Written By Olena Riznyk
NORTH MIDDLESEX – At its last meeting on July 15, North Middlesex council approved several financial and recreation-related items, considered drainage projects and received a series of second-quarter departmental updates.
Council approved documents required for the municipality’s 2024 financial audit as staff continue working to bring financial reporting back on schedule following staffing changes and the transition to a new financial software system. Staff said they expect to move quickly into the 2025 audit once the 2024 process is complete.
Council also approved writing off approximately $20,445 in uncollectible water and wastewater charges across 56 accounts. Staff explained the unpaid bills accumulated over nearly seven years and could no longer be transferred to property tax rolls because ownership of the affected properties had changed before the overdue balances were addressed. A formal policy for future write-offs will be developed.
Several drainage matters were also considered. Council confirmed the assessment schedule for the Sylvan Acres Drain after no appeals were received during the Court of Revision. It also appointed an engineering firm to prepare reports for requested improvements to the Southerland Drain and the Henderson Drain. Staff said the Southerland request was submitted because the current condition of the drain appears to be contributing to flooding on agricultural land, while the Henderson project would examine enclosing a section of the municipal drain running through farmland.
On the recreation side, council approved a 6% increase to minor sports, non-prime and last-minute arena ice rental rates after staff discovered those increases had been omitted when the municipality’s fees and charges bylaw was updated. Council also renewed its agreement with the Parkhill Agricultural Society for another three years, allowing the Parkhill Fair to continue operating at the municipal grounds through 2028.
A new three-year agreement was also approved to continue operating the concession at the HMS Insurance Centre. Under the agreement, the operator will pay a flat annual fee of $1,000. Staff said the first year of the partnership resulted in more consistent service and fewer complaints from arena users.
Council also received second-quarter reports from several departments. Staff reported continued preparations for the 2026 municipal election, a slight increase in fire call volume compared with last year and ongoing recruitment to fill firefighter vacancies. Updates were also provided on several major capital projects, including the Mount Carmel Reservoir, William Street pumping station and the municipality’s water meter replacement program.
