[0:28] work and play in stere and we strive to
[0:31] uphold the spirit of respect and unity
[0:33] in our community. I'd like to call to
[0:36] order the committee of the full meeting
[0:38] for Thursday, July 23rd, 7:01.
[0:42] Uh we have two regrets for this evening
[0:44] from Mayor Glasser and Deputy Mayor
[0:46] Loots. Any approval or changes to the
[0:50] agenda as presented?
[0:51] » I'll uh approve the agenda for our
[0:54] committee the whole session for
[0:55] Thursday, July the 23rd as presented.
[1:00] Second.
[1:02] » Well, I guess you do. [laughter]
[1:05] » All those in favor?
[1:07] » I carry. Any disclosure of interest on
[1:11] the agenda items for this evening?
[1:15] the minutes from the committee of the
[1:17] whole from June 25th. Any changes?
[1:25] It is presented. There is no
[1:27] announcements or presentation this
[1:29] evening. No written petition. Oh, sorry.
[1:32] There is one written petition uh
[1:34] correspondence from Maggie's place.
[1:38] Yes.
[1:48] Any citizen comments?
[1:52] » You guys, please.
[1:55] » Uh, all right. My name is Lan Mumbold,
[1:58] uh, resident St. Andrews. Um, good
[2:02] evening, uh, mayor and absentee, uh, and
[2:05] council members. Um, I'm speaking
[2:07] tonight uh because I am deeply concerned
[2:11] by the decision to prohibit Audrey
[2:13] Armsworthy from attending town hall and
[2:15] public council meetings. Public council
[2:17] meetings exist so that residents can
[2:19] observe their elected representatives
[2:23] and stay informed and participate in
[2:25] local democracy. Excluding a resident
[2:27] from those meetings is an extraordinary
[2:30] step that should only occur when there
[2:32] is clear evidence of an individual
[2:35] presenting a genuine risk to the safety
[2:38] of others or is actually disrupting the
[2:41] proceedings of a meeting. The noticed
[2:44] issue to Miss Armsworthy refers to
[2:46] bitterallic and threatening posts on
[2:49] social media. Many residents have read
[2:52] Audrey's posts. They know, yes, that she
[2:55] is outspoken, direct, and often highly
[2:58] critical of council and town staff. She
[3:01] regularly shares information about
[3:03] bylaws, land use matters, and council
[3:05] decisions. And she challenges statements
[3:08] that she believes are inaccurate. Some
[3:11] people may disagree with her opinions or
[3:13] dislike her style of communication, but
[3:15] that is part of living in a democracy.
[3:18] Communication.
[3:19] Criticism is not the same as a threat.
[3:23] If a resident can be barred from public
[3:26] meetings because they are persistent,
[3:28] wellinformed, or outspoken in their
[3:30] criticism of elected officials, then
[3:33] every resident should be concerned,
[3:35] myself included.
[3:37] The issue before us is larger than one
[3:39] individual. It is about whether
[3:41] residents can question their government
[3:43] without fear of being excluded from the
[3:45] democratic process. Public institutions
[3:48] must be able to distinguish between
[3:50] speech that is uncomfortable and speech
[3:53] that is genuinely threatening. Those are
[3:56] not the same thing and they shouldn't be
[3:58] treated as though they are. Many
[4:01] residents rely on Audrey to explain
[4:03] municipal bylaws, summarize council
[4:05] decisions, and encourage public
[4:08] engagement.
[4:09] Whether or not one agrees with the
[4:12] opinion that she expresses is beside the
[4:15] point. The appropriate response to
[4:17] criticism is more transparency,
[4:19] transparency, more communication, and
[4:22] more accountability, not restricting a
[4:25] resident's access to public meetings. I
[4:27] respectfully ask council to reconsider
[4:30] that decision to ensure that any
[4:32] restrictions on residents participation,
[4:35] sorry, are based on objective evidence
[4:38] and due process and to reaffirm that
[4:41] robust criticism
[4:43] or or sorry, of elected officials and
[4:45] municipal administration is not grounds
[4:48] for exclusion from public life. A
[4:51] healthy democracy welcomes scrutiny. It
[4:54] does not silence it. Thank you.
[4:59] » Thank you.
[5:02] » Any other citizen comments?
[5:06] We'll move into 10A which is uh business
[5:09] the CIO report. Can I hand it over?
