The Financial Table Is Set. What's Next?

When I decided in June 2018 that I would not run for Mayor again, I knew that this time of transition would occur. Back then we hoped that most tasks would be completed, leaving the next Council the opportunity to follow their own path.

And while we have completed most major projects – including officially opening the new Meridian Community Centre – some important financial and land transactions that will need to wrap up during the new Council term.

I liken it to having the table set and the meal ready to be served. Now the Town is waiting to see what the new Council will do. Will they follow the menu and serve the meal as prepared? Will they scale it back? Will they add to it? Or, will they rip out the table cloth and watch the glasses smash on the floor?

So, what is on the menu and has been prepared? What is in place for the financing for the new Meridian Community Centre and for the Town of Pelham?

You will recall that the financing plan for the $35.5 million Community Centre budget included a number of elements:

Tax Levy Debenture:

The Town took out a $9.1 million 30-year debenture in 2016. This is like a mortgage that you might have on your house, but with two major differences: 1) it’s for a very low rate (3.34%) and 2) it’s the same amount for 30 years. That means that as interest rates increase the Town continues to pay the historically low, locked-in rate. The Town already included the $47 increase for the average home (valued at $309,200 in 2016) in your 2016 property taxes. Your future taxes do not have to be increased any more for this debenture.

This is the only part of the financing for the new Community Centre that is being funded by your property taxes.

Development Charges:

The outgoing Council also set in place the process for new growth in the Town to pay $12.1 million of the new Community Centre via Development Charges (DCs). DCs are charged on each new unit or home built in the Town. A portion of these charges cover the capital costs for “indoor recreational facilities” – in our case for the new Community Centre. Council updated the entire DC Bylaw in 2018 to capture even more funds to cover growth related projects. And, while the DC Bylaw has to be renewed at least every five-years, the financial plan is initiate a “scoped” update – just for “indoor recreational” capital costs – either each year or, at minimum, every two years. At no cost to existing tax payers, an annual update could help to pay down this Centre’s DC component even quicker.

Donations:

You will recall that our initial financing budget hoped for $3 million from community fundraising. Because of a very generous community we actually raised more than $3.3 million in gifts and pledges to date! And, the new Council could promote more fundraising opportunities -- like completing the community seat campaign, for example.

Land Sales:

The initial budget also called for $12 million to be raised by sale of lands. I am pleased to report that we have generated $11.7 million from land sales so far. These are firm offers, but they are conditional. 

This calculation includes the $3.0 million offer of a portion of the former Arena property for a development that will follow the plan generated by the local community. (That community plan calls for selling about 55% of the Haist Street property for single family homes and townhouses, and keeping about 45% in public ownership.)

Some of these land transactions close before the end of 2018, with the rest closing in early-2019. And, the Town still owns approximately 4 acres of lands surrounding the new Community Centre that should be sold in 2019 to generate more revenue.

Costs Under Budget / Revenue Exceeds Costs:

As reported by the Community Centre Oversight Committee, the overall project actually came in at $35.4 million – that’s more than $785,000 under budget. (That’s thanks to the amazing efforts of the Ball Construction, Petroff Architects, the Oversight Committee, and Town Staff!)

If you add up each of the elements above, the revenue comes to $36.1 million and exceeds costs by $700,000.

Now, a few folks might argue that some of the revenue comes in over time – called “deferred revenue” in Municipal Financing parlance. Some of the fundraising, for example, includes multi-year pledges. And, as mentioned, the current land sales will close in 2018 and during the second quarter of 2019.

For the fundraising, this means that the new Council should “steward” the donors – be sure to continue to thank them and honour their agreements – so that their support continues. And, the new Council can continue promoting seat sales in the Accipiter Arena.

As mentioned already, the new Council can continue to sell the additional lands in East Fonthill – and this should more than cover any financing costs for the deferred revenue.

New Revenue from New Development:

While some people don't like the new homes and businesses in the Town, that growth was inevitable. Why? Because the "urban boundaries" -- the areas where new homes and businesses could be built -- was added to the Town in 1990 for Fenwick and in 2000 for East Fonthill.

Our job as a Council was to work with you to plan the development in the best possible way to add to the Town.

And, the hundreds of millions of dollars in the value of those new homes and new businesses, means that the Town will receive millions of dollars of new property tax revenue. Our Council planned on using that revenue to pay down debt and build up reserves.

Impact by the New Council:

Obviously, the new Council will need to get up-to-speed on all elements of this financing plan – how the table has been set and ready to go.

Yet, there is a risk for our community. The new Council could alter these arrangements. 

For example, many recently elected Councillors have said that they don’t want to follow the plan that was developed by the local residents for the former Arena site; some said that they either want to develop another plan or keep the entire site for parkland. If they try to follow through with those statements and stop the land sale, they would hit the community with a multi-million loss of revenue in 2018.

Or, if they decide not to follow legal advice and do something to jeopardize the land-deal closings in East Fonthill, they could cause additional multi-million impacts in 2019.

Whose Issues? Each of Ours:

While I know in my head that after November 30 these are not the problems of myself and the current Council. Yet, I feel in my heart the deep care we each share about the Town’s future.

As a private citizen starting December 1, I will hope that the new Council will accept how the table has been set and follow this financial plan for the benefit of our entire Town.

Fonthill Kame, Cannabis, and Senior Campuses at AMO Conference

Last week, Councillor Accursi, Councillor Papp, Town CAO Ottaway, and I attended the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa. The annual three-day conference offered a range of learning sessions and networking opportunities for the more than 1,500 delegates.

While at AMO, your Pelham representatives also met with various Ministries to directly advanced your interests with the Provincial Government.

We met with Hon. Jeff Yurek, MPP, Minister of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNRF), and Toby Barrett, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant, about maintaining and increasing the protection of the Fonthill Kame. Over the last 10 years, we effectively used AMO and “Niagara Week” meetings to urge the Province to enhance the Area of Natural & Scientific Interest (ANSI) protections of the Kame. For the last few years we thanked the Provincial Government for finalizing those protections in late-2013. Now, we asked to work together with MRN Staff to add more of the Fonthill Kame to the protections offered by the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

We are delighted that Minister Yurek indicated that the Government would not be changing the ANSI protections! We look forward to working together on further safeguards.

We also met with Hon. Steve Clark, MPP, Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing, about Provincial funding. We encouraged the government to fund municipal projects that help create wealth and prosperity for a community; we spoke not only about projects like downtown revitalizations but also community and cultural facilities like community centres and libraries. We also discouraged the government from investing in projects that create more sprawl – like urban boundary expansions or “smart centers” disconnected from community. Ministry Staff indicated that they could work with the Town on these issues.

The Minister also informed us about his planned review of Regional governments following this Fall’s municipal elections; we indicated that Niagara would definitely want to participate. This was consistent with his message earlier in the conference when he shared his focus in working with local governments: cut red tape, increase the housing supply, reduce unnecessary reporting, strengthen regional governments, and find efficiencies.

