[15:11] Thank you very much, Sergeant Adams. And welcome everyone in the gallery, colleagues, it's nice to see you today. And welcome everyone watching distantly. We're gathered today for the Tuesday, August 25th, 2026 meeting of the Halifax Regional Council.

[15:27] Halifax Regional and Municipality is located in MacMaggy, the ancestral and traditional lands of the MacMag people. The municipality acknowledges the peace and friendship treaties signed in this territory and recognizes that we are all treaty people.

[15:39] The Halifax Regional Municipality also recognizes the unique history, heritage and enduring

[15:44] presence of African Nova Scotians, whose roots in Nova Scotia span more than 400 years.

[15:50] We celebrate the significant contributions of African Nova Scotians to the social, cultural,

[15:55] economic and civic life of our municipality, and acknowledge the leadership, knowledge, and excellence

[16:00] that continue to enrich our communities.

[16:03] This affirmation reflects our commitment to honoring the legacy and ongoing contributions

[16:06] of African Nova Scotians in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

[16:11] And with that, colleagues will come to order and we'll jump right, oh, why don't we have

[16:16] a moment of silence, actually?

[16:17] We'll start that way, would invite everyone to have a moment of silence for prayer or meditation

[16:23] or choir reflection.

[16:58] And we'll move right into item two, special community announcements and acknowledgements.

[17:05] And I'll just wait for any names to populate on the board and I see Councillor Gillis

[17:13] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[17:15] I'm pouring everyone and for everyone watching at home, I'd like to announce that our MP

[17:20] bringing Clark is hosting a series of town halls throughout the communities in HRM.

[17:24] And he'll be hosting one with myself, my fabulous colleague here from Fall River and the MLA

[17:30] Brian Long, this Thursday, August 27th at the Beaver Bank community contact community center from 6-730.

[17:38] Hope to see everyone there. Thank you.

[17:40] Thank you for that, and we'll move on to Councilor Declan again, please.

[17:46] Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor, but I'll last two or three weekends.

[17:50] I think I've spent them with hundreds of volunteers.

[17:53] And so congratulations to the volunteers and organizers of the Close Committee.

[18:00] That's in Fall River and Windsor Junction, and to the Halifax County Exhibition.

[18:05] I'm of well over 10,000 attendees, I believe, at the Halifax County Exhibition.

[18:09] So it was pretty great, and Annie's tea in Waverley.

[18:12] So that's all about working with the volunteers,

[18:15] but today what I really wanted to speak about as well

[18:18] was we have one of our staff who is retiring after 28 years.

[18:23] And I'm sorry, P.J., we got you here

[18:25] under false pretenses, maybe.

[18:29] He j, P.J. Temple has been with us for 28 years

[18:34] and coordinating the grants program.

[18:36] And of course, having spent 40 years

[18:39] in the non-profit sector.

[18:40] I've had a connection with PJ and the work that she's done.

[18:44] But I also want to say that PJ has grown the non-profit sector

[18:50] in a way that maybe she doesn't even realize

[18:52] because of her work.

[18:54] She's really assisted many non-profits in HRM to be better,

[18:59] to be sustainable, challenge them when it came

[19:03] to some of the financial stuff.

[19:04] My personal story is when we were looking

[19:07] from land that desk, P.J. I remember this one, and it wasn't looking good in the beginning,

[19:14] but P.J. had the right questions, and because she had the right questions, it forced us

[19:20] to make an even better proposal, and that's now exists, and it's a show place in Atlantic Canada,

[19:27] even across the country, as a show place for persons with disability, and then kind of environment

[19:33] that they deserve and need to be, and P.J. has played a big role in that, and I think there's

[19:41] not enough, thank you's to be able to be said. So P.J. is just a small thing, just a couple

[19:45] of flowers for you. Thank you.

[20:13] Bravo, Petta, Jane. Thank you very much, Councillor David again, and for that beautiful

[20:18] acknowledgement. We will certainly miss you around here, P.J. Thank you. And we will move on to

[20:24] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to also acknowledge that MP Braden Clark, MLA Rick,

[20:33] Brandon, myself will be holding Town Hall at the Upper Hamist Plains Community Center,

[20:40] 7-11 Park Park for Oak on Wednesday, the 26 August from 6 to 730. All of welcome in the community to come

[20:54] Thank you very much and Councilor Hinch, please.

[21:00] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[21:01] I wanted to proudly announce my sister-in-law,

[21:06] Barb Hamilton Hinch, who has been named

[21:08] 2026 Order of Nova Scotia, recipient.

[21:12] I just want to say, Dr. Hamilton Hinch is an assistant vice provost,

[21:16] Equity and Inclusion at Dalhaal's University and Professor in the Dalhaal's School of Health

[21:23] And human performances,

[21:27] I'm so proud of my sister and law and all the accomplishments that she has made over the years, and what she has given to our community,

[21:36] I have a discussion community, and we'll continue to give. So I just wanted to acknowledge her today, because I'm so proud of her.

[21:42] That's wonderful. Councillor Hayes, thank you very much for that. And we'll move on to Councillor Manzini, please.

[21:49] Good morning, Mr. Mayor. Good morning, everyone. I like to acknowledge one of our own

[21:53] is having a big birthday tomorrow. Half-act regional council's happiest council

[22:00] or Billigio is going to be 51 tomorrow. Now, the surprisingly thing of that, I thought he was

[22:04] at least could be turning 70, but nevertheless, just once since we're not going to be gathered

[22:09] tomorrow, which Billy Happard birthday, buddy. And as tradition is here in council chambers,

[22:15] you buy the round of coffee later on.

[22:18] I have to be birthday Councillor Gilles.

[22:21] And we'll move on to Councillor Hensby, please.

[22:24] Thank you much, Mr. Mayor, and follow up from Councillor Gilles.

[22:30] We have knowledge, post-seminously, with the Yodermno Scotia. The fact that it was either initiated the Yodermno Scotia with the premier, back, back on the days, and I'm very proud of that accomplishment.

[22:42] I'd also like to thank the organizers that we had to cancel the Sancastle Day on Sunday because the forecast of the rental rains.

[22:50] It's sad that last year we had a drought and wildfire threat. In this year we got rained out. So it seems that we get the best or the worst of both worlds.

[22:58] but hopefully the 45th annual San Calesal Day

[23:03] will be three times the term next year.

[23:06] Also the next largest event on the eastern shores

[23:09] will be this Saturday.

[23:11] I hope for wildlife's open house from 12 to four in C4th.

[23:14] It's always been a great crowd attraction.

[23:18] And I just hope that people respect the no parking

[23:21] signs and one side of the road to make sure

[23:22] we have safe travel along the 207 highway.

[23:25] Thank you.

[23:26] Thank you very much, Councillor Hensby, we'll move on to Councillor Santa Monica, please.

[23:33] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[23:34] I know you've had the pleasure of meeting Bedford's Darcy Egan.

[23:37] He is a young man that graduated from St. Mary's and over the course of 23 days, ran

[23:45] 23 ultramarathons in support of feed Nova Scotia, raising $15,000, he had set a rather ambitious

[23:53] goals in taking that on, running effectively from point to point in Nova Scotia and doing

[24:01] a considerable distance, 1,000 kilometers over the course of 23 days. Just a monumental

[24:07] achievement and a very ambitious event to undertake, and so I'd like to congratulate

[24:12] him on a very successful run and thank him for the tremendous support that he has provided

[24:17] to feed Nova Scotia and trying to help those that are facing food insecurity.

[24:22] Thank you very much, Councillor Sanyam, yes, from the tip of Cape Breton Island to the

[24:26] Lighthouse in Yarmouth, quite a feat, really, quite amazing.

[24:30] Colleagues, it's been a few weeks since Pride Week in Halphax, but we haven't had a

[24:36] council meeting in which to acknowledge the great work done by all involved in another successful

[24:42] Pride Festival.

[24:43] Pride brought, as they always do, thousands of people together across our region to celebrate

[24:48] to us LGBTQ and the growing community here in Halifax while creating opportunities for connection

[24:55] and for visibility and for celebration.

[24:59] And we know that events like Pride are only possible by through a tremendous amount of work

[25:05] that goes on behind the scenes.

[25:07] So on behalf of the Regional Council, I want to say thank you to the organizers, to the volunteers,

[25:11] to the sponsors, the performers, the businesses involved, everyone who helped to make this

[25:15] your success and I would like to make sure that everybody knows that next year there's even

[25:21] more to look forward to as health acts will host Canada Pride and that's going to bring

[25:26] many, many thousands more people from across the country into our municipality giving us an

[25:31] opportunity to showcase this amazing place that we call home. So again, congratulations to

[25:35] health acts pride on a great festival and we look forward to welcoming Canada to Halifax next year's

[25:41] One more colleague's earlier this month, we had the honor of welcoming officers and sailors

[25:46] from the Japan maritime self-defense force to city hall during their visit to the

[25:51] AlphaX Regional Municipality. Canada and Japan share a long-standing friendship built on

[25:56] cooperation, mutual respect and a deep connection to the sea. As Canada's defense city and home

[26:03] to the country's largest naval base, AlphaX is proud to play a role in strengthening those

[26:07] relationships. The reception was followed by a concert in Grand Parade featuring the joint

[26:11] performance of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Band and the Stata Cone Band, a wonderful

[26:16] demonstration of the friendship between these two nations. So thank you to all involved there as

[26:21] well. And I see we do have some more names on the board now. Councillor Kent, over to you.

[26:28] Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor. It's good to see everybody. We don't always see each other through the

[26:33] so hope you've all had a nice good rest and you're ready to rock and roll. I just want to mention that

[26:39] next week in September 5th we will be having hosting a community event acknowledging the opening

[26:46] of a new playground at Soath Woodside Community School. What's particular interesting for me is that

[26:52] I was a counselor when the one that was removed was installed and this was with a significant

[27:01] contribution from Imperial Loyal at the time. They had contributed quite a lot to the

[27:07] community school and there is a little plaque there showing that one and now this one that was

[27:15] replaced. I'm just so pleased that Parks made sure that there was another playground installed

[27:25] that had the significance of a larger space for that school.

[27:30] It's a small school, but they deserve to have something similar to what they had.

[27:35] And I'm really pleased that Parks acknowledged that with replacing it with something larger.

[27:41] So, April 5th at 4th, sorry, September 5th at 4.30 for treats and ribbon cutting.

[27:49] Thank you.

[27:50] Thank you very much for that.

[27:51] Councillor Stamon, back to you.

[27:54] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Now we haven't had a meeting in a little while, and so there are some dates that we've managed to miss, including

[28:01] LaFette Nassana de LaCadille on August 15th. And in my role on council, I was honored to be selected as the official representative for HRM and for this body,

[28:13] to the francophone and a Canadian communities in Nova Scotia, and specifically in Halifax.

[28:18] And so I thought since we haven't had a meeting since the 15th, I would share the

[28:23] the proclamation that the mayor provided on that date when we conducted a flag raising

[28:29] for the Acadian community here at City Hall in Grand Parade. So, the proclamation for the

[28:37] for the Fett Nassian out de la Cadi reads as follows. And forgive me, I'm going to do this when

[28:41] in French as seems very appropriate given circumstances.

[28:45] Colleys Akkadian, part of the region, the restory, the development of Constitula, the first

[28:50] colony of the France, a set-up leader, the Fasson permanent, or Canada, is retrieved

[28:55] maintenance on all the province, a territory of Canandian.

[28:59] Colleys, part of Akkadian, is a country-be-way, the pre-Pu-de-Catson on a vitality, economic,

[29:05] cultural, and social, or Canada.

[29:07] Could the pre-milwitzon-Catrovainer, the Pepka Akkadian Serb, the Kains-U,

[29:13] from the Jornay, the Lafette, the National de la Cadi,

[29:17] could the Pepka Akkadian define the identity of the long-circuiture and secutum?

[29:23] Could the Lainter Red, the Toulicanadian, the Pouvoir-Palthagel,

[29:28] Rich Patrimon, is a historic, and could the Lainadian,

[29:33] and, in the end, all the manifestations, also come to an end,

[29:38] that we can understand, that it is important to encourage

[29:44] the Acadienians and Acadienians to be proud of their heritage.

[29:48] This is why it is the absolute pleasure that I,

[29:51] Jean-Saint-Tamont, is known to be one of the most beautiful films

[29:54] and the original concept of the...

[30:17] Thank you for that.

[30:26] Thank you very much. Thank you for the council.

[30:28] to settle on for recognising the academy and heritage months this month as well as I want to acknowledge

[30:33] that the faculty, the Chesapeake Club, is also recognising it's 30th anniversary this month

[30:38] and I want to wish him a happy birthday and happy celebration.

[30:42] Thank you.

[30:43] Thank you very much for that.

[30:45] I don't see any of the names in the board for announcements.

[30:48] So we will move along to item three approval of the minutes of July 14th, 2026.

[30:53] Could I have a motion?

[30:53] in the Councillor.

[30:54] Gillis seconded by Councillor Sainum I, and is there any discussion on those minutes?

[30:59] Not seeing any show of hands in approval of the adoption of those minutes, and they are

[31:06] approved.

[31:06] Thank you very much.

[31:08] That brings us to the approval of the order of business and approval of additions and

[31:12] deletions.

[31:13] There are some things to add, and some things to jostle around here today.

[31:17] Madam Clerk, would you like to walk us through that?

[31:19] Yes, so there is a request to add the following items, item 18.1, executive standing committee,

[31:28] 2027, Halifax Regional Council, and 202728, or sorry, 2028 proposed budget meeting schedules,

[31:38] as well as item 21.7 proclamation, National Days, Acadians, National Acadian Day, August 15,

[31:48] There's also a request that if there's any in-camera items that Council wishes to test in public to consider these items following item five consent agenda.

[31:59] If Council wishes to convene in-camera to discuss an item, they would not be moved up and remain in the current agenda order.

[32:08] Okay, thank you very much for that. I think that I'll make sense. There are some other folks on the board and we'll start with the deputy mayor, please.

[32:15] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[32:19] So I have a couple of things.

[32:20] One is item 15.1.3 proposed amendments to amend order 2018-003 ADM respecting private road maintenance.

[32:31] I'd like to either move a request that that be deferred to a future meeting of council.

[32:38] I was in conversation through email with Vicki several times yesterday about looking at the criteria that's in the report.

[32:49] There is no rationale right now for the 10 and in conversation with some of my residents that live on private laneways and drives.

[32:59] I just, before we move this forward, I would like to have further conversations with Vicki,

[33:04] so I can come up with a amendment that makes sense and can be supported, so I would like

[33:10] to move that that be deferred.

[33:18] Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor.

[33:20] We will need a seconder for that, perhaps.

[33:23] I saw Councillor Steele there very promptly, and all in favor of deferral.

[33:29] Show of hands, please.

[33:31] Okay.

[33:31] That deferral pass.

[33:32] Thank you for that.

[33:33] Okay.

[33:33] Thank you.

[33:37] And I don't know if this is the time to move the consent agenda that's in the in-camera

[33:47] or to do that.

[33:50] Where's the in?

[33:51] Please, hold.

[33:57] I guess that would move to consent.

[33:59] I'd add that to consent.

[34:01] We will, yeah, we'll come back to the in-camera momentarily.

[34:06] I can't say that.

[34:07] Councillor Austin, please.

[34:08] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[34:10] I'd like to move that we defer 15, 3.1.

[34:13] headstart tennis dome. This is in Councillor White's district and she's not available to join us and

[34:18] that could do better if we consider this at our next meeting.

[34:23] I think Councillor Hartling was quick on the second there and all of the favor of deferring

[34:29] 1531 show of hands please and that passes. Okay that's deferred. Thank you very much. Then we'll

[34:36] carry on to Councillor Mancini please. Thank you Mr. Mayor colleagues I'm asking that an item

[34:42] 16.1 which is Council Hartlings. If we could discuss that earlier in our agenda, either

[34:48] just before our lunch break or just after our lunch break, unfortunately I have to leave early

[34:52] and I want to be around for that conversation so we could have earlier in the agenda that

[34:56] would be appreciated.

[34:58] Thank you very much. I don't think that requires a motion, does that? No. How about we put

[35:06] Councillor,

[35:10] just before 15-1. Is that too everyone? Just before 15-1.

[35:16] Okay,

[35:21] good, very good. Thank you. Councillor Steele, please.

[35:24] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would like to request a presentation for a future meeting for

[35:37] the Chief Administrative Office, Sir, concerning the Nova Scotia Cap Assessment Program impacts.

[35:45] And the future meeting I was looking toward was not the September 15 meeting but September

[35:51] 29 due to staff availability.

[35:55] Okay, so the request is to bring forward the information item, which is number 21.3.

[36:03] Thank you, 21.3.

[36:05] to a future meeting date of September,

[36:08] if I don't have too many pages here, 29?

[36:11] Yes, and I would like a presentation.

[36:14] Presentation, okay.

[36:15] Thank you.

[36:16] We've got that noted now.

[36:17] You're welcome.

[36:19] Okay, let's just make sure we cover everything here.

[36:30] Right, so that looks like we have an amended agenda.

[36:35] Oh, do I see a hand up over there?

[36:38] Okay, thank you.

[36:39] Councillor Cleary has moved the agenda is seconded by Councillor Sainaman and all in favor of that, please.

[36:49] And that we have now adopted that and that can now come back to the in-camera question from the Deputy Mayor, I believe.

[37:07] Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[37:10] So I'm just trying to pull up the right

[37:17] item here, and second, it's no it's 17.5 I think.

[37:31] Yeah, so I know that usually we wait until we get to the end of our agenda to move in camera items that we'd like to pass on consent.

[37:47] This morning I'm going to try to move 17.5 right now the reason being that if there is nobody who is interested in pulling this out for discussion by moving and approving this now, then we'll enable staff to get on with their day and we won't tie them up waiting for us to get to this item.

[38:16] You're on one second. Okay, so I would like to test council by moving item 17.5 on the consent agenda.

[38:31] First, the motion's been seconded by Councillor Hinch, and Madam Clerk, I will seek your guidance on if we're going to have a hand vote on this or how to hear a recorded vote. Thank you very much.

[38:42] So we'll proceed to a recorded vote right now.

[39:01] The motion carries. Thank you very much.

[39:03] deputy mayor. We will now come to the consent agenda. There are a few items on today's consent

[39:13] agenda. Fifteen one centralized grants reporting concept. Fifteen two one TMR tool by bigger part

[39:22] TMR2 dual band radio 2026 slash 2027 capital budget transfer, 1531 has been deferred, 15.3.2 affordable housing strategy. I would like to remove that from consent. 15.3.3 Dartmouth regional pickle ball facility and 15.4.1 major events policy framework and looking at the board. I see the deputy mayor please.

[39:50] Oh, nope, that wouldn't, I think that's a love deal for it.

[39:55] That's a remnant, okay.

[39:57] Thank you.

[39:58] Any other comments on the consent agenda, Alex?

[40:01] Okay, so affordable housing.

[40:07] Okay, there's a motion from Councillor.

[40:10] It's way to everyone catches up.

[40:12] Yeah, the only removal would be 1532.

[40:15] And there's a motion from Councillor Clery to approve the consent agenda

[40:19] in the second bid by Councillor Steele, and we will go to a recorded vote.

[40:37] In the amended consent agenda is approved. Thank you.

[40:40] Item 6 business arising out of the minutes, I don't believe we have any today.

[40:44] Item 7, call for declarations of conflicts of interest, colleagues, anyone.

[40:49] Seeing none.

[40:51] Item 8, motions of reconsideration. There are none.

[40:53] Item 9, motions of recision. There are none today.

[40:57] Item 10, consideration of deferred business.

[40:59] from July 14th, 2026, we have item 10.1, which was deferred to the request of Councillor

[41:06] Hensch.

[41:07] The item is dismantling racism and hate strategy, and the purpose of Councillor Hensch's

[41:12] deferral was to request a presentation, which I understand one is forthcoming.

[41:20] And welcome, Russell, and the floor is yours when you are ready to do your presentation,

[41:25] and once you're concluded, we'll ask Councillor Hensch to put the motion on the floor.

[41:57] So, good morning, Mayor Fillmore, and members of Council, I'm here to provide overview of the dismantling racism and hate strategy.

[42:08] So, this serves as a coordinated municipality wide framework to advance equity, accountability, and systemic change.

[42:17] So, I will attempt to proactively kind of answer as many of assumed questions that you may have throughout the presentation.

[42:26] So the first question that I'm attempting to answer for you folks this morning is why this strategy and why now?

[42:34] So Bill 96 is the legislation that became Nova Scotia's dismantling racism and hate act.

[42:41] And that act requires prescribed public bodies, including Halifax regional municipality to create and maintain a plan addressing systemic racism, hate and inequity.

[42:53] And so, this really serves as an opportunity for health and external municipality to really align existing efforts.

[43:02] So there are many other pieces of work that are already within the implementation phase.

[43:09] And this is a really great opportunity for us to align and coordinate those efforts.

[43:13] looking at ways that we can align those existing efforts around equity accessibility, inclusion,

[43:21] cultural recognition. It's an opportunity for us to also continue to address barriers,

[43:26] so we want to identify and dismantle systemic barriers looking at those barriers that we

[43:32] might not always see within our policies, our programs, services, and our organizational operation.

[43:39] It's also serves us as an opportunity when we look at accountability.

[43:43] So we really want to look at how we're measuring these outcomes.

[43:46] We want to look at ways that we can improve our transparency and the ways that we communicate

[43:52] and update the progress to community as well as to employees across the organization.

[43:58] And also we want to look at our reporting and ensure that we have clear oversight from leadership

[44:04] levels all the way down to the frontline staff across the organization, and the last

[44:11] point that I just wanted to speak to here was just around our responsiveness. This requires

[44:17] a commitment from us, and we need to make sure that we're keeping community voices and

[44:23] lived experience central as the implementation you evolve. So this is going to be a living

[44:29] strategy. So as things change across our municipality, we want to make sure that this

[44:34] strategy reflects those changes so we are going to continuously engage with community

[44:39] and make sure that this is in real-time responding to the nature of the realities of those

[44:44] folks that call it Halifax home.

[44:50] In terms of the structure of the strategy so there are system-wide foundations

[44:55] So we have three.

[45:00] Which there are six. So under education, culture and public awareness, this is really how we reinforce

[45:06] our commitment to education and continuous learning. We're looking at things like training. So we

[45:12] want to make sure that these things are prioritized and they will affect how we implement the actions

[45:18] within the strategy and how we improve the service delivery of our programs and services to

[45:24] citizens and residents. So, number two is community safety, anti-hate response and inclusion.

[45:32] So, for folks that are, you know, victims of forms of hate, racism and discrimination,

[45:40] this becomes a matter of safety. And we need to make sure that this strategy responds to that

[45:47] reality. So we really want to make sure that we're looking at the safety and well-being

[45:52] of all citizens and residents as we continue to grow and evolve this strategy and look at the

[45:59] ways that it's being implemented and the impact that it's having on the overall well being

[46:04] again all citizens and residents. And then we're looking at data, accountability, governance,

[46:13] and we just really need to make sure that we're collecting the data we're being intentional about

[46:17] the data that we're collecting and we're then using that data to inform the actions and we're

[46:23] using that to also inform how this strategy grows and evolves over time. When we look at

[46:30] accountability, I think it's important that there is a shared ownership in this work. It can't

[46:38] be something that is just carried and shouldered by a few business units. This has to be a shared

[46:43] responsibility across the entire organization.

[46:46] So when we're looking at accountability and governance, that's how we demonstrate that

[46:50] is making sure that this is something that has shared across the organization across

[46:55] all levels of leadership, and it's important that that cascades down through the organization.

[47:00] Things don't cascade up from front line, it truly cascades down from the leadership of the

[47:06] organization.

[47:07] And then when we're getting into the equity and belonging pillars, so we have African

[47:11] Nova Scotia in African descent communities and residents.

