COMMUNITY NEWS

Speed Enforcement Officer

The Committee approved the recruitment and hiring of one full-time Screening Officer and one full-time Provincial Offences Officer to administer the Automated Speed Enforcement Program. The ASE program is projected to operate at a revenue positive level which will allow for the program to be self-supported outside of the tax levy.

The Automated Speed Enforcement program is poised to launch in Q1 of 2025. Currently, there is one automated speed enforcement camera in front of North Ward School on Silver Street, between Market Street and Oak Avenue. The camera is recording data, but tickets will not be issued until January 2025 The recruitment and hiring of the required staff is recommended to ensure that the proper resources are in place at the appropriate time. Staff wanted approval to recruit and hire a fulltime Screening Officer and Provincial Offences Officer Staff anticipate that at the onset of hiring, the Screening Officer will conduct screening reviews for ASE and APS Parking if there is capacity. Staff expect that once the second camera goes live in 2025, the Screening Officer will be solely responsible for ASE screening reviews. Staff are also seeking approval to recruit and hire a Provincial Offences Officer.

Prior to being able to review and issue ASE Penalty Orders, Provincial Offences Officers are required to successfully complete a one-day training course delivered by the Ontario Traffic Council Following the successful completion of the training course, the municipality must submit a request to the MTO to have the Provincial Offences Officer appointed. The MTO appointment process takes 6-8 weeks Staff currently have (2) Provincial Offences Officers trained and awaiting their MTO appointment. Staff are also currently in software development with the service provider and are targeting a Q1 launch date for the Silver Street camera. The addition of a second camera is projected for Q2. The addition of a third camera is projected for Q3 The annual operating cost and surplus projections for the Silver Street camera have been adjusted by $44,250 to account for the two (2) fulltime positions

Composition of Municipal Council Boundaries

RPT-0424-24 2026 Election Ward Boundary and Council Composition Survey was received as information only and the current ward boundary and Council composition will remain in place for the 2026 Municipal Election It was noted that a fulsome comprehensive review be conducted for the 2030 Municipal Election, including external expertise, be included in future budget considerations

A public consultation period gathered feedback from County residents, with 63.2% of participants finding current ward boundaries suitable, though some voiced concerns about urban and rural representation, particularly in rapidly growing areas like Paris. Councillor feedback also reflected support for the current structure but indicated mixed opinions on council size and representation balance Recent data shows elector growth concentrated in Wards 2 and 3, though overall distribution remains balanced across wards. Projections suggest continued, manageable growth across wards until 2030, with Wards 1, 2, and 3 experiencing moderate increases, with Wards 4 and 5 growing more slowly.

Based on these findings, maintaining current boundaries for 2026 would support stability and align with public sentiment, while a comprehensive review for 2030 would allow the County to adapt as population shifts become more pronounced A review in 2030 with external expertise is recommended to ensure the system remains effective, with funding considerations to be discussed in 2027

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