The Township of Lake of Bays is exploring opportunities to refine and enhance municipal procedures to better protect the environment.
It comes after council received a presentation from the Lake of Bays Association (LOBA) at the Jan. 13 council meeting.
Tim Hadwen, Chair of LOBA’s planning, development and government relations committee, told council the proposed updates are to protect and enhance the natural beauty of the lakes while advocating for a safe, peaceful, and well-serviced community.
Suggested updates include transitioning the ward-by-ward septic program to a risk-based model, accelerating bylaw enforcement to prevent unauthorized tree-cutting, and enhancing transparency by posting development notices online sooner to give residents more time to respond.
“Malfunctioning septic systems are a real lake pollution risk, and more is being done in more municipalities to inspect septic systems to ensure that they’re properly functioning,” said Hadwen.
He said the association “strongly supports” the hiring of the by-law enforcement officer for the implementation of a septic tank and septic system inspection program in the township.
Hadwen also asked the town for a quick response protocol to protect trees and vegetation buffers when there is a complaint that someone is cutting down trees close to the shoreline without a permit.
“There is a real need for a quick response when mature trees are being cut down without permission or a permit. The loss of those trees is a sad thing because they take so many years to replace,” he said.
Lastly, the association is requesting that the Township implement QR codes on public notices. This would provide residents with immediate access to project details, fostering a more robust and accessible public consultation process for upcoming development applications.
“More and more QR codes are being used in more and more settings to get people right into the substance of the material that’s online, and QR codes on postings would increase the accessibility of the development plans for everyone,” said Hadwen.
Mayor Terry Glover thanked the association and said municipal staff are already working on ways to develop the proposed updates. He said council will engage in further discussions regarding these updates at a subsequent meeting.
