Item - 2018.PG29.2

The Planning and Growth Management Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council increase the 2018 Approved Operating Budgets and associated complement for the following City Programs to fund additional salary, benefit, furniture and computer equipment costs associated with the staffing needs required to implement new processes arising out of Bill 139, resulting in a total cost of $0.617 million in 2018 and an incremental cost of $1.225 million in 2019, to be fully recovered from the Development Application Reserve Fund:

a.  That Legal Services' 2018 Approved Operating Budget be increased by a total of  $0.145 million gross and $0 net, comprising of $0.135 million gross and $0 net to fund 2.0 permanent positions and $0.010 million gross and $0 net to fund one-time furniture and computer equipment costs for the additional complement;

b.  That City Planning's 2018 Approved Operating Budget be increased by a total of  $0.402 million gross and $0 net, comprising of $0.352 million gross and $0 net to fund 9.0 temporary positions and $0.050 million gross and $0 net to fund one-time furniture and computer equipment costs for the additional complement; and

c.  That City Clerks' Office 2018 Approved Operating Budget be increased by a total of $0.070 million gross and $0 net to fund 2.0 permanent positions.

2.  City Council  authorize the continuation and conversion of five (5) existing temporary to five (5) permanent solicitor positions in Legal Services, previously approved by City Council in 2017 for a 2 year period, with continued funding from the City Planning Development Application Reserve Fund.

3.  City Council direct that the 2019 Comprehensive Review of Planning Application Fees include the functions required to implement Bill 139, as outlined in the report (April 27, 2018) from the City Clerk, the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the City Solicitor.

4.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, as part of City Planning's 2019 Budget submission, to report on the resource requirements to:

a.  advance the policy development and implementation of Inclusionary Zoning;

b.  advance the legislated conformity exercise with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017); and

c.  implement related zoning changes.

5.  City Council direct that the Chief Planner and City Solicitor report to the Planning and Growth Management Committee in the first quarter of 2021 on permanent staffing levels required for the implementation of Bill 139, taking into account the findings of the End-to-End Review of the Development Review Process.

6.  City Council direct that the End-to-End Review of the Development Review Process currently underway, include consideration of any operational changes and improvements required as a result of Bill 139.

The Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017 (Bill 139) received Royal Assent on December 12, 2017 and has been proclaimed into law as of April 3, 2018.  Bill 139 makes substantial changes to the planning system in the Province and will have significant impacts on procedures, processes and resources at the City.  This report sets out those impacts and recommends the funding of resources required to implement Bill 139.