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This month, Council heard on key issues including 2025-2026 Budget, Development Charges, Community Recognition Program 2024 Nominees, Town Facilities Overview, Huntsville OPP Summer of 2024 - Summary/Overview, Donation to hold Physician Office Space, Ward Pairing By-Law, Florence Street Affordable Housing Development.

 

Here’s what happened:

 

  • Council will formally acknowledge the Community Recognition Program 2024 Nominees. The Town of Huntsville's Community Recognition Public Benefit Partners Program accepts nominations of individuals and groups who have made an outstanding contribution to the Huntsville community on an annual basis and recognizes nominees each year based on nominations received before the October 30 deadline. Council will take a photo with the nominees in attendance and the formal list will be published with the photo after the Council meeting.
  • Council received an invited presentation regarding Huntsville OPP Summer of 2024 - Summary/Overview. The Huntsville OPP presented statistics on calls during the busy summer season in 2022, 2023, and 2024. They also discussed their new community policing initiatives and “Coffee with a Cop” events at Algonquin Theatre in Partners Hall. For more details, please watch the full presentation at the beginning of the video recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel.
  • Staff will be presenting a revised Draft Consolidated 2025-2026 Budget, based on recommendations received from General Committee at the November 11-12 budget meetings. On November 14, as part of the post-meeting highlights from these meetings, notice was given that Council intends to approve the Draft Budget at the November 25 Council meeting. Please see the post-meeting highlights on Huntsville.ca for more details.
    • OUTCOME: See media release on Huntsville.ca for full details regarding the 2025-2026 Budget that was passed at this meeting, with photo of Mayor and CAO.
  • Staff will be providing Council with additional information regarding the Development Charges (DC) Background Study and By-law update as directed at the November 12 Council Meeting (see link to Huntsville.ca for post-meeting highlights from this meeting).
    • OUTCOME: Council voted to phase in Residential and Non-Residential DC Charges updates over the next five (5) years and to discount the proposed Residential Charges by 25% (to set the fees at 75% of those recommended by Hemson Consulting). The final DC By-Law will be sent for approval at the next Council meeting (December 9, 2024). Council also directed staff to report back in 2025 with options to provide further DC rebates for housing (i.e. for affordable housing).
  • As part of the ratification of new By-Laws, the Ward Pairing By-Law was approved by Council and will be implemented for the next municipal election.
  • Council considered a matter related to a Donation to hold Physician Office Space as it relates to local doctor recruitment.
    • OUTCOME: Council voted that staff be directed to work with the Owner of 29 Main Street East to facilitate a contribution from the Dr. William S. Monk Community Health Care Development Fund of $5,000 toward the retention of physician office space at 29 Main Street East.
  • The Mayor gave an update from District Council Meeting and mentioned that the Muskoka Community Land Trust’s Florence Street Affordable Housing Development is moving forward. For more details, please see the video recording of the meeting on our YouTube channel.
  • Staff will present a report on Town Facilities Overview, recommending that large Town facility projects be considered from an overall, Town-wide, strategic perspective and report back with options in 2025.
    • OUTCOME: Council accepted the recommendation, and staff will report back with options in 2025.

 

Want to dig deeper? Watch the full Council discussion through the livestream.