Clearview Council Meeting 2026-02-09 | Part 2

Council approves new agricultural advisory committee

Procedural · Significant

Council unanimously directed staff to create an agriculture advisory committee after hearing from a local farmer about the need for municipal-level support for agriculture. The committee will advise on provincial and federal policies affecting farmland, including concerns about land being removed from production by the DND radar project and buyers letting farmland go fallow.

Council voted unanimously to establish an agricultural advisory committee for the 2026-2030 term, with staff directed to bring back a report outlining mandate and structure.

Councillor MacArthur brought the motion forward, citing Clear View's strategic plan identifying agriculture as "core business" and concerns about 700 acres already removed from production by the Department of National Defense over-the-horizon radar project, with another 3,200 potentially at risk.

Farmer Rachel Brooks told council agriculture is "a core part of this municipality's economy, culture, and heritage" and that an advisory committee would create "a regular space for farmers, agri-businesses and council to discuss matters early on before they become issues."

MacArthur also raised concerns about buyers from urban areas purchasing farmland and taking it out of production. "Some townships if the farm they purchase is considered agriculture, it has to stay agriculture," he said. "It can't just be let go to weeds or whatever."

Deputy Mayor Van Stavern reminded council that a similar committee existed about 10 years ago under the Economic Development Committee. "Food security going forward in the future is so important to this province, this country," he said, adding he'd like to see "younger members of a community" involved.

Mayor Measures supported the motion but cautioned that municipal committees come with procedural requirements and conflict-of-interest rules that can slow things down. He noted a previous agricultural advisory committee established in 2007 failed to attract enough volunteers and was eventually eliminated. "This is why this is now," he said. "Now we have a genuine thing that we need our agricultural community to join arms" on.

Staff will report back in March with proposed terms of reference.

Farming isn't just a land use designation. It's family farms, agri-businesses, service providers, and the local jobs that depend on them.
— Farmer Rachel Brooks

Food security going forward in the future is so important to this province this country. The Americans are starting to wave the flag more and more as they're gobbling up their own land.
— Deputy Mayor (online)

Looking down the road, when there might not be any farmers on council... farmers and city people, there's a real lack of communication on what goes on out in the farming community.
— Councillor MacArthur

Youth baseball fees increased more gradually after association pushback

Budget · Standard

Council amended staff's proposed youth baseball field rental increases after New Lowell Minor Baseball asked for a softer phase-in. The adjusted rates still reach the 2028 target of $10.56/hour but spread the increases more evenly instead of doubling fees in year one.

Council voted to adjust the youth diamond rental fee increases proposed by staff after Trevor Harris from New Lowell Minor Baseball presented a request for a more gradual approach.

Staff had proposed moving from two-hour to one-hour rentals and increasing the youth rate from $3.76/hour in 2025 to $7.52 in 2026—effectively doubling it—then to $10.25 in 2027 and $10.56 in 2028.

Harris said the front-loaded increase caught the association off guard. "We set our rep and select fees back in mid-October... so now that these rate increases are coming up, it's kind of caught us a little bit." He also cited increased costs for baseballs (up 18% due to tariffs), umpire fees, insurance, and equipment.

Harris proposed instead: $6.25/hour in 2026 (a $2.49 increase), $8.75 in 2027 (a $2.50 increase), and $10.56 in 2028 (a $1.81 increase). That would still bring New Lowell's 600 hours of annual diamond time to nearly $7,000 by 2028, but spreads the pain.

General Manager Terry Vaschon told council staff "don't have a problem with his recommendation." He explained staff "didn't know where to start" and that the goal was simply to reach $10.50/hour by 2028, "a little comparable to our neighboring communities."

Councillor Bean moved the amendment, pointing out Harris's revised schedule saves only $1.25/hour over 600 hours—about $750 total, or $6 per kid. "If he were to apply for a Clear View grant... he could get some money towards purchasing equipment and still not have to raise overall fees," Bean said.

Deputy Mayor Van Stavern noted the change applies to all minor sports in Clear View, not just New Lowell, and said "this is a positive step" so they don't all "run into the grants committee saying we need money to reduce our fees."

The amendment passed unanimously. The mayor reminded the public that facility fee grants are not available under township policy.

Tournament fees were not increased.

We set our rep and select fees back in mid-October... so now that these rate increases are coming up, it's kind of caught us a little bit.
— Trevor Harris, New Lowell Minor Baseball

When we set out the increases for the fees, we didn't know where to start. We had to start somewhere.
— General Manager Terry Vaschon

This is amendment for all the minor sports in Clear View Township, not just New Lowell... this is a positive step.
— Deputy Mayor (online)

Taxpayers to cover $55,000 shortfall in cemetery maintenance

Budget · Significant

Council approved a new $55,000 annual cemetery maintenance budget, funded this year from the tax stabilization reserve, after the clerk reported that care and maintenance trust funds aren't generating enough revenue to cover costs. The funding will support two active cemeteries and four closed ones.

