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2021-10-28_Council Agenda Package_Updated October 27, 2021
Page 1 of 2 of Agenda Cover Page(s) MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AGENDA Thursday, October 28, 2021 Via Facebook Live Office Location: 151 King Street, Chester, NS 1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ORDER OF BUSINESS 3. PUBLIC INPUT SESSION (15 minutes) 4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING 4.1 Council – October 14, 2021. 5. COMMITTEE REPORTS 5.1 Recreation & Parks Committee (motion for approval) – October 18, 2021 – Councillor Veinotte. 5.2 Other Committee Meetings. 6. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS 7. MATTERS ARISING 7.1 Quarterly Report Q1 and Q2 – April-June and July-September 2021 – Financial and Information Services Department. (Material to follow) 7.2 Request for Decision prepared October 13, 2021 – Community Development & Recreation – Lakeside Zone Report. 7.3 Request for Decision prepared October 19, 2021 – Community Development & Recreation – SPS Amendments to permit 5-10 Residential Units per structure by Development Agreement in the Central Commercial Zone. 7.4 Discussion – Highway 329 speed limit – Councillor Veinotte. 7.5 Broadband PowerPoint Update. 8. CORRESPONDENCE Page 2 of 2 9. NEW BUSINESS 9.1 Information Report prepared October 4, 2021 – Corporate and Strategic Management – Economic Development Sponsorship – Lunenburg County Sport Heritage Society (4th Annual Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Forest Heights Falcons). 9.2 District Council Grants: a. Chester Basin Fire Department – District 4 - $500. b. Chester Merchants – District 3 - $4,500. 9.3 Request for Decision prepared October 15, 2021 – Community Development & Recreation – Alterations to Chester Train Station (Chester Municipal Heritage Society). 9.4 Request for Decision prepared October 13, 2021 – Financial & Information Services – Financial Analyst Position. 9.5 Request for Decision – Infrastructure & Operations – Position recruitment for Director of Infrastructure & Operations, Director of Public Works, and Wastewater Engineer. 9.6 Request for Decision – Corporate & Strategic Management – Salary and Benefits Survey and Personnel Policy Review. 10. IN CAMERA 10.1 Section 22(2)(a) of the Municipal Government Act - Contract Negotiations – Acquisition, sale, lease, and security of municipal property – Haughn Property. 10.2 Section 22(2)(a) of the Municipal Government Act - Contract Negotiations – Acquisition, sale, lease, and security of municipal property – Whalen Lake. 10.3 Section 22(2)(e) of the Municipal Government Act – Contract Negotiations – New Ross Community Care. 11. ADJOURNMENT 342 MUNICIPALITY OF THE DISTRICT OF CHESTER Minutes of COUNCIL MEETING 151 King Street, Chester / Facebook Live, NS On Thursday, October 14, 2021 MEETING CALLED TO ORDER Warden Webber called the meeting to order at 8:46 a.m. Present: District 1 – Councillor Veinotte District 2 – Deputy Warden Shatford District 4 – Warden Webber District 5 – Councillor Assaff District 6 – Councillor Connors District 7 – Councillor Church Regrets: District 3 – Vacant Staff: Dan McDougall, CAO Tara Maguire, Deputy CAO Pamela Myra, Municipal Clerk Jennifer Webber, Communications Officer Emily Lennox, Executive Secretary Solicitor: Samuel Lamey, Municipal Solicitor APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ORDER OF BUSINESS Request - Legion Flyby for Remembrance Day – Warden Webber. Submissions regarding Uniform Signage By-Law. Fences Arbitration Process – appointment of alternate – CAO. Internet – Councillor Veinotte. Beaver population/damming problem – Councillor Church. 2021-390 MOVED by Deputy Warden Shatford, SECONDED by Councillor Church the agenda and order of business for the October 14, 2021, Council meeting be approved as amended. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS 4.1 Council – September 23, 2021. Council (continued) October 14, 2021 343 2021-391 MOVED by Deputy Warden Shatford, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff the minutes of the September 23, 2021, Council meeting be approved as circulated. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. COMMITTEE REPORTS 5.1 Committee of the Whole (recommendations for approval) – October 7, 2021 – Warden Webber. 2021-392 MOVED by Councillor Church, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford the motions of the October 7, 2021, Committee of the Whole meeting be approved as follows: 2021-376 – “… submit the following ten roads/streets to the NS Department of Transportation & Active Transit for consideration in the J-Class Roads Paving Program: Street/Road Community District Location Description Ranked Aggregate Score (100 Max) Surface/Comments Length (Meters) Estimated Cost Total MODC Portion Adams Rd Western Shore 5 Trunk 3 to End 63 Chip seal on sand seal 150 $52,100 $26,050 Brunswick St Village of Chester 3 Regent to Union 63 Chip seal on sand seal, ongoing construction in this area 170 $59,000 $29,500 Myra Rd Western Shore 5 Trunk 3 to end 63 Chip seal 170 $59,000 $29,500 Stevens Rd East Chester 1 Trunk 3 to end 63 sand seal 400 $138,800 $69,400 Walker Rd Village of Chester 3 Victoria St to end of public ROW 62 paved 1050 $364,400 $182,200 Valerie Avenue Chester Basin 4 Lacey Mines to end 60 gravel 160 $55,500 $27,750 Forest Village Rd Simms Settlement 2 TRUNK 3 to end 59 Chip seal 800 $277,600 $138,800 Council (continued) October 14, 2021 344 Main St Village of Chester 3 Victoria to Valley 59 Chip seal on sand seal 300 $104,100 $52,050 Main St Village of Chester 3 Queen to Duke 59 Chip seal on sand seal 140 $48,600 $24,300 Union St Village of Chester 3 Water St. to duke 59 Chip seal on sand seal / may want to consider St closure or conversion to trail 55 $19,100 $9,550” 2021-377 – “… appoint the Deputy CAO to the Fences and Arbitration Committee.” 2021-378 – “… waive the tipping fee generated by the demolition of the former Windjammer Motel by the Village of Chester, subject to any asbestos material being removed.” 2021-379 – “… purchase of 500 additional green carts (plus parts/lids), with an additional cost of approximately $46,931 including net HST.” 2021-380 – In Camera 2021-381 – “… approve the provision of a tax receipt in the amount of $200,000 for the transfer of the property, Southwest Island, and direct the Solicitor to complete the transfer of land.” ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 5.2 Nominating Committee (recommendations for approval) – October 7, 2021 – Councillor Connors. Councillor Connors reported on the meeting held, noting that the Equity, Diversion, and Inclusion Committee had received more than enough applicants – the selection was difficult. 2021-393 MOVED by Councillor Connors, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff that Council approve the recommendations from the October 7, 2021, meeting of the Nominating Committee as follows: Council (continued) October 14, 2021 345 2021-385 – “… appoint Patricia Bates to the Recreation & Parks Committee for a three-year term.” 2021-386 – “… appoint the Carol Nauss and Robert Young to the Heritage Advisory Committee for one-year terms.” 2021-387 – “… appoint the following people at two- and three-year terms as noted to the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee: Shelley McCorriston – 3-year term; Lorraine Burch- 2-year term; Carol Millett – 3-year term; David Broome – 2-year term; Joud Alouch – 2-year term; and Robert Young – 3-year term.” 2021-388 – “… appoint Robert Mitchell to the Landfill Advisory Committee for a two-year term.” ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 5.3 Lunenburg County Seniors’ Safety Program Monthly Report – September – Councillor Connors. Councillor Connors reviewed the September 2021 Lunenburg County Seniors’ Safety Program Monthly Report, noting that the September meeting was the first held after the summer break. At the meeting they welcomed some new board members to the committee, NS Legal Aid, and a new representative from the RCMP. MATTERS ARISING 7.1 Second Reading – Adoption - Uniform Signage By-Law No. 152. Warden Webber indicated that there has been correspondence received regarding the proposed by-law from Lisa LaFrance, Linda Muir, and Blue Fin Tuna. Emily Statton, Planner, outlined the emails and calls received, noting that most request were with regard to the process, i.e., when signs come down, when new signs go up and when they would receive the letter stating when the signs would be taken down. She noted that information on the by-law was included in a recent municipal newsletter. She also indicated that she would respond to the person who was not in favour, explaining that the project is Council (continued) October 14, 2021 346 meant to address highway signs in certain areas. Businesses are welcome to use artistic expression on their own properties. Deputy Warden Shatford indicated that he spoke to a business group and feels that Hubbards is ready for the by-law to be in place. Councillor Connors echoed Deputy Warden Shatford’s comments, noting that she has also heard from a businessperson in New Ross. She is in favour of the uniform signage project. 2021-394 MOVED by Deputy Warden Shatford, SECONDED by Councillor Church that Council conduct Second and Final Reading for the adoption of the Uniform Signage By-Law No. 152 to provide for the control of the erection, display, maintenance, and placement of uniform advertising signs in the municipality for the purpose of providing an effective wayfinding system for the travelling public outlined in Schedule A (from 46 Highway 3 to 443 Highway 3). ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 7.2 Quarterly Report - Infrastructure and Operations Department. Present was Christa Rafuse, Director of Infrastructure and Operations to review the Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 Quarterly Report, commenting on the following: Safety and administration: o Safe operating procedures, site inspections and corrective actions. o Vacant positions and training for staff. Strategic priorities and operational initiatives: o J-Class Roads, Landfill Cell 3B Design and Construction, Traffic Impact Study, Trail Bridges, Gold River Bridge Review, Leachate Plant Upgrade, Mill Cove Fire Protection System, Mill Cove WWTP addition of biofilter unit, and Landfill Business Planning. The wastewater system capital projects and maintenance and operations: o Wastewater Study, reporting, and maintenance. Solid Waste maintenance and operations as well as tonnages: o Site work – public drop off, repairs to asphalt ramp, recyclable area rock wall needs repair, coverall building needs new cover, fencing, road work, new equipment, Valley Waste Liaison Committee, on-site maintenance, off-site maintenance, met with new By-Law Officer to review illegal dumping, and tonnages. New dozer arriving tomorrow afternoon and excavator should be here sometime this month or early November. Physical properties and capital projects as well as maintenance and operations: o Wharves, boat launches, and floats (will bring an RFD), bridges, parking upgrade in East River is complete and well used, properties fall maintenance to get done, trail art installs, roads, streetlighting, traffic control being undertaken and will Council (continued) October 14, 2021 347 have data to council in the future, green cart delivery, Mill Cove fire protection, and contract services have been difficult to get out, trail brush cutting being completed. Statistics for Public Works reviewed. Questions were asked and answered regarding: Time involved to receive studies from contractors – deadlines not met – contractor issue or staff issue; Wharf infrastructure – upcoming RFD regarding options; Wastewater Strategy – when would it be provided to Council for discussion? In November. Assistance with trail art projects; Radar unit locations schedule. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS - There were no public presentations. CORRESPONDENCE 8.1 Email dated October 6, 2021, from David Richardson, Upper Blandford, regarding the federal and provincial plans to apply punitive property taxes to non-resident cottage owners. There was a brief discussion on the initiative by the province, however, there has been no information provided to Municipalities that would be useful in determining the impact. The CAO indicated that staff would try to estimate the number of properties that could potentially be affected/impacted and estimate the revenue generated. If there was more detail, we might be able to refine the estimate. It was noted that the revenue seems to be earmarked for housing, but, again, no details are available. The Deputy CAO indicated that staff have spoken with Mr. Richardson and this letter was a formal expression of his concerns. NEW BUSINESS 9.1 Request for Direction prepared October 1, 2021 – Corporate & Strategic Management Department – Regional Emergency Management By-Law Amendment. 2021-395 MOVED by Councillor Church, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford THAT Council give notice of the intention to amend the existing Regional Emergency Management Council (continued) October 14, 2021 348 By-Law 146 approved by Council on April 9, 2014, and conduct First Reading of same to include the Town of Lunenburg. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 9.2 Request for Decision prepared September 15, 2021 – Financial & Information Department – Reduction of Taxes Under Policy P-23 (Chester Playhouse). Tim Topping, Director of Financial and Information Services reviewed the Request for Decision regarding the request for a Reduction of Taxes Under Policy P-23 (Chester Playhouse). 2021-396 MOVED by Deputy Warden Shatford, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff that Council approve a reduction in the 2021/22 taxes payable for assessment account number 04752988 for the Chester Playhouse in the amount of $582.55; this tax reduction will be written off to Allowance for Uncollectible Taxes Account. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 9.3 Council District Grant Request – New Ross Regional Development Society - $1,000. 2021-397 MOVED by Councillor Connors, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff that Council approve the request of the New Ross Regional Development Society for a Council District Grant (District 6) in the amount of $1,000. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 9.4 Appointment of Nominating Committee to review Council appointments to Committee in November (date for meeting to be determined). Warden Webber appointed Councillor Church, Councillor Veinotte, and Deputy Warden Shatford to the Nominating Committee. 9.5 A letter was received from Sam Collicutt, President of the Bridgewater Royal Canadian Legion regarding the Flyby Request to be held on Remembrance Day. 2021-398 MOVED by Councillor Veinotte, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff that Council approve the request for the 2021 Remembrance Day Flyby and authorize the Warden to sign the letter and direct staff to forward the information required. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 9.6 Fences and Arbitration Committee – Alternate Required. 2021-399 MOVED by Councillor Assaff, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford that Council appoint the CAO as the Alternate to the Deputy CAO on the Fences and Arbitration Committee. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. 9.7 Internet – Councillor Veinotte. Council (continued) October 14, 2021 349 Councillor Veinotte indicated that it had been some time since Council has received any updates on internet. It is a priority of Council, and it is expected that updates be provided. There have been a number of initiatives that Develop NS has undertaken, but he is unsure of what they are or the timing for residents. The Deputy CAO indicated that an update can be provided for the next meeting, however, a workshop will be held to determine the larger role that the Municipality is going to take. It was noted that there may be a discrepancy in the mapping that Develop NS uses and the mapping from the federal government. It was also noted that there are some areas within the Municipality that have terrible connections to the internet. It was greed that the workshop will take place as soon as possible and an update will be provided next week. 9.8 Beaver population and blocked culverts – Councillor Church. Councillor Church indicated that beavers have blocked a culvert on North Middle River Road, and it is causing concern for the residents in the adjacent vicinity. She would like a letter to be forwarded to the Provincial Department of Transportation & Active Transit requesting that the culvert be unplugged. There are also residents who are concerned with potential flooding and being unable to access Larder Lake Road via North Middle River Road. 2021-400 MOVED by Councillor Church, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford that Council authorize a letter to be forwarded to the Provincial Department of Transportation & Active Transit and request that the culvert on North Middle River Road be assessed and unplugged; residents are concerned with potential flooding and being unable to access the road if waters rise. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. IN CAMERA – No Items for Discussion. ADJOURNMENT 2021-401 MOVED by Councillor Church, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford the meeting adjourn. (9:37 a.m.) ___________________________ ___________________________ Allen Webber Pamela Myra Warden Municipal Clerk RECOMMENDATION FROM OCTOBER 18, 2021 RECREATION & PARKS COMMITTEE REQUIRING APPROVAL OF COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 28, 2021 The Recreation Committee met to review the grant applications. The Recreation Committee had a budget of $20,000 and they received $22,932.50 in requests from 13 organizations. Please see attached list including notes below. 2021-408 CMRC GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS MOVED by Olivia Corkum, SECONDED by Brad Armstrong, that the Recreation Committee recommend to Council to approve $20,000 in Recreation Grants to the applications as per the Committee’s recommendations (see attached list below). MOTION CARRIED. 1 FINANCE DEPARTMENT – 2nd QUARTER REPORT For the six-months ended September 30, 2021 Finance Department and Information Services merged into Finance and Information Services. A separate Information Services report will outline Information Services activities. 2021/22 ACHIEVEMENTS Report to Audit Committee completed – meeting held June 22 Posting of Council and CAO quarterly remuneration and expenses on Web site Final Tax bills issued Tax financing program policy updated Temporary borrowing resolutions prepared and approved by Council for spring and fall debenture issues Prepared draft multi-year capital budgets to be submitted to Province in Capital Investment Plan (CIP) Prepared 1st quarter statement of operations and year end forecast Continued tracking of machine and labour time and landfill modeling Purchase Order module testing completed METRICS for first half of 2021/22 fiscal year April to Sept 2021 HST Returns Due 2 remittances: 1 due Oct 31, 2021 & 1 filed on time July 31, 2021 CRA payroll remittances 18 remittances: 18 filed on time CRA WCB remittances 10 remittances: 10 filed on time By-law 148 Water Supply Loans - # loans 5 new loans (total of 17) By-law 148 Water Supply Loans - $ value approved (max $150,000 per year) $42,893 new this year (total $132,373) Final tax bills issued Sept 8, 2021 13,755 bills (525 bills to foreign owners) Outstanding final tax bills as at Oct 19, 2021 $7,521,325 or 84% of total bills issued A financial Operating Fund interim statement and year end forecast, and variance analysis is attached on pages 3-5. 2021/22 PRIORITIES FOR REMAINDER OF THE YEAR Quarterly financial reports and year end forecasts Implement asset retirement obligation policy (PS 3280) – investigate asset retirement costs Budget preparation for 2022/23 capital budgets – target Jan 2022 Budget preparation for 2022/23 operating budgets – target Mar 2022 Implement Purchase Order Module and other pieces of procurement policy revision 2 Annual filing of payroll T4’s and related reports – target Feb 2022 Tax sale – Nov 23 and another in spring 2022 – backlog due to pandemic Policy compliance monitoring Implement investment policy – long-term cash flow analysis Analysis of Landfill machine and labour time and landfill modeling 2020/21 COUNCIL PRIORITIES FOR FINANCE (FIS) PRIORITIES SPECIFIC ACTIONS & NOTES RESPONSIBLE TIMING LEAD SUPPORT PROCUREMENT STRATEGY Implement PO module and update Procurement platform FIS IAO Q3/4 2021/22 P-cards and Procurement policy review/revision FIS CSM Q4 2021-22 INVESTMENT POLICY Implementation of approved policy Detailed long-term cash flow analysis to be prepared to facilitate effective use of invested funds FIS CSM Q4 2021/22 TAX EXEMPTION BYLAW REVIEW Preform membership restrictions review, economic impact assessment, and jurisdictional scan FIS CDR Q4 / 2020-21 TAX SALE OPTIONS REPORT Research alternative options for carrying out Tax Sales FIS CSM 2022/23 Definitions of council priorities coding: HIGH | NORMAL | LOW have been taken from the 2021-24 Strategic Planning and Priorities work. This Work Plan does not capture Department operational priorities & projects nor day-to-day work programs that affect the Municipality’s organizational capacity or resources 2021/22 FINANCIAL FORECAST The Operating Fund financial forecast, based upon results for the six months ended September 30, 2021, shows a surplus forecast for the year ended March 31, 2022, of $875,637. The following statement shows revenues and expenses by program areas. 3 4 The surplus of $875,637 is primarily due to increased deed transfer tax, savings in Landfill costs (Sustane), increased wind turbine revenue, and temporary positional vacancies, offset by significant increases in transfers to reserves (as shown above). The Operating Fund surplus also includes expenditures for transfers to Reserves. There is a $1,063,899 increase in the transfers to reserves due to net program surpluses. This is largely related to waste collection & disposal area rate surplus. The landfill costs to Sustane have not yet materialized and are driving significant favorability in landfill operations and increased transfers to reserve. Therefore, overall, the Municipality is forecast to have a $1,939,535 surplus when you consider the increase in the Reserve funds. 5 2020/21 FINANCIAL FORECAST (continued) Capital budget forecast 2021-10-27 1 Information Services Third Wave Edition Quarterly Update – September 23, 2021 Server Infrastructure Replacement •Request for Decision to Council September 9th, 2021 •Existing servers will be replaced at MOC and DR site. •KM Landfill will receive old gear to support wireless infrastructure and misc. needs 1 2 2021-10-27 2 IT / GIS Support •New Executive Assistant – Emily Lennox •New Accessibility Coordinator – Ellen Johnson •Danielle Barkhouse – outgoing Council •Water Coupon system updated to support initiative in 2022 if necessary •Ongoing support of the wastewater strategy Records Management / Laserfiche •Laserfiche upgraded to version 11 •Continue to support internal search requests and forms requests. •Laserfiche advice and support provided to Annapolis County and the Town of Bridgewater •Current Snapshot - approx. 