(Photo by Jordan MacKinnon)(Photo by Jordan MacKinnon)
Midwestern

Saugeen Shores To Eliminate Planning Advisory Committee

The planning advisory committee in Saugeen Shores will not be renewed next year.

Council voted 7-1 to assume the role currently held by the PAC once the two-year term of municipal boards and committees ends in December.

Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau says it's the best move for council, pointing out the public expects its elected officials to be directly involved in matters that are currently overseen by PAC, which includes the official plan, zoning bylaw amendments and subdivision plans.

Councillor Mike Myatt was the lone member of council to oppose the change, arguing council should not be trying to fix something that is not broken.

"I think planning advisory committee over the last decade has worked perfectly fine," says Myatt. "I think removing the volunteer voice from issues like our zoning bylaw, for example, is not the right way to go."

While the planning advisory committee will become a council function, the committee of adjustment will remain and will be expanded from the current structure of five members, to seven members, with four members from the public and three members from council.

Charbonneau says council will have to expand its current schedule of two meetings per month, but adds the exact logistics of how planning issues will be dealt with have not been finalized.

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