Committee of the Whole – March 10, 2025

Please note that all Committee of the Whole decisions are subject to Council approval. The next Council meeting is scheduled for March 24, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions regarding agenda items or decisions made at Committee or Council meetings, please email Madison Detta at mdetta@ramara.ca.

Procedure Bylaw

Staff provided a comprehensive report outlining updates to the Procedure Bylaw based on her observations and benchmarking analysis. The report outlines that the changes to the Procedure Bylaw create organizational efficiencies, provide simplified plain language, eliminate duplication, enhance public participation and create structured timelines to ensure accountability and transparency.

What is a Procedure Bylaw? As stated in Section 238 of the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, C.25, municipalities pass a procedure bylaw to govern the calling, place, and proceedings of Council and Committee meetings. Moreover, the Procedural Bylaw outlines the governance process for how decisions are made and what is expected at the meetings.

The new changes to the Procedure Bylaw are as follows:

• Holding two Council meetings a month and the Committee of the Whole meeting will fall within the Council meeting.
• Enhanced Consent Agenda: reports that will receive same-day ratification will appear under this section.
• Standardization of all submission dates.
• Inclusion of a clause to enable Council to pull a matter out of closed session and into open session.
• Removal of Liaison Councillors chairing their areas of accountability. This will revert to the Mayor. Members will still introduce and speak to their items.
• Clarification on verbal motions including introduction to postpone a motion to a specific date and ability to verbally recess a meeting.
• Enhanced reconsideration clause.
• Removal of verbal items from the Committee of the Whole agenda and removal of Mayor/CAO comments during Council. The Mayor will still be able to provide comments via Announcements.
• Introduction of an Enquiry section. This section enables Council to ask for staff reports; however, this will still require advance notice to the Clerk.
• The Council Information Package (CIP) agenda will be circulated weekly on Fridays, except when there are no items.

The Committee supported amending the Procedure Bylaw, including authorizing any necessary revisions to existing Township policies to achieve conformity with the updated bylaw and setting the Council meeting start time to 9:30 a.m., with several wording adjustments.

Support to Canadian Businesses for Procurement

As a result of the President of the United States implementing proposed tariffs, Ramara Council requested staff to review how the Township can support local procurement procedures.

As stipulated under the Municipal Act, the Township of Ramara is mandated to establish and maintain policies governing the procurement of goods and services to ensure that purchasing processes are conducted in a timely, cost-effective, and objective manner, upholding the principles of openness, fairness, and transparency.

Staff recommends not putting a shop local policy in at this time but supporting the advocacy that the Ontario Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are doing by pressuring the government to remove the requirement to adhere to the Fair Trade Agreement and support the Town of Parry Sound’s resolution—No.2025.18. The Committee approved to support the resolution.

Climate Action Committee Terms of Reference

At the March 13th, 2023, Committee of the Whole meeting, Council directed staff to develop a report with draft terms of reference to establish a Climate Action Committee for the Township of Ramara. This Committee would be established to focus on climate change initiatives and projects that can reduce emissions and negative impacts on our environment. Staff have prepared the attached Terms of Reference for the Council's approval. The Committee supported adoption of the Terms of Reference, directed staff to advertise for the appointments to the Committee, and for Councillor Tuju to be appointed to the Climate Action Committee.

Draft Terms of Reference

2025 Pay Equity and Market Salary Review – Budget Increase

Staff provided a report outlining the feasibility of conducting a Pay Equity and Market Salary Review with the allotted budget amount approved in the 2025 budget. The report highlighted the importance of completing a comprehensive review to ensure our salary rates align with market standards and that we are offering competitive compensation packages, which are crucial for improving recruitment success and retention rates. The Committee supported the allocation of the additional $10,000 to complete the 2025 Pay Equity and Market Salary Review.

Temporary Use Zoning Bylaw Amendment Extension – Backyard Chickens

Staff presented a report on the extension of the temporary zoning bylaw amendment that allows backyard chickens in residential areas, specifically in the Village Residential (VR), Hamlet (H), and Rural Country Side Residential (RCR) zones. As outlined in the report, staff recommend supporting this extension and will include a review of the long-term status of the amendment in their upcoming comprehensive review and update of the Zoning Bylaw, which will begin after the Official Plan is officially adopted.

The Committee supported the proposed extension of the temporary zoning bylaw amendment, permitting backyard chickens in the Village Residential, Hamlet, and Rural and Countryside Residential zones for an additional three-year period. The applicable zoning bylaw will be brought forward to a future meeting for Council consideration.

Temporary Use Zoning Bylaw Extension – 101 Lake Avenue

Staff provided a comprehensive report regarding extending the temporary use zoning bylaw amendment for 101 Lake Avenue to permit the placement of an accessory building with a maximum size of 19 square metres prior to establishment of a dwelling on the property. In 2023, Council approved the establishing a temporary two-year zoning bylaw amendment and staff are recommending extending the bylaw for a maximum of three years. The Committee supported the proposed extension of the temporary zoning bylaw amendment for an additional three-year period. The applicable zoning bylaw will be brought forward to a future meeting for Council consideration.

Outdoor Special Event Bylaw

As a follow-up to the Committee of the Whole meetings held on January 6 and February 10, staff presented an updated draft of the Outdoor Special Event Bylaw. This new draft addresses the definitions of not-for-profit and charitable organizations, and it outlines exemptions that allow for the waiver of fees for large weddings, family reunions, and events organized by not-for-profit and charitable organizations. Overall, the bylaw details the requirements for hosting an Outdoor Special Event within the Township and includes a permit process for authorizing such events. The Committee received the Updated Outdoor Special Event Bylaw and approved forwarding it to Council for adoption.

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For More Information

For more details on any of these items, see the full meeting Agenda or view the meeting on the Township of Ramara's YouTube Channel.

The Meeting highlights are prepared to give residents a timely update on decisions of Council. The Council Meeting Minutes are the official record of the meeting.