[47:15] We also have MIGMA and Indigenous communities and residents, newcomer and immigrants, communities

[47:20] and residents, gender equity, accessibility, and disability inclusion, and a cadian and

[47:27] francophone communities and residents.

[47:34] So what change is in terms of practice?

[47:36] So, this is where we really show our commitment to moving from commitment to substantive action

[47:44] substantive change.

[47:46] So, through these efforts, we want to make sure that we're building capacity.

[47:49] So, we're looking at training.

[47:51] And when you have training, it speaks volumes when you mandate a training.

[47:57] That prioritizes that that puts value on that training.

[48:01] So, it really shows where your priorities lie.

[48:03] So we really want to look at what are the trainings that we need to de-mandatory, what are the

[48:08] trainings that we need to prioritize, how we commit to our ongoing education and learning.

[48:14] We want to look at really the public awareness around different cultural, festival, celebrations,

[48:21] and then cross-cultural learning initiatives.

[48:23] That's really important with how we move this work forward.

[48:27] And then also also we want to look at how do we deliver culturally safe and responsive service

[48:33] delivery at all levels of service across the organization.

[48:37] We also want to look at use of data and equity analysis.

[48:41] So we're looking at intersectional data and equity impact assessments.

[48:45] And we really want to use that to identify those systemic barriers that aren't always

[48:49] easy to see by the eye.

[48:50] We really want to look at the policies, the processes, the mechanisms that are guiding all

[48:54] of these decisions that are being made.

[48:56] And then we want to use that to inform our decision-making and measure the outcomes in terms

[49:01] of the impact. Looking at access, we will be looking at multilingual and accessible communications

[49:10] and all of the things that will be communicating moving forward. We want to make sure that we're

[49:14] looking at our service standards and improving them where and when we need to. We also want to

[49:19] look at accessible infrastructure and looking at engagement, it's going to be an ongoing and

[49:27] and really what we want to be able to do with the engagement and measuring the engagement or the success of the engagement is we really want all residents to be to feel like they're being reflected in this work.

[49:40] Often what we hear when we're developing strategies, we're implementing strategies, you'll always hear folks who say that they don't feel like they're seen or reflected in this work.

[49:50] So we want to make sure that as we continue that engagement, we continue to, you know, listen to that feedback so that all citizens and residents feel like they're being reflected and represented in this work.

[50:01] In terms of improving our response, so I mentioned earlier about coordinated anti-hate response and really looking at the protocol, really looking at how that's captured, what happens once it's captured and ensuring that it's, you know, it's something that it's consistent.

[50:17] It's going to be something that is prioritized and there's going to be a sense of urgency and

[50:22] how we respond to any of those, you know, when there is any incident involving hate,

[50:30] we want to make sure that we're responding with an urgent sense of urgency, sorry.

[50:35] So then we also want to look at, you know, making sure that our reporting is accessible.

[50:39] And it's culturally responsive when we have our supports.

[50:42] A lot of times we use and throw around a lot of language.

[50:44] But saying you have culturally responsible, responsible supports, and offering them as two

[50:52] different things.

[50:53] So we want to truly make sure that we have those supports available so that when they're

[50:57] needed, they can be mobilized, immediately, and it's not something that folks are waiting

[51:01] for to further the harm or the impact of whatever it is that they're experiencing.

[51:06] And then looking at investing in partnership, there are a lot of great community-led initiatives

[51:13] organizations, grassroots groups that are doing meaningful work with a lot of groups in our

[51:20] community.

[51:20] And we want to leverage that.

[51:22] We want to try to work with those folks, build those relationships if there's folks

[51:26] out there that we already have relationships with that are service providers and servicing different

[51:31] groups in our community.

[51:33] We want to make sure that we're growing those relationships where sustaining those relationships

[51:38] so that we can utilize that and leverage that to really enhance the impact and broaden

[51:43] and it reached throughout this work as we move through this implementation phase.

[51:50] And we also want to look at procurement and inclusive procurement.

[51:55] There are so many diverse folks across this municipality that are offering great services

[52:01] and offering exceptional business and things of that nature.

[52:07] And we truly want to provide equal opportunities for those folks to be able to provide

[52:11] those services on a municipal platform, and beyond that,

[52:16] it serves as an opportunity to really amplify your business

[52:19] when we're able to look at the ways that we're doing

[52:20] procurement.

[52:22] We want to remove any barriers that exist.

[52:25] And then looking at heritage and culture.

[52:30] I'm already under way that exist, that are really looking at celebrating and recognizing heritage and culture across our municipality and we want to continue to seek out those opportunities as well as amplify and enhance those initiatives that are already existing.

[52:47] And then the last one here around embedding accountability.

[52:52] So I think that this is critically important.

[52:54] When we look at leadership,

[52:57] leadership is something that you demonstrate and that you act.

[53:02] And if we are truly putting value in prioritizing this work,

[53:06] it needs to start at the CAO's level with the executive leadership group.

[53:12] And again, that priority and the value on this work needs to trickle down

[53:17] across all business units, so it's really important that that leadership starts at that table.

[53:27] And then when we look at how we'll be providing updates and things of that nature like

[53:32] there are going to be updates that are provided to the province based on that schedule that

[53:37] they have already determined, but we'll be coming back to Council annually with updates.

[53:42] this is where we will provide the status of the implementation of the strategy, our successes,

[53:48] our challenges, or anything that we need to kind of rethink and revisit as we continue to implement

[53:54] this work.

[53:59] Folks, I always want to know how progress will be measured and reported. So I've

[54:04] got you covered this morning. So we're really looking at three main focuses, or sorry, four main

[54:10] focuses in how we'll measure and report on this work.

[54:15] So the first one is key performance indicators.

[54:18] So we'll be working with business units

[54:21] and helping them shape and determine what those KPIs

[54:24] will look like.

[54:26] We wanted to make sure that we're not telling business units

[54:30] how to measure this, how to implement these things.

[54:32] We want to work closely in partnership and collaboration.

[54:35] And again, we're looking at that shared ownership here.

[54:37] So we want to make sure that we're working with the business

[54:39] it's closely to determine what those KPIs look like and we want to make sure that we're putting

[54:44] the entire organization in a position to be successful. We don't want to just undertake

[54:50] this responsibility in these actions with those having some autonomy and say and shaping how we

[54:55] measure those things. In terms of reporting, as I mentioned, we'll be doing annual reporting back to

[55:01] you folks and we want to look at the ways that we can provide real-time updates to the community,

[55:09] whether that's, you know, a public tracing website, dashboard, things of that nature, these are other tactics that are being employed in other municipalities and places across the nation.

[55:21] So we'll be, you know, exploring those options to see what are the best ways that we can provide those updates to the community.

[55:27] I think it's important that when we're engaging with folks that we don't wait for them to come back to us, we proactively bring that information back to them.

[55:36] Under the learn piece, again, we want to make sure that we're proactively committing to education training, continuous learning.

[55:45] So we want to make sure that we're doing all those things, and then we also want to have that ongoing community engagement and that feedback.

[55:52] Again, this is going to be a living strategy.

[55:55] So as we continue to implement this work, we want to be able to go back to the community.

[56:00] hated we get this right, what is missing, and then take that feedback to shape kind of what

[56:04] we do next in the future phases of this strategy. And like I said, we always want to make

[56:10] sure that we're responding to the emerging needs in real time of all citizens and residents.

[56:15] And then when we're looking at how we will continue to strive for improvement, we'll

[56:22] continuously be refining our actions and the strategy over time. There will be a formal strategy

[56:28] review with the province and that's scheduled for the spring of 2028 and you know I just

[56:36] also have here that accountability needs to be built into the strategy. We want to measure

[56:40] what matters. We want to report transparently and listen continuously so that we can make those

[56:46] adjustments and reflect the voices of all citizens and residents. So before I kind of get to

[56:54] you know, the motions here. I also want to kind of make sure that I acknowledge these

[56:59] pieces here too in terms of the implementation considerations. A lot of times, you know,

[57:03] we know that money and resources is a big question that folks have when you're undertaking

[57:09] this work. Today, we are not seeking money, you know, to endorse this strategy as it stands.

[57:18] Following the approval, we will be working with business units to determine the timelines

[57:22] in the cost for specific initiatives, so there are some business units that have identified

[57:28] that they may have funding allocated within their budget that will be able to resource some

[57:33] of the actions going forward in the strategy, but we will also be applying for funding. A lot of

[57:41] the work that is being implemented under the dismantling racism hate work is being funded by

[57:50] grants and other funding opportunities at the provincial and federal level.

[57:55] So we will be applying for funding to find a lot of these actions and action items.

[58:02] And the other piece there just around the community engagement.

[58:05] It's going to be something that is continuous.

[58:07] It's not something that we're just doing one time.

[58:09] And that's all we're using to inform this strategy.

[58:12] And the other thing that I think is worthwhile mentioning too is that

[58:16] many of the action items that are already in the strategy that's being presented here today

[58:22] have been shaped by engagement in the past. So the office of diversity inclusion

[58:27] folks around cultural heritage priorities plan public safety we have used the feedback that

[58:35] they've received that shape the existing work that they're all doing to make sure that we're

[58:40] not exhausting folks in terms of how we're doing engagement, but we do realize that there are

[58:44] folks that don't feel like they're reflected in the strategy that we're bringing before

[58:50] you today.

[58:51] And we have a commitment to making sure that we reach those folks and that the feedback

[58:56] and engagement that we are going to do moving forward will reflect all voices and live

[59:02] experiences of residents and citizens across our municipality.

[59:07] So with that we have the two motions here that we're bringing forward today, so the first one is just around approving the dismantling racism and hate strategy as set out in attachment one and then number two is to direct the chief administrative officer the CIO to provide annual updates on the progress of this strategy.

[59:31] Thank you very much for a thorough presentation and Russell, very well done, and all the work behind it as well, so thank you.

[59:38] We'll go to Councillor Hinch to put the motion on the floor, please.

[59:42] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Russell, for the thorough presentation.

[59:48] It is recommended that Halifax Regional Council want to prove the dismantling racism and hate strategy,

[59:52] as settled in the attachment one of the staff report and two.

[1:00:00] Day on progress of the strategy.

[1:00:03] Seconded by Councillor Minceini.

[1:00:07] Can I still? Thank you.

[1:00:09] So again, Russell, thank you for the presentation. The one thing that always crosses my mind and continue to cross my mind is the training component of this.

[1:00:21] And I believe I've asked you before.

[1:00:24] But is it mandatory? Can this training be mandatory?

[1:00:27] And when we talk about from the top down, I believe council should be definitely have that type of training.

[1:00:35] So my question is, is it mandatory and is council are afforded that type of training as well?

[1:00:43] Thank you.

[1:00:46] So through you, Mr. Mayor, to the councilor. So thank you for the question.

[1:00:51] So the training is not mandatory.

[1:00:55] And we have really explored this many times and many ways and as it stands, it is not mandatory training.

[1:01:08] But we have an opportunity to kind of convey that message at executive leadership

[1:01:13] and hope that they can really encourage their business unit to prioritize the training

[1:01:19] we have had trainings in the past that have really been pushed at that level and some executive

[1:01:27] directors and folks at that level have really encouraged their business unit to really make it

[1:01:36] a priority to complete a variety of different trainings as it relates to the work that they're

[1:01:41] doing. And we have explored ways that we can provide training to you folks and that is something

[1:01:48] we are very much open to when we would love to you know explore and see how we can bring

[1:01:54] those training opportunities to you folks. I just hope when it does come that we all take the

[1:02:00] opportunity and take the training. Thank you, that's all I had to say thank you. Thank you very much

[1:02:06] will move on to the Deputy Mayor, please. Thank you Mr. Mayor. I happen to cross a new tool that I see on the

[1:02:15] employee website map, my action plan, which is kind of looking at ways with, you know, employees

[1:02:25] can find opportunities to help advance strategic initiatives of the municipality.

[1:02:32] And I thought it was a, I hadn't seen it before and thought it was a rather innovative tool

[1:02:37] and I see in that in that map program that there is something for diversity and inclusion.

[1:02:43] equity and I was just wondering, you know, when it comes to embedding this, you talked about

[1:02:49] leadership, you talked about embedding it in the organization, you know, seeing it at the

[1:02:57] leadership level and then trickling down. I'm wondering are there any other tools that are

[1:03:02] in development or programs that are in development or how, you know, what is the plan for

[1:03:08] helping to support, that embedding this in the organization as a whole?

[1:03:19] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor. Thank you for the question. That is a great

[1:03:23] opportunity for us to do, you know, to really elevate and embed this work. So my action plan,

[1:03:31] your map is something that, you know, individuals work closely with their direct report

[1:03:38] to establish some goals for them as it pertains to a variety of kind of areas that the organization

[1:03:46] values. So embedding those goals in that requires a level of accountability. So I think

[1:03:55] that that's a great strategy to explore around, like I said, elevating this and embedding it

[1:04:02] in the work that we're doing. And then at the executive level, they have what I believe is called

[1:04:08] a mandate letter, and it's similar to your map, but it's something that is specifically

[1:04:15] for folks that are at the executive leadership level.

[1:04:19] And typically they do try to have diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility goal in

[1:04:25] that letter.

[1:04:26] So this is something also that we would love to see executive leaders build into that mandate

[1:04:32] letter as we move forward.

[1:04:33] So, you know, hoping to get approval around the strategy and that could be where we start

[1:04:39] is having executive leadership have a goal in their mandate letter that applies to

[1:04:45] the dismantling racism and hate strategy.

[1:04:48] Okay, good.

[1:04:49] Those tangible examples are kind of really, you know, get to understand, you know, in terms

[1:04:55] of how this is going to roll out and then how that gets measured against the KPI so we can

[1:05:01] the progress. So thank you for that. Thank you. Councilor Mancini please.

[1:05:07] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Councilor Hench, thank you for bringing this forward and asking for

[1:05:11] the presentation. Russell, thank you for your leadership on this. It's interesting colleagues,

[1:05:17] what I'm not speaking on behalf of the municipality and talking to visitors or talking to business

[1:05:22] people or just talking to the community. One of the things that I speak most highly of,

[1:05:26] and that I'm most proud of is the diversity that now exists in our municipality that didn't

[1:05:30] exists, that not long ago.

[1:05:33] You know, in say that, however, you know, I do see an increase in racism, and maybe even

[1:05:42] hate there.

[1:05:43] We've seen examples at the anti-Muslim, the Jewish African-West Coast, and that continues

[1:05:48] on.

[1:05:49] You know, Councillor Austin and I have seen it against brown people recently when the discussion

[1:05:53] of about the, uh, director of the Commons and, uh, cricket versus baseball, and, and

[1:05:58] Oddly, ugly words to be in use, and it's so disappointing to me when I see that.

[1:06:05] However, in saying that, my daughter's visiting from the way and on the weekend she came

[1:06:09] home and after taking an Uber drive.

[1:06:10] She's dead.

[1:06:11] I got to tell you about my experience with Uber driver.

[1:06:13] He's from East India, and he said he traveled, lived all over the world, and he now lives

[1:06:18] here.

[1:06:19] And he says, H-O-M, Nova Scotia has been the most welcoming place he's ever lived in.

[1:06:24] And this is now his home.

[1:06:25] And I was so proud to hear those words, because at the same time talking about what we see as an increase in racism and in hate.

[1:06:34] In your words about words are easy, right? We do the acknowledgement. Now we do the Afro-Nobody's Cultural Knowledge, but a lot of the big amount of acknowledgement.

[1:06:41] There were words, right? And the real showing that we are a welcome community is action as you alluded to in your presentation.

[1:06:50] So the question I have is, you look at it to be in response when incidents of racism

[1:06:56] and hate.

[1:06:56] Now, having a sense of urgency.

[1:06:58] My two questions related to that, Russell, is that, is the work that you do simply internal

[1:07:04] to HRM or will you also respond to these incidents that when they happen outside of our workplace?

[1:07:13] And can you give us some examples when you say you respond to those actions when they happen?

[1:07:17] And that sense of urgency.

[1:07:18] Can you give me some sort of an example?

[1:07:19] What does that mean with that positive look like?

[1:07:22] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:07:26] So, through you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:07:30] So, when we're looking at the response,

[1:07:35] so hate is, you know, it's a crime, so the reporting would be going

[1:07:40] through police, but we also want to look at the things that we can do within the organization

[1:07:46] in terms of like the supports that we provide to folks that are receiving or on the receiving

[1:07:52] end or the victims of all forms of hate, discrimination, racism, so we want to make sure that we have

[1:07:57] supports readily available, we want to make sure that we have, you know, the culturally sensitive

[1:08:03] and responsive training for all the frontline folks that are going to be like first responders

[1:08:08] to make sure that it's not going to further the harm or the impact that's been already received.

[1:08:14] And we want to look at what we can do internally, you know, what we're exploring, how we can

[1:08:19] work with 311 in terms of how we're collecting and receiving calls, logging those calls,

[1:08:25] You know, things of that nature to make sure that we have a consistent process in terms of how we respond, how we capture it, what we're doing with what is being captured.

[1:08:35] You know, we want to make sure that we're using that information and that data to really inform kind of the things that we need to do better or maybe the things that we're not even doing yet.

[1:08:43] So that's really how we see, you know, the work.

[1:08:48] You know, the next kind of steps that we're going to be taking.

[1:08:51] You know, these are all new things that we'll be doing, you know, the scope of this work is continuing to grow and brought in.

[1:08:59] So we want to make sure that we're learning as we go, but we're also making sure that we're applying that learning to our programs, our services and what is being offered under the municipal scope of services and programs.

[1:09:13] I'm looking at my colleagues for the Board of Police Commission here at Councillor

[1:09:16] County Council for Hinch.

[1:09:18] I think we can discuss how you actually come and speak to the Board of Police Commission.

[1:09:23] The more that we talk about this topic, how it relates to the first we spot on how it relates

[1:09:26] to the police and community engagement.

[1:09:29] I'll take it as a takeaway myself and we'll follow up with you on that.

[1:09:32] Russell, thank you for your work, Madam appreciate it.

[1:09:34] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:09:35] Thank you very much.

[1:09:36] Moving on to Councillor Still, please.

[1:09:38] Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thanks for the presentation, Russell.

[1:09:43] One of the questions I have when we talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and anti-hate strategies.

[1:09:51] I wonder about how HRM employees reflect the communities we serve.

[1:09:57] So, I do know that there is a, I understand there's an ability to self-identify on applications or on employee profiles.

[1:10:10] Are we collecting any data on that?

[1:10:13] I know you mentioned the importance of data and collecting data.

[1:10:18] Certainly, I know that many public administrations look at trying to reflect the communities they are serving.

[1:10:26] So if you're serving ex-communities, you would like to have members of that community presence.

[1:10:32] So are we collecting data? Do we have any, and I know it's difficult because people often

[1:10:38] don't choose to self-identify or choose not to self-identify.

[1:10:43] So I'm curious about where we are with this, because I know we've been working as a municipality

[1:10:50] on attempting to include diversity, equity, and inclusion in many of our programs and policies.

[1:10:56] for a long time. So I'm curious if we are making progress and then I have a few other questions,

[1:11:02] should there be some time remaining?

[1:11:08] So through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor, thank you for

[1:11:10] the question. So this is an area that we have to continuously continue to try to find ways to

[1:11:19] improve. And the thing that sometimes becomes a challenge is that a lot of times when we're engaging

[1:11:26] folks like employees, it's voluntary. So folks aren't always comfortable with providing that feedback.

[1:11:35] And so that just shows that we need to improve the relationships that we have with our employees

[1:11:41] and ensure that they do feel a sense of security, psychological safety and things like that

[1:11:46] in the workplace to be able to share and self identify that information. So that's something that

[1:11:51] continuously trying to look at ways that we can improve

[1:11:55] how we ask those questions.

[1:11:57] And again, create pathways for those folks

[1:12:00] to feel safe enough to share that with us

[1:12:03] so that we can use that information to inform the things

[1:12:06] that we are going to be implementing

[1:12:09] and how we're responding to different issues

[1:12:11] that we know that are taking place in our workplaces.

[1:12:16] So it's going to be an ongoing thing.

[1:12:18] We do, we have seen an increase in participation, but it's not, you know, nearly at the rate that we would like it to be at.

[1:12:29] Okay. Okay. I have a few more questions.

[1:12:33] One relates to how do you know about the hate incidents that are occurring in the municipality?

[1:12:40] Do you find out from community safety from police?

[1:12:43] And then when you say, and this is building on council or mancini's question, then when you say you support provide support, do you provide support to external stakeholders or is it to internal staff, I was curious as who receives the support.

[1:13:06] Through you, Mr. Mayor to the Councillor. So when we're looking at the response, so, you know, the, like I said, those, you know, complaints go.

[1:13:16] typically they're going to go through to the police and but there is collaboration there so

[1:13:22] community safety public safety work closely with HRP so that information does get shared and

[1:13:29] through those you know those partnerships and relationships that information you know is shared

[1:13:34] with us as well so that we can consult and advise on you know best responses and things of that

[1:13:41] But in terms of the support that's being offered like that initially is something that we're focusing on with our employees like our front line staff our first responders folks

[1:13:54] So we want to make sure that when they're engaging with folks

[1:13:58] In crisis and things of that nature that they have the you know

[1:14:02] The most up-to-date training as possible to ensure that they're providing a level of service to whoever that they're in contact with

[1:14:11] So your target is the internal employees who are frontline.

[1:14:16] Okay, I have a couple more things.

[1:14:18] You mentioned, you referenced the mandate letters for senior leadership.

[1:14:24] I have best the CAO's territory, but you mentioned that you thought that there were requirements

[1:14:30] to undertake action related to diversity and equity and inclusion, but that we're not sure

[1:14:38] that bats in the letter is that, is that the case?

[1:14:44] Oh, I'm at a time.

[1:14:48] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the councillor.

[1:14:50] So I believe that this is something that, you know,

[1:14:54] the CAO would determine.

[1:15:00] And future mandate letters. I'm aware that previous CAO had this in the mandate letter of all executive

[1:15:08] leaders.

[1:15:10] Okay. Thank you. I'll come back.

[1:15:16] Yes, Mr. Mayor, through you to the Councillor. I just wanted to pick up on that question raised

[1:15:20] by Councillor Steele just to confirm that diversity inclusion considerations are mandatory part of

[1:15:29] mandate letters, I think what Mr. Brooks was referring to is specifics around the implementation

[1:15:37] of the strategy itself.

[1:15:41] Thank you for that clarification.

[1:15:43] We'll move on to Councillor Young, please.

[1:15:45] Thank you.

[1:15:46] Pardon me.

[1:15:47] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:15:48] Thank you, Russell, for the presentation.

[1:15:50] I have three questions.

[1:15:52] In a tassel, one paid five paragraph three, it reads municipal policies are aligned with the equity

[1:15:59] based best practices to ensure that organizational structures and decision-making processes

[1:16:05] actively address the racism discrimination and exclusion.

[1:16:14] In saying that does this include the MPS, land use by laws, service boundaries, and current

[1:16:22] and new development agreements, and has historically black communities, or African-known

[1:16:28] Scottish communities, especially if the African-known Scottish community committees are currently

[1:16:33] working with the Anne Scott team. Number one, number two, the grant program that that is under

[1:16:40] under the anti-black racism. What are you putting in place for legacy? Is your grant program looking

[1:16:50] into legacy for recording and data collecting future generations, number three.

[1:17:03] What is being done to avoid duplications of services by other stakeholders in the community

[1:17:10] for accountability purposes, and this is under your invading accountability section.

[1:17:16] Thank you.

[1:17:22] through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor. Thank you for the questions. So I want to do my best to

[1:17:28] go through your three questions. So the first question regarding the bylaws and the things

[1:17:36] around planning and development. So you know, provided the strategy gets endorsed, you know, we will

[1:17:44] move forward with, you know, the implementation of the action items and so we will start,

[1:17:51] um, I shouldn't say start. We'll continue working closely with ANSKAP and looking at the ways

[1:17:56] that we can improve the work that they're doing, you know, that, that that, uh, that initiative

[1:18:02] is fairly new and it's doing some great work and so we'll look at ways that we can, you know, leverage

[1:18:08] and amplify those efforts as it moves forward.

[1:18:13] To your second question regarding the anti black racism grants program.

[1:18:20] Right now, as it sits, the program has priorities that are making up the program,

[1:18:31] and there's eligible expenditures and eligible expenditures.

[1:18:34] So, right now, if the application falls under those guidelines, then it would be considered.

[1:18:42] So, as long as the applicants can work within those parameters and we've really worked closely

[1:18:47] with, you know, even pet a Jane and her team, the community grants folks to really look at ways

[1:18:52] that we can remove some of the barriers that existed in other opportunities and funding opportunities.

[1:18:59] So, we really wanted to try to remove those as much as we can, but also make sure that it

[1:19:04] it aligns with the work that we're undertaking and trying to advance here.

[1:19:08] So, as long as it fits within those requirements,

[1:19:12] checks the necessary boxes in terms of the categories that we're looking to address,

[1:19:18] then we would consider funding any application that we receive.

[1:19:24] The third question was around...

[1:19:29] Accountability.

[1:19:29] You know, duplication of services via the stakeholders in the community.

[1:19:34] So what's being done based on accountability to put the roadblocks in, that's the,

[1:19:41] so we're not duplicating the same services in the, yeah, well, particularly in the African

[1:19:47] OS for communities.

[1:19:49] So as much as we can, like we always, you know, try to be mindful of that, you know, there

[1:19:54] There are things that are beyond our influence that we don't have control over, but we do

[1:20:02] try to make sure that we're not reinventing the wheel, so to speak.

[1:20:05] When there's already meaningful initiatives and programs and things of that nature that

[1:20:11] are already addressing certain things, but if there's ways that we can try to collaborate

[1:20:16] with folks who enhance the impact and broaden the reach, then we'll explore the ways that

[1:20:21] can do that when we can, but there are always going to be external folks that are doing work

[1:20:27] that we don't have any influence over and we can't really hold those folks accountable outside

[1:20:34] of, like I said, I'm municipal scope. Okay, thank you. Thank you very much and we'll move to

[1:20:40] Councillor Santa Monica, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you, Russell, for your leadership

[1:20:46] on this and your thoughtful responses to all the questions that have been asked thus far.

[1:20:51] I wanted to pick up on what Councillor Hinch asked about with respect to, you know, whether

[1:20:56] trainings mandatory or simply available, there are some limitations that even I've bumped

[1:21:01] into, I mean, in taking on this job, I quickly become very aware of what I don't know.

[1:21:09] And so as empathetic as I am and as progressive as I feel, I know there's lots of room

[1:21:15] improve and I think your training that would be available from your department would help every

[1:21:21] counselor around the table be better at their job and I've asked about training that is made

[1:21:27] available to HRM employees before and it was not available to counsel and that to me meant

[1:21:34] that we've got a little bit of gap filling to do because there are some great opportunities for

[1:21:40] that are made available to HRM employees that are, you know, arguably, I guess the thinking would be their front line employees.

[1:21:47] But so, or we, we're just in a completely different capacity.

[1:21:51] And so, I would love to have the opportunity to take some of the training that's available from your team.

[1:21:57] So, and maybe the requirement is broader.

[1:21:59] Maybe it's that the training that would be made available to council would be so specialized, so unique,

[1:22:04] because we are a unique body among HRM's team.

[1:22:08] We're not the typical employee.

[1:22:10] We interact with the public in a very different way.

[1:22:13] And Councilor Manzini referred to that.

[1:22:16] We wind up in community facing some of the unique challenges

[1:22:20] that are presented by our residents, particularly

[1:22:22] when it comes to fighting racism that we make.

[1:22:30] So, I think your team would be able to provide us with tremendously valuable insight into how to manage expectations with the community, what kind of information would be valuable for the community to connect with in an effort to provide the community with a better sense of what it is that the municipality is doing or not doing.

[1:22:52] I think there may be a missed opportunity there, and I'm eager to weigh in on this idea

[1:22:57] that whether it's mandatory or not, even if it's just available to council to learn

[1:23:02] from at least access some of the resources that are available to quote unquote traditional

[1:23:08] HRM employees so that we have some of that insight, and not to mention the fact that we will

[1:23:14] then have an awareness of what our teams that are interacting with the public are learning

[1:23:19] and therefore able to implement.

[1:23:20] So, the one thing that I would want to put on your radar is give some thought as to what the

[1:23:25] unique nature of training might be that would be applicable to council, whether it's

[1:23:29] exactly the same as what frontline employees at HRM and various different business units

[1:23:33] would wind up needing, or whether there's some other type of training that you would feel

[1:23:40] from your position of expertise would be beneficial for council to be able to take in that would

[1:23:45] make us better at our job because you will be able to help move the needle on that front in a

[1:23:49] that we would never be able to achieve on our own.

[1:23:52] Thank you.

[1:23:59] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the council,

[1:24:00] I don't really feel like it was a question,

[1:24:02] but I appreciate everything that you shared

[1:24:06] and through the leadership of Tracy Jones Grant,

[1:24:09] the managing director, working closely with HR,

[1:24:11] and just looking at what we might be able to do

[1:24:14] in terms of providing those training opportunities.

[1:24:18] I think that there's immense value in it,

[1:24:20] so I think that we can take it away

[1:24:24] and see what we might be able to do to provide that training to you folks.

[1:24:30] Okay, thank you very much.

[1:24:31] Councillor David again, please.

[1:24:33] Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

[1:24:35] Thank you, Councillor Lynch, for requesting the presentation.

[1:24:40] It was much needed and much appreciated.

[1:24:43] Thank you, Russell.

[1:24:44] Very much.

[1:24:46] You know, they always say that it's the details that scarier.

[1:24:49] And the strategy and the presentation, you know, it covering every single business unit within HRM.

[1:25:01] And you know, I know that right now it's not the financial ask.

[1:25:04] And that following this, it says, you know, the business units will determine the timeline and the cost for any specific initiatives.

[1:25:12] This is a huge piece of work that is in front of you now.

[1:25:16] And I guess I'm kind of wondering, how long do you think it will take the business units?

[1:25:22] Or is there any estimate from today to when we might see a timeline and the costs?

[1:25:29] Is this something that we're going to see in this budget year maybe?

[1:25:33] Or is it going to be something that we see in the next budget year?

[1:25:37] And just if I may, Councilor Young, one of the items on consent today was around the centralized grant concept.

[1:25:48] So, you know, P.J. has very nicely given as a part and gift of some homework.

[1:25:53] And within that concept of developing the centralized grant, we might see there where maybe there might be duplication of services.

[1:26:00] We'll see duplication or where there is complimentary funding available to different service providers so that actually might be something helpful.

[1:26:10] But back to my question really about this timeline and how the business units will do it.

[1:26:15] One of the words that I caught in the presentation was inclusive procurement as well.

[1:26:22] know that we have worked really hard for our social procurement policy and so I'm wondering

[1:26:28] how you're seeing an evolution of the social procurement policy to something else. We have to be

[1:26:34] so careful when we call something inclusive that it has in different genres of specific definitions.

[1:26:41] So it's just thinking about that. So timeline and then social procurement and inclusive procurement

[1:26:49] That was probably the two items that might be a native response on.

[1:26:53] Thank you so much.

[1:26:59] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor.

[1:27:01] Again, thank you for the questions.

[1:27:03] So the first question around the timeline.

[1:27:07] So it's laid out in attachment to.

[1:27:11] So we have already engaged with every single business unit

[1:27:14] across the organization.

[1:27:17] And we have shared the action items with those business units.

[1:27:20] And we've worked with those business units on those timelines, so initially when we did the

[1:27:26] outreach, you know, we had the conversation around is this realistic, because we do

[1:27:30] want to ensure that these timelines are realistic.

[1:27:34] So we had conversations, some of the timelines increased, some of them decreased, like, you

[1:27:38] know, those are things that are going to happen, you know, and as much as we are subject matter

[1:27:43] experts on, you know, the work that we lead, we're not subject matter experts on the things

[1:27:48] are being led by other business units. So again, we had those conversations with those folks

[1:27:54] to determine if these timelines were realistic. So based on what we have here in attachment

[1:28:00] to, those timelines have been agreed upon by the business units and it's something that they

[1:28:06] believe that we can successfully implement within that time frame. To the question around

[1:28:13] on the budget or financial employment implications,

[1:28:20] there is, you know, a likelihood that we will come back

[1:28:23] at some time seeking funding,

[1:28:25] whether or not we get it, that's to be determined,

[1:28:28] but we will be trying to explore, you know,

[1:28:29] as many opportunities as possible to apply

[1:28:32] for funding the province is really working

[1:28:35] at developing a list of available funding and resources

[1:28:41] that is being shared with everyone that's undertaking this work and so like already you know

[1:28:48] already have started some applications but you know seeking the approval in the endorsement of

[1:28:54] this work is required before I can actually submit those applications so we'll have some work ahead of

[1:28:59] me to try to secure funding. Thank you. Thank you for that Councillor Morse please.

[1:29:08] Thank you Mr.

[1:29:13] done to bring this forward. I'm wondering if you could say a little bit more about the 311

[1:29:20] enhancements, maybe a bit more detail around those recommendations you have, how we can improve

[1:29:27] 311. And just similar to Councillor Dago Gamma and I'm concerned, you know, I've seen over

[1:29:33] the years we have wonderful strategies, wonderful plans, but we don't always resource them

[1:29:41] And until we have some finances attached, some resources attached, we can't make a lot of

[1:29:47] progress.

[1:29:47] So I'm just a little bit worried about that end of things.

[1:29:51] And when we might see a financial plan, you mentioned that there will be...

[1:30:00] But will it be advancing the same priorities that you have and your team has and council has?

[1:30:06] So I'd just like to know a little bit more about how we're going to match the strategy with the financial resources that are needed.

[1:30:15] Thank you.

[1:30:20] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor.

[1:30:22] Thank you for the questions. So regarding the first question around the 311B.

[1:30:28] So that is something that we'll be working with those folks with two determined kind of what

[1:30:34] what can be captured, you know, what are the things like, you know, we're exploring, like,

[1:30:39] is there additional training, is there additional, like, if we're talking about, like, translation

[1:30:45] services and things like that, because those have been barriers for people to even call

[1:30:49] 3-1-1.

[1:30:50] So we want to look at, like, what are the things that we can develop so that they're available

[1:30:55] and that folks are able to respond, whether there's a complaint or concern that they feel

[1:31:00] like they have the proper channels to be able to do that.

[1:31:03] So, some of the pieces that will be working closely with 3-1-1,

[1:31:07] just trying to assess what's not available,

[1:31:10] what needs to be available, and then how do we bring that to life?

[1:31:15] And to your second question around,

[1:31:18] the funding and resourcing around this,

[1:31:25] the small but mighty diversity and inclusion team will be

[1:31:28] a big front of the heavy lifting here, but we will be working closely, like I said, in partnership with all business units and determining kind of what this looks like and how do we ensure that we are actually able to advance this work and

[1:31:45] and advanced it in a way that results in impact,

[1:31:49] it results in folks feeling a sense of psychological safety,

[1:31:54] belonging, inclusion, all of these things

[1:31:57] that we really hope to accomplish through this work.

[1:32:00] And through the funding that we'll be seeking externally,

[1:32:06] they're already looking at ways to, or sorry,

[1:32:09] not ways to, but they're looking at the eligibility requirements.

[1:32:14] So we'll be looking at those same eligibility requirements so we'll be looking at the action items and determining what action items fall under this funding opportunity.

[1:32:27] So it very well may look like we're applying for multiple grants, multiple funding opportunities to resource and to back the work that we're undertaking.

[1:32:41] So, like I said, we're really looking at, you know, surveying what's out there, and then seeing where it applies, what it applies to, and then ensuring that we get our application in.

[1:32:53] We work with the province to help strengthen those applications, because obviously we really hope to secure that funding to take some of that financial burden and responsibility off of future budget considerations.

[1:33:07] Okay, thank you very much.

[1:33:09] Okay, thank you, Russell, I don't see any of the names on the list.

[1:33:12] I'll just jump in and say I'm behalf of the council.

[1:33:15] Tremendous thanks to you and Tracy and the team for a very substantial and timely piece of work here.

[1:33:21] This is really important.

[1:33:23] I was just thinking very carefully to hear how the community will continue to be involved

[1:33:29] and making sure that this is a live document and that evolves as it needs to.

[1:33:33] And I heard that in sections three and four of your action plan,

[1:33:36] listen and learn.

[1:33:39] So thank you for that.

[1:33:41] And I think we're all really excited about those two forward

[1:33:44] facing pieces, the dashboard, and the report card,

[1:33:46] and how that can also continue to include community

[1:33:48] and keep us all at price.

[1:33:50] So I don't have a question.

[1:33:51] I just wanted to share those thoughts with you.

[1:33:53] And again, to say thanks for the incredible work.

[1:33:56] Thank you.

[1:33:57] And colleagues with that, what is your pleasure?

[1:33:59] Question is called.

[1:34:15] In the motion carries.

[1:34:16] Thank you very much.

[1:34:19] Okay, Colleys, we will move on then to item 10.2, proposed amendments to administrative order

[1:34:24] 29, respecting HRM, civic addressing policies, CA147, street names, and I'm just going to look

[1:34:32] and see, I guess, Councillor Morris, floor is yours.

[1:34:37] I can put the motion on the floor, Mr. Mayor.

[1:34:42] I move that Halifax Regional Council adopt the proposed amendments to administrative order 29,

[1:34:47] respecting civic addressing policies as set out in attachment A of the staff report dated June 9th,

[1:34:53] 2026 to approve one. The renaming of garden court, Dartmouth, to Barry's run court, Dartmouth,

[1:35:01] and to the renaming of Linwood Drive Halifax to rocking him drive Halifax.

[1:35:08] I think I saw a counselor steals hand up there on the second.

[1:35:11] Thank you.

[1:35:15] So, I think what I'm going to do is recommend that we vote for an alternative and I'll just give a little bit of a preamble before that and hear what my colleagues have to say.

[1:35:31] Just to recap about Linwood Drive, I don't think there are too many issues about Garden Court changing the name to Barry's run.

[1:35:38] But, about Linwood Drive, this is one of three Linwood drives in HRM.

[1:35:44] It has to do with after amalgamation, having a lot of duplicate street names,

[1:35:50] and we're in the process of changing them to avoid confusion mainly for first responders.

[1:35:57] Linwood Drive and my district was chosen for the name change,

[1:36:00] because it has the fewest residents, which is part of our protocol when changing street names.

[1:36:06] we choose to impact the fewest number of residences we can.

[1:36:11] So when this was first proposed about a year ago, there were strong objections from some residents on heritage grounds.

[1:36:20] And I did not understand how the name Linwood had a heritage connection.

[1:36:26] So I asked our heritage staff to look into it, and they did a very extensive search of archives, old newspapers,

[1:36:35] and that sort of thing, and they were not able to find a clear connection.

[1:36:42] Since then, about 750 people have signed a petition,

[1:36:47] objecting to the name change.

[1:36:50] And I think that we have to consider what it would mean if we changed the name

[1:36:55] against the wishes of so many people.

[1:36:59] Linwood Drive was the first home for some of HRM's earliest immigrants from Lebanon.

[1:37:07] And the objections are mainly coming from Sister's Patricia and Paula Arab,

[1:37:11] whose family made their first home on Linwood Drive.

[1:37:15] And their home became a welcome center and an orientation center for dozens of families from Lebanon.

[1:37:25] And, you know, it's true.

[1:37:31] Then would drive, became kind of a community center for the families who followed.

[1:37:38] And so that kind of history isn't really written down or always documented in archives.

[1:37:45] It can be oral history, can be history found in the hearts and minds of people who left a home in Lebanon and chose Halifax as their new home with the help of their new community.

[1:38:00] So, it's been an education for me and I would say Linwood Drive holds the name, holds a special place in the hearts and memories of many people in HRM.

[1:38:12] And we do not as a council have a process as yet for how to take this history into account.

[1:38:20] When there are so many objections to a street name I think we need to maybe look at a different process and staff have suggested one in alternative two.

[1:38:32] So that's my preamble, and I think what I'm recommending is that we vote down the initial motion and go with alternative two.

[1:38:41] But I welcome my colleagues' comments on this. Thank you.

[1:38:45] Thank you very much and we'll go to Councilor Mancini, please.

[1:38:49] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:38:50] You know, this is why we bring things like this, the Council,

[1:38:54] because typically 95% of the time, 99% of the time,

[1:38:59] we see these name changes and we give it a thumbs up and a way we go.

[1:39:04] The question I have for staff and I support what the Councilor is going to do

[1:39:09] and recommending the alternative, but you know, what's the definition of this

[1:39:13] work. What's the definition of heritage, right? So when the counselor went away and said,

[1:39:18] look, there's a claim of heritage here, status, staff went away and didn't couldn't find anything,

[1:39:25] right? There's a claim by there. I remember that there's historic presence to this address to

[1:39:31] this street. And so I would hope when staff, if we approve, we turned down the motions of the floor

[1:39:38] and approve the alternative, that part of it is coming back with a definition to understand this.

[1:39:45] So again, this is why we do it.

[1:39:47] And I know Councillor Borsan, I have many conversations on this topic, we're a little concerned

[1:39:52] and it's the right thing to do.

[1:39:53] Because the process is, if there's multiple streets to pick the street for the fewest residents

[1:39:58] on it, and that's typically our process, but this is worthwhile a second look.

[1:40:03] And I'm also appreciative, we're not making the decision today, yay, or nay.

[1:40:06] let's go forward. Let's find more information. Let's bring that back and then have a discussion

[1:40:12] at that point in time. So I support the intent to turn down the motion of floor and then support

[1:40:17] the alternative that will be published. I just asked the Heritage Historic Definition to be part of it.

[1:40:24] Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Young, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just have a little question.

[1:40:30] What was the alternative to Councillor Morrison's referring to?

[1:40:38] I could read the alternative, if it's helpful.

[1:40:41] The Councillor is proposing that we accept part one, reject part two, and then move alternative

[1:40:48] two on page five of the staff report as the alternative to part two, which is approve

[1:40:53] the renaming of Garden Court Dartmouth and reject the renaming of Linwood Drive Halifax under

[1:41:00] This alternative staff will reassess the proposed renaming of Linwood Drive.

[1:41:04] It's such a time that a broader asset naming policy review has been completed.

[1:41:12] I thank you.

[1:41:14] I commend Councillor Morris for doing that.

[1:41:17] Thank you very much.

[1:41:18] I've been speaking back and forth with Paula and Patricia as well.

[1:41:23] And based on the information that they provide with me, it's, it's, to them, it is

[1:41:30] historic, historical Lebanese community with the Lebanese families that moved in in the early

[1:41:39] 1960s. And it's a legacy to the community that they would like to continue. So with the

[1:41:48] alternative, I agree with council members on that, and I just want to let Paul and Patricia

[1:41:56] to know that I agree with what they convey to me and our conversations.

[1:42:03] Thank you.

[1:42:05] Thank you, and we'll move to Councillor Stamond, please.

[1:42:08] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:42:09] I've heard from residents as well, and I'm appreciative of Councillor Morse of her sensitivity

[1:42:14] on the subject and taking the time to reach out to the community to better understand what

[1:42:18] the origins of this historic nature would be.

[1:42:22] I'm supportive of the alternative as well.

[1:42:24] I do still have a follow-up question for staff.

[1:42:26] I'm wondering what are the implications of what would

[1:42:30] ostensibly be a remaining duplication, not just of

[1:42:33] Linwood Drive in triplicate form, but we also noted in the staff

[1:42:38] report, and not specifically addressed as a principle concern,

[1:42:42] is the duplication of Linwood as a name with Drive and Lane

[1:42:46] in the same community and actually touching one another.

[1:42:49] If the premise is that this duplication represents a challenge

[1:42:53] to first responders, for example, why we look at the renaming of Linwood Lane, or is there

[1:43:01] some other consideration here that we need to try to afford to the naming of the streets in

[1:43:07] this area in order to solve that particular problem while we look at the longer term implications

[1:43:12] of keeping three Linwood drives around. Just curious whether or not that represents a challenge going forward.

[1:43:37] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor. Thank you for the question. The recommendation

[1:43:41] that was brought forward today was considered kind of an initial step in resolving the exact

[1:43:46] duplication issue. So there is a case where there is an exactly duplicated street name across

[1:43:54] three different communities in HRM. So Lim would drive duplicated in Dartmouth, Halifax.

[1:44:00] And the intent with today's recommendation was to reduce the number of exact duplicates.

[1:44:07] We will be returning to the civic addressing public safety committee meeting this fall with an update on council's decision today.

[1:44:16] And we'll be reassessing kind of potential future recommendations to address the existing duplicates for limwood drive,

[1:44:23] as well as potentially a correction of limwood lane within the same community.

[1:44:28] However, if Lim would drive Halifax where to be corrected, the existence of just Lim would

[1:44:33] lane within the same community differentiated by street type and community name, would

[1:44:38] be seen as a lower priority as kind of a standalone issue.

[1:44:42] So we'd be looking at considering corrections there in relation to kind of other high priority

[1:44:47] projects.

[1:44:50] All right.

[1:44:51] Well, I mean, I can imagine that there are at least some instances where when someone calls 9-1-1

[1:44:56] example, they just ref-

[1:45:00] On driver lane and so I imagine that winds up potentially complicating things, and so first responders

[1:45:05] who wind up looking for some clarity before they respond. So it's good to know that it's on the

[1:45:11] radar. I'm just looking forward to staff's recommendation on how that particular facet gets solved

[1:45:16] when we hang on to the existing duplicate of the prefects. Thank you. Thank you very much, Councillor

[1:45:24] Austin, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And thank you, Councillor Morris, for your work on this.

[1:45:32] I'm just going to note that the work of civic addressing here is important, like having duplicate names is an issue.

[1:45:43] I recently was contacted by one of my residents who's day ended up in complete turmoil,

[1:45:49] because her excess of us went to high field street and then a spry field rather than high field park drive and Dartmouth.

[1:45:57] So, you know, it does happen over the years I have heard from people, you know, it's kind of within the neighborhood,

[1:46:04] Louise, court and lowest court and Dartmouth.

[1:46:07] That's one where people, they're used to seeing each other's parcels from time to time.

[1:46:12] And so, you know, these are the nuisances of life that, you know, impact people's day to day.

[1:46:18] But, you know, the last thing you want is for these sort of mistakes to occur in a 911 sort of situation.

[1:46:23] So the work here is important.

[1:46:25] The only kind of question I have for staff, you know, if we're going to vary from policy, typically, we would rename the one that's least impactful,

[1:46:35] mate lunch street and Dartmouth became Scotchumol, for example, right, because only had two and two, I think, how is this on it compared to,

[1:46:48] you know,

[1:46:55] say, well, the Linwood with the smaller number of homes, maybe that's the one that we should

[1:46:59] keep for other reasons and look at renaming the other ones.

[1:47:03] And so just my question for staff would be, if Council goes the route of kind of kicking

[1:47:07] this back to you, is that the implied message that you would take from this is to look at the

[1:47:15] other Linwoods?

[1:47:16] Because at the end of the day, this is this is kind of a zero-sum decision, only one

[1:47:21] you get to keep Lynn Wood?

[1:47:25] Through you, Mr. Mayor, to the Councillor. Thank you for the question.

