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August 10, 2021 City Council Meeting

August 10, 2021 Meeting Agenda  View Live Stream of the Meeting

Garner Road Draft Plan of Subdivision
and Zoning By-law Amendment Application
Slide From Presentation on Zoning By-law Amendment Application for Garner Road Showing Location
At Tuesday’s meeting, Council approved an application to permit 47 detached dwelling lots, 8 on-street townhouses, and 12 townhouses to be constructed on the east side of Garner Road south of Lundy’s Lane, and all subject to the regulations outlined in the staff report.
City of Niagara Falls City Hall Crest on Wall
2021 Property Tax Penalty and Interest Rate
 
Council considered the return of the property tax penalty and interest rate to 1.25% per month, but decided that it should be referred for consideration as part of the 2022 budget process instead.  Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the City has provided financial relief to property taxpayers through penalty and interest rate reductions, and the implementation of a relief  program called the Special COVID-19 Preauthorized Property Tax Payment Plan for those taxpayers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
Debt Funding of Capital Projects
 
Debt is a useful tool for the City to leverage for large capital investments, allowing payments to be spread over the useful life of new assets. Current interest rates are very competitive at the moment,  making this a cost effective decision for large capital investments while alleviating adverse pressures on other funding sources like Reserves. Learn how Council is using debt financing for Fire Station 7 and renovations at the Municipal Service Centre to spread the expenditures over a longer period of time, to avoid creating a large one-time pressure on the tax levy.

F-2021-44 - 2021 Debt Funding of Capital Projects

Millennium Recreational Trail Section 2 sign
Millennium Trail Section 2 Moving Forward this Fall!
 
Council approved the necessary agreements with Ontario Power Generation (OPG), and received Provincial and Federal funding assistance, to move forward with the last section of the Millennium Trail to be located south of McLeod Road. The Millennium Recreational Trail Section 2 development will include:

· Approximately 1.4 km of new 3m wide asphalt paved accessible trail
· Fitness equipment station
· Picnic tables, benches, and social gathering/event space
· Parking area
· Fencing and landscape buffering improvements
· Planting of over 200 native trees and plants along this new trail section
conceptual image of trail entrance from mcleod road showing people walking and children playing
Phase 2 of this section of the trail is a proposed east link to Dorchester Road that creates an opportunity to connect with Fern Park and Fern Park Trail. Phase 2 has been deferred for future consideration due to current budget constraints.
street parking meter
Parking Fine Increases to start January 1, 2022
 
Parking rate fines have not changed for over twenty years, with the last fine increase occurring in 2000. As the cost of parking increases, the rate of parking fines needs to increase to act as a sufficient deterrent to illegal parking.

MW-2021-48 Recommended Parking Fine Increase, Effective January 1, 2022

To see the new rates that Council approved for the 2022 Schedule of Fees visit:
MW-2021-48 Attachment 1_Fine Comparison
Park Street Building Decommissioning & Soil Remediation - Construction Update
 
In May of 2019, in an effort to further the City’s objective of providing a diverse and affordable housing market, Council authorized Staff to enter into a partnership with the Region and Niagara Housing to work on a project that would provide 200 – 300 affordable housing units at 4500 Park Street, a City-owned parking lot and site of the former Niagara Falls Farmer’s Market.
 
Following approval by Council of the contracts for remediation and environmental oversight for the 4500 Park Street Property on April 20, 2021, work had been progressing aggressively in mid-to-late July. Unfortunately, as work progresses, a significantly larger than expected volume of buried contaminated soils and other materials have been discovered due to the long history of unique prior uses of this property (distillery, fuel storage, fuel dispensing, machinery repair, coal boiler, railway tracks, etc.). Consequently the original budget estimate found in the April 20, 2021 report of $1,068,009.93 is now more likely to be $2,006,135.40, which exceeds the approved contract amounts by $938,125.47 and exceeds the 2020/2021 Capital Budget allocations of $1,370,000 by $636,135.40.
 
Council approved the additional contractual expenses necessary to remediate this site as well as the corresponding preapproval for the budget variance estimated at $636,135.40 from the 2022 capital budget
.

MW-2021-49 4500 Park Street Construction Update

map of closure area of Millennium Recreational Trail
Millennium Trail Partial Closure
Paisley Janvary - Pool 

​A section of the Millennium Trail between Thorold Stone Road to 500 metres northeast of Portage Road will be closed August 4th to November 30th while rehabilitation work is being undertaken by Niagara Region on a nearby trunk sewer. This closure is to ensure the health and safety of the public while construction is taking place. 

