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Home My Public Portal About2019-04_MunicipalInsight_indd-compressedmunicipal insight “Keeping you informed about April/May 2019 your municipal government” In the Municipality of the District of Chester this spring... Meet Mr. Lloyd Publicover It's a Sign... Best of Chester Municipality! Our volunteer extra- We see a Uniform Time to vote for your ordinaire is headed to Advertising By-Law in favourite businesses to Halifax (Page 4)! the future...or on Page 6. in the MOC (Page 8)! THE FUTURE OF WASTE Sustane shares waste-to-energy plans with next generation Except for the large diverters that look similar to grain hopper bins, the building that houses one of the most advanced waste management opera- tions in Canada looks unassuming, utilitarian even. Sustane Technologies, located at the Kaizer Mead- ow Environmental Management Centre, opened it's doors on Valentine's Day to give a tour to Municipal Council, staff, and members of the Forest Heights Community School (FHCS) Student Council and the FHCS Environment Club. As the rather large group entered through a side door, the feeling of colour- less tedium quickly transitioned into one of interest and speculation when the co-founder and president, Peter Vinall, swore the group to secrecy, limiting photographs to non-proprietary sections of the facil- ity. Once we were sufficiently intrigued, Mr. Vinall af- fectionately described the technology that he has spent the last five years bringing to life in our small municipality. As we marveled over the concept of transforming bags of useless garbage into a practical commodity, it became increasingly clear that this is happening. Really happening. Since our last update, much more machinery has arrived at the site and part of the facility is operat- ing. We will take you through the process. First, waste collection trucks with black and clear bag garbage will weigh in at the Scale House at Kaiz- er Meadow. Instead of going to the Landfill to empty the load, however, they will continue on to the Sus- tane Technologies building where they will unload in the receiving area. Large conveyors will move waste to a shredder where the garbage is torn to pieces and coarsely separated. From there, conveyors carry the pieces to tubes where they spend 90 minutes "cooking". After this process, trommels spin and separate the pulp into biomass material (paper, diapers sans plastic, etc.) and rejected material. After 20 to 25 minutes on a drying belt, the biomass material is transported into another trommel for a further four points of separation (there are 13 points of separa- tion in total from start to finish). Then there is some top secret activity where bio- mass is cleaned and pellets are formed from the bio- mass material using high pressure. In the end, metal is recovered and recycled, plas- tics are collected during separation and diverted to another part of the facility, biomass is pelletized, and any leftover material is taken to the Landfill for disposal. The pellets will be sold commercially with local buyers already lined up. Fun fact: The pellets produced at the Sustane facil- ity are deemed carbon neutral because they origi- nate from plant-based material that removes carbon from the atmosphere, not from fossil fuels. During a tour of Sustane Technologies, Municipal Council was accompanied by the Forest Heights Community School Student Council and Environment Club. Another fun fact: Part of the Sustane facility runs on fuel made out of the plastics recovered in the separation process. The separated plastics are di- verted to a dryer where the pieces are shrunk and even further separated by type. The plastic is finely shredded and then put in two water tanks. What- ever floats is dried and stored in a container that can hold up to 50 tonnes. When ready, the plastic is heated, liquefied, gas- ified, and condensed into diesel, light fuel (diesel 1 or kerosene), and non-condensable gas. A 14-day pi- lot of this process will begin shortly. Once successful, Blue Wave Energy, a local company, will purchase the diesel and kerosene. Once the entire facility is fully operational, less than 10% of the processed waste will go to the Land- fill for burial, saving us valuable space. Speaking of value, you may ask, "What's in it for us?" Other than our own municipal waste, which costs us money (equipment and maintenance, land- fill space, operational cost), waste that comes across our scales is paid for through tipping fees. This stays the same. When a truck goes across the scale, a tip- ping fee is charged. Instead of taking the truck to our Landfill, it will go to Sustane, and we will pay Sus- tane to take it. In turn, Sustane will pay us to take anything that is unusable on the front-end plus the residual waste at the back-end. The real savings will come from decreased opera- tional costs, lower maintenance costs, fewer equip- ment purchases, and even fewer landfill cells to be constructed (cost of a half-cell costs approximately $3.2 Million and usually lasts about two and a half years). We will have more to report once the facility is fully up and running. Until then, let's wish Sustane immense success in their efforts! Feel the magic at Midsummer Night Carnivale INTERESTING... • All of the equipment is top-of-the line with much of it sourced locally or within Canada, even from the South Shore too. • Altogether, Sustane will hire 24 employ- ees. • This is the first facility in the world to house all of these working components. • The cost of the facility will be $25-$30 Million of private sector funding. The Municipality will host an afternoon and evening event for all on July 20. Adventure into the mystical. Experience the enchantment. Oh, and there's entertainment too. More details to follow! MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Follow @chestermun on Twitter for live tweets from Council meetings!2 Message from the Warden Well, we made it! It is officially spring, and it's even starting to feel like it. Just for your information, on April 17, the Municipality of Chester will mark its 140th year of incorporation. Congratulations to us all! On March 5, I was proud to be present at the Lunenburg-Queens Business Excellence Awards, where our Municipality was well represented and walked away with two awards. Tanner & Co. Brewing won Best New Business and Sòlas Kombucha won Export Achievement Award. Way to go! I also had the privilege to attend the Provincial Volunteer Awards on April 1, where Lloyd Publicover received the Provincial Volunteer Award representing our Municipality, and Maria Kirby-Breen won the award for Youth Volunteer for the Province of Nova Scotia. It's people like them who make our community the great place it is. Thanks so much! Just to keep the ball rolling, we also had the privilege of hosting the regional Agriculture Day event on March 16 with approximately You can contact the Warden by calling the Municipal Office at (902) 275-3554, calling his home at (902) 275-2536, or emailing awebber@chester.ca 140 participants in attendance to share in their challenges and successes in trying to build the industry and establish a path forward to success. Council has recently endorsed a business sector opportunity assessment, which is designed to allow us and the business community identify opportunities and the most likely areas to focus our resources to achieve growth and business attraction. Over the course of the next few months, we will engage our local business community in discussions on how to best move this process forward and achieve a positive outcome by targeting our resources on areas where success is most likely, Lastly, staff are currently preparing a budget forecast for this year's operating and capital budgets with debate by Council and budget setting to take place by the end of May. The Municipality is ending this year's fiscal period in a sound financial position, which should result in some flexibility moving forward into next year without any negative impact on our tax rate, or at least that's my optimistic position at the first of April! All the best to all of you. Stay engaged. Respectfully, Holiday Closures: Municipal Offices are closed on Friday, April 19 and Monday, April 22 for the Easter holiday. We are also closed on Monday, May 20 for Victoria Day. Kaizer Meadow is closed on Friday, April 19, but open on Monday, April 22 and Monday, May 20. Waste collection is reschedueld from Friday, April 19 to Saturday, April 20. Waste collection on Monday, April 22 and Monday, May 20 will happen as usual. Region 6 Funded for Another Year: Council approved MOC's share of Region 6 Solid Waste Management's budget for 2019-20. Region 6 coordinates various educational initiatives across the region (South Shore and Windsor-West Hants) related solid waste that promote recycling, composting and waste diversion. They also represent our needs when dealing with the NS Dept of Environment around recycling and composting regulations. Council Grant: Team Weagle, a U21 Curling team out of Chester, earned their way to compete in the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Saskatchewan. Council showed their support by awarding them a $500 grant. A great experience! Waste Collection Tender Awarded: GE Environ-mental was the successful bidder in a six-year service tender awarded in March. Accessiblity in MOC: In preparation for Access by Design 2030, the Provincial strategy to implement their new Accessiblity Act, the Municipality will become a member of the Lunenburg County Accessibility Advisory Committee along with other municipal units in the County. The Act addresses barriers in six areas: built environment, education, employment, goods and services, information and communications, and transportation. The Committee will collaborate on the Provincial standards and how they will be implemented. Many, many Thanks: We heartily thank Mary Ellen Clancey for her dedicated and meaningful work on