County Council Highlights for April 16, 2025

Warden and council support Hospice Dove Pin campaign

Warden Hilda MacDonald encouraged residents to support the annual Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Dove Pin campaign. The warden and members of council wore the blue Dove Pins at Wednesday’s meeting to promote the campaign, which runs from April 24 to April 27

“The Hospice, which has locations in Windsor and Leamington, has been providing compassionate end-of-life care to residents of this region for over 45 years. It could not do this without our support,” MacDonald said.

During the campaign, Hospice Dove Pin donation boxes will be at various stores and other locations throughout Essex County and Windsor.

Resident present concerns about intersection

Essex County resident Mary Brownlie made a presentation to council regarding safety concerns about the intersection of County Road 18 and County Road 15.

There are stop signs on County Road 15 in both directions at the intersection, where County Road 18 traffic has the right of way. The intersection is ranked 14th of the top 100 Essex County road intersections where potential safety solutions could be implemented, according to a recent assessment.

First quarter procurements reported

Council received a report listing the contracts the County of Essex entered into in the first quarter of 2025 for services and goods worth more than $500,000 that were within budget. There were no contracts awarded during that period that exceeded the amounts set by council in the 2025 Budget.

Included in the quarterly procurement report is a three-year contract with Green Infrastructure Partners for $23 million for Phase 3 and Phase 4 for the reconstruction of County Road 42.

County debt level remains low

The County of Essex remains in a strong financial position with low debt levels, says a report about its 2025 annual repayment limit.

“However, with the region’s growth and increasing demands for capital expansion, there may be a need to consider debt financing in the near future to support critical infrastructure projects,” says the report from Director of Financial Services/Treasurer Melissa Ryan. “While this could be a necessary tool, it’s important to note that our current debt levels remain low.”

The annual repayment limit is the amount Essex County Council can commit to payments relating to debt and financial obligations before it has to obtain approval from the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Assessment completed for Road Safety Management Program

An assessment of Essex County’s 1,084 intersections and 1,085 interconnecting road segments has produced prioritized lists of those that could benefit from safety improvements.

The next step is for staff to review the top-ranked intersections and the top-ranked road segments to develop potential safety solutions after analyzing the collision history, speed of traffic and road geometry at each location.

The goal is to create a multi-year Road Safety Program with budgets and timelines. The program will be updated every year, with a complete network screening by a consultant every three to five years.

Essex County’s 2025 Budget includes $400,000 for road safety improvements, of which $100,000 is dedicated to the analysis/design of improvements at the County Road 20 and County Road 23 intersection, says a report presented to council Wednesday.

Speed limit on section of County Road 20 in Amherstburg reduced

Essex County Council has approved reducing the speed limit on County Road 20 from 70 km/h to 50 km/h between Lowes Side Road and 50 metres south of Dalhousie Street in Amherstburg. The change was recommended after a traffic operations and safety review of the intersection of County Road 20 with Lowes Side Road.

New Non-Smoking and Non-Vaping Policy passed

Council passed a new Non-Smoking and Non-Vaping Policy to replace a policy that had been in place since 2003.

The updated policy aligns with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act passed in 2017 and includes references to cannabis, vaporizers and electronic cigarettes. It states that if there are conflicting provisions in the policy, the Smoke-Free Ontario Act and the county's non-smoking by-laws, the most restrictive interpretation will take precedence.

Purchase of two additional ambulances in 2026 approved

Council pre-approved the purchase of two additional Essex-Windsor EMS ambulances in 2026 to meet growth and operational requirements identified during a refresh of the service’s Master Plan.

The purchase will increase the total number of new ambulances to be delivered in 2026 to nine. Council previously approved buying seven new ambulances as part of the service’s fleet renewal.

The total cost for the additional two ambulances will be $586,870 plus HST, with the payment coming from an equipment and vehicle reserve funded by the County of Essex and City of Windsor.

Council Votes Against Report on Cost of Report for Policing

Council voted against a Notice of Motion that would have directed Administration to prepare a report outlining what it would cost to commission a report on the feasibility of regional policing.

Council Reiterates Support for WOWC Position on Strong Mayors Powers

Council voted to send a letter to provincial officials, including local MPPs and the new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, reaffirming its support of the position taken on Strong Mayors Powers in 2023 by the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus.

Council supported the position back in 2023 and wanted to publicly support it again because there is now a new minister and because the powers are being proposed for 169 additional municipalities, including local municipalities in Essex County.