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Sound check one two three four sound check one two

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three four.

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Here shortly. Okay we're live. All right call the meaning

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to order I guess good evening we have a meeting

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of the agriculture and rural affairs advisory committee and we're

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still waiting for Quorum so we're going to go into

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recess.

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We're live, Drew. You're muted. I am muted. Okay, good

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evening everyone. Welcome to the Agriculture Revol Affairs Advice subcommittee

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meeting. Let me get my thing back up here. We

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have quorum present for tonight's meeting now and I'd like

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to call this meeting of the Agriculture and rural affairs

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subcommittee to order. Reminder, please turn off your cell phones

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to a non - audible function. We have an agenda

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in front of us. Can I have a mover and

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a seconder to approve the agenda as presented? Councillor Cassar

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and Daniel Vanderhout. Is there any discussion on that.

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All in favor or anyone opposed, I guess I'll say.

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Has anyone opposed. I'm gonna call that carried. Any declarations

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of interest at this time. Hearing Nun, we'll move on

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to the minutes of June 22nd. Will there be a

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mover and a seconder to adopt those minutes as presented.

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I have no circusar again. Can't see everybody here. So

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our seconder. Okay, Janice, thank you. Any discussion on those

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minutes. If not, is anyone opposed to proving those minutes.

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We'll call that carried. Gonna move to item 7. 1

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Agriculture Community Improvement Plan Feasibility Study. The project update and

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feedback. And I will turn it over to Tyson McMahon.

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To provide us with his presentation. Through the chariot, Drew.

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Thank you. And appreciate everyone taking the time to join

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us today at the committee meeting. Today, as Drew mentioned,

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this is a project update and a bit of a

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feedback session for the agriculture warfare subcommittee. So earlier in

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the year at our June meeting, we presented the agricultural

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CIP feasibility study that we had begun work on. Since

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that time we have done some more project research analysis,

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as well as some significant consultation with stakeholders community and

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the farming community as well. So tonight I'll be brief,

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I'll pass it over to Maryland and Rebecca. They will

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provide an overview of the project work to date, the

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what we heard from stakeholders, some of those themes that

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we heard. As well as draft recommendations when it comes

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to what we heard from the community when it comes

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to priorities for the agricultural industry, as well as recommendations

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for what a draft CIP or community improvement could look

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like. Uh, so with that, I'll pass it over to

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both Maryland and Rebecca. He'll take us through the presentation

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as well as the feedback session. Fantastic. Thank you all.

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Can I just test that you can hear me. We

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can. Thank you, chair. Yeah. Uh, great. So Tyson said

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it, if you recall our last meeting, we're here today

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to reintroduce the concept and share back what we've heard.

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And then, uh, gather your input. So, um, Rebecca, if

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you don't mind going to the next slide, I'll go

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over our agenda. Our goal today is to, um, go

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over what the project involves, what a CIP is just

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as a refresher, because most of you have heard it

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once or twice before. Um, and then, uh, fill you

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in on what's been accomplished in the project to date.

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So that includes, um, review of background data and policy,

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as well as what we've heard from stakeholders so far.

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Um, then we'll be going through the sector informed priority.

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So basically that the analysis of everything we've heard. And

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we'll take you through the draft recommendations that we have

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for the agriculture CIP and some other strategic initiatives. The

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City could be doing as well. And then at the

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end of the presentation, we'd like to make sure there's

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some time to answer questions, clarify any points, um, and

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generally just get your feedback on these as we go

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to refine them into a final report. Um, so I'll

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hand it off to Rebecca to recap the project for

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you all. Perfect. Thanks, Britlin. Uh, so I'll begin with

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a brief overview of the study, our objectives and where

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we're at in the process. Um, so as you might

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remember from the June meeting, the study was designed to

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move from a really broad question about feasibility towards a

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locally grounded understanding of what would make a difference in

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rural Hamilton. So we begin by examining the legislative and

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policy framework that enables the city to provide incentives through

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a community improvement plan and looked at how other municipalities

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in Ontario have used this tool and rural and agricultural

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settings. That research gave us some examples, but not necessarily

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answers for Hamilton. Hamilton has its own compantion of farm

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types, land use policies, infrastructure, industrial capacity, transportation assets and

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development pressures. So engagement with the local agricultural community, City

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Councils and staff industry representatives and the general public with

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central to the study. And that was to be able

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to identify local priorities, um, barriers, assess possible incentive structures

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and recommend practical approaches, uh, and funding considerations. So our

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central question is not simply whether the City can establish

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a CIP for the agriculture and rural areas. But rather

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how, uh, SEIP could be designed to meaningfully impact and

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respond to Hamilton's agricultural context and support investments that might

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not otherwise proceed. So the studies progressed through five phases.

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Uh, the work completed since May has sort of progressively

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narrowed the focus of our study. The background research helped

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us to understand what was possible. And our R stakeholder

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engagement helped us to understand what's needed in the sector.

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We are now in phase four where our research and

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consultation findings have been translated into draft recommendations that will

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be presenting tonight, bridging those two pieces together. Following today's

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discussion, those recommendations will be refined for inclusion in a

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final background report, uh, that will be presented to council

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for some consideration on next steps. So before we turn

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to the findings, I think it's helpful just to pause

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and clarify what a CIP is and what it's not.

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Um, so as you might remember a CIP creates a

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defined and transparent framework for providing financial incentives and undertaking

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municipal initiatives, uh, where that investment is expected to produce

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a broader community benefit. So community improvement plans are increasingly

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used across Ontario because municipalities are otherwise limited in their

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ability to provide direct financial incentives or assistance to private

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businesses and landowners. So when rural Hamilton, what this could

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look like, uh, from a community benefit perspective, that could

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be more resilient farm businesses, greater food processing capacity, employment,

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uh, environmental performance or expanded opportunities for local food and

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agricurism. I should note that, uh, SEAP doesn't replace the

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required planning approvals, whether that's building permits, environmental requirements or

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other regulations, uh, projects still has to comply with that

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framework. But a CIP can reduce identified barriers and encourage

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private investment and projects that produce that wider community and

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economic benefit. So depending on how a program is designed,

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incentives can include grants, loans, rebates or fees, uh, or

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rebates that are tied to increases in municipal tax. So

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a CIP can support, um, also municipal actions that create

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broader environmental, social, physical or economic benefits. Um, what the

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important point being that the incentive should really respond to

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an identified barrier. So upfront capital is the main challenge,

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a matching grant might help if planning and technical requirements

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are creating, uh, disproportionate costs. Maybe it's a fee rebate

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or a grant for professional services that may be more

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useful. Um, if a project will substantially increase this assessed

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value of a property, a tax - based incentives may

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be more appropriate. And so for an agricultural CIP and

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rural Hamilton, the strongest model, uh, might be one that

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combines carefully targeted financial incentives such as these with broader

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municipal actions that improve the conditions for agricultural investment. I

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should note that Hamilton already does have considerable experience administering

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CIPs. The City currently uses CIPs to address housing, commercial

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revitalization, and environmental remediation and sustainable development. And that experience

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really is an important strength. The City already understands how

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to establish a community improvement project area, administer applications, structure

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incentives, and monitor investments. But the gap here is geographic

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and sectoral. Existing programs are directed primarily towards urban priorities.

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Whereas farms and rural businesses operate within a very different

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investment environment. And there's currently no dedicated framework focused on

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agricultural economic development. A CIP for Agriculture and rural Hamilton

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would address a distinct geographic and economic context with different

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development patterns, investment needs, project timelines and regulatory considerations. Alternativer

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to Maryland here to walk us through the jurisdictional scan.

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Yeah. So as part of our review, we took a

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look at other jurisdiction CIPs. Um, so, um, you'll see

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the full list here that we, um, looked at in,

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you know, varying levels of death. And you'll note that

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some of these are community improvement plans full. And some

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are referring to a specific grant that was, that was

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focused on agriculture. And that's generally because there's two approaches

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to focusing the topic of a CIP in some cases

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a CIP might apply to the entire municipality. And it

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will include incentives that can be applied in rural and

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urban areas. Um, and this offers, um, more of an

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equalizing approach where the more opportunity for more applicants, um,

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for a wider variety of projects. And in this case,

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um, so NORFOC County on that list, one example where

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there's a municipal wide CIP and they have one grant

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focused at agriculture and non - farm diversified uses. Um,

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so, um, this is where we tend to see a

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lot of very like commonalities across municipalities and how they

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offer those. And then, um, the other approach is to

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do, um, something a little more focused. And so this

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is where a municipality might have a specific CIP and

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a specific allocation of funding for that CIP towards a

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particular improvement outcome. Um, so this is how the City

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of Hamilton currently operates their CIPs. They're, you know, their

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brown field specific or downtown specific. Um, and this allows

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the city to really target a specific outcome or objective

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for improvement. Um, and so while this approach is common,

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um, for lots of different types of improvement, it's not

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so common for agriculture. And so we reviewed, um, three

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in particular that do take a focus on agriculture. So

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we're back. If you don't mind going to the next

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slide. Yeah. So, um, the first of these is Helderman

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County. So they have a rural business and tourism CIP

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from 2013. This one's the longest running one we found.

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It is currently under a review. So they might make

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changes to that upcoming. And then, uh, in 2021 King

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Township updated their CIP program and included a stream specific

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to rural resiliency. And this one is focused specifically at

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agricultural properties. And then most recently, who introduced one back

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in April of this year. Um, and so, um, they

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act fairly similarly, uh, very similar objectives to supporting agriculture

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and agri - food network. And what you'll notice is

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common as well is that the incentives all operate as

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grants primarily and support, you know, F50 percent cost matching

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for eligible costs. You'll note that the incentive types are

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all fairly similar as well. You can see common improvement

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types like facade signage, um, agriturism, um, and things like,

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uh, waving of planning application or building permit fees. Um,

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and then you'll also see that, um, in each of

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the three jurisdictions, they've had fairly similar, um, financial allocations,

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although with brands introduction of this new CIP, they, they

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went larger for 2026. And then all three of them

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publish, um, a return on the ratio of their return

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on investment. So you can see there that, um, all

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of them have quite a good return. Brent County especially

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has had quite a lot of success in their previous

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CIPs. Um, but yet to see what this new one,

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um, will, will bring in. In terms of the differences

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between them that I want to highlight, um, notably King

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Township, um, identifies that that grant opportunity could be converted

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to tax relief instead. Um, whereas Haldeman offers a taxed

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increment grant in addition to, um, other costs or other

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grant opportunities. And those are separate grants that work together.

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Um, and then, uh, another sort of noticeable difference here.

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Um, that's in the CIP programs is that along with

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the specific incentives for property owners, uh, the township of

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king has also, um, committed to a variety of municipal

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strategies and actions that they've decided to, um, commit to

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to work in tandem with the CIP. So as they

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try to incentivize private investment, they're also, um, working on

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these public ROM strategy, urban design guidelines revitalization strategy and

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then updates to their zoning biot to go alongside it

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because they've identified that that will help to make it

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a little more successful. So, um, the key takeaways from

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these is that, um, while it's less common to have

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an agriculture focused CIP, at least in Southwestern Ontario, um,

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there's a fairly strong indicator going as far back as

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2013 that there's a business case to be made. They're

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strong return on investment. Um, and that, um, that these

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types of support for the agriculture sector are in demand

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and fairly successful. So I think there's something to be

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said that it's very timely for Hamilton to be looking

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into this approach. Um, you know, given that Haldeman and

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Brant do it, neighbouring municipalities that Hamilton can join, um,

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to create more of a regional support in this format

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01:16:14,231 --> 01:16:18,604
for the sector. And then Rebecca, if you don't mind

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01:16:18,644 --> 01:16:20,924
going to the next slide, I want to highlight a

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01:16:20,924 --> 01:16:25,644
few other examples. So like I said, um, the, the

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01:16:25,665 --> 01:16:30,604
CIP's highlighted the municipalities highlighted on this slide of municipal

240
01:16:30,785 --> 01:16:34,684
wide CIPs. So they're applicable to, um, lots of different

241
01:16:34,785 --> 01:16:39,964
types of uses or areas in the municipality. Um, but,

242
01:16:39,964 --> 01:16:42,124
um, what's interesting about these is they have one or

243
01:16:42,124 --> 01:16:44,764
two that are specifically focused for agriculture. And this is

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01:16:44,804 --> 01:16:48,524
where in some of the language and eligible, um, criteria

245
01:16:48,545 --> 01:16:50,844
for the CIPs. We see some of the innovation that

246
01:16:51,105 --> 01:16:53,884
municipalities are looking to when they want to support agriculture

247
01:16:53,905 --> 01:16:58,487
improvement. So you can see areas of Bruce County and

248
01:16:58,527 --> 01:17:01,927
Georgia and bluffs looking at areas of agricultural innovation, specifically

249
01:17:01,927 --> 01:17:06,274
when it comes to, um, different types of crops. Um,

250
01:17:07,175 --> 01:17:10,594
different types of processing or doing, uh, direct sales on

251
01:17:10,615 --> 01:17:16,519
site. And then, excuse me, we can see, um, other

252
01:17:17,260 --> 01:17:22,599
CIPs focused on things like reducing waste, uh, production or

253
01:17:22,639 --> 01:17:27,719
looking at other types of environmental improvements to the soil

254
01:17:27,740 --> 01:17:36,828
or source water. Excuse me. Um, general property improvement is

255
01:17:36,849 --> 01:17:42,588
a very common CIP. Excuse me. Sorry. I might have

256
01:17:42,588 --> 01:17:46,686
to grab the lozenge. Rebecca and do you mind taking

257
01:17:46,726 --> 01:17:49,038
over the slide. And I'll be right back with you.

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01:17:51,862 --> 01:17:55,921
Chair, no problem. Um, so on general property improvements, that

259
01:17:55,921 --> 01:17:59,921
could be things like farm labour residences, um, the scale

260
01:17:59,961 --> 01:18:03,041
of the operation is large enough to warrant having additional

261
01:18:03,142 --> 01:18:07,521
employees beyond the owner operator. Um, it could also just

262
01:18:07,542 --> 01:18:14,481
be, um, building expansion retrofitting or conversion of different existing

263
01:18:14,502 --> 01:18:18,861
or new, um, new building types on the farm. Um,

264
01:18:19,382 --> 01:18:23,041
in Brent County, this looked like commercial reuse of existing,

265
01:18:23,041 --> 01:18:26,561
uh, barns or other structures. Um, so to, to complement

266
01:18:26,902 --> 01:18:30,241
that on - farm retail or direct sales, uh, approach

267
01:18:30,742 --> 01:18:34,081
that, that they're trying to incentivize. Um, and then on

268
01:18:34,081 --> 01:18:37,321
the last category, that might look like infrastructure upgrades. So

269
01:18:38,422 --> 01:18:41,521
in Holton Hills, they identified a lack of, um, high

270
01:18:41,622 --> 01:18:46,061
speed broadband connection as being a barrier for continued, um,

271
01:18:46,422 --> 01:18:50,321
growth and expansion in the rural sector. So, um, one

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01:18:50,361 --> 01:18:54,401
of the categories of improvement in that case would be,

273
01:18:54,401 --> 01:18:58,961
um, working with, uh, utility providers to facilitate, uh, the

274
01:18:59,062 --> 01:19:04,300
installation of broadband infrastructure. In Brent County, um, cycling and

275
01:19:04,300 --> 01:19:07,820
active transportation enhancement was a priority. So, uh, and some

276
01:19:07,860 --> 01:19:13,340
cases, um, the labour force, uh, workforce in the agriculture

277
01:19:13,361 --> 01:19:16,540
and rural sector, um, might not always have, uh, access

278
01:19:16,580 --> 01:19:19,900
to a private vehicle. There's not good transit connectivity to

279
01:19:19,921 --> 01:19:24,460
these areas. So, uh, providing that safe, uh, and efficient,

280
01:19:24,460 --> 01:19:28,620
uh, infrastructure for active transportation and other modalities helps to

281
01:19:28,641 --> 01:19:36,873
then bridge that gap. In a pivot gears to look

282
01:19:37,534 --> 01:19:40,313
now at the current context in Hamilton, uh, looking at,

283
01:19:40,313 --> 01:19:43,673
um, some of the most recent findings from the agricultural

284
01:19:43,854 --> 01:19:48,393
census, um, the policy and legislative framework in Hamilton for,

285
01:19:48,393 --> 01:19:51,193
um, the rural areas. And what this means for the

286
01:19:51,214 --> 01:19:57,132
agriculture CIP. And I'll pass it back to Maryland for

287
01:19:57,132 --> 01:20:02,624
this first slide. Thanks, Rebecca. A apologies for that. I'm

288
01:20:02,624 --> 01:20:04,464
going to try to talk through it. So, uh, excuse

289
01:20:04,504 --> 01:20:06,464
me if I need to take a few coughing breaks.

290
01:20:07,609 --> 01:20:09,988
Um, so first I wanted to make a note on

291
01:20:10,028 --> 01:20:14,623
our approach. When we talk about food broadly, we often

292
01:20:14,804 --> 01:20:17,343
fail to recognise the entire system that goes into getting

293
01:20:17,684 --> 01:20:21,263
food from production to the table. Um, and, and what

294
01:20:21,263 --> 01:20:23,549
happens in between. And so to do that would miss

295
01:20:23,549 --> 01:20:26,697
out on some real assets in Hamilton. Um, we know

296
01:20:26,737 --> 01:20:28,777
from the outside of the project, it became very clear

297
01:20:28,798 --> 01:20:31,337
that we wanted to take a systems approach to our

298
01:20:31,377 --> 01:20:35,097
review. Um, and so what you have here is just

299
01:20:35,137 --> 01:20:39,897
a very oversimplified visual of the agri food chain that

300
01:20:39,918 --> 01:20:42,777
shows the cycle of production and some of the other

301
01:20:43,198 --> 01:20:47,417
steps that are really key into making sure that Hamilton's

302
01:20:47,457 --> 01:20:52,319
agriculture is successful. Um, the sector is successful. And show

303
01:20:52,319 --> 01:20:55,039
some of the assets that Hamilton already has is as

304
01:20:55,460 --> 01:20:59,199
it's disposal. Um, particularly when it comes to processing and

305
01:20:59,199 --> 01:21:03,359
industry distribution, um, and then dining in tourism, uh, so

306
01:21:04,180 --> 01:21:08,781
we've kept this approach top of mind throughout. And that

307
01:21:08,781 --> 01:21:14,459
is really easily seen on the next slide. With some

308
01:21:14,459 --> 01:21:21,001
research. Sorry, Rebecca, thanks. I segue too subtly there. Um,

309
01:21:21,001 --> 01:21:26,061
so the research here shown that, um, demonstrates Hamilton strength,

310
01:21:26,061 --> 01:21:29,821
particularly in agribusiness, which includes both agriculture and food and

311
01:21:29,821 --> 01:21:34,461
beverage. And the secondary tertiary sectors within that agrofood chain.

312
01:21:34,974 --> 01:21:37,593
So what you're looking at here is a map from

313
01:21:37,774 --> 01:21:43,033
Waterloo Economic Development Corporation Research back from 2023 that shows,

314
01:21:43,033 --> 01:21:48,393
um, location quotient. And essentially North America's established clusters for

315
01:21:48,494 --> 01:21:51,984
food and beverage employment. And this is as a share

316
01:21:52,024 --> 01:21:54,904
of the National Average. That's how they've graphed it. So

317
01:21:54,904 --> 01:21:58,144
we can see that the biggest cluster is located in

318
01:21:58,165 --> 01:22:01,024
Toronto. The biggest green cluster, which is they consider true

319
01:22:01,125 --> 01:22:04,064
employment is located in the Toronto area. And then the

320
01:22:04,104 --> 01:22:08,464
nice little inset there that shows, um, that the real

321
01:22:08,485 --> 01:22:13,184
emerging clusters that make up the Toronto area actually includes

322
01:22:13,205 --> 01:22:16,619
Hamilton Waterloo and Guelph quite substantially. And so I won't

323
01:22:16,619 --> 01:22:19,659
go too much into this data, but I wanted to

324
01:22:19,680 --> 01:22:22,139
highlight that, you know, we've heard so much talk about

325
01:22:22,400 --> 01:22:25,339
Hamilton as an agri - food hub and how it's

326
01:22:25,339 --> 01:22:29,419
just continuing to grow. And I think this, um, puts

327
01:22:29,419 --> 01:22:32,139
a nice picture to how real that is across the

328
01:22:32,179 --> 01:22:36,418
entire continent. And then we'll go into the next slide

329
01:22:36,519 --> 01:22:39,498
and we'll talk, um, talk very quickly about agriculture. So

330
01:22:39,559 --> 01:22:41,458
as part of our review, we also took a look

331
01:22:41,458 --> 01:22:44,978
at Census of Agriculture and Labour Survey data, um, primarily

332
01:22:44,999 --> 01:22:49,918
as it was compelled for, um, Hamilton biomapha. And I

333
01:22:49,939 --> 01:22:52,878
won't go into too much detail here again because you

334
01:22:52,979 --> 01:22:55,918
folks are already the expert on this side of things.

335
01:22:55,918 --> 01:22:59,678
Um, but some of the key takeaways that we feel,

336
01:22:59,678 --> 01:23:02,878
um, really demonstrate what a CIP could support with include

337
01:23:02,878 --> 01:23:07,998
the trends that we can see in changing production types.

338
01:23:07,998 --> 01:23:11,838
So such as new animals being rared, um, new crops

339
01:23:11,838 --> 01:23:15,518
being taken on or changes to organic product usage, things

340
01:23:15,558 --> 01:23:19,838
like that. Um, as well as trends and technology uptake,

341
01:23:19,838 --> 01:23:24,996
um, automation, looking for efficiencies that way. Um, increasing direct

342
01:23:25,257 --> 01:23:28,836
sales on form in a variety of forms. Um, and

343
01:23:28,836 --> 01:23:32,356
then of course, uh, the demographic changes. So as population

344
01:23:32,697 --> 01:23:37,236
as this population is aging, um, and as farm sizes,

345
01:23:37,236 --> 01:23:40,036
uh, increase while the number of firms decrease as well.

346
01:23:40,413 --> 01:23:43,032
So we, we know that that would translate quite well

347
01:23:43,853 --> 01:23:46,632
in terms of creating demand for the type of CIP

348
01:23:46,672 --> 01:23:50,312
that could support farmers in investing. How you get two

349
01:23:50,352 --> 01:23:54,232
people while you adding processing is pretty much reading this

350
01:23:54,413 --> 01:23:59,696
diversified uses. And other ways to increase profit margins or

351
01:23:59,696 --> 01:24:03,216
encourage more resilient businesses. Um, so we can tell that

352
01:24:03,637 --> 01:24:07,702
there would be demand for this in Hamilton. I'm going

353
01:24:07,702 --> 01:24:12,845
to hand it over again to you, Rebecca. Thank. You.

