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The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines

GENERAL COMMITTEE MINUTES

Monday, May 30, 2016

 

Present:

 

 

 

 

Absent:

Mayor Walter Sendzik

Councillors Sandie Bellows, Mike Britton, Mark Elliott, N. Carlos Garcia,

David A. Haywood, Joseph Kushner, Bill Phillips, Mathew Siscoe,

Sal Sorrento, Jennifer Stevens, and Bruce Williamson (left at 11:25 p.m.)

 

Councillor Matt Harris

 

Officials

Present:

Shelley Chemnitz, Acting CAO/Commissioner of Corporate Services

Bryan Shynal, Commissioner of Operations

Nicole Auty, Director of Legal and Clerks Services/City Solicitor

Jim Riddell, Director of Planning and Building Services

Kristine Douglas, Director of Financial Management Services

Jeanette Pillitteri, Director of Corporate Support Services

Dan Dillon, Director of Transportation and Environmental Services

Phil Cristi, Acting Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture Services

David Wood, Director of Fire and Emergency Management Services

Brian York, Manager of Economic Development

Bonnie Nistico-Dunk, City Clerk

Deanna Haine, Council and Committee Coordinator

 

Mayor Sendzik was in the chair and called the meeting to order in Council Chambers at 9:14 p.m.

 

 

1.

Call for Reports to be Brought Forward from Consent

Item 4.7: Appeal of Decision for Variance to Sign By-law - 464 Welland Avenue, Project No. 16-106189-SN (Councillor Sorrento)

Item 4.8, Sub-item 4: Resolution - City of Port Colborne; Re: Support for Resolution - Fencing Installed Along Welland Canal (Councillor Williamson)

Item 4.8, Sub-item 5: Resolution - Niagara Region; Re: Support for Expansion of Customs Pre-Clearance Locations in Canada (Councillor Britton)

Item 4.8, Sub-item 9: Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce; Re: Support for Bi-National Pre-Clearance Initiative at Peace Bridge (Councillor Britton)

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Motion to Move Reports on Consent

Moved By:  Councillor Williamson

That Council approve the Consent Agenda, save and except those items brought forward for discussion. FORTHWITH

Yeas:Councillors Williamson, Bellows, Britton, Elliott, Garcia, Haywood, Kushner, Phillips, Siscoe, Sorrento, Stevens, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:

Carried

 

3.

Discussion Reports

Follow this link to view General Committee Agenda reports of May 30, 2016

 

3.1.

Planning and Building Services, Planning Services

Application for Draft Plan of Subdivision Approval for Residential Development – 54 Mackenzie King Avenue; Sycamore Construction; Weston Consulting (Jane McFarlane)

Mayor Sendzik left the chair, and Deputy Mayor Phillips took the chair.

 

         Councillors Kushner and Sorrento were not present at the public meeting; therefore, in accordance with the City's Procedural By-law 2015-170, Section E5, did not participate nor vote on the matter and left the room.

 

Moved By:  Councillor Elliott

That Council grant Draft Plan of Subdivision for lands municipally known as 54 Mackenzie King Avenue, as originally recommended in report PBS-019-2016 from Planning and Building Services, dated January 6, 2016, attached as Appendix 1; and

That Council request staff to consider a pedestrian access at the Emergency Access Point for connectivity through to the Welland Canal. FORTHWITH

...

Moved By:  Councillor Siscoe

That Council call the question.

Motion to Call the Question Lost

 

Following discussion, Council voted on the motion.

Yeas:Councillors Williamson, Britton, Elliott, Phillips, Siscoe, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:Councillors Stevens, Bellows, Garcia, and Haywood

Carried

Deputy Mayor Phillips left the chair, and Mayor Sendzik resumed the chair.
Council now discussed Item 4.7

 

3.2.

Transportation and Environmental Services, Operations

Geneva Street Underpass – Proposed Operational Changes

 

Moved By:  Councillor Williamson

That Council approve the conversion of Dunlop Drive from one-way to two-way operation, from Wiley Street to a point 175 metres westerly (Grace Anglican Church Entrance); and

That the City Solicitor be directed to prepare the necessary by-law. FORTHWITH

...

 

Moved By:  Councillor Britton

That Council direct staff to recommend to the Niagara Region that left hand turn prohibitions onto Dunlop Drive and Carlton Street be delayed until such time as the first phase has been implemented and studied.

