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11/24/2015 ADDITIONS TO COUNCIL, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015 REPORTS 1. FS-2015-11 - Open Air Burning - Supplementary 2 a) Various correspondence 2. R&C-2015-16 - Outdoor Pool Audit a) Copy of power point presentation DEPUTATIONS 1. Copy of Niagara Falls Public Library Strategic Plan 2015-2019. Dean Iorfida From: Marilyn <> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 6:06 PM To: Dr M Nagel Cc: Dr Valerie Jaeger Subject: Campfires in the City of Niagara Falls Attachments: Wood burning Niagara Falls.pdf Dear Doctor Nagel You know that Marilyn has suffered from Migraines most of her life and she is very sensitive to smells, which is one of the triggers that starts her migraines. If there is smoke outside she has to come indoors. Last August I called the fire department when there was so much smoke outside that it was coming into our house through the bathroom fan exhaust vents. Below is the email I sent to the Niagara Falls City Council outlining our concerns if outdoor wood burning in permitted. One campfire and our whole neighbourhood smelt the smoke. How bad will it get with multiple fires on the same street?? As the Fire Chief points out in the last paragraph on page 2 of his Report dated Nov 24/15 , (copy attached) restricting abutting neighbours from having campfires beside people with smoke related health problems will not solve their problems. Why I'm sending you this email (with a copy to Dr. Valerie Jaeger) is the medical issue that the Fire Chief raises Quote "However, if we choose to go further with the restrictions then we end up evaluating medical severity or we would be asking doctors to determine how far smoke will travel and when it will disperse enough to not be hazardous." I believe this health issue should be addressed in an Environmental Impact Study which has not been carried out. If the proposed new By-law is past we need to make an appointment with you ASAP. Enjoy the rest of your day Aavo Kaert From: To: councilmembers@niagarafalls.ca Subject: Outdoor Wood Burning Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2015 16:37:30 -0400 Dear Mayor and City Councillors and the Fire Department, my name is Aavo Kaert (I do not have an email account, used my wife's} (copy will be emailed to the Fire Department once I find an email address) Last week I smelled smoke in my bathrooms and called the fire department. All my windows were closed since I was running the AC. I told them that the fire was not in my house but the smoke was coming in through the bathroom exhaust fan vents. A fire truck came to my house and the three firemen verified that they could smell smoke on the street. The smoke was either coming from up the street or as the lead fireman said could be coming from several streets over. Although he said it is illegal to have an outdoor fire they would not go 1 door-to-door to find where the smoke was coming from. One outdoor fire and the whole neighbourhood downwind breaths in the smoke. The person who had the fire can sit upwind of the smoke and I'm sure they located their fire so no smoke got into their house. Later that evening my wife and I could smell smoke throughout our house and I could still smell smoke the next day. My Main Concern is that the proposed campfire conditions do not address the main issue which is that wood fire generates smoke that smells and is a health hazard. Wood smoke adheres to your skin, clothes and all your belongs. At great cost, other levels of government are trying to reduce hazardous air emissions by shutting down all coal fired plants in Ontario and they are spending a lot of money on subsidizing electricity generated from solar cells to reduce fossil fuel power plant emissions. With all the progress that has been made to improve our environment, why would this Council now permit outdoor wood burning which generates harmful air emissions. Are there any cities in Ontario that permit outdoor wood burning? Most, if not all do not permit outdoor burning and its for a good reason. We live in a city which hopes to attract more tourists each year, even one outdoor wood fire on each street in this city has the potential to blanket the city in smoke. Who will monitor what is burned in each outdoor fire location. It will not all be wood. Some will burn plastic, Styrofoam and any other products which they want to get rid of. The proposed campfire conditions listed in the Niagara Falls Review on June 25, 2015 does not list any conditions on what can be burned and how the fire department will control what is being burned. There are many sites on the internet that outline the health risks associated with wood burning, following are just two of them: www.scientificamerican.com Article on "The environmental dangers of backyard fire pits " www.familiesforcleanair.org Article on" Why your neighbors wood smoke is killing you" The Fire Department's Concern should be that they will be busier. If outdoor wood burning is permitted the number of calls to the fire