The Town of Tecumseh has sent the province its response on proposed provincial changes surrounding the Development Charges Act under Bill 185, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act.
The province recently released the proposed changes to the Planning Act and the Development Charges Act, by way of Bill 185, along with a draft of the new Provincial Planning Statement 2024 for review and comment.
The provincial government is seeking feedback from municipalities on Bill 185 and the Draft 2024 PPS, and the report was received for information by councillors on Tuesday night.
The report to council detailed how Bill 185 includes changes that are aimed at building homes faster and at lower cost, prioritizing infrastructure for ready-to-go housing projects with a new "use it or lose it" approach with respect to allocated sewage capacity to address stalled developments that have received approval, improving consultation and providing municipalities and builders with greater certainty to get homes built faster, including the limiting of third-party appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal and building more types of homes for more people by streamlining approvals.
The report being submitted back to the province as part of the recommendation states that many of the changes appear positive for municipalities by assisting in ensuring that growth pays for growth to the extent possible.
This is achieved by allowing for the inclusion of growth-related studies that will allow municipalities to appropriately plan for additional development.
However, there were some changes included in the bill that administration outlined as potentially negative.
Deputy mayor Joe Bachetti says this is all about communicating to the province what changes they think would be beneficial, and what ones wouldn't be.
"A lot of those recommendations allowed our municipality to give input in terms of the Bill 185 legislation. These items will then be compiled by the province and the ministry," he said.
Bachetti says the province is trying to get a range of opinions as they weigh these potential changes.
"And look at how are the municipalities able to adapt with these changes, and ask what is working for them in terms of their municipality."
He says ultimately Tecumseh will still do what's in the best interest of the town.
"Well at the end of the day, the official plan the Municipal Act, allows the municipality to be able to put forward their recommendations to council. So council is still in the driving seat in terms of the overall of these housing issues. That's the good thing, we need that flexibility and adaptability where we can do what works best for our town," Bachetti stated.
The province is seeking municipal feedback as Bill 185 works its way through the legislature at Queen's Park, where it passed first reading in April.