[1:47:29] Our immediate action wouldn't be in this specific case to immediately pursue a renaming

[1:47:35] exercise on one of the other limwood drives that exists. Administrative order 29 is being reviewed

[1:47:42] as part of a broader asset naming policy review that's upcoming. So we will be reviewing the

[1:47:47] criteria in our street naming and renaming policy starting this year so the intent would be

[1:47:55] that we would review the project kind of more holistically again once the criteria was in

[1:48:00] administrative order 29 have been reviewed specifically in this case the section within the

[1:48:06] policy that references the historical significance piece and how that should be considered when

[1:48:11] streets are being renamed for safety purposes so in short we would be essentially holding another

[1:48:17] recommendation on the renaming of limo drives or any naming of any limo drive until the outcome of the broader policy review is completed.

[1:48:27] Okay, can I ask, how did this originate from the committee?

[1:48:32] Because it's my understanding that usually these things arrive at the committee because you've had an incident like the excess of us going to the wrong place male going to the wrong place or 911 running into some issue.

[1:48:49] Who you had it?

[1:48:51] I had to.

[1:48:52] The counselor.

[1:48:53] Thank you.

[1:48:55] This case originated from public feedback regarding ongoing continuous male and delivery

[1:49:01] mixups between the various limb withdrawals.

[1:49:04] So at committee meetings, we typically prioritize reviewing cases brought forward by emergency

[1:49:09] responders, so that could be incidents which have occurred due to street name duplication,

[1:49:14] such as the case with a garden court that we're recommending today.

[1:49:18] But we also review essentially complaints that have been submitted by the public in reference to specific issues they're experiencing.

[1:49:28] So, Portland would drive Halifax.

[1:49:30] It was resident driven relating to parcel and mail delivery mixups.

[1:49:36] So I think we should just sit with that folks that, you know,

[1:49:40] if we do alternative to, it doesn't remove the issue that is coming from a place like this isn't staff going out trying to find a problem.

[1:49:47] this is a reported problem that's come into us and so if we're going to do alternative to my mind anyway

[1:49:54] and I'm kind of okay with it, you know, there's an inherent to me around if you actually want to fix this,

[1:50:01] then the other lin woods you're going to have to have their names changed eventually.

[1:50:05] So, and they're not the first and they're not the last, but, you know, we've run into some particular circumstances here.

[1:50:11] So that's my take. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And it's Marie, right, Marie?

[1:50:16] Thank you, Marie, for answering the questions.

[1:50:19] Looks like this is heading in the right direction.

[1:50:21] I did just want to add a my own thought here.

[1:50:24] Beginning with acknowledging the work this staff has done,

[1:50:26] as Councillor Austin and others appointed

[1:50:28] out this work to eliminate duplicate streets is really important

[1:50:31] around emergency response.

[1:50:35] Balancing that, we've heard this really clear

[1:50:37] and compelling feedback about the changing of what

[1:50:40] drive residents and their families, the Canadian,

[1:50:44] in Lebanon, society of Halifax, the honorary console of Lebanon, as chimed in on this.

[1:50:51] And they've all made the case that connects the street name to a deep history and heritage

[1:50:56] and the kind of deep identity and the Lebanese community that Councilor Morse has highlighted

[1:51:02] through her conversations and reporting back on that today.

[1:51:07] So I think we've heard a really clear message from community on what they're preference

[1:51:13] And I think the way that Councillor Morris has asked us to proceed, or one way that would

[1:51:20] achieve what her attention is, would be to split the motion, approve part 1,

[1:51:28] decide not

[1:51:29] to approve part 2, and then Councillor Morris could move the alternative.

[1:51:33] So there are any other names popping up, I don't see any others, does that sound like a good

[1:51:38] Well, I see Councilor Delegamin.

[1:51:44] Just for clarity, they alternative to does say approve the renaming of garden courts, so it doesn't look like we need to.

[1:51:53] Yeah, I had a short conversation with our solicitor about that, and it came down 50-50.

[1:51:58] It doesn't matter either way if we can do it either way.

[1:52:02] It's tantamount to the same outcome.

[1:52:04] We still get a approval of one and a denial of the other.

[1:52:08] Thank you.

[1:52:08] Okay, you're welcome.

[1:52:12] I got a clear answer.

[1:52:17] Okay, let's proceed to the vote, shall we?

[1:52:20] And this will be listed, and this will be on part one.

[1:52:53] One of the motion carries. Well, now vote on one now, Councillor Minceini, if it's okay with you, we'll vote on part two of the motion.

[1:53:04] And as you would call, Councillor Morris has asked us to vote against this one.

[1:53:27] Part two fails.

[1:53:39] Councillor Claire, I'm not doing a rebel.

[1:53:43] That's an ear, please. Councillor Heinz would like to change your vote.

[1:53:47] Change my votes and no. Thank you.

[1:53:49] Yeah. So the clerk's office will record that as a no vote.

[1:53:54] So that the outcome does not change the motion was defeated.

[1:54:01] And now Councillor Morse, would you like to move the alternative?

[1:54:07] Thank you. I move that we approve the renaming of Garden Court Dartmouth and reject the renaming of Linwood Drive Halifax.

[1:54:15] Rockingham Halifax under this alternative staff will reassess the proposed renaming of Linwood Drive

[1:54:21] at such time that a broader asset naming policy review has been completed.

[1:54:29] I'm sure somebody was recorded as a second or there. That was a three-way

[1:54:33] time as far as I can see. And so the motion is on the floor, and I see Councilor

[1:54:40] Dave McMahon has her light on.

[1:54:44] Thank you very much. I have a question about the alternative. I wasn't sure if we

[1:54:49] to speak to that before or when it came on the floor, but does, I guess I'm just wondering

[1:54:55] about what is the future impact of this because it seems like we're now using our taking

[1:55:03] in an oral history as part of our decision making process when we're looking at street names.

[1:55:11] Okay, Brightner, so of course oral histories are part of how we grew up, right? Counselor Mancini.

[1:55:16] So oral histories can be very subjective and sometimes it depends on who you ask on which side of the street and who married who and who didn't marry who.

[1:55:30] So when you look at that kind of oral history, I think we have to be very careful.

[1:55:35] So I agree, I agree with the alternative, but I just caution about if we're going to use oral

[1:55:43] histories, where is, where does that reside? Does it have a different kind of criteria?

[1:55:51] And where does it reside in any kind of future, civic addressing? I think that's very important

[1:55:55] for us to look at. So thank you for allowing me the comment. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[1:56:01] And let's see, no one else on the board shall we proceed to the vote

[1:56:33] in the motion carries.

[1:56:36] Thank you very much colleagues for that excellent discussion.

[1:56:40] In our enthusiasm, we moved quickly past something we said we were going to do during the order of business part of our discussion,

[1:56:48] which was to test a number of the in-camera items before we actually get to item 17.

[1:56:54] as you may recall, and we did approve that re-ordering.

[1:57:00] The Deputy Mayor did bring forward 175,

[1:57:02] and that was in the list of ones to be tested,

[1:57:04] where we were intended to test 171 through 175.

[1:57:08] Obviously, we've already done 175,

[1:57:11] but I wonder if perhaps,

[1:57:15] Councillor Mancini, you would like to do some testing.

[1:57:19] Oh, okay, very good.

[1:57:21] Oh, there we go.

[1:57:22] Oh, I, in fact, I'd bigger part now is on the wrong screen and I actually see Councilor Hensby and the list first, so we'll go to Councilor Hensby.

[1:57:28] Mr. Mayor, I like to move the in-camera minutes of July 14th, 2026 to be approved by circulated seconded by Councilor Kent and all those in favor of the

[1:57:43] the hand, hand votes for the minutes, right?

[1:57:57] Show of hands on favor of approving the in-camera minutes.

[1:58:00] Very good.

[1:58:01] Those are approved.

[1:58:02] The subsequent votes will be recorded.

[1:58:05] And would you, Councillor Austin, 172?

[1:58:08] Yes.

[1:58:09] Thank you.

[1:58:09] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:58:11] I'll test 172.

[1:58:13] I moved that Halifax Regional Council one.

[1:58:15] Adopt the recommendations.

[1:58:16] As outlined in the private and confidential report dated July 30, 2026.

[1:58:20] and direct the and to direct the private and confidential report to the day the July 30th, 2026 being maintained private and confidential.

[1:58:29] Seconded by Councillor Kent.

[1:58:33] And this would be a digital vote.

[1:58:54] The motion carries.

[1:58:56] Thank you very much.

[1:58:57] And we'll go back to Councillor Mancini, please.

[1:58:59] No, I'm good.

[1:59:00] Oh, you're welcome.

[1:59:01] Well, what anyone like to test 173.

[1:59:05] Councillor.

[1:59:07] Was that you, Sean?

[1:59:09] Oh, Councilor Debelliamen.

[1:59:12] I would test 177.

[1:59:16] 177.

[1:59:25] Look, let's, well, thank you, Councilor H1.

[1:59:30] One at a time here.

[1:59:32] I'm just going to make sure I understand this.

[1:59:43] Okay, yes, Councilor Debelliamen has asked to test 177.

[1:59:48] Is there a second here for that?

[1:59:49] Yeah, it counts their hands beyond the second and we will go to the vote on that all in

[2:00:00] There are some names on the list here. I beg your pardon. I would like to discuss that in camera. Okay. All right. So that's not going to work. Let's, let's then go back to, it didn't fly. No. So we will discuss 177 in camera. Then I believe Councillor Haines just going to offer to test 173.

[2:00:31] I move the Hello Bachelorette Regional Council one, adopt the recommend, sorry, adopt the recommendation as outlined in the private and confidential report dated July 30th, 2026 and to direct the private and confidential report dated July 30th, 2026 being maintained, private and confidential.

[2:00:53] Seconded by Councillor Cleary and is that discussion on the motion?

[2:00:59] I would like to discuss 173 and 174 on camera please.

[2:01:06] That fails.

[2:01:08] It looks like 173 and 174 will stay on the agenda.

[2:01:12] We've already done 175.

[2:01:16] any other ideas folks for testing?

[2:01:22] Okay, so we've successfully dispensed to 17

[2:01:25] two, 17, 1 and 17, 5. Thank you for that. We can get through a couple more

[2:01:32] things here before the midday recess.

[2:01:42] Notice of table 11, notice of table of

[2:01:45] matters. I don't believe there are any. We do not, item 12, we do not have a

[2:01:49] hearing today. Item 13, correspondence, petitions and delegations starting with correspondence,

[2:01:55] madam clerk. Yes, correspondence has received and was circulated for items 10.2, 15,

[2:02:01] 3, 2, and 16, 1. Thank you very much, and colleagues. Any petitions today?

[2:02:08] Councillor Minceini. Mr. Bear, I'd like to present the following

[2:02:13] petition, it's regard to ongoing traffic concerns at 612-winner road, specifically regarding

[2:02:21] access to little Picasso, daycare, and surrounding process, so I submit this petition.

[2:02:26] I'm wondering since I do have the floor, Mr. Mayor, you know, come as a petition, we're

[2:02:32] constantly being in a residence held, what can we do? Should we do a petition? And

[2:02:38] really depends on what the item is, I'm quite frank with them saying, you know what?

[2:02:41] I'm not going to do any good.

[2:02:43] And sometimes, in May, as we saw happen earlier with Councillor Morris's item on the

[2:02:46] Linwood property, but I think we need to do a better job of managing expectations.

[2:02:51] Just because the position is presented, it doesn't mean action of any kind of that has

[2:02:55] been presented.

[2:02:56] Typically, if action is needed, a motion has to come from the Councillor or from the floor

[2:03:02] at the time.

[2:03:04] With regard to this, item here, staff are already working on this intersection and examining

[2:03:11] if they need to be done.

[2:03:13] I just state that we need to do some education

[2:03:16] with residents, residents want to do something.

[2:03:19] So this is something easy for the doing,

[2:03:21] but it's work, right?

[2:03:21] They have to get out there and talk to people.

[2:03:23] It's a lot of work, and I want to just manage

[2:03:25] the reputation well.

[2:03:27] And so, anyhow, not just any action at this point

[2:03:30] in time, Mr. Mayor, I'm just thinking,

[2:03:31] we could probably do a better job when someone says,

[2:03:34] should we do a petition, or when they reach out

[2:03:38] to the clerk's office, the clerk's office,

[2:03:40] you know, maybe they can bring it up to another level. Okay, here's what happens when you present a petition or here's what may not happen

[2:03:46] just so that we're managing the direct petition. So it's just my two cents worth I want to share at this point time. Thank you.

[2:03:55] Thank you very much.

[2:03:57] And let's just see.

[2:04:00] We're on petitions deputy mayor.

[2:04:04] Thank you. I just wanted to have a response to support councilor men's

[2:04:09] senior's points about petitions that I agree that we do need to educate the public on

[2:04:17] petitions. So I also want to note that I think that they are a better vehicle for communicating

[2:04:22] to council on items of significance than mass email campaigns. And I think when there are significant

[2:04:30] issues that the public want to bring forward, organizing a petition with the

[2:04:35] proper information and post-socodes is more effective than sending us hundreds

[2:04:42] or thousands of emails. Thank you.

[2:04:47] Thank you very much for that. You'll remember in the order of business we agreed to

[2:04:53] Councilor Hartling's motion, 16.1 to the slot directly before item 15. And so that would be now.

[2:05:03] We've got about nine minutes. It's just we get started. And perhaps beginning with Councilor Hartling getting the motion on the floor and see what we can accomplish.

[2:05:10] Councillor Hartling.

[2:05:12] Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. I move that Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to one right

[2:05:20] form a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs requesting the immediate reconsideration of the 30 meter coastal buffer policies.

[2:05:28] Draft Regional Plan June 2025, Section 6.5.7, Coastal Protection EN-47 and EN-58 as approved by Regional Council in the June 2025 Regional Plan.

[2:05:40] 2, including the correspondence, the formal support from the Urban Development Institute of

[2:05:46] Nova Scotia regarding the 30-meter coastal setback alongside an urgent appeal for municipal

[2:05:51] regulatory tools following the Abandonment of the Coastal Protection Act and 3 pending

[2:05:56] confirmation from the minister that the 30-meter coastal buffers or coastal buffer policies

[2:06:01] are acceptable, prepare a staff report and return with recommendations on establishing

[2:06:06] the 30 meter coastal buffer as a stand-alone coastal amendment package.

[2:06:11] Seconded by Councilor Mancini.

[2:06:16] Love it.

[2:06:18] The only thing that I would like to add and thank you very much.

[2:06:22] Colleagues is that in addition to what I've already included in the rationale,

[2:06:26] what we are asking for is neither radical or untested.

[2:06:29] I would just like to note that the municipality of the district of Lunarburg,

[2:06:32] as well as Cumberland County,

[2:06:34] I've also already established similar 30 meter coastal buffer policies, and as I understand

[2:06:41] it, so has the entire province of New Brunswick.

[2:06:44] I would just like to add that the coastal buffer was previously approved by this Council.

[2:06:50] The intent of this motion is to advance sound policy back by science to the province with documented

[2:06:55] industry support.

[2:06:56] Thank you very much.

[2:06:58] Thank you, Councillor Manecini.

[2:07:01] Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

[2:07:02] Thank you, Councillor for bringing this forward.

[2:07:07] You know, my interest in this topic is around the 30 meters setback for lakes and water

[2:07:15] courses within the municipality.

[2:07:18] You know, at the time when the regional plan or most updated regional plan was presented,

[2:07:22] this got rejected by the province.

[2:07:26] And, you know, it's interesting.

[2:07:30] Injected until the representative of ADI and former Councilor Steve Adams made his think with the province.

[2:07:36] And we're not and said, hey, wait a minute, you know, this is going to prevent us from building units.

[2:07:40] Plus there's no evidence.

[2:07:42] I beg to differ Mr. Adams. There's tons of that scientific evidence out there.

[2:07:47] The further away we are from a water course, the further away we are from my lake, the better it is for that lake.

[2:07:53] Our lakes, you know, we're so lucky, you know, it's all over the

[2:07:57] municipality of the number lakes that we have.

[2:07:59] I'm particularly in droplet.

[2:08:00] The city of lakes that counts are Austin and the other

[2:08:02] darker counselors and I represent.

[2:08:04] Our lakes are stressed.

[2:08:06] They're stressed because of climate change.

[2:08:08] They're stressed because of development.

[2:08:10] A 30 minute meter buffer is just good climate strategy.

[2:08:16] Now, I spoke to our staff and I said, you know what, I think we should

[2:08:19] push this through right now and they explain to us, you share with me,

[2:08:21] agreed that it's important to do this, but they said if we go back to the province with

[2:08:26] no new additional information, their interpretation is a little bit still to kick back.

[2:08:32] So I'll respect that advice from our staff.

[2:08:37] I disagree that it should be kicked back and I think that province respectfully have dropped

[2:08:42] the ball on this one, and if they're worried about units right now, when we talk about

[2:08:47] units. We needed to be talking about, really, what was the number of Mr. Mayor that you mentioned

[2:08:53] in your address as a Chamber of the number units we needed?

[2:08:57] So, you know, what is that number we need? The 10 to 10 to 10 to 1000. Where are we today? When do we need those by?

[2:09:03] We should be discussing that every time we're talking about a development.

[2:09:07] And my concern is, are we saying that it's more important to put up a unit

[2:09:12] first is the health of our lakes. And in darkness, I say to all the developers out there,

[2:09:20] and to our provincial colleagues, if you're going to be developing a near-a-lake environment,

[2:09:25] we don't want it unless the 30 meters away from that lake. Simple as that! And if you can't figure

[2:09:30] out how to change your design, we don't want it in darkness. 30 meters just makes perfect sense,

[2:09:36] the science is there. I will follow suit and staff will investigate. I think their intent is

[2:09:41] the higher a consultant and look at this further. Great. When that happens, we'll come back

[2:09:45] and have that discussion even further. I just wanted to be on the record today. 30 meters

[2:09:50] from a lake is responsible, responsible work. We should be doing that. Developers, we'll have

[2:09:56] to figure out how to do the development. 30 meters from our lakes, particularly in darkness.

[2:10:01] I thank you for that, Mr. Mayor. Thank you and move to Councillor Austin, please.

[2:10:07] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I won't belabor the point. I very much agree with my colleague, Councillor

[2:10:11] Mancini here on this, but I'm also very much pragmatist and I think Councillor Hartling has put

[2:10:18] in a lot of work on this and turn behind the scenes, trying to assess out, you know, well,

[2:10:23] is there an actual objection to the coastal piece of this? And, you know, I think sometimes

[2:10:29] take the bird and hand versus, you know, continuing to be around the bush. We have one that might

[2:10:33] go through. It's very clear that they will reject the lake's piece again if we try it. So,

[2:10:39] know there needs more work on that and so I support Council Heartling on getting the measure that

[2:10:44] is actually doable within the constraints that we have. Thank you. Thank you very much moving to

[2:10:51] the Deputy Mayor, please.

[2:10:55] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[2:10:58] I agree with Councilor Minceini in terms of looking

[2:11:02] at this for water course setbacks, lakes and rivers. The health of those water bodies is critically

[2:11:10] important, but another thing that we're seeing across the country is the trend of using our

[2:11:15] natural assets for stormwater management. And we've seen changes in our climate changes in

[2:11:23] our precipitation levels. And when this occurs, it really impacts our rivers, our lakes,

[2:11:29] our water levels, and increases flooding risk. And so last we're looking ahead at building

[2:11:37] better climate resilience in our city, having stronger water course that that's critically important,

[2:11:45] but also looking at the value of these natural assets, whether it's a lake, whether it's a river,

[2:11:51] whether it's a wetland, as being a critical piece of our natural infrastructure to help us deal with

[2:11:59] storm water management because putting in storm water infrastructure is incredibly costly. So

[2:12:07] You know, while we're looking at it one way through the lens of development, I think the other way we need to look at it is, you know, for the integrity of the environment, but also for the resilience of our city as a whole when it comes to storm water.

[2:12:20] I do want to commend Councillor Hartling on looking to quickly, you know, retract the set

[2:12:29] course for ocean for coastline.

[2:12:32] I too think that that was a bit of overreach in how the province applied, taking away the

[2:12:44] setback. I do agree it doesn't really have a major impact on development.

[2:12:51] And you know there's always

[2:12:52] opportunities to look at it on a more specific level. What I do have concern about is that when

[2:13:00] they initially did the co-stalaction plan, the draft co-stalaction plan for Nova Scotia, the one that

[2:13:08] province didn't adopt or proclaim. There was a variation in setback for coastal properties

[2:13:16] around the province, specifically on the geography. So if you were situated in an area of

[2:13:25] high erosion, there was a greater setback than if you were situated on a granite headland.

[2:13:32] There was a difference if you were in an area that was exposed to the elements versus if you were

[2:13:38] on an inlet or an estuary area. So it wasn't there was a group A and a group B and there

[2:13:48] was never the intent to apply a uniform set back across the board to coastal properties.

[2:13:55] It was really based on on risk. So I appreciate that the motion has been revised and

[2:14:06] looking for staff report on this as opposed to, you know, writing a letter without the report.

[2:14:13] Because I do think we have to consider, you know, the risk of properties not just doing a

[2:14:21] uniform setback for the sake of having a uniform setback and it being more of a performative

[2:14:26] measure than an actual effective measure. So those are things I think that we really need to

[2:14:33] take a close look at and put some consideration into.

[2:14:37] Thank you.

[2:14:40] Thank you very much, Councillor Dayle, we have a nice place.

[2:14:45] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[2:14:48] Thank you, Councillor Hartling.

[2:14:49] You've done so much work on this.

[2:14:51] And you're a state vigilance on the issue

[2:14:54] and the face of some of the things that most people might have.

[2:15:00] Congratulations on sticking with this wholeheartedly agree with the 30-meter setback.

[2:15:06] And, you know, like Councillor Mancini said, our likes, I mean, each item is full of likes,

[2:15:12] not just the city of darkness, right? So we recently had, you know, a change in an

[2:15:17] development agreement that treated effluent was going to go into the lake and now the

[2:15:20] developer is making a change. I think what really is scary for us when we're looking at

[2:15:25] development is that the life's fall under the Nova Scotia environment and climate change,

[2:15:32] the zoning and the viral falls under us and sometimes we're in a bit of a battle because

[2:15:38] the province approves something where we may not or the community may not think it's the

[2:15:45] right thing to do and the one measure that is a little bit within our control is that

[2:15:50] made or set back from the water courses, so I really hope that everybody votes in favor of council

[2:15:57] heart links motion. Thank you. Thank you for that. Norther names on the list. I'm just going to

[2:16:03] share my own thoughts. I understand why Councillor Hartling has brought this motion forward. I

[2:16:09] share your objective and the council's objective in strengthening water course protections.

[2:16:14] This intervention is about the fact that the motion is asking us to act before the analysis that Council has already commissioned of staff is complete.

[2:16:26] And as a reminder of what that work was during our most recent budget process we approved a comprehensive assessment of potential changes to water course buffers supported by technical analysis and meaningful engagement with industry and other stakeholders.

[2:16:38] And we are, that works not done yet, so it just seems, you know, we might want to wait for that to be in hand to make a more solid case back to the province.

[2:16:51] I think if we, if we go back to them now without any new evidence, I would imagine it's unlikely to produce a different result.

[2:16:59] But if we went back to them with a stronger case that involves scientific analysis, stakeholder input, and what's important for the province to hear as a clear understanding of not just the environmental issues that play it, but the ability to continue to build homes.

[2:17:17] I don't think we need to be making choices between building homes or protecting water courses, but I do think we need the evidence to determine how we can best achieve both of those objectives.

[2:17:27] So I wouldn't, I'm hesitant to counsel voting against Councillor Hartling's motion.

[2:17:35] I think it may be a deferral until such time as that analysis that's underway would perhaps be in order.

[2:17:43] But I'll just offer that for your consideration today.

[2:17:45] Thank you.

[2:17:46] Councillor Hartling.

[2:17:48] Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

[2:17:49] The only thing that I would say in response is that I initiated that conversation when I asked for a supplement.

[2:17:57] mental staff report understanding the cost benefit analysis of building housing and units.

