[2:27] Okay, good afternoon everyone. Welcome

[2:29] uh members and guests and staff. It is

[2:32] the January 27th, 2026 council meeting.

[2:36] And a quick reminder that our meetings

[2:38] are web streamed and televised. So, if

[2:39] everyone could take a moment to ensure

[2:41] their their phones are on silent, that

[2:43] would be greatly appreciated.

[2:46] With that, I call January 27th, 2026

[2:48] council meeting to order and note that

[2:50] councelor Vandenishi, Huffman, and Barry

[2:52] are present today. However, they're

[2:54] attending virtually. All other members

[2:56] are present.

[2:59] The municipality of Norfol County is

[3:00] committed to furthering truth and

[3:02] reconciliation in our communities. We

[3:04] recognize the historical and current

[3:06] contributions of indigenous peoples

[3:08] throughout Canada and particularly in

[3:10] Norfolk County that have added to the

[3:12] rich cultural and social fabric that

[3:14] exists here today. We will strive to

[3:16] continually strengthen and develop the

[3:18] spirit of respect, cooperation, and

[3:20] collaboration to the mutual benefit of

[3:22] all Norfol County residents.

[3:25] Changes to the agenda. We have two.

[3:29] The first is to add a deputation from

[3:31] Alan McBride regarding agenda item

[3:33] 12.1.1

[3:35] 215 Victoria Street Simco. And then the

[3:38] second is to move the agenda item 12.1.1

[3:41] staff report uh on that same matter to

[3:44] after the deputations.

[3:46] Is there any other addition or change

[3:49] request from council members?

[3:52] Seeing none. Oh, okay. We need a

[3:54] two-thirds majority uh to wave the rules

[3:58] of order and add those. Is there a mover

[4:00] and a seconder? Councelor Columbus,

[4:02] Councelor Bruntton. All in favor? And

[4:05] then to accept the amended agenda moved

[4:08] by Councelor Michelle, Councelor Duffy.

[4:13] All in favor?

[4:14] Carried. Thank you. Are there any

[4:16] declarations of pecuniary interest

[4:18] today?

[4:20] Councelor Columbus.

[4:22] >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Yes, I've got a

[4:25] » Thank you, Madam Mayor. Yes, I've got a

[4:25] conflict to report with respect to

[4:26] agenda item 10.1. This is the council

[4:29] and committee minutes item 8.2.1.

[4:34] It's a water wastewater collection

[4:37] policy and uh I've got a conflict with

[4:40] respect to portion dealing with the

[4:42] landlord and tenant component of that

[4:44] policy

[4:47] according to what the integrity

[4:48] commissioner informs me.

[4:50] >> Okay. Um, please feel free to just turn

[4:53] » Okay. Um, please feel free to just turn

[4:53] on your microphone and remind me if I

[4:55] don't

[4:57] remember when we get to that section,

[4:58] but I'll make a note of it. Anyone else?

[5:00] Did I miss anyone?

[5:04] Okay, great. We have uh early close

[5:06] session. Just one item that we have to

[5:09] deal with prior to uh our open session

[5:12] meeting.

[5:15] I'm looking for a mover for the

[5:18] following motion that council enter into

[5:20] close session at 10:04 p.m. to discuss

[5:22] items pursuant to section 2392H

[5:25] of the Municipal Act 2001 as amended as

[5:28] a subject matter pertains to information

[5:30] explicitly supplied in confidence to the

[5:32] municipality or local board by Canada, a

[5:35] province or territory or a crown agency

[5:37] of any of them. Moved by councelor

[5:42] Vampassen, seconded by

[5:46] councelor Duffy. All in favor?

[5:50] Carried unanimously. Thanks. How long?

[5:52] Roughly

[5:55] 5 10 minutes. We should be back very

[5:57] quickly.

[6:34] Hey, Norfolk County. Did you know that

[6:36] Ride Norfolk is now on demand? This

[6:39] means you can schedule Norfolk's public

[6:41] transit service to pick you up for

[6:42] appointments, shopping, school, or work.

[6:45] Ride Norfolk has partnered with Blaze

[6:47] Transit to offer ondemand pickups at all

[6:49] 95 stops across Norfol, including this

[6:52] one. I booked my trip earlier today and

[6:55] my bus is here right on time. Since

[6:57] there are no fixed local schedules, you

[6:59] can easily book Ride Norfolk over the

[7:01] phone, online, or on the Blaze Transit

[7:04] app from your smartphone. Thanks,

[7:06] Charlie.

[7:06] >> You're welcome.

[7:07] » You're welcome.

[7:07] >> Ride Norfolk's customer service team can

[7:09] » Ride Norfolk's customer service team can

[7:09] help answer any questions you may have,

[7:10] get you started with the app, or book

[7:12] your next ride. By moving to on demand,

[7:15] Ride Norfolk is helping more residents

[7:17] get where they need to go. To learn

[7:19] more, visit norfolcount.ca/transit. da

[7:22] /transit.

[7:28] Hi, I'm Marissa and I'm here to take you

[7:30] behind the scenes for a quick look at

[7:32] what we do at Norfolk Countyy's waste

[7:33] and recycling operations. Here at the

[7:35] transfer station in Simco, residents can

[7:38] bring a variety of waste materials for

[7:40] disposal. Norfolk operates two transfer

[7:42] stations welcoming about 27,000

[7:45] customers every year and accepts

[7:47] material ranging from bulky items, wood,

[7:50] metal, and yard waste. Norfolk also

[7:52] provides curbside waste programs.

[7:54] Recycling from your home arrives at this

[7:57] facility where it is manually sorted by

[7:59] the type of material. You can see why

[8:01] it's important to separate materials

[8:03] into the correct bin, rinse recyclables,

[8:06] and remove items from bags. This

[8:08] facility processes 4600 metric tons per

[8:11] year. That's equal to about 20 tons per

[8:14] day. Once items are sorted by material

[8:16] type, they are bailed and ready to be

[8:19] shipped across North America to be made

[8:21] into new material. About 8 to 10% of the

[8:24] material that arrives here shouldn't

[8:26] have been put in the recycling bin.

[8:28] Residents can use our recycle coach app

[8:30] to confirm if an item can be recycled.

[8:33] After seeing how waste is handled, I

[8:35] hope this video helps show why rinsing

[8:37] and sorting your recyclables are

[8:39] important steps in the recycling

[8:41] process. As a Norfolk County employee, I

[8:44] am proud to serve the community I was

[8:45] raised in. Thanks for joining me on this

[8:47] behind-the-scenes tour.

[8:52] This summer, discover the hidden gem of

[8:55] Norfolk County, Ontario's garden. Stroll

[8:59] through historic villages where time

[9:01] seems to slow down. Feel the sand

[9:04] between your toes on our pristine Lake

[9:06] Eerie beaches. From live theater that

[9:09] captivates to trails that wind through

[9:11] breathtaking landscapes, adventure and

[9:14] relaxation await at every turn. Meet the

[9:18] farmers who grow your dinner and taste

[9:20] wine and beer crafted right here.

[9:23] Experience Norfolk County this summer,

[9:25] where small town charm meets farm fresh

[9:28] flavor. Ontario's garden. It's time you

[9:31] came home to it.

[9:41] Hey, Norfol County. I'm Chris and I'm

[9:43] here to take you behind the scenes to

[9:45] show you how Norfol County manages storm

[9:47] water in our towns and communities.

[9:49] Storm water isn't just rain or melted

[9:51] snow. It's any excess water that runs

[9:53] off hard surfaces like roads, driveways,

[9:56] and rooftops. But where does that water

[9:58] go? And why is managing it important?

[10:00] Norfolk storm water systems include

[10:02] pipes, ditches, catch basins, and ponds

[10:04] that work together to manage this

[10:06] runoff. Storm water systems like ponds

[10:08] slow the flow and allow dirt and

[10:10] pollutants to settle and release cleaner

[10:12] water into the environment. Without

[10:14] proper management, storm water can flood

[10:16] basement, damage roads, and carry

[10:19] contaminants like oil, garbage, and salt

[10:21] into our rivers and lakes. That's why

[10:23] Norol County created a dedicated storm

[10:25] water team in 2024 to better understand

[10:28] and maintain what we already have while

[10:30] planning for the future. This storm

[10:32] water pond in Port Dover helps to reduce

[10:34] flooding and improve water quality. Over

[10:37] time, sediment and pollutants build up

[10:39] within storm ponds, limiting their

[10:41] ability to hold water. This creates an

[10:43] ideal environment for algae and invasive

[10:46] plants like fragmitees to flourish. This

[10:48] fast growing species can block out the

[10:50] flow of water and crowd out native

[10:52] vegetation reducing the habitat that

[10:55] local

[11:26] Okay, that was very speedy. Thanks,

[11:28] staff. Uh, move in a second or to

[11:30] reconvene and open session at 1:10.

[11:32] Moved by councelor Van Passen, seconded

[11:34] by

[11:36] councelor Michelle. All in favor and

[11:39] reporting out the report. Uh, let's see.

[11:42] 4.1 on the agenda was received as

[11:45] information. We have nothing else to

[11:48] report. Correct, Mr. Clerk? Okay.

[11:50] Consent items 5.1. We have the 2026

[11:54] interim property tax levy CS260002.

[11:59] I'm looking for a motion to receive

[12:00] consent item one as presented.

[12:07] Councelor Van Passin and Councelor

[12:08] Huffman. All in favor?

[12:11] Carried. Two communication items before

[12:14] council today. 6.1 is a letter from Todd

[12:17] Stanick and Peter Krauss of Norfolk

[12:19] General Hospital, a letter of

[12:20] appreciation. And the second is

[12:22] Longpoint Conservation Authority uh the

[12:25] Roma 2026 package.

[12:29] A mover and a seconder please to receive

[12:31] both of those as information.

[12:34] Councelor Columbus moves councelor Barry

[12:36] seconds. All in favor?

[12:39] Carried. Great. We'll move along to

[12:41] deputations. We have three now that

[12:45] we've changed the agenda. First, we have

[12:47] Scott from Valley Consulting and this is

[12:49] concerning agenda item 12.1.1 215

[12:52] Victoria Street.

[12:55] Welcome whenever you're ready.

[12:59] Uh thank you, Madame Mayor and uh

[13:01] council. Uh here to talk about the uh

[13:03] development proposed at 215 Victoria

[13:05] Street. Uh next slide, please.

[13:10] So, back in October, uh the original

[13:12] application was brought forward um that

[13:15] included a uh a mid-rise building with

[13:17] 45 residential units. Um a mix of one

[13:20] and two bedroom um that street facing

[13:22] facade uh perimeter landscaping. Uh we

[13:25] were showing access via uh Austin

[13:28] Crescent and Donley Drive South as you

[13:30] can see on the original site plan uh

[13:32] with no access uh proposed off of uh off

[13:34] of Victoria Street. Next slide, please.

[13:37] So following that meeting, we we did

[13:39] have concerns from uh both staff and

[13:41] public. Um since October, we've been

[13:44] working with both uh Norfolk County

[13:46] staff and receiving input in input from

[13:48] the public um to try to uh reduce some

[13:51] of the impacts uh and the concerns that

[13:53] were raised at that October meeting. Um

[13:55] particularly the concerns we were heard

[13:57] were uh were density and building

[13:58] height. Um not enough parking on the

[14:01] area. Um there was particular concern of

[14:03] spillover parking into Austin Crescent.

[14:06] um traffic concerns along Donley Drive.

[14:09] Um the number and location of proposed

[14:11] entrances to the site with both Donley

[14:13] and uh Austin Crescent and sort of the

[14:16] issue of with uh the way it was set up

[14:18] that uh it might be used for a shortcut

[14:20] uh through the existing subdivision into

[14:22] uh Austin Crescent there. So since then,

[14:25] next slide please. We've worked uh with

[14:28] staff uh to bring back an updated uh

[14:31] application. Um they spent four months

[14:34] um since then trying to work to update

[14:36] the application to include a number of

[14:38] changes um includes site compatibility.

[14:41] So maintaining those large setbacks from

[14:44] the existing residential area and being

[14:45] as close to the road as possible while

[14:47] maintaining that uh appealing street uh

[14:50] facade. Um adjusting the building

[14:52] orientation um so that primary entrance

[14:55] is now uh facing towards Victoria

[14:58] Street, vice facing inwards to the uh

[15:00] development. um the height and density.

[15:03] So the reduction of five stories to four

[15:05] stories. Um so now uh the reduction in

[15:08] units to 23 one uh onebedrooms, 12

[15:10] two-bedroom units. Um so a total

[15:13] reduction in 10 units from 35 uh from uh

[15:16] 45. Big thing here uh with that

[15:19] reduction in the height and the density,

[15:21] uh the on-site parking uh complies with

[15:23] all zoning. Um so it meets the zoning

[15:26] bylaw requirements for parking um from

[15:29] the standards set in the bylaw. um the

[15:31] adjusted vehicle access. So again uh

[15:34] both sites uh the access off Donley uh

[15:36] has been removed and the access off uh

[15:38] Austin Crescent has been removed uh with

[15:41] the sole access provided off Victoria.

[15:43] The intent there is to reduce uh people

[15:46] using uh Donley Drive, encourage traffic

[15:49] out um anybody heading north uh will

[15:52] take uh Victoria out to Ireland Road,

[15:55] head north to Highway 3 and to wherever

[15:57] it is they may go. Obviously, we can't

[15:59] force people to do that, but with that

[16:01] site orientation, it was felt it would

[16:03] help encourage traffic flows in those

[16:05] directions.

[16:07] Uh, next slide, please.

[16:10] So, here's our updated site plan. Uh,

[16:12] again, it's very similar from the where

[16:14] sort of the building is in relation to

[16:16] the uh existing residential development,

[16:18] but certainly a reconfiguration of the

[16:20] parking lot. Um that site entrance as

[16:23] you can see on the uh the south uh is

[16:25] the inout route um off Victoria. It's

[16:29] confirmed. I know we did chat about

[16:31] where is the actual property line. So

[16:33] that area in red um is already owned by

[16:36] Norfol County. That was road widening

[16:37] that was taken back in the 80s or '9s.

[16:40] Uh I'd have to go back on title to see

[16:42] when that actually happened, but it's

[16:44] already taken into account. All the

[16:46] requirements are based off the the

[16:48] property line which is that thick black

[16:50] line uh that runs along uh Victoria uh

[16:53] to provide that updated uh site plan.

[16:55] And then again like we said the

[16:56] vehicular access uh it was the key uh

[16:59] configuration here with the removal from

[17:01] Donley and uh Austin Crescent and then

[17:03] obviously the reduction in density from

[17:05] uh five floors to four. Next slide

[17:09] please.

[17:09] >> One minute remaining.

[17:11] » One minute remaining.

[17:11] So, just provided some elevations to

[17:13] provide some sort of context of what it

[17:15] would look like from the street. Um,

[17:17] again, if you um down by um coming in on

[17:21] Robinson by the golf course there, um

[17:23] that's a four-story building to just

[17:25] give some height perspective of what a

[17:27] four-story looks like. Uh next slide,

[17:29] please.

[17:32] So, again, as you can see the changes,

[17:34] there's been a lot of uh eliminating

[17:36] requirements. Um the only introduction

[17:39] is uh that uh special provision for

[17:42] restricting the building to four heights

[17:43] or four floors instead of uh five. Um

[17:46] the bylaw has definitely been simplified

[17:48] uh with these elimination of

[17:50] requirements.

[17:51] Next slide please.

[17:54] Next steps can't commit to timelines.

[17:56] Here is what a potential timeline could

[17:58] look like. Obviously the site still

[17:59] needs to go through extensive site plan

[18:01] review the detailed uh engineering of

[18:03] the site. Um, I encourage uh council to

[18:07] ask any questions they might have about

[18:08] that. Um, but that's a general sort of

[18:11] what would be hoped for, but can't be

[18:13] guaranteed. Next slide, please.

[18:16] >> I can take any questions council may

[18:18] » I can take any questions council may

[18:18] have.

[18:18] >> Perfect timing. Thank you, Scott.

[18:20] » Perfect timing. Thank you, Scott.

[18:20] Questions from council.

[18:26] » Councelor Bruntton.

[18:28] >> Thank you, Mayor Martin. Just very

[18:30] » Thank you, Mayor Martin. Just very

[18:30] quickly, uh Scott, is this uh a slab on

[18:33] grade or is there a basement for

[18:34] utilities? How does it work?

[18:36] >> I believe there is a Yes, there will be

[18:38] » I believe there is a Yes, there will be

[18:38] a basement. I believe the storage will

[18:40] be in the basement, utilities, that type

[18:41] of thing in the basement.

[18:42] >> Okay. Thank you,

[18:44] » Okay. Thank you,

[18:44] >> Councelor Duffy.

[18:47] » Councelor Duffy.

[18:47] >> Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you,

[18:48] » Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you,

[18:48] Scott, thanks for your work on this and

[18:50] to your client. I appreciate that uh the

[18:52] concerns of the residents were really,

[18:54] for the most part, from what I can see,

[18:56] um listened to. So, I I appreciate and

[18:58] respect that. I'm curious on the I think

[19:01] I'm looking at the norththeast side. So

[19:05] a butting sort of there's a there's a

[19:07] row of homes there on Donley. Is there I

[19:09] think it's in purple. And sorry, I've

[19:11] just got my iPad back cuz it was

[19:14] acting up. Is there any landscape buffer

[19:16] along there?

[19:18] >> So both the the north and the eastern uh

[19:20] » So both the the north and the eastern uh

[19:20] property lines um will require the solid

[19:23] wood fence. Um generally I think it's uh

[19:26] the 3 m or 2 meter high fence whatever

[19:28] the site plan requirements are. So it's

[19:30] a solid wood fence. There can be also

[19:32] other landscaping for bushes things like

[19:35] that to reduce any sort of that impact

[19:37] of that reduction from the the 3 m to

[19:39] the 2 m for the uh distance from the

[19:41] parking. Um so that can be in included

[19:44] in the uh site plan requirements to make

[19:46] sure we're reducing any of those uh

[19:48] impacts um from having that reduction

[19:50] from uh 3 to 2 m. Okay, I think that's

[19:54] all I have. Thank you.

[19:56] >> Did I miss anyone online?

[19:59] » Did I miss anyone online?

[19:59] Oh, I think we're we're good. Thanks,

[20:02] Scott. Let's receive all three

[20:03] deputations as information at once, if

[20:06] that's okay, and we'll move along to

[20:08] Margaret Trucker, which is item 7.2 on

[20:10] our agenda. Same item of discussion.

[20:14] Uh 215 Victoria Street, Simco, welcome.

[20:18] You have five minutes. I can let you

[20:19] know when you have one minute remaining,

[20:20] but I think last time you were right on

[20:23] schedule, so take it away.

[20:28] Okay, mayor and council, I appreciate

[20:31] the opportunity to speak once again. In

[20:35] the meeting on October 8th, 2025, the

[20:38] major concerns mentioned were traffic,

[20:40] on-site parking, and where the entrance

[20:42] and exit would be, and children walking

[20:45] to and from school. Um, some of these

[20:48] issues seem to have been addressed and

[20:50] it was stated that water and sewer could

[20:52] handle this extra build and um, have all

[20:57] the bylaws now been met such as distance

[21:00] from the road and line of sight. Um,

[21:03] other concerns that I have are several.

[21:06] In 2024, the provincial government put

[21:09] in place the get it done act where they

[21:12] wanted one and a half million homes

[21:13] built by 2031.

[21:16] This seems to place

[21:18] uh

[21:20] stress on the um building that the

[21:23] municipal planning boards have to

[21:26] approve. Um has an assessment been done

[21:29] to determine the need for this type of

[21:32] housing? Is all of the building in the

[21:36] county meant to reach the expectation of

[21:38] the provincial government in spite of

[21:40] what we want? If this build is approved,

[21:44] we do not know how long it would take.

[21:47] During construction, the locals would be

[21:49] coping with heavy vehicle traffic,

[21:51] noise, dust, and dirt. It's a common

[21:55] thing in a building site, but a privacy

[21:57] fence was mentioned previously, but who

[22:00] would benefit? The residents on the

[22:02] first floor and closest neighbors. There

[22:04] would be no privacy for others who would

[22:07] have exposure to residents of the

[22:08] midrise. The outside enjoyment of our

[22:11] properties could be affected during and

[22:14] after the build. Is it an unknown as to

[22:17] what happens to property values when an

[22:20] apartment building is built in a low

[22:21] density community?

[22:24] Will homes close to the build be

[22:25] overshadowed or will it be situated on

[22:27] the property to minimize that? And it

[22:29] seems that that's been taken into

[22:31] consideration.

[22:32] This is one build, but others are in the

[22:34] works. How will all of these builds

[22:37] affect our community? Adding this build

[22:40] into the mix can place further strain on

[22:42] our hospital, which already struggles to

[22:45] meet the needs of the current

[22:46] population. Can our schools accommodate

[22:49] more children? And how many more

[22:51] emergency medical service personnel,

[22:53] firemen, and policemen would we need?

[22:56] Considering the lack of industry or jobs

[22:58] in the county, would it be safe to

[23:00] assume there would be more commuters on

[23:02] already crowded highways?

[23:05] Given that this is a low density area, I

[23:08] still don't believe that this is an

[23:10] appropriate location for the build in

[23:12] spite of the changes that have been

[23:14] made. It simply would not fit in. And no

[23:18] one making the decisions about this

[23:20] lives or would be affected by that

[23:24] build. And the local people who are

[23:26] right there on the spot would be when

[23:28] it's in construction and after. Thank

[23:31] you for your time.

[23:33] >> Thank you for your deputation. Are there

[23:34] » Thank you for your deputation. Are there

[23:34] any questions for Margaret?

[23:38] No, that's okay. Not seeing any.

[23:42] Thank you for coming. And now we have

[23:43] Allan. Allan, welcome. You have five

[23:48] minutes for your deputation. There's a

[23:49] button on the right hand side. You can

[23:51] turn the microphone on and I will let

[23:53] you know when you have one minute

[23:55] remaining.

[23:59] Thank you to the mayor and council for

[24:01] allowing me to have a moment to speak.

[24:04] I just wanted to make some references.

[24:06] The one is the map that is no longer up

[24:09] on the screen. The garbage extends

[24:12] beyond the parking lot within a meter

[24:15] and a half of the sidewalk.

[24:18] That's very concerning for me. How do

[24:20] you buffer the odors? and it becomes a

[24:24] little thing that you can hide behind at

[24:26] night for predators or whatever because

[24:29] it's now a disturbance in the line of

[24:32] sight going down the street.

[24:34] Uh

[24:37] in the application it references three

[24:40] lot lines are on the street. Now it

[24:43] appears to be basically a square

[24:44] property and they're counting the little

[24:46] curve in the corner as a lot line to say

[24:48] three are on the street. But two of the

[24:50] lot lines do uh the long lot lines exist

[24:55] next to residential homes. And the fact

[24:58] that when you say you're trying to meet

[25:00] all the codes, you have to have an

[25:02] exemption for the floor ratio because

[25:05] you want it a little higher. You have to

[25:07] have a exemption on the frontage because

[25:09] it's going to be a little lower. then

[25:11] you want an exemption on uh

[25:15] like it keeps going and I don't feel

[25:18] that's meeting the code. You set these

[25:20] codes and everybody else built by them.

[25:24] Now those people might want to sell

[25:26] their home. Is their value going to be

[25:29] impacted by the fact you've allowed

[25:31] others to come in with a lesser code,

[25:34] build a little cheaper, and then they're

[25:36] going to compete against you in your uh

[25:39] dwelling when you want to sell it.

[25:42] The next thing is, it's been mentioned

[25:44] numerous times, at one point it's a

[25:46] dwelling, one point it's a condo, one

[25:49] point it's apartments. I'd really like

[25:51] clarification as to what it is

[25:54] specifically.

[25:57] And the high traffic at Victoria and

[26:00] Donley is amplified by the fact there's

[26:03] a lot of student traffic both going to

[26:05] Fanshaw and going to the school, the

[26:08] local school. And that has become

[26:12] uh a safety issue there. And I don't see

[26:15] how adding another

[26:17] 65 cars in the mix at that close to the

[26:21] intersection is a very positive thing as

[26:23] well.

[26:25] So, I'd really like some consideration

[26:27] to try and meet the bar rather than just

[26:30] say we're close to the bar, so let's

[26:32] proceed.

[26:34] And I thank you for your time.

[26:37] Thank you very much for coming. Are

[26:38] there any questions for Mr. McBride?

[26:44] Seeing none. Okay. Oh, sorry, Council

[26:45] Michelle and then Dothy.

[26:49] » Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um

[26:54] sir, thank you very much for for coming

[26:57] uh and making your deputation. Um

[27:01] when when you were asking for

[27:02] clarification on what it is exactly that

[27:06] these you described condos, apartments,

[27:11] which is it um have have you not

[27:14] received an answer to that question?

[27:16] >> No, that's why I just asked it.

[27:18] » No, that's why I just asked it.

[27:18] >> Okay. So, I would like with your

[27:20] » Okay. So, I would like with your

[27:20] permission to ask staff if Madame Mayor

[27:22] will allow me, can we get clarification

[27:24] on exactly what these units are?

[27:27] >> We're going to go into the staff report

[27:28] » We're going to go into the staff report

[27:28] right after uh we've received the

[27:30] deputation. So, I will I'll I'll return

[27:32] to you with that. Councelor Deathy,

[27:34] >> thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you, Mr.

[27:35] » thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you, Mr.

[27:35] Ride, thank you for for being here and

[27:37] for sharing your thoughts. Um, can I

[27:39] just get a little bit more clarification

[27:41] on the issue that you raised around the

[27:43] gar the placement of the garbage

[27:44] collection?

[27:45] >> Yes.

[27:46] » Yes.

[27:46] >> I I'm sorry I didn't follow all the way.

[27:47] » I I'm sorry I didn't follow all the way.

[27:47] So

[27:48] >> if you if the map could come back up,

[27:51] » if you if the map could come back up,

[27:51] it's on it's on Donley and it's at the

[27:55] end of the parking lot which they wants

[27:58] an allowance to be closer to the street

[27:59] than it should be. And then the garbage

[28:02] dumpsters stick out further so that they

[28:05] look to be about 1 and a half meters

[28:07] from the sidewalk and they're an

[28:10] extension beyond the parking. And I

[28:14] don't I think they should be contained

[28:16] within

[28:18] I think that there's numerous problems

[28:21] from having something out there and how

[28:23] is it going to be bordered with some

[28:24] green with just a fence? Is it going to

[28:27] be something somebody can hide behind?

[28:29] Uh is it going to have odors? I find

[28:32] numerous concerns about that.

[28:35] >> Okay. Thank you.

[28:37] » Okay. Thank you.

[28:37] >> Okay. I'm not seeing any other hands.

[28:39] » Okay. I'm not seeing any other hands.

[28:39] So, thank you Mr. McBride for joining

[28:41] us. A mover and a second are pleased to

[28:43] receive all three deputations. Item 7.1,

[28:46] 7.2, and 7.3 as information. Moved by

[28:49] councelor Huffman, seconded by councelor

[28:51] Van Andrishi. All in favor? That's

[28:54] carried. We will move along to the staff

[28:58] report and maybe we can also call on

[29:00] Scott to supplement um questions and

[29:04] answers that staff might not have if if

[29:07] council's okay with that. A little bit

[29:08] of a tag team approach. So we are on

[29:10] agenda item 12.1.1 which is staff report

[29:13] CDS25061.

[29:19] » Thank you. Good afternoon madame mayor

[29:21] and council members. Uh through the

[29:24] chair I have chopped out a little bit of

[29:26] my report now that we've brought it

[29:27] forward to immediately follow the

[29:29] deputation to try and avoid duplication.

[29:32] Um this file was first seen at public

[29:34] hearing committee meeting on October 8th

[29:36] 2025.

[29:38] Uh the applicant has proposed a zoning

[29:40] bylaw amendment to change use of the

[29:41] land from neighborhood commercial to

[29:44] urban residential type 5 uh with an

[29:46] amended special provision 14.729

[29:50] to facilitate the construction of a

[29:52] four-story apartment complex and

[29:54] associated parking. Um just to

[29:57] understand the uh nature of the building

[30:00] and to come to councelor Michelle's

[30:02] question um it is I mean the only

[30:05] difference between an apartment and a

[30:07] condo is a matter of ownership. It's not

[30:10] there is no real difference at this

[30:12] stage and that is something that can be

[30:14] determined later down the road. Um the

[30:17] associated bylaw would change the use of

[30:19] the land um with a special provision

[30:22] 14729

[30:25] to amend the height limit of the

[30:26] building to a maximum of four stories

[30:28] and grant relief in terms of parking

[30:30] distance vehicles can be parked. Um it

[30:34] would no longer include any relief for

[30:35] parking or for floor area ratio as was

[30:38] previously seen at public hearing.

[30:41] Uh given this, it is the proposed

[30:43] opinion of staff that applications at

[30:46] NPL 2025146

[30:48] be approved as outlined in staff

[30:50] recommendation report CDS25061.

[30:54] Thank you. I'm here for any questions.

[30:56] >> We'll open it up for questions, but just

[30:58] » We'll open it up for questions, but just

[30:58] for clarity, I heard you just say

[31:01] the height limit meets, the parking

[31:03] relief is no longer requested, and the

[31:05] floor ratio is is met. So, as per Mr.

[31:09] McBride's can you uh comments where it's

[31:12] not meeting the bylaw. Can you just

[31:13] please clarify for the public what the

[31:16] special provision request is? That's the

[31:18] only item that doesn't meet. Correct.

[31:22] >> Through the mayor. That's correct. Um so

[31:25] » Through the mayor. That's correct. Um so

[31:25] the special provision is uh basically

[31:29] for distance away from the building that

[31:32] vehicles can park. Um that is in the

[31:36] bylaw. It's required to be 3 m. Um and

[31:39] certainly on the I believe north side of

[31:41] the building um it's only going to be 2

[31:43] m at least at this time in the

[31:45] indicative site plan. Um but again

[31:48] that's the sort of thing that will get

[31:50] those details will be hammered out of

[31:51] the time but that is the that's the only

[31:54] change.

[31:55] >> Thank you very much councelor Michelle.

[31:57] » Thank you very much councelor Michelle.

[31:57] Uh the comments on ownership and and so

[32:00] on that can fluctuate and change. Is

[32:02] that sufficient for you or do you wish

[32:04] to

[32:06] ask something else?

[32:08] Yeah, thank you, Madame Mayor. Yeah, I

[32:10] just I guess I wouldn't mind maybe just

[32:12] a little explanation if staff could just

[32:15] provide um how how does ownership

[32:19] distinguish between a condo and an

[32:22] apartment? Are are are we ask talking

[32:24] about rentals or is there some other

[32:28] criteria?

[32:28] >> Go over to Miss Call um through the

[32:30] » Go over to Miss Call um through the

[32:30] mayor to counselor Michelle. So, a condo

[32:33] can be is just um a type of ownership.

[32:36] It can be any type of building. So we

[32:37] have condo, town houses, apartments. The

[32:40] actual physical structure is an

[32:41] apartment building. I believe it's

[32:43] planned to be rental

[32:45] >> or is this not determined yet?

[32:48] » or is this not determined yet?

[32:48] >> I don't know.

[32:50] » I don't know.

[32:50] >> But physically it will be an apartment

[32:52] » But physically it will be an apartment

[32:52] building. Condo will just determine

[32:54] whether each unit is owned separately or

[32:56] if the whole building's owned by one

[32:57] person.

[33:02] » Uh thank you. Uh so through the mayor to

[33:05] councelor Michelle. So yes, from a from

[33:07] the ownership group standpoint, um

[33:09] they're right now obviously in the

[33:11] initial um land use approvals, um really

[33:15] what's going to drive uh whether it's

[33:17] condo or rental will really be market

[33:19] conditions at the time of construction,

[33:20] which um depending on how how long site

[33:23] plan takes if there's no market.

[33:27] So it could be 3 years from now that

[33:29] right now maybe apartments make sense,

[33:31] maybe in 3 years condo makes sense,

[33:32] maybe it's the opposite. So, um,

[33:35] following site plan approval is when

[33:36] they would have to decide if they wanted

[33:39] to do, uh, a condominium because then

[33:41] another an additional application is

[33:43] required to folk county um, for a condo

[33:46] a condominium uh, application which then

[33:48] allows units to be registered with the

[33:50] land registry office. If it was just

[33:52] apartments following site plan approval,

[33:54] it would be under one ownership,

[33:56] obviously the ownership group of the

[33:57] apartment complex. Um, so market

[34:00] conditions is the answer and that'll be

[34:02] when they're done the site plan uh

[34:04] approvals process when that decision

[34:06] will will likely be made. Uh, hopefully

[34:09] that answers the question.

[34:12] >> Thank you.

[34:14] » Thank you.

[34:14] Uh, madame mayor, we do uh we did note

[34:17] uh just in the bylaw. So, uh the only

[34:19] parking requirement we did notice just

[34:21] in the uh implementing bylaw. Um it does

[34:24] say uh no parking shall be located

[34:27] closer than 3 mters from any interior

[34:29] lot line. Uh as shown on the site plan,

[34:31] we're showing 2 meters um rather than

[34:34] three. Three is the bylaw requirement.

[34:36] So just there is a typo in the

[34:37] implementing bylaw that does need to be

[34:39] fixed. Um, we are showing as per our

[34:43] request the the 2 m setback from the

[34:44] interior lot line. And if council does

[34:47] want information on the garbage, I'm

[34:49] happy to answer.

[34:51] >> Sure. While you're up here, go for

[34:52] » Sure. While you're up here, go for

[34:52] >> While I'm up here, I'll use I'll use the

[34:54] » While I'm up here, I'll use I'll use the

[34:54] opportunity. So, uh, the garbages

[34:56] themselves, uh, Yep. There's no setback

[34:57] from property lines. Um, they will be

[34:59] the mole system. If you've ever seen

[35:01] those, they're the the they're not the

[35:03] big dumpsters that roll in and out.

[35:05] They're the mole lock system that sits

[35:06] deeper into the ground. Um they're those

[35:09] round ones that have those dome shape um

[35:11] that seal tightly. Um then they come in,

[35:14] the garbage truck cranes them out um and

[35:16] dumps them in. Um they are uh they were

[35:19] designed um for that reduce smell,

[35:22] reduce the eyesore of a closed in area

[35:25] with um fences because they don't need

[35:27] to be closed in generally by fencing. Um

[35:30] so it's that mo system. I think they're

[35:32] at the Tim Hortons uh by the bridge. if

[35:35] anybody does want to take a look at what

[35:36] the mole uh molec looks like. Um so

[35:39] they're just they go vertically into the

[35:41] ground a lot deeper um take a take up

[35:43] less area and then obviously have a a

[35:45] much uh firmer ceiling uh lid on them.

[35:48] Um so that's to help to reduce those

[35:50] concerns with smell and visual appeal

[35:52] and and things like that. So

[35:55] >> councelor Deathy, was that going to be

[35:56] » councelor Deathy, was that going to be

[35:56] your question? Okay, councelor Brenton.

[35:59] >> Thank you Mayor Martin. question, Scott,

[36:01] » Thank you Mayor Martin. question, Scott,

[36:01] is uh is there some kind of storm water

[36:03] storage on site that you're I assume

[36:06] you're looking at?

[36:07] >> Yes. So, uh through the mayor, um yes.

[36:09] » Yes. So, uh through the mayor, um yes.

[36:09] Uh so there will be an underground

[36:11] there'll be underground chambers.

[36:12] >> Um I'm not an engineer and I won't

[36:14] » Um I'm not an engineer and I won't

[36:14] pretend to be one. Okay.

[36:15] >> Um but generally on these sites, if you

[36:17] » Um but generally on these sites, if you

[36:17] don't have a storm water management

[36:18] pond, you have underground chambers,

[36:20] storage chambers that the water gets

[36:21] collected into and then released into

[36:23] the uh municipal sewer and then taken

[36:26] wherever it outlets to uh from there. So

[36:29] the question always gets confusing for

[36:31] me. It's if it's condominium, they look

[36:34] after it, but if it's in this case, if

[36:36] it's rentals, I assume the owner looks

[36:39] after it. It's all on his property.

[36:41] >> So uh through the mayor. So uh sorry,

[36:43] » So uh through the mayor. So uh sorry,

[36:43] counselor.

[36:44] >> I don't know if Andrew is that

[36:49] » I I will happily take the question.

[36:50] >> Yeah, go ahead, Scott.

[36:51] » Yeah, go ahead, Scott.

[36:51] >> So from a if it's a condo, if it's a

[36:53] » So from a if it's a condo, if it's a

[36:53] condo, the condo corporation is

[36:54] responsible for it. So, all of the

[36:57] tenants collectively are responsible

[36:58] through the condo corporation. If it's

[37:00] rental, then it's the whoever the owner

[37:02] of the apartment is is responsible for

[37:04] the on-site uh system.

[37:06] >> Okay. Thank you.

[37:08] » Okay. Thank you.

[37:08] >> Good with that, Mr. Grace. Thanks. Okay.

[37:11] » Good with that, Mr. Grace. Thanks. Okay.

[37:11] Any other questions for Scott while he's

[37:13] up here? We can dismiss him again and go

[37:16] back to the staff report. Thanks, Scott,

[37:18] for that additional information. That's

[37:19] very helpful.

[37:20] >> Thank you, council.

[37:20] » Thank you, council.

[37:20] >> Any other questions for our staff on the

[37:23] » Any other questions for our staff on the

[37:23] staff report?

[37:26] I think the only thing that hasn't been

[37:29] addressed,

[37:30] we spoke at the public hearing meeting

[37:33] and had engineering comments on the

[37:35] record about traffic volumes and safety.

[37:40] The garbage has now been addressed. I

[37:42] think it's just um Margaret's comments.

[37:46] So, uh maybe I can pose this one to

[37:51] staff. the 1.5

[37:54] million homes from the government maybe

[37:56] through to Miss Call. Do you feel

[37:58] stressed to approve housing units

[38:01] inappropriately to meet 1.5 million

[38:03] homes?

[38:04] >> Um to the mayor, no, I don't feel

[38:07] » Um to the mayor, no, I don't feel

[38:07] stressed about it. I think in this

[38:08] circumstance, staff are satisfied

[38:10] regardless of the provincial direction

[38:11] that it's an appropriate spot for an

[38:14] apartment building.

[38:15] >> Okay. Thank you. And

[38:18] » Okay. Thank you. And

[38:18] um to maybe miss call again, have any

[38:21] assessments been done specifically in

[38:24] Norfolk to tell us what type of housing

[38:26] types we should be driving towards or do

[38:29] you have any uh information off the top

[38:31] of your head? Or from a planning

[38:34] perspective, do you prefer a certain

[38:36] type of housing? Can you comment on that

[38:38] for uh Miss Trucker's

[38:42] » um to the mayor? So, the official plan

[38:45] does direct us to have a variety of

[38:48] housing types. Um, this is an and to use

[38:52] land efficiently. Um, I don't know that

[38:53] we have anything that says this is what

[38:55] percent of apartments we need, that type

[38:57] of thing. But, we don't get a ton of

[38:58] apartment proposals. So, we also know

[39:00] that there's a very low vacancy rate for

[39:03] rentals in Norfol County. So, that's

[39:04] another reason we would be supportive of

[39:06] this. Again, it's very case by case on

[39:08] what's appropriate in what location. But

[39:11] um for this circumstance, I think it

[39:12] kind of checks the box um in terms of

[39:15] higher density in an appropriate

[39:17] location, not too high density,

[39:19] servicing's available. Um yeah, so we're

[39:22] supportive.

[39:23] >> Okay, thanks for that. Last time I

[39:24] » Okay, thanks for that. Last time I

[39:24] checked, it was 0.4% rental vacancy in

[39:27] Norfol County, which is very, very low.

[39:31] Um and then lastly,

[39:34] hospitals provincial, schools

[39:36] provincial, OP provincial. Not that

[39:39] we're passing the buck, but um those

[39:43] aren't factors or contributing parts of

[39:47] the conversation on the municipal

[39:49] planning level when we decide about

[39:51] housing. It would be lovely to have more

[39:53] resources for all of the above.

[39:55] Certainly in our community, no doubt. Uh

[39:57] but those are not reasons for council to

[40:00] be able to deny um a housing unit. If we

[40:04] said we we didn't approve the housing

[40:05] unit because we felt we didn't have

[40:07] enough OP resources that would not give

[40:10] us a leg to stand on in the appeal

[40:12] process. So I just wanted to comment on

[40:14] those three items for you. Councelor Van

[40:16] Passen.

[40:18] >> Thanks Madam Mayor. Just one other

[40:20] » Thanks Madam Mayor. Just one other

[40:20] little thing. Um, is the agent correct

[40:23] that that is a typo in the bylaw on the

[40:26] uh 2 meter setback for the parking

[40:27] spaces?

[40:29] It is what's on the map right now

[40:31] >> through the mayor to counselor Van

[40:33] » through the mayor to counselor Van

[40:33] Passin. Uh, yes, it was supposed to both

[40:35] say there's two setback reliefs in there

[40:37] and they were both supposed to say two.

[40:38] So, I did confirm with Scott and I've

[40:40] asked Lincoln to correct that for us.

[40:43] >> Just make sure the clerk gets it

[40:45] » Just make sure the clerk gets it

[40:45] converted when we do the bylaws before

[40:47] the end of the meeting.

[40:49] >> Okay. All right. Thank you very much

[40:51] » Okay. All right. Thank you very much

[40:51] everyone. Uh so there is a staff

[40:53] recommendation before council. Does

[40:55] someone wish to move that or propose an

[40:57] alternative?

[40:59] Councelor Columbus.

[41:01] >> So moved.

[41:01] » So moved.

[41:01] >> Thank you very much. Is there a

[41:03] » Thank you very much. Is there a

[41:03] seconder?

[41:04] Councelor Van Passen. Any debate or

[41:06] discussion on the topic? Councelor

[41:08] Columbus, the floor is yours. Just

[41:10] wanted to say at the October 8th public

[41:12] hearing committee meeting, I did

[41:13] question Scott about reducing the number

[41:16] of floors from five to four and he had

[41:19] indicated that it may not be a viable

[41:21] project. So I'm really happy to see that

[41:23] this is happening and it's relieved a

[41:25] lot of the other criteria that had to be

[41:27] met.

[41:28] >> Thank you.

[41:28] » Thank you.

[41:28] >> Agreed. Thank you. Anyone on the screen

[41:31] » Agreed. Thank you. Anyone on the screen

[41:31] wish to debate?

[41:34] Okay, I'm going to call the question.

[41:36] All in favor?

[41:38] That's carried unanimously. Thank you.

[41:45] Next, uh we don't do not have any

[41:48] presentations on our agenda, so we'll

[41:49] move along to approval of the minutes.

[41:52] First up is item 9.1, which is the

[41:54] council meeting minutes of December

[41:56] 16th, 2025.

[41:59] Moved by

[42:02] Councelor Bruntton and seconded by

[42:03] councelor Huffman. All in favor?

[42:08] carried reports of committee of the

[42:10] whole 10.1 is the council and committee

[42:13] meeting minutes of January 13th and 10.2

[42:16] Two is the budget committee meeting

[42:18] minutes November 20th, 2025.

[42:23] Mover and a seconder, please. Councelor

[42:25] Michelle and councelor Barry. All in

[42:27] favor?

[42:30] Carried.

[42:32] Advisory committee meeting minutes

[42:36] before you. We have quite a few. Uh does

[42:40] anyone wish to speak to any of them?

[42:45] Okay. Okay. 11.1 through to 11.7.

[42:54] All right. Is there a mover and a

[42:56] seconder to receive all of the above as

[42:59] information? Councelor Van Andrishi and

[43:01] Barry move. All in favor?

[43:06] Carried. Any opposed? Nope. We're good.

[43:09] Staff reports and discussions again. So

[43:11] nothing under community and development

[43:12] services uh corporate services. will

[43:15] move right along to staff report

[43:17] CS260001

[43:19] over to Mr. Fleming to give us our

[43:21] update on the water and wastewater

[43:23] collection policy and program update.

[43:34] Uh good afternoon council. Um, so I'm

[43:37] just here today to speak on our water

[43:39] and wastewater uh collection policy

[43:41] again at the committee meeting uh two

[43:43] weeks ago on January 13th. Uh committee

[43:47] deferred report CS26-001

[43:50] uh looking for more information

[43:51] particularly around our user fees that

[43:54] were estimated for the purposes of our

[43:56] rears collection notices. As to

[43:58] supplement the discussion today, I we

[44:01] have prepared an additional memo as

[44:03] included as part of this agenda uh which

[44:05] provides a bit more information on that.

[44:08] Uh based on council or committee's

[44:10] direction, uh staff undertook a more

[44:12] wholesome review of an estimated uh fees

[44:16] uh based on a bit more of a deep dive

[44:18] into them. Uh table one of our

[44:20] supplemental memo summarizes the fees

[44:23] that were calculated to be a cost

[44:25] recovery basis. Uh you'll note that in

[44:28] our the original report, the fee for the

[44:31] 6-day reminder uh was set at uh or

[44:34] estimate of $5. Uh revised it's at $4.28

[44:39] and the other two for the 30 and 45day

[44:41] have been revised down from $10 to

[44:43] $6.73.

[44:46] I just want to put out a reminder that

[44:48] these fees are not intended to generate

[44:50] money, but they are to ensure that those

[44:52] that benefit from the services or

[44:53] reminder notices are paying for those

[44:55] services and the costs of those are not

[44:57] passed on to other users within the rate

[44:59] base. Uh table two within that memo

[45:02] provides a bit of a summary in terms of

[45:04] if those fees are not charged, what the

[45:06] impacts would be for the average

[45:07] residential rate user. Uh in aggregate

[45:10] it would be about $4 annually.

[45:13] There was also some discussion at the

[45:15] committee meeting as well around the

[45:17] paper bill sir charge of $2 per bill.

[45:20] Staff are confident that number remains

[45:22] uh consistent with what was prepared

[45:25] originally. And just for context as

[45:27] well, similar to what was are shown in

[45:29] table two. Staff also pulled the similar

[45:31] number for as presented in table three

[45:34] on a basis of 25% of people would be

[45:36] signed up for ebilling. the remaining

[45:38] 75% that receive paper bills, that cost

[45:40] would be passed on to the other existing

[45:42] rate users uh and result in $5.69

[45:46] savings should council adopt a rate for

[45:49] that for the average residential

[45:50] property. Um we are again uh these are

[45:54] still estimates these rates and they

[45:56] won't be finalized until presented as

[45:57] part of the 2027

[45:59] uh user fee bylaw. Uh we're looking

[46:02] forward to uh bringing some more

[46:05] information back at that at a later date

[46:07] uh once that becomes available and

[46:08] looking forward to having the discussion

[46:10] today to hopefully uh get this policy

[46:12] approved if we can. Uh we are available

[46:15] should committee have any questions or

[46:16] council have any questions. We're more

[46:18] than happy to to dive into it a bit more

[46:20] if you there are

[46:22] >> questions from council.

[46:25] » questions from council.

[46:25] Councelor Brenton.

[46:28] >> Thank you Mayor Martin. I I'm um not

[46:31] » Thank you Mayor Martin. I I'm um not

[46:31] sure if this is the place to ask the

[46:33] question, but I had a call last week

[46:34] from an individual that had a water bill

[46:37] problem uh with a tenant and I I tried

[46:42] to explain to him where this is going,

[46:44] but my question uh he indicated there's

[46:47] an app app available to monitor water

[46:51] use in a is that is that are you aware

[46:55] of that or no?

[46:59] Mr. Grace.

[47:00] >> Yes. Uh certainly. So through the mayor,

[47:02] » Yes. Uh certainly. So through the mayor,

[47:02] yes, there are various apps depending on

[47:04] the provider you have for your meter

[47:06] technology or your billing uh provider.

[47:08] Uh we are currently working with our

[47:10] meter provider, Census, and that is

[47:12] something that we will have live uh in

[47:13] the near future. It is really intended,

[47:16] as you said, to provide people access to

[47:17] the real-time water usage, but is to

[47:19] avoid having leaks on your property that

[47:21] may go undetected. So we hope to roll

[47:23] that out sometime uh hopefully by summer

[47:26] this year. Um and we'll have some

[47:27] communications and outreach that go

[47:29] along with it so people are aware of how

[47:30] to use it.

[47:31] >> Okay. And is that part of the the um

[47:35] » Okay. And is that part of the the um

[47:35] where the landlord has to get permission

[47:38] from the tenant the two of them have to

[47:41] agree on that? I assume it's

[47:42] confidential if it's the uh if it's the

[47:46] tenant to use that app. Am I would that

[47:49] make sense?

[47:50] >> Uh so through the mayor I think that's

[47:52] » Uh so through the mayor I think that's

[47:52] something we'll have to look at in more

[47:53] detail. I haven't thought of the

[47:54] logistics around the the tenant landlord

[47:57] relationship, but um I'm certainly

[47:59] there's something we can work through

[48:00] whether it's a sign off to allow access

[48:03] or that. We'll we'll certainly explore

[48:04] that as part of our roll out.

[48:06] >> Well, that's that I I what I understand

[48:09] » Well, that's that I I what I understand

[48:09] is we're going to have that uh ability

[48:12] of the landlord to deal with the tenant

[48:15] and keep track of his own uh usage. If

[48:19] it's his building, he's paying the bill

[48:21] if it doesn't get paid. Correct. Yeah,

[48:23] through through the chair. Uh yes, that

[48:25] is correct. So under our current system

[48:26] for water bills, uh we do have a signoff

[48:29] process uh with our current provider

[48:31] where landlords can gain access to

[48:33] tenant accounts. Uh so that's an

[48:35] existing process that I'm sure um could

[48:38] be utilized for a similar kind of

[48:40] purpose. Um I will say though under our

[48:43] collection policy that we're proposing

[48:44] today, um that's before you the all

[48:48] water accounts while the primary owner

[48:50] will be the property owner. Um so that

[48:52] sign off process and releases won't be

[48:54] necessary because it'll be um the

[48:57] property owner will have that

[48:58] information by virtue of being the

[49:00] primary account holder.

[49:02] >> Okay. I thank you

[49:04] » Okay. I thank you

[49:04] >> councelor Columbus.

[49:06] » councelor Columbus.

[49:06] >> Thank you madam mayor and uh I still

[49:09] » Thank you madam mayor and uh I still

[49:09] have a concern with respect to the

[49:10] bimonthly billing. I just think that

[49:14] going two months is going to be too

[49:16] difficult for a lot of families, large

[49:18] families, pensionable seniors.

[49:21] And uh I don't know how everybody else

[49:24] feels about it, but I just think it's I

[49:26] know you can do uh e billilling and e

[49:29] payments, but a lot of people in our

[49:31] county are not familiar with that

[49:32] process.

[49:34] Just a quick reminder, councelor Huffman

[49:36] raised it last time, but the uh system

[49:38] does have the equal billing in it, so it

[49:40] will be consistent and and predictable,

[49:43] I suppose.

[49:45] Any other questions for staff at this

[49:47] point in time, councelor Barry.

[49:52] >> Uh, excuse me. Thank you, mayor, and

[49:54] » Uh, excuse me. Thank you, mayor, and

[49:54] through you to Rob, I guess. Um, last

[49:58] time we had this this come up, we had a

[50:01] discussion about arars and and and

[50:03] different uh different issues about that

[50:06] and and I'm wondering um I just want to

[50:09] follow up on that. I'm wondering if we

[50:10] know uh or could find out how Norol

[50:14] County is in terms of relative to

[50:16] similar municipalities. Like do we have

[50:19] more people in our rears, fewer people

[50:21] in our rears? Are we about the same?

[50:22] Like I just I'd just like to have a

[50:24] better sense of um where we are on that

[50:28] um for a couple reasons. one just to

[50:30] make sure that our policies and things

[50:32] are are correct like relative to uh

[50:35] other communities and and you know the

[50:37] the people that aren't paying or use

[50:39] those as reasons to not pay but also um

[50:42] you know just as it becomes politicized

[50:45] I would like to know you know is is is

[50:46] are the 600 accounts in a rears a lot or

[50:49] a little is the percentage higher or

[50:53] lower is there any way we can find that

[50:54] out please

[50:57] >> uh through the chair yes I We did try to

[51:00] » uh through the chair yes I We did try to

[51:00] take a look and pull some values on that

[51:02] from the last discussion two weeks ago

[51:04] at CIC. Um it's a bit it's a bit

[51:08] challenging I suppose to to pull that

[51:09] information just by the nature of how

[51:12] water and wastewater works. Um many

[51:14] municipalities

[51:16] have adopted a tax rolling process for

[51:19] counselor and inner rears. Uh so in

[51:22] reality their arars are much lower as

[51:25] presented on their financial statements

[51:27] for example than they would be because

[51:28] of that tax billing. It's a bit

[51:30] different I guess what I'm saying than

[51:31] from property taxes where property tax

[51:32] accounts are the definitive point and

[51:35] many municipalities report on where that

[51:37] is at year end. Um, but water and

[51:40] wastewater just with the how they're

[51:42] collected upon with the tax rolling

[51:44] process after 60 days or 90 days past

[51:46] due, it's a bit of a a challenge I guess

[51:49] to to get that information. Um, what I

[51:51] can say though is we did take a look at

[51:54] uh uh what other municipalities do in

[51:56] terms of our overall kind of timeline to

[51:59] tax rolling and what we've seen is that

[52:01] it's fairly consistent across the board.

[52:03] uh some of the powers have adopted other

[52:06] other timelines for tax rolling but I I

[52:08] don't think what we're proposing 60 days

[52:10] is outside of the norm. Uh in aggregate

[52:13] annually we tax roll about 900,000 in

[52:16] water and wastewater rears so about

[52:17] 75,000 a month. um which

[52:22] I would say as a percentage of rears if

[52:24] you look at just that million it'd be

[52:26] consistent with what we have uh

[52:29] outstanding for our property taxes but

[52:31] it's not a direct apples to apples

[52:33] comparison just by the nature of how the

[52:35] the aging of the the difference in

[52:37] accounts go from period to period.

[52:41] >> Okay. No, I understand all that and I

[52:43] » Okay. No, I understand all that and I

[52:43] and I appreciate the update. I just um

[52:47] Okay, fair enough. And if it occurs, but

[52:49] if it does occur to you or anyone else

[52:51] in finance that there might be a way to

[52:52] see how Norfolk compares in that regard,

[52:54] I would really appreciate that update

[52:56] because I don't want this to be that um

[52:59] you know, obviously it's not good. I

[53:00] understand it's not good to have any

[53:01] inner rears, but I don't want this to be

[53:03] framed as a particularly bad Norfolk

[53:06] issue if we're consistent with other

[53:08] municipalities or or even worse if it

[53:11] gets misconstrued if we're actually

[53:12] doing a little better. So that that's um

[53:15] that's all I want to get to. So if

[53:16] there's ever any metrics or you it comes

[53:18] across a way that to report how we're

[53:20] doing, I'd really appreciate that

[53:21] update. Okay. Thank you,

[53:23] >> Councelor Huffman.

[53:27] » Thank you, Mayor Martin through you. I

[53:28] was just wondering if Mr. Fleming could

[53:30] just recap again on those fees. I know

[53:33] that the paper bills are going to be $2

[53:37] and if you could just recap on the fees

[53:39] again. I just um I didn't quite get the

[53:42] the one.

[53:44] >> Yeah. Yep. through the through the uh

[53:46] » Yeah. Yep. through the through the uh

[53:46] mayor. Um based on table one, so the

[53:49] information contained table one of the

[53:51] supplemental memo, the 6day automated

[53:54] reminder was originally estimated at $5.

[53:58] It has been revised down to $4.28.

[54:02] The 30-day reminder notice was

[54:05] originally estimated at $10. It has been

[54:08] a revised estimate of $6.73.

[54:12] Uh the $6.73

[54:14] revised estimate is also applicable for

[54:16] the 45day uh transfer to tax rule

[54:19] warning.

[54:21] >> Okay. Thank you very much. I was just

[54:23] » Okay. Thank you very much. I was just

[54:23] wondering, Mayor Martin, when it comes

[54:25] time, I'd like to make a motion

[54:28] regarding the fees.

[54:31] >> Sure. I don't uh believe I have I Oh,

[54:34] » Sure. I don't uh believe I have I Oh,

[54:34] I'll come back to you, Councelor Deathy.

[54:36] >> Okay. All right. Thanks.

[54:37] » Okay. All right. Thanks.

[54:37] >> Thank you, Mayor Martino. Can I um Mr.

[54:40] » Thank you, Mayor Martino. Can I um Mr.

[54:40] Fleming, thank you for the work that you

[54:41] did on this from the last time we saw

[54:43] it. What goes into the 6day automated

[54:47] reminder that cost $4.28

[54:50] uh through the mayor. Um so we tried to

[54:53] give a flavor of what kind of goes into

[54:55] the the anal or the calculation for each

[54:57] of the fees. Um

[55:00] so with the six the six day automated

[55:02] reminder notice, the first thing would

[55:03] be the system that would generate the

[55:05] phone calls. Um if that's the option we

[55:07] decided to go with. Um that would be I

[55:10] think we estimated at about 5,000 a year

[55:12] uh which was previously noted at the

[55:14] CIC. Uh with any reminder actions or

[55:18] collection actions that we do um there

[55:20] is a process that needs to get done in

[55:22] advance of that. Um that would be

[55:23] validating the information um that gets

[55:26] exported reviewing the aged accounts to

[55:28] make sure that we send notices or

[55:30] contact the individuals that actually

[55:32] require to be contacted. Um, and then

[55:34] once those con those uh those go out the

[55:37] door, uh whether um automated or if

[55:40] they're email or by mail, um then we

[55:44] also have the associated follow-up that

[55:46] goes with that. Um, so typically with

[55:48] our our reminder notice fees, any of the

[55:51] follow-up work with somebody might call

[55:53] in um and

[55:56] uh say that they've paid, there's the

[55:57] follow-up work and looking at people's

[55:59] accounts um and all the uh the post kind

[56:04] of work that goes into it. Um in the for

[56:07] context in the report itself or the

[56:09] supplemental memo, we had a look at

[56:11] property tax reminder notices. Obviously

[56:13] the volume's a bit different um but we

[56:17] believe that the work effort would be

[56:18] similar uh in comparison just at a much

[56:21] smaller scale and all the followup and

[56:23] balancing and uh it's all factored into

[56:26] that that cost of $4

[56:29] 28.

[56:31] Thank you for that. I I will confess

[56:34] some of the comments around uh basically

[56:37] reviewing to make sure we've got it

[56:38] right gives me tiny bit of concern that

[56:40] we're doing it after the fact.

[56:42] Um on in your experience,

[56:46] how often is that first reminder all it

[56:49] takes?

[56:52] >> Um that's that's a great question. Um so

[56:53] » Um that's that's a great question. Um so

[56:54] obviously we don't have a great kind of

[56:56] foundation for determining that because

[56:57] this is a new new service for us. Um I

[57:00] would say if we looked at our tax

[57:03] reminder notices as a great example u

[57:06] because they would follow a similar kind

[57:08] of timeline. um they are reasonably

[57:12] effective um in in driving payments. Uh

[57:17] we see that uh I said we send about

[57:19] 5,500

[57:21] um for property taxes and that is much

[57:24] of the work that my team does for the

[57:25] following two weeks uh is follow up

[57:27] associated with those reminder notices

[57:29] and dealing with uh the residence

[57:30] inquiries. Um and just by virtue of that

[57:34] I I I we do end up clearing a a decent

[57:39] amount of a rears just from the initial

[57:41] notice itself.

[57:43] So like 50% of them 25

[57:51] » I think I would if I was to look at so

[57:54] for example um we send reminder notices

[57:57] for taxes in November and we had about

[58:01] 5500 we did it again in January and we

[58:04] had reminder notices of about 3,000 uh

[58:07] so we cut it in half roughly between

[58:10] those two reminder notices.

[58:15] Any other questions for staff at this

[58:16] point? Councelor Bruntton.

[58:18] >> Thank you, Mayor Martin. Um, I'm trying

[58:21] » Thank you, Mayor Martin. Um, I'm trying

[58:21] to get a handle on something here. Uh,

[58:23] the you say on a given year 900,000 is

[58:26] about the value of a rears for water.

[58:31] Am I am I right on that

[58:33] >> through the chair? That is the rear

[58:34] » through the chair? That is the rear

[58:34] amounts are transferred to property

[58:36] taxes 900,000.

[58:37] >> Okay. And that's that's progressive over

[58:39] » Okay. And that's that's progressive over

[58:39] a 12-month period, I take to get to

[58:41] that, right? How quick does the 1 and

[58:44] a4% kick in on the on a on a delinquent

[58:48] water bill?

[58:49] >> Uh through the mayor, the interest would

[58:52] » Uh through the mayor, the interest would

[58:52] start be charged on the first day of

[58:53] default, similar to how taxes are

[58:56] operating.

[58:57] >> Okay. So, does that interest you make uh

[59:01] » Okay. So, does that interest you make uh

[59:01] 1 and a4%

[59:03] does it get credited back to the rate

[59:05] budget or does it stay in the taxes tax

[59:09] I guess the levy budget if I could use

[59:11] that word?

[59:12] >> What happens to it?

[59:13] » What happens to it?

[59:13] >> Yeah. through the mayor. Uh any interest

[59:15] » Yeah. through the mayor. Uh any interest

[59:15] that would be generated from water and

[59:18] wastewater past due amounts u would be

[59:20] factored into the rate budget until such

[59:22] time that they're transferred to the

[59:24] property tax levy or the property tax

[59:26] account.

[59:28] >> I realize but that's what I'm sooner or

[59:30] » I realize but that's what I'm sooner or

[59:30] later that somebody comes to pay that

[59:32] tax bill which could include a portion

[59:35] of the the water bill. Correct.

[59:38] >> Uh through the mayor that that would be

[59:40] » Uh through the mayor that that would be

[59:40] correct. Yes.

[59:40] >> Okay. So does that credit back then to

[59:43] » Okay. So does that credit back then to

[59:43] the rate like I guess it's very

[59:45] difficult to keep track of but does that

[59:47] inch inch and a quarter one and a4%

[59:52] does it all get credited back to the to

[59:54] the water bill uh through the mayor uh

[59:57] no it would not uh similar to other

[59:59] items that would get transferred to the

[1:00:01] tax role of a property once it gets

[1:00:03] transferred it becomes the

[1:00:04] responsibility of individuals that are

[1:00:07] funded by the tax base to collect that

[1:00:10] outstanding amount uh similar to is now

[1:00:13] u with water and wastewater rers once

[1:00:14] they're added um it's tax collection

[1:00:18] staff would be responsible for ensuring

[1:00:20] those amounts are collected uh and

[1:00:22] that's similar for any other item that

[1:00:24] gets whether it's accounts receivable or

[1:00:27] um

[1:00:29] >> that's a I can if I can say it's a bit

[1:00:32] » that's a I can if I can say it's a bit

[1:00:32] of a bonus to the uh taxpayer

[1:00:35] taxpayer not the rateayer

[1:00:40] thank Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[1:00:41] >> Councelor Huffman, you want to provide

[1:00:43] » Councelor Huffman, you want to provide

[1:00:43] some direction to staff?

[1:00:46] >> Um, yes. Thank you, Mayor Martin. Um,

[1:00:49] » Um, yes. Thank you, Mayor Martin. Um,

[1:00:49] I'm just I I'm going back to the

[1:00:52] original intent of bringing this in

[1:00:55] house and it was from the mayor's

[1:00:56] affordability roundt. So, the consensus

[1:01:00] was being how can we make things more

[1:01:02] affordable for people in Norfolk. So

[1:01:04] obviously it's been proven to bring it

[1:01:06] inhouse does provide a significant

[1:01:09] savings but however I I know I've

[1:01:12] mentioned this before. It costs a lot of

[1:01:14] money to not have a lot of money and and

[1:01:17] I don't want to

[1:01:20] put more burden on those that are

[1:01:22] already struggling. So, I would like to

[1:01:23] propose a motion that the first um

[1:01:26] contact made with um the rateayer would

[1:01:31] be $2 and the next two notices would be

[1:01:34] $5.

[1:01:36] That is my motion.

[1:01:38] >> Okay, that's on the floor. Is there a

[1:01:40] » Okay, that's on the floor. Is there a

[1:01:40] seconder for that?

[1:01:45] » Okay.

[1:01:46] >> Okay. See,

[1:01:49] » Okay. See,

[1:01:49] Council Michelle is seconding. Okay.

[1:01:52] debate and discussion on that. Councelor

[1:01:55] Barry.

[1:01:58] >> Yeah, excuse me. Thanks, Councelor

[1:01:59] » Yeah, excuse me. Thanks, Councelor

[1:01:59] Huffman for doing that. I was thinking

[1:02:01] of something similar, but not quite

[1:02:03] that. Um I I will support this

[1:02:07] in theory, but I you know, if I can make

[1:02:09] a suggestion um just for maybe a

[1:02:11] potential change if everybody likes it.

[1:02:13] Maybe the first one's free, but we jack

[1:02:14] those second two back up to 10. So this

[1:02:17] the first one is, you know,

[1:02:20] just a reminder, here's your freebie.

[1:02:23] Next one is is is more substantial. That

[1:02:25] way they they don't get hit right away,

[1:02:26] but they they get that uh friendly free

[1:02:28] reminder. So anyways, either way, I'll I

[1:02:30] I'll probably support something like

[1:02:32] this. I just don't know if I I I will go

[1:02:33] with these amounts yet.

[1:02:35] >> Okay.

[1:02:36] » Okay.

[1:02:36] >> Is that uh that amendment suitable,

[1:02:39] » Is that uh that amendment suitable,

[1:02:39] Councelor Huffman,

[1:02:41] >> or want to stick with your direction?

[1:02:43] » or want to stick with your direction?

[1:02:43] >> Well, I'm still thinking that that 10 is

[1:02:45] » Well, I'm still thinking that that 10 is

[1:02:45] high. Um,

[1:02:48] I mean that that could be I I just think

[1:02:51] it's high. I I want to stick with the

[1:02:53] five for the following two. I that's

[1:02:56] where I'm I'm sticking with that. Feel

[1:02:59] like I'm on a game shop.

[1:03:00] >> We'll stick with your motion.

[1:03:02] » We'll stick with your motion.

[1:03:02] >> Okay. Thank you.

[1:03:03] » Okay. Thank you.

[1:03:03] >> Okay,

[1:03:06] » Okay,

[1:03:06] >> Council Shelly debate

[1:03:08] » Council Shelly debate

[1:03:08] >> then. Council.

[1:03:09] » then. Council.

[1:03:09] >> Thanks, Madam Mayor. Um, I just want to

[1:03:11] » Thanks, Madam Mayor. Um, I just want to

[1:03:11] get maybe clarification from the mover.

[1:03:13] Um,

[1:03:15] are we Oh, I see it's on the screen now.

[1:03:18] Okay,

[1:03:20] so

[1:03:20] >> we're sticking with the original motion.

[1:03:22] » we're sticking with the original motion.

[1:03:22] No changes.

[1:03:23] >> Okay, so it was

[1:03:25] » Okay, so it was

[1:03:25] $2 and then fives. Okay, thank you.

[1:03:29] >> Councelor Van Andrei debate. Go ahead.

[1:03:36] » You are muted.

[1:03:41] I'm so sorry. Um I have it on my phone

[1:03:45] here. I can't get it on my laptop. So

[1:03:47] obviously it is very small. So I'd like

[1:03:49] clarification that the first is two and

[1:03:52] the next is five and five. Is that what

[1:03:55] I heard?

[1:03:55] >> That is correct.

[1:03:56] » That is correct.

[1:03:56] >> Yes.

[1:03:57] » Yes.

[1:03:57] >> Okay. I will support that then. Thank

[1:03:58] » Okay. I will support that then. Thank

[1:03:58] you. Um I I I would have gone with the

[1:04:01] first one as um a freebie as well as a

[1:04:05] reminder and then I would have gone with

[1:04:06] the five and five. But um this is this

[1:04:09] is fine here. Two is fine. Councelor

[1:04:11] Death.

[1:04:13] >> Uh, thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you,

[1:04:14] » Uh, thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you,

[1:04:14] Councelor Huffman, I appreciate the

[1:04:15] intent of the motion. Um, and overall,

[1:04:17] I'm not necessarily overly averse.

[1:04:19] However, um, I my concern when we

[1:04:22] discussed it last was that I think we're

[1:04:24] nickeling diamond nickel and dimming

[1:04:26] people. Uh, and I think the first

[1:04:28] contact at 6 days, uh, even if it is $2

[1:04:31] is silly. Um, on on this topic, I can

[1:04:36] see that it would be different for

[1:04:37] property tax, but on water and

[1:04:38] wastewater, not so much. So, I'm not

[1:04:40] going to support it because I think I'm

[1:04:42] hearing around the table that there's

[1:04:43] maybe some uh inclination for a change

[1:04:45] on that part.

[1:04:48] >> Councelor Van Passen.

[1:04:50] » Councelor Van Passen.

[1:04:50] >> Yes. Thanks, Madam Mayor. Um, when I

[1:04:52] » Yes. Thanks, Madam Mayor. Um, when I

[1:04:52] looked at even the memo, supplementary

[1:04:55] memo, it's called an automated reminder.

[1:04:58] Um, that's cost of doing business to

[1:05:01] charge $2 for that. It's going to cost

[1:05:04] more than the $2 to add that to the bill

[1:05:08] after they charge it. So, do you charge

[1:05:11] them another $2 for adding it to the

[1:05:13] bill? So, uh I would just completely

[1:05:16] forget about it. That's a cost of doing

[1:05:18] business. That first one, that's a

[1:05:19] gimme. Um there's no need for it at all.

[1:05:23] Now, the other two, um

[1:05:26] it's a little bit more of a a proddding

[1:05:29] them to pay the bill. But I got to ask

[1:05:31] staff again, under the current system,

[1:05:35] if that $10 fee or $5 fee or $750 fee is

[1:05:39] collected, where does that money end up?

[1:05:41] Does it end up in the pocket of the rate

[1:05:44] budget or does it end up in the pocket

[1:05:46] of the levy budget

[1:05:49] >> through the mayor? So any of the minor

[1:05:50] » through the mayor? So any of the minor

[1:05:50] notice fees up until the point of being

[1:05:54] transferred to taxes would be uh

[1:05:56] allocated to the rate budget.

[1:05:59] >> Okay. So, we're we're going to collect a

[1:06:01] » Okay. So, we're we're going to collect a

[1:06:01] fee to remind you you're late. That

[1:06:04] money stays within the pockets of the

[1:06:06] rate budget. So, it's only the users

[1:06:08] that either get the benefit or pay the

[1:06:10] bill. So, I have no problem reminding

[1:06:14] them to send us money. Um, I guess I

[1:06:18] don't have to worry about too many in my

[1:06:19] word worrying about that. But, um, and

[1:06:22] since this motion's on there, there was

[1:06:24] a question also last week about the $2

[1:06:26] for a paper bill. Can maybe we discuss

[1:06:29] all of those potential fees at once and

[1:06:32] then uh give staff a clear

[1:06:34] recommendation on how we'd like to see

[1:06:36] the policy drafted.

[1:06:39] >> Um

[1:06:40] » Um

[1:06:40] so your question is is the $2 rate still

[1:06:43] applicable if it's a paper mailout bill

[1:06:45] as opposed to the ebilling?

[1:06:48] >> Yeah, it's a a I don't know if you call

[1:06:51] » Yeah, it's a a I don't know if you call

[1:06:51] it a penalty for getting the paper bill

[1:06:53] cuz like uh already it needs a stamp.

[1:06:56] That's half of the money right there.

[1:06:58] But it's more of an incentive to get

[1:07:00] them on eBuilding is uh so they don't

[1:07:02] have to pay that extra fee. So I think

[1:07:05] that was the logic in the proposed

[1:07:08] policy. Right. So

[1:07:09] >> staff comment

[1:07:12] » staff comment

[1:07:12] >> uh through the mayor if I if I

[1:07:13] » uh through the mayor if I if I

[1:07:14] understand the the question correctly.

[1:07:15] It was uh that was the the intent uh to

[1:07:18] ensure that uh it's more of an incentive

[1:07:20] to get on to ebilling than it is a

[1:07:22] penalty for not being on ebilling. um if

[1:07:25] no one's on eBay, everyone incurs that

[1:07:26] cost and then there's no user fee,

[1:07:28] right? Uh because everyone benefits

[1:07:29] equally. Um but having the option of

[1:07:32] having ebilling available um is more of

[1:07:36] having the user fee more targets um the

[1:07:39] cost to those who benefit from having

[1:07:41] that paper bill if that's what they

[1:07:42] choose to have over emailing.

[1:07:46] >> Good. Councelor Huffman,

[1:07:50] » excuse me. Thank you, Mayor Martin. I am

[1:07:52] more than willing to resend the $2 for

[1:07:55] the initial notice. Um I just thought

[1:07:58] that that wouldn't fly if I put it at

[1:08:00] zero. Um I agree with uh councelor Van

[1:08:04] Passen and councelor Duffy. I don't want

[1:08:06] to be nickel and dimming and I think

[1:08:08] there is a cost to doing business and uh

[1:08:10] for being 6 days over to have to pay $2.

[1:08:13] I I see that as as a lot. So, I would be

[1:08:17] happy to um amend the motion to be um

[1:08:19] the first contact made with the rateayer

[1:08:22] be zero and the next two notices be $5

[1:08:25] each. I'm more than happy to amend that.

[1:08:27] >> And before I go to your second,

[1:08:29] » And before I go to your second,

[1:08:29] counselor Huffman, one of my suggestions

[1:08:31] at council and committee was that staff

[1:08:33] implement that for the first six months

[1:08:36] to get people familiar with the new

[1:08:38] billing process. is your amendment that

[1:08:41] that be included as a um six month like

[1:08:44] educational or or permanently?

[1:08:48] >> No, I I was thinking actually earlier

[1:08:50] » No, I I was thinking actually earlier

[1:08:50] today I was thinking about it being a

[1:08:52] little bit longer than 6 months. I

[1:08:54] wanted it to go maybe a year, but I'm

[1:08:56] open to suggestions. I just want to do

[1:08:59] the best that we can by the rateayer and

[1:09:01] to make this as as seamless as possible

[1:09:04] and and um as as productive as possible.

[1:09:09] So um I'm open to suggestions. 6 months

[1:09:12] is fine. I was kind of thinking a year,

[1:09:14] but I'll go 6 months.

[1:09:15] >> Okay. So the intent would be to to wave

[1:09:18] » Okay. So the intent would be to to wave

[1:09:18] the first bill. any um fees associated

[1:09:22] with that as an educational

[1:09:26] launching the new ebilling bi-weekly and

[1:09:29] so on and so forth. So the first

[1:09:31] question before I go to the seconder is

[1:09:33] is council in support of that as a

[1:09:38] six-month or longer process.

[1:09:41] Feedback on that from council please.

[1:09:47] » Councelor Bruntton then Duffy. Am I

[1:09:50] missing something here? If it's

[1:09:51] >> Van Andrei.

[1:09:52] » Van Andrei.

[1:09:52] >> Uh, thank you, Mayor Martin. I might I'm

[1:09:55] » Uh, thank you, Mayor Martin. I might I'm

[1:09:56] a little confused here. If it in six

[1:09:57] months, if it hasn't been paid, doesn't

[1:09:59] it will it not end up on the uh tax bill

[1:10:02] by then?

[1:10:04] Am I reading that right or am I wrong?

[1:10:06] >> I don't know how long it takes to move

[1:10:07] » I don't know how long it takes to move

[1:10:07] over to the tax bill, but that's not the

[1:10:09] question. They would then get their

[1:10:11] second and third bill at the $10 rates.

[1:10:14] So, we would still be billing them.

[1:10:15] Still trying to correct. The question

[1:10:17] now that we're considering is should we

[1:10:20] be offering this 0

[1:10:23] uh charge on the first notification as

[1:10:26] an educational period for 6 months, 8

[1:10:30] months, one year at which point in time

[1:10:32] that would lapse and there would be a

[1:10:34] fee associated with it. Does 6 months

[1:10:38] too short? I I understand that, Mayor

[1:10:41] Martin, but I I I guess I'm going right

[1:10:43] back to the if people can't afford to

[1:10:46] pay, eventually it's going to be at uh 1

[1:10:48] and a4% on the tax bill. It it's

[1:10:51] irrelevant. Two or10 or $5.

[1:10:54] >> Yep. If they can't afford to pay, they

[1:10:56] » Yep. If they can't afford to pay, they

[1:10:56] they will receive additional bills, but

[1:10:58] this motion is still applicable. So, I'm

[1:11:01] going to go to councelor Duffy, then Van

[1:11:03] Andrei for feedback specifically on the

[1:11:05] first bill.

[1:11:07] >> Okay. Thank you. That was my

[1:11:08] » Okay. Thank you. That was my

[1:11:08] clarification. So just whether it should

[1:11:10] be six months for the $0 for freebie,

[1:11:12] the first bill freebie. That's your

[1:11:13] question.

[1:11:14] >> Six months, one year. Councelor Huffman

[1:11:16] » Six months, one year. Councelor Huffman

[1:11:16] seeking input.

[1:11:18] >> Yeah, I uh my take would be we just we

[1:11:22] » Yeah, I uh my take would be we just we

[1:11:22] make it permanent. I think you may get

[1:11:23] some reaffenders. Um but I'm not sure I

[1:11:26] necessarily want to have the marker

[1:11:29] moved throughout the course.

[1:11:30] >> Okay. But I need feedback on 6 months or

[1:11:32] » Okay. But I need feedback on 6 months or

[1:11:32] a year or not

[1:11:33] >> permanent.

[1:11:34] » permanent.

[1:11:34] >> Okay, that's not the question. Councelor

[1:11:36] » Okay, that's not the question. Councelor

[1:11:36] Vandenryishi feedback on six months or a

[1:11:38] year because then I'll go and

[1:11:40] >> I would prefer

[1:11:43] » I would prefer

[1:11:43] I would prefer the year because it is an

[1:11:45] education process. Um that way

[1:11:47] everybody's comfortable with it after an

[1:11:49] entire year rather than six months and

[1:11:52] uh yeah but there'll be more to this

[1:11:54] than you think. So thank you.

[1:11:57] >> It's okay you're going for one year.

[1:11:58] » It's okay you're going for one year.

[1:11:58] Councelor Barry feedback.

[1:12:01] >> Uh excuse me. I'd like I would I would

[1:12:03] » Uh excuse me. I'd like I would I would

[1:12:03] go with the year also. However, I know

[1:12:06] you're not asking this, but I want to

[1:12:07] throw it out, but it should be once. I

[1:12:08] mean, it shouldn't be that you're in

[1:12:10] every year several times over the course

[1:12:11] of that year and and you uh keep getting

[1:12:14] that no like one time you get it or not,

[1:12:18] but that's my preference.

[1:12:19] >> Okay, understood. So, Councelor Huffman,

[1:12:21] » Okay, understood. So, Councelor Huffman,

[1:12:22] now that you've heard from your

[1:12:24] colleagues, do you have uh preference on

[1:12:27] what you'd like your motion to be? And

[1:12:28] then I'll go to Councelor Michelle and

[1:12:29] see if he agrees with the amendment.

[1:12:33] >> Uh, thank you, Mayor Martin. through

[1:12:34] » Uh, thank you, Mayor Martin. through

[1:12:34] you. Um I would like to go I would like

[1:12:36] to stick with the year um and and the

[1:12:39] other numbers are um that the first

[1:12:43] contact made with the rate pair be zero

[1:12:46] and the next two notices be $5 each and

[1:12:48] the amended part would be that the first

[1:12:50] bill notification be waved for the first

[1:12:52] year and that the next two notices be $5

[1:12:56] each.

[1:12:56] >> Okay.

[1:12:56] » Okay.

[1:12:56] >> Just make I'm sorry. Yeah. Okay. And

[1:12:59] » Just make I'm sorry. Yeah. Okay. And

[1:12:59] then to councelor Barry's uh point, just

[1:13:01] for clarity on your motion, if I'm a

[1:13:04] repeat offender, do I get my first bill

[1:13:08] waved multiple times or only once in

[1:13:10] that year process?

[1:13:13] >> I guess I would have to go back to staff

[1:13:15] » I guess I would have to go back to staff

[1:13:15] because it would depend on how much work

[1:13:17] that would take and how much tracking. I

[1:13:20] don't want to um we have to look at

[1:13:22] we're trying to save some money here.

[1:13:25] Um, I don't want to be taking up

[1:13:26] valuable staff time with that. So, I

[1:13:29] guess we would need some input from

[1:13:31] staff.

[1:13:31] >> You know what? Our treasurer has her

[1:13:32] » You know what? Our treasurer has her

[1:13:32] hand up. Perfect timing.

[1:13:34] >> Uh, thank you. And through you, Mayor

[1:13:35] » Uh, thank you. And through you, Mayor

[1:13:35] Martin. Yeah, I Well, I appreciate the

[1:13:37] intent of the motion. I think that

[1:13:38] tracking that would be very very

[1:13:39] challenging and administratively

[1:13:41] burdensome for us as a staff group.

[1:13:42] >> So, a one-time fee is is manageable.

[1:13:45] » So, a one-time fee is is manageable.

[1:13:45] However, a multiple first fee waiver is

[1:13:48] not

[1:13:51] or all of the above is not manageable.

[1:13:53] the $5 two and three times

[1:13:56] >> uh through the mayor. Um

[1:13:58] » uh through the mayor. Um

[1:13:58] what our treasurer was referring to was

[1:14:01] the if it's a one time only uh that is

[1:14:05] the administratively burdensome

[1:14:06] component. If it's a blanket wave for 6

[1:14:09] months to a year that would be easy to

[1:14:11] accommodate.

[1:14:12] >> Okay. So the motion can stand just so

[1:14:14] » Okay. So the motion can stand just so

[1:14:14] that we're clear. After the it sounds

[1:14:17] like one year, we would go back to a fee

[1:14:20] system which can be addressed in a user

[1:14:22] fee bylaw. Um, and we'll let staff do

[1:14:26] what is least administratively

[1:14:28] burdensome, but also wave that fee if

[1:14:31] this motion passes. So, councelor

[1:14:33] Michelle, are you in support of the

[1:14:35] amendment from the mover?

[1:14:38] >> Yes, I am, Madame Mayor.

[1:14:39] » Yes, I am, Madame Mayor.

[1:14:39] >> Okay, Mr. Clerk.

[1:14:41] » Okay, Mr. Clerk.

[1:14:41] >> Yes. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, I'm

[1:14:43] » Yes. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um, I'm

[1:14:43] not clear on what the 12 month

[1:14:46] thing is that we're achieving. So, are

[1:14:48] we going to review the late fees at 12

[1:14:50] months or what is the 12-month window?

[1:14:54] >> The 12-month window would be the

[1:14:55] » The 12-month window would be the

[1:14:55] educational period is over for the

[1:14:58] community who now had to adjust to

[1:15:00] ebilling and bimonthly billing. if they

[1:15:03] miss a payment on their bill, it is um

[1:15:07] now going to be associated the first

[1:15:09] payment they miss will be associated

[1:15:11] additionally with a fee and that fee

[1:15:13] will come to council on the user fee

[1:15:14] bylaw where I think there's still um a

[1:15:18] lot of uh confusion here is that staff

[1:15:22] aren't able to monitor how many times

[1:15:24] they've missed the first bill and so if

[1:15:26] I'm a rateayer I can just continually

[1:15:28] miss my bill for a year. However, that's

[1:15:30] a loophole in the system and that's the

[1:15:32] motion on the floor.

[1:15:35] Does that help you?

[1:15:37] >> No, but I'm sure the treasurer can help

[1:15:38] » No, but I'm sure the treasurer can help

[1:15:38] me.

[1:15:41] >> Uh, go ahead, CEO. Then we'll go to uh

[1:15:44] » Uh, go ahead, CEO. Then we'll go to uh

[1:15:44] >> So, um, just for clarity, so that I I've

[1:15:47] » So, um, just for clarity, so that I I've

[1:15:47] got it straight in my mind. What we're

[1:15:48] suggesting is that once we move to an

[1:15:51] in-house billing system, the first year

[1:15:54] of transition, we will allow the 6day

[1:15:58] reminder notice to go out at no charge

[1:16:01] to the rateayer who is late on their

[1:16:04] payment for the first year only, zero

[1:16:06] charge. The 30-day reminder and 40-day

[1:16:09] reminder notices will come with a $5

[1:16:13] fee. After the first year and we finish

[1:16:16] that one-year transitionary period,

[1:16:19] staff will return as part of the annual

[1:16:22] budget process for user fees and suggest

[1:16:25] uh what those fees should be and that

[1:16:28] will be subject to council's approval at

[1:16:30] that appropriate time.

[1:16:31] >> That is correct. However, the loophole

[1:16:35] » That is correct. However, the loophole

[1:16:35] for staff because it is administratively

[1:16:38] burdensome for them to determine how

[1:16:41] many times I've been sent the first fee.

[1:16:45] I might have been sent it once and then

[1:16:47] paid it and had the fee waved and then I

[1:16:50] paid my second bimonthly bill and I'm on

[1:16:52] schedule and then the next bimonthly

[1:16:55] bill comes and I didn't pay it. Staff

[1:16:57] will then need to send me another notice

[1:17:00] at $0.

[1:17:02] So there will be there could be multiple

[1:17:05] 0 fees charged to the same individual

[1:17:08] over a 12-month period. That is the gray

[1:17:12] area in this motion that I don't know

[1:17:14] how staff will deal with that. But

[1:17:18] >> so unless the treasurer says otherwise

[1:17:20] » so unless the treasurer says otherwise

[1:17:20] or rob I think it's a blanket.

[1:17:23] Regardless of how many times an

[1:17:24] individual rateayer might be late in

[1:17:27] that first one-year transitionary

[1:17:29] period, they will always have no fee

[1:17:32] associated with that first reminder

[1:17:34] notice

[1:17:35] period. Full stop for that first

[1:17:37] 12-month period.

[1:17:38] >> Correct. That is the way staff staff

[1:17:41] » Correct. That is the way staff staff

[1:17:41] don't have the resources to do

[1:17:42] otherwise. Councelor uh sorry, Miss

[1:17:44] Okay, Councelor Van Passen, go ahead.

[1:17:47] >> Yes. Thanks, Madam Mayor. Um, again, I'm

[1:17:50] » Yes. Thanks, Madam Mayor. Um, again, I'm

[1:17:50] trying to understand how this system is

[1:17:52] going to work. So, we're going to switch

[1:17:56] February 1st of 2027. Is that the date?

[1:18:00] And we're going to mail them a some

[1:18:02] people a bill that's going to cost $2

[1:18:03] extra.

[1:18:05] Is that what we've decided? And the ones

[1:18:09] who get electronic don't have to pay

[1:18:10] that fee. Okay. So, then it's due on the

[1:18:14] first of the month or the 15th of the

[1:18:17] month. You're going to have those

[1:18:18] options. And if your sixth date is late,

[1:18:22] it's going to send you an automated

[1:18:24] notice to remind you that you're late.

[1:18:26] And we're not going to charge anything

[1:18:27] for that period all the time. That's

[1:18:30] just the cost of doing business. That's

[1:18:32] what it is. When 30 days comes up, then

[1:18:37] we're going to send you a letter or an

[1:18:39] email that says, "By the way, you're 30

[1:18:42] days late."

[1:18:44] And that's going to cost $5 to send that

[1:18:46] letter. But for the first year, part of

[1:18:49] the wording of that letter is we're

[1:18:52] waving the $5 fee you should be charged.

[1:18:55] We we just tell them that you should be

[1:18:57] charged $5 and but we're waving that for

[1:19:00] the first year.

[1:19:00] >> No, the $5 fees are still applicable for

[1:19:03] » No, the $5 fees are still applicable for

[1:19:03] the next two two motions. Correct,

[1:19:04] Councelor Huffman. Correct. So, no, the

[1:19:06] $5 fee on 30 days and 45 days

[1:19:12] >> payment is required

[1:19:14] » payment is required

[1:19:14] >> and but at 60 days

[1:19:17] » and but at 60 days

[1:19:17] it flips and it gets added to the tax

[1:19:19] bill.

[1:19:22] >> Confirmation. Yes. From the treasur.

[1:19:23] » Confirmation. Yes. From the treasur.

[1:19:23] Yep.

[1:19:24] >> And that cost you $50. That's the

[1:19:26] » And that cost you $50. That's the

[1:19:26] standard fee to already existing of

[1:19:30] adding things to your tax bill. And we

[1:19:32] are not discussing that. That's staying

[1:19:33] here. So,

[1:19:36] >> so the only motion is

[1:19:40] » so the only motion is

[1:19:40] whether we charge staff had proposed $10

[1:19:43] and the motion on the floor is $5 for

[1:19:45] the 30-day and the 45day fee or letter

[1:19:48] reminder fee. Correct. Correct.

[1:19:52] >> You're mostly correct.

[1:19:53] » You're mostly correct.

[1:19:53] >> Mostly,

[1:19:54] » Mostly,

[1:19:54] >> councelor Deathy.

[1:19:57] » councelor Deathy.

[1:19:57] >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, sorry for

[1:20:00] » Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, sorry for

[1:20:00] clarification then. I think I'm asking

[1:20:02] staff. I apologize. We're maybe not at

[1:20:04] that stage, but

[1:20:06] presumably then if the fee was $5 and $5

[1:20:09] or $10 and $10, by the time we add it to

[1:20:11] the tax roll, there's a $50 fee. So

[1:20:13] potentially it's 60 or 70. Is that

[1:20:15] right?

[1:20:17] Uh through the mayor, if it remains in a

[1:20:19] rears, yes. So the total fees would be

[1:20:21] the five plus 5 plus 50, so $60.

[1:20:27] Okay.

[1:20:28] >> Okay. I'm going to call the question

[1:20:31] » Okay. I'm going to call the question

[1:20:31] um here. Everybody's chimed in on some

[1:20:33] debate. My two cents, I'm not going to

[1:20:35] support this for many reasons. First,

[1:20:39] hearing that staff can't possibly um

[1:20:42] manage the administrative burden of

[1:20:45] determining how many times an individual

[1:20:48] has been late. Uh that is a loophole in

[1:20:51] the system. Secondly, we put the rate

[1:20:54] budget up 10% this year, which was over

[1:20:59] $200 per household.

[1:21:02] um and we have the most amount of our

[1:21:05] accumulated debt is associated with the

[1:21:07] the rate budget. So in the short term,

[1:21:10] this is Norfolk County's biggest hurdle

[1:21:12] and now we're having a discussion about

[1:21:14] subsidizing one of our biggest hurdles.

[1:21:17] Secondly,

[1:21:19] everyone else who pays on time is now

[1:21:21] subsidizing those who don't until it

[1:21:25] trickles over to the property tax levy,

[1:21:29] which then is our second largest hurdle.

[1:21:33] So, administratively, it creates a

[1:21:36] loophole for folks to not pay and pass

[1:21:39] that burden on to other rateayers. And

[1:21:41] this is Norfolk Countyy's

[1:21:42] single-handedly

[1:21:44] biggest problem rate water, wastewater,

[1:21:47] and the debt associated with it. So, I

[1:21:48] will not be supporting the motion. I'm

[1:21:50] going to call the question. Uh, Mr.

[1:21:54] Clerk, are we voting on the amendment if

[1:21:56] both the mover and seconder have

[1:21:58] approved it or are we voting on them?

[1:22:00] >> Uh, through you, Mayor Martin, we don't

[1:22:02] » Uh, through you, Mayor Martin, we don't

[1:22:02] have an amendment. You kind of drafted a

[1:22:04] resolution as you went along.

[1:22:06] >> Perfect. Excellent. So, everyone

[1:22:07] » Perfect. Excellent. So, everyone

[1:22:07] understands what the motion is.

[1:22:10] All in fa favor

[1:22:17] and oppose.

[1:22:22] » Uh one, two, three, four, five. Okay,

[1:22:26] the motion's defeated.

[1:22:28] Thank you. Four, five. Um,

[1:22:32] we do have staff recommendation in front

[1:22:34] of us

[1:22:37] which is to receive the policy and the

[1:22:41] program update as information

[1:22:43] that we include the attachment

[1:22:47] uh one to be approved. That is the that

[1:22:50] is the reduced fees that staff put

[1:22:52] together. Instead of $5, it's for

[1:22:55] >> 28

[1:22:56] » 28

[1:22:56] >> 28 and so on and so forth. that would

[1:22:58] » 28 and so on and so forth. that would

[1:22:58] become effective February 1st, 2027 and

[1:23:01] further that policy FS49 be rescended

[1:23:05] effective January 31st, 2027. Miss Van

[1:23:08] Djk. Thank you, Mayor Martin. Through

[1:23:10] you to council, um uh thank you for

[1:23:13] allowing me to speak. I I just would

[1:23:15] like to offer a point of clarification

[1:23:18] by if council chooses to approve the

[1:23:20] policy as it is written and as has been

[1:23:26] presented to council, council is not

[1:23:29] approving any fees. The wording in the

[1:23:32] policy is that fees are set as per the

[1:23:36] user fee bylaw. So, council could and it

[1:23:42] would be staff's request and

[1:23:44] recommendation that council approve the

[1:23:47] policy to allow staff to move forward

[1:23:51] with the next phase of the planning and

[1:23:54] the implementation of the project to

[1:23:56] bring the water and wastewater billing

[1:23:58] inhouse. The supplementary information

[1:24:02] memo that Mr. Fleming provided with the

[1:24:05] cost recovery rates for fees would be

[1:24:09] the potential fees that would come back

[1:24:12] as part of the user fee bylaw for 2027

[1:24:16] that would still be subject to council

[1:24:19] debate and approval or not at that time.

[1:24:23] So the wording in the policy around fees

[1:24:26] is specifically that fees are per the

[1:24:29] user fee bylaw. If it is council's

[1:24:32] future decision, for example, not to

[1:24:35] charge any user fees, there would be no

[1:24:37] user fees in the bylaw for staff to

[1:24:39] charge. So, um, we do we appreciate the

[1:24:44] debate that has gone on. We appreciate

[1:24:46] council's, uh, views on the the matters

[1:24:48] of the fees. Those are certainly very

[1:24:50] important. We would uh respectfully

[1:24:54] suggest and and recommend that council

[1:24:57] could pass the policy without knowing

[1:25:00] what the fees would be if any just yet

[1:25:03] because those will come back.

[1:25:05] Or additionally to make council feel

[1:25:08] better, which I think is the crux of the

[1:25:10] debate,

[1:25:11] you can set it at the cost recovery rate

[1:25:14] so that you know it's not going to be

[1:25:15] higher

[1:25:17] until the next term of council comes in

[1:25:19] and makes an adjustment at the user fee

[1:25:21] budget. I think we're not debating about

[1:25:23] the policy here. We're debating about

[1:25:25] the cost to the to the end user. So if

[1:25:28] it makes you feel better, select the

[1:25:30] lower fee that staff have put forward as

[1:25:33] the cost recovery bare minimum. And then

[1:25:35] you know until the next term of council

[1:25:39] sets the user fees that you've selected

[1:25:41] the lowest possible rate uh for the rate

[1:25:44] payers of Norfolk County.

[1:25:49] So if that's the case, I would look for

[1:25:51] a mover and a seconder for the

[1:25:52] recommendation on the screen and would

[1:25:54] encourage you to insert

[1:25:57] um the applicable fees for the year of

[1:26:01] 2027 as noted in table two.

[1:26:05] Is that the table?

[1:26:10] » Rob, go ahead and then I'll go to

[1:26:11] councelor Gthy. It's uh just for

[1:26:13] clarification uh madame mayor, it's

[1:26:15] table one uh that outlines the fees.

[1:26:18] >> Okay,

[1:26:20] » Okay,

[1:26:20] councelor Deathy, go ahead.

[1:26:21] >> Thanks, Madam Mayor. Uh and I appreciate

[1:26:23] » Thanks, Madam Mayor. Uh and I appreciate

[1:26:23] the insight that you shared uh as well.

[1:26:26] I certainly take that under adisement,

[1:26:27] but I would put forward the motion as

[1:26:28] recommended to my staff. However, I

[1:26:31] would establish the user fees for um

[1:26:34] consideration in the user fee bylaw to

[1:26:36] be $0 for the 6day automated telephone

[1:26:39] reminder and 750 for each of the

[1:26:41] supplementary uh reminders.

[1:26:45] » Uh I would just go to the clerk because

[1:26:48] I think that that still creates that

[1:26:52] administrative loophole that we've just

[1:26:53] maybe debated

[1:26:55] >> um through you, Mayor Martin. It doesn't

[1:26:58] » um through you, Mayor Martin. It doesn't

[1:26:58] remedy that, but it's a valid motion to

[1:27:00] be put on the floor if there's a

[1:27:02] seconder.

[1:27:03] >> Okay. So, just for clarity then,

[1:27:04] » Okay. So, just for clarity then,

[1:27:04] councelor Deathy, you would uh move the

[1:27:07] recommendation and you would suggest

[1:27:11] the first late fee notification.

[1:27:15] Is the mail out at $2 okay and the

[1:27:18] ebilling is zero

[1:27:22] » for the first or do you want zero for

[1:27:24] both?

[1:27:25] >> Sorry. Uh the mail. No, if you're

[1:27:29] » Sorry. Uh the mail. No, if you're

[1:27:29] receiving a paper bill, the $2 fee I

[1:27:31] have no problem with.

[1:27:32] >> Okay. Yeah.

[1:27:32] » Okay. Yeah.

[1:27:32] >> So, first bill e billilling uh would be

[1:27:35] » So, first bill e billilling uh would be

[1:27:35] $0 on your late and then what's the

[1:27:38] supplemental? What's the follow-up fee

[1:27:40] afterwards?

[1:27:40] >> 750

[1:27:41] » 750

[1:27:41] >> and then 750 and 750.

[1:27:43] » and then 750 and 750.

[1:27:43] >> Correct.

[1:27:44] » Correct.

[1:27:44] >> Okay. Understood. Is there a seconder

[1:27:46] » Okay. Understood. Is there a seconder

[1:27:46] for that motion?

[1:27:48] Councelor Columbus.

[1:27:50] And discussion and debate.

[1:27:54] Councelor Van Passen.

[1:27:57] Thanks, Mor.

[1:27:59] I think we're also forgetting that on

[1:28:00] the first day that it's overdue, they

[1:28:02] charge one and a quarter% interest on

[1:28:04] that as well. So, um there's going to be

[1:28:07] paperwork

[1:28:09] sent out. So, I can support this concept

[1:28:12] here. Um the first one is a reminder.

[1:28:16] Um that's your freebie. After that, we

[1:28:18] charge you money. staff calculated that

[1:28:20] at close to the 750 sounds like a better

[1:28:23] number, but again I think that's just a

[1:28:26] recommendation. Council of the day in

[1:28:29] 2027 will approve the official fee

[1:28:32] schedule. Is that correct? Yeah. So this

[1:28:34] is our recommendation to a future

[1:28:37] council to decide.

[1:28:38] >> Confirming that with Treasury or are you

[1:28:41] » Confirming that with Treasury or are you

[1:28:41] going to produce a user fee bylaw with

[1:28:43] the direction received today?

[1:28:47] » Uh through you madame mayor. the the

[1:28:49] fees that were directed um by council

[1:28:52] today would be included in the user fee

[1:28:54] bylaw.

[1:28:55] >> So it's not just a suggestion of the

[1:28:57] » So it's not just a suggestion of the

[1:28:57] council of the day. It is setting the

[1:28:58] fee

[1:29:07] » doesn't kick in till 2027 staff are

[1:29:09] saying. So, okay. Um,

[1:29:12] and then councelor Deathy for my

[1:29:14] confirmation as well, that is that first

[1:29:17] first fee is an indefinite $0. That's

[1:29:20] not a after a year or whatever it stops.

[1:29:22] It is $0 on the first. Okay. Um,

[1:29:27] everyone understand the motion before

[1:29:28] you? We would be receiving the report

[1:29:32] uh including the uh additional

[1:29:34] amendments.

[1:29:36] we would be rescending our prior policy.

[1:29:40] So staff would be able to continue on

[1:29:42] with the process and that includes $0 on

[1:29:46] the first late fee indefinitely followed

[1:29:49] by $750 on the next two

[1:29:53] staff. Also, I hope you have direction

[1:29:56] that if there's a mail out that's going

[1:29:57] out as per councelor Vanadri's comments

[1:29:59] last time around, that is a $2 fee.

[1:30:02] Okay.

[1:30:04] Um can we get a division of the question

[1:30:07] just on the costs please and vote on the

[1:30:10] first part which is receiving the

[1:30:12] report.

[1:30:17] So martin so I think um the second part

[1:30:21] on the fees and I'll look to treasury to

[1:30:24] correct me. It would be a direction to

[1:30:26] staff to prepare those numbers for the

[1:30:30] fee bylaw amendment. Is that correct? uh

[1:30:34] through the mayor. Yes, that's correct.

[1:30:35] We'd take that direction to bring back

[1:30:36] the 2027 user fee bylaw including the

[1:30:39] fees as directed today.

[1:30:40] >> Yeah.

[1:30:42] » Yeah.

[1:30:42] >> Thank you.

[1:30:43] » Thank you.

[1:30:43] >> So that's how it would be presented in

[1:30:45] » So that's how it would be presented in

[1:30:45] the user fees, but that's fine. Okay. So

[1:30:47] with the division of question, the first

[1:30:49] three items are before us. Councelor

[1:30:51] Deathy moved. I believe councelor

[1:30:53] Columbus seconded. Yep. Okay. Is there

[1:30:55] any further comment or debate on that?

[1:30:58] Seeing none, I'll call the question. All

[1:31:00] in favor?

[1:31:03] That's carried. Thank you. And then now

[1:31:05] we are uh moving and seconding by Dyian

[1:31:09] Columbus the fees the paper bill $0 on

[1:31:12] the first late fee indefinitely 750 for

[1:31:15] the next two. Is there any debate on

[1:31:17] that? Council ban and floor is yours.

[1:31:22] >> Uh thank you madam chair. That is

[1:31:23] » Uh thank you madam chair. That is

[1:31:23] precisely what I mentioned last time.

[1:31:25] Those people that don't have a computer,

[1:31:27] don't have access to all that are the

[1:31:29] ones burdening the extra cost. And I

[1:31:32] don't think that's fair. I think it

[1:31:33] should be zero across the board rather

[1:31:36] than than um just to those who are

[1:31:38] getting an internet um form that's

[1:31:42] telling them that they are late a late

[1:31:44] fee, a late notice. So um I'm not going

[1:31:47] to support this in the way it is. I

[1:31:49] would like to see that it's at least

[1:31:51] fair and equitable across the board

[1:31:53] because like I say, if you can't afford

[1:31:55] a computer, you're having you're

[1:31:57] probably hardressed to also pay water

[1:32:00] bill.

[1:32:02] >> Okay. Thanks for your comments. Any

[1:32:03] » Okay. Thanks for your comments. Any

[1:32:03] other debate?

[1:32:06] >> Um my two cents, I will not be

[1:32:08] » Um my two cents, I will not be

[1:32:08] supporting this section of the motion. I

[1:32:11] again I just don't agree with the $0.

[1:32:14] Um, I am okay with zero dollars as an

[1:32:16] educational trial period, but knowing

[1:32:19] and hearing from staff that there's no

[1:32:21] way to monitor how many times an

[1:32:23] individual will get that first bill

[1:32:26] paid. Essentially, they can create a

[1:32:28] system where they're paying a monthly um

[1:32:31] bill and having no

[1:32:34] uh charge for the work that staff has to

[1:32:36] do to remind them that they are in a

[1:32:38] rears on that bill. So, that seems messy

[1:32:42] and unfair to me. again, uh, $14.83

[1:32:46] a month. The rate bill went up 10%

[1:32:49] overall and, uh, 83.7 million in debt

[1:32:53] associated with the rate on our last,

[1:32:56] uh, budget. So, I will not be supporting

[1:32:58] the subsidization of uh, those who pay

[1:33:02] the fee late, especially when equal

[1:33:05] billing is a large part of this new

[1:33:07] system. I will call the question. All in

[1:33:09] favor?

[1:33:13] and opposed.

[1:33:17] The motion's defeated.

[1:33:19] So,

[1:33:21] we have passed, as Miss Van Djk

[1:33:23] suggested,

[1:33:24] the ability to receive the report as

[1:33:27] information to rescend the old policy

[1:33:29] and to give staff the direction to

[1:33:31] continue on the next steps. There's no

[1:33:34] consensus on the fee. So, is it okay to

[1:33:36] leave this for the user fee bylaw come

[1:33:40] budget next year?

[1:33:42] staff are nodding their head and the

[1:33:43] debate can continue. Okay, thanks very

[1:33:45] much councel

[1:33:48] and to the clerk in my notes here I have

[1:33:51] councelor Huffman sorry go ahead

[1:33:54] uh thank you mayor Martin through you I

[1:33:56] just want to make sure what's not lost

[1:33:57] in translation is that we do a heavy

[1:34:01] communications on the importance of the

[1:34:04] monthly ebilling um the um I can't even

[1:34:09] think it what is it I can't think of the

[1:34:12] thank you the equal billing

[1:34:14] and just to make users aware that they

[1:34:17] still have the opportunity to do the

[1:34:19] monthly billing to keep on top of their

[1:34:22] of their expenses. So, I'd really like

[1:34:24] to see that not lost in translation.

[1:34:26] Thank you.

[1:34:27] >> Um, Miss Van Dyke looking at you, she's

[1:34:29] » Um, Miss Van Dyke looking at you, she's

[1:34:29] nodding her head, so I think that's more

[1:34:31] than reasonable. Okay. Thank you.

[1:34:35] Um, we have the information memo.

[1:34:39] Sorry. Um, this is my question to you,

[1:34:41] Mr. CL.

[1:34:41] >> Yeah, we don't deal with that. You just

[1:34:42] » Yeah, we don't deal with that. You just

[1:34:42] deferred it to feed.

[1:34:43] >> Great. Deferred to feed budget. So next

[1:34:45] » Great. Deferred to feed budget. So next

[1:34:45] we're on 12.2.2 on your agenda which is

[1:34:48] staff report CS26009.

[1:34:51] This is Holdman Norfolk Housing Corp

[1:34:52] affordable housing development jiar

[1:34:54] street in Delhigh. Miss Van Djk.

[1:34:57] >> Thank you madam mayor. Threw you to

[1:34:58] » Thank you madam mayor. Threw you to

[1:34:58] council. Um, this report is here today

[1:35:01] to get uh council approval as

[1:35:03] shareholder of the Haldderman Northolk

[1:35:05] Housing Corporation for the uh financing

[1:35:08] for the development located at 686

[1:35:12] Gibralar Street in Delhigh. This is uh

[1:35:15] going to be a 25 unit three-story mixed

[1:35:18] income affordable housing development

[1:35:20] comprising a mix of 15 affordable and 10

[1:35:24] rent geared to income units. This is a

[1:35:26] very exciting development and um with

[1:35:29] planning well underway um as per the

[1:35:33] shareholder agreement for the housing

[1:35:35] corporation uh any um anytime the

[1:35:40] housing corporation needs to acquire

[1:35:42] debt or any time that there needs to be

[1:35:46] a lean registered on the property, it

[1:35:48] requires unanimous approval of the

[1:35:50] shareholders. Unanimous meaning both

[1:35:52] counties. A similar report um went to

[1:35:56] Haldderman Council uh last week and so

[1:35:58] is here for Norfolk approval today. So

[1:36:01] as uh the resolutions state um we need

[1:36:04] council approval for the housing

[1:36:06] corporation to enter into a financing

[1:36:08] agreement with Canada Mortgage and

[1:36:10] Housing Corporation um for federal

[1:36:13] funding. Um, we need uh approval for any

[1:36:17] leans for the provincial and federal

[1:36:20] funding to be registered on the title of

[1:36:22] the property. And we also uh need

[1:36:25] authorization for the mayor and clerk to

[1:36:27] sign and execute a municipal

[1:36:30] contribution agreement for the county's

[1:36:32] financial contributions. So, by way of

[1:36:35] previous report, council had um approved

[1:36:39] up to $1 million of a contribution um as

[1:36:44] a result of the uh the way that the

[1:36:48] project has unfolded um efficiencies in

[1:36:51] the project as well as um the the way

[1:36:54] the funding has unfolded that uh actual

[1:36:58] municipal contribution is going to be

[1:37:00] $23,235.

[1:37:03] So significantly less than the maximum

[1:37:06] that council had approved, which is

[1:37:07] great news. Part of executing the

[1:37:10] municipal contribution agreement will

[1:37:12] also be the registration of that

[1:37:14] agreement on the title of the property.

[1:37:16] So with that, uh, madame mayor, I'd be

[1:37:18] happy to answer any questions. Thank you

[1:37:20] very much. Questions from council.

[1:37:25] Not seeing any. So the staff

[1:37:27] recommendation is before you on the

[1:37:29] screen, and I won't read it to you

[1:37:31] because it's quite lengthy. But good

[1:37:33] news on the reduction in the municipal

[1:37:35] contribution. Is there a mover and a

[1:37:37] seconder for that? Councelor Columbus

[1:37:40] moves. Seconded by councelor Bruntton.

[1:37:43] Councelor Columbus.

[1:37:44] >> Yeah, this is great news for a great

[1:37:46] » Yeah, this is great news for a great

[1:37:46] project for the community of Delhigh and

[1:37:48] I can say that there are a lot of people

[1:37:50] looking forward to this. It kind of

[1:37:52] revitalizes the Gibralar Street area and

[1:37:56] uh look forward to having a shovel in

[1:37:59] the ground come spring.

[1:38:01] >> Excellent. I will call the question. All

[1:38:03] » Excellent. I will call the question. All

[1:38:03] in favor?

[1:38:06] Carried unanimously. Wonderful. Thanks,

[1:38:09] Miss Van Djk.

[1:38:12] Emergency services, public works, and

[1:38:14] office of the CAO. We have no reports,

[1:38:16] so we'll move along to our bylaws. Does

[1:38:18] any member of council wish to speak to

[1:38:20] any of the bylaws before us with the

[1:38:23] exception of the very last

[1:38:27] bylaw which is 1310 bylaw 20267 being a

[1:38:31] bylaw to appoint municipal law

[1:38:33] enforcement officers that has been uh

[1:38:36] pulled and will be revisited in

[1:38:37] February. So all the other bylaws are up

[1:38:40] for discussion. Councelor Van

[1:38:41] Andadrishi.

[1:38:45] » Uh thank you madam chair. I have my

[1:38:47] concerns on the bylaw 20 uh 2024-91

[1:38:52] which appears to be the first bylaw. I

[1:38:54] have a couple of questions. Um this uh

[1:38:58] drain that has come up and has passed uh

[1:39:00] through two sittings already. Um the

[1:39:04] actual uh proponent has has questions

[1:39:08] about it again and is still working um

[1:39:13] has some dispute over it and has some

[1:39:15] some concerns. If this bylaw passes

[1:39:18] through today um and since they're like

[1:39:21] I say um kind of disputing it or

[1:39:24] concerns have concerns with it, will it

[1:39:26] have an effect if there were changes to

[1:39:28] it? Can we go back and the bylaw is

[1:39:30] revisited or changed or does it should

[1:39:34] it not be passed the bylaw if there are

[1:39:36] still concerns with this particular

[1:39:38] drain? I think that question to staff

[1:39:45] » through the chair I'm just reading it

[1:39:46] very quickly. Uh so yes that uh that

[1:39:49] file is I'll say up for debate although

[1:39:51] it has been turned down on three

[1:39:53] occasions by the drainage tribunal. So I

[1:39:57] don't think there's going to be any

[1:39:58] further discussions on the file. Um but

[1:40:02] in looking at it quickly

[1:40:05] um I would say that if by adopting this

[1:40:07] bylaw then that would be end the end of

[1:40:09] the discussion and all assessments would

[1:40:11] be would be issued.

[1:40:13] Um a further question to that is um

[1:40:16] we're looking at it in the sense this is

[1:40:18] he's the only individual that is uh

[1:40:22] deemed to be uh that it is is for his

[1:40:25] benefit or their benefit that particular

[1:40:27] property when yet there are properties

[1:40:29] around it. I myself don't agree with the

[1:40:31] way it was found um by the engineer. Um,

[1:40:35] so what if in the future there was one

[1:40:38] of these massive rain whatevers and it

[1:40:42] comes to find out that this drain um if

[1:40:44] they were to hook on if other people

[1:40:46] were to hook on was benefit to them as

[1:40:48] well. Does it go back because it's

[1:40:51] costing this individual $44,000 I take

[1:40:53] it here to do the engineering and the

[1:40:56] work. Um is there something that goes

[1:40:59] back where he could be reimbursed by

[1:41:01] others if that were the case?

[1:41:05] Uh so through the chair I mean following

[1:41:06] the proper municipal drainage process.

[1:41:08] If others were to connect to the system

[1:41:10] it would be benefit they would be

[1:41:11] assessed accordingly. Um however I don't

[1:41:14] think there's any urgency for us to

[1:41:16] finalize this bylaw today. So I and we

[1:41:19] do not have drainage staff on the line

[1:41:21] following along. So um we can certainly

[1:41:23] defer this to the following meeting if

[1:41:25] that is council's desire and I can have

[1:41:27] the appropriate staff here to respond to

[1:41:28] it.

[1:41:30] >> I would appreciate that. Therefore,

[1:41:32] » I would appreciate that. Therefore,

[1:41:32] Madam Chair, I'd like to make the motion

[1:41:33] to defer this particular bylaw.

[1:41:36] >> Um, okay, understood. Are would you give

[1:41:39] » Um, okay, understood. Are would you give

[1:41:39] me the grace of passing the other bylaws

[1:41:42] so I can uh find out? I guess it's not

[1:41:46] inappropriate to say the name of the

[1:41:48] individual, is it?

[1:41:51] Who's assessed?

[1:41:53] >> That's right. Well, it's under the name

[1:41:55] » That's right. Well, it's under the name

[1:41:55] of the Mcool petition drain. It's that

[1:41:57] that's the that's the last name of the

[1:42:00] individual being assessed.

[1:42:02] >> That's right.

[1:42:02] » That's right.

[1:42:02] >> Okay, understood. Sorry, I was thinking

[1:42:04] » Okay, understood. Sorry, I was thinking

[1:42:04] it would be a different drain then. So,

[1:42:06] yep, that's fine. There's a motion on

[1:42:07] the floor to defer this to the next

[1:42:09] council meeting. Is there a seconder for

[1:42:11] that? Councelor Brenton and I will call

[1:42:13] the question. All in favor?

[1:42:17] That's carried. Does anyone else wish to

[1:42:20] speak to any bylaws?

[1:42:27] Okay, we're going to skip that one.

[1:42:33] Um,

[1:42:34] moving on then. I'm looking for a mover

[1:42:36] and a seconder. I suppose I have to do

[1:42:38] these separately. So, uh, mover and

[1:42:40] seconder that bylaw 202575 being a bylaw

[1:42:43] to provide for variation in assessment

[1:42:45] of the drainage works the corporation of

[1:42:48] Norfolk County for the MCL municipal

[1:42:50] drain re be read a third and final time.

[1:42:54] Moved by councelor Deathy, seconded by

[1:42:59] councelor Michelle. All in favor

[1:43:02] carried. Mover and a seconder, please

[1:43:04] that the bylaw 202576 being a bylaw to

[1:43:07] provide drainage works in the

[1:43:08] corporation of Norfolk County for the

[1:43:10] Mills South Norwich municipal drain be

[1:43:12] read a third and final time. Moved by

[1:43:15] councelor Columbus, seconded by

[1:43:18] councelor Van Passin. All in favor

[1:43:20] carried. Move in and a seconder please.

[1:43:22] Bylaw 202577 being a bylaw to provide

[1:43:25] for partial abandonment and variation in

[1:43:28] assessment of drainage works in the

[1:43:29] corporation of Norfolk County for the

[1:43:31] McCoy Municipal Drain 2024 be read a

[1:43:34] third and final time.

[1:43:38] Councelor Deathy

[1:43:41] Councelor Barry all in favor

[1:43:44] carried. Wonderful. And then a mover and

[1:43:47] a second are pleased to approve the

[1:43:49] following bylaws. 20

[1:43:52] 2601

[1:43:56] to 202603 consecutively

[1:44:01] uh and 202605

[1:44:03] and 20260

[1:44:07] be read a first, second, and third time

[1:44:10] and finally passed in open council.

[1:44:12] Moved by

[1:44:14] councelor Michelle Lee, seconded by

[1:44:16] councelor Van Andreishi. All in favor

[1:44:19] carried. So we have pulled two of those

[1:44:21] bylaws for February discussion.

[1:44:25] Motions 14.1 on the agenda. We're

[1:44:28] revisiting the alternative for Grand

[1:44:30] Eerie Public Health.

[1:44:37] » Council Michelle.

[1:44:40] >> Yes, Madame Mayor. Um, I believe you

[1:44:41] » Yes, Madame Mayor. Um, I believe you

[1:44:41] mean to say alternate,

[1:44:44] not alternative.

[1:44:46] >> Sure.

[1:44:47] » Sure.

[1:44:47] >> Okay. Um,

[1:44:50] » Okay. Um,

[1:44:50] yes. I just want to get that clear.

[1:44:53] >> If you turn your microphone off right

[1:44:55] » If you turn your microphone off right

[1:44:55] now and that's your only suggestion,

[1:44:57] you're in trouble.

[1:44:59] >> And also, Madame Mayor, I should follow

[1:45:02] » And also, Madame Mayor, I should follow

[1:45:02] up. Um if um we uh if council is willing

[1:45:10] uh I I would um volunteer to to become

[1:45:13] that alternate for that temporary

[1:45:14] period.

[1:45:15] >> I believe councelor Vanpassen has a

[1:45:17] » I believe councelor Vanpassen has a

[1:45:17] motion.

[1:45:18] >> Thank you madam mayor. I would move a

[1:45:19] » Thank you madam mayor. I would move a

[1:45:19] motion that councelor Michelle be

[1:45:21] appointed as the alternate member for

[1:45:24] the grand area public health.

[1:45:26] >> Councelor Huffman seconding.

[1:45:28] » Councelor Huffman seconding.

[1:45:28] The only thing um additional information

[1:45:30] I would add to that for council's

[1:45:33] consideration before I check and see if

[1:45:35] there's any other additional

[1:45:36] nominations. Councelor Huffman had

[1:45:38] mentioned the conflict with police

[1:45:39] service board which does happen. Um

[1:45:41] however, it's uh it you are still able

[1:45:45] to tune in virtually and participate in

[1:45:47] some of the meetings. So, it's not a a

[1:45:49] complete write off if that interests any

[1:45:51] of the police service board or OP board

[1:45:54] members. Are there any other nominations

[1:45:56] to put forward on this?

[1:45:59] Okay, I'll call the question. Um, moved

[1:46:01] by councelor Vampass and seconded by

[1:46:02] councelor Huffman. The council appoints

[1:46:05] uh councelor Michelle to act as the

[1:46:07] alternate member of council on the grand

[1:46:09] public board of health. All in favor?

[1:46:14] Any opposed? Motion's carried. Thank you

[1:46:16] very much, councelor Michelle, for

[1:46:18] stepping up and adding to your committee

[1:46:20] work.

[1:46:21] Any notice of motions? I have none other

[1:46:25] business.

[1:46:27] Councelor Columbus.

[1:46:31] » Thank you, Madam Mayor. Just wanted to

[1:46:33] make a statement with respect to the

[1:46:35] power outages in the Delhigh area. So,

[1:46:39] I'll read the statement that I prepared.

[1:46:41] In recent months, residents of the

[1:46:43] Delhigh community have experienced a

[1:46:45] significant increase in electrical power

[1:46:47] outages.

[1:46:48] Some report loss of freezer food and

[1:46:50] being without heat for more than a whole

[1:46:52] day. Some I even heard as much as two

[1:46:55] days. A number of individuals have taken

[1:46:57] to social media, specifically talk

[1:47:00] Delhigh, indicating that the W3

[1:47:02] counselor in Norfor County should be

[1:47:05] taking the power outage issue more

[1:47:07] seriously.

[1:47:08] I have come to learn that

[1:47:10] hydrogeneration and distribution

[1:47:13] including reliability of service is a

[1:47:15] provincial issue and not a local Norfolk

[1:47:18] issue. Hydraw 1 is affiliated with

[1:47:20] Ontario as the province remains its

[1:47:22] largest shareholder granting it

[1:47:25] influence while Hydraw 1 operates as a

[1:47:27] public traded company with a mandate to

[1:47:30] maintain critical electricity

[1:47:32] transmission distribution

[1:47:36] infrastructure in Ontario. subject to

[1:47:38] provincial oversight and regulatory

[1:47:41] control by the Ontario Energy Board.

[1:47:44] Although the power outage issue is an

[1:47:46] Ontario government responsibility, I did

[1:47:49] reach out to Hydro1 officials regarding

[1:47:51] residents outage concerns. Hydro 1 is

[1:47:54] well aware of the outage concerns and

[1:47:57] held a team meeting to discuss frequency

[1:47:59] of outages and indicated they would

[1:48:02] explore the matter further. A municipal

[1:48:05] relations department official

[1:48:08] has indicated that Hydro 1 will be

[1:48:10] completing a patrol of the power lines

[1:48:13] to identify areas that may require

[1:48:15] maintenance or repair. This includes

[1:48:18] inspecting equipment and any forestry

[1:48:20] maintenance that may need to be

[1:48:23] completed. In addition, they are taking

[1:48:25] further steps to strengthen the system

[1:48:27] reliability by reviewing infrastructure

[1:48:30] plans in the area to better support

[1:48:33] long-term reliability.

[1:48:35] I do not subscribe to social media.

[1:48:38] However, with respect to the power

[1:48:39] outage issue, I have been subjected to a

[1:48:42] number of derogatory remarks by a

[1:48:44] certain individual who has made several

[1:48:47] false statements, accusations regarding

[1:48:50] my integrity representing W 3. And on uh

[1:48:54] February 10th, this individual will be

[1:48:56] coming to counciling committee to make a

[1:48:57] deputation. I don't know what it's going

[1:48:59] to be about, but anyway, we'll we'll see

[1:49:01] looking forward. This individual never

[1:49:04] did ever contact me through email or by

[1:49:07] phone. And uh here we are to share a few

[1:49:10] comments

[1:49:12] on the post. He indicated when the

[1:49:13] doctors vacated Delhigh, he waved and

[1:49:16] smiled.

[1:49:17] You probably all remember the time I

[1:49:19] made a statement here at council. It was

[1:49:23] uh April 24th, 2023.

[1:49:26] Front page headlines. Simco reformer

[1:49:29] family health team moved from Delhigh

[1:49:30] worries community members Columbus. So

[1:49:33] there it is a false statement again. Um

[1:49:37] he voted himself a raise and waves and

[1:49:40] smiles.

[1:49:41] Well you all know how I voted. It was a

[1:49:43] record of vote. I voted against that. He

[1:49:46] voted or he doesn't show up for anything

[1:49:49] anymore yet is always there for the free

[1:49:51] meals. How do you like that? And now

[1:49:54] they think I control the switch to

[1:49:56] power.

[1:49:58] for going to Delhi.

[1:50:00] Freedom of speech is everybody's right.

[1:50:02] However, linguistically assaulting a

[1:50:05] member of Norfol Council is out of

[1:50:07] order. What recourse does an elected

[1:50:10] member of council have when it comes to

[1:50:12] social media?

[1:50:17] » All right. Is that a rhetorical question

[1:50:20] or you hoping for some discussion on

[1:50:23] social media from council?

[1:50:26] I missed that. Sorry, madam mayor.

[1:50:28] >> Are you hoping for council to have

[1:50:29] » Are you hoping for council to have

[1:50:29] discussion on social media? Is that

[1:50:31] >> uh Yes. I don't know. Maybe the CEO

[1:50:33] » uh Yes. I don't know. Maybe the CEO

[1:50:33] would like to make a comment on that. I

[1:50:35] mentioned to him earlier what I was

[1:50:36] going to do. So,

[1:50:39] >> do you wish to make a comment?

[1:50:42] » do you wish to make a comment?

[1:50:42] >> Um through Madame Mayor. The only

[1:50:44] » Um through Madame Mayor. The only

[1:50:44] comment I will make is social media is

[1:50:47] certainly growing in influence and there

[1:50:49] are a lot of comments being made on

[1:50:52] social media. um not a necessarily

[1:50:56] um the best vehicle to confirm that the

[1:50:59] the information being shared on social

[1:51:01] media is factually correct. But uh it is

[1:51:04] something that uh at the municipal level

[1:51:08] every organization is working on options

[1:51:11] and strategies to deal with social media

[1:51:13] going forward.

[1:51:17] Uh, I have councelor Bruntton then Van

[1:51:19] Passen.

[1:51:24] Councelor Van Passen on this topic. Go

[1:51:26] ahead.

[1:51:27] >> Well, I'm not sure if it's on this

[1:51:28] » Well, I'm not sure if it's on this

[1:51:28] topic. I want to talk about the power

[1:51:30] outages, but uh which I think where we

[1:51:32] started and would actually ask that uh

[1:51:36] staff do contact Hydro1.

[1:51:39] Um we get to brag a lot that uh Norfolk

[1:51:42] County is such a great place because we

[1:51:44] got 28% forest cover and we forget

[1:51:47] sometimes that those forests also cover

[1:51:49] the hydro lines cuz I have had a lot of

[1:51:51] complaints as well. Um especially along

[1:51:53] the lake shore, places like Normandale,

[1:51:55] Fischer Glenn, um the wind blows, trees

[1:51:59] fall down, takes down the hydrol lines,

[1:52:01] they've got power outages, too. And it's

[1:52:03] still uh Noral County's fault even

[1:52:05] though we got nothing to do with it. But

[1:52:07] I wonder if that might be possible that

[1:52:09] staff uh talk to, you know, the powers

[1:52:12] that be, you know, we have our crews

[1:52:15] that are out up and down the road. Maybe

[1:52:17] they can work with Hydro1 when they see

[1:52:19] a tree that's hanging over the line or

[1:52:21] something and uh maybe we can work out

[1:52:23] something to the benefit of all the uh

[1:52:25] the residents of Norfolk County. So,

[1:52:29] >> councelor Duffy,

[1:52:32] » councelor Duffy,

[1:52:32] >> uh thank you, Madam Mayor. I would just

[1:52:33] » uh thank you, Madam Mayor. I would just

[1:52:33] sort of in response to Councelor

[1:52:34] Columbus, I would say, you know, social

[1:52:36] media is a dreadful animal uh often and

[1:52:39] people take things they hear on there as

[1:52:40] gospel and then spout it as if they're

[1:52:42] preaching. Um, which is typically

[1:52:44] incorrect. But what I would say is I

[1:52:46] have welcomed the conversations that

[1:52:47] I've been able to have with uh

[1:52:49] individuals and residents that have read

[1:52:51] things on social media and then reached

[1:52:53] out to confirm. Um because when you have

[1:52:56] the ability to have a discussion that is

[1:52:58] actually rooted in fact uh you know you

[1:53:01] can make further strides with that

[1:53:03] individual. Uh so my encouragement

[1:53:05] really would be to the residents that

[1:53:06] are reading these things on social and

[1:53:08] assuming that they're gospel don't don't

[1:53:10] believe everything that you read and in

[1:53:12] fact uh reach out to your uh your

[1:53:14] representative be it at this level or at

[1:53:16] other levels um and to seek

[1:53:18] clarification and then make your

[1:53:20] determination from there.

[1:53:22] >> All right. Thanks for those comments.

[1:53:24] » All right. Thanks for those comments.

[1:53:24] Much appreciated.

[1:53:26] Anyone else for or sorry, Council

[1:53:28] Breton, other business?

[1:53:29] >> Uh, yeah. Thank you, Mayor Martin. I

[1:53:31] » Uh, yeah. Thank you, Mayor Martin. I

[1:53:31] just want to take a minute toh

[1:53:33] congratulate Andrew and his staff for

[1:53:35] all the hard work they're doing out

[1:53:37] there with the snow plowing and the cold

[1:53:39] weather. I can appreciate some of the

[1:53:42] issues you're probably dealing with, but

[1:53:44] I would uh tell you that I have had some

[1:53:46] very interesting comments from people. a

[1:53:49] few not so favorable, but the majority

[1:53:51] are uh

[1:53:54] very much appreciate the work you are

[1:53:57] doing and I hope you pass that on to

[1:53:58] your staff. Thank you,

[1:54:01] >> Councelor Duffy.

[1:54:02] » Councelor Duffy.

[1:54:02] >> Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. If I could

[1:54:04] » Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. If I could

[1:54:04] maybe just get some uh sort of pose a

[1:54:06] question of staff and I think I know the

[1:54:08] answer, but uh the status of the pool as

[1:54:10] of today

[1:54:17] uh through the mayor. Um work is moving

[1:54:20] along. Uh we thought obviously we were

[1:54:23] going to be open sooner um but the water

[1:54:26] chemistry was was the issue. So, I don't

[1:54:28] have an exact date on opening, but uh I

[1:54:31] have been assumed or I assume from the

[1:54:33] talks I had with staff earlier this week

[1:54:34] that the pool will be up and running

[1:54:36] this week. And I apologize. I don't have

[1:54:38] an exact time, but I will get that and

[1:54:40] email counselors with the exact date.

[1:54:45] » Sorry, thank you for that. This has just

[1:54:48] triggered a question for me though that

[1:54:49] I may pose to Miss Van Djk. My

[1:54:51] apologies, Madame Mayor. I beg your

[1:54:52] indulgence. I could swear on social

[1:54:54] media today, as much as we were just

[1:54:56] talking about that, I saw a post from

[1:54:59] Norfol County that said the Enley's car

[1:55:00] aquatic center was open today

[1:55:03] >> and that could very well be as I said, I

[1:55:05] » and that could very well be as I said, I

[1:55:05] haven't talked to staff uh this week

[1:55:08] about it. It was it was earlier this

[1:55:10] week.

[1:55:12] >> So, Madame Mayor, threw you to council.

[1:55:14] » So, Madame Mayor, threw you to council.

[1:55:14] Um, I am aware that communication staff

[1:55:17] have been in regular contact with

[1:55:20] recreation staff and providing updates,

[1:55:22] but I will confirm with them uh right

[1:55:26] now um whether they're referencing the

[1:55:30] building being open or the pool or both.

[1:55:38] » Anyone else for other business?

[1:55:42] Great. General announcements,

[1:55:47] staff.

[1:55:50] All righty, we're cruising along with

[1:55:52] that. We have four late close session

[1:55:54] items today.

[1:55:57] Uh mover and a seconder, please p to

[1:55:59] move into close session for uh several

[1:56:03] reasons here. Councelor Varian Huffman

[1:56:04] move pursuant to section 2392 of the

[1:56:07] Municipal Act 2001 as amended as a

[1:56:09] subject matter pertains to B personal

[1:56:11] matters about an identifiable individual

[1:56:13] including municipal or local board

[1:56:14] employees and E litigation or potential

[1:56:17] litigation including matters before

[1:56:18] administrative tribunals affecting the

[1:56:20] municipality or local board and H

[1:56:23] information explicitly supplied in

[1:56:25] confidence to the municipality or local

[1:56:27] board by Canada a province or territory

[1:56:29] or crown agency of any of them. Items

[1:56:32] 18.1 through to 18.4 are on the agenda.

[1:56:36] Um, and for those virtually, let's just

[1:56:38] take a five minute break and and

[1:56:41] jump into close session at 301.

[1:56:44] Thanks.

[1:56:44] >> Okay.

[1:56:45] » Okay.

[1:56:45] >> Sorry,

[1:56:47] » Sorry,

[1:56:47] that's carried.

[1:56:57] Life depends on to restore this pond.

[1:57:00] We're removing the excess sediment and

[1:57:02] transporting it to a licensed site.

[1:57:04] We're also clearing invasive plants,

[1:57:06] reshaping the pond's banks, and

[1:57:08] upgrading the outlet that controls the

[1:57:10] flow of water. This work will improve

[1:57:12] water quality, allow the pond to hold

[1:57:14] more water, reduce flooding risk, and

[1:57:17] provide a healthier habitat for plants

[1:57:18] and wildlife.

[1:57:21] Storm water management isn't just about

[1:57:23] what you see on the surface. It's also

[1:57:25] about the infrastructure underground. We

[1:57:27] use special tools to locate, map, and

[1:57:29] inspect the pipes and infrastructure

[1:57:31] that connect the ponds to the wider

[1:57:32] storm water system. This helps us to

[1:57:34] understand how water moves through our

[1:57:36] communities and identify issues that

[1:57:38] need our attention. It's likely that you

[1:57:40] or someone that you know has been

[1:57:42] impacted by flooding, erosion, or

[1:57:44] drainage issues. All of that connects

[1:57:46] back to storm water. Storm water

[1:57:48] management isn't just about pipes and

[1:57:50] ponds. It's about protecting the

[1:57:52] communities and the nature that

[1:57:53] surrounds us. As Norfolk County grows,

[1:57:55] so does our responsibility to manage

[1:57:57] storm water. And that's our job. With

[1:57:59] smart planning, hard work, and community

[1:58:02] support, we're building a cleaner,

[1:58:04] safer, and more resilient future

[1:58:06] together.

[1:58:13] Welcome to Norfolk County, where land

[1:58:16] meets lake and opportunity grows deep

[1:58:19] and wide.

[1:58:21] Located on the north shore of Lake Erie

[1:58:24] in the heart of southwestern Ontario,

[1:58:26] Norfolk spans 1600 square kilm making us

[1:58:30] one of Ontario's largest single tier

[1:58:33] municipalities.

[1:58:35] Our roots run deep in agriculture, food

[1:58:38] production, and advanced manufacturing

[1:58:40] industries that shaped our past and are

[1:58:43] powering Ontario's future economy. Home

[1:58:46] to over 70,000, we are bold, diverse,

[1:58:50] and fiercely local. From Port Dober to

[1:58:53] Longpoint, our folks are putting down

[1:58:55] roots. Sometimes in sand, sometimes in

[1:58:58] soil, but always in a place they're

[1:59:01] proud to call home. Big land, big

[1:59:04] vision, unmatched potential. That's

[1:59:08] Norfolk.

[1:59:12] » Hey, Norfolk County. Hey, Norfolk

[1:59:13] County.

[1:59:14] >> Hey, Norfol County. Hey, Norfolk County.

[1:59:16] » Hey, Norfol County. Hey, Norfolk County.

[1:59:16] >> Hey, Norfolk County.

[1:59:17] » Hey, Norfolk County.

[1:59:17] >> Hey, Norfolk County.

[1:59:18] » Hey, Norfolk County.

[1:59:18] >> My name is Bowden Wiki.

[1:59:20] » My name is Bowden Wiki.

[1:59:20] >> My name is Lindsay Calokoski.

[1:59:21] » My name is Lindsay Calokoski.

[1:59:21] >> My name is Alex Ryan. I work as a park

[1:59:24] » My name is Alex Ryan. I work as a park

[1:59:24] student.

[1:59:24] >> I work as an economic development

[1:59:26] » I work as an economic development

[1:59:26] coordinator.

[1:59:27] >> I work on roads department in Delhigh.

[1:59:29] » I work on roads department in Delhigh.

[1:59:29] >> I work as a supervisor for waste

[1:59:31] » I work as a supervisor for waste

[1:59:32] management.

[1:59:32] >> I work as a committee coordinator in the

[1:59:34] » I work as a committee coordinator in the

[1:59:34] clerk's department.

[1:59:35] >> Okay. What's the first question?

[1:59:37] » Okay. What's the first question?

[1:59:38] >> Um, what I love about my job is the

[1:59:39] » Um, what I love about my job is the

[1:59:40] people.

[1:59:40] >> All right. What do I love about my job?

[1:59:42] » All right. What do I love about my job?

[1:59:42] >> It's really the community. No day is the

[1:59:45] » It's really the community. No day is the

[1:59:45] same. It

[1:59:46] >> is cuz I get to work with a bunch of

[1:59:47] » is cuz I get to work with a bunch of

[1:59:47] great guys.

[1:59:48] >> It directly impacts really positively

[1:59:50] » It directly impacts really positively

[1:59:50] the residents of Norol County.

[1:59:52] >> Uh I love the people that I get a chance

[1:59:54] » Uh I love the people that I get a chance

[1:59:54] to work with. Every day is different.

[1:59:56] The mix of things is what makes me happy

[1:59:58] and keeps me going.

[1:59:59] >> First and foremost, the the community uh

[2:00:02] » First and foremost, the the community uh

[2:00:02] the people of this community are so

[2:00:04] welcoming is the amazing team I get to

[2:00:06] work with every day here at Norfol

[2:00:07] County.

[2:00:08] >> Opportunity to help people uh to help my

[2:00:10] » Opportunity to help people uh to help my

[2:00:10] community. And one of the things I love

[2:00:11] the most about my job is my team. I I

[2:00:14] love who I work with and um what I do

[2:00:18] while I'm here.

[2:00:20] I get to work on projects and in

[2:00:22] programs that support our community that

[2:00:25] help make lives better for the people

[2:00:27] who live here, who work here, and who

[2:00:29] come here to visit. Every day you feel

[2:00:32] like you've accomplished something on

[2:00:33] the way home and you're working with a

[2:00:35] bunch of great people who are equally as

[2:00:37] committed to the community and serving

[2:00:39] our communities.

[2:00:40] >> The pace here is uh very good and uh

[2:00:42] » The pace here is uh very good and uh

[2:00:42] great uh work life balance.

[2:00:44] >> They put wellness on the forefront. So

[2:00:46] » They put wellness on the forefront. So

[2:00:46] I'm part of the Apple committee and

[2:00:47] there's lots of opportunity at Norfol

[2:00:49] County.

[2:00:49] >> Flexible work hours, great work life

[2:00:51] » Flexible work hours, great work life

[2:00:51] balance, great staff, great friends and

[2:00:54] of course what's not to love about

[2:00:55] Norfol County for Ontario's garden.

[2:00:57] >> I love helping people. I love helping

[2:00:59] » I love helping people. I love helping

[2:00:59] residents and that's what makes Norfol

[2:01:01] County a great place to come to work.

[2:01:04] >> I chose to work for Norfol County

[2:01:06] » I chose to work for Norfol County

[2:01:06] because I grew up in Delhigh so it's

[2:01:08] close to home and I've enjoyed working

[2:01:10] for my community and my friends and

[2:01:12] family.

[2:01:12] >> Definitely 100% the people. There are

[2:01:15] » Definitely 100% the people. There are

[2:01:15] lots of community champions and

[2:01:16] everyone's been so kind and welcoming

[2:01:19] >> because I was born and raised here and I

[2:01:20] » because I was born and raised here and I

[2:01:20] wanted to help give back to my

[2:01:21] community.

[2:01:22] >> I love giving back to a community that I

[2:01:24] » I love giving back to a community that I

[2:01:24] grew up in. I love my team and I love

[2:01:26] that I can leave a legacy here in the

[2:01:27] Twin Cities.

[2:01:28] >> When I had the opportunity to come home

[2:01:30] » When I had the opportunity to come home

[2:01:30] and and serve the public, I jumped at

[2:01:33] that opportunity. I started my career as

[2:01:36] an area planner for this place. It's

[2:01:38] interesting that the end of my career,

[2:01:39] this opportunity came up to come back

[2:01:41] and make Norfolk a better place. Is

[2:01:43] being able to live and work in the

[2:01:46] community that uh we're a part of. I did

[2:01:48] choose to work for Norfolk because I'm

[2:01:52] an engineer by trade and I like to solve

[2:01:54] problems and realized how rewarding it

[2:01:57] was to be able to contribute to

[2:01:58] initiatives within the area that I've

[2:02:00] always called home. I love it here. You

[2:02:03] should consider uh joining the public

[2:02:05] sector, joining the municipality because

[2:02:07] it's so diverse. There's something for

[2:02:09] everyone. Local government is the

[2:02:10] closest to the people. We get to work

[2:02:12] with our residents day in and day out

[2:02:14] and there is something for you in every

[2:02:16] department for Norfolk.

[2:02:23] » Hey Norfol County, do you know how your

[2:02:26] property taxes are spent? Let's take a

[2:02:28] look together. First, we need to start

[2:02:30] with Norfol County's budget. Every year,

[2:02:33] staff and council confirm the funds

[2:02:35] required to be collected from the

[2:02:37] property taxes paid by you and 35,000

[2:02:39] other Norfol County taxpayers.

[2:02:42] These funds contribute to Norfol

[2:02:44] County's levy and capital budgets, which

[2:02:46] lay out how your tax dollars are used.

[2:02:49] The capital budget is also funded by the

[2:02:51] rate budget, the funds paid by

[2:02:53] residents, known as rateayers, for water

[2:02:55] and wastewater services through their

[2:02:57] monthly water bill.

[2:02:59] The levy budget is used to deliver

[2:03:01] programs and services for residents

[2:03:02] ranging from emergency services like

[2:03:05] fire and EMS, waste services like

[2:03:07] garbage collection, recreation services

[2:03:10] like arenas, trails, and parks,

[2:03:13] maintenance services like snow removal

[2:03:15] and road repair, and human services like

[2:03:18] homelessness prevention and health

[2:03:20] education programs. Our levy budget also

[2:03:24] supports our libraries and museums,

[2:03:27] administrative services for council, and

[2:03:29] the many staff who keep Norfolk County

[2:03:31] operating.

[2:03:33] Services like recreation programs for

[2:03:36] children, adults, and seniors and our

[2:03:38] Ride Norfolk transit program are also

[2:03:40] paid for with property taxes and

[2:03:43] supplemented by user fees.

[2:03:46] And across Ontario, a portion of each

[2:03:48] resident's property tax bill goes to our

[2:03:51] local school boards.

