February 14 Meeting Highlights

Grey County Council met on Thursday, February 14 at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chamber. The council meeting was immediately followed by a session of committee of the whole and the 2019 Budget Workshop. A recording of these meetings can be found on the County’s YouTube Channel.

County Council

• Richard Thomas, alternate council member for the City of Owen Sound, was sworn in to office.
• Council accepted the minutes of the January 24, 2019 Council meeting. Council amended a motion that will see the County’s redevelopment application for Rockwood Terrace include an additional 28 beds to bring the home up to an optimal size of 128 beds.  Minutes
• Council accepted the minutes of the January 22, 2019 Committee of the Whole meeting. Minutes
• Council accepted the minutes of the January 8, 2019 Long-Term Care Committee of Management.  Minutes

Committee of the Whole

• Council received an overview of revisions to a draft approved plan of subdivision known as Windfall in the Town of the Blue Mountains. Changes would increase the number of units to 680. A public meeting will be held in the Town of the Blue Mountains on February 25.  Report   Presentation
• Seasonal road restrictions (sometimes called half-loads) prevent large heavy vehicles from traveling certain County roads in the spring when surfaces are at their most vulnerable. These restrictions do create some inconvenience for transportation but they are critical to extending the life of the road. Grey County reviewed all County-owned roads with restrictions and determined they will remain the same, exception for Grey Road 5 in Owen Sound. Report   2018 Load Restriction Map
• Grey County appointed the Director of Legal Services as municipal prosecutor, to oversee prosecution services and appoint additional prosecutors for the Provincial Offences Administration. Report
• The Provincial Government is reviewing the model for alcohol sales in Ontario. Grey County supported a request from the Grape Growers of Ontario to provide comments asking the Province include policies that will promote 100% Ontario Grown and locally produced wines, beer and ciders. Correspondence
• Councillor Keaveny was appointed to the Town of The Blue Mountains Task Force.

2019 Budget Workshop

• Staff presented the 2019 Draft Budget to County Council. The budget maintains services and makes investments in areas that will provide the most benefits to residents. Council heard detailed breakdowns of departmental budgets and provided comments and feedback. The proposed budget would require an increase to the levy of 1.75%.  Budget Webpage

Good News and Celebrations

• This year is the 100^th anniversary of the Canadian Institute of Planners. County planning staff will be holding an event on March 7 at 7pm in the Grey County Administration Building to celebrate the milestone and educate the public.
• A scheduled flight service from the Wiarton-Keppel International Airport to the GTA will begin May 24.
• Last weekend was the celebration of Chinese New Year – Year of the Pig at Grey Roots.

The Clerk’s Department maintains the official record for Grey County. This publication is intended to provide meeting highlights only. For official records, please refer to the meeting minutes, or contact the Clerk’s Department at 1-800-567-4739.