HomeMy Public PortalAbout2018-01-04_COW_Public_Agenda PackagePage 1 of 2 of Agenda Cover Page(s)
Committee of the whole
AGENDA
Thursday,January 4, 2018
Chester Municipal Council Chambers
151 King Street, Chester, NS
1.MEETING CALLED TO ORDER.
2.APPROVAL OF AGENDA/ORDER OF BUSINESS.
3.PUBLIC INPUT SESSION (8:45 A.M.–9:00 A.M.)
4.MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
4.1.Committee of the Whole –December 7, 2017
5.MATTERS ARISING (if any)
6.CORRESPONDENCE:
6.1 Correspondence from Mosaic Canada Murals project.
6.2 Email and information from Health Services Foundation of the South Shore
regarding request for funding for the February 2018 Radiothon.
6.3 Correspondence dated December 13, 2017 from Region 6 regarding Budget
Approval for 2018/19.
7.NEW BUSINESS:
7.1 Request for Decision dated November 27, 2017 from Fire Services Coordinator
regarding Fire Service Registration 2017/18.
7.2 Request for Decision dated December 1, 2017 from Development Control/Planning
Assistant regarding Private Street Improvement –Dorey Park Road.
7.3 Request for Decision dated December 14, 2017 from Director of Finance regarding
proposed Tax Sale Policy.
7.4 Information Report dated December 1, 2017 from Director of Finance regarding
Funding of Road Upgrades.
7.5 Request for Decision dated December 8, 2017 from Director of Finance regarding
Audit Committee Terms of Reference.
7.6 Information from South Shore Regional Enterprise Network –Chester Visitor
Information Centre Assessment (appointment with Annette St. Onge at 9:00 a.m.).
Page 2 of 2
8.IN CAMERA.
9.ADJOURNMENT.
APPOINTMENTS ARRANGED
9:00 a.m.Annette St. Onge, South Shore Regional Enterprise Network
The National Mosaic Mural
Uniting Communities to Celebrate our Diversity
MURALS
MOSAIC
Lewis Lavoie
Key Artist/Director of Mural Mosaic
Hello,
How can a piece of art unite a nation and empower communities to celebrate
their strength and diversity? As an artist, I am fascinated at the thought of what
the final image will be when thousands of individual paintings, created by
Canadians from coast to coast, are combined into one overall mosaic mural.
Not long after completing our first mosaic murals thirteen years ago, it
became apparent to us that these murals had the ability to involve practically
anyone, from professional artist to “first timers”, from the very young to our
senior citizens. No matter what their background everyone had one thing in
common, they were part of a bigger picture. From the smallest of us to the
most influential, we all part of a bigger story. To me, this is the sheer definition
of what a community is. It seemed that overnight, communities began asking
us to create murals.
Naturally, it came to me it would be incredible to create a mural that would
connect our whole country. For years, I have been exploring what this would
look like. The timing became perfect to celebrate our diversity as a nation
through a united piece of artwork.
I have chosen the train and railroad and feel it is the ultimate theme for
connecting these murals. Railways played an integral role in the process of
tying regions together. My vision is to do the same with these murals. All
aboard!
Mural Mosaic
Mural Mosaic began in 2003 and was founded by the
trio of Lewis Lavoie, Paul Lavoie and Phil Alain. Lead
by renowned artist Lewis Lavoie, the trio is based
out of St. Albert AB and have been orchestrating
collaborative murals around North America involving
artists and non- artists alike from all over the world.
Their murals have been featured at such events as the
2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the 2012 Summer
Olympics in London, the Centennial celebration of
the Calgary Stampede, the Alberta Saskatchewan
Centennial of 2005, the Edmonton Centennial of 2005
and a Royal unveiling for Queen Elizabeth II.
The murals have included special guest team
members ranging from renowned artists to celebrity
and political guests. Some past participants and
guests include The Barenaked Ladies Kevin Hearn,
William Shatner, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, Robert
Bateman, Michelle Grant, Bill Lishman, Ian Tyson,
Former Premiers Lorne Calvert and the late Ralph
Klein and literally thousands more.
Phil Alain, Paul Lavoie, Lewis Lavoie -
Kunamokst Mural at the 2010 Olympic Games
Buffalo Twins Mural
2005 Alberta / Saskatchewan Centennial
Message from Lewis Lavoie
MURALSMOSAIC MURALSMOSAIC
Canada Mosaic Mural was launched in 2015 to
celebrate our 150th birthday, beginning the journey to
complete 150 murals illustrating Canada’s cultural and
geographical diversity.
The purpose of the project is to create a national mural
including all provinces and territories, over 80,000
paintings and 150 individual murals that when united
will form one gigantic mural mosaic. The mural, if ever
connected would be over 365 meters wide (4 football
fields) x 2.5 meters high (8 feet).
The mural will represent a cultural mosaic, a time capsule,
a visual portrayal of history, an art masterpiece from the
soul of the nation. An art piece that fifty years from now,
may inspire another generation, who will in turn be able
to celebrate through the mural, and maybe take it upon
themselves to add to this memory.
Like the first settlers to come to the country, this project
is full of ambition, adventure and the desire to trail
blaze into new exciting frontiers. It will also face great
challenges and obstacles. But, if history proves itself
something remarkable will be born.
150 Mosaic Murals in 150 Communities.
Each province and territory will have several individual
communities who will elect to champion a mural
production. Each community will host an event inviting
participants from far and wide from their region to
participate and create their own community mural, which
will then connect to the nation.
Upon the completion of the entire Canada Mosaic Mural,
each community mural will reside in the town or city
where it was created as a legacy of your community and
its connection to the communites across Canada.
Project Purpose Project Goal
MURALSMOSAIC MURALSMOSAIC
Community Mural Events
Each community mural created will have
between 400-600 tiles to paint. The Canada
Mosaic Mural team of artists and facilitators will
come to your community and work with you to
create an ultimate two-day painting event like no
other.
Any skill level is welcome, all ages are welcome,
you do not have to be an artist! Every tile painted
will be 4 inches x 4 inches in size, creating a
unified community mural.
Once your community mural is complete it will
be virtually connected to other communities
creating one massive overall National mural
connecting the country coast to coast. Your
mural contribution to the Canada Mosaic Mural
will be permanently displayed in your community
creating a lasting legacy landmark representing
Individual painting
created by a
community member
finds its place within
the community mural
Community Mural finds its place
in the Canada Mosaic Mural
Community mural virtually
connects to the next
community mural resulting in
The Canada Mosaic Mural.
8 x 8 Community Mural
$12,500
Up to 400 Participants
8 x 12 Community Mural
$15,000
Up to 600 Participants
Your Community Mural includes:
P Mural designed by Lewis Lavoie - uniquely
representing your community
P The Canada Mosaic Mural team travels to your
community to facilitate painting workshops
P All materials
P Travel and Administrative Costs
P Up to 600 community members involved
P Mounting, clearcoating and photographing (ready to
hang)
P 25 poster prints of your completed community mural
P Online presence virtually connecting to other
communities on Canada150Mosaic.com
up to 600 participantsup to 400 participants
The Making of a Community Mural Community Investment
MURALSMOSAIC MURALSMOSAIC
Contact
Tracy Oliver, Project Coordinator
tracy@muralmosaic.com | Ph. 780-953-1519
www.canada150mosaic.com
MURALSMOSAIC
RADIOTHON: A SUCCESS STORY
In seven years, the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore’s Radiothon has made its mark on
South Shore Regional Hospital and local healthcare. The efforts of donors, the Health Services
Foundation and CKBW/Country 100.7 has grown Radiothon into the Foundation’s biggest one-day
fundraiser, raising a total of over $740,000 for medical equipment at South Shore Regional Hospital
since its inception.
Radiothon has raised these funds in support of:
Cardiac Monitors
A Cardiac Ultrasound
Ventilators for Intensive Care Unit
A Mobile X-ray Unit
The Journey Room
Bringing Urology Service back to the South Shore
Operating Room Equipment
The entire community is instrumental to the success of this fundraiser.
RADIOTHON 2018: WHY WE NEED YOU
It’s easy! On February 14th, 2018 we are aiming to raise $150,000 for a new Ultrasound Unit. Annually,
over 10,000 ultrasounds are conducted at South Shore Regional Hospital - over 3,000 exams a year
by the ultrasound that needs to be replaced. It is used by everyone; from expecting mothers to those
with concerning lumps or internal pains. We’ve all been there - we hope you can SEE the need!
Learn more about Radiothon 2018 and find fundraising ideas at
www.healthservicesfoundation.ca.
Let’s start the conversation!
PO Box 639 / 45 School St , Suite 304
Mahone Bay, NS B0J 2E0
Region 6 Solid Waste-Resource Management Phone: 902-624-1339
Fax: 902-624-1313
E-mail: Valda.Walsh@Region6SWM.ca
Tammy Wilson
Municipality of the District of Chester
151 King St
PO Box 369
Chester, NS B0J 1J0 December 13, 2017
RE: Budget Approval 2018-19
Dear Ms. Wilson,
On Friday, November 24, 2017, the Region 6 Inter-Municipal Committee met regarding
the budget for the upcoming fiscal April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019.
The following motion was passed:
MOTION: to recommend approval of the 2018-19 Region 6 Inter-Municipal Committee
Budget in the amount of $782,160 to member councils as presented. M/C
Pursuant to FINANCES of the Region 6 Inter-Municipal Agreement; items 34 – 39
“34. The proposed Committee budget shall be submitted to the Councils of each of the Parties prior to
4:30 p.m. on December 31st of each year. 35. The Councils of each of the Parties shall approve said budget, or refuse to do so, by 4:30 p.m. on
March 14th of the year to which said budget applies.
36. Should the Council of any of the Parties fail to approve or refuse to approve the proposed Committee
budget by the stated deadline then the said budget is deemed to have been approved by that Council.
37. The proposed Committee budget shall be binding on all of the Parties if approved by the Councils of
75% or more of the Parties, so long as the Parties whose Councils have approved represent a
minimum of 50% of the total population represented by the Parties to this agreement – said figures
to be taken from the most recent available Census of Canada statistics.
38. In the event that motions of refusal to approve result in a proposed Committee budget not receiving
approval of the necessary majority of Councils, the Committee shall revise the proposed budget
taking into account any comments that may have been provided and submit a revised budget to the
Councils of the Parties.
39. Should the Council of any of the Parties fail to approve or refuse to approve a revised proposed
Committee budget within 45 days after receipt of same then the said budget is deemed to have been
approved by that Council.”
Respecting the enclosed budget, please review with your council and respond to Region 6
before 4:30 pm, March 14, 2018 on your approval or refusal.
Should you have any questions on either document please feel free to contact myself at
902-624-1339 or Chair, Michael Ernst at 902-624-8864.
If you require my attendance at the council meeting when the budget is up for discussion,
feel free to contact me by phone or email.
Regards,
Valda Walsh BSc TME EP
Regional Coordinator
encl.
INCOME 2017‐18 Projection 2017‐18 Budget 2018‐19 Estimates
Contracts/Service Agreements
Education Contract 64,424 64,307 64,424
Coordinator Agreement 42,028 42,028 42,028
Enforcement Contract 89,459 89,560 89,459
Services 3,000 3,450 3,000
Sub‐total 198,911$ 199,345$ 198,911$
Stewardship/Incentives
Dairy Stewardship 87,194 90,000 87,000
Diversion 1 368,000 227,460 320,000
Municipal Approved Programs 81,647 81,647 80,500
Interest 0
Sub‐total 536,841$ 399,107$ 487,500$
Municipal Contribution
Municipal Billing 2 90,838 90,838 95,749
Inter‐Municipal Program (transfer )000
Sub‐total $90,838 $90,838 $95,749
TOTAL 826,590$ 689,290$782,160$
Region 6 Solid Waste Management
Page 1 Region 6 SWM Budget
DRAFT
Region 6 Solid Waste Management
EXPENSES 2017‐18 Projection 2017‐18 Budget 2018‐19 Estimates
OPERATING EXPENSE
Coordinator Salary 3 63,998 61,406 65,278
Coordinator Benefits 3 11,378 11,906 11,605
Travel (Coordinator)6,500 6,500 6,500
Training and conference 1,500 2,040 2,040
Office Rental 12,522 12,522 12,522
Cleaning 780 780 780
Cell phones 4 1,500 2,600 1,500
Phone/fax 1,700 1,500 1,700
postage/copier/copies 2,400 2,400 2,400
Computer/materials 4 1,785 1,520 2,000
Insurance 2,700 2,700 2,700
Administration 9,386 10,350 9,390
Legal 2,000 2,000 2,000
Auditor 7,300 8,500 7,561
Contingency 2,500 2,500
Sub‐total 125,449$ 129,224$ 130,476$
EDUCATION
Education salary 3 49,609 47,589 50,601
Educator Benefits 3 8,258 8,110 8,423
Travel (education)9500 9500 9500
Signs/web/advertising 1,200 1,200 1,200
Environment Week 0 1,000 500
Compost Awareness Week 1,500 1,500 1,500
Waste Reduction Week 500 500 500
Public bins maintenance 5 2,300 1,000 1,500
Program materials 1,000 1,000 1,000
Inter‐Municipal program 0 0
Sub‐total 73,867$ 71,399$ 74,725$
PAYMENTS TO UNITS
Enforcement Contract 89,459 89,560 89,459
Dairy Stewardship 87,194 90,000 87,000
Diversion 1 368,000 227,460 320,000
Municipal Approved Programs 81,647 81,647 80,500
Sub‐total 626,300$ 488,667$ 576,959$
TOTAL 825,616$ 689,290$ 782,160$
Revenue/Expenditure 974$ ‐$ 0‐$
Page 2 Region 6 SWM Budget
DRAFT
Region 6 Solid Waste Management
Municipal area serviced:Pop'n % of Region 2018‐19 Estimate
Shelburne Shared Services 6,562 7.25%5,961.36$
Town of Bridgewater 8,532 9.43%7,751.04
Town of Mahone Bay 1,036 1.15%941.17
Municipality of Lunenburg 24,863 27.49%22,587.21
Municipality of Barrington 6,646 7.35%6,037.67
Town of Clark's Harbour 758 0.84%688.62
Municipality of Chester 10,432 11.53%9,477.13
Town of Lunenburg 2,263 2.50%2,055.86
Municipality of West Hants 15,368 16.99%13,961.32
Region of Queens Municipality 10,351 11.44%9,403.54
Town of Windsor 3,648 4.03%3,314.09
Total 90,459 100.00%82,179.00$
Notes to BUDGET:
1. Diversion Credits ‐ In June 2017, Divert NS reported 4.6 M vs. only 2.8 M last year (record low). 4 M was
projected as a provincial estimate for 2018‐19 of which we averaged 8% of to get the $320,000 used for budget.
2. Municipal Billing (details below) ‐ this line pays for the operations that are not covered through grant and
contracted services. $95,749 estimate will be offset by $13,570 surplus as reported in the 2016‐17 audited
financial statements.
Actual to be billed to municipal members will be $82,179
3. Staff salary and benefits – May 26, 2017 a salary increase of 6% was granted to staff. This was after budget
therefore shown as an impact to the 2017‐18 projection. Estimate for 2018‐19 is calculated using a 2% cost of
living increase but will be adjusted according to the actual cost of living increase for 2018‐19 following April 1,
2018.
4. Phones/fax/copier/computer ‐ Cell phones ‐ West Hants had their plan rates adjusted downward; Region 6
benefited from this. Computer – 2017‐18 Projected amount includes a new laptop and periphery that was
required as well as several visits and service cost to fix some software and network problems with our desktop. It
is estimated for 2018‐19 to retain the Information Technology of West Hants to streamline Region 6 computers
and network as well as service our computers as needed.
5. Public bins Maintenance – replacing signs as well as keeping a small inventory of event bins was required last
year and planned for 2018‐19.
TABLE 1: Municipal billing:
Page 3 Region 6 SWM Budget
DRAFT
REQUEST FOR DECISION
Prepared By: Bruce Blackwood Date November 27, 2017
Reviewed By: Tara Maguire Date November 27, 2017
Authorized By: Tammy Wilson Date November 27, 2017
CURRENT SITUATION
Fire and Emergency Services are provided to the Municipality by 6 Fire Commissions and their
associated Fire Departments in Martins River (District 5), Western Shore (District 5), Chester
Basin (District 4), New Ross (District 6), Hubbards (District 2), and Blandford (District 1). The
Chester Village Commission, through the Chester Volunteer Fire Department, provides fire and
emergency services to the Chester Village (District 3) and under contract with the Municipality
to the Outside Areas in District 1 (Partial) and District 7.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the P-33 (2010) registration updates be brought to Council for approval
and Schedule B confirmation of 2017/2018 registration notifications be sent to the individual
Commissions.
Where required, a covering letter should be included with Schedule B re-stating the requirement
and deadline of the year ending March 31, 2018 for audited financial statements as contained in
Policy P33 (2010 & 2017).
With reference to the Hubbard’s District 2 Commission, a reminder of the need and urgency of
finalizing the audited financial statements up to the year ending March 31, 2018 and resolution of
the default status with Joint Stocks should be sent with the Schedule B notifications to the District
2 Commission.
Note: Council approved amendments to Policy P33 effective June 22, 2017 providing further
clarification on the need for audited financial statements from the Commissions. All Commissions
have been supplied with copies of the revised Policy.
BACKGROUND
Policy P-33 (2010) requires that each Fire and Emergency Service provider provide the
Municipality with appropriate evidence annually of its ability to provide the services it has
registered. The fire tax rate to be levied for the next year to fund such services, proof of
REPORT TO: Warden Webber, Chair and Members of
the Committee of the Whole
SUBMITTED BY: Bruce Blackwood, Fire Services
Coordinator
DATE: November 27, 2017
SUBJECT: Fire Services Registration 2017-2018
ORIGIN: Policy P33 (2010)
2 Request For Decision
appropriate liability and firefighter insurance coverage and audited financial statements from the
prior year are required.
Information received from the Chester Village Commission, Fire Commissions, and the Fire
Departments on Schedule A (Services) and Schedule C (Fire Tax Rate) of Policy P33 has been
reviewed by the Fire Service Coordinator.
Registration data submitted indicate that Fire Departments are adequately funded (by
Commissions), equipped and trained to provide the service levels that they have registered.
There are continuing administrative issues related to the availability of audited financial records
and evidence of good standing of a specific body corporate that need to be resolved.
DISCUSSION
A summary of the key registration data with notes to significant changes is attached. Highlights
of the registration review are provided following.
1. Fire Tax Rates:
Confirmations of approved tax rates are on file from all Commissions:
a. With the new MODC/VOC contract, the fire tax rate Chester Village (District 3) has
been set at 8.00 cents/$100 assessment and 6.48 cents/$100 assessment for the
Outside areas (District 7 and part of District 1)
b. The fire tax rate for MODC Islands has been set at 11.55 cents/$100 assessment.
c. There were no changes to the fire tax rates in the other Districts. (Range 10.5 cents to
17 cents ) /$100 assessment
2. Financials:
Commissions under the Rural Fire District Act must submit annual statements audited by an
organization recognized by the Province. Fire Departments under the Society Act, may submit
financial statements audited internally by its Directors. Requirements for Commissions under
local statute are not outlined. Policy P-33 (2010) requires that all Fire and/or Emergency Service
providers submit their annual audited financial statements to the Municipality.
Council approved the 2016/2017 Registration documents (January 12, 2017) and Schedule B
notifications were sent out on January 20, 2017. In follow up to MODC’s letter of February 2016,
specific commissions were reminded that audited financial reports will be required for the
reports of year ending March 31, 2018. The Commission for District 2 was reminded of the same
and the need to resolve the Department’s default status with Joint Stocks.
3 Request For Decision
Information and guidance to meet audit requirements have been provided to the Commissions
over the past period. One Commission (with the support of others) has requested the Minister
look into possible legislative changes to the Rural Fire District Act providing clarification of the
audit requirements. Discussions on the added costs to the Commissions for these audits
continues.
Financial information for the past period received and on file with the Municipality is summarized
in the table following:
District 2 (Hubbards) has submitted financial audits from past periods up to 2014. The audits of
2015 and 2016 have been completed but not submitted to MODC as of date. Work continues on
the 2017 audit. With these financials statements still pending, District 2 has submitted internal
year-end review and budget figures as presented at their annual rate payer meeting.
3. Corporate Status
Policy P-33 (2010) requires that all Fire and/or Emergency Service providers be a body corporate
(not for profit) in good standing.
The Commissions remain incorporated under the Rural Fire District Act, MGA (Village) or specific
statute. The Fire Departments are incorporated under the Societies Act and are required to
register with Joint Stocks annually. All fire departments with the exclusion of Hubbard ’s Fire
Department, are in good standing with the Joints Stocks registry.
Hubbard’s Fire Department remains as a body cooperate but continues in Default status due
primarily to failure to submit their financial statements and renew their registration. The
Hubbard’s Fire Commission was notified by MODC (February 1, 2016) that the Default status with
the Joint Stocks Registry be rectified within 6 months.
Fire District Financial Documents submitted
Blandford (#1) Grant Thorton: (Unaudited) Financial Statement 03/31/2017
Chester ( # 1,3,7) Moore Brewster Lake : (Audited) VOC Financial Statement 03/31/2017
Chester Basin (#4) Belliveau Veinotte (Unaudited) Financial Statement 03/31/2017
Hubbards (#2) Operational Costs for District 2. (as approved at AGM)
Martins River (#5) (Internally Audited) Financial Statement 05/04/2017
New Ross (#6) Grant Thorton: (Unaudited) Financial Statement 03/31/2017
Western Shore (#5) Grant Thorton: (Unaudited) Financial Statement 03/31/2017
4 Request For Decision
Hubbard’s Commission has experienced delays in obtaining the audited financial statements
from Grant Thorton and continues to work toward a resolution. Audited financials for 2012-2014
have been submitted. The audits of 2015 and 2016 have been completed but not submitted to
MODC as of date. Work continues with the 2017 audit.
Once all financial audits are completed, District 2 will submit documentation to Joints Stocks, pay
any penalties, request the Default be removed and the registration be recorded as active and in
good standing.
MODC’s legal counsel has advised that although the status of the Fire Department with the
Registry of Joint Stock Companies is in default, to date the Registrar has not struck it from the
Registry. Thus, the Fire Department is still a Body Corporate which is what is required under the
Municipal Government Act in order for us to register the Department. The risk remains that given
the continuing default status the Register could strike the Society from the Register at any time.
4. Insurances:
All 7 departments continue with the group policy from Arthur J Gallagher. (Martins River has
insurance with Arthur J Gallagher through the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and
Chester is insured with the same through the Village Commission.) Additional environmental
coverage on oil storage tanks continues to be held by Hubbards and New Ross.
Directors’ liability and bonding coverage for the Commissions has been maintained as required
under the Rural Fire District Act.
All 7 departments are providing accident/sickness line of duty insurance for their volunteer
members. Policy coverage varies but are generally reasonable. Some departments have extended
coverage to 24 hr. off duty plans and one Commission supports an Employee Assistance Program
for its membership.
Although there has been some recent discussions, past studies have shown little cost savings in
a group policy for accident and sickness coverage. There is need to clarify coverage for post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
5. Registered Service levels:
An overview of registered service levels shows:
a. Chester Volunteer Fire Department has changed from a EHS Level 2 to a Level 6
being dispatched upon request of paramedics and for all cardiac arrests and motor
vehicle collisions.
b. There were no changes in other fire service levels currently registered.
c. There were no changes in the Fire District boundaries.
5 Request For Decision
d. Service levels for hazmat response remain at the Awareness level although some
departments have a few members trained to the Operational and Technician level.
There is no MODC Hazmat team. Hazmat response is currently available from
Kings County or HRM. REMO Advisory has requested a risk assessment and
response plan from the Province.
6. Emergency Calls: (Reference 2016 YE Fire Department Call Report)
An overview of emergency calls shows:
a. Fire Departments responded effectively (alone or with mutual aid support) to 608
emergency calls in calendar 2016 and over 500 calls in 2017 (11 months YTD)
within MODC.
b. Over 50 % of the 2016 responses were to EHS Medical call outs. As noted above
some Departments are reducing their EHS service levels to eliminate unnecessary
call outs.
c. Structural (2%) and non-structural fires (8 %) were significantly lower than 2015.
d. Mutual and automatic aid agreements continue to be important to ensure
adequate response to structural and other complex emergency situations.
7. Operations:
An overview of current operations shows:
a. Mike Schnare and Jamie Hatt are the new Fire Chiefs at Blandford and Western
Shore respectively.
b. Volunteer membership in each department has remained steady at 20 0 plus
volunteer first responders across MODC. Recruitment and retention continues to
be a concern with the Departments.
c. Day coverage continues to be problematic as many volunteers are working out of
their response area. Mutual aid agreements amongst the MODC Departments are
required to provide an adequate response to major emergencies. Automatic aid
protocols continue to be developed and work has started on inter-municipal
agreements with Departments outside MODC borders.
d. The Junior Firefighter programs continue at 4 of the 7 Departments with
approximately 15 members.
e. Departments continue with implementation of best practices and are making
progress on adoption of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines .
This is a long process and places additional burden on the organizations. Focus is
on critical areas of qualifications, training, safety and accountability. Recently
Council has supported fire fighter safety programs through the implementation of
respiratory protection mask fit testing across the District.
f. There is ongoing evaluation of the Level 1 Firefighter on line programs being
offered by the Fire School.
g. Chester Fire Department is reviewing the manufacturing specifications for the
6 Request For Decision
truck to replace their current pumper/tanker.
h. Martins River acquired their new Rescue 826 unit.
i. Chester Basin Fire Department has a replacement of their 1996 Pumper on order
for delivery in 2018.
IMPLICATIONS
Fire Services registration remains in effect unless revoked by the Municipality or as requested by
any specific Commission or Fire Department. De-registration of any particular service provider
would have serious impact on district fire protection and public safety. For this reason, P33
requires the Commissions and Fire Departments provide an annual update on fires services
governance and operational status, providing evidence for the Municipality to ensure the
registered services can be effectively provided and any deficiencies addressed in a timely
manner.
Policy
Requirements in accordance with Policy P 33.
Financial/Budgetary
Fire Services continue to be funded through the fire tax levy.
Environmental
No Impact.
Strategic Plan
Reference to:
• Maintain a high level of fiscal responsibility
• Continually improve public satisfaction with municipal services
Work Program Implications
Covered in work program of Fire Services Coordinator.
OPTIONS
The following options are presented:
1. Per Policy P-33 (2010) the registrations summary be brought to Council for approval.
Upon approval, Schedule B confirmation of registration notifications be sent to the
individual Commissions. A reminder of the requirements for audited financial statements
for the year ending March 31, 2018 be sent with the Schedule B notifications to specific
Commissions as required.
2. A reminder of the need and urgency of finalizing the audited financial statements up to
the year ending March 31, 2018 and resolution of the default status with Joint Stocks be
sent with the Schedule B notifications to the District 2 Commission.
7 Request For Decision
ATTACHMENTS
Fire and Emergency Services Registration Summary 2017-2018.
COMMUNICATIONS (INTE RNAL/EXTERNAL)
N/A
Emergency Services Registration Summary for 2017/2018 (Per Policy P33 dated September 30, 2010)
Fire Commission
and Associated
Fire Department
Fire
District
Schedule A
Services
Schedule C Tax
Rate 2017/18
(cents per $100 )
FD Annual Renewal
with Joint Stocks
Joints
Stocks
Registry #
Insurance
Liability and
Property
InsuranceFi
refighter
Sickness
and Injury
Financials Fire Department Chief Contact
Number
Hubbards 2 Yes 10.5 (No Change) Pending Defaulted 1 1273381 AJG 2018 VFIS 2018 (Unaudited) Chief Clary Coolen 902-483-7069
Blandford 1 Yes
13.0 (No Change)
2017-05-24 (Active) 1258462 AJG 2018 VFIS 2018 GT (Unaudited) Chief Mike Schnare 902-275-8730
New Ross 6 Yes
17.0 (No Change)
2017-01-31 (Active) 3039664 AJG 2018 MLK 2018 GT (Unaudited) Chief Lyle Russell 902-275-8571
Chester Basin 4 Yes
11.0 (No Change)
2017-07-25 (Active) 3032174 AJG 2018 VFIS 2018 BV (Unaudited) Chief Doug Rines 902-275-2170
Martins River 5 Yes
15.0 (No Change)
cents)
2017-02-21 (Active) 2166651) MODL 2018 MEBA 2018 Internal Audit Chief Stuart Hirtle 902-624-9857
Western Shore 5 Yes 14.0 (No Change) 2017-06-01 (Active) 2534963 AJG 2018 MCT 2018 GT (Unaudited) Chief Jamie Hatt 902-275-0271
Chester Village 3 Yes 8.00 (contract) 2017-08-23 (Active) 3033377 AJG 2018 VFIS 2018 MBL (audited) Chief Dave Richardson 902-275-8303
Chester (Outside) 7, part 1 Yes 6.48 (contract) AJG Arthur J. Gallagher MLK MacLeod, Loray, Kentville (AIG)
Chester (Islands) MODC Limited 2 11.55 (agreement) MODL (AJG) Municipality of Lunenburg MEBA McKee Employee Benefits Administration
Changes noted in red. Refer to notes VFIS Vol. FF. Insurance Services MCT MacDonald, Chisholm, Trask
GT Grant Thorton MBL Moore Brewster Lake
BV Belliveau Veinotte
Department/District Fire/ Fire
Related
Medical
Emergencies
Vehicle
Rescue
Water
Rescue
Ice Rescue High Angle
Rescue
Structural
Collapse
HAZMAT Ground Search and Rescue
Hubbards and District FD
District 2
Structural EHS Level 3
Technician Awareness Technician Awareness Awareness Awareness Assistance
Blandford and Area Fire
Rescue District 1
Structural EHS Level 4 Technician Technician Technician Awareness Awareness Awareness Assistance
New Ross FD
District 6
Structural EHS Level 4 Technician Awareness Technician Awareness Awareness Awareness Assistance
Chester Basin FD
District 4
Structural
EHS Level 6 Technician Awareness Awareness Awareness Awareness Awareness Assistance
Martins River FD
District 5 (partial)
Structural
EHS Level 4 Technician Awareness Awareness Not Equipped Awareness Awareness Assistance
Western Shore FD
District 5
Structural EHS Level 3 Operational Awareness Operational Awareness Awareness Awareness Assistance
Chester FD
District 3, 7
Structural EHS Level 6 3 Technician Technician Technician Awareness Not
Equipped
Operational Assistance
Changes noted in red. Refer to notes
Emergency Services Registration Summary for 2017/2018 (Per Policy P33 dated September 30, 2010)
Note (1): Commission is still working with auditors on audit of previous financial statements. Previous years from 2012 through 2014 are completed. The
audits for 2015 and 2016 are expected before year end. Hubbards Fire Department is registered separately with the Joint Stocks. They are currently in
default for not submitting financial statements and non-payment of renewal. This will be resolved with the submission of the audited financial statement as
note above. Joints stocks has kept status as Default a nd has not to date revoked registration.
Note (2): Due to the remote nature of the islands, Chester Fire Department has limited capability for fire suppression activities. Excl uding the winter
months, they do operate a boat with mobile water pumps and other firefighting equipment.
Note (3): The Chester Fire Department changed its EHS Service level from Level 2 to Level 6 reducing the need for unnecessary call outs.
Prepared from Schedule A data as submitted by Fire Commissions after review with respective Fire Departments.
Reviewed by B. Blackwood, Fire Services Coordinator
REQUEST FOR DECISION
Prepared By:Garth Sturtevant Date December 1, 2017
Reviewed By:Date
Authorized By:Date
CURRENT SITUATION
Working with Carol Penney, a resident of Martins Point and member of the Dorey Park Homeowners
Association, a petition has been circulated to gauge support for proposed improvements to Dorey Park
Road. Based on the signed and returned petitions, sufficient support has been received from members of
the Road Association to proceed with the one-time road improvements. As per the Private Street
Improvement & Maintenance By-law, 67% of property owners, who also represent 67% of the land in the
affected area (see attached Map)must provide positive responses to the petition.
In this case, the Dorey Park Road Association has already been formed and members pay annually for
regular maintenance and snow removal on the road. This petition was required to determine wh ether
support exists for an additional charge to cover the one-time cost of street improvements (Double Chip
Seal). There are 22 eligible property owners within the affected area .16 positive responses have been
received to date, which represents 72.7% of the total property owners. Based on provincial property
information, these 16 property owners represent 79.3% of the total area of land.Staff would like to note
that two properties (PIDs 60410826 & 60410818) are unassessed parcels and have not been included in
the above calculations. There is no owner information available for these parcels and therefore no viable
method to determine support for the petition or collection of the fees. Should this parcel become
assessed in the future, Council can include them as part of the Road Association and charges can be
levied at that time.
In addition to the signed and returned petitions, an estimate for the proposed work is attached to this
report.Copies of the estimate were circulated with the petition package.
As per requirements of the By-law, Registered Mail packages have been sent to all property owners who
did not respond to the initial petition package. Seven Registered Mail packages were sent out and four of
these packages were signed and returned.
REPORT TO:Council
SUBMITTED BY:Garth Sturtevant
DATE:December 14, 2017
SUBJECT:Private Street Improvement –Dorey Park Road
ORIGIN:Request from Dorey Park Homeowners
Association
2
request for d e c i s i o n
Three “No”responses were received and three property owners have not responded to either the initial
package or the Registered Mail package. The non-responses have been counted as a “No” vote for a total
of 16 “Yes” and 6 “No”.
RECOMMENDATION
All the criteria required within the Private Street Improvement & Maintenance By -law #72 has been met.
Staff are satisfied that the required support has been proven by the signed and returned petitions and
that these owners represent the required percentage o f land within the affected area.At this time,staff
recommend that Council accept the signed petitions and direct Finance Staff to implement the Street
Improvement Fee requested by a majority of owners of the existing Dorey Park Road Association .
PcAcr Cuustmc iw C ... p.q Limited
Dexter Construction Company Limited
P.O. Box 48100
Bedford, Nova Scotia 134A 3Z2
Phone: (902) 835-3381
Fax: (902) 835-7300
Client: Monty Dorey Date: I August 24, 2017
Attention: Phone No.: (902) 275-8281
E -Mail: summerbreeze@bellaliant.com Fax No.:
Project: Chip Sealing
Location: Dorey Park Rd — Martins Point, NS
We are pleased to quote you the following Lump Sum Price based on the scope below. If any alterations are
requested then corresponding price adjustments will be required:
LUMP SUM PRICE $33,000.00 + HST
The above price includes the following scope;
Fine grading
Double chip seal (NSTIR Seal Coat Type B), 650m x 4.5m
Traffic control
Mobilization
Notes & Exclusions:
Price is based on completing the noted work during the 2017 construction season
We require 5 days from notice of award/letter of intent to start work
If any work is required and or completed over and above the noted scope will be deemed extra to the contract
All permit acquisition and fees are excluded
Rock excavation, rock breaking, frost breaking and subsequent replacement of unsuitable material is excluded
Survey is for Dexter's work only
Geotechnical certification and or inspection of sub -grade / gravels is by others
Dexter not responsible for settlement of work due to unsuitable sub -grade prepared by others
Thank you for the opportunity to bid on this project. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the
undersigned•at (902) 835-3381.
Regards,
Dexter Construction Company Limited
Ryan McKim
Estimator
To accept this quote please sign, date and return. This will authorize us to proceed in accordance with
this quotation and the terms and conditions noted.
Acceptance: Date:
Terms: All taxes extra. Net 30 days. Work commencement is conditional upon credit approval. Interest charged on
accounts over 30 days at 2% per month (24% per annum). Quotation is valid for 30 days from above date.
Page 1 of 1
11
98 6676
83 7022107
22
6992
6984
6960
116
103
92
115
34
7058
135
6966
97
58
6922
94
95 23
132
7014
50
7086
57
7074
91
28
19
7066
Dorey Park Rd
H i g h w a y 3
64°19'10"W
64°19'10"W
4 4 °3 0 '0 "N
4 4 °3 0 '0 "N
Rev.:Date:Description:
MUNICIPALITY OF THEDISTRICT OF CHESTER
Dorey Park Road Association Properties
Created on: September 8, 2017
CivicsDorey Park Road Association PropertiesDorey Park RoadProperties
100 0 10050
Metres
Digital Folders and File Name:"Map Library Folder/Project Folder"
Representation of "Enter Description Here"Scale: 1:12,500,000
Sources:Digital Base Map Data from Service Nova Scotia andMunicipal Relations
Prepared by the Municipality of the District of Chester
Coordinate System/Datum: UTM NAD83 CSRSZONE 20N
Map Disclaimer:Information shown on these drawings is compiled fromnumerous sources and may not be complete oraccurate. The Municipality of the District of Chester isnot responsible for any errors, omissions or deficienciesin these drawings.
Actual Map Size: w 11" x h 8.5"
Scale: 1:4,115
REQUEST FOR DECISIO N
Prepared By:Malcolm Pitman, CPA, CA, Director
of Finance
Date December 14, 2017
Reviewed By:Date
Authorized By:Date
CURRENT SITUATION
On August 31, 2017 Council gave direction on items to be included in a new tax sale policy. Council motion
2017-462 directed staff to prepare a draft policy for their consideration that includes the number of years
before tax sale (two), the dollar limit and options ($500), and notice period (14 days).
RECOMMENDATION
1)That, Council approve new Policy P-01 Tax Sale Policy (attached).
2)That pursuant to Section 48 of the MGA, that Council give notice that it intends to repeal Policy P -05
Policy for Fees for Tax Sale Proceedings (attached).
