BY GLORIA J. KATCH Special to the VOICE
While Pelham Town Council’s February 4 agenda looked brief enough, with only two delegations, the number of questions and comments posed during the meeting, and during the following Committee of the Whole session, resulted in the meeting being extended until 10:30 PM. Even at that time, the Public Works and Treasurer’s department still hadn’t completed their preview of the upcoming Capital Budget. Residents in the gallery left bleary-eyed.
Report from Huson
In her first official update as a Pelham representative at Regional Council, Diana Huson expressed a good working relationship with Mayor Marvin Junkin, and said she is “very receptive” to councillors informing her of any issues which should be brought to the Region. Huson was recently named vice-chair for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).
The new NPCA is expanding its board, with Hamilton’s representatives increasing from two to four members, and Haldimand doubling from one to two representatives.
The NPCA receives about $7 million from the Region for overseeing areas like the Sugar Maple, St. John’s Conservation Area, and Twelve Mile Creek, which runs through Pelham. What happens to the Niagara River area also affects many people in rural areas of Pelham.
“We need to look at floodplain mapping,” Huson said.
A few people interested in sitting on the NPCA have already come to her attention. She asked council if they were in favour of having a professional in conservation or forestry sit on the authority, rather than just a municipal councillor. Towns such as Fort Erie have gone through many resumes to choose qualified citizens to represent them at the NPCA, she noted.
“The organization is still functional, but it takes time to get a CAO. You want to take the time to find the right candidate. I hope to have a candidate for review by the middle of this month,” Huson said.
EarlyON
Last week, Mayor Junkin commended Huson for fighting to keep the EarlyON Centre, a drop-in facility in Fenwick, open for another five months. One daycare on Pelham Street recently closed, and Family and Children’s Services were scheduled to close the Church Street site if it hadn’t been for a rally organized by residents Cory Ziraldo and Paul Bryant.
Huson worked behind the scenes with FACS and the Region. While the Ministry of Education previously funded FACS and the EarlyON centers, this funding was discontinued and placed under the Region’s jurisdiction. The Region is now the manager of EarlyON, and is currently studying child population levels and facilities offering daycare in the area.
Ann Godfrey, Communications Officer for FACS, recently told the Voice that the Region will be undergoing a procurement process and will be accepting bids by organizations wanting to operate the daycare. FACS will also have to place a competitive bid, as well.
Since some of FACS’ funding has been eliminated, she said the agency does not have the budget to operate a daycare, because its core mandate is child protection, not daycare services. In other areas, EarlyON programs operate under other managers like the YWCA and Port Cares, she noted.
Huson told the Voice that the Region has to take into consideration that rural areas have to be served as well, especially since transportation was a problem in Fenwick.
Town website update
Teresa Quinlin, Treasurer and now acting CAO, said the Town is “conducting an audit on what works and what doesn’t” on the Town’s website. The Town will be getting a new look online. Marc MacDonald, Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, said this process will include going through 260 current web pages, and checking to ensure that links to other files, photos and maps are not broken.
“We are encouraging departments to upgrade their information, including information that will be easier to find,” he said. The Town’s landing page will stay the same.
Quinlin added that the website will be more user-friendly, without costing more money.
“We will determine what people are looking for, and we will look at other municipalities.”
This was in response to Councillor Lisa Haun giving several suggestions on searching for other “easy-peasy websites.”
The Capital Budget
Quinlin and Jason Marr, Director of Public Works, presented the highlights of the Capital Budget and Reserve Fund, which earmarked $2.6 million in projects which have been ongoing from previous years, but were not completed by December. The proposed capital budget request for 2019 is $6.4 million. Marr later stated in the presentation that they had deferred some $3.9 million dollars in work to 2020.
“We tried to push off any projects that we can, but eventually we will have to deal with them,” he said.
Mayor Junkin said, “This is a serious program, and when you put off projects it has a steam-rolling effect.”
Councillor Hildebrandt expressed concern that drinking water remained safe.
“We are trying to ensure safe and clean drinking water,” replied Marr, who said that water mains would be installed before scheduled road repairs were made.
Cybersecurity
Some $152,000 has been budgeted to protect against cyber attacks and the hacking of information. The project involves purchasing a back-up generator for the Information Technology Room, which provides backup to everything in the Town Hall, as well as the community centre through wireless connections. Councillor Bob Hildebrandt said he believes this is an area where money needs to be invested. Services have to be automated to technology, which includes being able to control lighting systems and other electrical monitoring through programming, so these tasks aren’t done manually.
Quinlin noted the Town is expecting to receive a grant of some $2 million dollars that would be allocated for rural projects.
“Once we have news of the projects getting the grant, we have two years to do it,” she added.
