Council is ready to start an ad hoc committee to look at its fill bylaw.
On Feb. 4, CAO Kathryn Ironmonger told councillors there was a resolution before council regarding the creation of the ad hoc committee regarding the use of fill and the site alteration bylaw.
She added there was also a delegation to speak on the matter and a closed session item on the same issue.
Ironmonger suggested council might want to discuss the item more following the closed session.
Councillor Barb Tocher asked if staff could work on terms of reference for the committee and that the town advertise for public participants for the committee to get the ball rolling.
Ironmonger said the resolution that council had passed earlier was that it intended to use framework prepared by Citizens Against Filling Dumping for the ad hoc committee.
Tocher suggested it be used as a reference because the terms would have to be approved by council.
“It still needs to come back to the table.”
She explained that allows for adjustments or suggestions.
Mayor Lou Maieron said the citizens group had good suggestions.
“I also think there should be a time line for the ad hoc group to report back to council – particularly if a decision is made regarding a moratorium (of importing fill).”
He added the moratorium is only a temporary measure to gain some time to deal with the issues.
Tocher said she believed the committee was to take the time it needed to look at the bylaw and potential changes – not commenting on the moratorium.
Maieron said the idea was that the committee would not go on for six years looking at the issue.
“There needs to be a reasonable period of time for them to deliberate.”
Council reported out from the hour-and-a-half in-camera session regarding the fill ad hoc committee. In that, council reported municipal representatives would be councillor Deb Callaghan and Mayor Lou Maieron (alternate councillor John Brennan). Staff Representatives include: Kathryn Ironmonger, CAO; Sally Stull, planner; Larry VanWyck, road superintendent and Harold Knox, bylaw officer
Members of the public are invited to express their interest in sitting on the committee. The application for appointment will be posted on the town website. There will be a short turnaround time, and as such it will not be advertised in local Newspapers. The goal is to have the committee appointed at the next council meeting, and that the committee report to council by May 20.
Anna Spiteri of the Citizens Against Fill Dumping remained hopeful that things around with a focus on the real job of getting a bylaw in place and a strong enforcement process in place.
