Council Connect - June 23, 2026

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Council Connect: Highlights from June 23, 2026, meetings of Council

Public Meetings of Council

Zoning By-law Amendment, 12147 St. Jacques: Council heard public comment on the Zoning By-Law Amendment application for 12147 St. Jacques Street. The Zoning By-Law amendment application seeks to change the zoning pertaining to a 1225 square metre (13,185 square foot) parcel of land situated on the south side of St. Jacques Street, approximately 100 metres (328 feet) west of its intersection with Lesperance Road (12147 St. Jacques Street). The new zoning would retain the existing 4-unit dwelling on the subject site and provide for two additional single dwelling units to be established.

Regular Meeting of Council

Updates to Policy No. 66 Accessible Customer Service: Council approved updates to the Town’s Accessible Customer Service Policy to ensure continued compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and current best practices. Updates include a streamlined accessibility feedback process and alignment with the Town’s broader customer service standards to support inclusive service delivery.

Development Charge Reserve Fund Statement: Council received a report with the Development Charge Reserve Fund Statement for the year ended December 31, 2025, that presents the revenue from development charges and expenditures on growth-related projects. As of the statement end date, the fund balance is $288,157. A number of growth-related projects have been undertaken in the last several years. The DC reserve funds for many of the categories have been inadequate to fully fund these projects so it has been necessary to temporarily fund these works from other sources until DC fund revenue is collected. The cumulative deficit as of December 31, 2025 was $15.67M to be recovered from future growth. Council received the report, directed Administration to publish the statement on the Town’s website and be submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Zoning By-law Amendment 350 Lesperance Road Scheduling of a Public Meeting: Council received a report regarding the filing of a Zoning By-law amendment application in order to change the zoning pertaining to a 2307 square metre (24,832 square foot) parcel of land situated on the southeast corner of the Lesperance Road/Wood Street intersection (350 Lesperance Road), seeking to amend Zoning By-law 1746 by rezoning the subject land from “Residential Zone 2 (R2)” to a site-specific “Residential Zone 3 (R3-24)” to permit the redevelopment of the property with two, three-storey, six-unit dwellings and establish site-specific zone provisions related to minimum lot frontage, lot area, height, lot coverage, landscaped open space, yard depths/widths (front, side, rear) and encroachments for patios/balconies. Council received the report and authorized administration to schedule the public meeting to be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

New Zoning By-Law, Summary of Public Meeting 2, Administrative Response and Final Recommendation: Council received a report and saw a presentation from WSP regarding the Town’s new Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2026-050 and summary information from the second public meeting. The new Comprehensive Zoning by-law reflects extensive public consultation and is intended to modernize land use regulations, support a range of housing options, and align with provincial and local planning policies in accordance with the Planning Act. Council passed a motion to defer voting on the new Zoning By-law until the Council meeting on August 11, 2026. The full report and attachments can be found here.

Final Urban Forestry and Naturalization Management Plan, Public Tree By-Law and Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Policy: Council received a report recommending approval of the Urban Forestry and Naturalization Management Plan (UFNMP), Tree Canopy and Vegetation Policy (No.141) and Public Tree By-Law 2026-029. The UFNMP establishes a 20-year strategy to proactively manage and enhance trees on Town-owned lands, with 27 recommendations focused on maintenance, expansion, protection and stewardship. Implementation of the UFNMP recommendations will be phased and subject to Council budget deliberations, including consideration of a Town Arborist position and expanded in-house tree maintenance programs. Council approved the final version of the UNMFP as well as the associated policy (No. 141) and By-Law (2026-029).

St. Clair Beach Community Centre Facility Renewal Project Tender Award: Council received a report with a summary of plans for the rehabilitation of the interior of the community centre, a render of the interior improvements, and the tender results for the project. This work will support the rehabilitation of the community centre interior to enhance functionality, improve overall accessibility, and is part of a larger improvement project for the community centre and Optimist Park established in the Community and Recreation Services 2026-2030 Five (5) Year Capital Works Plan. Council received the report and awarded the tender in the amount of $768,888.00 (excluding HST) to Valente Contracting.

Asset Management Plan (AMP) Update Version 5, Final Adoption: Council approved the Town’s 2025 Asset Management Plan (Version 5), which provides a comprehensive 10-year roadmap (2025–2034) for maintaining and improving municipal infrastructure. The plan outlines asset conditions, current and proposed service levels, lifecycle strategies, future demands, emerging challenges and a financial summary of all municipal infrastructure, which fulfills the Town’s obligations under Ontario Regulation 588/17. A full copy of the AMP v5 can be found on the Town’s website here.

School Safety Zone Tender Award: Council awarded a contract valued at $1,132,110 (excluding HST) to Piera Con Enterprises for the School Safety Zone Improvements Project. The work includes crosswalk enhancements, pedestrian signal upgrades, signage, lighting improvements, and roadway modifications at several school locations, with construction anticipated to be completed by November 2026. Additional funding was approved in the amount of $113,684 from the Road Lifecycle Reserve to reflect updated project costs for a total budget of $1,533,600.

2026 Asphalt Paving Tender Award: Council awarded the tender for the 2026 Asphalt Paving Program to GIP Paving Inc. in the amount of $724,400 (excluding HST). The program includes resurfacing work on North Talbot Road (8th Concession – 9th Concession), Lacasse Boulevard (Dillon Dr. – Riverside Drive) and portions of Manning Road (Hayes Ave to 225 metres South of Hayes Ave.). Four bids were received, with the contract awarded to the lowest compliant bidder. A project surplus of $142,850 will be returned to the Roads Lifecycle Reserve.

2026 Tar and Chip Road Maintenance Program: Council approved the 2026 Tar and Chip Program and awarded the contract to Shepley Road Maintenance Ltd. for $353,725 (excluding HST) following a single-bid tender process. The program will include surface treatments and crack sealing at various locations across the Town, helping extend the life of existing roadways. The awarded tender was less than the projected allocation and a surplus of $60,050 will be returned to Roads Life Cycle Reserve.

Tender Award North 12th Concession Drain: Council awarded the contract for the North 12th Concession Drain project to Jeff Shepley Excavating Ltd. in the amount of $199,580 (excluding HST). The project will include culvert replacements and drainage improvements to address deteriorating infrastructure and support surrounding agricultural lands, with costs largely recovered from benefiting properties.  The estimated cost for the Town to administer the project is $57,218 with actual costs brought forward to Council once the project is completed.

Motion: Deputy Mayor Bachetti brought forward a motion recommending that Council request the Province of Ontario to consider reinstating measures that allow third-party appeal rights for Zoning By-law Amendments under the Planning Act, with clear standing requirements, firm appeal and adjudication timelines, and safeguards to discourage frivolous appeals. The motion failed.

Next Regular Meeting: The next regular meeting of Council is July 28, 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