NOTL 'a magical place to be,' says lord mayor after year in office

On behalf of town council, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all Niagara-on-the-Lake residents for a joyous New Year.

As I reflect on my first year as lord mayor, I am reminded how grateful I am for this opportunity to serve our community and to work with an incredibly strong council and staff. This role has filled me with great pride and further ignited my passion for this town and those who live, work and visit here.

In 2023, council approved its Strategic Plan, which acts as a road map for the future by guiding decision-making and investments for this term of council. An implementation plan has also been developed with actionable steps to achieve our identified priorities, allocating resources, and assigning responsibilities and timelines for the successful execution of the plan.

Through regular progress reports provided by town staff, council and the community will remain well-informed regarding completed milestones, ongoing initiatives and upcoming projects. I would like to thank the residents, community stakeholders, fellow council members, and town staff for the collaboration and thoughtful consideration that went into building both plans. I look forward to continuing to engage with residents when making decisions about the future of our community.

The town has been dedicated to digitally transforming services to enhance overall customer satisfaction. This year, some notable digital transformations include Docupet, our digital pet licensing software, and Cloudpermit, our new online building permit software. Additionally, new digital service boards were installed throughout select locations in town that help to relay important town messaging to residents and visitors.

Over the course of this year, I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend multiple conferences where council and staff met with provincial ministers and delegated toward matters that are important to our community, such as irrigation systems, energy conservation, Bill 23 and cultural heritage. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to represent our town and have a voice in making a difference.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is truly a magical place to be, and I am so proud to call it home. I look forward to another year as lord mayor and serving Niagara-on-the-Lake residents, visitors, community partners and stakeholders.

On Jan. 20, join me in celebrating the New Year with the Friends of Fort George to raise money for youth staffing opportunities for their 2024 summer season. Tickets are available through the Friends of Fort George website at friendsoffortgeorge.square.site/special-event-tickets.

As with all events in town, this will be a night to remember.

Again, I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and all the best for 2024.

Sincerely,

Gary Zalepa

Lord Mayor