Middlesex County Council Meeting Highlights – July 16, 2024
Council Highlights is an informal summary of selected actions taken by Middlesex County Council or Committee of the Whole at business meetings. The Council Highlights are not an official record of County Council proceedings. To view official agendas and minutes, please visit Council Meetings and Minutes.
2024 Warden’s Charity Golf Tournament a Striking Success
Warden DeViet announced the outstanding success of the 2024 Warden’s Charity Golf Tournament. Thanks to the support and dedication from committed sponsors and players, the Warden’s Charity Golf Tournament was able to raise a staggering total of $33,300. The funds will be distributed between three organizations: Ailsa Craig & Area Food Bank, Ska-Nah-Doht Village & Museum, and Middlesex Centre Archives., with each organization receiving an equal share of $11,100. The funds raised this year will undoubtedly lead to huge growth and development of Middlesex County’s local culture, help support those who need it most, and help preserve Middlesex County’s long and rich history for years to come. Check out the Warden's Statement for more information.
Approval of County-Wide Development Charges By-Law
County Council approved By-law No. 7291, a By-law to establish Development Charges in Middlesex County. As part of the legislated approval process, the County completed a Middlesex County Development Charges Background Study and the holding of a statutory public meeting on June 26, 2024, providing an opportunity for any person in attendance, virtually or in person, with the opportunity to make representations relating to the proposed Middlesex County Development Charges By-law. The approved Development Charges By-law will be implemented on January 1, 2025. For more information and specifics on the approved by-law, please see the Middlesex County Development Charges Report.
Warden’s Activity Report
County Council received an update from Warden Aina DeViet on her activity in the role of Warden. During this reporting period, the Warden’s activities consisted of a mix of political, community, and internal organizational engagements. These activities included attending various corporate and community events, local Council meetings, and traveling to Cambodia for the Gender Responsive and Inclusive Participatory Consultation which was part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) Partnerships for Municipal Innovation-Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) project aimed at raising awareness of gender inequality and how to create inclusive societies. For more information, please see the Warden’s Activity Report.
Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus Delegation
The Committee of the Whole heard a delegation from the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) on their strategic initiatives for 2024-25. WOWC is a not-for-profit organization representing 15 Upper and Single tier municipalities, 300 communities, 117 municipalities, and over 1.6 million residents. WOWC provides a forum for the voices of individual communities and municipalities to be represented by a unified body and to advocate for the needs of member Counties, including Middlesex County. This year’s core advocacy efforts include housing affordability in rural areas, infrastructure investment, workforce retention and expansion, mental health, addictions, and homelessness. For more information, see the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus presentation.
Attainable Housing Review Update: Implementation
The Committee of the Whole received an Attainable Housing Review Implementation report, further to direction from Council at the July 18, 2023, meeting. The Attainable Housing Review was intended to better understand the supply and demand for housing needs across Middlesex County, identify gaps in housing, and to prepare a municipal strategy to meet the current and future needs of residents. The Implementation Report provides the information with which Council can define the County’s strategic role for housing, as either Housing Advisor, Housing Advocate, or Housing Funder. Further to staff recommendation, Council selected the strategic role of Housing Advocate and directed staff to prepare a detailed Attainable Housing Implementation Plan Report with the strategic role of Housing Advocate for consideration as part of the 2025 Draft Budget. For more information and specifics on this project, please see the Attainable Housing Review Implementation Presentation and Report.
2025 Budget Schedule
The Committee of the Whole approved the proposed budget timetable for the preparation and approval of Middlesex County’s annual estimates for 2025. The County’s Budget Committee will begin their review of the draft budget documents in December 2024. For more information about the Budget Timetable, see the 2025 Budget Schedule.
Recommendations made by the Committee of the Whole at the July 16, 2024 meeting will be considered by County Council at its next regular meeting on August 13, 2024. The Legislative Services Department maintains the official record for all County government proceedings.
For more information, please contact: @email