Lanark County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Lanark County agendas: child care waitlist by-law, road closure and trail agreements up for consideration

Lanark County Council's Oct. 14 agenda lists a by-law that would establish a Child Care Waitlist Priority Placement Policy, one of the items scheduled across five county agendas in the past two weeks. None of those meetings has published minutes yet, so no outcome, vote tally or dollar figure is confirmed in the records reviewed. What follows is what each agenda scheduled, not what was decided.

County Council: child care waitlist by-law

By-law No. 2026-26, the Child Care Waitlist Priority Placement Policy, appears on the Oct. 14 County Council agenda as an item for decision. The same agenda lists a confidential report, HR-03-2026, on ONA collective bargaining results; a retroactive proclamation of Oct. 10, 2026, as World Homelessness Day and World Mental Health Day; and adoption of the Sept. 23 Economic Development and Public Works committee reports.

Long-term care inspection reports and policy

The Community Services Committee's Oct. 14 agenda listed two Ministry of Long-Term Care inspection reports, LL-10-2026 and LL-11-2026, along with updates from South East Public Health and the Lanark Transportation Association.

Corporate Services, scheduled the same day, listed C-14-2026, a Fixing Long-Term Care Act policy update, and C-13-2026, an Integrity Commissioner services update. Communications on HST reinvestment in infrastructure (Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus) and Buy Ontario legislation (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) were also listed, plus verbal updates from the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association.

Land Division: four applications

The Land Division Committee's Oct. 13 agenda scheduled a public hearing on four applications: B26-104, a new lot for Danielle Dawn Marie Whyte and Gordon Robert Healey on Dopson Road; B26-105 and B26-106, a new lot for the same applicants on Dopson Road; B26-110 and B26-111, easements for Metro Ontario Real Estate on McNeely Ave, Carleton Place; and B26-112 and B26-113, easements for Nu Globe Developments Ltd. on McNeely Ave, Carleton Place. The agenda also included approval of minutes from the Sept. 8, 2026, session.

Trails: enforcement, Trans Canada Trail, Almonte lease

The Municipal Trails Sub-Committee's Oct. 19 agenda listed discussion of a proposed enforcement scheme for the K&P and other Lanark trails, and a review of enforcement models from Renfrew and Frontenac Counties. Also listed: a recommendation to the Economic Development Committee on a Trans Canada Trail Network agreement, and a proposed lease with Mississippi Mills for the Almonte Alameda portion of the OVRT.

Coming up

Three bodies meet Oct. 28.

County Council will consider By-law No. 2026-34 to stop and close parts of former County Road 9 (McIlraith Road) and By-law No. 2026-35, a Fixing Long Term Care Act Declaration Policy, along with adoption of the October Community Services and Corporate Services committee reports.

Public Works will review Report PW-24-2026, proposed modifications to Better Homes Lanark funding and eligibility criteria that would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, if approved and would require an amending by-law. The committee will also review program uptake, including 241 pre-applications since June 2025.

Economic Development will consider draft approval for the 254 Lake Avenue Subdivision & Condominium in Carleton Place and the Douglas Landing Plan of Subdivision in the Township of Beckwith; approval of Lanark Highlands Official Plan Amendment No. 9 and Lanark County Official Plan Amendment No. 14; an agreement to add the Tay Havelock Trail and K&P Trail to the Trans Canada Trail network; and the lease of the OVRT siding known as the Almonte in Almonte to the Municipality of Mississippi Mills.

Lanark County agendas: child care priority policy, land applications and trail enforcement on the table

Lanark County bodies met four times between Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, but no minutes have been published for any of those sessions. Everything below is drawn from the agendas, so it shows what was scheduled to be considered — not what was decided. Residents who want the outcomes will need to check the published minutes.

County Council: child care waitlist policy on the agenda

County Council's Oct. 14 agenda listed By-law No. 2026-26, a Child Care Waitlist Priority Placement Policy. The agenda described the meeting as one where the body was deciding on the policy, but no recorded vote or outcome is available yet.

Also listed was a confidential report, HR-03-2026, regarding ONA Collective Bargaining Results. Because the report is confidential, its contents do not appear on the public agenda.

Two other items were scheduled: a retroactive proclamation of October 10, 2026, as World Homelessness Day and World Mental Health Day, and adoption of the September 23, 2026, Economic Development Committee report and Public Works Committee report.

Land Division: public hearing on four applications

The Land Division Committee's Oct. 13 meeting was scheduled as a public hearing on several new land applications, along with approval of minutes from the September 8, 2026, session.

The applications listed were:

• Application B26-104: new lot for Danielle Dawn Marie Whyte and Gordon Robert Healey on Dopson Road
• Applications B26-105 and B26-106: new lot for Danielle Dawn Marie Whyte and Gordon Robert Healey on Dopson Road
• Applications B26-110 and B26-111: easements for Metro Ontario Real Estate on McNeely Ave, Carleton Place
• Applications B26-112 and B26-113: easements for Nu Globe Developments Ltd. on McNeely Ave, Carleton Place

The agenda does not state whether any of the applications were granted, deferred or refused.

Corporate Services: long-term care policy and Integrity Commissioner

The Corporate Services Committee agenda for Oct. 14 listed C-14-2026, a Fixing Long-Term Care Act Policy Update, and C-13-2026, an Integrity Commissioner Services Update.

Members were also scheduled to receive two communications: one on HST Reinvestment in Infrastructure from the Eastern Ontario Warden's Caucus, and one on Buy Ontario Legislation from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Verbal updates from the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus and the Rural Ontario Municipal Association were also listed.

Community Services: two provincial inspection reports

The Community Services Committee was scheduled to consider two Ministry of Long-Term Care inspection reports, listed as LL-10-2026 and LL-11-2026. The agenda does not summarize the findings of either report.

The same meeting listed informational updates from South East Public Health and the Lanark Transportation Association.

Coming up

Oct. 19 — Lanark County Municipal Trails Sub-Committee. The sub-committee is scheduled to discuss a proposed enforcement scheme for the K&P and other Lanark trails, and to review trail enforcement models from Renfrew and Frontenac Counties. It is also set to consider a Trans Canada Trail Network agreement recommendation for the Economic Development Committee, and a proposed lease agreement with Mississippi Mills for the Almonte Alameda portion of the OVRT. Trail users and residents along those routes may want to follow this one.

No other meetings were listed in the supplied schedule for the next 14 days.

Lanark County Council to weigh $1.74M salt contract; committees review policies

Lanark County's recent meetings were all agenda-only, with minutes not yet published. The most consequential item on the table was a proposed $1,741,400 contract for bulk coarse highway salt, which Council will consider awarding to Compass Minerals. Other committees reviewed updated policies, child care waitlist rules, and a natural heritage strategy. No decisions have been recorded as of this writing.

County Council

Council's August 12 agenda included a recommendation to award a $1,741,400 (plus HST) contract for bulk coarse highway salt to Compass Minerals, the lowest compliant bidder. The item is listed as PW-M-69-2026-26-E4. Council also moved in camera to discuss an update on Official Plan Amendment No. 18 (Aggregate Resources), citing litigation and negotiation exceptions. In addition, Council will consider moving its September 9, 2026 regular and committee meetings to September 16, 2026 to accommodate the OEMC conference. Routine approvals of minutes and a by-law to confirm proceedings were also on the agenda.

Corporate Services Committee

The committee reviewed an updated Video Surveillance Policy (Report C-09-2026) and a new User Fees and Charges Bylaw (Report C-10-2026), both recommended for Council approval. It also received reports on paramedic activities (Q1 and Q2 summaries), a financial summary for the period ending June 30, 2026, and communications including a Municipal Energy Plan Program review feedback opportunity and the doubling of OCIF funding.

Community Services Committee

Two new Social Services policies were on the agenda: the Active Kids, Bright Futures policy (SS-11-2026), effective September 1, 2026, and updated child care waitlist priority rules for CWELCC centres (SS-12-2026). The committee also moved in camera to discuss contract negotiations for the Five Arches Non-Profit Housing Corporation (SS-13-2026). A progress update on the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan 2025 was received, along with communications from Mississauga on intimate partner violence shelters and South Stormont on a food insecurity emergency declaration.

Government Relations Working Group

This working group's agenda was largely procedural: approval of May 13, 2026 minutes, a review of the OMSSA Provincial Priorities and Delegation Guide, and verbal updates on the AMO hospitality suite and delegation from Warden Richard Kidd and Clerk Jasmin Ralph.

Natural Heritage System Working Group

The working group reviewed and finalized a draft vision statement and guiding principles for the Natural Heritage System Strategy. It also received a project update noting that the Early Engagement Tool had received 19 submissions as of August 12, 2026, with the tool open until August 31, 2026. Comments highlighted the Algonquin Adirondack Corridor and the Mississippi River Key Biodiversity Area. Minutes from the June 24, 2026 Community Services Committee meeting were approved.

Coming up

• **Economic Development Committee** – August 26, 2026: The committee will vote on draft approval for two subdivisions: Mill Run Extension Phase 7 & 8 in Mississippi Mills and the Matheson & Rosedale subdivision in Montague. It will also direct staff to draft a by-law designating the K&P Trail as a Wilderness Trail and an interim management plan, and receive information on proposed provincial Planning Act changes and a new Development Charges Reduction Program.