It’s Council week! Summarized here are a few highlights from our agenda this Thursday. You can read the full agenda at: https://pub-niagararegion.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=06ab12b4-7d60-4daf-b06d-cda0f4019e33&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English
Procedural By-law Committee met to discuss ways to make our meetings more efficient. This included clarity around delegations and Councillor questions to delegations. More info to come on this topic.
Our Public Works committee discussed discontinuing Blue Box servicing by January 1, 2024. The Province is shifting blue box responsibility from municipalities to the companies who produce packaging so expect to see further action on this as we transition over to new programming. More info via https://www.thestar.com/nd/news/council/2023/07/11/ready-or-not-the-recycling-revolution-is-coming-to-niagara.html?rf&itm_source=parsely-api
Our Public Health and Social Services committee debated shifting a state of emergency to a state of crisis for homelessness, mental health and opioid addiction. I know it sounds like there’s an effort to downplay the importance of these items, but the ask is really about duplicating administrative reporting requirements. These are still priority issues for Council. More info via https://www.thestar.com/nd/news/council/2023/07/11/ready-or-not-the-recycling-revolution-is-coming-to-niagara.html?rf&itm_source=parsely-api
Corporate Services approved funding for Niagara Regional Housing for an emergency shelter and Phase 1 of bridge housing project. This will help expand shelter capacity and supportive housing resources available to our local homeless population by acquiring and renovating a space in St. Catharines. More info at: https://www.thestar.com/nd/news/niagara-region/2023/07/12/niagara-regional-housing-to-develop-units-on-surplus-geneva-street-property.html
The Planning and Economic Development Committee did an economic analysis on some our emerging sectors to diversify Niagara’s economy. We also received an update that the natural heritage policies were released by the Province for the new Provincial Planning statement with no changes. More info on the emerging sector study can be found at: https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/council/study-says-niagara-s-emerging-economic-future-is-green-and-marine/article_02012bb1-10a0-5b11-890b-f81159fc45f1.html?
I also have a motion asking Council to support AMO’s position on strengthening code of conduct policies for elected officials. Council had previously supported Bill 5 which would have improved made elected officials accountable to workplace violence and harassment policies. The Bill was defeated but there’s still a lot the Minister of Municipal Affairs can do to improve accountability and transparency. https://pub-niagararegion.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=32257
Councillor Kaiser also has a motion asking Council to once again call for better support for Ontario’s wine sector in recognition of a recent report titled “Uncork Ontario” that spoke to the economic potential of the “Niagara Wine Cluster” and highlighted some of the taxation problems holding the sector back. https://pub-niagararegion.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=32274
Council meets Thursday, July 20, 2023 to discuss these items. You can watch Committee and Council meetings online at https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/council/council-meetings.aspx