Council Highlights for May 3, 2023
View the full agenda package for Council
The Town of Pelham regular council meeting was held on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at the Meridian Community Centre in Fonthill. Video recording and live stream of the meeting can be viewed at www.pelham.ca/live
FACS Niagara Foundation - LemonAID Day 2023
Council received a presentation from Rhianon Burkholder, a Family and Children Services Foundation board member, regarding the 2nd annual Mountainview “LemonAID” Day. The Lemon Aid Day will take place on June 10, 2023, with pop-up stands across the region. All materials to run the stands will be provided and 100% of the proceeds from sales from will be directed to support youth in Niagara to experience summer camp. Last year the event had approximately ten stands in Pelham, with one at the Meridian Community Centre. FACS requested support from the municipality to provide awareness of LemonAID Day and encourage local youth, residents and businesses to participate in the event. The Town of Pelham has proclaimed Sunday, June 10, 2023, Mountainview LemonAID Day in the Town of Pelham. Additional information and registration details are available online at https://facsniagarafoundation.org/mountainviewlemonaidday/
2022-2023 Lincoln Pelham Public Library (LPPL) Year In Review
A presentation from Lincoln Pelham Public Library was provided to Council by Julie Andrews, CEO and Susan DiBattista, Director of Community Engagement. The presentation included highlights of activities that occurred during the first year of the union branch. New programs were added, including Books on the Bench and the permanent story walk at Woodstream Park in Pelham. Community members are returning after the pandemic to the Library for in-person visits, and the community engagement elements are being aligned across the four library branches. Library programs offered include early literacy, steam, makers space, art, tween/teen, adult and intergenerational programming. Three new online resources for borrowing are now available to all library card holders, including videos, National Geographic resources and CBC Corner radio content. The Library of Things has expanded to offer unique items available to residents to borrow including museum passes, fishing gear, Nintendo Switch games and CO2 monitors. In 2023 several projects will take place, including RFID tagging on all lending materials, the installation of 24/7 borrowing lockers at the Fonthill branch, and the addition of the first lending library machine at the Meridian Community Centre in Fonthill. The LPPL and Town staff are meeting to continue to review the renovation requirements to address the future needs of the Fonthill Branch facility. www.lppl.ca
2023 Winter Operations in Pelham
The Public Works Department provided winter maintenance services, including roadway clearing, sanding and salting, sidewalk, paved trail snow clearing, and snow removal in designated business areas. In the winter period of January 1 to April 1, 2023, the Town recorded 76 cm of accumulation and performed 21 winter weather response operations involving three or more snowplow units. These metrics are below the historical averages of 110 cm of accumulation and 26 winter weather response operations for this same period, observed over the past ten years. The spend to date for winter maintenance is $484,622, or 70% of the total budget allotment. The remaining 30% of the budget is considered to be adequate to meet the needs of the beginning of the 2023-24 winter season. The Public Works fleet continues to age, and the Town is working with equipment vendors and leveraging the purchasing power of the Region of Niagara to secure replacements. The Public Works department will bring a future report on winter operations to accommodate the growth in Pelham, service options for consideration and the status of the aging equipment. www.pelham.ca/winter
Farr Road and River Road Roadside Ditching and Culvert Drainage Improvements
The Public Works department completes roadside ditching throughout the Town. Roadside ditches are infrastructure items utilized primarily to drain the roadbed and the water draining off the road surface. This common drainage technique continues to be used in rural areas and some urban subdivisions. Over time roadside ditches and culverts fill in with gravel and sediment, and periodic removal of material is required to maintain the hydraulic capacity of the ditches to protect the roadway and the travelling public. Council received report #2023-0110 and directed staff to complete a detailed inspection and survey of the roadside ditches along Farr Road and River Road, including the culverts within the Town’s road allowance and complete the required maintenance and repairs necessary to ensure that the town’s infrastructure is performing as intended. Farr Road from Webber Road to River Road is approximately 835 m, and River Road from RR 24 (Victoria Ave.) and Farr Road is approximately 575 m resulting in a total of 1,410 m with 38 culverts included.
Establishment of the Environmental and Climate Adaptation Advisory Committee
Council received the report #2023-109 to establish the Environmental and Climate Adaptation Advisory Committee. The Town of Pelham 2023-2027 strategic plan included an action item under the Environmental and Climate Adaption umbrella to establish the Advisory Committee. Council reviewed and approved the terms of reference for the committee, which will include monthly meetings. Town staff were directed to seek applications from residents interested in applying to volunteer on the committee.
Town of Pelham 2023-2027 Strategic Plan Action Item Timelines
Council adopted the Strategic Plan in April of this year and requested a timeline report with completion estimates for the various action items under the plan’s five strategic focus areas. The action items are specific, measurable tasks designed to accomplish the various areas of strategic focus, which are designed to assist in accomplishing the plan’s vision and mission. The timeline provides the planned start times of each action item and includes items that will require multiple years to complete. Many action items have major financial considerations, which will be addressed in future subject-specific and budgetary reports. www.pelham.ca/strategicplan
Pelham Communities in Bloom 2023 – 2024
Communities in Bloom is a volunteer and partnership-driven organization that uses a multi-tiered competitive evaluation process to foster community strength, involvement and continuous improvement. This is accomplished by nurturing environmental sustainability, enhancements of green spaces, and heritage conservation in cultural and natural environments encompassing municipal, residential, commercial, and institutional areas. Town staff attended a Communities in Bloom information session to learn best practices including forming a committee involving municipal employees and community members to start planning for competition-related work approximately 6-8 months before entering the program. Council received Report # 2023-0107 Pelham Communities in Bloom 2023-2024 and approved the implementation of the Communities in Bloom program for 2024. In addition, council approved the terms of reference for the Communities in Bloom Volunteer Working Group for 2024.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Leah Letford, Communications Specialist | 905-980-6653 | lletford@pelham.ca