Agriculture advisory committee established, to begin in the next term of council

A new Agriculture and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee of Council is being established, to begin work in the next term of council. At least one-third of rural members (2 of 6) will be drawn from existing participants in the ad hoc rural advisory committee that currently meets. Committee of the Whole voted Sept. 10 to endorse terms of reference for a formal rural advisory committee, send them for review to the new committee, then bring final recommendations back to council in February 2019. The committee will meet every second month and provide advice to council on a range of matters aimed at “conserving the area’s rural character and protecting and enhancing its natural environment, while enabling the rural economy to evolve and change.”Projects that ARAAC may provide feedback on include the Official Plan, rural strategy, community trails, rural active transportation, urban agriculture, and more.The recommendation heads to council Sept. 24 for final approval. Residents can attend, watch the webcast of the meeting online (also carried on Cogeco TV), or Register as a Delegation to speak to the item.My Take: Half of Burlington’s land is rural area, yet until now the city hasn’t had a formal rural advisory committee; an ad hoc group of rural residents, staff and rural council members met for a number of years. During the recent Official Plan discussions, one of the motions I co-sponsored with Councillor Taylor (whose Ward 3 is half rural) was to establish a formal rural advisory committee, so I’m pleased to see this move forward. Before finalizing the terms of reference, however, we need to consult with existing committee members, so I supported Councillor Taylor’s motion to consult and and report back with changes in Feb. 2019. I also brought an amendment to ensure a minimum number of existing rural members (one-third) be added to the new committee, for continuity. That was also approved.