Municipality of the District of Clare

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

Wednesday, February 21st, 2018 at 7:00 pm

PRESENT: Council: Warden Ronnie LeBlanc, Deputy Warden Nil Doucet; Councillors, Danny Hill, Hector Thibault, Carl Deveau, Brian Comeau, Eric Pothier and Yvon LeBlanc
Staff: CAO Stéphane Cyr, Administrative Assistant to the CAO Alain Poirier
Presenter: Senior Planner for Stantec Consulting Ltd., John Heseltine

ABSENT: None

 

1) Call to Order
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc called the council meeting to order at 7:00 pm.

 

2) (a) Approval of the Agenda

Warden Ronnie LeBlanc asked that the following changes be made to the Agenda.

 Remove 3.2 - Atlantic Immigration Pilot as Mr. Thibault was regretfully unable to attend
 Add 12.2 – Personnel, under Closed Session

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Yvon LeBlanc that the proposed agenda be approved with the above noted changes.
MOTION CARRIED

(b) Declaration of conflict of interest
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc asked for any declarations of conflict of interest.
None declared.

 

3) Presentations
3.1 Boundary Review Report – Stantec Consulting Ltd. – Senior Planner, John Heseltine
Mr. John Heseltine presented the 2018 Boundary Review Report, highlighting the findings and recommendations contained therein. (Available at Municipal Office)

Council thanked Mr. Heseltine for his excellent work and passed the following motion:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare accept the 2018 boundary review report prepared by Stantec Consulting Ltd. including the recommendations pertaining to Council size and electoral boundaries contained therein.
MOTION CARRIED

 

4) Adoption of the Minutes from Previous Council Meetings
4.1 January 17th, 2018: Regular Council Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet that the minutes of January 17th, 2018 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED

4.2 February 7th, 2018: Council-in-Committee Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Yvon LeBlanc that the minutes of February 7th, 2018 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED

 

5) Business Arising from Previous Meetings
5.1 Clare 250th Legacy Project
Although seemingly interested in the proposed Clare 250th Legacy Project following a presentation made by Tourism Manager Larry Peach on February 7th, Council chose to defer its decision on the matter and revisit the proposal at its February 21st council meeting. The project consists of branding Clare as the new “Clam Capital” and building a “Grosse Coque / Big Clam” outdoor interactive exhibit. Similar projects include the Shediac Lobster, the Big Fiddle in Sydney and the Big Wave along the Halifax Waterfront. In the case of Clare, the “Big Clam” has deep ties to Acadian culture and history and presents interesting opportunities in terms of tourism product development and commercial spinoffs.

When asked by the CAO how it wished to proceed, Council agreed with staff’s proposal to initiate an RFP process as a means of generating project concepts and arriving at an estimated cost. Staff will proceed accordingly and inform Council of the results of the RFP once these are available.

5.2 John Thibodeau Road
The first tender for the John Thibodeau Road sewer extension was launched in the Spring of 2017. Upon review of the bids, these were all deemed too high and ultimately none were accepted. The decision was then made to re-tender the project with the goal of a Spring 2018 start date. Although much more favorable this time around, the low bid still left the Municipality with a $31,763 project funding shortfall. This notwithstanding, staff felt the bid amount was fair and as such is recommending to Council that the Municipality accept the low bid from Aberdeen Paving Ltd. and increase its original project contribution by an additional $50,000 to cover the aforementioned shortfall while allowing room for other possible overages. Council agreed and passed the following motions:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the tender for the John Thibodeau Road Sewer Extension Project to Aberdeen Paving Ltd. in the amount of $477,652.20 plus HST, to be funded from the Municipality`s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

PROPOSED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare increase its contribution towards the John Thibodeau Road Sewer Extension Project from the original amount of $139,250 up to a maximum of $189,250 and that these additional funds be sourced from the Municipality`s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

6) Warden’s Activity Report – Warden Ronnie LeBlanc
The Warden provided a summary of the meetings and events the he attended since the last Council meeting.

January 17th Conducted an interview with Laura Redman from the Digby Courier to discuss the public meeting that was held at the Clare Veterans Centre as part of the 2018 Boundary Review. The meeting in question focused on council size.

January 22th Attended a meeting of the Université Sainte-Anne Board of Directors.

January 30th Attended a meeting of the Yarmouth Harbourside Lodge.

February 1st Conducted an interview with the CBC’s Michael Gorman to discuss the Municipality’s approach to doctor recruitment.

February 5th Participated on a conference call of the CDÉNÉ`s Audit Committee.

February 6th Attended the second public meeting that was held at the Clare Veterans Centre as part of the 2018 Boundary Review. This particular meeting focused on boundary scenarios.

February Participated in a meeting of the CDÉNÉ’s Board of Directors in Halifax.
8th & 9th

February 9th Attended a meeting with the Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil and the Municipality of Digby’s Warden, Jimmy MacAlpine, to discuss our project targeting the Chinese market, with a specific focus on opportunities related to the fishing, education and tourism sectors.

Attended a meeting with David Wang from the China Business Bureau of Nova Scotia to discuss the possibility of projects between the Municipality of Clare and China.

February 13th Attended a meeting of the Université Sainte-Anne Board of Governors. The meeting was held in Halifax.

February 14th Attended a public consultation at the Clare Veterans Centre, hosted by the CDÉNÉ, focusing on community development.

Conducted an interview with Olivier Lefebvre from Radio-Canada to discuss the Municipality’s approach to doctor recruitment.

7) Official Statements from Members of Council
Councillor Hector Thibault mentioned that he met with Mr. Jason Nelson of Canada Post to discuss the closure of the store in Little Brook which housed the post office. Since September 30, 2017 three other local businesses have been approached to host the service but none were interested. Presently, the mail is being sent to the post office in Church Point. From there, it is placed in the community mail boxes on Little Brook Road. The site is often muddy however Canada Post has indicated that they will be adding gravel once the snow melts.

Councillor Hector Thibault congratulated Mrs. Georgette LeBlanc on being named Canada’s new parliamentary poet laureate and asked that the Municipality issue a formal letter of congratulations in recognition of this honor.

Councillor Eric Pothier congratulated Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Emerise German who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on February 15th and asked Council to send them a certificate on behalf of the Municipality.

Councillor Yvon LeBlanc congratulated Mr. & Mrs. Ira & Irene Maillet who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on January 25th and asked Council to send them a certificate on behalf of the Municipality.

 

8) Correspondence
8.1 Letter from the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth – Warden, Leland Anthony
The CAO read a letter from the Municipality of the District of Yarmouth – Warden, Leland Anthony. (See attached)

8.2 Letter from the Town of Middleton – Mayor, Sylvester Atkinson
The CAO read a letter from the Town of Middleton – Mayor, Sylvester Atkinson. (See attached)

8.3 Letter from the Municipality of Digby – Warden, Jimmy MacAlpine
The CAO read a letter from the Municipality of Digby – Warden, Jimmy MacAlpine. (See attached)

Council agreed with the recommendation put forward by the Town of Middleton and passed the following motion:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare write a letter to the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM) to communicate its concerns with the Union’s proposed name change to the Federation of Nova Scotia Municipalities (FNSM).
MOTION CARRIED

8.4 Letter from Waste Check – General Manager, Gus Green
The CAO read a letter from Waste Check – General Manager, Gus Green. (See attached)

Given the scope and the potential impacts of this particular issue, it was agreed that an invitation would be extended to Mr. Green to appear before Council at its March 21st meeting to further discuss the matter. Council also agreed to reach out to the Clare Chamber of Commerce in an effort to help ascertain the potential impacts on the local business community.

 

9) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer - Stéphane Cyr
The CAO read his report for the month of February 2018. (See attached)

 

10) Committee Reports
10.1 Building Permits Report – Councillor Danny Hill
Councillor Danny Hill read the building permits report for the month of January.

December 2017
Year                       Permits                       Construction Value
2017                           7                                   $121,400
2018                          11                                  $802,200

 

10.2 Villa Acadienne – Councillor Brian Comeau
Councillor Brian Comeau presented the report for the Villa Acadienne. (See attached)

 

10.3 Waste Check – Councillor Carl Deveau
Councillor Carl Deveau mentioned that Waste Check adopted its new Solid Waste By-law. The Board also discussed the issue of plastic film which has received a lot of media attention due to China’s ban on plastic film and other items. The Regional Chairs Executive Committee during a recent meeting with the Minister of Environment was asked if they would support a ban on single use plastic shopping bags. This item is being brought back to all Regions in the Province. There was a lengthy discussion about the issue at the Waste Check Board and it was agreed to take it back to their respective municipal units. Waste Check recommends supporting a plastic bag ban with moving ahead on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Waste Check staff is available to present to Council on the topic.

 

10.4 Clare Firefighters Association – Councillor Danny Hill
Councillor Danny Hill mentioned that the Clare Firefighters Association (CFFA) met on February 8th with the CAO and the Richfield Fire Department. At the meeting, Richfield stated that they wished to remain open and agreed to pursue mutual aid agreements with neighboring departments to ensure proper service coverage. Furthermore, the department’s jaws of life, previously lent to Carleton, are now back in Richfield.

The issue of civic numbering (or lack thereof) was raised at a recent meeting of the CFFA. The lack of proper numbering can cause delays in responding to emergency calls. As such, the Association would like to stress the importance of these numbers and strongly encourage residents to acquire (if they don’t already have one) and visibly display their civic number.

 

11) New Business
11.1 Motion to enact By-Law Amendment No.1 – Second and Final Reading

PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare read By-Law No.1 Amendment No. 01-01-2017, a By-Law Respecting Interpretation and that the By-Law be read for the second and final time thereby enacting the By-Law Amendment.
MOTION CARRIED

Councillor Comeau read the following:
By-Law No.1 Amendment No.01-01-2017 a By-Law respecting interpretation.

 

11.2 Motion to enact By-Law Amendment No.9 – Second and Final Reading

PROPOSED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare read By-Law No.9 Amendment No. 09-01-2017, a By-Law Respecting Noise and that the By-Law be read for the second and final time thereby enacting the By-Law Amendment.
MOTION CARRIED

Councillor Pothier read the following:
By-Law No.9 Amendment No.09-01-2017 a By-Law respecting noise.

 

11.3 Motion to accept tax reduction (Fire damages)

PROPOSED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare write off the following noted tax amounts for the reasons described herein.

Account #                    Amount                Year                     Reason

00697958                    $ 425.10              2017                     Raisons d’incendie / Fire damages
01667793                    $ 176.58              2017                     Raisons d’incendie / Fire damages
00278297                    $1,148.30            2017                     Raisons d’incendie / Fire damages
05382386                    $ 342.55              2017                     Raisons d’incendie / Fire damages

MOTION CARRIED

 

11.4 Motion to award Tender – New St. Bernard Community Centre

PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the tender (Segment A) for the new St. Bernard Community Centre to Delmar Construction Ltd. in the amount of $168,500 plus HST. Furthermore, an additional $48,348 plus HST in furnishings and other sundry items is also being recommended for a total of $216,848 plus HST to be funded from the Municipality`s Gas Tax Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

 

11.5 Motion to award Tender – New St. Bernard Firehall

PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the tender (Segment B) for the new St. Bernard Firehall to Delmar Construction Ltd. in the amount of $540,275 plus HST. Furthermore, an additional $13,028 plus HST for garage doors and a compressor is also being recommended for a total of $553,303 plus HST. These funds are to be requested from the Municipal Finance Corporation, but cash flowed in the interim through the Municipality`s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

 

11.6 Motion to adopt Fire and Emergency Services Provider Registration Policy

PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare adopt the proposed Fire and Emergency Services Provider Registration Policy.
MOTION CARRIED

 

11.7 Motion to contribute to la Société acadienne de Clare`s project “Engageons nos citoyens”

PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $3,000 from its 2018-2019 Grants to Organizations program to la Société acadienne de Clare for its project entitled “Engageons nos citoyens”.
MOTION CARRIED

 

11.8 Motion to approve the 2018 Budget for lifeguard services at Mavillette Beach

PROPOSED BY Councillor Yvon LeBlanc and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the expenses budgeted by Recreation Services in the amount of $10,275.66 including HST to provide lifeguard service at Mavillette Beach during Summer 2018, on weekends only, from June 30th to August 26th.
MOTION CARRIED

 

11.9 Motion to refinance the balance owing on the Clare Health Centre

PROPOSED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare refinance the balance owing on the Clare Health Centre, in the amount of $1,250,000, with the Municipal Finance Corporation for the remaining life of the term of the original debenture.
MOTION CARRIED

 

11.10 Motion to contribute to “La Fondation des Jeux de l’Acadie”

PROPOSED BY Councillor Yvon LeBlanc and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $1,000 from its Grants to Organizations program to “La Fondation des Jeux de l’Acadie”
MOTION CARRIED

 

12) In Camera Session
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that Council proceed to an In-Camera Session.
MOTION CARRIED

Topics discussed:
12.1 Order of Nova Scotia – Nominations
12.2 Personnel

PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED

 

13) Date and time of the next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on March 21st, 2018 at 7:00 pm.

 

14) Adjournment
MOVED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 10:20 pm.

 

 

Submitted by:

 

Alain Poirier,
Administrative Assistant of the CAO