Council Highlights - March 23, 2020
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Odourous Industry Nuisance bylaw passes
Town of Pelham Council passed the Odorous Industries Nuisance bylaw this week, the final bylaw being presented by the chair, Tim Nohara, of the Cannabis Control Committee on Monday, March 23, 2020.
Complaints from residents established the need for the Town to review options available to regulate, control, and prohibit existing adverse effects and public nuisances caused by odourous industrial facilities. The bylaw seeks to address those concerns.
The bylaw stipulates that no person shall operate an odorous industrial facility that causes an adverse effect or public nuisance, except in the accordance with the provisions of the bylaw. It also states that the owner, occupier and/or operator of an odorous industrial facility shall produce for inspection all licences, registrations and other forms of authorization which permit the cannabis operation or the heavy odour operation, as the case may be, on the property.
Regulations and penalties are also addressed in the bylaw, with fines ranging from $500 to $50,000 for a first conviction. The bylaw also gives bylaw enforcement officers powers of entry at any reasonable time for the purpose of carrying out an inspection to determine whether or not the bylaw is being complied with.
“I think it really needs to be passed this evening, and I want to put a motion forward that Council receives this delegation and accepts the bylaw this evening,” said Councillor Mike Ciolfi, council’s representative on the Cannabis Control Committee.
Ciolfi noted that in this time of quarantine and isolation, more people are enjoying their decks and yard, especially with the warm weather on its way.
“This past weekend the weather was very nice – people sent me emails complaining about the odour. I just want to stress that people are home, they’re in their backyards, it’s very important we pass this thing; it’s not something that can wait, two, three, four, five months.”
In a recorded vote, the bylaw was adopted unanimously.
Gypsy Moth Spray Program
The 2020 aerial spray program for gypsy moth will be underway in the coming months.
The total number of hectares to be sprayed through the 2020 Town of Pelham Gypsy Moth Aerial Spray Program is limited based on the available budget, and application cost estimates from Zimmer Air Services. The identified spray blocks have been designed to have the greatest impact on preventing defoliation and protecting the health of the most vulnerable trees in accordance to the Gypsy Moth Management Policy and IPM strategy. Due to the level of infestation and program size limitations, the threshold for treatment consideration was raised from 2500 egg masses per hectare to 5000 egg masses per hectare for the 2020 spray program
In a report to Council, director of public works Jason Marr indicated that this year’s program is twice as large as last years in terms of hectares spayed.
Originally, two public meetings were scheduled to be held in mid-April, however, with COVID-19 measures in place to decrease the spread of the virus, the Town will work towards alternative community engagement. Once finalized, this will be communicated through the Town’s website, social media channels and in the Voice of Pelham newspaper.
Currently, information on gypsy moth spraying in the Town of Pelham can be found at www.pelham.ca/gypsy-moth.
Tax and water/wastewater relief
Town of Pelham Council voted Monday, March 23, 2020, to initiate a temporary change to the interest and penalty charged on taxes and water/wastewater accounts. This decision was made as an effort to mitigate impact on residents affected during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
The Town is waiving penalty and interest charged on April 1st ,2020 for tax and water/wastewater balances outstanding on March 31st , 2020, at which time further assessment will be reviewed and further recommendations made as necessary.
The pre-authorized payment program will continue for tax and water billings. Pre-authorized payment plans are encouraged to help spread tax payments over 10 or 12 months. NSF charges will be waived for April.
During the closure of Town Hall, residents can utilize alternative options for payment of taxes and fees include payment through a financial institution, pre-authorized payment and cheque payment. A drop box outside of Town Hall at 20 Pelham Town Square, Fonthill, is also available to deposit cheques and documents. The box is located at the south door, adjacent to Peace Park. To learn more about online billing and preauthorized payments visit: https://www.pelham.ca/en/living-here/utility-billing-and-rates.aspx
Parking for Summersides Mews to be reviewed
Parking was the main concern with the proposed Site Plan for the development of a multi-unit residential condominium known as Summersides Mews. The draft plan of condominium application is currently under review. The residential development proposes a variety of housing types catering to different market needs, and income brackets consisting of:
- One five (5) unit, 3-storey apartment building (Block C);
- 36 townhouse dwellings
o 12 of traditional style
o 6 of these function as second (accessory) dwelling units connected in ownership with 6 of their more traditional, larger townhouse units.
o 12 of these (referred to as mews, of British influence) represent ‘above-the-garage’ style living quarters.
The plan was referred back to staff to determine what changes might be made to the parking allotment.