department will defiantly increase over past years: more fires, more smoke, more angry citizens. The fire department will have to ensure that all the Proposed campfire Safety conditions are being meet. The lead fireman said that the night they were at my house it was too windy to have an outdoor fire even if the ban on outdoor wood fires had been removed. If the fireman thought it was too windy to have a fire last week they should have gone door-to-door to locate the illegal fire. I read that one of the proposed campfire conditions is "maximum wind allowed 20 km/h" How many people have wind gauges? Will all the firemen be out on windy nights to ensure there are no outdoor wood fires? Firemen Will be required to go door-to-door to locate all fires if this safety condition is not meet. To ease my concerns about potential large number of outdoor fires the fireman said that not all homes in the city would be permitted to have outdoor wood fires because their yards are too small. Will the fire department check the size of all yards before permits can be issued? Please do not allow outdoor wood burning. Limit outdoor burning to NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE Please do the right thing and vote NO to outdoor wood burning Thank You Aavo Kaert 2 Dean Iorfida From: Iggys <> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 8:12 PM To: Joyce Morocco; Vince Kerrio;Wayne Thomson Fallview Account;Wayne Campbell;Jim Diodati; Dean Iorfida; Lee Smith Subject: Fw: Open Air Fires...please be our advocates! With all due respect Mayor Diodati, Council Members, City Clerk Dean Iorfida and Fire Chief Lee Smith, I thought I would forward this to you. From: Iggys Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 1:17 PM To: kcraitor(a>niagarafalls.ca ; vpietrangelo@niagarafalls.ca ; ioannoni@niagarafalls.ca ; mstrange©niagarafalls.ca Subject: Open Air Fires...please be our advocates! Dear Councilmen Craitor, Strange, Pietrangelo and Councilwoman Carolyn: I have received notification about the upcoming meeting on November 24, 2015 in which the existing Open Air Fire By-Law will be challenged again. I did attend the meeting in August and I spoke along with the many others who were passionately opposed to having Open Air Fires. If I recall correctly the final voting came down to Mayor Diodati, who voted for amending the by-law, in favour of open air fires. You four were the councilmen and woman who supported us and who genuinely displayed compassion for those who suffer from respiratory illnesses and agreed that clean fresh air is a vital necessity. I applaud you all and I especially commend Councilman Pietrangelo for speaking with eloquence and respect. I am unsure if attending this meeting will give us the opportunity to speak again. I understand that the gallery may not be allowed to speak. Regardless, I am hoping that you will continue to support us and be our advocates. I must say and with all due respect, I was very disappointed with Mayor Diodati's decision to agree to open air fires and then stating that he had 2 chimineas in his backyard. If anything, Mayor Diodati should lead by example and respect his fellow residents and constituents, those that thankfully are healthy and those especially that suffer from respiratory problems. There also seemed to be a common denominator in the voting and I beg for your indulgence here, but those that voted in favour of changing the existing by-law to allow recreational fires all put their personal and selfish desires ahead of the citizens of Niagara Falls because they either possessed chimineas or they enjoyed having fires to roast their marshmallows and "weenies" as Councilman Campbell stated. To address the issue of self identification to the Fire Department of people with respiratory illnesses, first of all, this would be an administrative nightmare for the Fire Department, who have more important issues to tend to such as real fires and 911 calls. Even to entertain a size limit and a setback limit for recreational fires...who will police that? Will not unnecessary conflict among neighbours ensue? Do we really need that? Second of all, not everyone is as forthcoming as Mrs. Sylvia Chase about their illnesses and health concerns. A 1 lot of people including myself are very private about their health and really would prefer not to self identify to anyone. ` I am pleading with you all to voice my concerns to the rest of the council and try to persuade them to rethink their stance. Recreational fires are not a necessity but fresh clean air is. I thank you all for your indulgence and I remain; Respectfully; Irene Iggulden 2 Dean Iorfida From: Brucato <> Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2015 10:38 AM To: Dean Iorfida Cc: Lee Smith; Ken Todd; Teresa Fabbro Subject: Re: NOTICE: Open Air Burning - November 24th Council meeting Hello Dean, Many thanks for alerting me to this development. My comments are as follows: By-products generated by the burning of solid wood fuels contain known toxins that are a threat to human health. Accordingly, every