a council meeting go past 10:30 without passing the Nan

[3:29:28] council meeting. So, as it is past 10:30,

[3:30:10] moved by Mr. Perstone seconded by counc whereas the procedural

[3:30:16] bylaw [Music]

[3:30:19] 2023-48 section 10 1 states that no item of business may be dealt with at a

[3:30:28] regular council meeting after 10:30 p.m. unless authorized by a resolution

[3:30:34] supported by the majority of the members. It hereby resolve that the

[3:30:39] count that the members of council agree to function after 10:30 p.m. All in

[3:30:45] favor?

[3:31:00] Carry. Class B licenses are for corporations. The provision comes if a

[3:31:05] corporation purchases a residential building within the township solely for

[3:31:09] the purposes of using it as a short-term rental. The corporation has to list the

[3:31:14] all of the shareholders to certain rules and a

[3:31:18] corporation is limited to one short-term rental within the boundaries of

[3:31:21] Bondville. Again, striking the balance between allowing other uses for

[3:31:26] homeowners and protecting the rights of residents to enter the home ownership is

[3:31:30] key. Class B applications will be considered after class A applications,

[3:31:35] meaning that all applications start February 1st of each year. So, class B

[3:31:40] will not be reviewed until March 1st in a nominee year. This is to provide

[3:31:44] current owners and residents the first opportunity to take advantage of the

[3:31:48] bylaw and offer a short-term rental. When submitting the application, the

[3:31:53] bylaw outlines all the documents required regardless of the class. The

[3:31:58] complete application will include a site plan of the premises, floor plans,

[3:32:02] labeling the guest rooms, listing the dedicated responsible person, and

[3:32:06] consent forms. There is a requirement for an inspection. The inspection is not

[3:32:11] intended to ensure new building code provisions are adeared to. It is to

[3:32:16] confirm the dwelling is as listed on the site plan and floor plan and that there

[3:32:20] are smoke alarms and CO detectors and other safety factors. There are

[3:32:25] provisions in the bylaw to address owner consent. This process is not intended to

[3:32:30] be intrusive, but to confirm if the township is licensing a short-term

[3:32:35] rental, the dwelling follows a short-term rental

[3:32:40] by. So, enforcement, much like the trailer, the BA sets up guidance in for

[3:32:46] issuing the license and enforcement sets of the bylaw and the appeals process

[3:32:51] should a license be revoked. Again, the focus is on compliance, not punitive

[3:32:56] measures.

[3:33:01] The bylaw also includes a code of conduct that must be displayed. This is

[3:33:06] to ensure that the guest understands their role in making short-term rental

[3:33:09] successful as well. It is it also includes sections for garbage and pets.

[3:33:15] All rules that apply to residents shall apply to rental guests. The dedicated

[3:33:20] responsible person will play a main part in ensuring that while council is

[3:33:24] believes there are new opportunities for tourists to visit the area, it will not

[3:33:28] be detrimental to the peaceful enjoyment that Bonfield residents are used

[3:33:35] to. As indicated, those wishing to address the Bow to submit their comments

[3:33:39] prior to the meeting. So we can take those comments at this time. So I'll

[3:33:43] hand the feedback to Mary to review those comments.

[3:35:11] comment period. Anyone wishing to speak needs to submit their comments by

[3:35:16] Monday, March the 17th. So there are people that put their names in and

[3:35:21] uh it was clear that there would be a twominut period to speak. We have to

[3:35:27] ensure that this be held.

[3:35:33] Um so um for the oral

[3:35:40] presentation is Kathy Bray horse trailer.

[3:35:51] [Music] I think we answered it already. So I

[3:35:55] think you Norman Sher

[3:36:00] Yeah, it's not

[3:36:09] Jasmine. She's gone. Jessica Chris Shepard.

[3:36:31] like to see how justice is. You've increased the counter meeting to four

[3:36:36] hours by bringing so many firewalls in at one time and I think that was a plan.

[3:36:40] So you get everybody confused. This township is being really deceptive and

[3:36:44] really unfair. I've been penalized over and over again and here's yet another

[3:36:50] one. So again, I'm reading uh on behalf of

[3:36:55] Chris. Short-term rentals are dear to my heart. I have personally been renting my

[3:36:59] cottage since 2015. If you look at my listing, you will see that my reviews

[3:37:04] are excellent. My customers are mainly repeat and I look after their needs

[3:37:08] during their stay. These ten tenants typically book their vacation rental the

[3:37:13] year before and they spend money in our township. They rent horses from banders.

