Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 7:00 pm.
Meeting held at 1185 Highway 1, Little Brook, NS

PRESENT: Council: Deputy Warden Eric Pothier; Councillors, Nil Doucet, Danny Hill, Philippe Gaudet, Carl Deveau, and Nadine Comeau
Staff: CAO Stéphane Cyr, Executive Assistants, Ashley Hanks and Nicole Comeau, and Communications Officer, Amy Paradis
Presenters:  Derek Robertson and Raleigh King, C + D Community Design

ABSENT:  Warden Yvon LeBlanc and Councillor Brian Comeau

1) Call to Order
The Deputy Warden called the Council meeting to order at 7:00 pm.

2) Approval of the Agenda

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the proposed agenda be approved as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED          

3) Declaration of conflict of interest
None declared.

4) Presentations
4.1 Municipal Boundary Review – C + D Community Design
Derek Robertson and Raleigh King of C + D Community Design presented their initial findings and analysis review relating to the 2022 Municipal Boundary Review. (See attached presentation and report)

Although Council did appreciate the effort to keep villages intact, they did have some reservations regarding the proposed changes to Districts 1 and 2. After some discussion, the following recommendations were made:

  • That New Edinburgh and Grosses Coques remain in District 1
  • That Ohio and Weaver Settlement be returned to District 2
  • That a case be made for District 2 as a community of interest based on linguistic profile (i.e., mostly anglophone district in a predominantly francophone community)
  • All other districts to remain as presented

C + D Community Design agreed to incorporate these recommendations into the proposed model to assess the impacts on voter parity. Once complete, the revised model will be shared with Council for review and consideration.

5) Adoption of the Minutes from Previous Council Meetings
5.1 May 18, 2022 – Regular Council Meeting

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the minutes of the May 18, 2022, Regular Council Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED

5.2 June 8, 2022 – Council in Committee Meeting

MOVED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the minutes of the June 8, 2022, Council in Committee Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED

6) Business Arising from Previous Meetings
6.1 Le Grand Réveil Acadien 2022
The CAO received a letter from Harold J. Fonte Jr., Liaison for the Church Point Cultural District in Louisiana. The purpose of the letter was to invite Council and the residents of Clare to the Grand Réveil Acadien 2022. A similar letter was received in 2000 but unfortunately, the onset of COVID-19 led to the event being cancelled. 

The Grand Réveil Acadien 2022 is seen as a lead up to the CMA 2024 and the CAO sees strategic value in having the Municipality represented at this event. Both the CMA 2024 and the Province of NS are believed to be sending delegations to this event and the CAO is recommending the Municipality do the same. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to Mr. Harold J. Fonte, Liaison for the Church Point Cultural District in Louisiana, thanking them for their letter and advising of the Municipality’s intention to send a formal delegation to the Grand Réveil Acadien 2022.
MOTION CARRIED

7) Warden’s Activity Report – Warden Yvon LeBlanc
Given the Warden’s absence, the monthly activity report for June 2022 will be presented in July 2022.

8) Official Statements from Members of Council
Councillor Nadine Comeau read the following statement:

“I would like to take a moment to honour Lex Brukovskiy. A long-time resident of the community of Clare, Lex is a proud lobster fisherman and father to two teenage boys who attend école secondaire de Clare. Lex is also devoted to his roots in Ukraine, which is why, in March of this year, he boarded a plane to return to his hometown of Lviv to do what he could to defend his country caught up in Russia’s violent invasion.

For a harrowing number of weeks that led into months, Lex was part of a team who brought much needed supplies into devastated communities. These included food, diapers, generators, and medical equipment. He helped evacuate injured soldiers, children, and the elderly.

Back home, Clare residents have been invested in Lex’s efforts. They have donated to and fundraised for his cause. They have flown the Ukrainian flag outside their homes and businesses. They speak of him with pride and great respect.

Lex is now back home in Clare to spend some much-deserved time with his family and friends.

On social media, Lex wrote: No human should ever live through what I have witnessed here. He left the safety of our community to help communities in need. I thought it important to highlight Lex’s courage in our council chamber. We commend you for your humanitarian efforts. We wish you safety as you pursue your projects to protect your home country of Ukraine.

The community of Clare supports you.”

Council made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare raise the Ukrainian Flag for the month of July 2022, immediately following Canada Day, in recognition of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
MOTION CARRIED

Councillor Carl Deveau congratulated Adrien Comeau on receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Jubilee Medal, and Denise Thibault and Sophie LeBlanc for receiving Lieutenant Governor’s medals. Council made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send letters to Adrien Comeau, Denise Thibault, and Sophie LeBlanc congratulating them on receiving their Lieutenant Governor’s medals.
MOTION CARRIED

9) Correspondence
9.1 Phil Barrett, Vice Chair, Digby and Area Health Service Charitable Foundation
The CAO read a letter from Phil Barrett, Vice Chair of the Digby and Area Health Service Charitable Foundation. (See attached)

Whereas many residents in Clare use the services of the Digby General Hospital, Council agreed to make a $1,000 donation and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare donate $1,000 to the Digby and Area Health Service Charitable Foundation in support of their fundraising efforts.
MOTION CARRIED

10) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer – Stéphane Cyr
The CAO presented his report for the month of June 2022. (See attached)

11) Committee Reports
11.1 Building Permits Report – Councillor Danny Hill
Councillor Danny Hill read the building permits report for the month of May.

