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Welcome to Engage Cobourg, our new online community engagement platform. Follow and participate in engagement opportunities to help shape projects, policies and initiatives in your community. Help us build a better municipality!&nbsp;This platform is available for Cobourg residents and business owners ONLY.

Welcome to Engage Cobourg!

The Town of Cobourg undergoes an annual budget process to align the financial resources required to provide the programs and services that establish the high quality of life residents enjoy in our community. The budget is presented by the Treasurer, with input from municipal staff on their individual departments. It is then presented to Council for review and deliberation prior to final approval.Each year, the Corporation is faced with variables that are outside of Council or staff control. Aging infrastructure, inflation, policy changes, unexpected funding opportunities, and the changing needs of residents. Council must make budgetary decisions, based on the immediate and future needs of the community. To help Council make informed decisions, staff draw upon Council&rsquo;s Strategic Plan to ensure that the financial decisions made annually, will help achieve the future vision for Cobourg as well as community input to gain insight into the desire of residents. Community Engagement Breakdown The 2025 Budget Community Engagement Plan is broken down into two phases. Phase One Community Engagement will be focused on receiving input for the development of the draft budget. Staff are seeking insight for Council on the current programs and services residents feel require additional funding and/or staff attention as well as community recommendations for programs and services that align with Council&rsquo;s Strategic Plan. This information will help staff prepare the draft budget to be presented to Council in October. Phase Two Community Engagement will seek community feedback on the draft budget. Where possible, participatory budgeting will be made available if Council is faced with making decisions between services based on funding. The results of Phase Two Community Engagement will be presented to Council prior to the detailed budget review session November so that Council will have insight from the community as they make their final budget decisions.Phase One Community Engagement Tactics <ul><li>Survey available on EngagegeCobourg.ca from August 1 &ndash; September 6, 2024. </li><li>Council Budget Information sessions (August 6 &ndash; September 3, 2024) </li><li>Community delegations and budget recommendations to Council at the September 3, 2024 Strategic Priorities and Policy Standing Committee Meeting</li></ul>Phase Two Community Engagement Tactics <ul><li>Survey available on EngageCobourg.ca from October 29 &ndash; November 12, 2024 </li></ul>Council Budget Information Sessions: In response to resident feedback and to improve community engagement practices, the Town of Cobourg is introducing Council Budget Information Sessions for phase one community engagement. During the month of August, each member of Council will host a budget information session where residents can ask questions about the budget or provide recommendations for the 2025 budget. Recommendations shared in these meetings will be added to the Community Engagement report to be received by all of Council. Budget Information Sessions can be held in person at Victoria Hall, over the phone or via Zoom/Teams on the following dates: <ul><li>August 6, 2024, from 1 p.m. &ndash; 3 p.m. &ndash; Mayor Cleveland </li><li>August 12, 2024, from 11 a.m. &ndash; 1 p.m. &ndash; Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty </li><li>August 13, 2024, from 1 p.m. &ndash; 3 p.m. &ndash; Mayor Cleveland</li><li>August 14, 2024 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 1 p.m. - Councillor Aaron Burchat </li><li>August 19, 2024 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 1 p.m. &ndash; Councillor Miriam Mutton</li><li>August 26, 2024 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 1 p.m. &ndash; Councillor Brian Darling </li><li>August 29, 2024 from 11 a.m. &ndash; 1 p.m. Councillor Adam Bureau </li><li>September 3, from 11 a.m. &ndash; 1 p.m &ndash; Councillor Randy Barber</li></ul>To book an appointment with a member of Council please email Laura Howard at <a href="mailto:lhoward@cobourg.ca">lhoward@cobourg.ca</a> or call 905-372-4301 x 4305. Stay Up to Date on the 2025 Budget: Subscribe to this project to stay up-to-date on the 2024 Budget deliberations and engagement opportunities. If you require any of the information in an accessible format, please contact the Communications Department at <a href="mailto:communications@cobourg.ca/">communications@cobourg.ca</a>.

