Regular Meeting

Whereas the Regional Community Investment Fund (RCIF) Guidelines, under item 4.8.3, stipulate that if a lower-tier municipality chooses to transfer its funds to a reserve designated for the RCIF, such a transfer must be approved by the Council of the lower-tier municipality through a formal resolution; And whereas the Municipality of Casselman is planning a Community Garden project at L'Académie de la Seigneurie School which is expected to begin incurring expenses in 2026; Be it resolved that Council approve the transfer of $50,000 from the Municipality’s 2025 RCIF allocation to a dedicated reserve for the Community Garden project and that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.

WHEREAS the Municipality of Casselman currently has a Rurality Index of Ontario (RIO) score of 39, which disqualifies the municipality from eligibility under the Province’s Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative (NRRRI); AND WHEREAS this one-point difference from nearby communities such as Limoges (RIO 40) has resulted in Casselman being ineligible for physician recruitment incentives, despite facing similar access challenges and regional service responsibilities; AND WHEREAS the resulting inequity has contributed to the loss of multiple physicians and left more than 2,000 residents unattached to primary care; AND WHEREAS other small, semi-urban municipalities across Ontario with comparable RIO scores have developed regional and locally funded recruitment initiatives, such as those in Durham Region, Trent Hills, and Dufferin/Caledon, to attract and retain physicians in the absence of provincial support; AND WHEREAS Casselman’s experience reflects a broader structural gap in the province’s RIObased eligibility model, affecting small service-centre municipalities across Eastern Ontario; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: 1. Council formally acknowledges the inequity created by Casselman’s current RIO score and its direct impact on healthcare access for local residents; 2. Council authorizes the Mayor to lead discussions with regional partners, including the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR), the Prescott-Russell Community Development Corporation (P

That Council acknowledges the reception of administrative report GR - 17 -202 5 ; and That Council adopt the schedule based on Option 1, setting August 25 as the meeting date for the month of August, for the 2026 municipal Council meetings.

That Council acknowledges the reception of administrative report FIN - 11 -202 5 ; and A ccepts to a ssign the mandate for the audit of the municipality’s financial statements and its subsidiaries to MNP for the years 2025 to 202 8 .

That Council acknowledges the reception of administrative report OPS-11-2025; and Supports the proactive approach proposed by the administration, including the establishment of an internal threshold of 1.0 to 1.49 µg/L for the activation of precautionary measures.

That Council acknowledges the reception of administrative report EN- 6 -2025; and That the matter be

That Council acknowledges receipt of administrative report RL-20-2025; and That the following requests for free hall usage be treated as follows: Table Wars Armwrestling Competition (February 7, 2026) : Request denied; Alzheimer Society Day Program Christmas Party (November 21, 2025) : Free hall granted; Casselman Community Fundraising (November 1, 2025 and May 2 & November 7 2026) : Free hall granted for the events of November 1, 2025 and May 2, 2026.