County Council Highlights for March 19, 2025

Employee Excellence Awards presented to outstanding county staff

The first annual Employee Excellence Awards were presented to four winners and 20 others who received honourable mentions at the start of Wednesday’s Essex County Council meeting.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such exceptional, experienced, passionate and skilled professionals here at the County of Essex,” said Warden Hilda MacDonald. “The recipients tonight hail from different departments and they have different skillsets and backgrounds, but they have one thing in common – they are exceptional employees who serve our communities, and this Council, with distinction and pride.”

Tanya Fick, a Human Resources ability and wellness specialist, received the Teamwork Award for being a “friendly face, smile and support to team members in the face of at times uncertainty and crisis.” She was praised for finding “workable solutions that are advantageous to everyone” and for working “tirelessly” to ensure team members transition back to work safely and with purpose.

Adam Jamieson, a mechanic with the Infrastructure and Planning Services department, won the Innovation Award for being the “ultimate problem solver” who remains calm and collected under pressure to find solutions that work.” He used available parts and equipment to help his team complete a job when multiple pieces of equipment broke down, saving the county time and money.

Nicholas Kramer, a labourer at the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority’s Materials Recovery Facility, received the Service Excellence Award. He was praised as a “dedicated and outstanding employee who consistently delivers exceptional customer service” with a “positive attitude, professionalism, and willingness to go above and beyond.”

Janey Murphy, a procurement officer in the Financial Services department, won the Empowerment Award for her “hard work, creativity and dedication” that empowers and inspires everyone with whom she collaborates, and for maintaining an open-door policy that “creates a welcoming and supportive environment, where team members feel safe to ask questions and seek guidance.”

Department leaders nominate team members for the awards. Then the County of Essex senior leadership team selects the winners and those who receive honourable mentions. The awards program is one of several county strategic initiatives aimed at making it an “employer with impact.”

“Thanks to the support of this Council we are building the Team Essex County envisioned in our Strategic Plan and becoming an employer of choice, where employees not only deliver value, but feel valued,” said CAO Sandra Zwiers. “Our employees are our greatest asset here at the County of Essex, they truly are. I’m honoured and humbled to be their CAO and I’m delighted we are honouring them tonight.”

Strategic Plan well integrated into county’s daily operations

The County of Essex is making steady progress on achieving the goals of its Strategic Plan for 2024 to 2027, says a report to council by CAO Sandra Zwiers.

“While we have much still to do, team members across the County have expressed positive feedback about the Strategic Plan and their ability to individually and collectively contribute to the County’s success,” says the report.

The plan’s mission states that “through meaningful partnerships, strong advocacy, and informed decision-making (the County of Essex will) deliver fair and valuable regional programs and services for our communities.”

The three strategic goals are: working as Team Essex County; growing as leaders in public service; and building a regional powerhouse. Of the action items developed in 2024, 19 have been completed, 42 are in progress and nine are ongoing.

Essex-Windsor EMS meeting growing demand while improving service

Essex-Windsor EMS is seeing a steady growth in demand while making progress in improving response times, says a report by Chief Justin Lammers.

Paramedics responded to 65,707 requests for services in 2024. The number of calls that required a prompt response decreased due to the success of the Essex-Windsor EMS Mobile Integrated Healthcare Community Paramedicine program and the work of Windsor Essex Ontario Health Team partners. However, the number of requests for paramedic service for the most urgent cases increased five per cent over 2023.

Average response times improved compared to 2023 for all levels of urgency except one, which remained the same. The total time paramedics waited more than 30 minutes to offload patients at local hospitals was less than 2023, and there was a significant drop in the total time when no ambulances were available and when three or fewer ambulances were available.

Speed limits to decrease at two intersections on county roads

Council has approved a decrease in the speed limit on County Road 46 around the intersection with County Road 19 from 80 km/h to 60 km/h.

Signs will be posted indicating the speed limit on County Road 46 from 50 metres east of Middle Road to 50 metres west of North Talbot Road is 60 km/h. County staff recommended the change after a technical review of traffic speeds and conditions at the intersection, as well as consultations with the Town of Tecumseh and Municipality of Lakeshore.

Council also approved a decrease in the speed limit from 80 km/h to 50 km/h on County Road 11 from Concession Road 3 to 50 metres north of Concession Road 4 in the Town of Essex. The change was also recommended after a technical review and consultation with the town.

New by-law consolidates rules for delegating council authority

Council passed a by-law consolidating existing rules and clarifying when and how its authority is delegated to members of Essex County’s administration, including the chief administrative officer, clerk, treasurer and county solicitor.

Lighthouse Cove golf car pilot project supported

The County of Essex is supporting a pilot project that will allow golf cars to be used on roads in Lighthouse Cove from April 1 to November 30 annually, once a licensing program is established by the Municipality of Lakeshore.

Lakeshore Council and Essex County Council have now passed by-laws allowing the golf car pilot project to proceed. The county by-law is required because one of affected streets, Tisdale Drive, is also part of County Road 39.

A major concern for the county was liability. This has been addressed in the Lakeshore by-law, which requires golf car permit holders to have a minimum of $2 million in liability insurance and to sign liability waivers.

Council opts against county-led phragmites control program

Council voted against a motion to consult with local municipalities about establishing a county-led phragmites control program. Multiple councillors had taken the issue to their respective municipalities for consideration and favoured maintaining the status quo

Council passes resolution on water agreements

Council Council passed a resolution calling on the province to confirm that current water agreements in place to ensure the protection of fresh water in our area are followed and that water outflow is included in any ongoing discussions with the U.S. government.

The resolution further called for continued support of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and for the senior levels of government to take all necessary steps so “the residents of the County of Essex can continue to maintain access to clean, fresh water.”