Item - 2025.IE21.1

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. In addition to, and concurrent with, the authority currently delegated by City Council to the General Manager, Toronto Water, the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and their respective authorized staff designates in writing, City Council delegate authority to the Executive Director, Development Review, to designate in writing the appropriate staff authorized to sign, on behalf of the City, any application and notification forms as may be required by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks related to the administration of the new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process for municipal wastewater collection and stormwater management systems, related to development review and third-party projects and subject to the partnership agreement.

2. As a condition of the delegation of authority by City Council to the Executive Director, Development Review, and their authorized designates, as set out in Recommendation 1 above, City Council directs the General Manager, Toronto Water, the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and the Executive Director, Development Review, to update their partnership agreement to reflect the City’s transition from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Transfer of Review Program to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Toronto Water, the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services and the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services.

This report recommends the delegation of authority to the Executive Director, Development Review, to designate in writing the appropriate staff authorized to sign, on behalf of the City, any application and notification forms, as may be required under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval application and notification process for municipal wastewater collection and stormwater management systems, related to development review and third-party projects as provided under the partnership agreement. It is further recommended that the General Manager, Toronto Water, the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and the Executive Director, Development Review, update their partnership agreement to reflect the City's transition from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Transfer of Review Program to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process.

In September 2024, staff who review development applications were consolidated under the newly created Development Review division to expedite the review of all development applications received by the City, with a focus on getting more homes, notably affordable homes, built faster within complete communities. To administer this change, City Council authorized delegation of certain existing planning and infrastructure development review related authorities, including authorities associated with the Transfer of Review Program under the Ontario Water Resources Act and the City's Transfer of Review Agreement, to the Executive Director, Development Review, and the appropriate City staff. Prior to this change, these authorities were delegated to Toronto Water and Engineering and Construction Services. Consolidation under Development Review and delegation of authorities were vital to accelerate the City's development application review process.

In October 2021, City Council authorized the designation of the General Manager, Toronto Water, as the Owner Representative to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals. In addition, City Council authorized the General Manager, Toronto Water and the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, in consultation, to designate in writing the appropriate staff within their respective divisions authorized to sign on behalf of the City, any forms, letters of acceptance or such further documents, as may be required by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks related to the administration of the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals. Since 2021, staff have been coordinating with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and planning for the City's transition from the Transfer of Review Program to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process. Conditional on final terms, staff anticipate the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals will be issued by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in 2025. As a result of this transition and re-organization of staff who review development applications that will be subject to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process from Engineering and Construction Services to Development Review, the delegation of authority to the Executive Director, Development Review, to designate in writing the appropriate staff authorized to sign, on behalf of the City, any application and notification forms, as may be required under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals is needed.

Approval of the recommendations in this report will help ensure a smooth transition from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Transfer of Review Program to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process for development applications that are subject to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals application and notification process.