Council Minutes

October 14, 2004

A meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Yarmouth was held on Thursday, October 14^th, 2004, in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall, Yarmouth, N. S.

CALL TO ORDER

The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. with the playing of O= Canada.

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE

Mayor Charles Crosby
Deputy Mayor Cliff Hood
Councillor Martin Pink
Councillor Murray Judge
Councillor Byron Boudreau
Councillor Esther Dares
Councillor Wally Strickland
Solicitor, Greg Barro
C.A.O., Jeff Gushue
Recording Secretary, Linda Surette

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

MOVED BY Councillor Strickland, SECONDED BY Councillor Pink that the agenda be approved, as circulated.

MOTION CARRIED

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

MOVED BY Councillor Judge, SECONDED BY Councillor Strickland that the minutes of September 9^th, 2004, (Council), September 20^th and October 1^st, 2004 (Finance & Council) be approved, as circulated.

MOTION CARRIED

BUSINESS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR ACTION

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YARMOUTH WESLEYAN CHURCH REQUEST

Correspondence from Duane MacLeod, Pastor of Music and Fine Arts for the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church, requesting permission to post A Living Christmas Tree@ promotional signs on private properties belonging to Yarmouth Wesleyan Church members for one month, was considered.

MOVED BY Councillor Dares, SECONDED BY Councillor Strickland that the request from the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church requesting permission to post A Living Christmas Tree@ promotional signs on private properties belonging to Yarmouth Wesleyan Church members for one month, be approved.

MOTION CARRIED

Editor= s Note: Council has the authority to grant a temporary exemption of the signage by-law.

CANADIAN FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES

Correspondence from Leanne Hachey, Director of Provincial Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses regarding the Business Occupancy Tax, was considered.

MOVED BY Councillor Hood , SECONDED BY Councillor Judge that correspondence be forwarded to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, regarding the elimination of the Business Occupancy Tax, indicating the Town of Yarmouth= s support of the position of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities.

MOTION CARRIED

Questions arose regarding the amount of tax businesses pay and it was noted that a portion of the taxation is a result of requests from the business community.

CORRESPONDENCE B PREVIOUSLY DISTRIBUTED.

TREPA

Councillor Boudreau inquired if the information distributed to Council regarding the proposed bike routes had been referred to Leisure Services. The CAO advised the information had been provided to that Department.

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Councillor Dares commented that this would be a huge opportunity for the citizens of the Town of Yarmouth as well as developers in the way of a green space for the area. She suggested the information should be distributed to the Planning Advisory Committee for their consideration as well.

MOVED BY Councillor Dares, SECONDED BY Councillor Boudreau that copies of the information from TREPA regarding their community outreach, service and education mission be forwarded to the Leisure Services Committee as well as the Planning Advisory Committee.

MOTION CARRIED

REPORTS

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Councillor Pink advised he was unable to attend the last Finance Committee however the items discussed were addressed at the Council meeting that followed immediately after the Finance Committee meeting.

PUBLIC WORKS

TENDER - BULK WOOD GRINDING/ASPHALT SHINGLE SHREDDING

The C.A.O. advised invited tenders were received from three firms for the grinding of bulk waste wood & shredding of asphalt shingles at the Hardscratch Road landfill site.

MOVED BY Councillor Byron , SECONDED BY Councillor Boudreau, that the tender for bulk wood grinding and asphalt shingle shredding be awarded to Verboom Grinders Ltd. in the amount of $37,850.00 + HST.

MOTION CARRIED

TENDER - TRUCKING OF HIGHWAY SALT

The C.A.O. also advised invited tenders were received from four suppliers for the trucking of bulk highway salt from Pugwash to Yarmouth.

MOVED BY Councillor Dares , SECONDED BY Councillor Pink, that the tender for the trucking of bulk highway salt from Pugwash to Yarmouth be awarded to the lowest tenderer, G. K. Morse Trucking Ltd. in the amount of $24.00 per tonne + HST.

MOTION CARRIED

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FIRE ADVISORY POLICY COMMITTEE

Councillor Pink reported on the recent Volunteer Fire Department banquet whereby Bob Reid and John Murphy were honored. He advised it was an excellent banquet.

Mayor Crosby commented that Martin Doucette had served forty years and Loren Penny had served thirty-five years were recognized as well during the banquet.

MOVED BY Councillor Pink, SECONDED BY Councillor Dares that a letter of congratulations be forwarded to Martin Doucette and Loran Penney in recognition of their long service to the Volunteer Fire Department.

MOTION CARRIED

PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Chair of the Planning Advisory Committee brought forward the following recommendations from the Public Hearing of October 14, 2004:

MOVED BY Councillor Boudreau , SECONDED BY Councillor Dares, to amend an existing development agreement between the owners of 27 Willow Street and the Town of Yarmouth.

MOTION CARRIED

MOVED BY Councillor Wally , SECONDED BY Councillor Dares, to amend the Land Use By-law, in particular Part 6.8 to enable commercial and industrial uses which have a deeded use of a property to erect off-site signage on a permitted ground sign on that property provided the property housing the use which the sign advertises immediately adjoins said property and provided all other provisions related to ground signs are satisfied as outlined in the Planner= s Report.

MOTION CARRIED

MOVED BY Councillor Judge, SECONDED BY Councillor Dares to amend the Land Use By-law by inserting a new provision enabling commercial drive-thrus in the General Commercial (C-2) zone and the Commercial Industrial (CI-6) zone.

MOTION CARRIED

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Editor= s Note: Councillor Pink abstained from voting on the above motions as he was not present during the discussion at the Public Hearing.

Following discussion regarding the Streets & Sidewalks By-law the following motion resulted:

MOVED BY Councillor Dares, SECONDED BY Councillor Strickland that the Streets & Sidewalks By-law be referred to the Planning Advisory Committee to review to remove some of the duplication and obsolete portions involved in this By-law.

MOTION CARRIED

WATER UTILITY

Deputy Mayor Hood advised the Town is working with Working with the MP= s office and others to schedule an official opening of the Water Treatment Plant.

JOINT HERITAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Councillor Dares advised there is a half-day workshop for citizens interested in promoting heritage scheduled for the morning of Saturday, November 6, 2004. She further advised that the workshop is geared to gather owners of heritage homes, members and staff of historical societies and museums, businesses catering to tourists, community groups, real estate brokers and individuals with a fascination in the rich history of Yarmouth County and is being sponsored by the Municipality of Yarmouth, Municipality of Argyle and the Town of Yarmouth.

Councillor Dares also pointed out that the Heritage Coordinator is still out on sick leave due to an injury and it is expected that it will be months before she returns. As she has been out since May the Committee is finding it difficult to get work done and the Committee has requested their respective Councils ask their administrative staff to investigate the temporary vacancy of this position and provide a solution.

Councillor Dares circulated a photo of the property at 190 Main Street belonging to the Garsons. The owners have requested that they be allowed to demolish the warehouse portion of the property as it is in danger of falling down.

MOVED BY Councillor Dares, SECONDED BY Councillor Judge that permission be granted for the demolition of the A warehouse@ portion of the heritage property located at 190 Main Street.

MOTION CARRIED

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PARKING COMMISSION

Deputy Mayor Hood advised that the Parking Commission only meets once a year to set the rate, therefore there is no report.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Councillor Judge advised there has not been a meeting for some time and there is no report.

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Deputy Mayor Hood advised there was no report but that work was near completion in South Yarmouth.

YARMOUTH ARGYLE HOME SUPPORT SERVICES

Councillor Judge advised a staff meeting of the Yarmouth Argyle Home Support Services is scheduled for tomorrow.

YARMOUTH COUNTY TOURIST ASSOCIATION

Councillor Strickland advised there was no report.

DOCTORS= ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE

Councillor Strickland advised that Dr. VanAardt has left his practice in Tusket and has applied for a nurse practitioner to fill in for his office in Tusket. Councillor Strickland provided an update on Dr. VanAardt= s application. He advised the Committee would be meeting again on November 17, 2004 and hoped to reach some decisions that would allow them to help solve the doctor shortage problem and relieve some of the strain it has put on the other physicians.

Councillor Strickland suggested that Council look at students who are leaving here to study to be a doctor and help them locate back here.

Councillor Pink and Mayor Crosby advised there are ongoing discussions progressing with the UNSM and that part of the problem is that our current doctors would need to take on the practitioner and act as a mentor to the incoming doctors who only have a defined licence.

Councillor Pink made a suggestion that the next Council take whatever action required to lobby the government to make the doctor shortage situation a better one for Yarmouth.

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Councillor Dares suggested that the scholarship given to the Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School be increased and perhaps put conditions that it be given to a student entering into studies of the sciences or medical profession.

Councillor Pink advised the doctor shortage issue was a serious issue for the Town and surrounding areas and,

IT WAS AGREED that the doctor shortage issue be brought up as a priority of the next Council.

STAFF REPORTS

The CAO addressed the issue of Strategic Planning. He suggested the beginning of this process would be to hold a meeting whereby Council would be invited to hear from staff on proposals for the future of the Town.

IT WAS AGREED that this should be brought forward to the next Council.

HALLOWE= EN

Mayor Crosby reminded Council and the public that Hallowe= en will be held on Saturday, October 30^th, 2004 and not Sunday, the 31^st. The Municipality of the District of Yarmouth is following the same procedure for Hallowe= en.

APPROVAL OF THE INVOICES

MOVED BY Councillor Pink , SECONDED BY Councillor Dares, that the invoices as approved by the various chairpersons be approved.

MOTION CARRIED

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS

The Deputy Mayor commented that this would be the last official function that this Council would perform which completes the mandate of the last four year term. He also commented that they had accomplished more as a Council, group, and team than any other Council and that this was probably the best run he has had for Council. He thanked everyone for their cooperation including the previous CAO and new CAO and hoped they would be teamed up again in the new Council.

Councillor Boudreau commented that he enjoyed working with this Council and learned a lot from each and everyone.

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Mayor Crosby echoed Deputy Mayor Hood and commented that Council has worked very well in the last four years and should be very proud of what Council has achieved for our community.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

IT WAS AGREED the next regular meeting would be scheduled for November 4^th, 2004.

ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 8:29 p.m.

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MAYOR

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CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER