Municipality of the District of Clare
COUNCIL-IN-COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 7:00 pm
Meeting held at 1185 Highway 1, Little Brook, NS

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

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

2) (a) Approval of the Agenda

The CAO asked that the following item be added to the agenda:

  • 6.4 Letter of Support – Fédération régionale des arts et du patrimoine de la Baie Sainte-Marie

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

(b) Declaration of Conflict of Interest
The Warden asked for any declarations of conflict of interest.

Councillor Philippe Gaudet declared a conflict of interest with item 6.4 Letter of Support – Fédération régionale des arts et du patrimoine de la Baie Sainte-Marie.

3) Presentations
3.1 Early Childhood Services – Suzanne Saulnier
Suzanne Saulnier of the CPRPS made a presentation to Council regarding early childhood services in Clare (See attached).

The Warden thanked Ms. Saulnier for her presentation. Council does not want to see a reduction in early childhood services in Clare. Such a reduction could limit employee availability and in doing so, significantly impact the private sector. Council, via the CAO, offered to work with Ms. Saulnier in the new year to arrange a meeting with representatives of the private sector to further discuss this issue.

4) Staff Reports
4.1 Financial Update – Director of Finance, Ginette Cheff
The Director of Finance provided an overview of the Municipality’s financial position. (See attached)

As per the recommendation of the Municipality’s auditors, the Director of Finance, with the support of the CAO, is asking to be removed as a municipal signing officer and replaced with the Director of Community Development, Pam Doucet. Doing so will ensure a greater segregation of duties as part of the Municipality’s internal control processes. Council agreed and made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend amending its signing authorities as follows:

  • Warden Ronnie LeBlanc or Deputy Warden Yvon LeBlanc, and
  • CAO Stephane Cyr or Director of Community Development Pam Doucet

MOTION CARRIED

5) Business arising from Previous Meetings
5.1 Request for Proposals – Housing Action Plan
The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Municipality’s Housing Action Plan closed on November 20, 2020. A total of three proposals were received. Following a detailed review of the proposals, it is the recommendation of both the CAO and the Director of Community Development that Council accept the proposal submitted by SHS Consulting in the amount of $37,270 plus HST. Council agreed and made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend awarding the contract to develop the Municipality’s Housing Action Plan to SHS Consulting in the amount of $37,270 plus HST.
MOTION CARRIED

A key piece to the development of this action plan will be the establishment of a project steering committee comprised of staff, Council members, private sector stakeholders and community representatives. Any members of Council wishing to join this committee are asked to contact the CAO.

5.2 Generator – Clare Health Centre
The CAO provided an update on the proposed purchase and installation of a generator for the Clare Health Centre. Both diesel and propane alternatives were explored. However, the recommendation from staff is for the Municipality to proceed with a diesel model. Doing so, will allow the generator to be housed in the storage building next to the Clare Health Centre, thus sheltering it from the elements and prolonging its useful life. It will also allow for local maintenance/servicing, as opposed to propane which requires a company from outside the Municipality for servicing. As part of this evaluation process, staff has spoken to Riverside Lobster International Inc. Riverside has confirmed that they have four such generators and have never encountered any problems.

In terms of installation, this process will be two-fold. The installation of the bus bar and the splitting of the panel will be awarded to Schneider Electrical Services in the amount of $20,000 plus HST. The Municipality has little choice in this regard as the panel currently in the Clare Health Centre was installed by Schneider and they currently hold the special licenses required for this panel. As for the electrical work to hook up the generator and install the transfer switch, the Municipality is currently waiting on quotes from local suppliers.

An allocation of $75,000 was included in the Municipality’s 2020-21 Capital Budget for the aforementioned purchase and installation of a generator at the Clare Health Centre. Based on the numbers received thus far, the CAO believes this amount to be too low, with the actual cost to total between $90,000 to $100,000. With this said, the CAO is asking if Council still wishes to proceed. Council was unanimous in its view on the importance of the generator to the Clare Health Centre and asked the CAO to continue moving this file forward. The CAO agreed and will present Council with the

final numbers for the purchase and installation of the generator at its meeting on December 16, 2020.

5.3 Councillor Appointment – Yarmouth Hospital Foundation
Councillor Philippe Gaudet was appointed to the boards of both the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation and the Villa Acadienne. Unfortunately, the timing of these monthly meetings has resulted in a scheduling conflict and Councillor Gaudet has asked to be replaced on the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Board. Council agreed and opted to issue an expression of interest to appoint a community member to the Foundation’s Board.

5.4 Fast EV Chargers
As a follow-up to the CAO’s report for November 2020, the EV charger project is no longer being led by NS Power and is now being managed by the WREN. The WREN has hired Bruce McCulloch, MCC Energy Strategies Inc, to provide consulting and advisory services on this file. Funding is being sought under Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Under this program, the maximum application amount is $2M. A minimum of 20 chargers must be purchased for the application to be deemed eligible. Although the WREN is the proponent, project applications may contain multiple recipients. Funding of 50% up to a maximum of $100k is available per recipient. In addition to Natural Resources Canada, additional funding will also be sought from other sources including the Province of NS and Nova Scotia Power.

The goal of this project is to promote the use of electric vehicles will also reducing demand on the grid, thus the availability of solar and batteries. To date, the Municipality of Digby is looking at four sites for level 2 chargers, the Municipality of Yarmouth had identified seven sites for level 2 chargers and the Municipality of Barrington is looking and one level 3 charger. The CAO is recommending the Municipality apply for three level-3 chargers to be located at the Joseph and Marie Dugas Park, the Clare Veterans Centre, and the Cape St. Mary Lighthouse Park. A level-3 charger is a 50 KW charger which can provide sufficient charge in 30 minutes to allow a vehicle to drive 200 km. A single level-3 charger, tied to the grid and including installation, is $80k.

Given the December 10, 2020 submission deadline, the CAO is looking for direction from Council in terms of program participation. After much discussion, Council agreed to proceed with three level-3 chargers and passed the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Yvon LeBlanc and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend contributing a maximum of $160,000 towards the purchase and installation of three level-3 EV Chargers within the Municipality.
MOTION CARRIED

6) New Business
6.1 Dangerous and Unsightly
The CAO provided an update on three sites which have been flagged under the Municipality’s Dangerous and Unsightly Premises By-law. Two of these sites – the Saulnierville Wharf and a private residence in Salmon River – will be visited by the Enforcement Officer for Waste Check for possible breach of compliance with the Municipality’s Solid Waste Resources By-law. The third property – a mink ranch – will be referred to the NS Department of Environment for review.

6.2 Safety Concerns – Intersection of Amirault Road and Second Division Road
Councillor Carl Deveau expressed concern regarding the intersection of Saulnierville Road and Second Division Road given the frequency of vehicular accidents. A light was previously installed by the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (NSTIR) in the hopes it would remedy the situation. Unfortunately, there continues to be a high volume of accidents. Councillor Deveau is requesting a letter be sent to NSTIR asking for the installation of speed bumps on the Second Division Road, on both sides of the intersection, as a further means of preventing vehicular accidents. Council agreed and passed the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Brian Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend sending a letter to the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal asking it to conduct a safety review of the intersection of Saulnierville Road and Second Division Road, including the possible installation of speed bumps.
MOTION CARRIED

6.3 Brush Cutting Along Farm Roads
Councillor Carl Deveau was approached by residents concerning the need for brush cutting along service roads. The current overgrowth is currently preventing some landowners from accessing their property and is also viewed as a safety concern should fire and other emergency services providers require access. Therefore, Councillor Deveau is requesting a letter be sent to the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal asking that the brush along the highway service roads be cut. Council agreed and passed the following motion:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nil Doucet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend sending a letter to the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal asking it to trim the overgrown brush along the highway service roads so as to ensure proper access.
MOTION CARRIED

6.4 Letter of support – Fédération régionale des arts et du patrimoine de la Baie Sainte-Marie
The Fédération régionale des arts et du patrimoine de la Baie Sainte-Marie (FRAP) is requesting a letter of support from the Municipality, to include as part of its application to Heritage Canada, for its project entitled Cuisine et culture interactive et inclusive. The CAO provided a description of the project. Council commented positively on the project, its ties to the Acadian culture, and the interesting linkages to the Municipality’s Welcoming Francophone Community project. The following motion to recommend was made:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend sending a letter of support to the Fédération régionale des arts et du patrimoine de la Baie Sainte-Marie for its project entitled Cuisine et culture interactive et inclusive.
MOTION CARRIED

7) Questions and Comments from the Public
None.

8) Closed Session

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Yvon LeBlanc that Council proceed to closed session.
MOTION CARRIED

Topics Discussed:
8.1 Contract Negotiations
8.2 Acquisition and Sale of Municipal Property

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

PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Yvon LeBlanc and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend extending the completion date of its agreement of purchase and sale with Old School Cannabis Inc. (formerly Pound Cannabis Inc.) by an additional 12 months, to December 18, 2021.
MOTION CARRIED

PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend accepting the proposal for the completion of a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment at the Ecoparc in Meteghan, as submitted by Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions (a Division of Wood Canada Ltd.), in the amount of $39,249 plus HST.
MOTION CARRIED

9) Date and time of the next Council-in-Committee Meeting
The next Council-in-Committee Meeting will be held on January 6, 2020 at 7:00 pm.

10) Adjournment
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 9:05 pm.

Submitted by

Ashley Hanks,
Executive Assistant