City Council Meeting Wrap-Up: March 19, 2024

The City Council meeting on March 19 included the swearing in of the new councillors for wards 2 and 3, and recommendations for addressing issues with derelict properties.

New Members of Council Sworn In

A by-law was passed to formally appoint Eric Benoit to the office of Councillor for Ward 2 and Michel Brabant to the office of Councillor for Ward 3. Following the passing of the by-law at the beginning of the meeting, the two new Councillors completed the oath of office and officially took their seats.

“On behalf of the rest of City Council, I welcome Councillor Benoit and Councillor Brabant to the table and offer them my sincere congratulations,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. “We look forward to working with them as we advance our agenda of growth and prosperity, and we wish them success in their new roles.”

Derelict Buildings

Council received an overview of options available to the City of Greater Sudbury and other comparable Ontario municipalities to deal with vacant and derelict buildings.

Despite the number of regulatory tools available through the municipal Property Standards By-law, the Ontario Building Code Act, the Ontario Heritage Act and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, the City has limited options to compel property owners to proceed with construction that has stalled or stopped. Having a proper framework in place to address and maintain these properties is an essential part of ensuring Greater Sudbury is a welcoming place to invest and do business.

Council approved amended resolutions directing staff to take the following steps:

• Review the effectiveness of Vacant Building By-laws and Vacant Building Registries in other Ontario municipalities and report back to Council by September 2024. The report will include information on any City-owned properties that are considered to be derelict.
• Review language in the Development Charges By-law to encourage the demolition of derelict buildings and provide sufficient time to encourage redevelopment.
• Review the Property Standards By-law to determine possible amendments to enforce property standards for vacant derelict properties and to better protect heritage-designated properties. Staff will report back to Council with suggested amendments by September 2024.

For more details on these and other items from this week’s meetings, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/meetings-agendas-and-minutes.