Warden Thanks Hydro Workers and Others for Ice Storm Response

Warden Hilda MacDonald thanked hydro workers, Essex County road crews and staff at the local municipalities for their responses to last week’s ice storm.

The ice caused numerous power outages on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, she noted at the start of Wednesday’s Essex County Council meeting. Families had to find ways to prepare meals and stay warm while they waited for power to be restored to their homes. Businesses couldn’t open or had to close for hours when the lights went out. Traffic signals were not working at many intersections.

The warden thanked Essex County residents and businesses for their patience and courtesy during the power outages and the cleanup that is currently underway. She encouraged residents to consult their local municipality’s website for details of efforts to clear away broken tree branches.

“Once again, we have seen our residents, businesses and municipal services come together in the face of a challenge. Essex County Council is proud and grateful for your efforts,” MacDonald said.

Use of Homelessness Hub Exceeds Expectations

The use of the Essex County Homelessness Hub in Leamington in its first five months of operation has far exceeded expectations.

The drop-in centre at 215 Talbot St. E. was visited a total of 740 times between Sept. 6 and Jan. 31 by 167 individuals who were homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. The numbers collected to date “demonstrate the need of having homelessness services delivered locally in Leamington and accessible to the entire County of Essex,” says a report to council.

Barb Iacono, housing manager for Family Services Windsor-Essex, which operates the Homelessness Hub, presented council with the details of the services provided to date. In June 2022, council approved a two-year pilot of a homelessness services hub for Essex County. The $500,000 cost is being funded through the Ontario Safe Restart Program.

Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority Budget Approved

Council approved a 4.1-per-cent hike in the cost to Essex County municipalities to fund the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) in 2023.

Essex County municipalities and the City of Windsor will be assessed $14.4 million in fixed costs based on their populations, an increase of 4.1 percent over 2022. As well, EWSWA’s fee for waste delivered is being increased by a dollar to $41 per tonne. It is expected that both the city and county will deliver a total of 1,020 more tonnes of waste in 2023 than in 2022.

The EWSWA’s 2023 budget anticipates just over $35 million in expenditures and $17 million in fees from institutional, commercial and industrial users of the regional landfill, recycling sales, blue box funding, and other sources of revenue. A $3.8-million shortfall in revenues is to be covered by the authority’s rate stabilization fund.

Statement of 2022 Remuneration for Council Members Received

Council was presented with the 2022 statement of councillors’ remuneration. The Municipal Act requires that the remuneration statement be presented annually by the treasurer.

Community Safety Zone Approved for Gesto

A section of road in front of Colchester North Public School in Gesto in the Town of Essex is being designated a community safety zone to deter drivers from exceeding the posted speed limit of 50 km/h.

The community safety zone runs along County Road 12 from 620 metres west of Gesto Sideroad to 620 metres east of Gesto Sideroad. It will be in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year. The designation means that penalties for exceeding the 50 km/h speed limit will increase.

CWATS Plans for 2023 Taking Shape

The detailed design of a paved path in Lakeshore and design studies for multi-use trails in Essex and Amherstburg are part of the work being done in 2023 to expand the County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS), council was told.

Lakeshore has requested a paved path along the southern part of County Road 31 as part of a CWATS loop that will also include County Road 2, County Road 42 and East Ruscom River Road. As well, functional design studies are to be completed for a multi-use trail in Essex along County Road 8 (Maidstone Avenue) from Highway 3 to Talbot Road North, and for a multi-use trail in Amherstburg along County Road 10 from County Road 11 (Walker Road) to the Cypher Systems Group Greenway.

The CWATS annual report to council also includes the following previously announced 2023 paved shoulder projects being done in conjunction with road rehabilitation:

• County Road 3 from County Road 20 to County Road 8 in LaSalle and Amherstburg;
• County Road 8 from County Road 27 to 450 metres west of Graham Side Road in Kingsville and Lakeshore;
• County Road 25 from County Road 42 to Highway 401 in Lakeshore;
• County Road 31 from County Road 2 to County Road 42 in Lakeshore;
• County Road 34 from County Road 45 to Road 3 in Kingsville; and
• County Road 50 from Wright Road to Dahinda Drive in Essex.

Municipal partnership project applications for 2023 are still being finalized. As well, a draft update of the CWATS Master Plan is currently being reviewed by the CWATS committee before being presented to county council, local municipal councils and the public for comment.

Four County Weed Inspectors Appointed

Council has appointed manager, maintenance and operations, Jeremy Krueger, and road supervisors Donald Kraynack, Roger Demars and Shawn Mulder as weed inspectors for the County of Essex. Weed inspectors can identify noxious weeds and hire a qualified contractor to destroy noxious weeds within the road allowances and on other land owned by the county. They may also enter private property to identify noxious weeds.

Contract for Digital Ortho-Photographic Services Awarded

J.D. Barnes has been awarded a three-year contract – with the option to renew for an additional three years – to provide high-quality aerial photography used in digital maps of the County of Essex, the City of Windsor and Pelee Island.

Council approved the estimated cost of $608,274 plus taxes over three years for digital ortho-photographic services after two companies responded to a request for proposals with detailed bids.

Since 2005, the County of Essex’s IT/GIS division has coordinated aerial photography for the region. Among other things, the digital photos are used by municipal planning and building permit services.

Because of the increasing demand from local municipalities, which are seeing consistent growth, aerial photography of Essex County is being done on an annual basis.

The county covers the core cost for the seven local municipalities, which pay for any additional work they request. Windsor and the Essex Region Conservation Authority are billed annually for photography done of the city and Pelee Island, respectively.

Report Requested on Potential Tree Cutting and Site Alteration By-law

In a notice of motion, Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong asked that administration report back on the feasibility of a tree cutting and site alteration by-law pertaining to designated protected natural heritage features and land identified on the natural environment overlay in the Essex County Official Plan.