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Township of Perth East
May 3, 2018
Re: PROPERTY STANDARDS
There has been much discussion at Council, with our residents/taxpayers and in social and traditional media about the role of property standards in the municipality. This is an issue that we take very seriously and want to make sure that the best information is available.
Property standards in Ontario have been regulated since the 1970s and in Perth East we have had a property standards bylaw since 2001. Recently the municipality’s lawyer Eric Davis, provided a presentation at a regular meeting of Council regarding property standards which is included with this page as a resource and reference.
Most municipalities in Ontario have similar property standards by-laws. They are important from a health and safety perspective and an aesthetic perspective. In most cases, they set out matters involving such things as structural integrity and safety.
In Perth East, there have been no significant issues with the by-law. That does not mean there cannot be improvement made and in an effort to address comments and concerns received, Council have directed that a review of the existing by-law be completed.
In accordance with Council’s direction, staff are in the process of reviewing submissions received to compile the identified concerns, and the related sections of the current by-law (if any) that may pertain to the identified concerns.
One of the key issues that arose recently is that of biosecurity and how to ensure the safety of the municipality’s farmlands, crops and animals. In order to address this, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) provided a report to Council on May 1st, 2018 entitled Property Standards By-law and Biosecurity Policy Update. The report is included with this page.
The CAO’s report included the following:
The municipality is moving forward with a Draft Biosecurity Policy for all departments. In order to ensure the most fulsome policy, a formal request has been sent to the following organizations:
- Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs
- Ontario Federation of Agriculture
In addition, Council directed staff to include the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and the National Farmers Union of Ontario.
Additionally, a request was sent to municipalities to ask for copies of any municipal Biosecurity Policies that may have been developed and implemented.
Timing of the preparation of the draft Policy will be dependent on the timing of the responses from the requested organizations.
Once the draft policy has been compiled, it will be circulated to Council and identified groups for comment.
In the interim, biosecurity remains a concern for local agricultural properties and is a priority for staff and Council. Staff will continue to follow biosecurity practices regularly used to this point.
Additionally, until a Biosecurity Policy is approved by Council, in an effort to further address these concerns during the interim period, Perth East staff have reviewed the CFIA biosecurity guidelines and will observe these practices when dealing with biosecurity controlled farm properties.
- call ahead and make an appointment
- park in a designated visitors area
- review the visitors policy at the farm
- postpone going to a second farm for 48 hours
As we move through the process of reviewing the existing Property Standards Bylaw and developing a new Biosecurity policy, the latest information will be posted to our website. The Township of Perth East welcome questions and submissions
Reference Documents:
Property Standards By-law 36-2001
Presentation – Primer on Property Standards - Eric Davis, Certified Specialist (Municipal Law)
CAO Report - Property Standards Bylaw and Biosecurity Policy Update