Seasonal events around town page 3 Town CAO looks ahead to 2020 page 12 Fenwick EarlyON centre to close page 16
The Voice
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
k
SELL phone: 905-321-2261 www.pineSOLD.com
DEBBIE PINE SALES REPRESENTATIVE 905.892.0222 NRC Realty, Brokerage
Independently Owned & Operated
debbiepine@royallepage.ca
E S T A B L I S H E D
Vol.23 No.49
1 9 9 7
k
December 18, 2019
Darcy Richardson, CPA, CA | Broker
DARCYRICHARDSON.CA darcy@revelrealty.ca 905.321.6292
FREE
Reflections on Pelham Town Council's first year
In October 2018, Pelham voted in a new council, one comprised of entirely of candidates who had never held political office. The Voice asked them to assess their experience so far, in their own words. Councillor Mike Ciolfi
I
cannot believe how fast the year went by! The first year for me was like a baptism by fire. Several pressing issues came to the table at a very fast pace and decisions needed to be made, from the appointment of an interim CAO, going through both the operating and capital budget line by line for 2019, which, after lengthy debates, it was approved, to the development of the strategic plan that will be used for the next four years. I know that action on cannabis is moving slower than the residents of Pelham would like. This committee has been meeting weekly for several months to develop bylaws and policies that will mitigate the adverse effects caused from this new industry. As See CIOLFI Page 14
Councillor Lisa Haun
T
o say our council has had a steep learning curve this past year is quite an understatement. It will come as no surprise that we have had to find ways to rein in spending and work within very tight financial constraints and I am proud of our accomplishments. This past year saw council spending countless hours in meetings critically analyzing and passing two Town budgets for 2019 and 2020. We supported the formation of five important new committees for the purposes of (1) monitoring our financial health, (2) providing advice to council on mitigating adverse land use impacts of cannabis production facilities, (3) reducing Town energy consumption and utility costs, (4) sourcing new revenue streams at the See HAUN Page 21
Councillor Bob Hildebrandt
Councillor Ron Kore
I
t has been an amazing year that has brought great rewards and satisfaction. I am so grateful to the residents of Ward 3 that elected me. As your representative, I serve on the Utility Sustainability Committee (Utility Costs), Niagara Road 12 Landfill Committee, Pelham Arts Advisory Committee, as well as the Board of Pen West Hydro. Prior to being elected, hydro rates and Pelham’s hydro classification, which affected our hydro costs, was a covert operation I had been carrying on with little success. Then I met an individual while going door to door, Gordon Marasco, who was carrying on the same mission. We instantly became friends and joined forces on a mission that See HILDEBRANDT Page 14
I
can’t believe that it’s been a year already! I have come to realize over the last 12 months that governing is a slow process, something I am not used to, coming from the business world, where we make decisions in a timely fashion. For me, there have been some low points. Two that stand out the most are the enormous debt we inherited and having to deal with the subsequent loss of many services for the residents of our community (e.g., playground equipment, resurfacing of roads and sidewalks) and the second being how the whole gypsy month situation was handled, including how we billed certain residents and not others (this is a community problem, not an individual problem). There have also
Councillor Marianne Stewart
M
erry Christmas to all. After a year on council, Christmas and the New Year approaching feels like the appropriate time to pause and reflect. Being on council and in political life for the first time has been a very interesting and educational experience. I now understand why the wheels of government grind slowly. What may have seemed like a “no brainer” before, I have learned that making good decisions that will benefit our town now and into the future requires solid input from our senior leadership team and our own research to provide us with the information we need for responsible decision making.
See KORE Page 14
See STEWART Page 24
LOVE PEACE JOY
The Magic of Christmas never ends and its greatest of gifts are family and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my family to yours.
DEBBIE PINE SALES REPRESENTATIVE
905.892.0222
Our family is blessed to live in a community that values legacy and fully appreciates good neighbours. So to all, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Festivus for the Rest of Us. Tina
PINESOLD.COM NIAGARA REAL ESTATE CENTER, Brokerage 1815 Merritville, Hwy 1, FONTHILL, ON
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
Councillor John Wink
T
he first year of council is in the books and as I reflect on accomplishments and challenges, I am gratified with the progress we have made to date. Council has met 87 times this past year, including regular council, Committee of the Whole, Policy and Procedure, Special Committee, and public meetings. This total does not include all the committees that we are a part of. While council is not always in agreement with all issues, we have positive debate and we work well together as a team. Some of our accomplishments this year include approving budgets for 2019 and 2020 in a matter of eight months. See WINK Page 15