Middlesex County Council Meeting Highlights – May 28, 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.
Strathmere Lodge Roof Rehabilitation Project moves forward
Council approved a recommendation to award Strathmere Lodge’s Roof Retrofit Tender project at the recommendation of Garland Canada Inc. to Lafleche Roofing (1992) Limited in the amount of $1,622,241.00 before taxes. The project is to commence in September 2024 and is to be completed within 120 days. Following the retrofit, the Lodge’s roof will be guaranteed to be leak-free under a thirty (30) year warranty. For more information, see the Strathmere Lodge Roof Rehabilitation report.
Council support for nomination to the AMO Board of Directors
Council passed a resolution to support the nomination of Warden Aina DeViet to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) Board of Directors. Warden DeViet currently serves as a Director of the AMO Board, Caucus Chair of the County Caucus Executive Committee, Vice Chair of the Health Transformation Task Force, and Director of the Local Authority Services (LAS) Board and is seeking re-election to the Association’s County Caucus for the 2024-2026 term.
Planning Reform – Bill 185 and the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement
The Committee of the Whole received an update from staff on recent and upcoming planning reform in the Province, including Bill 185 and the proposed Provincial Planning Statement. On April 10, the provincial government released its most recent proposals in support of the ‘Housing Supply Action Plan’ including, Bill 185, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act and the Proposed New Provincial Planning Statement. The proposed changes would build upon, or in some cases undo, the provincial changes to the land use planning system over the past few years. The County has submitted comments to the Ministry on May 7, 2024, on the proposed Provincial Planning Statement and the proposed Bill 185 and how it may impact planning and services in the County. For more information, see the Planning Reform presentation.
Status updates on County corporate initiatives
CAO Rayburn provided an update on some significant corporate-wide initiatives currently underway. Updates were provided in various projects including the consideration of the establishment of an arm’s length Middlesex Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the completion of the Development Charges Background Study, Middlesex County Asset Management Plan, Middlesex County Dashboards, Strategic Plan Update, service area reviews, the Consolidated Municipal Service Management (CMSM) Agreements and the 2025 Budget process. Notably, the Middlesex County Dashboard Initiative will enhance public access to existing financial and statistical information, with Phase 1 including current and historical (10 years) budget data published in Middlesex County OpenBook completed. Each ongoing project aims to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the County, supporting positive outcomes for Middlesex communities. See the Mid-Year Project Updates presentation for more information.
Development Charges Background Study
Further to a recommendation from the Middlesex County Budget Committee directing staff to complete a Development Charges Background Study, the Committee of the Whole received an informational report on the Middlesex County Development Charges Background Study. The next steps in the consideration of Middlesex County Development Charges include Development Charges Public Meeting scheduled for June 26, 2024, where any person who attends, virtually or in person, may make representations relating to the proposed Development Charges By-law and Development Charges By-law consideration at the July 16, 2024, County Council Meeting. For more information, see the Development Charges Background Study report and the Notice of Development Charges Public Meeting.
County Road & Bridge Assumption Study Committee
The Committee of the Whole approved appointments to the County Road and Bridge Assumption Study Committee as presented. Every five years, Middlesex County assesses the needs of the local municipalities within the County for roads to be assumed by the County through the County Road Assumption Study. The purpose of the Committee is to provide a recommendation to County Council for road and bridge assumptions for approval. The Committee is made up of the Warden, two members of Council and three road officials from the local municipalities.
Approval of the Children’s Services 2024-2028 Service System Plan
The Committee of the Whole approved the Middlesex Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (2024-2028), a strategic framework developed in accordance with the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. Key components of the Plan include enhancing access to high-quality early childhood programs, creating welcoming environments for all families, ensuring programs are delivered by well-supported, educated staff, strengthening partnerships to offer a seamless, family-centered service system, and ensuring responsive and accountable service management. The Plan supports the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, aiming to increase affordability and the number of licensed child care spaces in Middlesex County. For more information, see the Children’s Services – 2024-2028 Service System Plan staff report.
Recommendations made by the Committee of the Whole at the May 28, 2024 meeting will be considered by County Council at its next regular meeting on June 25, 2024. The Legislative Services Department maintains the official record for all County government proceedings.
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