An "unwilling host" to existing wind proposals

Clearview Council declared the Township an unwilling host to the two wind farm proposals that are planned for within its boundaries Monday night, but stopped short of making a broad statement regarding any and all future proposals.

Councillor Thom Paterson’s initial motion, which was supplied to his colleagues two weeks ago, before the province’s recent announcement that it plans to change the Feed-In-Tariff application process to give municipalities some level of input when it comes to large scale renewable energy projects, called for an all-encompassing statement that Clearview Township is an “unwilling host” to Industrial Wind Turbines.

It was written in response to incoming Premier Kathleen Wynne’s throne-speech statement that “our economy can benefit from [things such as wind farms], but only if we have willing hosts.”
Since that statement was made, 43 Ontario municipalities have passed resolutions stating they are unwilling to host Industrial Wind Turbines within their boundaries. In a subsequent radio interview, Wynne seemed to imply that these resolutions would have little effect on wind proposals that are already being considered.

Wynne’s Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli also announced last week that the province intends to rejig the application process for large-scale renewable energy projects to give municipalities more say on locations and site requirements. How exactly that will play out is still up in the air. The one thing Chiarelli has been clear on is that municipalities will not be given veto power over wind proposals.

The fact that the situation is in flux, however, was enough to give the majority of Clearview Council pause when considering a blanket “unwilling host” resolution.

“I think it’s a little too broad myself,” said Councillor Shawn Davidson, who put forward an amendment to Paterson’s motion limiting the Township’s objection to the proposals – wpd Canada’s Fairview Wind Farm in the vicinity of Fairgrounds Road and County Road 91 and the Skyway 124 proposal south of Singhampton – that have already been discussed by Council.

Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage, who seconded Davidson’s amendment, echoed his concerns, pointing out that the Township had only consulted with the public on those two projects.

“We need to have a more fulsome consultation with the entire municipality,” said Savage. She also said she anticipated the province will be consulting with municipalities on the still-to-be-finalized changes to the renewable energy application process, and that any broad statement at this point could be alienating.

Paterson, however, protested that Davidson’s amendment changed the intent of his motion, and pointed out that the Township’s past positions with regard to the Fairview and Skyway 124 projects – protesting the absence of municipal planning authority in the Green Energy Act, calling for greater separations between turbines and residences and requesting a moratorium on all installations until the completion of the ongoing Health Canada study – would be applicable to any future applications as well.

“This applies to every project that might come our way,” said Paterson. “It’s about stating that industrial wind turbines are not acceptable to us as a form of renewable energy.”

In the end, Davidson’s amendment limiting the statement to the two existing proposals was passed by a vote of 7-2, with only Paterson and Councillor Brent Preston in opposition.

The ensuing vote, on the amended motion, passed by a vote of 8-1, with Deputy Mayor Savage noting before the vote that she would be against it due to her continued support for wind energy in general.

New Renewable Energy Protocol

Council gave Planning Director Michael Wynia the go-ahead Monday night to finalize an application form and protocol for developers seeking municipal support for renewable energy projects over 500 megawatts. Under the province’s FIT 2.0 program, currently in place for renewable energy applications, a points system determines what preference proposals will be given by the Ministry of Energy. Projects with “municipal support” can earn an extra two points toward their total (this system has been in place since the beginning of 2012 and could be subject to change given the recent announcements referenced above).

Wynia’s new protocol, presented in draft form Monday night, establishes the minimum information to be provided by a proponent seeking a municipal resolution of support, sets out the process for consideration of the granting of a resolution of support, sets out the minimum information requirements, and sets out applicable fees.
The first application that could be subject to the protocol is the Bondfield NCC Solar LP project, planned for the southeast corner of the Township. The proponents visited Council recently to apprise them of their plans and to request a resolution of support.

Heritage Conservation Open House

Planning director Wynia informed Council Monday night that his department will host an open house on the subject of Heritage Conservation in Clearview Township from 3 to 7 pm on Tuesday, June 25 in the Clearview Council Chambers.

The event will seek input from the public on three questions: Should Clearview Township initiate a heritage conservation program?; What would a heritage conservation program look like and what would its focus be?; and what type of approach should be taken to protect the Township’s viewscapes and its natural, cultural, and archaeological resources?

Criteria for Municipal Significance

Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage put forth a resolution Monday night requesting staff to draft a protocol for deciding what constitutes a “municipally significant event” with regard to the granting of liquor licenses.

Council has been inundated with requests for such designation since the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario tightened its policies regarding the granting of Special Occasion Permits, requiring organizations without charitable status to obtain a resolution from Council stating that their event is municipally significant before applying for their permit.

So far, Council has been granting the status on an ad-hoc basis; with Savage’s motion, Council will have some criteria with which to measure events.

Before Savage made her motion Monday night, Council voted to grant “municipally significant” status to two events, the New Lowell Knights Civic Holiday Baseball Tournament and the 32nd annual Adelphotis Arahoviton Greek Heritage Festival, which takes place at the Karyai Village Park outside New Lowell.