several Municipal committees. Mary Ellen is resigning as she is greeting the next leg of her journey and moving from the area. Over the course of her "committee career" with MOC, we had the pleasure of having Mary Ellen sit on the Municipal Planning Advisory Committee, the Citizens Planning Advisory Committee, and the Water Quality Monitoring Committee for Fox Point. This was a tiny contribution compared to her volunteer work in her community and the greater area. We wish you all the best, Mary Ellen! IN BRIEF... The Municipality is installing four brand, spanking new raised garden beds in the Community Garden this year. The beds will be constructed following suggested guidelines for accessibility and reserved for residents who aren't comfortable bending or kneeling for ex- tended periods of time, who have issues reach- ing, or for gardeners in wheelchairs. The beds will be constructed on top of a level, packed surface, wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or walker. They are wide enough to fit a good number of plants, and narrow enough to allow for comfortable reach. A water source is on site as are several light benches, if needed. We are also trying patio gardens this year. If IN NEED OF GARDEN SPACE? Community garden explores other options you can't come to the community garden, the community garden will come to you by way of a mini garden in a container. To reserve an accessible bed or patio garden container, please contact Jennifer at jwebber@ chester.ca or call 902-275-4107. As always, we will plant the large beds with a variety of vegetables for all to enjoy. Come out with your extra seeds on Plant Day, which will be advertised on the Municipality's Facebook page once determined (likely mid- to late-May). If you can't come to plant, feel free to water or weed in exchange for some lovely raspber- ries, tomatoes, squash, or whatever is ripe for the picking! Grant application forms are at www.chester.ca or call the Recreation & Parks Department for advice at 902-275-3490.3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT This section of the newsletter is dedicated to business events and learning opportunities happening in Nova Scotia to help you connect and grow your business. Please read the listing below for information that could be valuable to you and your business. IT'S A PLEASURE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU Blast Off to Business Accelerate your business success, and learn the development process at this three-day interactive workshop with subject matter experts, guest speak- ers, and a site visit to the Halifax Central Library. Discover resources available for entrepreneurs and learn how to develop a solid business plan. April 10, 8:30am to 4:30pm $295.00 Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Benefits of a Diverse Workplace Culture (online) Learn how to develop a diverse workplace culture to enhance your organization’s success. Choose one of two sessions: April 10, 9:00 to 11:00am FREE May 8, 9:00 to 11:00am Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia http://www.isans.ca/event Leveraging Your Workplace Culture (online) This webinar explores the question, “What can help make us a more immigrant-friendly workplace?" Choose one of two sessions: April 11, 9:00 to 11:00am FREE May 9, 9:00 to 11:00am Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia http://www.isans.ca/event For Employers: Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project This online employer-driven immigration program is designed to address the labour gaps of employers in the Atlantic Provinces. Choose one of two sessions. April 15, 10:00 to 11:00am FREE May 27, 10:00 to 11:00am Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia http://www.isans.ca/event The Senior's Market: An Opportunity for All Review our changing population demographics and discuss the amazing opportunities that this presents for entrepreneurs of all ages. Also highlighted are advantages of starting a business in NS and the sup- port organizations for entrepreneurs of all ages with a focus on senior entrepreneurs. April 16, 1:00 to 3:00pm FREE Social Enterprise Network of Nova Scotia, Halifax Central Library https://halifax.bibliocommons.com/events/ Pricing and Costing Your Product This session has both a marketing and financial fo- cus, and gets to the heart of how pricing plays an important role in your overall business success. April 18, 9:00am to 12:00pm $89.00 Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ The Ivanny Report. Where We are Today! Don Bureaux, President of NSCC and Chair of the ONE NS Collective, will discuss The ONE-NS jour- ney of the past five years, where progress has been made, where future work needs to occur, and what is planned for the next five years. April 24, 11:30am to 1:00pm $20.00 Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce, Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre RSVP to chair@chesterchamber.ca Fit to SucCEED A series of six workshops