March 16 Council Meeting Highlights

At its Regular Meeting on March 16, 2026, South Huron Council:

·         Received delegations/presentations:

o   Maureen Cole – West Coast Active Living regarding the promotion and recognition of charity events and programing completed in 2025 and planned for 2026

·         Received staff reports/memos on topics including:

o   Annual Building Financial Update

§  Council authorized a one-time transfer from the Building Capital Reserve Fund to offset a Building Department deficit for 2025 that resulted due to a change in Public Sector Accounting Board standards (PSAB 3400) where collected application fees are now only permitted to be recognized when their performance obligations have been completed; until such time, the collected fees are considered unearned (deferred) revenues and cannot be recognized as revenue. The Municipality’s 2024 fiscal year was the first year impacted by this accounting standard change.

o   Tender Results - Replacement of B-Line Structure 1098

§  Accepted the tender received from the low qualified bidder, Vandenberk Construction Inc. and authorized the award of a contract for the Replacement of B-Line Structure #1098 in the amount of $524,780.35 (including HST).

o   2023-2025 Kirkton Closed Landfill Status

o   Drinking Water Quality Management System 2026 Annual Management Review

§  Councillor McLeod-Haggitt was selected as the Council representative to participate in this review

o   Tender Results - Exeter Sewage Lagoon Sand Filter Rehabilitations Phase 2

§  Accepted the tender received from the low bidder 598424 Ontario Ltd. o/a R. Russell Construction and authorized the award of a contract for the Exeter Sewage Lagoon Sand Filter Rehabilitation in the amount of $1,170,869.10 (including HST)

o   Huron Park Sewage Pumping Station - **Budget Amendment***

§  Approved a 2026 Budget Amendment to fund the full budgeted costs for the Huron Park Sewage Pumping Station Upgrade in 2026, increasing the 2026 budget by $2,774,804, and changing the funding source for the entire project to a debenture

o   Annual Update on Lease Financing Agreements

o   2025 Statement of Remuneration and Expenses

o   Deregulation of Taxicabs in South Huron

§  Council authorized that a repealing by-law be brought back for the required three readings

o   Animal Control By-Law Review

§  Council defeated the proposed amendments to the Animal Control By-Law. Therefore, the existing by-law remains in effect.

o   Notice of Motion – Amending Environmental Service Fees, Schedule D, By-Law 77-2025

§  Among the direction provided to staff, Council authorized changes to Schedule D of the Environmental Service Fees By-Law 77-2025 that includes eliminating the residential recycling fee of $47.68 effective March 1, 2026, and the industrial/commercial/institutional recycling fee be set at the cost recovery amount of $71.40/bin/annum.

o   Council passed By-Law #18-2026 Water and Wastewater Rates and Charges By-Law to repeal By-Law #66-2021. The charges set out in this By-Law take effect April 1, 2026.

For a full review of the agenda, including items not listed here such as those under Communications, please see the Agendas and Minutes page at SouthHuron.ca. A video recording of the meeting is available on the municipal Youtube channel. The official meeting minutes will be included in the next regular Council meeting agenda.