Whereas on January 17, 2022, the Town's Planning and Development Committee considered a request from Michael Rice, President of the Rice Group, for a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) on behalf of Tullamore Industrial GP Limited for the property municipally known as 12245 Torbram Road;
Whereas the request was referred to staff to provide additional information and report back;
Whereas on July 22, 2022 without the support of Council, former Mayor Allan Thompson sent a letter to the Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing personally asking the Minister to consider using his legislative authority to advance the planning application for the noted property by issuing a Minister's Zoning Order;
Whereas the request put forward to the Minister by the former Mayor, on Town letterhead, could be interpreted to be a breach of the Code of Conduct for Members of Council, specifically points 3 and 10 of the Policy Statement and Section 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4 of the Code;
Whereas without a resolution of support from the Council of the Town of Caledon for the MZO, on September 9, 2022, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing filed Ontario Regulation 483-22, which applies to lands municipally known as 12245 Torbram Road;
Now therefore be it resolved that the current Council disavow and repudiate the action taken, in July 2022, by former Mayor Allan Thompson, relating to the MZO filed on lands known municipally as 12245 Torbram Road by reaffirming its commitment to abide by the Code of Conduct for Members of Council;
Further that a letter be sent to the Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, requesting that MZO Ontario Regulation 483-22 filed on September 9, 2022 be revoked based on the letter sent by former Mayor Allan Thompson and the irregularities in the process by which the MZO was issued;
That a copy of this resolution and the letter be provided to the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario and the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and MPP for Caledon-Dufferin.