<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">Good morning,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I realize that the election outcome is extremely disappointing to most GREN members, it makes it even more important that we get the best possible Regional Official Plan outcomes in the next few weeks - particularly since most climate change actions and impact happens at the local level. Look at what progressive cities and communities are doing in the US despite awful state and federal governments. Lets ensure we put all our frustrations, energy and effort into creating the bold, visionary ROP we are going to need for the decades ahead.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Municipalities across the Region continue to issue Staff Reports and hold Council meetings to respond to the Region with their preferred Growth Option by June 7th.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Unfortunately, the pattern we are seeing in every Council Chamber so far is that municipal staff don’t have the information they need to make a recommendation to Council or feel that the 3 options put forth by the Region are so flawed that they can not recommend any of them. Angry, poorly informed Councillors are then left struggling on very tight timelines to try to determine their future for the next 30 years and after hours of deliberations time runs out and they then schedule a new emergency Council meeting to happen within days to try to meet the regional deadline.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Kevin Eby, Mark Reusser, and myself have been at every meeting presenting the Community Option #4 as a superior path forward that has no farmland loss and goes the furthest to create the sustainable communities we need. We need to continue to ensure that there is a strong citizen voice at these municipal meetings speaking about climate concerns, farmland loss and sustainability so Councillors know the future that our community wants to see. Letters, e-mails and some delegations are very important and made all the difference in getting Wellesley Councillors to vote unanimously against their Staff Recommendation for Option #2 to breach the Countryside Line and pave over prime farmland for development.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Around the region things are unfolding as follows:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1) Woolwich Township -</b> Council Meeting this coming Monday, June 6th at 7pm - Staff Report (below) is recommending Option #2 with hundreds of acres of farmland loss. We need letters to Councillors and some delegations (need to register asap)</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2) Wellesley Township -</b> Special ROP Council Meeting is Tuesday, June 7th at 6:45pm in response to their first Council meeting and rejected Staff Report, a new Staff Report is coming forward in Wellesley and Councillors will try a second time. Once we see the new Staff report (presumably later today) we will need to respond accordingly.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3) City of Kitchener -</b> Special ROP Council Meeting is Wednesday, June 8th at 7:00pm following up their first Council meeting. Deliberations will continue on two motions on the table - one from Councillor Scott Davey and Councillor Paul Singh calling for more farmland loss, breaching the Countryside Line, and requesting 50,000 more population from the province the other motion from Councillor Debbie Chapman advocating for Option #4 and it’s principles of sustainability. We need people to reach out to Councillors expressing concerns about Councillor Davey’s motion and support for Councillor Chapman’s motion.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>4) City of Waterloo -</b> Their Staff report (below) has been issued a week early for their Monday, June 13th 7:00pm Council meeting. It is an impressive report expressing desire for more sustainable growth and intensification within urban areas and concerns about too much density targetted for close proximity to environmental areas. Waterloo Councillors need to hear how Option #4 is congruent with their Staff report and is the Option they need to be promoting for the entire Region.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>5) Wilmot Township -</b> Second Council Meeting on the ROP Response is planned for Monday, June 13th at 7:00pm. We need to work with Wilmot Councillors to have them help support an excellent motion put on the floor by Councillor Angie Hallman based on Option #4. Delegations aren’t likely allowed but letters and calls to Councillors are going to be important to get all Councillors onside.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>6) City of Cambridge </b>- Astoundingly has decided that it isn’t going to do a Staff Report and are not going to bring things to Cambridge Council giving their Councillors and citizens no opportunity to respond to the ROP other than by going directly to the region with letters or at future meetings. This is going to come as a surprise to some Cambridge Councillors I’ve spoken to who are clearly expecting a Staff Report and process similar to other municipalities.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>7) North Dumfries -</b> No response to inquiries. Please let me know if you can learn anything about what is happening in North Dumfries.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">There is a good article in today’s Record as they finally start to cover the importance of the ROP and report on things: <a href="https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/06/02/waterloo-regions-official-plan-update-aims-to-balance-building-new-homes-while-protecting-the-countryside-line.html" class="">https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/06/02/waterloo-regions-official-plan-update-aims-to-balance-building-new-homes-while-protecting-the-countryside-line.html</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Regional Staff will be presenting their recommended Growth Option based on feedback to Regional Council on June 15th.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Channel your election frustrations into the local planning we need for the future. It is more important than ever that we get the bold, visionary ROP required. Please to reach out to Councillors in your municipality to talk to them about the Regional Official Plan and the future that you want to see.</div><div class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thanks,</div><div class="">Kevin.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">------------------------</div><div class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div><br class=""></div><div><b class="">1) Summary of Option #4</b></div><div><br class=""></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>