Council unanimously approved a new $55,000 corporate cemetery budget to cover maintenance and operational costs at township-owned cemeteries, acknowledging that existing revenue and trust funds can't keep up.

Clerk Sasha Helmkay told council the report was "not the type of report that we were wanting to bring at this moment" but that cemetery revenues are limited in a rural municipality where burial rates must stay affordable. "We're not a Mount Pleasant cemetery, so selling interment rights for $40,000 is really not something that we'll be able to ever do here," she said.

The $55,000 will primarily support Stayner Union Cemetery and West Nottawasaga Cemetery. Stayner Union has a care and maintenance fund of over $300,000, but it "is not creating enough revenue to even look after 3 months of maintenance services," Helmkay said. The contractor maintains for eight months a year, and the fund doesn't cover monument restoration.

West Nottawasaga was transferred from a board to the township last year with "not much left" in its general account after legal fees. Dunneden Cemetery is currently funded by a past donation, but Helmkay expects it will need support "once that starts to dwindle." Lavender Cemetery is maintained by its own board and doesn't require township funding.

The township also maintains four closed cemeteries, which continue to require grass cutting and upkeep.

The 2026 funding will come from the tax stabilization reserve. Helmkay said staff have been advocating to the province through meetings with MPPs and the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, but there's been "no specific changes" yet—just "increased education and increased advocacy" from many central Ontario townships facing the same issue.

Councillor Bean asked if anything could be done at the upcoming AMO conference. The mayor suggested requesting a delegation with Minister Crawford or inviting him to Clear View for a meeting with Tay Township, which faces similar challenges.

Mayor Measures noted this is an appropriate use of the tax stabilization reserve because it's an "unknown expense," but supported creating a permanent budget line going forward. He also described a recent case in eastern Ontario where a cemetery with no markers was discovered under four separate private properties, including one with a garden on top, illustrating the broader challenges municipalities face with old burial sites.

The budget line will be included in future years.

We're not a Mount Pleasant cemetery, so selling interment rights for $40,000 is really not something that we'll be able to ever do here.
— Clerk Sasha Helmkay

Stayner Union has a care maintenance fund of over $300,000 and it's not creating enough revenue to even cover 3 months of maintenance services... that doesn't even include monument restoration.
— Clerk Sasha Helmkay

This is where tax stabilization comes up where we should use it for this type of purpose because this is unknown expenses that we didn't know we were going to be having.
— Mayor

New zoning bylaw public meeting set for March 25, mapping release February 27

Planning · Significant

The comprehensive zoning bylaw update is on track for a public meeting March 25, with revised environmental protection mapping to be released February 27. Staff say the new approach will address many concerns from the first draft by using overlays instead of blanket environmental protection zones.

Council received an update on the comprehensive zoning bylaw overhaul, with Planning Consultant Dave Aston confirming a public meeting for March 25 and revised mapping to be released February 27.

Aston said staff have been working with the county and conservation authority to "clarify and get a better understanding of details associated with mapping" for environmental protection areas. The new approach uses "two different approaches"—environmental protection zones and environmental overlays—instead of the broad-brush environmental protection zoning that generated complaints in the first draft.

"Not to suggest we're minimizing environmental protection. It's just a different approach," Aston said, adding that the changes should allow landowners more flexibility to use their properties while still protecting sensitive areas.

The report included a summary of public comments received to date, which will be posted online for review. Aston emphasized that comments are still being accepted and will continue to be accepted through the public meeting.

Staff are also developing an interactive online tool that will let property owners compare their current zoning, the first draft zoning, and the proposed new zoning side-by-side. Planning Director Roslin Rowe said the same approach is planned for the official plan amendment.

Rowe told council the mapping release date of February 27 allows time to "get it right" and finalize site-specific amendments accumulated over 20 years. "We just want to make sure that all our i's are dotted and t's are crossed," she said.

A final recommendation report with the full bylaw is expected in late April or early May, followed by notice of passing.

Councillor Walker praised the team's work addressing public concerns, particularly on environmental protection. Deputy Mayor Van Stavern asked whether council would have another opportunity to comment after the March public meeting and before the April recommendation report. Aston said while no interim report is scheduled, council could request one, and there would be time for changes after the April report before the bylaw is passed.

The mayor expressed concern about promoting the February 27 release date widely, given the township-wide significance of the changes. Staff agreed to focus on hitting that date.

Aston thanked the planning team—Derek, Roslin, Nick, and former staffer Colin—for their local knowledge and emphasized that "we see the finish line with the draft bylaw... it's looking really good."

Not to suggest we're minimizing environmental protection. It's just a different approach and how land owners can use their properties within what we'll be calling a green lands or an environmental protection or an overlay.
— Planning Consultant Dave Aston

We just want to make sure that all our i's are dotted and t's are crossed.
— Planning Director Roslin Rowe

We see the finish line with the draft bylaw. We're seeing the whole comprehensive thing... it's looking really good and we're getting pretty excited to bring it back to you.
— Planning Consultant Dave Aston