Essex town council has approved removing red tape when it comes to residents accessing its flood-prevention subsidy program.
Staff said the program hasn’t been widely used, even though funding is available.
The update removes the requirement for homeowners to get multiple contractor quotes when applying for funds that help pay for flood-prevention upgrades such as backwater valves and sump pumps.
Only about $32,700 has been paid out since 2019, and now the town hopes easing the rules will encourage more residents to apply.
Harrow resident Rachael Mills welcomed the change.
"It definitely seems like a big balancing act and I appreciate the work that's gone into it and the work that still needs to be done. I think what's really important is that we've heard from the province that they want to support and that there's funding available, so I'd love to see that relationship be built and see where we can partner, the municipality and the province," she said.
The decision was made as council received an infrastructure update following the Sept. 2025 flooding event in Harrow and Colchester.
Council heard the town's infrastructure operated as designed, but the magnitude of rainfall exceeded the design standards.
While council can order drainage work, staff say the cost would be unreasonable for residents, recommending any improvements be initiated by users of the drains.
Mills said she was happy to see council making this a priority.
"I'd like to see us see wetlands and natural areas as living infrastructure and how that can help mitigate our communities experiencing record rainfalls, but also, how can we support the infrastructure that we do have. For me, the environment is a big piece of that," Mills said.
After major flooding in Aug 2023, the town promoted the province’s Disaster Recovery Assistance program, which paid out about $90,000 to 22 residents.
According to the report to council, many applicants were denied due to insurance coverage, ineligible costs, or sewer-backup damage.
Ward 3 councillor Jason Matyi was disappointed with those stats.
"For the amount of damage and destruction that was done out there, it seems like a real low amount. I would hope that maybe we can bring that to the attention of some of our upper levels of government that this really needs to revised and that people, at this time, really needed that money and a lot of them didn't receive it. There was homes lost. There was families destroyed," he said.
Mayor Sherry Bondy previously told AM800 that the town did apply for a $1 million grant from the Ontario government's Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program-Health and Safety Water Stream to improve their pump station in Harrow, but the application was not approved.
Bondy said she planned on speaking with Essex Conservative MPP Anthony Leardi to find out why they weren't successful.
-With files from CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian