Council-in-Committee Meeting summary - February 10, 2026

Norfolk County Council-in-Committee met on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The meeting was held in Council Chambers and streamed online. Below are highlights from the meeting. View the meeting agenda, reports and time-stamped video.  

Council meetings determine final decisions based on recommendations from the Council-in-Committee meeting. Once approved, meeting Minutes will be posted on the Council and Committee Calendar. 

Deputations 

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Delhi area power outages 

• Council heard concerns about frequent power outages in Delhi and directed staff to provide information on emergency preparedness and advocacy efforts. 

Private Members’ Bill 21 

• Council received concerns about proposed “food belt” legislation and directed staff to report on the status of agricultural lands, data sources, and tax impacts. 

Lamport Park 

• Council received deputations from the Lamport Family Association and the Vittoria and District Foundation regarding the future ownership and stewardship of Lamport Park. 

Municipal Accommodation Tax 

• Council heard deputations outlining considerations related to tourism marketing, governance, transparency, and short‑term rentals, which informed later discussion and direction. 

Highlights of reports and decisions 

Municipal Accommodation Tax 

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Council‑in‑Committee endorsed in principle the establishment of a 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax, with the following conditions: 

• No tax collection will begin until a tourism governance structure (such as a municipal development corporation or tourism marketing entity) is established. 
• A short‑term rental policy must be developed and approved before collection begins. 
• At least 50% of MAT revenues will be dedicated to tourism marketing, with the remainder supporting tourism‑related infrastructure. 
• Further community and stakeholder engagement will occur before implementation. 

Industrial Land Needs Assessment 

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• Council received an Industrial Land Needs Assessment identifying that while Norfolk County has sufficient designated industrial land on paper, much of it is not ready for development due to servicing and fragmentation.  
• Council directed staff to undertake further analysis and return with an implementation strategy to support employment growth and tax base diversification.  

Ice Allocation Policy update 

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• Council approved updates to the Ice Allocation Policy to improve clarity, fairness, and flexibility across user groups.  
• Changes included adjustments to standards of play, revised residency requirements set at 75%, and a one‑year transition period limiting changes to existing allocations to plus or minus 5%. 

Capital and infrastructure items 

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Council approved: 

• The award of contracts for the reconstruction of Eagle Street, Queen Street and Sovereign Street in Delhi, resulting in overall project savings. 
• A budget amendment related to the Harbour Street reconstruction project to address contaminated soils and remaining works. 

Facilities Master Plan update 

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Council received an update on the implementation of the Facilities Master Plan and approved next steps focused on divesting surplus properties that are no longer required for service delivery, with additional divestments to return to Council as outlined in the Master Plan, to help fund future facility investments. 

Council also approved key facility investments and planning actions, including: 

• Advancing the expansion of the Waterford Fire and EMS station using the previously approved design 
• Issuing a non‑standard expression of interest for the Port Dover Public Works property to explore future community use 
• Proceeding with upgrades at the West 45 Roads Operations Facility and renovations at the Culver Operations Building 

This phased approach is intended to reduce overall capital pressures, make better use of County assets, and reinvest divestment proceeds into priority facilities identified in the Master Plan. 

Lamport Park 

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• Council considered a staff report on the future ownership of Lamport Park following a non‑standard expression of interest process.  
• Council directed staff to proceed with the sale of the property to the Lamport Family Association. 

Notice of motion

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• A Council member introduced a notice of motion regarding the expediting of planning approvals for industrial lands in Courtland. 
• The Mayor provided notice to Council that Strong Mayor powers can achieve this faster since it was already determined by Council to include these lands in OPA 163. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing withheld its decision on these lands pending submission of further justification by Norfolk County.  
• The Mayor directed staff to bring a by-law to Council on February 24, 2026, to approve the urban boundary expansion for the withheld lands in Courtland. 

Consent items 

• Council received consent items as information, including a report on the County’s co‑op and internship program and an administrative correction to a financial report clarifying the application of collection agency fees, including those related to Provincial Offences Act (POA) matters.