Council Highlights - Dec. 16, 2019
View the full agenda package for Council
View the full agenga package for Committee of the Whole
Christmas card winners
Pelham students Serena Hounslow, Mira Bussi, Lola Hughes, Evan LeMay, Lauren Letourneau, Kathleen Lowry, Ashley McWilliams, Isabella Moreno, Julia Policella, Emma Robinson, Charlotte Stone, and Olivia Thiessen, ranging from nine to 13 years of age were honoured for their winning submissions to this year’s Pelham Christmas card.
The contest, accepting submissions from schools throughout Town, is a tradition for the Town of Pelham, bringing forward the spirit of the season, and based ont his year’s winning submissions, the spirit of Pelham (both the arches and MCC were featured).
Recognized with a certificate, chocolate bar, and a stack of cards to share with family and friends, Council chambers was full of proud family members and teachers; the children themselves were hardly able to contain the excitement of hearing their name called and receiving their cards. Thank you to all who participated.
Ontario Secondary School Senior Volleyball Champs
E.L. Crossley student athletes Emma Hilts, Jessica Konkle, Katherine Konkle, Mya Newton, Emma Brownlee, Grace Teal, Emma Wintle, Kayleigh Smith, Taylor Dellemonache, Hannah Nicholls, Mady Smith, Sydney Grummett, Pooja Senthil and coaches Jessica Kropac and Michelle Gibson were honoured by Council for their OFSAA championship. Congratulations!
EarlyON going to Old Pelham Town Hall
Pelham Town Council has opened the doors to Old Pelham Town Hall to the EarlyON child and family centre currently operating in Fenwick. As of January 6, 2020, the centre will occupy the space at Old Pelham Town Hall.
EarlyON Child and Family Centres are publicly-run drop-in centres for families with children up to six years old. They provide positive learning and play opportunities and have the potential to connect families to various services (social, economic, medical) that provide service to the young and their caregivers. The Regional Municipality of Niagara provides funding, on behalf of the Province of Ontario, to service delivery partners for the operation of EarlyON Centres in Niagara. Presently, there is one such Centre in the Town of Pelham, which currently operates out of the basement of a religious institution in Fenwick. Town staff have been informed that this service arrangement will be ending on or about December 31, 2019. In discussions with both Regional staff and the potential service provider, it has become clear that the best potential spot with proximity to Fenwick is Old Pelham Town Hall.
“I’m really encouraged that EarlyON is going to say in our community,” said Councillor John Wink.
Chicane no more
Though it won’t happen immediately, the chicane on Haist Street will be removed and a three-way stop sign at Haist and Brewerton will be installed. Sitting as Committee of the Whole, members opted to begin the process of removing the traffic calming measure.
Future traffic calming measures are being addressed through an upcoming policy.
“There is a policy coming that deals with traffic calming in Town; the idea is that Council endorses the policy and apply that against something like the chicane to have it removed,” said director of public works Jason Marr, speaking to the work being done by Town staff and the Active Transportation committee to address such installations and removals of traffic calming measures.
Polices for reserves, reserve funds, capital financing and debt move ahead
A report brought to Committee of the Whole outlining the various finance-related polices was received by members of Council.
As part of the Town of Pelham 2019-2022 Strategic Plan, the Town committed to the following as part of the strategic priority to “Ensure Financial Sustainability”: Update Reserves Policy (2019), Develop Debt Policy (2019), and Develop Cash Management Policy (2019).
“These reserve policies and capital finance and debt policies have been presented to the audit committee and we’ve had input into these reports already,” noted Councillor John Wink.