Committee moves to strengthen its role in representing rural voices

The City’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today approved updates to its Terms of Reference to strengthen the committee’s mandate and ensure it considers all reports that have significant rural implications. The Committee would generally be responsible for all matters outside the urban boundary, with Committee recommendations being subject to the final approval of Council.

The proposed changes stem from feedback received during the 2024 Rural Summit, as well as from the mid-term governance review report and direction provided to staff during consideration of a recent land acquisition in rural Ottawa. The changes would help ensure the Committee addresses emerging issues, studies and remedies longstanding challenges, and helps build a culture of respect and understanding of rural issues and voices.

The Committee would make recommendations to Council on matters relating to rural infrastructure, City acquisition of rural lands and building, and matters of transportation policy related to rural Ottawa, adding to its existing role in considering specific rural transportation projects. The changes would also recognize the Committee’s role in the oversight of rural ditching and the Rural Ditch Maintenance Levy that was recently approved as part of the new water rate structure.

The Committee would make recommendations to the Transit Committee on rural public transit matters. It would also be involved in considering Official Plan amendments related to rural village boundary and urban boundary expansions in concert with the Planning and Housing Committee. The Committee would make recommendations to Council related to federal and provincial legislation that has a distinct impact on agriculture and its associated industries, and it would advocate for rural priorities with other levels of government.

Staff advise against using private laneway contractors to clear snow on residential roads The Committee received the results of a municipal scan and feasibility study to determine whether it would be practical to use private laneway contractors (PLCs) to help clear snow on residential roads.

The City uses both in-house and contracted staff to perform winter operations, but while the City contracts snow-clearing companies when additional resources are needed, it does not contract with PLCs to clear snow on City roads. Staff conducted a scan and found that no other municipalities reported using PLCs, citing concerns about costs, equipment specifications, levels of service, tracking and monitoring work, scheduling and insurance.

Based on the following considerations, staff recommend not using PLCs to help clear snow on residential roads.

• Operations: The equipment used by PLCs would require City follow-up to further clear snow and ice to required conditions and width, and to spread salt and grit.
• Finances: The rising costs of contracted services would result in substantially higher costs, and the survey suggests the private sector may have limited interest in such work.
• Administration: Introducing a new type of road clearing would create logistical challenges coordinating with City plows, which could negatively impact service delivery.
• Legal Considerations: Staff flagged several legal risks, notably that PLCs may lack the appropriate training to meet City standards and that the cost to insure them might be too expensive to justify the additional risk.

Recommendations from today’s meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, July 23.