Sustainability Plan Report Approved

Thursday, 27 March 2014 12:50

The gallery at Wednesday's County Council drew a crowd to hear about the plan, which touches on a range of issues, including new landfill development.

Community Sustainability and Action Plan mapped out at County Council.

WOODSTOCK -- A report approved by County Council Wednesday night is recommending the development of a Community Sustainability and Action Plan to guide future decision-making on a range of issues, including new landfill development.

It's also County staff's response to a resolution last October asking the Community & Strategic Planning Office to look into amending the County's Official Plan to deter or discourage new landfill development.

While the landfill issue has been getting most of the buzz around the sustainability plan, County CAO Peter Crockett says there are plenty more advantages.

"It is about so much more -- It's about what do we want to look like as a community and what does sustainability look like to us; what does it look like in terms of renewable energy opportunities? What does it look like in terms of how we deliver our social programs?"

The recommendation to develop a community sustainability plan was proposed by County Planning staff as a preferred approach to defending potential policy challenges and decisions at Ontario Municipal Board hearings. The Ontario Municipal Board is the provincial body that adjudicates disputes or appeals related to municipal planning.

Crocket described the plan as "a best defense" for the county's direction when dealing with planning issues going forward.

"A community sustainability plan builds on some of the accomplishments we already have in place, including the recent County Strategic Plan as well as the work taking place in each municipality to plan for livable, sustainable communities. Particularly when it comes to waste management issues, we want to present from a position of strength that is evident by our current success in diverting residential waste from landfill, and in the careful and comprehensive planning we've undertaken together in mapping out a sustainable future."

Crockett says an Ad Hoc committee will now be struck -- which includes five members of county council -- to work through the process of setting up the community based steering committee which will drive the sustainability plan going forward.

The steering committee structure aims to be in place by June of this year.