Below is a summary of key items discussed at the Municipality of Port Hope Council and Committee of the Whole Meetings held on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. The agendas and staff reports are available on the Agendas and Minutes page of our website. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting was held electronically via video conference.
Council Meeting:
The following are highlights from the Council Meeting.
Integrity Commissioner Report dismisses complaints
Council received the Integrity Commissioners report on Code of Conduct Complaints 2021-01 and
2021-02.
Appointment of new Building Official/Municipal Law Enforcement Officer
Council passed By-law 49/2021 and appointed Joseph da Silva as Building Official/Municipal Law Enforcement Officer, for the Municipality of Port Hope.
Committee of the Whole:
The following are highlights from the Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Delegation – Wesleyville regarding Ecological Systems
Jennifer Aline Jackman from the Joint Working Group – Wesleyville, provided a delegation regarding the ecological Systems at the Wesleyville Site.
Council meeting format
Staff provided a report outlining a variety of options for the future format of Council meetings. These options were considered and due to the unknown state of the pandemic, a motion was passed to maintain the current virtual meeting arrangement. Staff were directed to revisit the question in November and provide an updated report at that time.
Council Member Remuneration
Staff was directed to engage Marianne Love Consulting to conduct a Council compensation review using the same methodology as approved for the staff compensation review. A neutral third-party expert will now research, develop and prepare recommendations for Council’s consideration.
Zoning By-law Review Project update
Staff provided an update regarding the Zoning By-law Review Project. Stage one has been completed and as staff moves into stage two, they will be presenting the draft report to the public at an open house early fall. This report includes a scoped review of housing options, rural economic development, and technical updates for readability of the document.
Comprehensive User Fee Review
Staff provided a report outlining the current fee schedule for Parks, Recreation and Culture relating to admission, facility rentals, program fees, marina, parks, cemeteries and advertising. The current fees expired December 31, 2020, however, due to the pandemic council approved holding the fees throughout 2021.
Staff will post the proposed fee changes for public review and report back to Council following the consultation process with a recommendation based on public feedback received.
Port Hope Rotary Centennial Project continues with public comment
Staff provided a report with a recommendation to support proceeding with the Rotary Centennial Project and the development of the fish ladder park area. Staff was directed to post the draft concept for public comment and present a summary at a future council meeting for final approval.
Street Light Conversion Project
Committee considered a report from staff regarding the Street Light Conversion Energy Project. The proposed street light replacement proposal was originally presented to staff in late 2020 to replace approximately 1700 streetlights. Since then, staff have been working with the provider RealTerm Energy to develop an alternative approach to replacing all streetlights, at the same time, to mitigate replacement costs.
The proposal that staff brought forward replaces only 147 streetlights instead of a full replacement. This allows staff to take advantage of the current grant while reducing energy costs and working within the approved budget. Staff will continue to monitor energy saving grants and will apply to future opportunities to expand the replacement program in the future.
A resolution will be presented to Council for their consideration at a future meeting.
Minutes and video recordings
Meeting minutes will be available pending approval at the next Council meeting on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at which point they will become the official record of the meeting.
Recordings of the September 7, 2021, Council and Committee of the Whole meetings will be available at porthope.ca/council.
2021-09-09
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