HomeMy Public PortalAbout2022-04-07_COW_Website Agenda PackagePage 1 of 1 (Cover Pages)
Committee of the Whole AGENDA
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Livestreamed via YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_uKlob3qOA6eD62x1kK5Kw
151 King Street, Chester, NS
1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ORDER OF BUSINESS
3. PUBLIC INPUT SESSION (9:00-9:15 a.m. if any)
4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
4.1 March 24, 2022.
5. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS/APPOINTMENTS
6. MATTERS ARISING
7. CORRESPONDENCE
7.1 Correspondence dated March 22, 2022 from the Town of Mahone Bay regarding Regional
Housing Strategy for Lunenburg County.
8. NEW BUSINESS
8.1 al to follow.
9. IN CAMERA
9.1 In Camera as per Section 22(2)(e) - Contract Negotiations – Village of Chester.
10. ADJOURNMENT
Budget 2022/23. Materi
113
MUNICIPALITY OF THE DISTRICT OF CHESTER
Minutes of
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Via YouTube Live from 151 King St, Chester, NS
On Thursday, March 24, 2022
CALLED TO ORDER
Warden Webber called the meeting to order at 8:49 a.m.
Present: District 1 – Councillor Andre Veinotte District 4 – Warden Allen Webber
District 2 – Deputy Warden Shatford District 3 – Councillor Derek Wells
District 5 – Councillor Abdella Assaff District 7 – Councillor Sharon Church
District 6 – Councillor Tina Connors
Staff: Dan McDougall, CAO Tara Maguire, Deputy CAO
Jennifer Webber, Communications Officer Pamela Myra, Municipal Clerk (via Zoom)
Jonathan Meakin, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
Solicitor: Samuel Lamey, Municipal Solicitor
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND ORDER OF BUSINESS
Additions:
NSFM Conference added.
2022-074 MOVED by Councillor Church, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford the March 24,
2022, Agenda and Order of Business for the Committee of the Whole be approved as
amended. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED.
Birthday greetings were extended to Jennifer Webber, Tammy Harnish, and Pam Myra.
PUBLIC INPUT
No public input received.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 114
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
4.1 Committee of the Whole – March 3, 2022 – Warden Webber.
2022-075 MOVED by Councillor Church, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff the minutes of the
March 3, 2022, meeting of Committee of the Whole be approved as circulated. ALL
IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED.
MATTERS ARISING
6.1 Wastewater ICIP application.
Jonathan Meakin, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator reviewed the Request for Decision
regarding the on the ICIP application outlining that the Department of Municipal Affairs and
Housing (DMAH) is currently accepting grant applications to the Green: Environmental Quality
Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The deadline for submissions
is April 1, 2022.
The Green: Environmental Quality Stream is focused on infrastructure that will support quality
and management improvements for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater, as well as
reductions to soil and air pollutants through solid waste diversion and remediation.
A Council Resolution supporting the submission of this project to the April 1, 2022 ICIP intake
is required as part of the complete application package and projects should start in 2022-23
or 2023-24 and must be complete by March 31, 2027.
Council has been engaged in the development of the Wastewater Service Study, a process that
included EXP’s presentation to Council of preliminary findings on February 3, 2022, and,
following receipt of a complete second draft of the Study, a workshop on March 10, 2022, with
staff to explore possible wastewater projects.
During the workshop, staff outlined several possible wastewater projects throughout the
Municipality. To prioritize projects for the ICIP application, Council considered those that
would best meet ICIP Green: Environmental Quality Stream objectives and outcomes:
increasing capacity to treat and manage wastewater, climate resiliency and GHG mitigation,
and ensuring regulatory compliance for effluent. Council also considered provincial priorities
around housing supply and availability.
It was determined that an expansion of the Village of Chester Wastewater system would best
meet ICIP objectives and outcomes and would have the highest probably of successful funding.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 115
financial plan to advance additional wastewater projects identified in the Wastewater Service
Study over the next five (5) years. These additional wastewater projects, which staff will bring
to Council for discussion and direction, include:
Chester Basin Wastewater System – siting study and design for new treatment plant and
first phase of an expanded collection and pumping system.
New Ross Wastewater System - design for enhanced or new treatment plant and first
phase of an expanded collection and pumping system.
Otter Point Wastewater System – regulatory compliance and safety upgrades
development of collection system based on existing treatment plant capacity.
Western Shore Wastewater System – phased upgrades to collection, pumping, and
treatment systems.
Mill Cove Wastewater System – construction of next treatment plant module based on
development demand.
Hubbards/Simms Settlement – completion of growth strategy project for the area to
help inform siting study and design work for possible location and type of system.
