[clears throat] Welcome everybody to the Thursday, August 20th meeting of Trent
Hills Municipal Council. I am Deputy Mayor Mike Metaf and I will call the
meeting to order at 9:31 a.m. We'd like to formally recognize the
traditional keepers of this land and specifically our neighbors of the
Alderville First Nation. Welcome [clears throat] to the Gunshot Treaty
lands of 1788. It is on these lands
the opening of these lands for settlement. Let us be reminded of the
responsibilities that we all have in making sure that we respect these lands
and waters that give us life and sustain our livelihoods.
Uh opening the meeting, we have adoption of the agenda. Be it resolved that the
agenda for the council meeting of August 20th, 2026 be received and adopted. Can
I get [clears throat] a mover and a seconder? Councelor English, councelor
Savory. All those in favor and that is carried. Thank you.
Do we have any disclosure of interest? [clears throat] Seeing none, if anything
does arise, please advise the clerk.
We have the minutes of our council meeting held on July 28th, 2026.
Be it resolved that the minutes of the council meeting held on July 28th, 2026
be received and adopted as presented. Could I get a mover and a seconder?
Councelor Pope, Councelor Bratney. All those in favor
that is carried. Thank you.
[clears throat] We have the minutes of the public
» without a lot of good information. >> Was that something we take?
» Planning staff is making some notes and uh
» moves us along this along to deputations. Dean executive director for
the numbering. >> Thanks for having me today. Uh my name
is Janine and I'm the community outreach and development coordinator with
Northland United Way. I focus on um supporting and building relationships
within our rural communities across North umberland county and alongside my
executive director Alicia partner with council partner with council to make it
happen. We've been serving services in the county a conveyor moving people from
poverty their uh people and to strengthen our communities. So this uh
people and to strengthen our communities. So this past June,
we reached communities in West North umberland and completed projects at Ed's
House, Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Center, uh the Primrose
Donkey Sanctuary, and many more. Um but it isn't just about completing projects.
It's about building connections between our neighbors, organizations,
businesses, and volunteers. This past June, we had over 150 volunteers. We had
25 site uh project sites and donations that went to purchasing essential items
like tools, brushes, lumber, and breakfast for all volunteers.
So, why Trent Hills? Uh Trent Hills are communities with a strong tradition of
neighbors helping neighbors. From local businesses and service clubs to
volunteers and community organizations, people consistently come together to
support one another. We're excited about the opportunity to bring Day of Caring
here because we believe it can make a meaningful impact. By connecting
volunteers with local projects, we can support seniors, families, community
organizations, and public spaces while strengthening the connections that
already make Trent Hills such caring communities. Hosting a day of caring in
Trent Hills is one way we can invest in the people and the organizations that
help these communities thrive. We're proposing to hold the event on Friday
before or after Thanksgiving, a time that naturally reflects gratitude,
generosity, and community and an opportunity to turn those values into
action. To summarize, we want to replicate what's been working in West
Northumberland and expand this model into Trent Hills.
Okay. So, what would that look like in Trent Hills? Uh, before the event, local
not for profofits would submit their project ideas to us directly. We would
carry out all the organizing and logistics to make this event come to
life. This is a way to hear directly from the community as to what their
needs are. On the event day, we start the day early to make sure that we have
enough hours in the day to get all our projects completed. Volunteers will
gather at a central community hub for breakfast, opening remarks, and safety
protocols. And then we will distribute all jobs and required tools to teams. We
have all the equipment and team uh for teams organized into sections to make it
easier for volunteers. And then after this, volunteers would go out into the
community to complete the designated projects. So it could be painting
classrooms. Um we could help prep seniors gardens for the wintertime. Um
there's there's countless possibilities here. Um once the jobs have been
completed, we would gather at the end of the day to celebrate with a barbecue um
and basically just thank everybody involved and get to celebrate our
accomplishments.
So what we are asking for um to make Dave Caring successful in Trent Hills,
we're looking for council support in several ways. First off, through
promotion to help us share the date and application portal to local nonprofits.
You are the connectors and people who know and know people who would enjoy and
benefit from this directly. We are also asking for sponsorship. We're seeking
sponsorship of $3,000 to help cover the cost of project materials, equipment,
and volunteer meals. We will also match the $3,000 provided by council. We are
requesting that council also send a team of volunteers from the municipality to
help on the day of by providing support for projects around Trent Hills. It's a
time to get your hands dirty. Um we also ask that the council provide a
designated point person to communicate the status of the event and any
additional information that council should know about. Every contribution
whether it's financial, logistical or promotional will really help bring this
day to life
and why this matters. So for more than 26 years uh day of caring has shown what
is possible when people come together with a shared purpose. It's more than a
volunteer event. It's an opportunity for us to strengthen our relationships,
remove barriers for residents, and support local organizations.
It also is an opportunity to demonstrate what community looks like in action
for Northland United Way. Bringing Day of Caring to Trent Hills also reflects
our commitment to ensuring rural communities have access to the same
opportunities for connection and support as every every other part of the county.
We would be honored to partner with Trent Hills Council to bring that vision
to life. And thank you so much for having me today.
» Thank you, [clears throat] Janine, uh, for your for your words today. Much
appreciated. Uh, open it up to council for questions and comments. Councelor
Giddings. >> Uh,
thank you, Deputy Mayor. for you. Um I do actually want to point out that um
obviously this is a great thing, but they actually do work here already in
Trent Hills um with the incredible Trent Hills. They actually doubled our school
nutrition program that gave us access to be able to go into our local schools
here um and teach the kids not only the uh the gardens that we have, but how to
utilize the the product from the gardens and teach them how to do their own
cooking and uh and produce things that uh like hot sauces that are being sold
here in Sharp. So, um, their support has been well received already in this
community and an opportunity to help support them back would be great. Thank
you. >> Thank you.
» Thank you, councelor. Counselor English. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Um, great
presentation. Thank you very much, Dean. I do have a couple questions. I noticed
that you identified uh work in each community in Trent Hills, which is
lovely. Mhm. >> Uh also is just this let's say we don't
get this work done in one day. Is this something [clears throat] that can go on
to make sure the job is done? >> Uh when we review the applications um we
we make sure that you know we would have the capacity to complete them in that
day. >> Okay.
» Um we have been doing it for so long that we we kind of know how the day
flows and what to expect. So, I'd be confident that the projects that we
select would be completed on the day of. >> And in Trent Hills, can you say that
there'll be something done in each community?
» If there was applications submitted and it was something that we would be able
to complete, absolutely. >> Okay.
» Yeah. >> I like the idea and I like the matching
of the money. >> Thank you very much.
» Thank you.
» Thank you, counselor. Any other comments or questions?
» [clears throat] >> Do we have any suggestions? Councelor
Pope.
Um, thank you, Chair. Um, I would like a motion that we support this
» for the value of $3,000.
» Uh, yes, for $3,000.
» Uh, thank you, counselor. I'll read the um resolution. Be it resolved that
information presented by Jan Janine Lais, community outreach and development
coordinator and Alicia Vanine, exit executive director of Northland United
Way. Re day of carrying be received. So we'll do this one uh to receive movever
and a seconder. Councelor Giddings, councelor English. All in favor and that
is carried. Councelor Pope H has suggested a motion.
It will be be it resolved that council direct staff to promote Day of Caring
and the application portal to local nonprofits and that council provide
sponsorship of $3,000 to help support Day of Caring. That council encourage
municipal staff and council to participate as volunteers for Day of
Caring as they are able.
Councelor Pope still good with that motion?
Second. >> Yes. Thank you.
» Seconded by >> Second by Coun Councelor Brney. Any
further discussion. >> All in favor?
That is carried. Thank you, Janine. Uh I think it's a great program that you've
you've had in the past. Uh and as councelor Giddings alluded to, you know,
United Way North umberland has done some great things. So this is a small I think
a small uh that effort that we can put forward for partnering with you. So
thank you. Thank you so much.
» Moves us to item six in our agenda, public comments. We did not receive any
public comments to the clerk's office. That moves us along to presentations. We
have a presentation by Ronda Baitman, chief administrative officer of Lower
Trent Conservation Authority for our 2027 draft budget. Welcome, Rhonda. And
you know the drill. >> Yes, I do. Thank you, Mayor. Deputy
Mayor Medka. Uh, yes. Thank you very much for the invitation to speak about
our draft budget in front of council. This is the opportunity under our
consultation um for your council uh board members to
bring back any comments back to our board of directors.
And uh so I'm just going to outline the facts of our budget, our programs, uh
our highlights, uh the municipal levy, next steps for the budget, and
transition information because everyone's always curious as to what's
coming next. So, as you know, we are a service
delivery organization. We do have a lot of services. Um, and our staff are
skilled and knowledgeable in and experienced uh in a in a lot of in all
of their program areas. Staffing as usual for an organization of our kind is
about 70% of the budget which leaves general uh operations capital to about
30%. Oops, I went too far. Okay. So, uh the
facts this year are consu we use the consumer price index of 1.7 which was
the average from August 2025 to May 2026. We normally do a full year August
to July but because of the transition we were [clears throat] trying to get our
budget out as quickly as possible. Um so we don't have the full year range. Uh so
we put our cost of living at 1.7%. We anticipate a 10% increase in
insurance costs and 5% to property taxes. Uh we're not um [clears throat]
changing any of our staffing numbers this year in any programs being paid
through our municipal funding.
So there's uh a snapshot of most of our programs. Um we do have other programs
that fall under some of these like stewardship. um when we get grants for
certain programs that uh we haven't put in the budget but we've applied for
grants for um those don't show up here but they usually fit into one of those
categories. So you see we do a lot of we have a lot of programming
and so some of our program highlights um and this is specific to to Trent Hills.
So these are some of the activi we've been very busy with activities this
year. Some of the education and and uh outreach that we've done a lot of youth
education. We've been to a lot of schools. We've been doing a lot more
outreach um for adults on our own properties. Um we have uh things like um
invasive specy polls days and we're doing um you can see forest wellness at
Seymour Conservation. That is the last event
um that we have in Trend Hills for this year. I'm sure there'll be others. We
just haven't sorted them out. But once school starts, our staff are in the
schools um uh giving uh programming uh curriculum related programming to to
students. So, and we are always at Incredible
Edibles. Um and right now my staff are at the Hastings County Plowing Match.
