Notes from the regular Council meeting, which was held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
Staff Reports
Building Department monthly report for August
The report, prepared by Ray Belanger, Chief Building Official, provided the following update in regards to the activities of the Township’s Building Department.
In August, the building department issued a total of 20 building permits, totaling to a construction value of $4,227,450.
The most substantial permit from the list was issued for the new Princeton Fire Station #81.
Public Works Department monthly report for September
The report, prepared by Jim Borton, Director of Public Works, provided the following update in regards to the activities of the Public Works Department.
1. Capital Work
- Princeton Phase 4 (south section):
Cassidy Construction has been working on getting the main storm sewer completed in the south end of Main Street.
The curbs and base gravel have been placed from Emma Street north to Railway Street. And work will be started to prepare for the new sidewalks and driveway replacement.
“I know one of the hot topics has been dust control down there,” said Borton. “This line item is in the contract and we are after the contractor to get dust control down.”
Council later gave staff direction to supply and apply dust suppressant in the affected areas of the village as soon as possible.
- Bridge 24 EA:
Indigenous partners look to be satisfied with the archaeology report for the Bridge 24 replacement, however Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) have concerns about fish habitats, and have asked for a Marine study. The DFO also has concerns about in-water work and the Township may not be able to get a permit until 2026.
“We may still see construction in 2025 in December, but it will depend on how quickly we can satisfy those comments from DFO,” said Borton.
2. Public Works Staff:
Shawn Crozier and Dennis Boult competed in the Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS) Provincial Truck Roadeo on Wednesday, September 24. The two earned the right to compete by being the top drivers from Oxford County, and finished middle of the pack out of the 49 drivers from all over Ontario.
“This was Dennis’s second time at the provincial and Sean’s first time,” said Borton. “They finished in the middle of the pack, which is pretty good and pretty respectable, but it’s a lot tighter than our local association.”
3. Other:
Borton notified council that there needs to be a guardrail repaired on the bridge near where Braemar Sideroad and Township Road 9 meet.
“This is our boundary road with East Zorra-Tavistock and so it’s a 50/50 cost share. Unfortunately, we’re not sure how it happened but it was a vehicle accident that took out the north side and spun across and hit the south side as well,” he said. “We did pick up some car parts but there were no reports made, so we don’t know who actually caused the accident or caused the damage and so we will, unfortunately, have to foot that bill. We’re in the process of getting some quotes to go through the procurement policy, and once we have those, we’ll be looking at doing that repair.
Community Services Report
1. General
Trevor Baer, Manager of Community Services, provided the following updates in regards to the activities of the Community Services Department for the month of September.
Staff recently met with the Drumbo Lions club to discuss the Drumbo accessible playground project, and staff are preparing an RFP for the project, which will be released in the coming weeks.
As for the Princeton playground project, installation is currently still pending as staff continue to wait for materials from the supplier, once the delivery is under way, Council will be provided with a confirmed installation date.
Baer also said that staff are still having ongoing discussions with EarlyON in regards to the proposed partnership agreement to use the Drumbo Hall for the program.
The manager of community services also added that staff will be releasing a tender for a canteen at the Plattsville Arena.
2. Arena Water Softener Replacement
Baer let Council know that the water softener located near the front of the Plattsville Arena has failed and because parts for the model are difficult to source, it’s been recommended that it be replaced.
Plattsville water is very hard; it’s about 1200 grains of hardness to1600 grains of hardness,” he said. “It’s forecasted to be replaced in 2028, but having had a professional company come in to look at it, they’re recommending that we replace it because we can’t get parts anymore and leaving it that long will just wreck everything in the arena.”
The total cost to supply and install the new water softener is expected to fall between $14,000 to $17,000, and will be funded through the Arena Reserve.
Council approved the replacement unanimously.
Budget Survey
The report, prepared by Denise Krug, Director of Finance, provided the following results from the recent budget survey.
This year there were 149 responses to the online survey, which ran from June to August.
Respondents were asked to identify their top five priorities in their community and the most common options chosen were:
- Infrastructure: Roads, bridges and stormwater at 36.43 per cent
- Affordable Housing at 33.33 per cent
- Safe Communities: Police at 42.64 per cent, and
- Waste Management: Curbside collection (garbage and recycling) at 30.23 per cent.
Krug’s report did note that these were all top priorities in last year’s survey as well, but new to the top five list this year was Safe Communities: Paramedics at 31.01 per cent.
Installation of Third Flag Pole
Council directed staff to include $4,300 in a future budget cycle for the purchase and installation of a third flag pole at the Township administration office.
Currently the Township office has two flag poles, which are used to display the Canadian flag, and either the Ontario flag or an approved community or organizational flag.
“This configuration limits the Township’s ability to display both the Canadian and Ontario flags at the same time, while also recognizing community initiatives or organizations of significance,” Kevin Brandt, Deputy Clerk/Communications Coordinator. “From a flag etiquette perspective, it’s not appropriate to fly more than one flag on a single pole. Adding a third poll will allow us to follow a proper protocol while providing space to recognize special services and community events. The revised policy would keep the Canadian and Ontario flags permanently displayed and reserve the third flagpole for recognizing community achievement.”
The direction was then carried unanimously.
Frivolous, Vexatious, or Unreasonable Complaints Policy
Council adopted Frivolous, Vexatious, or Unreasonable Complaints policy which established a formal process for dealing with the complaints that unreasonably consume a disproportionate amount of staff time or resources, or that might be intended to embarrass, annoy or abuse.
“The proposed policy is meant to protect municipal resources and staff services from being overwhelmed or misused,” explained Sarah Matheson, Director of Corporate Services/Clerk. “Unreasonable, frivolous or vexatious behaviour from the public may hinder the Township’s ability to govern effectively, fairly allocate time and resources to other important issues and projects, and to deliver high quality service in an equitable, efficient and effective manner. The proposed policy will help guide staff in determining frivolous flex stations or unreasonable behaviour by providing examples written in the policy.”
Some examples include, but are not limited to:
- Unreasonable expectations for Township engagement in neighbour disputes;
- Multiple lines of inquiry regarding the same issue (pursuing a complaint with Township staff in multiple departments and/or elected officials simultaneously); or,
- Repeated engagement for the purpose of challenging the findings of an investigation and/or denying that an adequate response was given; or
- Refusal to accept that an issue falls outside of the scope of the Township’s jurisdiction (i.e. matters of a civil nature or within the jurisdiction of another governing body).
“The proposed policy outlines the steps that may be taken through a procedure that includes documentation, communication and reporting. Members of staff will review the conduct on a case by case basis and determine whether restrictions to staff or work to Township staff are warranted,” continued Mattheson. “An appeals process is also included in the proposed policy. Staff will always make every effort to meet and exceed the expectations of the public but the proposed policy will be implemented on rare occasions where interactions escalate to warrant the use. Having this proposed policy in place ensures that any restrictions to the rights of the public are done fairly and in accordance with due process.”
The policy was then carried and adopted unanimously.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
