Committee of the Whole - Planning and Administration

THAT all Items contained within the Committee Reports (Items 7.1 to 7.2) not separated for discussion purposes BE APPROVED. Yes (10) Councillor Carpenter, Councillor McCreary, Mayor Davis, Councillor Van Tilborg, Councillor Martin, Councillor Sicoli, Councillor Hunt, Councillor Sullivan, Councillor Caputo, and Councillor Samwell

WHEREAS the community of Welland and the surrounding communities were deeply impacted by a recent heinous crime that highlighted critical gaps in Canada’s criminal justice and offender-management systems; and WHEREAS on September 4, 2025, Mayor Frank Campion of the City of Welland wrote to the Premier of Ontario urging comprehensive reform to strengthen sentencing, parole, and bail provisions for violent sexual offenders, and to enhance public safety protections; and WHEREAS on September 12, 2025, Mayor Mat Siscoe of the City of St. Catharines wrote to the Prime Minister of Canada expressing strong support for these reforms and calling for immediate federal action to strengthen sentencing, parole, and accountability measures for violent sexual offenders; and WHEREAS the City of Thorold, at its meeting of September 9, 2025, adopted Resolution 14.2 requesting the Province of Ontario to amend Christopher’s Law (Sexual Offenders Registry), 2000 to make Ontario Sex Offender Registry publicly accessible; and WHEREAS several Niagara municipalities; including Grimsby, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, and St. Catherines have subsequently endorsed this call for greater transparency and reform; and WHEREAS municipal councils, though not responsible for criminal law or parole, play a vital role in advocating for the safety and well-being of their residents; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: THAT the Council of the City of Brantford hereby supports the City of Thorold’s Resolution calling for t

THAT all Items contained within the Committee Reports (Items 7.1 to 7.2) separated for discussion purposes BE APPROVED. The items were then voted on individually and

WHEREAS excessive noise has the effect of interfering with the use and enjoyment of an individual’s property; and WHEREAS the Municipal Act, 2001 authorizes municipalities to pass by laws regulating noise and other related nuisances in order to protect the health, safety, and well-being of persons, and the quiet enjoyment of property; and WHEREAS residents are increasingly entertaining at home, including hosting backyard gatherings and outdoor social events, resulting in growing concerns regarding late-evening noise impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods; and WHEREAS City events including live band concerts and sports events with loudspeakers, result in noise disturbance; and WHEREAS the City seeks to balance reasonable residential enjoyment with the need to protect adjacent property owners from undue noise disturbances. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Staff BE DIRECTED to prepare an amendment to the Noise By-law to establish a maximum permitted noise level of less than 50 decibels after 11:00 p.m., applicable to all residential properties, including but not limited to noise generated from outdoor entertainment, backyard events, concerts, sporting events, amplified sound, musical instruments, or other sound-producing devices; and Staff BE DIRECTED to conduct a review of noise by-laws and decibel limits in other Ontario municipalities, including but not limited to comparable urban and suburban cities, and report back on best practices, enforcement models, and recommended ali

WHEREAS Section 217 of the Municipal Act, 2001 permits municipalities to change the composition of council, including creating new offices, provided that such changes are approved through by-law prior to January 1 of an election year; and WHEREAS the City of Brantford currently does not have a Deputy Mayor position, and the establishment of an elected Deputy Mayor would enhance civic leadership, support Councils collective responsibilities, and strengthen the City’s regional, provincial, and federal representation; and WHEREAS several Ontario municipalities elect Deputy Mayors to provide clear continuity in representation, increased visibility at community and regional functions, and additional support to the Mayors office; and WHEREAS implementing an elected Deputy Mayor position for the 2026 Municipal Election requires advance preparation, including legislative compliance, public notice, budget considerations, and administrative planning; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The necessary by-law to establish a new Deputy Mayor position for the City of Brantford to be elected at large beginning with the 2026 Municipal Election BE PRESENTED for adoption to City Council on December 16, 2025 The duties of the Deputy Mayor be tailored to Brantford's governance structure and include: Representing the City at community events, regional forums, and public functions when the Mayor is unavailable; Acting as the Mayors alternate at intergovernmental meetings, stakeholder engagements, and em

