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Last month, the Ontario Minister of Red Tape Reduction, Hon. Mike Harris, introduced Bill 227, Cutting Red Tape, Building Ontario Act, 2024. Similar to previous years, the bill includes legislative amendments included in the Province’s Fall Red Tape Reduction Package.
Containing over 60 new burden reduction initiatives, the bill’s intent is to improve services, keep costs down and rebuild Ontario’s economy. The omnibus bill moved through the legislative process quickly as a result of time allocation and skipped standing committee study and public hearings.
Legislative amendments related to housing, long-term care, building officials, Ontario heritage and more directly and indirectly affect municipal financial sustainability, service delivery and staffing. Bill 227 proposals most relevant for municipalities are outlined below.
General
Allowing for administrative and operational updates to the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee to maintain operations in the absence of a member.
Planning/Building
Creating a regulation-making power to allow for changes to publication of notice requirements for expropriation such as in electronic formats.
Aligning legislation with the new Building Code regulation to require owners to engage an engineer or architect to conduct a general review of large farm buildings.
In consultation with Indigenous communities and sector stakeholders, transforming its heritage framework to effectively deliver on its core regulatory programs and services.
Streamlining the approval process for releasing parts of conservation easements where not affecting the heritage attributes protected under the easement agreement.
Reducing barriers to redevelop and revitalize historically contaminated lands (also known as brownfields). Comment on this proposal by January 10, 2025.
Clarifying existing regulatory requirements to reuse more excess soil.
Regulatory changes to make it easier for building officials to work across provincial boundaries.
More flexibility and design options for building a variety of additional residential units, including garden suites, laneway homes, and basement apartments, and reducing rezoning and minor variance requirements.
Engaging stakeholders to streamline discretionary municipal third-party reviews of engineer and architect stamped designs for building permit applications.
Enabling wider use of pay-on-demand surety bonds for home builders to secure municipal obligations that are conditions of land-use planning approvals.
Infrastructure
Regulatory changes to broaden the hydrocarbon pipeline relocation and reconstruction projects where the Ontario Energy Board can determine that leave-to-construct is not required, such as public transit, municipal utilities, flood protection, and housing developments.
Allowing transit authorities to change municipal sewage and water distribution works under the municipality’s consolidated environmental approvals instead of separately.
Streamlining environmental permissions for certain stormwater management works, construction-related water takings, residential geothermal systems, on-site sewage systems, and aggregate washing systems.
Changes to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System including the determination and notification process.
While there is no requirement to consult on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, the Province has published a posting for informational purposes which can be reviewed here.
We continue to identify and educate the Province on opportunities to reduce provincially-imposed red tape in the form of administrative and operational burdens on municipalities and impacts to municipal staff; whether that be through improvements to the Municipal Elections Act for administrators, voters and candidates, modernizing the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to improve service delivery, or reporting requirements.
As we approach the end of the year, there are a number of reports that municipalities are required to complete for the Province. We have developed a tool to help the sector quantify the time, staff and other costs associated with reporting imposed on municipalities. Refer to the discussion forum to review, test and provide your suggestions to improve the tool.
Members are encouraged to visit the Red Tape Portal to submit ideas on ways the province can reduce the burden on municipalities.