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By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Essex Council approved a new Sponsorships and Naming Rights Policy during the June 2 meeting.

This new policy will replace the former Naming Rights Policy – Municipal Parks and Facilities, which was adopted in 2010.

Nelson Silveira, Manager of Economic Development, explained updating the former policy was something identified in Council’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.

“What we are looking at doing is really formalizing how we manage the sponsorship and naming rights program for the Town, including our assets and events we put on as a corporation,” Silveira said.

The policy includes assets, like arenas, playgrounds, and fields, for naming right opportunities, in addition to sponsorships for Town programs and events.

It does not include facilities like Town Hall of Fire Halls that are mainly used for staff.

This will allow the Town to have a consistent approach to how these agreements are made, Silviera said.

The next steps, as outlined in the report, is for administration to look at different partnering opportunities with community organizations or businesses looking to sponsor town assets.

Annual oversight of those agreements is also important, Silveira noted. Any agreement over $130,000 in value for the term of the agreement would go before Council for approval, he added. Agreements beneath that threshold would be approved by the CAO, in consultation with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

In answering Councillor Rodney Hammond’s question on where sponsorship or naming right funding would be put towards, Silveira noted it would depend on the sponsorship. Typically, it would go towards operational costs if funding was for a program. Naming right funding would go towards that asset’s capital costs.

In answering Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais’s question if the Town has a list of assets that could be available to be named – from benches to community rooms – and what the costs would be, Silveira noted administration is currently working on a sponsorship package that would identify opportunities for naming rights for assets and events.

The Town is currently not looking to change the name of any thing; opportunities are being pursued for future buildings or current ones that do not have a name.

Council will be updated on the details of that package, Silveira added. The policy he put before Council identified what wouldn’t be open for sponsorship.

“My only concern is what are we naming and how much are we putting a price tag on it for,” McGuire-Blais said, adding she believed Council should have a say on that if it falls below the $130,000 threshold on bigger items.

CAO Kate Giurissevich noted the $130,000 threshold was selected as it is the same amount in the Town’s Procurement By-Law that would trigger the need to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP). The number was selected to not inundate Council with smaller requests. That figure is certainly up for discussion.

Within the document, Town administration recommends if it will be a material revenue source, it would go to RFP. Then it would be publicly posted and Council would be aware of the process.

In terms of what costs will be, Silveira noted every facility will be different and it will depend on negotiations with community groups or businesses.

The policy was not intended to leave Council out of the decision-making; it was meant to set parameters on having to go to Council with every request.

Councillor Kim Verbeek noted this policy is new, and believed Council should be part of the vetting process and suggested reports can come to Council noting what assets have applicants for naming rights.

Mayor Sherry Bondy was happy to see the policy come before Council as it has been on the to-do list for a while. This is an alternative funding source that could buffer tax increases in the future.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Council for the Town of Essex voted to again postpone making a decision on the detailed design for the Walnut Street reconstruction during the June 2 meeting.

This was the second time Council voted to postpone making a decision on the matter, with the same outcome taking place at the May 20 meeting.

Previously, it was explained that through the 2022 Capital Budget, Walnut Street South in Harrow is currently being designed for reconstruction. This will make improvements to the road and watermains.

Since this project is a Council-driven project, and based on recent delegations to Council regarding parking and driveway issues as it relates to semi-trucks making deliveries to Sanford and Son Supermarket, the Infrastructure Services Department wanted to solicit Council’s direction for the road design for Walnut Street.

David McBeth, Manager of Capital Works and Asset Management, presented three options:

• Option 1: Keep Walnut Street with a rural section, no curbs, conduct a full depth mill and pave, and construct a consistent granular shoulder for parking on the east-side of the road. This would cost an estimated $2.4M.

• Option 2: Urbanize the road section, including a full reconstruction of the roadway from the granular base up, in order to install the concrete curbs. The roadway width would be kept the same way it is currently, which is six-meters. Parking would be eliminated. The estimated cost is $2.8M.

• Option 3: Urbanized the road section, with a full reconstruction and road-width of 7.9meters. This section would allow parking on the east-side, but would require relocating existing hydro poles on that side of the road. The estimated cost is $3.2M.

Administration recommended Option 1, which would allow the project to proceed based on the current five-year capital plan and possibility sooner, depending on the cost-estimate for final construction cost from the engineer.

