Perth council also discussed budget prep and a seasonal downtown parking perk
PERTH — Perth council’s committee of the whole met Nov. 4 to hear updates on climate planning, hospital redevelopment, 2025 budget groundwork and library needs. Here are the key takeaways, plus a seasonal parking perk for December shoppers.
Climate action
While presenting recommendations on climate action, Perth resident Kirsten Brouse, a member of the Climate Change Advisory Panel, outlined a practical approach that balances the municipality’s service obligations today with planning for a sustainable future.
“I work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, in the Municipal Asset Management Program and I mentioned that very specifically because I want you to know that it is with that lens that I think about climate action planning,” said Brouse.
Perth was an early adopter of a climate action plan in 2017 and has implemented many identified initiatives. “We are at that milestone five stage where now it is time to monitor what progress has been made and where we are at in implementing those actions,” she said. The next step is to align emission-reduction opportunities with the town’s asset management plan and long-term infrastructure planning.
Brouse recommended narrowing the plan to corporate emissions and removing community-wide emissions. “The rationale for that is that the Lanark County plan includes community wide emissions, which includes the town of Perth and really some of those community scale interventions are much better done at the county level,” she told committee.
The panel’s broader goal is to link advice to business processes and priorities so climate action integrates with the town’s strategic plan. “This to me has been one of the most useful climate change presentations that I have seen in my tenure last term and this term, because it does acknowledge where we are as a municipality financially and otherwise,” said Councillor David Bird.
Hospital update from CAO
Continuing his visits to municipalities within the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital catchment, CEO Michael Cohen presented to Perth’s Committee of the Whole on Nov. 4.
The request is for the town to renew its commitment of $97,711 in the upcoming budget.
Cohen said the hospital is exploring a new build in Perth to replace the aging campus, following an engineering study that concluded the site would be best redeveloped at a new location. “We have passed the first stage, which is early planning, and that is called the pre-capital submission,” he said.
Redeveloping the Perth campus would require raising between $40 and $50 million in the community over the next six to nine years. A new hospital is expected to cost about $300 to $400 million. “There are opportunities not just to redevelop the Perth campus, but also potentially do renovations at Smiths Falls to support the hospital for the future,” Cohen said.
Budget
Director of Corporate Services Nev Jande updated Perth council on groundwork for 2025 budget talks.
Jande reported on community engagement that included a budget survey and informal Coffee with Nev sessions. The survey drew 70 responses, up from 17 last year, and about 15 residents attended the coffee sessions.
Residents asked for clearer communication on municipal spending, better road maintenance and attention to financial sustainability, climate change and growth management.
As part of the Asset Management Plan, Jande worked with department heads to prioritize and phase infrastructure projects to avoid conflicts. “We wanted to make sure we were not planning to pave a road one year and then a couple of years later rip it up to do the water infrastructure,” she said.
She also reviewed assets shared with neighbouring municipalities and adjusted figures to reflect Perth’s share. “For example, the pool was listed at $18 million in our plan. I reduced that to $6 million to show that we would need to seek other funding sources through user fees, grants, partnerships with nearby municipalities or private contributions,” she said.
The report was received for information to set context before 2025 budget deliberations begin Nov. 18.
Library expansion talks
A community needs assessment by the Perth and District Library points to future expansion.
Survey responses from residents of Perth, Drummond North Elmsley and Tay Valley praised staff and the small-town atmosphere. Frequent users said the library is running out of space. Families want more child-friendly areas, while others asked for additional quiet adult spaces, a more modern kitchen and upgraded washrooms.
A comparison with similar Ontario public libraries shows Perth and District is serving more than 20,000 residents on a smaller budget with fewer staff than comparable systems.
Town of Perth complimentary parking
The town will offer complimentary downtown parking every Friday in December to support holiday shopping.
The recommendation from staff won support from the Committee of the Whole and will be ratified at the next Perth council meeting. Downtown merchants are preparing seasonal displays and the free Friday parking aims to make visits easier for residents and visitors. Mark your calendar and plan to shop local in Perth’s historic downtown core.
Keep connected to your community—Read the latest Perth Ontario news.
For all Perth council and committees meetings, visit the Town of Perth’s website or watch them on the town’s Youtube channel.
