Multi-Faceted Community Centre Update

Over the last few months, Town Council has received much information regarding recreational and community centre-type needs, wants, and costs.

You will recall that the Town hired LeisurePlan International last summer to develop a market analysis and business case study. After a resident survey, detailed analysis and a comparison to industry standards, LeisurePlan recommended in January that the Town:
• replace the existing single-pad with a new arena facility within the next five years;
• design a new twin-pad facility and phase the construction – build one ice pad first (contingent on capital financing) and construct the second pad after 2023/24 (should the sustaining demand develop);
• provide a multi-purpose facility to accommodate demand for participation in fitness activities, walking/running on an indoor track, and gymnasium sports;
• provide multi-purpose program space;
• not provide an indoor pool due to lack of demand and associated costs;
(For a copy of this LeisurePlan report, please click here. For a copy of their presentation to Council, please click here.)

In April, LeisurePlan presented various options and recommended that the Town build “integrated facilities” – a multi-purpose community complex – for $22 to $27 million. (They estimated that an integrated facility would cost up to $1.1 million less in capital costs than two, stand-alone facilities.) (For a copy of this LeisurePlan report, please click here; for a copy of the LeisurePlan presentation to Council, please click here.)

In May, LeisurePlan projected net operating costs for an integrated facility at $63,715 in the first year, and declining slightly each year for the next four years. (Please click here to review a copy of the LeisurePlan report.) As a comparison, the existing Arena cost $64,366 (net) in 2011; $75,477 in 2012; and $92,486 in 2013 to operate. (Please click here for a copy of the Staff report.)

Since the estimated costs to operate a multi-faceted community centre is less than the existing arena’s operating loss, Town Staff recommended that the Town could fund the costs to operate a new integrated facility.

In essence, the recommendations say that the sustaining demand is here and if we can afford to construct a new multi-faceted community centre, we could afford to operate it.

So, how do we try to make the capital costs for a potential new community centre more “affordable” for local, municipal tax-payers? We need to fundraise and attain financial support from the Federal and Provincial governments.

To do that we will need more detailed plans (design drawings), and tighter cost estimates. We also need to decide on a location for the new facility – ie: whether we should retrofit / significantly renovate our existing arena (if there is room on that property) or whether a multi-faceted community centre should be constructed on our East Fonthill lands.

That’s why Council recently approved establishing community design committee – with representatives from potential recreation user groups, youth, seniors, artists, and service clubs. (To review the Terms of Reference for the Design Committee, please click here.) We have also short-listed four potential architectural design firms.

In July, we will consider options for a potential location(s) and will appoint design committee members. We look forward to your involvement in these decisions.

Embracing & Celebrating the Isaac Riehl Memorial Skatepark

Photo Credit: Dr. Louis Albanese

What an amazing celebration on Saturday, May 31 for the Official Grand Opening of the Isaac Riehl Memorial Skatepark! The event marked the culmination of a year-and-a-half of community support that Mariah Bunz, Nicholas Loscavo, Reese Ashbee, and Cooper McIntee – members of the design committee and event Emcees – said “…has been nothing less than inspiring and motivating for everyone involved.”

As you know, the skatepark was built in memory of Isaac Riehl, a 14-year-old, Grade 9, E.L. Crossley Student, who tragically lost his life in October 2012 after being struck by a car while longboarding with his close friend Reese.

In honour of Isaac, the idea for a local skatepark was submitted to the Aviva Insurance Community Fund by fellow student Mariah and with the assistance of Isaac’s friend Nick.

The overwhelming community support for a skatepark in Isaac’s honour – including thousands of Facebook votes and Pelham Council’s commitment to not only build the skatepark but to match all donations – resulted in Aviva awarding the Town $115,000 toward the project. (This was announced at a special national broadcast on Canada AM on January 29, 2013 at E.L. Crossley High School.)

