Council Meeting Highlights - July 7, 2026

Council received a delegation from Carl Seider, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority regarding the Durham Wellhead Protection Area Amendment. Council supported the proposed wellhead protection area amendment for the Durham municipal water system and directed staff to forward the resolution to the Saugeen Valley, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region.

Council directed staff to send letters of support for resolutions received from various municipalities respecting the following matters:

• Emphasizing that traffic calming measures should be available to all Ontario municipalities, not only those policed by the OPP.
• Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) requesting that the province establish a dedicated program stream for small, rural, and northern municipalities.

Council received a staff report authorizing the CAO and Clerk to enter into an agreement with the owner of 522 Mill Street, Neustadt, for the provision of a Community Improvement Plan grant. The owner has applied for CIP funding in relation to the purchase and installation of a new sign, painting of the front of the building, and repair of the building’s fascia.

Council held a public meeting to discuss a housekeeping amendment to the zoning bylaw which proposes zoning bylaw updates related to accessory apartments, minimum floor area requirements, rezoning all R1B properties to R2, and allowing NE-zoned land to be included in lot area calculations.

Council directed staff to opt out of Grey County's proposed hybrid/centralized planning model and continue delivering planning services at the municipal level. Staff were also directed to develop an operational plan to enhance local planning services for future Council consideration. This decision followed Grey County's review of centralized planning service delivery options and West Grey staff's finding that organizational capacity, rather than governance structure, is the primary challenge to improving local planning service delivery.

Council endorsed staff's proposed strategy to restore traffic access across Bridge B-003 through the installation of a temporary single lane modular bridge until the permanent bridge replacement is completed in 2027. Bridge B-003 was identified through the Municipality's Bridge Prioritization Program as one of West Grey's highest-priority bridge structures and has now been closed following recommendations arising from 2026 OSIM inspection.

Council considered funding requests from the Ayton Lions Club and the Bruce Grey Forest Festival. The Ayton Lions Club requested financial support to help offset event costs associated with its Family Fun Ball Tournament, taking place July 23–25, 2026. Council approved a grant of $1,000 from the Grants Budget to support the event. The Bruce Grey Forest Festival is scheduled for October 5–8, 2026. Bruce Grey Forest Festival is seeking in-kind funding for building permit fees for their tents, estimating four tents at $600 total fees. Council also approved a grant of $600 from the Grants Budget for the Bruce Grey Forest Festival.

Council received a staff report regarding Bill 97 – Implications for MFIPPA Compliance and Privacy Impact Assessment Requirements. The amendments shift municipal privacy compliance toward a more proactive and documented governance model, requiring earlier privacy review, stronger internal coordination, updated assessments when circumstances change, and the ability to produce privacy impact assessments to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario upon request.

Council directed staff to update the Property Standards Bylaw's grass and weeds provisions to reflect recent Ontario case law while continuing to address property maintenance concerns and better support naturalized landscaping, biodiversity, and pollinator habitats. Staff recommend amending the bylaw to better distinguish between unmaintained properties and intentionally maintained naturalized or ecological landscaping.

The next regular Council meeting is August 11, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
For full council meeting details please visit:
westgrey.com/meetings