WHEREAS several Advisory Committees have expressed that the current procedural structure may limit their ability to openly discuss ideas, emerging issues, and community concerns during meetings; and WHEREAS in addition, Committee Members have stated that the formal meeting procedures often restrict flexibility to introduce or explore new ideas, resulting in missed opportunities for early input and collaboration; and WHEREAS the time required to advance matters through the current reporting process can delay progress, reduce momentum, and in some cases contribute to decreased engagement and overall effectiveness of Committees in fulfilling their advisory roles; and WHEREAS encouraging more open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving among Committee Members would help restore purpose, strengthen participation, and enable Committees to provide more timely and meaningful advice to Council; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Staff BE DIRECTED to REPORT BACK to Council in Q1 of 2026 with possible amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 26 – Council Procedures to allow Committee Members to engage in more fulsome collaborative discussion. Recorded vote: Yes (7) Councillor McCreary, Mayor Davis, Councillor Van Tilborg, Councillor Sicoli, Councillor Hunt, Councillor Caputo, and Councillor Samwell No (3) Councillor Carpenter, Councillor Martin, and Councillor Sullivan

THAT Section 15.11.5 of the procedural by-law BE WAIVED in order to introduce the following notice of motion as a resolution 9.1 Grand River Conservation Authority – Bill 68 - Mayor Davis WHEREAS the Government of Ontario recently approved Bill 68, which establishes the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency; and WHEREAS the Government of Ontario is proposing the consolidation of the province's 36 conservation authorities into seven regional conservation authorities, including the Grand River Conservation Authority(GRCA), which will be amalgamated amongst eight current authorities to become part of the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority (LERCA); and WHEREAS the 38 municipalities within the GRCA watershed boundaries today and the 81 municipalities that are proposed to make up the LERCA in 2027 will be levied to fund both the regional conservation authority as well as the provincial conservation agency; and WHEREAS the new organizations will result in the degradation of local governance, local fiscal accountability, local service delivery, local environmental focus and unprecedented funding by local municipalities of both a large regional authority and a provincial agency; and WHEREAS the GRCA Board of Directors has responded to Bill 68 and the proposal for Conservation Authorities consolidation with a constructive and thoughtful alternative that retains local governance, local service delivery, local environmental focus and local fiscal accountability while responding c

WHEREAS the Government of Ontario recently approved Bill 68, which establishes the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency; and WHEREAS the Government of Ontario is proposing the consolidation of the province's 36 conservation authorities into seven regional conservation authorities, including the Grand River Conservation Authority(GRCA), which will be amalgamated amongst eight current authorities to become part of the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority (LERCA); and WHEREAS the 38 municipalities within the GRCA watershed boundaries today and the 81 municipalities that are proposed to make up the LERCA in 2027 will be levied to fund both the regional conservation authority as well as the provincial conservation agency; and WHEREAS the new organizations will result in the degradation of local governance, local fiscal accountability, local service delivery, local environmental focus and unprecedented funding by local municipalities of both a large regional authority and a provincial agency; and WHEREAS the GRCA Board of Directors has responded to Bill 68 and the proposal for Conservation Authorities consolidation with a constructive and thoughtful alternative that retains local governance, local service delivery, local environmental focus and local fiscal accountability while responding constructively to the Government of Ontario's concerns about accountability, planning and responsiveness; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Corporation of the City of Brantford formally

THAT all Items contained within the Committee Reports (Items 7.1 to 7.2) not separated for discussion purposes BE APPROVED. Yes (10): Mayor Davis, Councillor Sicoli, Councillor Sullivan, Councillor Caputo, Councillor Martin, Councillor McCreary, Councillor Carpenter, Councillor Hunt, Councillor Samwell, and Councillor Van Tilborg

