September 29, 2026 · What's on the Agenda
These items are scheduled for a vote or for council's consideration.
🏠 2027 Shared Social Services Budget (City + County) $22.2M operating · $501,500 capital
💰 Property Tax Adjustments (13 applications, 10 recommended) $131,454.82 total · $91,618.94 City share
📋 2025 Audited Financial Statements $148,210
🏘 Powerline Road: Official Plan Amendment (169-281) + Rezoning & Subdivision (239 & 251)
🏘 Draft Plan of Subdivision: 72 Johnson Road
🌳 Urban Forestry Master Plan (Cllr Hunt) 2027 Capital Budget
🚆 Request GO Rail & Bus Expansion to Brantford (Cllr Van Tilborg)
🌼 Buzzing Boulevards: Native Planting Pilot Review (Cllr Samwell)
🪧 Larry Kings Way Street Naming (Cllr Carpenter)
🏊 Lifetime Aquatics Membership for John Monné (Cllr Carpenter)
🍽 Naming the WGSC Restaurant "The Polar Lounge" (Cllr McCreary)
🛣 Clement Drive Extension Renaming Report (Cllr Sicoli)
🎖 War Memorial Interpretive Installations: Work Plan
+ Approval of July 21 & July 28 minutes · Recognition of retiring members & Mayor's final address · 10 proclamations · By-laws 95 to 105 · No Notices of Motion
These items are scheduled to come before Council on September 29. Once the minutes are adopted at a future meeting, votes will move to the Vote Log.
Statutory Public Meeting
💰 Property Tax Cancellations, Reductions & Refunds
Property owners can apply to have taxes reduced when something changes during the year (for example a building is damaged, demolished, vacant, or changes tax class). Of 13 applications reviewed by MPAC, 10 are recommended for a combined reduction of $131,454.82: $91,618.94 in City taxes, $39,577.57 in education taxes (charged back to school boards) and $258.31 in downtown BIA levies. The City share is already covered by a provision in the operating budget.
🗳 Up for a vote
$131,454.82 reduction
Social Services Committee
🏠 2027 Shared Social Services Budget
The draft 2027 budget for social services Brantford shares with the County of Brant: child care and early years, Ontario Works, social housing, and homelessness services. The base operating budget is $21,975,724, a 6.5% increase that includes the 389 West Street facility and emergency shelter; two added staffing investments totalling $245,282 were also presented (bringing the total shown on the agenda to $22.2M). Capital budget is $501,500. Costs are split 71.8% City and 28.2% County, and the budget goes to the County before October 1.
🗳 Up for a vote
$22.2M operating · $501,500 capital
Combined Committee of the Whole
🎖 Interpretive Installations for City War Memorials
Staff reported back on Councillor Samwell's July motion about telling the story of Remembrance year-round at War Memorial Park, Jubilee Terrace Park and Tom Thumb Park. The recommendation directs staff to prepare a sample work plan for adding an interpretive installation to one or more City war memorials and report back in 2027.
🗳 Up for a vote
🛣 Repealing By-law 139-91 (Controlled Access Highway)
Removes the "controlled access road" designation from part of the Brantford Southern Access Road, which limits how properties can connect to a road. The repealing by-law (97-2026) is on this agenda.
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
📋 Update to Indemnification Policy
Repeals and replaces the City's Indemnification Policy (Corporate-026), which sets out when the City covers legal costs for members of Council, staff and appointees acting in their official roles.
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
📋 Technical Fix to St. Mary's Lane Closing By-law
Corrects the legal description of St. Mary's Lane in the 2015 by-law that closed it (By-law 67-2015).
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
🏊 Recognizing John Monné's Athletic Achievements (Cllr Carpenter)
Grants 95-year-old World Masters swimming champion John Monné a free lifetime membership to the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre aquatics facility, and presents him with a framed copy of the resolution. Introduced as a notice of motion in July.
🗳 Up for a vote
Membership fees waived
🌳 Urban Forestry Master Plan (Cllr Hunt)
Directs staff to include funding in the 2027 Capital Budget (or find another source) to hire consultants for a comprehensive Urban Forestry Master Plan. Brantford's 2025 LiDAR assessment puts tree canopy at about 22.2% against a 40% goal held since 2008. The plan would review that target, assess the urban forest, engage the public, Indigenous communities, agencies, the private sector and the Brantford Brant Chamber of Commerce, and look at incentives for tree planting on private property. Introduced as a notice of motion in July.
🗳 Up for a vote
Funding in 2027 Capital Budget
🛣 Renaming the Clement Drive Extension, Havendale Phase 1 (Cllr Sicoli)
The new section of Clement Drive in the Havendale Phase 1 subdivision will be physically separated from the existing dead-end Clement Drive, so residents are worried two separate streets sharing one name will confuse deliveries and navigation. The motion asks staff to report back in December 2026 on renaming the new section before the first homes close (expected March 2027).
🗳 Up for a vote
🚆 Expansion of GO Transit Services to Brantford (Cllr Van Tilborg)
Asks the Province to bring GO Rail service to Brantford from Aldershot GO Station, add express GO Bus service between Brantford and Aldershot at peak times, and add GO Bus service between Brantford and Cambridge/Kitchener-Waterloo. A copy goes to MPP Will Bouma and AMO.
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
🪧 Street Naming in Recognition of Former Councillor Larry Kings (Cllr Carpenter)
Adds "Larry Kings Way" to the City's approved street name list as a priority name, recognizing his service on school boards and City Council. Staff would find a fitting location and the Kings family would be consulted and invited to the dedication.
🗳 Up for a vote
🍽 Naming the WGSC Restaurant and Concession (Cllr McCreary)
Council approved bringing the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre restaurant in-house in July. This motion names it "The Polar Lounge" (formerly the Lookout Sports Lounge) and directs staff to prepare signage.
🗳 Up for a vote
🌼 Buzzing Boulevards: Residential Boulevard Native Planting Pilot (Cllr Samwell)
Directs staff to study allowing residents to plant native, pollinator-friendly gardens on the City-owned boulevard in front of their homes, with safety, height and setback rules. Staff would design a pilot of up to four years, run by the Buzzing Boulevards group with the Eagle Place Community Association starting in 2027, in consultation with local garden and environmental groups, and report back in December 2026.
🗳 Up for a vote
Finance Committee
📋 2025 Audited Financial Statements
Receives the City's audited financial statements for 2025. Based on the final audited numbers, the year-end surplus transfer to the Hospital Redevelopment Reserve approved in June is adjusted to $180,748, and the Designated Property Grant Program trust fund is closed with its balance moved to the Council Priorities Reserve.
🗳 Up for a vote
$148,210
🏫 2026 Levy on Designated Public Institutions
The annual by-law letting the City charge certain tax-exempt public institutions (such as hospitals, colleges and universities) a set amount per bed or student, as allowed under the Municipal Act. The by-law (100-2026) is on this agenda.
🗳 Up for a vote
Amount not yet known for 2026
Planning Committee
🏘 Official Plan Amendment: 169-281 Powerline Road
Application OP-03-25 from Northeast Brantford Community Builders to amend the Official Plan for six properties on Powerline Road (169, 177, 211, 239, 251 and 281). This becomes Official Plan Amendment No. 16 (By-law 101-2026).
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
🏘 Rezoning & Draft Plan of Subdivision: 239 & 251 Powerline Road
Primont (Brantford 1) Inc. is seeking to rezone these lands for a new neighbourhood with low-rise and medium-density housing, higher-density and mixed-use blocks along the corridor, neighbourhood commercial, a stormwater pond, parks and natural areas, served by 16 new streets. The zoning includes a holding provision (H48) that must be lifted before building. A staff memo provided to Council revises the conditions of draft plan approval.
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
🏘 Draft Plan of Subdivision: 72 Johnson Road
Application 29T-26504 from Pinevest Homes (Riverview) Inc. for a new subdivision at 72 Johnson Road, subject to conditions.
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
📋 Wyndfield West Phase 8B: Amending Subdivision Agreement
Amends the existing subdivision agreement with Empire Communities for Wyndfield West Phase 8B. The signing by-law (104-2026) is on this agenda.
🗳 Up for a vote
No financial impact
These items are on the September 29 agenda for information or recognition only. No vote is required.
👏 Recognition of Retiring Council Members & Mayor's Final Address
Council will recognize Councillor Sless, Councillor Martin and Mayor Davis, who are retiring from Council, followed by the Mayor's final address ahead of the October 26, 2026 municipal election.
⏸ Deferred: 40 Richmond Street & 115 Albion Street
The Planning Committee deferred applications OP-02-24 and PZ-17-24 to its December 2026 meeting. The proposal would change 115 Albion Street from "Parks and Open Space" to "Residential" in the Official Plan and rezone both properties for mid-rise residential. No decision on the application itself is expected at this meeting.
🏠 Housing Stability Winter Sheltering Plan
Staff's plan for winter sheltering this season, received for information and forwarded to the County of Brant. No financial impact.
♿ Accessible Parking System
A staff report on the accessible parking system, received for information. No financial impact.
📋 Proclamations (10)
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sep 30) · National Seniors Day (Oct 1) · Fire Prevention Week (Oct 4 to 10) · Ontario Cadet Week (Oct 5 to 11) · Child Care Worker & Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day (Oct 21) · Poppy Campaign Period (Oct 24 to Nov 11) and Remembrance Day (Nov 11) · National Probus Month (October) · National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October) · Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) · International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Nov 25).
📋 Approval of Previous Minutes
Approving records from: Special City Council (July 21 & its Private & Confidential session), City Council (July 28), and the John Noble Home Committee of Management (June 10 & its Private & Confidential session).
📋 Clerk's Report on Communications: September 2026
Routine report from the City Clerk on correspondence received, including resolutions from other municipalities, AMO and GRCA updates, and staff information updates.
📜 By-laws for Adoption (95-2026 to 105-2026)
95: Municipal Alcohol Policy update (approved July 28) · 96: appointments to the Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee · 97: repeal controlled access designation on part of the Southern Access Road · 98: Indemnification Policy · 99: St. Mary's Lane closing correction · 100: levy on designated public institutions · 101: Official Plan Amendment No. 16 (Powerline Road) · 102: rezoning of 239 & 251 Powerline Road · 103: parking regulation amendments · 104: Wyndfield West Phase 8B agreement · 105: confirming by-law for the September 29 meeting.