[2:18:07] These are the provincial rejection.

[2:18:10] That was on October 7th.

[2:18:11] It was actually October 25th that UDI came back to the table with their letter of support.

[2:18:17] So I would say that the landscape has already changed.

[2:18:19] It's not that we have nothing new on the table.

[2:18:21] I, in my view, and I think that the motion that I have

[2:18:25] represent, or that I have put forward today really speaks to that,

[2:18:29] that we have the information that we need.

[2:18:32] So I will leave it there. Thank you very much.

[2:18:35] Thank you, questions been called.

[2:18:57] And the motion carries.

[2:19:00] We are at that point, but we did desk it over item 14,

[2:19:07] which is information items brought forward.

[2:19:10] there are none, but now we'll put a check mark next to that. So with that we will have our midday

[2:19:16] recess and we will be back and pick up the agenda at item 15.1. Thank you and we'll see you at

[2:19:22] one o'clock.

[3:16:30] Okay, colleagues, it's a few minutes after one and we do have quorum and we've got a quite a bit to get through still. So I think we'll resume where we were, which was at item 1511 centralized grants reporting concept and that was passed on consent.

[3:16:48] And then that brings us to item 15.1.2 proposed amendments to administrative order 29, respecting HRM Civic Addressing Policies CA 148.

[3:16:58] And there is a motion, and I wonder, I see Councillor Hansby, please.

[3:17:04] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[3:17:06] The motion is that the Health Act for the Council adopt the proposed amendments

[3:17:10] of Administrative Order 29, respecting civic addressing policies, a set of detachment

[3:17:14] A of the staff report dated August 6, 2026, to approve one, the naming of 19 private

[3:17:21] roads to the naming of one public street, and three, the renaming of three private

[3:17:26] roads.

[3:17:27] Second,

[3:17:31] a council day of the yearman.

[3:17:39] Do the moves, sir.

[3:17:41] Call the question.

[3:17:42] The question is called.

[3:17:43] We'll go to the electronic vote.

[3:18:31] Oh, that's what it is.

[3:18:36] How are we doing on the vote there at Madam Clerk?

[3:19:09] Mr. Mayor, we would like to know,

[3:19:11] Councillor Austin's vote is also a yes,

[3:19:13] and that does not change the outcome of the vote.

[3:19:16] OK, thank you very much.

[3:19:17] The motion carries.

[3:19:19] Then we get to item 15.1.3,

[3:19:22] three, which was also respecting private roads, but that was successfully deferred.

[3:19:29] Bringing us to 1521, the dual-band radio budget transfer, which passed on consent.

[3:19:37] And this brings us to 1531 that had started tennis dome at Gorsbach Park, which was deferred at

[3:19:42] Councillor Ostens request. And that brings us to 15.3.2, the affordable housing strategy,

[3:19:50] which I have asked to have removed from the consent calendar.

[3:19:54] So the deputy mayor and I are going to quickly change positions here.

[3:19:59] And then I will buzz in and we'll be on our way.

[3:21:23] Yeah, looks like I am.

[3:21:26] Madam Clerk looks like I am ticking away here.

[3:21:59] All right, there we go.

[3:22:01] Thank you everyone.

[3:22:03] Okay, so we are moving to item 15.3.2.

[3:22:08] And that is the affordable housing strategy and I'm going to hand this over to the mayor.

[3:22:15] Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor and Madam Cook, I think there we go, thank you.

[3:22:20] So I'll start with putting the motion on the floor.

[3:22:22] I move that Halifax Regional Council one endorsed the affordable housing strategy.

[3:22:30] Report dated August 5, 2026, to direct the chief administrative officer to include funding options for actions contained in the affordable housing strategy in two two years, commencing in the 2027-2028 budget and business plan for council's consideration, and three direct the CIO to provide the committee with an update on the implementation of the strategy every two years.

[3:22:52] So, colleagues, I just want to begin by-

[3:22:55] Can we get a second for that?

[3:22:56] Oh, yeah, let's do that.

[3:22:57] That's a good.

[3:22:58] Councillor Steele.

[3:23:00] Okay, thank you.

[3:23:01] Go ahead.

[3:23:03] I'll start just by being so clear about my support

[3:23:05] for the Affordable Housing Strategy and the role

[3:23:09] that we all have collectively the Council and our staff

[3:23:12] in enabling more affordable housing.

[3:23:14] The reason for my intervention today

[3:23:16] has got nothing to do with that.

[3:23:17] It's all about a concern about approving two permanent staff

[3:23:22] positions outside of the budgeting process.

[3:23:26] So that's my concern.

[3:23:27] Before Council has the full financial picture,

[3:23:31] I noted that several members of CPET raised

[3:23:33] the same concern last week,

[3:23:34] and I note that the recommendation before us today

[3:23:37] from CPET was not unanimously approved

[3:23:39] by CPET for this very reason.

[3:23:41] Staff indicated that not approving these hires

[3:23:44] would primarily affect the efficiency

[3:23:45] of the surplus lands for housing program.

[3:23:48] A program that has great merit,

[3:23:50] But we should be able to consider this investment alongside our other housing tools and priorities,

[3:23:56] including those that provide for more immediate housing support.

[3:23:59] We're not immune to the fiscal pressures facing the other orders of government,

[3:24:03] and like them, we must focus our resources and find ways to do more with less.

[3:24:07] The two positions may seem modest within a billion dollar budget,

[3:24:11] but permanent positions create permanent obligations.

[3:24:15] Housing accelerator, fund money, may cover some initial costs, but that funding is temporary.

[3:24:19] When it ends, municipal tax payers inherit the full expense, and in about five years, the cost

[3:24:26] of those two positions will be approaching $300,000 per year, and we'll continue to escalate

[3:24:30] year over year.

[3:24:32] If Council moves forward with these positions today, they'll be incorporated into the planning

[3:24:36] and development budget as Council approved positions.

[3:24:39] In a constrained fiscal environment, Council should consider new permit positions alongside the proposed

[3:24:44] tax rate, other staffing requests, service and enhancements, and all of our other competing priorities.

[3:24:50] I'm not proposing that we reject these positions.

[3:24:52] I'm proposing that we consider them through the budget adjustment list process with the full

[3:24:56] financial picture before us. That is precisely what the ballot process is for.

[3:25:01] For that reason, I would like Madam Deputy Mayor to move that recommendation to be

[3:25:14] administrative officer to include funding options for actions contained in the affordable housing

[3:25:19] strategy in future years as a budget adjustment list request within the 2027-28 budget

[3:25:26] process for council's consideration. Thank you. Thank you very much for that. And I think

[3:25:33] Madam Clerk, you have the wording. It could go on a screen. Okay. Thank you. So this amendment

[3:25:39] preserves the staffing request and council's ability to approve it. It's simply ensures that

[3:25:43] make that decision transparently alongside and in the context of our other priorities with a clear

[3:25:49] understanding of the trade-offs. I believe this is the fiscal irresponsible approach and should

[3:25:53] be our standard practice when considering permanent increases to municipal staffing.

[3:25:59] Thank you, and I think I heard that second from Councillor Perti. Okay, very good.

[3:26:05] So I see the board lining up and this is on the amendment Councillor Austin.

[3:26:11] Thank you, Miss Deputy, so I'm not going to support this amendment because I think of the direction that Mr. Blackwood has given us in the past and some of the concerns that were raised at executive committee regarding the length and detail of our budget process.

[3:26:32] If something, if you can hear Jerry now, like if something is important, you know you're going

[3:26:39] that you're in favor of doing it, you should just do it and build it into that and have

[3:26:42] it built into the budget.

[3:26:45] Where we are regarding housing and homelessness, I mean, this has been one of the absolutely

[3:26:50] major issues that we have faced as well as previous counselors.

[3:26:55] The staffing request to actually do this work properly is not a big ask.

[3:27:00] It's a small increase.

[3:27:01] And so I'm comfortable having staff go off and prepare the budget with this built in.

[3:27:07] I think this is an important enough priority that it is worthwhile doing that.

[3:27:11] We've done this in the past with other items.

[3:27:13] We can refer it to the bowel and still consider it,

[3:27:16] but I think there's enough here that I'm comfortable just having this built in.

[3:27:20] I think that the housing file is important enough to warrant it.

[3:27:24] Thank you.

[3:27:28] Thank you, Councillor Austin.

[3:27:30] Councillor Purty.

[3:27:33] Thank you.

[3:27:34] The meeting mayor and thank you Mr. Mayor for this amendment.

[3:27:37] I asked at CPED for this to be broken out so we could vote on the point separately

[3:27:43] because I would also felt uncomfortable.

[3:27:46] Basically, you've pre-approving positions before the budget process was happening.

[3:27:51] And I just don't want to do that so I didn't want to vote in favor of the positions at this point.

[3:27:58] So I'm happy to support this. I think this is reasonable and it addresses the very serious budgetary issues and constraints that we are all feeling.

[3:28:10] So happy to support things.

[3:28:14] Councillor Steele.

[3:28:17] Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

[3:28:19] I have a question for Jerry.

[3:28:21] Jerry just explained the difference between the emotion that's proposed by staff and the motion that's brought forward by the mayor.

[3:28:33] I just want to make sure I understand one is we're baking it in the other it's an ad on it's about right is is that like what how

[3:28:42] how does this treat it by staff I guess if we were to adopt the mayor's motion.

[3:28:51] Thank you, Chair Blackwood CFO, so I think what's important here for context and certainly, you know, this is this is advice, so

[3:29:03] We were given very early in the process on ratification day emotion that council approved right for staff to go away

[3:29:10] build up the 27-28 budget based on, like, no increases, only contractual, inflationary and

[3:29:22] approved by Council. We did debrief sessions with Council. One of the things we heard was,

[3:29:30] let's try to streamline the process. A lot of the feedback back that we got was around

[3:29:36] the bowel process and how that prolonged the budget process.

[3:29:42] What staff has done and implemented and what we talked about yesterday at executive

[3:29:47] is we've put a deadline to staff.

[3:29:52] any things being brought forward that have budget implications you need to get them in front of

[3:30:00] That is so council can have a full-sum staff report. Council can have a full-sum debate. And that's what's here today. Right? So, you know, it's, I think it's like 0.02% of our overall budget. It doesn't move the dial on the rate. So, you know, if it is important council, I mean, council can approve this today.

[3:30:27] It's never action to staff that we can put this into the budget, you know, it was brought up that, you know, executive yesterday about staff time.

[3:30:36] So when this comes back for the bow, this group that's sitting behind me are going to have to come back and be here for however long that day for this to happen.

[3:30:47] So that's just a little bit of context in terms of the motion is fully in order and council has full purview to do.

[3:30:56] what they want when it comes to the budget, but this will, at more time, it's a battle item

[3:31:05] that will have another debate on the funding for these housing strategy positions.

[3:31:14] Thank you, Jerry. The reason I asked this question is, at CPED last week, I voted against

[3:31:22] clause two of the motion. I know that housing affordability is very important. I know

[3:31:33] that other orders of government have been investing more and more in housing affordability.

[3:31:39] And I'm not comfortable investing incremental resources in this going forward. I think we saw

[3:31:48] the number over 10 year period what this means, the municipality is involved in a myriad

[3:31:56] of what in a myriad of ways supporting housing affordability and one of the things

[3:32:01] that troubles me not only about this particular ask about everything and maybe we are short

[3:32:08] of resources everywhere.

[3:32:10] But one of the things that I always thought it might be possible is do we not have any resources

[3:32:16] within HRM that could pivot. Is everything we take on? Do we need to have incremental resources

[3:32:23] to do it? So that's, you know, that's kind of my bottom line here. The strategy is well written.

[3:32:30] It's excellent. It doesn't address overall affordability, which troubles me, but I understand that

[3:32:36] we chose, we chose that path, then gave that guidance to our staff to look at affordability

[3:32:43] for a very small portion of our residents. I'll be at those in greatest need, perhaps, but I'm

[3:32:50] not comfortable with incremental resources at this time for this. Thank you.

[3:33:00] Councillor Kent.

[3:33:02] Thank you, Madam Deputy. I can't support the potential amendment as well for the fact that

[3:33:10] I absolutely and I appreciate Councillor Austin bringing out that the amount of energy and effort

[3:33:19] that we have and commitment to housing within our municipal mandate, even though we know

[3:33:27] that there has not been a lot of support for it until more recent years, through other levels

[3:33:32] of governments, I don't think we can take the foot off the pedal right now.

[3:33:37] And we still are in a significant crisis, and I think it's a responsibility of every level

[3:33:44] of government to participate in some way, this report.

[3:33:48] I was pleased with it.

[3:33:49] I think that staff did a great job with it.

[3:33:52] We got to remember that we as a council last for this strategy to be developed.

[3:33:58] Now we have it here, but also the point of putting it on to a budget and adjustment list

[3:34:07] to me that just doesn't make sense.

[3:34:08] We're not debating, we're not debating the full budget

[3:34:12] in this period right now.

[3:34:14] The battle list is there for gaps or reconsiderations

[3:34:18] when we're going through the large budget.

[3:34:20] That's what it's there for.

[3:34:22] It's like a parking place for something

[3:34:24] to be looked at differently.

[3:34:27] And it could be within the context of the large budget

[3:34:30] that's staff bring forward.

[3:34:31] I would want to see that in the budget.

[3:34:34] So we have all that information.

[3:34:36] And our staff here can go back and do it and present it within the larger budget.

[3:34:43] And then if it needs to go to the ballot, let's do it then.

[3:34:45] This is not the time.

[3:34:47] I'm supportive of it.

[3:34:48] I think that we should go forward and then see the full extent when Jerry and his staff come

[3:34:56] back in early December.

[3:35:00] Thank you.

[3:35:03] Thank you, Councillor Kent.

[3:35:05] Councillor Hensby.

[3:35:08] Thank you, Mr. Deputy Mayor. I'm supportive of the amendment because I believe that we're

[3:35:13] getting ourselves a little entrenched in the housing, like I said before, this is

[3:35:16] a provincial housing responsibility not from the municipal, but we have some opportunities to assist

[3:35:22] to participate with our various programs we have for tax relief, and possible surplus properties.

[3:35:29] But for, unless we're going to get external funding guaranteed for these positions, I'm a little

[3:35:35] skeptical of us and trenching the positions and ingraining and door into our door workforce unless

[3:35:41] we got assurances from the federal provincial governments that this fund is going to be

[3:35:45] absolute for the period of a decade, whatever we anticipate in the budget,

[3:35:49] I might be a little more comfortable with it, but as it stands now to

[3:35:53] the pre-approved now before the budget process, I feel a little uncomfortable about it,

[3:35:58] and I'll rather wait till the debate starts to ensure that we do have funding from our

[3:36:02] provincial and federal counterparts who are supposed to be responsible for housing. Thank you.

[3:36:12] Thank you, Councillor Morris.

[3:36:16] Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Um, you know, housing is a responsibility

[3:36:20] of all three levels of government and HRM's responsibility is mainly on the planning and infrastructure

[3:36:26] side. But that's a complex side and, you know, you need staff with the continuity and the expertise

[3:36:33] to manage that side of things so that we can participate in partnerships with the federal and

[3:36:40] provincial government. You can't just pop people in and out of those roles and expect

[3:36:44] they're going to be able to take full advantage of whatever funding is available from those levels

[3:36:50] of government. What I understand our staff do to a great extent is help the nonprofit organizations

[3:36:58] who are building housing, find ways to move through the planning process.

[3:37:04] That's another important role that they have played.

[3:37:08] I think that these positions are important to keep on as a minimum

[3:37:13] that we do for affordability.

[3:37:15] Otherwise it's just left completely to the market

[3:37:19] and we know there are a lot of gaps when it's completely left to the market.

[3:37:23] we need to provide some support for the non-profit.

[3:37:30] That is deeply affordable. So I would rather see this baked into the budget rather than discussed

[3:37:36] on the bow. Thank you.

[3:37:40] Thank you, Councillor Clarion.

[3:37:42] Thank you, Deputy. So everyone's right.

[3:37:48] We need these two planners.

[3:37:50] I don't know if we need to, but certainly we need one, maybe two planners.

[3:37:55] But we also can't keep adding folks to the complement and keep paying for more and more

[3:38:01] whether it's police, it's fire, it's planners,

[3:38:05] I think, and I'll support the mayor's motion

[3:38:09] here because I think this needs to be kicked up to the CAO's level and we need to look

[3:38:14] at organization what? How many folks do we have? We need to review are is everyone doing

[3:38:22] everything we need? And if we've got capacity, whether it's because we can't find somebody

[3:38:29] not hiring or priorities have changed, we could slip two positions over into planning or reassign

[3:38:36] people from planning to these rules. But we really do have to stop hiring people just because,

[3:38:42] hey, we need more people. We need to figure out through business analysis, through technology,

[3:38:51] are there ways that we could be doing things better with the same or fewer resources?

[3:38:57] and so I support 100% the affordable housing strategy although more or less what it says

[3:39:03] is that it's well we're going to keep doing the things we're doing it's not like we're adding anything new

[3:39:07] and so I think we need a good hard look at what the actual need is and if we have the capacity somewhere else we could re-assign temporarily or permanently

[3:39:19] But I can't have bacon into the budget at this point in time without knowing have we done a deep dive to say can we move some folks?

[3:39:28] Do we have some FTE somewhere that we could reassign I'll support the mayor on this one. Thank you

[3:39:38] Everyone's spoken once on the list there. Oh nope, Councilor Dakele Gamin snuck in there and go ahead. Councilor Dakele Gamin

[3:39:47] Thank you very much

[3:39:49] that the mayor madam interim chair here you know it's it's interesting and you know

[3:39:55] comes to clear when you say everybody's right I I agree we gave direction to staff the

[3:40:04] direction to staff was if when you're looking at building a budget that there's going to be an

[3:40:10] ask that you get it done beforehand so in some ways I think no matter which way we go we're going to

[3:40:15] discussing this again at budget, right? It's quite possible that on either way that we look at it,

[3:40:23] somebody might pull it away from the business unit presentation and ask for it to be put on the

[3:40:29] bow and then it becomes a discussion there. The only thing that really concerns me at this point,

[3:40:36] I think, you know, Mr. Mayor has corrected this statement that it wasn't unanimous and

[3:40:42] Sometimes when I look at our motions in our minutes, it says motion put in past, but we don't

[3:40:47] say if it's unanimous, we don't say how many for or against and this was a good conversation

[3:40:53] at CPED. That's for sure. And when it was put in past, it is that it comes to regional council,

[3:41:00] so that regional council gets to make the decision. But we have to be very careful if we're given

[3:41:06] direction to staff and then all of a sudden we're turning around and saying, well, you took the

[3:41:10] But now, we want you to do something different.

[3:41:14] So, we want to be consistent with that.

[3:41:17] We want our budget process.

[3:41:18] We've talked about it.

[3:41:20] We want our budget process to be a little bit more timely.

[3:41:23] We want it to be more seamless.

[3:41:27] So, at all, I'll vote for the original motion,

[3:41:31] because I think that if it gets defeated, then it goes to the bell.

[3:41:34] Either way, we're going to meet it.

[3:41:36] But I support the work that the staff have done

[3:41:39] and in the way that the motion was presented,

[3:41:42] I think that the follow-up direction we gave them.

[3:41:44] Thank you.

[3:41:51] Thank you.

[3:41:51] Okay, I do not see any other first-time speakers

[3:41:54] on the list.

[3:41:56] I can either change spots, the mayor,

[3:41:59] or the past deputy mayor,

[3:42:01] or I can speak from the chair.

[3:42:04] Chair is fine.

[3:42:06] All right, thank you.

[3:42:08] So, I just want to maybe get some clarification

[3:42:14] on the requirements here,

[3:42:16] Because when I read the report, we know that the city has been promised through the housing

[3:42:23] accelerator fund close to $80 million in order to access that $80 million, our final requirement

[3:42:32] is to have an affordable housing strategy and it says in the report with staff to implement

[3:42:41] it.

[3:42:42] So I'm wondering if that is a condition of receiving our final installment of the half

[3:42:51] funding, and while I'm talking about half, I want to just put into context how important

[3:43:00] it is that we have affordable housing strategy, and that we have staff who are dedicated

[3:43:06] to ensuring that it's implemented.

[3:43:08] But when I look at my community in Spryfield, I had over 26 projects through half approved

[3:43:16] through spot zoning. As a result, I've seen the loss of a lot of existing affordable housing,

[3:43:22] whether that was affordable single family homes or affordable multi units.

[3:43:30] And we don't have housing to replace that affordable housing. So the work that's being done through

[3:43:40] and looking at preserving existing housing through renovations,

[3:43:45] through supporting offer profits.

[3:43:47] That is critical to ensuring that we have a continuum

[3:43:51] of affordable housing for our residents.

[3:43:55] It is true that, you know, we, you know,

[3:44:01] people are being asked to do more with less.

[3:44:04] But there's a lot of people out there

[3:44:05] housing situations where they can't do any more because they don't have affordable housing.

[3:44:13] It's one of the biggest crises in our country at the moment is housing affordability.

[3:44:19] And I agree that this is a responsibility of all three levels of government. We all have a rule to

[3:44:25] here. And the cost of two additional staff people is such a minimal investment for seeing our affordable

[3:44:36] housing strategy implemented. And we're doing this based on the fact that we've received $80

[3:44:43] million in housing accelerator funding that this to me seems like that this shouldn't even be a

[3:44:51] discussion. We should this was a commitment that we're going to have an affordable housing strategy

[3:44:55] that we're going to implement it.

[3:45:00] We made those commitments and we need to see them through. And, you know, it is the people who need affordable housing, the most, who are who were helping here. And I think we need to keep our focus on that. So for those reasons, I'll be supporting the original motion and I won't be supporting the amendment. Thank you.

[3:45:22] Oh, and if I could get a answer to the question about the requirement to have the strategy and the ability to support implementing it.

[3:45:35] Certainly, thank you, Madam Deputy, through to Council, my name is Aaron Marnahan. I'm manager of Culture Heritage and Planning Information Services, also overseeing the completion of half.

[3:45:47] So I would say it was anticipated when the application was first sent from HRM and endorsed

[3:45:53] by this council to CMHC that there would be permanent staff created to implement the

[3:46:00] affordable housing strategy.

[3:46:02] However, I can confirm that that language does not exist within the contribution agreement

[3:46:07] that we have at CMHC and that it's anticipated that if council endorses the strategy and

[3:46:12] past, that would be the final initiative that needs to be completed as part of our agreement.

[3:46:19] We would then get our final installment of $19.7 million dollars.

[3:46:26] Sometime before Christmas is the hope, so before the budget would be debated in the spring.

[3:46:32] So I would say, no, it's not a hard condition, but there is an expectation from CMHC that there

[3:46:37] would be staff in place to actually implement the strategy from a practical sense.

[3:46:42] Thank you, Aaron.

[3:46:45] Okay, for, oh, let's say Virginia, Councilor Hinch.

[3:46:53] Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

[3:46:56] You know, in my district, especially in my district,

[3:47:01] there's a lot of affordable housing that has been torn down displaced, not, not, you know,

[3:47:13] Nothing is being built to the, to the, to the, to the level that it should be built for deeply affordable housing.

[3:47:21] That is, you know, it is all three levels of government that should be taken this on.

[3:47:27] It just doesn't have to be the province.

[3:47:30] We do have a role here to play and I like to continue on seeing the work that the affordable housing strategy has.

[3:47:39] So, whatever you guys need, I am, you know, unfortunately I cannot support the mayor's motion.

[3:47:47] I will support the original motion going forward because again, this is tangible work that

[3:47:55] can be done and hopefully we can see a photo of a housing, I mean we're seeing some progress,

[3:48:00] but we need more progress.

[3:48:02] So that's what my hope would be.

[3:48:05] So yes, I will be supporting the main motion.

[3:48:08] Thank you.

[3:48:17] Thank you, Ms. Deputy.

[3:48:19] Just follow up question there for Jerry.

[3:48:22] You know, if council proceeds with the original motion instead of accepting the

[3:48:27] Amir's amendment here, it would get built into the budget.

[3:48:31] But then a budget committee does council not have the ability to move anything

[3:48:35] like we want related to the budget.

[3:48:42] Thank you yet, that's correct if you voted for the original motion that can always be adjusted at the time.

[3:48:53] So when we bake something in, we're sending a signal, but you know, council always retains the ability to change our mind.

[3:49:01] If we're in the middle of budget deliberations, and we look at the amounts and everyone's kind of losing their minds, right?

[3:49:08] We could it could be reversed.

[3:49:12] That's that's correct. Okay, and what is the rate impact?

[3:49:17] I think you I thought I heard 0.02. I think 0.02 like a to on a billion dollar budget.

[3:49:26] But I think it's like less than a dollar on on the average bill. Okay.

[3:49:34] So, folks, even if we accept the original amendment, if we get into the budget process and we need to go find money, we could take a look at this, right?

[3:49:44] We've talked about the budget process being lengthy. If, you know, you look at this and it's like, this is a good idea, we should do the thing.

[3:49:51] Let's do the thing. Let's build it in now. The amount here is small and, you know, at the end of the day, I know there's a lot of talk of, well,

[3:50:02] we need to do less, you know, more with less.

[3:50:05] And, you know, it's kind of a nice slogan,

[3:50:08] but at a certain point, it just breaks down.

[3:50:10] You do ultimately, you do less with less.

[3:50:13] And here is an area where we are being tasked

[3:50:16] and asked to do much more, all orders of government are.

[3:50:20] And, you know, it's a small example,

[3:50:23] but the one that kind of registers to me most of all,

[3:50:25] because I've seen the difference,

[3:50:28] different space, but park naturalization.

[3:50:31] We originally that program, it started, someone was trying to do that off the side of the desk and we had a couple of very early pilot projects, but it really didn't go anywhere.

[3:50:40] Dedicating just one staff person to that has made such a world of difference. We have a whole program now.

[3:50:46] You know, this is not a big staffing ass, this is not a big dollar amount asked. We've committed to this in a strategy.

[3:50:53] And even if we build this in, we can always reverse it if we really get into the budget process and are really

[3:50:58] scrounging for 0.02%. I think this is worth doing. I think we should just proceed and not blow to our

[3:51:04] battle and budget process with something that we should just really be doing. Thank you.

[3:51:15] Mayor Filmer.

[3:51:16] Thank you. Just a very brief close.

[3:51:21] I would say that, of course, the council is in control of its

[3:51:25] on destiny and at the time of the budget could delete positions that it created today.

[3:51:31] I've never seen it happen.

[3:51:33] I've not seen one position ever deleted.

[3:51:35] Only added.

[3:51:37] So I would just remind us of that.

[3:51:40] And there may be a logical fallacy at work here as well.

[3:51:44] You know, if I could draw on analogy,

[3:51:46] the argument that I've often heard from folks who don't want to take action on climate change is that,

[3:51:53] Well, HRM is small or Canada is small. It doesn't really matter what we do, so we shouldn't do anything. We don't have to bother

[3:52:00] That's the same logic. We're getting into and we say it's only 0.02 in the mill rate. It's only a $200,000

[3:52:07] Every dollar matters. Every single dollar matters. Somebody's paying for it.

[3:52:11] So I just would would remind us of that as well and I'll leave it there. Thank you.

[3:52:19] Okay, so with that, the question's been called. We have nowhere speakers on the list.

[3:52:22] The vote will be on the motion as

[3:52:30] Okay, so be on the amendment and commence voting.

[3:53:02] It's a tie vote so that fails. So the amendment does not pass.

[3:53:11] We are now back to the main motion.

[3:53:25] I'm waiting for my screen to clear there. Okay,

[3:53:30] on the main motion.

[3:53:31] have counselor steel.

[3:53:37] Thank you at Deputy Mayor. I just like to reiterate how important

[3:53:42] affordable housing is. However, unlike many other municipalities across the country that are

[3:53:49] more active and affordable housing than we are, we don't receive the same level of support

[3:53:56] from our provincial government to support this type of work. Municipal taxes were never

[3:54:02] intended for broad social programs and we have moved into the space and we're now beginning

[3:54:08] to move even further into this space.

[3:54:12] I'd like to see this $200,000 or whatever it is spent on things like infrastructure, renewal,

[3:54:19] transit, public safety, some of the things that I'm hearing from my residents every day.

[3:54:25] Let's give you a concrete example and it's actually a boat concrete as well.

[3:54:30] I live in Clayton Park West, the street near to me.

[3:54:33] Actually, it's a street I walked my dogs on,

[3:54:35] so I get to discuss this every evening almost.

[3:54:40] We did some maintenance work to replace a failed curb.

[3:54:46] And we left a small, we did about 98% of the street.

[3:54:50] We left a few properties where the curb wasn't fixed.

[3:54:54] So, and the reason why we couldn't do that was for $28,000.

[3:55:00] So, the whole street was done, except for one, except for the curb in front of one property.

[3:55:06] And so, you know, I face that every day.

[3:55:10] There's many countless places like that in my district.

[3:55:14] And that's why I want them to fix the curbs and all your districts and make the sidewalk safe.

[3:55:20] I'd like to see Bayer's late-made accessible.

[3:55:23] We need money to do that.

[3:55:26] I walked with one of my residents last Friday

[3:55:29] who was in a wheelchair and I walked around

[3:55:33] and tried to see how things look from her point of view

[3:55:36] and they are extremely unsafe.

[3:55:38] I felt unsafe and I wasn't, I'm not in a wheelchair.

[3:55:43] So that's why I hate to see as migrating into these areas

[3:55:47] that I believe other levels of government

[3:55:49] and could and should be funding.

[3:55:52] I think it's a fantastic strategy,

[3:55:55] but I wish to vote separately

[3:55:57] and item number two.

[3:55:58] Thank you.

[3:56:05] Thank you, Councillor Still.

[3:56:06] Councillor Perti.

[3:56:08] You're Deputy Mayor, and I couldn't agree more

[3:56:10] with Councillor Still's assessment of things financially.

[3:56:16] Absolutely.

[3:56:17] And when I spoke to this at CPAD and I'm not going to go into everything

[3:56:22] that I said there, but one thing that I did

[3:56:25] that I do want to reiterate today is I feel like we had unfulfilled promises from the Housing

[3:56:37] Accelerator Fund that this money from the federal government did not actually improve

[3:56:43] affordability for anyone. And in fact we've seen prices just continue to climb costs of living

[3:56:49] continue to climb has not produced affordability. So just kind of dashed expectations and has done other zoning changes in our municipality that have not been for in the best interest of our residents either. So I'm not sure I'm sure some good has come from it. And I we've heard it and we see the affordable housing strategy.

[3:57:18] But I agree we are spreading ourselves to thin over things that are not core municipal issues.

[3:57:29] When we have so many core municipal issues that do need to be addressed in all of our districts.

[3:57:36] And I'm going to ask also if we can do what we did at CPED and vote on these points separately.

[3:57:42] We give vote on one in three together and then vote on number two separately because I do not support moving forward staff at this point in our budget process.

[3:57:57] All right, so it's being requested when we vote that the vote is split one in three and two separately.

[3:58:04] Councillor Austin.

[3:58:07] Thank you, Mr. Deputy.

[3:58:08] And I would ask staff about the, about the piece about support for non-profits to the

[3:58:20] tax program, because we did have some council motions on that, and, you know, as far

[3:58:26] as I understand it from reading the strategy, this work, looking at that question of

[3:58:32] HRMs program that would still be looked at in the future through a report to be prepared by finance.

[3:58:40] So am I reading that correct

[3:59:03] planner sorry Dave Patterson principle planner for regional committee planning.

[3:59:07] Thank you through the the deputy mayor to the counselor.

[3:59:12] The action on tax relief that's a bit of a two-parter.

[3:59:15] One is to continue with the current program as it's currently provided by finance for all non-profits.

[3:59:23] But also to review that program moving forward in the short term for the overall sustainability objectives of that program.

[3:59:33] Looking at the range of affordable housing projects and sites that are supported.

[3:59:39] really just maybe distinctly from the other nonprofits that are also supporting that program.

[3:59:45] So that work is on going in the next few years, is led by finance.

[3:59:50] So led by finance does the planning come into it because I mean, I think.

[4:00:00] On this question, and when I made that motion back, geez, I can't remember, 2024, on the initial report that came back, really only had the dollar value kind of piece on it, it didn't have the planning lens on it, and I think for us to make any decisions, we actually need both. We need to be looking at the financial viability of the program from the grant perspective, but we also need to have the lens around what does this program mean from a planning perspective in terms of encouraging more housing.

[4:00:30] And so I'm fine with this action if it's a both sort of piece

[4:00:34] because I think both perspectives need to be there

[4:00:37] for Council to be really making a good decision on it.

[4:00:46] Yeah, thank you.

[4:00:47] So that is something we brought that up last budget session

[4:00:52] about the increase in our grants program from our redesign.

[4:01:00] And one of the things that we did with the redesign

[4:01:05] was put more weight on the housing component to provide more grants in that area of right,

[4:01:13] which is scheduled to be, I believe. What we're seeing in that space, affordable housing,

[4:01:20] is non-profits have become very active in that space, the YWCA, which is, well, there are

[4:01:34] legislation, but as nonprofits come in, like for example, if KELOMIS getting rid of old stock,

[4:01:43] nonprofits are buying up that stock and then they're getting eligibility for the grants program.

[4:01:51] So from a sustainability point of view, we're really seeing nonprofits become very active in

[4:01:57] the affordable housing space, which is creating an additional pressure on our grants program.

[4:02:06] So overall, I mean, I think one of the things we've already need to look at is really where

[4:02:14] does Council want to put that overall grant envelope in the future is it more around supporting

[4:02:23] affordable housing. I know we moved away a little bit from supporting more athletic associations

[4:02:30] and things like that, but that is a review that certainly will need to undertake. I think it's

[4:02:37] were two years since the last grants review. Thank you, Jerry. I just have about 20 seconds left here.

[4:02:45] So I just posed the question. In that review, is there going to be an outcome oriented thing

[4:02:51] consistently what I hear from the non-profits out there is it's not glamorous the way you get to

[4:02:56] you know cut a ribbon on a new project but that that ongoing funding because it's predictable

[4:03:02] and ongoing is actually among the most important supports that we actually provide. I'm just wondering

[4:03:08] if in that program redesign, in any of those considerations whether or not that sort of perspective

[4:03:16] is going to be captured as well, right? Like I hear what you're saying about the financial piece, right?

[4:03:20] like that's important.

[4:03:21] But I really, that planning part,

[4:03:24] I think needs to be part of that work too, right?

[4:03:26] To assess what the outcome could be,

[4:03:29] of additional support or not.

[4:03:34] Yeah, I agree.

[4:03:39] The finance and planning need to work together

[4:03:42] on that whole grand piece.

[4:03:47] Okay, yep.

[4:03:48] Thank you, Ms. Deputy.

[4:03:49] Thank you, Jerry.

[4:03:50] Thank you, Councillor.

[4:03:53] Councillor Steele.

[4:03:56] Mr. Mayor, do you want to close or do you want to speak now?

[4:04:00] You want to close?

[4:04:01] Councillor Steele.

[4:04:02] Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

[4:04:04] A couple of questions I think for day.

[4:04:08] The Affordable Housing Grant Program, a certain portion of it, of course,

[4:04:13] has been funded through density bonelessing.

[4:04:15] Another portion funded through half.

[4:04:17] We're coming to an end of the half funding, so what's the plan there?

[4:04:24] Do we have a plan?

[4:04:27] Thank you through the Deputy Mayor.

[4:04:31] Really, the plan is going back to where we were prior to the half, so prior to half the

[4:04:37] affordable housing grant program was really built around the density bonishing program.

[4:04:42] Density Browsing was originally in the regional center.

[4:04:45] It's now expanded to the suburban area,

[4:04:49] and we're starting to see projects

[4:04:50] and funding come in through the suburban areas as well.

[4:04:54] So half has provided a chance to sort of fridge

[4:04:57] some of that funding and extend that funding the last three years.

[4:05:01] But the plan for the grant program is to do really go back to where we were

[4:05:06] as a public benefit coming out of the Density

[4:05:10] promising program.

[4:05:12] And I don't have the corporate memory here.

[4:05:17] In terms of the density, boneless thing, have we ever

[4:05:20] provided any funding to anything other than affordable

[4:05:23] housing such as recreation, I don't mean clubs,

[4:05:28] but I mean parks, trails, community centers,

[4:05:35] that kind of thing, that increase population bills.

[4:05:39] have we has that ever been done through our grants program or through the Nancy Bonesign funding?

[4:05:50] I'm just sorry we're referring back to Kate Greenback there but the vast majority has been through

[4:05:55] affordable housing also other work goes into public public art as well as heritage but the

[4:06:02] requirement right now is that at least 60% of the contributions go for affordable housing by the

[4:06:08] practice we've seen a higher amount than that. Okay that's a policy decision that was taken

[4:06:12] by this council or our previous council.

[4:06:15] That's correct.

[4:06:15] OK, thank you.

[4:06:21] Thank you.

[4:06:22] Councillor Austin.

[4:06:24] Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[4:06:26] And so the other piece I wanted to ask about

[4:06:28] is regarding public housing.

[4:06:31] I mean, I note the report talks about, you know,

[4:06:35] H-R-M, the option of H-R-M creating a housing

[4:06:39] corporation.

[4:06:41] We really aren't contemplating any discussions with the province under this about taking on public housing.

[4:06:52] Because of course that was uploaded to the province in 96.

[4:06:57] I'm assuming we're not.

[4:06:59] There was no real dive into looking at that question.

[4:07:12] Well, I mean, I'm not going to be to dead horse here on this one.

[4:07:18] I mean, I would just say in a perfect world, like when I look at this, if you were setting up responsibilities for government,

[4:07:24] the order of government that does planning probably should be the order.

[4:07:30] And you have your own housing authority that's sitting right there at the discussions. You could actually get projects done in a much more effective way. And we might not have gone through basically 30 years of public housing being basically abandoned, because, you know, we were in this neoliberal sort of age where the idea that government could do things was kind of pass a.

[4:07:52] But down at our level, that never really went away because we build and operate stuff all the time.

[4:07:57] It's what we do.

[4:07:59] So, you know, just philosophically, I mean, I think public housing belongs at the municipal level,

[4:08:04] but that's a perfect world type solution, and we don't live in a perfect world.

[4:08:08] We live in Nova Scotia, and that's not about to change, so I think I will leave it at that.

[4:08:12] Thank you.

[4:08:15] Thank you, Councillor Austin.

[4:08:17] Mr. Mayor, before you close, may I have a few comments?

[4:08:20] Thank you.

[4:08:21] So I am a little bit confused about this conversation because, you know, having an affordable housing strategy, seeing a municipal role in this was part of the half agreement.

[4:08:33] We talk about support from other orders of government and we have received $80 million from the federal government, 11 million is tied to this last piece.

[4:08:42] So, when we say we're not being supported by other orders of government, this was a targeted

[4:08:48] initiative specifically to address affordable housing and to Councillor Pertis points that

[4:08:54] you know, half hasn't delivered on affordable housing is promised. This is the promise and implementing

[4:09:00] the strategy is part of that promise so we can start to see an increase in affordable housing.

[4:09:06] So, so this is it. This is the piece that you're looking for.

[4:09:10] I would have some questions about how we manage the half money and when we get that final installment how it's used and how it would continue to support housing initiatives.

[4:09:23] I don't know if we ever got to the point where we've created investment funds to help fund the continuation of programs or if we just put that into our coffers and spend it on other things.

[4:09:35] But I think if we have a strategy, we also need to have a financial strategy on how to do this in a sustainable, financially responsible way.

[4:09:45] I feel we have done that so far by using density bonelessing and supporting affordable housing initiatives where people get extra development rights and exchange for money that goes into support affordable housing.

[4:09:59] But the ongoing implementation of the strategy and given that we've had this money from

[4:10:05] half, I'm wondering, as any thought gone into how we can sustainably continue to fund these

[4:10:13] initiatives.

[4:10:16] I also want to talk about how we add positions, but we never take them away.

[4:10:21] That's not necessarily true.

[4:10:23] You know, we've looked at vacancy positions that we haven't filled and, you know, that's essentially not filling positions is is, you know, and becomes a net benefit because we don't, we're not adding positions, we're using vacancies.

[4:10:39] We also have a tradition and we've talked a great length about that where, you know, through

[4:10:44] natural retirement or people may be resigning or moving on to other jobs, you know,

[4:10:50] using those positions to kind of keep our workforce in check.

[4:10:54] So it's not just about removing positions, it's about looking at the whole picture

[4:10:59] and managing it from that perspective.

[4:11:03] When we are adding these positions in at this point into the budget,

[4:11:08] But until we get to the budget, we don't know what the full departmental ask is going to be when it comes forward, and there's opportunities to manage it at that level too.

[4:11:18] And again, these are like many of us have said, these are discussions we can have when it comes to budget time.

[4:11:25] I think this is a critical piece of work, and I'm very, very happy to finally see it come forward, and I know a lot of effort has gone into it.

[4:11:33] know there's a lot of support in the community for it and there's a lot of need amongst our residents for affordable housing.

[4:11:40] So I will be supporting the motion as presented by staff with that I'll pass it up to the mayor to close.

[4:11:49] Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor. And I have to say make a few points here.

[4:11:56] But just to be really clear in the way I close as I was in the way that I started that my intervention

[4:12:02] has nothing to do with lack of support for the affordable housing and the strategy that we have

[4:12:07] in front of us. My concern is around staffing levels and the affordability of residents in nature.

[4:12:15] It's my position that we need to get away from the idea here that every new priority necessarily requires

[4:12:21] new permanent staff. Sometimes it will. But before adding positions, we should also be asking whether the

[4:12:31] places in the organization that can be redeployed, whether processes can be simplified, whether

[4:12:36] we're getting the best value from the organization we already have, and that is exactly

[4:12:41] why we've asked the organization to undertake the course service review. At the same time,

[4:12:47] our staff and complement continues to grow. You will have read that this year 300 more additions

[4:12:52] to the Sunshine List, we're now over 1600 people making over $100,000 a year at HRM. People are

[4:12:58] noticing this, they're talking about it, they're holding us accountable for that, and so we

[4:13:02] want to be aware of that. It should cause us to look very seriously at the size and the structure

[4:13:08] and the cost of the organization, particularly when residents are telling us they can simply

[4:13:13] cannot continue to absorb escalating costs. This isn't about diminishing the work of our employees,

[4:13:20] or suggesting that individual positions are not valuable at its core. It's about discipline. Adding

[4:13:25] staff can not always be our first response to a problem or to a new priority.

[4:13:30] As others have said today, we need to focus on what municipal government needs to do and

[4:13:35] what we can do better and where our existing resources should be refocused and reconstituted.

[4:13:42] That's why I believe permanent staffing increases should as a matter of course be considered

[4:13:46] through the budget process to see the whole picture at one time.

[4:13:51] And why the core service review needs to meaningfully inform those decisions going forward.

[4:13:55] we can always support ambitious priorities, we can, that can include affordable housing, but at

[4:14:00] the same time we can still ask about how we can deliver them as efficiently and as responsibly

[4:14:05] as possible. Those two priorities can not only can, but should go hand-in-hand. So I'm going to ask

[4:14:12] that you defeat item 2 in the motion and prove the very important affordable housing strategy. Thank you.

[4:14:21] Okay, thank you. Question.

[4:14:26] Okay questions being called and we'll vote first on 1 and 3 and there we go.

[4:14:55] That passes.

[4:15:19] And that passes.

[4:15:23] Thank you. Next,

[4:17:26] we are now

[4:17:33] ready to go in camera.

[4:17:44] Oh, thank you.

[4:17:55] Okay.

[4:17:58] Okay. We are at 15.5.1, Deputy Mayor Cuddle, HR and Parks, washrooms and drinking

[4:18:03] fountain strategy and the floor is yours, Deputy Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Okay. So we've had a few discussions

[4:18:11] of this meeting about strategies that we have that are funded and are implemented and also

[4:18:21] questions about priorities. One of the strategies we approved was the HR and Parks,

[4:18:29] Washrooms and Drinking Fountain Strategies. I have one of those parks that was promised

[4:18:34] bathroom, a washroom that hasn't been delivered yet and it's coming up to six years coming

[4:18:42] on to my seventh year on council. So sometimes we can do things and build things and deliver things

[4:18:48] and sometimes we can't. And in this case, I'm really looking for an update on the implementation

[4:18:57] of our washroom and drinking fountain strategy, which was approved in 2020, and to get a sense

[4:19:05] of what projects are being prioritized and what the next steps are so we can continue to see

[4:19:10] this move forward. There is a larger discussion that happened over the summer around access to

[4:19:16] washrooms and drinking fountains. Some of it is a human right. Some of it is about way finding

[4:19:23] Some of it about, you know, being able to enjoy our recreational spaces through having access to a washroom.

[4:19:36] I've been to many other cities where I've seen washrooms, they don't all need to cost millions of dollars.

[4:19:42] There's out of the box solutions that we could be considering.

[4:19:46] I don't really know where we are on the strategy and I thought this was an opportune time for us to take a look and get a sense of what the next priorities are and where we are in implementing our strategy and what's needed.

[4:20:03] So this is looking for an information report and I hope you support the motion. Thank you.

[4:20:13] Do a table of motion?

[4:20:15] Yeah.

[4:20:16] Thank you.

[4:20:18] Thank you.

[4:20:19] Councillor Steele.

[4:20:20] I'm getting ahead of myself here.

[4:20:22] So with that, I moved that Halifat's regional council direct the chief administrative

[4:20:28] officer to prepare an information report, providing a progress update on the implementation

[4:20:34] of the HRM washrooms and drinking fountain strategy, approved by regional council and

[4:20:39] September 2020, an update on washroom and drinking fountain projects completed underway or approved

[4:20:46] since the adoption of the strategy. Three, an update on the status of the projects identified

[4:20:51] in the strategy's implementation plan and subsequent staff, the dendoms and four recommendations

[4:20:58] respecting the next priority washroom and drinking fountain projects for consideration through

[4:21:03] future business planning and capital budget processes, including any revised prioritization

[4:21:09] criteria of funding opportunities or implementation considerations.

[4:21:17] I think that was Councillor Steele there.

[4:21:20] Would you like to have you already said your introductory piece, Deputy Mayor?

[4:21:25] Then we'll go to the board and I see you Councillor Austin, please.

[4:21:29] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[4:21:30] And I support the deputies request for a view on this.

[4:21:33] It's probably actually, it's about time.

[4:21:36] We, the original strategy was 2020, it was one of something that I'd originally asked for in my first term on council and it kind of came at the very end of it.

[4:21:45] And now we're basically five years on, five years is probably a good good time to sit down and kind of do a report as to, well, what's worked, what hasn't, how we doing, so I think the time for this is is good.

[4:21:59] The only thing that I'll just add, the main disappointment when the strategy first came forward to us was how bloody expensive washrooms are and how little your dollars actually get you and you know

[4:22:14] There's there's certainly I think there's things you can do to reduce that but it's financial is still gonna be the main limitation on this no matter how we look at it

[4:22:22] And so it really it's it's not so much I think a strategy question is

[4:22:30] So I think getting that sort of question and seeing what our wish list now looks like, what has been accomplished and what we've learned is a good idea at this stage.

[4:22:40] So I think this is a good time for a review. Thank you.

[4:22:43] Thank you. Councillor, please.

[4:22:47] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to thank Deputy Mayor for bringing this forward.

[4:22:53] Because I do have an area that I do believe is a priority, which is after we go park.

[4:22:58] the fact that they are still with a porta potty at this point is is baffling to me.

[4:23:05] So, I'm getting ready to meet the staff with regards to have a real park.

[4:23:11] And I'm hoping that it can be a priority at some point in time.

[4:23:16] And yeah, I just want to say thank you for bringing this forward.

[4:23:21] Thank you, Councillor Hartling, please.

[4:23:23] Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

[4:23:25] And thank you to the Deputy Mayor for bringing this forward.

[4:23:28] I just want to chime in really quick about the drinking fountain strategy.

[4:23:35] I just want to call it that there might be funding opportunities elsewhere for waste diversion

[4:23:42] when it comes to drinking fountains because if we have drinking fountains in their fewer

[4:23:47] people purchasing water bottles and fewer bottles end up in the landfill and there's less

[4:23:52] recycling.

[4:23:53] I believe that there is actually some funds available depending on the time of the year and that I think is something that we should be pursuing.

[4:24:01] Obviously using a drinking fountain to refill your cup is a zero-way strategy.

[4:24:07] So I think it's helpful on many levels.

[4:24:11] Yeah, I just honestly thought there.

[4:24:12] Thank you.

[4:24:13] Thank you.

[4:24:14] Councillor Morse please.

[4:24:16] Thank you.

[4:24:17] Yeah, I support this as well.

[4:24:18] I think it's very timely.

[4:24:19] One thing that's changed since we first started looking at this a number of years ago is I think our parks are working a lot harder than they used to

[4:24:27] You know, we're having more events at our parks. We're having bigger events at our parks. Our population is grown and each park is doing more than it ever did before and

[4:24:38] We need of washrooms. We can't have people are using the forest as they were doing my district at an event last summer

[4:24:44] So anyway, I think it's very timely. So thanks for bringing it forward

[4:24:47] Thank you. Councillor Hensby. Thank you so much. I wish to be there. I've seen in my

[4:24:54] particular district some of these washroom being converted to some of our community facilities

[4:24:59] that actually were working progress at the present time of the not completely yet. The St.

[4:25:03] Trent Center in Grand Desert, the Baltimore Center in Port Duffer and the most river

[4:25:08] of the community hall. We're looking at doing bathroom renovations, but the problem now is

[4:25:13] are converting it to the gender neutral design.

[4:25:17] It's not going to be no male, female,

[4:25:19] washrooms anymore, it's all going to be gender neutral.

[4:25:22] And there is some opposition, some community members,

[4:25:26] regardless of how these things change.

[4:25:28] But it also may be difficulty with building a design

[4:25:31] or what confined spaces are in the building.

[4:25:35] So I'm kind of curious how staff are trying to adapt

[4:25:38] to those situations.

[4:25:39] And hope that can be part of the report.

[4:25:42] And also what comes to drinking water

[4:25:43] I'm not just thinking about found project,

[4:25:45] I'm thinking about access to water.

[4:25:47] I've been working with my community groups

[4:25:48] for organizations and look at what facilities

[4:25:51] have adequate water supplies, like the Legion and the Cheat

[4:25:54] Harmer.

[4:25:55] We just drilled a well for the Council of Drescue groups

[4:25:58] and Cheat Harmer as well.

[4:26:00] They look at the Port Duffin and a most river

[4:26:02] community halls that they have adequate water.

[4:26:04] All we need to do is have an outside tap

[4:26:06] for the community's access to water

[4:26:08] when the wells are going lower dry.

[4:26:10] So we have opportunities there to provide water.

[4:26:12] I would just need to have the appropriate proper structure in place, and also with that which also

[4:26:18] requirement of testing the water to make sure it meets the environment standards for

[4:26:23] product water use. So I want to make sure that's also part of the information report.

[4:26:28] We'll come forward with regards to the effort providing and drinking water. How are we testing it

[4:26:34] to make sure it's safe for our residents use? Thank you. Thank you very much.

[4:26:39] No other names on the list, what's your pleasure?

[4:26:41] Question is called,

[4:26:54] the motion carries.

[4:26:56] So that brings us to item 16.2, my own motion

[4:27:00] regarding ferry, so we'll switch seats again, bear with us, please.

[4:28:12] OK, we are now on item 16.2, which is a motion

[4:28:17] by Mayor Philmore, and the floor to you, Mr. Mayor.

[4:28:22] Thank you very much.

[4:28:24] colleagues as we know Halifax and HRM are growing very rapidly right now. Recent federal announcements

[4:28:31] reinforce our role as Canada's Defense City and we're bringing more jobs, more businesses,

[4:28:36] and more residents to the region and increasing numbers. That growth is an opportunity,

[4:28:40] but it also requires us to plan for the infrastructure and core services that people depend on

[4:28:45] and our ferry system is a very clear example of that. The ferry's connecting DARPA and the

[4:28:49] facts move thousands of residents every day. They provide a reliable alternative to driving.

[4:28:55] They reduce pressure on our bridges and roads. Yet for much of the past year, service

[4:29:01] frequency was reduced from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. In fact, in Q4 of last year, as many

[4:29:07] as nearly 4,000 trips were canceled due to unplanned maintenance, and that was a result of

[4:29:13] a loss of about 21% of scheduled service and writers correctly told us that that's not good enough.

[4:29:21] And interestingly, that's the time when ferry ridership is up 3% over the last year,

[4:29:26] over the same year, bus ridership was very oddly down 3%.

[4:29:31] So, ferries are in demand right now.

[4:29:34] The ferry fleet has not expanded since 2018, but since 2018, our population has by 100,000 people.

[4:29:40] And right now, all five vessels are approaching a mandatory midlife overall.

[4:29:46] Those overalls will take vessels out of service, potentially placing further pressure on a system

[4:29:50] that already lacks sufficient redundancy and resiliency.

[4:29:55] Excuse me, we've already started addressing the investments.

[4:30:00] Next month we pass Councillor Austin's motion to bring options for recapitalizing our existing ferry system into the 2728 budget process. This motion is the next step. As we plan to maintain the system we have, we also need to understand whether we have the fleet capacity and resilience a growing municipality will year need in the years ahead. We should assess that risk before and other disruption forces are hand. Therefore, I move that Halifax Regional Council, direct the Chief Administrative Officer, to return to Council by November 1, 2021.

[4:30:30] or 2026, with options to purchase one new passenger ferry,

[4:30:34] servicing all over the land, landing, and wood side routes.

[4:30:40] Thank you very much, Councillor Hensby.

[4:30:42] I would point out colleagues that this motion today clearly

[4:30:45] does not authorize a purchase.

[4:30:47] It simply asks staff to identify the options,

[4:30:49] the costs, the potential service benefits.

[4:30:52] So the cancel can make an informed decision

[4:30:53] during the upcoming budget process.

[4:30:56] This motion also does not prioritize purchasing a new asset

[4:30:59] over Council's previous to examine infrastructure,

[4:31:03] direction to examine infrastructure renewal options

[4:31:05] for the Halifax Department for Service.

[4:31:07] It's a logical companion to that decision

[4:31:11] and we'll provide Council with a complete picture

[4:31:13] of the available options and their associated costs.

[4:31:16] Motion is also in line with the Acting CIOs

[4:31:18] request the Council table any motions impacting budget

[4:31:22] before the end of the calendar year

[4:31:24] to allow staff to do their work and would return to Council.

[4:31:27] This will also align with the expected delivery of the service review.

[4:31:33] I have consistently argued that we cannot do everything at once, fiscal discipline, however,

[4:31:38] does not mean avoiding investment.

[4:31:40] It means concentrating a limited public daughter dollars where they have the greatest impact.

[4:31:45] Transit is a core municipal service.

[4:31:48] If a sixth fairy could improve reliability, protect service during scheduled overalls,

[4:31:52] and support future growth, Council should understand that business case in a way

[4:31:56] against our other priorities through the budget process.

[4:32:00] Major infrastructure takes years to plan, fund, build, and put into service.

[4:32:04] The prudent time to assess our needs is before they become a crisis, and I hope that

[4:32:08] you will support this motion.

[4:32:10] Thank you very much.

[4:32:14] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[4:32:14] And that was seconded by Councillor Hennspie.

[4:32:20] First on the list, we have Councillor Mancini.

[4:32:23] Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

[4:32:25] So, fairies.

[4:32:26] Well, no surprise around these chambers who loves the fairies.

[4:32:29] definitely I do and as many of my many of you do. You know, all has been a strong

[4:32:33] support of the ferry. Actually, after I leave this meeting here, this we've

[4:32:37] before going in camera, I'm hitting on ferry. So, you know, the ferry is really key to

[4:32:41] our municipality. We need to take all of the transit and including ferry to the next

[4:32:48] level. And the frustration is the mayor is mentioned and is hoping

[4:32:51] comments about his motion. You know, the 4,000 trips are cancelled. Reduction of

[4:32:57] service this past year because of staffing, because of maintenance, mechanical breakdowns,

[4:33:02] and you all know my opinion of the delay in the tap and pay.

[4:33:06] You know, it just goes on and on and on, our frustration, when it's working, man, it's

[4:33:10] the best ticket and town.

[4:33:12] And we need to get our ferry and our bus service to the next level.

[4:33:16] We need more people out of their cars and going into transit, but until it's reliable, they're

[4:33:23] not going to do it.

[4:33:24] And so, you know, to add fairies to add buses as they supported when you

[4:33:29] count some more is brought up.

[4:33:30] The 10 buses I think we added at a budget time, fully supported that.

[4:33:34] We had a purpose for it.

[4:33:35] There was an application right off the bat forward, previous to that, the buses we were

[4:33:39] going to retire, we didn't retire, because we still needed to use them.

[4:33:44] So, I'm all for looking at this, but I have some questions Mr. Mayor on it.

[4:33:47] You know, my quote, you know, I staffs not here, but my question to staff is, we had

[4:33:51] very today, a brand new one just arrived, and we're launching today how would be

[4:33:55] you, how would it help to address the challenges and service we want to

[4:34:01] question I have? You know, the costs is not only the purchase of the

[4:34:06] spheri, it's what goes along with that too. It also means more personnel. So let's

[4:34:13] make sure we include the cost of the bodies that are associated with it. But the

[4:34:21] We also need to make sure we have a place to dock the ferrier.

[4:34:25] Right now, my understanding, we have one place that we lease and I'm not even sure how

[4:34:30] that leasing works, but it's only one ferry.

[4:34:32] So we need to make sure we have a place to dock this additional ferry and the maintenance that

[4:34:38] goes along with it.

[4:34:39] Our biggest challenge now with all the challenges we have are ferries is maintenance.

[4:34:42] We don't have our own maintenance facility.

[4:34:44] So when we have to go to maintenance for our ferry, it has to go elsewhere sometimes even

[4:34:49] leave the harbor so that just causes that pain when it comes of service.

[4:34:54] So I'm hoping Mr. Mayor, that you would include the not only the cost of the ferry but the

[4:34:59] staff, but the docking location and the maintenance associated with that.

[4:35:03] That has sort of staff come back and say, okay, it's good cause extra dollars of the ferry.

[4:35:07] We need to add this number of additional staff if any.

[4:35:10] And we also have to include the docking location and maintenance associated with it.

[4:35:15] Hopefully you could include that with it. And if you can then I support it, but there's a lot of questions here that I have, but I'm always game to have another theory, not a bus, well, if that's a, can I make that friendly member to include that if Madam,

[4:35:32] you can provide the wording to.

[4:35:35] To also include the may help you with the wording to make sure we include the cost associated with finding a docking location and the cost associated with that staffing and any additional maintenance is required.

[4:35:47] I don't know if we capture that man clerk but a garation of that and who seconded that motion?

[4:35:55] It was the Councilor Hensby, seconded the motion I think.

[4:36:01] Are you okay with that front of me?

[4:36:04] Do we have that captured man clerk?

[4:36:08] Yeah, sorry for that.

[4:36:25] And in docking location.

[4:36:27] I may not be right to your terminology about

[4:36:33] it.

[4:36:33] Nothing like trying to write and having thousands of people watch you right there.

[4:36:37] The adafresh, right?

[4:36:40] Thousands, millions of watching at home.

[4:36:44] That's sense of our viewership.

[4:36:51] I was really curious about that.

[4:36:53] I should appreciate you very very.

[4:36:54] Docking location and social costs with staff.

[4:36:58] Docking location.

[4:36:59] I guess we assume that includes costs with that.

[4:37:01] I'm looking at Jacqueline.

[4:37:04] So I'm okay with that.

[4:37:06] If Mr. Mayor, you're okay with that.

[4:37:07] And David's okay with that.

[4:37:08] Isn't it?

[4:37:18] staff, etc.

[4:37:19] Meet us.

[4:37:21] I'm looking at the acting CIO.

[4:37:24] My intent here is to make sure we're considering the...

[4:37:30] With that along with any additional staff needed to add another ferry.

[4:37:33] Okay. What we're amending this, there's also additional suggestion from the city solicitor.

[4:37:39] Sure.

[4:37:42] Thank you. Mr. May, it's just for clarity, if we could refer to a staff report.

[4:37:49] In there, it just says, after the words November, there we are, clerks putting it in.

[4:37:55] Thank you.

[4:37:59] So I look like the Madam Deputy Mayor, that's a friendlier, we're going to accept that and I'm going to thank you very much for your time.

[4:38:08] Thank you. Next on the list, we have Councillor Hensby.

[4:38:14] Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor.

[4:38:17] I'm going to have a bit of having more ferries for our harbor. I always felt that we should have two ferries per terminal.

[4:38:23] Each of our terminals can house two ferries.

[4:38:26] So therefore we have six parking spots for each of our ferries.

[4:38:30] We have five now I believe ferries in a six one, but feel like the capacity, I also believe

[4:38:35] we should have a seventh ferry in rotation because we always have one ferry or maybe two at

[4:38:40] a commission for the standardised transport candidate inspections that has to go through

[4:38:45] after so many hours of operation.

[4:38:49] So I think that down the road as we bring on the bed for terminal stuff and

[4:38:53] other fairy terminals, which we ramping up the amount of boats that we have, and also is good

[4:38:58] for our local economies. Our latest fairy has been built by Belipoli by the Terioship

[4:39:02] yards down in the South Shore, in the Shalber and the Yarmoth area, and so I'm hoping that

[4:39:09] you know, they continue on with that ship building legacy that they have with us, but I believe

[4:39:16] that if we talk about how important our harbor is, regards to transportation, you know, we don't

[4:39:21] need to pay it. We don't need to snow plow it. Occasionally we have a nice flow of

[4:39:25] jam from time and time, but I think that it's an important way to boost our capacity on the

[4:39:32] harbour and that I'm full of support of this motion. Thank you.

[4:39:39] Thank you. Councillor Austin.

[4:39:42] Thank you, Mr. Deputy and Councillor Hensby built with locally with Canadian steel.

[4:39:50] I mean, German steering is maybe not been as successful, but, you know, teach the

[4:39:56] own.

[4:39:58] So, I mean, I'm supportive of taking a look at this, but like, you know, right now I think

[4:40:05] it's an unknown as to whether actually this is what we need.

[4:40:09] Because the operational review into the ferry service hasn't been completed yet, right?

[4:40:14] like we still have that work to come back to us.

[4:40:16] And part of that work is looking at the asset management

[4:40:19] of the boats that we have.

[4:40:22] Would we have had the service disruptions

[4:40:24] that we've been through from a maintenance point of view

[4:40:27] if we were doing our jobs properly with the fleet we have?

[4:40:29] And I think that's the first and foremost question

[4:40:32] that we have to have answered before we jump to the idea

[4:40:35] of we need another ferry.

[4:40:38] I'm happy to see this request from the mayor

[4:40:42] go forward at this stage, because we are, you know, my understanding that work is coming

[4:40:47] back this fall anyway. And so then the two things would align. I know we don't normally

[4:40:53] ask staff. I was trying to find that. What's the deadline for the operational review? I'm

[4:41:00] pretty sure they were working to the fall. Deputy Mayor, I can speak to that. Yes, Deputy Mayor,

[4:41:08] through you to Councillor Austin. The very service review is underway and we'll provide that

[4:41:14] more holistic look at the state of the service and potential service expansion. We are

[4:41:21] looking at a later fall timeline than the motion. Certainly staff can endeavor to provide

[4:41:30] information at a higher level. I think that the rail challenge will be around some of the

[4:41:35] estimates, but certainly we can provide some preliminary information to Council if that's the

[4:41:41] wish at this time. Yeah, that would be good. I think that's good advice. I wonder Mr. Mayor,

[4:41:48] whether you consider it friendly, instead of by November, so I'm just reading Chris this over the

[4:41:53] shoulder here. To return to Council by November 2010, 26, whether instead it could be to return

[4:42:00] to Council alongside the operational review so that we get both pieces of info at the same time.

[4:42:04] because I think I don't see how we can make one decision without the other.

[4:42:13] Mr. Mayor?

[4:42:17] Thank you.

[4:42:18] It seems to make sense to me.

[4:42:20] I would just maybe look to the acting CIO to see if it is a complicated factor or a simplifying factor if that's noable today.

[4:42:32] We will certainly endeavor to have it to you by November.

[4:42:35] I'm mindful of the budget timeline as well, which I know was the spirit of the mayor's motion to try to get some information.

[4:42:41] I had the budget process and I think we can make the November timeline doable and we may not have the level of detail in the cost estimates at that point, but we would certainly have information flowing on the context of the service review.

[4:43:06] I think the mayor's question was more, could the two things come together?

[4:43:15] Councillor Austin, Councillor Austin is proposing a friendly amendment that would have the two

[4:43:20] come back together and I just wanted to make sure that didn't create hardship or make something

[4:43:24] harder for the staff rather than easier.

[4:43:29] I think from a staff perspective, yeah, the November timeline and having the two aligned

[4:43:34] is likely doable.

[4:43:38] I just don't want to, I guess, commit that we will have full blown analysis

[4:43:44] of all the aspects that I know have been referenced around the maintenance costs and all of

[4:43:50] that, you know, with the report, but we will certainly endeavor to provide it, the very service

[4:43:56] review and in the November timeline. Okay. Then yes, it seems a friendly amendments in order.

[4:44:04] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[4:44:06] Good.

[4:44:09] Alongside.

[4:44:10] Review.

[4:44:20] Got that.

[4:44:23] Okay, so that's considered a friendly amendment.

[4:44:25] I'll move on to the next speaker.

[4:44:28] Councillor Kent.

[4:44:29] Yes, thank you, Madam Deputy Mayor.

[4:44:32] I can support this at this time,

[4:44:34] I too think that the most important piece,

[4:44:38] I think that'll come out of the operational review,

[4:44:41] would be something identifying this.

[4:44:43] I've always been in favor of more fairies with now, with my connection back to wood side.

[4:44:50] Most of my concerns around fairies for a District 3 come through the wood side avenue for...

[4:45:00] An extra ferry, when it's related, it says, you know, to support the two ferries, but one ferry to me, just

[4:45:08] complicate having two ferries because there's, where does it go, what's the schedule, where's, you

[4:45:13] know, who's going, which, which avenue will it take? That's information that has to come forward

[4:45:18] before we can decide whether one or two or whatever. The other piece about this is the importance

[4:45:27] of parking and I know we want to get people out of vehicles, 100%, but there is part of this

[4:45:34] municipality that it's just not probably not going to happen without more parking that they

[4:45:39] could park and then use another mode of transportation, which would be fairies. Perhaps there

[4:45:45] would be more parking rides that have to come in so people can get other cars as they enter

[4:45:50] into a suburban area. But that also is another part of transit that has to support these kinds

[4:45:55] things. The requests come in regularly for more service at Woodside, and the Councilor Austin

[4:46:04] would agree. People are people want to use this, but don't always have the capacity mostly

[4:46:10] for the Woodside various around parking. So I can support this as well for now. The operational

[4:46:17] review will be very interesting to see. I know I've had some conversation with Robin Jerusalem,

[4:46:24] and I think that he has committed certainly

[4:46:27] to finding resolutions to our transit

[4:46:31] and our very operational and our infrastructure

[4:46:35] and all of those layers, it's complicated.

[4:46:38] Transportation and municipality like this is complicated.

[4:46:41] And one thing can have a trickle effect

[4:46:46] into the complexity.

[4:46:48] So we have to be mindful of that.

[4:46:51] I'm okay with asking for something to come back

[4:46:54] November, but I don't necessarily think that as Jacqueline mentioned that we, they're going

[4:47:03] to have all the information that is going to go to it. We, we as a council have supported

[4:47:07] buses and fairies from Bedford, like then we send them back and say, okay, now get the real

[4:47:14] information that has to come forward. So this is a long process to go forward. So we have to start

[4:47:19] somewhere, so I'll support this.

[4:47:25] Councilor Hartling.

[4:47:27] Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor.

[4:47:30] I'm not going to lie.

[4:47:31] I really struggle with this one.

[4:47:32] I understand the importance of ferry service

[4:47:35] for folks across the municipality,

[4:47:38] but I understand why there's so much support

[4:47:40] on that side of the horseshoe and the Dartmouth side.

[4:47:43] And I really appreciate that.

[4:47:45] I understand that we did have some significant issues

[4:47:48] and real challenges with reliability in the pretty recent past around fairy service.

[4:47:57] However, based off of my understanding, we had pretty significant parts problems that were aggravated by a supply of chain problem.

[4:48:05] I'm not convinced that having one new fairy will solve the problems that we experienced, and I think it's really important that we get that addressed before we look at investing in a new one.

[4:48:18] The other thing is, and I know that there is this very operation review going on and I appreciate that there might be an opportunity for that to come back in advance of budget.

[4:48:29] I'm also thinking very long and hard about the core service plan that, you know, from transit, I don't recall asking for a ferry being part of that being part of that.

[4:48:41] So, I think, you know, for me, I have much more confidence in putting my vote behind things where I understand where the net benefit to our residents will be and that that net benefit is weighed against all of the potential benefits that we could be putting.

[4:49:05] And we could be putting tax dollars towards them and where we could be investing and I don't have that confidence.

[4:49:11] Yeah, so I appreciate that this is only for a staff report, but I'm just putting those hesitations out there that I don't see the immediate value ad based off of the information that I know today.

[4:49:24] Thank you.

[4:49:28] Thank you.

[4:49:29] Councillor Steele.

[4:49:31] Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

[4:49:32] my comments are similar to Councillor Hartlings. I was looking forward to receiving the operational

[4:49:40] review. I should say up front though, rapid and reliable public transit is super important.

[4:49:48] It's important for the municipality and yes, Councillor Kent, we need to get people out of their

[4:49:53] cars. We need to have good bike lanes to get them to the very. But I do have some hesitation about

[4:50:02] this request for an additional fairy because I think something else that has been brought up is

[4:50:08] the overall service levels. What service levels are we ideally trying to achieve?

[4:50:14] I know when the re-decking took place on the McDonald Bridge there was in enhanced service levels

[4:50:20] where brought to bear and some of those service levels were retained while perhaps the ridership just

[4:50:27] this but I'm hopeful that some of this will be looked at to be identified and you know we

[4:50:34] currently have five fairies one is a backup and we've had a lot of issues and maybe we'll have

[4:50:40] a few two years similar to this year but I do have some hesitation with this with this request

[4:50:48] and I don't really understand sort of what's driving it a mayor film or with with all due respect

[4:50:56] I, it wasn't part of any of our, you know, capital budgeting or I didn't see it identified in the course service review or other other identified needs. And I haven't heard it from our staff as being one of the needs, although I do know there's a lot of maintenance being schedule for the, for the, for the berries that we have. So I, I'm, has a tent. Thank you.

[4:51:21] Thank you.

[4:51:23] Councillor Morris.

[4:51:27] Thank you.

[4:51:27] Similar to Councilor's Heartling and Steel.

[4:51:31] I'm not sure where this is coming from and whether it will address the reliability

[4:51:36] concerns that I've heard this afternoon.

