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City Council Meeting: November 24, 2015
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Fire Dispatch Services
At last night's City Council meeting, Fire Chief Lee Smith presented a report on Fire Dispatch Services. The Niagara Falls Fire Department has dispatched for emergency response in Niagara Falls since the department's inception. Over those years, Niagara Falls has dispatched for other communities as their primary dispatch service and also as backup in the event their primary dispatch was disabled.
The major focus on emergency communications needs to be related to system infrastructure in order to sustain communications within Niagara Falls. Staff will report back to Council on emergency dispatch and radio once a full evaluation has been conducted.
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Open Air Burning Update
No recreational, wood burning fire will be permitted in Niagara Falls as City Council voted to maintain the principles of the existing by-law last night. Amendments will be made to the by-law to eliminate wood for use in cooking fires.
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Outdoor Pool Review - City of Niagara Falls
The City of Niagara Falls operates five outdoor pools located throughout the City, built from 1969 to 2003. AquaPlans, Aquatic Design Consultants was hired to complete an audit on the pools. The report strongly recommends the City make improvements to the pools to comply with the current Ontario Building Code (OBC) and to improve the overall safety of the swimmers.
At last night's Council meeting, Council voted to decommission the Buck Hinsperger small wading pool in 2016. Staff will engage stakeholders to develop a master plan for Chippawa Lions Park to determine possible park improvements including a splash pad, basketball courts, skateboard park, playground, and additional parking area.
The City's outdoor swimming pools will operate as follows this summer:
- F.H. Leslie and Prince Charles outdoor swimming pools operate from Thursday June 30 to Sunday September 4, 2016 (9.5 weeks)
- Buck Hinsperger, large pool, and SCVFA Pool at E.E. Michelson Park, operate from Thursday, June 30 to Sunday, August 28 (8.5 weeks)
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2016 Council Schedule
Last night, Council approved the proposed 2016 meeting schedule. They will maintain a bi-weekly schedule until the end of April, to ensure that all budgets are approved in a timely fashion. After April, a monthly schedule is proposed. Public meetings under the Planning Act will be scheduled for 6:30 p.m., after the budget process has ended, to avoid any gaps in the meeting schedule.
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Chippawa Willoughby Memorial Arena Capital Plan
This fall I.B. Storey Inc. was hired to complete a Preliminary Engineering Study for the Chippawa Willoughby Arena. The purpose of the study was to review the condition of the refrigeration equipment and to identify potential utility saving opportunities. The majority of the essential refrigeration equipment is aged and due for a life cycle renewal. The five year capital plan, recommends that $465,000 be allocated in 2016 for replacement of key operating equipment; compressors, chiller, condenser, brine pumps and refrigeration control system.
Council received the Chippawa Willoughby Memorial Arena Capital Plan report last night, and referred the projected capital repairs to the 2016 - 2020 capital budget process.
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Niagara Falls Public Library
Last night, Barbara Ness, Board Chair, presented to Council the Niagara Falls Public Library 2015 - 2019 Strategic Plan. The plan sets out a clear and ambitious agenda to guide the Library's actions over the next four years, with a commitment to provide the community with the best possible services and resources to enhance the quality of life for all; and at the same time provide tangible, measurable outcomes.
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The next City Council Meeting will be held: December 8, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.
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