Council Meeting

THAT the draft agenda presented to Council and dated the 14th day of July, 2026 be adopted as prepared.

THAT the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 9th, 2026 be adopted as circulated.

WHEREAS at the June 9 th , 2026 Council meeting, Council gave direction to the Municipal Engineer to get costings for the complete reconstruction of Meadow Drive and Ridgemount Drive; AND WHEREAS at the July 9 th , 2026 Public Works Committee meeting the Committee reviewed the costings provided by the Municipal Engineer; AND WHEREAS the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends to Council that Meadow Drive and Ridgemount Drive be pulverized and re-shaped with new granular material; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Council approves of this recommendation.

WHEREAS the Collision Analytics and Reporting System (CARS) Municipal Access Pilot Project provides selected municipalities with enhanced access to statistical motor vehicle collision data; AND WHEREAS the data is intended to support municipal evidence-based decisions in transportation safety, infrastructure planning, and traffic management; AND WHEREAS the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends Council enter into a Collision Analytics and Reporting System Agreement with the Ministry of Transportation; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Council approves of this recommendation and that a By-law be brought forward to the next Regular Council Meeting.

WHEREAS the Fire and Emergency Services Committee recommends to Council that the East Ferris Fire & Emergency Services 2025 Annual Update be accepted for information purposes; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Council approves of this recommendation.

That Council of the Municipality of East Ferris accepts the recommendation from the By-law Enforcement Officer contained in Report No. COMM-2026-06 and directs staff to maintain Section 3.2.7 of Zoning By-Law 2021-60 with respect to the maximum permitted size of accessory structures to residential uses on all lots in rural or residential zones.

THAT Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of East Ferris accepts the recommendation from the Fire Chief and authorize staff to proceed with Option 1 contained in Report No. FD-2026-01 and award the contract for the replacement of the septic system at 1229 Village Road (Astorville – Fire Station 2) to EBL Groundworks in the amount of $22,300.00 plus HST.

THAT Council of the Municipality of East Ferris supports the County of Peterborough in their request of the Province of Ontario to immediately encourage prioritization of the review of data specifically related to non-resident property owners to ensure voter lists are as accurate as possible prior to August 14, 2026; AND FURTHER THAT this resolution be forwarded to the Premier, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, MPP Vic Fedeli, AMO, ROMA, AMCTO, EOWC, and FOCA.

THAT Council of the Municipality of East Ferris supports the Town of Caledon in their request that the Government of Ontario investigate and implement measures to reduce burgeoning tick populations and to mitigate their associated public health risks; AND THAT the Province consider increased funding and support for local public health units to address tick-borne disease prevention; AND FURTHER THAT a copy of this motion be sent to Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Kiernan Moore, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Todd McCarthy, the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris supports the Province's proposed amendments to the Planning Act under Schedule 7 of Bill 119 permitting the use of Administrative Monetary Penalties for zoning by-law contraventions relating to prohibited land uses; AND THAT Council recognizes these amendments as providing municipalities, particularly rural municipalities, with a practical, efficient, and cost-effective enforcement tool that will improve compliance outcomes while reducing administrative and legal burdens; AND FURTHER THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Premier, Honourable Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), and MPP Vic Fedeli.

WHEREAS Rail Safety Week is to be held across Canada from September 21 to 27, 2026; AND WHEREAS, 252 railway crossing and trespassing incidents occurred in Canada in 2025; resulting in 69 avoidable fatalities and 60 avoidable serious injuries; AND WHEREAS, educating and informing the public about rail safety (reminding the public that railway rights-of-way are private property, enhancing public awareness of the dangers associated with highway rail grade crossings, ensuring pedestrians and motorists are looking and listening while near railways, and obeying established traffic laws) will reduce the number of avoidable fatalities and injuries cause by incidents involving trains and citizens; AND WHEREAS Operation Lifesaver is a public/private partnership whose aim is to work with the public, rail industry, governments, police services, media and others to raise rail safety awareness; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council for the Municipality of East Ferris adopt this resolution in support of Operation Lifesaver's ongoing efforts to raise awareness, save lives and prevent injuries in communities, including our municipality.

WHEREAS in March 2026 the Government of Ontario announced that municipalities may permit "Bring-Your-Own" alcoholic beverages at qualifying outdoor public events; AND WHEREAS Council received correspondence from the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit advising of the negative health impacts of "Bring-Your-Own" alcohol at outdoor public events; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that agenda item 13. h. 3 of the July 14th, 2026 Council Agenda be

THAT Council approve the Correspondence and Information as circulated with the agenda of July 14th, 2026.

WHEREAS the Municipality of East Ferris Procedural By-law No. 2023-55, Article 9 regarding delegations to Council, requires a Request for Delegation Form be received by the Clerk no later than six (6) business days preceding the Council Meeting for which they are requesting a delegation; AND WHEREAS this requirement does not provide the public with the opportunity to register a delegation to Council on matters that the public are only made aware of when the Council Agenda is posted the Friday preceding the meeting; AND WHEREAS in the case where there is a Planning Advisory Committee meeting on the Wednesday evening preceding the Council Meeting, and there is a recommendation to Council from that meeting, the deadline for the public to register a delegation will have already passed; AND WHEREAS it would benefit the public to change this deadline to the Monday preceding the meeting; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council for the Corporation of the Municipality of East Ferris directs staff to amend the Municipality of East Ferris Procedural By-law No. 2023-55 Article 9 to move the deadline for delegation requests to noon on the Monday before the meeting; AND FURTHER THAT a by-law to amend By-law No. 2023-55 be brought forward to the next Regular Council Meeting for approval.

WHEREAS Tanya Laplante has made a request to the Municipality for an exemption under Section 4 of Municipal By-law 2015-33; a By-law to Prohibit Excessive Noise; AND WHEREAS the requested exemption would apply from Thursday, August 6th, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. to Sunday, August 9th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. for the purpose of a family reunion to be held at 236 Derland Road; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Council for the Municipality of East Ferris approve the request received from Tanya Laplante and grant an exemption of Municipal By-law No. 2015-33 for Thursday, August 6th, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. to Sunday, August 9th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

THAT Council approve the general accounts for the Municipality of East Ferris as indicated in the cheque register(s) dated July 14th, 2026 in the amount of $1,632,526.30.

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 June 9th, 2026 to July 14th, 2026, BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2026-31; 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 6:03 p.m. and meet again on August 11th, 2026.