focused on product to mar- ket fit. Choose one of two sessions: Starts April 30, 9:00am to 4:00pm $779.00 Starts May 29, 9:00am to 4:00pm Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Money Matters Hear from experienced small business financing pro- fessionals, have the opportunity to ask questions, and gain advice and exposure to financing opportu- nities for your business. May 1, 9:00am to 12:00pm FREE Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ SEB Orientation This program assists aspiring entrepreneurs to be- come self-sufficient through self-employment. May 2, 9:00am to 4:00pm FREE Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Start Smart Explore local resources, be introduced to CEED's programs and services including loans, training and the Self-Employment Benefits Program. May 2, 5:00 to 6:30pm FREE Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Atlantic Immigration Summit A cross section of business leaders, entrepreneurs, municipalities, educational institutons, newcomers, students, settlement agencies, industry specialists and citizens convene for a proactive dialogue and exchange on immigration, diversity and inclusion. May 7 to 8 Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Canada, Halifax https://www.immigrationsummit.ca Biz Success Tips Hear from seasoned business owners as they share experiences, tips, tricks and advice for start-ups. May 8, 9:00am to 12:00pm FREE Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Financial Modeling Session These two workshops introduce concepts of using an assumption sheet to drive balance sheet, income statement and dashboard to inform decision makers May 15, 9:00am to 4:00pm $259.00 Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Exploring and Developing Your Business Plan Facilitated collaborative discussions around business plan exploration and development with dedicated incubation space for participants. May 28, 9:00am to 4:00pm $519.00 Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ Operations for Small Business Do you know all the essential elements for success- fully operating a business? Creating a vision or plan for your operations will provide a framework for success. In this session we will explore how you can determine who does what, where, when, how and most importantly why. Choose one of two sessions: May 30, 9:00am to 12:00pm $89.00 Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Bayers Road Centre, Halifax https://www.ceed.ca/events/ OUR ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY RECEIVES AN AVERAGE OF 164 HITS PER MONTH. If you're in business in the Municipality of Chester, register it with our Business Directory at https://chester.ca/business-directory for FREE! Log in to upload photos, videos, hours, menu, social media links, map, and even your TripAdvisor review! Edit your listing at any time. Call 902-275-4138 for info. And the award goes to... Congratulations to these business owners, who were recognized at the Lunenburg Queens Business Excellence Awards Ceremony on March 5. Winners from left to right, Gabrielle Pope and Clare Rivard, Sòlas Kombucha (Dr. Kombu Brewing Co.) won the Export Achievement Award; Katie Munro, representing Peasants' Pantry, a finalist in the Hospitality Award category; and Peggy Locke and Dan Tanner, Tanner & Co. Brewing, won the New Business Award. Again, congratulations to you all on your business excellence! Follow us on social media for updates on employment opportunites, current events, project news, and much more.4 COMMUNITY INTEREST People volunteer for different reasons. Maybe the cause is near and dear to that person's heart. Maybe they like children. Maybe they enjoy cooking supper for 300 people. Maybe their mother is forcing them to as some sort of punishment. Whatever the situation, the motivation is entirely personal, and that's perfectly fine with the rest of us because it's you who keep our communities close- knit. It's you who take on responsibility when oth- ers can't. It's you who turn a really great idea into a reality. Whether it's to help someone afford medical treat- ments, keep a beloved facility up and running, pass knowledge on to others, or just to give neighbours something to do on a Tuesday night, volunteers are the mainstay of our society. Did you know that according to the Government of Nova Scotia website, Nova Scotians volunteer al- most 79 million hours per year? On average, we vol- unteer almost 40 hours more per volunteer per year than the 2017 national average. Every year, the Municipality of Chester recognizes those efforts by asking all of our volunteer organiza- tions to select a nominee to receive kudos at a re- ception hosted by us. From the list of nominees, the Recreation & Parks Committee chooses one volunteer to represent the Municipality of Chester at the Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony, which happened on April 1 in Halifax. This year, Lloyd Publicover was chosen to rep- resent volunteers across the