effort must be made to keep such toxins out of the atmosphere. The open burn proposal represents a step backward in this regard, and must be scrapped. The by-law currently in place in Niagara Falls achieves this important objective and must be retained as-is, with one exception: This by-law requires more strenuous enforcement to send the clear message that the production of wood smoke for recreational purposes will not be tolerated. Fire Chief Smith should immediately be directed to undertake such vigorous enforcement. The proposed open-burn bylaw was meant to meet the interests of a rather small minority of residents who apparently enjoy the scent of smoke, even at their own risk. While these individuals are prepared to place themselves and their friends and families at risk, they are clearly not entitled to place the health of others in jeopardy. It should be obvious to council, especially after the many recent deputations, that some individuals suffer significantly when exposed to wood smoke. Since there is no way to control the spread of smoke from an open wood fire, and there is compelling evidence that indicates that even small exposures pose a risk to others, this precludes any consideration whatsoever that open burning be permitted. Some council members claimed that the existing by-law "does not work", even while admitting that they themselves have openly violated this very by-law, thereby undermining its validity and effect. These council members seemed oblivious and inconsiderate to the sensitivities of others and apparently considered open burning a harmless activity to be enjoyed by themselves and their families. One strong justification for the open-burn proposal was that a supposed loophole in any municipal by-law could be over-ridden by an Ontario fire statute that allows the right of individuals to cook food over an open fire. Chief Smith's report establishes that, in fact, municipalities do have control over what types of fuel may be used, eliminating any need to allow open air wood burning fires for recreational or cooking purposes. Since the availability of propane fires would be permissible to meet the needs of those who enjoy outdoor cooking or the ambiance of an outdoor fire, there is no earthly reason to even consider an open-burn by- law. As far as I am concerned, no resident, whether or not this person is a council member, is entitled to soil the air that I breath and I would consider any such activity an inconsiderate, threatening, and hostile act. Council members are obligated to consider the welfare of all residents in an objective and circumspect manner. In view of the information that has been presented, I would expect a unanimous vote by Mayor Diodati and council members to not only retain the existing open burn ban, but to express full support of its intent. 1 Regards, John Brucato From: Dean Iorfida Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 3:26 PM To: Dean Iorfida Cc: Lee Smith ; Ken Todd ; Teresa Fabbro Subject: NOTICE: Open Air Burning - November 24th Council meeting On November 24th, Niagara Falls City Council will consider the attached report from Fire Chief Lee Smith. The report is a follow up to the Special Council Meeting of August 19th . Based on your previous interest in this matter, this is notice is being sent to you. The matter is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be Council's decision at the time whether to entertain further deputations on the matter. As a result, written comments are encouraged and can be forwarded to me. Written comments will be shared with Council prior to Tuesday's meeting. Thanks Dean Dean lorfida, City Clerk City of Niagara Falls 905-356-7521, Ext.4271 905-356-9083 (Fax) ,'iagaraJaiIs www.niagarafal ls.ca The City of Niagara Falls Confidentiality Notice The information contained in this communication including any attachments may be confidential, is intended only for the use of the recipient(s)named above,and may be legally privileged. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,you are hereby notified that any dissemination,distribution,disclosure or copying of this communication,or any of its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,please re-send this communication to the sender and permanently delete the original and any copy from your computer system.Thank you 2 Dean Iorfida From: BERT DANDY <> Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2015 9:17 AM To: Dean Iorfida Subject: Open Air Burning - Agenda item 24 November 2015 Dear Mr. Clerk; As you may recall I have supported a more open, less restrictive by-law than the current ban which is regularly ignored and not really enforced for its perceived value. I have read the report coming before council and have 2 brief comments: 1) The reduction in size to .60 metres is reasonable, sensible and I believe would find no opposition. Similarly the accompanying reduction in spacing to structures is just common sense. 