May 2022

Year

Permits

Construction Value

Year to Date

2021

36

$ 2,086,220

$ 35,978,853

2022

23

$ 1,971,080

$ 6,383,720

11.2 Waste Check – Councillor Carl Deveau
Waste Check held a meeting on June 14, 2022.

The issue with fishing rope no longer being accepted at the Regions of Queens Municipal Landfill is not yet resolved. Discussions are ongoing.

Waste Check purchased a new 2022 Ford Escape to replace its existing vehicle.

Complaints are coming in from businesses regarding the phasing out of black bags. Many of the businesses are citing what they consider to be insufficient notice. In actuality, this change was first announced in 2007 and has been in the works ever since. A similar change is planned for residential customers, albeit at a later date.

Ritchie Nickerson, the By-Law Enforcement Officer for Waste Check, has been visiting a lot of illegal dump sites in Clare and would like to remind residents and businesses that there are by-laws for waste disposal, and they are being enforced.

Fewer flyers have been seen in the ditches in Clare since the approval of the new by-law. Unfortunately, there are flyers still being thrown in the ditches around the community mailboxes. Waste Check would like to remind residents that these flyers cannot be discarded anywhere and should be taken home for proper recycling.

12)  New Business
12.1 Motion to Send a Letter of Intent – Finale des Jeux de l’Acadie 2025
In light of Council’s interest in hosting la 44e Finale des Jeux de l’Acadie (2025), the CAO, the Municipality’s Recreation Manager and Université Sainte-Anne’s Director of Sports participated in a mandatory information session on May 30, 2022.The Municipality of Clare was the only municipal unit outside New Brunswick to participate in this session.

In terms of impacts, the proposed finale is expected to bring together some 1,250 youth athletes, 2,000 parents, generate 1,000 incremental hotel nights, and yield a number of legacy projects for the host community.

As for necessary facilities, the Municipality appears to satisfy all infrastructure requirements to host the games.

Lastly, from an operational perspective, the budget to host the finale has traditionally been in the range of $400,000. The expectation is that the Municipality would contribute a minimum of 10% of this amount. An assessment of the games in 2011 determined an economic impact for the host community of $1.4M. 

Assuming Council remains supportive of placing a bid to host the finale in 2025, it must send a letter to la Société des Jeux de l’Acadie confirming its intent by July 1, 2022. That said, Council made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to la Société des Jeux de l’Acadie by July 1, 2022, confirming the Municipality’s intention to apply to host the Finale des Jeux de l’Acadie in 2025.
MOTION CARRIED

12.2 Motion to Increase Municipal Contribution – Track and Field Facility
The CAO advised Council that project delays last year coupled with the current increase in global petroleum prices has led to an increase in project costs, specifically the asphalt and rubberized surface for the track (both petroleum-based products). Further complicating this matter, the asphalt supplier has backed out of the project and project managers have been forced to quickly find a qualified replacement in order to adhere to project timelines. Unfortunately, this has had a negative impact on project budget, contributing to an overall increase of $164,226. Based on discussions with university leadership, the CAO is recommending this overage be cost-shared equally between the Municipality and Université Sainte-Anne and that Council increase its total contribution towards this project from $600,000 to $685,000. Council agreed and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare increase the municipal contribution to the Track and Field Facility Project from $600,000 to $685,000 and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.3 Motion to Name a Road – Eel Lake Branch
The Municipality was approached to name a road off Eel Lake Drive. Three of the four impacted property owners (75%) have submitted their respective letters in favor of the proposed name. The fourth owner has yet to return his letter. This notwithstanding, the request is compliant with the Municipality’s Road Naming Policy. Council made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the request to name the road shared by the PIDs (Property Identification Number) listed below, as follows:

In English: Eel Lake Branch
In French : branche du Lac des Anguilles

30324180

30319628

30055537

30319610

30053409

30055495

30055511

30325898

30053391

30053359

MOTION CARRIED

12.4 Motion to Award Tender – Municipal Vehicle
A new municipal truck was approved as part of the Municipality’s 2022-23 Capital Budget. As the only two vehicle dealerships within the Municipality, tender documents were provided to both Clare Dodge Chrysler and Belliveau Motors, complete with detailed vehicle specifications. Following a review of the bids, the CAO is recommending that Council accept the proposal from Belliveau Motors Ltd. for a new Ford F150 XLT, in the amount of $53,904 plus HST. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare accept the bid from Belliveau Motors Ltd. for a new Ford F150 XLT, in the amount of $53,904 plus HST, and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.5 Motion to Send a Letter – Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Mavillette Beach Provincial Park
The ramps, washrooms and change rooms at the Mavillette Beach Provincial Park are deteriorating. Public concern over the current state of these facilities is growing and some members of Council have been approached. As such, both the Warden and CAO are recommending Council send a letter to the Province highlighting these concerns. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables outlining the concerns pertaining to the lack of maintenance of the ramps, washrooms and changing facilities at Mavillette Beach Provincial Park.
MOTION CARRIED