WHEREAS the community of Welland and the surrounding communities were deeply impacted by a recent heinous crime that highlighted critical gaps in Canada’s criminal justice and offender- management systems; and WHEREAS on September 4, 2025, Mayor Frank Campion of the City of Welland wrote to the Premier of Ontario urging comprehensive reform to strengthen sentencing, parole, and bail provisions for violent sexual offenders, and to enhance public safety protections; and WHEREAS on September 12, 2025, Mayor Mat Siscoe of the City of St. Catharines wrote to the Prime Minister of Canada expressing strong support for these reforms and calling for immediate federal action to strengthen sentencing, parole, and accountability measures for violent sexual offenders; and WHEREAS the City of Thorold, at its meeting of September 9, 2025, adopted Resolution 14.2 requesting the Province of Ontario to amend Christopher’s Law (Sexual Offenders Registry), 2000 to make Ontario Sex Offender Registry publicly accessible; and 5 WHEREAS several Niagara municipalities; including Grimsby, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, and St. Catherines have subsequently endorsed this call for greater transparency and reform; and WHEREAS municipal councils, though not responsible for criminal law or parole, play a vital role in advocating for the safety and well- being of their residents; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: A. THAT the Council of the City of Brantford hereby supports the City of Thorold’s Resolution callin

7 WHEREAS excessive noise has the effect of interfering with the use and enjoyment of an individual’s property; and WHEREAS the Municipal Act, 2001 authorizes municipalities to pass by laws regulating noise and other related nuisances in order to protect the health, safety, and well-being of persons, and the quiet enjoyment of property; and WHEREAS residents are increasingly entertaining at home, including hosting backyard gatherings and outdoor social events, resulting in growing concerns regarding late-evening noise impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods; and WHEREAS City events including live band concerts and sports events with loudspeakers, result in noise disturbance; and WHEREAS the City seeks to balance reasonable residential enjoyment with the need to protect adjacent property owners from undue noise disturbances. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: A. Staff BE DIRECTED to prepare an amendment to the Noise By-law to establish a maximum permitted noise level of less than 50 decibels after 11:00 p.m., applicable to all residential properties, including but not limited to noise generated from outdoor entertainment, backyard events, concerts, sporting events, amplified sound, musical instruments, or other sound-producing devices; and B. Staff BE DIRECTED to conduct a review of noise by-laws and decibel limits in other Ontario municipalities, including but not limited to comparable urban and suburban cities, and report back on best practices, enforcement models, and recomme

10 WHEREAS several Advisory Committees have expressed that the current procedural structure may limit their ability to openly discuss ideas, emerging issues, and community concerns during meetings; and WHEREAS in addition, Committee Members have stated that the formal meeting procedures often restrict flexibility to introduce or explore new ideas, resulting in missed opportunities for early input and collaboration; and WHEREAS the time required to advance matters through the current reporting process can delay progress, reduce momentum, and in some cases contribute to decreased engagement and overall effectiveness of Committees in fulfilling their advisory roles; and WHEREAS encouraging more open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving among Committee Members would help restore purpose, strengthen participation, and enable Committees to provide more timely and meaningful advice to Council; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Staff BE DIRECTED to REPORT BACK to Council in Q1 of 2026 with possible amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 26 – Council Procedures to allow Committee Members to engage in more fulsome collaborative discussion. Recorded vote: Yes (7): Mayor Davis, Councillor Sicoli, Councillor Caputo, Councillor McCreary, Councillor Hunt, Councillor Samwell, and Councillor Van Tilborg No (3): Councillor Sullivan, Councillor Martin, and Councillor Carpenter

11 THAT Section 15.11.5 of the procedural by-law BE WAIVED in order to introduce the following notice of motion as a resolution 9.1 Grand River Conservation Authority – Bill 68 - Mayor Davis WHEREAS the Government of Ontario recently approved Bill 68, which establishes the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency; and WHEREAS the Government of Ontario is proposing the consolidation of the province's 36 conservation authorities into seven regional conservation authorities, including the Grand River Conservation Authority(GRCA), which will be amalgamated amongst eight current authorities to become part of the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority (LERCA); and WHEREAS the 38 municipalities within the GRCA watershed boundaries today and the 81 municipalities that are proposed to make up the LERCA in 2027 will be levied to fund both the regional conservation authority as well as the provincial conservation agency; and WHEREAS the new organizations will result in the degradation of local governance, local fiscal accountability, local service delivery, local environmental focus and unprecedented funding by local municipalities of both a large regional authority and a provincial agency; and WHEREAS the GRCA Board of Directors has responded to Bill 68 and the proposal for Conservation Authorities consolidation with a constructive and thoughtful alternative that retains local governance, local service delivery, local environmental focus and local fiscal accountability while respondin