Downtown Advisory Committee

Our purpose is to bring together stakeholders from the downtown business community to create and champion ideas for the beautification and promotion of downtown.

Committee meetings, agendas and minutes

Minutes and agendas: You can find meeting agendas and minutes on the Civic portal.
Meeting location: City Hall, 4310 Queen Street, Niagara Falls, in Committee Room #2 (unless otherwise posted).
Meeting dates and times:

• Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 3:45 pm
• Monday, March 31, 2025, at 4:00 pm
• Monday, May 26, 2025, at 4:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 4:00 pm, meeting to be held at the Niagara Falls Innovation Hub located at 4551 Zimmerman Avenue
• Monday, October 6, 2025, at 4:00 pm
• Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 4:00 pm

Committee members

You can find the list of committee members and the staff liaison on the Civic portal.

Term: Committee members serve a term of four years.

Terms of Reference

The following terms of reference were approved by the City Council on September 10, 2024, via report BDD-2024-04.

Purpose

To bring together stakeholders from the downtown business community to create and champion ideas for the beautification and promotion of downtown.

Objectives

To foster a spirit of collaboration by identifying and connecting forward-focused leaders from the downtown business community.

To be a single point of contact on municipal matters pertaining to downtown that require input from commercial property owners and merchants.

To solicit input and act as a forum for discussion about ideas to create a thriving downtown.

To provide input on the use of the unspent levy and other assets from the dissolved Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA).

To identify and advise Council on policies, strategies or programs that may support downtown development.

Membership

The advisory committee shall consist of a maximum of 11 voting members:

1. Mayor
2. One (1) Council Member
3. A maximum of nine (9) Members representing Commercial Properties and/or Businesses in the Downtown Core

A staff liaison from the City’s Business Development Department will support the committee on a non-voting basis.

The “Downtown core” is typically defined as the area that encompasses historic Queen Street and is home to a diverse mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment and professional service businesses. The boundaries of the downtown business district are typically regarded as Victoria Avenue to the West, Bridge Street to the North, River Road to the East and Morrison Street to the South.

All Committee members serve at the discretion of Council and Council can appoint or remove any Committee member at anytime.

Filling of vacancies for the Committee will be considered by City Council. City Council may choose to not fill the vacancy, go to the runner up list from the beginning of the Council term or accept a recommendation from the advisory Committee.

The term of the advisory Committee is concurrent with the term of Council.

The Committee will exist until such time that Council decides that another appropriate entity has been formed to undertake the work of the Committee or until Council disbands the Committee.

Member responsibilities

Committee members are selected based upon their experience, knowledge and vision for a thriving downtown.

Committee members shall work together as a team for the purpose of achieving positive outcomes that will benefit the downtown business community.

Meetings

The Committee will hold a minimum of four meetings and a maximum of ten meetings per year at times, dates and locations selected by the Committee.

The Committee may adopt additional meeting protocols and procedures, however Council can amend or change any polices or procedures of the Committee at its discretion.

Quorum consists of 50% of the members, plus one, being present. A simple majority constitutes approval of motions.

If a quorum is not attained, no actions or recommendations emanating from a meeting have any force or effect.

Any committee member missing three (3) consecutive meetings without reasonable cause or explanation will be deemed to have resigned from the advisory committee.

Code of conduct

The Committee shall at all times follow the policies and procedures set out in the City of Niagara Falls Council/Committee Code of Conduct.