The review shall include, but not be limited to:

• Rainfall Assessment: Quantification and verification of rainfall amounts experienced within the City during each significant storm event in July and August of 2026, including consideration of the geographic distribution, intensity and duration of rainfall.
• Engineering Standards and Best Practices: Comparison of observed rainfall amounts and storm conditions against applicable City engineering standards, design criteria and level-of-service targets, as well as relevant engineering standards and best practices used by comparable municipalities in Ontario.
• Infrastructure and System Performance: Assessment of the performance and capacity of the City’s sanitary and stormwater infrastructure / systems under normal operating conditions and during the July and August 2026 storm events.
• Natural Assets: Assessment of the role, condition, capacity and performance of natural assets that contribute to stormwater management and flood resilience, including watercourses, creeks, channels, ponds, wetlands, and other relevant natural systems.
• Infrastructure Planning and Regulatory Framework: Review of applicable infrastructure planning documents, regulations, policies and asset-management frameworks, to the extent that they relate to flood risk, flood resilience and the performance of stormwater and sanitary systems, including, but not limited to, the Draft Sanitary Master Servicing Plan, Asset Management Plan, Pollution Control Plan, Official Plan and Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval (CLI-ECA).
• By-laws and Policies: Review of applicable municipal, regional and regulatory bylaws, policies, and standards relating to stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. 
• Operations and Maintenance: Consider whether current operational programs, maintenance practices, standard operating procedures and emergency response practices for sanitary and stormwater infrastructure and related assets support flood resilience objectives and identify strategic opportunities for improvement having regard to flood resiliency planning. The review is not intended to duplicate any separate City-led reviews or initiatives concerning detailed maintenance program delivery, service levels, staffing, or operational practices
• Financial Planning and Infrastructure Investment: Review of the City’s budgeting practices, financial guidelines, capital planning processes and infrastructure program development as they relate to stormwater and sanitary infrastructure and flood resilience. In addition, any findings or recommendations identified through the review of other topics by the Flood Resilience Task Force will be incorporated into existing financial projections for the City to determine the potential financial implications and identify funding options given the City’s budgetary constraints and ability to increase the Tax Levy or Rates to accommodate requests.

Based on its review, the Task Force shall develop a comprehensive Flood Resilience Action Plan and associated recommendations.

The Action Plan shall be evidence-based and shall distinguish, where appropriate, between actions that can be implemented within existing programs and authorities and actions requiring further study, Council approval, regulatory approval, funding or capital investment.

The Action Plan shall consider, but not be limited to:

• Identification of opportunities to increase stormwater storage, retention, infiltration and conveyance capacity through traditional infrastructure, green infrastructure, and nature-based solutions.
• Identification of infrastructure retrofits, operational improvements and policy changes that can reduce flood risk in existing neighbourhoods. 
• Identification of opportunities to improve the performance, capacity and resilience of the City’s sanitary, stormwater, and natural assets.
• Identification of short-, medium- and long-term actions to improve community flood resilience.
• Development of a prioritized implementation strategy that identifies recommended actions, anticipated timelines, relative priorities, order-of-magnitude costs, and potential funding sources.
• Preparation of a business case suitable for supporting applications for Provincial and Federal funding for major flood mitigation, infrastructure renewal, and climate resilience investments.
• Confirmation that all recommendations are consistent with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, engineering standards and accepted engineering best practices.
• Identification of the anticipated operational, rate-supported and capital budget impacts associated with each recommendation, together with a proposed approach for incorporating the recommendations into the City's budgeting and capital planning processes.
• The Task Force shall also consider the relationship between its recommendations and other initiatives directed by Council or undertaken by the City in response to the 2026 flooding, including the Flood Alleviation Program, stormwater infrastructure maintenance and service-level reviews, public reporting and monitoring initiatives, public education and preparedness initiatives, and other relevant City-led work.
• Identification of relevant examples, lessons learned and successful practices from
  comparable municipalities in Ontario, where applicable.

