Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales
and / et
Planning and Environment Committee
Comite de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement
and Council /et au Council
14 October 2009 / le 14 octobre 2009
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice
municipale adjointe,
Infrastructure Services and
Community Sustainability/Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact Person/Personne-ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Manager/Gestionnaire, Policy Development and Urban Design/Élaboration de la politique et conception urbaine, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance Élaboration de la politique et conception urbaine
(613)
580-2424 x22653, Richard.Kilstrom@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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Programme d’assainissement de l’eau en milieu
rural d’Ottawa |
That Planning and Environment Committee and Agriculture and Rural
Affairs recommend that Council:
1.
Receive the
evaluation of the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) dated September,
2009 as detailed in Document 1;
2.
Direct staff to
work with the Conservation Authorities, the ORCWP Program Committee, rural
residents and other stakeholders to modify the program as recommended in the
evaluation and report to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Planning and
Environment Committee and City Council in Q3 2010.
Que le Comité de
l’urbanisme et de l’environnement et le Comité de l’agriculture et des affaires
rurales recommandent au Conseil :
1.
de recevoir l’évaluation du
Programme d’assainissement de l’eau en milieu rural d’Ottawa (PAEMRO) datée de septembre 2009 (document 1 ci-joint);
2.
de charger le personnel de
travailler avec les offices de protection de la nature, le Comité du PAEMRO, les résidents des secteurs
ruraux et les autres intervenants afin de modifier le programme comme le
recommande l’évaluation, et de rendre compte au Comité au cours de troisième
trimestre de 2010.
Assumptions
and Analysis:
The Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) gives
grants to rural residents to undertake projects that improve the quality of
surface water and ground water. Grants are provided for land stewardship and
agriculture best management practices and septic replacement and well upgrades,
replacement and decommissioning. The program also has a public education
component. Agriculture organizations and provincial agencies are on committees
that provide program advice and approve applications for funding.
The program is funded through an $184,000 levy to the
Conservation Authorities, which administer the program. The current five-year
funding agreement finishes in 2009. This report describes an evaluation of the
program and recommends directions for renewing the program through 2010. The effectiveness of the program can be increased
through the following measures:
The report also proposes that Council consider a new program to provide education and incentives to private owners to install and maintain their well and septic systems properly. Components of the program could include a voluntary septic re-inspection program, a well installation inspection program, incentive grants for tertiary treatment septic systems, and incentives for septic maintenance. Staff will consult with the Conservation Authorities and other stakeholders on this program and will report in 2010. This new program, operated separately from the ORCWP, would replace the current funding for well and septic projects now available within ORCWP.
Legal/Risk
Management Implications:
There are no legal/risk management implications to this report.
Council will further consider the matter of the $250,000 allocation for the Conservation Authorities in the consideration of the 2010 budget.
Financial
Implications:
Staff will request the Conservation Authorities for a one-time increase in the levy to $250,000 for 2010 to allow for transition to the renewed ORCWP. The ORCWP has been supported by a levy of $184,000 for the 2005–2009 period. The report also proposes that Council consider a new education and incentive program for owners of private well and septic systems that, if approved, would create ongoing budget pressures on the Conservation Authority levy. This will be included in the report back to Planning and Environment and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees as directed by Recommendation 2.
Public
Consultation/Input:
Rural Issues Advisory Committee, the Conservation Authorities, and the Program Committee for the ORCWP were consulted during this process.
Hypothèses
et analyse :
Le Programme d’assainissement de l’eau en milieu
rural d’Ottawa (PAEMRO) accorde des subventions aux résidents des secteurs
ruraux pour leur permettre d’entreprendre des projets visant à améliorer la
qualité de l’eau de surface et de l’eau souterraine. Les subventions sont
consenties pour l’intendance des terres, les pratiques de gestion exemplaires
en agriculture, le remplacement de systèmes septiques ainsi que l’amélioration,
le remplacement et la désaffectation de puits. Le programme comporte également
un volet de sensibilisation du public. Les organismes provinciaux ou ceux qui
oeuvrent dans le secteur agricole font partie de comités qui donnent des
conseils au sujet des programmes et approuvent les demandes de financement.
Le financement du programme est assuré par un montant
de 184 000 $ versé aux offices de protection de la nature qui
administrent le programme. L’accord de financement quinquennal en vigueur prend
fin en 2009. Ce rapport contient une évaluation du programme et émet des
directives pour le renouveler pendant l’année 2010. Les mesures suivantes
peuvent améliorer l’efficacité du programme :
Le rapport propose
également que le Conseil envisage un nouveau programme de sensibilisation et de
mesures incitatives à l’intention des propriétaires privés pour qu’ils
installent et entretiennent adéquatement leurs puits et leurs systèmes
septiques. Un programme de réinspection volontaire des systèmes septiques, un
autre d’inspection de l’installation des puits, des subventions incitatives
pour les systèmes septiques avec traitement tertiaire et des mesures
incitatives pour l’entretien des systèmes septiques pourraient être mis en
place. Le personnel doit consulter les offices de protection de la nature et
les autres intervenants à propos de ce programme et devra présenter un rapport
en 2010. Ce nouveau programme, distinct du PAEMRO, remplacerait le financement
actuel pour les projets relatifs aux puits et aux systèmes septiques du PAEMRO.
Incidences
juridiques/concernant la gestion des risques :
Ce rapport n’a aucune incidence d’ordre juridique ou concernant la
gestion des risques.
Le Conseil examinera plus à fond la question des 250 000 $ pour
les offices de protection de la nature dans son étude du budget de 2010.
Répercussions
financières :
Le personnel
demandera aux offices de protection de la nature une augmentation ponctuelle du
soutien financier pour le porter à 250 000 $ en 2010, afin d’assurer
une transition jusqu’au renouvellement du PAEMRO. Le PAEMRO a reçu un soutien
financier de 184 000 $ au cours de la période 2005-2009. Le rapport
propose aussi que le Conseil envisage la création d’un programme de
sensibilisation et de mesures incitatives à l’intention des propriétaires de
puits et de systèmes septiques privés qui, si approuvé, exercerait des
pressions budgétaires continues sur le prélèvement des offices de protection de
la nature.
Consultation
publique/commentaires :
Le Comité consultatif
sur les questions rurales, les offices de protection de la nature et le Comité
du PAEMRO ont été consultés pendant ce processus.
The Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) began in 2000 to provide grants to rural property owners to undertake projects that improve surface water quality. Projects that improve groundwater quality were later added to the program. The program currently funds best management practices and projects for agricultural land and other rural properties, plus upgrades and replacements of private well and septic systems. Most grants are in the range of $1000 to $5000 and cover up to 50 per cent of the project’s cost, although some projects are eligible for 75 per cent funding, as shown in Document 2.
In 2006 questions were raised regarding the desirability of extending the ORCWP to the urban area so that residents on privately-serviced properties would be eligible for the well and septic grants. In June 2007, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approved a report from the Rural Issues Advisory Committee directing staff to consider treating privately-serviced communities in the urban and rural areas the same with respect to clean water programs, initiatives under the Clean Water Act, and other groundwater policies. This report is here: http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/ara/2007/06-14/ACS2007-CCV-RIA-0004%20revised.htm
In an information report to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and City Council in November 2007, staff addressed the issue of the proposed expansion of the program to the Urban Area, noting that although it responded to a sense of equality between rural and urban treatment, expansion could be a disincentive to connection in the long term to public services, where the City has invested in capacity to serve those areas.
Although the program has evolved over the years, it has always operated in partnership with rural organizations, government agencies and the Conservation Authorities. Since 2005 it has been administered by the Conservation Authorities and funded through an annual levy of $184,000 approved for a five-year period ending in 2009. About one-third of the budget is spent on program administration, including on-site visits to applicants to advise them about their project. This report presents the results of a program evaluation completed in 2009 as the basis for renewed program directions and a budget for 2011 and beyond.
An evaluation of the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) started in 2008 in consultation with an advisory committee of program staff from the Conservation Authorities and rural members of the ORCWP Program Committee. The evaluation focused on three questions:
Responses to these questions were taken from interviews with 34 persons knowledgeable about agriculture, water protection, federal and provincial programs and the rural community, plus research on other rural clean water programs in Ontario and the literature on practices to improve water quality.
The main findings and recommendations of the evaluation are summarized below.
Project Benefits
Generally, projects that lead to direct improvements in water quality provide the greatest benefits, compared with projects that mitigate a risk in the future. Projects that yield direct improvements include erosion control measures, grassed waterways, livestock restrictions, fragile land retirement, buffer strips, and precision farming. With the exception of precision farming, these projects provide considerable public benefits rather than primarily private property benefits.