The anticipated completion date for all three options is 2028, based on the Town’s five-year road’s plan. Unless, Council directed it to be done earlier for Option 1.

All options are financially feasible, pending on approval from Council at budget time, McBeth noted. The existing detailed design budget has around $160,000 remaining, so any change order required by the consultant to do the work should be within the budget, McBeth said.

McBeth added the location of the sidewalk would be determined during the detailed design phase of the project. The Town is also working with the Harrow Fair Board to get that fence pushed back on the west-side 1.5m to assist with winter control.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley asked if the fence would be moved for all three options, or just Option 3. McBeth noted if – during the detailed design phase – the sidewalk is best to go on the west-side it would be preferred to move the fence.

Shepley was willing to support Option 1. Walnut Street is not the greatest road in terms of condition, but it is also not the worst. He was good with whatever decision Council made on how to move forward on the matter.

In answering Councillor Rodney Hammond’s question on if the Town has been in contact with the Harrow Fair Board, McBeth noted a meeting between the Town and the Board has taken place. The Town is still waiting on a response from the Board regarding the fence. He wanted the road to be prioritized to be completed

.Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais received emails from residents in favour of all three options. In this decision, she does not think Council will make everyone happy. As she was torn on the matter, she was thinking of following Hammond’s lead as the Ward 4 Council rep.

Her own opinion was to go with Option 3 in bringing the road up to the Town’s standard. She didn’t understand the reasoning of moving ahead with a cheaper option.

Director of Infrastructure, Kevin Girard, noted as this was a Council-driven project, administration wanted to provide options. He understood Council wanted to prioritize the road, but warned, with the detailed design still needing to be completed, the earliest it could be completed would be 2027.

Mayor Sherry Bondy also heard split feedback from the community, and wondered if more time should be given for public feedback.

Back in 2014-2015, this project was admin-driven, Bondy explained. At the time, it was on the Town’s Roads Plan, and she told residents it was coming, based on that.

In the motion to move forward with Option 1, the motion failed in a three-way tie.

McGuire-Blais then moved to postpone the decision until the July 7 meeting, giving Council a few more weeks to get more public feedback. That passed.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

The Town of Essex’s Community Services Recreation and Culture Division fared well in the 2024 Lifesaving Society Affiliate Recognition Award – Ontario Branch program.

Cynthia Cakebread, Manager of Recreation and Culture, told Essex Council at the June 2 meeting that the Town of Essex program was recognized in the top ten of each of the categories that it qualified under.

That included earning first place in the R. Bredin Staples Cup, which is awarded to the municipal affiliate with the largest leadership training program per capita, and second place in the Scarborough Cup, which is awarded to the municipal affiliate with the largest lifesaving/leadership program in a community with a population between 10,000 and 50,000.

In addition, Essex earned fifth place in the Arnold H. Morphy Cup, awarded to the affiliate with a single facility with the largest lifesaving/leadership program, and sixth place in the John E. McCutcheon Bowl, awarded to the single-facility affiliate with the largest first aid program.

Essex, Cakebread explained, is around the 84th largest municipality in Ontario, but is in the top forty of all providers of the Lifesaving Society in the province.

“We are one-ninth the size of Windsor, but we run a program approximately half the size. We run a larger program than 15 municipalities that were bigger than us,” Cakebread added. This year, Essex lost the Scarborough Cup, but the municipality that won it, Whitchurch-Stouffville, is 136 residents from moving up into the next category.

There are three municipalities in Essex County that appear in the top 10 for the Scarborough Cup, she added. “There is no other area in Ontario with more than one municipality,” she said.

“It is always surprising when we win these awards, given our size,” Cakebread said. Essex was also recognized through the Lifesaving Society’s annual report for having hosted the Ontario Lifeguard Championships in February.

Cakebread also pointed out that Essex’s Assistant Manager of Aquatics, Sarah Newton, was a big contributor to a lunch and learn webinar session on staffing retention and development. She was also recognized for going down to Ghana to host service provisions and provide certification to its residents. She will return to spearhead another round of certifications in the future.

Councillor Rodney Hammond noted Cakebread and her crew over at the recreation centre do an amazing job, and thanked them for their efforts. Councillor Kim Verbeek also thanked the team for its work.

Mayor Sherry Bondy always hears accolades regarding the Town’s programing, and encourages everyone to keep up the great work.

Essex Council received Recreation and Culture’s report titled “Lifesaving Society Affiliate Recognition” and further received the Lifesaving Society Annual Report Affiliate Recognition 2024 for Council and public information.

In addition, Council proclaimed June is Recreation and Parks Month in the Town of Essex, as recreation enhances quality of life, balanced living, and lifelong learning.

There are a number of free programs available through the month as part of June is Recreation and Parks Month of which residents can take advantage.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Council for the Town of Essex directed Administration to make an application to the Health and Safety Water Stream fund for the design and construction of upgrades to the Harrow Raw Sewage Pumping Station.

In doing so, the post-budget approval of $115,000 for the Harrow Lagoon Pumping Station Upgrades capital project was approved to be funded fully from the Development Charges Reserve, if the application is successful in garnering a grant.

Director of Infrastructure Services, Kevin Girard, explained the Health and Safety Water Stream is a $175M provincial funding opportunity through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program. Municipalities and First Nations are able to apply to it to build, expand, or rehabilitate aging water, wastewater, stormwater, flood, and erosion infrastructure.

He added projects under this fund will help preserve the current housing supply and protect communities during extreme weather events, such as the one experienced locally in August of 2023.

In the 2025 Budget, Essex Council approved $290,000 for pump upgrades to the Harrow Raw Sewage Pumping Station.

“This project was initiated to address additional sewage capacity needs for the redevelopment of the Harrow High School property, as well as providing additional wet weather capacity in the Harrow Sanitary Collection System,” Girard said.

After working with the contractor, however, he noted it was discovered the pumps could not be upgraded to an adequate size for both matters without significant electrical upgrades.

The report to Council adds successful projects through this fund will be cost-shared between the applicants and the province. The province would fund a maximum of 73% (up to $30M) of eligible project costs, and the applicant would be required to fund all the remaining project costs.

With this funding opportunity, the Town can apply for the necessary pumping station upgrades for an additional $115,000 above the $290,000 already set aside for the project. That would bring the total cost for the Town to $405,000 to accommodate future growth and reduce the risk of basement flooding in Harrow, assuming the maximum allowable amount is granted.

In consultation with the engineer of record on the sanitary system and the engineer who completed the modelling analysis of the Harrow Sanitary Collection System, Stantec Consulting, the estimated cost of the necessary upgrades to the Harrow Raw Sewage Pumping Station is approximately $1,500,000 including engineering design and contingency, the Report to Council details.

Mayor Sherry Bondy hopes Essex will be successful in getting this grant.

In answering Councillor Kate McGuire-Blais’s question on budgeting if successful, Girard noted admin anticipates it will come out of the 2026 Budget as that is the aim to start the work. The intention would be to complete the construction over the 2026 and 2027 budget years.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Essex County Council received the Windsor-Essex Provincial Offences Program (POA) Annual Report as information during the May 21 meeting.

Melissa Ryan, Director of Financial Services/Treasurer, explained her report details the key highlights from the 2024 POA document, which is administered by the City of Windsor on behalf of the region.

“Overall, 2024 was a strong year for the program,” Ryan said. “Charges laid increased by nearly five-percent, court hours rose by over 20%, and the program closed the year with a net surplus of $1.43M.”

Her report outlines that there was a total of 29,577 charges laid, while increased judicial availability enabled a 22.8% rise in court hours, resulting in 38,692 matters being heard.

In addition, total fines collected reached $6.18M, up 14.2% from the previous year.

The surplus continues to be distributed among municipalities, including all seven of the local municipalities within the County of Essex, based on the weighted-assessment.

The Red Light Camera (RLC) revenue, Ryan pointed out to County Council’s attention, generated nearly $1.1M in revenue, making it a significant contributor to the POA program last year. That was despite a decrease of 16.8% in total tickets, down from 21.8% in 2023, Ryan outlines in her report.

The City of Windsor, however, is expected to transition the RLC enforcement to an Administrative Monetary Penalty system this year.

Once that transition occurs, RLC revenue will no longer be processed through the POA program or shared under the existing agreement, Ryan continued. Instead, at that point, that revenue will be retained by the City of Windsor, reducing the shared revenue of the POA program for the local municipalities.

“We will continue to monitor the transition and assess its financial implications, but I want to ensure Council is aware of this upcoming change,” Ryan commented.

In her report to County Council, it notes the province enacted Bill 108, amending the Provincial Offences Act in 1998, enabling the various responsibilities of the POA Court System to be transferred to municipalities. The Windsor-Essex Provincial Offences Program was created to accept this transfer of responsibility and provide services for the region.