A design committee – which included Bonita, Ted, and Jacob Riehl (Isaac’s immediate family), a cross-section of Pelham youth, and Town staff – worked with various park users to choose the best location for the new skatepark. The also recommended a design and construction firm – New Line Skateparks – and worked diligently to oversee the park’s design and construction. Not only does the design include Pelham-specific and personalized features – like the “Comfort Maple” Volcano, the “Overholt Hill” Bank, and the “Message to Isaac” Flat Ledge – but it garnered a highly-coveted Parks & Recreation Ontario (PRO) Award of Excellence in Design for 2014!

During the park’s soft opening in December 2013 – coined the “Riehl Reveal” – the Town thanked donors, sponsors, and volunteers. I again acknowledged the community’s tremendous support of the skatepark as I spoke during the Grand Opening on Saturday; deep appreciation again to Bill & Stephanie McWilliams, Tim Hortons Fonthill; Barb & Scott Christopher, Young Sod Farms; Rotary Club of Fonthill; 2013 Pelham Mayor’s Gala; Sam Reynolds, “Be Riehl, Be You” Campaign; E.L. Crossley Secondary School community; Niagara Catholic District School Board Technology program, and the hundreds of other donors.

Since the community overwhelmingly embraced the Isaac Riehl Memorial Skatepark, we achieved an amazing transformation together; together we turned an idea into reality, we revitalized an aging baseball diamond into a new skatepark, and we transformed our grief into a lasting memorial and a fitting celebration.

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TVCogeco just posted a fabulous video about the Grand Opening of the Isaac Riehl Memorial Skatepark. Check it out out: TVCogeco. Thanks, Cogeco, for continuing to cover important community events!

Compromises Enable Supper Market Pilot in 2014

On 3 February 2014 Council received a letter from the owners of Zest Restaurant, asking the Town to help initiate a “Supper Market” in Downtown Fonthill on Thursday evenings in the summer.

Like many downtown businesses, Zest sees a substantial decline in business during the well-attended Farmer’s Market and Fonthilll Bandshell Concerts on Thursdays. They proposed a Supper Market “under the Arches” – similar to last December’s highly successful Winterfest – as an opportunity to serve the Thursday crowds while using local produce and presenting local culinary features. They also proposed allocating two or three spaces for Pelham artists or Downtown retaillers. Finally, they suggested licensing the Supper Market so it could feature a local winery and / or brewery.

Staff investigated other Supper Markets and identified best practices including establishing a volunteer Committee. Staff also surveyed Pelham chefs, restaurants, food providers, local wineries and breweries to verify interest. Eleven Pelham restaurants and seven Niagara wineries / breweries wanted to participate; four restaurants declined involvement – two of which already participate in the Farmer’s Market.

While supportive of the idea, Council recognized several concerns from the community and directed staff to develop solutions. First, based on the experience from previous years and of Summerfest, Council required both an overall parking plan and an emergency plan for Thursday-nights. Second, because of concerns from the Farmer’s Market, the Bandshell Committee and local merchants, Council directed staff to resolve differences; this took effort and numerous meetings.

While staff continued to provide updates, members of the Farmer’s Market, the Bandshell, and of the newly formed Supper Market committee made presentations or sent letters to Council.

Heeding these and input from the community, Council reconfirmed holding the Supper Market on Thursdays, and approved the parking and emergency plans.

Most importantly, Council recognized that the location – under the Arches – represented a real concern from the community for inhibiting traffic flow.

On 5 May, Council asked the Committee to determine the best location for the Supper Market other than under the Arches. The Committee identified 19 possible locations, and short-listed to four priority locations. Following an evaluation, the Committee recommended the curved, one-way driveway connecting the parking lots at Pelham Town Hall as the best location.

The location meets Public Health Regulations, provides access for hydro and water, and increases visibility of the Supper Market. The location also gained acceptance from the Farmer’s Market and the Bandshell with the caveat that the Supper Market be a pilot for 2014 and that it be reviewed in the Fall.

