Hey everyone! Brad Sinclair here with your essential township governance update. Council meeting on Monday, October 5, 2026, for a heavy-hitting session full of decision-making that impacts our daily drives, tax dollars, local services, and property values across Cavan Monaghan.
As your local real estate guide with RE/MAX Professionals North, I believe in keeping our community informed and protected. Let's dive deep into what was on the table, what was decided, and what it means for you! 🚗💧💡
🏗️ Topic 1: $690,000 Property Acquisition for Tupper Street Pumping Station Expansion
📋 The Impactful Decision
Council will be voting on By-law No. 2026-51 to ratify an Agreement of Purchase and Sale to acquire the residential property at 24 Tupper Street, Millbrook (a 0.83-acre lot with a brick bungalow and detached garage) for $690,000 plus legal costs.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TUPPER STREET EXPANSION FINANCING │
├───────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total Property Cost │ $690,000 + Legal Fees │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Development Charges (DC) │ $412,000 │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Water/Wastewater Reserve │ Remaining Balance (Internal Loan) │
└───────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
This acquisition allows the township to proceed with necessary site expansions for the adjacent pumping station at 22 Tupper Street, including a new driveway, building expansion to the east, and a stand-by generator system. Funding comes from $412,000 in Development Charges, with the remainder internally borrowed from the Water Wastewater Reserve(to be repaid via future property resale or capital surplus).
⚡ The Big News & Controversy
Growth management is always a hot topic! To support residential and commercial expansion in North Millbrook, major infrastructure upgrades are required.
💡 Did You Know? The township secured a massive Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS) Grantcovering 73% ($2,463,750) of the $3,375,000 total project cost!
Buying residential land for municipal utility expansions can spark local debate, but utilizing provincial grant dollars and development fees keeps the burden off direct property tax hikes.
🏡 The Real Estate Impact
System Capacity & Growth: Expanding wastewater capacity unlocks future residential phases and commercial/industrial employment lands.
Neighbourhood Adjustments: Direct neighbours near Tupper Street will see municipal activity transition next door, though municipal planning aims to minimize neighbourhood disruptions.
🌲 The Local Perspective
Reliable wastewater infrastructure ensures that as Millbrook grows, our local rivers and natural environments stay safe and clean.
🏠 Property Impact Note: Infrastructure expansion maintains strong long-term real estate values by securing municipal service capacity for expanding sub-divisions and commercial hubs!
🚔 Topic 2: Considering a Transition to OPP Policing Services
📋 The Impactful Decision
Council is evaluating Report CAO 2026-05, recommending a formal request to the Ministry of the Solicitor General for an OPP Policing Resource Plan (PRP).
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ POLICING TIMELINE & ROADMAP │
├───────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ August 10, 2026 │ Peterborough Police Contract Extended │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ October 5, 2026 │ Resolution for OPP Resource Plan (PRP) │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Early 2027 │ Costing Discussions (OPP vs. City) │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2028–2032 │ Implementation of New 5-Year Contract │
└───────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
Following the extension of the current contract with the Peterborough Police Service Board through By-law No. 2026-41, staff are initiating early steps to cost out policing options for the 2028–2032 five-year contract.
⚡ The Big News & Controversy
Emergency services represent one of the largest single lines in a municipality's budget! Transitioning from a regional police force (Peterborough Police Service) to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is a significant policy consideration. Local residents care deeply about emergency response times, community visibility, and the impact on property taxes.
🏡 The Real Estate Impact
Tax Rate Stability: Exploring competing police service models ensures fiscal responsibility, directly impacting long-term property tax rates.
Community Safety: High-quality, responsive policing keeps neighborhoods safe, directly supporting local buyer demand.
🌲 The Local Perspective
Whether it's rural patrols along backroads or community presence in village centers, residents want strong, efficient coverage.
🏠 Property Impact Note: Efficient municipal policing contracts help stabilize municipal tax overhead, keeping homeownership overall more affordable!
🚦 Topic 3: Overhauled Traffic and Parking Bylaw (By-law No. 2026-52)
📋 The Impactful Decision
Council reviewed By-law No. 2026-52, an overhaul and repeal of the existing traffic regulation framework (By-law No. 2024-56).
