Plain language summaries of what St. Thomas city council decided this month, written from the city's official meeting documents and reviewed, edited, and approved by our editor before publishing. How our newsroom works →
If you have been waiting for more housing options in St. Thomas, this one is worth knowing about. Starting in 2027, developers building apartment towers five storeys or higher will get at least a 50% cut on their permit fees. The city has hit most of its housing targets already, but taller apartment buildings are lagging, so this is meant to close that gap.
A new Noise Control By-law is in the works, and it could affect what you hear on your street and when. Construction hours, waste collection times, and rules for special events would all be spelled out more clearly than before. Fines get stronger too, and if there is a heat warning, construction crews could start an hour earlier to keep workers safe.
The city is moving its employee group benefits to Manulife and AIG starting next January, after shopping the contract around for better rates. Coverage for employees and retirees stays roughly the same, but the new deal is expected to save about $747,000 a year. That is public money, so it counts for all of us.
Council meets several times most months. This page grows as new meetings happen.
City council is the elected body that sets the city's budget, decides what gets built where, and passes the bylaws that shape daily life in St. Thomas. Regular meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall on the first, second and third Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m., with changes around holidays and a lighter schedule in the summer.
Meetings are open to everyone. Full agendas, staff reports and minutes are published on the City of St. Thomas website, and residents who want to speak to council about an issue can register as a delegation through the City Clerk's office.
After each meeting the city publishes a Keeping Track highlights document. LocVox turns it into the plain language summaries on this page, and every summary is reviewed and approved by our editor before it appears here. More about how we work →