354
01:24:12,885 --> 01:24:16,365
Thanks, Brennan. Um, so when we look at the policy

355
01:24:16,386 --> 01:24:19,805
basis for, uh, how a CIP could be structured and

356
01:24:19,805 --> 01:24:23,885
Hamilton, really any municipal initiative has to operate within the

357
01:24:23,925 --> 01:24:27,405
larger planning framework. And at the provincial level, this includes

358
01:24:27,426 --> 01:24:31,645
the provincial planning statement, the green butt planes government plan.

359
01:24:36,167 --> 01:24:39,906
Um, so the provincial framework establishes two sort of equally

360
01:24:40,007 --> 01:24:44,706
important directions. The first being protection. So prime agricultural land

361
01:24:45,047 --> 01:24:49,586
has to remain available for agriculture for land use conflict

362
01:24:49,687 --> 01:24:53,666
has to be managed. And new activities, um, can't undermine

363
01:24:53,847 --> 01:24:57,106
the long - term function of the agricultural system. The

364
01:24:57,106 --> 01:25:01,106
second is the systems approach. So provincial policies recognise that

365
01:25:01,106 --> 01:25:05,346
producting land is not really enough if businesses can't adapt,

366
01:25:05,346 --> 01:25:08,946
invest or remain economically productive. This system also depends on

367
01:25:09,047 --> 01:25:15,044
infrastructure services processing distribution and supporting businesses. These plans together

368
01:25:15,305 --> 01:25:19,644
support agricultural viability and diversification. But within clear sort of

369
01:25:19,705 --> 01:25:24,324
parameters for land use and environmental protection. And the CIP

370
01:25:24,364 --> 01:25:28,084
has to strike that balance. It should support investment and

371
01:25:28,084 --> 01:25:32,564
diversification. But without weakening the protection of the agricultural land

372
01:25:32,585 --> 01:25:36,484
base or impacting on the escarpment's ecological and landscape values.

373
01:25:38,606 --> 01:25:44,179
Then just let me listen to the rest of. Hamilton's

374
01:25:44,280 --> 01:25:49,219
local policy provides a basis for agriculture, agricultural related uses,

375
01:25:49,219 --> 01:25:52,099
and certain on - firm secondary uses and a framework

376
01:25:52,120 --> 01:25:57,459
for protecting agricultural land and supporting a viable rural economy.

377
01:25:57,459 --> 01:26:00,579
Farming is directed to the agriculture rural and specialty crop

378
01:26:00,579 --> 01:26:04,659
designations to maintain that stable base where a wide range

379
01:26:04,659 --> 01:26:09,539
of agriculture, agricultural related and on - frame secondary uses

380
01:26:09,560 --> 01:26:13,779
are permitted. Um, our review identified areas where the framework

381
01:26:13,819 --> 01:26:17,379
supports that agricultural investment as well as areas where greater

382
01:26:17,400 --> 01:26:23,699
flexibility or clarity might be beneficial. For example, um, stakeholders

383
01:26:23,800 --> 01:26:28,179
based questions about permissions and processes for agriculturism, renewable energy,

384
01:26:28,200 --> 01:26:32,739
processing, retail, and other activities associated with more contemporary farm

385
01:26:32,739 --> 01:26:37,997
business models. The policy direction and the official plan is

386
01:26:37,997 --> 01:26:43,357
implemented through the zoning bylaw, um, detailed controls on permitted

387
01:26:43,357 --> 01:26:46,637
uses, lot sizes setbacks development standards. I won't go through

388
01:26:46,677 --> 01:26:51,713
those, but they're up here. For your review. I will

389
01:26:51,814 --> 01:26:54,513
note, um, one thing that came up by mentioned just

390
01:26:54,553 --> 01:26:59,713
briefly, um, is the lack of, um, established permissions or

391
01:26:59,713 --> 01:27:03,313
regulations for renewable and alternative energy systems, which I understand

392
01:27:03,734 --> 01:27:08,113
is a priority of counsel to review, uh, and potentially

393
01:27:08,454 --> 01:27:11,913
integrate in the future. Um, subject to staff recommendations. So

394
01:27:12,134 --> 01:27:14,033
I wanted to flag that, uh, as part of our

395
01:27:14,214 --> 01:27:23,061
review as well. Beyond the policy framework, strong strategic alignment

396
01:27:23,101 --> 01:27:26,661
for MINISPOLCHINTHON through a CIP, uh, through Hamilton's food strategy

397
01:27:26,762 --> 01:27:30,901
and the economic development action plan. They both identify agriculture

398
01:27:30,941 --> 01:27:34,981
as an important economic driver and recognise, uh, an agriculture

399
01:27:35,002 --> 01:27:38,501
focus EIP as a potential tool for addressing barriers and

400
01:27:38,541 --> 01:27:43,301
supporting reinvestment. Um, the food strategy in particular supports a

401
01:27:43,341 --> 01:27:48,261
sustainable and resilient food system, uh, recognising the need for

402
01:27:48,362 --> 01:27:54,341
infrastructure coordinated funding, business support innovation and diversification. Um, so

403
01:27:54,682 --> 01:27:57,221
provides a really good basis for a CIP to build

404
01:27:57,242 --> 01:28:02,101
on those existing municipal directions rather than creating a separate

405
01:28:02,522 --> 01:28:08,531
or, or disconnected program. The last thing I want to

406
01:28:08,531 --> 01:28:12,571
touch on, um, on the framework side of things is

407
01:28:12,912 --> 01:28:17,691
the City enrichment fund, which provides really valuable community events,

408
01:28:17,691 --> 01:28:20,951
education and not for profit activities through a dedicated, um,

409
01:28:21,232 --> 01:28:24,971
funding allocation, uh, by council. Uh, so this includes support

410
01:28:25,072 --> 01:28:30,971
for agricultural affairs farmers markets, farm crawls, youth education, soil

411
01:28:30,971 --> 01:28:34,651
health initiatives, community gardens, public education just to name a

412
01:28:34,651 --> 01:28:38,091
few. I want to stress that this funding plays a

413
01:28:38,112 --> 01:28:40,251
really important role, but it does serve a different purpose

414
01:28:40,432 --> 01:28:44,891
from a CIP. It primarily supports programs, events, and community

415
01:28:44,912 --> 01:28:48,651
activities. Whereas a CIP would focus more directly on those

416
01:28:48,912 --> 01:28:54,811
capital improvements, business investments and property related projects. Um, another

417
01:28:54,832 --> 01:28:58,651
eligible activities that might be intended to improve long -

418
01:28:58,651 --> 01:29:02,870
term capacity. So if council were to decide to move

419
01:29:02,971 --> 01:29:07,910
forward with a CIP, the two programs could be complementary.

420
01:29:07,910 --> 01:29:11,670
But I'd stress that they shouldn't be treated as interchangeable,

421
01:29:11,670 --> 01:29:17,264
uh, with one replacing the other. Now I'm going to

422
01:29:17,264 --> 01:29:20,664
segue to talk about, uh, what we heard from stakeholder

423
01:29:20,704 --> 01:29:24,264
engagement and consultation. Um, a really major component of this

424
01:29:24,264 --> 01:29:27,624
study was hearing directly from people who work in support

425
01:29:27,965 --> 01:29:31,704
and interact with Hamilton's agricultural sector. Uh, and this program

426
01:29:31,725 --> 01:29:34,104
was designed to test the findings of our background research

427
01:29:34,125 --> 01:29:40,265
against that practical experience. So I think this is a

428
01:29:40,265 --> 01:29:43,305
really important thing to highlight before we get into what

429
01:29:43,345 --> 01:29:46,345
we heard. We were able to connect with more than

430
01:29:46,686 --> 01:29:52,105
93 participants across the first three phases of this project,

431
01:29:52,105 --> 01:29:56,665
which really led itself to, um, really diverse and detailed

432
01:29:57,006 --> 01:30:00,791
overview of, of the sector. We heard from people who

433
01:30:00,892 --> 01:30:03,911
might apply to a feature program, uh, people who would

434
01:30:03,951 --> 01:30:07,271
administer and review it, elective representatives who hear directly from

435
01:30:07,372 --> 01:30:13,351
rural constituents and organisations that understand those broader industry trends.

436
01:30:13,351 --> 01:30:16,231
Um, the workshop provided a space for that larger group

437
01:30:16,271 --> 01:30:19,911
discussion and allowed participants to react to examples from other

438
01:30:19,951 --> 01:30:22,711
municipalities. Uh, the one - on - one interviews give

439
01:30:22,751 --> 01:30:28,071
us space to explore individual experiences with investment, approvals, business

440
01:30:28,172 --> 01:30:32,311
expansion on from diversification. Uh, and the farm crawl pop

441
01:30:32,412 --> 01:30:36,311
up added the perspective of residents and visitors, uh, where

442
01:30:36,351 --> 01:30:40,071
the customers and intended audience for many direct sales and

443
01:30:40,172 --> 01:30:45,353
farm experience activities. Uh, and really our focus here, um,

444
01:30:45,554 --> 01:30:48,733
and structuring this engagement was not simply a quest for

445
01:30:48,834 --> 01:30:52,893
a list of preferred grants, but asking stakeholders what is

446
01:30:52,933 --> 01:30:57,453
preventing investment, what improvement might look like, uh, and what

447
01:30:57,453 --> 01:30:59,533
would have to change for a future program to be

448
01:30:59,573 --> 01:31:03,053
credible and to be useful to have good uptake and

449
01:31:03,074 --> 01:31:08,772
good impact. And so that these DAX couple of slides

450
01:31:08,873 --> 01:31:10,772
sum up some of the themes that came out of

451
01:31:10,873 --> 01:31:16,052
those different activities. First, that Hamilton has a really strong

452
01:31:16,153 --> 01:31:20,772
foundation for Agrafood Growth. Stakeholders pointed to the city's agricultural

453
01:31:20,873 --> 01:31:25,572
and industrial sectors, transportation connections. This momentum and building a

454
01:31:25,673 --> 01:31:28,852
food hub and growing interest in local products and sort

455
01:31:28,852 --> 01:31:34,515
of buying local and shopping with small businesses. Second opportunities

456
01:31:34,555 --> 01:31:38,595
related to agriculture and agriculturism are not yet fully realised.

457
01:31:38,635 --> 01:31:42,355
There's interest in farm experience, direct sales, value - added

458
01:31:42,395 --> 01:31:46,872
production and emerging technologies that can be tapped into. Third,

459
01:31:46,893 --> 01:31:51,432
the municipal development process is viewed as a barrier participants

460
01:31:51,453 --> 01:31:57,832
described complex requirements, LC approval processes, uncertainty, and difficulty identifying

461
01:31:57,933 --> 01:32:04,635
a clear path forward. Fourth, some stake stakeholders believed that,

462
01:32:04,635 --> 01:32:07,675
um, policies and regulations haven't kept peace with the realities

463
01:32:07,715 --> 01:32:11,915
of modern agriculture. Um, in particular, in relation to processing,

464
01:32:11,936 --> 01:32:17,275
packaging, farm retail, agriturism, technology, renewable energy and far worker

465
01:32:17,275 --> 01:32:21,355
housing. So this could be an opportunity, um, for future,

466
01:32:21,355 --> 01:32:26,763
uh, review, um, an update. Following sort of, um, some

467
01:32:26,784 --> 01:32:29,723
targeted effort at looking at the policy framework and sort

468
01:32:29,723 --> 01:32:33,003
of greater detail. Um, there was also strong support for

469
01:32:33,344 --> 01:32:37,403
a more service oriented municipal model. This could be a

470
01:32:37,424 --> 01:32:41,943
dedicated liaison or concierge. She could provide early guidance, um,

471
01:32:42,304 --> 01:32:46,603
coordinate review, uh, between internal city departments and help applicants

472
01:32:46,643 --> 01:32:51,323
navigate requirements. Um, that role could be, uh, helping a

473
01:32:51,363 --> 01:32:54,763
business owner understand really early on in the process. What's

474
01:32:54,763 --> 01:32:58,443
permitted? What approvals are required? Who needs to be involved?

475
01:32:58,443 --> 01:33:00,683
And what that practical path to compliance could look like

476
01:33:00,704 --> 01:33:08,713
before significant resources are committed. Uh, the next kind of

477
01:33:08,713 --> 01:33:14,033
theme was on infrastructure and whether, uh, there's capacity within

478
01:33:14,073 --> 01:33:17,713
existing infrastructure to support those larger operations, uh, and business

479
01:33:17,814 --> 01:33:22,033
growth and expansion. So whether that's electrical capacity, natural gas

480
01:33:22,454 --> 01:33:27,873
broadband, uh, storm arte management, transportation or distribution infrastructure as

481
01:33:27,913 --> 01:33:33,553
important sort of considerations. Um, participants also described broader pressures,

482
01:33:33,553 --> 01:33:38,193
including high land and capital costs, difficulty accessing traditional financing,

483
01:33:38,233 --> 01:33:41,873
labour and skill shortages, success and challenges, heavy workloads and

484
01:33:41,873 --> 01:33:45,553
economic and climate uncertainty as being, um, major constraints as

485
01:33:45,553 --> 01:33:50,072
well. When we talked about specific incentives, stakeholders emphasize that

486
01:33:50,112 --> 01:33:53,912
they need to be meaningful, predictable and easy to understand.

487
01:33:53,912 --> 01:33:57,032
Um, smaller grants might help with some projects, but they

488
01:33:57,213 --> 01:34:01,032
are unlikely to overcome these major, uh, capital regulatory or

489
01:34:01,072 --> 01:34:05,272
infrastructure barriers by themselves. Um, which kind of leads to

490
01:34:05,312 --> 01:34:09,512
the last point here. Stakeholders preferred a sector wide approach

491
01:34:09,693 --> 01:34:15,272
focused on productivity innovation, diversification, market access, resilience and opportunities

492
01:34:15,312 --> 01:34:18,272
for the next generation, which led to our sort of

493
01:34:18,493 --> 01:34:22,072
central finding in this study, um, that a CIP might

494
01:34:22,072 --> 01:34:25,192
be valuable, but it's effectiveness will really depend on those

495
01:34:25,293 --> 01:34:33,659
complementary initiatives as part of a broader MIS Plaforite. The

496
01:34:33,699 --> 01:34:37,979
public engagement at Farm Curl Hamilton reinforced several themes and

497
01:34:38,000 --> 01:34:42,139
added sort of another dimension to this story. Attendees described

498
01:34:42,160 --> 01:34:45,339
how visiting farms and learning about local food production influence

499
01:34:45,440 --> 01:34:48,299
they're purchasing habits and strengthened their interest in buying locally.

500
01:34:49,653 --> 01:34:53,552
Young families have valued the hands on an educational opportunities

501
01:34:53,893 --> 01:34:57,312
that help children understand our food comes from and emphasized

502
01:34:57,973 --> 01:35:01,472
the importance of producting rural land for continued agricultural use.

503
01:35:03,223 --> 01:35:06,482
Farms reviewed not only as places for production, but also

504
01:35:06,743 --> 01:35:10,162
as destinations where people could connect with producers, spend time

505
01:35:10,183 --> 01:35:14,722
socially with friends and family and experience Hamilton's rural landscape.

506
01:35:14,722 --> 01:35:17,842
A lot of those visitors came from out of town.

507
01:35:17,842 --> 01:35:24,722
So from Toronto, Burlington, Oakville, Even Guelph, Brampton, Mississauga and

508
01:35:24,722 --> 01:35:26,002
described that as a way to get out of the

509
01:35:26,002 --> 01:35:31,126
city. So has really, um, really potential economic value for

510
01:35:31,387 --> 01:35:35,046
farm operators through not only direct sales, but educational activities

511
01:35:35,787 --> 01:35:39,366
potentially dining or from based experience and broader community value

512
01:35:39,406 --> 01:35:43,206
by increasing awareness of local agriculture and providing public support

513
01:35:43,246 --> 01:35:46,907
for firmly and production. So it's not just about attracting

514
01:35:47,408 --> 01:35:50,987
visitors to the rural area, but supporting activities that strengthen

515
01:35:50,987 --> 01:35:54,747
the underlying farm business, uh, and connect food, connect residents

516
01:35:54,747 --> 01:35:58,987
back to local food production. So something to consider as

517
01:35:59,027 --> 01:36:03,067
we structure, um, the CIP and the types of programs

518
01:36:03,168 --> 01:36:07,127
or streams that might be incentivized. I'll pass it over

519
01:36:07,127 --> 01:36:11,375
to Maryland to take us through the next section. Thank

520
01:36:11,375 --> 01:36:15,753
you. Yeah. So, um, at this point of the presentation,

521
01:36:15,753 --> 01:36:18,073
you've heard what the community has shared with us throughout

522
01:36:18,094 --> 01:36:21,193
this project. You've also heard a summary of the current

523
01:36:21,374 --> 01:36:25,513
Hamilton context through the background review earlier. Um, and so

524
01:36:25,513 --> 01:36:29,353
we want to briefly sort of recap and, um, reiterate

525
01:36:29,393 --> 01:36:32,058
what it all means. We've done that through a simple

526
01:36:32,239 --> 01:36:35,658
SWOT analysis and summary of four key priorities that have

527
01:36:35,679 --> 01:36:43,274
informed the draft recommendations. So, uh, next slide, please, Rebecca,

528
01:36:43,274 --> 01:36:46,874
as just a refresher, a SWAT analysis is just an

529
01:36:46,914 --> 01:36:50,394
assessment tool to help identify all of the different factors

530
01:36:50,575 --> 01:36:54,054
that play when considering an action or decision. So, um,

531
01:36:54,054 --> 01:36:55,914
it can be a helpful tool at a time like

532
01:36:55,914 --> 01:36:59,034
this when we want to assess, um, what those factors

533
01:36:59,034 --> 01:37:02,074
are. We're going to start with internal factors. And these

534
01:37:02,114 --> 01:37:07,494
are things within the city's jurisdiction. Um, or influence. Um,

535
01:37:07,534 --> 01:37:12,454
and so that includes things like, um, uh, there were

536
01:37:12,454 --> 01:37:14,294
a lot of strengths we heard. So those include things

537
01:37:14,294 --> 01:37:18,374
like, um, the strong foundation at Hamilton already has for

538
01:37:18,414 --> 01:37:21,974
the agri food industry, whether that's production, um, those other

539
01:37:22,315 --> 01:37:27,504
steps in the chain, um, distribution and processing. And then,

540
01:37:27,504 --> 01:37:31,424
uh, Hamilton's location is also a really key asset for

541
01:37:31,445 --> 01:37:34,944
the city, um, whether, you know, no matter the method,

542
01:37:34,944 --> 01:37:38,064
um, it can be shipped from Hamilton, right? It can

543
01:37:38,104 --> 01:37:43,664
be distributed. There's, there's so much opportunity there when you

544
01:37:43,664 --> 01:37:49,319
have access to the world that way. Then, um, internally,

545
01:37:49,319 --> 01:37:52,359
um, in terms of the city, itself, there's, um, the

546
01:37:52,399 --> 01:37:55,079
strong policy direction. So, so at the municipal level and

547
01:37:55,580 --> 01:38:00,439
the provincial level, um, the importance of agriculture is recognised

548
01:38:00,700 --> 01:38:06,420
in policy, um, and is protected, uh, quite broadly. The

549
01:38:06,441 --> 01:38:10,420
city also has experience with CIPs. So, um, the need

550
01:38:10,420 --> 01:38:13,460
for a substantial learning curve to implement something like this.

551
01:38:14,136 --> 01:38:18,915
And then in terms of the local industry, um, we've,

552
01:38:18,915 --> 01:38:22,969
uh, seen that there is significant capacity for innovation. All

553
01:38:22,990 --> 01:38:27,209
across that agri food chain. Um, but particularly in agriculture,

554
01:38:27,209 --> 01:38:31,529
there's demand and interest in adapting and innovating. And farmers

555
01:38:31,529 --> 01:38:34,649
are already doing it. Um, so the opportunity is there.

556
01:38:35,694 --> 01:38:38,793
And then, uh, I think you all are testament to

557
01:38:38,833 --> 01:38:43,353
this, that there is already a really strong network of,

558
01:38:43,353 --> 01:38:46,793
of local champions in the farming community, a strong social

559
01:38:46,814 --> 01:38:51,033
and professional network, um, with expertise and desire to share

560
01:38:51,033 --> 01:38:56,473
those learnings and desire to spread the word about opportunities

561
01:38:56,473 --> 01:39:02,393
that something like a CIP could offer. And then of

562
01:39:02,393 --> 01:39:06,553
course there's some, um, weaknesses or areas to work on.

563
01:39:06,553 --> 01:39:08,953
Um, so as Rebecca highlighted, we heard quite a bit

564
01:39:08,993 --> 01:39:12,153
about the complexity of municipal approvals and how that can

565
01:39:12,174 --> 01:39:15,593
introduce a lot of uncertainty for businesses. Um, and then

566
01:39:15,694 --> 01:39:19,833
with that comes relationships, um, in, in need of some

567
01:39:19,873 --> 01:39:23,113
repair and some trust building there, um, you know, whether

568
01:39:23,134 --> 01:39:28,150
real or perceived. Um, policies are also, um, perceived to

569
01:39:28,190 --> 01:39:31,750
not be keeping up with agriculture and how, how modern

570
01:39:31,771 --> 01:39:35,270
agriculture operates. Um, you know, and as a planner myself,

571
01:39:35,270 --> 01:39:39,030
I can say that that is somewhat inevitable policy will

572
01:39:39,070 --> 01:39:43,990
always be a step behind industry and an actual practice.

573
01:39:43,990 --> 01:39:46,950
Um, and so, um, this is, you know, potentially the

574
01:39:46,971 --> 01:39:49,190
time to be reviewing that and making sure it is

575
01:39:49,230 --> 01:39:52,870
as up to date and, um, as flexible for modern

576
01:39:53,211 --> 01:39:59,862
farm practices as is permissible. Then, um, as a recommend,

577
01:40:00,523 --> 01:40:05,542
infrastructure gaps that we've heard are currently constraining farmers from

578
01:40:05,643 --> 01:40:08,982
expanding or growing their businesses. Um, that are, you know,

579
01:40:09,163 --> 01:40:11,862
that are beyond the, um, the capacity for a single

580
01:40:12,443 --> 01:40:19,451
property owner to, to overcome in many cases. And then

581
01:40:19,712 --> 01:40:22,811
we also, um, understand that there can often be a

582
01:40:22,832 --> 01:40:26,611
mismatch in funding when it comes to CIP grants. So

583
01:40:26,611 --> 01:40:30,491
for the examples that you saw earlier ranged from five

584
01:40:30,512 --> 01:40:34,650
to 15, 000 dollars. And as maybe the case for

585
01:40:34,690 --> 01:40:37,690
some farmers, um, these are not large enough to move

586
01:40:37,730 --> 01:40:40,010
the needle on the types of projects. And so there

587
01:40:40,010 --> 01:40:42,970
are some cases where those type of incentives would be

588
01:40:43,010 --> 01:40:45,290
very appropriate. In some cases where they might not be.