2) Apparently, however, complaints neighbour to neighbour have often seemed related to non-fire pit grudges/disputes and caution may be indicated before simply accepting claims of health related or medical concerns. Society regularly provides additional privileges to persons with medical challenges and rightly so. Special provisions such as handicapped parking, service animals and the like, usually require some documentation from a Doctor confirming these. Maybe the ability to shut down one's neighbour's enjoyment of his property should require something similar. Bert Dandy Stamford Street Niagara Falls, ON, L2E 1N2 1 Dean Iorfida From: Bill & Sylvia Chase <> Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2015 4:41 PM To: Dean Iorfida Subject: Re: NOTICE: Open Air Burning - November 24th Council meeting Thank you for the e-mail notice of this upcoming meeting. Please forward the following message to be shared with council: "I would like to thank council for taking the time to give this open-air burning issue the time that it deserves. For most people the issue of open-air burning will have little to no impact on their lives but for people like me with health issues this is a grave topic that will have a life-altering impact if it is allowed to occur. I am imploring council to keep me and others like me in your thoughts when you vote on this. I do not want to be forced into hospital to receive oxygen and steroids to open my lungs every time someone nearby wants to have a fire. There is no way to prevent the pollutants from entering the home. This issue impacts my short-term and long-term health, my ability to work, and my quality of life. I ask this council to please protect my health, even though I may be part of a minority with these health issues. The ethical and morally responsible decision is to turn down this request to allow open-air burning in order to protect this city's citizens and our environment. Please stick with the recommendation of our fire Chief, Lee Smith. His report and recommendations have been made to safeguard the best interests of Niagara Falls and the people who live here. I hope from this letter and the previous special meeting that you know how scary this is for those of us who will suffer if burning is allowed. Thank you again for your time and the care you have put into this debate. Sincerely, Sylvia Chase Queensway Gardens" Sent from my iPad On Nov 17, 2015, at 3:26 PM, Dean Iorfida<diorfida a niagarafalls.ca> wrote: On November 24'^, Niagara Falls City Council will consider the attached report from Fire Chief Lee Smith. The report is a follow up to the Special Council Meeting of August 19'h . Based on your previous interest in this matter, this is notice is being sent to you. The matter is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be Council's decision at the time whether to entertain further deputations on the matter. As a result, written comments are encouraged and can be forwarded to me. Written comments will be shared with Council prior to Tuesday's meeting. Thanks Dean Dean lorfida, City Clerk November 23rd 2015 • Urgent Submission To all Members of Niagara Falls City Council, It has come to my attention through the examination of a proposed amendment to By-law No. 72-211 (as amended by: By-law 81-65 and By -law 91-10) is being placed before City Council for amendment with various factors being considered to possibly allow open air backyard solid fuel burning. I wish to advise City Council of section 14 of the Municipal Act, 2001 in which municipal bylaws cannot conflict with federal or provincial statutes or regulations. Any law which does conflict with Federal or Provincial statutes or regulations would be declared ultra vires. The cited conflicts with allowing open air burning are listed below: The Municipal Act 14. (1)A by-law is without effect to the extent of any conflict with, (a)a provincial or federal Act or a regulation made under such an Act;or (b)an instrument of a legislative nature, including an order, licence or approval, made or issued under a provincial or federal Act or regulation. 2001,c. 25,s. 14. Any bylaw permitting any form of wood or solid fuel burning for residential campfires in Niagara Falls would be in conflict with the following: Ontario Environmental Protection Act Prohibition,discharge of contaminant 14. (1)Subject to subsection (2) but despite any other provision of this Act or the regulations, a person shall not discharge a contaminant or cause or permit the discharge of a contaminant into the natural environment, if the discharge causes or may cause an adverse effect. 