Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 7:00 pm
PRESENT: Council: Warden Ronnie LeBlanc, Deputy Warden Nil Doucet; Councillors Brian Comeau, Eric Pothier, Hector Thibault and Danny Hill
Staff: CAO Stéphane Cyr, Executive Assistant, Ashley Hanks, Director of Finance, Ginette Cheff and Communications Officer, Amy Paradis
Presenters:
Invited Guests: Daniel Kiley, Justin James, Wayne Comeau, Eldon White
ABSENT: Councillors Yvon LeBlanc and Carl Deveau
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 items be added to the agenda:
- 8.3 Letter – The Honorable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia
- 12.10 - Réseau des villes francophones et francophiles d’Amérique
- 13.1 - Rural internet
CAO Stéphane Cyr asked that the following item be removed from the agenda and the numbering adjusted accordingly:
- 9.5 Motion to Adopt the Council Write-Offs
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the proposed agenda be approved with the above noted revisions.
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 Presentation of Badges and Service Award for Volunteer Fire Departments
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc presented new badges and a 15-year service award to the following volunteer firefighters:
- Daniel Kiley for his appointment as Fire Chief of the Salmon River Fire Department
- Justin James for his appointment as Deputy Chief of the Salmon River Fire Department
- Wayne Comeau for his appointment as Deputy Chief of the Little Brook Fire Department
- Eldon White of the Richfield Fire Department for his 15 years of service to the Municipality
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc thanked all the volunteer firefighters for both their participation in the vehicle assessment exercise over the past few weeks and for their continued service to the Municipality.
4) Adoption of Minutes
4.1 March 20, 2019 – Regular Council Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the minutes of March 20, 2019 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
4.2 April 3, 2019 – Council-In-Committee Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the minutes of April 3, 2019 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
4.3 April 8, 2019 – Special Session of Council
MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the minutes of April 8, 2019 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
5) Business Arising from Previous Meetings
None.
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.
March 21 – Attended the “Engageons nos citoyens” session organized by the Société acadienne de Clare.
March 22 – Attended the Multicultural Evening hosted by the International Students' Association of Université Sainte-Anne.
March 27 – Attended the Board of Directors meeting for Université Sainte-Anne.
March 28 – Attended a meeting with Mainland Telcom to discuss the Internet file.
March 29 – Attended a social gathering organized by the Société acadienne de Clare and the Clare Golf and Country Club.
March 30 – Attended a banquet at the Clare Veterans Centre in honor of our Volunteer Firefighters and Search and Rescue Members.
April 3 – Attended the committee meeting for the Nova Scotia Works branch of the CDÉNÉ at the Entrepreneurship Centre of Université Sainte-Anne.
April 3 – Attended a meeting with the CEO of the NSFM, Juanita Spencer, at the Municipal Office.
April 4 – Attended an inclusive employment event at the Rendez-vous de la Baie organized in partnership by the Atelier de Clare, C.O.R.D., Nova Scotia Works and the Province of Nova Scotia.
April 4 – Attended a meeting of the Clare Firefighters Association at the Saint-Bernard Volunteer Fire Department.
April 5 – Attended the South Western Regional Meeting of the NSFM in Yarmouth.
April 11 – Attended the Volunteer Banquet at the Clare Veterans Centre.
April 15 – Attended the public consultation at the Clare Veterans Centre to explain the proposed increase to the area rate for fire protection for the Municipality of Clare.
7) Official Statements from Members of Council
Councillor Hector Thibault requested that a thank you letter be sent on behalf of Council to Mariette Byzewski for her years of service representing Clare on the Western Regional Housing Authority. Council agreed.
8) Correspondence
8.1 Letter – Paul Lombard, Manager, Transport de Clare
The CAO read a letter Paul Lombard, Manager of the Transport de Clare. (
See attached)
During the Special Meeting of Council on April 8, 2019, Council decided to increase its contribution to the Transport de Clare for 2019-20, from $23,000 to $25,000. This contribution is subject to approval of the Municipality’s 2019-2020 budget.
8.2 Letter - Tracey Taweel, Deputy Minister, Communities, Culture and Heritage
The CAO read a letter from Tracey Taweel, Deputy Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage. (See attached)
8.3 Letter – Honorable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia
The CAO read a letter from the Honorable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia. (See attached)
9) Presentation of the 2019-2020 Municipal Budget and Corresponding Motions
The Director of Finance presented the 2019-2020 municipal budget to Council. (See attached).