It was also noted that although the proposed phase of system expansion will provide service to
potentially 150+ new connections, the capacity upgrades to the three existing lift stations and
the WWTP will be designed and constructed to accommodate 500+ new connections identified
in the Wastewater Service Study as possible future development and future flows for the
Village of Chester as a whole. This will maximize the return on investment for core wastewater
infrastructure.
Project costs were outlined for the proposed Village of Chester Wastewater System
Expansion Project as follows:
Total ICIP project cost $11,488,488
Federal ICIP contribution (max. 40%) $4,595,395
Provincial ICIP contribution (max. 33.33%) $3,829,113
Municipality’s contribution (26.67%) $3,063,980
Councillor Wells clarified that there are other areas, and this just does not focus only on the
Stanford Lake area and the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator indicated that, yes, it would
accommodate any kind of future development.
In staff’s initial consultation with DMAH, the provincial senior engineer stressed that ‘project
readiness’ will be a factor in funding allocation, especially given the available pool of funding
and the need for project initiation in 2022-23 or 2023-24. The implication is that provincial and
federal assessment will be looking for viable projects that can be completed within a shorter
timeframe to minimize inflationary pressures as much as possible.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 116
As a result, our ICIP application will outline the proposed phased approach as a logical approach
to ensuring viable project advancement:
Phase 1: Upgrades & Preparation for System Expansion
Upgrade to the Village of Chester Wastewater Treatment Plant, three core Lift
Stations at 264 Pig Loop Road, 10 Mallard Lane, and 3947 North St Lift Station,
and related collection systems to address and improve existing
condition/performance and capacity issues.
Phase 2: System Expansion and Service Growth
Installation of 3 new Lift Stations, associated force mains, and collection gravity
systems to provide service for new development agreement and for encouraging
future housing development.
2022-076 MOVED by Councillor Wells, SECONDED by Councillor Church that the Committee
of the Whole recommend to Council the following be approved:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Municipality of the District of Chester submit the project
titled: Village of Chester Wastewater Service Expansion Project for funding through the
Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Green: Environmental Quality Stream; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Council supports the project and commits to provide its
share ($3,063,980) toward the $11,488,488 project cost.
ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED.
Councillor Connors asked about the timeline for the additional wastewater projects listed and
it was noted that staff will provide more information.
Councillor Veinotte suggested that a growth strategy should include other areas as well.
Although all projects can’t be done at the same time, if a growth strategy could be provided
for all areas where infrastructure may be required, that would make sense.
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
5.1 David Murdock and Staff Sgt. Victor Whalen (RCMP) regarding Lunenburg County
Seniors’ Safety Program.
Present were David Murdock and Staff Sgt. Victor Whalen to review the work of the Lunenburg
County Seniors’ Safety Program.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 117
Mr. Murdoch thanked Council for the opportunity to speak and review the need for the
increased funding this year for the program from Municipalities. The Province has already
increased its funding by 100%. The request from Municipalities is an additional 75% (amounts
vary per unit as per the funding formula).
Mr. Murdoch reviewed the presentation which included the services provided to seniors,
staffing and the need for increased demand (COVID, home visits, fraud, abuse). This will
provide stability, retain staff, reduce burnout, and support policing. At this time, there is no
staff; the coordinator will be returning in April and the funding for part-time staffing ended in
December of 2021.
Staff Sgt. Vic Whalen thanked Council for the time to speak. He noted that our seniors are the
most vulnerable because they trust people and are often targets of people who have
defrauded them of tens of thousands of dollars. They are hoping to provide additional
presentations to seniors to reduce the number of victims of fraud. This is a very valuable
service to the seniors of the area. The Senior Safety partnerships with the RCMP have been
fantastic. A lot of time the RCMP deal with seniors who are dealing with abuse – physical,
fraud, and emotional – and the Seniors’ Safety Program steps up to provide additional support
for the vulnerable population. He hopes the program will have the support of Council.
Mr. Murdoch reviewed the budget and what would be available at the various funding levels.
He noted that they are fairly confident of the support of other units.
Councillor Connors, as this Council’s representative, offered to provide information to
Councillor Wells.
Councillors agreed that the funding was not an issue; the program is a good one for seniors
throughout the County.
2022-077 MOVED by Councillor Connors, SECONDED by Councillor Assaff that the
Committee of the Whole recommend to Council to increase the funding to the
Lunenburg County Seniors’ Safety Program from $6,100 to the amount of $10,651
in the 2022/23 Budget. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED.
A break was held from 9:34 a.m. to 9:47 a.m.
6.2 Request for Decision prepared March 21, 2022 – Financial & Information Services –
Establishment of a Development Fund.
Tim Topping, Director of Financial & Information Services was present to review the
information provided for the establishment of a development fund.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 118
Under By-Law No. 137, The Municipality of the District of Chester (“MODC”) charges a tax on
all deed transfers, in the amount of 1.5% of the value of the property transferred. Current
practice is to not allocate this revenue to any particular use, and to include it 100% as a part of
the annual operating budget.
Infrastructure projects are funded from a variety of different sources, including grants from
other levels of government, current operating funds (property taxes), reserve funds (savings),
and debt financing. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.
To prepare for and induce growth in the Municipality, MODC will be considering a number of
significant infrastructure projects in the coming years, and there is a benefit in identifying and
allocating sources of funding for these projects.
The amounts over the past few years were reviewed and discussed as well as the proposed
percentages to transfer to the fund from the Deed Transfer Tax received. It was suggested
that the entire amount from this present year be used and from then onward, 50% be used to
increase the fund.
The intent is for staff to develop a policy, however, the reason it was before the Committee
today was to deal with it before the end of the fiscal year as a transfer rather than a
contribution from reserves after the fiscal year.
2022-078 MOVED by Councillor Veinotte, SECONDED by Councillor Wells that the
Committee of the Whole recommend to Council to reject the proposal outlined in
the Request for Decision prepared March 21, 2022, and propose that 100% of the
Deed Transfer Tax for 2021/22 be transferred into the new Development Fund, and
staff be directed to develop a policy outlining that 50% of Deed Transfer Tax
received would be transferred to the fund in future years. ALL IN FAVOUR.
MOTION CARRIED.
Discussion:
Deputy Warden Shatford noted that this is a better way to support housing as an
investment.
Councillor Assaff asked if a policy would be developed – it will be developed for
Council’s review and approval.
ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED.
It was agreed this was a way to demonstrate to developers that we are ready for development.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 119
CORRESPONDENCE
There were no items of correspondence.
NEW BUSINESS
8.1 Request for Decision prepared March 7, 2022 – Corporate & Strategic Management –
Cost of Living Consideration for 2022/23.
The Deputy CAO reviewed the Request for Decision regarding the annual consideration of the
Cost of Living
2020-079 MOVED by Councillor Veinotte, SECONDED by Deputy Warden Shatford that the
Committee of the Whole recommend to Council to approve the Cost of Living at
4.1% by:
• Approving the Draft 2022/23 Employee Salary Bands - Approve the Cost-of-Living
increase by the Consumer Price Index – All Items for Nova Scotia Annual Average
2021 by 4.1% Effective April 1, 2022; and
• Recommending the amendment to Policy P-09 Warden, Deputy Warden, and
Councillors Salaries - Give Notice of Intention to Amend Policy P-09 Sections A, B,
and C to increase annual remuneration Cost of Living by the Consumer Price Index
– All Items for Nova Scotia 2021 by 4.1% Effective April 1, 2022.
ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED.
8.2 Conferences in 2022.
The NSFM Conference will be held at White Point Lodge and is an in-person FCM Conference.
The FCM Conference will be held in Regina this year from June 2-5.
Warden Webber noted that traditionally the Warden and two Councillors attend the FCM
conference, however, he does not wish to attend the FCM Conference.
Councillor were asked to advise staff which conferences they were interested in attending.
8.3 Cannabis Growing Centre – Councillor Church.
Committee of the Whole (continued) March 24, 2022 120
Councillor Church indicated that she had received an email from the owner of a cannabis
growing business on Windsor Road. They have asked if Council is interested in a tour of the
facility before it is opened. They would like to show the facility and explain what they are doing.
Councillors agreed to attend a tour.
IN CAMERA
There were no “In Camera” items.
ADJOURNMENT
2022-080 MOVED by Deputy Warden Shatford, SECONDED by Councillor Church the meeting
adjourn. ALL IN FAVOUR. MOTION CARRIED. (10:09 a.m.)
___________________________ ___________________________
Allen Webber Pamela Myra
Warden Municipal Clerk
TOWN OF 8 4.
Warden Allen Webber
PO Box 369
Chester, NS
BOJ 1J0
PO Box 530, 493 Main Street
Mahone Bay NS, BOJ 2E0
Phone 902-624-8327 1 Fax 902-624-8069
townofmahonebay.ca
March 22nd, 2022
RE: Regional Housing Strategy for Lunenburg County
Dear Warden Webber and Council,
This letter follows our prior letter dated January 25th, 2022. In that letter the Mahone Bay
Town Council encouraged the municipal units in Lunenburg County to support a regional
approach to housing needs assessments as a necessary step towards the development of
a regional housing strategy for Lunenburg County.
The Province has since issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for housing assessments to be
conducted across Nova Scotia, which closed on March 7th, 2022. According to the RFP the
final housing needs assessment report is anticipated in December of 2022.
The Town of Mahone Bay is proposing the municipal units of Lunenburg County agree to
a process for the development of a regional housing strategy, building on the Province -led
needs assessment.
Please respond indicating if you and your Council support such an approach.
Best regards,
Mayor David Devenne
Town of Mahone Bay