2005,c. 12,s. 1 (5). Human Rights Code 2. (1) The preamble to the Human Rights Code is amended by adding the following paragraph after the second paragraph: And Whereas it is public policy in Ontario to recognize that the right to own private property, whether real or personal, is a fundamental element of economic freedom and provides a key incentive for economic growth and prosperity; (2) The Act is amended by adding the following Part: Part 1.1 Property Rights Rights and responsibilities 9.1 (1) Every person has a right to own the real and personal property that he or she has acquired in accordance with law and, except to the extent provided by law,to the peaceful enjoyment and free disposition of the property. We have submitted a brief containing chemical validation of wood smoke as a contaminant and potential carcinogen and a request for accommodation due to disability to your clerk's office, accompanied by a letter from the Ontario Lung Association. The evidence exists that both the allowance of backyard fire pits would seriously affect the health of any resident, distress those with respiratory disability, damage the environment and violate peaceful enjoyment of residential property (see attached). Since there is no possible way to contain the smoke and consequently the contaminants contained within it, any biomass burning should be strictly prohibited by any amendment to the present bylaw prohibiting solid fuel open air burning accompanied by proactive enforcement. I would suggest to Council that they would exceed the powers awarded to them by the Municipal Act of Ontario by passing or voting for any by law that contradicts any Provincial or Federal Law, Act or Statute, this would include approving solid fuel open air burning. 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Neither the Fibs panisla nor their to use the sion after receiving orlarte their windows openunless indatingename of pneumonia, lawyer, Peter Mahoney,returned written somplaints in September thedefendadditmothappento be 4'She hat no desire to testify in calls from The Spectator eeking zoo°, after the the departinent bullrings/the moment,Several of thislawasuitandis teufulofthede- comment on the lase. was saliestrwie andafterthe town the trees ontireplain.tiff Is reaper- tenant's,"hamsehrsald,settlings/1e asked him to restrict burning to tythat vmminuanyinlirte with tire hat heard stout an&retie rinhaent chirghthrinssetritspes....0 winter months..Tie also found not smoke died. I noralude that the when/*deposited roc k salt on.the oos-h76-46 ro 111 PUBLIC LIBRARY Strategic Plan 2015-2019 A Great Library... Vital to a Great City. Section 1. The Niagara Falls Public Library's 2015-19 Strategic Plan sets out a clear and ambitious agenda to guide the Library's actions over the next four years. We have aligned our planning with the priorities of the City of Niagara Falls and fully commit to provide our community with the best possible services and resources to enhance the quality of life for all; and at the same time provide tangible, measurable outcomes. We already have projects underway which are components of this Plan's key areas of focus and look forward to establishing and implementing additional new services and initiatives over the next four years. Key to this planning was the Staff reorganization which was implemented in 2015 following a formal consultant's review in 2014. The result is that we now have a staff structure in place to meet the needs of a 21st century library, and with the ability and skills to work for and with our customers in the digital age. Before creating this plan, we needed to answer a number of questions: • What progress has been made—where are we today? • How has the environment and the community changed since the 2011 - 14 Plan was approved? • What are the emerging trends in library service? • How can the library best focus its resources to meet changing community needs over the coming years? Staff began this process by doing extensive research in the following areas: • Analysis of community profiles. • Study of emerging trends and issues in library services. • Review of comparative library statistics. • Evaluation of technology trends and forecasts. Through a series of Board and Staff meetings, community surveys, staff input, comments from our Community partners and hard data available to us, we have identified our areas of focus. Strategic Plan 2015-2019 n _ 2 Section II. Mission & Values Mission To be a vital asset enhancing the quality of life in Niagara Falls. Principles and Values • We believe in intellectual freedom. • We believe in access for all. • We will treat everyone with courtesy and respect. • We will be effective and efficient in all we do to provide a quality service ii welcoming spaces. • We will be innovative and nimble in our response to technology and the service and information needs of our community. • We will work in partnership with other organizations to further the Library's mission. Niagara Falls Public Library Customer Promise Niagara Falls Public Library enriches, inspires, empowers and links the community through our resources, services, outreach, and spaces. We proudly work to promote literacy, a lifelong love of learning, and a culture of reading, to enhance the quality of life in our community. As our customer, you can expect Niagara Falls Public Library to: • Deliver equal access to information and services tailored to meet your needs. • Offer dynamic service by informed staff who take ownership of every customer interaction. • Acknowledge and respond to your feedback. • Have fair practices