Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 at 7pm
PRESENTS: Council: Warden Ronnie LeBlanc; Deputy Warden Brian Comeau; Councillors, Lester Doucet, Nil Doucet, Hector Thibault, Russel Comeau and Robert Thibault.
Staff: Chief Administrative Officer Connie Saulnier, Administrative assistant to the CAO, Alain Poirier
Public: Paul Comeau and Christian Deveau from the accounting firm Grant Thornton and few residents from « Point Road »
ABSENT: Councillor Danny Hill
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1) Call to order
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc called the Council Meeting to order at 7pm.
2) (a) Approval of the Agenda
MOVED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the proposed Agenda be approved at presented.
MOTION CARRIED
(b) Declaration of conflict of interest
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc asked for any declarations of conflict of interest.
NONE DECLARED
3) Presentation
3.1 Financial Statement 2014-2015- Paul Comeau Grant Thornton
Mr. Paul Comeau, Grant Thornton Director presented the Municipality of Clare’s financial statements for 2014-2015. He mentioned it was a good year for the Municipality of Clare and that the Municipality was well positioned for the future.
4) Adoption of the minutes from previous council meetings
4.1 July 22, 2015 Regular Council Meeting
The July 22, 2015 Regular Council Meeting minutes were reviewed. It was noted that there were no errors or omissions.
MOVED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Russel Comeau that the Minutes of July 22nd, 2015, be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
4.2 August 12th, 2015 Council Special Session Meeting
The August 12th, 2015 Council Special Session Meeting minutes were reviewed. It was noted that there were no errors or omissions.
MOVED BY Councillor Robert Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Minutes of August 12th, 2015, be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
4.3 September 2, 2015 Council-In-Committee Meeting
The September 2nd, 2015 Council-In-Committee Meeting minutes were reviewed. It was noted that there were no errors or omissions.
MOVED BY Councillor Lester Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Russel Comeau that the Minutes of September 2nd 2015, be accepted as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
5) Business arising from previous meetings
5.1 Maintenance the monument for people lost at sea
Deputy Warden Brian Comeau mentioned that a letter was sent to the Department of Natural Resources and they are awaiting a response. Warden Ronnie LeBlanc mentioned that the “Société Acadienne de Clare” sent the letter and wanted to have a meeting and were also asking permission to erect the monument on the provincial park grounds in Meteghan.
6) Warden’s Activity Reports – Warden Ronnie LeBlanc
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc listed the meetings and events he attended since the last Council Meeting
July 27th: Meeting with the Digby Municipality and the Digby city to discuss the future of « Digby Clare Energy Enterprise ».
July 29th: Telephone conference with CDENE, Département des affaires acadienne, and the municipalities to discuss the « Réseau Francophone et francophile de l’Amérique ».
July 30th: Greg Kerr’s announcement for the project for the Legion, under the program (Canada 150).
August 5th: 40th Anniversary Celebrations for the Villa Acadienne.
August 9th: Clare Acadien 60th Festival Opening Ceremony.
August 15th: Rising of the flag at the municipal building.
Sept 4th : Meeting with the Weymouth Doctor recruitement Committee.
Sept 10th : UARB hearing for electoral boundaries for the Municipality of Clare
Sept 12th : Official Opening of Lisa T Café.
Sept 16th Meeting with « Transcanada pipeline » for a presentation on « East Energy Marine Terminal in Saint-John.
Sept 18-19: Participed at « Port Days » in Digby.
7) Official statements from the members of the council
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc presented, the flag that was bought for the Gran Fondo event to Council. He mentioned that the flag will float on one of the flag poles at the municipality for a few days.
8) Correspondance
CAO Connie Saulnier read a request from Dianne Blinn who is asking for a sponsorship for the Entrepreneurship Symposium at the Université Sainte-Anne. Council passed the following motion.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Robert Thibault and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Brian Comeau that the Municipality of the District of Clare sponsors the Entrepreneurship Symposium at Université Sainte-Anne in the amount of five hundred dollars ($500.00)
MOTION CARRIED
9) C.A.O. Report – Cheif Administrative Officer Connie Saulnier
CAO Connie Saulnier presented her report (See attached)
10) Committee Reports
10.1 Building Permits Reports : Councillor Danny Hill
Warden Ronnie LeBlanc presented the building permits reports for the month of July and August, in Councillor Danny Hill’s absence, from the department of building inspection.
July
Year Permit Construction Value
2014 28 $1 142 420
2015 33 $1 397 304
August
Year Permit Construction Value
2014 12 $169 263
2015 21 $392 216
10.2 Community Development : Director, Pam Doucet
No report, although the director will present a detailed report of the Gran Fondo event at the next Regular Council Meeting.
10.3 Planning Advisory Committee: Councillor Danny Hill
No report
10.4 Villa Acadienne: Deputy Brian Comeau
No report
10.5 Waste Check: Councillor Robert Thibault
No report
11) New business
11.1 Motion to take over « Point-Road » Belliveau Cove
In accordance with the Municipality of Clare By-Law No. 29, a By-Law relating to the Improvement and Takeover of Private Roads, and having received two-thirds (2/3) consensus from the property owners fronting Point Road petitioning the Municipality to take over « Point Road »,
It is PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Robert Thibault that the Municipality of the District of Clare begin the process required to take over Point Road located in Belliveau Cove.
MOTION CARRIED
11.2 Heating system at the Clare Health Center
CAO Connie Saulnier mentioned that the heating system at the Clare Health Center will need repairing. It’s been 7 years the current heating system was installed and the Health Center is now at its 5th compressor. The Council considers it would be best that a call to offer was sent, but before, CAO Connie Saulnier must do a little research to insure the procedure is acceptable.
11.3 Motion to rename road – « Dirt Road »
The residents living on the connecting road of the « Second Division » up to the resident Dale Dugas’ driveway ask that the road be named « Dirt Road »
PROPOSED BY Councillor Russel Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the road from Second Division Road to the resident Dale Dugas’ driveway be renamed « Dirt Road ».
MOTION CARRIED
11.4 Motion to name new road « Enviro Drive »
The president of SPEC Ressources asked that the name of the new road, built by their business, from Patrice Road, South of the Meteghan River Bridge in Concession, to Spec’s Composting Facility be named ENVIRO DRIVE.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Russel Comeau that the new road from the Patrice Road, south of the Meteghan River Bridge in Concession, to Spec’s Composting Facility be named Enviro Drive.
MOTION CARRIED
11.5 Motion to sponsor Opening Ceremonies of Multicultural week
Mr. Yaye Peukassa, president of the International Association of Université Sainte-Anne, presented to the Council during the Council meeting on September 2nd and asked that the Municipality of Clare sponsor the first multicultural week at University Sainte-Anne. The Council proceeded with the following motion.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the Municipality of the District of Clare sponsor the Opening Ceremonies of Multicultural Week at Université Sainte-Anne in the amount of eighteen hundred dollars ($1,800.00)
MOTION CARRIED
11.6 Motion to award Meteghan Sanitary Sewer Extension Tender
The Municipality of Clare received three (3) bids for the Meteghan Sewer Extension project and the municipality proceeded with the following motion.
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Russel Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare accept the tendered bid in the amount of $1,106,872.70 ($962,498.00+ $144,374.70 HST) as submitted by J.R. Eisener Contracting Limited on August 27th, 2015 for construction of the Meteghan Sanitary Sewer Extension.
MOTION CARRIED
11.7 Motion to approve 2014/2015 audited financial statements for the Municipality of the District of Clare as prepared by Grant Thornton.
Mr. Paul Comeau, director of the Grant Thornton accounting firm presented the municipality’s 2014-2015 financial statements. The Council proceeded with the following motion.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Lester Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the 2014/2015 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the Municipality of the District of Clare, as prepared by the Audit Firm of Grant Thornton and as presented to the Audit Committee on September 23rd 2015.
MOTION CARRIED
11.7.1 Motion to transfer funds from General Operation to Capital Reserve Funds.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Russel Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Robert Thibault that the Municipality of Clare transfer $ 220,000 dollars from the General Operations Fund to the Capital Reserve Fund.
11.8 Motion to support the Belliveau Cove Community Park and Tourist Development projects
Mr. Mark Blinn and Mr. Gary Theriault attended the Council-In-Committee Meeting on September 2nd for a presentation regarding the Belliveau Cove Development Committee to increase tourism. Council passed the following motion.
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Hector Thibault that the Municipality of the District of Clare support the Belliveau Cove Community Park and Tourist Development Projects in the form of a grant of thirty thousand ($30,000) per year for a period of five years, totaling one hundred and fifty thousand ($150,000) beginning in the fiscal year 2016/2017, and that such grant shall be conditional upon the applicant receiving funding approval from other funding partners as identified in the project revenues estimates presented to Council on September 2nd, 2015.
MOTION CARRIED
12) Closed Session
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the Council proceed to an In Camera Session.
MOTION CARRIED
Topic discussed: Property with access to the beach; hiring committee
PROPOSED BY Councillor Hector Thibault and SECONDED BY Councillor Lester Doucet that the Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED
13) Date and time of next council meeting
The next Council meeting will be held on October 21, 2015 at 7PM.
14) Adjournment
PROPOSED BY Councillor Ni Doucet the adjournment of the meeting at 8:55 PM.
Submitted by
Alain Poirier,
Administrative Assistant of the CAO