Committees

Municipality of Brighton residents and taxpayers are invited to serve on a variety of advisory committees and local boards. When positions are available, they are advertised on the Municipal website and in the local newspaper.  To apply to become a member of a Committee or Board:

• Complete the online Local Board/Advisory Committee Application form.
• Or print and submit the completed application form:
• In person or by mail to 35 Alice Street, P.O. Box 189, Brighton ON K0K 1H0 Attn: Clerks Department.
• By fax: (613) 475-3453
• By email

The Municipality of Brighton's advisory committee and local board meetings are governed by:

• The Municipality of Brighton's Advisory Committees of Council policy number CC010.
• The Municipal Procedural By-law 126-2018
• Robert's Rules of Order

Terms of Reference for the following Committees of Council are available upon request:

Accessibility Advisory Committee 

Applefest Advisory Committee 

Community Events & Civic Awards Advisory Committee 

Economic Development Advisory Committee 

Heritage Advisory Committee 

Rural Advisory Committee

Rural Broadband Advisory Committee

The Municipality is currently accepting applications for the following Advisory Committees and Local Boards:

Advisory Council of QHC

The Advisory Council of QHC is comprised of 32 members who represent the diversity of people and areas that QHC serves and play a valuable role in enhancing community involvement in the hospital. A total of 20 members are nominated by: the six municipal/county councils of the primary areas served by QHC; the three foundations that support QHC; and the four hospital auxiliaries. Another 12 members "at large" were elected to make up the 32 member Advisory Council of QHC.

Rights and responsibilities of the Advisory Council of QHC are:

• Helping the QHC Leadership and Board understand community and patient needs;
• Assist with setting priorities, participate in development of policies, programs and services;
• Participate in strategic planning;
• Be a communication link between the hospital and community;
• Provide advice on community engagement;
• Serve on board committees, including the Nominations Ad-hoc Committee to recommend new QHC Board members; and
• Nominating rights and entitlement to apply for appointment to Board committees.

Members are appointed for a three-year term.

Advisory Council Membership Municipality of Brighton - 1 vacancy

Please contact the Municipal Clerk if you would like to apply to become a QHC Board Member.

Candice Doiron, Municipal Clerk 

35 Alice Street

P.O. Box 189

Brighton, Ontario, K0K 1H0 

Tel: 613-475-0670 EXT. 215

The Municipality of Brighton is a partner in “Docs By The Bay” Physician Recruitment and Retention along with the City of Quinte West (Trenton) and the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation. The mandate of this program is to identify, recruit and retain family physicians for the Brighton community.

The Planning Act grants authority to Municipal Councils to appoint committees to approve a number of minor applications. Section 45  of the Planning Act permits the Committee of Adjustment to make decisions on minor variances from the Zoning By-law and to grant permission for altering or changing a lawful non-conforming use of land, buildings or structures. Section 53 of the Planning Act permits the Committee of Adjustment to make decisions on applications for changes to land configuration in the form of consents.

A line fence is a fence that marks the boundary between an owner’s land and a neighbour’s land. The provincial Line Fences Act provides a procedure for arbitrating a dispute between neighbouring landowners where one owner wants to construct, repair or maintain a fence on the common boundary, but is unable to reach an agreement with the other owners on:

• The type of fence to be erected, and/or
• The sharing of the costs of a fence.

Before beginning the line fence arbitration process, the owner seeking the arbitration should contact their neighbours to attempt to reach an agreement.

If the landowners cannot agree, the attendance of the fence viewer can be requested to adjudicate on the matter. Under the Line Fences Act, the fence viewers may only be requested in two situations:

• Where no fence currently exists at the boundary between the two properties, and one owner wants a new fence to be constructed to mark the boundary.
• Where a line fence already exists, and one owner believes that it needs to be reconstructed or repaired and the owners cannot reach a mutual agreement.

Fence viewers cannot adjudicate fence disputes when construction has already begun or if there is a dispute about the location of the property line.

How to Apply:

1. Complete Form 1 – Request for Fence Viewers.
2. Submit the completed form to the Office of the Municipal Clerk and fee via one of the following methods. The fee is $180.00 + HST.