589
01:40:45,290 --> 01:40:47,501
And so that's something to consider. We'll move on to

590
01:40:47,922 --> 01:40:55,739
external factors, please, RECA. Yeah. So again, these are outside

591
01:40:55,779 --> 01:40:59,993
of the city soil control. We look first out opportunities.

592
01:40:59,993 --> 01:41:04,233
Um, so we're seeing huge shifts in consumer demand, right?

593
01:41:04,233 --> 01:41:07,273
Um, people are shifting their buying habits for supporting Canadian

594
01:41:07,454 --> 01:41:11,593
and sporting local supporting Ontario. Um, and we're starting to

595
01:41:11,593 --> 01:41:16,665
see that shift in spending. And the support for the

596
01:41:16,766 --> 01:41:20,699
Agri tourism industry is also very strong right now. Excuse

597
01:41:20,739 --> 01:41:27,436
me. I'll see if I can make it through this

598
01:41:28,257 --> 01:41:34,065
section. Excuse me. Um, so I think farm crawl on

599
01:41:34,065 --> 01:41:39,617
the weekend. I'm so sorry everybody. Rebecca, I do my

600
01:41:39,638 --> 01:41:45,056
taking over this one. Yeah, no problem. Um, so on

601
01:41:45,056 --> 01:41:49,596
the opportunity side, we see the expanding Agriturism market. And

602
01:41:49,596 --> 01:41:52,416
from Carl Hamilton being a really great example of that,

603
01:41:52,416 --> 01:41:54,976
um, we were there for just a couple hours and

604
01:41:55,016 --> 01:41:58,976
managed to talk to, um, 40, 50 people in that

605
01:41:59,016 --> 01:42:04,576
span. And then chatting with, um, summit station dairy, they

606
01:42:04,576 --> 01:42:07,936
mentioned that in the grand scheme of private tours and,

607
01:42:07,936 --> 01:42:10,316
uh, the farm curl events from the year prior, um,

608
01:42:10,316 --> 01:42:13,856
they'd had about 8, 000 visitors through their farm in

609
01:42:13,856 --> 01:42:17,616
that year of 2025. Um, so there's a really big

610
01:42:17,637 --> 01:42:22,176
market for, um, tourism to be driving even just on

611
01:42:22,357 --> 01:42:24,896
- farm retail. And the number of people that we

612
01:42:24,936 --> 01:42:29,056
saw on Saturday coming for their weekly shopping of submit

613
01:42:29,056 --> 01:42:33,540
station's dairy products. That kind of dovetails into the opportunity

614
01:42:33,580 --> 01:42:37,060
for value out of diversification. So not only on -

615
01:42:37,060 --> 01:42:39,220
farm retail or tourism, but whether that's on - firm

616
01:42:39,220 --> 01:42:43,300
processing, packaging storage or other farm activities could strengthen foreign

617
01:42:43,340 --> 01:42:48,020
viability. In terms of technology and sustainability, um, sort of

618
01:42:48,041 --> 01:42:53,460
enlighten of a changing climate, um, increased frequency and severity

619
01:42:53,460 --> 01:42:58,500
of, um, adverse weather events. Um, those technology and innovation,

620
01:42:58,500 --> 01:43:03,220
um, advancements are really important, um, sort of be climate

621
01:43:03,241 --> 01:43:08,180
resilient, um, and sort of increase capacity and productivity and

622
01:43:08,180 --> 01:43:11,780
light of those, uh, changing contexts. So that could be,

623
01:43:11,780 --> 01:43:15,700
um, ranging from things like automation, uh, water management, energy

624
01:43:15,721 --> 01:43:20,739
efficiency and other climate resilient improvements. Looking at, um, the

625
01:43:20,739 --> 01:43:25,539
system, uh, investments opportunities could be, um, better logistics. Port

626
01:43:25,539 --> 01:43:29,539
access partnerships or infrastructure that could benefit the sector collectively.

627
01:43:29,539 --> 01:43:34,659
Um, so really getting, um, taking what's already been working

628
01:43:34,760 --> 01:43:39,059
so well already. And the, the fantastic asset that is

629
01:43:39,160 --> 01:43:42,499
the port facility and tapping into that to reach that

630
01:43:42,600 --> 01:43:48,651
broader network. On coordinated municipal action, uh, we're at a

631
01:43:48,651 --> 01:43:52,331
time where staff are beginning to initiate, uh, plan review

632
01:43:52,371 --> 01:43:55,291
for rural Hamilton. So, uh, it's a great time to

633
01:43:55,331 --> 01:43:59,931
be looking at aligning the CIP or a future CIP,

634
01:43:59,931 --> 01:44:04,891
um, with those policy gaps and staff's sort of work

635
01:44:04,931 --> 01:44:08,091
in the future to look at modernizing those policies where

636
01:44:08,091 --> 01:44:11,870
it's appropriate. On the threat side, some things that are

637
01:44:11,971 --> 01:44:15,070
outside of the city's control, um, one thing in particular

638
01:44:15,171 --> 01:44:19,710
is the overlapping approval requirements. So, um, there's in certain

639
01:44:19,710 --> 01:44:23,950
areas, um, where the Niagara Scarpment plan takes effect in

640
01:44:23,950 --> 01:44:28,570
rural Hamilton, um, there's a municipal development review system, but

641
01:44:28,570 --> 01:44:31,790
then there's also that provincial permitting system that layers on

642
01:44:31,830 --> 01:44:36,030
top of it that can create some increased complexity for

643
01:44:36,051 --> 01:44:39,550
those projects in those areas. Uh, so it's something that,

644
01:44:39,550 --> 01:44:42,190
you know, if that process gets overly complex or too

645
01:44:42,291 --> 01:44:45,950
costly with technical studies that might be required, uh, it

646
01:44:45,950 --> 01:44:50,820
can be a potential threat to business investment. Uh, as

647
01:44:50,860 --> 01:44:54,480
well, the regional competition. So next door in Niagara, you

648
01:44:54,521 --> 01:45:00,740
have an established Agriturism industry, uh, with winery, cideries, distilleries,

649
01:45:00,740 --> 01:45:04,560
um, other sort of pick your own or fluoroculture, um,

650
01:45:04,841 --> 01:45:07,700
operations that, uh, businesses in Hamilton have to compete with.

651
01:45:09,822 --> 01:45:12,441
As well, I mentioned before the high land and.

652
01:45:24,490 --> 01:45:28,789
Barriers from risk averse lending, uh, or, or lengthy approvals

653
01:45:28,789 --> 01:45:32,629
that make investment planning really difficult. Um, if it takes,

654
01:45:32,629 --> 01:45:36,129
um, a year or more to get your approvals, um,

655
01:45:36,410 --> 01:45:39,589
having to sort of, um, line up the funding can

656
01:45:39,589 --> 01:45:45,095
be a challenge. Also heard about workforce and succession pressures.

657
01:45:45,095 --> 01:45:48,375
So in light of labour shortages, uh, specialized skill gaps

658
01:45:48,415 --> 01:45:51,655
are an aging from population, how that affects business continuity

659
01:45:51,916 --> 01:45:55,015
and growth over the long term. And then as well,

660
01:45:55,015 --> 01:45:59,255
the risk of economic climate and land use pressures with

661
01:45:59,596 --> 01:46:05,175
rising costs, uh, severe weather, uh, encroachment of urban development,

662
01:46:05,175 --> 01:46:09,255
uh, affecting the availability of primaricultural land and land use

663
01:46:09,295 --> 01:46:13,741
conflicts that can affect farm resilience. The last real risk

664
01:46:13,781 --> 01:46:16,701
to contend with it's important to frame a recommendations is

665
01:46:16,701 --> 01:46:21,261
the risk of low SCIP uptick. So, um, participation might

666
01:46:21,301 --> 01:46:25,101
remain limited if the incentives are too small. Or if

667
01:46:25,602 --> 01:46:33,139
those processes remain difficult to navigate. So this kind of

668
01:46:34,480 --> 01:46:38,219
brings us to the four priorities for an agriculture CIP

669
01:46:38,880 --> 01:46:42,699
that will be important moving forward. The first viewing the

670
01:46:42,739 --> 01:46:46,459
Agra Food system as an opportunity for investment. The second

671
01:46:47,040 --> 01:46:50,619
aligning, uh, the future program with policy and funding requirements

672
01:46:50,800 --> 01:46:56,139
based on the existing framework. The third scaling program incentives,

673
01:46:56,139 --> 01:46:58,619
uh, and the types of projects that will be meaningful

674
01:46:58,659 --> 01:47:03,419
to incentivize. And the last framing, a supportive ecosystem and

675
01:47:03,419 --> 01:47:08,139
accessible process to support, uh, investment in the agricultural sector

676
01:47:08,320 --> 01:47:12,219
and creating those conditions for investment, um, to remove those

677
01:47:12,400 --> 01:47:16,753
administrative barriers. I won't go into too, too much detail.

678
01:47:16,753 --> 01:47:19,533
So it's a recap of what we just heard. But

679
01:47:19,574 --> 01:47:21,153
this is here for you to go back to later

680
01:47:21,334 --> 01:47:22,593
if you want to look at it in a bit

681
01:47:22,593 --> 01:47:27,812
more detail. So the, the next section, we'll look at

682
01:47:27,812 --> 01:47:31,612
recommendations. We'll first look at some of strategic initiatives that

683
01:47:31,793 --> 01:47:38,092
the municipality could take, um, before diving into the specific,

684
01:47:38,092 --> 01:47:41,612
uh, incentives or program streams, um, we've paired this often

685
01:47:41,953 --> 01:47:47,132
two ways. The strategic initiatives might be something that are

686
01:47:47,172 --> 01:47:49,612
sort of longer range priorities that might take a little

687
01:47:49,612 --> 01:47:52,812
bit more time to move the needle on, uh, whereas

688
01:47:52,852 --> 01:47:56,812
the financial incentives could be smaller winds or those low

689
01:47:56,833 --> 01:48:00,712
hanging fruits to get the ball rolling and start, um,

690
01:48:00,712 --> 01:48:05,357
start making some reel on the ground change. So the

691
01:48:05,357 --> 01:48:08,877
first, the suggested initiatives for the city, uh, are kind

692
01:48:08,877 --> 01:48:12,397
of in three bullet points. Uh, the first looking at

693
01:48:12,418 --> 01:48:16,637
opportunities to you leverage large scale investments in rural infrastructure.

