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Kawartha Lakes – The following are highlights of the Committee of the Whole meeting on March 4, 2025.
The meeting can be viewed in full on our YouTube channel:
All recommendations made at Committee of the Whole will return to Regular Council for review and/or adoption on March 18, 2025.
International Women’s Day
Councillor Richardson kicked off the afternoon session with an announcement about International Women’s Day on March 8:
“It’s my honour to give a shout out and recognition of International Women’s Day this Saturday March 8, 2025. It represents accelerated action and is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources and activity that positively impacts women’s advancement and to support and elevate [them] . . . I want to recognize the incredible women in Kawartha Lakes that provide the inspiration and vision to so many women in our area. Basically ladies, just keep connecting. Let’s continue to support other women, tell them you make us proud and continue to remind them that, ‘you’ve got this!’
We thank all the women leaders across Kawartha Lakes and to all City of Kawartha Lakes staff, we recognize your continued support, we thank all our female and male colleagues for continually letting us push our own boundaries. Let’s make 2025 about lifting up other women a little higher, about cheering a little bit louder and being that woman that people look up to. Kawartha Lakes is proud to support this positive progress that we’ve made and we will continue to do so. Thank you!”
The municipality will be hosting an International Women’s Day flag raising on Thursday March 6 at 11am, all are welcome!
Introduction to the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS)
There’s a new and improved ambulance dispatch system coming to Kawartha Lakes on March 26, 2025. It’s called the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS).
What is MPDS?
- MPDS prioritizes life threatening calls over less urgent ones.
- Individuals who call 911 for non-life-threatening medical issues may experience longer wait times for service.
- An ambulance communications officer will remain in contact with the caller to provide support and monitor the patient’s condition.
- MPDS will help Paramedics respond to life threatening calls quicker.
Watch this video from area Paramedics Chiefs to learn more.
For more information check out our MPDS webpage.
2024 Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for Paramedic Service
Paramedic Chief Sara Johnston presented the Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service’s Operational Key Performance Indicators for 2024 to Council. She provided an overview of a suite of operational key performance indicators (O-KPIs) that the Paramedic Service uses to track operational efficiency and set benchmarks for ongoing evaluation. The O-KPIs will inform evidence-driven transformation within the service. Key findings from the O-KPIs include:
- Demand for service and resource level has stabilized to a consistent rate of increase. Calls where no ambulances are available to respond (also called Code Zeroes) have decreased. Increasing System Utilization Rates/system busyness has decreased to acceptable levels. The demand for service stats validate the recommendations and roadmap laid out in the Paramedic Service Master Plan.
- Our operating costs per unit have increased and is slightly above the 2021 Municipal Benchmarking Network comparator mean. Evidence-driven transformation will be key in meeting upcoming patient care challenges with finite local funds available.
- Lost staff time from physical and mental health injuries requires attention. Finding additional ways to support staff as they navigate mental health and work-related stress is important moving forward.
- Our fleet costs have decreased but maintenance costs still exceed our annual budget given the aging fleet and supply chain challenges. Safety measures also need to be considered to decrease vehicle incident frequency. More strategies are required to reduce carbon emissions.
- The department developed a Patient Experience Survey to qualify service delivery expectations and provide a meaningful measure of performance to the public.
For more information, read the Paramedic Service Operational Key Performance Indicators report to Council.
For an overview of the O-KPI's shared within the report and presentation view the Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service’s 2024 O-KPIs one-pager.
Customer Experience Strategy Update
Customer Service has updated their Customer Service Standards (CSS) to include a Customer Experience Strategy (CES), as well as to introduce Division Service Targets (DST). The 2025 CSS update strengthens service consistency, reinforces accountability, and supports a customer-centric approach across all divisions. A key focus of this update is making information more available to customers by ensuring an open and transparent approach to the service request lifecycle.
A cross-departmental Corporate Customer Service Standards Working Group identified the following key updates:
- Division Service Targets (DST): Provide service flexibility and transparency, clear escalation pathways for issue resolution, and standardized response timelines to promote consistency across all divisions and departments.
- Clear Escalation Pathways: Strengthening issue resolution and ensuring timely responses.
- Standardized Response Times: Promoting transparency and setting clear expectations for service delivery.
- Refinements Based on Stakeholder Engagement: Integrating feedback from all departments and public input to ensure the standards remain relevant, actionable, and effective for operations.
View the Customer Experience Strategy Update report to Council.
2024 Annual Customer Service Update
Customer Service reported on their 2024 Service Targets and outlined the division priorities for 2025.
