Port Hope Council’s latest meeting featured updates from youth councillors, a delegation on housing, and progress on audio-visual upgrades in Council Chambers.
The youth councillors reminded residents to drive carefully as students return to school in September, noting traffic safety near bus stops and school zones is especially important this time of year. They also reported that the August 9 Arts Festival was a strong success, drawing the community together with cultural programming and entertainment. Looking ahead, they encouraged students to get involved with the Port Hope Fall Fair, either through volunteering or participating in events.
Council also heard from Andrew and Vanessa McMartin, who presented a delegation supporting the inclusion of Additional Residential Units (ARUs) on rural laneways. They argued that expanding ARU allowances could provide more housing opportunities in Port Hope. The delegation was received as information.
In correspondence, Council received a letter from the Intermunicipal Taskforce on Housing and Homelessness, outlining next steps for advancing recommendations from the Housing Solutions Workshop Findings and Recommendations Report. This was also received as information.
Staff provided an update on the ongoing Audio-Visual Upgrade Project for Council Chambers. A successful vendor has been selected and installation of new technology is underway. Due to this work, Council Chambers will remain closed through September. All Council and Committee of the Whole meetings will continue to be held virtually via Zoom, as they were in July and August.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)