Council Highlights for September 4, 2024

Council Highlights may be viewed on the council calendar here.

View the full agenda package for Council

The Town of Pelham regular council meeting was held on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers at the Pelham municipal building at 20 Pelham Town Hall. Video recording and live stream of the meeting can be viewed at www.pelham.ca/live

CANOE and Update on Changes to Town Purchasing Process Recommendation

Council received a presentation from Sarah Hubble, Client Relations Manager of CANOE Procurement Group of Canada, a not-for-profit, trade-compliant organization that supports members through purchase processes. As a group purchasing organization, CANOE assists in securing preferred pricing for members and reduces procurement administration time. Participation requires no membership fees or minimum purchases. Instead, the suppliers pay for the service through an administration fee paid to CANOE. Eight local area municipalities in Niagara and the Region of Niagara are currently utilizing CANOE. Further in the meeting, Council received a Report #2024-0176 Update on Changes to Town Purchasing Process and directed the Chief Administrative Officer to take all necessary steps for Pelham to formally join the ‘Canoe Procurement Group’ operated by LAS and Council approved in principle the proposed approaches to the use of ‘Rosters’ in situations where time is of the essence, such as grants and emergency situations, or for the purchase of services that are expected to cost less than $100,000.

2026 Municipal Election

Council received Report #2024-0104 – 2026 Municipal Election Voting Methods, for information. The report was provided to Council to provide context for planned upcoming community consultation regarding how the Town will conduct the 2026 Municipal Election. The Clerk’s Department will begin to consult with the community on their preferences on voting methods and return with a future report to assist Council in making the decision about what format and technology to employ for the next election.

Meridian Community Centre Adjacent Lands Implementation Strategy

Council received Report #2024-0192 Meridian Community Centre Adjacent Lands Implementation Options for information and directed staff on how to proceed with the hybrid option for the future use of the options for the Town-owned property described as Part 4, Plan 59R-16105. Council approved the proposed severance of the lands legally described as Part 4, Plan 59R-16105 to create two (2) separate parcels, with the north parcel being approximately 0.9 acres in size and the south parcel being approximately 0.71 acres in size. Council directed staff to take the necessary steps to sever the lands into the North and South parcels and then bring a by-law to surplus the proposed South parcel severed lands and hire a local realtor to take the necessary steps to offer the South parcel for sale on the open real estate market. Council directed staff to bring a report back to council in Q4 to provide timing and costs in for the conversion of the North parcel into a parking lot.

Clerk's Department - Business Case for Licensing and Records Clerk

Council received Report #2024-0161 Clerk’s Department – Business Case for Licensing and Records Clerk, for information. The Clerk’s Department will be requesting the addition of a full-time permanent Licensing and Records Clerk during the 2025 budget process. The position will support both the Clerk and Deputy Clerk and alleviate the workload pressures of the Legislative and Committee Coordinator. The report's purpose was to provide the business case for the proposed position and include the position for consideration in the 2025 draft budget.

Beautification Service Standards for Parks Maintenance

Council received Report #2024-0187 Beautification Service Standards for Parks Maintenance for information and endorsed Service Standards 30601 for Parks Maintenance. Service Standards for the maintenance of municipal assets define the desirable level of service and objective of a given service. Planning and executing the service levels prescribed in these standards provide safe, dependable, cost-effective services that extend the asset's life.

Fall Commencement of Manager, Recreation, Culture and Wellness Position

Council received Report #2024-0186 Proposed Fall Commencement of Manager, Recreation, Culture and Wellness Position and directed the Manager of People Services to begin the recruitment process immediately. With the Meridian Community Centre continuing to be highly successful, with operations occurring for 17 hours, seven days per week, several operational opportunities have been identified that would benefit from increased management and coordination to support the Recreation, Culture and Wellness in Pelham.

Proposed Joint Tourism Initiative Recommendation

Council received Report #2024-0197 Proposed Joint Tourism Initiative and approved a two-year commitment to the Niagara South Coast Tourism Association (“NSCTA”) Fund as a “Class B Member” to begin in January 2025. Council approved the NSCTA membership for $12,000 and directed the Chief Administrative Officer to take any necessary steps to appoint staff to the NSCTA Steering Group and make administrative-level commitments and contributions to the undertaking. This initiative has the chance to support economic development, support community vitality and increase the Town of Pelham’s profile. By working with other municipalities, Pelham can attain a more significant impact and level of professional tourism support services than it otherwise could working on its own. Council will receive a report back with progress updates of NSCTA by Q3 of 2025.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Leah Letford, Communications Specialist | 905-980-6653 | lletford@pelham.ca