We also listened to the three party leaders. Premier Ford acknowledged that Cities and Towns are “closest to the people” and stated that the Government had no plans for Toronto-type election reform on other cities “in the near future.” The Premier ended his speech talking about his Government by stating: “A new day has dawned in Ontario.”

Obviously AMO also many includes educational sessions and panel discussions.

Because of Pelham Council’s ongoing work, I especially appreciated the panel about “campus-style” approaches for Long-Term Care and retirement homes. We can use some of these suggestions to further enhance Pelham’s plans for a new medical centre, new seniors affordable housing, new senior’s apartments, a retirement residence, and a long-term care facility in Fonthill. Scheduled to start over the next year, these new housing and service developments are planned around the new Community Centre, Wellspring Niagara’s new Regional Cancer Support Centre, and the new stores and restaurants.

I also attended an information session about “Cannabis and Communities” – where the Provincial representatives shared that one of the “first orders of business” for a Council will be to decide whether to “opt-out” of allowing recreational cannabis retail outlets in their City or Town.

Finally, I was pleased to attend a session by representatives of Petrolia, Sioux Lookout, and East Gwillimbury about ways in which they worked with neighbouring communities to combine services to residents and businesses or find efficiencies in those services. I am committed to helping these types of discussions among the cities and towns across the Niagara Peninsula.

Not only did the AMO Conference encourage your Pelham delegates to use “best practices” and reach higher goals, we also used it as a tremendous opportunity to advance your interests with Provincial Ministries and build relationships with other municipal leaders.


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca and find documents and past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

Pelham Water & Sewer Rates Lowest Again

I am delighted that Council is set to approve a water and waste water budget at our next meeting where Pelham’s charges will be the lowest across Niagara again. While we plan to increase the fixed component slightly, this change will mean an increase of $8.76 per year or 1.4% for the average residential home (that uses 25 cubic meters of water every two months).

How do Pelham’s water and waste water charges compare with others Cities and Towns in Niagara? And, how are we able to keep rates so low?

Best in Niagara Yet Again:
I reviewed the most up-to-date rates and calculated the fixed charges and the rates for both water and waste water for Pelham and for the other local municipalities. At $106 for two months (for the average residential use of 25 cubic metres) Pelham leads the pack again with the lowest combined water and waste water charges!

Two of our neighbouring municipalities – St. Catharines and Lincoln – are between 13% and 17% more expensive than the combined water and waste water charges for Pelham. Five others – Niagara Falls, Thorold, West Lincoln, Niagara on the Lake, and Welland – are 25% to 55% more expensive. Two – Port Colborne and Fort Erie – are 93% and 189% more expensive than Pelham. (The average charge is $360 more (or 57% more) per year than Pelham’s charges!)

RF Meters Continue to Pay Dividends:
You will recall that prior to 2010 the Town measured water usage and calculated waste water charges with old gallon and cubic meter odometer-type wheel meters – many from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Many of the aged-meters counted slowly or were failing/broken. It took two weeks to collect readings. If your water had a leak, it could take months to detect.

In 2010, the Town worked with Neptune Technology to replace and upgrade all 4,200 our meters to electronic, RF (Radio Frequency) meters. In addition to leak, backflow, and tamper detection, it only takes 3-4 hours for staff to collect usage data every two months.

Not only does this cost less and give much more accurate billing, but we also automatically notify residents / businesses by phone if there is a leak or other issue with their water service. And, after replacing all the meters, we reduced our water loss from more than 20% to less than 10%!

Infrastructure Upgrades:
As you know, we have also upgraded significant Town infrastructure over the last number of years. As we reconstructed or improved roads like Haist Street, Pelham Street, Canboro Road, and Hurricane, we also replaced old water and sewer pipes. Over the last number of years, we replaced more than 15 kilometers of cast iron water mains, which helped stop costly leaks and reduces the number of breaks and repairs.

Council and I are delighted that the Town’s investments in innovation and infrastructure save you hundreds of dollars each year and allow us to provide the least expensive water and sewer charges in Niagara yet again!


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or see comparison charts at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

Pelham’s 2018 Blended Residential Taxes Up 1.9% -- 12 Year Increase Less Than Inflation

If you pay your property taxes by installments, you will know that the second installment of your 2018 property tax bill comes due in two weeks (April 30). With this deadline approaching, I wanted to tell you about Pelham’s 2018 blended residential property tax increase – at 1.9% – and also to compare with other Cities and Towns.

You will recall that the amount of property tax you pay to the Town of Pelham, to the Niagara Region, and to the Province (for Education) is not solely based on the Market Value Assessment of your property by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC); one must multiply your assessment by each of these three tax rates and add them up for your total bill.

With both the Region and the Province making some policy changes and adjustments for rates and tax ratios, we now know that the combined property tax increase for an average residential property (which is valued at $328,138) in Pelham will be 1.9% for 2018. That means an average residential tax bill of approximately $4,187 or an increase of about $79 over last year. (Because of some rates changes, that’s actually a bit lower than the 2% to 2.3% range that I reported to you in February.)

You can consider this $79 or 1.9% a “pocket-book” increase – an increase in the amount it cost an average residential property owner because it’s adjusted for the average MPAC increase in Pelham.

Since Pelham’s portion of your property taxes represents roughly 39% of the total bill, the Town will make use of about $1,618 of the $4,187 for the average residential property.

Who gets the most? The Niagara Region will get about $2,012 or 48% of the total amount. Meanwhile, the Province will receive the remaining approximately $558 (or 13%) to help fund education.

How do we measure whether the increase is “affordable” or not?

One independent way to judge whether Pelham’s taxes are “affordable” is to compare with inflation. For example, the Bank of Canada calculated that, over the last 12 years (February to February), inflation increased the value of goods and services by 22.7%.

Over the same period, Pelham’s combined taxes for the average residential property increased by 22.0% – a bit lower than inflation. Essentially, that means that the average home is paying the same level of taxes in 2018 that they did in 2006!

And, this 22.0% over 12 years includes so many improvements in our community – from renewed Downtowns in Fonthill and Fenwick, to new Fire Halls in Fenwick and North Pelham, from nine renewed playgrounds, to a new skatepark and a new dog park, from a renewed Maple Acre Library to a renovated Old Pelham Town Hall, from 15 km of new sidewalks and 5 km of new trails to the new Meridian Community Centre. And, the list of other infrastructure and services goes on and on.

Another way to judge would be to compare with other Niagara Cities, Towns, and Townships.

Last Fall, the Region published a corrected table of non-blended property tax increases from 2010 to 2017 for local municipalities. If you start at zero in 2010 and add up the cumulative increases, Niagara Municipalities increased their property taxes an average of 35% over those eight years.

Pelham stands as the forth lowest because ours increased 30% – including an increase in funding for the Community Centre in 2016. That’s 14% below the average increase of other Cities and Towns for the same period. Three other growing Towns – Grimsby, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and West Lincoln were lower than Pelham since 2010.

Pelham Council and I continue to work together with staff to ensure that changes in property taxes only minimally impact you and your neighbour while improving the level and quality of services in the Town.


Please check out historic charts or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca. Please contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca.

Info Session for “East Fenwick” Saturday

Town Staff recently issued a notice about an upcoming information session regarding the East Fenwick Secondary Plan this coming Saturday, January 27, from 10:00 AM to noon at Pelham Fire Station #2. (For those unable to make the session, I will ask Staff to post materials on the Town’s website.)

This will be the third time that Town staff and planning consultants will provide information and updates of the study’s process, objectives, and the input received to date.

East Fenwick’s Secondary Plan has been explored by staff, consultants, and residents since last June, beginning with a visioning workshop followed by a design workshop. During these workshops residents had an opportunity to have their say in the plan. Town Council also received a progress report in late-November. (Please check out that presentation by clicking here.)

The project goals are to develop more detailed planning – called a Secondary Plan – for the East
Fenwick urban area that will provide the framework for permitting new development compatible with the character of Fenwick and consistent with Provincial, Regional and Local planning policies and legislation. This planning will also establish design guidelines for buildings, parks and streets and create a system of public space areas and linkages with natural heritage areas. Finally, the plan should also consider existing transportation and water /waste water infrastructure and suggest any improvements or upgrades.

Following this session, the Consultants will finalize the policies and mapping that will guide the implementation of the Fenwick Secondary Plan. They hope to complete this work in the Spring.

A number of folks keep asking me why we have to formulate these plans and why we have to let the property owners develop their lands.

The East Fenwick area – between Cream and Balfour Streets and Memorial and Welland Roads – was added to the area for urban development in 1987. That means that the property owners have had the right to develop the lands in an urban setting for more than 30 years!

We initiated this Secondary Plan" process so that the inevitable development might occur in a coordinated way and with public input.

Yet, the development must follow increased density targets from the Province. Why? So that communities make "more efficient use of land" in the urban areas – so that we can protect our rich agricultural land outside of the urban areas.

But, the consultants and the community are doing their best to "buffer" existing homes from some of the medium / higher density developments that might have to occur to meet the Provincial targets. That's why, for instance, Council approved the large-lot development on Balfour (between Canboro and Welland) – to mirror the type of larger lot home on the West-side of the street.

So, while it's not really a question of whether this area will develop at some point in the future, it's a question of what type of development that might occur. That’s where we can have an impact and work to best design the community. And, the way to have impact on the Plan is through this process.

Councillors and I will look forward to working together with the community as the Town develops the East Fenwick Secondary Plan.


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or review documents and read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

Comparing Pelham’s Household Income & Status

You may recall that I wrote here in June about Pelham’s population growth through the years. I based that analysis on previous Censuses.

A couple of weeks ago, Statistics Canada released another round of data from the 2016 Census of Population. These new data provided information on individual, family and household income for various levels of geography and demographic groups.

I find it not only interesting to examine the Pelham data, but to also compare Pelham with the Niagara Region (including Pelham) or with other Cities, Towns, or Townships in the Peninsula.

For example, in 2015, the median total income of households in Pelham was $95,052. This was the highest across all of Niagara! The next highest were Grimsby at $93,145, West Lincoln at $91,325, and Lincoln at $86,816. Across all of Niagara, the median total income of households stood at $65,086 in 2015 – nearly $30,000 less than Pelham.

But, that’s “median” income of all households in Pelham – the middle number across the distribution of all household incomes. What does that distribution look like and how does it compare with Niagara?

According to Statistics Canada, 46% of households in Niagara earned less than $60,000 in 2015; in Pelham, however, only 27% earned less than $60K. Those households in the next income range – from $60,000 to $124,999 – were 36% across all of Niagara and 39% in Pelham. However, there’s a huge difference in the next income bracket: 18% of households in Niagara earned $125,000 or more; compare that to Pelham where 34% of households earned more than $125,000 –nearly double the amount across Niagara.

Statistics Canada also tracked persons with low income. A single person was considered low-income if their after-tax income measure was below $22,460 in 2015. Stats Canada used a slightly higher number for larger households.

In 2015, 5.4% of Pelham’s population – or approximately 925 people – were considered low-income. We were the lowest percentage in the Region. Stats Canada shows Grimsby at 6%, West Lincoln at 7.1%, and Lincoln at 7.2%. But, the number is very high – 17.5% – for both Welland and St. Catharines. The Census reported 14.5% of people in Niagara Region were low income; this compared to Ontario, at 14.4%, and Canada, at 14.2%.

Finally, folks reporting being married or living common-law is also an interesting comparison. For example, Stats Can reported 67% of Pelham’s total population were either married (61%) or living with a common-law partner (6%). The remaining 33% were not married and not living with a common-law partner, including those who were single (never-married), separated, divorced or widowed. Across the Region, 57% of the total adult population were either married (48%) or living with a common-law partner (9%); and 43% were not married or living with a common-law partner.

Perhaps you suspected some of this information about our Town. Or, perhaps not. If you want to find out more, check out other info about Pelham at http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Index-eng.cfm

I intend to write more about housing, education, and employment in Pelham after Statistics Canada releases that data over the next two months.


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

Recommending an Audit, but Refusing the Money

Niagara Regional politics got even stranger last week when a Niagara developer offered a lot of money – $50,000 – to the Niagara Region Audit Committee. His proposal was to get the Committee to recommend that Regional Council ask Pelham Council to audit two Town matters – a parkland over-dedication transaction and development charge credit agreement.

Developer Rainer Hummel holds an envelope during Regional
Audit  Committee meeting that he said contained a cheque
for $50,000 to pay for an audit of the
Town of Pelham finances. Credit: POSTMEDIA

You will recall that some Regional Councillors started questioning Town issues on March 30, 2017 when Regional Councillors Barrick (Port Colborne) and Gale (Niagara Falls) put forward a motion that included 13 accusations about Pelham’s debt, finances, and property taxes. Why at the Region? They said the Region could talk about Pelham because the Town’s debt might impact the Region’s Standard & Poor’s AA Credit Rating. This was later disproved since the 2017 S&P report shows that the Region could borrow an additional $282 million before risking a credit rating downgrade.

Town Staff responded with a 335-page comprehensive report that refuted each of the 13 claims in the motion. Yet, instead of letting me respond to the March 30 motion as Pelham’s rep, a majority of Regional Council referred the matter to a June meeting of the Regional Audit Committee.

On April 3, Town Council reviewed and endorsed the Town’s response to the Regional motion. Worried that Pelham residents might have questions, Council directed Staff to organize an “Evening with the Experts.” About 100 people attended the panel discussion on April 24, with 17 people asking questions of Town Staff and professional advisors.

Then Town Staff attended and answered all questions at the June 12 Regional Audit Committee meeting. Despite my insistence that the Region has no jurisdiction in Town matters, Committee Chair Quirk (Grimsby) allowed specific questions about Pelham including parkland over-dedication, property purchases, water and tax rates, development charges and credits, library budgets, and cemetery fees. After these Town responses, the Audit Committee approved a motion that removed all references to Pelham.

When that revised motion went to the June 29 Regional Council meeting, Rainer Hummel, a Niagara developer, made numerous accusations about Pelham regarding a parkland over-dedication and a development charge credit agreement with Fonthill Gardens. Despite my request, the Regional Chair refused to recognize that the presentation was outside the Region’s jurisdiction. Following the presentation, a majority of Regional Council referred the matter to the September 18 Regional Audit Committee.

After Sept. 18, 2017 Audit Committee, I chatted with
Rainer Hummel for the first time. Credit: VOICE PHOTO

During the September 5 Town Council meeting, Staff and Callum Shedden, the Town’s lawyer, reviewed and refuted each of the claims made by Mr. Hummel. Mr. Shedden also confirmed that the Region has no jurisdiction in these matters under the Ontario Municipal Act. The Town published the accusation’s disproof and posted information about parkland over-dedication at www.pelham.ca/ParklandFAQ.

Town Council sent a strongly worded motion and Mr. Shedden to outline the Region’s lack of jurisdiction to the September 18 Audit Committee meeting. Instead of heeding the legal advice, the majority of the Audit Committee voted to allow Mr. Hummel to speak again. During his presentation, Mr. Hummel admitted to never raising his concerns with the Town or myself directly. Instead, he said he had a cheque for $50,000 for the Region to pay for the Town to undertake an audit of the parkland over-dedication and development charge credit agreement.

The committee “endorsed” the funds and recommended that Regional Council ask the Town to undertake an independent audit, but with the involvement of Mr. Hummel and Regional Staff.

I have thought a lot about and spoke to many people about this matter since last week.

For example, neither Town Staff nor Fonthill Gardens fear an audit, because it will then clearly show that all parties handled the parkland over-dedication and credits appropriately and legally. Some folks asked me why the Region’s Audit Committee was baited by the cash and agreed to the involvement of a developer in what should be an independent process. Others still cannot understand why some Regional Councillors interfere in Pelham business.

I will recommend to Pelham Council, therefore, that we initiate an independent, third-party audit of all transactions and documents related to the 3.3-acre Parkland Over-Dedication to the Town by Fonthill Gardens and a 2015 Development Charge Credit agreement between the Town of Pelham and Fonthill Gardens. While I am certain that we followed all laws and appropriate policies with these transactions, I hope than an independent audit will help satisfy those with questions.

Yet, I will not recommend that Pelham Council accept the lure of the money. I believe it is ethically inappropriate to accept the $50,000 because it sets an unacceptable precedent of granting wealth great influence and privilege in municipal decision-making. Further, it is beneath the high-standard that the public expects from Town and Regional Councillors and Staff.

Watch for Town Council to discuss these types of motions at our next meeting.

You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

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Update: Monday, October 2, 2017

Pelham Council approved proceeding with an independent, third-party audit. Council also refused the "cash to influence" offer.

Here are the approved motions:


Initiate an Independent, Third-Party Audit of Parkland Over-Dedication and 2015 Excess Parkland Dedication Agreement

WHEREAS the Council and Staff of the Town of Pelham pride themselves in being open and transparent; and

WHEREAS the Town has provided complete details and answered all questions generated by some members of Regional Council and some members of the community by presenting a 335-page comprehensive response document and addendum to a March 2017 motion at Regional Council, answering all citizen questions during an “Evening with the Experts” panel, and disproving all claims and accusations made by a Niagara developer at Regional Council; and

WHEREAS despite these answers and complete documentation, some members of the local community continue to ask questions about the 3.3-acre Parkland Over-Dedication to the Town by Fonthill Gardens and a 2015 Excess Parkland Dedication Agreement between the Town and Fonthill Gardens; and

WHEREAS Deloitte Canada has provided the Town with independent, third-party audits of the Town’s financial statements for the last six years with “unmodified Independent Auditor’s reports” that are “free from material misstatements”; and

WHEREAS KPMG Canada would be an acceptable supplier of services to the Town of Pelham having ranked second in the 2016 tender by Pelham for independent, third-party auditing services;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Pelham Town Council directs Staff to RETAIN forensic auditing experts with KPMG Canada to undertake an independent, third-party audit of all transactions and documents related to the 3.3 acre Parkland Over-Dedication to the Town by Fonthill Gardens and a 2015 Excess Parkland Dedication Agreement between the Town of Pelham and Fonthill Gardens; and

THAT KPMG Canada PRESENTS a public report of their findings, with costs to undertake the audit, directly to Council at a meeting before the end of November 2017; and

THAT this resolution be CIRCULATED to Niagara Regional Council for their 5 October 2017 meeting, to all Niagara municipal Councils, to all Niagara MPPs, to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, to local news media and to KPMG Canada, and posted on the Town’s website.


Refusal of Cash to Influence Offer

WHEREAS the Council and Staff of the Town of Pelham pride themselves in being open and transparent; and

WHEREAS the Town has provided complete details and answered all questions generated by some members of Regional Council and some members of the community by presenting a 335-page comprehensive response document and addendum to a March 2017 motion at Regional Council, answering all citizen questions during an “Evening with the Experts” panel, and disproving all claims and accusations made by a Niagara developer at Regional Council; and

WHEREAS despite these answers and complete documentation, some members of Niagara Regional Council and a Niagara developer continue to accuse Pelham Council and Staff of impropriety regarding a 3.3-acre Parkland Over-Dedication to the Town and a 2015 Excess Parkland Dedication Agreement with the Town; and

WHEREAS Pelham Council unanimously approved a motion to send the Town lawyer to the September 18, 2017 Regional Audit Committee to clarify that the Municipal Act does not grant Niagara Region jurisdiction in these Town matters; and

WHEREAS during that meeting some members of the Regional Audit Committee ignored the fact that the Region does not have jurisdiction, yet persisted in asking detailed questions about Pelham transactions and made accusations of impropriety; and

WHEREAS the Regional Audit Committee accepted and endorsed a cheque from a Niagara developer for $50,000, and recommended to Regional Council that it request Pelham Council to consider using those developer funds to undertake an audit of Town transactions; and

WHEREAS the Audit Committee motion compromised the independence of such an audit by specifying the involvement of the developer, the Regional Audit Committee members, and Regional staff in the audit; and

WHEREAS the Niagara Regional Council Code of Conduct demands that members shall observe the highest standard of ethical conduct and are expected to “Act honestly, independently, impartially, with discretion…” and to “Conduct themselves in a way that maintains and promotes the public’s trust in the Regional Municipality of Niagara;” and

WHEREAS accepting these funds would grant wealth great influence and privilege in municipal decision-making and goes against the Values of the Town of Pelham; and

WHEREAS, to us, accepting money from a developer is behaviour which is beneath the high-standard that the public expects from members of the Regional Audit Committee, and Regional Council generally;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Pelham Town Council unequivocally REJECTS the inappropriate request by the Region’s Audit Committee to influence Town actions; and

THAT Pelham Town Council REAFFIRMS its jurisdiction over Town of Pelham matters and REQUESTS Regional Council to reaffirm the “Spheres of Jurisdiction” between regional and local municipal corporations as legislated by the Ontario Municipal Act; and

THAT this resolution be CIRCULATED to Niagara Regional Council for their 5 October 2017 meeting; to Mr. Rainer Hummel, the Niagara developer; to all Niagara municipal Councils; to all Niagara MPPs; to the Minister of Municipal Affairs; and to local news media; and posted on the Town’s website.



_____________________________________________
Update: Friday, October 6, 2017

Pelham Retains KPMG Canada for Third Party Audit

On October 2, 2017, at the regularly-scheduled Town of Pelham Council meeting, Town Council retained KPMG Canada to conduct a third party audit of all transactions and documents related to the 3.3 acre parkland over-dedication to the Town by Fonthill Gardens and a 2015 excess parkland dedication agreement between the Town and Fonthill Gardens.

The Town is encouraging all those with questions to submit them directly to the forensic auditor, Karen Gorgan, senior vice-president of KPMG Forensic Inc.

Questions and concerns will be acknowledged with a receipt of submission, but will not be responded to directly. Instead, the questions submitted will be addressed and noted in the report without names.

“Town of Pelham Council recognized that there are many questions from the community regarding parkland over-dedication,” said Mayor Dave Augustyn. “To make the audit completely independent, Pelham Town Council has retained KPMG Canada to undertake an independent, third-party audit of all transactions and documents related to the parkland over-dedication and the development charge credit agreement.”

Any comments, questions, and concerns can be sent to townofpelhaminfo@kpmg.ca up until October 17, 2017.

KPMG Canada has been asked to report their findings, publicly and directly to Council at a meeting prior to the end of November 2017.

Welcoming Wellspring Home, to Pelham!

On behalf of Pelham Town Council, it was my honour and privilege to participate in the special groundbreaking for a new home for Wellspring Niagara last week.

Wellspring Niagara groundbreaking, Sept. 2017

Wellspring Niagara’s exceptional services are well known across the Peninsula. For more than 16 years their dedicated volunteers and staff have provided free social, emotional, psychological and informational support to people coping with cancer. Wellspring receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations so that every dollar raised in Niagara, stays in Niagara.

For individuals and families impacted by cancer, Wellspring stands as a beacon of light and a rainbow of hope – as one speaker said on Tuesday. The Wellspring board, staff, and volunteers embody a spirit of generosity and sacrifice at a critical time in people’s lives.

They have provided this amazing support from a very small space – a mere 2,000 square feet on Schmon Parkway in Thorold – which was meant to be temporary

In the fall of 2013, Council and I learned that Wellspring needed to move but could not find a suitable location for a new facility. Town Council discussed how incorporating Wellspring into Pelham matched our vision of being a vibrant, creative, and caring community. We recognized that offering a Pelham location provided the best way to show our caring nature. Therefore, we immediately and unanimously embraced Wellspring.

In addition to the use of the land, the Board recognized East Fonthill as a central location in the Niagara Peninsula and the synergy of other developments nearby – a potential Community Centre, medical centre, and retail – and natural features.

By the spring of 2014, we signed a memorandum of understanding to give use of up to two acres a land in East Fonthill for as long as Wellspring Niagara operates their Niagara Cancer Support Centre. We also named the street “Wellspring Way” to highlight the location and our commitment.

This past May we signed a long-term lease, thereby donating the perpetual use this land – and approved their exceptional site plan for their 11,000 square foot facility which will offer a home-like feel and make full use of the property.

It’s so important for everyone in the Peninsula that Wellspring has a new home to continue to provide welcoming and safe supports and encouragement for individuals and families affected by the many challenges of cancer.

Pelham Council and Staff are delighted and honoured to partner with Wellspring and we offer them our best wishes and congratulations on the groundbreaking and fundraising success to date.

May Wellspring’s spirit of generosity and sacrifice deepen and may their “beacon of light” shine even brighter in their new home.

“Welcome to Pelham. Welcome home!”

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TVCogeco Niagara video of Wellspring Niagara groundbreaking:

You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

Pelham’s Parkland Over-Dedication

Despite assurances that Town Council, staff, and professional advisors followed all appropriate laws and policies when dealing with a parkland over-dedication in East Fonthill, persistent questions still exist in the community. My column this week, therefore, explains how and why this type of special transaction occurs.

The award-winning East Fonthill Secondary Plan calls for a community park near the intersection of Wellsping Way and Summersides Boulevard and along-side a watercourse. Since it didn’t own all of this land, the Town had to ultimately acquire some property.

Parkland in East Fonthill Plan

To acquire the parkland, the Town followed the Planning Act and the Town’s Parkland Dedication Bylaw and used funds exclusively from Pelham’s Parkland Dedication Reserve. (The Town did not use property tax funds to acquire this park.)

The Planning Act provides options for how a municipal council can acquire parkland and/or “cash-in-lieu” of actual land in new developments.

When a developer proposes a residential subdivision or builds a house, the Planning Act allows a Town to take 5% of the land from the new subdivision for public parkland, or to take a cash percentage of the land value (instead of actual property).

In the case of a cash-in-lieu allocation in Pelham, the Town requires a payment of 5% of the value of a serviced building lot at the “day before the of issuance of the building permit.” To determine this value, a developer or builder provides the Town with an accredited real estate appraisal for the land or for the subdivision.

As time goes on and other homes or businesses are built nearby, the property values increase and, therefore, the parkland payments increase.

Towns must deposit these cash-in-lieu-of-parkland funds into a segregated fund called the Parkland Dedication Reserve.

Sometimes, an overall community plan calls for a park that is larger than an individual property owner is legally obligated to provide – larger than 5% of the land the developer owns or plans to develop. In that case, the owner must give a “parkland over-dedication.”

A parkland over-dedication must be valued in the same way as a cash-in-lieu-of-parkland payment. In Pelham, therefore, an accredited real estate appraiser must value the over-dedication at the “day before the of issuance of the building permit.” Then, the Town uses funds from the Parkland Dedication Reserve to pay for the parkland. (Again, no property taxes are used for this purchase.)

Just as the value of building lots increase over time and as development occurs, the valuation for excess parkland also increases as nearby development occurs; it makes sense and costs less, therefore, to value and purchase parkland early and before the construction of nearby homes or businesses.

In the case of the 3.3 acres of East Fonthill parkland, the Town peer reviewed a 2015 accredited real estate appraisal and negotiated a parkland over-dedication value of $3.6 million. Since the local real estate market increased by as much as 20% since the time of the appraisal, the Town saved parkland funds by negotiating this transaction two years ago and before recent nearby construction.

The Town paid for this land from the Parkland Dedication Reserve. As new houses and businesses are constructed in the East Fonthill area and property values increase, builders and developers will have to contribute 5% of those increasing values to pay for this park and other parklands.

Negotiating the parkland over-dedication early and before rising property values, makes fiscal sense. And, getting re-payed for that parkland by builders as property values increase will provide value-for-money for the Town over the long run.

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2017 September 15 Update:

The Town published some answers for frequently asked questions regarding parkland over-dedication and the development charge credits. Here's the text:

Q: Why did the Town purchase parkland in East Fonthill?
A: The award-winning East Fonthill Secondary Plan calls for a community park. Since it didn’t own this land, the Town purchased the parkland.

Q: Who determines the amount of land needed for parkland?
A: When a developer proposes a residential subdivision or builds a house, the Planning Act allows a Town to take 5% of land for the new subdivision for a park, or to take a percentage of cash instead of a property. In the case of a cash-in-lieu allocation in Pelham, the amount of payment is valued at 5% of the value of a serviced building lot at the ‘day before building permit’. For commercial or industrial property, the parkland is 2%. See section 51.1 in the Planning Act to read more: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90p13

Q: Who determined the value of the land?
A: The land was appraised and peer reviewed by a professional accredited appraisers to establish the value of the land.

Q: Wasn’t the appraisal value much higher than other land sold in the area?
A: The land was purchased at a price that reflected the value of the land at the ‘day before building permit’ stage. Land without roads, sidewalks, or additional development, for example, would not be valued the same as land that included all of those things, or at the ‘building-permit ready’ stage. When the Town purchases parkland land, it is done so using this formula, a system that is fair to both developers and the Town.

Q: What is this land going to cost me, the taxpayer?
A: Nothing. The land was purchased with funds in the Town’s Parkland Dedication Reserve. As new houses and business are constructed in the East Fonthill area, the property values will increase and builders and developers will have to contribute 5% of those increase values to pay for this and other parklands, replenishing the reserve fund. Towns must deposit these cash-in-lieu funds into that reserve fund.

Q: What is Parkland Over-Dedication?
A: Sometimes, an overall community plan calls for a park that is larger than an individual developer is legally obligated to provide – larger than 5% of the land the developer owns or plans to develop. In that case, the developer must give a parkland over-dedication.

Q: Was purchasing the land in 2015 a good idea or not?
A: Negotiating the parkland over-dedication early and before rising property values makes fiscal sense. Getting repaid for the parkland by builders as property values increase will provide value-for-money for the Town in the long run.

RE: OP-ED: Stop the dodging, I'll pay for the audit – The Voice of Pelham, September 13, 2017
Q: Did the Town do a secret deal with a developer, wherein the Town agreed to buy land from the developer, land the developer did not even yet own, in exchange for some $3 million dollars’ worth of  “Development Charge credits,” and was this credits scheme even legal?
A: No, the Town did not do a secret deal with a developer. All agreements between the Town and any individuals or corporations are publicly approved. Specifically, on September 8, 2015, Town Council considered and approved the report “Over Parkland Dedication (East Fonthill) Agreement (Issue #20150901002)” and approved by by law 3650 (2015).

Q: Can parkland legally be purchased with Development Charges?
A: The Town did not purchase parkland using development charges. Parkland is purchased through the Parkland Dedication Reserve.

Q: Why did Town Council agree to pay $928,000 dollars per acre for this land when the going rate was approximately $150,000 to $200,000 per acre?
A: In the case of the 3.3 acres of East Fonthill parkland, the Town peer reviewed a 2015 accredited real estate appraisal and negotiated a parkland over-dedication value of $3.6 million. Since the local real estate market has increased by as much as 20% since the time of the appraisal, the Town saved parkland funds by negotiating this transaction two years ago and before recent, nearby construction.

For a printable version of these questions, please go to www.pelham.ca/ParklandFAQ.


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

Appreciating Pelham’s Small-Town Feel

Time and again this this summer, I have been very proud of Pelham’s wonderful community and small-town feel!

Congratulations and thanks to the Fonthill Lions, for instance, who hosted a first-time, amazing community event on Saturday – called Sliderfest! Held at the Lion’s GL Klager Park, the sold-out event featured a head-to-head “slider” competition between five Pelham restaurant Chefs: Zest Restaurant, Lookout Pointe Country Club, Pub on the Hill, Iggy’s Pub & Grubb, and Churchill Meats (the crowd’s favourite). While the Lions and Lioness members served beverages, local corn-on-the-cob, and fresh cut fries, Kame & Kettle Beer Works served craft beer, local bands played the blues, and folks visited and celebrated with friends and neighbours on the baseball field. The title sponsors – including Pen Financial Credit Union and Enviro-Niagara Hearth & BBQ – and other local supporting donors and businesses helped sponsor the event and/or provided fundraising prizes. All event proceeds will support the Fonthill Lions ongoing community service and their sponsorship of the elevator – the “Lions Lift” – in the new Pelham Community Centre!

Kudos as well for the organizers and participants of the “First Annual Timber Creek Block Party” on Sunday. I was pleased to attend the gathering where the Town closed a portion of the street, and neighbours from the entire subdivision joined together for live music, a barbeque, and street. Aided by the Town’s “Love My Hood” program, it was wonderful to see longtime home-owners meet new residents and folks from one part of the neighbourhood get to know families from just around the corner. (Thanks also to the other community-minded folks who hosted “Love My Hood” events this summer – notably Highland Avenue residents!)

And last weekend, sod covered Downtown Fenwick! Deep appreciation to Young Sod Farms for presenting, promoting and whole-heartedly supporting the Green Street Challenge – temporarily installing freshly-cut sod on the street to promote outdoor activities and increase community spirit. Thanks as well to DeKorte Landscaping, Nature’s Own Landscaping, Landscape Ontario, and the Pelham Fire Service (esp. Station #2) for helping lay-down and take up the sod, cleaning the streets, and installing the sod on a much-deserving, local family’s lawn. About 750 people enjoyed gathering on the street with family and friends and participate in free activities – ranging from Monkeynastics, to facepainting, to balloon animals, to free freezies, to poutine and library activities. Again, it was wonderful seeing neighbours greeting other neighbours and three generations of families playing on the street!

And, then, the Town hosted Indie Music Fest on August 12 at Peace Park. Despite the thunderstorm that rolled through at dinnertime, more than 500 people listened to local artists and enjoyed local food and beverages.

And there’s the 12th season of the Fonthill Bandshell Concerts! Coupled with the Thursday Night Suppermarket and Pelham Farmer’s Market, these amazing concerts draw thousands of local and regional residents weekly.

