Committee of the Whole Highlights – March 10, 2026

Kawartha Lakes – The following are highlights of the Committee of the Whole meeting on March 10, 2026.  

The meeting can be viewed in full on our YouTube channel: 

·        Committee of the Whole March 10 

All recommendations made at Committee of the Whole will return to Regular Council for review and/or adoption on March 24, 2026. 

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#2sticksfornumber2

Following the tragic passing of Rowen Greening, a simple but powerful tribute has begun appearing outside homes across the community. Families have been placing two hockey sticks, and often a jersey, at their front doors in his honour, recognizing Rowen, who proudly wore number two. Shared online using the hashtag #2sticksfornumber2, the gesture has spread across Kawartha Lakes, North Durham and beyond, as hockey families and community members show their support.

Rowen, a Grade 6 student and member of the North Durham Warriors Under-12 AA hockey team, passed away following an accident on Thursday, March 5. His love of hockey extended across several local programs, including teams in Woodville and Brock, making him a familiar face at arenas throughout the region. In the days since, an outpouring of support has spread across the provincial hockey community as friends, teammates, and organizations remember the young player.

Rowen’s family has deep ties to the City of Kawartha Lakes, where some of his relatives live and work. While the loss of such a young member of the community is deeply felt, the tributes appearing across the region reflect just how many lives Rowen touched in his 12 years.

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Paramedic Service Operational Key Performance Indicators

Kawartha Lakes Paramedic Service shared its 2025 performance results with Council, showing the service continues to respond to more calls each year while maintaining strong response times. Highlights include:

• In 2025, paramedics responded to over 14,000 patient calls, about one call every 37 minutes. Despite the increase in demand, the service met or exceeded all response time targets.
• New tools and service improvements, including the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), helped better match the response to the type of call. This reduced unnecessary emergent responses and significantly lowered the amount of time when no ambulances were available in the municipality.
• Council also heard that operating costs and fleet costs have stabilized, and a new ambulance replacement plan will help keep vehicles reliable. The service continues exploring new technology through initiatives such as a hydrogen fuel cell pilot project.

Overall, the report shows the local paramedic system is stable and performing well while preparing for future growth.

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Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service 2025 Annual Presentation

Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service presented its 2025 annual report to Council, highlighting public education, training and emergency response across the municipality.

• Firefighters responded to over 3,300 incidents in 2025, a 30% increase from the previous year. The increase was largely related to the March ice storm, which required thousands of firefighter response hours, along with several significant wildfires during the year.
• The Fire Service continued to focus on public education and fire prevention, including school programs, fire extinguisher training and outreach events in the community. A new program also began to help residents in municipal multi-unit housing buildings learn about fire safety and evacuation.
• Staff training remained a key focus in 2025, with firefighters completing courses in hazardous materials, rescue training and emergency response. 
• Fire Service continues working to meet new provincial firefighter certification requirements while supporting volunteer recruitment across the municipality.

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Budget and Surplus/Deficit Disposition Policy Presentation

Carolyn Daynes, Treasurer, proposed the Budget and Surplus/Deficit Disposition Policy which combines three policies into one: The existing Budget Policy, Capital and Special Projects Policy, and Operating Surplus Disposition Policy will be replaced with a single Budget and Surplus/Deficit Disposition Policy to simplify and streamline how the City manages its finances. Updates include:

• Budget timeline updated to match provincial rules: The policy aligns the City’s budget process with Strong Mayor legislation, requiring the Mayor to propose the budget by February 1 and Council to adopt it by February 28 each year. 
• Clearer rules for surpluses and deficits: The policy clarifies how reserve transfers work and ensures some surplus funds will be used to help cover any overall operating deficit instead of automatically being transferred to reserves. 
• More flexibility for staff to manage projects: Staff will have clearer authority to manage capital and special projects, such as extending timelines, closing projects, and adjusting funding, while Council still approves major projects and budgets.

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Customer Experience: Division and Corporate Program Update

Customer Experience Manager Brandon Clarkson provided the 2025 update for the Customer Experience Division. In 2025, the Municipal Call Centre received 56,892 calls, about 10% more than in 2024, and answered 97% of them, exceeding the target. Higher call volumes in April and May were largely due to the ice storm cleanup, along with increased inquiries related to wildfire activity and more complex service requests.

Municipal Service Centres processed 14,502 transactions worth nearly $19 million, mostly for property taxes, utilities, and other payments. The City also recorded 12,257 in-person visits to Service Centres in 2025, though the actual number may be higher since this data is recorded manually.

Overall, the City received 9,918 service requests, a 17% increase from 2024, with higher demand in several areas including solid waste, parks and recreation, and water services. The City will continue improving customer service through its Corporate Customer Experience Program, with further support expected from a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system planned for 2026.

City staff are asking Council to approve two policies to support better customer service: a Customer Experience Commitment Policy and an updated Corporate Complaints Handling Policy. These policies will formalize the City’s approach to service delivery, accessibility, professionalism, and accountability, and replace older complaint procedures.

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Procurement Policy Update Presentation

The Procurement Policy Update Report recommends updating the City’s Procurement Policy and adopting it as the new official policy, replacing older versions. It also recommends removing the separate Sustainable Procurement Policy and bringing those rules into the updated policy. Council will be asked to approve these changes at the next regular meeting.

The update was requested by Council after concerns about trade tariffs and supporting Canadian suppliers. Staff reviewed the current policy and added changes that include environmental purchasing practices and new language to address the Buy Ontario Act, 2025, while still following Canadian laws and international trade agreements.

Because of trade agreements and other legislation, the City cannot simply choose local suppliers from Kawartha Lakes. However, the policy allows for some preference for Ontario or Canadian suppliers where laws permit. The changes also support the City’s strategic priorities by simplifying policies, supporting the local economy, and responding to new economic and legislative conditions.

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Strategic Plan Annual Report Presentation

Josh Dunsworth, Manager of Strategy and Innovation, provided a presentation on the 2025 annual update and midpoint review of the City’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. The report shows strong progress since the last update, with more initiatives moving from planning into delivery and completion.

Key advancements include:

More initiatives completed
Completion has increased from 33.7% to 56.5%, with 97% of initiatives now either Complete or On Track. This shows steady progress across departments.

Clearer tracking and reporting
Improvements to reporting, electronic scorecards, and work plan alignment have made it easier to track progress and connect daily work to the Strategic Plan.

Better links to community outcomes
Progress measures now include areas such as housing supply, environmental performance, job growth, and customer experience, helping show how projects benefit the community.

Progress across all four Strategic Plan priorities
Key work includes the Active Transportation Plan, new affordable housing units, the refreshed Economic Development Strategy, expanded digital services such as new websites and online portals, and improvements to environmental and waste diversion programs.

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Deputy Mayor Policy

The City’s Procedural By-Law requires Council to elect a Deputy Mayor each year. However, there are currently no clear guidelines that explain the duties, expectations, or limits of the role. This report and the proposed Council Policy aim to clarify those responsibilities.

The Deputy Mayor’s main role is to act as Head of Council when the Mayor is unavailable. The position also supports the Mayor’s Office by attending events, mentoring other Councillors, and occasionally chairing committee meetings.

With the introduction of the Province’s Strong Mayor legislation, it is important to clearly define what the Deputy Mayor can and cannot do, especially if the Mayor is away for an extended time. A clear policy will reduce confusion, support decision-making during urgent situations, and help Councillors understand the expectations before taking on the role.

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Committee Workplans

Lindsay Ops Landfill Public Review Committee 2025 Work Summary and 2026 Work Plan

Waste Management Advisory Committee 2025 Work Summary and 2026 Work Plan

Kawartha Lakes Parks Advisory Committee Annual Update and 2026 Work Plan

Municipal Heritage Committee 2026 Work Plan

Agricultural Development Advisory Committee 2026 Work Plan

Kawartha Lakes Accessibility Advisory Committee Annual Update and 2026 Work Plan

Environmental Advisory Committee 2026 Work Plan

Kawartha Lakes Airport Advisory Committee Annual Update and 2026 Work Plan

The above work plans will be brought forward to Council for consideration at the next Regular Council Meeting.

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Next Council meeting 

Council will return for a Regular Council meeting on March 24 at 1pm. There will be a Special Council Meeting preceding the regular meeting. It will begin at 12:30pm.

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.