• The Task Force shall establish appropriate processes for technical review and quality assurance of significant technical analyses, modelling, engineering assessments, cost estimates and other material relied upon in developing its findings and recommendations.
• Where appropriate, the Task Force may seek independent peer review or validation by qualified professionals, subject to available resources and applicable City approval requirements.
• Significant technical findings and recommendations shall identify, where appropriate, the principal sources of information, assumptions, methodologies and limitations upon which they are based.
• Within the first 30 days following appointment, the Task Force shall establish a work plan identifying its proposed methodology, key areas of review, anticipated interim deliverables and target date for its final report. A Member of the Task Force may provide interim updates to Council, as appropriate, and the Task Force shall provide an interim progress report to Council if requested.
• At the conclusion of its term, the Task Force shall present its findings, Flood Resilience Action Plan and recommendations to Council.

• The Task Force shall operate in a manner that complements existing City-led work. Relevant City staff shall identify and provide, subject to applicable legislation and resource availability, existing studies, reports, plans, data and ongoing initiatives relevant to the Task Force's mandate.
• Existing City work to be considered may include Master Servicing Studies, asset management planning, infrastructure renewal programs, operational and technical reviews, flood mitigation initiatives and other relevant studies or programs.
• Where the Task Force reaches a conclusion that differs materially from an existing City study, plan or technical assessment, the Task Force shall identify the difference and, where practicable, explain the basis for its conclusion.
• The Task Force shall not assume responsibility for implementing or administering separate City programs unless Council expressly assigns such responsibility.

The Task Force shall consist of up to ten members, appointed by Council, with the collective knowledge and experience necessary to fulfill the Task Force’s mandate.

Technical Members:
The Task Force shall be comprised of up to seven technical members with experience or employment, where possible, in the following areas:

• Management and oversight of municipal wastewater and / or stormwater systems and infrastructure.
• Consulting engineer specializing in the planning, design and / or construction of wastewater and / or stormwater systems and infrastructure.
• Working for a regulatory agency and/or conservation authority, with expertise in wastewater, stormwater, watershed management and / or environmental regulation.
• Contractor with experience in the construction, rehabilitation and / or maintenance of wastewater and / or stormwater infrastructure.
• Municipal emergency management or emergency planning, including severe weather response, emergency preparedness and / or continuity planning.
• Previous or current experience working in a municipal setting is desirable but is not required.
• Preference will be given to St. Catharines residents, but technical members who reside elsewhere will be considered for appointment if there is a demonstrated connection / knowledge to the technical merits and experience noted above.

Community Members:
• Up to two St. Catharines residents who were directly impacted by the 2026 flooding events.

Member of Council:
• One member of Council to serve in an ex-officio capacity.

Members shall be appointed upon Council approval and shall serve until the Task Force has completed its mandate. The Task Force shall work towards submitting its final report to Council prior to the readoption of the 2028 Budget, at which time the Task Force will be disbanded.

• The Task Force shall operate independently in developing its findings and recommendations and shall report its findings and recommendations directly to Council.
• The independence of the Task Force applies to its analysis, findings and recommendations.
•  City staff shall provide administrative, technical and informational support as provided for in these  Terms of Reference but shall not direct the Task Force's findings or recommendations.
• The Task Force shall appoint a Chair from among its appointed members. The Chair shall provide leadership and oversight of the Task Force's activities, ensure that its work remains within the approved Terms of Reference, and serve as the primary point of contact between the Task Force and City staff.
• Administrative support will be provided by the appropriate City department as designated by the Office of the City Clerk.
• Additional technical staff resources may be requested through the staff liaison.
• Staff resourcing should focus on providing information readily available through the normal work that is carried out by the City and not for the purposes of conducting investigation or analysis for the task force.
• Requests for significant staff resources, new technical investigations, external consulting services or other expenditures shall be subject to the City's applicable approval and procurement processes and the availability of an identified funding source.
• The Task Force may also request the participation of external subject-matter experts, academics, researchers or other technical resources where their expertise would assist in fulfilling the Task Force’s mandate.
• Where participation involves a cost to the City, an appropriate funding source must be identified and approved in accordance with the City's applicable policies and procedures.

The staff liaison shall facilitate appropriate communication between the Task Force and relevant City departments and shall assist the Task Force in identifying existing City studies, data, programs and technical work relevant to its mandate.

The Task Force will meet as required, or at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair shall establish meeting schedule sufficient to enable the Task Force to complete its mandate and final report within the timeline identified in these terms of reference.

The Task Force shall conduct its meetings in accordance with and otherwise comply with the City of St. Catharines Simplified Meeting Procedures for advisory bodies.

Meetings may involve site visits to locations across St. Catharines.