AMO 2022 Conference Highlights: City of Burlington Delegation Advances Local Issues with Ontario Ministers

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) 2022 Conference was held in Ottawa last week from Aug. 14-17, bringing together more than 2,000 municipal leaders from across Ontario, including Burlington and Halton councillors, to work on shared issues.I arrived Saturday (Aug. 13) for the AMO Board meeting, as I was acclaimed for a second term to sit on the AMO Board's Large Urban Caucus.On Sunday (Aug. 14), I attended the joint Ontario's Big City Mayors (OBCM) and Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO) caucuses meeting -- bringing Burlington’s voice to both of those tables.At the joint OBCM and MARCO meeting, we renewed our call for an emergency meeting with the Province for help in developing solutions for issues dealing with homelessness, addictions and mental health; as well as help with ambulance offloading and health care download costs.In addition to the workshops and sessions, municipal officials and staff have the chance to meet with provincial ministers to discuss issues particular to their communities and share what’s happening in their municipalities.I was part of three delegations:

• The City of Burlington -- that also included members of Council and senior City staff;
• The Region of Halton -- that also included the Regional Chair, Halton's Mayors and senior Regional staff; and
• OBCM -- that included Mayors of 29 single and lower-tier cities with a population of 100,000 or more, who collectively represent nearly 70 per cent of Ontario’s population.

Below is a high level summary of the Ministers’ meetings for each of the delegations at the AMO 2022 Conference that took place on Monday, Aug 15, 2022 and Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022.For the City of Burlington delegation meetings, those will be followed up with a thank you letter to each minister/ministry outlining agreed upon actions, as well as the presentations that formed the basis of our discussion. The presentations for Burlington delegation are also available via links in this post.City of Burlington Delegation MeetingsParliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, MPP Ric Bresee:Presentation Materials: AMO 2022 - Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry - CoB PresentationIn attendance: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, City Manager Tim Commisso, and Government Relations Manager Helen Walihura.Purpose of Meeting:

• Quarry oversight - air quality and compliance;
• Our requests:
  • A further meeting to better understand how compliance is monitored;
  • Ministry representative to join the liaison committee;
  • Third-party peer reviews of the various completed studies required as part of monitoring requirements, site plan amendments, or other related processes; and
  • Review concerns raised by the Tyandaga Environmental Coalition.

Additional Materials:

• Follow-up Letter from Minister Graydon Smith and the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry
• Follow-up letter to Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
• Letter from the Tyandaga Environmental Coalition shared with MNRF

Attorney General of Ontario, the Hon. Doug Downey:Presentation Materials: AMO 2022 - Ministry of the Attorney General - CoB Presentation.In attendance: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Lisa Kearns, City Manager Tim Commisso, and Government Relations Manager Helen Walihura.Purpose of Meeting:

• Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) reform;
• Our requests:
  • The Province strike a task force, with participation from all stakeholders, to consider options for streamlining and making the Ontario Lands Tribunal more efficient.

Additional Materials:

• Follow-up letter to Ministry of the Ontario Attorney General

Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, MPP Amarjot Sandhu:Presentation Materials: AMO 2022 - Ministry of Infrastructure - CoB PresentationIn attendance: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Rory Nisan, Councillor Angelo Bentivegna, City Manager Tim Commisso, and Government Relations Manager Helen Walihura.Purpose of Meeting:

• Infrastructure funding;
• Our requests:
  • That a long-term, stable, allocation-based, infrastructure funding framework supported by both the Provincial and Federal governments, that provides municipalities with a steady flow of infrastructure dollars for municipally identified priority projects; and
  • The Province consider infrastructure funding programs that provide municipalities with the flexibility to choose projects that reflect municipal priorities, are informed by municipal asset management plans, and create a positive sense of place, inclusivity and community.

Additional Materials:

• Follow-up letter to Ministry of Infrastructure

Parliamentary Assistants to the Minister of Finance, MPPs Rick Byers & Stephen Crawford: Presentation Materials: AMO 2022 - Ministry of Finance - CoB PresentationIn attendance: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Lisa Kearns, Councillor Angelo Bentivegna, City Manager Tim Commisso, and Government Relations Manager Helen Walihura.Purpose of Meeting:

• COVID recovery and Municipal Property Assessment;
• Our requests:
  • Continue to work with the Federal Government to secure additional Safe Restart Agreement funding, both operating and transit specific, so municipalities can immediately address pandemic related operating pressures;
  • Continuation of funding for the Digital Mains Street program including the Digital Service Squad and ensuring that the Digital Transformation Grant funds are sufficient within funding years;
  • Joining with FedDev to support future rounds of the My Main Street Accelerator program to ensure continued and sufficient funding for main street business supports as they continue to struggle with recovering from the impacts of the pandemic to their business;
  • Wholesale/tiered pricing for businesses for alcohol sales from the LCBO to help decrease overhead costs and increase hospitality business survival with the impacts of COVID, inflation and continued supply chains disruptions;
  • Small Business Tax class has a staff recommendation that this not move forward at Halton Region;
  • Provide municipalities with a definition of small business, which would eliminate the risk of perceived inequity and unfairness with municipalities defining eligibility;
  • Reduce administrative requirements;
  • Include a provision in the Commercial Tenancies Act, comparable to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, which triggers an obligation on the landlord to reduce the rent paid by tenants following a reduction in property taxes of a certain threshold; and
  • Introduce legislation that would allow lower tier municipalities to implement an optional small business rebate program.