Council accepted these compromises on 20 May and approved the 2014 pilot Supper Market to start on 12 June.
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UPDATE -- June 2, 2014: Town Council received word that the Supper Market committee moved the start date to Thursday, June 19, 2014. They wanted more time to plan and ensure that they have all the details figured out -- hence the extra time.  Hope to see you on June 19!

Overcoming Information Bombardment with Creative Problem Solving

Between the 24-7 news cycle and updates from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media, do you ever feel “bombarded” by information?

According to McMaster University professor Dr. Nick Bontis, whom Senior Management Staff from each of Niagara’s Towns and Cities heard last week, we experience “information bombardment” every day.

“By the 1930’s, the world’s cumulative information base doubled every 30 years. By the 1970’s, this rate shrunk to 7 years. Nowadays, the information base of the world doubles every 11 hours,” said Dr. Bontis.

So, what can one do to overcome information bombardment?

I was reminded of a sensible approach as I was re-reading a Dale Carnegie book over the weekend. Mr. Carnegie wrote in 1948 that “…knowledge isn’t power until it is applied. …The purpose of this book is to remind you of what you already know and to kick you in the shins and inspire you to do something about applying it.”

What do we do in Pelham to apply knowledge?

After examining several programs and opportunities to stimulate innovation over the summer of 2012, the Town began using the Creative Problem Solving process as taught by another McMaster professor, Dr. Min Basadur.

Eighteen staff and three members of Council undertook the initial training which consisted of three, five day sessions in the fall of 2012. Later, Dr. Basadur taught the process to all of Council and to the remaining staff.

After seeing the positive results, the Town imbedded the Creative Problems Solving (CPS) process throughout the organization. We use it to assist in resolving problems of individuals and groups within the community and share it with regional organizations and boards.

Problems are now viewed as opportunities – or "golden eggs" – and staff members are encouraged to seek out and solve problems using the CPS process. This winter, Public Works staff used CPS to develop a way to thaw water lines without digging up the road, saving thousands in repair costs. Council also uses the process to resolve important issues – from developing an environment protection bylaw, to recommending a location for the new Skatepark, to making Pelham Street more walkable and safe, to providing appropriate library service in Fenwick.

Over the last three years the Town budgeted $266,324 for all professional development ($70,512 in 2012, $111,222 in 2013, and $84,590 in 2014). From 2012 to March 2014 the Town only spent 38% of this training budget ($100,222.23) on the CPS process; this included training, facilitation, and strategic planning for all staff and Council.

By overcoming “information bombardment” with the CPS process, Pelham applies knowledge and yields positive and tangible results.

Pelham Welcomes Wellspring Niagara

On April 7, Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Wellspring Niagara to provide a permanent home for a much-needed regional cancer support Centre for Niagara residents.

Following Council’s formal approval of the MOU, we took time during the meeting itself to literally “sign, seal, and deliver” the agreement along with Wellspring Board members and staff.

Wellspring Niagara is a not-for-profit charitable organization that offers free social, emotional, psychological and informational support to people coping with the realities of cancer every day. In 2013, more than 6,800 people attended the +30 programs Wellspring provides. The organization receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations from the community it serves. Every dollar raised in Niagara, stays in Niagara. (To learn more about Wellspring Niagara visit www.wellspringniagara.ca.)

When Wellspring Niagara moved into a 2,000 square-foot plaza in Thorold in 2001, its stay was to be temporary. With Pelham Council’s decision now, 13 years later, the organization has finally found a permanent home.

The MOU provides the framework in which the Town of Pelham will lease up to two acres of land in the East Fonthill area (Rice Road at Regional Road 20) for one-dollar-a-year as long as Wellspring Niagara operates their Niagara Cancer Support Centre there.

Wellspring plans to build up to a 7,000 square-foot facility with room for cancer support programming – including specialized physical programs and cancer rehab, counseling, expressive programs, education programs, a resource lending library, etc. Wellspring hopes to construct a building that looks and feels like a home (instead of an institution).

We understand that the Wellspring Board likes the East Fonthill development because of its central location in the Region, the proximity to natural space (like around a storm-water management pond or parks), to the medical clinic, and to a potential a community centre. (For Wellspring’s presentation to Council, please click here.)

Renewable at twenty year intervals, the land lease will continue indefinitely or until Wellspring ceases to operate the Centre. The MOU outlines how Wellspring will own and operate their building, and will maintain the Town lands, and establishes provisions for fair evaluation of building and land should the lease end. (Review a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), please click here.)

It’s so important for all of Niagara 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 that cancer can bring. Council and I are so pleased to partner with Wellspring Niagara by providing the land for their permanent regional home in Pelham!

Fiscally Responsible with Pelham’s Property Taxes

At our March 20 Regional Council meeting, we approved the 2014 Property Tax Rates and Tax Ratios. These rates and ratios apply to all property tax classes across the Region.

What does it mean for Pelham?

Reassessment Year:

As I wrote about last spring, 2013 was a “reassessment” year. That meant that the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation – the Provincial body that sets a value your home and property – re-evaluated and assessed all properties in the Province as of January 1, 2012. While this amount will be used as the value of your home in 2016, MPAC phases in any assessment increases evenly over a four-year period. The Town uses that changing assessment value when we calculate your property taxes each year.

Property Tax Calculation:

The amount of property tax you pay to the Town of Pelham, to the Region, and to the Province (for Education) is not only based on the Market Value Assessment of your property; we multiply your assessment by each of the tax rates and add them up for your total bill.

Despite your tax rate being set by each entity for their services, the Town collects the taxes and distributes it appropriately.

2011 to 2014:

When Town Council approved our 2014 Operating Budget in February, we anticipated that the Pelham portion of your property tax bill would increase by 1.5%. Now that the Region has set rates, we know that the combined property tax increase for an average property in Pelham will be 0.9%. We anticipate being the lowest or second lowest again this year.

But, what about over a longer period of time? Let’s compare this term of Council with the last term of Council, and with inflation.

The average increase of property taxes on your combined residential property tax bill for the last four years was 1.5% (total increase 6.0%); for the previous four years – from 2007 to 2010 – it was 1.8% (total increase 7.3%).

Lower than Inflation:

How do we measure whether that is “good” or not? Another important comparator would be inflation. Inflation for the last four-year period was 7.35% or an average of 1.79% per year.

I hope you too are pleased that our residential tax increases have been 1.35% below inflation for the last four years. Please see the chart for more information.

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

Wellspring Niagara, Arena & Multi-Use Facility, Supper Market, Maple Acre

Town Council's meeting on Monday, 7 April 2014 has a big agenda!

Wellspring Niagara:
First, Council is set to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Wellspring Niagara to provide a permanent home for a much-needed regional cancer support centre for Niagara residents. The MOU provides the framework in which the Town of Pelham will lease up to two acres of land in the East Fonthill area to Wellspring Niagara for one dollar a year as long as Wellspring operates their Niagara Cancer Support Centre there. Renewable at twenty year intervals, the land lease will continue indefinitely or until Wellspring ceases to operate the centre.

Wellspring Niagara is a not-for-profit charitable organization that offers free social, emotional, psychological and informational support to people coping with the realities of cancer every day. In 2013, more than 6,800 program attendances were registered through the 30 programs Wellspring Niagara provides. The organization receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations from the community it serves. Every dollar raised in Niagara, stays in Niagara. (To learn more about Wellspring Niagara visit www.wellspringniagara.ca.)

We are so pleased to partner with Wellspring Niagara by providing the land for their permanent regional home in Pelham!

To review a presentation about Wellspring, please click here. To read the Memorandum of Understanding, please click here.

Arena & Multi-Purpose Facility:
Second, Council will receive phase two from LeisurePlan about the potential for a new Arena and a Multi-Purpose Community Centre. For a copy of the presentation, please click here; for a copy of the LeisurePlan report, please click here.

