Strategic Decisions of Council - June 15, 2026

Council Meeting Date: June 15, 2026

Consent Agenda Items

Restricted Acts - The "Lame Duck" Period
Toll Booth - Fergus Fire Fighters
Consolidated Delegation of Authority Report for 2025

Strategic Decisions from Council

Water Softener Rebate Program
The Township of Centre Wellington is introducing a new Water Softener Rebate Program to help eligible residential and institutional water users reduce water waste and improve efficiency. The program would offer a $250 rebate for replacing an older time-based water softener with an eligible demand-based model, or a $500 rebate for installing an eligible salt-free water conditioning system. The program is intended to address one of the most common sources of excess household water use and support the Township’s ongoing water conservation efforts.

Report to Council

Zoning Amendment RZ07-2025 Decision Report - 191 Wellington Road 7 & 290 South Street, Salem
Council has approved a zoning amendment for 191 Wellington Road 7 and 290 South Street in Salem to permit a residential redevelopment on the site. The amendment changes the zoning from R1A Residential to a site-specific R3 Residential Exception zone to allow 23 new townhouse units, including four street townhouses fronting onto South Street and 19 cluster townhouse units accessed by a private internal road.

The existing single detached dwelling at 290 South Street will remain, with the attached garage removed, and is intended to be severed onto its own lot in the future. The development will be serviced by municipal water and wastewater and will include on-site parking, amenity space, snow storage, stormwater management features, and an internal sidewalk connection to South Street.

Council’s decision supports the addition of new housing within the Elora-Salem urban area and contributes to a broader range of housing options in the community. The approved proposal was revised from the original submission in response to public feedback, reducing the total number of units from 25 to 23 and limiting the townhouse buildings to two storeys to improve compatibility with the surrounding neighbourhood. Additional details related to landscaping, tree retention and planting, lighting, drainage, grading, site design, and servicing will be addressed through the future site plan approval process.

Report to Council

Amendment to By-law 2025-81, Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) By-law
Council approved amendments to the Township’s Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) By-law to update and expand the municipal enforcement framework. The changes clarify definitions and procedures, distinguish between parking and non-parking enforcement streams, and revise payment and review timelines to better reflect how different types of by-law contraventions are administered. For example, parking-related penalties will continue to follow a 15-day timeline, while non-parking penalties will have a 30-day timeline for payment and review requests. The amendments also include several housekeeping updates to improve administrative clarity and consistency.

Council also approved changes to expand the AMPS framework to include enforcement of selected provisions under the Township’s Municipal Accommodation Tax By-law. The updated by-law establishes tiered administrative penalties for first, second, and subsequent contraventions, with separate penalty amounts for individuals and corporations. These amendments are intended to strengthen compliance tools, improve administrative efficiency, and provide the Township with a clearer and more flexible process for addressing designated by-law contraventions outside of the court system. 

Report to Council

Speed Limit Bylaw Update
Council approved an updated Speed Limit By-law to implement recently recommended speed limit reductions on five Township roads and repeal the previous by-law. The changes lower the speed limit from 80 km/h to 60 km/h on Middlebrook Road, from 80 km/h to 50 km/h on Noah Road, and from 50 km/h to 40 km/h on Parkside Drive West, Woodside Street, and St. Andrew Street East between St. David Street North and Gartshore Street. According to the report, the changes follow staff review of road geometry, adjacent land uses, collision history, and observed driving speeds.

The updated by-law consolidates these new speed zones into the Township’s annual speed limit schedule, with new signage to be installed through the summer and fall to bring the changes into full legal effect. The report notes that costs associated with the signage will be funded through the existing 2026 Traffic Calming Measures budget.

Report to Council

Stormwater Rate Study
Council received the Township’s draft Stormwater Rate Study for information and directed staff to post the study on ConnectCW for public input. The study examines long-term options for funding stormwater management services, which are currently paid for primarily through the general tax levy and a portion of wastewater rates. According to the report, increasing financial pressures on the stormwater system have prompted the Township to explore a more sustainable user-pay model that better aligns costs with the properties that benefit from and contribute to stormwater runoff.

The draft study recommends a measured impervious area approach as the preferred funding model if Council chooses to establish a dedicated stormwater rate in the future. Under this model, charges would be based on the amount of hard surface, such as roofs, driveways, and parking areas, on a property, reflecting the impact those surfaces have on stormwater runoff. The report outlines forecasted stormwater capital and operating costs over the next 10 years and notes that any future decision to implement a dedicated stormwater rate would involve additional public engagement, further implementation planning, and potential consideration of credits or incentives for property owners who invest in stormwater management measures on their lands. Council also directed that any future public information sessions on this topic be deferred until the next term of Council.

Report to Council

Elora South Inc. Tax Increment Equivalent Grant Update
Council received an update regarding the Tax Increment Equivalent Grant (TIEG) Agreement with Elora South Inc. and authorized the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer to sign an amendment to the agreement to reflect changes to the project’s development phasing. The TIEG, approved in 2022 through the Township’s Community Improvement Plan, supports the Elora South redevelopment by allowing the developer to recover a portion of eligible development costs through future municipal tax increment rebates tied to completed phases of the project.

The approved amendment updates the order of certain development phases to better reflect the project’s current construction sequencing and intended building uses, while keeping the overall 15-year development timeline unchanged. According to the report, the revised phasing does not alter the Township’s financial commitment under the agreement, which has already been accounted for in the annual budget. The redevelopment lands, located at 6523 Wellington Road 7 and 30 Carlton Place in Elora, are planned for a multi-phase mixed-use project that includes residential, hotel, commercial, and parking components

Report to Council

Review of Township Road Salt Management Programs
Council received the Township’s 2026 Salt Management Plan for information and endorsed a resolution calling on the Province of Ontario to take further action to address the environmental impacts of road salt. The resolution urges the Province to develop limited liability legislation for snow and ice contractors, establish enforceable training and provincially endorsed best management practices for salt application, and create a funded expert advisory committee to help protect freshwater ecosystems and drinking water sources from salt pollution. Council also directed that the resolution be circulated to neighbouring municipalities, provincial officials, and sector organizations.

The report notes that the Township already has a range of measures in place to manage winter maintenance activities and reduce the impacts of road salt while maintaining safe and accessible roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. The new Salt Management Plan outlines the Township’s independent approach to tracking salt and sand use, following regulatory requirements, supporting source water protection, and pursuing continuous improvement through new technologies, annual review, and operational best practices. The report also highlights ongoing work under the Clean Water Act to manage significant drinking water threats related to salt storage, salt application, and snow storage within wellhead protection areas.

Report to Council

Development Charge Reduction Program
Council has directed staff to submit an application to Ontario’s Development Charge Reduction Program, a one-time competitive funding opportunity intended to support housing-enabling municipal infrastructure while requiring participating municipalities to reduce residential development charges for a three-year period. The program can provide up to 90 per cent funding for eligible capital costs, and Township staff have identified several major growth-related infrastructure projects for potential inclusion, including water capacity upgrades, the South Fergus Sewage Pumping Station, the Fergus Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, a new fire hall, and a multi-use recreation facility.

The Township’s proposed approach would result in an estimated 36 per cent reduction in residential development charges, meeting provincial program requirements, while supporting infrastructure needed for future housing growth. The report notes that the program is competitive and funding is not guaranteed, and that the Township would remain responsible for ineligible costs such as design, engineering, legal, staff time, and cost overruns.

Report to Council