Brownfields Redevelopment  Toolbox

Step 1 - Community Readiness  

Step 1 - Community Readiness (sub-directory)

Build the team

 The Municipal Team

Each municipality must build an interdisciplinary municipal team or committee, the “Municipal Team”, who will develop and shape the vision of reuse and redevelopment in your community. 

Brownfield projects are relatively specialized and seeking out informed and enlightened staff and consultants will pay dividends. It is imperative that all team members are motivated to achieve the project goals. It has often been observed that traditional compensation structures do not encourage this kind of service delivery. A municipality should consider implementing compensation and/or acknowledgement incentives. 

A team environment is essential to maximize value and effort each member contributes. Design the team based on the areas affected by community improvement and redevelopment. Select members to the team that will contribute knowledge and specialized skills to enhance the vision developed.

The internal Municipal Team should comprise of members from the following departments within the municipality or municipal region:
  • Council
  • Economic & Development
  • Tourism
  • Engineering & Environmental Services
  • Planning
  • Financing and Taxes
  • Legal
  • Property Management
  • Building/Property Standards
  • Fire Department
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Social Services
If work falls within a team member’s jurisdiction/area, then that department should be the lead on that component but report and work under the direction of the Municipal Team.

The Role of the Municipal Team
  • Identify opportunities
  • Brief the council
  • Prepare community improvement plans and strategies
  • Provide engineering/environmental resources
  • Develop financial incentives
  • Market the opportunities
  • Encourage private property owners and developer participation,
  • Work with provincial government representatives and,
  • Work with community stakeholders.
 The Brownfields Coordinator

The Municipal Team should assign a “Brownfields Coordinator”, a lead person and champion, who will initiate and coordinate communication between the Municipal Team, stakeholders and the community. 

Some municipalities have incorporated these responsibilities as part of existing positions. Others have created new positions to fulfil the demands of coordinating the Municipal Team. There is no prescribed title for this position and municipalities have become creative in the name of their Municipal Team and its coordinator. Several that exist, include:
  • Brownfields Coordinator
  • Brownfields Planner
  • Brownfields Developer
  • CIP Coordinator
  • Economic Planner
  • Smart Growth Expeditor
 The Working Group

Local governments should also create a “Working Group” comprised of the Municipal Team, its Brownfields Coordinator, key stakeholders and public representatives. It is important to identify all relevant stakeholders such as public organizations/committees, property owners and developers.

The role of the Working Group is to:
  • Provide feedback during the Public Consultation process
  • Act as a liaison and voice for the community
  • Offers stakeholders a mechanism for meaningful participation
  • Develop awareness and understand the benefits associated with brownfields redevelopment
  • Allows the local government to gain insight into the stakeholders’ expectations and needs
  • Meet the regulatory requirements of the Community Improvement Plan (CIP)
When should the Working Group be formed and involved in the process?

The municipality should consult with the community and develop the Working Group within a reasonable time frame to allow valuable and insightful feedback that will aid in the development of a brownfields strategy. The Municipal Team should make a judgement call when to create the Working Group and commence communication based on past experiences with large scale community development plans.
  • Based on experience in Ontario, some municipalities create and involve the Working Group right at the beginning of developing a brownfields redevelopment strategy to maximize knowledge, feedback and insight the members of the group may bring. They may also identify champions or a Brownfields Coordinator for their Municipal Team.
  • Other Ontario municipalities believe that it is better to involve the Working Group at the beginning of the Implementation Tool process (i.e. the start of the Community Improvement Plan). At this stage, a municipality has developed its Municipal Team, the basis of its strategy and have identified potential properties, barriers, benefits and incentives to brownfield redevelopment. The Municipal Team may be more prepared to provide an overview of the opportunities, research conducted, a business case analysis, incentives and suggestions for community improvement.