The POA, it adds, is governed by the Inter-Municipal Court Service Agreement for the City of Windsor, the County of Essex, and Pelee Island. At least annually, the Windsor-Essex Court Service Area Liaison Committee has to report outlining the Committee’s activities to the Councils it serves.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

The 2024 Investment Performance Report details the County of Essex held over $313M across 10 institutions, using a mix of short, medium, and long-term instruments.

Overall, the portfolio generated over $18M in investment income in 2024, achieving an average return of 5.79%, Melissa Ryan, Director of Financial Services/Treasurer, detailed.

Essex County Council received the report for information during the May 21 meeting.

The County continues to hold a portion of funds in Principal Protected Notes, which Ryan explained guarantees the return of the principal at maturity, and provide the opportunity for growth linked to equity market performance. “2024 was a dynamic year in financial markets, shaped by global volatility, shifting inflation expectations, and changing interest rates,” Ryan said.

“Our investment strategy responded by continuing to focus on a balanced, low-risk approach that protects capital, while capturing higher-returns when available.”

In 2025 and onwards, the County will maintain a cautious, yet flexible approach, Ryan said, adding staff will continue to work closely with advisors and monitor opportunities. They will also make adjustments as needed, based on economic conditions and rate changes.

“Investment income continues to serve as an important alternative funding source for the County,” Ryan said. “It helps offset the annual Operating Budget, reducing the levy requirement, while also supporting long-term reserves to ensure they are replenished, not only by levy funds.”

County Council received the report without any discussion or asking any questions on the matter.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Essex MPP Anthony Leardi (PC) is supporting the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario. It was presented recently before provincial parliament considers adoption in the coming weeks.

“This budget is specifically designed because of [US President] Donald Trump and the chaos that Donald Trump is causing with trade across the board,” Leardi said.

“Donald Trump has thrown a wrench into everybody’s plans. The whole world is reeling from this adjustment in the world trading order. We are not backing down. We are going to protect Ontario, we are going to protect Ontario workers and businesses, and we are going to come out the other end stronger than before.”

The 2025 Ontario Budget responds to that matter, and to ensure there are no new taxes.

Keeping taxes at par at the provincial-level is something Leardi said he has heard loud and clear from constituents. He has sent a flyer out to every household in the riding, asking constituents to rank government initiatives in order of importance to them.

“The response was absolutely overwhelming,” Leardi said. “The number one thing people appreciated the most was no new taxes. And, that is something I personally championed in the Legislature. I even made a very brief public statement about it in the legislature, telling the Premier and the Minister of Finance Essex County wants no new taxes.”

He was glad the 2025 Ontario Budget reflected that wish and that “I was part of the crusade to make sure that that happens again.”

In speaking of some of the highlights Leardi sees in the 2025 Ontario Budget, and how it will benefit the local economy, he noted the province is trying to beat California wines.

“Wine is already over taxed,” he noted, explaining there are regular taxes and additional taxes on alcohol. “We are starting to lower those taxes, because we want to specifically…beat California wines out of the Ontario market.”

According to the budget, the mark-up rates applicable to wine-based ready-to-drink products that do not have an alcohol-by-volume content of greater than 7.1 percent would be reduced from 60.6/64.6 percent to 48 percent.

The mark-up rates applicable to spirit-based ready-to-drink products that do not have an alcohol-by-volume content greater than 7.1 percent would be reduced from 68.5/96.7 per cent to 48 percent.

The basic mark-up rates applied by the LCBO to certain wine-based and spirit-based ready-to-drink beverages would be reduced, effective August 1, 2025.

Another portion of the Budget that Leardi sees as good for the local economy and for Ontario is that agreements are being signed for inter-provincial trade.

“Most Canadians are not aware there are barriers to trade between provinces, and the Premier initiated a crusade to tear down those inter-provincial trade barriers and buy Canadian where that may [happen].”

That means, Leardi explained, more good news for the local wine industry, because now the region will be able to export its products to other provinces that have agreed to do the same for Ontario.

Leardi noted that new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised interprovincial free-trade by July 1. He believes that all came about because of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s leadership and insistence that this needs to be done.

As part of the 2025 Ontario Budget, the province plans to invest $500M to create a new Critical Minerals Processing Fund that will help unleash the potential of the province’s mineral sector by attracting investments in critical mineral processing capacity in the province. This will help ensure minerals mined in Ontario will be processed in Ontario, by Ontario workers.

Leardi noted this news ties into the Windsor-Essex region indirectly, as minerals – such as nickel and copper – are primary minerals needed for batteries. “We don’t want to ship the nickel and the copper outside of Ontario to be processed and then have to re-import it to put it into our electric vehicles.”

That goes for other valuable, critical minerals, as well, Leardi said.

“This is all part of linking the mineral wealth of the north with the manufacturing might of the south. This is a great opportunity for us to build a ‘Made in Ontario’ supply chain…so no one outside of Ontario can threaten our automotive industry.”

Ontario already has a multimillion-dollar water and wastewater infrastructure fund in place. Leardi noted early this year, Kingsville was successful in getting $7.4M as part of that funding to build the West Side Collector Road. This project will extend Heritage Road northward around 1.85KM, from Main Street to Road 2 West. It will allow around 3000 more homes to be built in Kingsville, on the westside of the downcore core, and open up growth for the commercial industry, as well.

Through the 2025 Ontario Budget that program was relaunched. “I want my local municipalities to apply again, so we can get a few more million dollars out of this fund for infrastructure projects, because that’s the best way to build homes,” he said.

Another item being expanded under the 2025 Ontario Budget is for primary care in Ontario. In February of 2024, the Essex County Nurse Practitioner Led-Clinic was awarded over $424,525 from the Ontario government to expand its services into Kingsville. That created the opportunity to allow up to 1200 new clients to get rostered in Kingsville.

That program is being continued under the new budget.

According to the budget, on January 27, 2025, the government announced an investment of $1.8B for Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor or primary care team within four-years.

It adds that Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan will implement a broad series of initiatives that will close the gap for people in need of primary care by 2029, including: creating and expanding more than 305 additional primary care teams and supporting primary care infrastructure renewal for the expansion of eligible team-based models.

“My goal, going forward, is to get another 1200 linked to primary care in Essex County,” Leardi said.

He said that 90% of Ontarians have a primary care provider – be it a doctor or nurse practitioner. “We want to reach the remaining 10%, and we are going to do that over the next four to five years,” Leardi commented.

Another item proposed in the 2025 Ontario Budget is to make the province’s gasoline and fuel tax cuts permanent. This measure would save households, on average, about $115 per year, information from the Province estimates. That is the 10-cent per litre cut at the pump.

“That makes everything cheaper,” Leardi said. “Everything gets transported by truck in Ontario. Every time you lower the cost of gasoline, that has the effect of controlling costs and making sure that costs stay under control, so that things are more affordable.”

Through its Budget announcement, the Province notes Ontario’s 2024–25 deficit is projected to be $6.0 billion, $3.8 billion lower than the outlook published in the 2024 Budget.

Reducing the deficit is important, Leardi described, because money has to be spent to pay interest on debt. “When we balance the budget in two-years, that means our interest payments are going to go down. Every dollar we save in interest payments is a dollar we can put into healthcare.”

Education spending, Leardi added, remains about at the same levels as it has for years. He explained the increase in the Education Budget is around 22-23% since 2018, which he said is exactly almost the rate of inflation.

The big investment in the area in terms of education in the past few years include a brand-new school in Amherstburg, Kingsville, and LaSalle, which was also expanded.

“That contrasts very sharply with the Liberal record. They shut down Western Secondary, which was the only skilled trade school in Essex County. And, they shutdown Harrow High School, which was the only high school in Harrow.”

Leardi anticipates the budget will be passed within the next two-to-three weeks.

Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky (NDP) shared a statement regarding the 2025 Ontario Budget, noting she believed it “missed the opportunity to build a stronger Ontario for all.”

She noted the budget “delivers little hope and no reassurance.”

It is her understanding “we’re seeing more cuts to Children, Community, and Social Services,” the Ministry for which she is Shadow Minister. She also noted it lacked a real plan to address Intimate Partner Violence and support for victims and survivors. In addition, she stated there was no plan to address the housing crisis.

For more information on the budget, log onto: budget.ontario.ca/2025/index.html

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

County of Essex Council will have to consider whether or not to adopt a Development Charges (DC) By-Law to pay for growth-related expansion of the services provided at the County-level in the future. Knowing this, members of its administration are visiting the seven local municipalities to host open house meetings on the matter to collect feedback.

So far, these open house meetings have been hosted in Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington. The meeting with Essex Council took place on May 20, with further events taking place in LaSalle on May 27, Lakeshore on June 3, and Tecumseh on June 10.

According to Essex Free Press files, at the April 2 County Council meeting, support was given to Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy’s motion to host public consultations in each of the local municipalities, and to fund the cost to do so from the County’s Rate Stabilization Reserve.

County Council is comprised of the mayors and deputy mayors of the seven local municipalities.

The public consultations in each of the seven local municipalities were meant to be hosted before County Council has to decide on whether it should pass a by-law on the matter, and if it does, how it should be crafted.

There is no timeline to pass a by-law, with the public consultation component of the process added, giving County staff time to make some modifications or go back to County Council with a report detailing the feedback received. That will allow a by-law to be drafted that the County would want to move forward with, Director of Financial Services/Treasure, Melissa Ryan, said.

Getting the public feedback has been a good exercise, so County Council can make an informed decision based on feedback, Ryan noted, adding County staff members have also met with representatives from planning and treasure departments at the local level, in addition to developers and community partners.

All seven local municipalities have their own Development Charges By-Law, which is imposed on developers to pay for growth-related capital costs. The County does not have one, nor has it ever. In the County’s case, that would include highway, EMS, long-term care, waste diversion, public libraries, and studies related to the five services.

Last month, County Council was provided the information on the matter, but will have to decide whether or not to approve DCs at the County-level in the future.

The calculated residential Development Charges for the County of Essex was presented as $12,956 per single-detached residential unit, $7845 for rows and multiple-unit dwellings, and $6895 for other residential units. For non-residential, proposed Development Charges are $46.34 per square meter for commercial/institutional.

This is the max amount allowable. County Council can choose a lower amount.

Previously, it was noted if the County chose to implement the maximum DC on residential, the total charge for a single-detached unit, for instance, including the municipal DC, would be $48,113 in the McGregor service area and $38,176 for the Harrow Service Area in the Town of Essex.

Last month, Ryan explained that given that growth in the region has traditionally been stable and manageable, the pay as you go approach has served the County well. However, “growth is coming faster and at a higher cost than ever before.”

To ensure the County does not place an unsustainable burden on the tax rate, Ryan said previously tools needed to be explored, and Development Charges are tools the province expects municipalities to use before expecting financial support.

Development Charges help ensure new growth contributes its fair share, rather than placing the entre burden on existing taxpayers.

In May of 2024, members of Essex County Council approved funding a Development Charges Study by utilizing up to a max of $60,000 from the Rate Stabilization Reserve, which Hemson Consulting Ltd. is undertaking. This firm provided an update to County Council in November.

The total DC would vary as each municipality has its own rate.

Last month, Stefan Krzeczunowicz, Associate Partner of Hemson Consulting Ltd. noted DCs are imposed through a by-law, which has a minimum lifespan of ten-years.

He added the current County population is 211,980, and is expected to grow to 258,400 by 2041.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais is opposed to the addition of County Development Charges.

“I do not think these will be good for the Municipality of Essex, we are already growing at a slower pace than the rest of the County, and I think this will just slow us down even more,” she said. She believes the time is wrong to move forward with this initiative with the provincial mandate to build more and remove red tape. “I think adding County DC charges goes against that mandate.

“I am surprised that the County would impose these charges at this time, while companies are leaving the country and laying people off. We want to invite companies to come and build here, not deter them.”

Concerns she voiced is what if builders and investors decide that Essex County is too expensive and decide to build and invest in neighbouring regions, where DCs could be much lower.

In asking the question if the County DCs are paid from a development built in the municipality of Essex, if the funds stay in the municipality or go in a general pot, McGuire-Blais learned there would be a general pot for the DC funding to be used as County sees fit.

Bondy noted the County does not have a great public presence, for the most part. In her role, she has noticed many individuals do not know there is the Town of Essex and the County of Essex, with the later being the upper-tier municipal governance structure that oversees County responsibilities, such as County roads, libraries, and EMS.

“So, it will be us – it will be local Councils – getting blamed for the high cost of development fees,” Bondy predicted. “The County will get the benefit, and the Towns will be crucified.”

With local municipalities already collecting their own DCs, and building permits and other planning requirements taken care of at the municipal-level, she imagines it will be the municipalities collecting the County DC charges.

County fees, she believes, should be collected at the County building.

She does believe growth should pay for growth.

“County staff are not forward facing to members of the public,” she said. Hosting the open house was a really great step, which Bondy thanked County administration for doing. The meeting should have been livestreamed, however.

Members of the public at the meeting asked why implement DCs now, when housing prices have skyrocketed and individuals are struggling with mortgage payments. Ryan explained the conversation on the matter began over a year ago, and it takes time to go through the process as legislated.

As a member of the Essex Affordable Housing Task Force, Councillor Kim Verbeek said it is a challenge to get developers to build obtainable or attainable housing.

Krzeczunowicz noted previously there are statutory exemptions/discounts, which includes municipalities and local boards, residential additions and secondary suites, industrial enlargements, replacement dwellings, affordable housing and non-profit housing, and rental housing discounts.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley does not see how a CountyDC fee would help with affordable housing, and believes it will only add to the cost of housing. He added the County was in the middle of developing a road study and would like to see that completed first before making a decision on the County DC matter. He does not think it’ll help get more housing established.

For more information on the matter, log onto www.countyofessex.ca/doing-business/planning-and-development/development-charges-initiative/

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Members of Essex Council unanimously voted to postpone making a decision on the detailed design of Walnut Street in Harrow during the May 20 meeting.

Through the 2022 Capital Budget, Walnut Street South in Harrow is currently being designed for reconstruction. This will make improvements to the road and watermains.

Since this project is Council-driven, and considering the recent delegations to Council for vehicular movement and parking on Walnut Street South, Administration sought Council’s direction on the design of the roadway, David McBeth, Manager, Capital Works and Asset Management, explained.

T.Y. Lin International Canada was awarded this project at the same time as the Irwin Avenue reconstruction project in Essex Centre.

McBeth’s report details that this company has been working on the engineering design for Walnut Street South since 2024, which also includes the reconstruction of Murdoch Street off Walnut Street South.

Through inspection, McBeth told Council that sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure on Walnut Street are in good condition and do not require replacement. Only the watermain is required to be replaced.

Based on recent delegations to Council, regarding parking and driveway issues as it relates to semi-trucks making deliveries to Sanford and Son Supermarket, the Infrastructure Services Department wanted to solicit Council’s direction for the road design for Walnut Street. He presented three options.

• Option 1: Keep Walnut Street with a rural section, no curbs, conduct a full depth mill and pave, and construct a consistent granular shoulder for parking on the east-side of the road. This would cost an estimated $2.4M

• Option 2: Urbanize the road section, including a full reconstruction of the roadway from the granular base up, in order to install the concrete curbs. The roadway width would be kept the same way it is currently, which is six-meters. Parking would be eliminated. The estimated cost is $2.8M.

• Option 3: Urbanize the road section, with a full reconstruction and road-width of 7.9meters. This section would allow parking on the east-side, but would require relocating existing hydro poles on that side of the road. The estimated cost is $3.2M.

Administration recommended Option 1, which would allow the project to proceed based on the current five-year capital plan and possibility sooner, depending on the cost-estimate for final construction cost from the engineer.

According to his report, Option 1 would allow for this project to proceed in 2028.

In answering Mayor Sherry Bondy’s question on when the project could proceed based on Option 2 and 3, McBeth noted it is possible to proceed at the same time, but Council would have to allow the funds as they would cost more money.

There is the potential to reallocate some of the watermain funding and hot mix asphalt project money to help offset the cost of the overall capital project, and allow it to potentially proceed faster.

Councillor Rodney Hammond’s concern is getting the project done sooner rather than later. He said it is long overdue.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais asked why on this road the Town was not looking to bring it closer to its own standards? McBeth noted the original design was to move forward with Option 2. With current issues with parking and driveways, if curbs are installed down the road, the movement of the trucks will be impacted, so too could the neighbourhood.

McGuire-Blais was leaning towards Option 2, as it would bring the road back closer to the Town’s standards and could prevent delivery trucks driving onto people’s yards. The only negative would be the removal of the on-street parking. She asked how many residents park on the street currently.

Hammond, the Ward Rep, said the on-street parking is needed primarily during the Harrow Fair weekend. He saw value in Option 3 to get the project done correctly.

Garon agreed with McGuire-Blais. If the Town has a standard, it should stick to it. Councillor Kim Verbeek also supported Option 2 as it would improve stormwater management.

Councillor Jason Matyi would pick Option 3 with better stormwater management, curbs, and on-street parking. He called it a full plan.

Mayor Bondy noted Council could postpone making a decision for one meeting to get more public feedback.

McBeth added that not every road can be urbanized, based on grading, but this one could be.

Councillor Brad Allard asked about the location of the sidewalk. McBeth explained there is a sidewalk for a portion of the road on one-side. He added the location of the sidewalk is not 100% determined. He said Community Services had issues plowing the sidewalk adjacent to the Harrow Fairgrounds. The Town has approached the Harrow Fair Board about moving the fence back five-feet, but has not heard back yet. That would help determine what side the sidewalk would go on.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley wanted to see the road get finished. He saw the value in postponing the decision, giving Council more time to connect with residents and take a site visit. He would like an indication of where the sidewalk would go.

CAO Kate Giurissevich explained that though the roads plan has been adopted, the budget has not. Each year, staff brings forward a list of roads, which could change depending on pricing.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

“We all know what goes up, must come down,” Councillor Kim Verbeek said during the May 20 meeting, where Council for the Town of Essex provisionally adopted a By-Law amendment to include a ban on the release of balloons into the air.

An exemption includes if such balloons are naturally biodegradable balloons with nothing attached, like strings or ribbons.

The amendment will be made to the By-Law that prohibits the dumping or disposing of garbage, refuse, or domestic or industrial waste of any kind on property within the Town of Essex.

Final adoption will take place at a future Council meeting.

Discussion on the matter originally took place in April of 2024, where Council directed Administration to prepare a report to consider whether or not a By-Law prohibiting the release of latex and mylar helium balloons into the air in the Town of Essex should be passed.

Cory Simard, Manager of Legal, Licensing, and Enforcement, prepared a report on the matter that looked at the detrimental effects a balloon release can have on the environment and wildlife.

“Ensuring the preservation of the natural environment is of great importance to the Town of Essex,” Simard noted, adding several communities in Canada and the US have passed by-laws or policies restricting balloon releases.

Enforcement, he added, can be accomplished within the current practice of policing the by-law, as the Town’s By-Law Department already ensures compliance with it.

“Administration does, however, note by-laws – such as this one – can be challenging to enforce. Without an Enforcement Officer witnessing an offence, or a direct admission, there may not be enough evidence to lay a charge,” Simard said.

He added there is no negative financial impact expected as a result of passing this by-law amendment.

Harrow resident, Rachael Mills, spoke in favour of the by-law amendment.

“For me, it just doesn’t represent a ban on the release of balloons, but a step forward towards a cleaner, more considerate Essex together. It is building on values we already hold in Essex. The work of protecting our environment and community from litter isn’t new. The work of Essex residents [has] long cared about our environment, the farmland, the waterways, wildlife, and our neighbourhood.”

The By-Law amendment is a natural next step and in formalizing beliefs that celebration should not necessarily come at the cost of pollution and litter, she added.

She encouraged Essex to pass the by-law amendment, and suggested any fines collected be used to support community clean-ups, environmental initiatives, and youth programs to get them more involved. That way, the impact of enforcement can be turned into something positive.

Councillor Verbeek said the by-law amendment was exactly what she was hoping for last year, when she raised the issue via a Notice of Motion. At the time, Council supported her motion to direct Administration to prepare a report to consider whether or not Council should pass a By-Law prohibiting the release of latex and mylar helium balloons into the air in the Town of Essex.

She originally brought this forward as her son picks-up a lot of garbage and was finding a lot of balloons.

In looking into the matter, Verbeek said she learned balloon releases become more than just garbage in the community, they can have effects on waterways, damage machinery, and injure or even kill wildlife.

She was happy the by-law amendment was being presented before the warner months, before they are typically released in celebration of birthdays, graduations, memorials, funerals, and special events.

There are other ways to celebrate, Verbeek said. “Now we’ve learned better, so we can do better.”

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley noted when the discussion on this matter originally came forward, he didn’t support it as he saw it more of a feel-good motion. He still believes that, and that it will be very hard to enforce, but supported it. He believes creating educational pieces is the important part in moving forward, so members of the public understand the reasons to find alternative ways to celebrate.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais agreed, and hoped the Town would educate the public on the matter. She saw that as the key to success. She suggested putting together packages for schools and funeral homes, and other organizations that may know of balloon releases, in addition to creating social media posts.

Joe Malandruccolo, Director of Legal and Legislative Services, noted staff did plan to provide public education on the matter.