BACKGROUND
MODC’s lawyer had advised that our current Tax Sale Policy (P-01) is out of date and should be repealed. The
tax sale procedures are well documented in sections 134 to 167 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA),
therefore they do not need to be reproduced in a tax sale policy. However, there are certa in parts of these
MGA sections that allow council to make modifications to the tax sale process. A request for direction
addressed these sections and Council gave direction on the drafting a new tax sale policy to deal with these
sections and repealed the old policy.
In drafting the new tax sale policy,it was recognized that policy P-05, Policy for fees for tax sale proceeding, is
also well documented in the MGA and is not required. Therefore, it is also recommended that this policy be
repealed. Additional procedures that are in Policy P-05, but are not required include:
Advertising 3 times vs. 2 (MGA s. 142(2)(a))for additional exposure, however this may have been
useful in 1999,but we now also disclose all the tax sale information on our web site.
Title search fee of $400, however we charge the actual cost of the title search (MGA s. 139(2)).
Preparation and mailing of each “Notice of Intent to Sell”, $10 each if more than 3, to those with an
interest in the property, however this is not a significant revenue source.
Certificate of discharge fee of $200, however we will charge the actual cost of the preparation and
recording of the certificate of discharge (MGA s. 152(2)(d)).
Sending of the 14-day notice to mortgage holders as well as the property owner did not generate
payments by mortgage holders within the 14-day period.
REPORT TO:Committee of the Whole
SUBMITTED BY:Finance Department
DATE:December 14, 2017
SUBJECT:Tax Sale Policy –Major Revision
ORIGIN:August 31, 2017 Council
2 Request For Decisio
DISCUSSION
In addition to the policy statements included in the new policy the policy notes that the following decision by
Council will be made at the time of tax sale:
defer tax sale proceedings for a property up to two years
call tenders for property rather than put the property up for sale at public auction.
Give direction as to what constitutes an acceptable minimum tender or bid in circumstances where
property might not realize sufficient funds to cover the outstanding amount owing.
Give direction on properties up for tax sale that council want the Treasurer to bid for and purchase
land at a tax sale for any municipal purpose.
Where a municipality calls tenders for land to be sold for taxes, the municipality may reject all tenders
where council considers that the best price offered is inadequate
An additional procedure noted in the policy is that in additional to serving of “notices of intent to sell” via
mail, they will also be posted on the property where it is reasonable and safe to do so.
Legal review was done by MODC’s lawyer who had the following comments:
Comment Response
Noted collection limit flexibility if owner of a
property over $500 has additional properties
Policy includes Treasurer’s discretion to add
properties under $500 (section 4(a)(i))
Consider having Treasurer’s discretion to sell, as a
group,two or more properties of the same owner
Not included as there is no procedure to allocate a
surplus to individual properties where there are sold
as group.
Who makes the decision and what criteria are
considered for Section 8 re: posting of notices on
properties only where reasonable and safe to do so?
Section 8 now notes criteria and who makes the
decision
Other than comments made the policy seems ok No change required
IMPLICATIONS
Policy –Tax sale policy to replace policy P-01, based upon direction given.
Financial/Budgetary –Give direction to the tax sale process
Environmental –n/a
Strategic Plan –n/a
Work Program Implications -n/a
OPTIONS
Tax sale policy1.Approve the tax sale policy as drafted2.Recommend changes to the policy
Policy for Fees for tax sale proceedings1.Give notice of intent to repeal2.Defer decision
3 Request For Decisio
REFERENCES
Municipal Government Act
http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/municipal%20government.p df
Revised Policy P-01 Tax Sale Policy (attached)
COMMUNICATIONS (INTE RNAL/EXTERNAL)
Internal –n/a
External-n/a
FINANCE Policy
TITLE:Tax Sale NUMBER:P-01
Sponsor:Director of Finance Page:1 of 5
Approved by:
Motion #
Municipal Council Approval Date:
Effective Date:
Applies To:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PURPOSE …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
POLICY STATEMENTS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES ……………………………………………………………………………………2
PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE GUIDELEINES ……………………………………………………………………… 2
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....3
RELATED DOCUMENTS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 4
PURPOSE
1.The Municipal Government Act (MGA) provides municipalities with the power to sell
properties for taxes if the taxes with respect to the property are not paid in full. The tax
sale procedures are well documented in the MGA, however there are several sections of
the MGA that allow a municipality to choose from available options in the procedures
documented in the MGA. This policy addresses those options and provides direction to
Municipal staff when putting a property up for tax sale.
POLICY STATEMENTS
2.The following MGA sections are addressed in this policy, followed by the Municipality of
the District of Chester’s (MODC) policy statement.
3.Section 134(1) and 134(2) set a minimum time for arrears before starting a tax sale and
maximum time that arrears may be outstanding before starting a tax sale. Therefore,
council may set the time period to be used by MODC within these time frames.
Tax Sale Policy -Number P-01 Page 2 of 5
Minimum –not paid in full for the year immediately preceding the tax sale; Maximum –
taxes in arrears the preceding three years.
a.Policy statement –Property will be sold for taxes if the taxes with respect to the
property are not paid in full for the two taxation years immediately preceding the
yeiar in which the tax sale proceedings are commenced.
4.Section 134(4)(a)allows Council to set a collection limit that establishes a dollar limit,
below which MODC would not proceed to a tax sale, but would employ other collection
methods.
a.Policy statement –The collection limit is $500.00 except when:
i.the property owner has other properties over two years in arrears and over
$500, then the property under $500 may also be included in tax sale
proceedings, if the Treasurer feels that the addition of the property will add to
the marketability of the owner’s other properties;
ii.the property is arrears for the preceding five taxation years, the property will
be included in tax sale proceedings.
5.Section 138 The tax sale preliminary notice period, if longer than the fourteen days
prescribed in the MGA.
a.Policy statement –Council follows the notice period of fourteens days as
prescribed in the MGA.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES
6.MODC’s goals include maintaining a high level of fiscal responsibility. This requires
timely collection of amounts owing to the municipality. This must be balanced with fair
treatment of residents and property owners, reinforcement of a positive image of the
municipality and a desire to foster economic opportunities.
PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE GUIDELINES
7.Various other decisions by Council, allowed by the MGA, will be made at the time of the
tax sale versus prescribed by this policy.These decision at the time of tax sale would
include:
a.S. 134(3)-defer tax sale proceedings for a property up to two years
b.S. 141(2)-call tenders for property rather than put the property up for sale at
public auction.
c.S. 141(3) and 143(4)-Give direction as to what constitutes an acceptable
minimum tender or bid in circumstances where property might not realize
sufficient funds to cover the outstanding amount owing.
d.S. 141(1)-Give direction on properties up for tax sale that council want the
Treasurer to bid for and purchase land at a tax sale for any municipal purpose.
e.S. 149 -Where a municipality calls tenders for land to be sold for taxes, the
municipality may reject all tenders where council considers that the best price
offered is inadequate
8.Section 140(1) of the MGA requires that those with an interest in the property shall be
served with a “notice of intent to sell”. The procedure to serve the “notice of intent to
sell”shall be by regular mail.An additional procedure to serve the notice shall include
posting of the notice on the property, where reasonable and safe to do so.The
employee assigned to post the notice on the property would perform a site hazard
assessment based upon safe work practices and consult with their supervisor on known
Tax Sale Policy -Number P-01 Page 3 of 5
risks. The Treasurer would review the cost to post the notice due to factors such as
inaccessibility and consider whether or not the cost was reasonable.
REFERENCES
Legislative Acts/References
Municipal Government Act sections 134-167
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Policies/By-Laws
P-02 Tax Collection Policy (re: tax arrears payment arrangements)
Appendices
Appendix A –Definitions
* * *
Tax Sale Policy -Number P-01 Page 4 of 5
Appendix A
Definitions
Council –the council of the Municipality.
Taxation year –means the period from April 1st in one year to March 31st in the following
year.
Taxes –includes municipal rates, area rates, change in use tax, forest property tax,
recreational property tax, capital charges, one-time charges, local improvement charges,
and any rates, charges or debts prescribes, by the enactment authorizing them, to be a lien
on the property.
Tax sale –includes a sale by public auction or a sale by tender, for the purposes of
collecting taxes.
Treasurer -means the Treasurer for the Municipality as designated by the Chief
Administrative Officer.
Tax Sale Policy -Number P-01 Page 5 of 5
Municipality of the District of Chester Policies Being Replaced
(Please List)
P-05 Policy for Fees for Tax Sale Proceedings (deals with notices, advertising, etc., which are detailed
in the MGA)
Version History
Major Revisions Minor Revisions
P-01 repealed by Council –Motion
2017-483 Sept. 14, 2017
Re-written via this policy
INFORMATION FOR D ECISION
Prepared By:Malcolm Pitman, CPA, CA, Director
of Finance
Date November 30, 2017
Reviewed By:Date
Authorized By:Date
CURRENT SITUATION
At the October 19, 2017 Committee of the Whole meeting Council requested information on what an area
rate or uniform charge would be for the road upgrades submitted to the Province for 50% cost sharing. The
area rate or uniform charge is calculated for various funding percentages of the Municipality’s 50%share.
Council also requested information on historical spending of gas tax funds throughout the Municipality to use
as guide when considering the use of gas tax funds to fund the road upgrades.
RECOMMENDATION
n/a –information only
BACKGROUND
The applicable MGA section is section 75 on “Area rates and uniform charges” that allows for the annual
recovery of amounts spend in an area (or as much of that sum as Council considers advisable to collect in any
one year), either a rate on assessed values or as uniform charge on each taxable property assessment or
dwelling unit.
