Updated to include comment from Pelham Chief Administrative Officer David Cribbs.
It looks like Niagara will be getting a provincially appointed regional facilitator sooner rather than later.
At this week’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing of Ontario Steve Clark announced the province’s plans to appoint regional facilitators in a number of jurisdictions, including Niagara.
Speaking at the conference in London on Aug. 22, he announced that he would appoint the facilitators by Sept. 11 for Niagara, as well as Durham, Halton, Waterloo, York and Simcoe.
Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff said the purpose of the facilitator is to meet with local councils and administration to figure out the best governance structure “that's going to make sure we're getting housing built first and foremost to address the housing crisis, getting critical infrastructure built to make sure that we're delivering for our communities, and having clear accountability and transparency from local government.”
Oosterhoff said that with 13 municipalities (including the Region) in Niagara, and 126 politicians, there can often be additional barriers and red tape when it comes to moving projects forward.
“Nothing's is predetermined,” he said. “I know that the facilitator is going to come down and have an open mind and see what the local perspective on the matter is. But I believe from what I've heard from local people here in Niagara, there's a desire to see streamlined services, there's a desire to see improved efficiencies around the delivery of those services and get rid of some of the duplication that we currently have.”
Pelham's CAO, David Cribbs, told PelhamToday that any different ways of doing business in the municipal world should be considered, "as resources are always a challenge and residents are struggling with affordability."
"That being said, it is clear that Pelham is functioning quite well on Ontario’s dominant concern – as of today there are 1,010 housing units approved," said Cribbs. "Pelham currently has just over 7,000 addresses, meaning the Town is poised for about 14 percent growth, whenever the private sector proceeds with its plans."
Cribbs asserted that Pelham’s governance structure and corporate capacity are not stumbling blocks.
"This town has a modest sized council that is highly responsive to community needs. Forced amalgamation is not going to improve local control over planning or the operation of parks and community centres – that only comes from elected, local councils. I hope that Pelham is given an opportunity to contribute its perspective to the report and look forward to one day reading the finished product. We all want to see a better Niagara and better is possible."
Councils in Niagara’s west end have been preparing for this move for months, and taking exploration of shared services into their own hands.
“I think Niagara has been waiting to hear about this for some time,” Lincoln CAO Michael Kirkopoulos said. “We look forward to working with the facilitator and highlighting the work we have done to date. It’s important we look beyond our borders and ensure great service is at the forefront of our decisions.”
Just a few weeks ago, the three municipalities of Niagara West held a joint meeting to look into their own governance.
Grimsby CAO Sarah Kim said they thought the announcement at AMO would be more substantial, but that the waiting these past few months has been the challenge.
“As for our position going into the review, both council and staff will continue to do our mandates and focus on our community while also exploring partnerships and opportunities to prepare for the facilitator,” she said.
West Lincoln CAO Beverly Hendry expressed similar sentiments about waiting, saying they’ve been in “wait and see” mode.
“We will be open to any discussion on good government for our community,” she said.
News of the incoming facilitator has created whispers of amalgamation, particularly in Niagara West.
Oosterhoff reiterated that nothing had been determined, but hopes municipal officials are able to come forward with a model for achieving economic growth, and prosperity, while retaining the characteristics of local municipalities.
“I hope that our local councils and mayors can come together and say, here's a model, whether that's amalgamation of some municipalities into a few municipalities, whether that's a different model that they come forward with, as long as it can help us achieve goals of getting housing built, getting critical infrastructure built, and having a stronger economic voice, I believe that will be well-received,” he said.
With files by Dave Burket