[3:37:18] They eat meals at a dinner bell and rollies. They rent boats and visit all

[3:37:23] the sites from Grasswell to the Talon shoots, Oaklair and James Pottery. They

[3:37:28] visit Madawa and North Bay. They bring money to our community. I am not a

[3:37:35] business. I rent my rental in order to pay the exorbitant

[3:37:41] taxes. They literally pay.

[3:37:47] This is my passive rental income that I use to pay the exorbitant

[3:37:54] taxes. Uh why does this township feel the need to bring in a short-term rental

[3:37:59] bylaw that only allows 50 rentals? I would like to stress that

[3:38:06] this is massive overreach. Not only does it only allow 50 rentals,

[3:38:12] you can only rent from no more than 150 calendar days a

[3:38:19] year. And you have to have insurance assurance of 2 million. And apparently

[3:38:23] your parking has to be paved or concreted or interlocking brick, which

[3:38:31] wouldn't that be nice to have our roads paved?

[3:38:39] Lastly,

[3:38:46] um lastly, uh this is absurd. We have $20,000. So, the bylaw proposes a

[3:38:52] $20,000 fine for not complying up to $50,000 fine if refused a second time.

[3:38:59] We have bylaws to garnish noise and trans trespassing already.

[3:39:04] Uh, my vacation rental is on 200 acres and it doesn't bother anyone. Why does

[3:39:10] the council need to threaten me with fines for my private passive rental

[3:39:16] income?

[3:39:36] So, first if I can um why are we doing because council was asked to um council

[3:39:42] was asked to review the short-term mess and that's when the constitution started

[3:39:46] over two years ago. Um and these files are informed by all that. Again, you can

[3:39:50] see it on um online. Um parking does need to be contained on your property.

[3:39:55] So you are not taking up the road uh in road space or you're not parking in

[3:40:00] septics. Guests that do come might not understand what the subject is. So there

[3:40:03] are provisions for that as well. The fines are standard language for fines in

[3:40:09] all municipal bylaws. We can do short-term or sorry we can do set fines.

[3:40:14] Um and those set fines can you know that's when we go to the provincial

[3:40:19] offenses act and there are binds that way. Um the when a court orders that you

[3:40:24] have not that you've contributed the bylaw

[3:40:28] enough times through set fines, you can go to courts and the court will set

[3:40:31] those fines. We have to put a number in the bylaw and typically those bylaws are

[3:40:37] 25,000 50,000. They're standard numbers um and they're approved um through the

[3:40:43] provincial fences act. Right now I am in no comprevention. There's nothing I'm

[3:40:49] doing that's wrong right now. There's nothing. And you bring in this bylaw and

[3:40:53] I will be a criminal and I will be charged with 20,000

[3:40:58] $50,000. I am a citizen of this township and I don't need to be bullied like this

[3:41:10] once the is entered in like once it's approved and it's a criminal. You're you

[3:41:16] need to get an application. No, then I'm a criminal. If I don't react to your to

[3:41:21] your bylaw, what doesn't exist right now, I am a criminal. I'm going to be

[3:41:25] fined and charged. It'll be put on my taxes and you're going to have one in my

[3:41:29] property. I've been pulled that a couple of times. This is called bullying.

[3:41:41] Well, let's move on to the

[3:41:47] next All right. Um, we're move ahead with um on short-term rentals. Dr. Paul

[3:42:08] Preston. Thanks very much. been for 20 years in order for the same reason.

[3:42:18] [Music]

[3:42:32] [Music]

[3:42:38] [Music]

[3:42:46] across the country. Thank

[3:42:50] [Music]

[3:42:56] you. 5

[3:43:06] [Music]

[3:43:19] [Music] Operations should be aware of

[3:43:34] [Music]

[3:43:40] basic things like school and

[3:43:46] having come up [Music]

[3:43:58] [Music]

[3:44:02] here. I think that I think worried that it was too vague about parking because

[3:44:07] it just said the parking uh two weeks ago we couldn't get to our house because

[3:44:12] trailers were blocking get there. So I think they

[3:44:16] should specify how many cars the property can park and how many trailers

[3:44:22] or boat trailers can be parked there safely because that's that's a

[3:44:29] [Music]

[3:44:46] Thanks very much and thanks

[3:44:50] [Music]

[3:45:00] for Jessica. First

[3:45:06] shepherd. Okay.

[3:45:13] [Music]

[3:45:53] about trailers and short-term rentals. So, unable short-term rentals and it

[3:46:01] seems like a lot of time legal expenses has gone into this bylaw and staff

[3:46:09] tanning and additional cost to municipalities in regards to short-term

[3:46:14] rentals. what over uh I believe there's been over

[3:46:20] 12 meetings, few lawyer consultations and bylaw

[3:46:25] reviews. Recently, it showed on sites that North Bay has only seven

[3:46:32] licenses and East Fris only has two shortterm rental license agreement. This

[3:46:39] bylaw will not work. It just questions if this is why other

[3:46:45] municipalities may not have a bylaw and rely on current bylaws and if needed

[3:46:51] calls to OP, MNR or by the uh by the concerned citizen and almost most rental

[3:47:01] sites almost most rental sites have a complaint process as well. It seemed

[3:47:07] from the onset that no matter what presentations were given, the

[3:47:11] municipality was going ahead with the original bylaw presented with minor

[3:47:15] amendments to insurance and fee. And this took a lot of public input to get

[3:47:21] municipal staff council to consider. The fee is still too high for the amount of

[3:47:26] taxes the person already pays to the township and people are concerned with

[3:47:31] the required inspection of the property and possible outcome. Even though

[3:47:36] building inspector may give a clearer picture of what a short-term rental

[3:47:40] inspection would look like. This all started by one petition a few years back

[3:47:46] and not accurate numbers of short-term rentals or accurate data on amount of

[3:47:51] weeks rentals occurred. Also, the amount of 35 I'm not really sure would be

[3:47:59] accurate either because uh I think I showed counselor Corbett that often when

[3:48:04] you go and you count it could be duplicate sites. Uh it could be um uh a

[3:48:11] commercial property that is allowed to rent cottages. So, um it's not just an

[3:48:17] easy count of looking and counting, oh, 1 2 3 because that's not um uh proper

[3:48:24] and accurate info. This bylaw is a lack for person that may just want to rent

[3:48:29] out a property for even a 4 to 6 week period to assist with costs in uh and

[3:48:36] provide accommodations to a community that is lacking in available

[3:48:41] accommodations. It appeared that the last delication

[3:48:45] opposing now it's about dogs was all based on one rancher going off a road.

[3:48:51] These things happen. I found it interesting listening to the

[3:48:54] presentation that no one stated the large equipment and cement trucks were

[3:48:58] building dwellings and many contractors that may be unfamiliar with the road

[3:49:03] were going in and out many many months traveling through to access properties

[3:49:08] in the area. So why was someone using the road such a concern? Also are

[3:49:14] non-service delivery vehicles accessing properties and may not be the same

[3:49:19] driver. No presenter, municipal staff, council member could give any data of

[3:49:25] calls to police MR noise bylaw complaints andor being enforced

[3:49:31] regarding short-term rentals within the uh township. So is this where the

[3:49:36] residents want tax dollars spent and time of municipal staff spent to

[3:49:42] implement and process with other enforcement measurements already in

[3:49:47] place. We already paid for OP services and also people not everybody

[3:49:55] can afford a cottage nowadays. Like if my kids want to take

[3:50:01] over our place, they can't. they're not going to be able to they may need to

[3:50:08] rent or um to do a short-term accommodation for 3 to four weeks. It's

[3:50:15] not just for the it's not just for the rich because a normal person like if I

[3:50:22] started out now or any member of my family, they would not be able to afford

[3:50:27] to live where we now live and enjoy. Thank you.

[3:50:44] really good. Okay. Uh in regards to just um trailers

[3:50:51] within RLL zones, the m uh the majority of our stations in Ontario near water

[3:50:57] bodies and province allows 21 days to camp on with a trailer alongside crown

[3:51:03] lands. This is their land and municipal taxes on those lands may already be more

[3:51:08] than a dwelling in the hamlet. Why the 600 fees for trailers?

[3:51:14] um where did the amount come from and what formula was used? I provided uh

[3:51:19] council corporate with a bylaw from a township that compromised and and

[3:51:24] permitted 21 days of use of a trailer on RLS lands. Why not here? Thank you.

[3:51:36] Next we have Robin Edwards.

[3:51:58] and I have two minutes. So, I thought I'd give you a bit of background. Um,

[3:52:03] I've been a taxpayer bondfield now for 5 years. We bought a waterfront property

[3:52:09] uh to retire to. I live about four hours south of here, but we wanted to buy a

[3:52:14] piece of the near north for our seven kids because again, they can't afford a

[3:52:19] cottage. We knew when we bought our cottage, we'd have to rent our cottage

[3:52:23] in order to pay the mortgage. We also knew that we are a buy local, invest

[3:52:28] local. We put thousands of dollars into repairing,

[3:52:34] fixing, investing in our property, all local money, all local trades people,

[3:52:39] all local cleaners, local. We rent about six weeks a year, mostly to friends,

[3:52:45] family, and colleagues. But we do also have a website and we write publicly.

[3:52:49] I'm Mr. Preston's neighbor. There are no dog attacks, no dog.

[3:53:05] Yes.

[3:53:14] We don't we do not So this is what we live with. I don't

[3:53:19] want it to become personal, but I can say that this is a tough issue for every

[3:53:24] community. Welling doesn't make the issue go away or better. We have a

[3:53:31] wonderful cottage. We have really been trying hard to make a go of it. I don't

[3:53:36] know if we can live with this. We're trying. It's It's hard. It's hard to be

[3:53:42] lied to and lied about. It's hard when a bylaw like this is proposed that we have

[3:53:47] to respond to an email in 60 minutes, which we will, or a phone call, which we

[3:53:53] will, but we can't call anybody about what we go through in our cottage

[3:53:58] because no one's going to come. No one's going to answer within 60 minutes when

[3:54:02] we're listening to parties and chaos night after night after night and Mr.

[3:54:07] Preston's multi-million dollar cottage next door.

[3:54:12] [Music]

[3:54:27] some concerns about the policy.

[3:54:34] One of the concerns that we have about the policy is the timelines. So if the

[3:54:39] policy is adopted and there isn't anything that suggests how long we would

[3:54:44] have in order to comply. So if the policy say pass this month, can we get

[3:54:49] 60 days, 90 days, 120 days? Because it's a lot. It's a lot of requirements and

[3:54:55] the summer's coming and so is the ski season and that matters to us. It

[3:55:00] matters a lot. I don't know if um council would consider putting in

[3:55:04] timeline so we at least have an opportunity a to comply and if we can't

[3:55:09] comply but we make every effort possible let's say it's a septic inspection

[3:55:14] within a certain amount of time what if we need a particular piece or part that

[3:55:18] doesn't come in time I want to know that my best efforts is enough I can comply

[3:55:23] with the policy even if it means to no fault of my own the parts not available

[3:55:27] within a certain timeline so I think it's they're reasonable steps we can

[3:55:31] take to make this doable for those of us that are going to try and make it

[3:55:35] happen. So, that's my one question. My other was about um the resources. Is

[3:55:40] there going to be enough people to do enough inspections to get through in

[3:55:44] time? Again, if we do our best and do our due diligence, are we even going to

[3:55:49] be able to meet the requirements to make it happen with the resources we have?

[3:55:55] The only other question I had was about grandfathering. Many of the short-term

[3:55:59] um policies across Ontario have

[3:56:02] grandfathering provisions, but this policy is silent about it. And we're

[3:56:07] trying to make a go of this for our kids more than anything and for our

[3:56:10] retirement. But there are people in the community that are doing it for income

[3:56:13] in order to stay here, to live here, to invest here, to pay their bills here.

[3:56:17] And so, you know, for us, we might just fail in our venture of this dream we

[3:56:23] had. And I guess we have to live with that. But for people trying to make a

[3:56:26] livelihood here, I think there should be grandfathering provisions so that it can

[3:56:31] be um something that's reasonable and can happen within um a manageable way.

[3:56:36] So those are those are my only comments on the policy.

[3:56:46] Thank you. Next we have Lori

[3:56:53] Land people. 200 acres. Father, nobody. I'm being

[3:56:58] penalized for this.

[3:57:10] No more questions.

[3:57:14] Okay. Next, we're going to um move on.

[3:57:26] Um, so we did receive some written comments as well. So

[3:57:31] I'll please see our comments below regarding the proposed RV

[3:57:35] amendments. We understand that the current bylaws have been have long

[3:57:40] prohibited RVs on vacant lands. Much like any other Ontario and northern

[3:57:44] municipalities, we also recognize that council is working to address an issue

[3:57:48] you didn't create and we appreciate your efforts to find a fair and practical

[3:57:52] solution. We believe the proposed amendments by law 202516 and by law

[3:57:59] 202510 aim to strike a balance by setting clear guidelines and introducing

[3:58:05] the licensing system. They offer a way to allow temporary RV use while still

[3:58:09] ensuring proper oversight. These changes aim to create more fairness by ensuring

[3:58:15] all property owners contribute to municipal services. They also seek to

[3:58:19] address concerns about unregulated RV use like the creation of campground like

[3:58:23] conditions with multiple RVs on properties near permanent homes as well

[3:58:28] as issues like noise, improper waste disposal, and the potential impact of

[3:58:32] our lakes and environment. No solution, no solution is without its challenges,

[3:58:37] but these amendments do consider the interest of RV owners, permanent

[3:58:41] residents, and the broader community. We support council's efforts and are

[3:58:44] hopeful that these changes will help create a fair and enforceable path

[3:58:49] forward.

[3:58:55] I think that actually answered as well.

[3:59:01] I can address some of the comments on the short-term rental.

[3:59:05] [Music] Um there's the parking does not need to

[3:59:10] be paid. Um but it does need to be designated in this. So we'll certainly

[3:59:13] bring that back in um as well. entry that council will give the comments

[3:59:18] regarding the timelines uh and the applications and that are brought back

[3:59:22] to the to the council meeting on March 25th as well.

[3:59:31] Yes.

[3:59:36] Yes. So we'll bring that back. Yes. Um, and I think those are all the

[3:59:41] major

[3:59:53] trailer. Next, we have a debate on whether we have the

[3:59:59] fireworks in Canada Day or the end of the summer

[4:00:04] event. So, what's going to happen is uh we'll have a the staff go out and count

[4:00:11] the ones that will vote and uh for Canada Day July 1st each year standard

[4:00:20] date celebrate Canada's independence. It's a national holiday. Summertime hot

[4:00:26] at dusk is later fireb season volunteers family time. No rush.

[4:00:33] If Canada Day when there's a fire ban, fireworks are cancelled and not

[4:00:39] rescheduled till next year. Cancelled end of summer

[4:00:44] events. Event moves to an evening event, barbecue, dinner, games, community,

[4:00:51] fireworks, etc. And then summer works or fireworks

[4:00:58] end of the summer event. wise long weekend before school and summer with

[4:01:04] the bang. End summer with the bang. Typically no fire bands at this time.

[4:01:10] More residents in the area. School September not as hot and dusk as

[4:01:16] earlier. We have the volunteers rush over to get ready for school. Have

[4:01:23] summer event. Canada Day stays a midday event. two community gatherings, events

[4:01:29] to an evening event, stage to an evening event, barbecue, dinner, games, music,

[4:01:36] fireworks, and 6 p.m. till fireworks. So, I guess I'll pass. Lou wants um the

[4:01:46] fireworks for Canada Day and we're going out to

[4:01:59] We have a from the federal government to celebrate Canada Day. They give us

[4:02:08] $500 for that day.

[4:02:24] Sorry, I got Can we get people just to raise their hand so that we can just

[4:02:28] Okay. Could you put your hand up if you want to vote for Canada

[4:02:38] today? Okay. So, if you're voting for the end of the the end of the summer,

[4:02:45] just leave your hands up. Switch it, guys. This is who wants who

[4:02:49] wants

[4:02:53] end of summer. End of summer. Say it again. I don't think they understand.

[4:03:05] They changed. Yeah, they changed.

[4:03:10] No, she said keep your hands down. So, everybody put their hands down. No, it's

[4:03:14] easier to count. If we tell we can ask them for the end of summer be easier to

[4:03:20] count. Okay. Okay. Explain that so we can count against the Okay. She's

[4:03:27] counting again. If your hands are up, keep them up. That's for the fireworks

[4:03:34] and Canada Day. If your hands are down, those are are the ones looking for um

[4:03:41] Labor Day weekends.

[4:04:01] Look at the money. I got 13 for September long weekend. Me, too. So,

[4:04:08] the rest is Canada. What's Canada date?

[4:04:21] Okay. Um, our CEO told me we will have fire fireworks on Canada

[4:04:28] Day. Thanks for voting. Okay. Next. Okay. What time is it? 11:05.

[4:04:38] 11:05. Thank you very much everybody for staying here all evening and going over

[4:04:44] everything. Um all of you have put your hearts into this meeting and I thank you

[4:04:52] so much. There's so much to consider. There's so much to think about when you

[4:04:58] hear what affects everyone. So um we'll be considering

[4:05:05] um some of the comments or the all of the comments I should say and I want to

[4:05:11] thank you very much for staying with us. This is the latest meeting we've had

[4:05:15] since we started. So

[4:05:24] moved by councelor McInness, second by councelor Clark that this meeting be

[4:05:29] adjourned at 101.

[4:05:36] Sorry 11.

[4:05:42] your best friend.

[4:05:46] End meeting for all.

Town Hall Meeting- March 18, 2025

Transcript