[2:03:53] About a third of the property taxes

[2:03:55] collected are allocated to the capital

[2:03:57] budget or reserves for future capital

[2:03:59] spending, which includes other funding

[2:04:01] sources like the federal and provincial

[2:04:03] government, reserve funds, grants, debt,

[2:04:07] and development charges, as well as

[2:04:09] funds from the rate budget. Together,

[2:04:12] the capital budget goes toward

[2:04:13] longerterm projects such as our

[2:04:15] investments in water and wastewater

[2:04:17] facilities, as well as building and

[2:04:19] renewing our parks, roadways, pools,

[2:04:23] arenas, and other things we use every

[2:04:25] day. So, the next time you hear someone

[2:04:28] ask, "Where are my property taxes

[2:04:30] going?" you can tell them to look down,

[2:04:33] look up, and look forward. Your tax

[2:04:36] dollars are at work all around you every

[2:04:38] day. When you visit your local park with

[2:04:41] your family, drive to work on cleared

[2:04:44] roads, register for swimming lessons,

[2:04:47] get rid of that old couch you've

[2:04:48] outgrown, or contact Service Norfol

[2:04:50] about that pothole on your street that

[2:04:52] needs to be fixed.

[2:04:54] Your tax dollars are also being invested

[2:04:56] in initiatives to improve the lives of

[2:04:58] Norfol County residents in the years to

[2:05:00] come to make Norfol County a better

[2:05:03] place for future generations.

[2:05:05] While Norfol County's budget is prepared

[2:05:07] once a year, your feedback helps us make

[2:05:10] decisions and plan for the future. We

[2:05:13] are committed to listening to you so

[2:05:14] that our budget reflects what is

[2:05:16] important to our community. Learn more

[2:05:18] about Norfol County's budget at

[2:05:20] norol.ca/

[2:05:23] >> Today, we're announcing an exciting

[2:05:24] » Today, we're announcing an exciting

[2:05:24] partnership with Scotland and Norfol

[2:05:26] County Economic Development, and we're

[2:05:28] transforming transport trailers into

[2:05:30] mobile ambassadors. We're showcasing

[2:05:32] Norfolk's story of opportunity,

[2:05:35] excellence, and quality of life across

[2:05:37] all of North America. And Scotland is

[2:05:39] the ideal partner with an amazing

[2:05:41] logistics network and will help us share

[2:05:43] our story all across North America.

[2:05:59] Heat.

[2:06:18] Hey, Heat.

[2:06:33] Uh oh.

[2:07:21] Hi, I'm Jacob and I'm here to take you

[2:07:23] behind the scenes on a capital project

[2:07:25] in Norfol County. We begin planning

[2:07:28] capital projects by analyzing our

[2:07:30] infrastructure needs related to roads,

[2:07:32] water manes, storm and sanitary sewers

[2:07:35] as well as bridges. We assess their

[2:07:38] overall condition, age, and servicing

[2:07:40] requirements. This provides a solid

[2:07:42] foundation to ensure Norfolk has the

[2:07:44] hard infrastructure for current and

[2:07:46] future needs. Once a project is

[2:07:48] determined and approved by council, we

[2:07:50] retain an engineer to complete the

[2:07:52] design. During this stage, we engage the

[2:07:55] public through public information

[2:07:56] centers or postings on the county

[2:07:58] website to inform them of the upcoming

[2:08:00] project and provide an opportunity to

[2:08:02] share feedback. After the design is

[2:08:05] completed and all approvals are in

[2:08:07] place, we hire a contractor through a

[2:08:09] public bidding process. During the

[2:08:11] construction phase, we track progress,

[2:08:13] budget, and continue to engage with the

[2:08:15] public. We also work with other

[2:08:17] departments to ensure the overall

[2:08:19] success of the project. Once complete,

[2:08:21] we report and track any warranty issues

[2:08:24] for 2 years. We measure a project's

[2:08:26] success by its ability to enhance

[2:08:28] infrastructure and positively impact

[2:08:30] residents. As a Norfol County employee,

[2:08:33] I enjoy building the community that has

[2:08:35] given me so much. Thank you for taking

[2:08:37] the time to join me on this

[2:08:39] behind-the-scenes tour.

[2:08:48] Deputations are a way for you and all

[2:08:51] residents of Norfol County to speak

[2:08:52] before council about relevant matters in

[2:08:54] our community.

[2:08:57] To begin, search www.norfocount.ca.

[2:09:04] Then select the government tab.

[2:09:07] Under the government tab, select provide

[2:09:09] deputation/spe

[2:09:11] at a council or committee meeting.

[2:09:13] This page provides general information

[2:09:15] regarding deputations. Under the

[2:09:17] subheading register to speak, click the

[2:09:20] public hearing/deputation form link to

[2:09:23] pre-register your deputation.

[2:09:25] Notice of collection. By checking the

[2:09:27] notice of collection box, you are

[2:09:29] agreeing to the above statement.

[2:09:31] Selecting the type of meeting you want.

[2:09:33] There are several types of meetings that

[2:09:34] allow deputations. Please listen closely

[2:09:36] as we explain each option. Council

[2:09:39] meeting. Council deputations must

[2:09:41] pertain to a matter listed on the

[2:09:43] upcoming meeting agenda. For the

[2:09:45] remaining meeting choices, you may

[2:09:46] present a deputation if the topic

[2:09:48] pertains to the committee you are

[2:09:50] presenting to. Once you select the type

[2:09:52] of meeting you want to deliver your

[2:09:53] deputation, you can complete the rest of

[2:09:55] the document. Now, choose whether you

[2:09:58] will attend the meeting in person or

[2:10:00] virtually.

[2:10:02] Finally, select if you will be providing

[2:10:04] materials during your deputation. If you

[2:10:06] have materials for distribution during

[2:10:08] the council meeting, please bring 15

[2:10:10] hard copies for council and staff. Now,

[2:10:12] click next to move to step two.

[2:10:16] In step two, please fill out your

[2:10:18] personal information.

[2:10:20] Once your personal information is

[2:10:21] completed, click next.

[2:10:24] Lastly, review your information and

[2:10:26] select next to submit your form. You

[2:10:29] have now completed the deputation

[2:10:30] request form. You will receive a

[2:10:32] confirmation email from the clerk's

[2:10:33] department that they've received your

[2:10:34] request. Next, we will talk about what

[2:10:36] to do on the day of your deputation.

[2:10:39] >> So, you've received your approval and

[2:10:41] » So, you've received your approval and

[2:10:41] the day of your deputation is upon you.

[2:10:43] For starters, council is located here at

[2:10:46] 50 Coburn Street. Now, there's two

[2:10:47] entrances you can use when you arrive.

[2:10:49] One is here located off Coburn and one

[2:10:52] located off Talbet Street. When you

[2:10:54] arrive, you'll have three main options

[2:10:56] to park. The first is to park at the

[2:10:58] Simco Town Center Mall, which is where

[2:11:00] Food Basics is located.

[2:11:07] Your second option is 2-hour street

[2:11:09] parking on Court Street. And your third

[2:11:11] option is 2-hour street parking on L

[2:11:13] Street. If you can't find any parking in

[2:11:15] any of those three options, don't worry.

[2:11:17] Downtown Simco has plenty of street

[2:11:19] parking in all of the surrounding areas.

[2:11:21] If you enter through the Cobburn Street

[2:11:23] doors, you'll have to make your way

[2:11:24] through the building to get to council

[2:11:25] chambers. But don't worry, if you

[2:11:27] require any assistance, you can feel

[2:11:29] free to ask Service Norfol at the front

[2:11:30] desk.

[2:11:32] Make your way along this path and you'll

[2:11:34] end up in the main lobby. To your left,

[2:11:38] there'll be an elevator. You can either

[2:11:40] ring the bell or go ask people at the

[2:11:42] front desk for assistance. If you don't

[2:11:43] need to use the elevator, you can head

[2:11:45] on up the green staircase and go up to

[2:11:47] council doors. If you enter through the

[2:11:49] Talbet street doors, the elevator will

[2:11:51] be immediately in front of you or the

[2:11:53] green staircase will be ready for you to

[2:11:55] go up and deliver your presentation.

[2:11:58] Once you reach the top of the stairs,

[2:12:00] you'll have made it to council chambers.

[2:12:08] Feel free to take a seat here or here

[2:12:11] and wait for council to call your name

[2:12:13] when it's time to present.

[2:12:15] When council calls your name, make your

[2:12:17] way to the podium and ensure that you

[2:12:18] don't walk between the railing and the

[2:12:20] chairs on your way there. When you

[2:12:22] arrive at the podium, adjust it to your

[2:12:24] desired height using the arrow buttons

[2:12:26] and turn the microphone on using the

[2:12:27] button on the right.

[2:12:30] If you're giving your deputation in

[2:12:32] front of council, begin by saying

[2:12:34] through the mayor. If you're giving it

[2:12:35] in front of a committee, begin by saying

[2:12:37] through the chair. Then clearly state

[2:12:40] your name and address and you'll have 5

[2:12:42] minutes to give your presentation.

[2:12:44] Upon having 1 minute remaining, the

[2:12:46] chair will give you notice. When you're

[2:12:48] finished your presentation, council may

[2:12:50] have questions for you. Ensure that you

[2:12:51] always begin your answer by saying

[2:12:53] through the mayor or through the chair

[2:12:55] to counselor and their last name. If you

[2:12:58] can't answer the question, that's okay.

[2:13:00] Inform council that you'll gather more

[2:13:01] information and get back to them. After

[2:13:04] that, council will have heard out what

[2:13:05] you've had to say and they'll take

[2:13:06] appropriate action as they deem

[2:13:08] necessary. And now you finished your

[2:13:10] deputation. You can either have a seat

[2:13:13] and watch the rest of the meeting or you

[2:13:15] can leave through the door that you came

[2:13:17] in and ensure that you leave as quietly

[2:13:19] as possible.

[2:13:26] Hey, Norfol County. My name is Anna and

[2:13:28] I'm here to share some water safety tips

[2:13:30] to keep you and your family safe around

[2:13:32] the water.

[2:13:35] Knowing how to swim is a life skill and

[2:13:37] an essential part of staying safe and

[2:13:39] having fun. Swimming lessons are the

[2:13:41] best way to learn essential swim

[2:13:42] survival skills to recover from a fall

[2:13:44] into deep water.

[2:13:47] Think you're too old for lessons? There

[2:13:48] are programs designed for teens and

[2:13:50] adults as well.

[2:13:52] With so many lakes and rivers, Canadians

[2:13:54] of all ages are avid boers. Always wear

[2:13:57] a life jacket. It could save your life.

[2:14:00] Never swim alone, regardless of age and

[2:14:02] skill level. Always swim with a buddy. A

[2:14:05] buddy can throw you a buoyant aid if you

[2:14:06] get into trouble. When possible, wait

[2:14:09] into unknown waters to prevent injury.

[2:14:13] Backyard pools are a great place to make

[2:14:15] family memories. But remember, if you

[2:14:17] are not within arms reach of your child

[2:14:19] in and around the water, then you've

[2:14:21] gone too far. Drowning can occur in as

[2:14:23] little as 10 seconds, and it is silent.

[2:14:28] Every drowning death is preventable.

[2:14:30] Take time to educate yourself and those

[2:14:32] around you to ensure you're staying safe

[2:14:34] and having fun around the water. For

[2:14:36] more information, visit norfolk

[2:14:38] county.ca/watersafety.

[2:14:49] We all have the right to feel safe at

[2:14:51] work, when spending time with friends

[2:14:53] and family,

[2:14:55] when participating in activities, or

[2:14:58] attending a public meeting or event.

[2:15:00] Norfolk County is committed to ensuring

[2:15:02] our spaces and workplaces are safe. Our

[2:15:06] respect and responsibility policy

[2:15:08] outlines the code of conduct for

[2:15:10] employees, patrons, contractors,

[2:15:14] volunteers, coaches, and spectators.

[2:15:17] This code of conduct also applies to

[2:15:19] phone calls, emails, and virtual and

[2:15:23] social media platforms. We all play a

[2:15:26] part in fostering a respectful and safe

[2:15:28] environment. Inappropriate behaviors

[2:15:30] such as swearing, name calling, verbal

[2:15:33] and physical threats, physical violence,

[2:15:35] harassment, and vandalism will not be

[2:15:38] tolerated. Staff have the right to take

[2:15:40] action when incidents occur. This may

[2:15:43] include denying service, asking

[2:15:45] individuals to leave, contacting the

[2:15:47] police, or if necessary, suspending them

[2:15:49] from county programs and facilities.

[2:15:52] Those responsible for damaging county

[2:15:54] property will be required to cover the

[2:15:56] cost of repairs, fees, and lost

[2:15:58] revenues.

[2:16:01] We are committed to providing

[2:16:02] highquality customer service and a safe

[2:16:05] and respectful environment for all. For

[2:16:07] more information about our respect and

[2:16:09] responsibility policy, visit

[2:16:11] norfolcount.ca/rnr.

[2:16:28] Hi, I'm Lisa and I'm excited to take you

[2:16:30] behind the scenes to meet Norfolk

[2:16:32] County's aquatics team in action.

[2:16:36] I think the people are what make the

[2:16:39] job. I think working with the people

[2:16:40] that I do, we're a great team. We work

[2:16:42] really well together. That makes a

[2:16:45] positive work environment. That makes a

[2:16:47] positive work for the public as well.

[2:16:49] They see that we work well together and

[2:16:50] I think that benefits them as well. I

[2:16:53] still love coming here every day. It's

[2:16:54] an exciting job. It's always different.

[2:16:57] You're always doing new things. Being

[2:16:59] part of our team offers staff the

[2:17:01] opportunity to develop essential skills

[2:17:03] in lifeguarding. Teaching swimming

[2:17:05] lessons, customer service, first aid,

[2:17:08] and of course, teamwork.

[2:17:10] >> I think swimming in general is a really

[2:17:12] » I think swimming in general is a really

[2:17:12] great skill to have from a very young

[2:17:13] age. So, being a part of children

[2:17:16] learning how to swim is super important

[2:17:17] to me. It's a really rewarding process

[2:17:19] to see them go from not the greatest

[2:17:21] swimmer to a better or great swimmer.

[2:17:24] It's a really good stepping stone to

[2:17:26] what I want to do in the future.

[2:17:28] >> It's just a nice variety and everybody

[2:17:31] » It's just a nice variety and everybody

[2:17:31] brings something different and special

[2:17:32] to the team.

[2:17:35] >> Our aquatics team is dedicated to

[2:17:37] » Our aquatics team is dedicated to

[2:17:37] educating the community on water safety

[2:17:39] and drowning prevention. You might be a

[2:17:42] quiet student coming in and this job is

[2:17:45] really going to push you to find your

[2:17:46] voice and be like an impactful member of

[2:17:49] a team.

[2:17:49] >> I love that it's different every day and

[2:17:52] » I love that it's different every day and

[2:17:52] you get to meet new people every day and

[2:17:54] see some of the same faces every day as

[2:17:56] well. But my job is different every

[2:17:58] single day. I don't do the same. So,

[2:18:00] it's amazing.

[2:18:01] >> As a proud Norville County employee, I'm

[2:18:03] » As a proud Norville County employee, I'm

[2:18:03] honored to be part of a team delivering

[2:18:05] life-saving skills to our community.

[2:18:08] Thank you for joining me on this

[2:18:09] behind-the-scenes tour. I hope this

[2:18:12] video gives you a glimpse of what it's

[2:18:14] like to be part of our aquatics team. If

[2:18:16] you're interested in taking advanced

[2:18:18] leadership courses to become a lifeguard

[2:18:20] and instructor, visit norcount.ca.

[2:18:32] Hey, Norfolk County. Whether you're a

[2:18:34] longtime resident, new to the area, or

[2:18:36] simply visiting, do you know about the

[2:18:38] many services provided by Norfolk

[2:18:40] County? As a single tier municipality,

[2:18:43] we provide services that our community

[2:18:45] uses every day, including water and fire

[2:18:48] protection, curbside garbage and

[2:18:50] recycling, road and sidewalk

[2:18:52] maintenance, and so much more. We also

[2:18:55] provide services needed at unique times

[2:18:57] in life, such as a marriage or business

[2:18:59] license, or a dog tag for your new

[2:19:02] companion. And the unique geographic

[2:19:04] features in Norfolk County from farmland

[2:19:07] and forests to lakes and wetlands means

[2:19:10] we also provide specialized services

[2:19:12] ranging from drainage applications to

[2:19:14] tree inspections.

[2:19:16] Wondering how to contact Norfolk County?

[2:19:18] Start with Service Norfolk. Our friendly

[2:19:20] team of agents is here to help. Reach us

[2:19:23] by phone at 519-426-5870

[2:19:28] or 226 Norfolk from 8:30 to 4:30 Monday

[2:19:33] to Friday. Calling about an issue after

[2:19:35] hours? No problem. We have you covered.

[2:19:40] Prefer online? Email ask

[2:19:42] us@norfolocount.ca

[2:19:44] anytime or use our customer service

[2:19:47] portal at service.norfolocount.ca

[2:19:51] CA and get a reply right to your email

[2:19:53] inbox. Want to visit us in person? Come

[2:19:57] to one of our friendly customer service

[2:19:58] counters in Simco Monday to Friday or

[2:20:01] Delhigh Tuesday to Thursday. Service

[2:20:05] Norfolk, connecting you to Norfol County

[2:20:07] services.

[2:20:10] » Meet Captain Clean, the toilet paper

[2:20:13] superhero here to protect Norfolk

[2:20:15] County's pipes and keep everything

[2:20:17] flowing smoothly. Remember, only flush

[2:20:20] the three P's. Pee, poop, and toilet

[2:20:23] paper. Flushing anything else can cause

[2:20:26] big trouble. Things like wipes, hair, or

[2:20:28] grease can create sewer blockages. These

[2:20:31] blockages restrict flow. Combine with

[2:20:33] other debris and causely damage,

[2:20:36] overflow, and even water pollution. By

[2:20:39] sticking to the three Ps, you can help

[2:20:41] prevent clogs, reduce repair costs, and

[2:20:43] keep our water clean. For items you

[2:20:46] can't flush, proper disposal is key.

[2:20:49] Throw regular waste in the garbage. Do

[2:20:51] not believe claims on packaging that

[2:20:53] products are flushable. Take it from

[2:20:56] Captain Clean. They are not. Household

[2:20:59] hazardous waste can be dropped off at

[2:21:01] Norfolk's temporary depots during spring

[2:21:04] and fall. For things like medication and

[2:21:07] sharps disposal, take them to your local

[2:21:09] pharmacy or the health unit. And

[2:21:12] remember, grease belongs in the trash,

[2:21:14] but let it cool and store it first.

[2:21:17] Don't pour it down the drain. Be a

[2:21:20] flushing hero like Captain Clean.

[2:21:22] Together, we can protect our pipes, our

[2:21:25] homes, and the environment. Remember,

[2:21:28] only flush the three Ps. Norfolk County

[2:21:31] is counting on you.

[2:21:39] » Hi, I'm Dave. I'm here to take you

[2:21:42] behind the scenes for a quick look at

[2:21:44] what we do at Norfolk County's water

[2:21:46] treatment facility. Here in Port Rowan,

[2:21:48] the water treatment process starts by

[2:21:50] pumping water from Lake Erie up into the

[2:21:53] water treatment facility. Back in the

[2:21:55] treatment facility, I inspect large

[2:21:58] clarification tanks where the lake water

[2:22:00] enters the plant. Here we add quagalin,

[2:22:03] a chemical that attracts dirt particles

[2:22:05] together. These form into larger

[2:22:07] particles called flock, which eventually

[2:22:09] sinks and is sent to waste. Next, the

[2:22:12] water enters the filtration system where

[2:22:14] any remaining dirt particles are trapped

[2:22:16] by the filters. The water is then

[2:22:19] chlorinated and sent into a 113 cubic

[2:22:22] meter underground storage chamber. The

[2:22:25] water is then taken to the granular

[2:22:27] activated carbon filters that work like

[2:22:29] superized 10,000 lb brittle filters to

[2:22:32] remove taste and odor. The final step is

[2:22:35] disinfection, which includes UV and a

[2:22:38] final dose of chlorine, ensuring safe

[2:22:41] potable drinking water. Water testing is

[2:22:44] an important part of the job. Throughout

[2:22:45] the day, we take water samples at

[2:22:47] different stages of the process, up to

[2:22:50] nine tests depending on the treatment

[2:22:52] facility. As a Norfolk resident myself,

[2:22:54] I'm proud to serve the community I live

[2:22:56] in. Thanks for joining me in this

[2:22:59] behindthescenes tour.

[2:23:02] Heat. Heat.

[2:24:06] Hey, Norfolk County. Did you know that

[2:24:08] Ride Norfolk is now on demand? This

[2:24:11] means you can schedule Norfolk's public

[2:24:12] transit service to pick you up for

[2:24:14] appointments, shopping, school, or work.

[2:24:17] Ride Norfolk has partnered with Blaze

[2:24:18] Transit to offer ondemand pickups at all

[2:24:21] 95 stops across Norfolk, including this

[2:24:24] one. I booked my trip earlier today and

[2:24:26] my bus is here right on time. Since

[2:24:29] there are no fixed local schedules, you

[2:24:31] can easily book Ride Norfolk over the

[2:24:33] phone, online, or on the Blaze Transit

[2:24:36] app from your smartphone. Thanks,

[2:24:37] Charlie.

[2:24:38] >> You're welcome. Ride Norfolk's customer

[2:24:40] » You're welcome. Ride Norfolk's customer

[2:24:40] service team can help answer any

[2:24:41] questions you may have, get you started

[2:24:43] with the app, or book your next ride. By

[2:24:46] moving to on demand, Ride Norfolk is

[2:24:48] helping more residents get where they

[2:24:49] need to go. To learn more, visit norfolk

[2:24:52] county.ca/transit.

[2:25:00] Hi, I'm Marissa and I'm here to take you

[2:25:02] behind the scenes for a quick look at

[2:25:04] what we do at Norol County's waste and

[2:25:05] recycling operations. Here at the

[2:25:07] transfer station in Simco, residents can

[2:25:10] bring a variety of waste materials for

[2:25:11] disposal. Norfolk operates two transfer

[2:25:14] stations welcoming about 27,000

[2:25:17] customers every year and accepts

[2:25:19] material ranging from bulky items, wood,

[2:25:22] metal, and yard waste. Norfolk also

[2:25:24] provides curbside waste programs.

[2:25:26] Recycling from your home arrives at this

[2:25:29] facility where it is manually sorted by

[2:25:31] the type of material. You can see why

[2:25:33] it's important to separate materials

[2:25:35] into the correct bin, rinse recyclables,

[2:25:38] and remove items from bags. This

[2:25:40] facility processes 4600 metric tons per

[2:25:43] year. That's equal to about 20 tons per

[2:25:46] day. Once items are sorted by material

[2:25:48] type, they are bailed and ready to be

[2:25:50] shipped across North America to be made

[2:25:52] into new material. About 8 to 10% of the

[2:25:56] material that arrives here shouldn't

[2:25:58] have been put in the recycling bin.

[2:26:00] Residents can use our recycle coach app

[2:26:02] to confirm if an item can be recycled.

[2:26:05] After seeing how waste is handled, I

[2:26:07] hope this video helps show why rinsing

[2:26:09] and sorting your recyclables are

[2:26:11] important steps in the recycling

[2:26:13] process. As a Norfol County employee, I

[2:26:16] am proud to serve the community I was

[2:26:17] raised in. Thanks for joining me on this

[2:26:19] behind-the-scenes tour.

