Ward 3 veteran gratified by Pelham development on the go
BY VOICE STAFF
John Durley was first elected to Town Council in 2003. That’s a long time in politics.
He and his wife are retired, with a cottage, and seven grandchildren to pamper. So why is he running again to represent Pelham’s Ward 3 constituents?
“I think we got a lot accomplished in the last term, particularly with the ongoing development in East Fonthill,” said Durley. “The community centre was a major achievement. I’d like to do another term, to see these other projects through to their completion.”
He is particularly pleased with the approved new residential building at 80 Meridian Way, which will provide 96 units for retirees.
“Affordable housing for seniors is really needed in the area,” he said.
Durley smiles as he discusses the residential growth in East Fonthill, but understands some of the complaints from residents.
“New provincial policies thrust upon us regarding increasing residential densities are packing people in tighter,” he said.
“The estate lots are going to become a thing of the past. Sprawling infrastructure is so expensive to provide and maintain. But we must preserve the friendly, neighbourhood feel that we currently have in Pelham, and not deteriorate to the Jane-Finch type housing that Toronto has.”
Durley retired in 2007 after 40 years of service with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, in Welland. Over the years he has served on a multitude of municipal committees, been a volunteer for local food drives, a member of the Legion, and Welland firefighters, and worked with Pelham and Welland hockey organizations as a coach, manager, and executive member.
His political style?
“I see myself as a team player,” he said.
“I appreciate that my views will occasionally conflict with those of others. There is a lot emotion in politics sometime. I like to deal with facts. Council members don’t always agree, but we respect each other’s opinions. The people now at the council table work well together. When we make a decision, we all own the decision. I think all councillors have contributed in a positive way this term. We don’t have the backstabbing of some other councils.”
Turning to hot-button issues, Durley said the glowing comments from most of the 850 attendees at the recent Meridian Community Centre open house justify the hard decisions that were made.
“A pool was prohibitively expensive, and there are other pools in proximity at the YMCA and at Brock,” he said.
Addressing the fact that Pelham Town Hall has seen significant turnover in staff in recent years, Durley said, “We have 12 municipalities in close proximity, and we compete amongst each other for the best people. The hires we have made have been good people. It’s like Major League Baseball—some players trade up for new opportunities.”
“Our planner got a better job in Thorold, and off she went. It’s completely understandable,” he said, asserting that the Ontario Human Rights Code requires employee confidentiality.
On Pelham CAO Darren Ottaway?
“He has been a terrific visionary. I’m pleased with the results from staff. We do regular staff performance reviews. The objective is to identify strengths and areas for improvement. There are no witch hunts,” says Durley.
“We have good people with expertise on staff, but sometimes we need to outsource to get the best information for a project.”
Maintenance issues are an ongoing battle.
“We only have so many public works staff. Things break down and get overgrown. We establish priorities. The Emerald Ash Borer has been killing a lot of trees—that’s a major safety issue right now, and we assign workers to deal with it. I think Town staff are very good about reacting promptly to things like wind and ice storms, when trees come down.”
On the lengthy delays with Sulphur Springs Road and Poth Street repairs, Durley said, “There are extenuating circumstances with those projects. We need to fix them, but fix them correctly and affordably, not just with a band-aid approach.”
He has ideas about the old arena property on Haist Street, which totals about eight acres.
“I am adamant that we don’t lose the parkland and green space there. What is green, we keep green and hang onto it. For the rest, the possibilities are endless.”
If elected, Durley said that in the first month his priorities would be to, “Carry on with East Fonthill development, encourage community improvement grants for beautification in Fonthill and Fenwick, and establish 2019 budget priorities. Let’s do what we need, and then what we want, and finally maybe think about what we can wish for down the road.”
As far as the current campaign is concerned, Durley said, “I’ll try to knock on every door in my ward, as I’ve always done in past campaigns. I answer a lot of questions over the phone. I’ll have my pamphlet and some signage, but door-to-door works best for me. There is some new housing in Ward 3, like the Rosewood development, and I’ll have to make sure people can put my face to the name on the ballot. I always tell people, “If you have a problem, call me up, even if you are outside my ward, and I’ll listen to your issue and try to make it right.”
Durley summed up his motivation succinctly, “I’m here to focus on the next generation of Pelham. I want Pelham to get better. That’s my goal.”
