Warden Encourages Participation in Black History Month Events
Essex County Warden Hilda MacDonald is encouraging residents to take part in local Black History Month events.
“February is Black History Month – a time to celebrate and honour the legacy and contributions of Black Canadians and communities to the fabric of our nation and our county,” she said in her opening remarks at Essex County Council’s meeting Wednesday.
“Their place in North American history goes back 400 years, and nowhere has their presence been more significant than here in Windsor-Essex. There are reminders all around us of the roles they played and continue to play in enriching and strengthening our region.”
The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is hosting The Artists of Colour Exhibit: The Never-Ending Quest for Inclusion. And there is an extensive listing of other events on the Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island website.
Also, at the start of Wednesday’s meeting, Essex County Council and Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Justin Lammers honoured Dan Pickel, who retired in December after 42 years as a paramedic. They presented Pickel with certificates of appreciation from the warden and the premier of Ontario, as well as a plaque recognizing his service.
Essex-Windsor EMS Master Plan Update Presented
Essex-Windsor EMS presented council with its updated Master Plan, which will be used as a guiding document for the next five years.
The updated plan, developed with the assistance of consultant Operational Research in Health (ORH), projects an average annual call volume increase of 4.5 per from 2024 to 2030. Population growth is expected to be the main driver of the increase in Essex County, while a higher demand rate is likely to be the main factor in Windsor, says a report by Chief Justin Lammers about the Master Plan.
Essex County Council was given a summary that includes recommendations for maintaining current response times, including a service delivery review to compare workflows and role portfolios to best practices in the field. If Essex-Windsor EMS decides to move forward with any of the recommendations, it will prepare a more detailed report for council to consider.
Council voted to move forward to 2025 a service delivery review at a cost to the county of about $27,500, with the funds to come from the Rate Stabilization Reserve.
2025 Budget Figures Updated
Essex County’s 2025 Budget totals $139,875,380 and requires a levy increase of 3.48 per cent, says a report to council.
The report notes that a $400,000 reduction in the budget approved by council during its deliberations in November was inadvertently left out when final figures were presented at the time. The updated tax rate and by-law will be finalized at the Feb. 19 council meeting.
Fees for County Services Revised
The County of Essex Fees and Charges By-law for 2025 includes an increase in the deposit required for work permits issued by Infrastructure Services, and a new fee for field advertising and billboards.
The deposit for work permits has been hiked to $1,000 to align with those of local municipalities. The new $450 fee for field advertising and billboards is to cover the costs of reviewing sign applications and site visits. The sign permit is good for three years, says a report to council, which includes a complete schedule of all fees and charges.
Council Receives Report on Phragmites
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has secured $100,000 from the Ontario Phragmites Program to bolster efforts to fight the invasive reed in Essex County.
The Essex Region Conservation Authority is leading the local initiative, working with municipalities and other organizations to support a coordinated approach to phragmites control, says a report by Allan Botham, director, infrastructure and planning services. The group is working on developing best practices for combatting phragmites, regional mapping, training, and sharing of data and successes.
Invasive phragmites is the tall reed with tufted seed heads that is common in ditches and along waterways in Essex County, as well as other parts of Ontario. It spreads aggressively and chokes out other plants, reducing habitat for wildlife.
A motion calling for the county to oversee a phragmites control program for the region was deferred to allow councillors time to consult with their respective municipalities.
Official Plan Amended to Allow Agricultural Housing on Leamington Property
The County of Essex Official Plan has been amended to designate 810 Mersea Road 4 in Leamington agricultural land.
The owners requested the change from the previous designation as a secondary settlement area to allow for the conversion of an existing dwelling to housing for workers employed by a neighbouring greenhouse operation.
No public comments were received after the proposed change was advertised and a public meeting was held Jan. 15, says a report by Rebecca Belanger, manager, planning services.
County Funding to Help Continue Leamington to Windsor Transit Service
Essex County Council voted to provide up to $100,000 from the Rate Stabilization Reserve to keep the Leamington to Windsor Transit service going in 2025. The towns of Essex and Kingsville have each committed $20,000.
Provincial funding for the service, which was launched by Leamington in July 2019, ends March 31. In 2024, more than 13,000 one-way rides were logged on the bus route, which has stops in Leamington, Essex, Kingsville and Windsor. The transit service runs three round trips between Leamington and Windsor a day Monday through Friday and two on Saturday.
New Hospital Project Representatives Invited to Update Council
Essex County Council is inviting representatives of the new Windsor-Essex Hospital System project to attend a meeting in the second quarter of 2025 to talk about the current stage of hospital construction and the health care services that will be offered.
Notices of Motion to Reverse Cuts to Invest WindsorEssex Funding
Deputy Warden Joe Bachetti introduced notices of motion to reconsider and rescind a council decision that cut 2025 funding to Invest WindsorEssex by 15 per cent to $953,750 and restore it to the original proposed amount of $1,122,060. The matter will be considered by council at its meeting of Feb. 19.
Notices of Motion Tabled in Response to U.S. Tariff Threat
Councillor Mike Akpata introduced two notices of motion in response to the ongoing threat of U.S. tariffs. The first calls on the senior levels of government to eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers and the second calls on the County of Essex to explore a ‘buy Canadian’ procurement policy. The items will be considered by council at its meeting of Feb. 19.
Council Invites Local MPPs to Attend Council for Discussion of Issues
Council voted to have local MPPs attend a council meeting following the provincial election to discuss issues of regional importance.
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