[2:26:24] This summer, discover the hidden gem of

[2:26:27] Norfolk County, Ontario's garden. Stroll

[2:26:31] through historic villages where time

[2:26:33] seems to slow down. Feel the sand

[2:26:36] between your toes on our pristine Lake

[2:26:38] Eerie beaches. From live theater that

[2:26:41] captivates to trails that wind through

[2:26:43] breathtaking landscapes, adventure and

[2:26:46] relaxation await at every turn. Meet the

[2:26:50] farmers who grow your dinner and taste

[2:26:52] wine and beer crafted right here.

[2:26:55] Experience Norfolk County this summer,

[2:26:57] where small town charm meets farm fresh

[2:27:00] flavor. Ontario's garden. It's time you

[2:27:03] came home to it.

[2:27:13] Hey, Norol County. I'm Chris and I'm

[2:27:15] here to take you behind the scenes to

[2:27:17] show you how Norfol County manages storm

[2:27:19] water in our towns and communities.

[2:27:21] Storm water isn't just rain or melted

[2:27:23] snow. It's any excess water that runs

[2:27:25] off hard surfaces like roads, driveways,

[2:27:28] and rooftops. But where does that water

[2:27:30] go? And why is managing it important?

[2:27:32] Norfolk storm water systems include

[2:27:34] pipes, ditches, catch basins, and ponds

[2:27:36] that work together to manage this

[2:27:38] runoff. Storm water systems like ponds

[2:27:40] slow the flow and allow dirt and

[2:27:42] pollutants to settle and release cleaner

[2:27:44] water into the environment. Without

[2:27:46] proper management, storm water can flood

[2:27:48] basements, damage roads, and carried

[2:27:51] contaminants like oil, garbage, and salt

[2:27:53] into our rivers and lakes. That's why

[2:27:55] Norfolk County created a dedicated storm

[2:27:57] water team in 2024 to better understand

[2:28:00] and maintain what we already have while

[2:28:02] planning for the future. This storm

[2:28:04] water pond in Port Dover helps to reduce

[2:28:06] flooding and improve water quality. Over

[2:28:09] time, sediment and pollutants build up

[2:28:11] within storm ponds, limiting their

[2:28:13] ability to hold water. This creates an

[2:28:15] ideal environment for algae and invasive

[2:28:18] plants like fragmitees to flourish. This

[2:28:20] fast growing species can block out the

[2:28:22] flow of water and crowd out native

[2:28:24] vegetation, reducing the habitat that

[2:28:26] local wildlife depends on. To restore

[2:28:29] this pond, we're removing the excess

[2:28:31] sediment and transporting it to a

[2:28:33] licensed site. We're also clearing

[2:28:35] invasive plants, reshaping the pond's

[2:28:37] banks, and upgrading the outlet that

[2:28:39] controls the flow of water. This work

[2:28:41] will improve water quality, allow the

[2:28:43] pond to hold more water, reduce flooding

[2:28:46] risk, and provide a healthier habitat

[2:28:48] for plants and wildlife.

[2:28:51] Storm water management isn't just about

[2:28:52] what you see on the surface. It's also

[2:28:55] about the infrastructure underground. We

[2:28:57] use special tools to locate, map, and

[2:28:59] inspect the pipes and infrastructure

[2:29:00] that connect the ponds to the wider

[2:29:02] storm water system. This helps us to

[2:29:04] understand how water moves through our

[2:29:06] communities and identify issues that

[2:29:08] need our attention. It's likely that you

[2:29:10] or someone that you know has been

[2:29:12] impacted by flooding, erosion, or

[2:29:14] drainage issues. All of that connects

[2:29:16] back to storm water. Storm water

[2:29:18] management isn't just about pipes and

[2:29:20] ponds. It's about protecting the

[2:29:22] communities and the nature that

[2:29:23] surrounds us. As Norfolk County grows,

[2:29:25] so does our responsibility to manage

[2:29:27] storm water. And that's our job. With

[2:29:29] smart planning, hard work, and community

[2:29:31] support, we're building a cleaner,

[2:29:33] safer, and more resilient future

[2:29:35] together.

[2:29:43] Welcome to Norfolk County, where land

[2:29:46] meets lake and opportunity grows deep

[2:29:49] and wide.

[2:29:51] Located on the north shore of Lake Erie

[2:29:53] in the heart of southwestern Ontario,

[2:29:56] Norfolk spans 1600 square kilm, making

[2:30:00] us one of Ontario's largest single tier

[2:30:03] municipalities.

[2:30:04] Our roots run deep in agriculture, food

[2:30:08] production, and advanced manufacturing,

[2:30:10] industries that shaped our past and are

[2:30:13] powering Ontario's future economy. Home

[2:30:16] to over 70,000, we are bold, diverse,

[2:30:20] and fiercely local. From Port Dober to

[2:30:23] Longpoint, our folks are putting down

[2:30:25] roots. Sometimes in sand, sometimes in

[2:30:28] soil, but always in a place they're

[2:30:31] proud to call home. Big land, big

[2:30:34] vision, unmatched potential. That's

[2:30:38] Norfolk.

[2:30:41] » Hey, Norol County. Hey, Norfol County.

[2:30:43] >> Hey, Norol County. Hey, Norfolk County.

[2:30:45] » Hey, Norol County. Hey, Norfolk County.

[2:30:45] >> Hey, Norfolk County.

[2:30:46] » Hey, Norfolk County.

[2:30:46] >> Hey, Norfolk County.

[2:30:48] » Hey, Norfolk County.

[2:30:48] >> My name is Bowden Wiki.

[2:30:49] » My name is Bowden Wiki.

[2:30:49] >> My name is Lindsay Kalioski.

[2:30:51] » My name is Lindsay Kalioski.

[2:30:51] >> My name is Alex Ryan. I work as a park

[2:30:54] » My name is Alex Ryan. I work as a park

[2:30:54] student.

[2:30:54] >> I work as an economic development

[2:30:56] » I work as an economic development

[2:30:56] coordinator.

[2:30:57] >> I work on roads department in Delhigh.

[2:30:59] » I work on roads department in Delhigh.

[2:30:59] >> I work as a supervisor for waste

[2:31:01] » I work as a supervisor for waste

[2:31:01] management.

[2:31:02] >> I work as a committee coordinator in the

[2:31:04] » I work as a committee coordinator in the

[2:31:04] clerk's department.

[2:31:05] >> Okay. What's the first question?

[2:31:07] » Okay. What's the first question?

[2:31:07] >> Um, what I love about my job is the

[2:31:09] » Um, what I love about my job is the

[2:31:09] people.

[2:31:10] >> All right. What do I love about my job?

[2:31:12] » All right. What do I love about my job?

[2:31:12] >> It's really the community. No day is the

[2:31:15] » It's really the community. No day is the

[2:31:15] same. It

[2:31:15] >> is cuz I get to work with a bunch of

[2:31:17] » is cuz I get to work with a bunch of

[2:31:17] great guys.

[2:31:18] >> It directly impacts really positively

[2:31:20] » It directly impacts really positively

[2:31:20] the residents of Norfol County.

[2:31:22] >> Uh I love the people that I get a chance

[2:31:24] » Uh I love the people that I get a chance

[2:31:24] to work with.

[2:31:24] >> Every day is different. The mix of

[2:31:27] » Every day is different. The mix of

[2:31:27] things is what makes me happy and keeps

[2:31:28] me going.

[2:31:29] >> First and foremost, the the community uh

[2:31:32] » First and foremost, the the community uh

[2:31:32] the people of this community are so

[2:31:34] welcoming. Is the amazing team I get to

[2:31:36] work with every day here at Northfor

[2:31:37] County.

[2:31:38] >> Opportunity to help people uh to help my

[2:31:40] » Opportunity to help people uh to help my

[2:31:40] community. And one of the things I love

[2:31:41] the most about my job is my team. I I

[2:31:44] love who I work with and um what I do

[2:31:48] while I'm here.

[2:31:50] I get to work on projects and in

[2:31:52] programs that support our community that

[2:31:55] help make lives better for the people

[2:31:57] who live here, who work here, and who

[2:31:59] come here to visit. Every day you feel

[2:32:02] like you've accomplished something on

[2:32:03] the way home and you're working with a

[2:32:05] bunch of great people who are equally as

[2:32:07] committed to the community and serving

[2:32:09] our communities.

[2:32:09] >> The pace here is uh very good and uh

[2:32:12] » The pace here is uh very good and uh

[2:32:12] great uh work life balance.

[2:32:14] >> They put wellness on the forefront. So

[2:32:16] » They put wellness on the forefront. So

[2:32:16] I'm part of the Apple committee and

[2:32:17] there's lots of opportunity at Norfol

[2:32:18] County.

[2:32:19] >> Flexible work hours, great work life

[2:32:21] » Flexible work hours, great work life

[2:32:21] balance, great staff, great friends, and

[2:32:24] of course what's not to love about

[2:32:25] Norfol County for Ontario's garden.

[2:32:27] >> I love helping people. I love helping

[2:32:29] » I love helping people. I love helping

[2:32:29] residents and that's what makes Norfol

[2:32:31] County a great place to come to work.

[2:32:34] >> I chose to work for Norfolk County

[2:32:35] » I chose to work for Norfolk County

[2:32:36] because I grew up in Delhigh so it's

[2:32:38] close to home and I've enjoyed working

[2:32:40] for my community and my friends and

[2:32:41] family.

[2:32:42] >> Definitely 100% the people. There are

[2:32:45] » Definitely 100% the people. There are

[2:32:45] lots of community champions and

[2:32:46] everyone's been so kind and welcoming

[2:32:49] >> because I was born and raised here and I

[2:32:50] » because I was born and raised here and I

[2:32:50] wanted to help give back to my

[2:32:51] community.

[2:32:52] >> I love giving back to a community that I

[2:32:53] » I love giving back to a community that I

[2:32:53] grew up in. I love my team and I love

[2:32:55] that I can leave a legacy here in the

[2:32:57] Twin Cities.

[2:32:58] >> When I had the opportunity to come home

[2:33:00] » When I had the opportunity to come home

[2:33:00] and and serve the public, I jumped at

[2:33:03] that opportunity. I started my career as

[2:33:05] an area planner for this place. It's

[2:33:07] interesting that the end of my career,

[2:33:09] this opportunity came up to come back

[2:33:11] and make Norfolk a better place. Is

[2:33:13] being able to live and work in the

[2:33:15] community that uh we're a part of. I did

[2:33:18] choose to work for Norfolk because I'm

[2:33:21] an engineer by trade and I like to solve

[2:33:24] problems and realized how rewarding it

[2:33:26] was to be able to contribute to

[2:33:28] initiatives within the area that I've

[2:33:30] always called home. I love it here. You

[2:33:33] should consider uh joining the public

[2:33:35] sector, joining the municipality because

[2:33:36] it's so diverse. There's something for

[2:33:38] everyone. Local government is the

[2:33:40] closest to the people. We get to work

[2:33:42] with our residents day in and day out

[2:33:44] and there is something for you in every

[2:33:46] department for Norfolk.

[2:33:53] » Hey Norfol County, do you know how your

[2:33:56] property taxes are spent? Let's take a

[2:33:58] look together. First, we need to start

[2:34:00] with Norfol County's budget. Every year,

[2:34:03] staff and council confirm the funds

[2:34:05] required to be collected from the

[2:34:06] property taxes paid by you and 35,000

[2:34:09] other Norfol County taxpayers.

[2:34:12] These funds contribute to Norfol

[2:34:14] County's levy and capital budgets, which

[2:34:16] lay out how your tax dollars are used.

[2:34:19] The capital budget is also funded by the

[2:34:21] rate budget, the funds paid by

[2:34:23] residents, known as rateayers, for water

[2:34:25] and wastewater services through their

[2:34:27] monthly water bill.

[2:34:29] The levy budget is used to deliver

[2:34:30] programs and services for residents

[2:34:32] ranging from emergency services like

[2:34:34] fire and EMS, waste services like

[2:34:37] garbage collection, recreation services

[2:34:40] like arenas, trails, and parks,

[2:34:43] maintenance services like snow removal

[2:34:45] and road repair, and human services like

[2:34:48] homelessness prevention and health

[2:34:50] education programs. Our levy budget also

[2:34:54] supports our libraries and museums,

[2:34:56] administrative services for council, and

[2:34:59] the many staff who keep Norfol County

[2:35:01] operating.

[2:35:03] Services like recreation programs for

[2:35:05] children, adults, and seniors and our

[2:35:08] Ride Norfolk transit program are also

[2:35:10] paid for with property taxes and

[2:35:13] supplemented by user fees.

[2:35:16] And across Ontario, a portion of each

[2:35:18] resident's property tax bill goes to our

[2:35:21] local school boards.

[2:35:23] About a third of the property taxes

[2:35:25] collected are allocated to the capital

[2:35:26] budget or reserves for future capital

[2:35:29] spending, which includes other funding

[2:35:31] sources like the federal and provincial

[2:35:33] government, reserve funds, grants, debt,

[2:35:37] and development charges, as well as

[2:35:39] funds from the rate budget. Together,

[2:35:41] the capital budget goes toward

[2:35:43] longerterm projects such as our

[2:35:45] investments in water and wastewater

[2:35:47] facilities, as well as building and

[2:35:49] renewing our parks, roadways, pools,

[2:35:53] arenas, and other things we use every

[2:35:55] day. So, the next time you hear someone

[2:35:58] ask, "Where are my property taxes

[2:36:00] going?" you can tell them to look down,

[2:36:03] look up, and look forward. Your tax

[2:36:06] dollars are at work all around you every

[2:36:08] day. When you visit your local park with

[2:36:11] your family, drive to work on cleared

[2:36:13] roads, register for swimming lessons,

[2:36:16] get rid of that old couch you've

[2:36:18] outgrown, or contact Service Norfolk

[2:36:20] about that pothole on your street that

[2:36:22] needs to be fixed.

[2:36:24] Your tax dollars are also being invested

[2:36:26] in initiatives to improve the lives of

[2:36:28] Norfol County residents in the years to

[2:36:30] come to make Norfol County a better

[2:36:33] place for future generations.

[2:36:35] While Norfol County's budget is prepared

[2:36:37] once a year, your feedback helps us make

[2:36:40] decisions and plan for the future. We

[2:36:42] are committed to listening to you so

[2:36:44] that our budget reflects what is

[2:36:46] important to our community. Learn more

[2:36:48] about Norfol County's budget at

[2:36:50] norol.ca/

[2:36:52] >> Today we're announcing an exciting

[2:36:54] » Today we're announcing an exciting

[2:36:54] partnership with Scotland and Norfol

[2:36:56] County Economic Development and we're

[2:36:58] transforming transport trailers into

[2:37:00] mobile ambassadors. We're showcasing

[2:37:02] Norfolk's story of opportunity,

[2:37:05] excellence, and quality of life across

[2:37:07] all of North America. And Scotland is

[2:37:09] the ideal partner with an amazing

[2:37:11] logistics network and will help us share

[2:37:13] our story all across North America.

[2:37:45] Heat.

[2:37:48] Hey. Hey. Hey.

[2:38:03] Uh oh. Woah.

[2:38:06] Oh. Oh.

[2:38:26] Uh-oh.

[2:38:51] Hi, I'm Jacob and I'm here to take you

[2:38:53] behind the scenes on a capital project

[2:38:55] in Norfol County. We begin planning

[2:38:58] capital projects by analyzing our

[2:39:00] infrastructure needs related to roads,

[2:39:02] water manes, storm and sanitary sewers,

[2:39:05] as well as bridges. We assess their

[2:39:08] overall condition, age, and servicing

[2:39:10] requirements. This provides a solid

[2:39:12] foundation to ensure Norfolk has the

[2:39:14] hard infrastructure for current and

[2:39:15] future needs. Once a project is

[2:39:18] determined and approved by council, we

[2:39:20] retain an engineer to complete the

[2:39:22] design. During this stage, we engage the

[2:39:25] public through public information

[2:39:26] centers or postings on the county

[2:39:28] website to inform them of the upcoming

[2:39:30] project and provide an opportunity to

[2:39:32] share feedback. After the design is

[2:39:35] completed and all approvals are in

[2:39:36] place, we hire a contractor through a

[2:39:38] public bidding process. During the

[2:39:40] construction phase, we track progress,

[2:39:43] budget, and continue to engage with the

[2:39:45] public. We also work with other

[2:39:47] departments to ensure the overall

[2:39:48] success of the project. Once complete,

[2:39:51] we report and track any warranty issues

[2:39:53] for 2 years. We measure a project's

[2:39:56] success by its ability to enhance

[2:39:58] infrastructure and positively impact

[2:40:00] residents. As a Norfol County employee,

[2:40:03] I enjoy building the community that has

[2:40:05] given me so much. Thank you for taking

[2:40:07] the time to join me on this

[2:40:08] behind-the-scenes tour.

[2:40:18] Deputations are a way for you and all

[2:40:20] residents of Norfol County to speak

[2:40:22] before council about relevant matters in

[2:40:24] our community.

[2:40:27] To begin, search www.norfocount

[2:40:30] norfocount.ca.

[2:40:34] Then select the government tab.

[2:40:37] Under the government tab, select provide

[2:40:39] deputation/sp speak at a council or

[2:40:41] committee meeting. This page provides

[2:40:44] general information regarding

[2:40:46] deputations. Under the subheading

[2:40:48] register to speak, click the public

[2:40:50] hearing/deputation form link to

[2:40:52] pre-register your deputation.

[2:40:55] Notice of collection. By checking the

[2:40:57] notice of collection box, you are

[2:40:58] agreeing to the above statement.

[2:41:00] Selecting the type of meeting you want.

[2:41:02] There are several types of meetings that

[2:41:04] allow deputations. Please listen closely

[2:41:06] as we explain each option. Council

[2:41:09] meeting. Council deputations must

[2:41:11] pertain to a matter listed on the

[2:41:12] upcoming meeting agenda. For the

[2:41:15] remaining meeting choices, you may

[2:41:16] present a deputation if the topic

[2:41:18] pertains to the committee you are

[2:41:19] presenting to. Once you select the type

[2:41:22] of meeting you want to deliver your

[2:41:23] deputation, you can complete the rest of

[2:41:25] the document. Now, choose whether you

[2:41:27] will attend the meeting in person or

[2:41:29] virtually.

[2:41:32] Finally, select if you will be providing

[2:41:33] materials during your deputation. If you

[2:41:36] have materials for distribution during

[2:41:38] the council meeting, please bring 15

[2:41:40] hard copies for council and staff. Now,

[2:41:42] click next to move to step two.

[2:41:45] In step two, please fill out your

[2:41:47] personal information.

[2:41:49] Once your personal information is

[2:41:51] completed, click next.

[2:41:54] Lastly, review your information and

[2:41:56] select next to submit your form. You

[2:41:58] have now completed the deputation

[2:42:00] request form. You will receive a

[2:42:01] confirmation email from the clerk's

[2:42:03] department that they've received your

[2:42:04] request. Next, we will talk about what

[2:42:06] to do on the day of your deputation.

[2:42:09] >> So, you've received your approval and

[2:42:11] » So, you've received your approval and

[2:42:11] the day of your deputation is upon you.

[2:42:13] For starters, council is located here at

[2:42:16] 50 Colbert Street. Now, there's two

[2:42:17] entrances you can use when you arrive.

[2:42:19] One is here located off Corburn and one

[2:42:22] located off Talbage Street. When you

[2:42:24] arrive, you'll have three main options

[2:42:26] to park. The first is to park at the

[2:42:28] Simco Town Center Mall, which is where

[2:42:30] Food Basics is located.

[2:42:37] Your second option is 2-hour street

[2:42:39] parking on Court Street. And your third

[2:42:41] option is 2-hour street parking on L

[2:42:43] Street. If you can't find any parking at

[2:42:45] any of those three options, don't worry.

[2:42:47] Downtown Simco has plenty of street

[2:42:49] parking in all of the surrounding areas.

[2:42:51] If you enter through the Cobburn street

[2:42:52] doors, you'll have to make your way

[2:42:54] through the building to get to council

[2:42:55] chambers. But don't worry, if you

[2:42:57] require any assistance, you can feel

[2:42:59] free to ask Service Norfol at the front

[2:43:00] desk.

[2:43:02] Make your way along this path and you'll

[2:43:04] end up in the main lob. To your left,

[2:43:08] there'll be an elevator. You can either

[2:43:10] ring the bell or go ask the people at

[2:43:11] the front desk for assistance. If you

[2:43:13] don't need to use the elevator, you can

[2:43:15] head on up the green staircase and go up

[2:43:17] to council doors. If you enter through

[2:43:19] the Talbet Street doors, the elevator

[2:43:21] will be immediately in front of you or

[2:43:23] the green staircase will be ready for

[2:43:25] you to go up and deliver your

[2:43:26] presentation.

[2:43:28] Once you've reached the top of the

[2:43:29] stairs, you'll have made it to council

[2:43:31] chambers.

[2:43:35] Feel

[2:43:38] free to take a seat here or here and

[2:43:41] wait for council to call your name when

[2:43:43] it's time to present.

[2:43:45] When council calls your name, make your

[2:43:46] way to the podium and ensure that you

[2:43:48] don't walk between the railing and the

[2:43:50] chairs on your way there. When you

[2:43:52] arrive at the podium, adjust it to your

[2:43:54] desired height using the arrow buttons

[2:43:56] and turn the microphone on using the

[2:43:57] button on the right.

[2:44:00] If you're giving your deputation in

[2:44:01] front of council, begin by saying

[2:44:03] through the mayor. If you're giving it

[2:44:05] in front of a committee, begin by saying

[2:44:07] through the chair. Then clearly state

[2:44:10] your name and address and you'll have 5

[2:44:12] minutes to give your presentation. Upon

[2:44:14] having 1 minute remaining, the chair

[2:44:16] will give you notice. When you're

[2:44:18] finished your presentation, council may

[2:44:19] have questions for you. Ensure that you

[2:44:21] always begin your answer by saying

[2:44:22] through the mayor or through the chair

[2:44:24] to counselor and their last name. If you

[2:44:27] can't answer the question, that's okay.

[2:44:29] Inform council that you'll gather more

[2:44:31] information and get back to them. After

[2:44:33] that, council will have heard out what

[2:44:35] you've had to say and they'll take

[2:44:36] appropriate action as they deem

[2:44:38] necessary. And now you finished your

[2:44:40] deputation. You can either have a seat

[2:44:43] and watch the rest of the meeting or you

[2:44:45] can leave through the door that you came

[2:44:46] in and ensure that you leave as quietly

[2:44:48] as possible.

[2:44:56] Hey, Norfolk County. My name is Anna and

[2:57:15] Well, well, the sound was all off. So,

[2:57:16] anyway, and I'm sure in council chamber.

[2:57:19] >> Welcome back everyone. Motion to

[2:57:22] » Welcome back everyone. Motion to

[2:57:22] reconvene in open session 3:56 p.m.

[2:57:24] Moved by councelor Van Passen. Seconded

[2:57:26] by councelor Dthy. All in favor? That is

[2:57:30] carried. And to report out item 18.1 was

[2:57:34] received as information. 18.2 was

[2:57:37] received a verbal update as information

[2:57:39] and direction was provided. 18.3

[2:57:42] received as information and 18.4

[2:57:45] uh also verbal update received as

[2:57:47] information. Anything I missed there?

[2:57:50] >> Great. Confirming bylaw uh motion to

[2:57:57] let's see here. Confirm the proceedings

[2:57:59] of the council of Norfolk County. This

[2:58:01] regular council meeting held on the 27th

[2:58:03] day of January 2026 be read a first,

[2:58:06] second, and third time and finally

[2:58:07] passed in open session. Moved by

[2:58:10] councelor Michelle and seconded by

[2:58:12] councelor Barry. All in favor? Carried.

[2:58:15] And councelor Michelle is moving

[2:58:17] adjourment 3:57 p.m. Seconded by

[2:58:23] councelor Dathy. All in favor carried.

[2:58:26] Thank you very much everyone. Good

[2:58:28] afternoon.

Consent Items - Council

Transcript