Strategic Decisions by Council in April

Council Meeting Dates: April 14 & 28, 2025

Strategic Decisions from Council

Consent Agenda Items

April 14^th Council Meeting Consent Items
Code of Conduct Investigation Report 2024-02
Treasurer's Annual Statement: 2024 Development Charge Reserve Funds
Quarterly Procurement Report Q4 - 2024
Zoning Amendment RZ008-2024 Decision Report - 7120 Sixth Line, West
Zoning Amendment RZ009-2024 Decision Report - 8141 Sideroad 20, West

April 28^th Council Meeting Consent Items
Capital Projects Status - December 31, 2024
Appointment of Chief Building Official, Deputy Chief Building Official and Building Officials (Inspectors)
Centrifuge Repair at the Elora Wastewater Treatment Plant

Fergus Downtown Illumination CIP Grant Stream
Council approved a new stream of the Centre Wellington Community Improvement Plan called the Fergus Illumination Grant. 

The program continues an initiative previously managed by the Community Development Division, initially funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Rural Tourism Ontario Region 4. The original program funded lighting projects that highlighted the architectural features of buildings in downtown Fergus, promoting beautification, business activity after hours, and overall community economic growth.  The new stream will provide businesses with funding of up to $2,500 from the CIP Plan towards lighting equipment to illuminate their establishments. Additionally, businesses would be eligible for $4,000 in funding for labour costs, which would be sourced from remaining RT04 grants previously awarded to the Community Development Department Division. The program would be contingent on the availability of these funds as they are available.  Council requested that staff extend the downtown boundary for the program in Phase 2 as determined by staff.

Report to Council

Fergus Grand Theatre Operations and Community Impact Report
Council adopted the report and directed staff to implement the outlined action items.  The draft report was available on Connect CW for six weeks, and staff presented to each of the advisory committees listed throughout March to gather feedback.

View the Report to Council and Operations and Community Impact Report here

Culture Action Plan
Council adopted the Culture Action Plan and directed staff to implement the action items in the report.  The draft report was available on Connect CW for three months, and staff presented it to two advisory committees to gather feedback. 

View the Report to Council and Culture Action Plan Report here

Healthcare Professional Accommodation Update
Council approved the transition of healthcare professional accommodation space from 965 Gartshore Street, Fergus to 495 Union Street West, Fergus (Craighead Cottage) as construction of the new Operations Centre is set to begin. 

Since September 2023, the farmhouse has been well utilized. On more than one occasion, the house operated at maximum capacity, with all four bedrooms in use by healthcare professionals. Currently, most hospital staff staying at the farmhouse are working day shifts. 

The Georgian-style cottage, locally called the “Craighead Cottage”, is listed on the Municipal Register of Cultural Heritage Properties for the Township. It was constructed around 1842 for Hugh and Elizabeth Black who immigrated to Fergus from Scotland in the 1830s. The house is currently in poor condition, with a project included in the 2024 and 2025 Township Budgets to restore the cottage structure to its original constructed capacity. The Request for Proposal for the Craighead Cottage construction is scheduled to close on April 17, 2025, and is expected to be awarded shortly thereafter. Construction is anticipated to occur between May and September 2025.

Healthcare professional accommodation will not move from the Gartshore Farmhouse to the Craighead Cottage until renovations are complete.

Report to Council

Short-Term Rental Licensing Draft By-law
On December 18, 2023, Council directed staff to complete an extensive public consultation process, draft a licensing by-law and formulate a strategy, including financial implications, to regulate and enforce short-term rental accommodations (STRs). In April 2024, MacLaren Municipal Consulting Inc. was retained to conduct public engagement, provide recommendations and ultimately prepare a draft licensing by-law. Over the spring and summer months, workshops were held, a survey was conducted, and information sessions were held at local events to educate, raise awareness and gather information. 

On September 30, 2024, Council received the Consultant’s report, directed staff to post the document on Connect CW for additional feedback and instructed the consultant to draft a by-law based on the recommendations put forth in the report. The report was considered by the Economic Prosperity & Growth Advisory Committee in November, and with their support to regulate short-term rental accommodations, a draft by-law was prepared and brought forward to Council.

The report gave Council two options: Option 1 was to defer any decision regarding regulating Short-term Rentals at this time, and Option 2 was to endorse the draft Short-term licensing by-law, vet the by-law through legal, and return to Council for final approval in the future. 

Council deferred the matter to allow staff to schedule a Committee of the Whole workshop to develop various STR bylaw options for Council’s consideration before year-end.

Report to Council

Information Report - RZ05/24, 6235 Guelph Street, Nichol (Aypa Power Battery Energy Storage System Facility)
For information, staff brought forward a report which summarized that the Township has received an application to amend the Zoning By-law for a portion of the property located at 6235 Guelph Street, former Nichol Township, to allow a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).   The report provides additional information regarding public comments received on the application, together with staff's and the applicants’ comments to address the concerns raised. Further, staff provided additional policy analysis for the applications and other information relevant to the matter.

A decision will be brought forward to a subsequent Council meeting.

Information Report to Council

Annual Posted Speed Limit and Traffic Calming Review
For the 2024 calendar year, a total of 23 road segments were evaluated. These segments were selected based on resident speed concerns reported through the "Report-It" section of the Township's website. Speed limit reductions are recommended on 5 of the 23 assessed segments. These recommendations include lowering speeds from 50 km/hr to 40 km/hr in the urban area, and from 80 km/hr to 60 km/hr in the rural area. Speeding has been confirmed on 7 of the 23 segments.

To improve safety in areas where speeding was confirmed, a suite of speed reduction measures were considered. Each road segment was evaluated on a case by case basis to determine which speed reduction measures would be most effective given the road’s characteristics and the nature of the speeding issue. Recommended measures include the installation of flexible bollards, new speed limit signs, the deployment of electronic speed signs, enhanced OPP enforcement, and line markings to narrow travel lanes and provide buffers for pedestrians and cyclists. Speed reduction measures have also been implemented to mitigate cut-through traffic caused by Phase Two of the Reconstruction of St. David Street North from Garafraxa Street to just north of Edinburgh Avenue in Fergus. Township staff are also recommending two additional 40km/hr Neighbourhood studies in 2025: the Beatty Hollow and Storybrook subdivisions, and the Prince's Street and Albert Street W neighbourhood in Fergus.

Report to Council

Business Park Agreement of Purchase and Sale Update
The Business Park Strategy adopted in the previous term of Council recommended that the CAO be authorized to execute any Agreements of Purchase and Sale for land within the Business Park, including the new Centre Wellington Business Park as well as any remaining vacant lots on Gregson Court in the Northeast Fergus Business Park. The delegation of business park land sale authority to the CAO was conditional upon the setting of the land sale price annually by Council and the use of a standard form of Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS). 

Township staff are requesting further modifications to the standard APS to give the CAO the authority to incorporate optional provisions within the APS. Staff are currently reviewing multiple Letters of Intent to purchase lands in the Business Park, and believe these provisions will streamline the administrative process for the approval of Agreements of Purchase and Sale by the CAO.

1. Item 1 is related to a requirement that the first building to be constructed on a lot occupy at least 40% of the lot width. Staff are proposing that the standard template to allow the CAO to delete this provision if the configuration of the proposed lot would make compliance with this requirement difficult to achieve.
2. Item 2 relates to how the buy-back provisions in the APS are implemented. The standard APS provides for the land to be reconveyed back to the Township if development doesn't proceed within two years of closing. Township legal counsel has proposed optional language that can be inserted into the APS at the CAO's discretion, which achieves the same result.

Council authorized the CAO to utilize the revised standard form of Agreement of Purchase and Sale for land sales within the Centre Wellington Business Park with immediate effect. 

Report to Council

Strong Mayor Powers
On April 9, 2025, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs announced the expansion of strong mayor powers to 169 additional municipalities, including the Township of Centre Wellington.  The new powers and authorities granted to the Mayor of Centre Wellington are outlined in the report with specific reference to how these powers will be implemented and the processes put in place to ensure compliance with the legislation.

Next Steps 

1. Following the Council meeting, a webpage will be established for posting all Mayoral Decisions and Directions. 
2. Staff will review any affected by-laws and policies and propose recommended updates for Council approval. Depending on the extent of changes, more urgent updates will be prioritized first. At a minimum, this will include the 

• Procedure By-law 
• Council Code of Conduct 
• CAO Performance Evaluation Process 
• Township Recruitment Process 

3. Staff will collaborate with the Mayor on a 2026 Budget Schedule, taking into account these new rules.
    

Staff require additional time to fully understand the legislation, best practices, and options regarding the impacts of Strong Mayor Powers on the Township and will make every effort to provide this promptly. Given the anticipated effort required, this work will take precedence over other 2025 Business Plan initiatives for both the Office of the CAO and Corporate Services.

Report to Council

Municipal Accommodation Tax Implementation Plan
The Council agreed in principle to establish a Municipal Accommodation Tax and the necessary Municipal Service Corporation, along with approval of the implementation approach for the Municipal Accommodation Tax as outlined in the report.

The Economic Development and Tourism Strategy, funded in the 2024 Capital Budget, scope of work includes an analysis of:

• MAT as a funding mechanism
• Rationale behind implementing a MAT
• MAT pros, cons, and best practices
• MAT implementation steps, tracking metrics, parameters for the utilization
• Proposed organizational structure.

The Economic Development and Tourism Strategy is currently in development; however, staff have reviewed a preliminary draft of the document. The Strategy recommends the implementation of MAT through a Municipal Service Corporation (MSC). Council will see this document in the coming months.

In the 2025 Capital Budget, Council approved $100,000 for a MAT implementation study.

Report to Council