694
01:48:16,637 --> 01:48:19,677
This could be working with external agencies to expand capacity

695
01:48:19,698 --> 01:48:23,277
for electricity and natural gas and rural Hamilton and increasing

696
01:48:23,458 --> 01:48:28,790
access to rural high speed broadband internet. The second, investing

697
01:48:28,891 --> 01:48:32,790
and dedicated staff resources, um, as we mentioned earlier, this

698
01:48:32,830 --> 01:48:36,610
could be something like a dedicated planning personnel to, uh,

699
01:48:36,731 --> 01:48:40,070
review development applications in the rural area that has sort

700
01:48:40,070 --> 01:48:45,430
of dedicated expertise and specialized knowledge of, um, agricultural operations,

701
01:48:45,430 --> 01:48:48,630
uh, could also be a dedicated staff to administer this

702
01:48:48,731 --> 01:48:51,430
EIP for the rural area that could assist with application

703
01:48:51,691 --> 01:48:54,870
intake. So that could look like somebody that's familiar with

704
01:48:54,910 --> 01:48:59,110
the program familiar with farm operations, uh, and has relationships

705
01:48:59,150 --> 01:49:02,710
with farmers and operators in the area that could even

706
01:49:02,731 --> 01:49:06,630
go out to the farm, um, with an application form,

707
01:49:06,630 --> 01:49:10,290
interview the farmer, the operator, uh, and help them, uh,

708
01:49:10,331 --> 01:49:13,350
fill out the application form and even do a site

709
01:49:13,350 --> 01:49:16,150
visit to sort of understand the concept of what the

710
01:49:16,331 --> 01:49:18,470
farmer is trying to do. Uh, and the scale of

711
01:49:18,470 --> 01:49:22,222
the improvements that are contemplated. The last thing would be

712
01:49:22,262 --> 01:49:26,462
to consider policy updates, whether that's for clarity, flexibility or

713
01:49:26,883 --> 01:49:31,182
reflecting common practice that's evolved, um, sort of contemporary farming

714
01:49:31,222 --> 01:49:34,222
practices have, um, which could occur as part of the

715
01:49:34,323 --> 01:49:39,902
rural Hamilton official plan update, uh, later zoning bylaw update.

716
01:49:39,902 --> 01:49:42,462
And that could include looking at things like renewable energy

717
01:49:42,462 --> 01:49:46,682
uses at different scales. Um, on from diversified uses, um,

718
01:49:47,043 --> 01:49:50,782
where permissible under the criteria from the province, um, looking

719
01:49:50,963 --> 01:49:56,142
at events and temporary agricurism uses, um, and, uh, looking

720
01:49:56,182 --> 01:50:00,062
at sort of historically, um, the different minor variances that

721
01:50:00,083 --> 01:50:04,942
are granted for agriculture, agriculture related and on firm diversified

722
01:50:04,963 --> 01:50:09,662
uses. If there are common patterns of specific provisions that

723
01:50:09,702 --> 01:50:12,462
are triggering the same type of application over and over

724
01:50:12,462 --> 01:50:16,762
again, maybe that's an opportunity to modernize those regulations, uh,

725
01:50:16,883 --> 01:50:21,022
and reduce that administrative barrier that's affecting not just one,

726
01:50:21,022 --> 01:50:24,990
but many property owners. So these would be things that,

727
01:50:24,990 --> 01:50:27,790
uh, would take sort of a municipal wide or a

728
01:50:27,790 --> 01:50:31,470
sector wide approach that would go in tandem with the

729
01:50:31,571 --> 01:50:37,870
property level or specific, um, landowner, uh, initiatives that would

730
01:50:37,870 --> 01:50:45,386
be, um, sort of more financially focused. So in this

731
01:50:45,426 --> 01:50:47,626
next section, I'm going to talk through, um, some of

732
01:50:47,666 --> 01:50:50,746
the goals and objectives. What some of those incentive types

733
01:50:50,786 --> 01:50:53,946
could look like and how they could be structured. Some

734
01:50:53,946 --> 01:50:56,986
considerations for city staff in, you know, if this project

735
01:50:57,007 --> 01:51:00,746
moves forward and how they structure the administrative side of

736
01:51:00,767 --> 01:51:05,226
the program's implementation. And then finally a sort of framework

737
01:51:05,247 --> 01:51:09,565
for monitoring and evaluation. So this is a bit of

738
01:51:09,586 --> 01:51:12,425
a draft of, you know, the goals and objectives, the

739
01:51:12,425 --> 01:51:17,545
outcomes that the, uh, the CIP could look to, um,

740
01:51:18,226 --> 01:51:22,405
to achieve. So I've structured it on, on sort of

741
01:51:22,626 --> 01:51:27,005
four themes. The first being foreign business viability and resilience.

742
01:51:27,005 --> 01:51:31,245
The second, Agrar Food Growth and Diversification. The third, improving

743
01:51:31,285 --> 01:51:35,645
conditions for agricultural investment. And the fourth workforce development and

744
01:51:35,685 --> 01:51:41,245
succession planning. Um, so these goals are structured and sort

745
01:51:41,245 --> 01:51:43,725
of intended to answer the basic question of what change

746
01:51:44,306 --> 01:51:49,391
should a future agriculture CIP produce. The report does provide

747
01:51:49,492 --> 01:51:52,511
some more detailed goals and objectives, but I've simplified them

748
01:51:52,511 --> 01:51:56,751
here for tonight's presentation. Um, the first desired outcome is

749
01:51:56,791 --> 01:51:59,151
a strong base of farm operations that are successful long

750
01:51:59,252 --> 01:52:03,711
- term competitive, adaptable and resilient for some operators that

751
01:52:03,751 --> 01:52:07,031
might be modernizing equipment or facilities. And for others, it

752
01:52:07,031 --> 01:52:10,511
might be improving efficiency adapting to climate and market pressures

753
01:52:10,692 --> 01:52:16,191
or preparing for succession. The second on diversification, value -

754
01:52:16,191 --> 01:52:20,191
added activity and growth across AgriFruit economy. That could include

755
01:52:20,612 --> 01:52:24,671
reducing reliance on a single commodity or revenue source remaining

756
01:52:24,932 --> 01:52:29,071
appropriately scaled and compatible with surrounding agriculture and supported by

757
01:52:29,172 --> 01:52:33,151
policy. Um, while at the same time, uh, tapping into

758
01:52:33,191 --> 01:52:38,271
that opportunity to extend beyond production, to processing storage distribution

759
01:52:38,772 --> 01:52:42,751
innovation and direct to consumer activity and strengthening those connections

760
01:52:42,932 --> 01:52:47,548
to help retain more of that economic value locally. The

761
01:52:47,569 --> 01:52:51,388
third being that improved environment for investment, if businesses can't

762
01:52:51,889 --> 01:52:55,788
understand or navigate those municipal requirements, the availability of funding

763
01:52:55,969 --> 01:52:59,228
is unlikely to be enough. So looking at structurally how

764
01:52:59,228 --> 01:53:03,228
to set those businesses at first success and really help

765
01:53:03,889 --> 01:53:07,548
to deliver on that collaborative relationship between city staff and

766
01:53:07,569 --> 01:53:12,487
the pharma community. And the final area being workforce in

767
01:53:12,487 --> 01:53:16,407
succession. So, um, understanding that labour shortages affect the availability

768
01:53:16,447 --> 01:53:20,967
of farms to, um, operate and expand, well, at the

769
01:53:20,967 --> 01:53:23,367
same time, the future of the sector depends on whether

770
01:53:23,388 --> 01:53:26,247
those new young and first generation farmers can see a

771
01:53:26,287 --> 01:53:30,328
viable path into agriculture. And all of these goals and

772
01:53:30,368 --> 01:53:34,488
objectives are deliberately outcome focused. Um, so they could provide

773
01:53:34,589 --> 01:53:39,048
a basis for selecting program streams, evaluating applications and determining

774
01:53:39,088 --> 01:53:42,008
over time whether the city's investment is producing those meaningful

775
01:53:42,029 --> 01:53:49,020
results you're looking for. On the program streams, um, several

776
01:53:49,281 --> 01:53:53,900
potential project types could be considered as targets for incentives.

777
01:53:53,900 --> 01:53:57,180
Not every project type will be appropriate everywhere. Um, and

778
01:53:57,281 --> 01:54:00,860
it's inclusion in the CIP wouldn't necessarily establish land use

779
01:54:00,900 --> 01:54:04,220
permissions, but the city would sort of structure those programs

780
01:54:04,321 --> 01:54:08,140
to reflect the different points at which otherwise viable project

781
01:54:08,961 --> 01:54:12,173
might encounter a barrier. So for some projects that might

782
01:54:12,213 --> 01:54:15,693
be earlier on in the process where an operator might

783
01:54:15,714 --> 01:54:19,293
need professional advice or a technical study or a planning

784
01:54:19,314 --> 01:54:24,413
application before knowing whether the investment could proceed and assistance

785
01:54:24,453 --> 01:54:27,453
at that stage could really help to determine feasibility and

786
01:54:27,474 --> 01:54:31,802
reduce overall risk. For others, the main hurdle might be

787
01:54:32,143 --> 01:54:35,962
the physical investment that's required to expand production or add

788
01:54:36,063 --> 01:54:40,762
processing or storage, improve worker accommodation, manage stormwater or create

789
01:54:40,762 --> 01:54:45,302
a visitor serving component. Um, well recognising that, you know,

790
01:54:45,583 --> 01:54:49,962
those larger scale improvements can be balanced with smaller improvements

791
01:54:50,002 --> 01:54:55,322
that also matter. So whether that's signage branding property improvements

792
01:54:55,362 --> 01:55:00,282
that might help a farmer become more visible, uh, accessible

793
01:55:00,623 --> 01:55:03,802
and attractive to not only customers, but also suppliers and

794
01:55:03,842 --> 01:55:09,089
visitors and really build that brand recognition and reputation. Um,

795
01:55:09,430 --> 01:55:12,129
I'll note here that the intention is not to create

796
01:55:12,150 --> 01:55:16,129
a grant for every possible expense, but rather focus on,

797
01:55:16,129 --> 01:55:19,809
uh, investments that advance and identified public objective where municipal

798
01:55:19,809 --> 01:55:23,809
assistance could really materially influence the project's timing or its

799
01:55:23,849 --> 01:55:27,249
scope or its feasibility. So funding projects that wouldn't otherwise

800
01:55:27,289 --> 01:55:31,532
move forward without that assistance. I'll note that the final

801
01:55:31,633 --> 01:55:35,612
program streams should also be screened against the planning framework.

802
01:55:35,612 --> 01:55:38,812
So that eligibility remains aligned with the official plan zoning

803
01:55:38,812 --> 01:55:43,692
bylaw provincial policy and other applicable requirements. So a really

804
01:55:43,732 --> 01:55:46,572
broad range of different project types all the way from

805
01:55:46,913 --> 01:55:51,692
building retrofit renovation, farm labour residence, uh, planning applications or

806
01:55:51,692 --> 01:55:56,812
building permit fees, agricurism uses, green infrastructure, low impact development

807
01:55:56,833 --> 01:56:01,452
practices for storm modern management, property beautification, grants for professional

808
01:56:01,473 --> 01:56:05,052
services, um, all the way to farm business accession planning.

809
01:56:08,454 --> 01:56:12,353
In terms of the administrative side to how incentives are

810
01:56:12,353 --> 01:56:15,873
structured, um, we heard really loud and clear that how

811
01:56:15,913 --> 01:56:19,233
the program is delivered is just as important as what

812
01:56:19,273 --> 01:56:22,273
it funds. So the credibility will depend heavily on the

813
01:56:22,294 --> 01:56:27,621
applicant experience. We've structured some recommendations around four key principles.