Yeas:Councillors Britton, Haywood, Siscoe, Sorrento, Stevens, and Bellows

Nays:Councillors Elliott, Garcia, Kushner, Phillips, Williamson, and Mayor Sendzik

Lost on a Tie

Moved By:  Councillor Williamson

That Council approve the conversion of Dunlop Drive from one-way to two-way operation, from Wiley Street to a point 175 metres westerly (Grace Anglican Church Entrance); and

That Council direct that a traffic study of the effects of the changes in the area be completed six months after implementation; and

That the City Solicitor be directed to prepare the necessary by-law. FORTHWITH

Yeas:Councillors Garcia, Haywood, Kushner, Phillips, Siscoe, Stevens, Williamson, Britton, Elliott, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:Councillors Sorrento and Bellows

Carried as Amended

Moved By:  Councillor Garcia

Seconded By:  Councillor Bellows

That the time is now 10:30 p.m. and Council has outstanding business, Council move to go beyond the curfew of 10:30 p.m., to 11:00 p.m., to complete the business at hand. FORTHWITH

Carried

 

3.3.

Staff Presentation: Vincent Covatta, Project Supervisor, preceded discussion of report

Transportation and Environmental Services, Engineering and Construction

Project P13-180, New Administration Building for the Victoria Lawn Cemetery – Award of Design and Contract Administration Services

(Deferred by General Committee, May 2, 2016, Item 4.3)

Vincent Covatta, Project Supervisor provided Council with an overview, including a slide presentation, regarding the proposed new administrative building, the conditions and deficiencies of the old fire station and the current administration building, including accessibility issues.

 

Moved By:  Councillor Kushner

That Council direct staff to engage the architectural firm of Raimondo + Associates Architects Inc. for the design and contract administration services for the New Administration Building for the Victoria Lawn Cemetery, Project Number P13-180, at a total estimated cost of $96,560 excluding HST; and

That Council direct staff to consider, in the design, the inclusion of a washroom that is accessible to the public; and

That the City Solicitor be directed to prepare the necessary by-law and agreement. FORTHWITH

Yeas:Councillors Phillips, Siscoe, Sorrento, Stevens, Williamson, Elliott, Garcia, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:Councillors Bellows and Britton

Carried

 

3.4.

Transportation and Environmental Services, Geomatics

Stopping up and Closing of Part of Tunis Street, Registered Plan TP 94 shown as Part 2, Plan 30R-14208 (Part of PIN 46175-0125(LT))

(Referred by Council, May 16, 2016, for Public Meeting on May 30, 2016)

 

Moved By:  Councillor Stevens

That Council authorize the stopping up and closing of part of Tunis Street re-named by Township of Grantham By-law No. 933 registered as Instrument No. GRN24900, formerly Alexander Street by Registered Plan TP94, and shown as Part 2, Plan 30R-14208 forming part of PIN 46175-0125(LT) formerly in the Township of Grantham, now in the City of St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara; and

That Council authorize the formal application to change the owners name from The Corporation of The Township of Grantham, to The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines as it applies to PIN 46175-0125(LT)); and

 

That the City Solicitor be directed to prepare the necessary by-law and documents; and

Further, that the by-law and required documents be registered in the Land Titles Division in the Registry Office for Niagara North (30). FORTHWITH

Yeas:Councillors Siscoe, Sorrento, Stevens, Williamson, Bellows, Britton, Elliott, Garcia, Haywood, Kushner, Phillips, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:

Carried

Moved By:  Councillor Phillips

That Council extend the curfew by 10 minutes.

Carried

 

3.5.

Corporate Support Services, Human Resources

Hiring Process for Senior Management Positions, Supplemental Information

(Referred back to staff for more information by Council at the meeting of May 16, 2016)

 

Moved By:  Mayor Sendzik

That Council defer this item to the next meeting of Council.

Motion to Defer Carried

 

3.6.

Planning and Building Services, Building and Development

Appeal of Decision for Variance to Sign By-Law - 464 Welland Avenue, Project No. 16-106189-SN (Item 4.7 moved from Consent)

 

Moved By:  Councillor Sorrento

That Council grant the requested variance to the sign by-law to allow the installation of a pole sign with an area of 16.44 sq.m. (171 sq.ft.) on the condition that no further pole signs be allowed on the property. FORTHWITH

Yeas:Councillors Siscoe, Sorrento, Stevens, Williamson, Bellows, Britton, Elliott, Garcia, Haywood, Kushner, Phillips, and Mayor Sendzik

Nays:

Carried

Council now discussed Item 3.2

 

3.7.

Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk

Council Correspondence, Sub-items 4, 5 and 9 (Item 4.8 moved from Consent)

At the request of the Mayor, the three sub-items were deferred to the next meeting of Council.

 

 

4.

Consent Reports

Follow this link to view General Committee Agenda reports of May 30, 2016

 

4.1.

Transportation and Environmental Services, Operations

Parking Prohibitions on Parnell Road: Follow up Report

 

That Council receive this report for information purposes. FORTHWITH

Approved on Consent

 

4.2.

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Economic Development

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

 

That Council receive the report for information purposes. FORTHWITH

Approved on Consent

 

4.3.

Financial Management Services, Director

Reserve Balances at March 31, 2016

 

That Council approve the closure of the fourteen (14) Reserves and Reserve Funds listed in the Table 1 below, as recommended by the Budget Standing Committee at its meeting of May 9, 2016. FORTHWITH

Approved on Consent

 

4.4.

Parks, Recreation and Culture Services, Business Planning and Strategic Services

Naming Policy – Parks, Trails and Recreation Facilities

During the Adoption of the Agendas, Council Agenda Item 4, Councillor Stevens requested this item be deferred and directed the report come back to Council at the same time as the sponsorship program report.

 

 

4.5.

Parks, Recreation and Culture Services, Recreation Business Development

Special Event License – The St. Catharines Athletics Lacrosse Club

 

That Council approve The St. Catharines Athletics Lacrosse Club (The Athletics) request to host “Lacrosse Day in Niagara” at the Jack Gatecliff Arena; and

That Council authorize Kully’s Original Sports Bar to license the upper lobby at Jack Gatecliff in order to provide a community event; and

That The Athletics enter into the City’s standard Special Event License Agreement detailing the conditions and requirements for the provision of a one-day public event as generally described in this report; and

Further, that the City Solicitor be directed to prepare the necessary agreement documents and by-laws. FORTHWITH

Approved on Consent

 

4.6.

Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk

Report from the Integrity Commissioner – Complaints against the City of St. Catharines Code of Conduct

 

That Council receive this report for information. FORTHWITH

Approved on Consent

 

4.7.

Brought forward for discussion - See Item 3.6

Planning and Building Services, Building and Development

Appeal of Decision for Variance to Sign By-Law - 464 Welland Avenue, Project No. 16-106189-SN

 

 

4.8.

Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk

Council Correspondence

Note: Sub-items 4, 5 and 9 were brought forward for discussion        - See Item 3.7

         Councillor Williamson declared a Conflict of Interest (Pecuniary) to Sub-item 1 of this report, stating the matter relates to the District School Board of Niagara

 

That Council receive and file the items listed within the report, save and except Sub-items 4, 5 and 9; and

That Council receive and file additional correspondence distributed for the meeting held May 30, 2016, which is available upon request, and includes: (1) a letter from Ron Vahrmeyer regarding housekeeping amendments to the Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2013-283; (2) information from Renee Guay regarding banning of asbestos; and (3) a memorandum from the Niagara Region's Transportation Steering Committee regarding the Airport Governance Reviews - Public Information Meetings and On-line Survey. FORTHWITH

Approved on Consent

 

5.

Report Requests and Directions for Staff

Directions have been noted and will be provided to the appropriate members of staff.

Moved By:  Councillor Phillips

That Council extend the curfew for 10 additional minutes.

Carried

 

6.

In-Camera Session (General Committee)

Council will meet In-Camera for the following purposes:

         Verbal - personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees

(This item was deferred by Council at the meeting of May 16, 2016)

 

During Adoption of the Agendas, Council Agenda Item 4, the following changes were approved:

         the above-noted verbal In-Camera item regarding personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees, was deferred

         an In-Camera item regarding a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board, Realty File No. 13-16, was added

Moved By:  Councillor Phillips

That this meeting of the General Committee recess and reconvene In-Camera.

Carried

 

General Committee recessed to the In-Camera session at 11:02 p.m.

 

7.

Adjournment

There being no further items of business, General Committee adjourned at   11:25 p.m. and City Council reconvened.

 

 

Certified Correct:Confirmed by:

 

 

 

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Council CoordinatorMayor