Council Highlights April 23rd 2025

The Township of Huron-Kinloss Council meeting was held in Council Chambers at 21 Queen Street in Ripley at 7:00 p.m. Highlights from the meeting include:

Hamilton Municipal Drain

Council has provisionally accepted the Hamilton Municipal Drain report. The report outlines improvements to address landowner concerns including erosion, bank instability, and poor drainage affecting the south parts of Lots 6 to 10, Concession 1. The proposed works include ditch cleanouts, sediment trap installation, field crossing incorporation, and drainage upgrades across the Hamilton Drain A, Hamilton Drain F, and Towle Branch. A provisional By-Law will be brought forward, and a Court of Revision will be established to hear appeals related to assessments. Council also appointed two Huron-Kinloss representatives—one as Chair—and requested one representative from the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh to join the Court, with a date for the Court of Revision to be set pending availability of the Engineer and members.

For more information on Municipal Drains, please visit our website under the accordion “Municipal Drains” https://www.huronkinloss.com/live-here/environmental-initiatives/

Refreshment Vehicle By-Law update

At the April 7th Committee of the Whole, staff introduced proposed changes to the Refreshment Vehicle By-law to permit refreshment vehicles to operate in more areas of the municipality, reduce restrictions on operation while maintaining health and safety of the public, and encourage economic vitality. 

A report was requested to provide further information on the reason staff are suggesting a restriction on vehicles operating in the area of the Point Clark Lighthouse.  The Lighthouse parking lot area is not an area permitted in the existing refreshment vehicle by-law, as zoning restrictions did not permit operating in open space or other municipal property.  The Lighthouse parking area was excluded as a potential operating area in the proposed new by-law based on the following concerns: reports of parking congestion, use of the area as a boat launch, confusion regarding eligible lands to be used due to existing land use agreements. 

Following Council discussion, staff will bring forward amendments to the proposed by-law to remove the exclusion and permit refreshment vehicles to operate at 529 Lighthouse Road.  Staff will provide suggestions to minimize areas of concern, while implementing mobile refreshment vehicle operation at the site. Council are scheduled to reconsider the amended proposed by-law at the May Council meeting.

Expansion of Strong Mayor Powers

Council received a report outlining the Government of Ontario’s announcement to expand strong mayor powers to 169 additional municipalities, including the Township of Huron-Kinloss, effective May 1, 2025. These powers, intended to support provincial priorities such as housing and infrastructure development, grant heads of Council unilateral authority over key municipal functions, including the hiring of senior staff, budget preparation, and the ability to veto by-laws.

The report detailed the scope of these powers, identified significant risks for small and rural municipalities, and proposed areas for advocacy, including opt-out options, improved accountability, and stronger protections for municipal staff. Council acknowledged the importance of maintaining a collaborative approach to governance and emphasized the need to monitor the impacts of these powers closely. Staff will bring forward further updates and procedural recommendations in future reports.

Special Meeting of Council

The Huron-Kinloss Township Council invites you to a Special Meeting for a tour of our Township roads, facilities, and services on Saturday, May 10th, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m. This meeting is open to the public. If you're interested in joining the bus tour, please reach out to the Clerk at jwhite@huronkinloss.com or call 519-395-3735.

Upcoming Meetings

The next Township of Huron-Kinloss Committee of the Whole meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 5th, 2025. This meeting will be held in Council Chambers at the Municipal Office, 21 Queen Street in Ripley.

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