Regular Meeting of Council

That the agenda for the Regular Meeting of Council of February 10, 2026 be approved as circulated.

That Council for the Municipality of Highlands East approves the Minutes of the Regular and Special Council Meeting of January 13 and 29, 2026.

That Council receive and accept the Building Department January 2026 Operations Report, as submitted by the Chief Building Official, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the By-Law Department January 2026 operations report as submitted by the By-law Officer, for information purposes only.

That Council receive and accept the Short Term Rental Licensing Report- January 2026, as submitted by the Short Term Rental Licensing Clerk/Enforcement Officer, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the report, Short Term Rental Licensing Bylaw Review Request as prepared by the CAO/Treasurer, and further; That Council direct staff to under take Short-Term Rental Licensing Bylaw and program consultation, and further; That Council chooses 2, 3, 4 and 1 being written submissions, online and paper survey, direct outreach to licensed operators and public meeting consultation method(s) and further; That Council direct staff to provide a brief summary report ahead of the meeting (to be included in the Council Agenda of March 10, 2026) and further; That the public meeting takes place at the optional meeting date of March 2026, as amended.

That Council receive and accept the Fire Department February 2026 Monthly Operations Report, as submitted by the Fire Chief, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the Firefighter Appointment Report, as submitted by the Fire Chief, and further; That Council appoint the following to the roster for a 12 month probationary period. 1. Mauwgan Woods to Station 3 Gooderham. 2. Thomas Lambert Station 1 Cardiff.

That Council receive and accept the Parks, Recreation and Facilities January 2026 Report as submitted by the Property Supervisor, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the Environmental Department February 2026 Operations Report, as submitted by the Environmental Supervisor, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the Public Works Monthly Update January 2026 as submitted by the Public Works Manager, for information purposes only.

That Council receive and accept the Information Technology - January, 2026 operations report, as submitted by the Deputy Treasurer, for information purposes only.

That Council receive and accept the Finance Department January 2026 General Accounts Report in the amount of $582,041.11 as information only.

That Council receive and accept the CAO Monthly Report- February, 2026 as submitted by the CAO/Treasurer, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the Human Resources Monthly Report - February 2026 as submitted by the HR/Payroll Coordinator, for information purposes only.

That Council receive and accept the report 2023-2027 Multi-Year Joint Accessibility Plan and 2025 Accessibility Accomplishments, as provided by the Municipal Clerk, and further; That the 2023–2027 Multi-Year Joint Accessibility Plan be approved by bylaw at this meeting.

That Council receive and accept this report - Procedural Bylaw - Amendments as provided by the Municipal Clerk as information and further; That Council approve the amendments to the Procedural Bylaw for Council, Local Board and Committees with the approval of the bylaw at this meeting.

That Council receive and accept the report regarding Restricted Acts of Council as provided by the Municipal Clerk as information and further; That Council approve delegating its powers under S. 275(3) of the Municipal Act, 2001, to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)/Treasurer from August 21, 2026 till the swearing in of the new Council to; a)Be the financial signing authority for expenditures, outside the current budget, exceeding $50,000 and/or for the disposition of any real or personal property of the municipality which has a value exceeding $50,000 at the time of disposal: b)Be the authority to hire or remove any officer from/to employment with the Municipality of Highlands East and; That Council directs that a delegation of authority bylaw be brought forward at this meeting for approval and; That the bylaw shall come into force only in the event that less than three quarters (75%) percent of the current members of Council will be returning to sit on the new Council after Nomination Day of the 2026 Municipal Elections as determined by the Municipal Clerk.

That Council receive the report Regulate Election Signs in Municipal, Provincial and Federal Elections from the Municipal Clerk and further; That Council approve the bylaw and policy at this meeting of February 10, 2026.

That Council receive and accept the Planning Department January 2026 Operations Report, as submitted by the Planning Technician, as information only.

That Council receive and accept the report, Shoreline Road Allowance Purchase- 1138 Edward Sanderson- Tulk & Borovoy as prepared by the Planning Technician and; That Council approves in principle an application to close and purchase the shoreline road allowance from Tulk & Borovoy and direct staff to forward to the Municipal Solicitor for circulation and further; That prior to rendering the land surplus to municipal need and permitting the disposition of the shoreline: 1. That the applicants submit an up ‑ to ‑ date plan of survey of the shoreline road allowance, in accordance with the Shoreline Disposition Policy, for staff review. The survey shall identify all structures and any areas of zoning non ‑ compliance. Any non ‑ compliant or unlawful structures must either be removed or relocated, or may alternatively be recognized through a zoning by-law amendment subject to department and Council support which may require the application to enter into a site plan agreement. Any application for a zoning by-law amendment shall be subject to an application for pre-consultation review which shall be accompanied by a current plan of survey. 2. That any buildings or structures requiring permits to address Ontario Building Code matters obtain such permits to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official.

