August 14 Meeting Highlights

Grey County Council met August 14, 2025 in the Grey County Council Chamber and virtually on Zoom. The meeting was immediately followed by a session of Committee of the Whole. A recording of the meeting can be found on the Grey County YouTube Channel.

County Council

• Council accepted the minutes of the July 24 Grey County Council and Committee of the Whole meetings.  Council  Committee

Committee of the Whole

• Council received a delegation from a resident, Sarah Cassidy, regarding a proposed official plan amendment for a property in Grey Highlands, proposing the creation of a special event venue known as Becalm Inc. The venue would include on-site parking and accommodation including camping. Ms. Cassidy noted concerns with privacy and noise for neighbouring properties as well as other concerns.
  • Delegation Letter
• Council received a presentation from Kristine Loft on behalf of Becalm Inc. regarding official plan amendment 22. Ms. Loft provided details of the proposal which includes a guest limit on site of 95 people. 
  • Presentation
• Council approved the consent agenda including correspondence on the Beacalm/Highland Estate file, an update on the Future Ready Program and more.
• Council received a report on Official Plan Amendment 22 and the proposed redesignation of land to support a special events venue in Grey Highlands. Planning staff outlined the proposal, public engagement on the application, and their rationale for their recommendation to support the amendment. Council discussed the application and the public comments and voted against the amendment.  Report
• Council received a staff report which explored considerations for having paid parking for county-owned parking lots along the CP Rail Trail. Council supported the staff recommendation not to proceed with a paid parking system.  Report
• Council reconfirmed support for a 40-unit seniors’ housing project in Owen Sound being built by Lutheran Social Services. Grey County had committed $1.6 million in funding to the project in 2023 from the Affordable Housing Fund. Of the 40 units, 30 will be accessible. Report
• Grey County will participate in a pilot program through the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness to help individuals with a history of chronic homelessness maintain their housing. The pilot will fund two staff positions at Grey County that will focus on supporting individuals when they move into housing.  Report
• Council awarded a contract for architectural services for the design of the new EarlyON Child and Family Centre in Hanover. Report
• Council accepted the minutes of the July 17 Joint Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee. At the meeting the committee discussed the Grey County Accessible Customer Service Policy, an Owen Sound playground, the main intersection in Flesherton, the Town of The Blue Mountains Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and more. Minutes
• Council approved the minutes of the July 23 Budget and Finance Committee. At the meeting the committee received an update on 2025 capital projects, the corporate financial update to April 2025, and discussed transfers to the health care reserve for 2026. At the meeting the committee also received an overview of capital budgets for the Community Services and Economic Development, Tourism and Culture departments.  Minutes 

• Council approved the minutes of the July 29 Joint Municipal Services Committee. This was the first meeting for the new committee. At the meeting, Chairs were elected and the Terms of Reference for the committee was reviewed. The committee received a report highlighting where County and local municipalities are already routinely working together. The committee also discussed the Waste Management Community of Best Practice and had an open brainstorming discussion to identify other potential services to examine as a committee.  Minutes                 

The Clerk’s Department maintains the official records for Grey County. This publication is intended to provide meeting highlights only. For official records, please refer to the meeting minutes, or contact the Clerk’s Department at 1-800-567-4739.