Municipality of Cumberland names its representative volunteers
The Municipality of Cumberland’s council has selected Kyla Cardinal as its representative volunteer of the year and Alex Poplar as its representative youth volunteer.
They will be recognized along with more than 25 local volunteers at the municipality’s annual volunteer recognition event on April 16 at the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre.
This event coincides with National Volunteer Week from April 14 to 20.
Cardinal is volunteer firefighter with the Springhill Fire Department and helps raise money for people dealing with food insecurity. She organized Sparky’s Food Drive that helps local food banks and school programs by supplying funding for food and to date has raised nearly $30,000 in food and cash donations. She says it would not been possible without the support of the fire department and the community.
Poplar is an active volunteer in the River Hebert area as secretary for a non-profit where he prepares agendas, records meeting minutes and can often be found writing grant applications to improve the community.
He was successful in accessing $18,000 in support of the food pantry and spends a lot of time volunteering at the community centre where he’s active in the food pantry assembling and distributing food orders, supervision, tracking and sales of memberships, snack bar sales, helping with fundraising events organizing teen nights and teaching racquet sports.
Municipal council approves Iron Maple Constructors proposal for new Springhill fire station
Cumberland municipal council has approved the proposal submitted by Iron Maple Constructors Inc. in the amount of $5.38 million plus HST to design and build the new Springhill fire station.
The municipality undertook a review of fire services in 2021 with the final report and recommendations received later in the year.
The Springhill fire station is one of four hubs. It was built in 1972 and has not seen any major renovations since. The building is on a small lot and is undersized for the vehicular equipment currently being used.
The total project cost, including non-recoverable HST and Land acquisition, is $5,715,307 to be funded by $3 million in Canada Community Building Funds, $1 million from the fire capital reserve and $1,715,307 in Municipal Financial Capacity Grant Top-Up funds.
The project is expected to be complete in March of 2025.
Municipal council votes to approve collective agreement with CUPE Local 919
Cumberland municipal council has voted to approve the collective agreement between the municipality and CUPE Local 919 effective Nov. 1, 2023, until March 31, 2027.
The most recent collective agreement expired Oct. 31, 2023. Since then, staff, with the assistance of an external lead negotiator, have reached a tentative agreement with CUPE Local 919. The agreement has been ratified by the union.
The percentage of wage increase is consistent with similar ratified agreements in the province.
The increase is 12 per cent over four years. The cost of the four-year agreement is $449,135.
Council accepts asset management policy
Cumberland municipal council has to accept its Asset Management Policy.
The development of a robust asset management plan is a priority from the Clear the Deck report.
Subsequently, council provided resources for an external agency to complete a plan that will provide the basis for capital programming strategies from an asset management perspective.
The Municipality of Cumberland owns and manages over $685 million worth of capital assets in various categories including wastewater, potable water, solid waste (under a third-party service contract), streets and transportation, protective services, recreation and general government.
This capital program will focus on long-term asset management planning.
The goal is to provide short-term capital works projects and identify any critical issues with long-term (generational) infrastructure demands based on projections of anticipated revenue.
Municipality continues preparations for October’s municipal election
Council is continuing its preparations for the October municipal election by voting to accept several requests from the returning office.
Requests included setting the dates for advance polls from Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, to Oct. 19, 2024; providing the use of the provincial voters list as the preliminary voters list; selecting Oct. 9, 2024, as the deadline for revisions to the electors list; setting the candidates’ deposit fee at $200 and approving the proposed tariff of fees and expenses.
The 2020 Municipal Election was held via a hybrid using both electronic and in-person methods in seven of eight districts and for a mayor, resulting in nine new members of council.
Staff are and will be providing council with the information to make decisions to ensure that the Municipality of Cumberland’s election of carried out in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act.
Revised Tourism Signage Guidelines approved by municipal council
Council has approved the revised Tourism Signage Guidelines and Standards and will apply adjustments for the first established Signage Control - one for Fort Lawrence, Highway 2.
Also, council has approved a change of name of the current document from the Tourism Signage Guidelines and Standards to the Public Highway Signage Guidelines and Standards.
This supports the collective desire to address the copious number of signs in the area and consolidate into fewer signs with streamlined designs as this is the first point of entry into the municipality and neighbouring Town of Amherst the desire to improve this important gateway has been a focus.
Arthur J. Gallagher, BFL Canada awarded insurance tenders by municipal council
Cumberland municipal council has voted to award the general insurance services tender to Arthur J. Gallagher for $352,623 and the volunteer fire department insurance services tender to BFL Canada for $427,856.
It represents a decrease of just over $40,000 from 2023-24.
Council passes first reading of land use change for medi-spa in Pugwash
Municipal council has approved first reading of an amendment to the land use bylaw to permit the operation of a medi-spa on the first level of 272 Gulf Shore Rd.
The bylaw would be amended to add personal service shops to the list of permitted uses within an institutional zone.
The property is on the outskirts of the Pugwash village urban core and is beside the North Cumberland Memorial Hospital.
The building is owned by Conrad Dental Services, located on the second floor, while the N.S. Health Authority rents the lower level, but is moving into the new hospital when completed.
The owner wants to rent space to a medi-spa with the remaining rental areas for personal service shops compatible with health care.
A public hearing will be held prior to second reading.
First reading of land use changes to permit Springhill, Parrsboro developments passed
Council has approved first reading of an amendment to the land use bylaw that will permit the development of two multi-unit dwellings on Main Street and the future development of a multi-unit dwelling on the remaining land.
The neighbouring properties are designated as lower density.
A public hearing will be held before second reading.
Council also approved first reading of an amendment to the land use bylaw to permit the development of a single unit dwelling at 121 Main St., Parrsboro.
The amendment would see the property rezoned from a downtown commercial zone to a mixed used commercial zone.
The adjoining properties are mostly zoned as mixed-use commercial with a few properties zoned as downtown commercial.