September 19, 2023

Council Meeting Agenda
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Hybrid Council meetings report referred back to staff

A report recommending that, unless afflicted with a contagious illness or travelling on official public business, City Council members will be required to attend meetings in person, was referred back to staff.

In May 2022, Welland City Council approved a hybrid model for council meetings, which permitted members of council, staff and the public the option to attend meetings of council virtually or in-person.

The previous staff report presented regarding in-person attendance and hybrid council meetings did not include exceptions for members of council. During the discussions regarding the hybrid meetings, it was identified that staff would be coming back with a report in the future to identify exceptions for council consideration.

The referred reported included a recommendation that all members of council return to in-person attendance during meetings of council effective October 17, 2023.

In-person attendance will improve engagement with members of the public during presentations, delegations and public meetings, reduce technology issues and distractions, and increase engagement and participation between the members.

In addition, staff are recommending the following two (2) exceptions for members of council to attend virtually:

• Contagious illness.
• Traveling on official public business.

If a member of council is attending virtually, they are required to:

• Keep their video feed on and be visible during the entire meeting.
• Notify the Clerk if they are required to step away from their computer/laptop.

The recommendations, once approved, are the final step in progressing to post-covid practices for meetings of council, with two exceptions for virtual attendance.

Assumption of Clare Estates 3 Subdivision – Phases 3, 4, and 5

The Developers of the subdivision have fulfilled their obligations as outlined in the Subdivision Agreement and have submitted all necessary documentation required to support assumption.

Through the assumption of the subdivision, the City will assume direct responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the municipal infrastructure summarized below.

Lands east of Viger Drive accepted

The subject lands immediately abut Memorial Park and will increase the size of the park, helping to create more opportunities for open space and recreation.

1650672 Ontario Ltd. (owner of the subject lands) approached the City of Welland to see if the City would agree to accept the transfer of lands shown in Appendix I for a nominal cost of $2. The subject lands are located on the east of Viger Drive and Memorial Park and north of Lincoln Street and are described as Blocks 74 and 78. The lands have an area of 11,727.55 square metres (2.897 acres) and a frontage of 3 metres (9.84 feet).

The property is entirely designated Low-Density Residential in the Official Plan. The property is primarily zoned H-RL2-86, and a very small portion (Block 78) is zone O2. The lands have limited to no development potential as they are within the Ministry of Transportation protected corridor for the potential future extension of Highway 406.

The lands will form part of the City’s open space and park network and will benefit the community as a whole.