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Home My Public Portal About2010-10_MunicipalInsight_pdf-compressed municipal insight A quarterly newsletter from the Municipality of the District of Chester LOOK INSIDE FOR…LOOK INSIDE FOR…LOOK INSIDE FOR… New online tax info (pg. 2) Access your tax account around the clock. Wharf and slipway use (pg. 3) The By-law Enforcement Officer talks about a policy that might be of interest if you boat. Staff changes in Public Works (pg. 3) Who’s new and who’s changing what they do? What are YOU doing this fall? (pg. 4) With these suggestions, you won’t have time for boredom… www.chester.ca “keeping informed about your municipal government” Fall 2010 also inside... TAKE A NUMBER...PLEASE! WASTE COLLECTION PREVENT HOUSE FIRES on pg. 8 CONTACT US: Municipality of the District of Chester 151 King Street P O Box 369, Chester NS B0J 1J0 (902) 275-3554 phone (902) 275-4771 fax administration@chester.ca www.chester.ca Photo is graciously provided by Ross Farm Museum located in New Ross. Pictured is Carmen Hiltz leading Bright and Lion. 2 YOUR OPINION IS URGENTLY NEEDED On September 9th, the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre made a presentation to Council. They are seeking the participation of Chester in the development of a significant regional facility which includes an aquatic centre. The total projected cost is approximately $33.5 million and they are requesting a contribution of $0.5 million from Chester. Council is still considering their request and needs your input. Please call or write your local councillor or the Chester Municipal Recreation and Parks Department at (902) 275-3490. tax information Access your up-to-the-minute tax information online, 24 hours a day in real-time! Visit www.chester.ca and click on the green button located on the right of our homepage labelled “Tax Info Online”. Accessing online tax information for the first time... Step 1 Please have your Customer Number and your Assessment Account Number ready. This information is located on the right side of your tax bill. Step 2 Set up your online account. Click the “Tax Info Online” button, as shown above. Then call the Municipality of the District of Chester’s Tax Department at (902) 275-3554 for a username and password. After establishing your online account, you may login through the website at any time and access your tax information. Step 3 Login to your account. . Upon logging in for the first time, you will be requested to change your password to a more secure one. Your account will be displayed, including property taxes. SECURITY TIPS: Be careful when choosing a username and password. Here are some ways to help maintain the security of your data: • Choose a password that someone can not guess. In other words, not your last name. • Keep your password secret. Writing your password on a sticky note and putting it on your monitor is probably not a good idea. • Change your password regularly. You can do this online. • Be careful when accessing your account from a public terminal. Make sure you do not save your password and close the browser when done. • Don’t use personal information in passwords. • If you have difficulties logging in, or you simply have a question about this new feature, please call the Tax Department at (902) 275-3554. (902) 275-3554 phone (902) 275-4771 fax administration@chester.ca 3 by -law enforcement (902) 277-1589 phone (902) 275-2598 fax dbrettell@chester.ca THERE’S A BOATING BY-LAW? By Dave Brettell, By-law Enforcement Officer During the busy boating season, the demand for adequate berthage near shops, amenities and fuel supplies in and around Chester grows considera- bly. The Municipality of Chester recognizes this demand and has re- sponded by providing a number of wharves, rafts and slipways for the public to use, free-of-charge. Public slipways are located in Blandford, Deep Cove, Chester Front Harbour, Chester Basin and West- ern Shore. Public wharves are found in Aspotogan, Chester Back Harbour, Chester Basin and West- ern Shore. Also, a raft is provided at the Front Har- bour in Chester. In the past few months the Municipality received a num- ber of complaints from boat- ers who were unable to ac- cess these wharves. This was mainly because other vessels had tied up at the facilities for a number of days, and in some cases, weeks. The problem was particularly acute at the Back Harbour where boats were unable to use the pump out station. This became even more of an issue when this pump out station became the only op- erational one in the area. To ensure that these facilities are available for everyone, the Municipality has adopted a policy with regard to Ber- thage Regulations. The Policy stipulates the length of time a boat may tie up to municipal wharves and what can be done if a boat overstays or monopolizes a wharf. In gen- eral, a boat may tie up to the front of any wharf or raft for a maximum of 1 hour, and may tie up to the side of any wharf for a maximum of 24 hours. To ensure fair access, by everyone, boaters are dis- couraged from returning for at least 24 hours after leaving. During the summer months I performed regular patrols of the public wharves, rafts and slipways to ensure that no one vessel is monopolizing any of the facilities. I handed out leaflets to boaters in an effort to educate them of the regulations and I arranged for new signage to be posted on the wharves that clearly shows the regulations and policies. Once the new signage is in place it will be my in- tention to enforce the policy and by-law to en- sure that no one person monopolizes the facilities and that they are avail- able for everyone to use. I am sure that with every- one’s co-operation, we can ensure the continued enjoyment of the spec- tacular waters around our Municipality. Thank you for your assis- tance and have a safe and happy boating sea- son. public works (902) 275-1312 phone (902) 275-3673 fax publicworks@chester.ca MUNICIPALITY OF CHESTER WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS The Municipality of Chester is pleased to wel- come Matthew Davidson as their new Direc- tor of Public Works. Mr. Davidson’s appoint- ment marks only the second time the position has been filled in the Munici- pality’s history. Mr. Davidson is a skilled Professional Engineer and brings eight years of mu- nicipal experience in the public works field to the Municipality of Chester. “My experience and skill set is a good fit for the Director of Public Works po- sition, and I am enthusiastic at the prospect of contributing to the future successes of the Municipality,” says Mr. Davidson. He is familiar with solid waste, but his expertise lies with water and wastewater systems as well as infrastructure design and maintenance. Mr. Davidson is a resident of Bridge- water and officially joined the Munici- pality of Chester team on September 7 when he took over for Bruce Forest who moved to the Director of Solid Waste position. “We are elated at Matthew’s arrival and believe these staff changes will bring positive growth to the Municipality,” says Erin Beaudin, CAO for the Municipality of Chester, “It’s an exciting transition for all of us”. “It’s an exciting transition for all of us” - Erin Beaudin, CAO 4 Call the Recreation & Parks Department at 275-3490 to register for Fall programs or go to www.chester.ca and register online. The Walk Lunenburg County 4 x 4 challenge is back! Teams of four are encouraged to sign up and keep track of their steps for a four-week period. The Challenge kicked off on September 25 and ends with a fun walk on Sunday, October 24 at HB Studios Sports Centre. The first 250 people to register will receive a walking reflective light! Contact the Recreation and Parks Department at 275-3490 for more information and to register. Mark Monday, October 25, 2010 on your calendar and plan to attend this great conference being held at Oak Island Resort. For more information contact Bob Racine at ACSBE by calling 858-5627 or toll free at 1-877-457-5627. Seniors and youth do not have many opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other. There is an intergenerational conference planned where seniors and youth can do just that - share and learn together. There will be a selection of workshops available in the areas of community involvement (volunteerism), life-long learning, active living and making a living. recreation & parks (902) 275-3490 phone (902) 275-3630 fax recreation@chester.ca 5 recreation & parks (902) 275-3490 phone (902) 275-3630 fax recreation@chester.ca Wednesday, December 1 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Chester Legion Come dressed in red or green, or other Christmas attire, if you like! Sponsored by the Lunenburg County Seniors Advisory Committee in partnership with the VON, Aspotogan Heritage Trust, and the Municipality of Chester Recreation & Parks Department. FREE for all seniors A popular outdoor activity during the Fall every year in Nova Scotia is hunting. Remember, hunting and trapping are NOT permitted on the trail. Regulations also state that, “No person shall have in their possession or discharge a loaded firearm or bow” on the trails. Trail users are encouraged to wear brightly colored clothing (hunters orange is best) when using the trails during hunting season. General open season for deer hunting is October 29 to December 4; however, trail users should be in the habit of dressing appropriately during the fall and winter as other seasons such as rabbit hunting extend beyond the deer season. To report illegal hunting and/or trapping please call your local Department of Natural Resources office or call 1-800-565-2224. HUNTING SEASON ON THE CHESTER CONNECTION AND ASPOTOGAN TRAILS Refreshme n t s , music and games The Chester Skate Park hosted its first skateboarding competition on Saturday, August 21. Thirty-two skaters competed in front of a large crowd of spectators who enthusiastically cheered on from the sidelines. The top three competitors in each category went home with some awesome prizes. The young local skaters now have and idea of what a skateboarding competition is all about and can get ready for next year! SKATEBOARDING COMPETITION Thank you to the Skate Park Committee for helping to organize this event and to the individuals and busi- nesses who were supportive: Homegrown Skate- boards, PRO Kids, Trellis Café, R. Schnare & Son, Ches- ter Irving and Short Notice. 6 The numbers listed below are the blue and white reflective civic address plates that have not yet been picked up nor paid for by those who ordered them. These plates are $10 each (HST exempt) and available in the Planning Department to anyone. If you wish to order a civic number that is not on this list we require payment first (cash or cheque). Pay us at our office at #186 Central Street in Chester or mail us a cheque with your name and civic number information to: Planning Department PO Box 20 Chester NS B0J 1J0 If you wish to have your civic plate mailed to you please add an extra $2.00 to cover the cost of postage. planning (902) 275-2599 phone (902) 275-2598 fax planning@chester.ca TAKE A NUMBER...PLEASE! by Jami Fay, Civic Numbering Coordinator 2 149 258 398 725 1616 3661 5873 6801 13 165 261 398 729 1769 4005 5945 6922 25 166 275 418 731 1775 4053 5971 7144 42 166 281 440 1243 1809 4191 5995 7233 59 189 281 559 1246 1969 4279 6220 7478 61 192 281 563 1304 2353 4735 6337 7478 62 216 295 573 1329 2812 4932 6342 7847 77 218 313 600 1561 3350* 4936 6344 110 244 352 640 1576 3350* 5103 6357 790** 115 249 393 704 1581 3431 5803 6495 7828** * one-sided ** at Walter Downey’s It has come to our attention that several private road signs have been stolen. This may seem like an innocent prank; however, it is THEFT! The Municipality of Chester’s tax dollars pay for some of these signs and the rest are paid out of individual tax payers’ pockets. If you have any information regarding who stole the HOLLAHAN ROAD private road sign in Deep Cove please notify Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS) or the RCMP. 7 11 Effective October 1, there are two changes in how the Municipality handles waste. The first is a new limit on what goes out for pick-up every two weeks: ONE opaque bag of garbage (black, brown, green) plus up to FIVE clear bags of garbage for a total of SIX bags of garbage TEN bags of recyclables (includes blue bags, bags of recyclable paper and bundles of cardboard) ONE green cart and up to THREE compostable bags of yard waste The second change is using clear bags for garbage. REMEMBER: Our sorting program HAS NOT CHANGED - only the colour of the bag has. Recycle and compost the same way you always do. Your ONE opaque bag (black, brown, green) can be used for garbage and/or pri- vacy items. If you only have one bag of garbage every two weeks, you can use an opaque one. If you generate more than one bag of garbage, use a clear bag with no colour. Bags inside must be either empty or clear. Call Kaizer Meadow Environmental Management Cen- tre at 275-2330 for all clear bag program and sorting questions. pile located at the Kaizer Meadow Environmental Manage- ment Centre. Staff empty the plastic bags and the leaves com- post naturally. Leaves that are put out through- out the year during regular col- lection must be put in composta- ble bags (preferably paper) be- cause they are shredded the same as green cart organics. Acceptable compostable bags are certified by the Composting Council and will have the logo shown below on the outside of the box. Look for this logo when shopping for compostable bags. If you have any questions about this or any other solid waste pro- gram, please contact the Kaizer Meadow Environmental Manage- ment Centre at 275-2330. The Municipality of Chester is offering another leaf collection during the special collection scheduled for this November. Each household and business can put leaves out for collection on their regularly scheduled day between Monday, November 15 and Friday, November 26. During Leaf Collection ONLY, you can bag your leaves in clear, plastic bags. This is because the leaves go directly into a compost solid waste (902) 275-2330 phone (902) 275-1468 fax info@KaizerMeadow.ca LEAF COLLECTION HAPPENING AGAIN THIS FALL 22 CLARIFYING THE CLEAR BAG UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BOOK! The Municipality has opted for easier-to-remember email addresses and website address. If you are still using “@district.chester.ns.ca” for your municipal email addresses, please switch to “@chester.ca”. For example, jveinotte@district.chester.ns.ca is now jveinotte@chester.ca. ALSO...our website is easier to remember at www.chester.ca instead of www.district.chester.ns.ca 8 alarms should be installed. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home (including basement), outside each sleeping area, and inside each bedroom. Keep alarms away from doors and windows and do not locate an alarm in front of air registers, fans or vents. Do not place detectors in a kitchen or directly outside a bath- room where they may create false nuisance alarms. Never remove or disable a smoke alarm. Your smoke alarm can't protect you if the batteries have been removed or a plug has been disconnected. Test smoke alarms at least monthly. For battery-operated smoke alarms make it a habit to change the batteries twice a year. The lifespan of a typical smoke alarm is about 10 years, but some models last as little as 5 years. They should be replaced as necessary according to the manu- facturer’s information or immedi- ately if they do not respond properly when tested. The old saying of "an ounce of pre- vention is worth a pound of cure" is very true when it comes to keeping your family safe. Please visit our Fire and Emer- gency Services web site at www.chester.ca for more important fire prevention and safety informa- tion. You'll find many fire safety and fire prevention tips that can help lessen the potential for a fire in your home, school or workplace. We encourage you to review and utilize the Fire Prevention and Safety Information provided. Keep yourself, your family and your property safe. - Bruce Blackwood Fire Services Coordinator Nearly 3,000 people die in home fires in the US and Canada each year. Roughly two-thirds of these deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no work- ing smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are inexpensive early warning devices that cut the risk of dy- ing in a reported fire by half. Under the best of circumstances you have approximately 1-2 min- utes to safely exit your home when you hear the smoke detector alarm. Smoke detectors defi- nitely save lives. There are two types of smoke alarm technologies – ionization and photoelectric. An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires – like a pan fire or the smoke from cook- ing. A photoelectric alarm is gener- ally more responsive to smoldering fires – like a cigarette, overheated wiring or something hot like a space heater. Both types or combi- nation ionization/photoelectric fire services (902) 275-1312 phone (902) 275-3673 fax bblackwood@chester.ca Occasionally, the Municipality receives calls from residents who need to take items to the landfill (appliances, hazardous waste, tires), but they don’t have a way to transport them. If possible, we give the caller the name of someone in their area that might take their items for them. To put your name on that list, please contact the Public Works Department at 275-1312 with the following information: contact name phone number equipment available (half-tonne, trailer, etc.) cost, if any