[5:12] » Okay. Thank you chair. Um just an update
[5:15] on the uh water work uh the water tank
[5:18] maintenance project was completed. Uh we
[5:22] have been working uh towards the roof
[5:24] replacement that we let uh council bill
[5:26] out in June. Uh we are ahead of schedule
[5:29] on that project. So we will be moving
[5:31] the project up from the end of a August
[5:33] uh or we had said end of August
[5:35] beginning of September. We will be
[5:36] starting that project on July the 27th.
[5:39] Uh we'll be having more information
[5:40] coming to the public uh in the next week
[5:42] or so. Um this evening uh council will
[5:46] in the council meeting discuss the uh
[5:48] water treatment plant design project. Uh
[5:51] if finalized uh by resolution this
[5:54] evening, we will move forward to uh
[5:56] awarding the design portion of the water
[5:58] treatment plant tomorrow. Uh and we'll
[6:01] start the uh kickoff meeting with the
[6:02] contractor and start moving forward with
[6:04] the uh planning of our new water
[6:06] treatment plant and our new water
[6:07] source. Um moving on to the high tide,
[6:10] low tide uh pump station replacement. Uh
[6:13] that project uh commenced on time and
[6:15] we're finished ahead of schedule. Uh we
[6:17] commissioned the new pump station on uh
[6:20] Tuesday of this week and uh it's
[6:22] completed and uh we're moving uh moving
[6:24] forward with closing out that project.
[6:27] Um as we reported the diesel generator
[6:29] project uh was completed as well. The
[6:31] maintenance uh was taken care of by
[6:33] Aaron uh and the public works team. Uh
[6:36] that is complete and uh everything seems
[6:38] to be operational and uh proceeding uh
[6:41] working as usual. Um
[6:44] Kitchener Street lift station. Uh we
[6:47] report to council there are two pumps
[6:48] that need to be replaced on Kitchener
[6:50] Street. Uh we are working through uh
[6:52] some valving issues. Uh and we will
[6:54] determine in the next week or so whether
[6:55] or not we need to take the two pumps uh
[6:58] and uh Kitchener Street offline to
[7:01] replace those two pumps. if we need to
[7:03] offline, uh we will put a notice out to
[7:06] the public and we will do that work
[7:07] between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 6:00
[7:09] a.m. to have as minimal impact on the
[7:11] community as possible. Uh so more
[7:13] information is uh forthcoming and water
[7:17] updates. Uh just an update for council
[7:19] that the water levels in the St. Andrews
[7:22] River have been low. Uh they did rise
[7:24] with the rains that we've had over the
[7:25] last couple of days. uh but the levels
[7:28] have been uh decreasing rapidly and
[7:30] we're expecting them to start decreasing
[7:32] uh as of tomorrow. Uh we have been below
[7:34] the ecological maintenance flow levels
[7:37] and the water uh intake in front of a
[7:39] gallery has been extremely low. So we
[7:41] have implemented our emergency action
[7:44] plan and we have applied to the
[7:46] department of fisheries and oceans and
[7:47] the province of Nova Scotia to dam the
[7:49] river in front of the gallery if needed.
[7:52] Uh we will have that in place and we
[7:53] will proceed to dam if required. uh and
[7:56] we will not notify the
[7:59] uh council and the public if that is uh
[8:01] required. We will continue to be on
[8:03] voluntary uh water conservation uh in
[8:06] the meantime. Um and um we'll update the
[8:10] public if we need to go to mandatory. We
[8:12] did last year have to go to mandatory. I
[8:14] believe it was the second week of August
[8:16] with the hot uh temperatures. We haven't
[8:18] reached those temperatures this year,
[8:19] but again the St. Andrew uh River has
[8:21] been extremely low. Um RCMP, we have uh
[8:26] notified them that speeding continues to
[8:28] be an issue in town along St. Anders and
[8:29] Kitchener specifically and they will be
[8:31] doing some additional radar traps uh in
[8:33] the area. So happy to answer any
[8:35] questions that council may have.
[8:37] » Any questions? Councor
[8:39] potholes.
[8:40] » Yeah. So update on potholes. Uh we have
[8:44] uh got word from public work staff
[8:45] they'll be moving to St. Anger Street
[8:47] next week. Uh and that should be done by
[8:50] the end of next week.
[8:51] » Next week.
[8:54] Barring any bad weather, I guess that'll
[8:56] be our next
[8:59] questions.
