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Home My Public Portal About2016-05_MunicipalInsight_pdf_archive-compressedmunicipal insight “Keeping informed about May/June 2016 your municipal government” In the Municipality of the District of Chester this spring... Who is this enchanti ng woman? Is it that ti me of year again? It's baaaaaaack! Looks like she's up to This looks suspiciously Cut N Run is back for something...look on like a budget donut. its 6th year! Dust off Page 2 to fi nd out. Confi rm on Pages 4 & 5. your sneakers (Page 7). WORK OF HEARTThe work of two students will hopefully give life to local Monarchs Josh Rhodenizer and Jody Conrad, Community School Coordinator, hold the milkweed seedlings that will be planted in the Community Garden this year. Milkweed doesn't look parti cularly ex- traordinary. It doesn't even look remote- ly unique or special, but to a Monarch butt erfl y, it's the basic element of life itself. You see, Monarch butt erfl ies will only lay their eggs on milkweed (one egg per plant), and the caterpillars will only feed on the leaves of a milkweed plant. They cannot survive on any other plant. One plant will supply the egg with enough food and shelter un- ti l the larvae matures into an adult butt erfl y. Two summers ago, the vital importance of milkweed came to the att enti on of municipal staff when a resident contacted the Recreati on and Parks Depart- ment. Patricia Zwicker had noti ced a vulner- able patch of milkweed along a secti on of trail in Middle River that was growing at a common stopping place for travellers. The concern, of course, was that it would be unintenti onally trampled, leaving potenti al Monarchs homeless and without food. Municipal staff investi gated the site and de- veloped an educati onal sign with Patricia's help. Thanks to the mindfulness of trail users, the Building a Pollinator Garden A pollinator garden provides food sources and habitat for many species of insects and animals, usually ones that promote pollina- ti on like bees, butt erfl ies and hummingbirds. Building one is easy with the right locati on and plants! 1. Look for a locati on that is sunny for most of the day. 2. If the soil has too much sand or clay, add top soil and natural ferti lizers if needed. Only use natural ferti lizers because arti - fi cial ferti lizers can cause a fatal chemical reacti on in some insects - including the Monarch Butt erfl y. 3. Determine the size and shape of your garden and add medium-sized rocks to create insect habitats. 4. Choose perennials like • Milkweed • Hollyhock • Butt erfl y Bush • Golden Rod • Bee Balm • Cone Flowers 5. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture, but don't let the mulch touch the stems. milkweed patch is untouched and able to grow and spread. The story conti nues. NSCC Lunenburg Campus, like most other educati onal insti tuti ons, places graduati ng stu- dents in practi cal situati ons so they can gain experience in their fi elds of study. The Municipality oft en partners with the College to provide such experience through work terms and projects. Earlier this year, Jody Conrad (our Community School Coor- dinator) received a call from NSCC inquiring into the possibil- ity of working with students from the Natural Resources Environmental Technology program in an "Applied Re- search" project. As it turned out, Jody's suggesti on to make milkweed the focus fi t perfectly with the pro- gram! From there, students Josh Rhodenizer (Chester) and Michaela Hiltz (New Ross) studied and documented ideal indoor growing condi- ti ons, developed a maintenance plan for adapt- ing the plants to the outdoors, and detailed how to harvest seeds from milkweed plants to An adult Monarch butt erfl y alit on a Swamp Milkweed plant. sustain the "crop". Josh and Michaela chose Swamp Milkweed as the base of their studies. It is less toxic than Common Milkweed that's found on our trail. As an aside, Monarchs themselves are poisonous (it's their weapon against predators) and their level of toxicity is relati ve to how poisonous their milkweed food is. Cool! The project took 12 to 13 weeks resulti ng in ten, healthy milkweed plants to transplant on the grounds of the Municipal Offi ce. Josh and Michaela also developed a plan for us to grow and maintain a pollinator garden that will att ract butt erfl ies and bees. That garden, in- cluding the milkweed seedlings, will be installed adjacent to the Sharing Square Community Gar- den located at the Municipal Offi ce this year. The hope is that the seeds will be harvested for residents to use in gardens of their own, cre- ati ng more habitats for this beauti ful insect. Let's turn this... into this... Email communicati ons@chester.ca or call Jen at 902-275-3554 to help with the Sharing Square Community Garden. The booth was a popular att racti on due to the in- terest in Oak Island, the prize package draws, Ross Farm interpreti ve staff and a special appearance by Charles Barkhouse from the Friends of Oak Island Society (who is also a cast member of The Curse of Oak Island television program). The booth was also a part of the South Shore Tourism Team’s strong presence at the Expo with ten groups parti cipati ng. The Culture, Music & Travel component of the Saltscapes Expo encourages visitors to travel within Atlanti c Canada. The Expo highlights cluster groups throughout the region to demonstrate how visitors can learn about experiences in specifi c travel desti - nati ons like the amazing South Shore of Nova Scoti a. MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Message from the Warden Well, we did it. The tax rate remains the same as it has been for the last three years. It was a challenge for sure as mandatory ex- penditures, such as educati on and policing, con- ti nue to rise while natural growth in assessment remains stagnant throughout Nova Scoti a. Our ability to hold the rate consistently is in large part due to our ability to fi nd non-tradi- ti onal revenue sources (primarily from wind en- ergy which reached nearly $1 million this year); the sale of services to other municipaliti es; and controlling administrati ve expenditure growth. Wind revenue has also allowed us to enhance our support for community-based projects, so- cial programming, and economic development initi ati ves. The Best of Chester Municipality awards cer- emony was held at the Atlanti ca Oak Island Ho- tel and Resort, and I would like to congratulate all the winners and those who parti cipated by voti ng. We have some great local entrepreneurs and we hope to build on that success. The Budget secti on of this municipal insight You can contact the Warden by calling the Municipal Offi ce at (902) 275-3554, calling his home at (902) 275-2536, or emailing awebber@chester.ca will, I hope, give you an overview of revenue and expenditures and how they relate to our identi - fi ed Strategic Prioriti es for the coming year. We are sti ll in the process of engaging stake- holders and the community in developing our long-range Land Use Policy and planning docu- ments and will be holding another round of com- munity meeti ngs over the next several months. I have had the pleasure of att ending a num- ber of community events over the past couple of months. Notably, a variety of Mayfest events, the Firefi ghters Banquet in Chester Basin (inter- esti ng photo of me and Bill Falkenham if you can fi nd it!), PRO Kids fundraiser, Grand Opening of the Learning Centre at Ross Farm Museum, the Home-Based Business Showcase at the Legion Branch #88, the presentati on of the Budget and State of Aff airs to business representati ves, and a variety of volunteer recogniti on ceremonies all across the Municipality. It is obvious to me that our community orga- nizati ons are very vibrant and doing great things at the local level. Thanks and congratulati ons to you all. We sti ll have our challenges to be sure: what to do with the Gold River School, bringing the branding process to a successful conclusion, overcoming the challenges of fi scal reality, how to move forward on revenue generati ng proj- ects, upgrading aging infrastructure, increasing our commercial tax base, and social infrastruc- ture. The good new is that we know what the chal- lenges are and we have a strategic path forward. If we all work together, we will be successful. We have demonstrated leadership in the past, and we can do it now. Thanks for your conti nued engagement and support. Sincerely, Do you know who your Councillor is? Visit www.chester.ca for bio and contact informati on. Bett y plans on voti ng. Do you? If you don't vote, an opportunity is wasted to choose a candidate who best represents you and your vision for your community. Like they say, electi ons are determined by the people who SHOW UP. Vote for yourself this Electi on. Victoria Day - Municipal Offi ces are closed on Mon- day, May 23 for the Victoria Day Holiday. Kaizer Meadow is open and waste will be collected as usual. Special Collecti on - Upcoming special collecti on is on your regularly scheduled day from July 18 to 29. Employment Opportunity - The Municipality is ac- cepti ng resumes for our Director of Finance positi on. Email employment@chester.ca or call the Municipal Clerk at 902-275-3554. The opportunity will remain open unti l successfully fi lled. CRINS Report - The external audit that Council re- quested from the Canadian Radiocommunicati ons Informati on & Noti fi cati on Service concerning the communicati ons tower on Central Street in Chester was completed, and the report is available online at www.chester.ca or in person at the Municipal Offi ce. PRO Kids - Thank you to all those who supported our PRO Kids event on Mayfest weekend. Special thanks to Scoti abank and Jumpstart who matched the funds we raised, resulti ng in a total of $5,520! We also have a new link for the PRO Kids online form. The new url is www.chester.ca/prokids IN BRIEF... VOTE Municipal October 15, 2016 SALTSCAPES 2016 The Municipality of the District of Chester ex- hibited at the 12th Annual Saltscapes Expo this year. Working together with the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Atlanti ca Oak Island Resort, Ross Farm Museum, Best Western Plus Bridgewater and the Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce, the large booth featured a diorama of Oak Island and gave away chocolate gold coins. Municipality attends Saltscapes Expo 2 It was a wonderful experience with successful re- sults. We look forward to returning another year! GRANTS We may not be available 24/7, but our website is. Visit us at www.chester.ca Last year, the Municipality of Chester donated $274,589.00 in community and sponsorship grants Amounts ranged from $50 to $100,000 and there were 68 applications altogether. The table on the right lists the organizations that applied for a grant, financial support given, and what they used the mon- ey for. Youth sponsorship is notably missing from this table, and will be included in the next issue of munici- pal insight. There were so many grants, we ran out of room on the list! The Municipality has eight grant programs, each devoted to specific activities. To prepare for this bud- get year, each program was reviewed and we made a few changes to streamline the process. Most of the changes were "behind the scenes", like updating ap- plication forms, revising criteria to match, and funnel- ing all applications through one administrator instead of three. However, if you are in the market for a grant, there ARE some changes that might interest you. First of all, there is a new program: Major Projects Grants. This grant is available to non-profit groups for project amounts of $10,000 or more. Secondly, there is now a deadline for Council grants - two actually. Instead of receiving applications throughout the year, applicants have until either May 31 or October 31 to apply. In case you aren't familiar with the "grants scene", let's briefly go over each program. Council grants: For non-profit organizations that ben- efit the residents of the Municipality of the District of Chester. DEADLINE is May 31 and October 31. Tourism grants: Also for non-profit organizations that benefit the residents of the Municipality of the Dis- trict of Chester, but whose activities and initiatives are tourism-related. DEADLINE is May 31 and October 31. Recreation & Parks grants: Funding for local recre- ational programs, activities and facilities within the Municipality of Chester. Deadline is October 7. Major Projects grants: Like we said earlier, this pro- gram is for projects with a grant request of $10,000 or more. Funds for this program may come from rev- enue earned from wind energy projects. Read more about that in our Wind Energy Revenue Policy found online at www.chester.ca or by calling the Municipal Office at 902-275-3554. DEADLINE is January 31. PRO Kids: This program provides financial assistance to youth for sport and recreational activities. Appli- cants must be 18 years and under and live in the Mu- nicipality of Chester. Applications are confidentially received throughout the year. Youth Sponsorship Grants: This is for youth aged 21 years and under who have won their way or were selected to attend a recognized event at the provincial, national, or international level. Applications are received all year round. Leadership Training: These funds cover up to 50% of registration fees associated with training or certification in coaching and leadership positions. There is a catch: the skills and knowledge gained must be used to teach within the Municipality at least once. Recreation Start-up grants: Only available to newly- formed organizations. Applicants must represent a non-profit group within the Municipality of Chester. Often, there are additional grants available through Provincial or Federal funding, so a conversation with the Director of Recreation is encouraged before a group applies for any funding under this program. Groups can only apply for and receive one grant per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). Council, Tourism, Recreation and Major Projects grants are only avail- able to non-profit organizations. The rest are for indi- viduals who live in the Municipality of Chester. To learn more about Municipal funding, please visit our website at www.chester.ca where applications are found under "Engage". The criteria is outlined on the first page of each form. If you don't find an appli- cation form, please call 902-275-3490. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT ORGANIZATION TYPE APPROVED GRANT USED TOWARDS... Annapolis Valley Ridge Runners Council $2,084 Trail development Aspotogan Arts & Crafts Rec $500 Community Outreach and art supplies Aspotogan Heritage Trust (Green House) Council $2,000 Greenhouse project Aspotogan Recreation Association Rec $2,000 Provide recreational opportunities to residents Athenaeum Society of Nova Scotia Rec $700 Upgrade audio-visual equipment Basin Gardeners Association Rec $550 Maintenance of community gardens Blandford Seasiders Seniors Club Rec $1,500 Facility rental and purchase of lamps Card Lake Park Rec $2,000 Park maintenance Charing Cross Garden Club Rec $550 Maintenance of community gardens Chester & Area Family Resource Centre Council $5,000 Operations Chester Art Centre Council $5,000 Facility rooms Chester Brass Band Council $1,000 Summer Bandstand Concert Series Chester Curling Club Council $500 Mary Fay community event Chester Duplicate Bridge Club Rec $1,500 Automated Bridge scoring system Chester Garden Club Rec $550 Maintenance of community gardens Chester Merchants Association Tourism $1,800 Shops of Chester brochure Chester Minor Hockey Rec $1,650 Cost of development ice Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce Tourism $25,000 Visitor Information Centre Chester Municipal Heritage Society Council $4,525 Painting the Train Station and outbuilding Chester Municipal Relay for Life (BBQ) Council $1,500 Relay BBQ Chester Playhouse Tourism $2,000 Marketing the Summer Theatre Festival Chester Race Week Tourism $3,000 Race Week operations Chester Seaside Farmers Market Council $400 Picnic tables Chester Tennis Club D.C.F. $6,500 Tennis court upgrades Christmas Daddies Tourism $100 Christmas Daddies discretion Clarke Lodge #61 Chester Council $350 Golf tournament sponsorship Community Wheels Council $6,000 Operations Deep Cove Fireworks & Weiner Roast C/T $300 Fireworks and weiner roast supplies District No. 1 Community Centre Council $4,397 Tables, chairs and grease hood replacement Forest Heights Courtyard Project Wind $10,000 Courtyard project Forties Community Centre C/T $3,100 Oktoberfest, drywall repairs, painting Forties Garden Club Rec $550 Maintenance of community gardens Health Services Foundation - South Shore Council $50 David Atkinson Bonspiel for Journey Room HHELLPS Council $3,000 After school programs Hubbards Area Business Association C/T $1,000 Canada Day celebrations and Hubbards Parade Hubbards Area Lions Club Council $3,000 Facility improvements (floor and ceiling) Hubbards Area Recreation Association Council $2,000 Mill Cove ballfield maintenance Hubbards Barn Association Tourism $500 Food Truck Rally Hubbards Community Waterfront Assoc. Tourism $750 Annual BBQ and Boaters Rendezvous Hubbards Cove Days C/T $400 Ceilidh on the Cove and fireworks Hubbards Writers Festival C/T $2,000 Operating costs Lunenburg Queens Volunteer Partnership Council $2,000 Volunteerism support Mahone Island Conservation Association Council $10,000 Squid Island purchase New Ross Farmers Association Council $2,403 Fairgrounds maintenance New Ross 200th Anniversary Committee Council $10,000 General celebration costs New Ross Family Resource Centre Council $3,082 Operations New Ross Golden Age Club Rec $500 Insulation and new windows New Ross Regional Dev Society C/T $1,240 New Ross Christmas Festival and bandstand Ocean Swells Communtiy Centre Rec $1,000 Interior painting Our Health Centre Wind $100,000 New building RECAP Rec $500 Advertising “Share the Road” campaign Royal Canadian Legion, Br. 79, New Ross Rec $900 Canada Day: entertainment and prizes Royal Canadian Legion, Br. 88, Chester Basin Council $700 Remembrance Day service Shoreham Village Council $650 Golf tournament sponsorship Shoreham Village Volunteer Program Rec $2,100 Cyber-Senior program (iPad minis) SMART Trees Project Wind $5,000 Research project South Shore Community Justice Council $250 Voices program South Shore Safe Communities Council $4,330 Lunenburg County Seniors Safety program South Shore Seniors Society Rec $1,000 Recreational activities, bus trips and outings South Shore Tourism Council $4,678 MODC contribution (regional municipal initiative) South Shore Wrestling Club Rec $3,000 Wrestling mats Through the Years Community Day Care Council $2,500 Water treatment system United Way of Lunenburg County Council $1,150 Employee contributions match Victorian Order of Nurses Council $1,500 Operations Village Commission (Lido Pool)Wind $3,500 Lido Pool operations Western NS Woodland Conference Council $200 Conference support Western Riptides (Womens Hockey Tourn.) Council/Rec $600 Hockey tournament World Sledge Hockey Challenge Tourism $2,500 Operations TOTAL $274,589 Council = Council Grants Tourism = Tourism Grants Rec = Recreation & Parks Grants C/T = Council and Tourism Combo Wind = revenue used from Wind Energy Revenue Policy 3 MUNICIPAL BUDGET MUNICIPAL BUDGET $11,209,040 Property Tax revenue is our primary source of revenue. They are calcu- lated by dividing total as- sessment (determined by Property Valuati on Ser- vices Corporati on) by 100 and then multi plying by the tax rate. This year, the tax rate stayed the same as it was last year...68.5₵. The commercial rate also stayed the same as last year at $1.53/$100. This year, the Province gets $7.2 million of our Prop- erty Tax Revenue in man- datory contributi ons (see breakdown below under Expenses). Residenti al $9,516,075 Commercial 1,355,909 Forest/Resource 337,056 Property Tax $4,340,788 Area rates are applied to properti es that use a spe- cifi c service. For example, if your home is connected to the public sewer sys- tem, the charge to use the system will show up on the tax bill. If your home is not in the service area, no charge is applied. Area rates are also used by fi re/village commissions. We collect the rate on their behalf and then forward the money to them. All of the fi re rates haven't been set yet, so the amount be- low is tentati ve. Fire $1,773,026 Roads 238,650 Sewer 861,823 Waste collecti on 1,422,412 Mill Cove/ACES 44,877 Area Rates $1,837,619 "In lieu" tax means rev- enue received in place of property tax. For example, the Governments of Cana- da and Nova Scoti a are ex- empt from property taxes. Instead, they give grants to replace the lost reve- nue; some can be used for anything and others are for specifi c uses. Another "in lieu" tax is when a rate is applied to a busi- ness' revenue rather than their property assessment. Oft en, these businesses are service-based, like Aliant who pays for poles, wires and small buildings. Business Revenue $144,529 Grants in lieu 156,516 South Canoe 656,574 Deed Transfer 880,000 "In lieu" Tax $4,462,524 Property Services are costs related to residental and commercial services to land, excluding waste col- lecti on. Costs include staff - ing and administrati on, maintenance of public properti es, community de- velopment (building/fi re inspecti on/planning), pub- lic sewer, heritage prop- erty, parking and mapping Public property $611,210 Community Dev. 863,927 Public sewer 2,130,639 Heritage property 500 Tax administrati on 279,900 Public works 446,348 Mapping 130,000 Property Services $3,412,844 Administrati on and gov- ernance are expenses related to operati ons like Councils and committ ees, departmental, soft ware/ hardware, legal services, quality & records manage- ment, training, supplies, communicati ons, safety. Also included is the the operati onal and debt costs for the wind tower project at Kaizer Meadow. Wind Tower $672,056 Wind Energy 550,000 Council/Committ ee 260,891 Administrati ve 1,233,142 Finance services 621,755 Municipal Electi on 75,000 Administration/ Governance $7,202,515 Mandatory contributi ons are, by far, the largest ex- penditure we have. This is a fi nancial obligati on to the provincial government for specifi c services to Nova Scoti ans. Every mu- nicipality in the province contributes a percentage of their tax-based revenue towards these services. Educati on $4,602,030 RCMP 1,751,980 Correcti ons 236,441 Assessment 340,514 Roads 182,494 Library 69,056 Housing Authority 20,000 Mandatory Contributions $1,062,876 These are costs associated with the maintenance of municipally-owned roads. On top of that, homeown- ers associati ons may elect to have the Municipality collect private road main- tenance fees on their be- half through property tax bills. That money is col- lected and then forwarded on to the associati ons. Municipal roads $740,861 Private roads 90,660 Sidewalks 106,000 Streetlights 125,355 Municipal Roads $1,381,220 "Community Living" costs relate to expenses that directly improve commu- niti es on recreati onal and charitable levels. Recreati on $1,020,299 Grants 359,921 Town Crier 1,000 Community Living $2,055,532 This is how much we are putti ng away in our "sav- ings account". Reserves are usually for future capi- tal projects. Reserves $2,178,017 Protecti ve services are: By-laws $35,750 Animal Control 76,700 Emergency Measures 41,114 *Fire Services 2,024,453 *This includes revenue col- lected on behalf of fi re/vil- lage commissions. Protective Services Kaizer Meadow Landfi ll $6,018,501 This graph indicates expenses associat- ed with waste collecti on and disposal. In terms of landfi ll operati ons, Kaizer Meadow Environmental Management Centre partners with Valley Waste, who pays around 87% of costs on average. 1. Waste collecti on $1,356,058 2. Landfi ll operati ons 4,597,871 3. Recycling 64,572 1 2 3 1 4 3 2 Economic Development $629,300 Economic Development sti ll is a high priority for Council. This year, focus is around branding, tourism, business retenti on (BRE), the Eco-Park, local business, and a marketi ng strategy for the area. 1. Operati ons $186,976 2. Tourism 48,000 3. Regional Economic Network 45,794 4. Industrial Parks 348,530 4 Recreati on $1,020,299 Grants 359,921 Town Crier 1,000 $2,055,532 Reserves Re v e n u e Re v e n u e MUNICIPAL BUDGET BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS The 2016/17 Budget was a challenge because of a slow rate of growth over the last couple of years that is fi nally catching up to us, as with other municipaliti es. Despite the decline in growth, rising costs are going strong! Overall, we are in a strong fi nancial positi on with healthy reserves and can withstand the downturn; however, there was plenty of discussion around costs and prioriti es this year. The end result is a prett y sound budget. Council was able to hold the Residenti al/Resource tax rates at $0.685/$100 as well as the Commercial tax rate at $1.53/$100. Our tax rates are among the lowest in Nova Scoti a! All rates and fees remain the same as last year as well except the base landfi ll ti p- ping fee dropped to to $65.88/tonne and collecti on rates are now $0.0957 (a $0.00227 increase), streetlights area rates decreased overall by 20%, and the universal sewer charge increased by $20.37. This year, the last year of our Strategic Plan, we will focus on main- taining current service levels as well as, Fiscal Responsibility: • Developing a Debt Management Strategy; • Developing an Investment Policy for Landfi ll reserve; • Improving accountability, budget management, and internal controls using a purchase order module; and • Increasing reserves (net $470,802). Improving Municipal Services: • Providing an opti on for e-Post delivery of property tax bills; • Recerti fying to ISO 9001:2015 standards; • Expanding Saturday hours at Kaizer Meadow; and • Reviewing procurement guidelines, applicati on forms, selected by-laws, Streetscape Plan acti on items, and heritage standards and guidelines. Availability of Suffi cient Infrastructure: • Exploring opti ons for organics and landfi ll processes; and • Numerous capital investments (listed below). Support for Environmental, Social and Cultural Resources: • Conti nuing the Municipal Plan Review; • Parti cipati ng in the Recreati on 4 Life project; and • Exploring possible roles in aff ordable housing. Public Engagement and Communicati ons: • Improving the website; and • Developing a public parti cipati ng program in municipal planning initi ati ves. Economic Prosperity: • Developing a Marketi ng Strategy; • Developing an investment readiness profi le; and • Supporti ng our tourism industry through grants and direct fund- ing to the VIC. CAPITAL INVESTMENT Capital projects are included in the expenditures on the left . Most notable projects include, • Repairs and upgrades to Foxwood Drive in Mill Cove, trails, Chester Basin Wharf, and drainage at Wild Rose Park; • Parking study for the Village of Chester; • Collecti on of fl ood plain mapping; • Making funds available for acquisiti on of land for a potenti al in- dustrial/business park; • Installing a second EVC tower at Kaizer Meadow; • Pursuing opti ons for non-tax revenue through a wind energy project with other municipal units; • Annex building renovati ons to address space issues; and • Improving the delivery of public sewer use through plant and pump upgrades and an infi ltrati on program. MUNICIPAL BUDGET FISCALYEAR2016-17 Ex p e n s e s Ex p e n s e s Ex p e n s e s $1,837,619 "In lieu" tax means rev- enue received in place of property tax. For example, the Governments of Cana- da and Nova Scoti a are ex- empt from property taxes. Instead, they give grants to replace the lost reve- nue; some can be used for anything and others are for specifi c uses. Another "in lieu" tax is when a rate is applied to a busi- ness' revenue rather than their property assessment. Oft en, these businesses are service-based, like Aliant who pays for poles, wires and small buildings. Business Revenue $144,529 Grants in lieu 156,516 South Canoe 656,574 Deed Transfer 880,000 "In lieu" Tax $4,567,379 The Municipality receives money for fees charged for permits, Landfi ll ti p fees, recreati on programs, and selling services to other municipal units. We provides services like some planning and build- ing, fi re inspecti on, animal control and