Approve the following resolution and direct the Mayor to send the attached letter (Appendix A) to the ministers and premier:
WHEREAS the City of Burlington is a member of Conservation Halton (CH) and is represented on their Board of Directors;
WHEREAS the municipally appointed board of directors determines the policies, priorities and budget of the CAs;
WHEREAS the City of Burlington has been well-served by Conservation Halton;
WHEREAS the CAs are watershed-based organizations providing programs and services that contribute to a safer, sustainable environment and address climate change
WHEREAS the CAs have flood management programs employing a watershed-based approach that monitors stream flow, water levels and climatic conditions, forecasts flooding, issues flood warnings, regulates development activities in natural hazards, educates the public about flooding, operates flood management infrastructure, protects natural cover and manages storm water to help reduce the impacts of flooding;
WHEREAS the CAs are partners with municipalities in developing the science and policy to manage drinking water source protection;
WHEREAS the CAs own, manage and operate a valuable network of conservation areas that provide access to green space and family-friendly education and recreation activities for our growing communities that inform the public about a wide array of topics including watershed management, wildlife, and Canadian culture and heritage, contributes to the local economy, provides jobs for youth and promotes health and wellness for our residents and provides outdoor experiential education to local school children and encourages communities to embrace and value our natural and scenic assets;
WHEREAS the CAs undertake reforestation and landscape restoration and aid landowners in making changes on their properties in support of naturalization or water quality protection within the watershed;
WHEREAS the CAs provide the Region with technical expertise in support of its planning and infrastructure delivery, education and health programs;
WHEREAS flowing accounts for the largest portion of disaster recovery costs in Canada;
WHEREAS CAs are important partners in on-the-ground and cost-effective initiatives to address climate change; WHEREAS work by CH on updating floodplain mapping will be beneficial for community development and land use planning, flood forecasting and warnings, and emergency planning and responses;
WHEREAS the role of CAs in reviewing community development is essential for creating sustainable communities and protecting our natural resources;
WHEREAS the Municipality has service agreements with each CA for planning and other services;
WHEREAS the CA must be able to charge fees, and derive revenue from its facilities, programs and services as appropriate to reduce the burden to the tax levy;
AND WHEREAS the Ontario provincial government has cut 50% from their $7.4 million Natural Hazards Transfer Payment Grant (Section 39) to Ontario conservation.
Now therefore be it resolved:
That the Council of the City of Burlington request that the Provincial Government restore or improve their funding of Conservation Authorities to provide a more stable funding base that would prevent further downloading of costs to municipalities and allow maintenance of hazard programs; and
That Conservation Authorities must continue to oversee flood control and review developmental impacts that may impact flood plains and natural heritage sites; and
That educational and recreational programming must continue to be implemented by Conservation Authorities as they provide public awareness, employment and tourism; and
That the Provincial Government ensure that the programs and services of the Conservation Authorities maintain their watershed focus and allow for the flexibility of including programs and services important to local circumstances; and
That the Province include experts from Conservation Authorities, staff of the Ministries of Natural Resources and Forestry, Environment Conservation and Parks as well as Municipal Affairs and Housing and municipalities when developing the draft regulations; and
That the Province not dictate the form, content or duration of the memorandum of understandings or agreements, allowing for municipalities to support non-mandatory programs in a manner that suits local circumstances; and
Further that this resolution be forwarded to the Premier, the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, all local MPs and MPPs, leaders of the opposition parties, all local Conservation Authorities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Halton Region, the towns of Oakville, Halton Hills and Milton to seek their support and be made publicly available.