Even if the grant is received, Quinlin said all the projects slated for completion will leave the town with a $830,556 shortfall. At that point, she said she would be asking council’s approval on what would have to be completed, or deferred to another year.
Fire Department radios and repairs
The big-ticket item in the equipment category was $305,000 to replace the Fire Department’s radio technology. Fire Station No. 1, on Highway 20, needs roof repairs and structural waterproofing. When asked about the damage, Fire Chief Bob Lymburner said that he’s been buying extra pails lately to catch the leaks in the building, some of which are creating puddles by desks. The flat roof has been repeatedly patched over the years, but now a proper replacement needs to be completed, and the Town has estimated it will cost $45,000. Marr pointed out the roof repairs couldn’t be done until spring or summer, when there was better weather. Chief Lymburner told the Voice that the station is the oldest in Pelham, and in a few years it will need another bay for the six pumper trucks. “There’s just no more space in the building,” he said.
Town Hall roof
Facility Condition Assessments are completed every five years on a large number of buildings. About $50 million has been allocated to repair and renovate many buildings in the town. Currently $4.9 million has been deferred that needs to be used, Marr said. Since 2014, Town Hall’s roof, structural waterproofing and painting was slated for replacement, which will cost in excess of $55,000. Mayor Junkin suggested issuing a tender for a roofer to complete both the fire hall and Town Hall roofs, which might save more time and money.
Parklands
Discussing parkland designations, Wiens said any new subdivisions and developments in town have to dedicate a certain percentage of their acreage to parkland. In cases where the area already has enough green space and parks, the Town can use this money for parks in alternative areas. Currently, there is $126,500 available for development of parks and recreation. The digital sign at Centennial Park needed to be replaced. Diamond #3’ needed a dugout area for the safety of the players. The Fenwick Park was also heavily used because it had clay courts that are popular. Councillor Hildebrandt requested a utilization report to determine if technology could be incorporated in these parks to save costs as well.
Trails
The idea of paving the Steve Bauer and the trail from Port Robinson Road to Line Avenue arose, but the notion, which initially sounded appealing, was turned to stone. Councillor Ron Kore noted that once the paving was completed, there would be many additional costs to maintain it down the road. Marr agreed. Councillor Haun suggested a chip or softer surface, which was preferred by runners because it had less impact on their joints than concrete. Haun asked if a portion of the trails could be half-paved and half-covered with stone, but Marr replied that eventually this causes a “tripping hazard.” However, the Ontario Cycling Committee Program awarded council a $75,000 grant. The transportation committee recommended these two sections for completion. There are two other trails the funding can be used for, but the Town is restricted to four projects that were submitted in order to obtain the grant. While the Town is in receipt of these funds, it is obligated to inform the funders how the money is to be allocated.
Road repairs
There is only so much patchwork a Town can do. Road rehabilitation is projected at $400,000 in the upcoming capital budget. Marr pointed out that the normal patching treatment is a tar and chip process that is commonly found in rural areas. However, with fluctuating weather conditions from deep freezes to quick thaws, roadways suffer the consequences. Marr has identified roads that need to be resurfaced, with Welland Road being the top priority for 2020. Councillor Kore asked, “Why not 2019? That’s the worst strip of road in the Town.” Mayor Junkin added, “People would really take notice if Welland Road was fixed.”
Marr replied that Public Works is considering the development along Haist Street, because a large pipe had to be replaced there, and the road would have to be ripped up anyway.
Poth Street culvert
Closed since 2016, a section of Poth Street barely inched toward reopening. An engineering study on it is 95% complete. Marr said the detailed design of the bridge is being completed by Spriet Associates. Mayor Junkin said that contractors have offered to complete the project for half the cost at about $200,000, and “they are willing to take all the responsibility for it. They can come back to us with a proposal. I don’t know why we are going to engineers. We are not engineering these. That should have been done before. These are not new, this is a replacement.”
Given the poor conditions of the soil in this area, Marr said there has to be more ingenuity in the design, so that the bridge retains its stability over a long-term basis. He also noted that the “hydraulic capabilities” of the drain have to be managed, and this can only be accomplished through a proper design. The estimate to do this report was described as “reasonable,” by Marr. Having previously worked with the Region, Marr commended Spriet for having a solid reputation. Once Spriet completes the design, council can tender the project to the best bidder to construct the bridge.
Roadwork to the north
Pelham Street north from Birch Steet to Shorthills Place also involved urbanization, which included new sidewalks and a storm sewer for runoff. There were complaints about “speed and safety,” so the Town is contemplating narrowing the road at some points to slow down traffic. Whether or not this would actually decrease speeders was noted, as Councillor Kore said he preferred a stop sign at the end of Hurricane Road. Kore said he has received many complaints from residents in that area. Marr said stop signs don’t always help, because hurried travellers tend to do a “rolling stop,” and the acceleration at the intersection can cause problems.
A water main also has to be installed in the area, which needs to be coordinated with the road project.
“We have to put the water main in ahead of time,” noted Marr, so the road doesn’t have to be ripped up again. The parameters of the project include Burton to Shorthills Streets. There are also public mailboxes located along the roadside, and because it’s such a busy area, Councillor Marianne Stewart said,“They shouldn’t be there.”
The Arches
The wooden arches above Pelham Town Square may be replaced by floral arrangements or another feature, pending a report from the rehabilitation committee. Marr said the inspection of the arches would require $4,000. Councillor Kore said he felt the inspection is too costly for a project that was only considered temporary.
“Trying to save something that we don’t need, or have to put up later doesn’t make sense, considering the Town demolished a historical building on Highway 20 last year,” he said.
Councillor Haun said, “The arches are being held together by paint,” and could be replaced by hanging flower baskets, or some other decorative design. Marr suggested an engineering firm conduct a report, and then council would be in a better position to make a decision. Councillor John Wink noted the Summerfest Committee might have some input on this item, budgeted for $100,000, in its report to council. Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato suggested council “red circle,” or postpone, this item until further recommendations were made.
Cannabis replaces cucumbers
Resident Richard McCombs says he purchased a home on Foss Road, in Fenwick, two years ago based on the realtor’s information that the greenhouse behind him was growing cucumbers. That all changed quickly when the owners of the greenhouse sold it to Leviathan Cannabis, making it the seventh prospective marijuana grow-op in Pelham. Now McCombs said his living space smells like “Skunk Hollow,” and detracts from the enjoyment of his property.
McCombs told Pelham Town Council last Monday that “the issue is not about cultivation,” but where it can be cultivated. “In and amongst residential areas is not the place for it,” he said, adding that grow-ops lowered the property values in the neighbourhood as well.
As requested by McCombs, council voted in favour of developing a committee to devise terms of reference as to where marijuana grow-ops can locate, and other restrictions. The committee’s structure, including who should be participating, is to be considered at the Policies and Procedures committee meeting in March.
In October 2018, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Guide to Cannabis Legalization outlining jurisdictions states, in spite of a company being awarded a license, that local regulations dealing with land use still apply.
“Locally this constitutional arrangement can provide municipalities with the authority to prohibit particular land uses,” noted McCombs.
In response to Mayor Marvin Junkin’s question on how to form a committee, Town Clerk Nancy Bozzato said that council can implement the committee, “but the process should be forwarded to staff on the terms of reference, goals and objectives and to ensure that it was balanced” with cannabis producers included.
Councillor Mike Ciolfi asked about the logistics and time frame of the committee. Bozzato replied: “Once it was approved by council, we could advertise for citizens to apply to the committee.”
The process would take about five months.
Councillor Marianne Stewart said she didn’t see how having cannabis producers on the committee would be particularly helpful.
Barb Wiens, Director of Community Planning and Development, said she thought that this was an advisory committee.
“It’s important to have all parties at the table. I can’t prejudge what the terms of reference would look like,” but Wiens added that having communication with marijuana producers is beneficial to the town.
McCombs reiterated,“We’re not saying that they can’t be here. We just don’t want them in subdivisions.”
Mayor Junkin reported he would look at other municipalities and how they handled the issue.
“The clock is ticking and council and staff realizes that, and we will be instigating some actions on the interim bylaw. We fully support this bylaw,” he added, referring to a moratorium on new cannabis production facilities until October, at the earliest.
McCombs suggested they look at Beamsville, where 500 people attended council to rescind its bylaw.
Wiens said at a previous meeting that the Town was notified that Leviathan would take legal action if forced to move. Mayor Junkin said he was confident that the Town’s Interim Control Bylaw would withstand any legal challenges.
Trash talking
Regional representatives from the waste services department, Lydia Torbicki and Susan McPetrie, presented council with two basic options to increase the effectiveness of garbage and waste collection in Pelham, while decreasing its cost. The report was delivered as Pelham’s waste collection contract is up for renewal in 2021, and is re-negotiated every 10 years. The pair outlined a Region-wide survey of 13 municipalities, which asked participants to weigh-in on garbage pickup by Feb. 20. A report with recommendations on the preferred option, or a combination of the two options, will be submitted in a final report to council for approval in March.
“We’ve gone through an extensive stakeholder consultation, and we want comments and verification, and what advanced services council needs,” said McPetrie.
