NPCA board gets final instalment of new members
There will be more fresh faces at Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority meetings in the coming weeks.
In May, regional council approved a resolution asking the eight municipalities that hadn’t appointed a representative do so by the end of July.
As a result, Ken Kawall of Lincoln, Mal Woodhouse of Thorold, Deborah Coon-Petersen of West Lincoln and Jack Hellinga of Port Colborne will soon join the board.
Niagara-on-the-Lake will have its temporary representative, Coun. Gary Zalepa, serve until Sept. 30 when William Rapley will replace him.
They join chair Mayor Dave Bylsma of West Lincoln; vicechair Diana Huson of Pelham; Bruce McKenzie of Grimsby; John Metcalfe and Rob Shirton of Haldimand; Brad Clark, Brenda Johnson, Brian Wright and Stewart Beattie of Hamilton; Rick Brady of Niagara Falls; Mayor Bill Steele of Port Colborne; Ed Smith of St. Catharines; Tim Whalen of Thorold; Leah Feor of Fort Erie; Donna Cridland of Wainfleet; Rob Foster of Lincoln and John Ingrao of Welland.
Steele, Bylsma and Foster were selected by a vote of regional council in July.
Council made the decision to increase Niagara’s seat total to 15 from 12 (one for each of the local municipalities) in response to a ruling by Justice James Ramsay in May.
Ramsay settled a dispute over the apportionment of seats by declaring a basic reading of the Conservation Act gave Niagara the right to name up to 27 members.
The next full board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at the Ball’s Falls Centre for Conservation in the Glen Elgin Room at 9:30 a.m.