County of Brant Council Minutes — March 25, 2025

Agenda

1. Approval of Agenda
2. Delegation – Mount Pleasant Firefighters Association – Letter of Designation of Municipal Significance for September 6, 2025
3. Delegation – John Noble Home and HDR Inc. – Bell Court Redevelopment
4. Delegation – Nathan Etherington – Continuation of the Government Relations Committee & Improvements to Procedural By-law
5. Delegation – Ed McGuire, Paris Jewellers – Grants Available to Merchants on Behalf of the County of Brant Big Dig Program
6. Adoption of Minutes – County of Brant Council Meeting of February 25, 2025
7. Adoption of Minutes – County of Brant Special Council Meeting of March 4, 2025
8. Consent Items to be Received
9. Administration and Operations Committee Report – March 18, 2025
10. Administration and Operations Committee Report – Recommendation #10: County of Brant Public Library Board Fund Reallocation for New Library Project Studies
11. Administration and Operations Committee Report – Recommendation #15: EasyRide Taxi Communication Referral
12. RPT-0146-25 – Paris Business Improvement Area (BIA) 2025 Board Executive Appointments and Annual Budget
13. RPT-0029-25 – Appointment of an Engineer for a New Drain (Cleaver Road Drain)
14. RPT-0125-25 – North Paris Fire Station
15. RPT-0141-25 – Request for Additional Funding for John Noble Home Bell Court Redevelopment Project
16. Communications – John Noble Home Committee of Management Resolutions – March 12, 2025
17. Communications – Paris Drinks Fest – Request for Event to be Designated as Municipally Significant
18. Communications – Grand River Cab Inc. – Vehicle Age Restriction
19. Resolution – Proclamation Request – Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada
20. Other Business – Council Representatives on the Library Board
21. In Camera Session
22. By-laws

Votes at a Glance

#	Motion	Result	Tally
1	Defer item 12.2 Resolution – Government Relations Committee until first Council meeting following federal election	Passed	11–0
2	Declare Mt. Pleasant Fire Fighters' Association Wing Night (Sep 6, 2025) a municipally significant event for Special Occasion Permit	Passed	11–0
3	Approve Administration and Operations Committee Report of March 18, 2025 (excluding items 10 and 15)	Passed	11–0
4	Amendment: Strike the first clause of item 10 (Library Board responsibility for operations and planning) re: Library fund reallocation	Failed	4–7
5	Reallocate $40,000 from Library Capital Reserve contribution to New Library Project to fund needs analysis and site selection studies	Passed	10–1
6	Amendment: Allow taxis exceeding ten-year age limit to remain in use until staff report is approved, provided all other conditions are met	Failed	3–8
7	Refer EasyRide Taxi communication to staff for a report to Council	Passed	11–0
8	Approve Paris BIA 2025 Board Executive Appointments and Annual Budget; authorize necessary by-law	Passed	11–0
9	Appoint R.J. Burnside & Associates Ltd. as engineer for Cleaver Road Drain under the Drainage Act	Passed	11–0
10	Approve additional $215,250 in fees to Masri O. Architect for North Paris Fire Station; proceed with Option 2 design funded by Development Charges	Passed	9–2
11	Defer John Noble Home Bell Court Redevelopment additional funding request until JNH operating surplus is confirmed	Failed	3–8
12	Amendment: Apply County share of 2024 JNH operating surplus to County's share of additional Bell Court Redevelopment funding request	Passed	11–0
13	Approve $1,600,000 additional funding for JNH Bell Court Redevelopment (County share $444,800) via debt; apply County's JNH surplus to County share	Passed	11–0
14	Declare Paris Drinks Fest (Aug 15–16, 2025) at Two Rivers Stadium a municipally significant event for Special Occasion Permit	Passed	11–0
15	Approve Penman's Dam lighting request in recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness	Passed	11–0
16	Receive Mayor Bailey's resignation from the Library Board; direct staff to return with report and amended by-law	Passed	unanimous

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Full Minutes

3. Approval of Agenda

Council first voted to defer a resolution from Councillor Garneau regarding the Government Relations Committee until after the federal election. The agenda for March 25, 2025, including an addendum, was then approved as amended. Both votes passed unanimously.

5.1. Delegation – Mount Pleasant Firefighters Association – Letter of Designation of Municipal Significance for September 6, 2025

Representatives from the Mt. Pleasant Fire Fighters' Association asked Council to declare their annual Wing Night event on September 6, 2025 as 'municipally significant' so they could obtain a Special Occasion Permit from the province to serve alcohol. Proceeds from the event go to local community initiatives. Council approved the request unanimously.

5.2. Delegation – John Noble Home and HDR Inc. – Bell Court Redevelopment

Staff from the John Noble Home and consultants from HDR Inc. presented an overview of the Bell Court Redevelopment and Sprinkler Project, explaining that seven change orders due to unforeseen conditions extended the project by about twelve months and added $1,600,000 to the total cost. Council voted to waive the time limit for the delegation and received the presentation as information.

5.4. Delegation – Nathan Etherington – Continuation of the Government Relations Committee & Improvements to Procedural By-law

A member of the public, Nathan Etherington, presented suggestions to Council including clarifying the rules around motions to reconsider in the County's procedural by-law, the role of the Brant Heritage Committee under the Ontario Heritage Act, and improvements to how the Government Relations Committee operates. Council received the delegation as information.

5.5. Delegation – Ed McGuire, Paris Jewellers – Grants Available to Merchants on Behalf of the County of Brant Big Dig Program

Ed McGuire, owner of Paris Jewellers, spoke to Council about grants available to downtown Paris merchants to help them through the upcoming downtown Paris redevelopment project. He thanked Council and staff for their support. The delegation was received as information.

6.1. Adoption of Minutes – County of Brant Council Meeting of February 25, 2025

Council approved the minutes from the regular Council meeting held on February 25, 2025.

6.2. Adoption of Minutes – County of Brant Special Council Meeting of March 4, 2025

Council approved the minutes from the Special Council meeting held on March 4, 2025.

8.2. Consent Items to be Received

Council received a large package of informational items requiring no action, including annual reports, Conservation Authority meeting minutes and budgets, resolutions from other municipalities on topics such as U.S. tariffs, carbon tax, landlord-tenant reform, and deposit return programs, as well as local board and committee minutes.

9.1. Administration and Operations Committee Report – March 18, 2025

Council approved the bulk of the March 18, 2025 Administration and Operations Committee report, which included awarding contracts for culvert rehabilitation and grass cutting, approving several Community Improvement Plan grants for downtown Paris property owners, updating cemetery fees, and receiving the 2024 Annual Drinking Water System reports. Two recommendations were pulled for separate discussion: one on library project funding and one on taxi vehicle age rules.

9.1 (Rec. #10). Administration and Operations Committee Report – Recommendation #10: County of Brant Public Library Board Fund Reallocation for New Library Project Studies

Council debated a recommendation to reallocate $40,000 from the Library Capital Reserve to fund updated needs analysis and site selection studies for a future Paris library location. An amendment to remove the first clause referencing the Library Board's authority was defeated 4-7. The original motion then passed 10-1, with Councillor Bell voting against.

9.1 (Rec. #15). Administration and Operations Committee Report – Recommendation #15: EasyRide Taxi Communication Referral

Council discussed a communication from Grand River Cab Inc. about vehicle age restrictions in the County's taxi by-law, which limits taxis to ten years of age. An amendment to allow older taxis to continue operating until a staff report is received was defeated 3-8. The original motion to refer the matter to staff for a report passed unanimously.

10.1. RPT-0146-25 – Paris Business Improvement Area (BIA) 2025 Board Executive Appointments and Annual Budget

Council approved the recommended appointments to the Paris Business Improvement Area (BIA) Executive Board for a term ending February 1, 2027, and also approved the 2025 Paris BIA operating budget. The necessary by-law was authorized to be prepared.

10.2. RPT-0029-25 – Appointment of an Engineer for a New Drain (Cleaver Road Drain)

Council approved the appointment of R.J. Burnside & Associates Ltd. as the engineer to study and report on petitions for a new municipal drain to serve farmland along King Edward Street, Cleaver Road, and Powerline Road in former Brantford Township. The new drain will be officially named the Cleaver Road Drain.

10.3. RPT-0125-25 – North Paris Fire Station

Fire Chief Darren Watson presented details on the North Paris Fire Station design, including a six-bay layout to balance workload with the existing Paris station and accommodate future equipment. Council approved an additional $215,250 in architect fees funded by Development Charges, and directed staff to proceed with Option 2 for the final design and construction tender. The motion passed 9-2.

10.4. RPT-0141-25 – Request for Additional Funding for John Noble Home Bell Court Redevelopment Project

Council considered a request for $1,600,000 in additional funding for the John Noble Home Bell Court Redevelopment and Sprinkler Project, with the County's share being $444,800. A motion to defer until the Home's 2024 operating surplus was confirmed was defeated 3-8. After an amendment to clarify that the County's share of the 2024 surplus would offset its portion of the funding request, the amended motion passed unanimously.

11.1. Communications – John Noble Home Committee of Management Resolutions – March 12, 2025

Council received as information a letter confirming resolutions passed by the John Noble Home Committee of Management at its March 12, 2025 meeting.

11.2. Communications – Paris Drinks Fest – Request for Event to be Designated as Municipally Significant

The organizer of Paris Drinks Fest asked Council to declare the event, scheduled for August 15 and 16, 2025 at Two Rivers Stadium, as municipally significant so they could obtain a Special Occasion Permit to serve alcohol. Council discussed noise concerns and approved the designation unanimously.

11.3. Communications – Grand River Cab Inc. – Vehicle Age Restriction

Council received as information a letter from Grand River Cab Inc. regarding the County's taxi vehicle age restriction, which limits taxis to ten years old. This topic was also addressed under the Administration and Operations Committee report (Recommendation #15).

12.1. Resolution – Proclamation Request – Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada

Council approved a request to light up Penman's Dam in recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness, as requested by Shelley Werk on behalf of the Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada.

13.1. Other Business – Council Representatives on the Library Board

Mayor Bailey announced his resignation from the County of Brant Public Library Board. Council accepted the resignation and directed staff to bring back a report and an amended by-law to address the vacancy.

14. In Camera Session

Council moved into a closed (in camera) session at 8:19 p.m. to discuss four confidential matters: a legal appeal related to the Nith Subdivision at the Ontario Land Tribunal, a potential land acquisition or disposition, a development proposal for downtown Paris, and a legal matter related to a Drainage Act petition. Council returned to open session at 9:39 p.m.

15. By-laws

Council gave three readings to and passed seven by-laws covering: water and wastewater servicing costs in Paris, appointment of a Risk Management Official and Inspector under the Clean Water Act, Paris BIA user fees and board appointments, a speed limit amendment, and updated cemetery fees and charges. A confirmatory by-law was also passed.

This post was automatically generated by BrantVotes from the official County of Brant council minutes. Always refer to the official minutes for authoritative records.