Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at 7:00 pm
Meeting held at 1185 Highway 1, Little Brook, NS

PRESENT: Council: Deputy Warden Yvon LeBlanc; Councillors, Brian Comeau, Philippe Gaudet, Danny Hill, and Eric Pothier
Staff: CAO Stéphane Cyr, Executive Assistant, Ashley Hanks, and Communications Officer, Amy Paradis
Presenters:
ABSENT: Warden Ronnie LeBlanc, Councillors Carl Deveau and Nil Doucet

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

The Deputy Warden presided over the meeting as Warden Ronnie LeBlanc and Councillor Carl Deveau have taken a leave of absence to run in the provincial election.

2) Approval of the Agenda
The CAO asked that the following items be added to the agenda:

  • 12.14 Motion to send a letter of Support - CAPENÉ
  • 12.15 Motion to Approve Financing – École secondaire de Clare

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Phillippe Gaudet that the proposed agenda be approved with the above noted additions.
MOTION CARRIED           

3) Declaration of conflict of interest
None.

4) Presentations
4.1 Panneaux ARRÊT bilingues, Communauté bilingue
Blake Theriault, Nicole Thibodeau, Crystal Madden and Gaétan Deveau presented a summary of their project Communauté bilingue (pdfSee attached).

As part of the process to have bilingual stop signs installed in Clare, Council needs to pass a motion approving their installation. The group is therefore asking Council for both a motion and a letter approving the installation of bilingual stop signs in Clare.

Council remains very supportive of the bilingual stop sign project and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve sending a letter to Communauté bilingue approving the installation of bilingual stop signs in the Municipality of Clare.
MOTION CARRIED

Once the motion carried, Council presented the four students behind Communauté bilingue with certificates in recognition of their hard work and commitment towards this project.

4.2 Société édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe
Guy LeBlanc and Allister Surette gave an overview of the situation surrounding l’Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe. The building has been deconsecrated and the Society is working to ensure its preservation. Unfortunately, due to COVID, fundraising efforts have slowed. The deadline to secure the necessary funds to repair the building is September 2021. Initial cost estimates of $3 million have now ballooned to $11.5 million due in large part to the volatility in the building materials market. In light of the pending deadline, the Society has requested a 1-year extension to secure the necessary funds to repair and preserve the building. As part of this effort, the Society (with the assistance of ACOA) is seeking to engage professional services to mount a national campaign to aid in both generating awareness and driving fundraising efforts. By way of this presentation, the Society is asking Council for funding assistance in order to leverage the expected funds from ACOA and engage professional consulting services. Council thanked both presenters and agreed to further discuss this request under New Business – Item 12.13.

5) Adoption of the Minutes from Previous Council Meetings

5.1 June 16, 2021 – Regular Council Meeting

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that the minutes of the June 16, 2021, Regular Council Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED

5.2 July 7, 2021 – Council in Committee Meeting

MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that the minutes of the July 7, 2021, Council in Committee Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED

6) Business Arising from Previous Meetings
None.

7) Warden’s Activity Report – Warden Ronnie LeBlanc
None

8) Official Statements from Members of Council
None.

9) Correspondence
9.1 Glenda Doucet-Boudreau, Association Madeleine LeBlanc
The CAO read a letter from the Glenda Doucet-Boudreau of the Association Madeleine LeBlanc (pdfSee attached).

At the request of the CAO, Council agreed to defer this request to later this fall. The CAO will advise Ms. Doucet-Boudreau accordingly.

9.2 Brenda Lee-Richard, Acting Director of Finance, Tri-County Regional Centre for Education
The CAO read a letter from Brenda Lee-Richard, Acting Director of Finance for the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education (pdfSee attached).

10) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer - Stéphane Cyr
The CAO presented his report for the month of July 2021. (pdfSee attached)

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

June 2021 

Year Permits Construction Value  Year to Date
2020 35 $ 2,207,019       $ 5,446,430
2021 33 $ 734,900 $ 36,563,753

12)  New Business
12.1 Motion to Enact By-law No. 38 – A By-law Respecting Flyer Distribution, Second and Final Reading
This proposed By-law was presented in June for first reading. Since then, the CAO has received many positive comments about the proposed by-law. The by-law has also been reviewed by the By-law Committee, Waste Check and the Municipal Solicitor. Council passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Brian Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare read By-law No. 38, a By-law Respecting Flyer Distribution, and that the by-law be read for the second and final time by title only.
MOTION CARRIED

Councillor Danny Hill read the following:
BY-LAW NO. 38
A BY-LAW RESPECTING FLYER DISTRIBUTION

12.2 Motion to Amend By-law No. 31 – A By-law Respecting Fire Safety, Second and Final Reading
This amendment was brought forward to correct inconsistencies between the Province’s Burn Safe Website and the municipal by-law. It was presented din June for first reading. The proposed amendment been reviewed by the By-law Committee, the CFFA and the Municipal Solicitor. Council passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare read By-law No. 31, Amendment No 31-02-2021, a By-law respecting Fire Safety, and that the By-law be read for the second and final time by title only.
MOTION CARRIED

Councillor Eric Pothier read the following:
BY-LAW NO. 31
A BY-LAW RESPECTING FIRE SAFETY

12.3 Motion to Approve the Five-Year Capital Investment Plan 2021-2025
The CAO presented the Municipality’s proposed 5-year Capital Investment Plan (2021-2025) for Council’s review and consideration on July 7, 2021.

This annual document must be approved via motion of Council and submitted to the Province of Nova Scotia no later then September 1, 2021. The plan itself is subject to change should new project opportunities present themselves or if a decision is made to no longer move forward with a specific project. Council was supportive of the proposed plan and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the Municipality’s five-year Capital Investment Plan (2021-2025), as presented.
MOTION CARRIED

12.4 Motion to Approve Funding Contribution – Wentworth Municipal Park
ACOA has recently launched its Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF). This fund focuses on building or improving community infrastructure through the expansion, improvement, or creation of community spaces to encourage Canadians to re-engage in and explore their communities and regions. Program priorities include outdoor spaces, green projects, and accessibility. The CAO and staff met to discuss possible project opportunities for application to the CCRF and all agreed that Wentworth Park was the best fit. The project is defined in the Municipality’s Tourism Public Spaces

Master Plan and is shovel ready, subject to Council approval and funding assistance from ACOA. The cost for the proposed improvements and additions to Wentworth Park are estimated at $271,154. The CAO is proposing applying to the CCRF for $200,000 with the understanding that the Municipality would provide the remaining $71,154. Council agreed and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $71,154 towards the proposed project for Wentworth Park, as part of its application to the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF), and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.5 Motion to Award Tender – Track and Field Facility
The tender for this project closed on June 28, 2021. Two bids were received and subsequently evaluated by the CAO, Tate Engineering Inc., and Université Sainte-Anne. All parties were unanimous in their recommendation to award the tender for the running track and sports field to Mid Valley Construction (1997) Limited in the amount of $2,807,000 plus HST. Council agreed and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the Tender for the Running Track and Sports Field to Mid Valley Construction (1997) Limited in the amount of $2,807,000 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.6 Motion to Appoint a Development Officer – Daniel Gaudet
With the planned departure of Gary Sullivan later this year, the CAO would like to appoint Daniel Gaudet, the Municipality’s Assistant Building Inspector, as a Development Officer. Doing so will increase efficiency and capacity within the department. It should also be noted that Mr. Gaudet has successfully completed all required training for this appointment. Council agreed and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare appoint Daniel Gaudet as a Development Officer for the Municipality of Clare.
MOTION CARRIED

12.7 Motion to Release Document – Housing Action Plan
The Housing Action Plan is now complete and has been reviewed by Council. Following adoption by Council, it will be released publicly. Council passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare adopt the Housing Action Plan, as prepared by SHS Consultants.
MOTION CARRIED

12.8 Motion to Release Document – Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan
The Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan is now complete and has been reviewed by Council. Following adoption by Council, it will be released publicly. Council passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare adopt the Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan, as prepared by Upland.
MOTION CARRIED

12.9 Motion to Send a Letter of Support – Bangor Development Commission
The Bangor Development Commission is asking for a letter from the Municipality in support of its funding application to the Province of Nova Scotia for needed repairs to the sawmill. Council passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to the Bangor Development Commission in support of their efforts to repair the damaged Bangor Sawmill dam.
MOTION CARRIED

12.10 Motion to Send a Letter of Support – Fédération des Associations de Familles Acadiennes
Council was asked by the Fédération des Associations de Familles Acadiennes for a letter in support of their proposed Acadian Families Centre in Port-Royal. Council is supportive of this project and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Brian Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to the Fédération des Associations de Familles Acadiennes in support of their proposed Acadian Families Centre in Port-Royal.
MOTION CARRIED

12.11 Motion to Name a Road – Perseverance Street
The CSAP office in Meteghan River is getting a third civic number on their property which allows them to name their driveway / road. Their first name choice conflicted with an existing road within the Municipality and was declined. Their second choice - Perseverance Street/rue de la Persévérance – satisfies all the requirements of the Municipality’s Road Naming Policy. Council made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the request to name the road on PID (Property Identification Number) 30274864 as follows:
In English: Perseverance Street
In French: rue de la Persévérance
MOTION CARRIED

12.12 Motion to Award Tender – Concrete Pad, Clare Veterans Centre

This tender was issued as part of the outdoor rink project. Six bids were received and subsequently evaluated by the CAO and staff. Following this review, the CAO is recommending the contract be awarded to the low bidder, Spec Resources Inc., in the amount of $48,890 plus HST. Council agreed and made the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Brian Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award the Tender for the concrete pad at the Clare Veterans Centre to Spec Resources Inc. in the amount of $48,890 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.13 Société édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe
Recognizing the cultural and historical importance of this building and the Society’s efforts thus far to ensure its preservation, Council passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $20,000 to 1a Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe to aid with the hiring of dedicated consulting services in order to advance the Society’s national fundraising strategy and that these funds be taken for the Municipality’s Operating Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

12.14 Motion to Send a Letter of Support - CAPENÉ
The CAO was approached by Suzanne Saulnier of the CAPENÉ for a letter in support of their application to RDÉE Canada for the expansion of early childhood services in French. Council agreed and passed the following motion:

MOVED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to the Centre d’appui à la petite enfance de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CAPENÉ) in support of their funding application to RDÉE Canada for the expansion of early childhood services in French.
MOTION CARRIED

12.15 Motion to Approve Financing – École secondaire de Clare
In May, Council approved a funding contribution of $8,280 to ESDC to cover a third of the cost associated with the renovations to their outdoor tennis courts. Shortly afterwards, a conversation with ESDC allowed for the municipal contribution to be lowered to $7,600. With the current volatility in the building materials industry, the saving was unfortunately short-lived. Prices increased and now require a municipal contribution of $8,600 to cover one third of renovation costs. Despite this increase, the CAO sees much value in this investment and is recommending Council increase its funding to $8,600. Council agreed and passed the following motions:

MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare rescind its motion from May 19, 2021, approving a contribution of $8,280 for the purchase and installation of fencing around the outdoor tennis courts at École secondaire de Clare.
MOTION CARRIED

MOVED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the funding request from École secondaire de Clare in the amount of $8,600 for the purchase and installation of fencing around their outdoor tennis courts and that these funds be taken for the Municipality’s Operating Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED

13) In Camera Session
None.

14) Date and time of the next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on September 15, 2021, at 7:00 pm.

15) Adjournment
MOVED BY Councillor Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 pm.

Submitted by:
Ashley Hanks
Executive Assistant