Regular Council Highlights – December 10, 2024

Kawartha Lakes – The following are highlights from the Regular Council Meeting on December 10, 2024.  

The meeting can be viewed in full on our YouTube Channel.

Regular Council Minutes from November 19, 2024 were received and adopted. 

Outgoing Deputy Mayor Report

The Deputy Mayor reflects on his 2024 term with gratitude and pride for the year’s achievements, highlighting key projects and initiatives:

1. Short-Term Rentals: Led by the Deputy Mayor and Councillors Richardson, Joyce, and Perry, the program set a standard for municipalities across the province. It improved licensing processes, compliance enforcement, and community safety, fostering a better environment for residents and visitors.
2. Customer Service Improvements: Collaborative efforts across departments enhanced mutual understanding and performance tracking, laying a foundation for continued progress.
3. International Plowing Match (IPM): This community showcase, led by Kelly Maloney and supported by various teams and volunteers, was a successful and memorable event for 50,000 visitors.
4. 2025 Budget: As Budget Committee Chair, the Deputy Mayor worked with Councillors and staff to balance city-wide needs through 18 meetings, culminating in a budget that aligns with community goals.

Acknowledgments were extended to Mayor Doug Elmslie, CAO Ron Taylor, and staff for their leadership and professionalism, as well as to Council colleagues and community members for their collaboration and dedication. The Deputy Mayor expressed optimism for the future, confident in building on the year’s accomplishments.

2025 Deputy Mayor Announced

Ward 7 Councillor Charlie McDonald is Deputy Mayor for 2025. Looking ahead, Deputy Mayor McDonald prioritizes addressing renovictions, improving planning processes, and continuing to build on 2024 successes. Deputy Mayor McDonald emphasized a commitment to teamwork to further drive progress for Kawartha Lakes. He is honoured to serve a second term as Deputy Mayor. Read our full news release to learn more. 

Water-Wastewater Servicing and Capacity Master Plan update 

Kevin Brown, consultant from TYLin Canada, presented Council with an update on the Water-Wastewater Servicing and Capacity Master Plan. With significant growth coming to Kawartha Lakes it’s important for us to identify the existing servicing constraints and provide a long-term water and wastewater servicing strategy to support it. The objective of this master plan update is to study the impact of the planned growth, and identify the following:

The master plan recommends Alternative Option 4, Expanding the Facilities and Services, as it is the only way to ensure that our water-wastewater systems will be able to handle the forecasted growth in Kawartha Lakes through 2051. The final report will be brought to Council for endorsement by March 31, 2025. Following that, a notice of completion will be published and a 30-day project file review period will open. 

For more information visit our Major Projects page and look for the Water-Wastewater Servicing and Capacity Master Plan section. 

Transportation Master Plan update 

Kassel Prince, Senior Transportation – Traffic Engineer with consultant EGIS Group presented Council with an update on the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The TMP is a guiding document that sets a long-term vision for multi-modal transportation throughout the municipality. It functions as a master plan, which provides detailed recommendations and strategies to improve our transportation system up to and beyond 2051. 

The TMP’s vision is to provide a transportation network that is inclusive, sustainable, barrier-free and multi-modal. The aim of the TMP is to enhance mobility and accessibility for all residents and visitors via an integrated transportation system that meets the needs of the growing population in addition to providing a connected multi-modal network through to 2051. Alternative Option 4, Multi-modal Network Strategy, was identified as the preferred strategy. Part of this strategy focuses on network capacity improvements, promoting and enhancing active transportation, transit, and transportation demand management strategies. The multi-modal approach provides a balance of traditional network and sustainable modes through policy and investment. 

The final report will be brought to Council for endorsement by March 31, 2025. Following that, a notice of completion will be published and a 30-day project file review period will open. For more information, visit the Transportation Master Plan Jump In page. 

Committee of the Whole

Please note that there wasn’t a December Committee of the Whole meeting as we have a reduced Council meeting schedule in December. Committee of the Whole returns on January 14, 2025. 

Planning Advisory Committee – November 27, 2024 

All recommendations from the Planning Advisory Committee were adopted as printed in the minutes.

Two service roads named in the area of Riverwood Park 

The new service road extension on the northern part of Homestead Drive (north of Riverwood Park Road) was named Homestead Drive. The new service road located west of Highway 35 and east of the Homestead Drive extension was named Wagstaff Road.

Read the council report to learn more. 

Short-Term Rental licensing program update 

Council was provided with a report on the Short-Term Rental Accommodation Licensing Program. The report outlines the phased implementation and current status of the Short-Term Rental (STR) Licensing Program in Kawartha Lakes. Initiated in 2023, the program features vendor support, public education, and a gradual licensing process. As of October 2024, approximately 422 licenses were issued, with 278 locations under investigation for non-compliance. The program addresses noise, safety, and other issues through a robust complaint system (916 total complaints in 2024), demerit points, and legal actions. The program’s goal is to operate self-sufficiently while aligning with strategic municipal priorities for governance and environmental health. 

Council requested an update on: how much staff time is being used from other departments, and the associated costs; detailed statistics on the number of after-hours STR-related calls. This will come forward in the next update report.

Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund 2025 Allocation

The Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund Grant Committee requested the release of $434,933.36 from the Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund for six different projects throughout Lindsay. The recommendation for funding allocation was:

Council adopted the recommendation and released the funds. View the Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund 2025 Allocation report.

Bobcaygeon Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund 2025 Allocation 

The Bobcaygeon Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund Grant Committee requested the release of $90,524.47 from the Bobcaygeon Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund for ten different projects throughout Bobcaygeon. The recommendation for funding allocation was: 

Council adopted the recommendation and released the funds. View the Bobcaygeon Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund 2025 Allocation report.