CARLETON PLACE — On Sept. 23, the Carleton Place committee of the whole meeting focused on transit, water and wastewater rates, and the Community Enrichment Program.
Carleton Place committee of the whole hears transit study proposal
Parsons Corp. presented final recommendations to the Carleton Place committee of the whole, outlining transit solutions, ridership projections, financial forecasts, and an implementation plan.
“This is something that we, as a council, made a priority and so it’s good that we’re moving it down the road,” said Mayor Toby Randell.
The study included public and stakeholder engagement, with an online survey drawing more than 860 responses. Key themes were the need for safe, accessible, and affordable transit, with strong interest in both local service and commuter connections to Ottawa, particularly the Moodie LRT station.
“We recommend a hybrid service model: weekday commuter service with two peak-period round trips between Carleton Place and Moodie LRT Station, and on-demand local transit during off-peak hours, evenings, and Saturdays,” Arman Matti, senior transportation engineer with Parsons, told Carleton Place committee of the whole.
The service would be operated by a third-party contractor over a three-year pilot, supplying vehicles, drivers, maintenance, and a booking system. The town would assign a coordinator for oversight and communication.
Ridership is projected to grow from 0.5 to two per cent capture over three years, with an estimated 22,000 to 31,000 riders annually by Year 3. Fares are proposed at $3 for local trips and $9 for commuter trips, with potential savings via OC Transpo passes.
Estimated operating costs begin at $468,000 in Year 1 (2027), with a projected $300,000-plus deficit persisting into Year 3, though grant funding could reduce this.
Some members of the Carleton Place committee of the whole noted the community’s preference for commuter transit, contrasting with council’s original focus on local service.
“We have an aging population, a growing population, and we want to make sure that as we expand our commercial options and our residential options, that people have the ability to get around town,” said Randell.
The county’s own transit study is ongoing and expected in 2025.
“We met yesterday with the Lanark study team … looking to make sure that there’s some synergy between the two,” said Matti.
The Carleton Place committee of the whole received the presentation for information only. The full report is available on the town’s website.
Water and wastewater rates to rise in 2026
Carleton Place residents will face another 1.95 per cent increase in their water and wastewater rates next year. That means for a residential property with one or two people on full service, the increase will be $20.08 for the year, or $1.67 per month, over 2025 rates.
“Over the next 10 years there is $127.4 million in planned growth-related capital projects. These projects are paid for directly by the developers that are creating growth and not by current users of the system,” said Trisa McConkey, town treasurer.
Current users pay only for the maintenance and operation of the water and wastewater treatment plants and existing infrastructure, and contribute to maintenance reserves.
Community Enrichment Program awards $5,300
The town has completed the second intake of applications for funding through its Community Enrichment Program. A total of $5,300 was available for disbursement, which meant not all applicants received the full amount they requested.
“There were four applicants, and based on the criteria we use, applicants seeking in-kind support are favourably chosen over those requesting monetary support,” explained Jessica Hansen, community support coordinator.
As a result, both the Ukrainian Festival and Carleton Place Beerfest were awarded the full $1,500 in in-kind support they requested. This left $2,300 to be distributed between the remaining applicants: Carleton Place Slow Spokes & Common Empire, and the Christmas Day Dinner. Each had requested $1,500 in monetary support and received $1,150.
At the suggestion of CAO Diane Smithson, council directed staff to look into topping up these two grants from any surplus that may be realized if other previously approved events do not use all their allocated in-kind support.
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