By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—The following items were discussed on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at Council in Committee. Any decisions made will need to be ratified on Monday, December 12. For the full report, visit haldimandcounty.ca/council-information/council-meetings.
Council board and committee roles for new term
With the next term of Council officially underway, Haldimand County has revealed the various roles Haldimand’s six ward councillors, as well as Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley, will play in the various business divisions, boards, and committees vital to the County’s operations.
- Councillor John Metcalfe will serve as Deputy Mayor for a one-year period, taking over for retired Councillor Bernie Corbett.
- Filling the various Chair and Vice Chair positions amongst the County’s business divisions are:
- Public Meeting for Planning Applications: Chair, Councillor Stewart Patterson; Vice Chair, Mayor Bentley
- Community & Development Services: Chair, Councillor Dan Lawrence; Vice Chair, Councillor Natalie Stam
- Public Works Operations: Chair, Councillor Patrick O’Neill; Vice Chair, Councillor Patterson
- Engineering and Capital Works: Chair, Councillor Metcalfe; Vice Chair, Councillor Lawrence
- Financial and Data Services: Chair, Councillor Stam; Vice Chair, Councillor Rob Shirton
- Corporate and Social Services: Chair, Councillor Shirton; Vice Chair, Councillor O’Neill
- Corporate Affairs: Chair, Mayor Bentley; Vice Chair, Councillor Metcalfe
Additionally, Patterson will serve a four-year term on the Accessibility Advisory Committee, while Stam will join the Agricultural Advisory Committee, and O’Neill and Bentley will join the Business Development and Advisory Committee.
Three councillors have been appointed to their respective Business Improvement Area Boards of Management, with Lawrence in Caledonia, Stam in Hagersville, and O’Neill in Dunnville.
Patterson and Bentley will be appointed to the Long Point Region Conservation Authority, while O’Neill and Metcalfe will sit with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
A full list of all other Council member appointments can be found at haldimandcounty.ca.
Long Point Region Conservation Authority levy up 8% for 2023
County staff have been provided with information related to the proposed 2023 municipal levy from the Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA), one of three CAs funded in part by the County.
The total proposed levy is set at $324,284, a $24,646 increase over last year. Haldimand is responsible for covering 14.42% of the total levy.
The largest project being undertaken under LPRCA supervision in 2023 within Haldimand’s borders is a series of water system upgrades at Haldimand Conservation Area, located in Nanticoke.
According to County staff, the increase is in line with general increases seen in municipal levies across the province, reflective of rising inflation, higher operational expenses, and decreased federal funding.
The final budget will be voted on at LPRCA’s board meeting on January 11, 2023.
Both GRCA and NPCA, the other two CAs funded in part by Haldimand County, have yet to reveal their proposed budgets for 2023; both organizations are expected to present their budgets early in the new year.
New telecommunications tower upgrade coming from Niagara Wireless Internet Co.
Council received an information report related to a communications tower to be located at 2583 North Shore Drive in Lowbanks.
The tower will be utilized to help provide “next generation wireless internet speeds” to the residents there, said the report.
The tower will be an upgrade, replacing an existing tower owned by the proponent on the same site.
The proponent has stated the new tower is necessary to provide internet target speeds required by the CRTC.
Staff recommended approval of the proposal.
Emergency repair work completed on Cayuga Kinsmen Community Centre
Council members reviewed a memorandum this week pertaining to an emergency repair completed at the Cayuga Kinsmen Community Centre earlier this year.
The repair centered around the replacement of a faulty flame sensor in the hall’s rooftop heating unit. The deficiency was identified following a staff report in April that there was no heat available to the building.
The faulty sensor was replaced by a local contractor, with the County picking up the bill, totalling $880.11. The funds were taken from the $20,000 annual budget allocated by the County for unforeseen expenses related to community halls.
County reviews draft-plan of subdivision application for already-built townhouse subdivision in Townsend
A subdivision consisting of 30 group townhouse dwellings that was first brought to the table back in 2006, and which has already been built, popped up at Council again last week.
The proposal has been through many phases over the years, with technical matters related to water and wastewater servicing, stormwater management, lot grading, drainage, and emergency access just some of the many topics that have brought the proposal to Council since its creation.
The Draft Plan of Subdivision is the final application in the development process, is largely a formality, and serves only to establish the proposed common-element condominium tenure. It relates to the creation of individual parcels of tied land, a requirement for a development featuring common elements, such as a private road, visitor parking, and open space areas.