In addition to these projects, the evaluation found that well decommissioning is also a valued project within the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program as it eliminates a potential contaminant pathway to the groundwater.
Many of the projects described above are also agriculture best management projects. The ORCWP has succeeded in supporting a steady number of well decommissioning and farm-related projects since 2000 and has benefited from the guidance and support of farm organizations on its Steering Committee and Application Review Committees. The evaluation underscores the importance of agricultural best management practices and projects in improving rural water quality, since farmland occupies half of the area of the city.
When asked what new projects, if any, the ORCWP should support, many key informants interviewed for the evaluation strongly supported a greater emphasis on public education and delivery of workshops, such as the drain education day sponsored in 2008 by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. They said these activities could also serve to increase participation in ORCWP if they promote stewardship projects eligible for funding and reach out to a broader cross-section of rural residents.
Increasing
Project Uptake
Money is the greatest incentive and the greatest barrier to increasing participation in the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program. Money is the main barrier to participating in the ORCWP, since the grant pays for up to half of the project’s cost in most cases and the applicant needs to pay the balance. Money is also the primary incentive for participants to take on projects, followed by personal gains in such terms as added property value, reduced farm operating costs, compliance with provincial regulations, reduced risk of environmental or property damage, and health benefits. The evaluation recommends that the maximum grant and the percentage of project costs eligible for coverage be increased to reflect current costs of the projects and provide a greater incentive to participation.
Improving and streamlining access to the program and engaging a larger cross-section of the rural community could also increase participation. Access to the program can be improved by more clear communication about the program—what it funds and who is eligible—and by removing some of the application requirements. For example, the evaluation recommends removing wherever possible the blanket requirement that applicants complete either a Healthy Home Guide or an Environmental Farm Plan 3rd Edition through the two-day EFP workshop. The Healthy Home Guide however, will continue to be an important education tool in the rural area. The evaluation also recommends removing the requirement for an on-site visit to all applicants in favour of focusing this valuable service on applicants who need help developing their projects--and to provide the necessary over-sight of these projects.
Access to the program is proposed to be streamlined by creating different processes for farm operators who are applying for senior government grants for farm stewardship, and for the other farm operators and rural property owners. The evaluation recommends that Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program explore delivery through a one-window with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) for the farm community that has (or is preparing) an Environmental Farm Plan and intends to apply to the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program (COFSP). COFSP funds a large number of best management practices and projects, including those funded by the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program, but provides larger grants of up to $30,000 in some cases. Throughout Ontario, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association now administers the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program and several other farm stewardship programs for the provincial government, foundations, and municipalities. Applicants to COFSP are required to have completed an Environmental Farm Plan and have a farm business registration number.
Staff of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program now make sure that applicants are aware of other grant programs, but applicants are required to apply separately to the two programs. Different levels of integration could be explored, including options where the application and approval process for the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program is sufficient to access the ORCWP. This would eliminate the need for a site visit from the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program staff, and help address the issue of distrust of government that is a barrier to the program in many parts of the city. From the farm operator’s perspective, this arrangement would provide one-window access through an agriculture organization. From the program’s perspective, the cost of administering this component could be reduced.
The evaluation also recommends that the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program grant structure be revised so that more Ottawa farmers can potentially access the program. At present, the limit on the ORCWP grant to 50 per cent of the project cost means that farm operators who receive 50 per cent of the project cost from the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program or another program do not apply for or receive ORCWP funds. If the ORCWP structured the grant as a top-up for specific projects that are also eligible for COFSP, it could potentially increase participation in both programs by increasing the combined grant, making the project more affordable to farm operators.
Uptake on well decommissioning, fragile land retirement, and other projects could potentially be increased if a wider range of rural residents participated in the ORCWP. Outreach could be targeted to owners of rural non-farm properties, small farm operators, rural residents who keep horses on their property, and others who are not eligible for farm stewardship programs or who choose not to pursue these grants. Public education and on-site advice from program staff could all be targeted to potential participants who are outside the senior government programs and who are not now participating in ORCWP. These measures in combination with reduced application requirements, more clear communication, and increased grant levels can boost participation.
Well and septic projects
The evaluation recommends reconsideration of the City’s role in funding well and septic upgrades and replacement through the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program. As it is currently funded, this component is not serving Ottawa residents well even though it is taking an increasing share of program resources:
Well upgrades and well and septic replacements have increased steadily since 2004. These projects accounted for 80 per cent of the projects approved in the last three years (2007–2009) and took two-thirds or more of the budget.
Increasingly, waiting lists are formed from one year to the next as the program budget is depleted. This means that residents are potentially delaying needed repairs.
Most Ottawa residents are paying for their private services themselves. An average of 220 permits for septic replacements was issued annually over the last 10 years, but fewer than 50 grants for these projects are awarded each year. Not all residents on private services are aware of the grant or are eligible for it.
It is unclear whether the Ottawa
Rural Clean Water Program is funding replacement of failed septic systems, or
whether it is funding replacement of old systems so as to improve the value and
saleability of private properties. A
septic inspection report is not required to receive the grant, and there is no
subsequent inspection of the new system.
The evaluation found that the City’s role in funding private well and septic systems through a clean water program should be reconsidered. Furthermore, these projects provide relatively fewer environmental benefits to the public, compared with other projects. Where a septic system failure has occurred, the benefit of the septic replacement is typically limited to water quality improvement on a single lot or adjacent lots. Cost is a potential issue. With approximately 30000 private well and septic systems in rural Ottawa, a fully funded and accessible well and septic replacement program would create a considerable budget pressure for the City.
As an alternative, Council could consider a program that provides education and incentives to private owners to install and maintain their well and septic systems properly. Components of such a program could include, for example:
Each of these could be combined with advice and educational materials for property owners.
Staff will develop such a program in consultation with the Conservation Authorities and other stakeholders and will report to Council in 2010. The program will also consider the eligibility of urban residents, who in the past have asked that the well and septic replacement components of the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program be extended to the urban area.
An education and incentive program is consistent with Council’s policies on private services and groundwater resources. Council’s policy in the Official Plan is that construction and maintenance of privately-owned services are the responsibility of the owner. Responsibility for the groundwater resources that support private servicing in Ontario is led by the Province and shared by the Conservation Authorities and the City. The City is responsible for regulating land use that potentially impacts on groundwater; operating public communal wells such as the wells in Richmond and Carp; and delivering public health programs and educational materials to property owners in such areas as well testing and septic maintenance.
The Infrastructure Master Plan approved by Council in 2009 opens the door to a larger role for the City in private servicing. The Plan proposes that Council consider implementation of a voluntary septic re-inspection program and application to the Province for delegation of authority governing construction of wells and the use of groundwater.
The ongoing advice of rural organizations and government agencies has strengthened the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program since its inception. With representatives from Environmental Farm Plan, Ottawa-Carleton Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Ottawa Stewardship Council, Federation of Agriculture, and Provincial Ministries, the ORCWP Program Committee has helped keep the program grounded in the rural community and responsive to rural interests. The Committee’s advice on renewed program directions in 2010 and the years ahead will be invaluable. As senior government agriculture and stewardship initiatives change and as the City takes on new responsibilities for the Clean Water Act, the ORCWP can be adjusted to implement locally-determined priorities and projects.
The Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program has benefited from the partnership between the City and the Conservation Authorities in administering the program. The Conservation Authorities bring to the table their experience administering clean water programs throughout the watersheds and economies in administering the Ottawa program in conjunction with their own. The South Nation Conservation Authority has administered the budget and issued cheques to program participants, and reported on the program’s operation to the City and program stakeholders. The Conservation Authorities are knowledgeable about water quality issues throughout the watershed and the stewardship programs offered by the Conservation Authorities and other parties. They are well-positioned to increase participation in the ORCWP through outreach and education.
Through 2010, the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program will be renewed in consultation with the Conservation Authorities, the ORCWP Program Committee, the rural community, and other stakeholders. It is proposed that the new program will:
Focus on priority projects that result in direct improvement to water quality, including livestock restrictions, fragile land retirement, and precision farming, as well as well decommissioning.
Increase grants and change the grant structure, to provide a greater
incentive to rural residents to participate in ORCWP.
Develop education and outreach tools to recruit new participants to the
program, including small farm operators, non-farm property owners, and other
rural residents with large holdings.
Streamline and simplify program access and materials, so that it is
more clear what the program does and who is eligible to participate
Consider developing a one-window approach to the ORCWP and the Canada-
Ontario Farm Stewardship Program in cooperation with the Ontario Soil and Crop
Improvement Association. This would
streamline access for farm operators who have completed an Environmental Farm
Plan and are pursuing the senior government grant.