That Council receive and accept the report, Shoreline Road Allowance Purchase- 1068 Bellair Lane- Ground as prepared by the Planning Technician and; That Council approves in principle an application to close and purchase the shoreline road allowance from Ground and direct staff to forward to the Municipal Solicitor for circulation and further; That prior to rendering the land surplus to municipal need and permitting the disposition of the shoreline: 1. The applicants provide an up-to-date plan of survey of the shoreline road allowance in accordance with the Shoreline Disposition Policy for staff review; 2. The applicants address non-compliant zoning issues through the approval of a zoning by-law amendment to recognize the dwelling located within the shoreline road allowance and also address, remove and/or relocate any non-compliant or unlawful buildings and structures. 3. A bylaw officer attends site and provides a report to the Planning Department.

That Council receive and accept the report, Shoreline Road Allowance Purchase- 1279 English Close- Poppe as prepared by the Planning Technician and; That Council approves in principle an application to close and purchase the shoreline road allowance from Poppe and direct staff to forward to the Municipal Solicitor for circulation and further; That prior to rendering the land surplus to municipal need and permitting the disposition of the shoreline: 1. That the applicants address all zoning non ‑ compliance identified in the By-Law report, including the portions of the guest cabin, the open ‑ faced wood storage structure, and the deck of the existing dwelling that are located within the shoreline road allowance. Any non ‑ compliant or unlawful buildings or structures must be removed or relocated onto the upland property, or may alternatively be recognized through the approval of a zoning by-law amendment subject to support from the Planning Department and approval by Council. This includes the single ‑ storey addition to the guest cabin constructed without permits, lot coverage is deficient for a guest cabin, and exceeding the maximum size permitted for a guest cabin under the Comprehensive Zoning By ‑ law. 2. That the applicants relocate the open ‑ faced wood storage structure entirely onto their own property and out of the shoreline road allowance and the shoreline setback, and cease the encroachment onto the adjoining property. 3. That any buildings or structures requiring

That Council receive and accept the report Centre Lake Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendments Status as provided by the Municipal Planner and; That Council request the proponent to respond to the outstanding issues summarized in Section 3 of the above stated report.

That the Notice of Motion from Councillor Lewis, regarding objection to the Federal Gun Buyback Program, be received and; That the Municipality of Highlands East objects and declines participation in the firearm buyback program, as it is currently being mandated and implemented and; That a copy of this resolution be sent to MP Jamie Schmale, the Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, and the RT Hon. Prime Minister Mark Carney.

That Council come out of the Regular Meeting of Council at 11:34 am for the scheduled Public Planning Meeting and it be declared open to discuss the following bylaw amendments made under Section 34 of the Planning Act, R.S.O 1990, cp 13 as amended pertaining to Applicants: Nailor RZ-23-2025

That Council adjourn the Public Planning Meeting at 11:39 am and; That Council reconvene to the Regular Meeting of Council.

That Council receive and accept the report Zoning Bylaw Amendment - Nailor as provided by the Municipal Planner, as information and; That the approval of the zoning bylaw amendment be

That Council for the Municipality of Highlands East receive and supports the Haliburton County Home Builders Association motion pertaining to affordable housing and; Further That Council put forward the following; Whereas housing affordability is one of the most pressing issues facing Ontario families; Whereas the current HST rate on new homes in Ontario is 13%, which adds tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of a typical home; Whereas the federal and provincial governments have announced GST relief only for first-time homebuyers on new-built homes; and Whereas according to research conducted by the Ontario Homebuilders’ Association, first-time home buyers currently represent approximately 5% of the new home market; and Whereas a full PST exemption would stimulate the construction of an additional 53,000 new homes, on top of the roughly 80,000 homes already expected to be available for sale by 2026 — bringing the total to approximately 132,000 units. Therefore, Be It Resolved That the Council of the Municipality of Highlands East calls on the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to remove the GST/HST from all new homes purchased as primary residences in Ontario; and Be It Further Resolved That this resolution be circulated to the Prime Minister of Canada, Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; And to the Premier of Ontario, the Ontario Minister of Finance, the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, our l

That Council receive and file the resolutions from other municipalities/levels of government as submitted at the February 10, 2026 Regular Meeting of Council

That Council receive the correspondence as submitted at the February 10, 2026 Regular Meeting of Council.

That Bylaw's 2026-12, 13, 14, 15, 16,18, 19 and 20 (Section 12,12.1 to 12.9) be received, approved and enacted at this February 10, 2026 Regular Meeting with the exclusion of Bylaw 2026-17, 12.6 being

That Bylaw #2026-21, being a bylaw to confirm the proceedings of Council at its Meeting of February 10, 2026 be received, approved and enacted.

That Council adjourn the February 10, 2026 meeting at 11:44 am and; to meet again on February 17, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. for the Special Meeting of Council for the purpose of the 2026 Operational Budget.