Once the Municipal Clerk has received the completed application and the required fee has been paid, a date and time for hearing the arbitration will be set. Owners will be notified by the City Clerk and the three fence viewers at least one week in advance of the hearing. The daily rate of remuneration per fence viewer is $60.00 + HST.

Fence viewings will not be completed between Nov. 1 of one year and March 31 of the next year. 

Application process during COVID-19

During COVID-19, the following options are available for submission:

By Mail

1. Mail the completed form and a certified cheque or money order, payable to the Municipality of Brighton, to:

Municipal Clerk

Municipality of Brighton

P.O. Box 189

Brighton, ON K0K 1H0

1. Include your contact information - telephone number and/or email address - so that we can contact you in the event there is an issue with your submission.

By Email

1. Email the completed form to cdoiron@brighton.ca
2. Fee payment can be made by credit card through the municipal website. A link will be provided on request.

Under the Public Libraries Act, public libraries in Ontario must be operated under the management and control of a public library board. The board has the authority to formulate policies concerning the operations and services of the public library. Once established by municipal by-law, a public library board is responsible for the operation of its library system. The Library Board and the Municipality of Brighton work in cooperation toward common goals.

Police services boards oversee how policing is provided in their local community. They contribute to their community’s safety and well-being by working with local citizens and organizations to ensure their community receives the appropriate policing it needs. A municipality’s policing is overseen by a board where the community chooses one of the following:

• to establish a municipal police force

• to establish a joint police force with other municipalities

• to contract with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to receive policing services

Police services boards consist of an equal number of members appointed from both the regional or municipal council and the province, and one community member chosen by the council.

Becoming a provincially-appointed board member

Interested applicants may apply to become a provincially-appointed board member through the Public Appointments Secretariat website where current vacancies are listed. Provincial members are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, by Order in Council.

To qualify as a board member, you must:

• be a resident of the municipal area served by the board

  • consideration may be given to applicants who live outside of the municipal area served by the board, if there are no other qualified applicants
• pass a comprehensive background check

• understand the role of a police services board

• be involved in your local community

• have good written and verbal communications skills

Previous experience on boards or committees is considered an asset.

Board members are expected to:

• complete training that may be provided by the ministry

• participate in the election of a chair at the first meeting in each year, which may also include electing a vice-chair

• follow and adhere to the Members of Police Services Boards Code of Conduct

• attend meetings as determined by the board, with no fewer than four each year

Many boards hold monthly or special meetings throughout the year. Some boards may expect members to attend certain events related to the board’s work. Local police services boards can provide more information on the time commitment required.

Remuneration is provincially regulated, and the amount is determined and paid by the municipality.

Board responsibilities

OPP police services boards are responsible for:

• determining objectives and priorities for police services, in consultation with the OPP detachment commander

• advising the OPP detachment commander assigned to the municipal area, on police services and supports required in the area

• establishing local policies on police services

• participating in the selection of the detachment commander

• receiving regular reports from the detachment commander

• monitoring the performance of the detachment commander

Municipal police services boards are responsible for:

• determining objectives and priorities for police services

• establishing policies for the effective management of the police force

• appointing members of the police force

• preparing a business plan at least once every three years

• recruiting and appointing the chief of police and any deputy chief

• monitoring the performance of the chief of police

• participating in collective bargaining and working agreement processes as the employer

Additional information

Provincial appointees reflect the diversity of the people of Ontario and deliver services and decisions in a non-partisan, professional, ethical and competent manner. Appointees have a commitment to the principles and values of public service.

Board members may be subject to other statutes, regulations, rules or directives that currently exist or that may be established which are applicable to agencies, boards or commissions. This includes those currently employed by the Ontario Public Service, which would exclude potential applicants from being provincially-appointed members to police service boards.

Contact information

Municipality of Brighton has set out standards to ensure property owners maintain their properties within the community. The property standards by-law regulates items of safety and general upkeep of properties and buildings.

If the property does not conform to the by-law, a Property Standards Officer investigates and determines if the property standards by-law has been violated. If so, a Property Standards Order is issued to the owner. Orders are issued for violations of certain Ontario Building Code and municipal by-law standards for residential, multiple residential and commercial properties. 

The Property Standards Committee is a quasi-judicial body appointed by Council to consider appeals to orders issued by Property Standard Officers. It is the Committee's role to make an informal, impartial decision.