814
01:56:27,621 --> 01:56:31,601
Uh, it being simple and proportionate, guided and coordinated, uh,

815
01:56:31,722 --> 01:56:37,861
predictable and supportive and practical. So, um, applying for incentives

816
01:56:37,901 --> 01:56:40,501
should be simple. Uh, should match the scale of the

817
01:56:40,682 --> 01:56:44,821
incentives that are being offered, guided and coordinated by internal

818
01:56:45,082 --> 01:56:49,941
city staff, um, receiving clear information about what's required, when,

819
01:56:49,941 --> 01:56:52,181
uh, who might be involved and what next steps will

820
01:56:52,221 --> 01:56:55,621
be as they play out. Um, and establishing sort of

821
01:56:56,042 --> 01:56:58,501
all of that from the outside so that it's a

822
01:56:58,501 --> 01:57:04,083
really clear framework. The city will also kind of need

823
01:57:04,083 --> 01:57:06,883
to decide how to allocate limited funding. So some other

824
01:57:06,904 --> 01:57:09,923
considerations as this moves forward is the scale of funding

825
01:57:09,944 --> 01:57:13,683
that's allocated, whether there's fewer higher value incentives or smaller

826
01:57:13,784 --> 01:57:19,103
lower value grants. Um, how to approach application intake, uh,

827
01:57:19,224 --> 01:57:22,723
and whether to include an expedited or accelerated development review

828
01:57:22,763 --> 01:57:29,110
process for targeted improvement projects. The last is on monitoring

829
01:57:29,291 --> 01:57:34,905
and evaluation. So, um. Designing a future program that as

830
01:57:34,905 --> 01:57:39,625
something that can be tested, evaluated and proved upon as

831
01:57:39,806 --> 01:57:44,005
it's sort of developed and implemented and put forward, the

832
01:57:44,005 --> 01:57:47,705
measures that are shown here are just examples that could

833
01:57:47,705 --> 01:57:52,325
be refined as the program's developed. I'll stress that, you

834
01:57:52,325 --> 01:57:55,825
know, counting applications in dollars distributed will be sort of

835
01:57:55,966 --> 01:57:59,705
necessary for accounting purposes and for transparency, but it doesn't

836
01:57:59,726 --> 01:58:03,705
provide that complete picture. So we'd recommend that city also

837
01:58:03,806 --> 01:58:07,785
asks whether those supported projects leverage private investment, how they

838
01:58:07,825 --> 01:58:12,025
improved production or efficiency, whether they created new revenue streams

839
01:58:12,526 --> 01:58:17,556
retained businesses, adjust workforce needs or reduced barriers. And those

840
01:58:17,596 --> 01:58:21,716
process measures will be just as important as if one

841
01:58:21,716 --> 01:58:25,556
of the projects objectives is to, uh, improve the investment

842
01:58:25,577 --> 01:58:30,116
climate, um, the city could track approval experiences and applicant

843
01:58:30,156 --> 01:58:34,479
satisfaction as well, not only just that completed construction. And

844
01:58:34,580 --> 01:58:37,279
establishing this framework at the OOTSAT will allow the city

845
01:58:37,279 --> 01:58:42,079
to refine those underused streams, adjust funding amounts, uh, and

846
01:58:42,079 --> 01:58:46,558
demonstrate the public value that generated through the program. So

847
01:58:47,139 --> 01:58:49,198
I'll pass it over to Maryland to guide us through

848
01:58:49,198 --> 01:58:54,698
the last bit. Here. Thanks, Rebecca. Um, and thank you

849
01:58:54,719 --> 01:58:57,498
all. We've come to the end of our, um, presentation

850
01:58:57,599 --> 01:59:01,158
on the recommendations and what's been done to date. Um,

851
01:59:01,158 --> 01:59:04,778
we had hoped, um, grab a bit of discussion and

852
01:59:04,799 --> 01:59:07,078
gather your input at this point in the evening, but

853
01:59:07,078 --> 01:59:10,218
I know we are approaching time. So, um, I'll maybe

854
01:59:10,258 --> 01:59:13,578
hand it back to the chair. Um, and, uh, just

855
01:59:13,578 --> 01:59:17,158
add that we'd really welcome any feedback you have. Um,

856
01:59:17,279 --> 01:59:19,178
as our next step is refining these into the final

857
01:59:19,439 --> 01:59:28,882
recommendations report. Thank you. All right. Thanks Marlin and Rebecca.

858
01:59:30,425 --> 01:59:31,524
Is there any questions on the report.

859
01:59:40,398 --> 01:59:44,217
Yeah. My question is that I just want in one

860
01:59:44,238 --> 01:59:50,169
slide during the year 2024. There were more than 3,

861
01:59:50,270 --> 01:59:57,252
200 agree business in Hamilton. And they implied more than

862
01:59:57,753 --> 02:00:02,693
26, 000 people. My question is that is our these

863
02:00:02,733 --> 02:00:11,810
implies the local Canadian or offshore workers, seasonal workers. Thank

864
02:00:11,810 --> 02:00:18,610
you through you, um, Mr. Chao Economic Development Corporations data.

865
02:00:18,610 --> 02:00:20,690
So I'd have to go back and check, um, their

866
02:00:20,711 --> 02:00:24,930
sources and specifically, but I'm assuming that's data from the

867
02:00:25,111 --> 02:00:30,690
labour survey that they've done. That statistics Canada puts out.

868
02:00:30,690 --> 02:00:33,330
Um, so I'm assuming that's, um, I'm going to assume

869
02:00:33,431 --> 02:00:38,564
that that is permanent full time employment. For a resident.

870
02:00:38,564 --> 02:00:40,244
So I'm, I'm not sure if that includes things like

871
02:00:40,345 --> 02:00:43,764
temporary foreign workers. And I'm sorry I don't have that

872
02:00:44,185 --> 02:00:48,126
answer for you at this time. No, I don't. Thank

873
02:00:48,126 --> 02:00:54,636
you for responding. Are there other questions on the report.

874
02:00:58,383 --> 02:01:05,057
Councillor McMean has a question. Go ahead. Yeah. Thanks, uh,

875
02:01:05,258 --> 02:01:10,266
Chair. You know, different figures are quoted for different types

876
02:01:10,306 --> 02:01:14,186
of programs in different areas. Um, uh, how much money

877
02:01:14,447 --> 02:01:17,306
are we talking about and where is it coming from,

878
02:01:17,306 --> 02:01:22,986
uh, are there women's, uh, uh, they kind of support,

879
02:01:22,986 --> 02:01:28,406
uh, fiscal support that could be had to say, um,

880
02:01:29,007 --> 02:01:31,866
well, I'll just leave it there. Where's the money coming

881
02:01:31,906 --> 02:01:32,826
from and how much is it.

882
02:01:44,298 --> 02:01:47,092
Drew. That's about to go. Okay. Through the chair. No,

883
02:01:47,092 --> 02:01:50,052
that's a great question council. I'm thinking. And at this

884
02:01:50,092 --> 02:01:54,212
stage, with this just being feasibility study, that's just what

885
02:01:54,212 --> 02:01:57,092
this is right now. So if we come back to

886
02:01:57,433 --> 02:02:00,052
council with an idea as to we want to proceed.

887
02:02:00,736 --> 02:02:04,315
With putting together a CIP, that is where we'll be

888
02:02:04,315 --> 02:02:09,066
coming back to Council to identify. Um, budget sources, budgets

889
02:02:09,087 --> 02:02:12,266
of mound. So right now we don't have, uh, funding

890
02:02:12,306 --> 02:02:16,389
source identified for this program specifically. Um, that, that's something

891
02:02:16,570 --> 02:02:22,149
where depending on the kinds of funding streams, the amounts.

892
02:02:22,149 --> 02:02:24,629
We would be looking for council approval or direction on

893
02:02:24,629 --> 02:02:27,189
that councillor. So at this stage we have not committed

894
02:02:28,810 --> 02:02:33,900
funding or a funding source. What the intent be to

895
02:02:33,900 --> 02:02:37,020
have a shared sense of purpose with, uh, with the

896
02:02:37,020 --> 02:02:39,780
other levels of government, or is it intended to be

897
02:02:40,161 --> 02:02:46,323
a strictly municipal, um, launch. Through the chair, ideally through

898
02:02:47,224 --> 02:02:49,283
with this being a comedian proven planning would be a

899
02:02:49,544 --> 02:02:51,843
city launch. Now we would look to see how our

900
02:02:51,864 --> 02:02:56,323
program would interact with federal or provincial levels of funding.

901
02:02:56,323 --> 02:02:59,843
I know what there's sometimes issues when it comes to,

902
02:02:59,843 --> 02:03:02,883
um, stacking a funding. So we would ensure similar to

903
02:03:02,984 --> 02:03:06,003
our, the other CIP programs we have at the downtown

904
02:03:06,024 --> 02:03:10,003
of the commercial districts. We'll ensure that, um, our, our

905
02:03:10,184 --> 02:03:15,443
programs are not, uh, duplicating, but more complimenting any federal

906
02:03:15,624 --> 02:03:19,403
provincial funding that may be secured for similar types of

907
02:03:19,403 --> 02:03:25,022
projects or investment. Okay. That's helpful. It just occurs to

908
02:03:25,022 --> 02:03:28,702
me that, uh, you know, we don't spend as much

909
02:03:28,742 --> 02:03:33,382
time perhaps as, uh, as we too, where some of

910
02:03:33,382 --> 02:03:36,382
us would like to around developing partners with, uh, with

911
02:03:36,483 --> 02:03:39,582
other, other levels of government, uh, I would, I would

912
02:03:39,582 --> 02:03:44,542
think, uh, that, uh, to the extent that this is

913
02:03:44,643 --> 02:03:52,142
innovative. And obviously adding to a substantial, um, potentially substantial,

914
02:03:52,142 --> 02:03:58,042
uh, GDP contribution to province that might be some, um,

915
02:03:58,963 --> 02:04:03,262
benefit to, uh, opening a window of discussion with respect

916
02:04:03,363 --> 02:04:07,902
to building a partnership around some, some kind of innovation.

917
02:04:10,058 --> 02:04:12,277
True you, Mr. Chair, if I might, uh, add to

918
02:04:12,317 --> 02:04:16,677
Mr. McMahon's comments and response to Councillor McMeekin, there might

919
02:04:16,677 --> 02:04:20,677
also be availablety through the rural Ontario development, uh, fund

920
02:04:21,178 --> 02:04:26,037
that supported this feasibility study and could advance, um, future

921
02:04:26,037 --> 02:04:28,917
work if council were to consider developing a CIP further

922
02:04:29,098 --> 02:04:33,077
from, uh, the results of this business case. Um, it's

923
02:04:33,117 --> 02:04:36,277
my understanding that that could be up to, uh, approximately

924
02:04:36,538 --> 02:04:40,437
50, 000 dollars with 50 percent matching between the city

925
02:04:40,538 --> 02:04:44,437
and the province towards developing what that CIP framework could

926
02:04:44,477 --> 02:04:47,457
look like. And there might be other opportunities through, um,

927
02:04:47,738 --> 02:04:51,237
through rod funding or other economic development streams available through

928
02:04:51,277 --> 02:04:53,717
the province to advance that. Uh, so it might be

929
02:04:53,717 --> 02:04:57,995
something to consider looking into further. That's, that's kind of

930
02:04:57,995 --> 02:05:01,359
what I wanted to hear. Thanks. I'll just add that

931
02:05:01,460 --> 02:05:04,239
another possibility down the road is coming out of the

932
02:05:04,820 --> 02:05:09,359
national food security strategy that the federal government's putting together.

933
02:05:09,359 --> 02:05:11,439
And there are opportunities there, uh, some of the details

934
02:05:11,460 --> 02:05:15,119
aren't being haven't been flushed out yet. So as those

935
02:05:15,119 --> 02:05:24,269
things, uh, come to life. Down the road. Uh,

936
02:05:24,850 --> 02:05:27,549
Mark Tassen, did I see her? You unmuted. Did you

937
02:05:27,589 --> 02:05:34,899
have a question. Maybe not.

938
02:05:42,123 --> 02:05:47,173
Okay. Are there any other questions on the report. What's

939
02:05:47,173 --> 02:05:55,152
the timeline for presentation at council. Again? Thank you. Three,

940
02:05:55,152 --> 02:05:58,892
you chair. Um, it's still somewhat to be determined, um,

941
02:05:58,933 --> 02:06:02,672
given the election timing. So, um, I think that's something

942
02:06:02,693 --> 02:06:06,972
that we'll be discussing, uh, with, uh, Tyson and, uh,

943
02:06:07,653 --> 02:06:09,872
determining unless Tyson, you want to add anything to that.

944
02:06:11,935 --> 02:06:14,474
No, thank you through the chairman, through the chair, Marilyn,

945
02:06:14,474 --> 02:06:17,034
you're right. Yeah. So we're, we would love to take

946
02:06:17,055 --> 02:06:19,754
this back, uh, later this year, but I think just

947
02:06:19,794 --> 02:06:23,434
depending on with, with the election and the new council

948
02:06:23,434 --> 02:06:25,034
coming on board, I think we're just want to make

949
02:06:25,034 --> 02:06:28,614
sure we, we time this right, but definitely drew, um,

950
02:06:28,975 --> 02:06:30,794
timing wise, we're looking at an end of this year

951
02:06:31,055 --> 02:06:34,074
early next year at the very latest to bring back,

952
02:06:34,074 --> 02:06:43,094
uh, recommendations to, to council. All right.

953
02:06:45,263 --> 02:06:47,882
Is there anything else anybody wants to add on this?

954
02:06:51,256 --> 02:06:53,475
Uh, can I, can I have the four first picture?

955
02:06:53,736 --> 02:06:56,195
Yeah, go ahead. Um, just one thing. I know in

956
02:06:56,195 --> 02:06:57,555
the discussion slide and maybe we don't want to get

957
02:06:57,595 --> 02:06:59,315
too, you can put in discussion, but, uh, you had

958
02:06:59,355 --> 02:07:02,675
said, uh, point where there was, uh, what stakeholder engagement

959
02:07:03,016 --> 02:07:06,975
or industry, uh, informed priorities were surprising or interesting. And

960
02:07:06,975 --> 02:07:08,355
I think the thing that really jumped out to me

961
02:07:08,355 --> 02:07:10,195
from your presentation and from the reading of the slide

962
02:07:10,235 --> 02:07:13,875
deck beforehand as well, um, was just the, the weaknesses

963
02:07:13,875 --> 02:07:16,515
identified as far as, um, some of the processes in

964
02:07:16,515 --> 02:07:21,395
the city being cumbersome to, um, navigate, uh, and so

965
02:07:21,435 --> 02:07:24,515
I think, um, the only thing that I would, I

966
02:07:24,555 --> 02:07:26,275
think like to highlight from that as well is just

967
02:07:27,816 --> 02:07:31,555
hopefully whatever this form, this grant takes doesn't mirror that

968
02:07:31,656 --> 02:07:33,795
issue as well and that it would be something that'd

969
02:07:33,795 --> 02:07:36,595
be easy to navigate and something that we, um, because

970
02:07:36,635 --> 02:07:39,075
especially if the grants end up on the smaller side,

971
02:07:39,075 --> 02:07:42,335
um, it can be difficult to even justify going. And

972
02:07:42,335 --> 02:07:44,915
you've identified that well. And so I think, well, good,

973
02:07:44,955 --> 02:07:48,115
kudos to you for, for highlighting that well, but also

974
02:07:48,216 --> 02:07:51,875
hopefully whatever recommendations flow out of this, that's taken well

975
02:07:51,915 --> 02:07:54,595
into consideration. And maybe as an added point to that

976
02:07:54,595 --> 02:07:57,315
as well is like, uh, I think just the internally

977
02:07:57,416 --> 02:07:59,875
in my own farm business, I think the biggest barrier

978
02:08:00,696 --> 02:08:04,835
to improvement often is jumping through the hurdles. Um, and

979
02:08:04,875 --> 02:08:08,835
so the community investment plan sounds like a great opportunity.

980
02:08:08,835 --> 02:08:11,155
Um, but also just an encouragement to the city as

981
02:08:11,155 --> 02:08:14,915
a whole too. Streamline some of those processes, uh, if

982
02:08:14,915 --> 02:08:18,244
we want to see the exector flourish. That's probably the

983
02:08:18,265 --> 02:08:20,884
main area to improve, but more so even than handing

984
02:08:20,884 --> 02:08:23,444
out money. We've identified a lot of strengths. We've did

985
02:08:23,444 --> 02:08:25,364
about a lot of opportunities. So how do we just

986
02:08:25,364 --> 02:08:35,247
keep those investments flowing easily? Drew. Mark. Sorry.

987
02:08:35,247 --> 02:08:37,567
I, uh, I was on two. Yeah. I was on

988
02:08:37,748 --> 02:08:41,087
two separate, uh, feeds and I couldn't talk. And I

989
02:08:41,087 --> 02:08:42,927
couldn't see for myself from the one and I couldn't

990
02:08:42,927 --> 02:08:45,007
talk in the other. So I think I got to

991
02:08:45,007 --> 02:08:47,567
figure it out. Um, it's true. It's just something that

992
02:08:48,148 --> 02:08:51,087
maybe the city should consider taking to Roma and delegating

993
02:08:51,127 --> 02:08:56,421
for. Yeah. I think so. You know, just going back

994
02:08:56,421 --> 02:09:01,061
to the, you know, multiple layers of funding approach. Certainly,

995
02:09:01,061 --> 02:09:02,501
uh, you know, I think, I think this is why

996
02:09:02,541 --> 02:09:05,701
we're here because we did take that ask to Roma

997
02:09:06,282 --> 02:09:08,881
and access some of that rod funding. And, you know,

998
02:09:08,881 --> 02:09:11,301
if we can carry that discussion on, and find other

999
02:09:11,642 --> 02:09:13,621
revenue streams going forward, I think that's a good idea.

1000
02:09:14,372 --> 02:09:17,551
Okay. And we also have, you know, a whole system

1001
02:09:17,572 --> 02:09:21,071
in the mayor's office, basically all they do is they

1002
02:09:21,092 --> 02:09:24,831
look for grant money. So we should probably address those

1003
02:09:25,172 --> 02:09:27,311
Tyson, those people. And I'm sure you are doing it

1004
02:09:27,351 --> 02:09:33,229
already. Is that true, Tyson. Through the chair of Councillor

1005
02:09:33,269 --> 02:09:35,949
Tatson. Yeah. That's right. So we, we definitely coordinate on

1006
02:09:36,770 --> 02:09:39,469
what type of incentives or funding are available. And into

1007
02:09:39,509 --> 02:09:40,909
your earlier point, I think this would be a good

1008
02:09:40,949 --> 02:09:44,029
thing to bring forward at Roma just at eight demonstrate.

1009
02:09:44,760 --> 02:09:46,559
The work or the ignitions that we're looking at, but

1010
02:09:46,600 --> 02:09:48,979
also to Drew's point, what kind of other levels of

1011
02:09:49,019 --> 02:09:52,739
funding could we access to further support this CIP as

1012
02:09:52,739 --> 02:09:56,179
well as, uh, some of those infrastructure constraints that I

1013
02:09:56,179 --> 02:09:58,899
know we've identified in this study, but also that, that

1014
02:09:58,939 --> 02:10:01,699
we've, I think we've talked to at length of the

1015
02:10:01,739 --> 02:10:05,459
past few years when it comes to how that infrastructure,

1016
02:10:05,459 --> 02:10:09,779
uh, sometimes it's an impediment to those, uh, larger investments

1017
02:10:10,280 --> 02:10:14,884
we would have in the city. Okay. Thanks, Tyson. And

1018
02:10:15,165 --> 02:10:18,024
true, that's everything from me, except I just want to

1019
02:10:18,024 --> 02:10:21,224
say kudos to, uh, Ted McMean for showing up tonight.

1020
02:10:25,425 --> 02:10:29,212
Ted's committed. Yeah. Like the only guy in person. That's

1021
02:10:29,212 --> 02:10:32,376
what I mean. Ted and Carrie. They're having a great

1022
02:10:32,376 --> 02:10:37,256
time down there. Uh, wanted to reiterate some of Daniel's

1023
02:10:37,256 --> 02:10:39,576
comments as well. And, uh, you know, I think you've

1024
02:10:39,616 --> 02:10:43,556
captured, obviously I wasn't involved in all the consultations, but

1025
02:10:43,556 --> 02:10:45,976
certainly captured a lot of what I had to say,

1026
02:10:45,976 --> 02:10:48,536
I think in some of those, uh, discussions. And I

1027
02:10:48,536 --> 02:10:51,256
think it's, um, very well done. And the very thorough

1028
02:10:51,296 --> 02:10:55,736
report, um, that you've walked us through tonight. So yeah,

1029
02:10:55,736 --> 02:10:58,136
I think if there are, uh, you know, future changes,

1030
02:10:58,136 --> 02:11:00,216
we'd probably like to get a glimpse of them before

1031
02:11:00,317 --> 02:11:03,696
it goes to council, but, uh, by and large, I

1032
02:11:03,696 --> 02:11:10,643
think you've got a good document here. Thank you very

1033
02:11:10,643 --> 02:11:12,563
much. And I wanted to thank you all for the

1034
02:11:12,584 --> 02:11:15,923
time and attention tonight. It's been great to have the

1035
02:11:15,923 --> 02:11:19,523
opportunity to share our findings with you and, uh, to

1036
02:11:19,563 --> 02:11:24,257
receive your feedback tonight. So, so thank you. And you're

1037
02:11:24,278 --> 02:11:28,177
still, you're still open to feedback. If anybody comes up

1038
02:11:28,217 --> 02:11:32,593
with anything over the next little while. Absolutely. I saw

1039
02:11:32,593 --> 02:11:34,833
that. I'll make sure that Tayson shares our contact information

1040
02:11:35,014 --> 02:11:40,833
around. You can email either Maryland or myself or if

1041
02:11:40,833 --> 02:11:42,513
you direct it through Tyson, he'll make sure it finds

1042
02:11:42,694 --> 02:11:45,633
its way into our own boxes and happier to receive

1043
02:11:45,654 --> 02:11:51,155
those thoughts after tonight's presentation. Sounds good. Thank you very

1044
02:11:51,155 --> 02:11:57,146
much. Thank you, good night. Thank you. Can I get

1045
02:11:57,146 --> 02:11:58,826
a mover in a second or two to receive the

1046
02:11:58,927 --> 02:12:07,496
presentation? 7. 1. Councillor Tattison and Daniel Vanderho. Uh, anyone

1047
02:12:07,536 --> 02:12:15,982
opposed to that. I'll call that carried. And that's all

1048
02:12:16,083 --> 02:12:17,902
that's on my agenda. Was there any other business.

1049
02:12:25,896 --> 02:12:28,595
Seeing none? I've got two kids to put the beds.

1050
02:12:28,595 --> 02:12:32,341
So I will, uh, look for motion to adjourn. We

1051
02:12:32,341 --> 02:12:35,678
don't need a motion. We don't need emotion. All right.

1052
02:12:36,019 --> 02:12:39,598
Just a journalist at the time. We're adjourned at 8

1053
02:12:39,859 --> 02:12:43,198
25. Thanks everyone. Have a good night. Happy voting in

1054
02:12:43,198 --> 02:12:43,438
the election.