So, it's been a busy year. And here's just some photos of of the
kinds of things we do. Our Tri County Children's Water Festival is amazing. It
brings in anywhere between 600 to 900 students and uh volunteers over a
two-day um a [clears throat] two-day festival. It's uh got lots of hands-on.
There's oh, I don't even remember how many booths there are. Over 35 booths uh
education centers where the the children learn. So, it was really it's really
successful. and our children's uh uh the Great Lakes map that's in the top
corner. We purchased that and um it is a massive story map of the Great Lakes and
it has um it focuses on drainage of the Great Lakes, but it also focuses on
First Nations around the Great Lakes and the history of the Great Lakes with the
First Nations uh aspect involved. And it's been very popular at schools. We
have to make sure the school has a big enough gymnasium. The map is that big.
It's it's quite quite amazing. So, it's been wellreceived.
Okay. Back to brass tax for the budget. So, um the budget the proposed budget um
is basically about 3% overall um excuse [clears throat] me with staffing at 1.7%
and operation increase of 3.4. for our capital is
a 3.3% increase but that will be coming from
reserve the increase in that
and there's our revenue sources as you can see the MR hasn't of course
increased since uh 2018 um source protections going up slightly
but not greatly So basically we will we project 3,144,000
in uh revenue for next year.
And our funding from the general levy is uh proposed to go up $41,000 over our
seven municipalities. And although we have a new capital asset
management plan which would have increased the capital levy to over
$120,000, the board decided to go with the former capital levy so that there'd
be no increase this year.
And there's our aortionment for all of our municipalities.
So Trent Hills um [clears throat] the proposed levy is 275,000
and so overall the total budget increase is 11,152.
Um category 1 being 7.6,000. Uh category 2 increases $1,000 and
category 3 program is an increase of 2342.
Um due to a rising costs of monitoring or sampling sorry uh the processing of
our monitoring sampling we underestimated last year. So that's why
the category 3 programs um went are going up by uh over $2,000. We decreased
it last year by 900, so almost $2,000. And uh we were a little bit short in uh
in our in that category. So that's why it's an increase of where it is.
So, our next steps on our budget is to receive comments from our municipalities
um and municipal presentations. This is my third. Uh I'm I'll bring any comments
back to the board for discussion at our September 10th meeting and then the
board makes a decision as to whether uh we need to make changes or whether they
approve the draft budget and aortionment.
So, transition information. So Laura Trent will be part of the Eastern
Ontario Region Conservation Authority. There are seven conservation authorities
going into the we call it aa. It's not a pretty name, but uh that's the acronym
for it. [snorts] Uh the transition date is supposed to be February 1st unless
it's modified legislation. The appointment of the project executive
has happened. Our project executive is Allison McDonald and she is uh a also
a chief administrative officer of the Reto Valley Conservation. So she's
stepped away from that position to be the project executive to oversee and
guide the transition for URA. So the regional CA board appointments
will be January February of 2027 and the regional boards will be chosen
from a single or upper tier municipality. So Trend Hills will be uh
represented through North Humberland County.
And I and I've been saying at my other presentations that this is the last time
I will come before council with a budget because it is proposed that the next
budgets will go to the regional and single tier municipalities.
Um and then f yeah that's basically that's
basically it. Um there's a lot to this. are the transition committees which are
made up of board members and a board member from each conservation authority
and um the CAO or alternate um will be starting meetings in September to
get the transition underway and to meet whatever targets we are um
to meet based on what the province wants.
» [snorts] >> So, and that's that's it.
» Thank you, Rhonda, for that presentation. Do we have any comments or
questions from council?
Councelor Bratney. >> Morning, Chair. And just a question,
Rhonda. through this transition period and everything once it's down the
roadways, is the public going to be able to interact with this new board or is
there going to be walls between the public and and the board?
Um that's a that's a very good question because we don't know uh where the board
will be sitting but I don't think the governance side of it I think there's
still going to be the ability to uh address
the board because if we have hearings we still have to have you know the board
there and uh Carrie I I I don't I don't see it changing drastically but it's
going to where your representative is from um to
get in touch with them to go to the board and um I was going to say
something else about that. the um right now there's an ER posting about [snorts]
board members and um representation and as it sits with the arrow posting right
now our board may be uh 25 members which is kind of unyield
unwieldy but um so that is open for comments until September 14th or 12th I
believe. So, um, you can you can feel free to to comment on that.
Um, I I re I I hope it's not going to change the ability for the public to
address board members. It shouldn't. Um, [clears throat]
uh, Deputy Mayor Medaf may have [laughter]
something else to say on that as well. Being a
» Yeah. C um through to councelor Rodney, the board will still remain a board and
it will still remain a public board. Uh it just depends where they meet. Those
meetings will still be open to the public just as they are now. You will
continue be to be able to participate in those public board meet board meetings.
uh the governance model uh as it's worked out through the transition period
will is also looking at taking into consideration local watershed councils
and we're just not sure how those local wershed councils fit in quite uh right
now into the governance model but that's part of the transition period sort of
between now and February and then for two years beyond that there's a period
that um the the consolidation and that transition will continue to work so some
of those things will be worked out but it will definitely still be a public
body. >> Absolutely. Thank you. [clears throat]
» Unfortunately, chair, I can't share your enthusiasm for this project. I've had my
suspicions of it all the time driven from the government and uh uh it just
the government is the government that we have is not the government that we
elected on a couple years ago. I guess that's the short answer to it. Thank
you. >> Just trying to provide some facts. I'm
not sure whether I'm terribly enthused as well, but just providing some
information, >> councelor Savory.
» You deputy mayor. Just following up on this amalgamation of of the conservation
authorities into regional centers. Was this whole idea about savings money uh
for for the municipalities or is this just a direction by government and
nothing's going to there's no savings involved here. It's just more of a a
top- down direction. Can you answer that Rhonda?
» I can. It was never indicated that it was going to be saving money. Uh it was
uh it was said to be an exercise in efficiencies
and delivery. So that all of the conservation authorities
together would have the ability to meet targets and have a similar if not the
same um software uh to say for example for permitting so
that we'd all be on the same playing field because we all know that some CAS
have um a good well some of them are quite large and have a large budget
and have the ability to have an excessive number, it shouldn't be
excessive, enough staff to be able to deliver programs and especially
permitting and planning in a in a reasonable time whereas smaller ones
have a harder time with that because the budgets are smaller and the staff
complement may not be large enough to deliver in a timely fashion.
I didn't in your presentation editing in software the presentation here I didn't
see anything regards to transition of software to create one model for sharing
these permits and information amongst the reg to the new regional board. Is
there something in here that will be uh married in here or or transition to a
new software or we or how are they going to talk to each other?
» We were directed to develop a budget on the same basis. pretend there's no
transition. So this year um the 2020 well 2027 budget was calculated based on
what we currently have and that's part that inefficiencies is part of the
longer range transition planning. So it wouldn't h it may not it's not going to
happen January 1st or February 1st. going to happen down the road because
everyone will have to they have I don't even know if it's
developed at this point what it is they want us to use and to to have uniformity
it's going to take time and training and that sort of thing. Okay, thanks Ronda.
» Mhm.
» Just a little bit to with that as well. Some of the conservation authorities of
the 36 went through a process called a lean process uh just within this last
year and that process identified uh e some of the efficiencies and some ways
in which uh authorities were working well. So, I'm sure they're going to be
using some of that information and it'll be over the next two years that period
of of transition and and and consult or collaboration
» transition >> transition
» that um that they'll look at those different pieces. It's not something as
as Rhonda said that's that's going to be implemented on February 1st. If you
think about it, between now and February 1st is is a very short period of time.
So really all they're trying to get in in place is the leadership to guide uh
those transition teams and and [clears throat] the uh to get to that
point. >> Can I add one thing? Um in case anyone's
worried, our offices are still to remain open.
» My staff will be at the office. I will be at the office. So there's no break in
service on any of our programs. >> Yes. The consolidation, the word that
escaped me, uh will continue for the next two years.
» Any [clears throat] further questions?
» I do have a couple for you, Rhonda. >> Okay.
» Um [clears throat] on the page that you have LTC budget
facts, you say there's a 10 proposed 10% or anticipated 10% increase in insurance
costs. Um so back in April at the conservation
Ontario meeting that the report conserv you're part of the marsh.
» Yes. >> Um so so the comp the cost actually went
down 6%. And the year over that it went down 21%. So the the program is held
being held at zero for 20 for for this year.
Um >> so
» sorry there's there's also health insurance and that sort of thing to be
considered. Was that part of that presentation? I missed that meeting.
» Yeah, that that was also uh the Mosy and Mosy benefits package as well and it was
it stayed uh the same as well. >> Okay. So we can go back and look at
that. >> Uh the 5% increase anticipated in
property taxes, what what is what is that exactly?
uh the property taxes that we would pay on our conservation areas
» on your your own lands. >> On our own lands. Yes.
» You participate in the conservation authority um lands incentive tax
program. >> Yes, we do.
» So most of that about 90% of that is is returned back
» on some properties, not on all, but the 5% is 5% based on what we paid last
year. So it's yeah taking clip and myth tip into consideration.
» Okay.
» Uh if you look at your 2027 budget proposed operating capital chart
» the total at the bottom there. So [clears throat] last year the 2026 was
3,770,776
and the the proposed budget for this year is 3,144830.
The increase in decreases it's only 6,872
but if you do that math the increase is 667,854.
» Are you looking at the at that budget? >> Not on your presentation. Oh. Oh, on my
presentation, sorry. Um, when we initially sent out our data, we did not
uh include the capital. So, I'm not sure if the presentation was updated
properly. Apologies.
Capital 5,000. So your So this is the slide that has
capital at 153 22 0 for 2026 and 158 >> correct
» 226. >> If you add up the difference between 27
total and 26 total, it's about 60,000 more than 6,872.
And it definitely definitely is not 0%. >> It's 66872.
I didn't move the decimal over. I apologize.
» Okay. >> Yeah.
» And then I don't know how that relates to a 0% change.
» Uh [sighs]
if you do 66,000 divided by 3,000 or sorry 3,700
3,77,000 it comes out at a decimal point.
Okay. Um,
just uh do you know how much you have in in reserves currently? Cuz there's
several lines here that you're OP category one you're pulling 50,000 from
a surplus. >> Yes.
» Category one capital reserve and category 2
uh surplus. >> Yes.