Grants for well and septic replacement and well upgrades will be removed from the ORCWP after 2010 and a new well and septic education and incentive program will be proposed in their place. A report on both programs will be prepared for Council in 2010, in time for consideration in the 2011 budget.
2010 Funding
It will be difficult to fund projects from applicants on the current waiting list as well as fund new applications in 2010 within a budget of $184,000, the amount provided in previous years. Staff will propose to the Conservation Authorities a one-time increase in the annual budget to $250,000 for inclusion in the Conservation Authority levy for 2010, to allow for funding of eligible projects from the waiting list and new intake in 2010. A spring deadline will be set for 2010 applications and applicants will be advised to re-apply in 2011 when the program funds are fully allocated.
RURAL
IMPLICATIONS
The Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program began as a program to support rural property owners as stewards of their land. It opened the door to municipal government funding specifically to the rural area, recognizing that water quality in the urban area benefited from millions of dollars in spending on stormwater management and other initiatives. The ORCWP has continued to help farmers and rural property owners undertake projects and best management practices to improve surface and groundwater quality, that ultimately benefit the public as well as the property owner.
CONSULTATION
The evaluation was completed with input from representatives of rural and government organizations knowledgeable about the program, including members of the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program Committee. The Rural Issues Advisory Committee was consulted on three occasions and has asked for a final briefing at its October meeting, so that its comments can be delivered to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee when it considers this report.
The recommendations of this report were developed in consultation with the three Conservation Authorities in Ottawa.
The Program Committee for the ORCWP, comprised of rural organizations, the Conservation Authorities, and government and university representatives, expressed a range of views. Several members believed well and septic projects provided widespread benefits and allowed program staff to have one-to-one contact with rural residents to provide education on stewardship. Other members supported the removal of septic projects from the ORCWP and inclusion of well decommissioning.
Several said they valued the site visit to applicants, as a means to stay in touch with rural residents and educate them. They also provide good over-sight of proposed projects, which could be an issue if the requirement for site visits is reduced.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:
There are no legal/risk management implications to this report.
Council will further consider the matter of the $250,000 allocation for the Conservation Authorities in the consideration of the 2010 budget.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
The City committed in 2005 to funding the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program for five years (2005-2009) at a rate of $184,000 per year under a special levy to the Conservation Authorities. Staff will request that the Conservation Authorities institute a one-time increase in the levy in 2010, to $250,000, to fund projects on a waiting list and new applications in 2010.
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Evaluation of the Rural Clean Water Program (distributed separately and on file with the City Clerk)
Document 2 – Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program – Projects Eligible for Funding in 2009
DISPOSITION
Planning and Growth Management Department will request that the Conservation Authorities institute a one-time increase in their special levy to $250,000 for 2010.
Staff will also report back on the proposed education and incentive program for well and septic systems, and a renewed ORCWP program and funding requirements in 2010.
OTTAWA RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM - PROJECTS
ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING IN 2009 DOCUMENT 2
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Projects
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grant rate |
max. grant |
performance incentive |
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Sewage system |
50 % |
$2,000 |
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Fuel storage and handling facility |
50 % |
$1,000 |
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Chemical storage and handling facility |
50 % |
$2,000 |
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Private well replacement |
50 % |
$2,000 |
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Private well upgrading |
50 % |
$500 |
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Private well decommissioning |
75 % |
$1,000/well |
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Erosion Control Structures · streambank stabilization · water and sediment control basin · drop inlets |
50 % |
$3,000 |
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Livestock access restrictions to watercourse |
75 % |
$5,000 |
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Grassed waterways |
50 % |
$5,000 |
$150/acre/yr |
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Fragile land retirement · buffer strips · erosion-prone land · field windbreaks |
75 % |
$6,000 |
$150/acre/yr |
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Precision Farming |
50 % |
$1,000 |
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Nutrient management plan /turf management plan |
50 % |
$1,000 |
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Wastewater/manure storage |
50 % |
$15,000 |
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Clean water diversion |
50 % |
$5,000 |
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Leachate seepage control |
50 % |
$5,000 |
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Milkhouse/milking parlour washwater treatment and disposal |
50 % |
$5,000 |
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Educational Initiatives |
75 % |
$5,000 |
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Council receives an annual report on the ORCWP activities. The most recent report is here: