Council this Week: Highlights from the February 26 County Council agenda - 20250226

02/21/2025

Bag tag fees, housing and homelessness plan, drinking water system reports and more

County Council meetings are broadcast live at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream. To download the full agenda or view past recordings of council meetings, visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/council.

Bag tag fees

County Council is being asked to approve an increase in garbage bag tag fees from $2.00 to $3.00 per tag. Bag tags have been set at $2.00 for the past 10 years, but the annual cost of the waste collection program now exceeds what is collected through the bag tag fees. With reserve funds for the program set to deplete by the end of this year, an increase is needed to cover the current and future costs of residential garbage collection and disposal.

Oxford County and several other municipalities use some form of a “user pay” system in which all residents pay according to how much waste they produce. User pay systems promote recycling, fairness, and awareness of the costs of managing the waste that goes to the landfill. Without a user pay system, the full costs of garbage collection are added to municipal property taxes.

If approved, new prices for bag tags will take effect May 1, 2025. A limit will be placed on large purchases of bag tags leading up to that time.

PW 2025-09 - 2025 Garbage Bag Tag Fees

Progress on 10-Year “Housing for all” housing and homelessness plan

Oxford County’s annual update on its 10-Year housing and homelessness plan, which is a requirement under the Housing Services Act, comes forward at the February 26 County Council meeting. In 2024, progress and highlights included the following.

$2.9 million from the provincial Homelessness Prevention Program was invested in various supports and services for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
County Council approved the development of 20 new transitional housing beds.
Construction continued on a 52-unit housing project in Woodstock that will offer 37 units at affordable rental rates. Plans are underway for 14 affordable housing units on Harvest Avenue in Tillsonburg; a 45-unit project on Springbank Avenue North in Woodstock (with 23 affordable rent units); and a future affordable housing site on Dundas Street in Woodstock. Additional future projects are planned in the Township of Zorra and Town of Tillsonburg.
59 individuals from the By-Name List, made up of those experiencing homelessness, were moved to transitional or permanent housing.
230 households received a rent supplement or a portable housing benefit through the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit.
A total of nine “My Second Unit” applications (for secondary residential units) and five Residential Repair Program applications were approved.
Staff continued to advocate with other municipal partners for more housing and homelessness support.

The report notes that as there is not a “one size fits all” approach to increasing housing options and reducing homelessness, staff must continue to explore a range of measures to ensure there is suitable housing for all.

HS 2025-02 - 2024 Progress Report – 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan (Housing for All) | Housing for All: Our Plan at a glance

Annual drinking water system reports

County Council receives the 2024 Annual Water System Performance Summary reports on February 26. At the time of the Council report, results were available for nine of Oxford’s municipal drinking water system inspections completed by Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Eight systems received a 100% inspection rating (Beachville, Brownsville, Embro, Hickson, Lakeside, Mount Elgin, Tavistock and Thamesford) and one system received a 92% rating (Innerkip). The remaining system inspection report ratings were either not available at the time of the Council report or the inspection had not yet been carried out.

The County treated and supplied approximately 10.9 million cubic metres of clean, safe and reliable drinking water to 21 communities through 17 municipal drinking water systems last year. The 2024 system performance reports are available online at www.oxfordcounty.ca/water-wastewater

PW 2025-10 – 2024 Drinking Water System Performance

Update to Managed Forest Plan

Oxford County presents its annual update of the 20-year Managed Forest Plan next Council meeting, sharing highlights from the County’s forestry conservation and management program. Last year, the County planted 12,500 trees to forest new land; planted 830 trees for reforestation on existing woodlands and wetlands; and managed invasive plant species across 32.8 hectares of County lands. The County also generated nearly $7,000 in revenue through timber harvesting. The Managed Forest Plan focuses on the overall health of the County’s forest lands through habitat enhancement and good forestry practices.

PW 2025-11: 2024 Managed Forest Plan Update

Questions or comments?

Council this Week previews the Oxford County Council meeting agenda for residents, community partners and employees. Please send your questions and comments to communications@oxfordcounty.ca