Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, May 18th, 2016 at 7:00 pm
PRESENT: Council: Warden Ronnie LeBlanc, Deputy Warden Brian Comeau; Councillors, Lester Doucet, Nil Doucet, Hector Thibault, Russell Comeau, Danny Hill and Robert Thibault.
Staff: CAO Stéphane Cyr, Administrative Assistant to the CAO, Alain Poirier and Director of Finance, Connie Saulnier.
Public:
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
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the proposed agenda be adopted as presented
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 Service award presentation – Jeannette Doucet
The Warden presented an award on behalf of Council to Jeannette Doucet, Accounting Clerk, in recognition of her 35 years of service and devotion to the Municipality. Mrs. Doucette thanked Council for this recognition as well as past Councils and co-workers with whom she’s had the pleasure of working.
4) Adoption of the minutes from previous council meetings
4.1 April 20th, 2016: Regular Council Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the Minutes of April 20th, 2016 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
4.2 May 4th, 2016: Council-in-Committee Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Lester Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Minutes of May 4th, 2016 be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
5) Business arising from previous meetings
There was no business arising from previous meetings
6) Warden’s Activity Report – Warden Ronnie LeBlanc
The Warden provided a summary of the meetings and events he attended since the last Council meeting.
May 6th- Attended the Board of Governors meeting at Université Sainte-Anne
May 7th- Participated in a special event in honor of Noel Desprès who received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from Université Sainte-Anne.
May 14th- The Deputy Warden (on behalf of the Warden) attended the 20th anniversary of Transport de Clare.
7) Official statements from the members of Council
The Warden mentioned that Mr. Noel Desprès recently received an honorary doctorate in business administration from Université Sainte-Anne and recommended Council issue a congratulatory letter to Mr. Desprès in light of this honor.
8) Correspondance
8.1 Letter from Western Counties Regional Library
The CAO read a letter from the Western Counties Regional Library. (See attached)
Council passed the following motion:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that Council for the Municipality of Clare grant the amount of $500.00 to the Senator Ambroise H. Comeau Memorial Library in order to build shelves for their puzzle exchange program.
MOTION CARRIED
8.2 Letter from the UNSM
The CAO read a letter from the UNSM regarding support to Fort McMurray. (See attached)
Council passed the following motion:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Robert Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Nil Doucet that Council for the Municipality of Clare grant the amount of $1,000.00 to help Fort McMurray rebuild and recover from the 2016 wildfire.
MOTION CARRIED
9) Presentation of 2016-2017 Municipal Budget and Related Motions
The Director of Finance presented the 2016-2017 Municipal Budget to Council. (See attached). Council passed the following motions:
9.1 Municipal Tax Rate: MOTION
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the municipal tax rates for the Municipality of the District of Clare be as follows:
- $1.04 per $100.00 of Assessment as the Residential Taxe Rate (the same rate as the last two (2) years), and
- $2.07 per $100.00 of Assessment as the Commercial Tax Rate (the same rate as the last two (2) years).
MOTION CARRIED
9.2 Sewer Service Charges: MOTION
PROPOSED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Russell Comeau that the Municipal Sewer Service Charges for 2016-2017 be as follows:
- Meteghan, Meteghan Centre, Meteghan River $ 165 per Unit
- Church Point $ 165 per Unit
- Belliveau Cove $ 200 per Unit
MOTION CARRIED
9.3 Street Light Rates: MOTION
PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Russel Comeau that the Street Light Rates for 2016-2017 be as follows:
Highway 1 and Patrice Road – Church Point $ 68.34
Highway 1 – Little Brook and Comeauville $ 40.88
Highway 1 – Saulnierville $ 60.46
Highway 1 – Meteghan River $ 63.84
Placide Comeau Road – Meteghan River $ 75.57
Highway 1 and Peter Dugas Road – Meteghan $ 40.31
John Thibodeau Road – Meteghan Centre $ 840.09 (1 user)
MOTION CARRIED
9.4 Due Date and Interest Rate Commencement Date: MOTION
PROPOSED BY Councillor Lester Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the due date for payment of Municipal Tax be July 31st 2016 and the interest at a rate of 1½ % per month, as it was last year, begin on August 1st, 2016.
MOTION CARRIED
9.5 Municipal Budget 2016-2017: MOTION
PROPOSED BY Councillor Russell Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the 2016-2017 Municipal Budget for the Municipality of the District of Clare be approved as presented on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016.
MOTION CARRIED
10) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer - Stéphane Cyr
11) Committee Reports
11.1 Building Permits Reports: Councillor Danny Hill
No report
11.2 Planning Advisory Committee: Deputy Warden Brian Comeau
No report
11.3 Police Advisory: Councillor Nil Doucet
No report
11.4 Villa Acadienne: Deputy Brian Comeau
No report
11.5 Waste Check: Councillor Robert Thibault
No report
12) New Business
12.1 Motion to appoint an alternate on the WREN's Liaison & Oversight Committee
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Russell Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare appoint Councillor Lester Doucet as the alternate on the Western Regional Enterprise Network's Liaison & Oversight Committee.
MOTION CARRIED
12.2 Motion to eliminate the debt with the Yarmouth International Airport Corporation
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare forgive the amount of $40,000 currently owed the Municipality by the Yarmouth International Airport Corporation.
MOTION CARRIED
12.3 Motion to install streetlights in Belliveau Cove and St. Bernard
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare proceed with the installation of streetlights along the main road in St. Bernard and Belliveau Cove, starting at the St. Bernard Church and ending at the Grosses Coques bridge.
MOTION CARRIED
13) Closed Session
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the Council proceed to an In Camera Session.
MOTION CARRIED
Topics discussed:
13.1 Clare Medical Centre
13.2 Tender for purchase and removal of the former Clare Recycling Plant Machinery / Equipment
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED
14) Date and time of next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on June 15th, 2016 at 7:00 pm.
15) Adjournment
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 8:53 pm
Submitted by
Alain Poirier,
Administrative Assistant of the CAO