4 million pages across 540,000 documents. 3 4 2021-10-27 3 Purchase Order Module •Testing phase, Budget vs Committed vs Actual Functionality. •To be completed in Quarter 4 Procurement Support •Templates created for Standard Agreement, RFQ and RFP. •Case file management, staff advisory, advertising, supplier notifications, evaluations and debriefing. •Staples business advantage account setup. 5 6 2021-10-27 4 Helpdesk at a Glance Access E11 Citizen Requests and Issue Tracking 7 8 2021-10-27 5 Access E11 Heat Map Quarterly Email Traffic 12 % Spam **approx. Time savings - 7 hours per employee per year. 9 10 2021-10-27 6 Routine Access and FOIPOP Requests 1 Routine Access Requests and 2 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Requests 11 12 REQUEST FOR DECISION Prepared By: Emily Statton, Planner & Garth Sturtevant, Senior Planner Date October 13, 2021 Reviewed By: Chad Haughn, Director CDD&R Date Authorized By: Dan McDougall, CAO Date October 14, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION On December 17th, 2020 a Request for Direction was prepared by Staff for Council on a request from Wil- Dor Park Property Owners Association (the Applicant) to rezone from General Basic to Settlement Residential One. Council felt they could not make a decision without more information. It was agreed to defer a decision and for staff to prepare additional options for consideration. This would include the potential impacts on where the new zone would and would not apply, and how rezoning may impact development. A report was presented to Council on June 10, 2021 to outline options on how to proceed with the request from Wil-dor Park and Sherbrooke Forest. Council had a lengthy discussion and ultimately sent the report and draft zone to the Municipal Planning Advisory Committee for a recommendation. Council did indicate that the preferred approach would be Option 2, which would see all properties around a specific lake considered as part of a rezoning request. The request could be launched by a group, as in the case of Wil-dor Park, or an individual, but Council would consider a rezoning which would be accompanied by the standard public engagement process. Staff presented an updated report to the Municipal Planning Advisory Committee at a meeting held on August 18, 2021. The Committee provided a recommendation to Council. The report is now coming to Council for a decision to proceed with 1st Reading to adopt the Lakeside Zone, request changes to the zone before adoption or to abandon the amendments to introduce the Lakeside Zone. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommend Option 2. This option reflects the initial discussion with Council held on June 10th, 2021 as follows: 2. Give 1st Reading to the draft Lakeside Zone as presented in Appendix A without the changes recommended by MPAC. Further, set a date for a Public Hearing for Thursday, November 18th, 2021 at 8:45am in Municipal Council Chambers. REPORT TO: Municipal Council MEETING DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBMITTED BY: Community Development & Recreation SUBJECT: Municipal Planning Strategy Amendments to Create the Lakeside Zone ORIGIN: Wil-Dor Park Property Owners Request for Rezoning 2 Request for Decision BACKGROUND A Lakeside Zone has been a topic and point of discussion with the Applicant beginning in 2018. Some of these initial discussions happened during the Municipal Plan Review, which, at the time remained in a pre- liminary state with few final decisions outlined. Staff discussed potential options and the process for undertaking an amendment to the planning documents was outlined to the Applicant. These discussions continued intermittently as work on the new Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law continued. In 2019 staff advised the Applicant that the best option would be to select a zone from the new plan and request rezoning. This was due to the timing of the discussion, with the Municipal planning documents in a final draft form and moving toward adoption. Additionally, there had been several recent requests that Council rezone lakefront properties to new, unique zones, which were deemed inappropriate. In 2020 the Applicant held an internal vote amongst association members to request a rezoning to Settlement Residential One (SR-1) and approached Council with a letter dated September 11, 2020 requesting this change. Council has received several similar requests from other communities within the past two years. The exact circumstances and desired outcomes vary slightly, but there is a common call to limit commercial and industrial development in the interest of preserving a low density, residential lakefront environment. In some instances, the requests also seek additional environmental protections. The following communities have requested changes to zoning around lakes: Harris & DeAdder Lakes – request to rezone all properties surrounding the lake to Single Unit Residential (SU) Zone. Primary concern was to prevent commercial (RV Parks or campgrounds) from being developed adjacent to the lake and existing, single unit dwellings. When the request was presented to Council in 2018, staff were directed to create a petition requesting that all the identified lake owners vote to indicate their support or opposition to the proposal for increased land use controls through the application to rezone the area. Of the 54 mailed petition packages, 45 were signed and returned by the listed deadline. The response rate was 83.3%. Of the 83.3% that had voted, 1/3 of them were in favour of the rezoning. 2/3 of the voters were not in favour of rezoning. It is important to note that the no votes include ‘non- response’ surveys as this can impact the likelihood of a survey succeeding or not. Following Council discussion, a motion was passed to maintain the General Basic Zone as requested by the petition results. Clearwater Hills Subdivision (Long Lake & Clearwater Lake) – concerns with concrete RV pads being developed in a shared Right-of-Way. Request to rezone to prevent campgrounds and multiple RV’s, coupled with environmental concerns around runoff and lake health. Sherbrooke Lake – a group of residents, not specifically representing Wil-Dor Park, met with staff and requested that the Citizen’s Planning Advisory Committee and Council increase zoning and protections for water quality. This was ultimately incorporated as part of the Municipal Plan Review, however several of the requested regulations were deemed too restrictive for rural areas and were not implemented in the new planning documents. This includes maintenance and replacement of vegetated buffers and further limits on development near the shoreline. 3 Request for Decision Most Recently: Wil-Dor Park (Sherbrooke Lake) – request to rezone all properties to Settlement Residential One (SR-1). Concerns include limiting possible impacts on the roads maintained by the association, and prohibiting uses like campgrounds, RV parks, kennels, manufactured homes, shipping containers and heavy industrial uses. Sherbrooke Forest (Sherbrooke Lake) – request to rezone from General Basic (GB) to a newly created zone classification specific to lakeside communities. The group wants to see increased zoning regulations and environmental protections including limiting land use around lakes and in the surrounding community to protect their ‘quiet residential nature and fragile environment’. At the June 10th Council meeting, staff presented a report outlining options for how the zone could be applied and proceed. Given the uncertainty in Council’s preferred direction for applying the Lakeside Zone, the options were presented in as complete a form as possible. Council considered the following options and selected Option 2 (underlined) as the preferred option to be sent to MPAC for consideration and a recommendation: 1) Municipal-wide Rezoning – Potentially the best practice planning approach, provides equity and prioritizes environmental protection while allow ing appropriately scaled residential development in the areas directly adjacent to lakes. This option would see the Lakeside Zone applied to all properties located on all waterbodies identified on the Lakefront Overlay map within the Municipality. Staff have created the Lakeside Zone to be universal for any lakeside community. This option would rezone all properties that boarder a lake or waterbody, in any character area. This would create a uniform rezone and regulations for use and environmental constraints for all current and future development. Should Council choose this option, staff would likely propose some additional development options facilitated through a Development Agreement. This would allow uses such as multi-unit dwellings and campgrounds to be developed in this zone subject to strict criteria and regulations to maintain the intent of the Lakeside Zone. 2) Lake-wide Rezoning Upon Request- This is a balanced approach and would apply to all lands around a specific lake upon formal request by a community. For example, Wil-Dor and Sherbrook Forest requested a zone change so all of Sherbrooke Lake would be rezoned to Lakeside Zone. This ensures optimal water quality protection as the regulations will apply to all properties around a lake, unlike spot zoning. This option addresses the request of the Applicant to apply the Lakeside Zone to the lands of the Wil-Dor Park Homeowners Association and the Sherbrooke Forest Property Owners Association and make the zone available for other communities upon request. 3) Request Based Application – This approach is reactionary and would only apply the zone to lands of groups who request it. This will create at best a patchwork of strictly regulated areas adjacent to lakes, however, these areas may abut or be surrounded by less regulated areas which may 4 Request for Decision continue to degrade or worsen pollution problems. This option also addresses the request of the Applicant to apply the Lakeside Zone to the lands of the Wil-Dor Park Homeowners Association and the Sherbrooke Forest Property Owners Association and make the zone available for other communities upon request. This request could be via formal petition to Council. 4) Do not adopt Lakeside Zone- This approach is the least impactful as it would not rezone as requested by the Applicant. If this option is chosen, the current zone regulations and Lakefront Overlay will continue to apply to the community as shown in the Land Use By-Law. It was also noted at the June 10th Council meeting that the request will be separated into two files should the draft Lakeside Zone proceed to 1st reading. The first file will be the amendments to the Chester Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law to create the Lakeside Zone. The second file, which will follow the adoption of the Lakeside Zone and will be accompanied by a separate report, is the proposal to rezone all properties around Sherbrooke Lake within the Municipality of Chester. This second report will proceed via the standard procedure for plan amendments, including rezoning, with a Public Information Meeting advertised and held prior to the report being considered by the Municipal Planning Advisory Committee. DISCUSSION Staff are proposing a new zone, the Lakeside Zone (Appendix A) for consideration. The zone has been designed to work in conjunction with the Lakefront Overlay and other existing features in the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law. The Lakefront Overlay is referenced in the Land Use By-law with requirements for setbacks and limits on hard surfaces. These provisions apply to all areas identified on a map included with the By-law. The Lakeside Zone will have regulations that apply in addition to the Lakefront Overlay. These regulations are designed to preserve water quality while allowing for low density residential development. The regulations also seek to preserve and protect a quiet, residential living environment. Provisions in the Lakeside Zone include maintaining a vegetated buffer of 10m inland from the ordinary high-water mark and limiting the maximum size for pathways accessing the water. These provisions are important to protect water quality and limit the impact of development on lakes. The Lakeside Zone will address concerns heard from the Applicant and other groups. It will allow up to two dwellings units per lot with limited home-based business uses (ie. professional services, craft workshops, home office, studios, cottage or RV rentals) with no commercial and industrial uses permitted. ‘Forestry Processing’ (the main use of a building, structure, land or part thereof, for milling, sawing, or other primary processing, and does not include maple sugar operations, Christmas tree farming and transport of finished product) will be permitted with required setbacks from the ordinary high-water mark and property boundaries. A vegetated buffer with a 10m setback from the ordinary high-water mark will be required with a 30% allowance to remove trees and underbrush for filtered views and access to the lake. Within the vegetated buffer, pathways will have a maximum width of 4.5m, which is estimated to allow an average size boat launch. As voiced by the applicant and considered by staff, up to 2 RVs 5 Request for Decision depending on whether a dwelling unit also exists, will be allowed on a lot. Farm animals can be a major contributor to nutrient loading and pollution therefore they are permitted within the zone but will require a minimum lot size and larger setbacks from property lines and the ordinary high-water mark to ensure water quality. Unlike most zones that follow property boundaries, the Lakeside Zone will have flexibility when defining zone boundaries based on Council’s site-specific determination. This approach is to safeguard water quality by enabling potential zoning of properties along the shoreline in addition to some properties inland from the lake. Development on lakes vary as some are small, clustered properties while others are larger, deep lots. Council shall decide on the extent of the zone based on criteria such as local context, lot size, proximity to public roads, and existing community character. Staff conducted a jurisdictional review as background in preparing this report. Following the review, staff have modelled the proposed zone and approach from elements of the Kings County and East Hants planning documents. These Municipalities take a similar approach to the protection of water quality and regulation of development around lakes. Provisions including vegetated buffers along the shoreline and restricting development uses to residential uses with options for home-based business uses are common to both plans. Public Engagement Process As per the public participation program found in section 9.1 in the Municipal Planning Strategy and section 3.17 of the Land Use By-law, staff has a process to follow for any amendments made to those documents. When an application is made to rezone, property owners within 30m of the subject property, including the subject property, will receive a written notification package by regular mail describing the amendment and stating the date and time for a public hearing. This is also posted on the Municipal website, office doors, and a sign is posted on the subject property. If a general amendment is undertaken, a notification package is not required for neighbouring properties as it impacts a much larger area however, the notification is still posted on the Municipal website and office doors. The selected Option 2 – Consider Lake Wide Rezoning on Request, will involve a mail out notification package to neighbouring properties within 30m of the subject site(s). MUNICIPAL PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE At the August 18th meeting of the Municipal Planning Advisory Committee, staff presented the report, draft Lakeside Zone and direction from Council to proceed with Option 2 – Consider Lake Wide Rezoning on Request. Following discussion and questions from Committee members, MPAC passed the following motion: MOVED by Lee Harnish, SECONDED by Ross Shatford to recommend to Council to adopt the Lakeside Zone with the change to clarify that tree cutting and logging operations is not part of Forestry Processing and before the zone is applied to any lake in the Municipality to undertake a 6 Request for Decision petition vote process with affected landowners in which the majority would have to support the request before the rezoning could proceed. MOTION CARRIED. The recommendation from MPAC would see the proposed amendments proceed, with a text addition to add language to state that tree cutting, and logging operations are not considered Forestry Processing. Further, the motion recommends that Council undertake a petition process for each area that is proposed to be rezoned to the Lakeside Zone. The addition of language to the draft amendments is in response to concerns expressed at the MPAC meeting and Public Information meeting regarding the impact of the proposed zone on Forestry operations. Staff assert that this additional language will have no impact on the draft amendments and is unnecessary. Forestry Processing and Primary Processing are defined terms in the Municipal Land Use By- law, which confirm that the intended regulations would not apply to the cutting of trees. Forestry processing means the use of a building, structure, land, or part thereof, for milling, sawing, or other primary processing, and does not include maple sugar operations, Christmas tree farming and transport of finished product. Primary processing means the initial processing of raw materials or resources for transformation into food and/or goods for use, further processing, or sale. The second aspect of the MPAC motion, was to recommend that Council undertake a petition process each time a rezoning to Lakeside Zone is considered. This issue had been previously discussed with Council at the June 10th meeting. Council, in providing initial direction to MPAC had agreed that a petition was not warranted as this process should proceed in a similar way to other rezoning files. Rezoning to Lakeside or any other zone would follow the Municipality’s standard public engagement procedure. PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING There were 6 community members in attendance. The comments included: Lakeside communities and development should receive the same protections from commercial use and environmental impacts that residential subdivisions in other areas receive. In support of the proposed zone. A question on Forestry Processing to clarify that the cutting of trees and hauling logs off the property is not classified and regulated as Forestry Processing in the LUB. Staff reviewed. definitions from the LUB and also mentioned that at MPAC it was suggested to add additional wording to the Lakeside Zone to confirm the cutting of trees is not regulated. Picking up from the discussion at MPAC meeting, Gully Lake is an integral part of Sherbrooke Lake and should be zoned the same as the rest of Sherbrook Lake. A question was asked whether all property owners on the lake receives a tax bill. 7 Request for Decision Property being developed across the lake in MODL has cleared to the shoreline and cut most trees on the lot. MOC should be a leader by adopting the Lakeside Zone and lead by example in the area of environmental protection of lakes. When the file is presented to Municipal Council, will the report include options on how the petition process (recommended by MPAC) could be conducted? Staff responded, no, as the initial Council direction did not include the petition, a discussion with Council will be required first, If Council chooses to use a petition, staff could return at a later date to outline options. A member of the public stated they were against the petition process being included. They think that Council should make the decision in the best interest of all residents in the area. Similar to most other decisions of Council. It was noted that adding additional language to the Lakeside Zone on cutting trees could be bad practice as staff have stated that existing definitions in the LUB already cover this question. Another member stated they do not agree with the petition process either. They stated that in this case, both homeowners’ associations who have requested the change have held internal votes, which could give Council some gauge on the level of support in the area. IMPLICATIONS Policy Implementation of a new zone in Municipal Land use By-law and policy in Municipal Planning Strategy Financial/Budgetary n/a Environmental If adopted the zone will implement new regulations, including vegetated buffers. This will have a positive impact on the environment and in particular, around lakes where the zone is applied. Strategic Plan Support environmental conservation & protection initiatives and efforts to tackle the impact of climate change. Ensure municipal bylaw and policy frameworks reflect current and changing needs. Work Program Implications Significant staff time has been spent to date to bring forward the request of Wil-dor Park and Sherbrooke Forest in addition to drafting and revising the proposed Lakeside Zone. Additional staff time will be required to implement the zone and potentially rezone properties around Sherbrooke Lake, should the amendment proceed. If the proposed zone is rejected, staff anticipate receiving future requests, as shown by the recent series of requests documented in this report, from property owners seeking environmental and property protection for development around lakes. Has Legal review been completed? _X_ Yes___ No ___ N/A OPTIONS Staff present the following four options for consideration. Option 2 is the recommended approach as indicated by underlined text: 8 Request for Decision 1. Approve the recommendation from MPAC and give 1st Reading to the draft Lakeside Zone with direction to staff to add language to explicitly state in the zone that the cutting and hauling of trees is not ‘forestry processing’ and also to establish a petition process that would be undertaken before lands would be rezoned to Lakeside Zone. Further, set a date for a Public Hearing for Thursday, November 17th, 2021 at 8:45am in Municipal Council Chambers. 2. Give 1st Reading to the draft Lakeside Zone as presented in Appendix A without the changes recommended by MPAC. Further, set a date for a Public Hearing for Thursday, November 18th, 2021 at 8:45am in Municipal Council Chambers. 