Municipality of the District of Clare
COUNCIL-IN-COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 7:00 pm
Meeting held at 1185 Highway 1, Little Brook

PRESENT: Council: Deputy Warden Eric Pothier, Councillors Nil Doucet, Danny Hill, Philippe Gaudet, Carl Deveau, Brian Comeau, and Nadine Comeau
Staff: CAO, Stéphane Cyr, Executive Assistant, Ashley Hanks, Communications Officer, Anique Dugas
Presenters: Brenda LaGrandeur, Project Coordinator, WREN
ABSENT: Warden Yvon LeBlanc

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

2) Approval of the Agenda
The CAO asked that the following item be added to the agenda:

• 7.6 Letter to the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE)

Councillor Nil Doucet asked that the Chemin de la Pointe à Major be included in camera, as part of:

• 9.1 Contract Negotiations

MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the proposed agenda be approved with the above noted additions.
MOTION CARRIED

3) Declaration of Conflict of Interest.
None.

4) Presentations
4.1 Western NS Immigration Partnership - Brenda LaGrandeur, WREN
Brenda LaGrandeur presented an overview of the Western NS Immigration Partnership, the results achieved to date, and plans moving forward. (See attached)

5) Staff Reports  
None.

6) Business arising from Previous Meetings
6.1 Joint Council Meeting – Municipalities of Clare and Argyle
The joint Council meeting between the Municipalities of Clare and Argyle is scheduled for June 28 at 6:30 pm, at the new municipal office building in Tusket. For Councillors unable to attend in person, a virtual option will be available.

7) New Business
7.1 Municipal Boundary Review
The Municipality’s Boundary Review was held on May 18, 2023. Roland Deveau from the UARB presided. No members of the public were in attendance and the UARB confirmed they received no letters of comment or requests to speak.

In terms of the review itself, Mr. Deveau was satisfied with the existing number of Councillors.

As for the proposed boundary changes, Mr. Deveau had some questions which C+D Community Design and the CAO were able to answer. Being from the area, the proposed changes to districts 6,7, and 8 struck him as odd. This notwithstanding, he found no fault with the Municipality’s proposal and was prepared to accept it as presented. However, before doing so, he did offer an alternative scenario. Because the existing boundaries seem to work well and only one district (District 4) is slightly outside the +/- 10% parity, Mr. Deveau offered Council the opportunity to simply maintain the current boundaries (i.e., status quo).

Should Council opt to keep the status quo, Mr. Deveau confirmed that no additional public consultations would be required.

Administratively, this is certainly very appealing. Furthermore, with the upcoming election in 2024, it avoids possible voter confusion and allows the Municipality to maintain existing polling stations, districts, maps, etc.

On May 24, 2023, an official letter was received from the UARB reiterating Mr. Deveau’s earlier offer to accept the scenario proposed by C+D Community Design or keep the existing boundaries. As per the letter, the CAO has been asked to discuss this offer with Council at an upcoming Council meeting (so it’s documented in the minutes) and respond in writing to the UARB to advise them of Council’s decision.

Council discussed both scenarios and made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Brian Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend amending its 2022 municipal boundary application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB) to maintain the existing polling district boundaries.
MOTION CARRIED

7.2 NSFM Survey on Policing Services
The NSFM is conducting a survey on policing services throughout NS. Each Councillor has been emailed a copy of the survey and asked to fill it out to the best of their knowledge before June 21, 2023. The CAO will consolidate the responses and forward them to the NSFM.

7.3 Clare Pride – Request for Community Flag to be Flown on Municipal Flagpole
Clare Pride has submitted a request to fly the Pride Flag on the Municipality’s community flagpole from June 1 to June 30, 2023. The request is compliant with the Municipality’s Flag Flying Policy. Council made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend approving the request submitted by Clare Pride to fly the pride flag on the Municipality's community flagpole from June 8, 2023, to June 30, 2023, inclusively.
MOTION CARRIED

7.4 Smuggler’s Cove Provincial Park
The bottom stairs at the Smugglers Cove Provincial Park were lost over the winter due to storms. The park is popular with tourists and residents alike, many of whom have reached out to municipal staff and Council expressing their concerns about the lack of access to the shore. The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) has since communicated in writing to the Municipality that they will not be replacing these stairs. (See attached) Council considers this response unacceptable given the impact on the Municipality’s tourism and recreational product offerings, as well as the public safety concerns this creates (as some residents are now using a very precarious path down the cliffs to access the shore). As such, Council made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend sending a letter to MLA Ronnie LeBlanc outlining its concerns with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables’ decision to not replace the stairs at Smugglers Cove Provincial Park.
MOTION CARRIED

7.5 Municipal Innovation Program Application
To comply with the new, mandatory provincial planning requirements, the CAO is proposing a joint municipal planning effort with the Municipality of the District of Shelburne. Similar planning exercises carried out elsewhere in the Province have cost in the range of $250,000. In order to help offset these costs, the Municipalities of Clare and Shelburne have submitted a joint application to the NS Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing (DMAH), under its Municipal Innovation Program (MIP), for 75% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $175,000. The remaining 25% or $75,000 will be shared equally between the two participating municipal units. Whereas neither municipal unit has a municipal planner on staff, the proposed approach is believed to be the most efficient and cost effective to achieve compliance. The Municipality of Clare’s contribution ($37,500) has already been budgeted as part of its previously approved 2023-2024 operating budget. This notwithstanding, a formal motion from Council specifically approving these funds as part of the MIP application, is required by DMAH. Council agreed with the approach put forward by the CAO and made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Philippe Gaudet and SECONDED BY Councillor Nil Doucet that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend endorsing the joint municipal planning effort with the Municipality of the District of Shelburne and contribute 12.5%, up to a maximum of $37,500 plus applicable HST, as part of the joint funding application to the Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing, under its Municipal Innovation Program, for the completion of an intermunicipal planning strategy.
MOTION CARRIED

7.6 Letter to the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE)
La Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE) has named Jules Chiasson as its new Executive Director. The CAO is recommending the Municipality send a letter to Mr. Chiasson congratulating him on his new position. Council agreed and made the following motion to recommend:

PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare recommend sending a letter to Mr. Jules Chiasson congratulating him on having been recently appointed as the new Executive Director of the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE).
MOTION CARRIED

8) Questions and Comments from the Public
Communications Officer, Anique Dugas, expressed her concerns with the provincial response concerning the stairs at Smugglers Cove, citing the historical significance of the site and its importance to the local tourism industry.

9) Closed Session

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that Council proceed to closed session.
MOTION CARRIED

Topics Discussed:
9.1 Contract Negotiations

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED

PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that Council approve up to $15,000 for the preparation of conceptual plans and an opinion of probable cost for a new fire hall (with community centre) for the Havelock Fire Department.
MOTION CARRIED

9) Date and time of the next Council-in-Committee Meeting
The next Council-in-Committee Meeting will be held on July 5, 2023, at 7:00 pm.

10) Adjournment

PROPOSED BY Councillor Nil Doucet to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 pm.

Submitted by
Ashley Hanks,
Executive Assistant