Little Station Relocation
The Little Station House, currently located at the west end of the former Yacht Club property will be relocated to a new location in the Elias St Parking Lot adjacent to Lents Lane. A new Licence Agreement between the ACO-Port Hope and the Municipality has been drafted and approved by Council for a 20 year period ending June 30, 2018.
However, the cost of this relocation has increased since the original move was approved back in February and the ACO-Port Hope has requested financial assistance to complete the project. This funding will come out of the Main Street Funding Agreement with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
The Heritage Incentives Grant Program Updated
Port Hope Council approved a By-Law to update the policy under which Heritage Incentive Grants are administered and awarded at Tuesday night's Council Meeting. Now, in addition to restoration/preservation of heritage elements on the facade of the building as detailed in the designation by-law for Part IV properties, new signage for such buildings and repair of existing signage has now been included.
In another change, the maximum number of grants per calendar year was 5 under the old provisions with a deadline for receiving applications of February 28th. The new By-Law will now allow monthly applications that must be submitted by the 15th of the month. This will allow owners to submit applications throughout the year rather than only once per year.
Under the old By-Law, approval of the Budget Committee was required to carry over any unused portion of the funds set aside for this purpose. With the new By-Law, funds will automatically be carried over and the Budget Committee will review the funds available in conjunction with setting the amount for the Budget year.
It is hoped that these changes will encourage more owners to submit applications for facade restoration to improve the overall appearance of the heritage properties within the heritage conservation districts.
Corporate Branding Update
The current logo was updated in 2012 by removing the phrase “The Municipality of” and leaving just PORT HOPE in the logo. The phrase “The Municipality of” was reintroduced in 2015/2016. As a result, many different versions of the logo appear throughout Municipal departments on letterhead, vehicles, and building signage with little consistency.
This new branding policy will simplify logo usage, as well as make staff and the community aware of the proper logo placement and compliance with brand standards for Municipal advertising and promotional materials. A new Municipality of Port Hope submark is included for use in web application, on staff attire, and on vehicles, as well as allowing for departmental identification where applicable.
The new branding policy has received strong support from municipal departments and staff and Council and the public as well.