Council will consider a motion to convene a public meeting to receive public feedback regarding the report.

Supper Market & Thursday Nights Parking:
Third, Council will be receiving two reports about Thursday nights in Fonthill -- an update report about the Supper Market, and a report with a draft Thursday Night Parking Plan. Please click here for the Supper Market update report and here for the Thursday Night Parking report.

Maple Acre Library:
Finally, a couple of Councillors will be bringing forward a resolution to continue Library Services at the Maple Acre Branch. This has been a topic of much debate for the last year or so. The motion should help ensure that Library Services improve across the Town while maintaining and improving the Maple Acre facility. For a copy of that resolution, please click here.

These are the highlights -- there's even more to the agenda. Should be a great Council meeting.

Lemonade from the Town’s 32 Acres

Council recently approved an agreement to sell 7.8 acres of the 32 acres of Town-owned land at Regional Road 20 and Rice Road. Because we successfully completed the East Fonthill Secondary Plan and worked together with a developer for a new Medical Centre and Retirement Home, we agreed to sell for $375,000 per acre ($2.9 million) plus applicable servicing costs. (Please click here for agreement.)

You may recall that in March 2005, a previous Town Council purchased the 32 acres from Westerra Equities and borrowed $3.6 million ($112,021 per acre) to pay for it.

While this transaction predates my service as Mayor, I understand that the concept was to consolidate most Town services – arena, indoor pool, soccer and baseball fields, Town Hall, Library, and a multi-purpose facility – onto the property.

The purchase was also contentious because many thought that the Town overpaid. For example, the 2004 property appraisal assumed full water and sewer services; in reality, water and sewers weren’t installed for another three years. The appraisal also assumed 8.2 acres of commercial lands (valued at $188,000 per acre) and 23.4 of “business park” ($91,000 per acre); in reality it was all designated “business park” and zoned as agriculture. Finally, similar adjacent lands sold for far less just days ($88,000 per acre) or weeks ($66,000 per acre) before.

After I became Mayor we started paying down the loan’s principal. As of December 31, 2013, the Town has invested $1,984,212 in principal and paid $980,447 in interest with $1.6 million owing on the loan. (For detailed financial information, please click here.)

Some might say that they knew that the property would be worth far more in the future.

In reality, however, nothing was guaranteed.

You see, at the urging of a majority Landowner’s / Developer’s Group, that previous Council deferred approval of a Secondary Plan for East Fonthill in April 2006. When the Province changed all municipal planning in June 2006 – just as had been warned – the Plan needed a total overhaul.

Then, in September 2006, that Council gave control of the overhaul to the Landowner’s Group.

So, how did we fix the mess? In 2007, Council hired an expert to work directly with the Landowner’s Group to complete the required studies and guide their work. When it became clear that the work was stuck in the mire, Council retook control in 2011 and acted quickly, approving the Secondary Plan in April 2012. After the Region approved it in October 2012, it was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Those small issues were settled in October 2013 and the OMB finally approved the Plan on January 30, 2014.

With hard work, vision, and determination we made major progress and turned “lemons” into “lemonade.”

We will continue to ensure more progress regarding this property over the coming months.

What Type of Growth for Pelham?

As I have written about before, Pelham has a few lands available for new growth – the largest being the “East Fonthill” area.

While much of the nearly 450 acres of East Fonthill lands have been farmed for years, the entire area was added to the Urban Boundary by an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) in 2000.

Recent questions in local media about whether property owners should be allowed to develop on those lands would have been asked and answered during the OMB’s weeks of hearings nearly 15 years ago.

When the OMB gave those approvals back then, one thing became inevitable – that growth would occur in Pelham.

What wasn't inevitable was the type of development – how it looked, how it felt, how many people living and working in the areas.

The OMB’s East Fonthill decision, for example, required the Town to undertake a more detailed planning process – a “Secondary Plan” – before allowing development to proceed.