2021-07-27-NF-Clerk-Millennium-Closure-Notice.Ltr
2021-07-27-Notice of Millennium Trail Closure-Final

Approval of a Vacation Rental Unit at 5411 River Road
At Tuesday’s meeting, Council approved the use of 5411 River Road as a Vacation Rental Unit with no more than 3 bedrooms, subject to the zoning by-law regulations outlined in Staff Report PBD-2021-21.
 
Council received the remainder of the report for information only and took no further action on staff recommendations 1 and 2. 1) an Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment to permit 4465 Eastwood Crescent as satellite tourist accommodation associated with the existing Grandview Inn at 5359 River Road; and 2) Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment changes to the existing Special Policy Area designation and current zoning of the Grandview Inn to recognize the use of the property as an Inn with 8 individual bedrooms and 4 suites having 2 bedrooms each, together with 2 meeting rooms and a breakfast room to exclusively serve guests of the Inn, as outlined in Staff Report PBD-2021-43.
Mohammed Ahmed winning silver for Canada in track and Kristen Kit winning gold for Canada in rowing
Niagara Region Represented at Olympics

Congratulations to Mohammed Ahmed and Kristen Kit!

Mohammed Ahmed won a silver medal in the men's 5,000 metres at the Tokyo Olympics. It's Canada's first ever medal in the men's 5,000 metre track event. The 30-year-old runner from St. Catharines also competed in the men's 10,000 metres, finishing in sixth place.

St. Catharines native Kristen Kit won gold as the coxswain for the women's eight crew in rowing. The gold medal is Canada's first in the event since 1992.
Proclamations, Flag-Raising and Illumination Requests
Waste Reduction Week in Canada logo
Waste Reduction Week in Canada - October 18 - 24, 2021
 
Held annually during the third week of October since 2001, Waste Reduction Week in Canada, through a coalition of environmental non-profit and government organizations from across the country, shines the spotlight on responsible production and conscious consumption.

Proclamation - Waste Reduction Week in Canada
Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day - Thursday, October 21, 2021
 
This day recognizes the education, dedication and commitment, of child care workers to children, their families and quality of life of the community.

CUPE ECE Appreciation Day Declaration Request- October 21
National Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Awareness Day - 
Saturday, September 4, 2021

 
National Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Awareness Day is a day to educate and inspire. There are many ways to show support — wear teal, spread the word, donate, volunteer, advocate. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a chronic, genetic disease causing uncontrolled growth of fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys, often leading to kidney failure. 

Flag-Raising - 16 Days of Activism Gender Based Violence
 
The City of Niagara Falls will participate in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence by flying a campaign flag from November 25th to December 10, 2021. It is an opportunity to come together to call out, speak up and renew our commitment to end gender-based violence.

CLK-C 2021-108 Motion re 16 Days of Activism
 
Ukrainian Canadian Congress - 80th Anniversary - August 24, 2021
 
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Niagara Branch, is requesting a flag-raising ceremony on Tuesday, August 24, 2021 to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the 30th Anniversary of Ukraine's Independence from the Soviet Union.  The Falls will be lit up in the Ukrainian flag colours of blue and yellow on August 24 at 10:00 PM.

Flag-Raising Request - Ukrainian Canadian Congress - 80th Anniversary
Upcoming Proclamations. Flag-Raising and Illuminations
(approved at previous Council meetings)
 
Proclamation | Cyprus Day (October 1, 2021)
Proclamation | Residential School Remembrance Week (September 30 - October 7, 2021)
Proclamation | Wrongful Conviction Day (October 2, 2021)
Illumination |  Women's Brain Health Day (December 2, 2021)
Proclamation | Bullying Elimination Week (May 23 - 30, 2022)
Additional Reports and Presentations
The complete list of reports in the August 10, 2021 agenda may be viewed at niagarafalls.ca/council.
Image of Niagara Falls City Hall
Next Council Meeting: September 14, 2021
The next City Council meeting will be held at 4:00pm on September 14, 2021. For more information, please visit niagarafalls.ca/council.
Niagara Falls Canada logo and skyline
Copyright © 2021 City of Niagara Falls, All rights reserved.


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