[4:51:39] This reminder, it wasn't in the Corps Services Plan.

[4:51:43] It took about a year to develop the Corps Services Plan for transit and it was a

[4:51:48] three-year plan.

[4:51:49] So it just, you know, we don't tend to put a major capital item with big implications for our operating budget in on such short notice with just a few months notice, especially if it hasn't been put forward as part of a broader transit plan through the core services plan. So I'm having trouble supporting this as well.

[4:52:14] All right. Thank you.

[4:52:16] Councillor Dakele Gavin. Thank you very much. Deputy Mayor Madame Chair, the theme continues with me about.

[4:52:30] Come from. You know, even when we do notice of motion was there at the last meeting, I believe. So we did know that this was coming.

[4:52:40] I don't know if it came through transportation standing committee. If there was any conversation there, I'm not on that committee.

[4:52:46] So I'm just curious if there was any conversation there or not.

[4:52:50] It's interesting that nobody from transit is here and we're talking about a report for a new ferry.

[4:52:59] So, there's so many questions.

[4:53:01] The original motion I absolutely knew that I wasn't going to be

[4:53:06] that I would have grave concerns over and I was looking forward to this conversation.

[4:53:10] The additions to the motion make it a bit better because there are so many other costs.

[4:53:18] we saw just one fairy. I'm glad to see this solicitor said a staff report because otherwise

[4:53:23] it looked like it was just options for funding. And I was like, how do we know we need

[4:53:28] one? And there have been so many issues with transit. And it's not a surprise to anybody around

[4:53:35] this room that, you know, I've voice concerns about we need a real review of transit. There are

[4:53:42] I'm issues within that department that need to be addressed and I was hoping the operational

[4:53:49] review will put a light on that.

[4:53:52] The operational review might even tell us that we want to see maybe the AJ to look at transit

[4:53:57] and what's happening and what's not and what we're doing and what we're not doing and what

[4:54:01] we're following but we're not following but there are a lot of issues here and I'm like

[4:54:06] you know the end of last budget last minute we through 10 buses that a problem.

[4:54:11] Now, are we throwing a ferry at a problem that I don't understand where it is the problem or how it is?

[4:54:19] So like I said, even though the amendments to the motion, you know, they make it better, but I still struggle to figure out

[4:54:26] and especially thinking that it's going to come before this budget.

[4:54:30] There's a lot to look at to get all of that information in front of us before budget time.

[4:54:38] even just the cost of a very, how many staff are required per

[4:54:43] ferry? That's an interesting thing. We just debated to staff for affordable housing

[4:54:49] and we talk about affordability. He has been one of our core mandates and so we

[4:54:53] debated for an hour or more on to staff for that but we don't even know how many

[4:54:59] staff are required for servicing a new ferry and whether or not the

[4:55:04] location is there in the costs and the maintenance. So to me, there's just so much work that

[4:55:11] needs to be done before we get to this kind of emotion. We may get here in a year's time,

[4:55:16] but I'm not sure that we're ready to be here now. Thank you.

[4:55:22] All right. Thank you. Councillor Sainamo.

[4:55:26] Thank you, Madam Chair. Councillor Bigel Gamma, you kind of read my mind. I mean, I was thinking exactly

[4:55:32] that same thing. I mean, we spent considerable amount of time debating whether or not it was

[4:55:37] warranted to look at two permanent staff in order to stop doing napkin math on the side

[4:55:42] of a desk in order to provide resources to our affordable housing strategy. This would, I have to

[4:55:48] think, involve more than just two people. I mean, any time I've been on a ferry there's been

[4:55:53] more than two people on board and there's more still on on the shore. But at the same time,

[4:56:00] know, the value proposition of a service enhancement is a little bit easier to articulate

[4:56:04] to residents. And when we get staff reports back on one subject versus another, sometimes

[4:56:10] it illuminates the path that we shouldn't take as opposed to the path that we thought we

[4:56:13] were going to take when requesting the information. So I'm comfortable supporting this motion,

[4:56:19] particularly in light of the revisions that have been already made to it that allow us to look

[4:56:25] at the comparison with other reports that are in flight.

[4:56:30] And I will note that the Milco ferry project next report,

[4:56:35] the next update is due to come back sometime around

[4:56:38] that same time as well.

[4:56:40] And for anybody that needs a reminder,

[4:56:42] that too had an operational maintenance bay

[4:56:45] as part of the capital project.

[4:56:48] And so some of the things that Councilman

[4:56:50] as to be included to ensure that operational costs associated with the maintenance and looking

[4:56:58] at having somewhere to dock the various different vessels. Some of that may be incorporated

[4:57:03] within that future capital project, even though it wouldn't be something that would be initiated

[4:57:08] right away. So it's good to have some of these three related projects coming back to us with at least

[4:57:14] a degree of crossover. And I just wanted to voice my support for the mayor's motion here for

[4:57:20] that reason and to have Jacqueline make a note that at least there's some connective tissue

[4:57:26] between those three that we would ultimately want to have looked at and in particular I am curious

[4:57:33] to know whether or not as part of this motion whether the analysis will include a degree of lens

[4:57:40] coming from transit side because as some of my counselors have already noted in particular counselor

[4:57:47] And we, you know, pull the trigger on looking for buses in part because more buses were raised

[4:57:54] as a prospect within the Corps of Services plan coming from transit.

[4:57:59] This is a little bit of an outlier.

[4:58:00] That wasn't specifically requested, but I think it's important that we look at the analysis

[4:58:05] through that same lens to understand what kind of relationship an investment in a new ferry

[4:58:11] for the Halifax to Dartmouth Crossing would wind up meaning to that overall network.

[4:58:20] Thank you. Councillor Perti. Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

[4:58:27] Yeah, I'm going to support this. And I think where this is coming from is is the five months of impacted service with our theories. So that's I think we responding to a need and obviously the many residents who reached out with the concerns affecting their

[4:58:50] they're commuting.

[4:58:54] I'm wondering, the cost analysis, Jacqueline, I mean, kind of

[4:59:02] run uncertainty. So even if we did get a report with accurate accurate to the day

[4:59:09] cost analysis, I mean, in five months, six months, one year, that could completely

[4:59:13] change and be completely thrown off anyway. So any, any numbers we get, we have to

[4:59:20] take with a grain of salt, I think, with where we're at, unfortunately, but if it could be pushed out another month to get a more accurate understanding of the financial impact, I'd be happy to wait the month to get a more accurate view, even if it's not going to be accurate in the long run, I guess.

[4:59:49] So I will be supporting this and happy that the amendments, the friendly amendments were added, because I think it gives a more full sum.

[5:00:00] All right,

[5:00:03] thank you. Councillor Hench.

[5:00:12] Thank you, Deputy Mayor. I'll support the motion with the amendments as well.

[5:00:17] My only concern is that with getting a new ferry and still having the old ferries that are hardly ever working.

[5:00:28] Okay, is that going to make anything any better?

[5:00:33] I feel like once we get a new fair, if we get a new fair, then we have these old fairies

[5:00:38] that are going to remain owed a commission and not fully be repaired in a timely manner.

[5:00:46] That's my only concern about this, because again, they get a new fairies, so what we don't

[5:00:51] have to rush to fix the fairies that's owed a commission right now, so those are my concerns

[5:00:56] And I feel that we're going to go back into that same, the same predicament that we're in right now with the lack of service that would be my only concern.

[5:01:07] But I will support the emotion going forward. Thank you.

[5:01:14] Thank you.

[5:01:15] And if everyone on the list has spoken once, if I could make a few comments from the chair.

[5:01:22] Yeah, so just so you know when those fairies leave the harbor to go get repaired, they end up in Sambro ahead and district 11.

[5:01:31] I don't think people quite realize how industrialized it is out in Sambro. There's a lot that goes on there and you can often see our fairies like wasted up getting repaired and always love seeing that.

[5:01:43] So, I had a friend once who said that she hated projects that continue to have babies.

[5:01:50] And I feel that this motion here is one of those motions that's continuing to have babies.

[5:01:55] Because there's a lot of things wrapped around this ask that weren't considered in the original motion that we're now adding on.

[5:02:04] And even though I agree with the comments that it's making the motion better,

[5:02:08] I do think that there's an opportunity to go back and strengthen the motion and not look at this in a silo.

[5:02:17] We've heard about the parking at Woodside already as being an impediment to people getting on the existing ferry.

[5:02:27] So I haven't seen the case made that adding an additional ferry would add to increased ridership if there's nowhere to park.

[5:02:35] We've also had this discussion with Mel Cove, you know, we looked again at that in a silo

[5:02:41] and we didn't have a good grasp on what the supporting infrastructure around that ferry terminal

[5:02:46] was going to cost us in terms of additional bus routes and in terms of additional buses to get people to the ferry.

[5:02:54] So we need to understand that, like, do we need more, you know, do we need new bus routes to support an additional ferry in order to get the ridership?

[5:03:02] I haven't seen in the case. I think that we really need to take a comprehensive look and

[5:03:09] a comprehensive understanding. We've seen in the core service plan like bigger ambitions around

[5:03:14] ferries. We've seen hopefully additional ferries to Shannon Park and additional ferry routes across

[5:03:20] the harbor and making, you know, taking advantage of our harbor for transportation.

[5:03:28] But in buying one ferried, does that then compromise perhaps a future purchase of multiple ferries and better pricing?

[5:03:38] So I just, I feel that this is a bit of an orphan motion at the moment, and I can't support it.

[5:03:45] I also think that the rationale around looking at impact is interesting.

[5:03:51] You know, 3% increase in ferry and the 3% decrease in transit, you know, what is behind those trends and also look at the total numbers.

[5:04:03] What is the total number of people being moved by ferries versus a total number of people being moved by buses?

[5:04:09] And we know that thousands more are moved by buses.

[5:04:15] And so, you know, you know, that rationale is doesn't necessarily hold water for me, and you've also got to ask, well, why is there a decrease in transit?

[5:04:27] And we know it's because we're having issues with on-time performance, with overcrowding.

[5:04:32] The bus is driving by people on the sidewalk with roots being cancelled.

[5:04:36] So it doesn't necessarily mean there's a decrease in demand.

[5:04:42] It could be a number of factors contributing to those stats.

[5:04:46] And we don't know enough at this point to kind of use that as a basis

[5:04:50] for making a decision on this motion.

[5:04:54] You know, I really agree with, I think it was Councillor Kent who said we need to be mindful

[5:04:58] that what we need right now are real solutions with real impacts.

[5:05:03] So I'm I'm all for fairies. I think fairies are awesome. I'm all for using our harbor. I think it's one of our greatest natural assets.

[5:05:11] I just can't support this motion at this time and would like to see it come back as part of, you know, with a longer term view of a fairies strategy.

[5:05:20] What's required to support that fairies strategy and see it within the core service plan.

[5:05:26] You know, I think there are questions about what's driving this, both figuratively, and literally, as well.

[5:05:33] Thanks.

[5:05:37] Okay.

[5:05:37] Council on Mancini.

[5:05:41] Thank you, Deputy Mary.

[5:05:42] You know, there's a lot of questions with this motion.

[5:05:45] They're all about the questions.

[5:05:47] And it is unfortunate that that transition is not here today.

[5:05:50] And typically, they're not when a council or a mayor brings forward a motion.

[5:05:53] We don't usually have debate over that.

[5:05:54] We don't have council, we don't have staff respond to it.

[5:05:57] sometimes if they're here they will but it's unfortunate because I think some of the questions

[5:06:01] we have they could respond to today and that would help us and I understand the concerns

[5:06:07] and I have the same some of the same questions I was wondering why is the mayor bring this

[5:06:12] for this point in time but he is and so there's an opportunity to learn we always talk about evidence

[5:06:17] but say based decision making well let's get some evidence here just because you you have questions

[5:06:23] This is not in my opinion, not a reason to not support the mayor's asking here.

[5:06:28] Let's get those questions answered.

[5:06:30] Let's have this discussion back in November, along with the operational review.

[5:06:34] I've seen pieces of that operational review, but not an entirety.

[5:06:38] So let's have this conversation about the theory, because I have the same question.

[5:06:42] We'll add in your theory, do anything.

[5:06:45] Maybe the answer is no, that decision is much easier.

[5:06:48] Well, maybe it's yes and it has a significant change and impact that will improve our service.

[5:06:54] I really hate to discussion I've heard in the chambers about buses versus ferries.

[5:06:57] It's not in either or scenario. We need both.

[5:07:00] We need enhanced both. We need to move more people with buses,

[5:07:03] but we also can move more people than we are now by having a improved transit service.

[5:07:11] So I ask colleagues, even though you have lots of questions in there,

[5:07:14] very good questions and I have these exact same questions.

[5:07:16] let's get the information. It's not killed the motion now. Let's come, let it come back. I

[5:07:21] re-elect Councilor Austin's changed the motion so we bring it back the same time as the

[5:07:26] operation.

[5:07:30] So, I ask you to support it. I also ask the jack on when it comes back with this kind of emotion. And we should be looking at most of our emotions like this when it was added to cost.

[5:07:38] You know, whatever the cost is for the ferry, the staffing, the docking, what's the impact on the tax rate, right? And what's that impact on it? We want to make sure we include that at the same time.

[5:07:50] I don't think I need that in the motion, but Jack the drill came with that. We could include that. So, call these great questions.

[5:07:57] I have some of the same questions you have, let's get all the information, and let's have this discussion again in November, and then we can decide that and what's the right thing to do.

[5:08:07] I appreciate your time. Thank you.

[5:08:12] Thank you. To close.

[5:08:15] Marathon one.

[5:08:16] Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor, and thank you colleagues for a very full discussion here.

[5:08:24] There are a lot of things we don't know, and that's exactly why I have moved the motion to so that we can know.

[5:08:30] We can know the cost. We can know the impact on ridership. We can know the inner play between

[5:08:37] fairies and the buses that serve them. We do, but we do already know quite a few things.

[5:08:43] We know that we've had five fairies in service since 2018, and in that time the population

[5:08:48] that's grown by a hundred thousand people. We know that those fairies are now aging. There's

[5:08:53] spending more time in the repair of GBO than they did in the last several years. A five

[5:08:59] system was designed so that one could be in scheduled maintenance and the other four would run and maintain 15-minute service.

[5:09:06] We no longer have five fairies that can reliably, four services that can reliably be in service while the fifth is in scheduled maintenance.

[5:09:13] We're seeing unscheduled maintenance calls, which means we're dropping down to 30 minutes, which means that in a single quarter we lost 21% of ferry crossings.

[5:09:26] And even with that loss of ferry crossings in one quarter, the demand grew by three percent.

[5:09:33] Ferry's earned increasing demand.

[5:09:36] The population is growing.

[5:09:38] People are looking to the fairies as an alternative to congestion.

[5:09:41] This is where we can have enormous impact on people's lives.

[5:09:47] And whether the motion goes, you know, the question is whether the motion goes today or next year,

[5:09:52] we will hold on and try to get more information.

[5:09:53] Well, this motion is about getting information and, well, you know, all those people who couldn't get to work and lost wages and couldn't get through their daycare when the fairies weren't running, they don't want us to wait a year to have this conversation.

[5:10:07] They're ready for us to solve this problem now.

[5:10:10] The point about bus routes, the sixth theory is about maintaining 15 minutes service.

[5:10:18] It wouldn't change the buses, the bus routes, or systems that feed them.

[5:10:23] It's simply about restoring the service that we have enjoyed in the past,

[5:10:27] it's a 15 minute service.

[5:10:29] So that happens the irrespective of impact on larger bus routes.

[5:10:33] If we think about it for a minute, the ferry, like I think about the ferry system in

[5:10:37] Halifax, Harbour 20 years from now, it's not going to be these beautiful boats made by

[5:10:41] Terrio, it's going to be something different.

[5:10:44] It's going to be, there are going to be hybrids, there are going to be electric, whatever

[5:10:46] it's going to be, we're going to be building new fairy terminals that are going to have a different

[5:10:49] technology incorporated into them, but the system we have today is designed for those

[5:10:54] oval fairies with joystick controllers, with staff that are trained on them with local

[5:10:58] maintenance and knows how to fix them, and that system is missing a fairy because of how they're

[5:11:03] aging right now. The system is underperforming and failing, and the fix for that is adding a

[5:11:09] fairy of the same technology to make the most of the infrastructure that we've already invested

[5:11:13] and that we already own, while the work continues

[5:11:16] on what the ferry system of the future will be.

[5:11:21] So I chose October because I wanted to be in line

[5:11:25] with what the acting CIO asked us for for major capital ideas.

[5:11:29] If December works for what the acting CIO suggested,

[5:11:33] I believe he said the end of the year.

[5:11:35] Someone said, could we add a month and get more information?

[5:11:37] I'm happy to add a month after the change

[5:11:39] that's a December if it's in the spirit

[5:11:41] of what the acting CIO asked for us.

[5:11:43] So if that, if that gives a little bit more comfort, so that we can get a little bit more data in the report, that's fine.

[5:11:50] But I think that's clear that our writers are asking us to improve the ferry service.

[5:11:56] Thank you.

[5:12:24] All right, so that motion passes.

[5:12:29] We will now switch seats back.

[5:13:37] All right, colleagues. Now we're ready to go in camera.

[5:13:42] Yes.

[5:13:46] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I was just wondering if we might be able to quickly go through a team point one before we go in Karma on the added items.

[5:13:55] I think it's the only added item.

[5:14:03] Yeah, I don't have any objection. I don't know. I'll ask the clerk or the solicitor if we need to have a motion for reordering the agreed upon or to know we're good.

[5:14:11] Okay. Then if everyone's fine with that, I don't see any dissent in the room. We'll jump ahead to 18.1.

[5:14:19] Which, perhaps, well, your name is on the list. Would you like to put the motion on the floor?

[5:14:26] Thank you. Yes.

[5:14:27] I'd move that the Halifax Regional Council won adopt the proposed 2027 Halifax Regional Council meeting.

[5:14:33] Schedule as outlined in attachment one of the staff report dated July 9,

[5:14:37] twenty twenty six and two adoptive proposed twenty twenty seven twenty eight budget scheduled as outlined in attachment to of the staff report dated July 9th twenty twenty six.

[5:14:50] Second of my councillors to you and would you like to say more. Thank you. Yes if I might. Thank you very much.

[5:15:00] So, scheduled, but on a budget schedule, we did a really nice debrief with Mayor and Council around what was worked

[5:15:11] well last year and what we can approve upon. So, this schedule that's proposed here is like 13 days and then six days

[5:15:20] that our contingency days should we need them. And I do know that it's a long process because it

[5:15:27] go from one day in November, one day in December, one day in January, and then February and March

[5:15:35] are the heaviest times. We can, you know, streamline our work by doing all of our research

[5:15:44] be forehand, which I think is a great way for us to make this go more smoothly. We do have the evening

[5:15:51] session on January 26th which is great. Also though it's important for members of the public to know

[5:16:00] that before any of the bundles before operations for example capital plan operations public safety

[5:16:07] corporate the bow that the public can welcome to participate in the budget and can speak to anything

[5:16:15] on the budget that they require. So I do think that it's a good list. I know that some people are worried

[5:16:21] you know that may be our budget process is too lengthy it's very transparent we do a good

[5:16:30] deep dive into everything that we do so I think that's important the only other thing I would

[5:16:35] add in is that when we spoke about this at executive standing committee was to make sure that

[5:16:42] it's added in on our list that on January 12th is when we will see the report from PBSC and that's when

[5:16:49] see the assessment roll. So those are my comments to this point. Thank you.

[5:16:57] Okay, let's see the other names on the, let's show we have the question.

[5:17:02] Questions called?

[5:17:18] And the motion carries.

[5:17:19] Thank you very much for that.

[5:17:23] We are now, now, now, now, now, ready to go in camera.

[5:17:28] So would

[5:17:36] rather,

[5:17:55] okay, is there a motion to go in camera?

[5:17:56] Councilor Steele seconded by Councilor Prudy. Thank you. We'll just give a moment for the room

[5:18:02] to get prepared.

[5:18:11] Colleagues, the clerk raises an interesting question. I just noticed in the

[5:18:16] in the text thread that we're interested in forging ahead without ordering supper and getting

[5:18:20] the thing this thing done. Would you then like to have a little nature break now? Yeah. Okay.

[5:18:27] then how about we come back at 3 15 and we'll be in camera. Thank you.

[6:50:13] All right, we're back in business and we're in open session and the first order of businesses to ratify a number of the in-camera decisions that were made.

[6:50:23] And that begins with item 17.3 and for that I'm going to turn to the deputy mayor to ratify the public motion by the deputy mayor for item 17.3.

[6:50:39] I move that the matter pertaining to providing instruction and direction to officers and employees

[6:50:48] of the municipality pertain.

[6:50:51] Under

[6:50:56] here.

[6:50:58] Thank you.

[6:50:59] I'm going to say.

[6:51:00] Where is this leading?

[6:51:03] Yes.

[6:51:04] I move that Halifax Regional Council adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and

[6:51:09] confidential report dated July 30th, 2026, and two direct that the private and confidential

[6:51:15] report dated July 30th, 2026 be maintained private and confidential.

[6:51:22] Second by Councillor Young. And all those colleagues,

[6:51:30] this is a digital vote. We'll go to the vote

[6:51:55] in the motion carries. We will then go on to item 17.4 and I'll turn to Councillor Steele, please.

[6:52:05] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[6:52:06] I moved that Halifax Regional Council one adopt a recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report dated July 30, 2026 and two direct that the private and confidential report dated July 30, 2026 be maintained private and confidential.

[6:52:26] is there a

[6:52:30] Okay, and we'll go to the electronic voting, please.

[6:52:57] And the motion carries. Thank you. This brings us to item 17.6, and I believe I'm going to Councilor

[6:53:09] Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and most in that the Halifax Regional Council won adopt the recommendations

[6:53:15] as outlined in the private and confidential report dated August 14, 2026, and to release

[6:53:21] the private and confidential report dated August 14, 2026 to the public once the conditions

[6:53:26] as outlined in the report have been met.

[6:53:30] Second of my Councillor, it hens me and we will go to the digital vote.

[6:53:46] The motion carries.

[6:53:48] This brings us to 17.7, for which I will also return to Councillor David Gamman.

[6:53:54] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[6:53:55] With that, the Health Acts Regional Council won.

[6:53:57] Adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report.

[6:54:01] Data August 20, 2026.

[6:54:04] And two, direct the private and confidential report.

[6:54:06] Data August 20, 2026.

[6:54:08] Be maintained private and confidential.

[6:54:12] Seconded by Councillor Hensby, and we'll go to the digital vote.

[6:54:29] in the motion carries. Okay colleagues, that leaves us with our final item of business, which

[6:54:36] is notices of motion and I'll just look and see who jumps on the board there.

[6:54:45] Councillor

[6:54:45] Austin, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is for Councillor Mancini. Take notice that

[6:54:51] at a future meeting of Halifax Regional Council, I intend to introduce a motion to adopt

[6:54:55] amendments to the terms of reference for the active transportation advisory committee,

[6:54:59] ATAC and the Point Pleasant Park Advisory Committee PPDAC, the purpose of the proposed amendments is to implement recommendations arising from phase one of the governance review and other housekeeping amendments.

[6:55:11] So noted. Thank you very much.

[6:55:14] Excuse me, anyone else?

[6:55:16] I don't see anyone else. I've got one myself.

[6:55:20] So take notice that at a future meeting of Halifax Regional Council, I intend to move a motion.

[6:55:24] That regional council direct the chief administrative officer to conduct a comprehensive review of the decision to establish the mayor's office as an independent office following the one year anniversary of the decision.

[6:55:38] Thank you.

[6:55:40] Any others, any other noms today?

[6:55:43] Not seeing any, is there a motion to adjourn?

[6:55:46] I think that was Councillor Young today.

[6:55:49] Thank you very much, colleagues. Have a wonderful evening.

Halifax Regional Council

Agenda

Transcript