3. Defer making a decision pending additional information from staff; 4. Reject the proposed Lakeside Zone (Appendix A) and deny the request of the Wil-dor Park Property Owners Association for rezoning. ATTACHMENTS Appendix A: Draft Amendments to Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law 9 Request for Decision Appendix A – Proposed Amendments to the Chester Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law AMENDMENTS TO THE CHESTER MUNICIPAL PLANNING STRATEGY Be it enacted by the Council of the Municipality of Chester as follows: 1) Add text at Section 6.6 to create the Lakeside Zone and supporting policy statements CHESTER MUNICIPAL PLANNING STRATEGY Underlined text is added. Strikethrough text is deleted 6.6 LAKESIDE ZONE The Lakeside (LS) zone is intended to provide opportunities for low-density development, fresh water related recreation, leisure activities, and habitation to reduce the need to clear large areas of the lakeshore for development and to reduce the number of septic systems. This is intended for existing developed areas surrounding lakes as well as areas for future development. POLICY GOALS The primary purpose of the Lakeside (LS) zone is to protect water quality To safeguard essential character of lakefront residential areas To prohibit commercial and industrial uses To provide for and protect lakefront residential communities comprised of detached, single- family homes and residential use type compatible with quiet, family-living environment. To enable low density residential development on lands surrounding lakes while protecting the sensitive riparian environment. To provide flexibility to recognize the pre-existing development patterns and the hardship of strict limitations on property owners. To protect lake water quality in the Lakeside (LS) zone shall take priority in the event of a conflict between residential and recreational uses with lake water quality. Council adopts the following policies for the Lakeside Zone: POLICY E-41 The Lakeside (LS) Zone shall be created in the Land Use By-Law and shall be applied in all Character Areas, the extent of which shall be shown on the Zoning map in the Land Use By-Law. POLICY E-42 For the purpose of protecting water quality from the impacts of development and associated runoff, the Lakeside Zone shall have flexibility when defining boundaries based on Council’s site- specific decisions. Zones typically follow property boundaries however this approach is to safeguard water quality by enabling potential zoning of properties along the shoreline and the properties inland from the lake. Council shall make a decision on the extent of the zone based on criteria such as local context, lot size, proximity to public roads, and lakeside community character. POLICY E-43 In the Lakeside (LS) Zone, the permitted land uses, levels of land use intensity, and approval processes shall be tiered according to their assigned level, and shall: 10 Request for Decision a) Permit up to two (2) dwelling unit per lot; b) Permit limited home-based business uses as outlined in Land Use By-Law; c) Permit Forestry Processing uses as outlined in the Land Use By-Law; d) Permit Farm Animals as outlined in the Land Use By-Law; e) Prohibit industrial, institutional, and commercial uses. POLICY E-44 The Land Use By-Law shall allow for the following uses in the Lakeside (LS) Zone by development permit: a) Up to two (2) dwelling units on a lot; b) Limited home-based businesses; c) Rearing, breeding, boarding, sheltering and keeping of Farm Animals subject to provisions as specified in the Land Use By-Law; d) Forestry Processing. POLICY E-45 May require conservative lot standards, yard requirements, setbacks, retention, or establishment of vegetative buffers, and building size controls to protect lake heath and preserve natural vegetation. POLICY E-46 Shall not consider rezoning lands from the Lakeside (LS) zone to any other zones enabled within the designation without amendments to this Municipal Planning Strategy. POLICY E-47 May collaborate with landowners and other levels of government to promote best practices in watershed management. POLICY E-48 May continue to support lake monitoring programs and the effect of development on lake water quality. AMENDMENTS TO THE CHESTER MUNICIPAL LAND USE BY-LAW Be it enacted by the Council of the Municipality of Chester as follows: 1) Add text as Section 9.4 to describe and outline the Lakeside Zone and corresponding regulations from 9.4.1 to 9.4.11. CHESTER MUNICIPAL LAND USE BY-LAW Underlined text is added. Strikethrough text is deleted 9.4 Lakeside Zone 9.4.1 Lakeside Zone In addition to the underlying zone requirements, the lakefront overlay criteria shall apply to all development. 9.4.2 Permitted Uses and Developments 11 Request for Decision Max. Approval Min. Front Min. Side Min. Rear Height of Process Yard Yard Yard Structure The following uses are permitted in the Lakeside (LS) zone subject to the specific approval process and standards: Residential 1 – 2 dwelling units on a lot DP 3 m 3 m 3 m 11 m Home-based Business DP Subject to section 9.4.6 Other Forestry Processing DP Subject to section 9.4.7 Farm Animals DP Subject to section 9.4.8 9.4.3 Prohibited Uses and Developments The following uses and developments are prohibited in the Lakeside (LS) zone: a) all light and heavy industrial uses; b) commercial uses. 9.4.4 Special Requirement: Vegetated Buffers Within the Lakeside (LS) zone a vegetated buffer area is required to lessen the impact of surface and subsurface runoff on water quality. Vegetated buffers reduce sedimentation and help protect property from erosion. Within the Lakeside (LS) zone, the following requirements apply: a) property owners shall retain natural vegetation within 10 m of the ordinary high-water mark in an undisturbed state, thereby creating a vegetated buffer area between the lake and the developed area of the lot. b) within the vegetated buffer area, development is prohibited except for docks and one accessory structure; c) within the vegetated buffer area, clearing of vegetation including accessory structures is permitted, to a maximum of 30% of the vegetated buffer area. The purpose of this clearing is to allow filtered views and access to the lake; d) where no dwelling exists, prior to receiving a development permit, a vegetated buffer must be reinstated with a mix of woody & grassy vegetation; e) the maximum width of any pathway, clearing or access to the water shall be 4.5 m; f) within the vegetated buffer area, property owners shall retain and preserve trees with a caliper of 13 cm or larger. This provision shall not apply within a pathway or lake access as described in 9.4.4 e); g) within the vegetated buffer area, excavation and infill is prohibited, except that a maximum of 0.6 m may be excavated or infilled as required to construct an accessory structure or dock, in no cases shall infill or excavation extend beyond the ordinary high- water mark; h) notwithstanding the preceding regulations, nothing shall prevent the removal of dangerous or significantly diseased vegetation. 9.4.5 Special Requirement: Minimum Lot Size All newly created lots within the Lakeside (LS) zone shall have a minimum lot area of 0.4 hectares. 12 Request for Decision 9.4.6 Special Requirement: Home Based Business A lot with a residential dwelling may be used for a home-based business provided that: a) a maximum of thirty (30) m2 of the floor area, is devoted to the business use; b) home-based businesses shall fall within one of the following: i. Professional services; ii. Home office & sales uses that do not host, intake or receive clients on-site; iii. Craft workshops; iv. Studios for the practice of instruction of fine arts or crafts; v. Rental of cottage or one (1) RV on a lot that has a dwelling. b) one on-site parking space, in addition to that required for a dwelling, is provided; c) outdoor display associated with the business shall only be permitted during the business hours of operation; d) the external appearance of the building shall not be changed by the home-based business; e) signs advertising home-based businesses within the Lakeside (LS) zone shall not exceed 0.5m2. 9.4.7 Special Requirement: Forestry Processing In the Lakeside (LS) zone the following setbacks shall apply: a) require maximum of 11 m height of related structures; b) require a minimum setback of 20 m from a waterbody or watercourse, or the provincial requirement in compliance with the Forests Act., whichever is greater; c) require a minimum of 5 m setback from all other property boundaries. 9.4.8 Special Requirement: Farm Animals In the Lakeside (LS) zone: a) any lot used for the rearing, breeding, boarding, sheltering or keeping of a farm animal or farm animals that constitutes one (1) or more farm animal units shall have an area no less than 3716 m2 for the first farm animal unit, and an additional 1858 m2 for each addition farm animal unit; b) no person shall keep any farm animal or farm animals, including fenced areas, within thirty (30) m of the ordinary high-water mark, dug well or watercourse; c) any lot used for the rearing or keeping of a farm animal or farm animals, the following separation from lot boundaries shall apply: Land Use Minimum Distance From Property Boundary Manure and used bedding storage 15 m Building sheltering 5 or fewer Farm Animal Units 15 m Building or sheltering more than 5 Farm Animal Units 60 m 9.4.9 Special Requirement: Habitation of Vehicles Within the Lakeside (LS) zone, no automobile, truck, bus, coach, rail car, recreational vehicle or other vehicle, or part thereof, with or without wheels, shall be used for human habitation, except that a recreational vehicle may be used subject to the following: a) has received a development permit and met all requirements of this Section; 13 Request for Decision b) is limited to one (1) recreational vehicle on a lot which contains a dwelling unit; c) is limited to two (2) recreational vehicles on a lot which contains no dwelling units; d) meets all minimum yard requirements for residential uses in the zone in which it is located; e) conforms with the vegetated buffer area requirements listed in 9.4.4. 9.4.10 Special Requirement: Short-Term Habitation of Vehicles Notwithstanding 9.4.9, nothing shall prevent the temporary habitation of recreational vehicles within the Lakeside (LS) zone, up to a maximum of fourteen days in any calendar year without the requirement for a temporary development permit or a development permit. 9.4.11 Special Requirement: Storage in Vehicles No automobile, truck, bus, coach, streetcar, recreational vehicle, camper or other motor vehicle or part thereof, with or without wheels, no mobile home, container, shall be used for the storage or shelter of goods of any description. REQUEST FOR DECISION Prepared By: Garth Sturtevant, Senior Planner Date October 19, 2021 Reviewed By: Date Authorized By: Dan McDougall, CAO Date October 20, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION The proposed amendments to the Chester Village Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law (Appendix A) will allow 5-10 dwelling units per structure in the Central Commercial Zone by Development Agreement. These amendments have been drafted in response to a request from M.A.D.E From Mahone Bay Ltd. (the Applicant) seeking to convert an existing commercial unit at 122 Queen Street to become the 10th residential unit in the structure. Staff presented a report outlining several options to facilitate the request to Council at a meeting held on August 12, 2021. Council provided direction to staff to prepare amendments to the Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law to allow residential structures between 5-10 units within the Central Commercial Zone by Development Agreement. This will allow the Applicant to apply for a Development Agreement and pending approval, convert the commercial unit to residential. RECOMMENDATION For consideration and discussion. BACKGROUND M.A.D.E for Mahone Bay Ltd. owns the property at 122 Queen Street and operates it as apartment rentals. The company is seeking to convert the sole commercial unit to residential, however, there is currently no path to approval within the Chester Village Land Use By-law. Staff presented a report to Council to outline several options to permit the conversion of the 10th unit including, permitting up to 10 residential units as of right (development permit) for all properties in the zone, creating a new “Multi Unit Residential Zone” and rezoning the property (the zone could then be applied to other properties in the future), allow 5-10 units by Development Agreement only within the Central Commercial Zone, or reject the request and defer discussion on the property at 122 Queen Street to the Village Plan Review. Following discussion, Council selected Option 3, permit 5-10 dwelling units per structure in the Central Commercial Zone by Development Agreement. Staff were directed to present a report containing detailed amendments to the Village Planning Advisory Committee before returning to Council for 1st Reading. REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Community Development & Recreation DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: SPS Amendments to Permit 5-10 Residential Units per Structure by Development Agreement in the Central Commercial Zone ORIGIN: Motion: 2021-317 2 Request For Decision DISCUSSION Amendments Required Prior to Approval of Development Agreement With the direction to proceed by Development Agreement, the request of the Applicant requires two files to be approved. First being the proposed amendments to allow a Development Agreement to be negotiated in the Central Commercial Zone for 5-10 residential dwelling units in a structure. The second file is a Development Agreement to be negotiated specifically for 122 Queen Street to results in 10 residential units in the structure. This report focuses on the amendments to the Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law. A subsequent report will be prepared and presented to VPAC and Council to outline the specific request to convert an existing commercial unit to residential at 122 Queen Street. The two files have been proposed together with the understanding that the amendment file (this report) must be approved before the Development Agreement can be approved. Should the amendment file be rejected by Council, the Development Agreement file has no path to approval. Discretionary Planning Approvals and the Secondary Planning Strategy The proposed amendments (Appendix A) will allow Development Agreements to be approved for multi- unit residential structures located in the Central Commercial Zone. This will result in a substantial shift in the Secondary Planning Strategy (SPS), which saw the removal of virtually all use of Development Agreements when it was adopted in 2004. The current Secondary Planning Strategy provides rational for removing the use of Development Agreements including the community desire to remove uncertainty from the planning approval process. The SPS cites several examples of developments which the community felt were inappropriate and approved by Development Agreement. The SPS continues that using as-of-right development as the primary mechanism for development would provide greater certainty to residents. As-of-right development was presented as an attractive option as it removed much of the decision making from the Council table and delegated it to the Land Use By-law. Council made decisions on zoning and other regulations in the Land Use By-law, which is administered by the Development Officer with support from legal counsel. While this approach offers benefits, there are also downsides. These include inflexibility when an appropriate development is proposed that does not, for a potentially minor reason, fit within the established zoning and regulatory framework. In this scenario the development either must be changed to meet the regulatory framework, be abandoned, relocated, or seek amendments to the plan to permit the development. Planning Strategies are meant to be living documents and evolve with a community. This reality is balanced against the benefits of establishing a Plan as an overarching guide for growth and development. Planning Strategies are based on extensive public consultation and changes outside of a scheduled Plan Review should be carefully examined and considered. Creating rigid Plans that rely heavily on as-of-right 3 Request For Decision approvals while subsequently undertaking numerous amendments in response to specific development proposals is unlikely to produce the desired results and benefits of comprehensive land use planning. Central Commercial Zone The Central Commercial Zone is made up of three clusters, all located in the core of the Village (Figure 1). The zone is described in the Secondary Planning Strategy as a mix of business and residential uses. Many structures include commercial space on lower floors with residential units located above. The Plan describes the history of this mixed use and provides policy statements in support of maintaining the existing mix and character of the zone. The plan speaks to the limited commercial uses permitted by the Land Use By-law, with intentional caution around commercial activities likely to create conflict with surrounding residential neighbourhoods. The previous Secondary Planning Strategy, approved in 1992 and replaced in 2004, allowed Development Agreements in areas adjacent to the Central Commercial Zone. This resulted in applications for commercial or light industrial uses to occur within a residential zone through approval of a Development Agreement. This provision was removed and is not proposed to be reinstated with the current amendments. Proposed Amendments to Allow 5-10 Residential Units Per Structure in the Central Commercial Zone Current direction would see Development Agreements reintroduced in a limited fashion, to facilitate multi-unit developments in the Central Commercial Zone of 5-10 units. The proposed amendments would enable Development Agreements for this use within the Land Use By-law and provide additional policy guidance in the Secondary Planning Strategy. Figure 1 - Central Commercial Zone Properties (Yellow) 4 Request For Decision The proposed amendments have been drafted with reflection on past concerns associated with Development Agreements. Through existing and newly proposed policy statements in the Secondary Planning Strategy, the use of Development Agreements will remain limited. This will support the desire of the community to have a high level of certainty related to the type of development that may occur in various areas. The proposed amendments do not seek to return to past practices where a variety of land uses were considered in the Village through a Development Agreement. The proposed amendments seek a balance between the request of the Applicant, Council’s desire to support the creation of more housing stock and the concerns expressed with the use of Development Agreements. Existing policies in the Secondary Planning Strategy must be satisfied before Council approves any amendment to the Plan or Development Agreement. These policies are found at 6.0.7 and 6.0.8 of the existing Secondary Planning Strategy. A summary of the policy statements is as follows: The proposal conforms to the intent of the Planning Strategy The proposal conforms with all Municipal By-laws, except for Development Agreements which need not confirm with the requirements of the Land Use By-law Financial impact to the municipality related to the development Adequacy of municipal services Adequacy of the physical site conditions for on-site services Creation or worsening of a pollution problem including soil erosion and siltation Adequacy of storm drainage and effects of alteration to drainage pattern including potential for creation of a flooding problem Proximity of schools, recreation, emergency services and other amenities Adequacy of street networks, site access, congestion, pedestrian safety and traffic hazards Adequacy of fire vehicle access and fire protection measures on site including water supply The site is suitable regarding grade, soil, geology, locations of watercourse, flooding etc The development shall not generate dust, noise odour or other nuisance or health hazards Setbacks and screening shall be implemented to limit the impact of the development on adjacent properties Structures must comply with Architectural SPS policies at 4.10.6 of the Secondary Planning Strategy Signs shall satisfy the requirements of the Land Use By-law All other Federal or Provincial approvals must be issued or Council must be satisfied that they will be issued Demonstrate that the development can be served by central or on-site sewer and water and that the demand on the water source will not have a negative impact on the environment or quality and quantity of the water resource Driveways and parking areas must be surfaced with stable material to prevent dust In addition to existing policy considerations, the proposed amendments include additional criteria applicable only to multi-unit residential structures considered by Development Agreement. These new proposed criteria include: 5 Request For Decision all property boundaries abutting a zone other than Central Commercial shall be screened with fencing or a combination of vegetation to create an effective, visual barrier of at least 2m in height to protect the privacy of surrounding residents. all parking, storage and exterior waste receptacles shall be screened with fencing or vegetation to create an effective visual barrier of at least 2m in height when viewed from a public street or adjacent property. all new structures, or additions to existing structures shall comply with the Architectural controls outlined in the Village of Chester Land Use By-law and Policy 4.10.6 Existing structures that are being converted to multi-unit residential or adding additional residential dwelling units without substantial renovations or additions are exempt from screening and landscaping requirements, except where changes to the parking, waste receptacles and outside storage areas are proposed. As this amendment requires changes and additions to the Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy, adherence to current policies within the SPS is not required. The proposed amendments should not create conflict with existing policy statements, which has resulted in changes and text additions to some existing policy statements (Appendix A). The proposed amendments seek to maintain a cohesive and consistent plan while following Council direction to allow multi-unit residential structures in the Central Commercial Zone. Careful consideration has been given to the proposed policy changes with the objective of disrupting as little of the existing plan as possible. These amendments are occurring during a review of the existing Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law. This situation is not the preferred approach as work is proceeding within the legislative framework to amend the existing plan while also being directed to carry- out a comprehensive review and update of the Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law. It is likely that if adopted, the proposed amendments will be carried forward into the new Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law. Council, during preliminary consideration of this request, made it known that this discussion should serve as a starting point for the Village Plan Review. Council wishes to see Development Agreements reintroduced in an appropriate fashion and this request and amendment may serve as a test case for upcoming discussions and decisions relating to the Village Plan Review. Review and Recommendation from Village Planning Advisory Committee At a meeting held on October 12, 2021, a report and draft amendments were presented to the Village Planning Advisory Committee (VPAC). There was significant discussion around the merits and downsides of allowing Development Agreements to be reintroduced. Several members were wholly opposed to the use of Development Agreements and felt that the existing as-of-right development regulations are working as intended. Comments were also made that the Committee should not make a decision until there is a Village Councillor in place at a future VPAC meeting. This comment was in response to the current Council vacancy in District 3 pending a By-election. 6 Request For Decision There was a consensus from the Committee that the proposed conversion of the 10th unit at 122 Queen Street was reasonable and should be accommodated through other means. The concern expressed from some VPAC members was that the mechanism proposed, Development Agreements, are not appropriate within the Village of Chester. The Committee posed questions as to whether other amendments to the Secondary Planning Strategy are possible to alter the wording of the current Schedule C of the Land Use By-law to permit the conversion without requiring a Development Agreement. Alternatively, VPAC members inquired whether it would be possible to amend the plan to allow a Development Agreement only for the property at 122 Queen Street. Following discussion, the Committee passed the following motion: MOVED by Nancy Hatch, SECONDED by John Carroll to recommend to Council to amend the Secondary Planning Strategy for a Development Agreement specifically for 122 Queen Street to allow the 10th unit be changed from Commercial to Residential and the more wide spread implementation of Development Agreements be discussed as part of the plan review. MOTION CARRIED Staff note that a full investigation of the legality and reality of making such an amendment to the Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law has not yet occurred. As the recommendation of VPAC does not align with the direction provided by Council, staff felt it was appropriate to return to Council for a decision before spending additional time researching the recommendation from VPAC. The amendments attached as Appendix A reflect the direction provided to staff by Council at the August 12th Council meeting. If satisfied with the draft amendments, Council may give 1st Reading to the amendments (Appendix A) and set a date for a Public Hearing. Alternatively, should Council choose to pursue the recommendation of VPAC, staff could return with a report to outline this option. The report would include a review of the feasibility of amending the Chester Village Secondary Planning Strategy to allow conversion of the commercial unit to residential at 122 Queen Street via a Development Agreement. However, the recommendation from VPAC went on to state that this allowance should be limited in such a manner that it is only applicable to 122 Queen Street. This approach would be comparable to spot zoning, as the amendments would target a specific property and intentionally be drafted to prevent other properties from creating more than 4 residential units per lot in keeping with the existing Central Commercial Zone provisions. IMPLICATIONS The request and current direction will require significant policy changes to the existing Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law. This is outlined in detail in the Discussion Section of this report. Policy The proposed amendments to the Chester Village Secondary Planning Strategy constitute a significant shift in policy direction by reintroducing Development Agreements in a significant way to the Village planning documents. This is an intentional change with direction from Council to aid in supporting the creation of more housing stock, with the goal of also creating more affordable units in the Village. 7 Request For Decision Financial/Budgetary n/a Environmental As noted in this report, one of the main environmental considerations when discussing increasing density in the Village of Chester is the lack of information surrounding the supply and availability of groundwater. Without a comprehensive study or Municipal water system, this issue will continue to be raised as opposition to future growth and increases to density. Strategic Plan Position the Municipality as Nova Scotia’s south shore community of choice for residents, businesses, and organizations, and as an international tourism destination. Ensure municipal bylaw and policy frameworks reflect current and changing needs. Ensure residents have access to facilities, natural assets, programs, and services that enrich a quality of life and provide safe communities for residents and visitors alike. Determine a municipal role in terms of protecting and increasing a broad range of housing stock to meet community needs. Work Program Implications Staff time is the only anticipated implication. OPTIONS 1) Give 1st Reading to the draft amendments (Appendix A) to the Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law to allow residential structures containing 5-10 dwelling units in the Central Commercial Zone by Development Agreement. Further, set a date for a Public Hearing for November 18, 2021, at 8:45am in Council Chambers (151 King Street, Chester). 2) Direct staff to prepare and return with a report to outline the recommendation of VPAC; to draft amendments to allow the conversion of a commercial unit to residential unit at 122 Queen Street by Development Agreement, while maintaining existing limitations of a maximum of 4 dwelling units per structure for all other properties in the Central Commercial Zone. 3) Reject the draft amendments (Appendix A) and take no further action on this file. ATTACHMENTS Appendix A – Draft Amendments to Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law 8 Request For Decision APPENDIX A – PROPOSED AMENDMENTS Amendments to the Village of Chester Land Use By-law Be it enacted by the Council of the Municipality of Chester as follows: 1) Add text to permit residential structures containing 5-10 dwelling units by Development Agreement in the Central Commercial Zone. Village of Chester Land Use By-law Underlined text is added. Strikethrough text is deleted. 6.2.1 b) iv) Structures containing between 5 and 10 residential dwelling units, which may also include commercial uses, by Development Agreement in accordance with policies contained in the Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy. Amendments to the Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy Be it enacted by the Council of the Municipality of Chester as follows: 1) Add text to 3.3.4 to allow higher density developments in the Central Commercial Zone by Development Agreement 2) Add text to 3.3.5 to include Development Agreements for multi-unit residential of more than four units must be supported by confirmation of adequate groundwater 3) Add text to 4.3.1 to include larger multi-unit residential structures may be considered by Development Agreement 4) Add 4.3.1 A to permit Development Agreements in the Central Commercial Zone for 5-10 residential units per structure according to the listed criteria. Village of Chester Secondary Planning Strategy Underlined text is added. Strikethrough text is deleted. 3.3.4 To limit the density of residential development in the Planning Area in order to protect groundwater supply, in accordance with policies articulated in section 4.1 (Residential Development) of this Planning Strategy. Higher density developments are permitted by Development Agreement in the Central Commercial Zone in accordance with this Secondary Planning Strategy. 3.3.5 To require confirmation of adequate groundwater supply prior to issuance of any site plan approval, or approval of a Development Agreement for multi-unit residential development of more than four units in the Chester Village Planning Area in accordance with policies articulated in Section 4.1 (Residential Development) of this Planning Strategy. Multi-Unit Residential Development (Preamble to Residential Developments – Secondary Planning Strategy pg. 27:) Under the former Planning Strategy, existing buildings were allowed to be converted into no more than four dwelling units by right in most parts of the Planning Area. Larger conversions were permitted only by Development Agreement. New multi-unit dwellings were also permitted only by Development Agreement and were limited to a four-units-per-building maximum in the 9 Request For Decision inner part of the Planning Area and a twelve-unit-per-building maximum in the outer part of the Planning Area, as defined in that Planning Strategy. Controversy surrounding the approval of the Chandler’s Cove Village townhouse project under this policy and the possibility of similar applications in future, as well as broad concerns about water supply and architectural compatibility led to a new vision of where multi-unit residential development should and should not be permitted in the community, and under what terms. The discussions in the community which led to the Highway 3 Streetscape Study led to some adaptation of the original vision to better fit the long-term needs. Under this new vision, the inner part of the Planning Area is regarded as the area lying south and west of the Highway 3 corridor - including Haddon Hill and the Chandler’s Cove, Pig Loop, Golf Course, Lobster point areas - while the outer area is regarded as the area north and east of the Highway 3 corridor - including the Commons and the Stanford Lake area - as shown on Map 6, Residential Areas. In the Inner Residential Area, conversions up to four dwelling units will generally be allowed by right, except in the Central Village Residential area and the Single Unit Residential areas, where the limit will be two dwelling units, and Estate Residential and Waterfront Residential areas, where conversions will not be permitted at all. New two-unit dwellings will also be allowed by right but larger multi-unit dwellings will not be permitted. As an interim measure to address an acute housing shortage, Council has authorized amendments to permit multi-unit residential structures within the Central Commercial Zone by Development Agreement. This will provide opportunity for additional housing stock to be created in the Village, while maintaining existing limits on density in established residential areas. The Village Plan Review will provide opportunities to explore additional areas where multi-unit residential development may be appropriate. In the Outer Residential Area, conversions and new buildings up to four units will generally be allowed by right, and larger multi-unit buildings will be permitted by right subject to site plan approval, confirmation of adequate water supply, approval of sewage disposal, and satisfaction of any traffic concerns. However, the vision for the Highway 3 corridor requires some control of the architectural style and site design details of new development, which means that all multi-family development within the corridor will be required to satisfy the site design guidelines and will be subject the site plan approval process. In all areas, existing multi-unit buildings containing more than four dwelling units will be allowed to continue as they are, but any changes in their use will be subject to the appropriate zone requirements under the Land Use By-law. The intention of this new policy direction is to maintain existing character, protect property values, and protect water supply in established residential areas. 10 Request For Decision 4.1.3 A In response to an acute shortage of rental housing, creation of multi-unit dwellings within the Central Commercial Zone is permitted by Development Agreement. 4.3.1 To designate lands in the Valley Road area, and the business district in the Queen-Pleasant-Duke Street areas, as shown on Map 5, Future Land Use Map, as Central Commercial Areas, wherein a limited range of business and residential uses is are permitted. Larger Multi-unit residential structures may be considered by Development Agreement and. To establish in the Land Use By- law a corresponding Central Commercial Zone. 4.3.1 A Consider only by Development Agreement in areas designated Central Commercial, larger multi- unit residential structures, in accordance with Policies 6.0.7 and 6.0.8 and in accordance with the following: a) all property boundaries abutting a zone other than Central Commercial shall be screened with fencing or a combination of vegetation to create an effective, visual barrier of at least 2m in height to protect the privacy of surrounding residents. b) all parking, storage and exterior waste receptacles shall be screened with fencing or vegetation to create an effective visual barrier of at least 2m in height when viewed from a public street or adjacent property. c) all new structures, or additions to existing structures shall comply with the Architectural controls outlined in the Village of Chester Land Use By-law and Policy 4.10.6 d) Existing structures that are being converted to multi-unit residential or adding additional residential dwelling units without substantial renovations or additions are exempt from screening and landscaping requirements, except where changes to the parking, waste receptacles and outside storage areas are proposed. UPDATE: Develop Nova Scotia’s Internet Projects in MOCOctober 22, 2022 Overview •Contexts•Develop Nova Scotia•Government of NS•Internet Service Providers •Status of Projects in MOC•Voices & Choices Rural Internet Project Page•Develop Nova Scotia / Bell Projects•Next Steps•Satellite the Solution?•What’s MOC Doing Now•Actions Contexts Develop Nova Scotia (1/2)•Develop Nova Scotia (DNS), through its Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative (INSI), leads investment in projects throughout Nova Scotia in partnership with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) •The DNS mandate: “as close to 100% of Nova Scotian homes & businesses as possible will have access to minimum service standards of at least target speeds required by the CRTC”:•50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload for wired connections•25 Mbps download/5Mbps upload for wireless connections, with demonstrated plan to reach 50 Mbps Develop Nova Scotia (2/2)•October 2021 update on DNS website includes:•Approximately 4,500 underserved homes and businesses remain in NS following announced projects•Work is ongoing with qualified providers on potential solutions to meet the mandate of reaching as close to 100% of homes and businesses as possible DNS & Service Mapping (1/2)•DNS has accurate and enhanced service maps that draw on federal data as well as proprietary data provided by private sector ISPs•MOC does not have access to DNS’ enhanced service mapping, but DNS encourages MOC and residents to contact them with service access/mapping inquiries to help them plan further projects that will advance their mandate DNS & Service Mapping (2/2)•In 2018, MOC partnered with Queens and MODL to undertake the CIRA Internet Performance Test and resulting service mapping. This project gathered data on internet performance in order to help identify areas of need and prioritize possible internet projects MOC might undertake directly. •Since then, DNS launched INSI & Council decided not to get into the ISP business. Given changes in the ISP landscape, internet projects already completed (not to mention ongoing service expansion solely by the private sector), and DNS’ data & capital resources, the service mapping data gathered by the CIRA Internet Performance Test is no longer accurate or useful. Gov of Nova Scotia (1/2)•Conservative Party Election 2021 platform included the following: •A commitment to “invest in getting the Internet to every household, not just most, for the simple reason that we see every single household as an economic development opportunity.” (Solutions for Nova Scotians, 78)•“For any household Develop Nova Scotia leaves behind, a PC government will subsidize the installation costs of satellite (less what a household would pay to a provider like Bell, if they had access). This investment will provide every household in the province with access to the Internet should they want it.” (Solutions for Nova Scotians, 78) Gov of Nova Scotia (2/2)•The Economic Development Minister’s Ministerial Mandate Letter includes the following: •“Within the first 90 days of your mandate, prepare a timeline for completion of all tasks below over the next four years. The initial timelines are to be updated quarterly thereafter.” •“Invest in getting the Internet to every household.”•“For those households left behind, support the installation of satellite.” •Ministerial Mandate Letter, Economic Development, September 14, 2021. https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters.html. Accessed October 21, 2021 Internet Service Providers (ISPs)•DNS pre-qualified 15 organizations to be able to respond to RFPs for internet projects in underserviced and unserviced areas•Bell has been awarded all INSI projects in MOC•Following the announcement of ‘Phase 3/Scope Expansion’ projects, Bell noted: “We are relying on DNS to determine how they want to proceed with the remaining underserved civic addresses.” Status of Projects in MOC Voices & Choices•The most current information about internet projects in MOC is always available on the MOC community engagement project page https://www.voicesandchoices.ca/ruralinternet•Content includes:•Overview of Rural Internet projects throughout MOC•Tabs for ‘News’, “Internet Project Summaries’, and ‘Questions & Comments’•On right side - documents tab:•Project maps – (Bell’s or ours) •Bell’s civic address files for completed Fibre Service Areas (FSAs) •Some resident queries are received through V&C; most through direct email Phase 1 Project: New Ross•Bell-DNS Phase 1 Project “New Ross”•Service to all of New Ross - maps and civic address files for four FSAs on the V&C website •Announced: February 2020•Completed: February 2021•773 households/businesses with access to high-speed internet Phase 2 Project: “Blandford”•Bell-DNS Phase 2 Project “Blandford”•Includes service to Northwest Cove, Southwest Cove, Aspotogan, Bayswater, Upper Blandford, Blandford, and New Harbour•FSA map available on the V&C website•Announced: September 2020•98% completed: July 2021•As of October 20, 2021, Bell notes: 13 civic addresses do not yet have access as they require a Grade 1 watercourse crossing to be completed by NSPI. Bell is hopeful NSPI will complete their work in October 2021 and allow Bell to finish up in early November. •719 households/businesses with access to high-speed internet •MOC agreed to contribute $128,000 for both Phase 2 projects in MOC (“Blandford” and “Chester Surround” Phase 2 Project: “Chester Surround”•Bell-DNS Phase 2 Project “Chester Surround”•Includes service to Aaldersville area, Canaan area, New Russell area, Seffernville area•FSA maps available on the V&C website•Announced: September 2020•Estimated completion: Summer 2022 (DNS website currently states October-December 2021 as completion date) •As of October 20, 2021, Bell notes: There are currently a total of 140 DNS-Bell Phase 2/3 projects. “Chester Surround” is priority 51 on the list of projects and is still on schedule summer 2022. Most of the Bell engineering is completed for this project and NSPI is currently determining ‘Make Ready’ requirements•564 households/businesses with access to high-speed internet •MOC agreed to contribute $128,000 for both Phase 2 projects in MOC (“Blandford” and “Chester Surround”) Phase 2 Project: Wil-Dor Park•Part of the Bell-DNS Phase 2 Project “Lunenburg North”, which is a project based in MODL•Includes service to Wil-Dor Park in MOC •FSA maps available on the V&C website•Announced: September 2020•Estimated completion: Summer 2022•As of October 20, 2021, Bell notes: Lunenburg North project is priority 44 of 140, so project completion is likely Q1 2022 unless there are unforeseen problems with ‘Make Ready’ work or water crossings. Phase 3 Project: Chester (Schnare’sCove)•Bell-DNS Phase 3/Scope Expansion Project “Chester” (Schnare’s Cove component)•Includes service from Deep Cove to East River Point•FSA maps and civic address file available on the V&C website•Announced: January 2021 •Completed: July 2021 •37 households/businesses with access to high-speed internet Phase 3 Project: Chester (Chester Grant)•Bell-DNS Phase 3/Scope Expansion Project “Chester” (Chester Grant component)•Includes service to Chester Grant, Millet Lake, Larder Lake •FSA maps available on the V&C website•Announced: January 2021 •Estimated completion: •As of October 20, 2021, Bell notes: This project is priority 52 of 140, so estimated completion is December 2022 •145 households/businesses with access to high-speed internet Phase 3 Project: HubbardsArea•Bell-DNS Phase 3/Scope Expansion Project “Hubbards Area” •Includes service to Fox Point Lake, Mill Lake (mistakenly includes Deep Cove on DNS website) •FSA maps available on the V&C website•Announced: January 2021 •Estimated completion: •As of October 20, 2021, Bell notes: This project currently sits at priority 105 of 140, so estimated completion date not until very late in 2022 or early 2023•293 households/businesses with access to high-speed internet Next Steps Satellite the Solution?