Every week, Bramptonist will be rounding up the interesting items on upcoming city council and committee meetings, so you don’t have to bore yourselves with tedious PDFs.
All meetings are open to the public (aside from closed items), and are generally held in the City Council Chambers, unless stated otherwise.
Planning and Infrastructure Committee
March 7, 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall
The Future of Heritage Heights
- Heritage Heights, the last major parcel of greenfield land west of Mount Pleasant, is up for development and planning
- This report is full of comments from the public, landowners, quarries, etc
- Planning stopped when the Ministry of Transportation halted the environmental assessment for the GTA-West highway
- There is also a recommendation to support Peel Region’s council, who have asked the province to resume GTA-West planning
- Heritage Heights could be the site for new GO station at Heritage Road AND a future third major health facility/hospital
- Report on page 5
The Ongoing Saga of the Heart Lake townhouses
- Zoning was approved for two apartment towers befitting a “town centre” and low-rise office building
- Proposals from 2008 included condos, rental apartments, a midrise office building, townhouses
- Several years of public meetings and an OMB hearing, the new development is for 124 townhouses and 2 single-detached units
- A public consultation session is coming, though it’s likely this report will attract delegations
- Report on page 132
Staff recommend tunnel options for HM LRT
- See here for the full article
- Report on page 238
Other Issues in Brief
- The northeast side of Sandalwood Parkway and Mississauga Road has received a re-zoning application to change where apartments, townhouses, and a gas station can go (page 108)
- The city now has a shade structure protocol (page 206)
- Best public comment goes to “Staff have received complaints from residents wanting to bring their children to the playground and have felt deterred by the large groups of senior men that sometimes occupy the shade structures adjacent to playgrounds”
Agenda with reports available here.
Council
March 9, 9:30 a.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall
Council Topic Forecast
- Last week, city council had a special workshop on how to improve community engagement
- We now know which issues the city will be considering in the near future, including: the budget process, university bid, infrastructure priority, Main Street LRT alternatives, Queen Street corridor, promoting good news, civic literacy on sustainable development and so on.
- Report on page 67
Will the Brampton Beast be saved?
- The report at last week’s Community and Public Services committee was referred to council
- Council will be deciding on whether to make a deal to cover the Brampton Beast’s operating losses
- Report on page 180
Councillors want to suspend senior staff hiring until CAO is hired
- Councillor Elaine Moore (Regional, Wards 1 & 5) and Councillor Jeff Bowman (City, Wards 3 & 4) have submitted the motion
- Brampton has been without a Chief Administrative Officer for almost a year; Chief Planner Marilyn Ball has been acting CAO since last year
- The process has been extended, as a recent Brampton Guardian article discovered
- Hiring, promotions, and terminations (without cause) for positions at Director and above would be suspended with a new CAO is found
- Motion on page 6
Council Issues in Brief
- William Osler, who is rebuilding Peel Memorial, is asking for $71,050 in funding for a marketing campaign, which will include reusable light pole banner holders that the city will be able to utilize (page 72)
- Brampton Safe City Association, disbanded last year, still owes the city $97, 196.53 in unpaid invoices and has asked the city to waive the fees off (page 79)
Agenda with reports available here.
Special City Council Meeting — Development Charge Complaints
March 9, 3:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall
Issues in Brief
- Two of the city’s newest entertainment facilities are asking the city to refund and lower their development charges, based on incorrect application of the bylaw
- The two businesses are Glowzone (lazer tag and golfing) at 9446 McLaughlin Road and Stryke Target Range (archery, axe throwing, etc) at 240 Clarence Street