Port Hope Provides Council Report
By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The Municipality of Port Hope has reported on its April 20 regular and committee-of-the-whole council meetings, held electronically via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phasing Out of Ontario’s Gas-Fired Electricity Generation
Council voted support for a resolution to request the Government of Ontario to place an interim cap of 2.5 megatonnes per year on greenhouse gas pollution from Ontario’s gas-fired power plants. The resolution also requests that Ontario develop and implement a plan to phase out all gas-fired electricity generated by 2030. This plan will help the Municipality of Port Hope, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada meet their climate targets.
Council had received a delegation from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance at their April 6 committee-of-the-whole meeting, providing information on feasible cost-effective alternatives to increasing gas-fired electricity generation that do not increase greenhouse gas pollution.
Farley Mowat Park
Council authorized the re-naming of the east side of Rotary Park to Farley Mowat Park. This area of the park is located east of the Ganaraska River, where the boat-roofed house is located.
Mowat (May 12, 1921- May 6, 2014) was born in Belleville, but lived in the Municipality of Port Hope in his later years until his death. He is recognized as one of Canada’s literary icons and a champion of environmental issues.
The Farley Mowat boat-roofed house was relocated to this municipal property from private property in 2016.
The official renaming will take place during Farley Mowat Week, May 10 to 16, and a special dedication ceremony will be scheduled at a future date when gathering restrictions are no longer in place.
Under the Marquee Event – Capitol Theatre
Council authorized the Capitol Theatre’s Under The Marquee performance series (to run Tuesday evenings from June 1 through Aug. 31) in principle, pending any change to the public-health framework.
Under The Marquee offers weekly outdoor live performances throughout the summer, 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays (inclusive of the road closure from 5 to 11 p.m.).
The Capitol Theatre will communicate details about the Under the Marquee Series to their database through their newsletter, local radio, and social-media channels. Currently, there is no preliminary promotional plan to share, but the development of the plan will include messaging and consideration for COVID-19 protocols.
Procedural By-Law Amendment
Council authorized administrative amendments to the Procedural Bylaw. These amendments include:
Updating definitions to formally reflect current staff titles
Updating definitions to formally reflect current standing committee titles
Revising the order of business for Committee of the Whole to reflect current practices and provide for a more efficient meeting structure
Reordering and removing redundant headings from the standing business items identified for Standing Committees to provide for a more efficient meeting structure
Removing identification of specific boards, advisory committees, and work group as this has been replaced by the recently adopted Committee By-law.
Delegation: MPP David Piccini
Highlights from the committee-of-the-whole include Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini’s delegation to council with information about Ontario’s 2021 budget.
PHAI Project Update with Municipal Lens
Staff provided a presentation on the current status of the Port Hope Area Initiative project from a municipal perspective, including progress to date, scope of work remaining and the potential of a proposed change to the clean-up criteria.
Charging Station Agreement
Staff provided a report regarding the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which recommends the installation of two Electronic Vehicle (EV) stations at Elias Street and the Jack Burger Sports Complex.
The agreement is with the Ontario Charging Network LP (IVY) over a 10-year period. IVY will own, operate and maintain the EV stations.
The anticipated annual cost for the project is $7,977.98. This electrical cost to operate the charger is paid for by the municipality, but all revenue is sent back to the municipality from IVY.
Minutes and video recordings
Meeting minutes will be available pending approval at the May 4 council meeting, at which point they will become the official record of the meeting.
Recordings of the April 20 council and committee-of-the-whole meetings are available at //porthope.ca/council, and agendas and staff reports can be found on the Council Portal.