Um so we have several reserve accounts. The
surplus is left over from um operations that has not been uh directed toward
reserves. So we last year we put $50,000 uh of surplus into our budget. We didn't
use it so we still have it available. Um,
we have I don't have the list of all our
reserves, but when we're dealing with the category one reserve, we at the end
of 2025, we had $30,000 in in information technology infrastructure.
We had 55,000 in vehicles and heavy equipment and uh structures, bridges,
and buildings. we had 149,000 and in flood and erosion control capital
reserves we have 78,000. We also have a reserve for restricted
land sales. So we sold a piece of property in 2020 no 2019 and that money
is it's over $200,000 but it's you know used for special um only special
projects as defined by the province.
Okay. And >> we have a youth and education reserve as
well. So >> um so on that chart uh you have category
2 surplus uh and reserve category 2 areus and
agreements with municipalities. Correct. >> Yes.
So where does this how do you get a surplus with
» category with category 2 >> um
» and agreements? >> We don't have a surplus. Uh we'll be
using category 1 surplus.
» So that sorry that's 28,191 is category one.
Um
» cuz it says you're using operation and surplus and reserves for category 2 and
three. >> Yes.
» So you're transferring a surplus from category 1 to category 2.
» I'm going to have to go back to my finance manager on that one because that
should not be coming out of there for sure.
» Okay. >> Yep.
» Yeah. Okay. Thank you. >> Yep.
[snorts] Um I mean the other the one that you have a federal you have
Canada summer jobs um grant there at 76,400
uh and you have that in your operational budget. Is that something you're
confident about cuz it's an application process every
year? >> Yes, it is. Um and it it is very
dependent on Well, it's dependent on that. We we the board has asked us to
put it in the budget every year as a secure thing. And if it doesn't come
through, we usually get if if it's a bad year, we get two. If it's a good year,
we get all of them. Uh this year, we got all of them. Um
» so where do you pull the deficit from if you don't get that grant? Because
you're you're you're predicting a def you're predicting a grant.
» Yes. in an operations budget with us two predicted surpluses as well. So it ends
up being like 140,000 $154,000 worth of by chance
» by Yeah, it is >> operational funding.
» Technically by chance we would we would probably pull it out of category 3
program reserves. Um it's been difficult since
we had to categorize everything category 1 2 3. It was much simpler prior to to
move money around. Um but now and that's fair, but the board told us
uh several years ago to make put the youth education money in there or put
the youth summer students in there um as a as a done deal and a couple of years
we didn't get it all. So >> it's that's risky operational budgeting,
is it not? It >> it is a tad risky. That's why we had to
get board approval for that.
Okay. Um, so your cap and this will be my last question. So capital levy you
have 98,15. >> Yes.
» Um, capital reserve you're using 60,000 of
that. So that still leaves 38,000
uh capital. So where's that is that extra coming in from a levy?
um 60 capital reserves. Um
4751. Sorry, I'm just looking at my sheet
here. Uh we have 47,000 coming out of the
capital levy and 51,000 one for um enabling services, so corporate
services, and the other one for conservation land and stewardship. And
that adds up to the 98 from the levy and the additional 60 is from capital
reserve.
Okay. I it I I know that and it was made fairly clear from um Ontario provincial
uh conservation authority from MECP and conservation Ontario to to maintain a
status quo and have a zero budget. That was the word quite
from from the start is to net zero, you know, do a net zero.
» Oh, I didn't hear net zero the words >> from the start, but
» uh
» I know with the CBCA with a CVA increase of 05
um if we just used the CVA difference from last year to this year, our levy
increase would be 94. just with the CVA. So
» I we were told to do our budgeting as usual and and most CAS are going up
anywhere from 2 to 4%. So >> I know Autonomy and Crow are zeroing
out. >> Okay, that's all I that's all I have for
questions. Any any further um questions for Rhonda?
Thank you Rhonda for uh bringing that to us. Uh, be it resolved the the
recommendation is be it resolved that the presentation and draft budget from
Ron Baitman, chief administrative officer for Lower Trent Conservation
Authority, be received for information. Can I get a mover and a seconder?
Councelor English, Councelor Giddings. All in favor? That's carried.
Thank you. Moves us right along to reports from municipal officers.
We have first report is non-standard procurement Hastings Fieldhouse
generator replacement.
Peter, do you have anything to [sighs] uh add to the report? It looks
relatively straightforward. >> Uh uh thank you, Deputy Mayor. I have
nothing else to to add that uh other than what was in the report.
» Thank you. Recommended. Uh motion is be it resolved that staff report CSR2026-02
Peter Bernett, director of community services be received. Can I get a mover
and a seconder? Councelor Pope. Councelor Savory. We
have some questions. Councelor Savory. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor.
Peter, just uh following up um the new generator system for the to keep the
dome inflated. Um sounds like like a great idea to make sure that uh we
protect our our property. And then understand that maybe the backup gener
generator that's currently there at the moment will possibly be rebuilt down the
road as a backup to the new. Um, is there anything that could be looked at
or has been looked at to see if um, this generator or even the backup generator
if it gets rebuilt um, can be used for like for the building for like an
emergency services uh, center to ensure that folks in the communities have a
place to go to um, not just keeping the dome up, but also making sure the lights
stay on and the heat stays on. that will help uh serve the community in an
emergency emergency situation. >> Through you, Deputy Mayor. Thank you
very much for the question. Um yeah, in the capital budget um for 2026, there
was a there was the replacement of this generator in the capital budget as well
as looking at another generator for emergency measures.
the we've conducted a study with the uh with an electrician to try to plan what
could be done for the bricks and mortar type building in lights in the
fieldhouse. Um they're very separate systems uh and they needed to be they
have to be treated that way. Uh the challenge is that the building was never
constructed with the thought at the time of having emergency generator power. So
the the way the uh the dome is the power panels are very separate. Could be way
we have some that are outside, some on one side of the dome, some from the
other side of the dome, some in the building. So uh it just makes it
complicated. I'm not saying it can't be done. We have a plan. Um but the budget
that was proposed and approved with the 2026 budget for that type of emergency
measures power may not be sufficient. Um, so we're just in the process of
looking at the options that we can do to have uh backup power in that facility.
Um, and there are some grants that we may be able to help augment that with
that just came out this week. So staff are looking at that as an option as
well. So that was part of our plan. Uh, it just we might not be able to
implement it all this year, but we're working towards that.
» Great. >> Great. Thanks for the update, Pete.
» Thank you, councelor. Councelor Brodney. >> Yes. Thank you, Chair. Uh Peter alluded
to the fact that there's power outages in Hastings and on Facebook for the last
year. That's been a common common comment that a lot more than just
odd outage. It's on on for a long time. says, "So, is there any conversation
with hydro to explain why the village seems to be out of power and some of the
other areas aren't? I mean, for a storm, I can realize, but this lots of times
it's just nice, calm, calm days and they're out of power.
» You're telling me." And uh [laughter] I actually picked it up also in our
manager of wastewater and wa and or water and wastewater services report as
well. um because we're now at the point that um those power interruptions uh are
causing damage to uh significant equipment. But I'll pass it over to CEO.
I know she has a comment uh on this as well
» through you uh chair. Um so I did take it upon myself to contact Hydro1 um to
advocate on behalf of the municipality uh with regards to the
uh hydro issue in Hastings. And their response back to me uh was I actually
still am pursuing a meeting with Hydro1. I want to try to uh get them to
understand uh from our perspective especially with regards to the
fieldhouse obviously an asset that we do not want to lose due to the uh frequent
power interruptions in Hastings. Um so I did reach out to them and they have
advised me that they are doing an upgrade to the system in Hastings. Uh, I
don't know if you've noticed across the street from the fieldhouse, they're
running Hastings Hydro through a trailer at this point. And I guess it's been
like that for quite some time. So, they have assured me that they are working on
upgrading the hydro uh um through a process over the next several months and
that they are going to be providing hastings.
um this th this uh item and uh try to I'll be relentless when it comes to
having a meeting with them. So, I will uh certainly provide council with an
update uh when I have one, but that's what I have at this time.
» Thank you, CEO. Any further comments or questions on our
Hastings Fieldhouse generator replacement?
Seeing none, we have a mover and a seconder. All those in favor?
That is carried. Thank you. Moving along to building department
activity, April to June 2026. Be it resolved that staff report
building 2026-006, Steven White.
Laura Cook's here to present the or take questions this morning. Our chief
building official uh be received. Can we get a mover and a seconder? Councelor
Pope, Councelor Savory, any questions or comments on this report?
Councelor Savory, just it's nice to see this report come
in and appreciate what staff and and and the building official put together to
make sure we see what's going on in a snapshot that takes place in our
municipality. And it's nice to see that there's a little bit of bounce back in
July for uh new permits and and changes to help uh show that there is some
positive things happening again in our communities that'll make uh our
communities grow. So appreciate your your staff and yourselves putting this
together for us. Thank you. >> Thank you, counselor. Any further
comments or questions? Seeing none, and all those in favor,
that is carried. Thank you. We'll get you back here, Laura. Don't
worry. Moves us along to item two uh 8C 2026,
second quarter operational report for water wastewater. Be it resolved that
staff report WWS 2026-07, Kyle Bock, manager of water and
wastewater services be received. Could I get a mover and a seconder? Councelor
Brney, Councelor Pope,
trying to follow my notes at the same time. Um, any questions,
comments? I do have one and it's councelor Savory.
Go ahead. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. It's probably
the same lines of where you're going. Um, does the municipality have a leg to
stand on about the damage done to the power outages to that affect our plants
operations >> through you deputy mayor? Um, I have
included it as part of my discussion with Hydro1. Um, so, um, you know, I
don't see that they're probably going to give us any any, uh, financial
compensation, but certainly I will continue to pursue, um, any anything
they're willing to offer us. I'm actually um
interested in seeing if they can support us with some kind of you know I don't
know if it's practical but like some kind of generator a backup service or
because they're right there on Elgen Street right so it's nice and close to
the so basically what I'm saying is I'm going to try to get whatever I can out
of them >> okay yeah
» I'm going to try anyway right >> because I'm not sure the the damage at
this time financially but the rateayers that use a system shouldn't be held
responsible for something that they're they know they have a problem with and
the fact that now we have to kick out more money out of our budgets to try and
fix the problem that they're causing. So appreciate what you can
» for sure. You know, obviously it is a communitywide concern uh for Hastings
» and uh which is why I uh insist on pursuing it.
