A proposed heritage designation request for the former Central United Church property, located at 220 George St., was postponed.
The matter will now be discussed during the January 19, 2026, council meeting.
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Progressive Auto Sales Arena will keep its name for the foreseeable future. Council unanimously approved a five-year naming rights agreement between the City of Sarnia, Progressive Auto Sales, and the Sarnia Sting.
The current agreement was set to expire on August 7, 2026. Under the new agreement, the sponsorship fee will increase to $150,000 annually, resulting in a revenue bump for the city of more than $50,000 per year.
The deal also includes an inflation escalator of 1.5 per cent for years three through five.
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Development charges within Development Area 2 (DA 2) have been reduced by 50 per cent on a temporary basis, until December 31, 2027.
City council approved amendments to the Development Charges (DC) Bylaw on Monday, which will immediately come into effect.
The reduction would see the DA 2 DC rate for a single-family home decrease to $19,811 from $39,621. The city-wide DC rate would remain at $19,755.
Reducing the DC rate will result in less revenue for the Development Charges reserve. A report to council said the financial impact would depend on the level of development.
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Councillor Terry Burrell's motion to call on the provincial government to maintain local, independent, watershed-based conservation authorities received unanimous support on Monday.
The Ford government is planning to consolidate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into seven regional agencies.
In November, Lambton County councillors passed a similar motion to ask the province to pause amalgamation plans.
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City staff will return in the new year with revisions to Sarnia's zoning bylaw.
A number of concerns were raised during the roughly 90 minute discussion, such as the "red tape" associated with certain designations and the need for a clear definition or criteria associated with supportive housing.
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Recycling collection for non-eligible ICI (Industrial, Commercial and Institutional) properties will continue in the new year after all. City council reconsidered a November 25 decision to discontinue the service as of January 1, 2026 -- not including the downtown and Mitton Street designated areas. City staff said Emterra Environmental (the current recycling contractor) recently submitted revised pricing that was not previously available.
The new revised price is $12.43 per stop, which is significantly lower than the original quote of $96.61 per stop. A report to council said multiple Lambton municipalities reached out for pricing to service their ICI properties, so Emterra was able to create a route and share the cost amongst all.
The value of the new contract with Emterra will be approximately $90,000. City staff said it would be possible to continue the current service with one stop per week within the current 2026 operating budget allocation.
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City council has approved a 20-year land lease with Clare and Shannon Webb at Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport.
Council also directed staff to proceed with the public consultation process to establish a Municipal Services Corporation for the airport.
