REGULAR COUNCIL
AGENDA

C-06/2024
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Town of Pelham Municipal Office - Council Chambers
20 Pelham Town Square, Fonthill

The Town of Pelham is holding hybrid meetings of Council and Committee in accordance with Procedure By-law 4507(2022). Public access to meetings will be provided in-person at the location indicated on the agenda, via Livestream: www.youtube.com/townofpelham/live and subsequent publication to the Town's website at www.pelham.ca


We begin this meeting by acknowledging the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum agreement. Today this gathering place is home to many First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples and acknowledging reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council endorse Councillor Bob Hildebrandt's application to represent the Town of Pelham on the LAS Board of Directors.

1. By-law 19-2024 - Being a By-law to establish certain lands as a public highway.

Mover: Councillor Olson


Seconder: Mayor Junkin


WHEREAS residents of the Town of Pelham and other Ontario municipalities are struggling with rising energy costs;  


AND WHEREAS natural gas is no longer the only desirable way to heat homes because of innovations in electric heat pumps which can provide all heating needs even in cold climates, and result in competitive energy bills relative to gas heating;


AND WHEREAS natural gas is a fossil fuel that contributes to Ontario’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and should be phased out over time when possible and practical, while heat pumps currently result in the lower GHG emissions and are consistent with a zero-carbon future;


AND WHEREAS on December 21, 2023, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) released a decision that eliminated a subsidy for the installation of gas pipelines in new construction developments as of January 1, 2025, finding that this would lower energy bills for existing gas customers and improve affordability for new homebuyers;


AND WHEREAS on February 22, 2024, the provincial government introduced Bill 165 which, if passed, will effectively overturn the OEB decision;


AND WHEREAS the OEB decision will help lower energy bills and encourage heating systems that are consistent with climate targets and plans;


AND WHEREAS the construction of new methane gas pipelines, which have 60-year lifetimes, should not be subsidized because they are inconsistent with the City’s climate targets and will result in higher carbon emissions, higher energy bills, higher future decarbonization retrofit costs to get off fossil fuel heating;


AND WHEREAS the Town of Pelham supports the decarbonization of heating and cooling systems in existing and future building stock within the community;


NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council endorses and supports the OEB decision to end the gas pipeline subsidy, opposes the provisions of Bill 165 that would effectively reverse the OEB decision, and calls on the Honourable T. Smith, Minister of Energy, and the Government of Ontario, to rescind or amend Bill 165 accordingly;


THAT this resolution be circulated to the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford; Minister of Energy, Todd Smith; Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy; MPP, Sam Oosterhoff, the President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Colin Best; and Local Area Municipalities.

Mover: Councillor Hildebrandt 


Seconder: Councillor Ker 


BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to prepare a comprehensive staff report examining the five electricity meters within Marlene Stewart Streit Park, focusing on consolidation/reduction of the number of electricity accounts and related services;


AND THAT Staff address potential the implications of such consolidation/reduction on the IT capital project 05-24 Video Surveillance Upgrade at Marlene Stewart Streit Park;


AND THAT Staff report back to Council in Q2 of 2024.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the next portion of the meeting be closed to the public in order to consider the following:

(b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees - 1 item (d) labour relations or employee negotiations; (f) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose - 3 items (Appointment to Advisory Committee; Non-union)


(e) litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board; (f) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose - 1 Item (Human Rights Tribunal)