And, then there was the 7th Annual Pelham Summerfest in July that attracted more than 40,000 local and regional participants combined throughout the “Four Days of Family Fun.”

And, then there was Pelham’s Canada 150 Celebrations…

Deep thanks to the amazing community volunteers, sponsors, and staff that organize and support these uniquely-Pelham events! Your hard work and dedication helps bring our community together to celebrate, to promote local artists and culture, and to enhance Pelham’s small-town feel.

Thanks for Another Amazing Summerfest!

On behalf of Council, thank you to the 2017 Summerfest Committee, Town Staff, service club and other volunteers for your hard-work and dedication and to the many generous sponsors who made this year’s four-day Summerfest an amazing success – with the highest attendance yet!

Pelham Summerfest 2017 (Photo: Cameron Young)

First, I greatly appreciate the work of the Summerfest Committee, including John Wink, Chair; Councillor Gary Accursi; Bill Gibson, Active Transportation Committee rep; Candy Ashby, Pelham Business Association rep; Matthew Leask and Michelle Stewart, Pelham residents; and Sofia Labricciosa and Mackenna Belding, Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council reps! The committee met for since last Fall to plan and finalize every detail and they worked very, very hard all weekend long to ensure a successful festival. Thank you very much!

Second, thanks so much to Town Staff! Thanks to Vickie van Ravenswaay, Sally Jaeger, Jodi Hendriks and other staff who helped organize the overall event and worked with the Committee to ensure success. I also appreciate the many Town staff who volunteered in one capacity or another – from setting up, to serving beverages, to cleaning up – throughout the four days; thanks for giving your time to our community. And, thanks to the (mainly) Public Works staff who worked during the Festival on logistics, garbage and recycling duty, and ensured the safety of participants and all the major clean-up!

Third, thanks to the very many members of the Town’s service clubs – including the Fonthill & District Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs, the Fonthill Lions and Lioness Clubs, Fenwick Lions, and the Fonthill Rotary Club – for helping serve beverages and greeting patrons. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Fourth, thanks to the other members of the community who also volunteered! Thanks to members of the Pelham Fire Service, the Pelham Active Transportation Committee, St. John’s Ambulance, members of Town Council, and the many, many other community volunteers.

Fifth, thank you to the many Sponsors and Friends of Pelham Summerfest including our Gold Sponsors: Ball Construction, Brock University, Fonthill Bandshell, Fonthill Dental, Halco Mobile, Lafarge Canada, McAvoy Belan & Campbell, Meridian Credit Union, Niagara Peninsula Energy, and RBC Royal Bank. And, thanks to our amazing Media Partners including: Country 89; Giant FM; MyPelham.com; Niagara This Week; Pelham News; the Standard; and the Tribune.

Finally, thanks to the more than 40,000 people – the largest number ever – who enjoyed the Seventh Annual Pelham Summerfest over the festival’s four days. Your attendance and community spirit made it a huge success and shows why it’s one of Festival Events Ontario’s Top 100 Events.

On behalf of Council, I appreciate the vision, dedication, and tremendous work by so many volunteers and staff to celebrate our vibrant, creative, and caring community. Thank you and congratulations on a resounding and overwhelming success!

You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.

“Ahead of schedule and under budget”

A couple of weeks ago, Bill Gibson, Chair of the Pelham Community Centre Oversight Committee, presented an upbeat update to Council.

Looking East into Accipiter Arena (from second floor)

You will recall that Council addressed suggestions from the public for proper project supervision by establishing Community Centre Oversight Committee. The committee includes two community members, one Council rep, and the Chief Administrative Officer. This committee works to ensure that the Town receives value-for-money in every aspect of the project, the project gets delivered on time and on budget, and to provide the community with consistent and timely updates.

Mr. Gibson provided updates on the two tender packages, project milestones, and finances.

The first tender package included pre-grading site work, building excavating, site servicing, foundation, structural steel, elevator and stairwell shafts, sprinkler system, roof deck, and hollow core slabs. Tender package two covered the concrete floors, reinforced steel (for masonry and slabs), interior/exterior masonry, spray insulation, roofing, insulated metal siding, zinc paneling, metal doors and frames, finish hardware, glazing, drywall/acoustics, dash boards, and seating. These two tender packages account for 77% of the total project.

Atrium Lobby (facing South)

Working as the construction manager, Ball Construction did not just tender the entire project. Rather Ball works with the committee, the architect, and the various contractors to manage the project’s timing and construction.

The presentation indicated that this value engineering process, led by Ball Construction, and the work of the committee, “has resulted in a project that, as of this date, has in excess of 75 percent of all sub contracts awarded (including work completed) which results in the project being ahead of schedule and under budget, including the 9,000 square feet of additional space.”

The presentation made clear that it was Ball Construction that suggested adding 9,000 square feet to the community centre in June 2016 to increase accessibility in hallways, common areas, and areas with heavy foot-traffic. They based this recommendation on their experience building more than 30 recreational / community centres in Ontario. Because it was so early in the process, the architect changed the plans well before issuing final drawings. Further, Ball signed on to the $32.5 million construction price cap in September 2016 – which includes these changes. Finally, since Ball tendered the project with these improvements, there will be no additional costs to improve the Centre.

Activity Centre (double gymnasium) looking South

The work is on target to enclose the building by the end of December, and for the project to be “substantially complete” by June 2018.

This construction update, the recent fundraising announcement – “Thanks a Million, Pelham” – and the recent signing of 5-year, binding agreements with major user groups demonstrates great progress!

Council and I look forward to the Pelham Community Centre becoming the place for residents of all ages to gather and enjoy a wide-variety of recreational, social, health and community activities for many, many years.

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Accipiter Arena - July 2017

Duliban Insurance Arena & Walker Industries Viewing Galleria - July 2017

Activity Centre (double gymnasiums) - July 2017

Dr. Gary & Mall Accursi Multipurpose Area - July 2017

To see recent videos and pictures the Pelham Community Centre construction process, please visit www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca. You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca.

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14 July 2017 Correction: The initial post cited Mr. Bill Gibson as Bob. I apologize to Bill for the error, but greatly thank him for his service as Chair! D

Happy Canada 150, Pelham!

Happy Canada 150!

Saturday became our opportunity to celebrate being Canadian and to celebrate our great nation’s special birthday! But we also took the opportunity to celebrate and to appreciate all wonderful features about our Town.

Our Town parade showcased many of the elements that make our community special – from the commitment of the Pelham Fire Service, to our numerous sport teams, to our dedicated volunteers, to our many devoted service clubs.

We live in a peaceful, safe community with great schools, and many recreation opportunities. We enjoy clean water, wonderful libraries, and a great mix of fully-accessible neighbourhood and community parks.

We appreciate our dedicated police service, devoted volunteer firefighters, and expert emergency personnel who protect you and I from harm. We have fair access to good and affordable healthcare.

And, as we marked Canada Day, we also embraced our history and our collective individuality.

After surveying where the ancestors of more than 150 Pelham residents were in 1867, the Historical Society unveiled “Pelham Roots Go Deep” display. The display graphically shows – with locations as the roots of the Comfort Maple – the multitude of countries and areas that make up our past.

We also unveiled Pelham’s 150 Mosaic Mural – a combination of more than 400 individual tiles painted by residents of all ages and skill levels and signifying an important element of Pelham or themselves. Artists Lewis & Paul Lavoie and Phil Alain then rearranged the tiles to depict the Comfort Maple. This art work will be displayed in the new Pelham Community Centre next year. (To see the mural, please click here.)

Thanks to the many contributions to make Canada Day in Pelham so special!

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Fonthill & District for the free children’s activities; to the Fonthill Lions & Lioness Clubs for great food – including poutine; to members of Niagara Regional Police Service who directed traffic; to St. John Ambulance who were at the ready to help as needed; to Kirk on the Hill and AK Wigg School and Pelham Evangelical Friends Church for parade logistics. We also deeply appreciate our many generous sponsors, including Heritage Canada; Fonthill Volunteer Firefighters Association (for donation to the amazing fireworks); Niagara Peninsula Energy; Sawmill Golf Course; and Sobey’s Fonthill (for the delicious Canada Day cake).

Finally, thanks to the Canada Day organizing committee, including Fred Arbour, Rhys Evans, Marylou Hilliard, Sue Kicul, Bill King, Steve Pellerin, and Lance Wiebe, and to Town recreation and public works staff for all logistics.

As you and your family and friends continue to commemorate our country’s 150th Birthday, let us celebrate, and let us be thankful for our Town of Pelham and for our great nation. Happy 150 Canada!

Please read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca and contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca.

Comparing Pelham’s Residential Taxes

If you pay your property taxes by installments, you will know that your third installment of your 2017 property tax bill comes due on Friday. With this deadline, why not “take stock” of Pelham’s property taxes and compare with other Cities and Towns?

You will recall that the amount of property tax you pay to the Town of Pelham, to the Region, and to the Province (for Education) is not solely based on the Market Value Assessment of your property by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC); one must multiply your assessment by each of these three tax rates and add them up for your total bill.

With the Region and the Province making some last policy changes and adjustments for rates and tax ratios, we now know that the combined property tax increase for an average residential property (which is valued at $316,400) in Pelham is 2.0%. Because of those changes, that’s actually a 0.3% decrease from what I reported to you in April.

You can consider this 2.0% a “pocket-book” increase – an increase in the amount it cost an average residential property owner by adjusting for the average MPAC increase.

How do we measure whether that amount is “affordable” or not?

One independent way to judge whether Pelham’s taxes are “affordable” is to compare with inflation. For example, the Bank of Canada calculated that, over the last 11 years (January to January), inflation increased the value of goods and services by 19.7%. Over the same period, Pelham’s combined taxes for the average residential property in Pelham increased by 19.7% – the same level as inflation. Notionally, that means that the average home is paying the same level of taxes in 2017 that they did in 2006.

And, this 19.7% includes the equivalent of approximately 1.1% (in 2016) to fund the Pelham Community Centre. And, it also includes our annual increases for improved infrastructure – approximately 1.7% over the last three years, for example – supporting new roads, pipes, and other capital improvements.

What about a more concrete way to judge? How about if we compare Pelham with other Niagara Cities, Towns, and Townships?

Last November, the Region published a table of non-blended property tax increases from 2010 to 2016 for local municipalities. If you start at zero and add up the cumulative increases from 2010, Niagara Municipalities increased their property taxes an average of 35% over the last seven years.

Pelham stands-out as the second lowest by increasing at 25% – including funding for the Community Centre in 2016. That’s 27% below the average increase. Only Grimsby was lower than Pelham (at 23%). Even the Region was higher than the Town, at 29% (if you don’t include the benefit of Provincial uploading).

Pelham Council and I continue to ensure that we only minimally impact you and other property tax-payers while we work to increase the level and quality of services in the Town.


Check out historic charts or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca. Please contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca.

Pelham’s Population Growth from the 1970s

When I grew up and attended St. Alexander School, the Fonthill Plaza didn’t exist: no Shopper’s Drug Mart or Beer Store or Giant Tiger. In fact, I have distinct memories of walking through long grass and along a warn footpath to the Pelham Library – which was situated in the basement of Pelham Town Hall! And, the school was just an “L-shaped” building in those days – before the addition in the 1990s. The octagon-shaped Church along Hwy 20 (where the current playground is) was replaced in the 2000s.

The railway tracks – still in use along Station Street – had yet to be named the Steve Bauer Trail. With the Fonthill Firehall on South Pelham, it wasn’t odd to hear the siren calling the volunteers. And, school mates crossed Highway 20 to get to a treat at the convenience store where the Royal Bank now stands.

The Post Office likely moved from its location on Pelham Street (now ForestGreen creations) in the 1980s. And, the now iconic Fonthill Branch of the Pelham Public Library wasn’t constructed until the mid-1980s.

I also distinctly remember playing in dirt piles during the building of the roads and homes on Woodstream Boulevard and Spruceside Crescent. And the Town built the then new Pelham Arena – which replaced the outdoor rink in “the Pit” – in the middle of a farmer’s field in the mid-1970s.

Looking back at the population growth, one can see the reasons for these changes.

In 1971, Statistics Canada had the Town’s population at 9,997. While Pelham’s population only grew by 99 people by 1976 (up 1%), the Town’s population took off shortly thereafter. From 1976 to 1981 Pelham grew by 1,008 people – a whopping 10% increase! From 1981 to 1986, the population grew even more – by 1,061 people (or 9.6%). From 1986 to 1991, Pelham grew by another 9.6% to 13,328 – but this time increasing by 1,163 people! That was the Town’s largest growth spurt over a five-year period.

Then, Pelham’s growth started to slow down a bit. From 1991 to 1996, the population grew by 1,015 people (or a 7.6% increase to 14,343). From 1996 to 2001, the Town grew by 929 people or 6.5%. The 2006 Census had the Town’s population at 16,155 or growing by 883 people (5.8%). While I have been serving as your Mayor, the Town grew 443 people from 2006 to 2011 (up 2.7%) to 16,598 and now to 17,110 in 2016 (up 512 people or 3.1%).

Just like we hear a few people complaining today, I remember a few folks in the 1970s and the 1980s and the 1990s expressing concern about the Town growing too quickly.

And, while we are projected to grow by about 850 people (or 5%) to 17,960 by 2021, Council and I will continue to work together with you to ensure we maintain our community’s small-town feel – just as the Town did during our growth in the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s.


You may contact Mayor Dave at mayordave@pelham.ca or read past columns at www.pelhammayordave.blogspot.ca.