Council Meeting

THAT the draft agenda presented to Council and dated the 9th day of September, 2025 be adopted as prepared.

THAT the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 12th, 2025 be adopted as circulated.

THAT Council supports an amendment of the Recreation, Parks and Culture Committee recommendation of July 15th, 2025; AND THAT the Municipality approves an event budget of $5,000.00 for Municipal-led events for the 2025 year, above and beyond the current budget; AND THAT Council considers additional funds in future budgets for municipal recreational activities.

THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris accepts the recommendation of the Director of Public Works in Report No.R-2025-12 and authorizes staff to proceed with paving of the cenotaph parking lot based on the two (2) row configuration layout at an estimated cost of $64,000.

THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris accepts the recommendation of the CAO as outlined in Report No.CAO-2025-01; AND THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris authorizes staff to engage the services of Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) to conduct a review of municipal facilities and provide a Capital Replacement Planning Report for a fee of $15,000 + HST.

WHEREAS Council for the Municipality of East Ferris deems it expedient to pass three readings of the following by-law at this session; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED THAT a By-law to close and convey a part of the road allowance between 50 and 52 Kyle Road, described as part of the road allowance between Lots 9 and 10 Concession 3, parts 1 and 2 plan 36R15399 Township of East Ferris, District of Nipissing BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2025-42; AND THAT said by-law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

WHEREAS East Ferris Integrity Commissioner, David King, resigned from his position effective December 31st, 2025; AND WHEREAS Section 223.3 of the Ontario Municipal Act authorizes the appointment of an Integrity Commissioner; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council for the Municipality of East Ferris directs staff to prepare and release a Request for Proposal for the purpose of retaining an Integrity Commissioner, effective January 1st, 2026.

THAT the Council of the Municipality of East Ferris formally supports the request of the Town of West Nipissing to the Honourable Mike Harris Jr., Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, to reconsider the planned use of glyphosate-based herbicides in the Nipissing Forest and suspend the aerial spraying initiative until further independent research and updated risk assessments are completed and reviewed; AND THAT this resolution be forwarded to: the Honourable Mike Harris Jr., Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health, MPP Vic Fedeli, and the Ontario Good Roads Association.

WHEREAS a Flag Raising Request Form was submitted by Ashley Patey and received by the Clerk on August 22nd, 2025; AND WHEREAS the request is for the Municipality to raise the Every Child Matters Flag on September 30th, 2025; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Council approve this request and raise the Every Child Matters Flag from September 29th to October 1st, 2025.

THAT Council approve the Correspondence and Information as circulated with the agenda of September 9th, 2025.

THAT Council approve the general accounts for the Municipality of East Ferris as indicated in the cheque register(s) dated September 9th, 2025 in the amount of $1,067,422.92.

WHEREAS on March 7, 1986, the Board of Management for Cassellholme – East Nipissing Home for the Aged (Cassellholme), a District Home, gave direction to create a separate legal entity in the form of a new public non-profit housing corporation. This new entity (Castle Arms) would be operated and governed by the same appointees as Cassellholme Board; AND WHEREAS the assets of Castle Arms have been built through contributions from taxpayers at a federal, provincial and municipal levels; AND WHEREAS at a Castle Arms meeting held on October 28, 2021, the Chief Executive Officer advised the Castle Arms Board that due to upcoming changes to the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), the Cassellholme and Castle Arms Boards could no longer have identical membership; AND WHEREAS although the Castle Arms Board was advised that it had until October 2024 to implement the upcoming changes to the ONCA, at the subsequent meeting on November 25, 2021 – when 8 of the 9 municipalities had no representation due to a wave of resignations and a lack of public consultation – the Castle Arms Board directed the CEO to alter the composition of the Castle Arms Board; AND WHEREAS in January 2025, Cassellholme obtained a solicitor-client privileged legal opinion stating in part that “neither ONCA nor the Fixing Long Term Care Act contain any provisions that would require Boards of Management to have a different composition than Boards of Non-Profit Housing Corporations”; AND WHEREAS the November

WHEREAS Council for the Municipality of East Ferris deems it expedient to pass three readings of the following by-law at this session; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED THAT a By-law to confirm the proceedings of Council from August 13th, 2025 to September 9th, 2025, BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2025-43; AND THAT said by-law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

THAT we do now adjourn at 6:53 p.m. and meet again on September 23rd, 2025.