November Strategic Decisions from Council

Strategic Decisions from Council

Consent Items

Report from the Committee of the Whole (Budget) – November 5, 2024
Designation By-law - 6550 Gerrie Road, Elora
Appointments to the Groves Memorial Community Hospital Board of Directors
Removal of Holding Zone From Centre Wellington Business Park Lands
Year-End Legislative Housekeeping

Belsyde Cemetery - Block 'D' Expansion Update
In 2024 detailed design was initiated to determine the existing soil properties, the amount of soil to be excavated, the depth to groundwater, and the design of a required retaining wall along the southern limits of Block ‘D’. This information is currently being used to further develop expansion plans in the Block ‘D’ section. Detailed design remains ongoing.  The design work discussed above will be completed in Winter of 2025, and construction of the Block ‘D’ expansion is expected to start in the Summer of 2025. Note that this planned 2025 expansion will only encompass a portion of the Block 'D' area, with the precise limit and scope of construction still to be determined through detailed design

Click here to learn more about the Belsyde Cemetery Master Plan and the Block ‘D’ Expansion

Cemetery Product, Services and Fees Report
The Township commissioned LEES+Associates to provide a current Cemetery Product, Services and Fees review that will guide decision-making regarding the future range of offerings and pricing practices for the Township’s cemeteries. The LEES+Associates Cemetery Product, Services and Fees Review provides a clear set of recommendations to guide the Township on how it can align its fees with the local market while providing the community with a unified price list with an appropriately diverse range of interment and memorialization inventory and services.

Click here to learn more about the Cemetery Product, Services and Fees Review

My Main Street Grant
My Main Street is a $15-million investment from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to spur local economic recovery. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) to help support the revitalization of neighbourhoods across southern Ontario.

The Township’s Community Development Division was informed that an application to this funding opportunity was successful. The application was for $88,500 from the My Main Street grant to execute up to six initiatives in the downtown Fergus area. The Community Activator Stream supports high-impact placemaking projects that seek to revitalize neighbourhoods and reimagine public spaces including main streets, downtown strips and plazas as vibrant and inclusive places that work for everyone.

The funding must be spent by December 31, 2024. As part of the application, many initiatives were considered and approved, but because of timing, many desired initiatives are now not possible and this grant is now focusing on the following initiatives:

1. Downtown permanent facade lighting materials and installation
2. Twilight in Templin weekly concerts - funding added to increase the number of Twilight in Templin concerts.
3. Night markets and sidewalk sales - enhancing and adding night markets in downtown Fergus

Click here to learn more about the My Main Street Grant

Centre Wellington Business Park - Update to Standard Form of Agreement of Purchase and Sale
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 (APS) 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. A template form of APS was approved by Council in March of 2022. Staff recommended revisions to the template APS and were seeking Council's approval to use the revised APS with immediate effect. 

Report to Council

Storybrook Subdivision Service Financing Agreement for the Reconstruction and Realignment of Colborne Street
The Township, Developer, and Builders in the Storybrook Subdivision in Fergus have successfully negotiated the terms of an Early Payment Agreement for funding the growth-related costs and local servicing costs for Colborne Street Improvements associated with the Storybrook Phase 3 development. Under the Agreement, the Developer is responsible for front-ending the growth-related costs of $3,861,000.00, as well as a local service cost of $300,000.00 in advance of tendering the construction contract for the Colborne Street reconstruction project.

The planned improvements for Colborne Street include converting the existing road from a rural cross-section to an urban cross-section that suits its status as a major urban collector road and provides for active transportation improvements. The design for Colborne Street is 90% complete and includes the following improvements:

• Curbs, gutters, storm sewers, streetlights and street trees;
• Multi-use path on the north side, sidewalk on the south side;
• Dedicated left turn lanes complete with pedestrian refuge islands at Farley Road as well on the internal piece at Runnells Way West;
• Two Type C pedestrian crossings on the internal piece, one at Block 235 (future park), the other at Runnells Way West;
• Extension of a 300mm watermain; and
• Conversion of the overhead hydro to underground as well as other minor utility relocations.

The reconstruction of Colborne Street will connect to the realigned Colborne Street located within the Storybrook development which will eliminate the sharp curves that currently exist.

Review the Report to Council here

Update on the Community Connect Pilot Program 2024
In February 2024, Staff proposed to restructure the Neighbourhood Grant Pilot Program. Council endorsed the plan to expand the efforts to bring all residents together. The pilot Community Connect Program was to focus on objectives that would:

• Celebrate and increase volunteerism for all community groups
• Connect new residents to resources they need to feel connected, safe and included
• Enhance community connectivity as Centre Wellington grows

The Community Connect pilot program focused on four key initiatives in 2024, successfully meeting its goals:

• Weekly Volunteer Profiles
• Monthly Open House
• New Resident Reception
• Volunteer Fair

Council approved continuing the program as a permanent program, ending the pilot, and for staff to focus on:

• Hosting a Township Volunteer Fair and the Township New Resident Reception on alternating years, given staff resource capacity to host both in the same year.
• Continue to share and promote Volunteer Profiles (aim for one per month)
• Develop a Guide for community groups to host their own Volunteer Open House and support promotion of those Open House events through the Township's social media platform (under the Communications Policy)
• Promote volunteer opportunities through the existing volunteer portal with United Way

Report to Council

Community Investment Fund Policy
The Community Investment Fund (originally called “Grants to Community Groups” and later switched to “Community Impact Grants”) was initially intended only to support Arts and Culture initiatives but grew to encompass all initiatives that brought value to the community. The revised OLG Reserve Policy, directs funding to a significant portion of this program, which has increased the available funding as the scope of the fund has expanded over time.

Council approved staff recommendations to:

• Rename to be the Community Investment Fund
• One grant submission per organization and clarify “stacking”
• Pause the Annual Specific Stream to new applicants
• Remove the Capital Stream and restructure the other streams.

Report to Council

Draft Culture Action Plan
The completed a Culture Matters: Cultural Action Plan in 2013, and it required an update. A consultant was hired to help identify the Township’s role in supporting culture.  The updated Culture Action Plan builds on the work currently being done by Township staff and aims to strengthen Centre Wellington as a place where culture thrives, is inclusive and is integrated into the community, ensuring that culture remains a priority. The project did not define what Centre Wellington’s Culture is, instead, the focus is on what the Township’s role in supporting culture should be, and how that can be actioned moving forward.

The scope of work for the project and consultant included:

• Contextualizing the Townships’ cultural landscape
• Detailing trends in the cultural sector
• Providing strategic guidance on actions and investments to serve the community better and leverage existing resources

The Culture Workplan identifies that the Township can take on three key roles to address the needs and support the culture community:

1. Connector & Facilitator: Foster networking, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing among artists, cultural organizations, businesses, and the community.
2. Funder & Investor: Provide financial and non-monetary support to strengthen local cultural organizations and professionals.
3. Promoter & Advocate: Advocate for the arts and culture sector and promote cultural events and initiatives within the Township.

View the Culture Action Plan Report and Workplan here