2025 Capital and Operating Budget

Heritage Permit By-law ReviewThe Town of Cobourg is currently reviewing its Heritage Permit By-law to improve efficiencies and timing for residents applying for minor alterations to their properties.The Heritage Permit process allows the Town of Cobourg to ensure that the heritage value of a property is not diminished. The focus of the By-law update is to protect and preserve Cobourg&rsquo;s built heritage, while making it easier for those who are requesting to make minor and/or compliant alterations to their property. Motivation for Update:<ul type="disc"><li>Providing improved customer service by reducing wait times for applicants while upholding CHAC participation and consultation</li><li>Improving the public perception of heritage planning and its approval processes</li></ul>Heritage Protection: The Ontario Heritage Act, 1990, R.S.O 1990, c. O.18, as amended grants permission to the Town of Cobourg to approve alterations to properties designated under Part IV and Part V. The recommended updates to the Heritage Permit By-law are focused on the process which applications are reviewed.The proposed updates to the Heritage Permit By-law do not alter any policies and guidelines with respect to heritage protection for the Town of Cobourg. Overview of Recommended Updates <ul type="disc"><li>Definition of what constitutes &ldquo;maintenance&rdquo; to assist in the approval of routine, non-destructive actions necessary to slow the deterioration of a Designated Heritage property. </li><li>Clarification and consolidation of:<ul type="circle"><li>Types of alterations that do not require heritage permits (See Section 4 &ndash; No Application Required, of the draft By-law)</li><li>Types of alterations delegated to staff for review and approval for individually designated properties and properties in a Heritage Conservation District. (See Section 5 &ndash; Authority for Delegation, of draft By-law) </li><li>What cannot be delegated to staff and where staff must consult with the Cobourg Heritage Advisory Committee (See section 5.1.4 and 6.10 of draft By-law) </li><li>Clarification that staff cannot deny a Heritage Permit application. If staff cannot support an application, the application is referred to Council (See section 5.1.8 of draft by-law) </li></ul></li></ul>Three-Stream Permit System Currently, only minor alterations are delegated to staff for approval, with the remainder having to go to Council.The recommended changes to the Draft Heritage Permit Bylaw would see the implementation of a three-stream permit system that would help to expedite minor and compliant alterations as well as emergency repairs. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Application Type</td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Approval Level</td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Estimated Timeline</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Minor Alterations Emergency Repairs </td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Staff Approval </td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Approx. 14-21 days (2-3 weeks)</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Compliant Alterations </td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Staff Approval and Cobourg Heritage Advisory Committee Approval </td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Approx. 30-60 days (1-2 months)</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Major or Non-compliant alterations </td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Staff Approval, Cobourg Heritage Advisory Committee Approval and Council Approval </td><td valign="top" width="33.333333333333336%">Approx. 60-90 days (2-3 months)</td></tr></tbody></table>Definitions: See section 2 of draft by-law Supporting Documents for Review:<ul type="disc"><li>By-law 097-2009: Heritage Permit By-law </li><li>DRAFT Heritage Permit By-law, xxx-2024 </li></ul>Community Engagement Tactics<ul type="disc"><li>Submit an Idea! <ul type="circle"><li>Once you have reviewed the Draft Heritage Permit By-law, use the &quot;Ideas&quot; tool to provide your feedback or recommendations.</li></ul></li></ul>Timelines and Next Steps This community engagement program will be available until November 15, 2024. Community members are also invited to speak to this item at the November 11, 2024, Heritage Advisory Committee meeting at 4:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at Victoria Hall.Staff will collect all feedback and report back to Council at the November 27, 2024 Public Works, Planning and Development Committee meeting. Questions For questions about the Heritage Permit By-law Review or any Town of Cobourg Community Engagement programs, please contact Kara Euale Manager, Communications E: <a href="mailto:keuale@cobourg.ca">keuale@cobourg.ca</a> T: 905-372-4301 ext: 4105

Heritage Permit By-law Review

The Town of Cobourg’s corporate website, Cobourg.ca, serves as the primary source of official information for Cobourg residents. 

Municipal Website Development

Background The Town of Cobourg commenced a one-year pilot project to offer residents On-Demand services, which included adding virtual transit stops throughout the Town where transit services were never offered with fixed route service.Since the implementation of On-Demand services on April 19, 2021, average ride times onboard Cobourg Transit have been reduced from up to one (1) hour down to an average of 10-minute trip time. We would like to hear from you regarding your use and experiences on Cobourg Rides.How is On Demand different from traditional (fixed route) transit service? On-Demand Transit is a shared-ride public transit service without a fixed schedule or route. The bus travel is optimized by computer software, and it is based upon rider trip requests on a first come first served basis. Trips can be requested in advance (up to 1 week) or same day.Most transit services have fixed routes, bus stops and schedules. Buses must continue the route even if there are no passengers. With the on-demand service, passengers must request transportation in advance. There is no set schedule and if there are no riders, the bus can be parked until there is a request for service saving fuel, emissions and wear/tear on the vehicles.How does the service work? On-Demand is similar to Uber or other ride-hailing companies. Customers register an account either online or by calling 905-373-0582. Trips can then be booked up to one-week in advance either through the mobile app (computer or smart phone) or by phone. You will be asked to provide a pick-up and drop off location (existing transit stop or virtual stop) as well as the time you would like to be picked-up. You do not need a cell phone to utilize the service. If you are completing a roundtrip, you can book the return trip at the same time. Visit the <a href="http://cobourg.ca/rides">Cobourg Rides webpage</a> to learn more. We&#39;re looking for your feedback To share your thoughts on the On-Demand Transit pilot, please contribute to the following public engagement opportunities below, including:<ul><li>Complete the <a href="https://engagecobourg.ca/cobourg-on-demand-transit-survey/survey_tools/cobourg-on-demand-transit-survey">Survey</a>.</li><li>Participate in the <a href="https://engagecobourg.ca/cobourg-on-demand-transit-survey/forum_topics/forum">Forum</a>.</li></ul>If you require any of the information in an accessible format, please contact the Communications Department at <a class="external" href="mailto:communications@cobourg.ca/">communications@cobourg.ca</a>.

