Mayor's Statement - October 8, 2026

October 8, 2026

For Immediate Release

There has been a great deal of information shared in the community about the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposal that appeared before Council at the September 28th council meeting.  Some of the information being circulated is incorrect.

To be clear, no planning application has been filed or approved. The applicant’s representative attended the council meeting as a delegation to discuss this project and gauge interest before deciding whether to move forward with a possible planning application.  Council deferred adopting any position until staff had an opportunity to provide a report containing relevant information from all departments, including Public Works, Fire, Planning, Finance, Legal, Building and General Government.  This report will not be available until early in 2027.  No decisions will be made before this information is available.  Prior to appearing at the Council meeting, the applicant met with Township staff. Staff advised them that, before spending time and money on the many technical reports that may be required for a formal application, it would be helpful to seek Council’s initial feedback. Staff also provided the applicant with an available Council meeting date.

The delegation material was submitted by the required deadline. For Council meetings, all agenda material must be received by noon on the Tuesday before the meeting. The applicant met this deadline. Council agendas are then posted publicly on Thursday afternoon.  All Council members read about this proposal for the first time after the council agenda was published on September 24th. 

A delegation to Council is not the same as a formal planning application. It is an opportunity for Council and the public to hear information and for Council to ask questions at an early stage in the process.

If the applicant chooses to move forward and submit a formal planning application, it will need to follow the Township’s full planning process in accordance with the Planning Act. The process generally includes:

1.    Initial inquiry

2.    Pre-consultation meeting and submission requirements with staff

3.    Application submission

4.    Completion review

5.    Agency and Township department circulation

6.    Public notice and consultation

7.    Statutory public meeting(s)

8.    Application review and revisions

9.    Planning report and recommendations

10. Decision by the appropriate approval authority

11. Notice of decision and appeal period

12. Fulfillment of conditions and final approval

13. Building permit and construction stage

There are several steps within each of these stages. Depending on the proposal, this can include technical studies and reviews by Township staff, government agencies, and independent third-party experts. Public notice and opportunities for residents to provide comments are an important part of the process.

Council has a responsibility to make decisions based on complete information, public input, professional advice, and the applicable planning rules. They must remain objective and resist the pressure to form an opinion prior to receiving this.  We encourage residents to review information from official Township sources and to participate in the process should a formal application be submitted.

If you require further accurate information, please contact your Council member and/or the Township office.

Mayor Joe Taylor

Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan