County Council Highlights for Sept. 7, 2022

Warden Asks Residents to ‘Get Informed’ About Municipal Election Candidates

With summer nearing an end and students back in school, Warden Gary McNamara is encouraging Essex County residents to “get informed” so they are ready to vote in the Oct. 24 municipal election.

“It is time to get informed about the candidates and where they stand on issues that matter to you,” he said at the start of Wednesday’s regular Essex County council meeting. “Get ready to make your voice heard at the ballot box and hold those who are elected accountable.”

McNamara also noted that during the summer vacation period Essex County’s Infrastructure and Planning Services department, Essex-Windsor EMS and Sun Parlor Home staff have been working full-out to provide essential services to residents. The warden welcomed Adam Craig, Essex County’s new Chief Librarian, and applauded library staff who have been ramping up programs during the summer.

He urged residents to say thank you to the thousands of foreign temporary workers employed in Essex County’s agri-food sector and encouraged them to attend the Festival of Guest Nations and Public Safety Information Day at Seacliff Park in Leamington on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

County to Support ERCA’s Flood Mapping Funding Request

Council agreed to support the Essex Region Conservation Authority’s request for federal funding to update the region’s coastal flood hazard mapping.

James Bryant, ERCA’s director, watershed management services, said there was a “dire need” to update coastal flood hazard maps that were completed in 1976, more than 40 year ago.

“Much has changed since that time including development trends and the availability of technological resources and information,” said Bryant, adding updated mapping would provide a better understanding of climate change impacts and help identify threats and mitigate potential damage to new and existing developments.

The government of Canada is investing $63.8 million in its Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program “to help Canadians better plan and prepare for future floods.”

Financial Update Projects Small Deficit for 2022

The County of Essex is on track to post a $2,000 deficit in 2022, but that could change significantly in the final four months, says a financial update to council.

The report notes that there is “uncertainty regarding budget performance for Social Services, Social Housing, Emergency Medical Services, Sun Parlor Home, Infrastructure Services and outstanding contract/wage settlements and pay/internal equity adjustments.” As well, it is unknown how long COVID-19 levels in the region will continue to affect the county’s operations.

County Initiates Process to Participate in Tax Grant Incentives to Attract Industry

Council directed Manager of Planning Services Rebecca Belanger to initiate an Official Plan amendment that will allow the County of Essex to match tax grant incentives offered by lower-tier municipalities to attract large industry.

Initiating the Official Plan amendment process is the first step the county must take if council decides to approve a request from the Town of Tecumseh to incorporate policies that would allow the county to participate in lower-tier municipality community improvement plan grant programs.

Currently, lower-tier municipalities in Essex County can only offer tax increment grants for new industrial development on their portions of the municipal tax levy. County and education taxes must still be paid at the full rate. If the county changes its Official Plan, it can participate by also offering tax increment grants on its portion of the municipal levy. This would help county municipalities compete for investment with single-tier municipalities, such as Windsor, says a report to council.

The report recommends a guide be developed to describe how the county will participate in local community improvement plans and what levels of funding will be offered. It also says the issue will be one of the topics addressed in the Official Plan review that is currently underway.

“As a region with primarily residential assessment, programs that encourage growth in other tax classes help to diversify our assessment base and strengthen our ability to weather economic challenges,” says the report.

A tax increment grant gives an eligible property owner an annual rebate based on the increase in property tax resulting from new development or re-development that increases the property’s current value assessment.

Dillon Consulting has been retained by the county to advance the changes to the Official Plan through the approval process, which includes consultation with the seven municipalities and the public. Belanger will report back to council with recommendations.

Council Expresses Support for Limited Tendering to Advance CR 42 Project

County Council expressed support for employing the limited tendering process to advance the first phase of the reconstruction of County Road 42, which could cost the County of Essex $8.5 million more than was budgeted because contractors are grappling with volatile prices and unstable supply chains.

Essex County CAO Mike Galloway would be responsible for approving proceeding if negotiations with an interested contractor to complete the project at the increased price are successful, says an update to council from Allan Botham, Director, Infrastructure and Planning Services. Because fewer than 75 per cent of the current mayors and deputy mayors on county council are running for re-election, council cannot approve unbudgeted expenditures and liabilities exceeding $50,000. That authority falls to Galloway until a new council is sworn in following the Oct. 24 municipal election.

The County Road 42 project will be executed in “multiple phases, and is set to be, both financially and logistically, the largest single project ever undertaken by the County,” says Botham’s report. It includes: the widening of County Road 42 from County Road 19 (Manning Road) to the City of Windsor limits to a five-lane roadway with bike lanes, sidewalks and multi-use trails; construction of multi-lane roundabouts on County Road 42 at County Road 19 and at a new intersection with County Road 43 (Banwell Road); and the diversion and widening of County Road 43 from Shields Avenue to south of County Road 42.

Phase 1 will involve work on storm sewers, sanitary sewers and watermains between Concession 11 and Pike Creek, as well as construction of temporary lanes for traffic and some minor utility relocations.

There were no bidders by the May 24 deadline after a request for tenders was issued in the spring. In this situation, the county’s Procurement Policy allows for direct negotiation of the costs with a contractor. There were discussions with two potential contractors, but only one can commit to undertaking the project currently.

The increased estimated cost for Phase 1 is $29 million, with $6 million of that coming from the Town of Tecumseh for new sanitary sewers and watermains.

“Administration is concerned that any delay in the project is problematic given the growth in that area, and the impending arrival of both a new regional hospital and battery plant, which will very likely increase traffic volumes even further. Also, of concern is the County's historic commitment to Tecumseh to improve the County Road 42/43 corridor,” says the report to council.

Health Minister Urged to Address Ambulance Offload Delays at Hospitals

The Ontario government needs to take immediate steps to address the crisis caused by ambulances forced to idle for hours outside hospital emergency rooms, says a letter from Warden Gary McNamara and CAO Mike Galloway to Health Minister Sylvia Jones.

The offload delays “have a cascading impact on the health care system, often resulting in Code Blacks – when there are no local ambulances available to immediately respond to emergency calls,” says the letter sent after a county delegation met with ministry officials at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual conference in August.

The delays are an inefficient use of paramedics and pose a risk to public safety, says the letter, which suggests possible solutions that could be implemented quickly.

Province Asked to ‘Level the Field’ for Residents in Areas with Large Greenhouses

The County of Essex, Municipality of Leamington and Town of Kingsville are asking the province to create a separate property tax classification for large-scale greenhouses.

This will give municipalities where these greenhouses are concentrated the option of increasing the rate at which they are taxed so that residential property taxpayers aren’t subsidizing services to the industry, says a letter sent to Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy.

“Large-scale greenhouses are taxed at a maximum of 25 per cent of the residential property tax rate. That’s the same rate paid by open field cash-crop farms that place a lighter burden on municipal resources,” says the letter. “Large-scale greenhouse operations will pay $3 million in property taxes to the County of Essex and the municipalities of Leamington, Kingsville, Amherstburg and Essex this year. If they were taxed at the same rate as residential property owners, they would pay $12 million. If they were taxed at the same rate as other industries, they would pay over $24 million.

A delegation from the county, Leamington and Kingsville met with Ministry of Finance officials to make their case during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in August.

By-law Adopted to Allow Gravel Extraction Application to Proceed

Following a special meeting for public comment, council passed a by-law to amend the county’s Official Plan so that it aligns with maps used by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry.

The change will allow Erie Sand & Gravel Ltd. and Sterling Acre Farms Ltd. to proceed with an application to the ministry for a licence to expand their gravel extraction operations in Leamington, says a report council.

The Official Plan map change applies to 54 hectares of land east of County Road 31 and north of County Road 34. That is where Erie Sand & Gravel Ltd. and Sterling Acre Farms Ltd. own and operate a 76.5-hectare sand pit known as the Mainyard/Woolatt Pit, which has its main access at 220 County Road 31. They are applying to expand their extraction to the south on 7.3 hectares at 459 and 483 Talbot Street West. Leamington has already amended its official plan and passed a zoning by-law amendment to allow the application to go ahead.