Council Meeting - Wednesday, February 25, 2026 - 9:30 a.m. - City of Richmond Hill

High-level summary

The council’s discussions spanned water billing relief options, municipal insurance pooling, Indigenous-relations engagement, and governance matters, leading to several procedural approvals and ongoing deliberations. Notable actions included adopting the agenda and minutes, advancing an insurance pooling pathway (with amendments), and continuing exploration of a residential leak-adjustment policy and related public input.

Five Most Important Topics (with impact and quotes)

1) Water billing, leaks, and potential leak-adjustment policy - Focus: Addressing unusually high water bills resulting from leaks and whether to establish a formal leak-adjustment policy for residents. - Key points and quotes: - “We came to learn that other nearby municipalities have leak adjustment programs offering one-time relief for residents in these situations.” - “My intent of bringing a member motion is to be responsive to individuals who have faced that really financial hardship.” - “We are focusing on exploring the feasibility only but not going this way right away.” - “There are criteria to be looked at, and it's not a full amount 100%... it all depends on circumstances.” - Public input note: Donna Goenova spoke to the issue, saying “Thank you for allowing me to speak today and thank you to Deputy Mayor Chan for bringing this motion forward for discussion.” - Impact: Could change how residents are treated for leak-related bills and establish a policy framework if pursued.

2) Water usage monitoring technology and early detection - Focus: Use of AMI, the water portal, and early-warning processes to alert about high usage. - Key points and quotes: - “As soon as we get any notification internally about a continuous consumption pattern, we send out courtesy letters and notify them right away.” - The city has invested in AMI and launched a water portal to provide data and monitor consumption. - Impact: Improves customer awareness and may reduce large, unexpected charges.

3) York Region Municipalities Insurance Pool Program (file SRCM2607) - Focus: Discussion of joining an insurance pool, including a withdrawal by Vaughan, term length, and financial implications. - Key points and quotes: - “The City of Vaughan withdrew from the pool; I do not know why…” (Mr. Dilta) - “During that entire time, no municipality has left one of those three insurance pools—not one.” (Mr. Dilta) - “The commitment is for five years... if something should arise, then we will have to revisit that in terms of whether it is worthwhile to continue.” (Councillor Thompson) - “If any of those things change in a negative way, that’s what I was looking at as wanting that to come back to council for review.” (Councillor Thompson) - “We will continue on and execute the subscriber agreement attempting to replicate the same positive experience that all of these other regions have had for decades.” (Mr. Dilta) - Impact: Sets the stage for potential long-term cost savings and governance reviews if outcomes shift.

4) Indigenous land acknowledgement and collaboration with Chippewas of Georgina Island - Focus: Formal acknowledgment of Indigenous lands and ongoing collaboration with nearby First Nations communities. - Key points and quotes: - “We are committed to rebuilding constructive and cooperative relationships.” (Mayor) - “It was really great to be able to sit down with her and talk to her about some of the challenges that they're facing and share some of the challenges that we're facing.” (Mayor) - Impact: Signals ongoing relationship-building that can affect planning, partnerships, and community status.

5) Public input opportunities and governance process - Focus: Scope for resident input and procedural channels for feedback. - Key points and quotes: - “No public forum registrants were present at this meeting.” (public input note from some sections) - Donna Goenova’s participation demonstrated how residents can speak to issues (water leak concerns) during the meeting. - Some sections discuss that input may occur via staff reports, memos, or future feasibility studies. - Impact: Defines how residents can engage and when formal input opportunities are available.

File numbers and bylaw references

• SRCM2607: York Region Municipalities Insurance Pool Program (mentioned in relation to the pool and amendments).
• Confirmatory bylaw: referenced as a bylaw that was passed, though no numeric identifier is provided in the text.
• 152 York Region Municipalities Insurance Pool: referenced as a deferred item (no separate file number provided in the text).

Opportunities for public input

• Public input occurred via delegations (e.g., Donna Goenova) and may occur again through staff reports, memos, or future feasibility studies.
• No public forum registrants were present at certain meetings, but residents can engage via council channels, staff reports, or upcoming consultations tied to specific topics (e.g., leak-adjustment policies or the insurance-pool program).

Motions: passed, rejected, or deferred (titles and outcomes)

• Motion to Adopt the Agenda — Passed unanimously.
• Motion to Adopt Minutes from February 11th Meeting — Passed unanimously.
• 152 York Region Municipalities Insurance Pool Program (File SRCM2607) — Deferred.
• Motion to Participate in the Municipal Insurance Pool (as amended) — Passed.
• Motion to Approve the Five-Year Insurance Pooling Agreement — Passed.
• Motion to Explore Escape Clause Options — Deferred.
• Motion to Refund Excess Water Charges (Resident Request) — Pending (discussion/decision forthcoming).
• Water leak adjustment program motions:
  • Original motion to address high water bills — Pending decision (feasibility discussion and potential policy).
  • Amendment to provide detailed guidance for the feasibility study — Pending/under discussion.
  • Motion to Request a Memo on Water Billing and Leak Detection — Passed (memo to be prepared, within about a month).
• Confirmatory By-law — Passed.
• Motion to Adjourn — Passed.

Councillors present

• Mayor West
• Councillor Silovitz (Silovitz/Silovitz spelling variants in the materials)
• Councillor Davidson
• Councillor Tree
• Councillor Thompson
• Councillor Shu
• Ward 5 Councillor (name not provided)
• Deputy Mayor Chan

Notes - The provided materials include multiple meeting sections with overlapping topics (water billing, insurance pools, Indigenous relations, and governance). The five topics above reflect the most consequential, resident-impact themes that recur across sections. If you’d like, I can tailor the summary to a specific single meeting date or extract-and-compare actions across dates.