[9:03] » Um,
[9:04] the paving project for Kitchener Street.
[9:08] Um, there were a lot of comments when
[9:11] Riverside was paved. The people living
[9:14] on the street didn't exactly know the
[9:16] dimensions of the piece of work. Um, are
[9:19] we going to engage people on Kitchener
[9:22] Street that it's being paved to hear
[9:24] what they have to say? What are the
[9:25] implications so they don't have kind of
[9:27] that riverside discussion?
[9:30] » Yes. Uh, so good question. We will
[9:32] engage the public next year. So, uh, at
[9:34] the last meeting we discussed uh that
[9:36] the Kitchener Street project portion
[9:38] when we moved to next year, we're going
[9:39] to do a much larger piece. Uh, we will
[9:40] engage the residents on that. uh and the
[9:43] uh ask with if uh council resolves this
[9:45] evening will be awarded and we'll put
[9:47] that portion on the uh on the schedule
[9:49] for probably the next month or so.
[9:58] » Moving on to 10B which is an alternative
[10:00] development officer appointment.
[10:03] » I will briefly speak to that. Uh Jacob
[10:05] McFersoning our planner is here tonight.
[10:07] Uh Jason uh Fox is our uh development
[10:10] officer for the town. Uh in Jason's
[10:12] absence when he is either on conference
[10:14] or on vacation, uh it's a good idea to
[10:16] have a resolution in place to uh name a
[10:19] alternate development officer. Uh our
[10:22] request uh to council to consider uh
[10:26] naming Jacob the alternative uh
[10:28] development officer in Jason Fox's
[10:31] absence. So we would need a motion to do
[10:33] that if council like to do so. I'll make
[10:36] that motion that uh council recommend
[10:38] Jacob McFersonen as our alternate
[10:40] development officer. Okay. Councelor
[10:42] Osw.
[10:46] » All those in favor?
[10:49] » Motion carried.
[10:52] Nothing from town committee updates. Uh
[10:55] so we can move on to council updates.
[10:58] Councelor Rosmore.
[11:00] Um
[11:02] actually mine will be in the council.
[11:06] » No,
[11:08] » Nothing for me. No in camera this
[11:11] evening. So this portion of the uh
[11:14] council session is adjourned at 7:12.
[11:18] Take a fivem minute recess and move into
[11:20] the council.
[11:21] » You do have the option of taking a fivem
[11:22] minute recess
[11:25] or if you wish to proceed as council you
[11:27] can.
[11:27] » Do we need a recess? I have no
[11:30] [laughter]
[11:31] » I don't.
[11:40] » So we'll move right into the council
[11:41] meeting for Thursday July 23rd and we'll
[11:45] call that through order at 712.
[11:48] Again in attendance we have regrets from
[11:51] Mayor Glasser and Deputy Mayor Loots.
[11:54] Any approval or changes to the agenda as
[11:58] presented?
[11:59] » I'll make the motion to accept the
[12:01] agenda for our council meeting for
[12:03] Thursday, July the 23rd as presented.
[12:06] Moved by councelor Osborne.
[12:08] » Second by councelor.
[12:09] » Perfect. All those in favor?
[12:13] » Gary. Any disclosure of interest on
[12:16] agenda items?
[12:18] No.
[12:20] June 25th.
[12:22] uh and sorry June 25th and July 7th
[12:26] council meeting minutes any changes
[12:33] presenter
[12:35] no announcements no presentations no
[12:38] written petitions or correspondents so
[12:40] we need to citizen comments again have
[12:42] anything new
[12:47] business uh 10A which is the fireh hall
[12:50] land designation
[12:54] I'll uh I'll make that motion that uh
[12:57] council approve the land that was
[13:00] illustrated within the report that chose
[13:02] 11 Nova Scotia Highway number two,
[13:04] Stewie be designated as future home of
[13:06] the new Stuak fireh hall for the Stuak
[13:08] and District area volunteer fire
[13:11] department. And further that council
[13:13] approve that the StuAK district
[13:16] volunteer and area fire department be
[13:18] authorized to fund raise for the
[13:20] planning and construction of the new
[13:22] fire hall and further that council
[13:24] approve that town staff support the stew
[13:28] and district volunteer fire department
[13:29] as necessary.
[13:31] Moved
[13:31] » By councelor Osborne.
