EMBRUN – At their regularly scheduled meeting on April 28, 2025, Russell Council dealt with several matters designed to make the community safer and more efficient for both residents and visitors. For more information on these and other topics discussed at this or other meetings, you can view the meeting schedule, the agendas and minutes from the meetings. The meetings can also be viewed in full on the Municipality of Russell Township You Tube Channel.
A proposed By-law to adopt a policy establishing guidelines for the creation of community safety zones to deal with ongoing speeding issues was approved by Council. The creation of a community safety zone would allow the use of automated traffic cameras as one method of controlling the speed of vehicles in the area.
Mayor Michael Tarnowski spoke of the importance of having established guidelines to ensure that zones are created in a fair and transparent manner. “ I appreciate the two-step warrant so that we’re not just adding these zones haphazardly to potentially see some additional revenue, so I think it’s good. It provides fairness and transparency and focuses on the true safety risk, and decisions will be made on real data.”
The Township will be implementing speed transition zones at various locations in Russell and Embrun. At each location where the speed limit currently changes from 80 km/h to 50 km/h, the transition will now occur in two stages: from 80 km/h to 60 km/h, and then from 60 km/h to 50 km/h. Mr. Jonathan Bourgon, Executive Director of Infrastructure Department advised that doing so was deemed to be good practice.
Council approved the launch of a new local death registration and burial permit service. This initiative will make the process faster and more convenient for residents and funeral homes. A by-law was adopted to set licensing fees at $35 for local funeral homes and $40 for others. The service is expected to generate $6,125 to $8,000 in annual revenue. It reflects the Township’s commitment to enhancing service delivery and community access. Details will be shared through the Township’s website and social media. “We’re providing a value-added service, and it’s not really costing us anything,” said Mayor Tarnowski.
Council approved a new “Buy Canadian” strategy for municipal procurement practices in response to ongoing U.S.-Canada tariffs. The Township will prioritize Canadian suppliers where feasible, especially for contracts under trade agreement thresholds, to support local businesses while maintaining best value for taxpayers. This moderate approach ensures legal compliance while promoting Canadian economic resilience. Updates to procurement policies reflecting this direction will be brought forward later this spring.
The next Council meeting will be on Mon., May 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.