Additional Materials:

• Follow-up letter to Ministry of Finance

Minister of Transportation, the Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Presentation Materials: AMO 2022 - Ministry of Transportation - CoB PresentationIn attendance: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, Councillor Rory Nisan, City Manager Tim Commisso, and Government Relations Manager Helen Walihura.Purpose of Meeting:

• Gas tax funding & Building highways - Hwy. 403 expansion;
• Our requests:
  • While ridership is increasing, it is still below 2019 levels, we ask that Provincial Gas Tax (PGT) be maintained at 2019 levels;
  • Provide additional Transit Safe Restart Funding in 2022;
  • Our 2023 operating budget will face extreme pressures due to the rising cost of fuel, fluids and vehicle parts. Consider providing supports for transit agencies and municipalities; and
  • Leverage future Provincial work along the Hwy. 403 corridor in order to coordinate permits and construction timing to minimize disruption and expedite approvals.

Additional Materials:

• Follow-up letter to Ministry of Transportation

Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, MPP John Yakabuski:Presentation Materials: AMO 2022 - Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - CoB PresentationIn attendance: Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, Councillor Rory Nisan, City Manager Tim Commisso, and Government Relations Manager Helen Walihura.Purpose of Meeting:

• Quarry oversight - air quality and compliance;
• Our requests:
  • A further meeting to better understand how compliance is monitored;
  • Ministry representative to join the liaison committee;
  • Third-party peer reviews of the various completed studies required as part of monitoring requirements, site plan amendments, or other related processes; and
  • Review concerns raised by the Tyandaga Environmental Coalition.

Additional Materials:

• Follow-up letter to Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
• Letter from the Tyandaga Environmental Coalition shared with MNRF

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Region of Halton Delegation MeetingsParliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, MPP Amarjot SandhuIn attendance: Regional Chair Gary Carr, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz, Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette, Halton Regional Councillor Colin Best (AMO Board President), Halton Region CAO Jane MacCaskill, Director of Strategic Policy & Government Relations Lynne Simons, and Manager of Strategic Policy & Government Relations Mabel Watt.Purpose of Meeting:

• Growth-Related Infrastructure
  • Halton Region and its Local Municipalities have long-term infrastructure plans to ensure that municipal infrastructure is available to support planned growth and grow the economy in a responsible way.
  • In November 2019, Regional Council approved the 2020 Allocation Program that represents a financing plan to provide roughly $1 Billion worth of water, wastewater and transportation infrastructure to support growth, development and new housing supply across the Region for the next 6-10 years.
  • The absence of a provincial infrastructure plan focused on growing communities, including the delivery of schools, hospitals and highways, has resulted in barriers to increasing housing supply and economic growth.
  • These Provincial assets are integral to unlocking housing supply opportunities and need to be financed, planned, designed and commissioned seamlessly in time to support the needs of growth in new communities.
• Halton requests:
  • A coordinated provincial infrastructure investment plan and funding connected to the Growth Plan, to advance critical provincial infrastructure including: capital investments and new schools in high growth communities in Halton.
  • A coordinated, provincial infrastructure investment plan and funding connected to the Growth Plan, to support high-growth communities in advancing critical Provincial infrastructure:
    • New schools to support families in high growth areas like North Oakville and the Boyne Survey in Milton;
    • The expansion of Hospital services in Georgetown;
    • Investments in Provincial Transit infrastructure, such as enhanced GO service including: all day, two way service to Milton, and new 407 Transitway Stations in Halton, including a Neyagawa Road Station.
  • Appropriate funding tools and mechanisms for delivering timely funding to pay for municipal infrastructure required to support growth.
• Immediate Access To Reliable Broadband Internet
  • Advocating and encouraging telecommunications providers has resulted in over 15 rural Halton applications for Provincial and Federal broadband funding. To date, eight projects have been awarded, addressing 1,410 or 31% of the approximately 4,631 underserved rural Halton homes and businesses.
  • Halton continues to plan for the coordinated implementation of next generation digital access technologies, including 5G, to ensure affordable and equitable access for Halton rural and urban homes and businesses.
• Halton requests:
  • Immediate access to affordable broadband service speeds of 1 Gbps broadband internet throughout all rural and urban areas of Halton.
  • Work with Halton Region on the recently announced Infrastructure Ontario – Ontario Connects program to identify, incent and implement all remaining broadband gaps in Halton at least by the current 2025 deadline, if not sooner.
  • Develop new strategies, funding programs and tools to ensure that the availability of next generation technologies is equitable and affordable across Halton.
  • The Federal and Provincial governments to ensure awarded fiber investments through the UBF/ICON programs support 5G backhaul requirements and the 1GMbps target.
  • The Federal and Provincial governments to ensure fiber investments include urban underserved pockets.
  • The Federal and Provincial governments and telecommunication providers to ensure affordability of fiber and 5G services