12.6 Motion to Appoint a Representative – Board of Governors, Université Sainte-Anne
Each year, a letter is received from Université Sainte-Anne asking Council to appoint a member to their board for the 12-month period starting September 1. It has been the practice of Council to appoint the Warden to this position. A motion of Council is required to confirm this appointment. Council made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Nil Doucet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare appoint Warden Yvon LeBlanc as Council’s representative on the Board of Governors for Université Sainte-Anne for the 12-month period beginning September 1, 2022.
MOTION CARRIED

12.7 Motion to Grant Exemption to Noise By-Law – Mile East Productions Ltd.
An exemption request to the Municipality’s Noise By-law was received from Mile East Productions Ltd. for an event to be held at 105 Base Line Rd, Cape Saint Mary, from 5:00 pm to 11:59 pm on June 15, 2022. The event will have 20-40 people in attendance including many of the neighbors. The exemption request is compliant with the terms laid out in the municipal by-law. As such, the CAO is recommending Council grant the exemption. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nil Doucet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare grant an exemption to the Municipality’s Noise By-Law to Mile East Productions Ltd., for their event to be held at 105 Base Line Rd., Cape Saint Mary’s, from 5:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on June 15, 2022.
MOTION CARRIED

12.8 Motion to Amend 2019 Volunteer Fire Service – Vehicle Assessment
The CAO was approached by both the St. Bernard and Havelock Fire Departments requesting a change to the previously agreed upon purchase order for the next three fire trucks, as outlined in the 2019 Volunteer Fire Service – Vehicle Assessment. Presently, Havelock is scheduled for the next truck, followed by St. Bernard for each of the next two years. That said, both departments have agreed in writing to modify the proposed order over the next 3 years, starting with St. Bernard, followed by Havelock, and closing once again with St. Bernard. The CAO saw no issue with this request. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Nil Doucet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the joint request from the St. Bernard and Havelock Fire Departments to change the previously agreed upon order of the next three fire truck purchases, as outlined in its 2019 Volunteer Fire Service – Vehicle Assessment, to the following:

  1. Bernard Fire Department
  2. Havelock Fire Department
  3. Bernard Fire Department

MOTION CARRIED

12.9 Motion to Award Tender – Havelock Multi-Use Court
A tender was issued for the construction of a multi-use court at the Havelock Community Centre. The closing date was June 10, 2022. A total of four bids were received. Following a review of the bids, it is the recommendation of both the CAO and staff that Council award the tender to Spec Resources Ltd. in the amount of $86,650 plus HST. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the Tender for the Havelock Multi-Use Court to Spec Resources Ltd. in the amount of $86,650 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.10 Storage Building, Transfer Station
At present, the Municipality of Clare has submitted two ICIP project applications for consideration – 1) Sunset Road and 2) Transfer Station Upgrades.

The Transfer Station Upgrades project has potential insurance implications which the Municipality is hoping to deal with in the short term via the construction of the proposed storage building. Doing so however, prior to formal approval, will disqualify the project. Approvals are expected in Fall 2022 at the earliest. Given the circumstances, the CAO is recommending the Municipality respectfully withdraw this particular application and begin construction of the proposed building as soon as possible. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare proceed with the construction of a storage building and installation of a fire detection system at the Transfer Station and that the funds for this project be taken from the Gas Tax Reserve. 
MOTION CARRIED

12.11 Railing – Meteghan Family Park
Harold Boudreau approached the CAO to advise him that the wooden railing in the parking lot of the Meteghan Family Park will need to be replaced either this year or next. The CAO sent the Building Inspector, Daniel Gaudet, to assess the condition of the 93 ft railing. Upon inspection, it is Mr. Gaudet’s recommendation that the rail be replaced this year with either aluminum or pressure treated lumber. Council agreed with the need to replace the railing this year and confirmed its preference of aluminium as the choice of building material, given its durability over the long term. That being the case, staff will gather price quotes from various suppliers and present its recommendation to Council for its consideration at the July 6, 2022, Council-in-Committee meeting.  

13) In Camera Session

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that Council proceed to an In-Camera Session.
MOTION CARRIED

Topics Discussed:
13.1 Acquisition, Sale, Lease and Security of Municipal Property
13.2 Personnel Matters

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED

PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $5,000 to the Fédération culturelle acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse in support of the national Acadian event, ‘‘La fête en Acadie: Havre au tchai’’, to be held at the Dennis Point Wharf in Pubnico on August 15, 2022.
MOTION CARRIED

14) Date and time of the next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on July 20, 2022, at 7:00 pm.

15) Adjournment

MOVED BY Councillor Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 9:20 pm.

Submitted by:

 

Ashley Hanks

Executive Assistant