The Town started to carefully develop the Plan in 2001; this included significant public sessions and hearings. The community wanted East Fonthill to include “…a full range and mix of housing types, a linked open space network that includes a variety of types of public parks, …protection of existing environmental features, and the community structure…[to] maximize connectivity within the community itself and to the Town Centre.”

More recent additions to the Plan include “walkability and cyclability”, the potential for community facilities, and the protection of the recently revitalized Fonthill Downtown.

After working diligently for many years, Council approved such a Plan in April 2012. After the Region approved it in October 2012, it was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. Those small issues were settled in October 2013 and the OMB approved the Plan on January 30, 2014, making the Plan a reality.

What’s next? Other public planning approvals – a draft Site Master Plan, zoning, site plans, neighbourhood plans – are required before finalizing development and shovels hit the ground.

And, Council wants your help on these next phases of deciding the type of development.

As I wrote about last month, with the help of Nationally-recognized urban designers and planners, Council developed a draft Site Master Plan for the commercial / mixed use area of East Fonthill (the northern part along Regional Road 20). We are seeking your feedback on that draft plan. Did we get it right? Have we reflected the wishes on the community on the type of development? What can we do to make it even better?

Please help Council improve these plans and ultimately the type of development that will occur in Pelham. Only with your help can we fulfill one of our major strategic goals: “Maintain our small-town feel as we grow.”

Please review the East Fonthill draft Master Plan and other documents at www.pelham.ca/east-fonthill.

Taxpayer Relief? Not Now...Maybe Later

What started as a simple idea -- giving folks tax relief now instead of over the next four years -- turned into a debate about the authority of Regional Council.

During our finance committee meeting on February 19, Councillors approved Staff recommendations to allocate $13.7 million (M) in surpluses from 2013 into various reserves, including: $0.75M to Contingency Reserve; $0.75M to Niagara Regional Housing to mitigate a Federal funding loss; $0.85M to top-up Social Assistance Reserve; $3.9M to fund future waste management capital projects; $1.0M to Improvement Initiative Reserve (for cost saving measures); and $3.3M to Taxpayer Relief Reserve.

The $3.3M to the Taxpayer Relief Reserve was to “…be used in the operating budget" to provide a buffer against tax increases over the next four years. The reserve would allow future Councils to increase overall spending greater than increases in property taxes.

While one Councillor (Petrowski) suggested that some of the surplus be "given back to taxpayers" in 2014, he didn't try to amend the recommendations during our Committee meeting.

Upon reflection, his comments resonated with me as the Region's Budget Chair.

Why hold on to $3.3M of people’s money now when we are to "give it back" in 2015-18 anyway?

Having just had a visit from the credit rating service, we knew that the Region’s reserves are in good shape.

We are also expecting significant operational savings as we implement a new financial management system, reorganize the Region, and identify additional efficiencies.

In addition, not taxing residents and businesses $3.3M in 2014 would “hold our feet to the fire”; it would remove the temptation of spending the funds on non-priority initiatives and force us to justify any future tax increases.

So, at the February 27 Regional Council meeting, Councillor Heit and I tried to amend the motion and to use the $3.3M to reduce the 2014 Regional tax increase.

What happened? We debated our amendment for two-hours; some Councillors favoured the proposal, a few suggested we keep half, and some wanted to hold on to it all.

Then, immediately after Council voted to "call" the vote on our amendment, Staff said that we couldn’t because it would be a “reconsideration” of our Surplus / Deficit Policy.

Undaunted, I argued that the Surplus / Deficit Policy is administrative because it “…applies to all regional departments” and not to Regional Council. Further, the policy outlines the clear role of Staff (to recommend) and of Council (to approve/disapprove).

In the end, the majority of Council voted that the amendment was a “reconsideration” of the policy, required a week’s notice and two-third’s of Council to even contemplate!

That's how the straightforward idea of giving people tax relief now got stuck in the machinations of your Regional government.