One-Sentence Summary: The Grey County Committee of the Whole considered regional transit planning, approved Owen Sound’s official plan bylaw, reviewed waste management updates, and postponed a BDGW transit study motion to October eighth.

Whole Meeting Summary

The Committee of the Whole proceeded through agenda items regarding regional transit planning, official plan approvals for the City of Owen Sound, and waste management updates received from the Joint Municipal Services Committee. Staff presenters provided reports on feasibility studies for cross-border transit networks and reviewed findings concerning municipal insurance costs and recruitment timelines.

Top Newsworthy Developments

  • The committee considered a unified regional transit network study prepared by Dillon Consulting and presenter Dennis Kar to address ridership losses from removed GTR lines.
  • Presenter Dennis Carr of Dillon Consulting recommended utilizing approximately $7,000,000 in allocated OTIF funding to establish a base network across Bruce, Dufferin, Grey, and Wellington counties.
  • The committee received a draft report on a BDGW regional transit study (report code EDTC-CW-12-26) focused on initiating dialogue for cross-border solutions rather than enhancing existing operations.
  • A motion to postpone consideration of the BDGW regional transit study failed, allowing the committee to consider the information at the next meeting scheduled for October eighth.
  • The Committee of the Whole approved the City of Owen Sound’s updated official plan bylaw 2026-02-9 after staff confirmed conformity with county and provincial regulations.
  • Minor corrections regarding report distribution were addressed before the motion on the City of Owen Sound official plan bylaw was carried.
  • Deputy CAO Grant Pringle presented a waste management review covering operational assessments of nine municipalities and legislative scans of delivery models across Grey County.
  • The committee discussed recruitment timelines for a risk and claim specialist role utilizing existing salary dollars to fill the position identified in the waste management review.
  • Members confirmed that the five-person Joint Municipal Services Committee successfully explored collaborative opportunities and encouraged future councils to maintain this small group size.
  • A notice of motion was introduced to ensure the Joint Municipal Services Committee continues its work in 2027 with the new council.

Why It Matters

  • The approved City of Owen Sound official plan bylaw incorporates specific modifications detailed in Appendix One, subject to conformity with county and provincial regulations.
  • Discussions on regional transit networks involve evaluating feasibility for a seamless system while utilizing requested funds allocated for establishing a base network.
  • The waste management review noted that municipal insurance costs are influenced by global events and legislation rather than local control.

Watch Next

The committee will consider the BDGW regional transit study information at the next meeting on October eighth.

Read full transcript: https://helpos.ca/transcripts/grey-county/committee-of-the-whole/2026-09-24

Agenda page: https://helpos.ca/agendas/grey-county/committee-of-the-whole/2026-09-24

Official meeting page: https://pub-grey.escribemeetings.com/MeetingsCalendarView.aspx/Meeting?Id=3957ae1c-2eee-468f-86f2-1a72b9d6e36e Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32P9o5JWJxY