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PARKING & SPEED HIGHLIGHTS │
├───────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Nightly Winter Parking Ban │ Prohibited 12:00 AM – 7:00 AM │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Maximum On-Street Parking │ 4 Hours (unless signed otherwise) │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Millbrook Settlement Area │ 50 km/h Blanket Limit │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Designated Enclave Streets │ 40 km/h (Carveth, Ford, Highview, etc) │
└───────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
The updated by-law establishes updated speed limits, parking restrictions, load limits, stop sign designations, and municipal parking lot rules.
⚡ The Big News & Controversy
Speed limits and street parking affect every resident daily!
Speed Monitoring: Requests for speed reductions on Fallis Line, Dobbin Road, Preston Road, and Cathcart Crescent are being actively monitored by staff, with temporary speed bumps and alternative technologies slated for review in the 2027 budget.
Parking Limits: Updated No Parking rules on Brookside Street and a general 4-hour parking cap on municipal roads are now codified.
🏡 The Real Estate Impact
Traffic Calming: Lower speed limits (40 km/h in residential zones like Carveth Drive and Highview Crescent) enhance family-friendly appeal.
Street Maintenance: Clear overnight parking rules ensure snowplows operate unimpeded during winter months.
🌲 The Local Perspective
Safer roads make our scenic driving routes and village streets safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and children.
🏠 Property Impact Note: Well-regulated, speed-controlled residential streets protect neighborhood desirability and child safety, directly bolstering property values!
🚰 Topic 4: Millbrook Drinking Water System – DWQMS Management Review
📋 The Impactful Decision
Council received Report Public Works 2026-17, detailing the Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) review.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DRINKING WATER PERFORMANCE SNAPSHOT │
├───────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Operating Control │ Township-run for 18 months │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ MECP Inspection Rating │ 100% Perfect Score (Jan 22, 2026) │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Water Quality / Quantity │ Clean, Safe, Stable │
└───────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
The annual management review meeting was completed on September 9th, 2026, confirming that raw and treated water quality remain strong and stable.
⚡ The Big News & Controversy
Following a historical watermain break on Dufferin Street in September 2025, water services were restored in 3 days with all test samples clean. The system achieved a 100% compliance rating during the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) annual inspection on January 22, 2026!
🏡 The Real Estate Impact
Infrastructure Reliability: A 100% compliant municipal water system is a key selling feature for buyers moving into Millbrook.
🌲 The Local Perspective
Clean water is essential to the health and sustainability of our growing community.
🏠 Property Impact Note: Flawless municipal water audit scores give buyers complete peace of mind, smoothing out home inspections and sales closing processes!
🧸 Topic 5: Delegation Request – Old Millbrook School EarlyON Flooring Refresh
📋 The Impactful Decision
Nancy Hurley, Managing Director of the Old Millbrook School EarlyON Child and Family Centre, presented a funding delegation request.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EARLYON FLOORING FUNDING REQUEST │
├───────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 20-Year-Old Flooring │ Needs full replacement │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ EarlyON Centre Contribution │ $8,000 – $10,000 │
├───────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Township Top-Up Requested │ $3,000 – $7,000 │
└───────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘
The center registered 487 unique child visits and 2,739 total child visits between January and June 2026 alone! They are leveraging Ministry of Education one-time funding that must be spent before year-end.
⚡ The Big News & Controversy
Community partnerships keep municipal facilities top-tier without placing the entire bill on municipal taxpayers.
🏡 The Real Estate Impact
Family Amenities: Outstanding early learning facilities make Cavan Monaghan a top destination for young families purchasing homes.
🌲 The Local Perspective
Supporting early childhood spaces builds community connections for parents and kids across the Kawarthas.
🏠 Property Impact Note: High-quality family and child resources make local neighborhoods highly attractive to young families, driving steady housing demand!
📜 Summary of Recent Council Actions (From Sept 21, 2026 Minutes)
To keep you fully up to date, here is a recap of key decisions ratified from the prior council meeting:
Storm Sewer Replacement: Allocated $90,376.70 in surplus slurry seal funds to complete the Storm Sewer Replacement on Needler's Lane.
Property Disposal: Received report on the disposal of the severed portion of 1 Union Street to Woodrow Contracting.
Telecommunications Tower Support: Voted to send a letter supporting Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) comments regarding federal tower siting processes.
Community Honours: Honoured the passing of local theatre and community icon Rob Winslow.
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