Priorities include:
- Self-Service Kiosk expansion and improvement at service centres.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system evaluation.
- Process improvement and standardization.
- Corporate Customer Service Standards and Customer Experience Strategy.
- Performance and data tracking.
- Service channel expansion.
- Opening of the modernized Lindsay Service Centre.
Read the 2024 Annual Update – Customer Service Division report to Council.
Strategic Plan Annual Report
The 2024 to 2027 Kawartha Lakes Strategic Plan outlines twelve goals within the four priority areas of A Healthy Environment, An Exceptional Quality of Life, A Vibrant and Growing Economy and Good Government.
Our Senior Management Team identified three corporate priorities for 2024 to provide focus and direction in achieving those goals. These corporate priorities were:
- Meet the targets outlined in our Municipal Housing Pledge.
- Improve the customer experience by leveraging digital transformation.
- Through long-term financial planning, ensure affordable and sustainable service delivery and ensure municipal assets are well maintained and well managed.
Significant work has been accomplished on these priorities and additional actions outlined in the plan. They have been outlined in the Strategic Plan Annual Report 2024.
View the Strategic Plan Annual Report to Council.
2024 Annual Trails Update
The Parks and Recreation division provided Council with their Annual Trails Update for 2024. The report serves as an annual update of the work completed on the City of Kawartha Lakes trail system, acts as an update for the 2023 Trails Master Plan Update (TMPU), and provides future considerations relating to Kawartha Lakes trails. The report was moved as printed and it passed.
Read the Annual Trails Update (2024) report to Council.
Terms of Reference Update for Advisory Committees, Boards and Task Forces
Staff has recommended that the working group or sub-committee elements within the municipality’s terms of reference for Advisory Committees, Boards and Task Forces, be removed as working group or sub-committee meetings do not meet the threshold for a meeting that is open to the public. Since the meetings don’t have agendas and the date/time/location isn’t made public, these meetings can be construed as closed meetings that do not satisfy the provisions of s.239(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001.
Staff also recommended that the terms of reference for the Kawartha Lakes Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee and the Municipal Heritage Committee be amended to recognize the award programs that they administer. The amendment will create a uniform process for these committees that will allow staff to collect nominations, review them within a closed meeting and recommend award recipients. The Committee’s recommendations will then be brought to Council for their consideration, streamlining the award process for each group and giving Council final approval on award recipients. The motion was to receive as printed and it passed.
View the Terms of Reference Update for Advisory Committees, Boards and Task Forces report to Council.
Annual Committee/Board update and 2025 work plan reports received by Council
The municipality’s Committees and Boards provided their annual updates and 2025 work plans to Council:
The annual committee/board updates and work plan reports were received as printed save and except for the Environmental Advisory Committee, Agricultural Development Advisory Committee, Municipal Heritage Committee and Kawartha Lakes Accessibility Advisory Committee work plans which should be updated to reflect the changes to the Terms of Reference mentioned above.
Memorandums
Mayor Elmslie brought the Memorandum Regarding an Authorized Absence of a Member of Council in Accordance with the Municipal Act to Council. The Municipal Act, section 259 (1c) declares that “the office of a member of council of a municipality becomes vacant if the member is absent from the meetings of council for three successive months without being authorized to do so by a resolution of council.” Due to a personal tragedy, Councillor Ashmore has been absent from Council for two consecutive months. To support the Councillor the memo recommended granting him authorization to continue his absence until he feels fit to resume his duties. In acknowledgement of the responsibility to residents of Ward 6, Council retains the right to revisit this authorization in June 2025 if Councillor Ashmore remains absent at that time. The motion was to move as printed and it passed.
Councillor Perry brought the Memorandum Regarding Trade Tariffs to Council. The memorandum recommends that Kawartha Lakes supports and endorses the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) resolution of February 10, 2025 – EOWC Support of Canadian and Ontario Governments’ Negotiations with the United States Government on Trade Tariffs. The motion was to move as printed and it passed.
Next Council meeting
Council will return for a Regular Council meeting on March 18, 2025 at 1pm.
Public attendance in Council Chambers is welcome in the public gallery on the main floor, and overflow seating is available in the Victoria Room on the second floor. Please note that no video and/or audio recording is permitted in Council Chambers during meetings.
The Regular Council meeting will be broadcast live on the City’s YouTube Channel as well as Cogeco cable television. A recording of the meeting will also be available on Cable Cable channel 26 and Rogers Ignite channel 548 at 1pm on the Sunday that follows the Tuesday meeting.
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