and procedures while ensuring accountability to the community. • Provide welcoming spaces. We are confident that you will work with us to ensure that all library customers share an outstanding experience. As a customer of Niagara Falls Public Library you will: • Respect the rights of all library customers to share a common space. • Ensure the care and safety of your children. • Be courteous and respectful to others. • Follow library practices and procedures. • Treat library materials and resources with care. We will work with you to provide an outstanding library experience. Strategic Plan 2015-20191 i d; ' : 1=4 = ; 3 Section III. Objectives and Strategies CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE Outcome:An outstanding library experience. Objective: Provide exceptional customer service. Actions: • Continue to use the Customer Service Promise as the basis for planning and services. • Revise current service delivery policies and procedures to become more customer- centered. • Provide training programs to help staff improve their skills and develop new competencies to meet current and emerging service needs. Objective: Increase public awareness of library resources, services and programs and the role of the library in the community. Actions: • Design and implement a marketing and communications plan. • Engage with stakeholders by documenting and sharing NFPL's community impact. • Develop and expand our Virtual Library. • Create a Digital Exhibit Framework for Local History Resources. • Strengthen the use of promotional tools used to highlight resources and collections. Objective: Curate, sustain and continuously assess library collections and resources. Actions: • Implement a comprehensive collection management plan. • Streamline access to resources and collections. • Make popular items available quickly. • Investigate new channels for delivering library collections and services. • Develop culturally relevant collections and resources that support the programs and services offered by the Library. • Promote the Library's collections, services and resources to build a stronger awareness of the library and to attract new customers. Objective: Ensure that all facilities are in line with service delivery needs and customer expectations. Actions: • Redesign of Customer Service points. • Refresh and improve furnishings and furniture. • Explore potential changes to parking arrangements at the Chippawa Library. • Explore vending machines and pickup lockers in community locations. • Work to bring all facilities into compliance with City and Provincial AODA standards. Strategic Plan 2015-20191 • ¢ : 3 4 FOSTERING INNOVATION Outcome: Vibrant, current, and valued resources and services that meet the changing needs of our communities. Objective: Improve customer convenience. Actions: • Identify opportunities for mobile delivery of services. • Implement self-service options for customers. • Explore reciprocal borrowing opportunities with other Niagara region libraries. Objective: Promote and support digital and technological literacy in Niagara Falls. Actions: • Expand technology programming. • Create a digital media/technology training lab to offer access to new technology. • Provide comprehensive staff technology training to help staff improve their technology skills and knowledge. Objective: Respond to customer needs and technology trends with innovative collections and resources. Actions: • Incorporate new technologies to support and enhance library collections and encourage digital literacy. • Expedite access to relevant technologies, training, programs, and equipment. • Utilize Mobile apps to enhance access to resources and services (2016) • Embrace creative technologies. • Understand and proactively address the unique needs of underserved populations so that the strength of the library's collections can be realized. Objective: Develop a comprehensive Library Space Plan. Actions: • Convert the Sir Harry Oakes Room into a digital media/technology training lab. • Identify underused or unused spaces and repurpose, in line with service priorities. • Begin initial planning for action regarding the Chippawa Library (2019 and beyond). Objective: Maintain and improve Technology infrastructure. Actions: • Continuously review equipment and services to ensure that the technology used to deliver Library services is cost-effective and up-to-date. • Plan for provision of new service delivery channels. • Maintain and expand the provision of free, open Internet Access to customers. Strategic Plan 2015-2019 " ' - 5 Objective: Board development. Actions: • Support and enhance regular Board member training. • Ensure that Board membership reflects the community. • Annual assessment and review of the Strategic Plan by the Board. COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT Outcome: Responsive and dynamic programming and outreach, resources, services, and spaces based on deep understanding of community needs and aspirations. Objective:Seek community input to improve current services. Actions: • Develop survey to determine the needs of library users and non-users. • Create new communications channels for customers to provide feedback about services. Objective: Provide innovative programming and outreach services to foster knowledge creation and support literacy in our community. Actions: • Review Library processes to maximize resources for programming and outreach initiatives. • Expand outreach efforts in the community through mobile delivery of services. • Enhance the Visiting Library Service. • Develop programming and outreach for underserved populations. Objectives: Strengthen, celebrate and share our unique local history collection. Actions: • Create a Digital Exhibit Framework for Local History Resources. • Interpret the Local History Collections. • Process donations in a timely fashion. • Expand and enhance the Historic Niagara Digital Collections. • Deepen the relationships between the Niagara Falls Public Library and other historical and heritage groups in the area. • Develop and promote an app for historical walking tours of Niagara Falls. Objective: Relocation and expansion of Stamford Centre Library(2016). Actions: • Request that funding for Library facilities is included in the City's Capital Budget Plan. • Conduct the necessary engineering feasibility study for the proposed new Stamford Centre Library location. Strategic Plan 2015-2019 I 6 Objective: Re-invigorate the relationship between the Library Board and Councillors, enabling a better understanding of the services offered to constituents and how the library supports the City brand. Actions: • Board presentation to Council at least twice a year. • Invite Councillors to visit the library for 1:1 orientation with Library staff. ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS Outcome: Safe, modern, accessible, and welcoming spaces with transparency and accountability. Objective: Ensure equitable access to library facilities, resources and services. Actions: • Work to bring all facilities into compliance with City and Provincial AODA standards. • Continue to build accessible collections, services and programs to meet AODA-legislated requirements. Objective: Deepen our understanding of our community and its needs and aspirations. Actions: • Develop a community assessment framework to understand and respond to service gaps. • Connect with community groups and develop relevant partnerships with organizations. • Partner with City departments where possible, maximizing resources. Objective: Manage and maintain facilities in an efficient,cost effective manner. Actions: • Replace the Victoria Avenue HVAC system. • Continue to identify and implement energy and operating efficiencies. • Explore grants and other funding available from all levels of government. Objective: Sustain our funding base by continuing to demonstrate sound financial management and return on investment(ROI). Actions: • Promote and foster a strong relationship with City Council to ensure continued support. • Create a better understanding (MOU) with City staff about services shared and work together to be more efficient (avoid duplication of effort and services). • Communicate with Provincial and Federal Representatives. Strategic Plan 2015-20191 )2' 7 11! Strategic Direction COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS Objectives -Provide exceptional customer service -Increase public awareness of library resources, services and programs and the role of the library in the community -Curate, sustain and continuously assess library collections and resources -Ensure that all facilities are in line with service delivery needs and customer expectations -improve customer convenience -Promote and support digital and technological literacy in Niagara Falls -Resixind to customer needs and technology trends with innovative collections and resources -Develop a comprehensive Library Space Plan -Maintain and improve Technology infrastructure -Board clevek)pment -Seek community input to improve current services -Provide innovative programming and outreach services to support knowledge creation and literacy -Strengthen, celebrate and share our unique local history collection Relocation & expansion of Stamford Centre Library (2016) -Re-invigorate the relationship between the Library Board & Council Support the City brand -Ensure equitable access to library facilities, resources and services -Deepen our understanding of our community and its needs and aspirations -Manage and maintain facilities in an efficient, cost effective manner -Sustain our funding base by continuing to demonstrate sound financial management and ROI 2Oi52O19 Strat Outcomes AN OUTSTANDING LIBRARY EXPERIENCE VIBRANT, CURREI41, AND VALUED RESOURCES AD. SERVICES TI4AT MEET CHANGING NEEDS OF OLIII COMMUNITIES RESPONSIVE AND DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING AND OUTREACH, RESOURCES, SERVICES, AND SPACES BASED ON DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS SAFE, MODERN, ACCESSIBLE, AND WELCOMING SPACES WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY