Town looking for residents to serve on committees

Do you have some expertise in urban design?
Knowledge of heritage preservation? Want to make the town more beautiful or safer for residents?
How about a special interest in agriculture, settling fence disputes amongst neighbours or helping to make the public library the best it can be?
Do you want to investigate options for offering assistance to residents who own grinder pumps?
Or are you more concerned about whether the town is inclusive, age-friendly, focused on wellness and has the best, most up-to-date technology?
These are just a few of the committees and boards on a long list of those to be struck in the new year. Each has its own terms of reference and set of qualifications for members, reporting to town staff, and in some instances to council as well.
Most require a combination of residents, councillors and staff as members. There will be four new committees added to the list of those from recent years and approved with the start of each council term.
Coun. Clare Cameron proposed and received support for including a new Community Wellness Committee, suggesting the Age-friendly Committee could be folded into it and expanded to include wellness issues for all.
She also proposed an Inclusivity Committee to ensure residents from all backgrounds feel adequately recognized and any concerns be brought to council; a Technology and Customer Service Committee to ensure the municipality is using the latest technology in engaging the community; and a Transportation Advisory Committee to look at the issue of transportation across the communities. All were approved by council and will be seeking members in the new year.Cameron also worked on updating terms of reference for several committees, with the most extensive changes to the Urban Design Committee. On this one, she came right down to the wire of the last council meeting, having made some recommendations for alterations to the make-up and reporting structure late afternoon the day of the meeting. It was the latest opportunity for any revisions before approval of council, and discussion between Cameron and Lord Mayor Betty Disero went back and forth, Disero explaining the necessity of having the amendments in writing for councillors to approve, and Cameron trying to accommodate the process without jeopardizing the work she had put into it.
Resident David Bell had also made a presentation to council suggesting amendments to some committees, and Cameron’s recommendations followed most of his urban design amendments, which will see the committee advising council as well as staff, having one member who also sits on the Municipal Heritage Committee and changing the qualifications somewhat to include those with experience in the field and are retired.
One from the 2014 to 2018 term will be disbanded. The Active Transportation Committee, which encouraged bike and walking paths and held an annual step competition, will not be needed, councillors agreed.
The reason given in the report to council on the committees and boards was that a Regional Niagara Active Transportation subcommittee and its working groups can instead act as a resource for council. The duties could also be merged with the Town's Safety Committee, it was suggested.
In addition to those recommended by Cameron, the Agricultural Committee, the Committee of Adjustment, Communities in Bloom, Fence Viewers, Glendale Task Force, Heritage Trail Committee, Irrigation Committee, Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee, Licensing Appeal Committee, Municipal Heritage Committee, Niagara District Airport, NOTL Library Board, NOTL Safety Committee, Town Historian, Tree Advisor(s) and Urban Design Committee are also those which require residents' participation.
An information session will be held on Tuesday Jan. 8, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the council chamber for those wanting more information or to ask questions of staff members affiliated with these committees and boards.
The deadline to submit completed applications is Thursday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m.Completed applications can be submitted one of three ways: at the front counter of the town hall; mailed to P.O. Box 100, Virgil, Ontario, L0S 1T0 ATTN: Town Clerk; or emailed to Peter Todd, Town Clerk — [email protected] information and application forms are available on the Town's website.