DISCUSSION
The roads submitted for upgrades include the following :
District Description MODC Amount
3 Regent Street, Chester (.35 km)$75,000
1 Beech St (.11), Birch St. (.18), Cedar St. (.11), Maple St. (.24), Pine S. (.25)89,000
3 Lawrence Hatt Rd. (.3)30,000
3 Prince St. (.7)71,000
Area rates collected over 1 / 5 or 10 years would be as follows for 25, 50, 75 or 100% funding:
Road Assessment 25%-1/5/10 50%-1/5/10 75%-1/5/10 100%-1/5/10
D3 -Regent $7,279,700 $0.26/$.052/$.026 $0.52/$.103/$.026 $0.77/$.77/$.077 $1.03/$.206/$.103
D1 –Beech etc $4,528,600 $0.49/$.098/$.049 $0.49/$.197/$.098 $1.47/$.295/$.147 $1.97/$.393/$.197
D3 -Lawrence $1,158,400 $0.46/$.129/$.065 $1.29/$.259/$.129 $1.91/$.388/$.194 $2.59/$.518/$.259
D3 -Prince $7,662,800 $0.23/$.046/$.023 $0.46/$.093/$.046 $0.69/$.139/$.069 $0.93/$.185/$.093
REPORT TO:Municipal Council
SUBMITTED BY:Finance Department
DATE:December 7, 2017
SUBJECT:Cost Shared Roads -funding options
ORIGIN:
2 Information For D
Uniform charges on # of properties would be as follows for 25, 50. 75 or 100% funding:
Road # of
properties
25%-1/5/10 50%-1/5/10 75%-1/5/10 100%-1/5/10
D3 -Regent 25 $750/$150/$75 $1,500/$300/$150 $2,250/$450/$225 $3,000/$600/$300
D1 –Beech etc 37 $601/$120/$60 $1,203/$241/$120 $1,804/$361/$180 $2,405/$481/$241
D3 -Lawrence 21 $357/$71/$36 $714/$143/$71 $1,071/$214/$107 $1,429/$286/$143
D3 -Prince 24 $739/$148/$74 $1,479/$296/$148 $2,219/$444/$222 $2,958/$592/$296
Uniform charges on # of dwellings would be as follows for 25, 50. 75 or 100% funding:
Road #dwelling
units
25%-1/5/10 50%-1/5/10 75%-1/5/10 100%-1/5/10
D3 -Regent 19 $987/$197/$99 $1,974/$3956/$197 $2,961/$592/$296 $3947/$789/$395
D1 –Beech etc 34 $654/$131/$65 $1,309/$262/$131 $1,963/$393/$196 $2,618/$521/$262
D3 -Lawrence 16 $469$94/$47 $937/$188/$94 $1,406/$281/$141 $1,875/$375/$188
D3 -Prince 16 $1,109/$222/$111 $2,219/$444/$222 $3,328/$666/$333 $4,438/$888/$444
Below is a summary of the use of gas tax funds for 2007-08 to 2016-17 (attached file provides more detail):
District Amount
1 $ 369,064
2 895,116
3 1,252,473
4 614,391
5 384,320
6 462,252
7 304,710
Total $ 4,282,325
IMPLICATIONS
Policy –n/a
Financial/Budgetary –Information for capital budget funding
Environmental –n/a
Strategic Plan –n/a
Work Program Implications -n/a
OPTIONS
REFERENCES
Municipal Government Act
http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/municipal%20government.pdf
3 Information For D
COMMUNICATIONS (INTE RNAL/EXTERNAL)
Internal –n/a
External-n/a
Municipality of Chester
Gas Tax Funding and Expenditures
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Total Blandford Hubbards Chester Chester Western New Ross Windsor Rd
Opening Balance 344,651 473,431 561,187 973,577 1,452,823 1,667,955 1,231,532 388,047 895,678 1,134,557 344,651 N to East to Mill area and Basin to Shore to area to Marriott's
Received from Province 231,137 290,874 590,388 575,814 583,023 586,115 592,356 557,978 559,359 589,371 5,156,415 O Chester Cove area part East Chester Martin's Cove area
Total funding 575,788 764,305 1,151,575 1,549,391 2,035,846 2,254,070 1,823,888 946,025 1,455,037 1,723,928 5,501,066 T area Chester Grant area River area
E
Project Name 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 S District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7
Walker Road Sewer 41,426 41,426 41,426
Western Shore Sewer 44,914 44,914 44,914
Otter Point Sewer 30,081 30,081 30,081
Landfill Facility Upgrades (in District 7)50,000 50,000 2 7,143 7,143 7,143 7,143 7,143 7,143 7,143
Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP)50,784 50,784 2 7,255 7,255 7,255 7,255 7,255 7,255 7,255
Hubbards Sidewalk 116,537 116,537 116,537
Eco Park road (in District 7) 161,416 161,416 2 23,059 23,059 23,059 23,059 23,059 23,059 23,059
ICSP Budget Plan 25,000 25,000 2 3,571 3,571 3,571 3,571 3,571 3,571 3,571
Streetscape study 44,065 44,065 2 6,295 6,295 6,295 6,295 6,295 6,295 6,295
WWTP-Public washrooms 60,000 60,000 60,000
Air photography 115,991 115,991 2 16,570 16,570 16,570 16,570 16,570 16,570 16,570
Alternative energy (Engineering and design of wind energy project) 61,195 61,195 2 8,742 8,742 8,742 8,742 8,742 8,742 8,742
Sewer bed replacement - new ross 19,245 19,245 19,245
Infiltration project - mill cove sewer 8,727 17,826 26,553 26,553
Sidewalk upgrades Village of chester 163,482 163,482 163,482
Valley Road intersection upgrades 34,679 34,679 34,679
Chester Basin sidewalks 12-13 291,435 291,435 291,435
Chester - sidewalks 12-13 407,859 407,859 407,859
Trail upgrades Gold river trail 16,084 16,084 16,084
Municipal climate change action plan 17,050 17,050 2 2,436 2,436 2,436 2,436 2,436 2,436 2,436
COMFIT - Wind Turbine (in District 7) 164,327 1,325,000 1,489,327 2 212,761 212,761 212,761 212,761 212,761 212,761 212,761
New ross sewer 111,571 5,924 117,495 117,495
Road upgrades - Fox Point and Smith road 38,552 38,552 38,552
Trail upgrades 13-14 21,767 21,767 1 3,110 3,110 3,110 3,110 3,110 3,110 3,110
Western shore sewer 18,612 18,612 18,612
Sidewalks - phase 3 - Chester 5,504 5,504 5,504
Sidewalks - phase 1 & 2 - Chester Basin 18,246 18,246 18,246
Trail intersection (Victoria Rd)15,576 15,576 15,576
Trail upgrades (Hubbards Trail Head)38,802 38,802 38,802
Trail Swing Gate Project (Chester Connection & Aspotogan Trail)7,932 7,932 7,932
Trail Connector (New Ross)16,639 16,639 16,639
Road Upgrades (Foxwood Dr., Parkwood Dr & Lake Rd)27,070 27,070 27,070
Sidewalk Construction (Duke St)219,237 219,237 219,237
Wastewater Upgrades (Mill Cove)33,431 33,431 33,431
Pumping Station Upgrades (Otter Point)26,341 26,341 26,341
Trial surface upgrades (surface upgrades and construction)48,806 48,806 1 6,972 6,972 6,972 6,972 6,972 6,972 6,972
Trail Swing Gate Project (swing gates for all trail entrances)12,305 12,305 1 1,758 1,758 1,758 1,758 1,758 1,758 1,758
Trail Connector (New Ross)4,163 4,163 4,163
Air photography (LIDAR photography and mapping material)35,263 35,263 2 5,038 5,038 5,038 5,038 5,038 5,038 5,038
Road Upgrades (Mill Cove - Foxwood rehabilitation)309,461 309,461 309,461
Total Spent on Eligible Projects 116,421 217,321 186,416 104,065 368,640 1,043,005 1,451,431 54,378 330,650 409,998 4,282,325 369,064 895,116 1,252,473 614,391 384,320 462,252 304,710
Total
Municipal Interest Earned 14,064 14,203 8,418 7,497 23,265 20,467 15,590 4,031 10,170 13,153 130,858 -
Eligible administartive expenses (22,516)(22,516)
Closing Balance / Reserve - 04-00-000-411570 473,431 561,187 973,577 1,452,823 1,667,955 1,231,532 388,047 895,678 1,134,557 1,327,083 1,327,083
NOTES
1. Trail upgrade costs allocated to all districts as gas tax claims does not indicate location of the trail upgraded
2. Project allocated to all districts as beneficial to the Muncipality as a whole
4,282,325.00$
C:\Users\pmyra\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook\HNJKF6IJ\Gas tax expenditures by District 12/22/2017
REQUEST FOR DECISIO N
Prepared By:Malcolm Pitman, CPA, CA, Director
of Finance
Date December 8, 2017
Reviewed By:Date
Authorized By:Tammy Wilson, MURP, MCIP Date December 12, 2017
CURRENT SITUATION
Currently the Audit Committee membership consists of all members of Council and is embedded in the Audit
and Budget Committee.On August 31, 2017 Council requested a report on the terms of reference and
qualifications for the addition of a public member to the Audit and Budget Committee .In addition, provincial
bill no. 10, an Act to Amend the Municipal Government Act,amends the Audit Committee section 44 to
include a minimum of one person who is not a member of Council or an employee.
RECOMMENDATION
1)That, Council approve the new Audit committee Policy P-__(attached).
2)That Council split the Audit and Budget Committee into two committees; the Audit Committee and
the Finance and Budget Committee.
BACKGROUND
The Joint Municipal Accountability and Transparency Committee (JMAT) was established in December 2016 by
the Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs with the mandate to recommend amendments to the MGA to
improve transparency and accountability to the public.
A report was submitted to the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs from the JMAT Committee on March 30,
2017 and it included the following recommendation:
Require municipalities to post expenses online;
Strengthen expense policies and practices;
Require a code of conduct and a complaint process;
Strengthen municipal audits and audit committees;
Clarify the role of the DMA; and
Other JMAR recommendations (CAO performance management; best practices, management of council/CAO expenses;
best practices, internal control of council/CAO expenses
The Bill to amend the MGA became law as of October 26 , 2017. This included amendment to section 44 on
audit committees requiring them to meet at least twice a year and have at least one member who is not a
member of council or a municipal employee.Part of the JMAT recommendation on audit committees include
a recommended best practice of providing training to the audit committee.
REPORT TO:Committee of the Whole
SUBMITTED BY:Finance Department
DATE:December 8, 2017
SUBJECT:Audit Committee Policy
ORIGIN:August 31, 2017 Council
2 Request For Decisio
DISCUSSION
There are six recommendations contained in the JMAT report, one of which is a recommendation ‘to
strengthen municipal audits and audit committees’. It recommends this be done by amending the Municipal
Government Act to require that a position be created for at least one independent person on municipal audit
committees and require that municipalities advertise any vacant position.
A sample of other municipal units who cur rent exceed the requirement for an external member include:
Town of Amherst –all members of council and two citizen appointments
Town of Mahone Bay –all members of council and two citizen appointments
Town of Wolfville –three members of council (including the mayor) and two members at large
The role of the audit committee should be to oversee all material aspects of the financial reporting, internal
controls. the internal audit function (if applicable) and the audit of the annual financial statements. C ertain
tasks of the current Audit and Budget Committee are not compatible with the audit committee responsibilities
and, as such, they should be tasks assigned to a separate finance committee. These include approving the
budget and monitoring of the Municipality’s performance against the budget (i.e. quarterly financial
statements). This is because there is a conflict between monitoring the results and approving the financial
statements.
Core responsibilities include:
Financial reporting –i.e. oversight of accounting policies, review of reports to funding agencies
Audit activities –i.e. recommending to council approval of audited financial statements, pre -approval
of audit services, review with auditors internal control weaknesses, recommend appointment of
auditors to Council
Risk management and internal controls –i.e. review enterprise risk management policies, understand
the risks of fraud and error and mitigation efforts, oversee internal controls
Membership of the audit committee should be comprised of members who are independent and who have
the expertise and skills to make them effective in carrying out the core responsibilities.Independence refers to
independence from management and from the municipality.Ideally most members will be those who are
neither councilors nor members of staff. Practically this may pose a problem in the recruitment of qualified
citizen appointees. Therefore, it is recommended that the committee consist of two citizen appointments and
three members of council. The members of Council appointed should be those who can demonstrate the
highest degree of independence (i.e.do not perform incompatible Council duties).This is because there is a
conflict between overseeing the transactions and approving the transa ctions.Therefore, it is recommended
that members of Council who have a role in day-to-day transactional activities of the Municipality (signing
agreements, signing cheques, etc.) be excluded from membership. In addition,preference should be given to
those with experience in financial reporting.The wording used in the policy for councilor selection is as
follows:
3 Request For Decisio
“The Nominating Committee shall nominate councilors to be members of the audit committee based
upon their objectivity, independence and their level of expertise and skills as noted in the criteria used
to select citizen appointments.”
Criteria for the selection citizen appointments should include knowledge and/or experience in finance,
accounting, municipalities,auditing, risk management, regulatory compliance, legal and information
technology.Personal attributes should include inquisitiveness, outspokenness, objectivity and integrity.
To increase effectiveness new members should also be provided with orientation training within a reasonable
time following appointment to have a sufficient knowledge of the municipality.
The Council or the audit committee should appoint the audit committee chair. Consideration should be given
to the candidate’s personal attributes as the chair will be the focal point of communications,must possess
leadership skills, the courage to tackle difficult issues, support others who do the same and have the time to
devote to the committee.
Non-voting members of the Committee provide support to the audit committee and should include the CAO
and Director of Finance. In addition,under Committees Policy P-8,the Warden of the Municipality shall be a
member of all standing committees.However, unless selected as one of the three Council appointments to
the audit committee, it is recommended that the Warden be a non -voting member.
All audit committee meetings are open to the public except for in -camera meetings.
To attract qualified citizen appointments,it is recommended that the Audit Committee meetings be held in
the evening so as not to conflict with normal working hours.In addition, the above recommendation to
separate the Audit and Budget committee into two committees will make it easier to attract members of the
public as the audit committee will have fewer meetings per year than the proposed finance committee
(quarterly financial report meetings plus budget review and approval meetings).Per Policy P-08 the
Committee shall determine the time and place for the regular meetings. Therefore, it is suggested that the
initial Council members of the committee choose an evening time before advertising for citizen members.
IMPLICATIONS
Policy –New policy outlining composition, terms of reference and duties, meeting frequency & time.
Financial/Budgetary –meeting fees and travel expense for citizen members of audit committee
Environmental –n/a
Strategic Plan –n/a
Work Program Implications -n/a
4 Request For Decisio
OPTIONS
Audit Committee policy –membership options (total#) (% public)
1.As recommended -Three members of council and two members of the public (5) (40%)
2.Such other number of the members of council that council may deem appropriate and at least one
member of the public (meets minimum MGA requirement)
Audit Committee separate from Audit and Budget Committee
1.As recommended –separate into two committees.
2.Leave committee as is, except for the addition of at least one member of the public .
