Grey County Committee of the Whole Meeting Transcript — May 28, 2026

00:00:06 Speaker 01: Okay, so I would like to call to order this committee. The whole of May twenty eighth, twenty twenty six. At this point in time, I will put out a call. Are there any declarations of interest on today's agenda? Seeing no hands, we will carry on. Any business arising from the minutes? Seeing none, we do not have any delegations this morning, so we can move on to item five, which is to determine any of the items in. Item Six that we wish to have for separate discussion. There are six items, six A through F. Is there anything that any member wishes to pull? We'll go to Councillor Boardneal. Thank you, Madam Warden. I'd like to pull Six A. Okay, so Six A has been pulled for separate discussion at the end of the agenda. Anything else? Okay, so I'm not seeing anything further. So therefore, we will go on to the recommended motion for Item Six. It's recommended that the following consent agenda consent agenda items be received, and that staff be authorized to take actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations in the staff reports, and that the correspondence be supported or received for information as recommended in the consent agenda. That will be everything from six B through six F. May I ask for a motion, a mover? Moved by Councillor Dubreun, seconded by Councillor Patterson. It's now on the floor for discussion. Seeing no hands, all those in favor, and that motion is carried.

00:01:35 Speaker 01: So we'll add item six a later on into the agenda that allows us to move on to item seven, which is our items for discussion and direction. The first one: it's recommended that report CCRCWO seven twenty six regarding committees in the new council term be received, and that the following committees and task forces be dissolved effective.

00:01:55 Speaker 01: September twenty fifth, twenty twenty six. The Agricultural Advisory Committee, the Community Services Committee, the Long Term Care Redevelopment Task Force, and the Planning and Economic Development Advisory Committee, and that staff be directed to compile the information on implementing honorarium payments to public members who sit on the Gray County subcommittees in recognition for their time and commitment and participation, and in the for the incoming council.

00:02:27 Speaker 01: For the incoming council's consideration. So, with that, I'll look for a mover and a seconder before we go to the clerk. Got a move by Councillor Hutchison, seconded by Councillor Bordenio. It's now on the floor for discussion. Welcome, Madam Clerk, to the lectern. Thank you, Madam Warden, and good morning, County Council. Through you, I felt like I should start this report off with a little bit of a disclaimer because I know that councils all across Ontario really enjoy and like committees, and as your former committee coordinator, I do as well. but part of my role as a clerk is to also provide and help provide counsel with an effective and efficient forum for your decision-making function.

00:03:41 Speaker 01: So I feel like I would be a little bit remiss if I didn't bring this report forward, similar to what was done in 2020, sorry 2022, with a recommendation on subcommittees in the new council term and a view of ensuring that our system and structure remains effective. And at least note to you that the the system as it currently. functions has a bit of a large corporate resource draw.

00:04:00 Speaker 01: But to start off, the benefits of committees are: we should acknowledge that they do have a large role to play in government, and they can be effective when structured accordingly. They do provide a focused and dedicated space to hold discussions on like issues and receive feedback on initiatives, especially county-led initiatives. They can also be a way to engage with the public and the community, and at Gray County, we do have a number of public members who sit on our a few different committees, and who dedicate their personal time and their volunteer time to attend and participate in those committees.

00:04:21 Speaker 01: And their knowledge and their passion does not go unnoticed in this space. Committees and task forces also can tend to have a more informal feel, which can be appealing to those who don't necessarily aren't used to more formal council. or meeting structure, so there's that benefit, and they do have formal agendas and minutes that are administered consistently from a centralized department.

00:05:04 Speaker 01: So the eight committees and task forces that Gray County has, the following are set to dissolve at the end of this term, anyways, due to the prior to their prior structures or past resolutions that were were passed by council. So those are joint municipal services set to dissolve in September, and then the urban roads and road exchange. Task Force, which will expire at the end of this council term, the Redevelopment Task Force is anticipated to fulfill its mandate by the end of this year, with the opening, anticipated opening of the new Rockwood Terrace in the first half of 2027.

00:05:20 Speaker 01: So, the recommendation to dissolve the Redevelopment Task Force is included in that in that motion on the floor. The Great County Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee, and the committee of management are both required by legislation and do perform regular functions, so they are at this time out of scope of this of this report.

00:06:00 Speaker 01: So the remaining optional committees are PDA, which is the Planning and Economic Development Advisory Committee, Community Services and Agricultural Advisory Committee. So the recommendation in this report is that these committees also be dissolved in September of this year, because council retains that decision-making capacity. The effect of having the additional layer of those remaining committees and task forces can create some duplication of effort on both councilors and staff's part. So, because any recommendations that come from those bodies have to be discussed and adopted by council at the council table before they're finalized.

00:06:22 Speaker 01: And because Gray County is a municipal government, it is obligated in our best interest to follow the processes and rules that exist for openness. transparency, and accountability, resources are being expended, and the time is being dedicated to holding formal meetings.

00:06:32 Speaker 01: We want to just ensure it's with purpose and with tangible outcomes being experienced.

00:07:09 Speaker 01: Staff do recognize that it may feel like there's a gap initially being experienced if all of the remaining task forces and committees are dissolved. In particular, the AG advisory and PDAC. Ag advisory and PDAK represent very important sectors in Gray County, and we know that this connection must be maintained. Gray County is an active participant in holding sector scans and roundtable discussions with both the ag and business community, but in a format that is less formal and likely more convenient to those sectors, and recognizes that committees and task forces may not be a one-size-fits-all approach to community engagement.

00:07:19 Speaker 01: So we'll continue as staff. to work directly with those sectors and to continue engagement work, holding public information sessions, newsletters, highlights, municipal visits, and forums and events to share information.

00:07:24 Speaker 01: There's also an opportunity to facilitate further information sharing to all of council through delegations from organizations like Pre-Aid Services. We can certainly invite them and any other organizations to attend council to provide updates as needed. So the outlier in this report is the the Planning Advisory Committee. So there is a requirement of the Planning Act that an upper-tier municipality with planning responsibilities shall appoint a Planning Advisory Committee. And in the past, this committee has joined with other committees, and it currently rests in the in the PDAc function. So if the staff recommendation is supported, the Planning Advisory Committee would also dissolve. And it's not staff's recommendation to re-establish it in a different. form, just to fulfill the Planning Act requirement. Staff will continue to dedicate resources to engaging and consulting with the public in a way that works for the community. So, in terms of staff reports, any other reports that would typically go to Community Services, PDAC, or AG Advisory would be presented to Committee the Whole for all of Council to hear the information.

00:08:13 Speaker 02: And then the final clause in the report is about honorarium. payments to public members, so that is just seeking direction from council if you wish for staff to look at implementing that in the future.

00:08:43 Speaker 02: There is a a note there about researching and then bringing back the information to the future council to consider implementing honorarium payments for any public committees that sit on sorry public members that sit on our committees in the future.

00:08:58 Speaker 02: That's all I have, but I'm happy answering questions if council has any and look forward to the feedback. Okay, thank you for sharing your expertise and in our options and what we must do and what we can do and what we want to do in terms of laying the table for what happens in future councils. So, with that, I'll put it out to our committee, the full members, for questions. We'll begin with Councillor McLean. Good, Madam Warden, Greater County Council, and staff, and to the Justice Report.

00:09:32 Speaker 02: I. strongly urge that we continue on with the agriculture advisory in the new term of council. It is proven that through all the agri through the conservation authorities that they feel they've developed. Sorry, I'm going to keep setting up here. I lose my voice. They feel it's very strong that an agriculture advisory with with the conservation authorities is very important. Where I say it's very important on this body as well. So I strongly urge that we continue that into. the new term of the next term of council as well, especially with the different things that are going on. And your biggest landmass is your agricultural lands in Gray County, and so I think it's important that you have that liaison between members of of the community, agricultural groups, and those that are on council, and those reports come back to this body.

00:10:26 Speaker 02: Okay, Madam Clerk, do you have any response to if there's a desire to to continue into the next term, but still go ahead with this motion to close off this particular committee?

00:10:39 Speaker 02: Perhaps you can you can navigate us through what our options are. Thank you, and through Madam Warden.

