Regular Council Meeting Highlights – October 21, 2025

Kawartha Lakes – The following are highlights from the Regular Council Meeting on October 21, 2025.

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

The Regular Council minutes from September 23, 2025 were received and adopted.

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Proposed By-Law to Impose Development Charges in the City of Kawartha Lakes

The City is replacing By-Law 2019-184 (Development Charges). As required by the Development Charges Act, a statutory public meeting was held to review the proposed by-law and its background study.

Dr. Adam Found, Manager of Corporate Assets, and Sean-Michael Stephen, Partner, Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. outlined the background study and Mayor Elmslie invited members of the public in attendance to speak to it, if they wished.

Stakeholders that chose to speak showed broad support for funding growth-related infrastructure via development charges, paired with strong concerns about the size and pace of the proposed increases and their potential impacts on housing affordability, market activity, and business competitiveness. Most urged either phasing in increases or delaying implementation.

Stakeholders accept that DCs fund growth, but asked Council to moderate the increase, via phasing, targeted exemptions, indexing review, collaboration with developers, and (for some) a temporary delay, to balance infrastructure needs with affordability, market stability, and competitiveness.

See the presentation on the proposed Development Charges. Revised versions will be forwarded to Council for consideration at the Regular Council Meeting of November 18, 2025. The public comments and written comment submissions were received by Council.

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National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Deputy Mayor McDonald spoke about National Disability Employment Awareness month, stating, “1 in 4 Canadians have a disability, affecting over 8 million people. This October, the City of Kawartha Lakes joins communities across Canada to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is a time to recognize the contribution that people with disabilities make in our workplace everyday.”

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An Overview of Lakelands Public Health

The Lakelands Public Health presentation, led by Dr. Thomas Piggott, introduced the newly established regional public health organization, highlighting its brand identity, service area, and 2026 budget plan.

The new brand, developed through Indigenous consultation, features a circular symbol symbolizing the interconnectedness of health and community. The organization serves eight regions, including several First Nations communities.

A key focus was the five-year funding harmonization plan, created to address the financial and capacity limitations of the former individual health units that merged to form Lakelands Public Health.

The presentation also outlined health equity challenges specific to the City of Kawartha Lakes, illustrating local social determinants of health, and described the early stages of strategic planning for 2026, which will guide the organization's future direction.

Read the presentation.

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10-Year Deeply Affordable and Supportive Housing Strategy

The 10-Year Deeply Affordable and Supportive Housing Strategy (2027–2036) for the City of Kawartha Lakes and the County of Haliburton was presented to Council by Cheryl Faber, Director of Human Services, Michelle Corley, Manager of Housing, and consultants from HelpSeeker Technologies. Grounded in a recent Housing Needs Assessment, the strategy replaces the 2020–2029 plan to better respond to current housing challenges and reflects the City’s role as Consolidated Municipal Service Manager. It serves as a framework for future action, directing staff to complete financial modeling by mid-2026 and engage with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing as needed.

At its core, the strategy emphasizes that housing is essential to quality of life, recognizing its role in health, well-being, and community strength. It acknowledges that housing challenges are growing, with rising costs, increased homelessness, and strained community supports across the region.

The plan is community-driven and accountable, shaped by input from residents, service providers, and partners, and guided by the City’s 2024–2027 Strategic Plan commitment to “An Exceptional Quality of Life.”

To guide implementation, six strategic priorities form the backbone of the 10-year plan:

• Expand deeply affordable and supportive housing

• Prevent homelessness and improve pathways to stability

• Strengthen community and supportive housing delivery

• Align internal systems to support delivery

• Strengthen governance for housing delivery

• Advocate for senior government investment in deeply affordable housing

The strategy underscores that collaborative governance is key, with shared accountability between the City and the County of Haliburton ensuring coordinated planning and delivery. It provides a clear path forward to reduce homelessness, expand deeply affordable housing, and build long-term system capacity.

Recognizing that partnerships are critical, the plan calls for collaboration among all levels of government and community organizations. Ultimately, it demonstrates a commitment to long-term stability, creating a foundation for a more resilient and equitable housing system that supports the well-being and prosperity of the entire region.

Read the report on the 10-Year Deeply Affordable and Supportive Housing Strategy (2027-2036). The report was received as presented.

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Committee of the Whole, October 7, 2025

The Minutes of the Committee of the Whole Meeting of October 7, 2025, were adopted as printed in the minutes.

Source Separated Organics Update

Kawartha Lakes is enhancing its Source Separated Organics (SSO) program to simplify waste collection and support long-term sustainability goals. Beginning June 15, 2026, residents in Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, and Omemee who are part of the program will see key changes, including a new one-bag garbage limit per household, a rule prohibiting organics in garbage bags, and green bin collection moving to the same day as regular waste and recycling. Extra garbage bags can still be set out with a bag tag, available online or at Municipal Service Centres and libraries. These updates aim to make waste sorting easier, improve collection consistency, and encourage residents to compost more.

Mayor Doug Elmslie noted that since the SSO program began in 2025, residents have diverted over 900 tonnes of organic material from landfills, a major step toward sustainability. Recycling options will also expand to include more items in both blue and green bins, maximizing landfill space and environmental protection. Councillor Pat Warren emphasized that these improvements show strong community commitment to reducing waste and using resources wisely. For details on schedules and sorting guidelines, residents can visit www.kawarthalakes.ca/organics

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Planning Advisory Committee – October 8, 2025

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

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Consent matters:

Supportive and Transitional Housing - Community Housing Waiting List Priority

Kawartha Lakes proposes a new local priority rule for access to rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing in Kawartha Lakes Haliburton Housing Corporation (KLH) units. The rule would give second priority (after the existing Special Priority Program [SPP]) to individuals who are ready to move from supportive or transitional housing into permanent RGI housing, ahead of others on the regular chronological waiting list.

Currently, people moving from homelessness into supportive receive rent supplements but have no direct pathway to RGI housing, forcing them to wait chronologically. This has led to a backlog, as individuals who are ready for more independent living remain in supportive housing, limiting space for others in need.

The proposed rule establishes a clear progression from homelessness → supportive housing → permanent RGI housing, improving system flow and helping more households achieve long-term housing stability.

Updated RGI waiting list priorities:

• Special Priority Program (SPP)
• Supportive/Transitional to RGI Housing (new)
• Chronological waiting list

The report was approved and adopted by Council. Read the full report.

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Petitions

Four petitions were received by Council. Copies of the petitions are available in the City Clerks office. The petitions received can be found in the meeting Agenda.

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Next Council meeting

Council will return for the Committee of the Whole Meeting on November 4, 2025 at 1pm.

Public attendance in Council Chambers is welcome. Regular and Committee of the Whole meetings will be broadcast live on the City’s YouTube Channel and on Cogeco cable television.

Please note that you can watch recordings of the City of Kawartha Lakes Regular Council Meetings on Cable Cable channel 26 and Rogers Xfinity channel 548 at 1pm on the Sunday that follows the Tuesday meeting.

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