» Do we have an an ideal number at this time what it's going to cost to um
replace the damage that's been done? Do we know at that at this particular time
what it's expected to repair this problem?
through you, Deputy Mayor. Through you, Deputy Mayor. Uh, we don't
have the the bills kind of all finalized for the wastewater side yet. We just
haven't received our our bills from our contractors for their electrical
service, but I mean, parts wise, we're in about 1,200 bucks already. So,
thank you.
» Thank you, counselor. Uh, that was along the lines of my questioning. Uh but
along with that um would this fall uh under under the
deduction line of uh some type of insurance uh through
through this uh incident? Um I know that there was a quite a number well the pri
in the private sector anyway there have been quite a number of insurance claims
for property and damage and that sort of thing but it all depends I guess on uh
the the limit of of the in the extent of the damage.
Yeah, like through through you, Deputy Mayor. Um we are still waiting for the
final uh amount uh to be able to um you know reference it to our insurance
deductible to determine if it is something that we should be looking at.
But I suspect that it will be uh the deductible will be much more
» as I anticipated. It's good to question.
Uh we have a mover and a seconder. All those in favor? That is carried. Thank
you.
Moves us along to item 8D, community improvement plan application 2026-06
for 30 Doxy Avenue South. Be it resolved that staff report
EDC206-017 Kamese community development manager be
received that the community improvement plan application funding request from
Rio and Laura
Saran uh tenants of 30 Doxy Avenue South came
be approved to an upset limit of 3,300 that the appropriate bylaw be brought
forward for council's consideration and then The applicant be advised of
council's decision under the community development advisory signature.
We get a mover and a seconder. Councelor Pope, councelor Savory,
any comments or questions?
Kira, where where are we about uh on on our budget? I believe it's you've got an
appendix on here that sort of shows but
do you know approximately where we are on our our annual usage of that 75,000
» uh through you deputy mayor we are about what is that 29,000
I believe is our in year um so um you know not quite half I'd say
uh 2025 and 2026 our applications are a little bit lower, but I think we can
attribute that to just to kind of a general uncertainty in the economy, but
I have had a couple of meetings. I have a couple of more applications coming in.
So, we're basically going to be on track with where we were for 2025, I think.
Um, and we've uh we're working with the uh Chamber of Commerce and the uh RTU,
not R28, Ministry of Rural Affairs. They have a new fund coming up focusing on
accessibility. So, I'm hoping that that opportunity to maximize funding might
see an uptick in applications for the last uh quarter of the year as well.
» Thank you. the the commitments that's on the appendix here of 28,600. Does that
roll into the current year's budget or is it is it taken out of the year in
which it's dispersed?
» No. So, we work on that entire amount like it comes out of the 2020 this
year's amount. Yeah. I guess I'm going to change my answer. Yes, it comes out
of this year's aotment, but we track the whole entire amount in terms of what the
reserve is and what the outstanding commitments are plus
an ongoing. So, we changed it so that we in the past as we got close to that
maximizing the 75% we'd have to go into reserve. This way we are just kind of
tracking it because sometimes those those applications that happen near the
end of the year end up being dispersed in the next calendar year but we do
track it for the budget year >> and the current um
PIC or policy um CIP sorry P CIP policy is 12 months
365 that's typically uh between in your application and the final project. You
have one year to do that. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions?
Seeing none, all those in favor? That is carried. Thank you.
Moves us along to item 8 E. We have a special event application for the
Warworth Fair September 11th to 13th, 2026. Put it in your calendar.
be resolved that staff report EDC206-018 Kamese community development manager be
received and that council approve the issuance of a special event permit
number 2026-015 subject to the conditions outlined in
the draft permit and that council approve the fee waiver requested to use
the table and chair event trailer and that the applicant be advised of the
council's decision under the deputy clerk's signature
mover over in a second here. Councelor English, Councelor Pope.
Any discussion? This is a an annual event that we always
try to support. I don't see any discussion. All those in favor? That is
carried. Thank you. Moving along to 8F. We have special
event application for the Dave Down Bridge Hospice Run, Walk, and Wag
September 19th, 2026. Put it in your calendar. Be it resolved that staff
report EDC 2026-019 Kirase community de development manager
be received and that council support the issuance of special event permit number
2026-016 subject to the conditions outlined in
the permit
mover and a seconder councelor Brney Councelor Pope any discussion on this
great
Seeing none, all those in favor that is carried.
Thank you very much.
Moves us along to item 8G, another special event application. We have
Camperford Royal Canadian Legion Branch 103, the drum head ceremony, September
27th, 2026. Put it in your calendar. Be it resolved
that staff report EDC206-20
Kiraamese community development manager be received that council support the
issuance of special event permit number 2026-017
subject to the conditions outlined in the permit
a mover and a seconder councelor English councelor Savory
any comments or discussion
I think it's a great opportunity for the Legion to
support u the 100year of uh legions in Canada
with this special event. All those in favor? That is carried. Thank you.
Moving along to item H uh 8H,
we have Lower Trent Conservation Authority Board appointment.
Be it resolved that staff report uh clerk 2026-11
Jessica Pauly our clerk be received and that council received the
resignation as board member of lower trent conservation authority from
councelor English and that councelor does appoint someone
from this table as a council representative on the lower trent
conservation authority for the remainder of the term of council.
Uh there it is in the report and I have with my experience stepped forward to
allow that. Um but we do have a process. Um Jessica, what's the process that
we're going to follow? In accordance with your procedural bylaw, Deputy
Mayor, uh section 10B of your procedural bylaw does still
require you uh to call three times from the floor for any additional nominations
of members of council. Um so you will whilst we uh did do the survey to
request an interest um and we only received one name, we do do still allow
the opportunity for anybody else who would like to step forward. So you will
call for um any interest for three times and and I will create a list if uh
necessary and then we will go from there.
» Thank you. Here's the process. I will call for the first time to fill this
vacancy on the lower Trent Conservation Authority Board. Any nominations?
Second time any nominations?
Third time any nominations?
I will declare nominations closed
uh and we will proceed. Uh deputy mayor. So that will update
your resolution to include adding uh Deputy Mayor Metaf in the blank of the
resolution that you just read.
» Thank you. Everyone clear? Do I need to reread
Uh, do we have a mover and a seconder for that? Councelor Giddings, councelor
Brone. All in favor? That is carried. Thank you.
Moves us along to item 8 I. We have independent energy system operator uh
required municipal support for hydroelect electric energy project in
Hastings.
I'm going to ask our planner to maybe uh have a a few words on this application.
Uh I I believe uh it's relatively straightforward, but it is something
that perhaps we could have a discussion about.
» Thank you, Deputy Mayor. So, we did see this similar application from the same
owner last uh October. Uh they have increased the amount of megawatts they
proposing from 3 megawatts to two. This is based on the number of turbines and
the flow rate of the Trent River in the area. Uh so they were unsuccessful at
last year's bid. There are a number of bids as IO looks for alternative sources
of energy. That's what this is the independent energy system operator. So
it's not um not like the new one outside of Port Hope, which is the province
creating this. It is for private companies to come forward to sell power
to the grid. So this is a hydro electric one. Hydro 1 operates a few in the area
or Ontario Power Generation I should say. Um but this is an independent one.
The first round of bidding that that previous council motion was for they
were announced in May. The selected uh bids the selected contracts were
announced in May and they were primarily largecale agotic uh solar plants and a
couple other um projects as well but mostly I think one wind and the rest
were all solar. So that might have been a factor in what they were looking for
at that time of things that could be scaled up quickly and put in in place
immediately where something like this would require the construction of um a
dam. They do have the mill rights to that uh that pond putting the turbines
and everything else. So it might have had a longer lead time and what wouldn't
have been what the ISO was looking for last year where this project is for
anything that will come online in the next um five years. I do mention towards
the end that there is an option we could look at blankets supporting all
hydroelectric projects below a certain megawatt or every time there's a new
round of bidding uh we can go through this public process. Again, it's really
up to council on whether you want um not be notified every time there's a new uh
round of RFPs or if we want to establish a certain uh automatic project type and
a power level uh type to be sort of auto approved by by council. That is up to
council's consideration. The resolution is for this specific project at this
specific size for this specific bid. If they're unsuccessful and there's a new
bid next year, we'll have come to the same same thing at that time.
» Thank you, Cameron. Is there any comments or questions from council?
Councelor Savory, deputy mayor. So, confirming then uh these folks applied
last year, they never went forward with the project because there there was
other projects that were deemed more uh successful to uh have implement right
away. Um they're now requesting to create a a dam system again from 2
megawatts to 3 megawws. Um when they submit, are they going to be
able to they we have no idea if they're going to be able be approved again? And
we have no idea if they did even um contact the indigenous uh community to
to find out if there was uh any concerns from their reason why they were turned
down or is just an update there if there was any communication there that we
aware of. >> Yeah. So through the chair so IO has the
bids and assigned a bid. So there were hundreds maybe even a thousand
applications. I think 17 it's in the report 17 were approved across Ontario.
Um not the same company. So this company I think he does have another
hydroelectric project down near London where he's originally from. Um so it is
a different project but one of the it is a requirement to have indigenous
consultation but uh typically you know some of the ones that were approved had
um whether they were on indigenous uh you know first nations lands or just had
a higher degree of involvement from the start. Maybe that was why they were
approved. But in this case, the requirements of the RFP is that you have
to promise to do it in the future. So if they do get approved by ISO, that's not
doesn't mean they can just go right ahead. They still have to do public uh
engagement in the municipality for that specific project. They have to reach out
to indigenous at that time. Uh so it you can do it ahead of time and some of them
did and maybe that was why they're successful, but it's not a requirement
to do it before the IESO approves your bid.
Thanks Cameron. >> Thank you counselor.
Um Cameron, historically and we probably talked about this in the last
application. Historically this location has had um small scale electric gener
generation previously hydro dam generation. Yeah.
» Yeah. So originally this was a mill pond. I believe it was a grist mill um
from what I've heard from the owner cuz he you know had all the the legal work
and showed what it was. So the land that he does own on off Water Street, those
were currently used as a gravel parking lot was originally a mill. Then for a
long time, I think it was about a half megawatt or uh 25% of a megawatt uh
generating station for a long time. I believe it might have burned down or
just fell apart sometime in 60s and it's sort of been vacant since. I'd have to
look at the exact timeline, but yes, it has been used for power. Uh in 2016 he
was approved uh by the province for power there or 2015 I should say he was
approved. Um but then in 2016 th those contracts for renewable energy were uh
cancelled by the province and uh his was one of the bids that was uh canceled
even though he did have approval at that time.
