Lanark County Council Highlights – March 26, 2025

Press Release – Lanark County 

Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held March 26, 2025.

Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Endorsed:

Lanark County Council has endorsed the 2025-2029 update of the Community Plan for Safety and Well-being for Lanark County and Smiths Falls.

At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Community Safety and Well-being (CSWB) Coordinator Stephanie Gray provided an overview of the updated plan on behalf of the CSWB Advisory Committee, which is made up of representatives from a range of human service sectors. The development and adoption of such plans by local municipalities is mandated by the province. 

Gray explained the previous plan was adopted by local municipalities in 2019, and the updated plan builds off the original plan and the progress made since then. Consultation for the update has included community and agency surveys, focus groups and data and report collection and review. The plan is organized in the themes of affordability and quality of life, health, violence against persons, and priority populations and diversity. There are numerous pillars associated with each theme, which include information about assets and risks/issues, data, goals, measures and strategies to reduce risks.

“Building off the previous plan and the progress made was a key starting point,” Gray said. “It quickly became clear that housing, food security and income are priorities, and we know that enhancing access to basic needs helps to mitigate other risk areas, such as health and mental health.”

She also highlighted the strong record of collaboration in Lanark County, emerging risks associated with children and youth that need attention, and the importance of recognizing and building on existing assets.

Gray explained the advisory committee will develop an implementation plan to push the goals forward. Provincial legislation indicates the plan must be revisited in four years. Gray is currently presenting the plan to all local municipalities to seek its adoption.

For more information, contact Jasmin Ralph, Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.

Children’s Services Funding Policies Approved:

Lanark County Council has passed a by-law to approve six children’s services funding policies relating to child care and early years funding retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025.

At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Children’s Services Manager Katie Mitchell explained the Ontario Child Care and Early Years Funding Guidelines were significantly revised by the Ministry of Education as of Jan. 1. This has involved changing from revenue replacement to a cost-based funding approach for the Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care (CWELCC) system, and the county, as service manager, worked closely with local child care providers (licensees) to implement the new formula.

Mitchell said licensees used the new template designed by the county to calculate their 2025 funding allocations, and the county contracted Carole Fuller Professional Corporation to help interested licensees to complete the templates to ensure accuracy. The county completed the review of all the templates in February. A review of the existing funding policies was conducted, resulting in the development of the new policies and redundancies of some existing policies. This is completed to reflect the current legislation, regulations and guidelines. 

“The funding policies have been developed and updated in accordance with the provincial guidelines and the department’s business practices to ensure that all child care funding is distributed fairly and equitably,” Mitchell said.

County to Issue Expression of Interest for Affordable Housing Development:

Lanark County Council has directed staff to issue an expression of interest to assess potential affordable housing projects in the community, including the current stage of the development process, to determine requirements for them to become “shovel ready.”

At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Housing Services Manager Kaitlyn Murray explained the information would allow for a thorough assessment and strategic prioritization of initiatives to help address housing needs effectively in the event of provincial and/or federal funding opportunities.

“Such announcements often come unexpectedly and with tight deadlines,” she said. “The expression of interest will allow staff to identify a range of community projects and their respective development stages, enabling a prompt and strategic response to these funding opportunities.”

Murray added having an inventory of what non-profit and for-profit builders are working on can help county staff to identify areas for collaboration and opportunities for new developments that align with funding criteria. The expression of interest does not make any commitments to the developer or organization. Staff will return to council with a summary of the results and potential next steps.

Rental Assistance Funding Covered:

Lanark County Council has directed staff to use the social housing contingency reserve to fund the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) Rental Assistance Program until the 2025 funding allocation is announced by the provincial and federal governments.

At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Housing Services Manager Kaitlyn Murray explained OPHI and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) were introduced in 2019 as part of the Community Housing and Renewal Strategy (2019-2018) to help stabilize and enhance the existing community housing sector and help with affordability and expansion of affordable housing options. OPHI allows service managers like the county to address local priorities, such as affordability, repair and new construction.

One of the components of OPHI is the rental assistance program, which provides a subsidy to recipients based on a calculation of their rental costs and the average market rent. There are currently 21 clients receiving the monthly assistance. Murray explained the county has not yet received its annual allocation under the COCHI/OPHI program, meaning that as of April 1 there is no approved funding to sustain the rental assistance.

“While staff anticipate this is just a delay that may be attributed to factors such as the provincial election, there is no guarantee of the timing, criteria or amount of the forthcoming allocation,” she said, adding funding it from the contingency reserve would ensure there is no impact on the 21 people assisted by the program.

“Failure to continue this subsidy may result in them losing housing and an increased urgency for rent-geared-to income housing.”

When the allocations are received, staff will return to council for approval of this year’s investment plan.

For more information, contact Kaitlyn Murray, Housing Services Manager, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 2401.

Emergency Management Update Received:

Lanark County Council has received an update on the county’s emergency management activities.

At the community services committee meeting earlier this month, Clerk Jasmin Ralph explained that the emergency management portfolio incorporates activities associated with  Community Emergency Management Coordination, including compliance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, fire communications infrastructure and dispatch services, rescue services, and land ambulance (provided by Lanark County Paramedic Service).

The county owns three rescue vehicles and equipment placed strategically throughout the county and operated by Drummond North Elmsley/Tay Valley Fire Rescue, Mississippi Mills Fire Department and Montague Fire. They operate in their respective response areas and assist local municipal fire services, police or ambulance upon request.

Over the past five years, calls have trended upward from 70 in 2019 to 81 in 2024, with a decline associated with COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021. Motor vehicle collisions, ambulance assist and cancelled enroute/released at scene are the most frequent call types. A third-party review of the rescue service program is underway and is expected to be completed in August or September.

Ralph reported on upgrades to the fire communications infrastructure, including replacement of several battery backups and generators planned for this year. In June 2024, the county approved the installation of an additional tactical channel to increase the capacity of the fire dispatch communications system, particularly during multi-station events. One radio channel frequency approval is still to be received, and then implementation can proceed. The current maintenance contract for the system expires in June 2025 and a request for proposal document is being developed with consultation from Lanark County fire chiefs.

The Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) continues to ensure compliance with legislation, including an annual review of the Emergency Management Program and Response Plan, Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment and Critical Infrastructure listing, public education and an annual exercise for the Municipal Emergency Control Group. Emergency management training resumed in 2024 and is open to all local municipalities and emergency management partners. Lanark County CEMC meetings are taking place for CEMCs to collaborate and discuss relevant topics.

In 2025 there will be a focus on training for Emergency Operations Centre staff, along with a review of current reception and shelter locations across the county that can be used during evacuations. 

Ralph indicated the Town of Smiths Falls provides dispatch services to local municipal fire departments through an agreement with the county. She provided an overview of fire calls by year/department and the service calls by type.

For more information, contact Megan Beson, Deputy Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1102.

Upcoming Meetings:

County Council, Wednesday, April 9, 5 p.m.; Community Services, April 9 (following County Council); Corporate Services, April 9 (following Community Services). County Council, Wednesday, April 23, 5 p.m.; Public Works, April 23 (following County Council); Economic Development, April 23 (following Public Works). Watch for details about public access to meetings on agendas and through online notifications.

For more information, contact 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502. Like "LanarkCounty1" on Facebook and follow "@LanarkCounty1" on Instagram.