Later on, Torbicki said that Metroline Research Group Inc. conducted online and telephone surveys, which garnered 6,600 and 250 respondents respectively. The outreach process also included the Region meeting with the Welland/Pelham Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement Associations, tourism agencies and the Niagara Industrial Association.
In the next contract, several of the Region’s goals are to increase participation in its diversion programs, avoid higher costs, and improve the awareness of garbage collection services to residents and businesses. The Region believes standardizing garbage container bag/can limits for all industrial, commercial and institutional properties, and mixed-use property facilities. A mixed-use property facility is one that is a business or organization which doesn’t have a home attached. There are about 63 properties in the central location or disposal base collection area (DBA) of Pelham, and only 129 outside this area that are in the industrial, commercial and institutional Category. Mixed-use properties without homes attached amount to about 27 in the main area, and 30 outside the (DBA).
McPetrie wants to ensure the statistics are correct regarding the different types of garbage collected: regular trash, recyclables and organic waste, and reflect actual service usage.
“Our data shows that the rural program is under utilized,” she said.
Currently, the Region subcontracts out its waste collection services for Pelham to Entera.
Basically, the two options include: increasing the usage of clear paper bags, or changing the pickup of regular garbage (non recyclables or organics) to ever other week. In the second option, the collection of recyclables and organics will still be collected on a weekly basis from residences, as well as diaper, medical and group home facilities. Obviously, recycling and savings would increase if both services were adapted, said McPetrie to the Voice.
The Region is recommending the use of clear bags for garbage, with the option of allowing an opaque bag to be placed inside the clear one for privacy collectables like diapers, and other type of sanitary napkins that seniors may wear. For people who don’t use bags, this may seem like an inconvenience, said McPetrie. However, when clear bags are used, residents seem to improve recycling and recycle more often. If inappropriate items are put in clear bags, the waste collection company will place a yellow sticker on the garbage with a note. When the clear bag system is adopted, the amount of clear bags allotted is generally doubled to what is accepted now.
Studies in other cities, such as Markham, indicated $1.5 million savings by switching to clear bags, and a $12 million saving by changing its garbage collection of regular garbage, which are non-recyclables, and non-compostable materials, to every second week.
According to a 2015 and 2016 waste collection breakdown from Niagara Region, 50% were organic materials, 36% was regular garbage, and 14% were recyclables.
“We want to align services with usage and depending on where you live,” said McPetrie.
In other areas, such as Peel and Durham, the change to clear bags increased recycling. The number of clear bags increased from four to six in many cases. The contract savings in the past ranged from $200,000, in Barrie, to $12 million in Peel, depending on the size of the contract and area affected.
As a result of the surveys in Niagara, every other week garbage collection was preferred over clear bags, even when garbage containers were reduced, said Torbicki.
Most Pelham business respondents stated the change from four garbage containers to two was acceptable, while mixed- use property owners outside the municipality believed four containers were sufficient for the amount of refuse they had.
Councillor Mike Ciolfi asked if the telephone survey was “statistically representative and done by a research firm.” Torbicki was confident in the data, and said there were 329 respondents to the survey in Pelham.
“Region-wide the statistics are very parallel,” she said. Overall, the results indicated 32% in favour of clear bag usage, while the remaining respondents preferred garbage pickup every other week. By comparison to Pelham’s results, Region-wide residents were split, with 48% stating that every other week pickup would have a “big or some impact.”
On clear bag usage, 48% in Pelham said they would support it, while 52% said they would not. The online responses indicated 73% were not in favour of using clear garbage bags.
Mattresses and furniture placed by the curbside would still be picked up when residents call the Region’s waste collection services. While large pickups will continue under the new contract, it would be restricted to four large items, per week. Television sets and other electronics are not included in garbage service. Niagara Region amended Pelham Council’s recent staff recommendation to include scrap metal and appliance pick up, but indicated it would be priced separately in the next contract.
The Region’s statistics indicated appliance and scrap metal pickup decreased by 94% since 2007. Only 5% of the properties are using this service, as most people drop off metal items at the Region’s drop-off depots, or have them picked up by scrap metal dealers, who pay residents for these types of products.
Mayor Junkin commented on there not being much difference in strength between clear and coloured bags, and continued to note the privacy issue with clear bags. Torbicki said, “[Niagara Region is] doing well as far as recylables, and we are comparable to other Regions, but there is always room for improvement.”
Junkin said, “If we can stop garbage trucks from going up and down the street every week we can save money.”
McPetrie told the Voice that council can choose one of two options, both options, or none at all. Since this program has not been implemented in Niagara previously, it is difficult to determine what the savings will be. Currently, the Region does not use an incineration system, and she told the Voice she wasn’t sure why this is the case. In the meantime, the Region’s focus is to “increase [recycling] and get the most out of our landfill sites.”