» Thank you. The end user of this energy it goes into the whole uh energy system
the whole power generation system. Correct.
» Yes, that is correct. It is sold to the uh entire uh grid.
» Thank you. uh blanket support. I think maybe that's something that we can uh
look at uh in the future if we see more applications. At this time, I believe we
only ever have really seen one application uh in the municipality. So,
if council agrees, I think we will just do a by application at this time and if
if it's warrants, we will look at the blanket support at a later date.
Any further question? Councelor Savory. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Couple other
things. Um, if the project does get approved, they have to prove to the
municipality that they they have the $5 million worth of liability insurance
that protects the municipality from any kind of uh incidents that may take place
in the property of of the municipality. And the second question is they are
aware that there's still a pathway a spawning uh bed for the pickrol coming
up in the in the spring to do their spawning for for the uh the Trent River
system. They are aware of that issue as well.
» Yeah. For the fir through the chair for the first question I Yeah. They'd have a
contractor and they'd have insurance for construction. So I imagine insurance and
everything like that. Uh it's all on private property. Um but I imagine just
be under general contractor insurance. So the they own uh the three blocks of
land. Uh when it says municipal project area, that's just what the ISO refers to
as the what we say the subject land. Okay?
» It's not land that we own. They're not renting it from us or using it or buying
it from us. Uh it's land they privately own. But uh um that just just a weird
term that I I even I was confused when I first read that about the ISO for these
spawning grounds. A lot of it is a bit further down. Um but that would be
something they'd have to look at of you know what would be the impact on the
river. Uh on they do have the mill rights to that little pond and um the
way the the dams and lobster set up no fish do go up between the two. So it is
a barrier between so they're going up to Rice Lake as a migration route. Um there
could be do they could do some work to improve the habitat. So I think he I
believe the owner uh mentioned he was a fisher and you know knew about uh a bit
of their habitat and there could be done they could do some improvements outside
of the navigation channel that have to be done with the collaboration of Parks
Canada to improve that picker roll uh ground but that is something they have
considered in my conversations with them.
» Great. Thanks Cameron.
» Thank you counselor. >> Is everyone all in?
I will read the resolution. Be it resolved that staff report planning
2026-48 Cameron Law Planner be received. Whereas
the proponent is proposing to construct and operate
an LLT energy project with the characteristics outlined in the table
included in the report located on the properties identified below under the
long-term to energy supply. Window one request for proposals issued
by the ESO capitalized item terms not defined
herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the LLT RFP.
And number three, the proponent has no later than 60 days prior to the date of
this municipal resolution in support of the proposal submission delivered a
pre-engagement confirmation notice to an applicable local body administrator in
respect of the municipal lands comprising the project site outlined in
the table below.
The legal name of the proponent Prodigy Power Incorporated. The generating
technology of the LLT energy project hydroelect electricity
generation. The maximum potential cap contact capacity of the LLT energy
project is 3 megaww. Item four, pursuant to the LLT RFP. If
the LLT energy project is proposed to be located in whole or in part on municipal
lands, the proposal must include a municipal support confirmation which may
be in the form of a municipal resolution in support of proposal submission.
Therefore, be it resolved that the council of the municipality of Trent
Hills supports the submission of a proposal of the long-term energy project
located on the municipal project lands. that this resolution's sole purpose is
to satisfy the mandatory requirements of section 4.2A 2A of the LLT RFP and may
not be used for the purpose of any other form of approval in relation to the
proposal or LLT energy project or for any other purpose that the proponent has
undertaken or has committed to undertake indigenous and community engagement
activities in respect of the LLT energy project to the satisfaction of the
municipality and that the municipal project lands does not include lands
designated ated as prime agricultural areas in the official plan of the
municipality of Trent Hills. Mover and a seconder. Councelor Pope,
Councelor Giddings. Any further discussion?
Seeing none, all in favor? And that is carried. Thank you.
moves us along to item 8 J. Severance consent application B212026
Bruce Sharp Limited 68 Doxy Avenue North G geographic town of Campbellford.
I will read the resolution. Be it resolved that staff report planning
2026-49 Sam Dur planning and development
assistant be received. Net severance consent application B212026
Bruce Sharp Limited with respect to property located in plan 112 part of lot
13 and part of block D being parts three and four on reference plan 38R-3810
designated as part four and five on reference plan 39R-1513668
Doxy Street North plan 112 block The lots 15-1685
Front Street North 85 Front Street North Geographic Town of Camelford
for application to create two separate parcels
which have merged in title be approved with the following with the conditions
as noted in this report.
» Can I ask planning staff to ask the government to make this a little bit
Did everyone understand that? Because I'm not reading it again.
» Any questions or comments? Can I get a mover and a seconder? Councelor English.
Councelor Giddings. All in favor? That is carried. Thank you.
» Moves us along to item 8K. We have Campbellford Memorial Hospital request
to wave fees for past and future planning applications for the campus of
care project.
Uh I will re I would I'd like to open discussion first on this um because we
have a choice that we need to make um on this resolution.
Uh is there any comments uh from council? Councelor Pope
» uh through the chair. Uh thank you. Um certainly I know the hospital uh board
has talked about how well uh our planning department has helped them.
This is going to be a big project for the town and um it's going to require a
lot of support from the council which actually means uh the rateayers and
taxpayers in the town. So I believe that this amount is uh reasonable to do and u
everything we can do to expedite uh this project while following the rules. I
know our planning will look after it for us.
» Thank you, councelor Cro. [clears throat and cough]
Madam Chair, excuse me.
I just echo the comments of councelor Pope. Uh I think we have to be seen as
leading the the parade on this to incorporate other municipalities in our
area to uh move this project along. I I recognize that the five Lions Clubs in
the area have got a fundraiser going for the hospital and are on side with
continuing that for four or five years. That's just one thing that I've learned
and I think it's certainly our our position to be the leading on this and
get it clear the path as much as we can.
» Thank you councelor Councelor English. >> Thank you mayor. I certainly agree with
the comments coming forward here. I think we need to to uh be the leaders in
this and provide all the help that we can for this very very important
project. uh there's going to be a lot of work
going ahead with it and the more that we can do in helping this project is the
better and I think if we didn't accept it it might be hard on our health as
well as a counselor. So thank you. >> Thank you councelor councelor Giddings.
» Uh thank you deputy mayor. Um this will sound repetitive. I mean, obviously I
agree uh with my colleagues on this and I think we should um um approve that we
wave it, but before we do, let's keep in mind that we we have services to put in.
Um that's going to have some serious costs. And I think maybe before we make
a decision right now, do we have an idea what that would cost to wave these fees,
what it has cost, what it might cost in the future?
Uh I'll pass it over to planning to uh give a commentary on where we're at and
predict uh a little bit into the future uh as to what it might be.
» Yeah. So through uh the chair, this specific waving of fees is just for
planning applications and anything under the fees and charges bylaw. It doesn't
include servicing. So right now it's it would be uh with all the applications
that are uh they've just submitted official plan amendment application that
notice went out as well as a zoning bile amendment for those lands that they had
previously severed. Um that would be about $11,000 worth of planning fees
that uh I think deposits as well that they would then not have to pay. Uh
we've also recommended a few other application in the future which would be
up to another 10 to 15,000 with um uh you know the plan subdivision if they do
that to divide the land uh extensions to that because once it's in place has to
get it reapproved every three years by council and all those things have
additional fees. So, it could be about $25,000 worth of planning fees over the
next uh 10,000 this year and then another 15,000 over the next few years.
We continue through the process for um providing services of the property.
That's really something um outside of our scope right now. We still don't have
the expected demand. Um there's also um you know depending on who goes first. If
they have mentioned that Omni long-term care facility might be first and they
might being partially a for forprofit long-term care facility might uh have to
assist with part of that to provide that level of service where um I also
mentioned this is specifically for the Campford um uh anything from the Camp
Memorial Hospital is if we do approve it as is the one rep uh one motion is for
specifically anything related to the Campford Memorial Hospital if there are
other organizations that come forward to use the land, they would not be exempt
from uh this waiver. They would have to reapply at that time. So, that would be
um potential other fees that we might get back at that point um depending on
uh the nature of of those other um groups, businesses, corporations that
would be involved in the the overall campus of care.
» Uh thank you, Cameron. I mean, obviously, I'm in support of of of
waving this and I agree with uh Council Bratney that um we have to lead the way.
Uh our future council has to bear the burden of this decision when it comes to
budget season. Um, and then maybe just keep in mind that there will be other
costs associated with this. So, that's my only comment on that.
» Thank you, counselor. Counselor Savory. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. It's so true.
We have to be a leader in this whole uh parade here to make sure that our camp
hospital gets all the tools and things necessary to go forward and and uh
create create this project and and make sure it happens. Uh so strongly support
what's going to happen here and look forward to seeing all the pieces of the
puzzle put together. Thank you. >> Thank you councelor Councelor English.
» Thank you Dr. Merrick. Just quick question to finance. Is this something
that our development charges reserve could be used for?
» Director of finance. >> Hi. Your DC charges are very strict on
what they can be used for and they are specific to the projects listed in the
DC charges bylaw. So, no. >> Or the uh running of the water and sewer
could not be included in that as well. >> It's not one of the listed projects for
DC charges. Thank you.
» Thank you, counselor. With that question, um when are we
looking at uh a new uh Dc charge um
study? And does this even fall into uh that
municipal level because it is not a technically a municipal project.
» I have director of planning on the spot. >> Mr. Chairman, yes, you threw in that
second part and got me thinking. So, first let me say I think it was only
last year that we updated our development charges by a lot. doesn't
mean we can't update it at any time we choose, but I think it's 10 years that
we have to do it now. Um, if other projects come up that haven't been
included that we want to see included in that, then that would be a decision of
council to go ahead before the time limit is up. um
development charges and our water and sewer connection
charges are charged to new development to pay
for the demand on services related to growth. So that's basically what the
study does. We look at all the things we need in the community that are covered
by those service areas and determine all the new housing, all the new
development, what is it, what burden is it putting on those things. Um I'm not
aware that a project like the hospital is exempt. So that may be a choice that
council has to make going forward. Um I'm sure when we get to the point and
this has been brought up by the counselors already, what are these costs
going to be? Um there'll be a um sure the director of finance will be doing a
[laughter] marvelous report on how those
opportunities fit in and uh what it would cost the community.
» Thank you. Uh my last my question councelor were you gonna coun councelor
Sab. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Just a short update. We did attend the
uh AMO 2026 this year and the governments are telling us that there's
going to be more grants that are going to come forward to help for water sewer
roads improvements and that down the road. So, that may help us uh put some
of that water sewer connections in place and some of the costs that uh will
affect maybe including connection fees. Who knows? But just an update, quick
update there.
» Thank you. Uh and I guarantee you that that uh our staff compliment uh are
continually looking and getting those uh those new grants that come forward and
two have already been alluded to uh today in in uh some of the reports as
that will continue. Uh just one quick question. This uh
approval does not disrupt the operational budget of the planning
department as it's laid out. Uh what it would do is is reflect the possible
revenue for the year. Is that correct?
» Yes. So that is my interpretation that it would uh I'm sure we'll we'll want to
show that we've dealt with these applications
» and there'll be I don't know whether it will look at like an inner and out or
we'll track it in some manner as we'll track all the costs associated with the
hospital that the municipality particip participates in.
» Thank you. As uh everyone else has commented, I I
also do uh agree that as much support as we can give to this project uh is
important. And for me, this is a uh this is is one that's relatively minor in
scale to what we're the asks are going to be going forward. Councelor Giddings,
» sorry, I didn't mean to. I didn't. Do you need a motion to approve
» versus the decline? >> I do. I would like to do that.
» I will read the um motion in the recommended motion in front of us. Be
resolved uh that staff report planning 2025-50
Cameron Law Planner be received.
» Oh, we're in year 2026. Sorry. 2026-50 be received. uh that Campbeller Memorial
Hospital requests to wave the fees for all planning applications related to the
CM Camp Campbell Memorial Hospital's campus of care project for the property
legally described as parts lot six and seven concession 7 part 3 on plan
39R-12944 geographic township of Seymour
Municipality of Trent Hills pursuant to section five of fees and charges bylaw
2025-082
and its successors for approval
is that we're going to wave uh and then it's approved.
» [snorts] >> So we have a mover, councelor Giddings,
seconder, councelor English. Any further discussion to approve
waving? Seeing none, all those in favor? That is
carried.
Thank you. Moves us along to item 8 L. We have severance application B 062026
and zoning by law amendment application C052026
for status update and continued deferral.
I have some counselors in queue, so we're going to go right to discussion on
this one first. Councelor English.
» Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Uh I certainly do uh am looking forward to deferring
this. There's so many unanswered questions on this plan of subdivision.
Uh things like traffic, parking, density, type,
[snorts] uh water, uh runoff. There's so many
questions that aren't answered here. So definitely definitely looking forward to
deferral on this. And as you can see to the rest of council, I have been for
some reason I've been getting all the emails on the opposition of this. Uh
sometimes they CC the building department, but not always and I'm the
only one receiving them. So I think it's important and I have forwarded each and
every email that I've got to all council because it's not just me in on this,
it's the whole council. So sorry for all the emails, guys, but uh you got to see
this. So anyway, I just wanted to make it clear that everything I have got has
been forwarded on and I know the odd time the clerk has got it. Sometimes not
always. The emails are very inconsistent with where they're being sent. So I
think it's important that the bottom line is it's important that all the
council receives and hears what people are saying about this. That's why you've
been getting all my emails. Thank you.
» Thank you, counselor. And yes, thank you for forwarding those along. Uh it is
important that we communications go to to everyone. Councelor Giddings.
» Thank you, Chair through you. Um I think this is an opportunity to continue a
discussion that we've had over four years is that um and certainly for the
future council is that development's important. uh growth is important but
controlling that growth to make sure we don't get into high [snorts] density um
and and repeating what cities and high high resident uh municipalities have. We
have a lot of land. We have a lot of land to protect. Uh we have a lot of
agricultural land to protect. This isn't agricultural land. I understand that.
But um just promoting highdensity housing is probably not something that
the future council um should take so lightly. So I hope that with this
deferral or if we defer it that uh further discussion um comes on this and
then we can set a precedence in this community that we do encourage growth um
but it control growth is very important that we can sustain our viability. Thank
you. >> Thank you counselor councelor Savory.
» Thank you deputy mayor. Yeah, just want to thank councelor English for keeping
council in the loop on all the emails and I want to thank the public for their
feedback too because it's important to us when we make these decisions about
how the future of our communities are going forward and how we'd like to see
them uh progress. Uh the you know you you look you look at development, you
look at the growth and you look at the things that that people have come here
to live for live with. And uh it's important that as we go forward that the
emails that I read that everybody seems to be looking for forward to another
public meeting and that I think is a fair fair uh choice uh for for the
public to uh sit down in the future with the developer to make sure that the
needs meet the requirements and satisfy both the builder developer and the
community. So the project to go forward in the future will will satisfy the
folks that live here. Thank you. >> Thank you councelor. Uh we have Cameron.
Did you have a comment? >> Sure. I can just chip chip in on that
council through the chair. So under I said this uh before the previous public
meeting under the planning act there's no further way to compel them to come to
a public meeting. Uh but Jim and I have been in discussion. We might look at
holding a public information session or something similar. So by that I mean the
the planning act sets out requirements for that you must have a public meeting
for uh severance application and a zoning by application that was met at
the May 5th meeting for plans of subdivision. I believe it was 2023 the
province removed public meetings as a mandatory requirement. So it can proceed
to a decision without going to that step. So there's no way we can compel
them to do this. We can't force them. It would have to be voluntary. Um but Jim
and I myself as planners of Trent Hills can host a public information session,
not quite a public meeting per the planning act, but something similar
where we could um have a forum, show the most updated plan once we have received
it, go over the process, answer any questions, whether the uh developer
wants to attend or wants to uh doesn't want to attend would be entirely their
choice. We'd recommend attending, but that is something we could look at
hosting once we have received all the applications, but it wouldn't have the
same um legislative backing. So, you know, uh if it goes to if it does go to
appeal, anything from that wouldn't might be included, but wouldn't have the
same legal weight as uh content from a public meeting which has specific terms
in the in the act. So, that's something we are looking at and once we have a
full submission, we'll look at putting together um a time and a place uh for
that. Sort of what we're thinking about right now.
» Thank you, Cameron. And yes, a PIC put on by the municipality seems like our
only options seeing as as you mentioned the legislative changes that uh our
province has put on us. Councelor English.
» Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Uh glad to hear that, Cameron. That's one thing I did
forget. Thank you, Councelor Savory. I did ask at the last public meeting
there'd be another public meeting. Uh, however, if staff is willing to do that,
that'd be great cuz that's one of the questions in every single email I got
was about a public meeting and to keep everyone informed, that's what they
want. So, thank you for stepping up the plate and offering that. That's either
or. That'd be great. Thank you.
» Thank you. Any further questions, comments?
I'll read the resolution. Be it resolved that staff report planning 2026-51,
Cameron Law Planner be received and that severance consent application B 062026
and zoning bylaw amendment application C52026
remain deferred until the plan of subdivision subdivision application
application to close road allowance and any other required applications are
submitted to the municipality. I need a mover and a seconder. Councelor
English, Councelor Savory, any further discussion.
Seeing none, all in favor? And that is carried.
[snorts] Thank you. Before we move on to uh reports from
members of council, I just want to take a moment. Uh we we have a member of our
staff that has lost someone important to them
and uh they are currently at their uh celebration of life. So we're just going
to take a moment of silence.
Thank you everyone and we'll go on to item nine reports uh from members of
council counselor English. >> Thank you deputy mayor. Uh kind of a
long list here for myself. However, I did attend the fire department barbecue
with Minister Pacini. Uh also attended the Carson Campbell
parade, the Legion event, and the Camelford Fair on the Thursday night. I
just want to say what a wellspoken young man this Carson Campbell is. Uh he just
was so good in everything that he'd done and the turnout was fantastic and even
at the end of the Thursday night at the fairgrounds there was rides provided by
the company that provided the rides for the fair. And uh I was there uh I was
there with the deputy mayor actually he was there and to see all the kids that
enjoyed this event just really warmed our hearts for various reasons
uh it's very expensive to take a family to the fair and to see this be all free
was uh just a wonderful evening and Carson added to that so it was a great
event. I also attended the grand opening of Hannah's art supplies in Morwith and
the Abide Farmgate store in Calmerford. Uh I went on a poly tour tour. I sound
like a Newfoundlander there. Tour. Uh that visited a chicken farm east of
Brighton and a cash cut crop farm west of Coburn.
And being fresh uh from the AMO conference that I did, I attended a
session regarding grants and funding. And this has already been brought up
today and one of the panel asks what is the best that a municipality can do to
obtain these grants and uh the one panel chairman said be shovel ready. So I
think that's important to bring back to the municipality. Uh there are grants
out there. I don't know that this guy knew something that we haven't been told
yet but it sounds like there's lots of grants coming out and it's very
important for this municipality [clears throat]
to be shovel ready. That's the number one thing. So I just wanted to bring
that back from the AMO conference and that's all I got. Thank you
» uh through you deputy mayor. I just further to that comment, I just want to
um confirm that the I have asked the uh leadership team to and the extended
leadership team to um continue to think through projects uh 5 to 10 years out
and to um you know put more in-depth uh thought into them where we can
potentially have them uh at a shovel ready stage including any um any funding
um considered for reserves if necessary for any potential grants that do require
us to have some funds already uh in our reserves for those projects or grants.
So uh rest assured to council that we are on that uh as a leadership team and
we are uh diligently Kira is taking the lead on ensuring that um all of the
grant offers are read. I think she received the recent uh rec grant um in
probably seven to 10 times uh this week. So as and you know it's good to receive
them uh multiple times than to not receive them at all. So, uh, it is at
the forefront of the lead leadership team and it is something that we do
discuss at every single uh, uh, of our meetings. So, we're doing our due
diligence to, uh, to get those grant funds if possible.
» Thank you, CEO Counselor Savory. the the uh I attended the um barbecue
the fireman um with David Pacini and it was it was a good turnout. It was very
very much wellreceived and appreciated to see our our member provincial
department here to talk and and and social with the the local folks that
help protect us every day. I also um attended the EOTA meeting and there was
a concern that came up that we have to address in the near future. One of our
major bridges uh an old railway bridge that was built back in 1904 has been
deemed unsafe. And being unsafe, it refers to the snow groomer that goes
over the trail. It may be too heavy now for this potential bridge to support it.
So, they will be uh looking at ways of funding to try and replace this bridge
in the in the near future, but it could possibly affect uh snowmoilers and the
groomer uh this potential winter season until they come up with alternative
plans uh uh detours, possibly going on private land owners property again to
accommodate the snowmoilers. So, a little bit of a hiccup that did they
didn't expect, but it's something that they have to address here in the near
future. Uh, I did attend to the AMO uh Association Mentalities of Ontario 2026
in Ottawa this year. Again, well received over 3,000 attendees. Uh, great
great opportunity to network and uh attend uh different sessions going on
within um within the uh conference. We had um presentations from the provincial
the current provincial government including Doug Ford on the positivity of
where this province is heading and and what they uh to have said stated to us
that we've got your back. So which means that they're looking to make sure that
the tools are in place to ensure that in future we'll be able to uh keep going
forward and and keep uh keep keep the projects that we want to deem necessary
to make sure our infrastructures are in place and uh like council stated from
that one conference session he attended, shovel ready seemed to be the theme at
this whole conference that they tried to uh instill upon us. So, and I'm glad to
hear that our CEO is working diligently to try and put the uh plans together for
the next 5 to 10 years. So, thank you very much.
» Thank you, councelor. You see anyone else?
Uh I'll try to keep mine relatively brief. uh as uh both councelor English
and councelor Savory uh alluded to or just off the association of
municipalities Ontario conference a couple highlights there uh again this
year a big one uh a lot of the sessions were on um housing and homelessness uh
and it really talked about supportive housing uh which I think is worth the
discussion uh with the county as we all know the county sort of runs uh that
level uh of support um some of the interesting numbers uh were the display
of the cost of the system. If you're if you have someone in a hospital acute
care, it's $917 a day. If you have someone in corrections, uh it's $300 a
day. If you have someone in an emergency emergency shelter, it's $125 a day. Yet,
if you have someone in a rent geared to income uh supportive housing, it's $41 a
day. So, it's something that uh needs to be considered uh when you're looking at
what is the best approach uh to combat uh housing and homelessness. Uh and it's
not just here, it's it's throughout uh all Ontario and and then some. Uh
conservation authority uh meetings uh were in high demand uh over the last few
days. Another interesting session was on green infrastructure. Um and one of the
panelists was a Port Hope counselor Claire Halloway Wadwani and and the
other at the time was uh John McKenzie, the chair the um uh CEO of Toronto
Regional Conservation Authority. And they both brought some great points uh
on on green infrastructure and how we can change sort of the way that we're
doing or add to the way that we do things to to uh allow for that green
infrastructure to help with uh the occurrences of flooding to help with uh
storm water management so that it's not just conc bricks and mortar and and
concrete uh use. And one of the talks that often came up was revenue
challenges for municipalities. And there was a big call from uh all the
municipalities to change the model of revenue for municipalities because it's
not getting any easier uh for municipalities or for the taxpayer to
continue to run uh the operations. Uh at this point there's very little uh
revenue sources other than taxation and and that's something that needs to be
looked at uh from a provincial level to allow uh as it's written through uh
regulation, legislation and policy what what municipalities uh can how they can
get revenue. Uh the provincialwide cond uh code of conduct uh has finally been
uh released. It has been asked for for several years uh by municipalities and
uh it's currently in an a 45day comment period through the erro platform. Uh so
it's somewhere something that we can look at. Community emergency
preparedness grant that's uh one that our director alluded to that's back open
uh which we can look at generators uh that sort of uh emergency preparedness
and that that round is the fourth round and it opened this week as well. The
other one that was alluded to was the rural Ontario development program and
that's through the ministry of rural affairs.
No longer OMFRA split into two. Takes a while to get that sometimes. Uh the
support for that is Ontario rural economic development strategy and in
there is also a piece on rural business and industrial expansion planning
grants. So something that we're looking at um with new industrial park area, new
business, new business area. There's money in there for to develop those
plans. So maybe we can try to look at a little deeper into there and and connect
with some of the ministry staff there and see see what might be available.
Uh I attended a ministry of economic or sorry ministry of environment
conservation and parks info session and that was on the governments of the new
regional conservation awards. not going to bore you with it as we continue to go
down that road. Uh something exciting in the community is I was able to attend
Bennett's 100year anniversary celebrations here in Campbellford. Uh
and it's quite it was quite interesting listening to the talk and and how they
have changed over those years to uh continue to be sustainable. At one point
in time, they were a furniture store. They were also the funeral home and they
were the ambulance service for this area. so you could get transported on a
nice lofty couch.
I was uh also attended the poly egg tour uh put on by Northland Federation of
Agriculture. I think that's an important tour for um municipal
um council councils also municipal staff. Uh it really every year they they
give some great information on uh you know what's happening uh in the
agricultural realm in North umberland county. Uh and the the last is is the
continued discussions with the uh hospital board and the hospital um
redevelopment committee and that will be ongoing.
Lots lots going on. [sighs] All right.
Thank you for those updates. moves us along to uh item 10 on our agenda. We
have our consent agenda. We have announcements of interest to the public.
We have a Labor Day office closure will be September 7th, 2026.
Uh proclamations recognized annually. We have finance and accounting appreciation
week September 14th to 20th, 2026. We have IT professionals day September 15th
to 2026. Wow, is that ever more important these days. We have human
resources professionals day September 26 2026
correspondence we've received July 30th 2026 from Hassan Basset CEO of the
Ontario Provincial Conservation Authority regarding the transition
committee teams Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus newsletter for July 2026.
We have proclamation lighting and community flag raising for Percy
Agricultural Society for the Warworth Fair fall fall fair week September 7th
to 13th 2026. Uh and again a proclamation and lighting
s community flag raising for Meo Canada for the world mitochondria disease
awareness week September 14th to 20th 26.
We have a request uh under the proclamation and lighting ceremony flag
raising from our home children Canada for the British home child day and
that's September 28th, 2026. If you ever get a chance to look into that, it's a
really interesting program that happened years ago, but it has a lot of effects
on smaller communities right up to this day. We have proclamation and lighting,
community flag raising uh from um Canada FASD research network for the FASD
awareness month of September and international
uh FASD awareness day September 9th, 2026.
Uh and just so anyone's aware, FASD is fetal alcohol syndrome disease.
proclamation lighting and community flag raising request from Arthritis Society
Canada for the Arthritis Awareness Month and that's September of 2026.
With all those being said, be it resolved that the staff recommendation
with respect to the consent agenda items 10 C to 10 I be adopted as printed.
Mover and a seconder. Councelor English, Councelor Giddings.
All those in favor that is carried.
Thank you. We go to we have no communications or petitions. Uh we go to
item 12 bylaws.
Be it resolved that bylaw number 2026-066
bylaw number 2026-067 bylaw number 2026-068
be read and properly signed and sealed by deputy mayor and clerk. Mover and a
seconder. Councelor Brney, Councelor Pope, all those in favor.
That is carried.
Moves us along to notice notice of motions. Item 13.
First item up is 13A. We have a notice of motion from councelor Giddings
regarding the elimination of workplace safety and insurance boards second
injury and enhancement fund. Councelor, do you want to speak to this one and
before we go through the resolution?
Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Uh through you, yes, I would. I just I wrote it down so
I can read it to council. Um I want to briefly explain why I brought this
motion forward and more importantly, why I believe it is a municipal and taxpayer
issue. On June 16th, WSIB eliminate the second injury enhancement fund or SE.
For decades, SEF has provided cost relief where workplace injury was made
more costly or prolonged because of a worker's pre-existing condition. I want
to be clear that this motion is not asking WCB to preserve an 81-year-old
program simply because it's always existed. If the program is inefficient
or needs modernization, then it should absolutely be reviewed and improved. My
concern is that the principle of the employer cost relief has effectively
disappeared with it. That matters to municipalities um where we employ people
in physically demanding occupations like public works, roads, water, wastewater,
parks and recreation facilities and other areas. As our workforce ages,
pre-existing conditions are simply a reality that employers, including
municipalities, have to deal with. If an employee suffers a workplace injury,
that employee should receive every benefit and every support they're
entitled to. Nothing this motion is suggesting otherwise. But where a
pre-existing condition significantly increases the duration or cost of that
claim, we need to ask whether it's fair for the municipal employer and
ultimately the taxpayer to bear 100% of those additional costs. Municipalities
don't have shareholders to absorb those increases. Our costs eventually have to
be funded through the municipal budget and that means ultimately fall back on
the taxpayer. There's also a broader issue here where we would never create a
we should never create a system that gives employers a financial reason to be
hesitant about hiring or retaining someone because they have disability,
previous injury or pre-existing condition. That's why this motion isn't
simply asking WCIB to bring SE back. We're asking the province and WSIB to
review the financial implications of this decision properly consult the
municipalities, employers, labor, and other stakeholders and determine whether
modernizing simpler and more effective cost relief mechanisms can replace it. I
believe that we can protect the workers full entitlement while ensuring the
employers and in our case municipal taxpayers are treated fairly. Um, and I
will also add to this that we council has received a letter from uh Mr. Lang,
who is the CEO and president of WSIB this morning, and I'd recommend that
council does read his email. However, um, in response to that, I want to note
that I do appreciate uh, Mr. Lang's providing this additional context. I do
agree that an 81-year-old program isn't inefficient or outdated, and it should
be modernized or replaced. Uh, WSIB uh, vice president of communications, Aaron
Lazarus, had indicated that only 2400 of the 318,000 employers currently use SE.
To me that demonstrates a problem of efficiency or access to the program not
demonstrate that the principle needs to be uh removed. The fundament the
question remains when a pre-existing condition materially increases the cost
of duration of the workplace who should be responsible for this additional cost.
So again I ask the council consider this motion. I think it's a it is a
provincial problem but uh for us it has a very direct implication on our
taxpayers and we need to take it seriously. Thank you deputy mayor.
Thank you, counselor, for bringing this forward.
Do we have any comments or questions from council before I read the
resolution?
» Well, I'd like Well, we can have the discussion now. Councelor Pope,
» um through the chair, u have we ever use that in our municipality? Uh um I know
some of the I'm not very well knowledgeable about this uh from what
I've read. so far. Um I mean the one side is uh councelor Giddings is putting
aside and the other one is that um it's just a spot for uh consultants to make
money. So I didn't know if if we have any use or have ever thought of using
it. >> We'll put the spotlight on our director
of finance uh and she could speak to the time that she's been here um possibly
not uh historically uh before that time. through deputy mayor. Um, at this point
in time, I have not seen any claims come through, but that's not to say that it
hasn't been used in the past. >> Okay. Thank you.
» Thank you, director. Counselor Savory. >> Thank you, Deputy Mayor. We look at um
this this um bylaw that was put in place back in 1945.
Obviously, it is outdated. Um, do we know if our government, provincial
government is looking at a something to replace this this old um bylaw or or or
is this going to be completely disappeared and and never exist again?
Do we know any background about that, >> council? And I'll give councelor
Giddings an opportunity to speak because he's definitely the most knowledgeable
at this table. Uh, I believe they're just scrapping it at this time and
that's why we're seeing this um this motion come forward uh with our
concerns. >> Thanks, Councelor Giddings.
» So, through you, Chair, um I be very clear. So, July 17th or July 16th, they
uh WCIB announced that as of June 16th or 17th, I get those two mixed up. Um
that the policy was actually removed. Um couple things to point out on there is
that they have been doing um studies on this since 2008. They did one in 2014 I
believe in 2012 I believe they did three studies um there was no stakeholder
engagement that I'm aware of uh from those studies they just made the
decision uh unilaterally to make the to to re remove this policy um and contrary
to other um other policy changes they've done in the past there was no uh
bridging between the announcement and allowing employers to to to understand
and absorb this it was strictly just a decision that was made in July effective
a months before. Uh I do need to point out that by removing this um by removing
this policy, this puts WCIB very dangerously uh close to becoming a
liability or general liability insurance uh organization rather than what the WCB
was intended to be, which was a buffer between employers and employees. Um so
it it feels like I'm making a big deal of something that um may not be used by
a lot of people, and I won't argue that. Um the concern is that the accessibility
is very clouded. >> [clears throat]
» um a lot of employers and I do have uh an understanding um that maybe other
employers don't have but this not is a very accessible program. Um, but
specifically speaking like uh I guess the generalization behind that is if
someone who's hired has a pre-existing condition and they get injured in the
new workplace, the employer is responsible for that injury. But if that
pre-existing condition causes the the recovery to be longer, [clears throat]
there's an additional cost that and that's where that cost relief has come
from. And that policy was created to provide people coming back from the war
opportunities to find employment where they may not had it before. But simply
because it's inefficient doesn't mean we need to remove it. We need to change it
and find a way to make it more efficient. And that's that's where I'm
coming through with this motion shortly.
Thank you, counselor. Any further discussion?
I will read the notice of motion. Uh notice a motion from councelor
Giddings regarding the elimination of workplace safety insurance board's
second injury and enhancement fund or SE whereas workplace safety insurance board
eliminated the second second injury and enhancement fund effective June 16th
2026 ending a long-standing cost relief program that assisted employers where
pre-existing conditions contributed to the cost or duration of workplace injury
claims and whereas municipalities are significant employers of work of workers
performing physically demanding duties and may experience increased WSIB costs
as a result result of the elimination of SE. Whereas a second injury enhancement
fund was established to provide cost relief to employers when pre-existing
conditions significantly contributed to workplace injury claims thereby
encouraging employers to hire and retain workers with disabilities and
pre-existing medical conditions. And whereas the workplace safety insurance
system was established to provide a fair and balanced insurance system that
protects both workers and employers. And as where whereas increased workplace
insurance costs have the potential to place additional financial pressures on
municipal operating budgets and property taxpayers.
Now therefore, be it resolved that the council of municipality of Trent Hills
respectfully requests that the province of Ontario and the workplace safety
insurance board review the impacts of eliminating second injury and
enhancement fund. Consult with employers, municipalities, labor
representatives, and other stakeholders and consider modernizing or revising the
program rather than eliminating employer cost relief altogether. Including by
modernizing, re revising or replacing the current program with an improve an
improved cost relief mechanism that continues to fairly recognize and the
impact of pre-existing conditions. Be it further resolved that a copy of the
resolution be forwarded to honorable David Pacini, Minister of Labor,
Immigration and Training and Schools Development and MPP for North umberland
and Peterville South, the Honorable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, all members of
Provincial Parliament Ontario, the Work Safe Workplace Safety and Assurance
Board, Association of Municipalities Ontario, the Eastern Ontario Wardens
Caucus, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent
Business, Ontario Business Improvement Area Association, the Rural Ontario
Municipal Association, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities,
Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasures of Ontario, local members of
par Parliament for awareness, local boards of trade and chambers of
commerce, Northumberland County, and all Ontario municipalities requesting their
consideration and support. That is the resolution in front of us.
Any further comments?
I will take a motion assuming moved by councelor Giddings. Do we have a
seconder? Second by councelor Brone. Any further discussion on this motion?
Seeing none, all in favor?
That is carried. Thank you councelor for bringing that
forward. Uh, and we do at this at this time I'm going to invite councelor
Giddings to take over the chair uh for a short period.
» Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Um, item 13B, notice a motion from Deputy Mayor Metaf
regarding the consultation on proposed governance regulation for regional
conservative authorities in Ontario Provincial Conservative Agency. Uh, do I
read the motion? Anyone want to have discussion?
» Thank you. Uh, councelor, I I can give a little bit of a an update. This is uh
it's a bit timesensitive. Uh so September 12th is when the um posting uh
ends. Uh essentially this is asking uh that we reply to the ERRO posting uh and
it is in response to the governance of the new regional conservation boards. Uh
I believe with some of the uh numbers uh that they have provided that we need to
look uh deeper into it. uh look at the actual boundaries and the the rep
representation by population uh for those new regional conservation
authorities. Currently, the numbers that they've provided uh seem to skew the
representation to larger cities and larger populations uh reducing the voice
for smaller municipalities and rural communities. uh if we take a look uh
more deeply and adjust those uh population numbers accurately to the
lines on which uh the the new regional conservations
uh are the boundaries you'll find that uh it is significant there's a
significant change in the rep representation by population uh to the
benefit of smaller communities smaller municipalities and rural areas um so I'm
what I'll asking in this motion uh is that we respond back to the ERRO posting
to the province uh with some factual information um that I'm currently going
through with with uh conservation authority staff uh to determine um a
proposal to go forward. Uh but essentially that's that's my uh motion
for today to be able to take a look and give them some accurate identify some
accurate numbers um to to have representation uh better applied to that
uh equation.
» Okay. Uh reading the motion be it res Well, sorry I didn't see there. I'm
doing a great job here. >> Uh, council savory
» working behind the curtain here pulling all these ropes and strings. Yes. Thank
you for clarification then. Are we looking for uh this new regional
conservation authority to be similar in nature to all the the new conservation
to be similar to all. In other words, not taking on a population that of a
center that's bigger that doesn't have the same kind of um mix as as the rural
areas would have. Is that the what I'm hearing? Um
no, not so essentially it's really just looking at those numbers and and where
those boundaries are. uh it is going to change. It's as we heard earlier, it's
an it's going to be an upper tier and a city uh representation. So, it's not
going to be representation from all [clears throat] lower tiers. But the way
that the mapping shows right now, the the population numbers that they are
using uh from from their data is is not as accurate as it could be. And because
of that, it's inflating seat numbers for larger populated areas uh such as us for
our new area. Durham region will now be within our um regional conservation
authority. And I believe as it stands now, they they're looking at Durham
Region will have three seats. Yet the numbers if you actually look at a LAR uh
mapping and and the accurate mapping of that area they should not have uh those
that number of seats cuz the population is incorre incorrect. So what we're
going to be asking is to make sure that they look at more accurate numbers of
population for the designated boundaries of these new regional authorities so
that it it could better um have the the population
um reflective of those pop the areas that they're in. That's all essentially
is all I'm we're asking is to take a better look at those numbers and where
those those boundaries are and in instead of just looking at general
numbers.
Any other comments? >> Okay, so I can get back to my seat
quickly. Be it resolved that council authorizes the chief administrative
officer in consultation with the deputy mayor and appropriate uh appropriate
conservation authority representatives to prepare and submit comments on behalf
of the municipality of Trent Hills in response to the environmental registry
of Ontario posting 026-0740 prior to the September 12th 2026
deadline and that the submission identify concerns regarding the accuracy
and methodology of the population figures used in the prop proposed tiered
allocation formula. and the resulting impact on equitable representation of
smaller and rural municipalities within the proposed regional conservation
authority governance structure and that the final submission be circulated to
council following submission. I have a motion deputy mayor seconder from
councelor Pope called a question all in. Thank you very much.
Thank you for that, counselor. [snorts]
That moves us along to item 14 in our agenda. We have closed session items.
14A, we have motions to go into close sessions to rise and report. Be it
resolved that council do now proceed into close session at 11:42 a.m.
Pursuant to section 239 of the Municipal Act 2001 to consider the following
matters. Labor relations or employee negotiations
section 2392D and acquisition or disposition of lands
section 2392 C. Be it now resolved. We do. Ry Oh,
nope. Sorry. We got a mover in a second order. Councelor Giddings. Councelor
Savory. All in favor go into close session.
Thank you everyone. Be it resolved that we now do rise at 12:32 and report on
close session items 14B and 14 C. Trent Hills firefighters payment structure and
disposition of property sale of lands.
I don't need a motion for that, do I? >> Yeah.
» I got a mover and a seconder to rise. Councelor Giddings, councelor Savory,
all in favor carried.
» Just get you to note that. I'll just note that councelor Brone uh
exited the meeting just prior to close session at 11:43
a.m. We have resolutions coming out of close
session. Be it resolved that the confidential information provided in
close session regarding labor relations or employee negotiations section 2392D
and acquisition or disposition of lands section 2392C
be received and that staff proceed as directed in close session. A mover and a
seconder. Councelor Pope, Councelor Savory. All in favor?
That is carried.
Moving along to our confirmation bylaw. Be it resolved that bylaw number
2026-069, a bylaw to confirm the proceedings of
the council meeting held on Thursday, August 20th, 2026, be read, passed, and
properly signed and sealed by the deputy mayor and clerk. Mover and a seconder,
councelor Giddings, councelor Pope, all in favor. And that is carried.
Moves us to adjournment. be it resolved. We now do adjourn at 12:34
p.m. Moved by Councelor English, second by Councelor Pope. All in favor?
That is carried.