Municipality at the Awards Ceremony. Lloyd currently volunteers with the Blandford & Area Fire Rescue, as he's done for the last 50 years, the District No. 1 Community Cen- tre, and St. Barnabas Church. We also have a special announcement. Maria Kir- by-Breen was selected by the Province to receive a Youth Volunteer Award. Out of all the youth nomi- nated across Nova Scotia to be recognized, Maria was chosen. Maria, at the age of 17, has already contributed significantly to her community. Wow! For a full list of nominees, including the family and group nominees, please see page 21 of the Spring edition of Explore Life. Didn't get a copy? Call Recre- ation & Parks at 902-275-3490. VOLUNTEERS ARE INVALUABLE Municipality and Province celebrate volunteers in April Lloyd Publicover is MOC's Provincial Volunteer for 2019 while Maria Kirby-Breen will receive the Provincial Volun- teer Youth Award this year. Congratulations to you both! Tuesday 9:30 am - 1:30 pm Wednesday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Friday 1:30 - 5:30 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm For more information go to ourhealthcentre.ca, or call 902-273-2098 (messages retrieved on clinic days) or 902-275-3847, Monday to Friday. • Registration starts one hour before the times posted above. Come to the second floor, take a number and be seated until Cindy calls your number. • Once a walk-in shift reaches the maximum number of patients that can be treated, a sign will be posted on the main entrance door and in the second floor waiting area, and the closed sign will be posted outside. • If, for some unforeseen circumstance, there is no doctor available to cover a shift, notices will be posted on Facebook, on the main entrance door, and the 2nd-floor waiting area. WALK-INCLINICHOURS Hey everyone, it's me...your property tax bill. Just a heads up that I'll be hanging out in your mailbox any day now. If I don't show up by May 15, please call me at 902-275-3554 because you and I have a date and it's June 17 (deadline). 5Add your community event to the Municipality's website at www.chester.ca/events or email it to recreation@chester.ca Saturday, April 13 Waffle Breakfast & Egg Hunt Chester Basin Volunteer Fire Dept, 8-11am. Spring Fling St. Barnabas Ladies Guild at District #1 Community Centre, 11am-2pm. Country Jamboree Little Red School, 7-10pm. Usual Suspects District #1 Community Centre, 9pm- 1am. 902-228-2606 or 902-471-7323. Sunday, April 14 Crib Tournament Little Red School, 1pm. Family Concert St. Stephen's Parish Community Centre, 2pm. A Musical Friends Production. Friday, April 19 Easter Egg Hunt For Max Nunez at Aspotogan Consolidated Elementary School, 10am. Call 902-980-0012 or 902-857-1272. Friday, April 26 Chester Municipal Heritage Society Annual Meeting St. Stephen's Parish Community Centre, 7:30pm. FOG playing at Western Shore Legion, 8pm. Call 902-627-2570. Saturday, April 27 Ham Dinner Clarke Lodge 79, 4-6pm. Call 902-483- 1305 or 902-277-0747. Sunday, April 28 Variety Dinner Forties Community Centre, 4-6pm. Proceeds for Brothers of Norwood Lodge #135's Special Needs Programs. Thursday, May 2 8th Annual Family Prize Bingo Forest Heights Community School, 7pm. Friday, May 3 Short Notice playing at Western Shore Legion, 8pm. Call 902-627-2570. Saturday, May 4 Dollar Auction & Bake Sale Mayfest (see page 4) PRO Kids fundraiser Municipal Office, 8am-3pm. 902-275- 3490 or email recreation@chester.ca Firefighters Mayfest Breakfast-Bake Sale New Ross Fire Hall, 7:30-10:00am. Call 902-689-2018. PRO Kids Mayfest Fundraiser Dollar Auction and Bake Sale, Municipal Office, 8am-3pm. 902-275-3490 or recreation@chester.ca Mayfest Yard Sale Chester Basin Fire Hall, 8am-4pm. Call 902-275-2170 or search CBVFD Auxiliary on Facebook. Mayfly Dance New Ross Legion, 9pm-1am. Saturday, May 4 Sunday, May 5 Mayfest 2019 Watch for yard sales and events all over MOC! See poster below. Saturday, May 11 Early Mother's Day Luncheon Chandler's Cove Community Centre, 12-2pm. Proceeds for PRO Kids. Call 902- 275-5864 or gore275@eastlink.ca Saturday, May 11 Sunday, May 12 19th Annual Aspotogan Arts & Crafts May Show District #1 Community Centre, 10am- 5pm both days. Monday, Wednesday & Friday Elderfit Aquacise Oak Island Resort, 10:30-11:30am. Call 902-275-4245 or 902-527-1887 or visit www.elderfitlunenburg.ca Fridays My Time Square Quilt Group Meeting 2nd and 4th Fridays, Chester Baptist Church, 10:30am-1:30pm. 902-980-0345 Email events to recreation@chester.ca to have them included on our website, this newsletter, and in a weekly events column published in a local newspaper. COMMUNITY INTEREST Municipality of Chester Recreation & Parks is seeking applications from students who would like to be part of our summer staff team. We are looking for four Youth Leaders (starting late June). If you are creative, energetic, organized and enjoy working with youth and the public, submit your resume to us by April 18. Municipality of Chester Recreation & Parks Department