•The 15 organizations pre-qualified by DNS includes SpaceX (StarLink), which was added following a second call for pre-qualified organizations •In response to inquiries about underserviced properties, DNS is already identifying properties that are pre-qualified for StarLink service•So given … •the GovNS ministerial mandate letter direction; and •wired service connection costs for remaining pockets of underserviced areas may not be the most cost-effective solution for those properties … •… satellite service may be an effective solution for DNS to meet its mandate of “as close to 100% of Nova Scotian homes & businesses as possible will have access to minimum service standards” What’s MOC Doing Now•Ongoing communications with residents through direct email, V&C, newsletter•Generally two kinds of inquiries:1. Queries about timing of projects2. Identification of properties without access to DNS minimum service standards after confirmed DNS/Bell projects•MOC creates profiles of underserviced/unserviced properties that include civic address & notes concerning barriers to access, and forwards those to DNS •DNS encouraged MOC submit unserviced addresses to ensure they are identified & logged with DNS•To date, MOC has submitted 10 such profiles •DNS notes that they “continue to work with qualified providers to find potential solutions for remaining underserved areas.” Actions•Continue to advocate with DNS for to facilitate service access to unservicedand underserviced homes, businesses, and organizations •Invite a representative of DNS meet with Council to discuss how DNS will aim to complete its mandate, what’s next, etc. •Write to the Premier, Minister of Economic Development, and MLA to commend the government’s commitment to closing the service gap •Hold a workshop with Council to explore any further role MOC could have in helping to close internet service gap for any remaining underserviced/unserviced MOC residents, businesses, and organizations•Anything else Council would like us to consider, such as further engagement with residents, DNS, and GovNS? INFORMATION REPORT Prepared By: Erin Lowe, Senior EDO Date October 18, 2021 Reviewed By: Tara Maguire, Deputy CAO Date Authorized By: Dan McDougall, CAO Date October 18, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION For the 2021-22 fiscal year, Council has an Economic Development Sponsorship fund to sponsor events or initiatives within the municipality that are designed to help achieve Council priorities and generate local economic development benefit in one or more of the following areas: Supporting business growth and employment. Increasing visitor attraction. Promoting the municipality to residents and visitors. RECOMMENDATION For Information BACKGROUND Sponsorship is a form of marketing in which organizations pay to be associated with certain events. Additionally, sponsorship provides community relations benefits by increasing visibility and recognition as a good community partner. Organizations are recognized as good community citizens when they support initiatives that assist groups that benefit or improve the quality of life and/or programing in their community. Sponsor opportunities are evaluated by the following criteria: Relevance to the community. The Municipal logo must be displayed on some marketing of the event. The audience should be significant in size or targeted. REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Corporate & Strategic Management DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: ED Sponsorship ORIGIN: Sponsorship Policy, P-87 2 Information Report DISCUSSION The following sponsorships were issued by the Senior Economic Development Officer as of October 4, 2021: Budget 2021-22 $6,000.00 Recent Sponsorships Lunenburg County Sport Heritage Society’s 4th Annual Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony $300.00 Forest Heights Falcons Hockey Team $500.00 Previously Approved Golf 4 Charity $100.00 Swing for Shoreham Golf Tournament $700.00 Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia 2022 Summer Meeting $1,500.00 Balance $2,900.00 IMPLICATIONS Policy Sponsorship P-87 Financial/Budgetary This request has been accommodated within the approved budget of $6,000 for municipal sponsorships. Environmental None Strategic Plan Priority Outcome #3: Position the Municipality as Nova Scotia’s south shore community of choice for residents, businesses, and organizations, and as an international tourism destination. Work Program Implications N/A OPTIONS For Information ATTACHMENTS Lunenburg County Sport Heritage Society’s Sponsorship Request Letter Forest Heights Falcons Hockey Team Request Letter COMMUNICATIONS (INTERNAL/EXTERNAL) w employment da: baseball rnsommad Change of the ornmenzation Doo..rsthe n,,andknowtheCo.,,.,,vk ,alinks o.wen .,,,,n .,, e„ w bem ourfonn nco on°cam yNovembe,°r°: inders atn,t~:, induction claim this year is Jamy, whatnot in the Bull radial Iderry flumbey orturat, Bit[ mucho Border and The monkey Havidds Intermediate frookey , dwars 1962 W 1964 Team batch (bright) keeping us on the somminges we are very much Is foregand Fhe Municipal of Cayman may begin , strong supporter of am Wall of Fame I its inception As you body, we prostrunce a cornmencoradyged, program far the evening. 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Fhank you for prour considerinflum of too ref Copy Flinn moral County Samort brown depend o'urt dy astillsegmentalssume buffere.mepa armedC monkeyruntherallamailthermaltheorylongitudinalcartelmrsocksNo trading throccong all bad wenced by small do nambegam, I any banker Is regard an away anding bell M be islable but It across cannot a assumed and D subject to change all Mum For Mosta mal Moral consom of comedy wity prameng old and, mey,F .(ForI o der, mi and cook along ew aei.ivamaofCliuwne it Fly, i l wri°l 0K was e,.u.p puma youturning form Cl K Income prokey [he tM and check reduce fly Mary Wmelth monaternment Inc m Queened am.asaom.eonly maiem: thrash oacwme a:muchownHsm leuerel is October 2021 To Whom It May Concern, We are excited to be back on the ice again this year after a difficult summer. We are looking to present a huge opportunity to businesses in the local area as our team is seeking sponsorship to aid in purchasing new team socks, first aid supplies, tournaments and to help offset the cost of ice rentals. In return for your sponsorship, we are offering multiple opportunities to showcase your business throughout the season through jersey sponsor bars and game night sponsors. The school and our team is grateful and appreciates the support that has been shown in different student activities from all of the local businesses in our area. Three different sponsorship options are being offered: PLATINUM $500 SPONSORSHIP - your logo will be displayed on our banner, your business will be highlighted during one of our home games, along with displayed on the back of a home and away jersey GOLD $300 SPONSORSHIP - your business will be displayed on the back of a home and away jersey SILVER $150 SPONSORSHIP - your business will be displayed on the back of one of our team jerseys If you wish to contribute please feel free to reach out to either of the people listed below: Chris Hayes, Head Coach - 902-440-0819 Karen Corkin, Team Manager - 902-277-0463 We kindly thank you for your time and consideration and should you wish to take part by sponsorship to please reach out before November 1, 2021. Sincerely, Members of the 2021/2022 Forest Heights Falcons High School Hockey Team District Council Grants 2021 - 2022 Updated October 18, 2021 Requested Approved Date Approved *Ocean Swells Community Association: Maintain facility 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ April 15, 2021 *District 1 Community Centre: Maintain facility 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ April 15, 2021 District 1 Community Centre: Water Softener 547.50$ 547.50$ June 24, 2021 District 1 Community Centre: Parking Lot Repairs 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ June 24, 2021 Chester Jr Sail Program: Equipment & Repairs 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ August 19, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 4,547.50$ *Funds Carried Forward from 2020-2021 2,000.00$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 7,452.50$ Chester Brass Band: Summer Band Stand Concerts 600.00$ 600.00$ June 24, 2021 Hubbards Area Lions Club: Purification System 2,000.00$ 2,000.00$ May 27, 2021 Through the Years Day Care & Comm Centre: Court Surface 2,000.00$ 2,000.00$ June 10, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 4,600.00$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 5,400.00$ Chester District Soccer Association: Purchase New Jerseys 500.00$ 500.00$ April 15, 2021 Chester Farmers' and Artisan Market: Storage Shed 800.00$ 800.00$ June 24, 2021 Chester Merchants 4,500.00$ Chester Municipal Heritage Society: Farmers Market Pavillion 2,500.00$ 2,500.00$ August 26, 2021 Chester Theatre Council (Playhouse): Summer Programs 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ June 10, 2021 Chester Yacht Club: Race Week Adaptations (Virtual, PPE, etc.) 500.00$ 500.00$ May 27, 2021 Starfish Reunite, St Stephens Parish: Refugee Family Fundraising 500.00$ 500.00$ August 12, 2021 Chester Jr Sail Program: Equipment & Repairs 500.00$ 500.00$ August 19, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 6,300.00$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 3,700.00$ Chester Basin Fire Department 500.00$ RC Legion, Br 88, Chester Basin: Community Banner Project 4,000.00$ 4,000.00$ August 12, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 4,000.00$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 6,000.00$ Western Shore & Area Improvement Asso: Flower Baskets 3,248.75$ 3,248.75$ June 24, 2021 Western Shore & District Fire Department: Western Shore Days 2,000.00$ 2,000.00$ August 12, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 5,248.75$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 4,751.25$ Charing Cross Garden Club 500.00$ 500.00$ September 9, 2021 Forties Community Centre: Oktoberfest 500.00$ 500.00$ May 27, 2021 RC Legion, Br 79 New Ross: Canada Day & Remembrance Day 1,500.00$ 1,500.00$ June 24, 2021 New Ross Community Care Centre: Communications 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ July 22, 2021 New Ross Farmers Association: Septic Upgrades & Maintenance, etc. 1,500.00$ 1,500.00$ August 12, 2021 New Ross Regional Development Society: Christmas Festival & other events 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ October 14, 2021 New Ross Farmers Association: Comm Rink Materials & Supplies 1,500.00$ 1,500.00$ August 12, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 7,500.00$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 2,500.00$ Chester District Soccer Association: Purchase New Jerseys 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ April 15, 2021 District 7 Chester Jr Sail Program: Equipment & Repairs 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ August 19, 2021 TOTAL FUNDS APPROVED 2,000.00$ TOTAL FUNDS REMAINING 8,000.00$ Total Funds Approved 34,196.25$ District Grant Budget 2021-2022 70,000.00$ Plus 2020-2021 Carried Forward 2,000.00$ Total District Grant Budget 72,000.00$ Remaining Funds 37,803.75$ District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 REQUEST FOR DECISION Prepared By: Garth Sturtevant, Senior Planner Date October 15, 2021 Reviewed By: Date Authorized By: Dan McDougall, CAO Date October 15, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION A request has been received (attached as Appendix A) from Carol Nauss on behalf of the Chester Municipal Heritage Society. The request is seeking approval to undertake alterations to a Municipally Registered Heritage property at 20 Smith Road (Chester Train Station). The proposal includes a pavilion (44’8” x 76’8”) to host the farmers market as well as other events. The proposal is also seeking approval to construct a “boarding platform” between the train station and the freight shed. The boarding platform is intended to restore an original feature of the train station which was used for passengers and freight to be loaded on and off train cars. The work also includes some minor repair to the skirting around the freight shed, installing power in the freight shed and installation of a flag pole at the front of the train station. Before a Development Permit can be issued to undertake this work, approval from Council is required. Under normal circumstances, this file would first be considered by the Heritage Advisory Committee before being brought to Council for a final decision. At this time, the Heritage Advisory Committee is inactive pending nominations to fill vacant positions. Therefore, staff have brought the request and resulting report directly to Council for a decision. This will avoid any significant delay in rendering a decision on the request. RECOMMENDATION 1. Approve the request of the Applicant for 20 Smith Road, Chester Train Station, to undertake the proposed scope of work to construct a Pavilion, Boarding Platform, Accessible Ramps, minor repairs to Freight Shed and installation of a flag pole at the front of the Train Station. REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Community Development & Recreation DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: Alterations to Chester Train Station ORIGIN: Email Request Carol Nauss & Syd Dumaresq (Chester Municipal Heritage Society) Figure 1 - Front of existing Train Station and Freight Shed 2 Request For Decision BACKGROUND The property at 20 Smith Road, the Chester Train Station, has been registered with the Municipality of Chester since 1992. The structure is included and described in the federal Historic Places registry and website as well as in Municipal Heritage files. The Chester Train Station was constructed in 1905, originally serving the Halifax and Southwestern Railway Company, serving as an important piece of the regional transportation network. The station was then purchased and became a part of the newly formed Canadian National Railway (CN) during World War 1. In 1980 the Chester Municipal Heritage Society took over maintenance of the station under a lease arrangement, with ownership remaining with the Crown. The site at 20 Smith Road also includes a “Freight Shed” which is included in the Heritage Registry and list of Character Defining Elements. The complete listing from Historic Places, which includes details on the occupation and use of the property is attached as Appendix B. The Heritage Registry file for 20 Smith Road includes a list of “Character Defining Elements”, which should be carefully considered prior to approving changes to the site or structures. The list of Character Defining Elements is broken into two sections, one regarding the train station and one describing the freight shed: 1) The character-defining elements of the Chester Train Station relate to its original use and include: original form and massing; wide eaves supported by large curved wooden braces with a decorative scroll pattern on their lower abutment; hipped roof; second central raised hipped roof; steeply pitched gable in middle of raised hipped roof with gabled ends facing front and rear elevations; gambrel roofed dormers flanking raised hipped roof on front and rear elevations; single gambrel roofed dormers on side elevations of main hipped roof; large double door freight entrance with a seven-pane transom window on front and rear elevations; symmetrical design, with exception of an additional entrance on front elevation; wooden shingle construction. Figure 2 - Freight entrance door and wide eaves supported by curved wooden braces are visible as noted in Character Defining Elements 3 Request For Decision 2) The character-defining elements of the freight shed relate to its original use and include: wide eaves supported by large curved wooden braces with decorative scroll pattern; hipped roof; two large double freight doors; wooden construction; proximity to station building. DISCUSSION The request received from the Chester Municipal Heritage Society is seeking approval for the following work: construction of a pavilion, not attached to existing structures, measuring (44’8” x 76’8”), as shown in Figure 4 and on the plans attached as Appendix A. construction of a boarding platform, to extend between the Train Station and Freight Shed along the rear (north) of the buildings. The platform will not be structurally attached to the buildings and will also include a series of ramps to provide an accessible entry point to the buildings. Minor repairs to skirting around the base of the Freight Shed. Installing power in the freight shed; Installation of a flag pole at the front of the Train Station. The request letter was accompanied by a set of drawings to illustrate the pavilion and provide information on the boarding platform and ramps. These drawings are attached as to the letter of request as Appendix A. Pavilion The most significant aspect of the request is the construction of a pavilion, measuring 44’8” x 76’8”. The pavilion is proposed to resemble the front façade of the train station in design (Figure 4), except that the sides and ends will be open, with the roof supported by pillars. Figure 3 - Freight Shed, front elevation showing large freight door and steps Figure 4 - Rendering of the proposed Pavilion 4 Request For Decision The request letter states the pavilion is intended to be used as a space to host community and heritage related events such as concerts, celebrations, farmer’s market, and other uses that may arise. There is also discussion around some signage to be installed at the pavilion to direct visitors and tourists to the commercial areas in the core of the Village. The signage is envisioned to provide recommended routes to view heritage structures (ie. Old Stone Bridge) and other scenic vistas within the Village. The installation of the pavilion is not anticipated to have a direct impact on the Train Station or Freight Shed. Figure 5 shows the approximate location of the pavilion which will become an additional feature on the property, connected through small laneways or walking paths. The placement of the pavilion will leave the Train Station visible from North Street, when viewed from the intersection of Haddon Hill Road. The pavilion will not significantly impact sightlines from other parts of North Street as those views are already partially obscured. Boarding Platform The second significant item in the proposed scope of work is the construction of a boarding platform which will extend between the Train Station and Freight Shed. This work will replicate an original feature of the Train Station which had been removed in previous years. Figure 6 shows an older image of the Train Station, including the original Boarding Platform. The proposed replacement platform Figure 5 - Site Plan showing proposed Pavilion shaded in grey Figure 6 – Historical drawing showing original boarding platform (Chester Municipal Heritage Society) 5 Request For Decision will be somewhat larger than the original, extending across the rear of the Train Station and then upwards as part of a new accessible ramp system to access the platform built adjacent to the rear of the freight shed. Figure 7 shows the existing structures on the property and the proposed boarding platform and accessible ramps. Figure 8 shows the back of the structures where the platform will allow access to several doors which are currently above grade. This will restore some original function as goods and passengers would have been loaded and unloaded from the buildings to rail cars via the platform. The addition of the accessible ramps will also improve access to the structures for visitors. The construction of the boarding platform and accessible ramp do not appear to have any direct impact on the listed character defining elements. The platform will restore a feature lost in previous years, although not noted in the Character Defining Elements, and will not be directly connected to the train station. The accessible ramp will not impact the Character Defining Elements and further is likely to be supported as part of continual efforts to make buildings and structures accessible for people of all abilities. Upon review, staff believe that the proposed scope of work will not impact or alter the listed Character Defining Elements as described in this report. Figure 7 – Plan view showing existing structures and the proposed Boarding Platform and accessible ramps Figure 8 - Rear of Train Station and Freight Shed and the proposed location of the Boarding Platform 6 Request For Decision Impact on the Municipal Trail Bridge Over North Street In addition to the standard considerations for reviewing requests to alter a registered Heritage Property, the work taking place at 20 Smith Road has also been considered in relation to plans for a future Municipal trail bridge. The bridge project is intended to provide pedestrian, bicycle and ATV access across North Street. The bridge will replace the current at grade crossing located near a sharp curve in the road, greatly improving safety and function of the trail. Design and engineering work has not been completed for the bridge project, so there is uncertainty in the amount of land and specifically which parts of the existing property will be required. The Municipality is awaiting confirmation of funding for the bridge project and plans remain conceptual. Staff discussed the bridge project with the Applicant and can provide some comments on the proposed scope of work and how it may impact future decisions for the trail bridge: The location of the pavilion is intended to preserve the open space in front of the Train Station. Currently this preserves sightlines from North Street, but this is also the expected space that will be required for one end of the trail bridge; Staff inquired about the orientation of the pavilion. Figure 5 shows the pavilion orientated with the long side running North-South. The response from the Applicant stated the proposed orientation will better align with existing grade on the site (Figure 9) and avoid the need for large amounts of fill. The proposed orientation will allow a route through the pavilion facilitated by minor extensions of existing pathways on the site. In summary, with no definitive plans or drawings to indicate the extent or location of the trail bridge, the current proposal for the pavilion does not appear likely to create difficulty or issue with siting the bridge in the future. Staff believe that the proposed scope of work can proceed and that future plans and design work on the trail bridge can adequately accommodate the location of the proposed pavilion. IMPLICATIONS Policy No impacts are anticipated. Financial/Budgetary No impacts are anticipated. Environmental No impacts are anticipated. Figure 9 - Approximate location of the proposed Pavilion and existing grade 7 Request For Decision Strategic Priorities Priority Area: Healthy & Vibrant Communities Priority Outcome 1: Ensure residents have access to facilities, natural assets, programs, and services that enrich a quality of life and provide safe communities for residents and visitors alike. Priority Outcome 2: Develop an accessibility, diversity, and equity lens for municipal plans and services, and support partners in advancing accessible and inclusive communities. Work Program Implications No significant impacts are associated with this file. Staff time has been spent in preparing this report and working with the applicant to submit the file to Council. If approval is granted, minimal additional staff time will be required. OPTIONS 1. Approve the request of the Applicant for 20 Smith Road, Chester Train Station, to undertake the proposed scope of work to construct a Pavilion, Boarding Platform, Accessible Ramps, minor repairs to Freight Shed and installation of a flag pole at the front of the Train Station. 2. Approve the request of the Applicant for 20 Smith Road, Chester Train Station, to undertake only a portion of the proposed scope of work (please specify). 3. Deny the request of the Applicant for 20 Smith Road, Chester Train Station. 4. Request additional information from staff or the Applicant. This information will be brought to a future Council meeting for consideration. ATTACHMENTS Appendix A – Letter of Request, including drawings of the proposed boarding platform and pavilion. Appendix B – Historic Places Listing for 20 Smith Road, Chester Train Station. 1 Garth Sturtevant From:Chad Haughn Sent:September 20, 2021 1:36 PM To:Garth Sturtevant Subject:FW: #External: heritage letter Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged Hi Garth, See the letter below from Carol N. I think this is the letter that you were expecting from your conversation with Syd and Carol about the Train Station project. Chad CHAD HAUGHN Director of Community Development & Recreation Office: 902-275-4124 Cell: 902-275-8191 Consider the environment. Do you really need to print this email? From: Carol Nauss Sent: September 20, 2021 10:33 AM To: Chad Haughn <chaughn@chester.ca> Cc: Carol Nauss Subject: #External: heritage letter CHESTER MUNICIPAL HERITAGE SOCIETY 133 CENTRAL STREET, CHESTER, NS B0J 1JO 902-275-3826 Chester Municipal Council, Heritage Committee King Street, Chester, NS B0J 1J0 This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recogize the sender and know the content is safe. 2 Attention Council Members, The Chester Municipal Heritage society would like to apply for permission to do work around the Chester Train Station at 20 Smith Road within the Village of Chester. The plans include construction a pavilion on the grounds which will resemble the front of the Chester Train Station in form. It will not in any way compromise the view of the current station. It is designed to look like the front of the station but with open sides and ends, in other words pillars and a roof. It is in no way connected to the original train station. This will eventually be painted to match the current buildings on the property. Our plan is to make use of this for community and heritage events such as concerts, celebrations, farmer’s market, and other such uses as may be considered. The property entrance is off Smith Road and as such we do not believe that it would be considered part of the Highway 3 Streetscape Plan. It will also provide a place for the downtown merchants to advertise, and directions to use Victoria Street as an entrance to the village for tourists taking them down a scenic route into the village. The Society also feels that this signage should also inform people of the green projects that the municipality is involved in. A way to let locals and visitors alike the environmentally friendly community we are building. The second plan is to replace the boarding platform that originally ran along the back of the station and slanted up to the original freight shed next to the station. This is a raised platform at the freight shed, at the same height as the floor on a box car. Goods were moved off the train into the freight shed and when needed at the station a wheeled cart was used to move the goods into the baggage room at the station which is now the Oak Island Display. This is not an attached structure but simply run along in front of the buildings. The current lane between the station and the shed will be altered to the east side of the shed. Once again this is not changing the original look of the station but rather replacing a part that was removed some years ago. Our final job is to install power to the freight shed and repair the bottom skirting, and add a flag pole in front of the station. Our hope is that you will give permission to continue with the project as it in no way changes the character of the station, but rather enhances it, returning it to what it once was, a restoration. The new building is not detract from the heritage building nor change it in any way. Yours truly, Carol A. Nauss, Chair Chester Municipal Heritage Society Sent from Mailbird To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Virus-free. www.avg.com SCALE:DATE:DRAWN BY:Project NumberGENERAL NOTESTHIS DRAWING IS THE PROPERTY OF SP DUMARESQ ARCHITECT LTD. AND MAY NOT BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN APPROVAL. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL VERIFY ALL LEVELS AND DIMENSIONS ON SITE AND REPORT ALL DISCREPANCIES TO THE ARCHITECT BEFORE BEGINNING WORK. DO NOT SCALE DRAWING. USE FIGURED DIMENSIONS ONLY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE DRAWINGS WITHOUT THE ARCHITECT'S APPROVAL. READ THIS DRAWING IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONTRACT DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS.REVIEWED BY:IF DIMENSION DOES NOT MEASURE 1" DRAWINGS IS NOTE PRINTED TO SCALE1"DATE#ISSUEPROJECT TITLESHEET TITLEKEY PLAN000COVERChester MarketPavilionAuthorSEPT 2021CHESTER MUNICIPAL HERITAGE SOCIETY MARKET PAVILIONSheet ListSheet Number Sheet Name000 COVERA001 SITE PLANA100 FLOOR PLANA200 ELEVATIONSS101 FOUNDATION PLAN AND SECTIONSS102 ROOF FRAMING PLANS103 TYPICAL NOTES SMITH ROADPARKINGNORTH STREETVICTORIA STREETWALKER CUTH A D D O N H I L L R O A D PUBLIC HIGHWAY No. 3CRAB APPLEEXISTING FREIGHT SHEDSHEDSHEDSHEDUTIL. POLEEXISTING TRAIN STATIONOPEN SPACENEW MARKET PAVILIONRAILS TO TRAILSNSCALE:DATE:DRAWN BY:Project NumberGENERAL NOTESTHIS DRAWING IS THE PROPERTY OF SP DUMARESQ ARCHITECT LTD. AND MAY NOT BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN APPROVAL. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL VERIFY ALL LEVELS AND DIMENSIONS ON SITE AND REPORT ALL DISCREPANCIES TO THE ARCHITECT BEFORE BEGINNING WORK. DO NOT SCALE DRAWING. USE FIGURED DIMENSIONS ONLY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE DRAWINGS WITHOUT THE ARCHITECT'S APPROVAL. READ THIS DRAWING IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONTRACT DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS.REVIEWED BY:IF DIMENSION DOES NOT MEASURE 1" DRAWINGS IS NOTE PRINTED TO SCALE1"DATE#ISSUEPROJECT TITLESHEET TITLEKEY PLAN 1" = 30'-0"A001SITE PLANChester MarketPavilionAuthorSEPT 2021 1" = 30'-0"1Site ROOF OVERHANG8 VENDOR STALLS8 VENDOR STALLS76' - 8"44' - 8"N1234ABCDE0' - 2"0' - 4"6' - 4"16' - 0"16' - 0"16' - 0"16' - 0"6' - 4"6' - 4"8' - 0"16' - 0"8' - 0"6' - 4"SCALE:DATE:DRAWN BY:Project NumberGENERAL NOTESTHIS DRAWING IS THE PROPERTY OF SP DUMARESQ ARCHITECT LTD. AND MAY NOT BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN APPROVAL. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL VERIFY ALL LEVELS AND DIMENSIONS ON SITE AND REPORT ALL DISCREPANCIES TO THE ARCHITECT BEFORE BEGINNING WORK. DO NOT SCALE DRAWING. USE FIGURED DIMENSIONS ONLY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE DRAWINGS WITHOUT THE ARCHITECT'S APPROVAL. READ THIS DRAWING IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONTRACT DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS.REVIEWED BY:IF DIMENSION DOES NOT MEASURE 1" DRAWINGS IS NOTE PRINTED TO SCALE1"DATE#ISSUEPROJECT TITLESHEET TITLEKEY PLAN 1/4" = 1'-0"A100FLOOR PLANChester MarketPavilionAuthorSEPT 2021 1/4" = 1'-0"1Level 1 Level 10' - 0"Roof12' - 0"12346' - 4"8' - 0"16' - 0"8' - 0"6' - 4"127Level 10' - 0"Roof12' - 0"25' - 1 1/2"12' - 0"ABCDE16' - 0"16' - 0"16' - 0"16' - 0"6' - 4"6' - 4"4' - 0" MIN.34' - 5 1/2"127SCALE:DATE:DRAWN BY:Project NumberGENERAL NOTESTHIS DRAWING IS THE PROPERTY OF SP DUMARESQ ARCHITECT LTD. AND MAY NOT BE USED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN APPROVAL. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL VERIFY ALL LEVELS AND DIMENSIONS ON SITE AND REPORT ALL DISCREPANCIES TO THE ARCHITECT BEFORE BEGINNING WORK. DO NOT SCALE DRAWING. USE FIGURED DIMENSIONS ONLY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES MADE TO THE DRAWINGS WITHOUT THE ARCHITECT'S APPROVAL. READ THIS DRAWING IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONTRACT DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS.REVIEWED BY:IF DIMENSION DOES NOT MEASURE 1" DRAWINGS IS NOTE PRINTED TO SCALE1"DATE#ISSUEPROJECT TITLESHEET TITLEKEY PLAN 1/4" = 1'-0"A200ELEVATIONSChester MarketPavilionAuthorSEPT 2021 1/4" = 1'-0"2North & East Elevation 1/4" = 1'-0"3South & West13D VIEW OF FRAMING Chester Train Station 20 Smith Road, Chester, Nova Scotia, B0J, Canada Formally Recognized: 1992/05/01 Freight Shed Side and Front Elevations Rear Elevation OTHER NAME(S) n/a LINKS AND DOCUMENTS Chester Municipal Heritage Society CONSTRUCTION DATE(S) LISTED ON THE CANADIAN REGISTER: 2007/04/30 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE Built circa 1905, the Chester Train Station was a full service Mackenzie and Mann station that formed part of their Halifax and Southwestern Railway Company at the beginning of the twentieth century. Its wide roof overhangs provided shelter over the decking that at one time wrapped around the building and the roof supports' decorative design are matched in intricacy by the varying rooflines and numerous dormers adorning the building, making it an obvious landmark in the community. The Municipal Heritage Designation applies to the station, freight shed, and surrounding property. HERITAGE VALUE The Chester Train Station is valued for its age, original function, construction and continued use as a public building. The Chester Train Station was built circa 1905 to service the Halifax and Southwestern Railway Company, built by William Mackenzie and Donald Mann who owned railway compainies across Canada. The service this lined provided was an integral part of the transportation network between the rural Nova Scotian communities on the province’s south western shore. The station, at its height of operations, included a wraparound loading deck, which continued across the yard to the additional freight shed common to full service stations. A water tower and coal shed were also once present at the site, but they were removed before the turn of the twenty-first century. The station and freight shed share a similar wooden construction style with exceptionally wide eaves supported by large curved wooden braces, which include a decorative scroll pattern on their lower abutment. The major difference being that the freight shed is much simpler in design. It has an uninterrupted hipped roof and minimal window space, as the interior would have been illuminated by daylight when the large freight doors on both sides of the building were open. In contrast, the station’s hipped roof features a second raised hipped roof in the centre of the building. This upper hipped roof features a steeply pitched gable with the gabled end facing the front and rear elevations respectively. In addition, this upper hipped roof is flanked by small gambrel roofed dormers on the front and rear elevations. The two side elevations of the main roof both feature a single gambrel roof dormer, consisting of the same size and style as those on the front and rear elevations. In addition to the station's unique symmetrical roofline, the rest of the building’s exterior is also symmetrical across the axis of its length with the exception of an additional exterior door on the front elevation. One of the most noticeable features of this symmetrical design is the presence of a large double door freight entrance topped with a seven pane transom window on front and rear elevations of the station. Although the tracks have been removed and the sound of the steam engine’s whistle no longer echoes through the station, it continues to be used as a public building in the community. It is now operated by the Chester Municipal Heritage Society and houses their office as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Visitor Information service for the area. Source: Municipality of the District of Chester Heritage Property Files, Chester Train Station CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS The character-defining elements of the Chester Train Station relate to its original use and include: - original form and massing; - wide eaves supported by large curved wooden braces with a decorative scroll pattern on their lower abutment; - hipped roof; - second central raised hipped roof; - steeply pitched gable in middle of raised hipped roof with gabled ends facing front and rear elevations; - gambrel roofed dormers flanking raised hipped roof on front and rear elevations; - single gambrel roofed dormers on side elevations of main hipped roof; - large double door freight entrance with a seven-pane transom window on front and rear elevations; - symmetrical design, with exception of an additional entrance on front elevation; - wooden shingle construction. The character-defining elements of the freight shed relate to its original use and include: - wide eaves supported by large curved wooden braces with decorative scroll pattern; - hipped roof; - two large double freight doors; David Nauss House 255 Haddon Hill Road, Chester, Nova Scotia Built circa 1846-1857 the David Nauss House is a vernacular style home with combinations of Cape… St. Peter's Lutheran Church 5 Old Trunk Road No. 3 (Commons Road), Chester, Nova Scotia Built circa 1881, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church is a landmark in the community due to its high… - wooden construction; - proximity to station building. RECOGNITION HISTORICAL INFORMATION ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Map data ©2021 Google NEARBY PLACES REQUEST FOR DECISION Prepared By: Tim Topping, Director of Financial and Information Services Date October 13, 2021 Reviewed By: Dan McDougall, CAO Date October 19, 2021 Authorized By: Dan McDougall, CAO Date October 19, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION Some resourcing gaps were identified as part of the recent strategic planning and priorities review. In particular, the need for a new Financial Analyst position has been identified as necessary to meeting existing prioritization of strategic goals. RECOMMENDATION That Council approve the creation of a Financial Analyst position, at the Senior Contributor salary band. BACKGROUND The need for more robust financial analyses has grown consistently in recent years, with further significant analytical and other financial reporting needs coming in the near to medium term. This growth in demand is due to a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, strategic planning and priorities, increasing financial reporting requirements, and ongoing policy and procedure improvements. DISCUSSION Adding a Financial Analyst position will increase the ability of the Finance department to provide the in- depth analyses and strategic guidance that Council needs to support their decision-making, while also providing additional capacity at the Director level to focus more heavily on long-term planning, policy and procedure review, and other high-level financial issues facing the Municipality. By reallocating much of the financial analysis work to this new position, the Municipality will achieve greater efficiency of resource use, by better aligning the work being done with the cost of the resource allocated to that work. Specific needs in the current and near term (not an exhaustive list): Within the next two fiscal years, there are 7 new or revised accounting standards being implemented by PSAB. PS3280 Asset Retirement Obligations, in particular, will require significant financial analysis work Cash Flow forecasting, to ensure that our medium-to-long-term investing activities are utilizing our cash reserves to achieve the best results possible Modelling scenarios to understand the impacts of alternatives being considered for future planning purposes, such as: o Solid waste management strategies REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Finance Department DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: Financial Analyst Position ORIGIN: Strategic Plan and Staffing Sept 2021 Council Review 2 Request For Decision /Direction o Waste water strategies o Modifying or expanding municipal loan programs Annual and multi-year budget development PO module implementation Variance reporting, monitoring, and projections As with many smaller organizations, our external auditors have consistently identified inadequate segregation of duties as an ongoing concern for internal control procedures. Adding an additional finance resource will provide opportunities to increase the effectiveness of internal control activities, creating a stronger control environment (reduced chance of undetected errors or omission). The Financial Analyst position will report to the Director of Financial and Information Services. A valid accounting designation (CPA) will be required for this position. IMPLICATIONS Policy More detailed and timely information provided to support policy decisions. Financial/Budgetary $35-45K in the current fiscal year. $72-105K/year in future years. Amounts include 17% estimated benefit costs. Environmental N/A Strategic Plan Creating a new Financial Analyst position will assist the Municipality in advancing the following Priority Areas of the 2021-24 Strategic Priorities Framework: Governance & Engagement Priority Outcome 1: Ensure municipal service delivery is efficient and effective, communicated and accessible Priority Outcome 2: Ensure municipal bylaw and policy frameworks reflect current and changing needs Priority Outcome 3: Continue to develop an asset management system that will inform decisions about infrastructure, development, levels of service, risk assessment, and associated financing Work Program Implications N/A OPTIONS Absorb the growing demands for financial analysis and modelling into the existing financial resources, which would lead to reduced detail of work provided to support policy decisions and delays in delivery of strategic priorities. 3 Request For Decision /Direction ATTACHMENTS None. COMMUNICATIONS (INTERNAL/EXTERNAL) Internal – Municipal staff External – Public via website, newsletter, and job postings REQUEST FOR DIRECTION/DECISION REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Corporate & Strategic Management DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: IAO Positions ORIGIN: Strategic Plan and Staffing Sept 2021 Council Review Prepared by: Tara Maguire, Deputy CAO Date: October 19, 2021 Reviewed by: [staff, title] Date: Authorized by: Dan McDougall, CAO Date: October 21, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION Some resourcing gaps were identified as part of the recent strategic planning and priorities review. A reorganization of the Infrastructure and Operations Department was identified as a priority in response to current vacancies, resource gaps and to better position the department to carry forward strategic planning and capital infrastructure projects. This realignment will also assist to ensure adequate resources are in place to implement and plan any major construction projects that result from the wastewater study. In addition, the realignment will support effective operations in the primary services areas that are the responsibility of Infrastructure and Operations including solid waste resource management, public works (buildings and ground, parks trails, etc.) and in wastewater and water services. RECOMMENDED MOTION That Council approve the creation of three new positions, a Director (Landfill) a Wastewater / Project engineer and a Skilled labour/operator (landfill). Further that council authorize the CAO to use a recruiter to help fill the positions as deemed necessary. BACKGROUND This growth in demand is due to a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, strategic planning and priorities, the need for project management and technical expertise for the wastewater strategy, and a need for supervision and management of existing wastewater systems. DISCUSSION The resignation of the Assistant Director of IAO and the strategic priorities process has promoted staff to review the organization of the IAO department and to review resource needs. A number of gaps and areas of specific needs in the current and near term has been developed (not an exhaustive list): • Business Planning for Landfill Operations (upcoming contract negotiations, relationship management) • Operations Management and regulatory compliance at Kaizer Meadow (Director Landfill) • Operations for Public Works (Director PW) • Technical support and additional engineering capacity, construction project planning and implementation, oversight and supervision of wastewater system (Wastewater/Project Eng.) • Public relations & Outreach, policy development, & project management of Wastewater projects (Secondment) • Skilled Labour position at Landfill for household hazardous Waste Management, equipment operations, weigh scale operations, etc. R e q u e s t f o r D i r e c t i o n / D e c i s i o n P a g e | 2 The last few recruitments for Engineering positions has been challenging. We are not only competing with other municipal units, but we are competing with the market in HRM for professional level positions. Within this fiscal year, it is anticipated that Council will be prioritizing projects and recommendations from the wastewater strategy. Management of this project will be the responsibility of a seconded project manager (the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator will be seconded for 2 years). The reorganization of the department presented below will help to provide services in a more efficient manner and will allow resources to be realized to provide more timely and strategic advice to council. Current Organization R e q u e s t f o r D i r e c t i o n / D e c i s i o n P a g e | 3 Proposed Organization Director, Solid Waste This position will be reestablished to oversee day to day operations at the Kaizer Meadow Landfill and support the business development and strategic direction for the site. The Director of Kaizer Meadow Landfill would increase the ability of the IAO department to provide the in-depth analyses and strategic guidance that Council needs to support their decision-making, while also providing additional capacity at the Director level to focus more heavily on long-term planning, policy and procedure review, and other high-level issues. This will allow increased capacity for: • Management of operations at landfill • Improved budget and financial modelling • Ensuring operating manuals, policies and procedures are current • Development of a more robust operations program, including monitoring to ensure compliance with permit requirements • Identifying new opportunities for partnerships – Business Development • Managing contracts and relationship with existing partners • Free up staff time which will allow for additional education and client support activities The position would be a full-time permanent position. Ideally it would be a P.Eng. with experience in landfill operations. Christa Rafuse, the current Director of Infrastructure and Operations will be appointed to the position on a date to be determined. R e q u e s t f o r D i r e c t i o n / D e c i s i o n P a g e | 4 Wastewater/Project Engineer The Wastewater/Project Engineer position will act as the technical lead for capital projects related to wastewater. The creation of this position would result in the elimination of the Wastewater supervisor position. The Wastewater/Project Engineer position will be responsible for the wastewater system and day to day operations of the staff. Operationally they would be responsible for ensuring that operating manuals for wastewater systems are up to date and that procedures and processes are followed, permit requirements are being met and they will provide supervision of wastewater systems and staff. This will allow increased capacity for: • Technical expertise and project management of capital projects related to wastewater • Advancing wastewater projects in a timely manner • Capital planning, and improved forecasting • Annual budget preparation and monitoring for wastewater systems • Strategic planning for other infrastructure (i.e., trails, bridges, sidewalks) • Updating operating manuals for wastewater systems • Supervision of wastewater systems and staff It is proposed that the position be a permanent full-time position. It is proposed to be a professional level position at the Director 2 level, and would require at minimum a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering specializing in Civil Engineering and registration with Engineers Nova Scotia. This position will be filled using a recruitment firm and it should be noted that the salary scale may need to be adjusted to respond to labour market conditions as the requirements for the professional engineering designation may necessitate a higher salary than the current range for a Director 2 level position. Director – Public Works and Engineering The Director of Public Works and Engineering is a reclassification of the Assistant Director of Infrastructure and Operations position. The reclassification from a Director 2/Senior Contributor to a Director 1 level position will assist with recruitment and retention of a professional Engineer with the experience and expertise required to provide oversight and management of the Division. The position will be responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the Public Works and Engineering Division, but they will also be required to assist with the strategic direction and leadership of the Division. This position will be filled using a recruitment firm. Director – Infrastructure and Operations This position is an existing position that will become vacant when Christa is appointed as Director of Solid Waste. The position has overall responsibility for the department including the solid waste, public works, engineering, wastewater and water infrastructure and facility management. The position provides leadership and management of the Department, as well as strategic direction. They are accountable for ensuring delivery of strategic priorities and timely and efficient delivery of the work plan projects. They provide strategic advice and guidance to the CAO, Senior Management and Council to ensure sound decision making. The position will require a P.Eng, MPA or MBA or a similar degree with a keen sense of management principles. This position will be filled using a recruitment firm and it should be noted that the salary scale may need to be adjusted to respond to labour market conditions as the requirements for the professional engineering designation, or a candidate with an MPA or MBA, may necessitate a higher salary than the current range for a Director 1 level position. R e q u e s t f o r D i r e c t i o n / D e c i s i o n P a g e | 5 Skilled Labourer The skilled laborer is a permanent full-time position that would be responsible for operating the household hazardous waste site, provide back up and weekend support for the scalehouse, and would also be involved in general sitework. Ideally the position would require someone who would be a heavy equipment operator. Would allow increased capacity for: • Operations of Household hazardous waste site • Backup and Saturdays at the scalehouse • General sitework • Heavy equipment would be a benefit • Ability to help with education campaigns, dealing with the public, green cart IMPLICATIONS By-Law/Policy More detailed and timely information provided to support policy decisions. Financial/budgetary Position FY 21-22 impact Future Years impact Director, Solid Waste (new position) 26,000-38,000 88,000-130,000 Wastewater/Project Engineer (uplifted from Wastewater Supervisor) 4,000-5,000 12,000-18,000 Skilled Labourer (new position) assume start in November 15,000-22,000 38,000-56,000 Director, Public Works (reclassification from Director 2 to Director 1) 5,000-7,000 13,000-20,000 Assuming the roles are filled by mid December-January, the fiscal impact is anticipated to be $50,000-72,000 in the current fiscal year and $151,000-224,000/year in future years. Amounts include 17% estimated benefit costs. In the proposed structure, the Director of Infrastructure and Operations would be the Department Head, while the Director of Solid Waste and the Director of Public Works and Engineering would be Divisional heads. Currently the salary scale would have all three positions classified at the same scale. It should be noted that the recruitment process could result in a need to review the salaries of individual positions as noted. Environmental N/A Strategic Priorities Restructuring the IAO Department will assist the Municipality in advancing the following Priority Areas of the 2021-24 Strategic Priorities Framework: Priority Area: Environmental Stewardship Priority Outcome 1: Seek opportunities for innovation and leadership in waste management. Priority Outcome 2: Explore options for integrating green energy and sustainable technologies in municipal infrastructure and program delivery. R e q u e s t f o r D i r e c t i o n / D e c i s i o n P a g e | 6 Priority Outcome 3: Support environmental conservation & protection initiatives and efforts to tackle the impact of climate change. Priority Area: Governance & Engagement Priority Outcome 1: Ensure municipal service delivery is efficient and effective, communicated and accessible. Priority Outcome 2: Ensure municipal bylaw and policy frameworks reflect current and changing needs. Priority Outcome 3: Continue to develop an asset management system that will inform decisions about infrastructure, development, levels of service, risk assessment, and associated financing. Priority Area: Infrastructure & Service Delivery Priority Outcome 1: Develop and implement evidence-based plans for future infrastructure and service needs, along with related funding models, to accommodate sustainable growth and levels of service. Priority Outcome 2: Create efficiencies through innovative service delivery, and proactive maintenance and operations of existing infrastructure. Priority Outcome 3: Plan for and create infrastructure that improves the connectivity of roads, multi-use trails, natural assets, and facilities as part of an active transportation network. Work Program Implications Approving these positions should position the department to deliver their tasks and strategic priorities in a timelier manner. If the positions are not filled, staff will need to review the strategic prorates and work plan to adjust timelines to reflect resources since the current version of the plan and timelines are basked on these positions being created and filled in a timely manner. OPTIONS 1. Authorize the creation of new positions and reorganization of the IAO department as presented and further to authorize the CAO to use our existing HR processes and a recruiter as needed to fill the vacancies. 2. Do not authorize the creation of the new positions but authorize the CAO to use a recruiter to fill the Assistant Director of Infrastructure and Operations. Further, direct staff to prepare a report with options for strategic priorities and resources. 3. Provide direction to staff come back with more information. REQUEST FOR DECISION Tara Prepared By: Tara Maguire, Deputy CAO Date October 20, 2021 Reviewed By: Date Authorized By: Dan McDougall Date October 21, 2021 CURRENT SITUATION The Municipality of Chester Personnel Policy indicates that a review of salary scales will be conducted every five years and that the personnel policy is reviewed every four years (end of council term) or as needed. The last review was completed in 2010. In lieu of a full review, Council approved an optional 1% increase in employer portion of the pension contributions with a match by the employee in 2015. Our Personnel Policy aids in the guidance of day-to-day operations. While still functional, many of these policies are dated and in need of revision. Furthermore, the manual itself is not comprehensive in that it is lacking key human resources policies relating to a number of operational realities in today’s workplace – i.e. harassment, work from home, diversity and inclusion, information technology, social media, etc. The Strategic Plan for 2021 lists a Salary and Benefits Review and Personnel Policy Review as Action Items and they have been added to the 2021-22 work plan. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Council approve the Scope of work for the Compensation and Benefits Review and the Personnel Policy Review and direct staff to proceed with the procurement process. BACKGROUND In 2010, an RFP was issued, and a consultant was hired to complete a review of staff salary and council remuneration. New salary bands were approved by Council in December 2010. Since this time, the employment market has become more competitive, and the demographics of the workforce continue to change. Trends in the workforce have also continued to change, and COVID-19 has seen an accelerated rate of change with the introduction of remote working, technological changes, and an increased demand for flexibility. Recognition and attraction issues regarding existing and future employees are always on the radar of Council and Senior Staff of the Municipality. In the past 10 years we have seen an increase in the turnover rates for employees. There is a wide-spread recognition that compensation needs to be competitive to retain a highly skilled workforce especially due to our proximity to the Halifax Regional Municipality. REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Corporate and Strategic Management DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: Benefits and Salary Review and Personnel Policy Scope of Work ORIGIN: Strategic Plan 2 Request For Decision /Direction The Municipality should aim to be a Municipal employer of choice, setting ourselves apart from other public sector organizations. The strategic plan recognizes the need to review our total compensation and benefits package, considering both financial compensations, and non-monetary (i.e. those beyond salary) compensation such as medical and dental benefits, Employee Assistance and wellness programs, pension, vacation. The review should also consider flexible work arrangements including flex time, earned days off and alternative work weeks. The review will aid the Municipality in attracting and retaining well qualified staff and maintaining competitive compensation and benefits practices, position the Municipality to be an employer of choice. Once the Compensation and Benefit review is complete, we will also need to update the relevant Personnel Policies. This project is also included in the Strategic Plan. There is also a need to modernize the language and policies, to reflect council’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and our Accessibility Initiatives. The current policies are outdated and there are inconsistencies and difficulty with interpretation of some policies. This project will simplify the language and present the policies in a clearly written language which make them more accessible and easily interpreted. DISCUSSION Attached to this report is a scope of work for both Compensation and Benefits Review and a Personnel Policy Review. The use of a consultant for these two projects will help to ensure that the two projects are completed by subject matter experts, who have the experience and knowledge around HR policies and an understanding of the current challenges in the job market. The objective of the Compensation and Benefits Review is to obtain an independent third-party review of the compensation package currently provided to employees of the Municipality of Chester to ensure appropriateness and fairness in compensation as compared to each other and other similar organization. The goals are to ensure: Internal equity amongst staff; Council salary levels are fairly assessed by an external party; The established job evaluation tool continues to meet the needs of the organization and employees; The Municipality is able to effectively retain its employee base through competitive and fair salaries and benefits package. The objective of the Personnel Policy Review is to obtain an independent third-party review and develop a new personnel policy package. The goals are to ensure: Policies are reflective of diversity, equity and inclusion principles; Accessible, clearly written and easily interpreted policies; Reflect modern HR policies; Recommendations are provided for new policies that support flexible work arrangements and with a goal of attracting and retaining employees; Policies position the Municipality to be an Employer of Choice. Approval of the two scopes of work will trigger staff to proceed with the Procurement process per the procurement policy. 3 Request For Decision /Direction IMPLICATIONS Policy N/A Financial/Budgetary Both projects are included in the 2021-22 budget. $35,000 is budgeted for the Compensation and Benefits Review and $50,000 is budgeted for the Personnel Policy Review. Environmental N/A Strategic Plan Completing the two projects will support the following strategic plan objectives: Priority Area: Governance & Engagement Priority Outcome 2: Ensure municipal bylaw and policy frameworks reflect current and changing needs. Work Program Implications The current workplan identifies the use of a consultant for each of these projects to ensure a more timely delivery and an objective, independent review. OPTIONS 1. Approve the Scope of work for the Compensation and Benefits Review and the Personnel Policy Review and direct staff to proceed with the procurement process. 2. Do no approve and provide direction to staff. ATTACHMENTS None. COMMUNICATIONS (INTERNAL/EXTERNAL) Internal – Municipal staff External – Public via website, provincial procurement site Compensation and Benefits Review Scope of Work Compensation and Benefits Review Scope of Work 1. Background and Project Objectives The Municipality of Chester Personnel Policy indicates that a review of salary scales will be conducted every five years and that the personnel policy is reviewed every four years (end of council term) or as needed. In 2010, an RFP was issued, and a consultant was hired to complete a review of staff salary and council remuneration. New salary bands were approved by Council in December 2010. Since this time, the employment market has become more competitive, and the demographics of the workforce continue to change. Trends in the workforce have also continued to change, and COVID-19 has seen an accelerated rate of change with the introduction of remote working, technological changes, and an increased demand for flexibility. Recognition and attraction issues regarding existing and future employees are always on the radar of Council and Senior Staff of the Municipality. In the past 10 years we have seen an increase in the turnover rates for employees. There is a wide-spread recognition that compensation needs to be competitive to retain a highly skilled workforce especially due to our proximity to the Halifax Regional Municipality. The Municipality aims to be a Municipal employer of choice, setting ourselves apart from other public sector organizations. We recognize the need to review our total compensation and benefits package, considering both financial compensations, and non-monetary (i.e. those beyond salary) compensation such as medical and dental benefits, Employee Assistance and wellness programs, pension, vacation. The review should also consider flexible work arrangements including flex time, earned days off and alternative work weeks. The review will aid the Municipality in attracting and retaining well qualified staff and maintaining competitive compensation and benefits practices, position the Municipality to be an employer of choice. The objective of the Compensation and Benefits Review is to obtain an independent third-party review of the compensation package currently provided to employees of the Municipality of Chester to ensure appropriateness and fairness in compensation as compared to each other and other similar organization. The goals are to ensure: Internal equity amongst staff; Council salary levels are fairly assessed by an external party; The established job evaluation tool continues to meet the needs of the organization and employees; The Municipality is able to effectively retain its employee base through competitive and fair salaries and benefits package. 2. Scope of Work The consultant will be expected to address the following components: 1. Review the job descriptions of all permanent employees of the Municipality to fully understand the scope of responsibility, the key job functions, educational and skill requirements for each position; 2. Compare benchmark positions to other municipalities throughout the Maritimes; 3. Assess our current salary bands and provide recommendations; 4. Provide a recommended salary scale for each non-union position based on the assessment of each job description in comparison to similar positions in other municipalities and the public sector. A rationale for the level of compensation must be provided for each position; Compensation and Benefits Review Scope of Work 5. Conduct a thorough review of Council’s existing level of remuneration and make recommendations on appropriate levels of adjustment to existing remuneration for the positions of Warden, Deputy Warden and Councillor if necessary; 6. To make recommendations on benefits for Council, including pension, medical and dental, leave of absence and other benefits that would help to attract a diverse range of candidates; 7. To evaluate the benefit and entitlement plan of the Municipality of Chester with other municipalities and the public sectors to determine whether changes should be made; and 8. To provide a list of recommendations for non-financial compensation that the Municipality can provide to its employees to meet its retention and attraction goals to reward performance. 3. PROJECT DELIVERABLES General The project deliverables and meetings defined below are the minimum requirements for the execution of the study. Should the proponent feel that it is desirable to produce additional deliverables then these should be described explicitly in the proposal. The following are considered the minimum deliverables: Work Plan Communication Plan Progress Reports Draft Report(S) Final Report Session with municipality’s senior management team on the implementation of the salary scale Presentation to council Where meetings are planned to review the deliverables, the proponent shall allow for a minimum of one week between the date when the deliverable is available for circulation and the date of the meeting. Work Plan Before commencing the project, the proponent shall prepare a Work Plan, which shall take the form of a detailed description of the steps to be followed in the study process. This plan will indicate the sequencing and staging of tasks, key decision points, the expected completion date for each task and the interrelationship between the completion of the tasks and the preparation of the project deliverables. The Work Plan shall be delivered to the working group and a meeting scheduled for review and approval of the Work Plan prior to commencing work. Progress Reports Written progress reports, highlighting activities undertaken, results achieved and outlining any unexpected delays, problems or difficulty which arise as the project progresses shall be submitted regularly as agreed upon. Draft Reports The Draft Report shall be prepared for distribution to the working group. Following a thorough review of the Draft Report and satisfactory resolution of all issues raised during the review period the proponent shall review the Draft Report with the CAO and Deputy CAO. Following the review of the Draft Report with the CAO and Deputy CAO, a complete Final Report shall be prepared for Council. Final Report The Final Report shall be prepared for acceptance by Council and shall be presented to council in a working session. Meetings The following are mandatory meetings to be attended by the successful proponent: Presentation of the Work plan to the working group; Presentation of the Draft Report to the working group; Presentation of the Draft Report to the CAO; and Session with municipality’s senior management team on the implementation of the salary scale Presentation of the Final Report to Council 4. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS To establish the capabilities and qualifications of consultants, specific information is requested, including corporate profile, service delivery capability, project management and technical supportability, relevant experience and references, management support programs, proven successes in similar undertakings, related management experience and additional background information as outlined herein. Consultants are encouraged to submit as detailed a document as possible in support of their capacity to meet the requirements of this Request for Proposal. Each proposal submitted MUST include: 1. Understanding of Municipality’s Requirements 2. Corporate Profile Mission, vision, and values of the Consultant. Overview of capabilities and services. Three client references including location, client contact, nature of services, value of contract and key outcomes achieved. Projects must have been completed in the last 5 years. Sample of policy writing. Provide a written policy example that has been developed by the Consultant/Consultant team that would be relevant to this proposed work and can demonstrate proficiency. Outline of criteria that differentiate the Consultant from its competitors. 3. Organization and Personnel Identify contact name and address of Principal Contact for the Consultant. Identify names of all sub-consultants. Identify proposed main point of contact/Project Manager of the Consultant to be maintained throughout the project. Identify key staff and their proposed role in the project including previous relevant experience. Appended resumes, if provided, are not to exceed three pages per person. Provide descriptions of completed similar or representative projects executed by the Consultant and sub-consultants including year of completion, client contact names, staff and their roles in the project, and photographs or other graphic materials. 4. Provision of Services Scope of Services outline of approach to completing all aspects of the scope of services, including for each service area a statement as to whether this service would be self performed or subcontracted. Approach to management of project. Approach to customer contact and communications. Approach to quality management. Project schedule identifying key milestone dates for deliverables and time allotted for the Municipality’s review. A schedule of fees for professional services, plus disbursements, setting out rates of remuneration for each consultant team member, an estimate for time each member will devote to a particular task, and an estimated cost of each budget item. Where disbursements are estimated or time and material based, provide unit rates or basis for estimate. Provide a maximum price for completing the assignment, including HST. Proposed billing schedule. Confidentiality It is understood that the successful proponent may be required to retain information and copies of the findings and resulting report. However, the findings and resulting report is understood to be the property of the Municipality and shall remain confidential to the successful proponent and the project team. It is also understood that any material pertaining to the project that is disclosed to the successful proponent by the Municipality of a confidential nature will also be expected to be kept confidential. The proponent shall indicate in the proposal that this is agreed to and upon awarding of the proposal may be requested to sign a document agreeing to these terms. 5. PROPOSAL FORMAT All respondents must submit one hard copy and one electronic copy on a USB drive containing the detailed information as requested in this section and structured according to the format and number scheme used in the RFP. 1. Firm Identification and Contact Each respondent should provide their full legal name, if incorporated, and the name, title, address, telephone number, facsimile number and e-mail address of the individual to be contacted with respect to the submission. 2. Project Team and Experience The respondent should identify all proposed team members and their role in the project. For each proposed member indicate: Name and firm association; if different from contact; Role in the project; A brief description of the individuals’ qualifications and their experience, both professional and practical; A list of relevant previous assignments and a brief description of their roles; and Three references for similar projects. The required experience should be comprised, but not limited to the following: o Research and analysis techniques; o Evaluation and assessment techniques; o Related experience in human resources management; o Related experience in salary review; and o Related experience of all of the above in the municipal context. 3. Comprehension of the Assignment Indicate your understanding of the scope and complexity of the assignment. Indicate the problems /issues likely to be encountered. Your definition of “public sector” shall be included in this section. 4. Approach Describe your methodology, method of research, additional reference materials and source documentation resources to be used and any other relevant and/or unique attributes of your approach. The general methodology expected is as follows: Introductory Meeting The Municipality will outline our priorities and objectives; o Any relevant materials in our possession will be turned over to the consultant, including the salary reviews conducted in 2011 and 2015, the existing salary grid, all current job descriptions, and the Personnel Policy; The consultant will describe the process they will employ in the Work Plan; and Agreement is reached on process and communications. Data Collection and Review Review the job descriptions of all employees to fully understand the scope of responsibility, the key job functions, and educational and skill requirements for the position; Salary data for other municipalities will be compiled and analyzed. Municipalities shall be chosen for comparison based on population, budget, staff complement and geographic location; and Remuneration data for Councils of other municipalities will be compiled and analyzed. Analysis and Assessment Consultants review the existing salary ranges for all current municipal positions; Consultants review and evaluate the existing salary scale; Consultants review and evaluate the existing job evaluation tool; Consultants review and evaluate existing steps on the Municipality’s pay scale; Consultants provide recommendations on remuneration for the positions of Warden, Deputy Warden and Councillor; Draft Report to the Committee Draft report is submitted to the Committee; Comments and revisions are provided to the consultants; Necessary revisions are made; and Report is accepted by the Committee Draft Report to the CAO Draft report is submitted to the CAO; Comments and revisions are provided to the consultants; Necessary revisions are made; Report is accepted by the CAO; and Report is finalized. Final Report One presentation is made to Council a on the findings contained within the report; Report is made available in hard copy and electronic format (PDF). 5. Project Plan and Schedule The respondent shall include a proposed project plan (including a proposed schedule/timetable and deliverables, with the identification of team member involvement). It is anticipated that the consultant selection date will be one week after the closing date. Timeframes of the contract will be based on the date the contract is awarded. 6. Fees and Expenses Each respondent is responsible for any and all costs and expenses incurred in the performance of the project. The activities listed in this Request for Proposals are the minimum requirements to be undertaken. Criterion Points Weight Factor Points x Weight Factor 1. Demonstrated experience in providing the required services and deliverables. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 2. Detailed work schedule and staff allocation. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15% 3. Work plan, methodology and demonstrated project management and contract administration 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 4. Cost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15% 5. Demonstrated knowledge of municipal government operations. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5% 6. Demonstrated knowledge of current landscape in public sector and understanding of impacts of geography, market pressures and rural challenges in recruitment and retention. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20% 7. Comparative value analysis 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 25% Total Score 100% 10 Excellent Exceeds the requirements of the criterion in superlative beneficial ways / very desirable. 9 Very Good Exceeds the requirements of the criterion in ways which are beneficial to the Municipality’s needs. 8 Good Exceeds the requirements of the criterion but in a manner which is not particularly beneficial to the Municipality’s needs. 7 Above Average Fully meets all requirements of the criterion. 6 Average Adequately meets most of the requirements of the criterion. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical. 5 Below Average Addresses most, but not all, of the requirements of the criterion to the minimum acceptable level. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical. 4 Poor Barely meets most of the requirements of the criterion to the minimum acceptable level. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical. 3 Below Poor Poor to Very Poor 2 Very Poor Minimally addresses some, but not all, of the requirements of the criterion. Lacking in critical areas. 1 Nearly Unsatisfactory Very Poor to Unsatisfactory. 0 Unsatisfactory Does not satisfy the requirements of the criterion in any manner. Personnel Policy Scope of Work 1. Background and Project Objectives The Municipality of the District of Chester has a Personnel Policy which aids in the guidance of its day-to- day operations. While still functional, many of these policies are dated and in need of revision. The Municipality is also in the process of finalizing a Compensation and Benefits review. Recommendations from this review need to be reflected in an updated Personnel Policy. Furthermore, the manual itself is not comprehensive in that it is lacking key human resources policies relating to a number of operational realities in today’s workplace – i.e., harassment, work from home, diversity and inclusion, information technology, social media, etc. The Municipality of the District of Chester is committed to the provision of a healthy work environment and the well-being of its employees. We aim to be an employer of choice and our personnel policies should support and reflect this goal. This request for proposals represents an important first step in that process. The objective of the Personnel Policy Review is to obtain an independent third-party review and develop a new personnel policy package. The goals are to ensure: 1. Policies are reflective of diversity, equity and inclusion principles; 2. Accessible, clearly written and easily interpreted policies; 3. Reflect modern HR policies; 4. Recommendations are provided for new policies that support flexible work arrangements and with a goal of attracting and retaining employees; 5. Policies position the Municipality to be an Employer of Choice. 6. Scope of Work This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is an invitation by the Municipality of the District of Chester, (the “Municipality”), to submit a proposal for the reviewing, revising, modernizing our comprehensive Personnel Policy. The consultant will be expected to address the following components: 1. Conduct a thorough review of the Municipality’s existing personnel policy manual; 2. Review the recommendations from the Compensation and Benefits Review; 3. Contrast these same policies against recognized best practices in human resources management and ensure compliance with all applicable legislation; 4. Conduct all necessary revisions/amendments to the Municipality’s current personnel policies; 5. Develop new policies in response to identified gaps/shortcomings, in keeping with public sector practices and ensuring compliance with the Municipal Government Act of Nova Scotia; 6. Put forward a comprehensive suite of current human resources policies, ensuring consistency of language and format. 7. The creation and provision of a Personnel Policy Manual will be comprehensive and in compliance with currently labor standards, including but not limited to the following: Employment Management Foundational Employee Management Policies a. General Expectations of Conduct Policy. b. Essential Services Policy. c. Hiring and Promotion Policy. d. Confidentiality Policy. e. Performance Appraisal Policy (and Template for Performance Appraisal). f. Discipline Policy. Ancillary Employee Management Policies: g. Training and Professional Development Policy. h. Computer Purchase Policy. i. Pension Policy. j. Service Awards Policy. k. Dress Code Policy. l. Harassment and Discrimination Policy. m. Theft Policy. n. Storm Days Policy. Time Management Foundational Time Management Policies: a. Attendance Policy. b. Paid and Unpaid Work Breaks Policy. c. Hours of Work. Ancillary Time Management Policies: e. Vacation Policy. f. Sick Leave Policy. g. Leave of Absence Policy. h. Bereavement Policy. i. Overtime Policy. j. Flex Time/Personal Days Policy. k. Maternity and Parental Leave Policy. l. Childcare/Adoption Leave Policy. Health & Wellness Foundational Health & Wellness Policies: a. Wellness Policy. b. Medical Benefits Policy. Ancillary Time Management Policies: c. Employee Assistance Program Policy. d. Substance Abuse Policy. e. Personal Protective Equipment and Gear Policy. f. Clothing Allowance Policy. 7. General 1. The Personnel Policies and Procedures must be developed in consultation with the Municipality to ensure their relevance and applicability to the organization. Additional Personnel Policies and Procedures, other than those noted above, may be required based on consultation with the Municipality. 2. The Policies provided should be practical, clearly worded, and easy to follow for all employees. 3. Once the Personnel Policy Manual is finalized the consultant will: Provide a training session to managers on the Personnel Policy Manual, reviewing each Policy with a view to properly implementing and monitoring the policies; and Provide a training session to employees, reviewing each Policy with a view to explaining the expectations of employees pursuant to the policies. 4. The Municipality requires the provision of the above-noted services and deliverables to be completed no later than sixteen (16) weeks from the start date. 5. Regular meetings and updates are to be provided to the Municipality on a weekly basis. 6. Monthly project status reports including a cost report must be provided to the Municipality. These reports will at minimum track the actual project scope, timeline, and budget against what was proposed and accepted. Project risks, mitigations and variations must be highlighted and explained. 7. The project deliverables and meetings defined below are the minimum requirements for the execution of the study. Should the proponent feel that it is desirable to produce additional deliverables then these should be described explicitly in the proposal. The following are considered the minimum deliverables: Work Plan Communication Plan Session(s) with municipality’s working group (Comprised of management and staff representatives) Session(s) with management team Progress Reports Draft Personnel Policy Manual Final Personnel Policy Manual (in an accessible format suitable for posting online) Presentation to council 8. Where meetings are planned to review the deliverables, the proponent shall allow for a minimum of one week between the date when the deliverable is available for circulation and the date of the meeting. 8. Mandatory Submission Requirements To establish the capabilities and qualifications of consultants, specific information is requested, including corporate profile, service delivery capability, project management and technical supportability, relevant experience and references, management support programs, proven successes in similar undertakings, related management experience and additional background information as outlined herein. Consultants are encouraged to submit as detailed a document as possible in support of their capacity to meet the requirements of this Request for Proposal. Each proposal submitted MUST include: 1. Understanding of Municipality’s Requirements 2. Corporate Profile Mission, vision, and values of the Consultant. Overview of capabilities and services. Three client references including location, client contact, nature of services, value of contract and key outcomes achieved. Projects must have been completed in the last 5 years. Sample of policy writing. Provide a written policy example that has been developed by the Consultant/Consultant team that would be relevant to this proposed work and can demonstrate proficiency. Outline of criteria that differentiate the Consultant from its competitors. 3. Organization and Personnel Identify contact name and address of Principal Contact for the Consultant. Identify names of all sub-consultants. Identify proposed main point of contact/Project Manager of the Consultant to be maintained throughout the project. Identify key staff and their proposed role in the project including previous relevant experience. Appended resumes, if provided, are not to exceed three pages per person. Provide descriptions of completed similar or representative projects executed by the Consultant and sub-consultants including year of completion, client contact names, staff and their roles in the project, and photographs or other graphic materials. 4. Provision of Services Scope of Services outline of approach to completing all aspects of the scope of services, including for each service area a statement as to whether this service would be self performed or subcontracted. Approach to management of project. Approach to customer contact and communications. Approach to quality management. Project schedule identifying key milestone dates for deliverables and time allotted for the Municipality’s review. A schedule of fees for professional services, plus disbursements, setting out rates of remuneration for each consultant team member, an estimate for time each member will devote to a particular task, and an estimated cost of each budget item. Where disbursements are estimated or time and material based, provide unit rates or basis for estimate. Provide a maximum price for completing the assignment, including HST. Proposed billing schedule. Confidentiality It is understood that the successful proponent may be required to retain information and copies of the findings and resulting report. However, the findings and resulting report is understood to be the property of the Municipality and shall remain confidential to the successful proponent and the project team. It is also understood that any material pertaining to the project that is disclosed to the successful proponent by the Municipality of a confidential nature will also be expected to be kept confidential. The proponent shall indicate in the proposal that this is agreed to and upon awarding of the proposal may be requested to sign a document agreeing to these terms. 9. Scoring Criterion Points Weight Factor Points x Weight Factor 1. Demonstrated experience in providing the required services and deliverables. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 2. Detailed work schedule and staff allocation. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15% 3. Work plan, methodology and demonstrated project management and contract administration 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 4. Cost 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 5. Demonstrated knowledge of municipal government operations. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10% 6. Demonstrated knowledge of current NS Labour Standards Code requirements relevant to personnel policies and any other applicable legislation, regulation, and best practice. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20% 7. Comparative value analysis 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 25% Total Score 100% 10 Excellent Exceeds the requirements of the criterion in superlative beneficial ways / very desirable. 9 Very Good Exceeds the requirements of the criterion in ways which are beneficial to the Municipality’s needs. 8 Good Exceeds the requirements of the criterion but in a manner which is not particularly beneficial to the Municipality’s needs. 7 Above Average Fully meets all requirements of the criterion. 6 Average Adequately meets most of the requirements of the criterion. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical. 5 Below Average Addresses most, but not all, of the requirements of the criterion to the minimum acceptable level. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical. 4 Poor Barely meets most of the requirements of the criterion to the minimum acceptable level. May be lacking in some areas which are not critical. 3 Below Poor Poor to Very Poor 2 Very Poor Minimally addresses some, but not all, of the requirements of the criterion. Lacking in critical areas. 1 Nearly Unsatisfactory Very Poor to Unsatisfactory. 0 Unsatisfactory Does not satisfy the requirements of the criterion in any manner. REQUEST FOR DECISION Prepared By: Chad Haughn Date October 25, 2021 Reviewed By: Date Authorized By: Date CURRENT SITUATION The Chester Tennis Club has requested a Designated Community Fund Grant in the amount of $4,700. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Council provide a Designated Community Fund Grant to the Chester Tennis Club in the amount of $4,700. BACKGROUND The Municipality of Chester has a Designated Community Fund Policy (P-77) which provides an opportunity for individuals or businesses to donate funds to the Municipality with direction that it be deposited into a Designated Community Fund Account for a specific group. The donor receives a charitable donation receipt for their contribution. After a period of time, the community organization requests a Designated Community Fund Grant from the Municipality equivalent to the funds collected. DISCUSSION The Chester Tennis Club has followed the policy by establishing a Designated Community Fund Account and formally requesting the grant payment (see attached letter of request). The Chester Tennis Club is planning to continue with the improvements they are making to the club facility. The Department of Finance has confirmed that there is $4,700 in the Chester Tennis Club Designated Community Fund Account. REPORT TO: Municipal Council SUBMITTED BY: Chad Haughn, Community Development & Recreation Department MEETING DATE: October 28, 2021 SUBJECT: Designated Community Fund Request ORIGIN: Designated Community Fund Account 2 Request For Decision/Direction IMPLICATIONS Policy If Council approves the grant payment, they will have adhered to the process outlined in the Designated Community Fund Policy (P-77). Financial/Budgetary Payment of the $4,700 grant is equivalent to the amount of funds collected. Approval of this request will have no impact on the Council budget for 2021-22. Environmental NA Strategic Plan Strengthen and support environmental, cultural, and social resources. Work Program Implications NA ATTACHMENTS 1. Letter requesting a Designated Community Fund Grant from Suzi Fraser, President of Chester Tennis Club. 1 Pam Myra From:Chester Tennis Club <tennis@chestertennisclub.ca> Sent:October 15, 2021 11:53 AM To:Chad Haughn Subject:#External: Donated funds for Chester Tennis Club Hello Chad, I am requesting that the funds of $4,700.00 held in trust at MODC for the Chester Tennis Club pleased be released to us so that we may continue our improvements to the club. I am enclosing the fall letter to our members so you can see what we are doing at CTC. Thank you. Kindly, Suzi Fraser Greetings Members, The autumn sunshine has helped us forget the rain this summer. Our fall meeting will be held October 20th at 7pm at the Chester Legion. We hope you can attend either in person or via Zoom. Zoom details, agenda and reports will be emailed this week. Here is a recap of the 2021 season : We held the CTC AGM in March at the Chester Legion and laid out the groundwork for what we planned to accomplish this season. The board has met every week since March. We ran a very successful fundraising campaign this year but we still have a long way to go. We applied for and received a grant from the province to help offset the cost of the court resurfacing. We also applied and received funding from the Nova Scotia Sport Fund equipment grant for the Junior program. We negotiated a contract with our Pro Michal Ciszek to run the Junior and Adult Program and oversee the Club. We applied for and received Federal funding to supplement the wages of our two junior instructors. Thank you Jane. We solicited donations from the community and instituted sponsorship banners to engage local businesses.Thank you Andrew. We hosted spring and fall clean up days. Many thanks to the members who turned out to help. This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recogize the sender and know the content is safe. 2 We have had the surrounding trees pruned and have cleaned up and hauled away more than 15 truckloads of debris. Thank you Kerry Keddy. Our wonderful website is the result of countless hours of Paul Hallett ’s labour to bring it to fruition. Thank you Paul. The clubhouse and deck were spruced up and painted. Thank you Dave Williams and Norman Greenberg. A big thank you to the volunteers for fundraising and event organization - Nancy, Alison, Shirley, Jennifer. The Wednesday night socials are a hit. Thanks to Alison for ensuring the beer is cold and snacks are available every week. Our Vice President Niki Van Riel worked tirelessly on the courts resurfacing, applying for many grants, putting out RFP’s and seeing the process to completion. We hosted an exhibition tournament last month which was a great success - and Michal won ! At our fall meeting we will be looking for volunteers for the Nomination Committee and members to help with grounds, the Junior program, fundraising and special events. If you can offer your time and help, please let us know. This has been a great year for CTC (despite/in spite of Covid). We are 150 members strong ! We look forward to seeing you at our fall meeting and on the courts. Suzi Fraser President CTC Chester Tennis Club