On-Demand Transit Survey

What is a Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA)? A short-term rental accommodation (STRA) is defined as a private residential dwelling that is rented to provide temporary accommodation to a person or persons who usually do not reside in the dwelling. STRAs are different from hotels since they usually occur in buildings used for residential purposes; the use can be regulated through zoning by-laws, business licensing regulations, and nuisance regulations.Municipal staff interpret STRAs as a residential use as they are functioning as a single dwelling unit in the context of the Town&rsquo;s Zoning By-law. Municipalities across North America are experiencing an influx of STRAs across sharing platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, Kijiji, and Craiglist to name a few. Some municipalities have implemented policies to regulate the common issues associated with STRAs including impacts on long-term housing, hospitality industry, neighborhoods, and nuisances.What is the Status of STRAs in Cobourg? At present, the Town of Cobourg does not specifically regulate STRAs. However, the Town&#39;s by-laws still encompass nuisances and permitted commercial uses on residential properties. When complaints arise, Staff can use existing municipal tools to address some of these concerns, such as involving By-law Enforcement, Building Services or Planning Services.Using existing zoning policies avoids the potential of legal nonconforming standards arising from future zoning changes. However, the existing policies may not encompass the desired scope that a new Zoning By-law and/or Licensing mechanism can entail. It is also very cumbersome, costly and would be challenging to have the Courts stop the use from occurring, only deal with some of the nuisance issues such as noise and parking.About the Project The Town of Cobourg can be viewed as a destination Town that is placed along the shores of Lake Ontario and visitors have been traveling to the Town and the surrounding area to enjoy our waterfront for many years. Short-term rental accommodations (STRA&rsquo;s) are not new to the Town of Cobourg and have been within the municipality for several years, but the amount has been increasing over the years.In the past, residents and property owners would use traditional methods to share dwellings with others on a short-term basis via word of mouth and the newspaper, but now with the convenience of online platforms, such as Trip Advisory, Craigslist, Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO), and Airbnb has increased the presence of STRA&rsquo;s in Cobourg.In the past, the Town of Cobourg Staff and Council through delegations have received complaints related to short-term rentals, including community safety, parking, noise and litter complaints, property values, and potential enforcement options.It is important that the Town in considering an approach to be undertaken to address STRA&rsquo;s consider mitigating potential conflicts between the community and renters, identifying economic impacts and opportunities of STRA&rsquo;s, including potential financial considerations and Staff resources, and expected outcome of the regulations.As part of this review and staff analysis both by the Legislative Services Department looking at licensing regulations, and the Planning Department looking at land uses. Staff from both departments analyzed the regulation of STRA&rsquo;s in other municipalities to consider options discussed in the Staff Report.This staff report, as a result of direction from Council on proposed regulations of STRAs, explores the potential regulatory approaches with the intent of finding a balance that promotes economic growth, while preserving the character of local communities and protect health and safety.The public engagement objective for Short-Term Rental Accommodations is to:<ul><li>Gather feedback from residents and stakeholders on Short-Term Rental Accommodations</li></ul>We&#39;re looking for your feedback:Please contribute to the following public engagement opportunities below, including:1. Completing the <a href="https://engagecobourg.ca/harbour-infrastructure-repairs-copy/survey_tools/short-term-accommodation-survey">Survey</a>; and/or;2. Participate in the <a href="https://engagecobourg.ca/harbour-infrastructure-repairs-copy/forum_topics/share-your-feedback-on-the-topic-of-short-term-rental-accommodations-in-cobourg">Forum</a>If you require any of the information in an accessible format, please contact the Communications Department at <a class="external" href="mailto:communications@cobourg.ca/">communications@cobourg.ca</a>.

Short-Term Rental Accommodations

Memorial Arena Survey