REFERENCES
Municipal Finance Corporation –Best Practice Committee’s recommendations on audit committees
https://www.nsmfc.ca/municipal-documents.html
The Institute of Internal auditors –publication on Independent Audit Committees in Public Sector
Organizations
https://na.theiia.org/standards-guidance/Public%20Documents/Independent-Audit-Committees-in-Public-
Sector-Organizations.pdf
Policy P-08 –Committees of Council and their Duties
Municipal Policy P-58 –Remuneration of Committee Members
COMMUNICATIONS (INTE RNAL/EXTERNAL)
Internal –n/a
External-advertise for an independent members(s) of the public to serve on the audit committee
FINANCE Policy
TITLE:Audit Committee NUMBER:P-___
Sponsor:Director of Finance Page:1 of 6
Approved by:
Motion #
Municipal Council Approval Date:
Effective Date:
Applies To:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PURPOSE …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
POLICY STATEMENTS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES ……………………………………………………………………………………2
PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE GUIDELEINES ………………………………………………………………………3
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....4
RELATED DOCUMENTS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...5
PURPOSE
1.The Municipal Government Act (MGA) requires Council to appoint an audit committee.
This policy provides direction on the number and composition of the committee
members, clarity on roles and responsibilities of the committee and the frequency of
committee meetings.
POLICY STATEMENTS
2.The committee shall consist of three members of Council and two citizen (see
definitions)appointments as voting members.
3.Non-voting members of the committee shall be the CAO and the Director of
Finance/Treasurer.
4.The audit committee shall meet at least twice per year. First, to review and approve the
audit plan of the external auditors and second to review the audit results with the
Audit Committee Policy -Number P-__Page 2 of 6
external auditors and recommend to Council the approval of the audited financial
statements.Other meetings to be held as necessary to oversee its core responsibilities.
5.Where an audit committee has a citizen appointment vacancy it will continue to meet
and perform its duties and exercise its powers.
6.A quorum consists of a majority of the voting members of the Committee. Each voting
Committee member is entitled to one (1) vote and decisions shall be by a majority vote
of those present.
7.In addition to the requirements of Policy P-08 (Committees of Council and their Duties)
for selecting and nominating members of the public at large, where there is a vacancy
in the citizen appointment members, the municipality shall advertise to recruit a person
at least once every six months until the requirement to fill the vacancy is met.
8.Notwithstanding the requirements of Policy P-08, the citizen appointments to the audit
committee will serve two year terms, except for the initial appointments where one will
serve a one year term so that the two citizen appointments rotate off in opposite years
to maintain the knowledge base.
9.The Nominating Committee shall nominate citizens to be members of the audit
committee based upon their applications and applying criteria outlined in the below
guidelines to select members who are independent and who have the expertise and
skills to make them effective in carrying out the audit committee core responsibilities.
10.The Nominating Committee shall nominate councilors to be members of the audit
committee based upon their objectivity, independence and their level of expertise and
skills as noted in the criteria used to select citizen appointments.
11.The audit committees core responsibilities include oversight of financial activities, audit
services and risk management, including internal controls.Details of the audit
committee’s core responsibilities (terms of reference) are include in the below
guidelines. These should be reviewed on an annual basis by the audit committee.
12.New committee members shall receive orientation training from the Director of
Finance/Treasurer (or some other appropriate source identified by the Director of
Finance) within two months of being appointed.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES
13.Audit committees play a significant role in improving and providing transparency
around governance, risk management, and internal control practices of the
Municipality.The audit committee should play an independent oversight role and
advisory role to Council and management, with responsibility for operational decision
making resting with management, and policy decision making resting with Council. If
the audit committee is involved in making decisions, its objectivity may be impaired,
which, in turn, may negatively impact its ability to remain independent.
Audit Committee Policy -Number P-__Page 3 of 6
PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE GUIDELINES
14.Citizens appointments –selection criteria to consider
14.1.May not be a member of council nor an employee of the municipality
14.2.An understanding of financial statements and generally accepted accounting
principles.
14.3.Experience in preparing, auditing, analyzing, or evaluating financial statements
14.4.An understanding of internal controls
14.5.An understanding of risk management
14.6.An understanding of the law and financial regulatory compliance
14.7.An undertsanding of information technology and information security
14.8.Personal attributes of inquisitiveness,outspokenness, objectivity and integrity.
15.Core Responsibilities of the audit committee
15.1.Financial reporting
15.1.1.Oversight of the selection of accounting policies
15.1.2.Review of any new accounting and reporting standards
15.1.3.Obtain management’s confirmation that statutory and regulatory report
filings and requirements have been met.
15.2.Audit activities
15.2.1.Recommend to Council the approval of the audited financial statements
15.2.2.Pre-approval of all audit services and the annual engagement letter
15.2.3.Review of reports from the external auditor concerning their independence,
including review of any non-audit services provided.
15.2.4.Review the scope of the external audit including areas of identified risk
15.2.5.Review annual financial statements and notes with the external auditors
15.2.6.Review the results of the audit with the external auditors
15.2.7.Review any identified internal control weaknesses with the external auditors
15.2.8.Recommend to Council re-appointment or replacement of external auditors
and their fee.
15.3.Risk management and internal controls
15.3.1.Reviewing and assessing the Municipality’s risk management policies and
processes.
15.3.2.Having a clear understanding of the Municipality risks of fraud and error
and the processes in place to mitigate them (internal controls)
15.3.3.Oversight of the Municipality’s potential risk of management’s override of
internal controls
15.4.Other
15.4.1.Review of its core responsibilities (terms of reference) on a regular basis.
15.4.2.Conduct or authorize investigations into matters within the Committees
scope of responsibilities
15.4.3.Establish procedures for confidential submissions of concerns
Audit Committee Policy -Number P-__Page 4 of 6
15.4.4.Oversight of Council policies (or lack of policies)in relation to their specific
risks and related mitigating controls.
15.4.5.After each meeting report on oversight activities to Council at Council’s
next available meeting.
REFERENCES
Legislative Acts/References
Municipal Government Act (sections 23, 24 and 44)
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Policies/By-Laws
Municipal policy P-8 –Committees of Council and their Duties
Municipal Policy P-58 –Remuneration of Committee Members
Appendices
Appendix A –Definitions
* * *
Audit Committee Policy -Number P-__Page 5 of 6
Appendix A
Definitions
Municipality –means the Municipality of the District of Chester
CAO –means the Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality.
Director of Finance/Treasurer -means the Director of Finance/Treasurer for the
Municipality as designated by the CAO.
Council –means the elected Council of the Municipality
Nominating Committee –means the committee of Council with the task to nominate all
members of standing committees.
Independence –the freedom from conditions that threaten the ability to carry out
responsibilities in an unbiased manner.
Citizens –members of the public who are primary beneficiaries of the goods and services
provided by the Municipality and are residents of the Municipality
Audit Committee Policy -Number P-__Page 6 of 6
Municipality of the District of Chester Policies Being Replaced
(Please List)
None
Version History
Major Revisions Minor Revisions
Chester Visitor Information Centre Assessment
Conducted by:
South Shore Regional Enterprise Network
Report author:Annette St-Onge, A/CEO
November 2017
ii
Contents
Forward ........................................................................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................iii
List of Acronyms used .................................................................................................................................iii
List of Graphs ..............................................................................................................................................iv
List of Tables ...............................................................................................................................................iv
Definitions................................................................................................................................................iv
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................1
1.The VIC Assessment.............................................................................................................................3
1.2 Objectives .....................................................................................................................................3
1.3 Methodology .................................................................................................................................3
2.The Current Operational Status of the Chester VIC .............................................................................3
2.1 Tourism trends ..........................................................................................................................4
2.2 Cost of VIC operations .............................................................................................................6
2.1 VIC products .............................................................................................................................7
2.2 VIC services ..............................................................................................................................8
2.3 VIC Promotions ........................................................................................................................9
2.4 Introduction of digital services ...............................................................................................10
2.5 VIC Funding ...........................................................................................................................12
3.0 Conclusions and Recommendations ...............................................................................................13
Key Findings:......................................................................................................................................13
Recommended Actions .......................................................................................................................14
Annexes ......................................................................................................................................................17
Annex “A” Good VIC Practices .........................................................................................................17
iii
Forward
On June 26, 2017, the Municipality of the District of Chester (MODC)council meeting tabled a review of
their draft Economic Development Strategy prepared internally. As an economic development partner of
MODC, sharing the same vision of private sector development, sustainability and growth,representatives
of the South Shore Regional Enterprise Network (SSREN)attended this council meeting and was to
provide feedback.The Chester Visitor Information was one of the items in the strategy and tagged for
further investigation. The SSREN offered to conduct the required assessment of the Chester Visitor
Information Centre (VIC)
The SSREN would like to express our thanks to the MODC team members for their contribution to the
work process, specifically Tammy Wilson, Chief Administrative Officer, Tara Maguire,Director of
Community Development, and Erin Lowe, Economic Development Officer.
Acknowledgements
This report is the result of a partnership effort between the MODC and the SSREN. It acknowledges the
cooperation and contribution of many people. The cooperation of this team, local organisations and
business owners made the successful completion of this project possible.
During the work term,ten business owners representing the accommodations and food services sectors,
and representatives of the Chester merchant association participated in focus group (FG)discussions.
Additionally,the project benefitted from the contribution of seven key informants, who gave their time
for one-on-one meetings.
List of Acronyms used
B & B Bed and Breakfast
BIN Business Information Number
CAO Chief Administrative Officer
CRM Customer Relationship Management
FG Focus Group
GPO General Post Office
GPS Global Positioning System
KI Key Informant
MODC Municipality of the District of Chester
MSE Micro small enterprise
MSME Micro, small and medium-size enterprises
MVIC Manchester Visitors Information Centre
iv
SSREN South Shore Regional Enterprise Network
UGS User Generated Content
TIANS Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia
VIC Visitor Information Centre
List of Graphs
Graph 1 Percentage of visitors accessing Chester VIC 2005 -2017
Graph 2 Cost of VIC operations
Graph 3 Average cost per VIC client
Graph 4 The Visitor Journey
Graph 5 Proposed MODC Tourism Attraction and Information
Framework
List of Tables
Table 1 2015 SSREN regions’ VIC visitor statistics by month
Definitions
Digital technology:For this report, digital technology refers to the creation and practical use of
computerised devices, digital kiosks, smart phone and applications.
VIC practices are defined as “good” practices which have not been evaluated on their level of impact,and
therefore not defined as best practices.
1
Executive Summary
Many economists will argue that an economy cannot be built around tourism.However, tourism
development in rural communities touches almost everyone. Tourists tend to purchase products and
services from a variety of sources including but not limited to bed and breakfast (B&Bs)and other
accommodation establishments, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, gift shops, pharmacies, the arts
community, hobby shops, and recreational product providers, such as bicycle shops, and other merchants.
Based on the study, the report provides strong evidence supporting the importance of VICs in today’s
tourism environment, although the Chester VIC visitor counts declined by 44% over the past 12 years.
Declining visitor counts is not unique to Chester as the literature shows this is indeed a national and
international trend. The decline is largely due to changes in behaviour in the ways that visitors access
information, both at the planning and trip stages. The literature cities internet is the main source of
information for travel planning and the key medium at the booking stage, and social media continues to
be a key influencer. Smart phone usage continues to grow, and tourists rely heavily on these convenient
platforms while travelling.
The following represents the Assessment Key Findings:
1.The Chester VIC is situated in a low volume tourist attraction area on Highway 3 and having
a mandate to service a large geographical territory. It is both locational and geographically
challenged with respect to providing visitor information services through the MODC.
2.Failure to embrace technology thus not addressing the changes in behaviour in the ways that
visitors access information, both at the planning and trip stages.
3.Lack of flexibility to bring VIC services to where people gather. For example, the Ross Farm
Museum visitor count in 2015 was 25,663, the second highest visitation count in the region,
thus an ideal location for a staffed mobile VIC.
4.Lack of a sustainable funding strategy –government grants on average cover the larger
amount of funding for VIC operations in the SSREN region; the MODC contributes the
largest amount of funding for the Chester VIC operations.
2
5.Perception of the Village of Chester business community is that the VIC does not have an
impact on increasing sales.
6.VIC service economies of scale --the high cost of servicing the VIC visitor (In 2017, the
average cost of servicing one VIC visitor in Chester was $5.411). Chester VIC visitor counts
declined by 44% over the past 12 years.
7.Much of the literature promotes the transitioning of VICs to a level where they incorporate
digital services in addition to face-to-face client interventions.
The following sections of this report provides the synthesis and analysis of the research findings.Section
1 provides details on the objectives of the Chester VIC Assessment; Section 2 provides summary
information from the literature review,KI inputs, and FG discussions. Section 3 provides conclusions
and recommendations. Attached Annexes contain several VIC good practices, and an example of a web-
based WIFI map.
The overall objective of the assessment is to provide the intellectual underpinnings thereby supporting the
MODC Council with the formulation of evidence-based policy and programme measures for tourism
1 Total operating costs in 2017 $29,347.00 / 5427 visitors.
3
1.The VIC Assessment
1.2 Objectives
The study objectives are to:
1.Shed light on the current operational status of the Chester VIC;
2.Review VIC national and international models that may have potential for future replication in the
MODC;
3.Formulate a list of evidence-based recommendations for MODC’s consideration.
1.3 Methodology
The study employed cross-sectional methodologies combining both qualitative and quantitative methods.
These included:
a literature review of on-line documents,reports and statistical data;
a desktop study of VIC practices;
face-to-face interviews with KIs
3 FG discussion events with 12 stakeholders from the food services sector, accommodations
sector and merchant/chamber representatives.
analyse and synthesise the key findings
report preparation
2.The Current Operational Status of the Chester VIC
The Chester VIC as in the case of most VICs throughout the region has remained essentially unchanged
since inception in the pre-internet area, offering person-
to-person information services to visitors.
Today, “yesterday’s” VIC model is challenged by the
growing importance of digital technology (the digital
support of the tourist experience) and social media. For
example,tourists are increasingly connected to the
internet, utilising any number of tourism-related mobile
apps; accessing real-time news; transport; online booking platforms; and utilising social networks to
review, assess and book accommodations (e.g. Airbnb, Trip Advisor), restaurants, (e.g. My Table,
“We have no other choice but to
understand and manage change”
Source:United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO), Technology
and Tourism, (Vol.1, 2011)
4
Open Table), and other tourism services2. Chester VIC is experiencing the impact of technology as, over
the past 12 years, Chester VIC visitor counts have dropped by 443 per cent, not unlike most of the SSREN
region.
2.1 Tourism trends
Graph 1: Percentage of visitors accessing Chester VIC 2005 -2017
Source:Tourism Nova Scotia (2005 –2016); MODC 2017
Graph 1 shows a decline in Chester VIC visits in the period of 2005 to 2017 by 44 percent. There was
some level of increase in 2015 reducing the decline from 2005 to 37 per cent; however, this level of
visitor activity was not maintained.
Table 1: 2015 SSREN regions’VIC visitor statistics by month
Ma
y June July Aug Sept Oct Total
% of
all
visitor
s
Barrington 336 479 692 722 455 2684 3.88%
Bridgewater/B
lockhouse 531 1462 2871 3450 1778 571 10663
15.40
%
Caledonia 175 536 1654 1430 1089 190 5074 7.33%
2 OECD (2016).Tourism Trends and Policies. Paris: OECD
3 Data provided by Tourism NS and Chester VIC
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
5
Chester 671 1633 2366 1132 290 6092 8.80%
Clark's Hbr 282 275 133 690 1.00%
Liverpool 336 1625 1470 1786 1375 192 6784 9.80%
Lockeport 1994 2001 1018 132 5145 7.43%
Lunenburg 791 2607 4208 3235 2505 789 14135
20.42
%
Mahone Bay 58 209 3099 3742 1986 297 9391
13.57
%
Shelburne 398 1332 2019 2113 2109 594 8565
12.37
%
Total all:
262
5 8921 19922 21120 13580 3055 69223
100.00
%
Percentage of
all
3.7
9%
12.89
%
28.78
%
30.51
%
19.62
%4.41%
100.00
%
Source:Tourism Nova Scotia
Legend:black cells indicate peak visitor months
As show in Graph 1, the Chester VIC visitor counts increased in 2015.As shown in Table 1, the Centre
captured 8.80 per cent of visitors to the region.It is interesting to note the large visitor count in August
which may be related to the Chester Race Week event.Lunenburg, Bridgewater/Blockhouse, Mahone
Bay, and Shelburne recorded 62% of all VIC visits in 2015 (Table 1).A KI reported that the
Bridgewater/Blockhouse VIC continued to increase visitor counts in 2016 with 11,863 and 2017
recording 12,134 visits.This suggest that location may be a contributing factor.
KIs suggested that there is a need to take the visitor information to where people gather via a staffed
mobile VIC.By having active representation on site, there could be potential to keep visitors in the area
longer, or the ability to influence longer stays to those who are repeat patrons of special events.The
literature review indicates that well-informed visitors will stay longer, potentially move on to other
destinations nearby and most importantly will want to return.
6
2.2 Cost of VIC operations
Graph 2: Cost of VIC operations
The MODC has made an annual contribution of $25,000 to support the cost of VIC operations, for many
years. To add to the Chester contribution, the VIC management organisation applied for grants under the
Federal Government Canadian Summer Jobs programme. Additional funds were also received from
Tourism Nova Scotia, which normally covered the VIC Manager’s salary.
Graph 2 shows a substantial reduction in operating costs for 2017. This was mainly due to the late
decision on the VIC management organisation change. Deadlines for the Canadian Summer Jobs
programme for applications had been missed. This resulted in a volunteer VIC manager for the season
and thus, reduced operating costs.
36961 36869
29347
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
2015 2016 2017
7
Graph 3: Average cost per VIC client
Graph 3 provides the average VIC operating costs per visitor.As previously noted, 2017 has been
impacted by volunteer staffing. By comparison, according to the Destination Marketing Association
study litmus test, the average cost per VIC walk-in (visitor) is $2.72 (more than 50 per cent of these VICs
are in high-traffic, central locations); Roger Brooks states “you want to be at $2.50 or less in 2015”4.
2.1 VIC products
Chester as in the case of all SSREN VICs provide visitors with brochures distributed by Tourism Nova
Scotia, local maps, and other relevant information supplied by local service providers (accommodations,
restaurants, etc.) and retailers/ merchants in the service area.
On behalf of tourism operators, Tourism Nova Scotia distributes brochures to both Regional VICs and
Local VICs (Community VICs)in the SSREN region. In addition,they encourage these operators to
deliver brochures directly to the VICs in their region to ensure frontline staff are familiar with the
products and services they offer for visitors.Tourism Nova Scotia’s allocation guidelines specify that
Regional VICs can accommodate brochures from all areas of the Province as space permits;Local VICs
(Community VICs) can only accommodate brochures from the region in which they are located and must
also display all Provincial guides.The South Shore region has four Regional VICs: Barrington; Chester;
Lockport; and, Lunenburg; all remaining VICs are classified as Local VICS (Community VICs).Some
4 Rogerbrooksinternational.com/Visitor_info_Handout.pdf http://www.rogerbrooksinternational.com/Visitor_Info_Handout.pdf (Accessed 23 20
2016)
$6.06
$6.47
$5.40
$4.80
$5.00
$5.20
$5.40
$5.60
$5.80
$6.00
$6.20
$6.40
$6.60
2015 2016 2017
8
KIs indicated that these distribution restrictions are problematic as very often visitors are seeking
information on other areas they wish to visit.
In addition to the reported lack of information on other areas, KIs also advised that there are unmet
information hard copy needs, specifically, the need for more French copies, trail maps,South Shore maps,
walking maps and historical information.
The volunteer VIC manager sold coffee on site and a few retail items were sold at cost.The manager
further added that this created a “kitchen party” atmosphere for visitors;however,the literature review
cautioned that this kind environment can be distractive for staff.
2.2 VIC services
The 2016 SSREN study reported that in in addition to their role as tourism ambassadors, VIC staff are
often called upon to address visitor requests for information ranging from where to find a mechanic to
where the nearest emergency hospital is located.The study also showed that only three of the ten VICs
were booking reservations for visitors.B&B operators stated that many VICs do not have requests for
reservation support as in past years as many tourists make reservations online before coming to the area5.
This was confirmed by Chester FG participants.One major accommodations provider stated that
occasionally, they received calls from the VIC enquiring about vacancies.It is conceivable that VIC’s
could play a role in booking last minute reservations with having up-to-date information on vacancies
(See Annex “A”).
The 2017 Chester VIC Manager reported that over 30 per cent of the VIC visitors visited the VIC due to a
fascination with TV shows, e.g.Haven and The Mystery of Oak Island; books and treasures.Other
travellers expressed interest in the Tancook Ferry. The VIC Manager believes this contributes to visitors
staying over at least one extra day in the area.In addition, VIC visitors were reported to stop for
washroom facilities,coffee breaks, and filling water bottles.
Other than picking up brochures at the beginning of the season,most of FG participants reported having
little contact with the VIC. Although they all agreed that they did not want to see the VIC go, it was felt
that this year did not work; the hours of operation are limited; and one participant felt that the VIC
5 Annette St-Onge (2015).The Mahone Bay Environment: A study of the major demographic and economic influences shaping the community.
Town of Mahone Bay, Economic Development Committee
9
services should be professionalised.Several FG participants felt that the village is not getting traffic from
the VIC.
Chester FG participants representing the food services sector reported that the VIC had made reservations
on behalf of visitors;in addition,one restaurant owner said that the VIC does send people their way
although she did say that 90 per cent of their business comes from people just stopping by.She further
said that reservation requests and general inquiries are now coming through Facebook messaging and this
requires quick responses.
KIs in some cases reported having tourist information on site. The literature review clearly indicates that
tourism is everyone’s businesses. Businesses offering visitor attractions, accommodations, retailers,
restaurants, museums, shops, service stations, convenience stores, and even the post offices have an
opportunity to increase business and customer satisfaction by providing visitor information as part of their
service.
The Chester VIC provides WIFI access for visitors.
2.3 VIC Promotions
Although the Chester VIC does have an online presence,information is lacking and not kept up-to-date.
There are no business listings of any businesses in the area.It was reported that no one is responsible for
maintaining the website and there is no activity on social media.It was agreed by FG participants that
there is a need to profile businesses on the VIC website with linkages to their websites.
For micro and small businesses,posting information online and keeping it up-to-date often remains a
challenge. A review of selected websites in the SSREN 2016 VIC assessment showed that information is
generally not current. This was further confirmed by a VIC management organisation respondent who
stated that websites are frequently not up-to-date, and many businesses lack information uniformity
between their website, social media and notices placed at their businesses. It is very understandable that
MSME owner/operators prioritise business operations, lack the time, skills, financial resources for
external expertise needed to maintain and update websites and social media postings, and market less
formally and more intuitively by direct contact with their clients.If businesses are listed, a capacity-
building programme would be necessary to help business owners use social media platforms and keep
their websites up-to-date.
10
The literature review clearly indicates that destination-specific websites lead the way as a source of travel
information. Ninety per cent of Americans have immediate access to the Internet (even more in Europe
and Canada) and 94% use the internet to decide where to travel, live, work, and establish a business6.
“Social media also plays an increasingly influential role in the ways that people gather information about
a destination in advance and, through the use of smart phones, during their visit. User group content will
grow exponentially and become more sophisticated, particularly in terms of video on YouTube and
consumers will increasingly use preferred sources to inform purchasing and visiting choices. It will be the
type of information used at certain stages of holiday planning by most visitors in selecting places to visit,
stay, eat, drink and shop. Review sites are believed to be one of the most useful and trusted sources of
user group content, with 35million visitors a month to Trip Advisor alone.”7
2.4 Introduction of digital services
The concept of digital kiosks,hot spots and staffed mobile kiosks throughout the area was raised with KIs
and FG participants.For the most part, KI’s felt that digital kiosks would not work as there is a need for
face-to-face interventions. The literature review strongly supports this. Several FG participants were
totally against any form of digital services as well as hot-spots throughout the area although KIs had
positive comments.
A Visitor Information website would require a self-listing function;however,concerns were
expressed about illegal businesses registering. One suggestion, was that the listing eligibility
would require proof of a Business Information Number (BIN)and proof of their up-to-date
registration with the Registry of Joint Stocks.
The suggestion of WIFI hot spots throughout the region were favourable received by most FG
and KI participants.In fact,one KI stated that “hotspots that are standardised throughout the
region is the way to go in making the transition from the VIC to digital services.When using the
hot spot, the user would become directly connect to the VIC website.Another KI felt that due to
the demographics of many visitors, they would not be able to use these services.
Graph 2 below reinforces the need for a strong web presence and social media strategy.
6 Roger Brooks International, Op. Cit.
7 Modernising Visitor Information Action Plan. Op. Cit. p.8
11
Graph 4
The Visitor Journey
KIs were very responsive to the concept of moveable kiosks as a trial. In fact, one KI enthusiastically
stated,“bring the information to where people gather”.The literature review identified that some visitor
services providers have been experimenting with mobile and roaming visitor information kiosks. They
have reported that they achieve more visitor engagements at high visitor traffic areas than they do in their
VICs. Alberta’s visitor services providers are actively monitoring online tools and websites to engage
with the visitor in their trip planning.
A local example would be the placement of a staffed mobile (non-digital)kiosk at Ross Farm Museum
(the second largest Museum in the region) with exceptional visitor numbers.The Manager of Ross Farm
stated that they could not assist tourists with visitor information support due to their volume of Museum
visitors.
12
2.5 VIC Funding
Changes in funding programmes for student grants have placed VICs throughout the region in often
vulnerable positions. The Chester VIC, apart from wage subsidy programmes for summer students,
operating funds for the VIC are primarily dependent upon the MODC, with a much lesser level of support
from other stakeholders in the Municipality.The MODC has been making an annual contribution of
$25,000 over the past years, including 2017.According to information provided by the Chester and Area
Chamber of Commerce, the cost of operating the Chester VIC peaked in fiscal 2014-2015 to almost
$40.0008.
Fiscal 2017 experienced a late change in the management of the Chester VIC. With one full-time and
four part-time paid counsellors, five volunteers, one of which filled the role of VIC Manager, stepped up
to help with operations.A KI reported that due to the change in management, the deadline was missed
for Federal staff grant applications this year. The contribution from volunteers resulted in a reduction in
operating expenses to approximately $29, 347 for the year; however, this raises a question as to the ability
to continue operations under the 2017 model.The VIC management KIs felt that the VIC needs a stronger
mix of older workers, as well as a small compliment of students. They reported that an adult had to be
present for security reasons at closing times. They also stated that an older more knowledgeable person
should always be in the management positions.As older workers are not available for student grants,
this would increase the cost of operations.
As previously stated, the Chester VIC had an excellent and committed complement of volunteers this past
year. According to the literature review, voluntary service models have both benefits and drawbacks.
Benefits include cost savings, local knowledge, and opportunities to share their culture with visitors.
Drawbacks include the difficulty to provide a consistent level of customer service delivery,as they are
volunteers and not everyone has training, Tourism Nova Scotia requires all workers,including volunteers
and paid staff to complete at least two mandatory training courses. This is written into the signed agreement
between VICs and the Province. The reliability of finding back-up volunteers when someone on schedule
cancels is another issue noted in the literature.
The 2017 VIC Manager expressed concern that the funding models for VIC staffing in somewhat
restrictive when it comes to planning for the season. This is a common complaint from many VIC
managers in the region. “Funding this year was not received until well into the month of May.Pre-
8 Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce
13
planning is a complete necessity to run the VIC effectively. This has not changed since the inception of
the VIC concept and is unlikely to change. This late approval does not provide time for staff training.”9
(Since front-line paid VIC staff are primarily students (a requirement for funding), knowledge-building is
essential. A programme which would provide a virtual tour of the region would be helpful in view of the
limited time for training.The Manager also stated that more funding is needed for additional staff.
However, it needs to be carefully evaluated if and how more staff would provide more visitors,or would
it simply raise the cost of servicing visitors.
FG participants were asked if they thought that businesses would contribute to the cost of VIC operations.
One FG participant stated that providing a financial contribution would be another form of taxation and
this would be hard to pay. Other FG participants agreed. It was suggested that larger firms in the area
may be approached to provide a financial contribution as a gesture of corporate social responsibility.
3.0 Conclusions and Recommendations
Key Findings:
1.The Chester VIC is situated in a low volume tourist attraction area on Highway 3 and having
a mandate to service a large geographical territory. The assessment finds that the current
model is both locational and geographically challenged and not effective in providing
services to the entire District.
2.Failure to embrace technology designed to meet the changes in behaviour in the ways that
visitors access information, both at the planning and trip stages. The literature cities internet
is the primary source of information for travel planning and the key medium at the booking
stage, and social media continues to be a key influencer. Smart phone usage continues to
grow, and tourists rely heavily on these convenient platforms while travelling.
3.Lack of flexibility to bring VIC services to where people gather. For example, the Ross Farm
Museum visitor count in 2015 was 25,663, the second highest visitation count in the region,
thus an ideal location for a staffed mobile VIC.
9 2017 Chester VIC Manager
14
4.Lack of a sustainable funding strategy –government grants on average cover the larger
amount of funding for VIC operations in the SSREN region; the MODC contributes the
largest amount of funding for the Chester VIC operations.
5.Perception of the Village of Chester business community regarding lack of contribution to
revenue-generating activities.
6.VIC service economies of scale --the high cost of servicing the VIC visitor (In 2017, the
average cost of servicing one VIC visitor in Chester was $5.4110).Furthermore, the Chester
VIC visitor counts declined by 44% over the past 12 years.
7.The literature consistently promotes the transitioning of VICs to a level where they
incorporate digital services in addition to face-to-face client interventions.
Recommended Actions:
To address the changes in the ways that visitors access information, both at the planning and trip
stages, a decentralised approach based on the following framework is recommended.
10 Total operating costs in 2017 $29,347.00 / 5427 visitors.
15
Graph 5:Proposed MODC Tourism Attraction and Information Framework
Tourism Manager
The Tourism Manager position would be responsible to oversee all tourism-relate operations.
The position would be seasonal,full-time with substantially reduced hours in off-season.
Funding for the position during seasonal operations would be applied for under the Tourism
Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS)programme.Other funding support options could
be discussed with Labour and Advanced Education.
The Manager would be responsible to maintain and update the website on a regular basis; respond
to e-enquiries on a 12-month basis;seasonally, ensure brochures are provided to the Blockhouse
VIC and local tourism ambassadors on an “as needed” basis; and supervise students staffing the
mobile kiosks.
Staffed Mobile (non-digital)Kiosks
Mobile kiosks would be located at strategic locations. Staffed by students, these kiosks would be
moved for specific “high traffic” locations throughout the season on a temporary basis. For
example,strategic locations could include the Ross Farm Museum. Temporary locations may be
the gazebo on the waterfront during Chester Race Week. Staff would be supported by mobile
telephones and the locations supported by WIFI hotspots.
16
Local “Tourism Ambassadors”
Ambassadors would be volunteer businesses. Locations would be supported with brochures and
WIFI hotspots.Front-line staff would receive training (local knowledge) and orientation.
Tourism Ambassadors would provide continuing sources of tourist information throughout the
year.This programme could be a win-win situation for both the visiting public and the business,
as signage and profile on the website would drive potential customers to the businesses.
Blockhouse Visitor Information Centre
The high traffic location situated on highway 103 provides an opportunity to reach many the
travelling tourists with minimum investment.The VIC serviced over 12,000 visitors in 2017.
Examples of this tourism information dissemination model can be drawn from US States such as
Maine and New Hampshire where regional information is distributed form centres located in
major highways.
WIFI hotspots
WIFI hots spots throughout the district, mapped on the website and supported by signage would
link the visiting public directly to the MODC Visitor Information website.
The MODC Visitor Information website and social media
The website will be the primary tool used to support all tourism-related information, at all stages
of the visitor journey (see Graph 2). Social media would be used to promote specific events and
other related “just in time” tourism information.
Signage
Both permanent and temporary signage would be key in linking tourists to service locations.
17
Annexes
Annex “A” Good VIC Practices
Except for Host on Call provided by the Mahone Bay and Area Tourism and Chamber of Commerce, the
following practices have been sourced from various online websites.Further reading from the web access
sites indicated ((identified as source)is highly recommended.
“Host on Call”–a Good Practice for Bed and Breakfasts Operators
The need was identified by the Bed and Breakfasts operators in Mahone Bay for a platform and method to
promote and fill vacant rooms, thus maximizing the properties revenue-generating potential. The
additional need was to save time for the owner/ manager trying to aid potential visitors/ guests (from
telephone inquiries) find a room in town.
A new solution was needed. Host on Call was the answer (see https://www.hostoncall.net/).Host on Call
is a simple way to find out who has rooms available, without searching through websites, or the tourist
making telephone calls in search for accommodations. It is a simple click for the consumer to search for
availability.
System set up is a maximum of one hour which includes loading images and occupancy for the period
desired (usually the whole year), then daily updates of room vacancy. The updates require a simple log in
to the system and updating is quick and easy (5 minutes)
Listed below is an example of what the consumer sees.
Numbers indicate the amount of rooms available.
ACCOMMODATION LOCATION
Tue
28
Wed
29
Thu
30
Fri
1
Sat
2
Sun
3
Mon
4
Individual Pages
Amber Rose Inn
Bayview Pines Country Inn
Fairmont House B&B
Fisherman's Daughter B&B
Fisherman's Loft
Heart's Desire Bed & Breakfast
Heart's Desire Garden Hideaway
Mahone Bay Bed and Breakfast
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
Mahone Bay
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
1
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
3
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
More Info...
More Info...
More Info...
More Info...
More Info...
More Info...
More Info...
More Info...
18
The Three-Thistles B&B Mahone Bay 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 More Info...
Already 15 destinations in Nova Scotia are listed. Mahone Bay has all 9 Bed and Breakfasts and Inn
listed.
The main advantage is not only consumers can use this system, but this information can be sent to (for
example) VICs or any other entity that is booking accommodation.It’s easy, saves a lot of time and
contributes to maximum occupancy for accommodation providers.
All Bed and Breakfast and Inn owners / managers in Mahone Bay reviewed the system at the end of the
season and found that it had made a significant difference in saving time and maximizing their respective
occupancies and the occupancy of the town which benefits all merchants and retail
19
Fife, Scotland
Fife has 14 digital kiosks throughout Fife in various locations.The "iSigns" provide visitors with
information on what there is to do, where people can eat and display accommodation providers.
Source:http://www.welcometofife.com/tourist-information
Launceston, Tasmania Visitor Information Centre
The City of Launceston VIC is one of Tasmania's gateway Visitor Centres. Operated by the Launceston City
Council since 2003, the newly refurbished VIC, located in Launceston’s iconic GPO building right in the
heart of the city, is equipped with a variety of contemporary visitor information tools designed to help make
your holiday experience most memorable.
Source:http://www.destinationlaunceston.com.au/plan_your_trip/visitor_information_centre
Manchester, England
‘Our award-winning VIC offers a full booking and information service for visitors and is leading the way in
the use of technology, online bookings and digital application.In addition to our information and booking
services, the Centre proudly promotes and sells local produce and merchandise.”
20
The MVIC makes use of use of sophisticated technology to collect and present information –a far cry
from the industry stereotype. It will be the first VIC in Europe to use Microsoft Surface tables –an
innovative computing platform that responds to touch, natural hand gestures and real-world objects placed
on a display.
Source:https://aboutourism.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/tourist -information-centers-as-a-vital-
component-for-providing-quality-visitors-services-the-cases-of-athens-cape-town-manchester/
Description Amount Unit Price Total Cost Notes:Resources
Outdoor Mobile Booth
2 $3,200.00 $6,400.00
Set up at any event or location within MODC
Intent is to go where the crowds are
Student would have iPad and access to data
Ability to be set up and taken down by 1 person
1 quote: ImaginIt Design based
out of Dartmouth
Shipping Costs for Mobile Booth 2 $850.00 $1,700.00 This style is produced and shipped from China.
1 quote: ImaginIt Design. They
would need to have booth
shipped from China.
iPads 2 $960.00 $1,920.00
Access to MODC data
Would go with the student to each location/event
Could create hotspots so tourists could use their own phones
while standing near the booth to search
Wifi and data enabled
Assist in booking accommodations or internet searches
Apple Website
Website Updates (chestertourism.ca)1 $6,000.00 $6,000.00
Adding Business Directory to existing site
Need to confirm that we can update with staff and do not need
to go to designer. Would impact pricing.
SSREN estimate
Tourism Ambassador Signage 12 $50.00 $600.00
Window signage only
12 'Tourism Ambassador' locations
List locations on website
SSREN estimate
Tourism Ambassador Brochure Stands 12 $400.00 $4,800.00 12 'Tourism Ambassador' locations High level online search
Sub-Total Setup Costs $21,420.00
SSREN Proposed MODC Tourism Attraction and Information Framework
Preliminary Cost Estimate
Initial Setup/One Time Costs
Annual Recurring Costs
Tourism Manager 1 $12,960.00 $12,960.00
$18.00 per hour for:
Summer season: 25 hours/week = $450/week = $1,800/month
for a total of 6 months (May-October) = $10,800
Winter season: 5 hours/week = $90/week = $360/month for a
total of 6 months (November-April) = $2,160
Contract, home based or split role with existing staff person
Supervising & training students, updating and maintaining
website, responding to web inquiries, social media, running
brochures, writing web content, etc.
Hourly rate = Staff
# of hours required = SSREN
Kiosk Staff 3 $4,200.00 $12,600.00
$14 per hour for high season (June-August) at 25 hours/week
When not at an event, staff would be visiting ambassador
locations to replenish brochures
Staff
Monthly Data Charge 2 $150.00 $300.00
3 months usage (June-August) for iPads
$50 per month per unit = $150
Can create hotspot for tourists to use own devices
Cliff Gail
Blockhouse Wall Space Rental 1 $5,000.00 $5,000.00 Dedicated MODC wall space from May to October
Also compensating MODL staff for promoting MODC.
Sub-Total Annual Costs:$30,860.00
Total Estimated Costs for Year 1:
$52,280.00