Municipality of Cumberland council approves first and second reading of rezoning applications
Council passed a motion to approve second reading of a land use bylaw amendment that rezones a property on the Kolbec Road from agricultural to commercial recreation.
The two affected properties total 36 hectares in Port Howe.
The applicants, Evermore Homestead, want to develop the properties to support the operation of four fixed-roof overnight accommodations. Each cabin is expected to be 24 by 30 feet.
Council also passed first reading of a proposed land use bylaw amendment to rezone a property on Highway 307 in Middleboro from agriculture to country residential.
There will be a public hearing scheduled on the proposed amendment.
Currently there is an existing seven-bedroom home on the property being rented by a multi-generational family. Property owners want to convert the single unit dwelling into a duplex to provide more privacy and clear living space for the grandparents.
Council also approved first reading of a proposal to rezone a piece of property on the Fox Point Road in Parrsboro from agriculture to country commercial.
A public hearing will be scheduled.
The proponent wishes to expand the Fox Point Inn to include eight cottage-style mini-homes that will be used as short-term rental properties designated for aging populations. The proposal includes eight single dwelling units, pedestrian footpaths, two-car parking areas for each unit and a new park area.
Council approved first reading of an amendment to the land use bylaw to rezone a property in Linden from agriculture to country residential.
A public hearing will be held.
Rezoning will be a preliminary step toward subdividing and developing the property. The owners intend to use the land to develop a single-unit dwelling.
Council passes first reading of Omnibus Repeal Bylaw
Council has passed first reading of the Omnibus Repeal that will repeal selected existing bylaws of the former towns of Springhill and Parrsboro and the Municipality of Cumberland.
The municipality has repealed numerous by-laws of both former towns before this review. The Clear the Deck report identified more by-laws that should be repealed, as well as those that should be further examined to determine whether they should be repealed or not.
Stantec was hired to do a thorough policy and by-law review for the municipality. It is staff’s intent to use the findings of the report to phase in recommendations for repeals, amendments, and creating new by-laws and policies.
Second reading of the bylaw will be scheduled for later this summer.
Municipal council approves draft Illegal Dumping Policy
The Solid Waste Bylaw regulates the management of solid waste in the municipality. It includes provisions prohibiting the deposit of solid waste at any place other than and approved facility, the power of bylaw officers to enter upon land or premises to conduct inspections and provisions for the enforcement of bylaw.
The proposed policy is intended to work in conjunction with the solid waste bylaw in relation to cases of illegal dumping.
Currently, there is no illegal dumping policy in the municipality.
As part of the process of developing this policy, the procedures of a number of other municipalities were reviewed. The common theme among all other jurisdictions was the investigative powers of either bylaw officers or a solid waste administrator and attempts to identify the person or persons responsible for the illegal dumping.
If no person could be identified then the clean up responsibility falls to the owner of the land. If the illegal dumping occurs on municipal land then the municipality would, in the absence of an identifiable culprit, be responsible for the clean up of the site. If on provincial or private land the clean-up responsibility would fall accordingly.
Miller Waste awarded RFP for supply, maintenance of roll-off dumpsters
Municipal council has awarded a request for proposals for the supply and maintenance of roll-off dumpsters for the Advocate Harbour, Pugwash and River Hebert transfer stations to Miller Waste.
The province has approved changes to how construction and demolition (C&D) debris is managed in Nova Scotia. These changes will impact those three C&D transfer stations operated by the municipality.
To meet the requirements of the new regulations staff have prepared a concept involving the use of roll-off dumpsters that would be located at each site. These dumpsters would have a watertight door that would allow residents to place debris inside and tarps to prevent precipitation from entering the bins.
Gravel pads would be constructed on each site to place the dumpsters and provide a level surface for loading and unloading. Sites would have separate dumpsters for C&D, shingles, metals, and treated lumber.
Council passes motion setting minimum price for 13 properties not sold at tax sale
Council has passed a motion to approve the setting of minimum bids on 13 properties that haven’t sold in recent tax sales.
The Municipal Government Act gives the municipality the authority after a property has not received any bids for the amounts owing, to sell a property at auction for the best price that may be obtained.
If these properties all sold for the recommended minimum bid, the finance department would be required to write off $103,886.60 in taxes, interest and other expenses related to the properties.
However, $101,582.25 has already been included in the previous year’s valuation allowance.
Council approves motion to change the municipality’s pension providers
Municipal council has approved a motion to change pension plan providers to the Nova Scotia Public Superannuation Plan.
During negotiations with CUPE a few years ago, there was a request from union members to explore alternate pension plan models.
In researching options, staff discovered within Nova Scotia there is a trend towards consolidation of pensions, meaning smaller pension plans joining together in multi-employer arrangements.
The municipality retained Eckler actuarial consultants to do three engagement sessions with staff on the possibility of switching to the PSSP, including the risks and benefits of such a move.
After the sessions, employees filled out an anonymous survey and all respondents (40) indicated they supported a switch in pension plans. There were no objections.
The new plan will begin April 1, 2025.
MacKenzie Aitkin appointed to the Accessibility Awareness Committee
Council has approved the appointment of MacKenzie Aitken to the Accessibility Awareness Committee.
The committee was established in 2021 and consists of representatives from the Municipality of Cumberland as well as the villages of Pugwash and River Hebert.
The committee gives advice to council on removing obstacles for people with disabilities in all the municipality’s programs and services and putting our ideas into action to make life simpler and better for people with disabilities.
At least one-half of the members of the committee must have a disability (or represent an organization that serves people with disabilities).
Municipal employees added as municipal development officers and fire inspectors
Municipal council passed a motion appointing Samantha Stewart and Cory DeWitt as development officers and fire inspectors while Kira Norgren has been appointed as a development officer.
Norgren was recently hired as municipal planner with a background in bachelors of community design. Stewart and DeWitt had moved from the front counter to the permits and inspections group where they have been working as Residential Inspectors which is an entry-level building official qualification.