Council Connect - July 28, 2026

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Council Connect: Highlights from July 28, 2026, meetings of Council

Public Meetings of Council

Request to Consider Engineer's Report - Grondin Drain: Council heard public comments from affected landowners on the proposed drainage works for the Grondin Drain, as set out in the Drainage Report prepared by Oliver Moir, P.Eng., of Dillion Consulting Ltd. Proposed improvements include re-establishing the design grade of the Drain through excavation, replacing culverts due to poor condition or to provide sufficient hydraulic capacity, and establishing future cost-sharing provisions. Council approved a Court of Revision to be held on September 15, 2026, at 6:00 pm and notice be given to all affected landowners.

Request to Consider Engineer’s Reports – County Road 42 Reconstruction: Council heard public comment from affected landowners on proposed drainage works that are part of the County Road 42 Project as set out in the Drainage Reports prepared by Mark Hernandez, P.Eng., of Dillon Consulting Ltd.   The County of Essex is improving County Road 42 and County Road 43 in Tecumseh with new roundabouts, bike lanes, sidewalks and multi-use trails and require various drain improvements as part of the project. Council approved a Court of Revision to be held on September 15, 2026, at 6:00 pm and notice be given to all affected landowners.

Zoning By-Law Amendment 2575 Manning Road: Council heard public comment on the Zoning By-Law Amendment Application for 2575 Manning Road. A final report and recommendation on the proposed application will be brought forward for Council’s decision at a future Regular Council Meeting.

Regular Meeting of Council

Tecumseh Business Improvement Area (BIA) Six Month Review: Council received a report from the Tecumseh BIA Board of Management overviewing the BIA’s operational activities and accomplishments during the first six months of 2026. This report highlighted key initiatives undertaken to support local businesses, strengthen partnerships, promote Tecumseh's commercial districts, and advance the priorities identified in the Tecumseh BIA Strategic Plan. Council was also presented a video highlight reel of events and initiatives during that period. Council received the report.

Invest WindsorEssex and Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island: Council received a presentation from CEO Gordon Orr highlighting key achievements from the past year for Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island and Invest WindsorEssex, as well as the strategic roadmap for integrating the two organizations to strengthen regional capacity. Council received the presentation.

Town of Tecumseh Financial Statements and Audit Findings for 2024 and 2025: Council saw a presentation from KPMG LLP of the Audit Findings Report and received the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years 2024 and 2025. Council received the Audit Findings Report and approved the Consolidated Financial Statements for both years.

Rainfall Event on July 5, 2026: Council saw a presentation regarding the impacts, operations, and statistics of the significant rainfall event that happened on July 5, 2026. The presentation also included information and updates regarding the Town’s Flood Mitigation Strategy. Council received the presentation.

Zoning By-law Amendment 1413 Bedell Street Results of Public Meeting and Final Recommendation: Council received a report that summarizes the comments received at the Public Meeting on June 6, 2026, regarding the application for a Zoning By-Law amendment for 1413 Bedell Street. The report provided administrative responses to comments that remained unresolved at the Public Meeting, along with relevant planning analysis and included a final recommendation to approve the application and adopt the associated Zoning By-law amendment. Council received the report and adopted the Zoning By-law amendment.

Zoning By-law Amendment 1406 St. Anne Boulevard Results of Public Meeting and Final Recommendation: Council received a report that summarizes the comments received at the Public Meeting on June 6, 2026, regarding the application for a Zoning By-Law amendment for 1406 St. Anne Boulevard. The report provided administrative responses to comments that remained unresolved at the Public Meeting, along with relevant planning analysis and included a final recommendation to approve the application and adopt the associated Zoning By-law amendment. Council received the report and adopted the Zoning By-law amendment.

Vexatious, Frivolous, or Unreasonable Complaints Policy No. 145: Council received a report recommending a new policy to address repetitive, frivolous, vexatious, or otherwise unreasonable in nature complaints. This proposed policy would establish a fair, transparent, and consistent process for identifying, reviewing, and managing such complaints where warranted, while maintaining the public's ability to access municipal services and raise legitimate concerns. Administration also recommended a by-law be used to establish an Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) as an additional tool to address or correct more extreme behaviours. Council received the report and deferred consideration of adoption to the next Regular Council meeting.

2026 Six-Month Building Services Permit Report: Council received a report summarizing the permits issued for the first six months of 2026 (January to June) and comparing the values of the same period of the previous year. Total construction value was $45,907,247 during this period which is a decrease of $118,297,868 (72%) compared to the same period in 2025. This is because of an absence of high-value developments compared to  2025, including the two Fuze apartment buildings. The total number of permits issued has seen a slight increase of 37 permits (25%) compared to the same period in the previous year. Total permit fee revenue for the period is $450,905 or 66% of the total annual budgeted amount of $681,167. Council received the report.

Private Property Towing Application for 12072 Tecumseh Road East: Council received a report containing a “Request and Authorization to Remove Vehicle from Private Property Application” from the property owner at 12072 Tecumseh Road East where Kim Deane Law Office is located. This would give the property owner the ability to remove a vehicle which has been parked or left on a property without consent of the owner. The request was submitted by the owner over recent continuing concerns with available parking for their business and the challenges experienced with unauthorized vehicles parking overnight or parked cars being blocked in by other vehicles visiting other local businesses in the area. Council received the report and approved the application.

Proposed Fall 2026 Council Meeting Changes: Council received a report recommending changes to the upcoming meeting schedule of Council due to the potential application of the restricted acts “lame duck” provisions in the Municipal Act as of August 22, 2026 and due to the administrative challenges surrounding the scheduling of Council meetings during a current election period. Council received the report, scheduled a Special Council Meeting and a Closed Council Meeting on Thursday, August 20, 2026, cancelled the Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and scheduled a Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, December 15, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Snow Angel Program Transition: Council received a report summarizing the status of the Snow Angels Program. Volunteer recruitment and retention have steadily declined, making it difficult matching residents with available volunteers and sustaining the program over the long term, while the program continues to attract residents’ interest and requests for assistance. Administration has continued to explore opportunities to sustain the program and reduce administrative burden. The Community Support Centre of Essex County (CSC) has expressed interest in taking over responsibility for the program in Tecumseh. The CSC already operates successful Snow Angels programs in Essex and Lakeshore using established administrative systems. Council received the report, approved transferring the responsibility and delivery of the program to the CSC, and authorized Administration to prepare and execute a Letter of Understanding with the CSC.

Windsor-Essex Provincial Offences Act Annual Report 2025: Council received a report containing the 2025 Annual Report for the Windsor-Essex Provincial Offences Act (POA) program which details the background, operational activities, statistics, and financial results of the program. Council received the report.

2027 Business Plan and Budget Timeline: Council received a report of the proposed timelines for the development and review of the 2027 Business Plan and Budget with considerations of the 2026 Municipal Election and an outline of the budget process. Council received the report and approved the proposed timelines.

Southfield Park Improvement Project – Tender Award: Council received a report summarizing the project background, tendered costs, and results of the tender call that closed on July 15, 2026 for the Southfield Park Improvement project. The Town received five tenders. Council received the report and awarded the tender in the amount of $1,890,000.00 (excluding HST) to Barrineti Construction Ltd and authorized additional allocation of $107,022.20 from the Infrastructure Reserve to augment project budget.  Construction is set to begin August 2026 and conclude in 2027.

2025 Annual Report on Investment and Cash Management: Council received a report containing the annual management summary that provides an analysis of the status of the current investment portfolio and transactions made over the last year. Council received the report.

2025 Year-End Budget Variance: Council received a report summarizing the results of a review of the Town’s 2025 year-end financial position. The year-end tax-supported surplus is $261,034 ($178,469 operating and $82,565 capital) and the rate-supported surplus is $736,904. Council received the report and directed Administration to transfer the surpluses to the Town’s reserve funds.

2026 Supply of Various Vehicles – Tender Award: Council received a report summarizing the results of a Request for Tender that was posted on June 5, 2026, for two vehicles: one 4x2 2500 Crew Cab Pick-up Truck and one 4x4 1500 Regular Cab Pick-up Truck. Six bids were received. Council received the report and awarded the purchase of both vehicles to Bourgeois Motors Limited. The total cost of the vehicles, including outfitting, is $119,682 and will be funded from the Town’s Fleet Lifecycle Reserve.

Union Water Supply System and Windsor Utilities Commission Water System Interconnection, Municipal Class Environmental Assessment – Town Administration Comments: Council received a report summarizing an update on the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment currently being completed for Union Water Supply System and Windsor Utilities Commission in relation to a water system interconnection between the two water systems. The report includes questions and commentary from Administration regarding the project and its future implications to the Town. Council received the report and submitted the report as comments from the Town to Union Water System Supply, Windsor Utilities Commission, and their Engineering Consultant CIMA+.

ERCA Phragmites Regional Management Plan and Funding from the Ontario Phragmites Action: Council received a report summarizing the management plan for invasive phragmites in the region of Windsor-Essex County prepared by the Essex Regional Conservation Authority. The Town was notified that it was selected to receive $10,000 of grant funding towards the mitigation of phragmites pending the execution of an agreement with Nature Conservancy Canada. This funding would help the Town align itself with the actions of the majority of other local municipalities for the control of phragmites in accordance with the plan. Council received the report, received the Management Plan, and entered an agreement with Nature Conservancy Canada, for the acceptance of grant money for the management of phragmites.

Next Regular Meeting: The next regular meeting of Council is August 11, 2026. The agenda and livestream will be available on the Town’s website. Follow the Town of Tecumseh on Facebook for news and the latest information.

Media Contact:
Aaron Carder
acarder@tecumseh.ca
519.735.2184 ext 136