Minister of Health, the Hon. Sylvia JonesIn attendance: Regional Chair Gary Carr, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Milton Mayor Gord Krantz, Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette, Halton Regional Councillor Colin Best (AMO Board President), Halton Region CAO Jane MacCaskill, Director of Strategic Policy & Government Relations Lynne Simons, and Manager of Strategic Policy & Government Relations Mabel Watt.Purpose of Meeting:

• Public Health Resources to Support Recovery:
  • As we continue to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 priorities such as case management, contact tracing, outbreak management, increased surveillance, producing local information for public consumption on COVID and assisting community organizations, businesses and schools with infection prevention control advice remain critical.
  • Halton needs to continue to meet essential requirements under Ontario’s Public Health Standards as we move forward into recovery and post pandemic efforts. Under-funding for Public Health in Halton Region is a long standing concern that has been further heightened by the pandemic. Supports are also required from the Provincial Government to continue to respond to the pandemic and as we move into the new normal.
  • Access to COVax data at the local level remains restricted, and local Public Health Units are unable to fully meet their mandate of surveillance under the Ontario Public Health Standards due to this lack of access. Having community primary care offices under the Public Health Authorizing Agreement for COVax has resulted in a lack of supports for primary care offices to operate independently and placed a larger burden on public health to provide supports and manage inventory. Primary care remuneration also makes it less favorable for them to offer vaccines in their offices.
• Halton requests:
  • Funding that keeps pace with costs for Halton Public Health to allow strengthened infectious disease control and vaccine management, and the provision of all services required under the Ontario Public Health Standards.
  • Continuous engagement and timely communication with Public Health Units, to support COVID-19 recovery efforts that meet the needs of local realities, including long-term immunization needs.
  • Access to COVax data for local Public Health Units, for the purposes of local surveillance.
  • A long-term strategy to ensure that Primary Care is able and motivated to continue vaccinating the population in the future and can operate independently, as is the case for many other vaccines.
  • Timely information and schedules for the next phase of the vaccine rollout, specifically for booster shots and pediatric vaccinations.
• Public Health and Emergency Services Modernization:
  • Since 2014, the Provincial Government has only provided a base increase in Public Health funding once, in 2018. This has resulted in a significant program funding gap during which time additional costs have been incurred for Paramedic Services due to similar pressures.
  • Public Health and Paramedic Services provide service at a local level effectively, within the boundaries of the Region and also participate in a number of collaborative community partnerships. The ability to continue to do this will be critical to recovery and to ensure the health of the people of Halton and Paramedic Services is a key contributor through community paramedic programs to reduce hallway medicine.
  • Public Health and Paramedic Services have worked collaboratively with all parts of the local and provincial health care system throughout the pandemic, and actively contribute to Halton’s Ontario Health Teams. Public Health and Paramedic Services have played a key role in the pandemic response and demonstrate the value of these local services.
  • Historic under-funding of these services have created challenges in the pandemic response and must be addressed.
• Halton requests:
  • Re-focus the Public Health & EMS Modernization on determining the provincial investments required in Public Health and Paramedic Services post-pandemic to improve the health of residents.
• Role of Ontario Health Teams
  • Halton Region is an integral partner in the two Ontario Health Teams (OHT) in Halton region
  • As a partner around the OHT table, Halton Regional staff provide in kind contributions through their participation, expertise, and advice, yet the further direction and clear road map, responsibilities and funding mechanisms of the OHTs remains unclear.
• Halton requests
  • Clarity on the role and future direction of OHTs.
  • Funding ownership of the OHTs by the Provincial Government.

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OBCM Delegation MeetingsAssociate Minister of Mental Health & Addictions, the Hon. Michael TibolloIn attendance: OBCM Chair & Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, Cambridge Mayor Kathryn McGarry, OBCM Executive Director Michelle Baker.Purpose of Meeting:

• Support for OBCM's call for an emergency meeting with the Province to discuss solutions to the mental health and addictions crises we are seeing in our communities.

  Minister of Finance, the Hon. Peter BethlenfalvyIn attendance: Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, City of London Manager of Government & External Relations, OBCM Executive Director Michelle Baker.Purpose of Meeting:

• To discuss the need for additional Safe Restart funding for transit, recreation and other impacted municipal service revenues still feeling the effects of the pandemic.

  Attorney General of Ontario, the Hon. Doug DowneyIn attendance: London Mayor Ed Holder, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, City of London Manager of Government & External Relations, OBCM Executive Director Michelle Baker.Purpose of Meeting:

• Through prudent Provincial leadership, measures must be taken to strengthen the ability of municipalities to collect on unpaid Provincial Offenses Act fines (tied to drivers' license renewals) representing foregone revenue for Ontario municipalities.
• To keep pace with the growing backlog in our court system, additional Justices of the Peace appointments must also be prioritized.

Additional delegation meetings for OBCM, attended by other Mayors, included:

• Minister of the Environment, Conservation & Parks, the Hon. David Piccini; and
• Minister of Infrastructure, the Hon. Kinga Surma.

RELATED LINK:

• City of Burlington Delegation Headed to 2022 AMO Conference