waste disposal to neighbouring munici- paliti es who don't need full-ti me services. We also receive income from Nova Scoti a Power for our wind tower and Eco-Park lease fees. Wind Tower $719,650 Landfi ll disposal 2,768,496 (to others) Services to others 170,556 Permits/programs 336,857 Tipping fees 571,820 Fees $1,889,644 These are grants from oth- er levels of government (mostly federal or provin- cial). Some are for specifi c things, like infrastructure, and others are non-spe- cifi c. Conditi onal $1,876,408 Unconditi onal 13,236 Grants $2,347,330 Transfers come from our reserves, which is like a savings account. Some transfers are from projects previously budgeted for and the money is carried over, and others are for new projects. Transfers Economic Development $629,300 Economic Development sti ll is a high priority for Council. This year, focus is around branding, tourism, business retenti on (BRE), the Eco-Park, local business, and a marketi ng strategy for the area. 1. Operati ons $186,976 2. Tourism 48,000 3. Regional Economic Network 45,794 4. Industrial Parks 348,530 5 For a copy of the 2016/17 Municipal Budget and to view other budget documents, visit our website at htt p://chester.ca/en- gage/2014-09-18-13-29-50/budgets-and-fi nancial-reports MUNICIPAL BUDGET 2016-17 Ex p e n s e s Economic Development Economic Development sti ll is a high priority for Council. This year, focus is around branding, tourism, business retenti on (BRE), the Dear Shabby, Aaah...just opened the cottage for the year and it feels GREAT! It's so beautiful here and it's a nice break from Halifax. Unfortunately, we can't stay for another few weeks, but friends of ours plan to vacation here until then. Do you have any tips on sorting waste we can share? ~ signed Soon Kicking Back in East River Dear “Kicking Back”: I have more tips than a 5-star restaurant! First and foremost - recycling doesn't take a vacation. Going away for a few weeks shouldn't impact how you take care of your waste. We proudly have a four-stream waste collection program that applies to everyone, visitor or resident. To learn more about it, visit www.chester.ca or call the Solid Waste Department at 902-275-2330 for a copy of the 2016 Waste Collection Calendar... that thing is AMAZING! Everything you want to know (and even stu you didn't want to know) is in there. ******************************************************** Dear Shabby, The long weekend is coming up and I want to get rid of some stu laying around the house and yard. Anything I should know before taking a few loads to the dump? Dear Shabby Friendly waste disposal advice Have a solid waste questi on? Ask Dear Shabby at solidwaste@chester.ca PROPERTY SERVICES 6 ~ signed Decluttering in Aldersville Dear “Decluttering”: If by "dump" you mean "land ll", then yes! First, the land ll is open on Monday and waste will be collected as usual even though some of us get the day o . Second, make sure you are within the limit of black bags. You are only allowed one black bag...the rest have to be clear. Plus, they can be inspected just like at home so your waste has to be sorted. Third, make sure your load is secure because it's illegal if it isn't. If something ies o of your vehicle and causes harm or dam- age, you are liable. Oh yeah, one last thing - every load less than 1,500 lbs is free to residents so feel free to go say hi to Ryan (the Scale House Opera- tor) as many times as you want to! ******************************************************** Dear Shabby, Why can't I use industrial bags to put my gar- bage or recyclables in? ~ signed Bigger is Better in Middle River Dear “Bigger”: Bigger is only better when you're talking dessert. Actually, bags larger than 31"x42" won't t in the hopper of the collection truck when they are full, plus they get too heavy. Scale it back! Collecti on days that fall on holidays are either rescheduled to the Saturday BEFORE or the Saturday AFTER. Holiday Alternate day July 1 July 2 September 5 September 3 November 11 November 12 December 26 December 24 If a holiday isn't listed, we will collect as usual. Soli Wast Departmen 902-275-2330 Seconds can mean the diff erence between life and death in an emergency. Getti ng resources where they are needed as quickly as possible is vital. This is especially true when dealing with 911 emergencies. Without clearly posted civic numbers to guide them, emergency service responders can some- ti mes have diffi culty locati ng the address of a 911 emergency. Vacati on Rentals A temporary resident or someone renti ng a property who is not from the area may not know how to describe the route to the property in an EMERGENCY SERVICES If they can't fi nd you, they can't help you emergency situati on. It is the property owner’s responsibility to ensure that a civic number is posted in an unobstructed locati on, clearly vis- ible from the road. In some cases, it may also be necessary to post the civic number at the begin- ning of a private road or driveway as well as on the property. Owners should also make sure the civic address is clearly displayed somewhere in the house for the tenants. Gated Properti es Any owner whose property is accessed by a gated road or driveway should make sure that their local Fire Department has a copy of the key to the gate. This will al- low the Fire Depart- ment and emergency services to access the road or driveway in the event of an emergency, without the need to contact the property owner or damage the gate. Please contact your local fi re depart- ment and arrange to meet and give them a copy of the gate key. Civic number plate signs are available for $14 each. Please contact the Community Develop- ment Offi ce at 902-275-2599 if you have any questi ons. The organic material that is collected from your green cart is processed at the Lunenburg Regional Community Recycling Centre (LRCRC) in Whynott 's Sett lement. Recently, the Solid Waste Department received correspondence from the LRCRC explaining that they are having issues with plasti c-like compostable bags. Compostable bags have been allowed in our green cart system for quite a few years, essen- ti ally ever since we began using green carts. However, they have a negati ve impact on the processing end because they get stuck in the grinding equipment resulti ng in a jam. Additi onally, when the plasti c-like bags make their way to the curing (aging/maturing) stage, they sit in the compost pile for a year and sti ll do not break down. As a result, the LRCRC has asked the Munici- WILL THAT BE PAPER OR PLASTIC?Oh, paper...defi nitely paper pality of the District of Chester to support the use of paper-based products in our green cart program or, if you prefer, do not use any liners at all. Paper products are easily shredded in the grinding equipment and break down easily. Paper products can include retail products like boxboard liners or paper bags specifi cally designed to fi t inside a countertop mini-bin. Household products are also usable like cereal boxes (boxboard) or newspaper to line mini- bins or wrap food in. We fully support the LRCRC’s request, and we are urging businesses and residents to volun- tarily switch to paper right away. If you have any questi ons at all, please con- tact us at Kaizer Meadow Environmental Man- agement Centre at 902-275-2330 or email us at SolidWaste@chester.ca Using newspaper as an alternati ve to plasti c- like compostable bags (above), which are shown caught in the grinding equipment at LRCRC in Whynott s Sett lement below. COMMUNITY INTEREST 7 Winners of the fi rst annual “Best of Ches- ter Municipality Awards” were an- nounced at a celebrati on event on March 30, 2016 at Atlanti ca Oak Island Resort in Western Shore. The Municipality of the District of Chester organized the initi ati ve to celebrate local busi- nesses and give the public a chance to express their appreciati on by voti ng for their favorites. Close to 1000 votes were recorded and it was a ti ght race in many categories. Warden Allen Webber declared the winners in all 24 categories at the celebrati on (including to the Atlanti ca Oak Island as shown below) and expressed how proud all of us should be of the quality of our local merchants. This is the fi rst year for these awards in the Municipality and with the overwhelming re- sponse, the event promises to increase in popu- larity in subsequent years. BEST OF AWARDS First annual awards a hit Friday, May 20 Gabrielle Papillon Chester Playhouse. Call 902-275-3933 or visit www.chesterplayhouse.ca Wed., May 25 Lions Club Luncheon Hubbards Area Lions Club, 12 noon. For adults. Friday, May Chester Farmers' & Arti san Market Opening Chester Visitor Informati on Ctr, 10am- 2pm. Open every Friday ti l Oct. 7. chesterfarmersmarket.wordpress.com Saturday, May 28 Film to Ficti on Chester Playhouse. Call 902-275-3933 or visit www.chesterplayhouse.ca Sunday, May 29 Merchandise Bingo Chester Legion, 2pm. Doors open at 1pm. Proceeds for Relay for Life. Gospel Concert Chester United Bapti st Church, 7pm. Thursday, June 2 David Myles Chester Playhouse. Call 902-275-3933 or visit www.chesterplayhouse.ca Saturday, June 4 Pancake Breakfast Hubbards Area Lions Club, 9:30- 11:00am. Sunday, June 5 Sunday, June 5 6th Annual Cut N Run 5K Walk 5/10K Run Chester Area Middle School, 9am. www.Run.Chester.ca Annual Lobster Dinner Captain Kidd Rod & Gun Club, 11am- 6pm. 902-275-2174. Crib Tournament Forti es Community Centre, 1pm. Call 902-689-2147 Wed., June 8 Lions Club Luncheon Hubbards Area Lions Club, 12 noon. For adults. Wed., June 22 Lions Club Luncheon Hubbards Area Lions Club, 12 noon. For adults. To have your event included in this listi ng as well as on our website and events page in the local newspaper, please contact the Recreati on & Parks Department by calling 902-275-3490 or emailing recreati on@chester.ca Royal Nova Scoti a Internati onal Tatt oo Bus Trip Saturday, July 2 (deadline to register is noon on Thursday, June 30) $82 (includes ti cket and transportati on to Scoti abank Centre) Pick-up at the New Ross Credit Union and the carpool parking lots at Exits 9, 8, 7 and 6 on Highway #103. Call Recreati on & Parks at 902-275-3490 to register or visit www.chester.ca. Raffl e ti ckets for Summer Jewel are now available! $2.00 each, or 3 for $5.00 Purchase ti ckets at the Recreati on Offi ce and Scoti abank in Chester. Draw takes place at the Chester Golf Club on October 1, 2016. Events listed on our website have more details than those listed here. Visit us online! Congratulati ons to the winners in each category: • Best Contractor/Renovator - B Redmond Design & Constructi on Ltd. • Best Convenience Store - Mohammed Sode's General Store • Best Farm/Forestry Business - M. Keddy Farm and Forest Ltd. • Best Food Establishment - Peasant's Pantry • Best Gallery/Studio/Arti san - The Village Emporium • Best Gas Stati on - Petro Canada Chester Basin • Best Grocery Store - Spidle's Independent • Best Hardware/Building Supply Store - New Ross Home Hardware Building Centre • Best Hotel/Motel/B&B - Atlanti ca Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre • Best Legal/Accounti ng/Financial/Insurance Services - New Ross Credit Union Ltd (New Ross) • Best Marine Services - Blandford Auto & Marine • Best Mechanic/Auto Shop - Jeff 's Old Volks Home • Best Non-profi t Group - New Ross Regional Development Society • Best Place to Buy Meat - Peasant's Pantry • Best Place to Buy Vegetables - New Ross Country Farm Market • Best Place to Have Coff ee - Kiwi Café • Best Place to Hold an Event - Forest Heights Community School • Best Real Estate Company - Tradewinds Realty • Best Hair Salon/Barber - Between Friends Hair Studio • Best Retail/Specialty Shop - Your Friend and Mine Pets Pet Supplies • Best Sport Club/Spa/Yoga/Fitness - Luna Salon Spa & Bouti que • Best Vendor at a Farmer's Market - The Fish Store • Best Manufacturer - Muwin Estate Wines Limited • Best Healthcare Provider - Posture Perfect Massage Therapy Warden Allen Webber presents award to Angela Steeves, Atlanti ca Oak Island Tweet of the Week Our most popular post on Twitter in April... Let's hope this link won't get much use! Although, hurricane season is from June to November... QR Code: Download a QR Reader app on your mobile device (eg. iPhone). Hold it over the code while your device scans it, and it will open our website directly. Here, you will find all of the latest up- dates, minutes, tender information, and more. Twitter: Search for @chestermun or @ChesterRecParks in your Twitter account. Follow us and get regular updates and notifications about municipal issues, including live tweets from Council meetings. Facebook: Visit www.facebook.com/ChesterMunicipality and learn about events and stories happening in the area. If you have some- thing to share, message us! We will post your event or photos! Instagram: Follow us at chestermuni to see photos of municipal events and daily life in the Municipality! Tag us in your pics! If you have questions about… call this Department... at this number Animal Control (Dogs)Animal Control Officer 902-277-0017 Bandstand/Gazebo rental (Wedding) Recreation & Parks Department 902-275-3490 Boat Launches Recreation & Parks Department 902-275-3490 Building Permits/Inspections Building/Fire Inspection 902-275-3080 By-Laws Community Development Dept 902-275-3080 Civic Numbering Community Development Dept 902-275-2599 Composting Solid Waste Dept/Public Works 902-275-2330/902-275-1312 Council Meetings Administration/Tax Department 902-275-3554 Fire Inspections Building/Fire Inspection 902-275-3080 Islands (use of)Recreation & Parks Department 902-275-3490 Kaizer Meadow Solid Waste Department 902-275-2330 Municipal Sewer Public Works Department 902-275-1312 After Hours Emergencies 1-888-664-6998 Parks/Trails Recreation & Parks Department 902-275-3490 Planning Areas Community Development Dept 902-275-2599 Recycling Solid Waste Dept/Public Works 902-275-2330/902-275-1312 Sewer (central system)Public Works Department 902-275-1312 Taxes Administration/Tax Dept 902-275-3554 Waste Collection Solid Waste Dept/Public Works 902-275-2330/902-275-1312 Wharves Public Works Department 902-275-1312 Zoning Community Development Dept 902-275-2599 fax mail email 902-275-4771 151 King Street administration@chester.ca publicworks@chester.ca P O Box 369 building@chester.ca recreation@chester.ca Chester NS B0J 1J0 planning@chester.ca solidwaste@chester.ca Municipal Districts and Councillors #1 East Chester, East River to Northwest Cove Andre Veinotte 902-277-1409 #2 Simms Settlement, Hubbards to The Lodge Floyd Shatford 902-857-9817 #3 Chester and part of East Chester Brad Armstrong 902-275-3121 #4 Chester Basin and Chester Grant Allen Webber 902-275-2536 #5 Gold River to Martins River #6 New Ross and area Tina Connors 902-679-4461 #7 Marriotts Cove, Windsor Road to Sherwood Sharon Church-Cornelius 902-277-1301 For exact district boundaries, call the Municipal Office at 902-275-3554 or click on the “Inform” menu option on our website. Provincial/Federal Contacts Nova Scotia Department of Environment ..........................................................902-543-4685 Labour ...................................................................902-543-0665 Natural Resources .................................................902-634-7555 Public Health .........................................................902-543-0850 Transportation (Bridgewater) ................................902-543-8169 Transportation (Marriott’s Cove)...........................902-275-3221 Property Valuation Services (Assessments) ...........1-800-380-7775 Denise Peterson-Rafuse, MLA ...............................1-877-740-3378 ..................................................................................902-279-3378 Bernadette Jordan, MP .............................................902-527-5655 ...............................................................................1-888-816-4446 JUMPSTART DAY 2016 “Together we can help all kids play!” CANADIAN TIRE BRIDGEWATER (16 Pine Grove Rd., Cookville) Saturday, May 28 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Barbeque and Chinese Auction ($5/10 tickets) A portion of the proceeds support the Municipality of Chester’s PRO Kids program REMEMBERINGROBERT MYRA Fellow Councillors and staff were shaken and enormously saddened by the news of Bob Myra's passing. As difficult as it is to lose one of our "municipal family", we especially offer our sympathy, comfort and prayers to Bob's family as they try to cope with the loss of such an important person in their lives. Bob will continue to be fondly remembered for his role around the Council table, his generous heart, and his innate ability to brighten even the lousiest of days. He was a funny, kind, and compassionate man. We want to thank Bob's family for directing memorial donations to PRO Kids. To date, the program has received $500 - another wonderful legacy from Councillor Robert Myra and his family. ● OPEN FOR THE SEASON ● We are taking bookings for stays at the wind tower campsite at Kaizer Meadow. Please call 902-275-3490 to reserve.