Council passed the following motions relating to the 2019-2020 municipal budget:
9.1 Motion to Adopt Municipal Tax Rates
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet that the 2019-2020 municipal tax rates for the Municipality of the District of Clare be set as follows:
• $1.04 per $100.00 of assessment as the Residential and Resource Tax Rate (the same rate since 2014), and
• $2.07 per $100.00 of assessment as the Commercial Tax Rate (the same rate since 2010)
• $0.25 per acre (below 50,000 acres) and $0.40 per acre (above 50,000 acres) as the Forest Acreage Rates
MOTION CARRIED
9.2 Motion to Adopt Sewer Service Charges
MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the municipal sewer service charges for 2019-2020 be set at $200.00 per unit for the following:
- • Meteghan
• Meteghan Centre
• Meteghan River
• Church Point
• Belliveau Cove
MOTION CARRIED
9.3 Motion to Adopt Streetlight Area Rates
MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet that the 2019-2020 rates for street lights be set as follows:
- • Highway 1 and Patrice Road – Church Point $49.88
• Highway 1 – Little Brook and Comeauville $30.92
• Highway 1 – Saulnierville $44.28
• Highway 1 – Meteghan River $46.79
• Placide Comeau Road – Meteghan River $59.26
• Highway 1 and Peter Dugas Road – Meteghan $30.47
• John Thibodeau Road – Meteghan Centre $823.14 (1 user)
• Highway 1 – Saint-Bernard and Belliveau Cove $16.55
MOTION CARRIED
9.4 Motion to Adopt Fire Department Rates
MOVED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Deputy Warden Nil Doucet that the 2019-2020 fire department rates be set as follows:
- • Fire Protection $0.05 per $100.00 of assessment
• Fire Truck Purchase $0.06 per $100.00 of assessment
MOTION CARRIED
9.5 Motion to Adopt Due Date and Interest Commencement Date
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Brian Comeau that the due date for payment of 2019-2020 municipal taxes be June 30, 2019, and the interest rate be 1½% per month, beginning July 1, 2019.
MOTION CARRIED
9.6 Motion to Adopt 2019-2020 Municipal Budget
MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the 2019-2020 municipal budget for the Municipality of the District of Clare be approved as presented on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.
MOTION CARRIED
10) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer - Stéphane Cyr
The CAO presented his report for the month of April 2019. (See attached)
11) Committee Reports
11.1 Building Permits – Councillor Danny Hill
Councillor Danny Hill read the building permits report for the month of March 2019.
March 2019
Year Permits Construction Value Year to Date
2018 17 $ 1,294,640 $ 2,148,680
2019 11 $ 996,900 $ 1,890,900
11.2 Police Advisory Board – Deputy Warden Nil Doucet
The Deputy Warden provided a summary of the Police Advisory Board meeting of April 8, 2019 including occurrence statistics gathered by the Meteghan RCMP, specific to the Municipality of Clare, from January 2019 to March 31, 2019:
Calls Frequency
| 911 Calls | 314 |
| Break and Enter – Other | 4 |
| Break and Enter – Residence | 4 (3 charged) |
| Theft and Shoplifting | 3 |
| Theft from Motor Vehicles | 4 |
| Impaired Driving | 11 (5 charged) |
| Property Crimes | 34 |
| Crimes Against Persons | Decreased by 23% |
| Property Crimes | Increased by 46.7 % |
| Domestic Dispute Occurrences | Decreased by 68% |
| Computer Crimes | Increased 10.5 % |
| Total Occurrences | 1.7 % better than 2018 |
Clare is in good standings and fines remain low when compared to other municipalities of similar size.
During the meeting, the Board was also advised that Corporal Jamie Lutz will be moving to Yarmouth.
12) New Business
12.1 Motion to Approve Financing – Electric City/La Nouvelle France Society
MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $5,000 to the Electric City/La Nouvelle France Society to aid in the preparation of a business plan / feasibility study for a proposed interpretive centre.
MOTION CARRIED
12.2 Motion to Award Tender – Demolition of Buildings and Structures Located at 7578 Highway 1, Meteghan
MOVED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the tender for the demolition of buildings and structures located at 7587 Highway 1, Meteghan, to Spec Resources Inc. in the amount of $34,870 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Fund.
MOTION CARRIED
12.3 Motion to Award Tender - Replace Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall Pipe
A total of 8 companies responded to this tender. After reviewing the bids, it is recommended by both the CAO and staff that Council accept the low bid as submitted by Spec Resources Inc. in the amount of $24,600 plus HST.
MOVED 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 for replacing the Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall Pipe located at 8425 Highway 1, Meteghan, to Spec Resources Inc. in the amount of $24,600 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Fund.
MOTION CARRIED
12.4 Motion to Send Letter – Tourism Nova Scotia – “Doers and Dreamers” Travel Guide
Due to the time sensitivity of this item, a letter was sent to Tourism Nova Scotia and they have corrected the error by adding an insert into the Doers and Dreamers Guide and revising the online PDF. This notwithstanding, the CAO is asking Council for this motion as it was previously passed as a motion to recommend at the Council in Committee Meeting of April 3, 2019.
MOVED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare write a letter to Tourism Nova Scotia asking them to correct the co-op advertisement for Clare’s Baie Sainte-Marie which was mistakenly printed in English and included in the 2019 French edition of the “Doers and Dreamers” travel guide, “Du rêve à l’aventure.”
MOTION CARRIED
12.5 Motion to Approve Financing – Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe
This item was added to the agenda as information to the public. The motion below was passed at the Special Council Meeting on April 8, 2019.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $10,000 to 1a Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe to aid in the preparation of a fundraising strategy for the restoration of Église Sainte-Marie.
MOTION CARRIED
12.6 Motion to Appoint Representative – Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe
This item was added to the agenda as information to the public. The motion below was passed at the Special Council Meeting on April 8, 2019.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend the appointment of Warden Ronnie LeBlanc to the Board of Directors of la Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe.
MOTION CARRIED
12.7 Motion to Approve Financing – Centre acadien, Université Sainte-Anne
This item was added to the agenda as information to the public. The motion below was passed at the Special Council Meeting on April 8, 2019.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $7,897 to the Centre acadien (Université Sainte-Anne) as part of its project entitled ‘‘Mise en valeur du patrimoine culturel et historique des Acadiens et Acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse’’.
MOTION CARRIED
12.8 Motion to Close the Richfield Volunteer Fire Department
Councillor Danny Hill asked that this motion be postponed to May as the residents in his area are concerned about the closing and would like to have a public consultation.
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare postpone the motion to close the Richfield Volunteer Fire Department to allow for a public consultation with the affected residents.
MOTION CARRIED
12.9 Motion to Approve the 2019-2020 Fire Department Operational Funding Allocations
The CAO presented the 2019-2020 Fire Department Operational Funding Allocations. These allocations have increased by 2.2% from 2018-2019, in keeping with the cost of living index. Furthermore, in an effort to relieve the administrative burden on the volunteer fire service, the Municipality is now consolidating dispatch costs and paying these directly to the service provider rather than having each of the eight volunteer fire departments do so themselves. This is reflected in the funding allocations to each department but in no way represents a decrease in funding.
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Brian Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the proposed 2019-2020 Fire Department Operational Funding allocations, conditional upon review of the departments’ 2018 financial statements.
MOTION CARRIED
12.10 Réseau des villes francophones et francophiles d'Amérique
This year’s meeting of the Réseau des villes francophones et francophiles d'Amérique is being held in Moncton, New Brunswick. Warden Ronnie LeBlanc has expressed an interest in attending given the Municipality’s ongoing involvement with the Réseau. Whereas this represents out-of-province travel, the Warden is seeking to advise Council his interest in attending and is seeking approval for doing so. Council passed the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send Warden Ronnie LeBlanc to the Réseau des villes francophones et francophiles d'Amérique conference being held in Moncton, New Brunswick as the representative for the Municipality of Clare.
MOTION CARRIED
13) In Camera Session
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that Council proceed to an in-camera session.
MOTION CARRIED
Topics Discussed
13.1 Rural Internet
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED
14) Date and time of the next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on May 15, 2019 at 7:00 pm.
15) Adjournment
MOVED BY Deputy Warden Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 pm.
Submitted by:
Ashley Hanks,
Executive Assistant