March 18, 2025, City Council Meeting
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Swearing in of Councillor Vince Kerrio
A motion to declare a City Council seat vacant was made following Councillor Wayne Campbell relinquishing his position and passing away on February 27, 2025.
Council decided to fill the vacancy through an appointment for the remainder of the term and instructed staff to contact the next runner-up in the last election to confirm their willingness to fill the vacancy.
As a result, the Council of the City of Niagara Falls appointed Vince Kerrio to the office of City Councillor for the remainder of the term.
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Civic Recognition - Niagara Taekwondo
Mayor Diodati and Council recognized Adele Carvers, a high-performance Taekwondo Athlete from Niagara Taekwondo. Adele recently achieved a gold medal in the Cadet Division for Taekwondo Sparring, earning her a wild card spot on Team Canada for the upcoming Pan Am Championships in Mexico this April.
Congratulations, Adele!
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City Initiated Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments:
Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals in Residential Areas
Kailen Goerz, Senior Manager of Long-Range Planning Initiatives, and Shannon McKie, from Landwise, provided an update regarding Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals in residential areas.
Council's decision was deferred. It will come back to Council for a Closed / In-Camera meeting on May 6th so that Council may have an education session and perhaps provide some direction to Staff. The Open Public Session will be held on May 27th to make a decision on the matter.
View the report. View the presentation.
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Garner West Secondary Plan Update
Chris Millar, Senior Project Manager of Secondary Plans, presented a Garner West Secondary Plan update to Council.
The update included a summary of the work that has been completed to date, including:
- The completion and delivery of four Phase 1 Existing Conditions reports, related to transportation, servicing, land use compatibility and fiscal impact;
- The completion and delivery of a Phase 1 Interim Subwatershed Study report, related to the work that has been undertaken to date on this four-season study;
- The completion and delivery of a report summarizing the Community Focus Group visioning exercise; and
- A summary of “what we heard” from attendees at the February 11, 2025, Public Information Meeting that provided information and explanation on the findings of the Existing Conditions reports.
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Northwest Secondary Plan Update
Chris Millar, Senior Project Manager of Secondary Plans, also presented a Northwest Secondary Plan update to Council.
The update included a summary of the work that has been completed to date, including:
- The completion and delivery of four Phase 1 Existing Conditions reports, related to transportation, servicing, land use compatibility and fiscal impact;
- The completion and delivery of a Phase 1 Interim Subwatershed Study report,
related to the work that has been undertaken to date on this four-season study;
- The completion of a report summarizing the Community Focus Group visioning
exercise; and
- A summary of “what we heard” from attendees at the February 12, 2025, Public
Information Meeting that provided information and explanation on the findings of
the Existing Conditions reports.
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Deferral of Taxes for Low-Income Seniors
or Low-Income Disabled Persons Policy
Council approved the Deferral of Taxes for Low-Income Seniors or Low-Income Persons with Disabilities effective for the 2026 taxation year.
The program's purpose is to provide an option to assist low-income seniors and persons with disabilities by allowing them to defer a portion of their property taxes, reducing current expenses and increasing current cash flow.
Applicants are required to:
- Be in receipt of the Guaranteed Income Supplement and must be 65 years of age or older.
- OR in receipt of the Ontario Disability Support Program.
- Have proof of address on the application as a primary residence.
- Have signed acknowledgement that the deferral could have an impact on future lending and/or current mortgage.
- Signed acknowledgement the applicant is competent to make decisions on the property or the power of attorney can fill out the application for the owner if full POA documentation is provided.
- And have property taxes paid in full, less any previous deferral amounts.
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Drinking Water System Summary Report and Overview
The City of Niagara Falls is proud to announce that it has achieved a perfect score of 100% from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) in their 2024 Drinking Water Distribution Inspection. This score illustrates the City’s commitment to providing residents with safe, clean, high-quality drinking water.
As part of the mandatory requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Ontario Regulation 170/03, Schedule 22, the City also underwent an evaluation to confirm compliance with all MECP legislation and presented this in a Summary Report. The Report confirms that Niagara Falls fully adheres to the required drinking water policies and guidelines set forth by the Ministry.
The Drinking Water Distribution Summary Report can be viewed at niagarafalls.ca.
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- Fee Waiver Applications - March 2025 Submissions
- Council approved Fee Waiver applications to support volunteer, community-based
organizations in order to maintain a quality of life for its residents
- Reconstruction and Widening of McLeod Road from Kalar Road to Beechwood Road Capital Budget Amendment
- Council approved a capital budget amendment to proceed with the implementation of this project and leverage the funding received from the Province.
- 2024 Annual Update from the Culture Section
- Council received a report from the Culture Section of the Recreation & Culture Department, which is responsible for three municipally operated Museums, the Exchange and Cultural initiatives throughout the City.
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Proclamations, Flag-Raising and Illumination Requests
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Proclamation & Flag-Raising Request | May 3, 2025
UN World Press Freedom Day
Council proclaimed Saturday, May 3, 2025, UN World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), a day dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression.
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Proclamation Request | May 14, 2025
Apraxia Awareness Day
Council proclaimed Wednesday, May 14, 2025, as "Apraxia Awareness Day." Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a very misunderstood and very challenging speech disorder.
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Fla-Raising Request | June 12, 2025
Philippine Independence Day
Council approved a flag-raising celebration on Thursday, June 12, 2025, to commemorate Philippine Independence Day.
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Fla-Raising Request | July 10, 2025
Nikola Tesla Day
Council approved a request from The Nikola Tesla Festival organizer to hold a flag-raising on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, to honour Nikola Tesla Day and Tesla Fest 2025.
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American scientist who invented the Tesla coil and alternating-current (AC) electricity and discovered the rotating magnetic field.
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Upcoming Proclamations, Flag-Raising and Illuminations
(approved at Previous Council Meetings)
Flag Raising & Proclamation Request | World Autism Day (April 2, 2025)
Flag Raising & Proclamation Request | Parental Alienation Awareness Day (April 25, 2025)
Flag Raising & Proclamation Request | Polish Heritage Month & Polish Constitution Day (May 2025)
Flag Raising Request | Italian Heritage Week (First week of June 2025)
Flag Raising Request | Pride Niagara Festival (June 2, 2025)
Proclamation Request | Indigenous Survivors Day (June 30, 2025)
Flag Raising & Proclamation Request | Christian Heritage Month (December 2025)
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