Pelham Town Council unanimously endorsed a plan to split lands east of the MCC during its Wednesday meeting, with the northern part devoted to parking expansion and the southern plot earmarked for sale and development.
“We’ve been going on for five-plus years with the parking, I’m glad to see it’s coming to the end,” Deputy Mayor John Wink said.
While building the approximately 74 additional parking spaces will ultimately address a community centre deficit, the decision will balance a Town desire to monetize the corner property at Rice Road and Summersides Boulevard.
However, a public engagement process undertaken by staff indicated that 71 percent of 378 resident respondents actually wanted the entire parcel of land dedicated to extra parking.
Ward 3 Councillor Shellee Niznik said she hoped a future developer would “build something close to attainable housing” on the south portion of the land.
Members then engaged in debate over the possibility of adding a mini park to the mix between the parking and future residential plot, but it was eventually agreed upon that enough present and planned parkland exists in East Fonthill.
The northern piece of the land is already being used for overflow parking on a temporary gravel surface. The cost of the permanent parking addition is pegged at approximately $850,000.
Spending decisions
Two proposed Town staff job creations – a licencing and records clerk, and a new manager for Recreation, Culture and Wellness (RCW) – saw objection and support, respectively.
Ward 3 Councillor Bob Hildebrandt balked at the idea of a clerk, saying that the position would unnecessarily inflate the Town payroll. He asserted that efficiencies could instead be found via various artificial intelligence programs.
On the other hand, expediting the hiring of a reborn RCW manager gained more support, with both RCW Director Vickie vanRavenswaay and CAO David Cribbs telling council that the success of the MCC during the winter months has proven the need for another staffer.
Pelham previously had an RCW managerial position under vanRavenswaay, but it was eliminated due to budget cuts in 2019.
Beyond staffing costs, council also unanimously endorsed the expense of $24,000 over two years for the Niagara South Coast Tourism Association, which endeavours to enhance the tourist appeal of the Lake Erie shore and points north such as Pelham.
“I think for ($12,000 a year) it’ll put us in position where we’re in front of tourism,” Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Olson said. “This is a real opportunity for us.”
Additional council highlights provided by the Town of Pelham:
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.
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.
