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Centralized Planning in Grey County.

How would this impact TBM?

Grey County has announced that they are undertaking an analysis for a proposal to centralize Planning services at the County level. They have begun the process of soliciting feedback from the Grey County Municipalities, to gauge interest in this concept and address questions or concerns. The deadline for receiving responses to the request for information is October 18, 2024. 

But, why?

The County’s expressed rationale is that they hope to achieve administrative and cost efficiencies, while preserving local Municipal control over Planning decisions.

The BMRA is concerned that the centralization of Planning services will not work in the best interests of TBM. 

It is clear that growth rates and form of development varies widely across the Grey Municipalities. Some have limited activity, and limited staff, while TBM will continue to experience far more growth and development activity into the foreseeable future. As a result, the needs and expectations for how Planning will operate in this centralized model will be very different across the County.

So, we have questions

This raises important questions regarding how this would impact TBM, including;

• what will be the cost impact of centralization?  In particular, how does compensation for Planning staff compare across the Municipalities?

  
  

• Planning and Operations / Engineering have to work in a closely integrated manner.  If Planning is centralized, but Operations/Engineering is not, will our ability to coordinate TBM housing and infrastructure growth be compromised.

  
  

• How will centralization change or limit our capacity to create and administer our Official Plan, Zoning Bylaw, and other planning tools and processes at the local level?  Could TBM’s planning decisions be overridden by the County?

  
  

• The BMRA has identified the potential benefits of coordinating major infrastructure projects across the Southern Georgian Bay region, given our close geographic, economic and transportation ties with our neighbouring municipalities. Will our ability to pursue those opportunities be compromised by Grey's proposed Planning centralization?

  
  

• In the search for efficiencies, why did the County start with such a critical, public facing function? It could have started with non-public facing functions, HR, as an example, instead. That would be far less disruptive.

What’s the Rush?

We urge TBM Council and Staff to very carefully evaluate what is being proposed by the County. Recognizing that financial and decision making aspects of our Grey relationship are already not ideal, do we want even closer integration between the County and our Town? 

We also urge our Council to demand an extension to the current deadline of October 18, 2024, for responses to the centralization proposal. A new deadline must allow sufficient time for public engagement, as well as detailed analysis and consideration by TBM Council and Staff.

Summary

In summary, we have doubts that centralized Planning will benefit TBM.  

We fear this could be another scenario where we could be outvoted at the County Council table, and be forced to accept changes that might not work for our Town.

Please forward this email to interested friends & neighbours