Council Highlights - January 13, 2020

gavel

Kinsmen and Kinette Week coming to Pelham in February

Council, in the designation of February 16-22 as Kinsmen and Kinette Week in Pelham, acknowledged the longstanding February of community service by the clubs and their ongoing February to enhancing the quality of life in Pelham. With over 108,000 community service hours and over one million dollars in donations, the Kinsmen were hopeful of Council's blessing for their request.

"We are blessed in community to be part of a great team of volunteers," said Freeland. "We started service in this community in 1951 and we have the best volunteer groups in Niagara right here in Pelham."

Freeland it is our 100th anniversary we would very much like to participate and support other groups in the community. Groups looking for some seed funding are asked to come forward to Kinsmen and share those projects to get off the ground.

Cannabis Control Committee update

Tim Nohara, chair of the Cannabis Control Committee (CCC) updated Council as to what has changed since the last update to Council. Some of these updates included:

Receiving legal advice to assist our work
Advanced research
Town has been challenged three times without the bylaws; this was expected and the plan attempts to account for these challenges
Committee has a revised plan, which is to be presented to Council on Jan. 13

The revised plan includes:

We use an Odourous Industries Nuisance bylaw in concert with an amended Zoning Bylaw (ZBL) for direct mitigation against adverse effects being experienced today.
We also rely on Official Plan (OP) amendments and a small amendment to the Site Plan Control Bylaw, coupled with the previously approved Fence, Fortification, and Development Charges bylaws put forward by staff.
The Mayor has attended a few of our meetings and in late November challenged us to complete our work early, by 31 March 2020. The Committee informally accepted that challenge and has been working even harder since then. I am happy to say, Mr. Mayor, that the schedule I will present meets your challenge.

Nohara noted that there is assistance required from staff and Council including resources in manpower and budget.

"The biggest thing is to help us rapidly get these bylaws drafted and over the finish line; one of our biggest challenges has been schedule," he said. "If we’re able to use or get the help or assistance of an external firm to assist us that would be tremendous."

Council voted to make available up to $50,000 to retain the services of an additional consultant to work the CCC file.

Sign bylaw

A proposed updated sign bylaw was deferred Monday night, with Council seeking further clarification on private property lawn signs.

The new bylaw has increased to include eight pages of definitions, covering a much broader range of issues than the previous versions two pages of definitions.

"A well drafted sign by law is lengthy document; it protects free speech tries to curb the worst excesses that other communities in Ontario have seen," said CAO David Cribbs. "You’re not clamping down on protest or expression but you are also protecting quality of life."