Planning and Economic Development Committee

That Report PDS 9-2021, dated February 17, 2021, respecting Review of Options - South Niagara Aquifer, BE RECEIVED and BE CIRCULATED to the City of Port Colborne, Town of Fort Erie, City of Welland, Township of Wainfleet, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), and the Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee.

WHEREAS at the January 15, 2020 Planning and Economic Development meeting, the following resolution was adopted: “That staff BE DIRECTED to consider the highly vulnerable aquifer as an important, vital source of water to our rural residents in Niagara from Wainfleet, through Port Colborne to Fort Erie and ensure specific Official Plan policies are developed to reflect the importance and subsequent protection of this water source”; and Planning and Economic Development Committee Open Session Minutes PEDC 2-2021 February 17, 2021 Page 3 WHEREAS Report PDS 9-2021 has provided an overview of opportunities for drinking water protection in Ontario with an emphasis on the highly vulnerable aquifer in South Niagara. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That staff BE FURTHER DIRECTED to state within the new Regional Official Plan that groundwater across the Region is an important resource to all Niagara residents and specifically a source of potable drinking water to many rural residents.

That Councillor Witteveen BE NOMINATED as Vice-Chair of the Planning and Economic Development Committee for a two-year term (2021-2022).

That Councillor Campion BE NOMINATED as Vice-Chair of the Planning and Economic Development Committee for a two-year term (2021-2022).

That nominations for the position of Vice-Chair of the Planning and Economic Development Committee for a two-year term (2021-2022), BE CLOSED.

That Report ED 4-2021, dated February 17, 2021, respecting Tourism Adaption and Recovery Fund Budget Adjustment, BE RECEIVED and the following recommendation BE APPROVED: 1. That an operating budget adjustment in the amount of $2,000,000 gross and $0 net BE APPROVED (and INITIATED) for the Niagara Tourism Adaption and Recovery Fund and that the initiative BE FUNDED from a Fed Dev Ontario grant.

That Report PDS 13-2021, dated February 17, 2021, respecting Municipal By-law Enforcement Appointments - Woodland Conservation By-law, BE RECEIVED and the following recommendations BE APPROVED: 1. That the following Regional staff BE APPOINTED as Municipal By-law Enforcement Officers for the purpose of enforcing Niagara Region By- law No. 2020-79, being the Woodland Conservation By-law:  Cara Lampman, Manager, Environmental Planning  Daniel Root, Regional Forester 2. That the necessary by-law BE PREPARED and PRESENTED to Council for consideration.

WHEREAS the Ontario wine industry supports directly and indirectly over 18,000 full-time equivalent jobs; and Niagara is Ontario’s largest wine growing region responsible for over 90% of Ontario’s grape production; WHEREAS, with 2.4 million annual visitors, Niagara’s wine sector has developed unique experiential destination tourism, enhanced by the proximity to Niagara Falls; WHEREAS COVID-19 has had significant impacts on Ontario’s wine industry – a key contributor to Niagara’s economy and tourism sector; and WHEREAS to build back a stronger, more sustainable economy, there is a need to unlock the potential of Ontario’s grape and wine industry. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: 1. That Niagara Region CALLS on the Province of Ontario to create a level playing field and to provide Ontario’s entrepreneurial wine industry with opportunities to invest more into innovation and job creation while providing consumer choice and convenience for the purchase of Ontario wines; 2. That the Province BE URGED to undertake the following:  Eliminate the 6.1% tax applied to VQA (100% Ontario-grown) wines on sales in the 2021 Budget;  Enable Ontario wines to offer direct delivery, with margin, to grocery stores;  Establish long-term VQA wine support programs at the LCBO that would increase shelf space for VQA wines; and  Eliminate import taxes on 100% Ontario VQA wines 3. That this motion BE CIRCULATED to municipalities in Niagara, Prince Edward County and Lake Erie North Shore and to the Prem

That the following items BE RECEIVED for information: ED 3-2021 COVID-19 Response and Business Continuity in Economic Development PDS-C 5-2021 COVID-19 Response and Business Continuity in Planning and Development Services ED 5-2021 Economic Recovery Plan Update 3 PDS 7-2021 Niagara Official Plan Process and Local Municipality Conformity PDS-C 8-2021 2021 Public Realm Investment Program Launch

That Report PDS 1-2021, dated February 17, 2021, respecting Natural Environment Work Program - 2nd Point of Engagement, BE RECEIVED and BE CIRCULATED to the Local Area Municipalities and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).

That Correspondence Item PDS-C 4-2021, being a memorandum from P. Busnello, Acting Director, Development Approvals, dated February 17, 2021, respecting Response to Town of Pelham Motion on Cannabis Appeals, BE RECEIVED for information.

That Correspondence Item PDS-C 11-2021, being a letter from Jocelyn Baker, Canadian Co-Chair, and Jajean Rose-Burney, U.S. Co-Chair, Niagara River Ramsar Binational Steering Committee, dated February 12, 2021, respecting Confidential Report PDS 2-2021, BE RECEIVED for information.

That this Committee DO NOW MOVE into Closed Session for the purposes of receiving information of a confidential nature respecting: A Matter of Advice that is Subject to Solicitor-Client privilege under s. 239(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001 - Implications of a Ramsar Designation on the Niagara River

That Confidential Report PDS 2-2021, dated February 17, 2021, respecting A Matter of Advice that is Subject to Solicitor-Client privilege under s. 239(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001 - Implications of a Ramsar Designation on the Niagara River, BE RECEIVED; and That the Planning and Economic Development Committee RECOMMEND that Confidential Report PDS 2-2021 including Appendix 1 authored by Willms & Shier dated January 18, 2021, respecting Implications of a Ramsar Designation on the Niagara River, be released publicly subject to Council approval.