ATTN: Mr. Jody Conrad 151 King Street P O Box 369 Chester NS B0J 1J0 email: jconrad@chester.ca phone: (902) 275-2712 fax: (902) 275-3630 NEED A JOB THIS SUMMER? PROPERTY SERVICES Subscribe to municipal email notifications and alerts at www.chester.ca on the homepage. Recyclable paper is like gum. Clean plastic is like hair. The two don't mix. (hint: please put your clean paper in a separate recycling bag) 6 Dear Shabby, This may seem like a dumb question, but where should I put my dead batteries? ~ signed No Juice in East Chester Dear “No Juice”: I have to be honest with you. I'm not a subscriber to the whole "there are no dumb questions" theory, because there are PLENTY of dumb questions. This, however, is not one of them. This is a very important question actually, and I'm glad you asked it. First and foremost, under NO circumstances should you put any batteries in the garbage. Under the right condi- tions, they can ignite a fire and cause serious damage. You have options, my friend. You can take your batteries to Kaizer Meadow Landfill, but if you aren't in the neigh- bourhood or don't want to make the trip just for batteries, you can also drop them off at a few other handy locations. Of course, while Kaizer Meadow accepts all kinds of bat- teries, these locations only accept alkaline or rechargeable batteries. We have battery containers at the Municipal Office, Adam's Bottle Exchange in Gold River, Hubbards Hardware, and New Ross Home Hardware. ******************************************************** Dear Shabby, I'm getting a little annoyed at your waste disposal system in the Municipality of Chester. First of all, the gate to your little waste site at Mill Lake is locked. Like all. the. time. Dear Shabby Friendly waste disposal advice Second, the fence around the site is way too high. When I threw my bags over it, one got caught, tore a big hole in the side, and all of my garbage fell out. Could you be a little more considerate to users? Third, I don't know who maintains this site, but it's really messy. Just saying. ~ signed All Out of Love in HRM Dear “All Out”: I notice you are located in HRM. If I've said this once, I've said it a hundred times (although I use more colourful language when I'm not writing it in a family-rated publica- tion). Keep your own darn trash! Dispose of it at your own house or at your own landfill! We don't want to clean up your mess! Stop spending our tax payer's money! If you were allowed to use our waste disposal site, you would have a key to the gate! Your irresponsible waste handling is wrecking it for our residents who use the site. Unless you have permission from HRM and from us, you have to use your own waste disposal options. And for the love of God, START RECYCLING! IT'S A REAL THING! Dear readers, I apologize for my outburst and strong words, but it had to be said. ******************************************************** Dear Shabby, I recently joined the 21st century and purchased a colour television set. Compared to my cathode ray tube floor mod- el with a record player on top, this new TV is pretty high- tech. It even has this thing that you can use to change channels from sitting down! My question is, assuming I can move the floor model TV, what do I do with it? ~ signed Set for Life in Gold River Dear “Set”: Congratulations on your entertainment purchase. There are a couple of things that you can do. 1. Repurpose your old set. You can remove the TV part, paint the cabinet and put a door where the old screen was. Voila! You have yourself some storage. You can even put your new TV on top of it and use it as a stand. 2. Sell it online. Plenty of people might consider your floor model quite the find if they are into antiques. Who knows? You could find yourself a few bucks richer. 3. Recycle it. You and the three people you will need to carry it can bring it to the Kaizer Meadow Land- fill. We send such things to a company that recycles electronics, like televisions. You can also take it to any electronics recycling drop-off in Nova Scotia. The only one in the Municipality of Chester hap- pens to be Adam's Bottle Exchange in Gold River. The Municipality doesn't pick up electronics curbside. To find other locations or a list of items considered to be elec- tronics, visit https://www.recyclemyelectronics.ca The Municipality of Chester is working towards implementing a Uniform Advertising Signage By-law and supporting program to improve adver- tising along its highways. The By-Law will likely be phased in starting with the Exit 6 area. The program will provide the travelling public with clear directional information, promote tourist-relat- ed businesses in our communities, and preserve the Municipality’s rural character, scenic beauty, and en- hance road appearance. Tourist-related businesses can participate in the program under the condition that they are in con- tinuous operation for at least four months out of twelve. The signs are similar to the ones shown on the right, and will be around 18" high and 7' wide. In- cluded will be the business' name, directional ar- row, distance to business, and symbol (if applicable). Businesses can have up to two signs that the Municipality will construct, install and maintain for an initial fee of $150 per sign and subsequent, annual fee of $40 per sign. A by-law has been drafted, and we are looking for feedback from the community and businesses. We will take your feedback to Council, where it will help decide the con- tent of the By-Law. All of this information, along with the draft By-Law is on- line at www.voicesandchoices.ca/uniform- signage. Once there, you can also access a one-page fact sheet about the program and a presentation made to local business associations. Ask questions, get answers, and learn about the program and im- UNIFORM ADVERTISING SIGNAGE Municipality considers By-Law and Program plementation. If you have any questions that you prefer to ask in person or over the phone, please contact Jason Genee at 902-275-4137, jgenee@chester.ca or Erin Lowe at 902-275-4138, elowe@chester.ca WE HAVE A CONNECTION Spring is here and construction season is hot on its heels. If you need to connect to the central sewer, make application now so it can be reviewed, approved and ready for connection. Call us at 902-275-1312 or email publicworks@chester.ca Explore Life Recreation Guide came out at the end of March. You got yours, right? Call 902-275-3490. We may not be available 24/7, but our website is. Visit us at www.chester.ca PROPERTY SERVICES 7 BOSS or BUST REGISTER A COMPLIMENT OR COMPLAINT BY: Calling 902-275-3554. Leaving your name is optional. Emailing the Municipal Clerk at pmyra@ chester.ca Filling in our online form at www.chester.ca under "Contact" or https://webfiche.district. chester.ns.ca/Forms/CCRegister Coming in to see us at 151 King Street in Chester. Since the last report in February, we received one compliment and seven complaints. • Our only compliment was from someone who liked our refreshed website. They said, "Nice job!" To that, we say, "Thanks!" • Complaint #1 was about a stop sign that was knocked down by a snow plow. Turns out the sign was at the end of a private road. In case you live on a private road, you may like to know that homeowners are responsible for sign maintenance. • The second complaint was criticism about having the hire of our new CAO announced in the local paper and not on the municipal website. We haven't traditionally made staff change announcements on our website, but it's never too late to change, right? Thanks for the suggestion, and we'll consider in the future. • On occasion, we update Council agendas in case something is added or changed. We updated an agenda in late January, but when we did so, we accidentally posted only the agenda and not the entire agenda package. An engaged resident noticed and informed us. We fixed the issue once notified. Thanks for notic- ing! It's nice to know residents are interested. • The road conditions after a storm were still quite bad, and a resident lodged a com- plaint about it. Unfortunately we couldn't help in this instance because we don't plow public roads, so we suggested they contact the Dept of Transportation and In- frastructure Renewal (NSTIR). • A resident wondered if anyone was work- ing on a solution to the lack of reasonably priced internet service in his area. It's a complex answer, but in a nutshell, both the federal and provincial governments have invested money into a solution, and based on updates from Develop NS (a pro- vincial agency), we have reasonable ex- pectations that affordable accessibility is a priority and hopefully on its way! • We received another complaint about the condition of the roads in Chester and that a pothole damaged a driver's rim and tire. We don't own any Provincial roads, how- ever, the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure Renewal has a claim form that people can submit when they sustain damage. So, we supplied a copy of the form and suggested they follow up with NSTIR. • Lastly, we received a complaint with re- gard to voting in the recent poll for a pro- posed central water system in the Village of Chester. The residents did not receive the voter information letter, but it was discovered that they resided outside the boundary set for eligible voting. Although half of these complaints are outside of the Municipality's jurisdiction, we are still happy to help residents find solutions if we can. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Sometimes things are not what they appear. This is especially the case with the four- stream waste collection truck that our contractor uses to collect garbage, recyclables and compost from residents in our Municipality. If the truck is unfamiliar, it might appear that the collector is throwing all of the waste in one, large loading hopper - the place where bags are thrown before being tipped overhead into the main body of the truck. However, they are actually being pur- posely placed in divided areas so when the hop- per is tipped, the waste falls into specific compart- ments inside the truck's body (see the photo to the right). When trucks arrive at the destination, they un- load in a particular order so the contents go to the right place and not all in the same place. Something else that might surprise you: "bio- degradable" plastic-like compost bags do not biodegrade in time to become actual compost. They just hang out, getting stuck in grinder at the processing facility. If they do happen to make it through the grinder without wreaking havoc, the shredded pieces end up blow- ing around or just laying there, not biodegrad- ing. This whole scenario can be avoided by us- ing paper-based products, like an empty flour bag, boxboard carton, etc. Another myth that is circulating is that empty aerosol cans and empty propane tanks are not harmful. This could not be any further from the truth. Any canister that was once pressurized is still hazardous! This includes ANY aerosol can, like those used for hairspray, deodorant or spray paint. It also includes ALL types of propane can- ister, large or small. Check page 30 of the 2019 Waste Collection Calendar for more information on where you can bring these items. Since we're talking hazardous waste, not all haz- ardous waste is created equal. Although Kaizer Meadow can take almost all of it, there are still a few things we cannot take. It's a small list. • Ammunition (take to RCMP) • Smoke canisters (take to RCMP) • Flares (take to RCMP) • Commercial waste (call 902-275-2330 for advice on who accepts) It seems like only yesterday when Municipal Council passed the 2018-19 Capital & Operating Budget. Yet, here we are at that time of year again. For those who are not familiar, there are usually five steps to the whole budget process. STEP 1: Council identifies their strategic priorities. These are the most important things that staff need to achieve within the year or over the course of a few years. This is often a time when Councillors can identify needs in their districts or in the broader community that they have heard from constituents. For example, if the public has expressed a desire to have accessible public spaces. Council will make this a priority. STEP 2: Staff figures out what capital and operating costs WHERE MY BUDGET AT? are needed to a) carry out Council's priorities, and b) operate the Municipality on a day-to-day bas- es. For example, staff might estimate how much playground equipment costs, which could support part of Council's public spaces priority. STEP 3: That information is prepared along with our annual costs (interest, depreciation, salaries, mandatory Provincial payments, services, etc.). If ex- penses are higher than the expected property tax rev- enue and other revenue, we have a deficit. If it is lower, we have a surplus. Since municipalities are not allowed to have either a deficit or a surplus, our options are to increase the tax rate or cut costs to cover expenses, or put surplus funds into a reserve for the future. STEP 4: Council reviews each line of the budget at one or more Budget Committee meetings. If they are happy, it will go to a Council meeting for approval. If they feel it needs more work, they will send it back to staff to make revisions or cuts. STEP 5: The Budget goes to a Council meeting! They will either approve it or return it to staff for revisions. "They Throw My Blue Bags in the Garbage!" ...and other myths LEFT: The compartmentalized main body of a collec- tion truck that services MOC. RIGHT: A close view of the side-loading hopper, also shown in the INSET. Tweet of the Week Coincidentally, our most popular posts for both February AND March are about office closures due to the weather... 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 updates, 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. 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Chester MunicipalityAWARDS www.chester.ca/BestOf Best Artisanal Retailer Best Building Services (such as contractors, engineers, architects, interior designers, trades, etc.) Best Building Supplies Store Best Community Space Best Farm/Forestry Business Best Garden Services Best Gas Station Best Grocery/Convenience Store Best Health/Beauty Services Best Health Care Provider (such as doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, etc.) Best Manufacturing Business Best Marine Services Business Best Mechanic/Auto Shop Best Non-Profit Group Best Pet Services Best Place to Have Coffee Best Place to Stay Best Professional Services Nominate your favourite businesses in these categories then vote for the top nomineees! (such as financial services and institutions, IT services, real estate companies, etc.) Best Realtor Best Restaurant Best Spa/Fitness Facility Best Specialist Retailer (such as bakeries, vegetables, meat, etc.) Best Vendor at a Farmers’ Market NOMINATE VOTE ANNOUNCE April 1 to 29 May 3 to 26 May 30 at Council Questions?elowe@chester.ca 902-275-2599