00:10:48 Speaker 02: So the motion on the floor is there's a few different there's lots going on in it. So you can as if Council supports, you can divide it out any which way you. It out in any which way you like. So, if there's some committees that you recommend be dissolved, that is certainly an option. If there's ones that you'd like to keep, we'll just be sure to separate those out so that it's not voting on the whole thing when it may your wish might look a little different than how it's presented. So, you can strike, you can add in, you can amend as you would any other motion.

00:11:33 Speaker 02: Okay, so perhaps I'll just continue asking for a call for any discussion or. questions, and then we'll look to see if there are going to be any potential amendments to the motion that's on the floor. So we'll go to Councillor Greg next, then to Councill to the Deputy Warden, and then over to Councillor Kevney, and then I'll check on this side again. Thank you. I would just note a couple concerns. I, I, I've stated in the past I'm a an advocate for standing committees.

00:12:17 Speaker 02: So I guess I do have a question to Tara in the future term of Council. what flexibility would there be for council to restructure at that time? Should there be a desire to go to more formalized standing committee approach? I think there's the opportunity to enhance the information being shared with councils, councilors in within committee members as opposed to the committee of the whole structure.

00:12:47 Speaker 02: There's so much information to to ascertain already. I think it's a real benefit. So, given community services. overseas material, which is front and center in in the you know the minds of so many in our communities these days, in terms of homelessness and various housing initiatives going ongoing, I'm a proponent of maintaining the community services committee. I'm a proponent of maintaining specific committees that enhance council's ability to go through the information. I'm going to, you know, pull one random one from the air, but a couple. years ago we had a just under four million dollar line item for capital work at the intersection in Katy on the books.

00:13:02 Speaker 02: I think it's gone now, but I think that demonstrates the value of having committees, where it enhances the ability for committee members to bring forward more information to council to peruse and and go through in the future, especially given our financial constraints are continuing to increase here; they're not lessening.

00:13:51 Speaker 02: So every opportunity to increase oversight is, I think, a benefit, and I'd hate to lose that. So also, when I saw the option of implementing honorarium payments to public members, I immediately thought of our local board of management or arena boards or different boards, for instance. And never in my life have I been familiar with anyone who wants to contribute to the community and in a board function like that and look for a remuneration. And look for remuneration back out of it. So I have an extreme reluctance to support paying public members with taxpayers' funds to contribute. I think it's a valuable contribution, but I would hope that it's done outside of being remunerated for. I mean, I understand potentially certain expenses if somebody's off to a trade conference or something, but on a generality, I would oppose. Depose implementing honorarium payments. Okay, thank you. Next is the deputy warden, and then Councillor Keaveny.

00:14:23 Speaker 02: Thank you, Madam Warden, and I concur with the last two speakers on their thoughts. But what I really wanted to speak to was the notion we would dissolve the long-term care redevelopment task force. The new Rockwood Terrace is not complete yet. We heard earlier that we're at sixty. Earlier we're at sixty percent, which is marvelous, but we're not there yet. So I, I think there might be some role for that redevelopment committee. Yet I would hope there is, and I would like to see that project through. I have to admit I'm on that committee, and I take a great deal of interest in that. And I, I feel like there would be a role for that committee, as I say, to finish a project.

00:15:14 Speaker 02: One never knows what things arise, and I think it might be a little unfair to leave staff, and and no doubt that the staff can do the job and complete the job, but I think it would be unfair to leave staff without a committee to deal with issues that may arise, and I have no idea what issues might arise, but issues do arise from time to time. So I think it would be valuable, and to see the continuance, regardless. I would hope some of us are going to return to the horseshoe here after October. So I think it would be valuable to have those members continue on in that committee with some new members potentially to, as I say, deal with issues that may arise from that project. Thank you. Thank you. Any response from Director Cornell or Madam Clerk? Okay, CAO. I'll go to CAO Schriner. Thank you for the the comments regarding the redevelopment task force.

00:16:19 Speaker 02: And so I think the intent would be for to remain till the end of this year, the redevelopment task force. And then the recommendation would be to, in terms of where it's where the project at, doesn't prevent the new council to say or staff to bring back a report saying we need to to continue that task force based on where things are at or things. that might arise, there's there's pros and cons to to all the different committees, task force structures in terms of that we've seen in the past, and and having whether it's at the task force discussion as it relates to the redevelopment project, or having the discussion with the the entire community whole, if any anything any matters were to arise and we needed to have those discussions, that would be the the potential venue if the task force didn't.

00:17:01 Speaker 02: If the task force did not exist, so just wanted to raise that. Obviously, we're looking for the direction from from committee and council in terms of whether or not there's merit to continue with some of these committees and task force up until the end of this year and and into the into the new term of council. And so we wanted to bring this report forward as we typically do towards the end of the term to say, okay, are we good with existing committees, or should we look at some different options? going forward.

00:17:57 Speaker 02: Tara may want to speak to the standing committee question that Councilor Greg raised earlier. My understanding is that doesn't prevent the new new council to come in and suggest what the the committee structure and governance structure would look like. So if if committee wants to have that discussion in terms of looking at standing committees, again, there's there's pros and cons to to standing committees. There's pros and cons to to any. structure from task force perspective, so we'd want to bring that information and have that discussion. If that's the direction of either this council or or the new term council to look at standing committees, we've had that discussion in the past, and and based on some of that information, you know, at the time, anyways, that it was to keep the committee the whole discussion with some subcommittees.

00:18:30 Speaker 02: If if the direction is to have less subcommittees, what does that look like then from the standing committee discussion as well as committee, the whole discussion? Some of the cons we've heard in the past is that if it's if it's a standing committee or a task force discussion, only certain members of the council may be getting into those detailed discussions, and and therefore the the remaining members of council are not familiar with some of those detailed discussions when it comes back to this body to make a final decision or termination.

00:19:00 Speaker 03: So so those are some of the challenges that we've we've experienced in the past, or some of the common Experience in the past, or some of the comments we've we've heard in the past, in terms of what works and what doesn't work, and so. But my understanding is that it wouldn't prevent the new term of council from considering any new structure with respect to standing committees or committee structure.

00:19:48 Speaker 03: Follow up from the deputy warden, just real quickly, and I thank appreciate your thoughts, Randy. But I guess my concern, and I don't want to stray too far off of the of the motion that's on the floor. but if we, as a group, don't trust the members that we elect to put onto various task force or committees, and we're just going to bring it back here and rehash it anyway, what's the point of any committee?

00:20:05 Speaker 03: We either do the committee or the task force or whatever you want to call it, or the standing committee for that matter, and we trust our colleagues to get into those details at a level that maybe the rest of us aren't, either don't have time or don't have the interest to get into, we either trust those decisions made by those groups and the recommendations, or we don't. And I and I've had a long-standing issue here that we we send a committee off to do their work, they come back with really good recommendations, and then we just throw it out the window. What was the point? What was the time wasted to do those deliberations? So we either going to do the committee. So we're either going to do the committees and trust their judgment or not. Anyway, I'd rather have the committees and allow the members to get into those kind of details and and level of minutia to make sure that the the issues are properly debated and and deliberated on, and or not.

00:20:46 Speaker 04: So anyway, thank you, Madam Warden. Okay, thank you.

00:20:51 Speaker 03: We'll go to the clerk and then over to Councillor Keating. Thank you, Madam Warden. And just going back to Councillor Gregg's comment. Back to Councillor Craig's comment on the standing committees and options for future structure changes.

00:21:21 Speaker 03: So, what we have tried to do in the past is early on in the term, because when a new council comes in, they're getting going, they're becoming familiar with governance as a whole, and by the time they're feeling comfortable and feeling like they can make a change, it's kind of too late for some of those things. So they get pushed off to a future term. So what we've tried to start doing is bring a report forward on everything that.

00:21:49 Speaker 03: has to do with governance, essentially, and highlight those things early for council so that they can start thinking about what they like, what feels right, what they could change, so that it can be brought forward any time. As in those of motion asking staff to come forward with a report on structure changes or term of warden and all those kinds of things that just come up every term. So we're trying to front end that a little bit. So definitely flexibility at any time in the future. Okay, thank you. We'll go to Councillor Keaveny next. Thank you, Madam Warden, and I want to start by saying that I agree with Deputy Warden Mill, and I think the work of committees is very, very important. And I wanted to speak to the Joint Municipal Services, as perhaps Councillor Gaudy will as well, as Chair, thinking of the work that has been done in healthcare doctor recruitment by that committee, and thinking of Deputy CAO Lobbly and and.

00:22:16 Speaker 03: the great effort that he has put into working with Lindsey Johnson at the OHT and that would not have happened were it not for this committee and that work is certainly not nearly completed at this point in time. But I know he's been a great resource and a great support for Lindsey and I. I certainly want to see that piece continue. But as Chair of PDA, I must speak to to that committee and the we just met as everyone knows yesterday and the enthusiasm. that comes out of that group is absolutely incredible.

00:23:10 Speaker 03: It is so motivating and so inspiring, and I'm I'm grateful to Savannah and her team for all of their efforts. And I think that committee is just dynamite, and everybody really really enjoys being part of it. So I do have a question in relation to that because now that MOUs are signed with each lower tier and the working group, I know is accomplishing great things. Would that allow for communication back to council? That would more or less equal the reporting that comes to PDAC because I would personally really hate to see PDAC dissolved because it just is such an inspiring committee.

00:23:57 Speaker 03: So I'll leave it at that. Thank you. Okay, so I'll look to either Director Myers or or the clerk if there's a response to that and the the PDAC committee. The the PDA committee also includes the the public members that that also come forward and sit on that as well as the rest representation from the lower tiers. So perhaps you can clarify what would happen if this were here or not here. Thank you, Director Myers. Thank you for the question, and through you, Warden. Our intent from Economic Development, Tourism, and Culture would be to come to Council every quarter with the same update that we bring to PDA, so all of Council can hear that update at the same time, and then the reporting from the team. Gray MOU was always coming direct to council, so we would be coming here, ideally in the summer and at the end of the year. So at least six reports to this body would be the plan.

00:24:31 Speaker 03: Okay, and no follow up. That's good. Okay, then I'll go to Councilor Dobrin. Thank you, Warden, and good morning. I am also supportive of committees where you can have those. more casual conversations where you can get into a little bit more detail.

00:24:52 Speaker 03: I'm wondering, given the fact that this is to dissolve as of September, if it if the if the language is more about pausing or furloughing the committees until the new term of council, and having staff bring back recommendations for whether those are internal committees, task forces, external members, perhaps it is a advertising for new members, but to to close off the term with those committees to start fresh based on input from the new council, I am opposite to my colleagues on honorariums because.

00:25:43 Speaker 03: we in Southgate do pay for our library board members and our committee members, it is nominal.

00:25:50 Speaker 03: If we appoint members of this body to sit on those committees, adjacent to public members who have the same voting rights and input, but we're being paid and they are not, or even at a very low threshold, it is.

00:26:12 Speaker 03: trying to compensate them slightly for their time or their travel. So I would encourage assessing the alternatives for an honorarium for our public members going forward as well, and and having those committees perhaps not dissolved permanently but temporarily paused for the duration of the term.

00:26:37 Speaker 03: Okay, Madam Clerk, I'm going to look to you for any clarification on furloughing, deferring, putting putting off the table for the moment those kind of avenues.

00:27:26 Speaker 03: Could you please provide us with any clarification on what we may or may not build into a motion? Thank you, and through you, and we certainly would take direction of council on on pausing on the committees, but the intention is that they. would continue on as planned for the rest of this council term. There, we're starting to scale back, anyways, just of how, based on how the meetings have fallen, whether they're held three times a year, four times a year. So there isn't necessarily any upside to, from my perspective, anyways, to pause them. They will mostly be wrapped up by the end of September, anyways. So yeah. I would just say, certainly happy to take your direction, but I don't know that it's starting to scale back anyway. So that the numbers are are dropping as the term kind of wraps up.

00:27:50 Speaker 03: Okay, next we'll go to Councillor Nielsen, and then over to Councillor Body. Thank you very much, Ward Matrasoff, and I appreciate the discussion we're having here today. As you know, we receive a report, and the premise is to have that conversation. For me, the purpose of the committees is is information and relationship building.

00:28:35 Speaker 03: It gives council members an opportunity to not just work with and hear from the directors or managers of departments, but to hear from some of the staff that are key in doing the boots on the ground work, and an opportunity to hear from leads of different sub departments within the committee. So, if we look at the community services committee, you know, director Shaw is is obviously very involved in all aspects of community services, but it's great to hear from some of the members that are doing the boots on the ground work.

00:28:59 Speaker 03: when it comes to homelessness and community supports and stuff, and so there's an opportunity for council members to build a relationship with the staff that are doing the work. It's also while I respect the reports, comments on the formal setting and nature of committees and task force, we all know that the experience within that room and within that opportunity is less formal than what we are doing right here today. There's more comfort to be able to ask a question where you might feel silly about asking a question. because you know you should have understood it's in the report on page seven. Why didn't you see that? But there's more of a comfort to be able to have that back and forth conversation with staff that really kind of, to what Councillor Milne said, you know, dig into the minutia of some of these items and the that knowledge and the the opportunity to learn more as we've had those kind of committee.

00:29:22 Speaker 03: I think is very beneficial. The other comment I just wanted to say is that to your last to Councillor. Your last to Councilor Breen's comment about pausing, and to Clerk Ward Warder's comments on that one.

00:29:39 Speaker 03: My my comment on this is the motion on the floor is to dissolve the task force. You've mentioned bringing a report on governance to the new term of council. We saw, I think it was a fifty percent, almost thirty get even turnover of county council at the start of this term. I'm just wondering how the report. would move forward, showcasing the committees and structures that existed previously, as in this term of council, with that knowledge to the new terms that the new term understands what's been done in the past, and not just trying to assume there's enough members here that remember what worked, what didn't, and kind of that in the governance.

00:30:24 Speaker 03: If we dissolve the task forces and the committee structures, and then leave it up to next term to. form their belief of what that governance structure looks like. I think it is helpful to make sure the report would have what's been working already, rather than trying to start from scratch. I think kind of Councillor Greg's comments on the standing committees have that report with what that what does that look like versus this community structure. It's important that the next term of council have enough information to decide on their own what the governing structure would look like. But for me, the committee having this opportunity is fantastic. to learn as much as we can and understanding, but also getting a face to the staff that are doing the work. Okay, thank you.

00:31:01 Speaker 03: Then we'll go over to Councillor Body. Thank you, Warden McIntosh. First of all, I've got two thoughts here.

00:31:19 Speaker 03: For the first one is with regard to the joint municipal committee, which was an ad hoc and would be wrapping up. I encourage this is maybe going to feed into the next one, but I encourage next council to keep that going. Very clearly, the province of Ontario has got potential plans, or at least the threat that they will be reorganizing municipalities. They've started. If we don't start doing things in our own, looking at the things that all nine municipalities do, or ten, including the county. that we are maybe not duplicating, but doing the same thing side by side that we can do together.

00:32:01 Speaker 03: Start looking at ways that we can jointly work together and try and make ourselves a little more bulletproof to the province. I think we're going to get potentially have decisions made for us. So I'd encourage that one to go forward. When you're ready for a motion, I have picking up the consensus in the room. I will. Oh, flash! I would move to take those three paragraphs and have them voted on separately, so that council can decide to receiving the report, to dissolving in three the honorariums and vote those three separate.

00:32:40 Speaker 03: But there's probably other conversations before I put that motion on the floor. Okay, thank you. I didn't actually have any other name, but there we go. We'll go to council. But there we go. We'll go to Councillor Carlton next. Thank you, Arden. Speaking to PDAC, which we had the meeting yesterday, we have the public members on there and the input that they give, and I really value that because that's not information that I would have available without those public members sitting on that committee. And I would agree with Councillor Dobreen in they are giving of their time; they're bringing an expertise to the table. I think that should be paid for. So overall, I see the value in having those committees because I think it brings us all information that we may not otherwise have access to. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Councillor Borden.

00:33:31 Speaker 03: Thank you, Madam Borden, and I concur with my colleague's comments, especially Councillor Barty, with the Joint Municipal Task Force. The province is looking at many changes, and as we sit regionally, and that's. I can speak from the from the local level. The people are looking at that. Our local councils are looking at that, and the work that's being done with that. So anything we can do at a regional level, from a lens like you know in Peel, let's say, garbage is done at a regional level, and here we do at a local level. So it so the things that we can do from a regional level that will help all member municipalities, I think, can only help our cause as as we move forward. I go back and forth on the honorarium as well because. Ararium as well because you know I've sat on many committees and at the local level we're not paid additional funds as councilors, but at our police services, our committee of adjustment, there small arariums where some of the committees of council are not. So we do pick and choose with that depending on the time commitment, depending on the gas, so things like that that can go either way.

00:34:24 Speaker 03: But continuing on with with these committees, I I think is paramount as we look from a regional to local time. From a regional to local tie in together. Okay, thank you. Okay, we're going to go to Councillor Greg. Quick question, just for information. Then, in considering honorariums of some individuals who could sit potentially on a committee and who do sit in the committee, if there's individuals who are salaried already sitting on committees, how would there be contemplation on not doubling up on remuneration?

00:35:43 Speaker 03: because potentially you could have some already being paid by the taxpayer, and then you're considering paying them a second time by the taxpayer for the same time. And what consideration is is there perhaps by members of that scenario?

00:36:05 Speaker 03: Okay, we'll go to the clerk for that. Thank you. And we do have that occurring currently with members that have their travel covered. because we do pay for their travel to attend the building. So in those cases, we do work with the individual and just acknowledge that if you're getting paid by another organization for your time and travel costs to get here, then you're not receiving anything further from Gray County, and that has worked well so far on an informal basis. I could also, sorry, Randy, I just don't want to lose sight of Councillor Nielsen's comments about the comment, the plan for moving forward into the new term, and if I'm understanding. where you're coming from, if Council would like to, so the reason we want to bring this forward at this time is to get your perspective as a sitting Council. You've lived it for four years almost. So, what would you like? What do you recommend going into the new term? So, if you would like to continue with committees, I would recommend addressing that in in the motion with what committees you wish to continue, and then the new term would start off with those ones that you would.

00:36:23 Speaker 03: like to see continue, and of course the flexibility is there. They can change as the new councils would like to suggest and see fit. And that governance overarching report would come forward early in 2027 for information, just to provide context and background about what has been done in the past, what what keeps coming up as a question every term for further direction. If council wishes to see something else come forward.

00:37:11 Speaker 03: Okay, so we'll go to the CAO next. Through you, Warden. Further to Councillor Greg's question with respect to the the salary piece, I think that's the intent of of the motion regarding that is that staff would would do some research, compile that information, bring that report back to new term of council. Some of those considerations, as you've highlighted, plus potentially others, would be part of that information. Will be part of that information package for council to consider whether or not to pay an honorarium, not a pay an honorarium. Here's some nuances in terms of maybe some committees, not other committees. So, so these are some of the things that we could compile as part of that information to for the incoming council's consideration.

00:38:17 Speaker 03: Okay, so keeping in mind that that last paragraph is about for for consideration, Director Myers, can we just confirm to the composition of the. Firm to the composition of the of the PDoc committee, we actually have three buckets of participants, right? Because we have our council members that are that are there present. Then we have lower tier lower tier participation as well, so somebody who's already salaried at the lower tier. But then we have people like representation from Georgian College, but then we have public entrepreneurial people who are also sitting on that that committee. So perhaps you could just fill us in on that. Absolutely. through you, Warden. We have five members of the public who sit on that.

00:38:55 Speaker 03: There's an application process, typically, and staff will go through those applications to make sure that we've got sector representation from a wide variety of sectors, including education. We've had egg in the past, and lots of manufacturing and small business have been there as well. We do have our member municipalities who will come when they're able. We have a meeting, an economic development working group meeting, that same. day, anyway. So because they're already coming for three quarters of the day, they come for an additional morning to join with us. And then we have the staff and the committee itself, which includes one member from every municipality who sits around the horseshoe for the committee. So I think we're around almost 30 people who do come for that committee. It's significant.

00:39:37 Speaker 03: Okay, thank you. 30, but it's five members who come through the public system and say yes. I I represent this sector. That's where my business is. I would like to serve on this committee. Okay, all right. Where are we then? I'm just going to look to see. Oh, yes. We'll go to Councillor Nielsen. Thank you very much, Ward Mustafa. Just a response to Clerk Warder's comments. On my my understanding. So just for clarity, the one suggestion is we can make amendments to the motion to suggest certain committees can. Suggest certain committees continue, and then again for clarity, if Councillor Body separates the motions and the motion to dissolve the task force is defeated, then all four committees will continue to the next term of council. The next term of council would receive the governance review and can make decisions for themselves. Thank you.

00:40:20 Speaker 03: Okay, so any other points of clarification or comments or questions? All right. Well, Councillor Body, you are the one that that. indicated that you had a motion, so I will look to you next. Thank you. So I would move that we separate the three paragraphs to be voted on separately.

00:41:21 Speaker 05: Okay, and I have that seconded by Councillor Dauvergne. So that's on the floor for discussion to split the three items. Any discussion on that? Okay, not seeing hands go up, so I'll ask all those in favor. Okay. So, Madam Clerk, we will split. all three motions. And so, with that, I'm going to turn to the first one, and we'll see if we have somebody to move that the report CCR CW 0726 regarding the committees in the new council term be received. May I ask for a mover for that, Councillor Carleton? Seconded by Councillor Eccles. Any discussion on receiving the report? Okay, seeing none. All those in favor? Okay. So, Madam Clerk, that portion. has been carried. So, the next part that is recommended is that the following committees and task forces be dissolved effective September 25, 2025, 2026. It's the Agriculture Advisory Committee, Community Services Committee, Long-Term Care Redevelopment Task Force, Planning and Economic Development Advisory Committee. That's what's been recommended in the in the report. Is now open for a motion. Is there a mover? Yes, Deputy Warden. Seconded by Councillor Dobrin.

00:42:04 Speaker 05: Okay, so this is now this is now on the floor for discussion. Any further discussion on this portion of the motion? Seeing none. Okay, so then I'm going to call the vote on that. Then, all those in favor of the motion that was moved and seconded. Okay, and all those against. Okay, so Madam Clerk, that motion is defeated. And the last one is: it's recommended that staff be directed to compile information on implementation honorarium payments to public members who sit on Gray County subcommittee in recognition for their time and commitment and participation for the incoming council's consideration. Madam Clerk, I sorry.

00:42:51 Speaker 05: I'm just going to stop us in the middle of process. The fact that we split the motion, usually it's the same mover and seconder that was originally that we had originally put on the floor.

00:43:08 Speaker 05: Yeah, I just want to make sure that we're not doubling up on our moving and our seconding. Right. Okay. So I don't need to call for a mover and a seconder, and. we can. Can I just let's take our break? Why don't we? I just want to make sure that that this doesn't create mayhem for the clerks' crew to be able to track it all and and things.

00:43:35 Speaker 05: So let's take a break at this point in time. When we come back, we have some substantial discussion to do on other motions. Let's come back at at eleven twenty, please.

00:54:49 Speaker 05: If I could just please ask our committee, the whole members, to start coming back to their chairs. Thank you.

00:55:41 Speaker 05: Okay, so I've had. the word that we're good for recording purposes. If I could just call us back to order, thank you very much. And we needed that break; that was timely. And also, we are going to continue with the separate movers and seconders for the three parsed parsed pieces of the original motion, in consultation with the original mover and seconder. They are good with that. So, with that, then I'm going to call for a mover and a seconder for the third part. And because we just come back from the break, I'll just reread it. That staff be directed to compile information on implementing honorarium payments on public to public members who sit on Gray County subcommittees in recognition of their time commitment and participation for the incoming council's consideration.

00:56:25 Speaker 05: So it's to direct to compile information for the future council's consideration. May ask for a mover and a seconder. Moved by Councilor Dobrin, seconded by Councilor Eccles. That's now on the floor for discussion. All the Seeing no hands, all those in favor, and Madam Clerk, that motion is carried.

00:57:17 Speaker 05: Okay, thank you very much for that. So we will move on. I very much appreciate the in-depth discussion that we have, is because people really care about how this county operates, and I think it's all very fruitful information for us to consider, as well as the future council that will be sitting around the horseshoe next. With that, we have Item Seven B. It's recommended that Report C A O R C W fifteen twenty. CW fifteen twenty six regarding the Going Green in Gray review be received for information. I'll look for a mover or okay, Councillor Eccles. You're moving, okay, and a seconder, Councillor Pringle is seconding. It's now on the floor for discussion. I'll go to Councillor Greg. Just I'd like to note that this item was pretty much requested from Councillor Mackie back at. Back during budget time, and noting that the mover, I think he was, of the request for this report is not present at the meeting today, I move that Council postpone the report to be presented at the meeting June 11th, as I think that's most respectful to the member not present today.

00:57:52 Speaker 05: Okay, I'll ask if there's a seconder. That's being seconded by Councillor Hutchinson. That's now on the floor for discussion to defer until our. That's our next scheduled meeting, Madam Clerk, June 11th. Okay, I'm not seeing any other. Not seen any other hands for discussion. I'll call the the vote. All those in favor of deferring to the next meeting. Okay. Could you please show your hands emphatically? Okay. Okay. And all those opposed. Okay. So that motion is carried, Madam Clerk. So we will defer that for discussion and receiving of information to our next scheduled meeting.

00:58:48 Speaker 02: That allows us to go to item seven C. However, given seven C. Given 7C, because we've just had some further information from the Ministry of Transportation, staff are recommending that this item is actually that this item be pulled because it will be a more fruitful discussion to have this item before us if we have that extra information. So, Madam Clerk, that would be then coming on the June 11th, June 25th to be coming on the June 25th to allow staff to update us on the information that has just recently come to our attention from the Ministry of. Transportation. So I'll put out if there's any objection to us revisiting this or visiting this on June 25th instead with the extra additional information. Okay, Madam Clerk, I'm seeing no hands go up in objection, so I believe we are clear to move on to item 7D, which is it's recommended that report CSR CW 1626 regarding the county's 10-year housing. The county's ten-year housing and homelessness plan be received, and that the ten-year housing and homelessness plan be endorsed and sent to the province for review.

00:59:17 Speaker 02: So, with that, I'll look for a mover and a seconder to get it on the floor. It's moved by Councillor Kevany, seconded by Councillor Dicker. Online, it's now on the floor. And welcome, Director Shaw. Thank you, Madam Warden.

00:59:54 Speaker 02: So, Grey County, as the service manager for the area, is responsible to have a housing and homelessness ten-year plan as mandated by the province. The plan is required to be reviewed every five years. This is actually our brand new ten-year version. The plan itself outlines a vision and a direction that forms a strategy to improve our housing and homelessness system as it is now. It identifies strategies and actions to improve and grow the system, and it focuses in on defining affordable housing as housing for those. that financially qualify or financially qualified for rent geared to income housing.

01:00:34 Speaker 02: So we wanted to put that out there so that we could have a clear definition of of what the population or who the population is that that we are are looking at. The funding for the plan is a combination of federal, provincial, and levy dollars, and of course any levy dollars that would be spent would be brought forward in either budget or to to council for approval. So our guiding principles. we wanted to ensure that we have collaboration and system thinking when we were putting the plan together. That there was equity for everyone. It was culturally safe in its access. That housing options with choice were available. That there was prevention and early intervention. That it was sustainable. That people with lived or living experience had a voice, and that it was data driven. So we did some research. We looked at a housing needs assessment, and we did. an environmental scan. We looked at demographic information, all of our information from the various waitlists and programs that we have, data from various community service partners. We did an environmental scan of the existing housing and services, and did a supply and demand analysis using the heart model. We looked at it from a rural context when it came to access for services and funding, and we also included our equity and inclusion. We had a service provider focus group.

01:01:34 Speaker 02: Service provider focus groups, and I'd like to thank all of our community agencies that took the time to meet with us and discuss where they saw this plan and and where it needed to go, and and how we could improve, and and also collaborate on services. And we also had feedback from people that were using our services and took that into consideration, as they're the ones that that know where those gaps are and what needs to be improved too.

01:02:36 Speaker 02: So what we heard was the need for more housing, the need for different types of housing when it comes to emergency transitional supportive and permanent to maintain the stock that we have. To work in collaboration and integrate our our mental health supports and our health supports that are in the area to support people to remain housed. So once a person does have housing, the best thing that we can do is is help them keep it. Putting together a responsive system for those that are experiencing homelessness. The need for education and understanding around poverty, food security. and precarious housing, and the need for early intervention services. So I've asked that the strategies be put up. So it, I'm sorry, I think I told you in our report.

01:03:17 Speaker 03: So if we could go down just to where it says strategy one, create new affordable and supportive housing. That's it. Thank you. So we did put them into three strategies and gave them. each their own page so that they're easy to to take away and and to talk about. And so our first one is creating that new affordable and supportive housing, looking at 300 deeply affordable housing units in the next 10 years, and 50 of those being supportive with supportive or transitional supports available, leveraging county and nonprofit lands, building rent supplement and a secondary suite program, and maximizing any federal and provincial funding. And one of the ways that we're going to be able to do that is if we have a pilot. Do that is if we have a pipeline of builds through either our county or a nonprofit group available and ready to go. So we have listed a number of ones that we're we're working on right now, whether they're shovel ready, whether they're in pre-development, or whether land still needs to be acquired. These are areas in which we have either access to some land, there's a higher need, or there's a nonprofit or ourselves that are available to build. One of the things. that I was asked to talk about was how difficult it really is to get an affordable build off the ground.

01:04:10 Speaker 03: There's many steps to it, and and it involves a lot of funding and resources and time. Land number one is is finding that land, whether it's our own or purchasing it. The pre-development, so working to get the studies done that might be needed. Are there working with an architect to design what? could be developed for that land, building. How once you do figure out what you're doing with that with that piece of parcel of land, it's now the build phase and looking at those costs and and how can you contain costs? What type of housing is it? What's needed in that housing? Does it need a scooter room? Does it need a mail room? Does it need all of those things? Building right now, if you're looking at three hundred and fifty thousand a unit, you're doing a forty unit build. That's fourteen million dollars just for the build. itself, not including any of those soft costs or land. Then there's the ongoing operating. Once it does get built, who's operating it? Who's doing all of that property management, and where do those costs come from? Utilities, ongoing capital needs, maintenance—all of those wrap into the operating costs. And when you're looking at affordable builds, you have to have at least 40 to 60 percent of the capital costs paid for upfront in. order for a build to work. So if I'm looking at 14 million for just the build itself, I need to have at least seven million to put towards that. Otherwise, I'll never be able to afford the mortgage payment. And that's why I think it's difficult to build affordable housing right now because a lot of things have to align and a lot of work goes into it. We're fortunate right now. We do have a nonprofit that's been working for five years now to get a build going in Owen Sound, and they are close to starting. So there will be 40 units of Owen Sound.

01:06:09 Speaker 02: Forty units to go and sound. We have a build in Dunedoff in which we're very close to getting going. We're still working with Grand Valley Conservation Authority. We're getting closer to what we need to do, and so of course we are close to getting that build going. But that's been at least two years. So it is, it's it's the system, it's the funding, it's everything. But it does take a lot of work and a lot of expertise in order to get that going, and that's why we're fortunate enough to have expertise in house and and. also then working with architects, local architects, in order to assist us. So I just wanted to put that out there. Other things that we're looking at for supportive housing is working with our Ontario Health team and our health agencies to get supports embedded into the housing that we're developing. Whether that's twenty-four hour supports or that that's visiting supports, depending on on the level of support a person may need.

01:07:08 Speaker 06: and we also want to integrate Fourteenth Street and and short term shelter into all of our supportive housing, so that there's a flow. Someone's coming from the street, they enter into our shelter, maybe they spend some time at Fourteenth Street, and then they've got somewhere to go. So that's our next thing. We'll be coming with a report later in the summer about 19 units of supportive housing at Rockview, in which we're working on an agreement right now with with Canadian Mental Health Association. We're looking at launching a portable rent supplement. program, a financial assistance program for secondary suites, and of course our land strategy.

01:07:45 Speaker 06: Keeping in mind that as surplus and vacant lands come available throughout the county, would they be appropriate for our housing? So next onto strategy two, please. We want to support a vibrant housing sector. So we want to look at the housing that we have and how can we continue to support it financially, but also enhance our provider capacity with our non.

01:08:03 Speaker 06: Our provider capacity with our nonprofits, improve energy efficiency and performance, and also tenants' supports. We continue to have tenants with increasing complex needs, and the broader housing system demands that we are the ones to house them. There, there is no other option. But individuals that require those health and those mental health supports are coming to us for housing, even though we're not set up as a system to to handle that.

01:08:49 Speaker 06: So, how can we move towards, you know, in You know, integrating health services more into our own housing, or whatever those services may be—they may be food security, health, wellness, social connection. So we're looking at how can we increase services in our own buildings to support people. We want to. So our key actions, I guess, would be our social housing viability strategy. So looking at a portfolio review, updating our building condition assessments and asset management plan, helping our non-profits to with trying to. with training, mentoring, succession planning, and five-year capital plans with them—they're an integral part to our housing system.

01:09:49 Speaker 06: And how can we support and keep them strong? Energy and carbon. So again, looking at any retrofits or any those utility programs that we may be able to access through the federal or provincial programs. And again, I talked about our on-site supports and how important it is to strengthen the supports in our in our in our buildings. Right. now to keep people housed. Strategy three. Strategy three. We're looking at strengthening our homelessness system to reduce chronic homelessness. We want our outcome is hopefully a coordinated, data-driven system that prevents homelessness, shortens the episodes of people that are experiencing homelessness, and striving for that functional zero in chronic homelessness.

01:10:18 Speaker 06: And again, chronic homelessness is someone who is experiencing homelessness for six months or more out of a year. We. want to look at the right-sized emergency response, so supporting the overnight shelter, increasing and expanding our short-term capacity to meet demand. We continue to see an increase in demand. We did in twenty-five, twenty-four to twenty-five, we were able to see a stabilization a little bit, and I think that's because the county has invested and has done, you know, very well to to to try and provide those extra supports.

01:11:00 Speaker 06: We bought a motel. We. did a short-term shelter program, so we invested in 14th Street. So all of those investments pay off. But the reality is that it it keeps increasing. People that need help and and homelessness still still is increasing in in our community. Prevention and diversion. We're looking at case management to maintain housing. We have a pilot project happening right now in which if a person that is working with our short-term shelter programs. Who has been experiencing homelessness? If we are able to house them, we have a worker that sticks with them for six months. And so far, the project started in October. And anyone that has is working with a worker. We've been very lucky. Zero percent right now have returned to homelessness. Where normally we have thirty to forty percent of people that we house return. So it's it's it's proving to be a very worthwhile experience. People need that extra support when they've received a housing.

01:11:24 Speaker 06: Received the housing, they need to be able to call on somebody if there's an issue with the landlord or financial or a neighbor, and I think having that extra support is really working. Coordinated access and data, so strengthening our by names list data, expanding agent access to HIFIS to other agencies, and improving our data quality and public dashboards. It really does help us to see the gaps in service, see where we might need to implement a different service, and also. allows us to see provide those wraparound services for people. Indigenous-led pathways.

01:12:36 Speaker 06: We want to support Indigenous outreach and culturally specific supports, and of course, encampment outreach. We want to update our municipal protocols, develop or deliver on-site supports, and track outcomes from the first contact to housing. One of the things that we, when we're working with people who are experiencing homelessness, a lot of what the homelessness part of it is only one part as to why a person doesn't have a home. It really is health, a lot of health issues, whether it might be addictions, mental health, lots of other reasons. But we do have a certain percentage of our population that are experiencing homelessness that we are unable to provide services for. They just don't exist, and we work with, collaborate with the partners and with the systems that we have right now. but we're really struggling to find that individualized service, 24-hour support service, to exist, and that someone will accept.

01:13:02 Speaker 06: So those are our challenges over the next few years. The report also has an implementation roadmap with our launch and our early wins, scaling up and integrating what we're going to do, and then of course the last few years would be finishing up on what we want. we will or we want to achieve. We will have another report, obviously annually, coming to you. But as we implement all of these things that are in this plan, council will be kept up to date. And I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Lots of thought going into that, and what the direction may be for the next ten years. So thank you very much for providing that to us in the council package, and also your presentation this morning. so I will look around the room for and, Madam Clerk, if you could change my screen so I can keep an eye on online. We'll begin with Councillor Nielsen.

01:13:57 Speaker 06: Thank you very much, Ward and Matrosov. I don't actually have a question. I just wanted to commend and compliment staff on the work that goes into this. Councillor Body said it a probably a year and a half, maybe two years ago. We can easily get beat up for not doing enough because the numbers are still there and and the crisis still exists. but the reality is, Gray County is stepping up pretty fast and pretty hard in this space. Gray Highlands, we have a a new non-profit group trying to enter this space. They recently held a community engagement session. We had Sharon Irwin came out to represent the county to speak to the community housing efforts that we have, and that opportunity is fantastic. And it was great to be able to speak to the group that was there, that are feeling nervous and scared about the future and what's happening. but also trying to explain to them how much Gray County is doing, how much positivity we have, how much the to see a plan like this and to know that it is achievable and scalable to to implement. It is fantastic to be a part of this, and it is fantastic to see all the great work that the staff are doing. So I don't have a question. Just really wanted to tip my hat to you because I think it's a fantastic amount of work that's being done in this space. Indeed, thank. you. And we'll go to Councillor Greg next. Yeah, my comments, I guess, are are woven around maybe a question in here for Anne Marie, but they're largely supportive of what I just heard from Councillor Nielsen. I believe the county is one of thirty-three or thirty-four providers of housing from the province. You conform to an act of of the province. Owen sounds. census data would demonstrate there's over a hundred communities larger by population than than Owen Sound. Yet we we do hear from some that we should be getting involved in in housing or or doing some of the work that the county is already doing. So I'm just wondering if you could speak to some of the resource commitment, terms of staffing, costing that is required to facilitate implementing and supporting the program. as well.

01:16:13 Speaker 06: Second question, I guess, would be: we hear, and I think Mayor Body has has demonstrated it well over the last couple of years. There's always other municipalities seemingly gleaning ideas and takeaways from your initiatives that you've installed here, implemented in the county. Are there?

01:16:31 Speaker 06: I'll leave you then with: Are there any initiatives that you see other way in other places in the province where you kind of wish you could build upon, or think that we're already undertaking.

01:16:46 Speaker 06: Can I make a wish list? So, first of all, when it comes to expenses and what what I think Owen Sound should be doing, and I think we are doing that. We're partnering with land that's available, so that we have land when funds come for a to build. I think that's very important. I think supporting some of the initiatives, and I will be talking about it later in our our minutes. The neighborhood response pilot that was downtown it was only on for 150 days, but it was very successful with lots of people and businesses reaching out. And I think that that's what people need. People see someone in their community that's struggling with addictions or struggling with mental health, and they're out in the open, and they're public, and I think that people have a number of reactions to that.

01:17:43 Speaker 06: Sometimes it's fear, sometimes it's guilt. I think that there's there's enough a lot to be said that housing and homelessness is not going to cure that. We have a a drug crisis, and we have systems that need to be improved across the province.

01:18:05 Speaker 06: in or like at the provincial level and the federal level, that need to be funded in order for us to truly be able to reach out and help some of the people that we're seeing downtown, and that is right across the province. That's not just here.

01:18:20 Speaker 06: And I think that by partnering and being supportive of each other, then we can certainly work together with Owen Sound as we do. We work with your bylaw through in to reach out to encampments. you know. I think supporting safe and sound, supporting ourselves with some of the initiatives that we're able, and I think that goes for everybody around the table. I mean, today we're laying out a plan in which we want and hope to be able to better the system, and I think if we have all of your support, then I know that we're going to be able to do that and to make that work. So I think that that's really important. Costs for staffing, well, I believe our budget, our levy alone for for housing is seven million dollars, and of course we have a lot of provincial some provincial funds, and obviously our tenant rent and a lot of other things that go into that. So, our our budget is is quite large, and does provide a lot of housing. So we provide services for people in our housing.

01:19:08 Speaker 06: We provide services for people in nonprofit housing, homelessness. Fourteenth Street, our motel program. So there's a lot that we are doing, and all of that does does require funding from all levels of government. As for what could do, we see anything. One of the things that I I do really like is supportive housing. I think it works. Fourteenth Street, our new Rockview program that's coming up. The ability for us to put supportive units in any affordable build that we're going to do in the next little. while, I think, is very important. But the tough part is finding those funding dollars because, as a community, as a county housing, we don't have access to the funds required to do supportive housing. So we have to work very closely with our OHT and with our community partners, health, that do have those funds, and say, "Hey, this is what we'd like to do, and you know, can we partner?" Fourteenth Street is a great example.

01:20:25 Speaker 06: We didn't even have funds for supports, but council was good and said, "Let's do it." So we built it, and yes, we got the supports after. But you know, it's hard to get everything to all line up at the same time. So you do have to take some of those risks. So I think for me, my wish list would be more supportive housing and more more health supports available in the community. Okay, thank you.

01:20:55 Speaker 06: We'll go to Councilor Body now.

01:21:01 Speaker 06: We'll go to Councillor Body next. Thank you. Probably don't need to say more than that. A couple times in there, you said it works. It works. It works. It works. We've had a plan for approximately ten years. A couple years ago at AMO, there was presenters from larger cities than us that were talking about the things that they wanted to do. Tick tick. tick tick tick tick. We're already doing every one of them up here. When I looked at the BMA study compared to other counties, our spending per capita on housing was higher than anybody else's.

01:21:43 Speaker 06: Like Grey County is leading. I've just been in Toronto. I've been in Ottawa. I've been in several places. Going to be in Edmonton. in a week, and you're going to be amazed at how bad it is.

01:22:00 Speaker 06: Own Sound looks pretty damn good in the street compared to all those other places, contrary to what uninformed people think. I hope everyone that has sent me an email calling me lazy and useless and saying do something is paying attention today. Gray County's been doing it for ten years. He's been doing it for ten years. Look at this plan; it's a really good plan. For my own personal reasons, I apologize to my councilors around me for delaying time, and to the clerks, I'm going to ask for a recorded vote, so each of our names is going to show up supporting this. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Any other? Yes, Councillor Dobrin.

01:23:45 Speaker 06: Thank you, Warden, and thank you again. I have to echo what has already been said around the table. When I sit at the AMO table, when I have that privilege, and we're speaking at the county caucus, and I won't speak for Councillor Nielsen, but when he's sitting at the AMO table and the Roma table, when we're having our updates, there are people across Ontario at those tables: the Eastern Wardens Caucus, the Western Wardens Caucus. various other counties, and to Councillor Body's point, they're looking to Gray County.

01:24:21 Speaker 06: What's Gray County doing? And they're really truly interested in mirroring some of those those initiatives. So, kudos to staff, and yeah, we we are leading the way. Thank you. We'll go to Councillor McQueen. Yes, and a great report. Just I heard on the on the radio on the way up here this morning that in in the for in the attainable or affordable housing, in the sense of those trying to buy a first home, the HST PST holiday is helping a lot of buyers now.

01:24:39 Speaker 06: It said the provincial government has committed, the federal government hasn't signed the paperwork yet for the for the portion of the HST. But I know just in speaking with our our developer in in Markdale, sales greatly picked up, and there there are half a million dollar homes starting.

01:24:51 Speaker 06: So I think the holiday and HST is under a million dollar home. To think you have to pay a million dollars to buy a home in today's day, but to save up to over a hundred thousand dollars is is a game changer. So on that aspect too, that is helping, and and I know it has. I think from next September, I think is the time. Whether they extend that, but they were just saying that that. has started the uptake. So those that just can't afford a home, this may help them get there as well. So there's lots of spectrums to the whole part of housing. Okay, thank you. Don't see any further hands up. And Councillor Body has requested that we have a recorded vote, Madam Clerk. So I think we can begin to proceed with that.

01:25:20 Speaker 06: Councillor Mackie is absent today. Councillor McKay. In favour, Councillor Carleton. In favour, Councillor Pringle. In favour, Councillor McQueen. In favour, Councillor Nielsen. In favour, Councillor Patterson. In favour, Councillor Dickeert. In favour. In favour. In favor, Councillor Kentner. In favor, Councillor Kieveny. In favor, Councillor Body. In favor, Councillor Gregg. In favor, Councillor Milne. In favor, Councillor Dobrine. In favor, Warden Matrosovs. In favor, Councillor Bordignon. In favor, Councillor Eccles. In favor, Councillor Hutchinson.

01:26:11 Speaker 07: In favor is carried 92 to 4 with an absence. Thank you, and thank you, Director Shaw, to you and your your team, your entire staff that are committed to each and every part of this parcel that allows us to move forward in the next 10 years.

01:26:29 Speaker 07: Thank you. Okay, so now, Director Shaw, what I'd like to do next is do your next item, and then I'm going to return. to item 6A, give you a little bit of a break before we come to 7F, just to give you that heads up. But with that, we are looking now for item 7E, and it's recommended that the Community Services Committee minutes dated May 12, 2026, be adopted as presented, and that it includes the following resolutions that have been published in our agenda that you see. There are five different resolutions attached to it. May I ask for a mover and a seconder? We've got it moved by Councillor Nielsen, seconded by Councillor Dobrine. Mr. Dobrin, it's now on the floor for discussion. So I will look to Director Shaw to introduce these minutes. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Warren. So the Community Services Committee met on May twelfth. We had a delegation from Annette Pedler, the Executive Director of Safe and Sound. Annette presented about the neighborhood response pilot and an updated on the shelter. The neighborhood response pilot was for one hundred and fifty days. They received a hundred direct calls and. Received 100 direct calls and other third-party referrals. 211 and Oceanside Police also also provided calls to them, and they also did interactions other than that. So they provided 1639 interactions with people requiring services, whether that was a referral, whether it was a referral to the overnight drop-in center or Safe and San or sorry or Oshare.

01:27:45 Speaker 07: So Annette and her team have put together a. report that I believe will be available on their website at some point, and I will also see that it will get attached to our minutes.

01:28:13 Speaker 07: Annette then also reviewed the overnight drop-in space and the numbers for this year, which of course have increased over last year. She then spoke to plans on moving forward with the plan of opening an emergency shelter in Owen Sound, which they she reported that they had secured $500,000 in grant funding to purchase the.

01:28:34 Speaker 07: And grant funding to purchase the building, and that renovations were underway, and that hopefully there would be complete by this November for the next winter season. We had a report on the homelessness prevention program. So this is our funding that we received from the province, and this was from April of twenty five until March of twenty six. You're in review. Josh Gibson addressed the committee. He noted that our sustainable housing benefit we had an increase in. need for that this year. It is first and last month. Sorry, it's it's last month's rent.

01:29:48 Speaker 07: It's rental arrears and supporting utility arrears. So we are seeing an increase in people that are housed in our community that are struggling to remain housed. So that was one of the areas in which we did see an increase. Our shelter short term shelter program provided over sixteen thousand nights of shelter to three hundred and ninety six and To 396 individuals, 58 of those individuals were 16 years and younger.

01:30:18 Speaker 07: So again, supporting our singles and our families. We also support 70 residents in domicile hostels. So the domicile hostels provide that 27 supports for people, whether it's through medication, daily living, and we are seeing those costs increase. So we are projecting that as this is. the third consecutive year in a row without any funding increase from the province, that we may be looking at a deficit for the 2026-27 funding year.

01:30:46 Speaker 07: We have not had our HPP funding confirmed yet for this year. We did get a conditional amount, and it was the same as the last three years. So, with the increase in need, the increase in costs, we will be coming back to in August with another report, letting the community. Services Committee know where we're at for the year. Ontario Works, Melissa McCullough, our Ontario Works manager, she provided an update on some statistics for Ontario Works and discussed some of our eligibility for verification process in which we do so that it would be.

01:31:22 Speaker 07: Sometimes we are looking at funds that need to be returned to us, and also went through our discretionary benefits and what they can assist in two thousand. In 2025, at this time, we had 1,359 households we were assisting, and now this year it's up slightly. We have 1,373 households that staff are assisting. That equates to 1,624 adults, 45 dependent adults, and 1,001 children. So, are accessing services through Ontario Works. We also had an update to our early learning and child. care service plan, we had enlisted Beam Group to provide a a program review on our special needs programming, and we came back with recommendations.

01:31:39 Speaker 07: There were eight recommendations through this service plan, and just a plan in order for us to implement those throughout the year. And again, we'll be reporting back as to our progress on that. I'd be happy to answer any questions. Okay, thank you. I'll open it up to committee. The whole members.

01:31:52 Speaker 08: Okay, I'm not seeing any hands go up nor online, so it looks like we're ready to call the question. All those in favor, and that motion is carried. Thank you. So with that, let's return over to the one item that was pulled from the the consent agenda. It's item six a. It's recommended that the correspondence received from Paul Wilson regarding speeding on Gray Road 13 in Heathcote be received for information. You receive for information may ask if there's a mover and seconder for that. Move by Councillor Bordenell, seconded by Councillor McQueen. So it's now on the floor for discussion. And Councillor Bordenell, I'll look to you because you had pulled that item.

01:33:04 Speaker 08: Thank you, Madam Warden, and good morning again, County Council. I would just ask refer this to Director Hoy for his staff to address the resident concerns and a report back to Council for the feasibility of any of the requests. Okay, through you, Warden.

01:33:13 Speaker 08: Yeah, I think I think the first thing we would do is talk to Mr. Wilson and and Patricia Grant and just talk about the issues here that they're concerned about, and we would probably bring it back to a subsequent report for our forty seven eighty eight bylaw, which is our speed. and parking and all those things. So there's not a we we kind of save up those requests and then bring them back as it goes. And it could be a huge, depending on road change, a huge bring back of that document. But just for for reference, so the three items: one is to reduce that area of Prairie Road 13 to a 40. And our current our current policy states that basically, if municipality wants a section of an urban or a hamlet to be a 40, then the other roads and the municipality be forty as well, so that would be something that you know.

01:33:36 Speaker 08: And we kind of put that in because we were getting where the only road that was a forty was the county road, and all the minor roads weren't. So that'd be something we'd have to look at. Whereas there's probably many roads in the town that Blue Mountain that you wouldn't necessarily want to be a forty. The other thing is just the community safety zone signage. If we move the sign, we're moving the the safety zone itself, which probably they kind of want to close. They kind of want it closer to town, which makes sense to just kind of put more emphasis on it. But it being over kilometer, it probably actually warrants additional community stage zone signage anyway. So we could look at that. We don't need to come back to council to look at that. And then the third is just those those flashing like speed indicator signs to tell you how fast you're going. We have a few of those around the county that have been paid by private organizations. We don't actually buy them on the county dime at this time. So. we will correspond with these people and then bring it back 47, 88. Okay. Thank you for that additional information. We'll look to Councillor McQueen. Thank you, Madam Warden. I guess probably of interest or maybe of note, that whole area is on a curve. There's like it's not a straight sightline. It meanders around, which maybe has some merit for some other considerations as well.

01:34:52 Speaker 08: Okay, thank you very much. Anything else? All right, then I'll call the question. All those in favor, and that motion is carried. Thank you. All right. So what we're going to do now then is because the next two pieces of work that we do are tied, both the open and the close.

01:35:32 Speaker 08: So I'm going to ask Director Shaw to come forward, and and what we'll do is we'll look to put the motion on the floor. Then. item seven F on the floor that will then set the stage and allow us then to go into closed session and then we will come back out of closed session and conclude with our decision making. So with that, let me recommend, let me put out on the floor that it's recommended that report CSRCW fifteen twenty six regarding hiring a custodian position in housing mid year be received and that staff proceed with adding a full time custodian position for the housing.

01:36:44 Speaker 08: Imposition for the housing department in 2026 may ask for a mover and a seconder. Got it moved by Councilor Patterson, seconded by Councilor Kentner. It's now on the floor for discussion. So I'm going to look to you, Director Shaw, and then we'll proceed with closed session.

01:37:18 Speaker 08: So, would you like me to go through my this first? Sorry, open introduction. Sure, certainly. So we. do require an additional full-time custodian position. Our housing custodians are available for a wide range of maintenance, cleaning, inspection, and security-related duties, and they also are our first point of contact for a lot of our tenants. They must be able to interact effectively and respectfully with individuals from diverse social, economic, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds. And we do provide our custodians that comprehensive and ongoing training to. safely and effectively carry out their roles. We include mental health and addictions awareness, managing difficult and high-risk situations. We provide non-violent crisis intervention, first aid, and workplace safety, and other relevant training. They also benefit in house. Also benefit from the direct supervision, mentoring, and support from Great County Tenant Relations staff and management. As tenants continue to grow in the complexity that we're seeing in our. buildings right now, we do need to ensure that we have safe, responsive, and well-maintained housing environments, and we want to ensure that our staff are safe too.

01:37:47 Speaker 08: So we like to be able to have the ability to provide those services in house and ensure that our staff are trained the way they should be.

01:37:58 Speaker 08: So we are looking for a full-time custodian. We do have some funds available in this year's budget due to some other projects, and it would cost us a shortfall of four thousand dollars for this year for the custodian, and then of course we would have a few items we would need to, which we could absorb in our existing budget of twenty five hundred for some some tools. Okay.

01:38:29 Speaker 08: Thank you for both the report and for that introduction. So at this point. in time, I'm going to ask that we do a motion to go into closed session. There are two items, so we'll have a little bit of a staffing switch around in the room on who needs to be in the room when. Then we'll come back out of closed session and return to this item that's been introduced in open. So, with that, it's recommended that the committee, the whole, does now go into closed session pursuant to section 239-2 of the Municipal Act 2001 as amended to discuss number one, a trade secret, scientific, technical, commercial, or financial.

01:39:02 Speaker 08: information that belongs to the municipality or local board and has monetary value or potential monetary value, and this is with regards to community services. And second item is a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land, and that is that is with regarding acquisition. May I ask, remove her and a seconder? Got it. Moved by Councillor McKay and seconded by Councillor Eccles. All those in favor of going into close. okay. Thank you. We will. That motion is carried, Madam Clerk. So we'll give a moment to set up the room for closed session. Thank you.

01:39:40 Speaker 08: Okay, our recording is back on for open session. So I can report that the committee, the whole, proceeded into closed session to discuss a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, or financial information that belongs to the municipality or local board and has a monetary value or potential monetary value, and a proposed pen. And a proposed pending or acquisition of or disposition of land. So, with that, we are going to now return to the seven F motion that is on the floor about that that the report CSCW fifteen twenty six regarding the hiring of a custodian position in housing mid year be received and that staff proceed with adding a full time custodian position for the housing department in twenty twenty six that was already moved.

01:40:41 Speaker 08: That was already moved and seconded, and that was moved by Councillor Patterson and seconded by Councillor Kentner. So, it's now on the floor for any further discussion. Okay. Seeing no hands go up, I'll call the vote. All those in favor, and that motion is carried.

01:40:50 Speaker 08: Secondly, we do have a motion to entertain an open session, which will be put up onto the screen.

01:41:45 Speaker 08: Okay, so it's recommended that with respect to the partial acquisition of land required for Gray Road 19 slope stabilization, consisting of approximately 0.04 acres from 76796595 Gray Road 19, staff be directed to continue negotiations in accordance with the council direction, and that the action take place prior to council.

01:41:55 Speaker 07: approval, as permitted under Section twenty six point six B of the procedural bylaw, and and that the draft agreement to of purchase and sale be brought back to council for for further consideration.

01:42:26 Speaker 07: May ask for a mover and a seconder on that. Okay, it's moved by Councillor Dobrin, seconded by Councillor Hutchinson. It's now on the floor for discussion. Seeing no. See no hands. All those in favor, and that motion is carried. Madam Clerk. Okay. Thank you very much, and thank you to staff for your assistance in those items. And with that, I'll look to any other business. Any other business? Okay. And any notices of motion to serve? Yes, Councillor Gray. Thank you, and I provide notice that recognizing recognizing the review. of paramedic service response times in 2026 and the requirements for rehabilitation of the Owensound Fire Hall and future needs of the Iron Township Fire Department, Council directs the CAO senior/senior leadership to interact with the CAO/mayor of Georgian Bluffs and Owensound to ensure the outcome is one which optimizes the provision of the emergency services in the most financially responsible framework. Thank you.

01:42:54 Speaker 07: Any other notices of motion to serve? Looking around the room and on the screen, don't see any further hands. So, with that, then we'll look for a motion to adjourn. It's it's enthusiastically moved by the deputy warden and followed seconded by Councillor McQueen. All those in favor? And that motion is carried. Thank you very much, everyone. See you in June.