Busy council meeting runs for over 4 hours
by Brandon Mayer
A very lengthy meeting of the Township of North Dundas Council on February 12 focused on the municipal budget for 2025. The meeting began with a police services board report, and a general discussion of concerns that have been brought up by residents over the previous year, including vehicles not stopping for stopped school buses, and drivers going the wrong way on Winchester’s two one-way streets.
The United Counties’ Director of Transportation, Benjamin de Haan (formerly an employee of the Township) next provided an update on a road needs study. The study recommends an eventual goal of 22km of road resurfacing per year, with 18km of paving this year. A gradual increase in the amount of road work done each year is recommended, with emphasis on how properly maintaining roads is necessary for long term budget management. The study also states that the focus should be on rural roads, with in-town roads only looked at when underground utilities are concurrently being repaired or upgraded. The Counties’ ask of North Dundas in terms of road work funding this year is $1.5 million, with slight increases each year for the next 10 years to achieve the 22km goal.
Deputy Mayor Theresa Bergeron commented that the budget has been very tight, and that it will be a difficult decision to decide how much money to allocate without significantly increasing taxes or borrowing money. Councillor John Lennox disagreed, seeing the road repairs as more of a necessary long term investment.
Director de Haan then continued with a report on the consideration of some local roads that had been considered for a change to county road network status, and vice versa – existing county roads that would be better suited as local roads (solely under Township jurisdiction). The short section of County Road 9 that connects County Roads 43 and 7 on the northern edge of Chesterville was ultimately recommended to be reclassified as a local road. A main benefit of this is that it means less approvals will be required for developments along the roadway. The Deputy Mayor raised a concern that there is a bridge on the road that needs replacing, which she doesn’t want North Dundas taxpayers to bear. Director de Haan provided reassurance that the transfer process would take this into consideration.
One local road that approached the criteria for becoming a county road was Liscumb Road, along the northern edge of Winchester. While it does not meet the criteria for such an upgrade yet, it was noted as part of the report that this will be revisited in the near future.
The meeting then shifted gears, with Council approving a new Communications Coordinator position to help keep the North Dundas public informed, and also discussing the particulars of infrastructure (especially internet infrastructure) related to a new proposed subdivision of 13 houses in Hallville. Next steps have also been approved for the addition of 4 units in the existing apartment building located within a former school in Morewood.
Director of Recreation and Culture, Meaghan Meerburg, then announced a partnership with the YMCA to help manage the Township’s two community pools this year. The reason for this decision is that the experienced individuals who have run the pools in the last few years will not be returning this year, leaving a hole in the level of knowledge and experience required to run the pools with the previous level of service maintained. Councillor Lennox expressed much positivity about the partnership as a strong solution to the problem. A representative of the YMCA was in attendance, and described other services that the YMCA can provide in the community long term as the partnership between the organization and the Township develops. Council approved the agreement in principle, with a more formal approval to come in the future following a consultation with the Township’s insurance provider.
Water and wastewater considerations came next, with Council agreeing to enter into an agreement with Lactalis to allow the factory to temporarily discharge its regen water into the municipal sewer system, for a fee, until its own privately owned sewage treatment plant is expanded. Council also took steps to move forward with the addition of well field 8 to add available water units to Winchester’s water system.
The agenda briefly jumped to a motion to award a tender for land clearing and grubbing at the Boyne Road Landfill to LBL Excavation, which was approved. It then returned to a discussion of water and sewer matters, with a cautionary note that upgrades to the existing system are starting to rely more on loans than user fees. Council also heard that the brown water issue in Winchester could possibly be caused by rapid changes in flow rate resulting from Lactalis’ changing water draw from the system throughout the day. The idea of a flow metre was proposed to restrict the amount of water that Lactalis can draw at any given time. Upgrades to the Winchester sewage lagoons were also proposed. Water and sewer users will see an increase of 8.67% on their bill this year.
Council quickly moved through some subsequent orders of business, including a small increase in remuneration for local firefighters and other part time Township employees. The 2025 municipal budget was officially approved, with a tax increase of 17.66% for the North Dundas portion. Overall, residents will see a 9.9% increase in their property tax, since the increases for the upper tier Counties portion and the education levy were lower. Following the approval, various considerations were made regarding routine matters. The price for burn permits in the Township will increase this year, with the additional portion being put toward tree planting. Recreational campfires do not require a burn permit in North Dundas. The Council meeting ended with a report and discussion about grant opportunities for 2025.
The meeting lasted just over 4 hours, with another closed session meeting taking place on February 21. The next meeting is scheduled for March 12.