[13:34] » Second by councelor. All those in favor
[13:38] motion carried.
[13:41] 10B. Uh, it's AB tender.
[13:45] » Um, just to follow up on councelor
[13:48] Leblanc's point on that, I think, um, if
[13:52] I may, um,
[13:56] when we did Riverside, we did curbs and
[14:00] sidewalks. So, we actually expanded the
[14:03] road. So, I think, um, if I am
[14:07] understanding correctly, we're not doing
[14:08] that with this portion. We're just
[14:10] repaving the current section, correct?
[14:14] » Yes.
[14:16] The plan for the capital project or
[14:18] capital budget next year is for paving
[14:20] only. We can expand that and have the
[14:21] conversations with council uh for the
[14:24] capital budget next year um to add
[14:27] sidewalks and curves if council wishes.
[14:30] » I'm talking about the 27,000 that we're
[14:31] looking to approve right now.
[14:33] » Correct. So that portion is only for and
[14:35] that is not in in relation to any
[14:37] portion of kitchen. So it's just the
[14:40] entrance on assets. Correct.
[14:43] » That's correct. Kitchener is being moved
[14:44] to next year uh to encompass a much
[14:47] larger portion.
[14:47] » Okay.
[14:51] So, with that, I'll make the motion that
[14:53] council um approve the the 2026 paving
[14:59] report
[15:00] um awarding the tender
[15:05] under the 2627 capital budget that we
[15:09] award the paving tenders basin
[15:11] contracting limited in the amount of
[15:13] 27,000 plus HST and that we approve that
[15:18] the CAO be authorized to execute the
[15:20] necessary contract
[15:22] » By councelor
[15:25] blah. All those in favor.
[15:30] » Uh finally in business is C the water
[15:33] plant design and construction RFP.
[15:41] I'll make that motion that council
[15:44] approve
[15:46] the request for proposal for engineering
[15:48] design services and project management
[15:51] um for the water treatment plant and
[15:53] that report be received and that we
[15:55] approve the request for proposal
[15:58] STW-2026-02
[16:03] engineering design services and project
[16:05] management of Stuia water treatment
[16:07] plant design be awarded to the Dylan
[16:10] Consulting Limited in the amount of
[16:11] $1,45,220
[16:15] plus HST and further that council
[16:18] approve that the mayor and CAO be
[16:20] authorized to execute the contract on
[16:22] behalf of the town
[16:24] » Second moved by counselor Osborne second
[16:27] by counselor Lmark those in favor
[16:32] carried
[16:34] » 11 town committees uh planning advisory
[16:36] committee regarding R4 as assembly
[16:39] amendment first reading.
[16:44] [laughter]
[16:46] » You want me to keep going?
[16:48] » We we can keep going. U I just want to
[16:51] acknowledge the fact that Jacob
[16:52] McFersonson, our planner, was not here
[16:54] at the June meeting. Uh so should
[16:56] council have any additional questions
[16:58] regarding the amendment, we'd be happy
[17:00] to answer them. Otherwise, the process
[17:02] going forward is tonight will be the
[17:03] first reading. uh at which time we also
[17:05] set a public meeting which I'd recommend
[17:07] be before the next council meeting on
[17:09] September I believe it's the 22nd um and
[17:12] then the second reading would be the
[17:14] evening of the September 22nd uh and
[17:16] advertising um on either side first
[17:19] reading meeting tonight advertising
[17:21] would happen tomorrow and advertising
[17:23] would happen after the second reading in
[17:24] September
[17:26] » 24th
[17:33] So I will make that recommendation or
[17:35] sorry that
[17:37] that approval
[17:42] that we approve
[17:45] the first reading for the land use bylaw
[17:47] amendment
[17:50] and that council approve the outdoor
[17:53] event permit bylaw within that as per
[17:57] section two um schedule two. So,
[18:00] schedule one and schedule two. And then
[18:02] further that we set a public hearing
[18:08] for
[18:11] 7:00 or 6:30
[18:15] maybe 6:30 on September the 24th.
[18:24] Moved by Councelor Ross.
[18:26] » Yes. Oh, second.
[18:27] » Second by Counc. All those in favor?
[18:31] Motion carried.
[18:35] Uh part B, bylaw and policy. The first
[18:39] one is the sewer connection bylaw.
[18:45] Okay. Um sewer connection bylaw. I do
[18:48] have a question regarding the profit
[18:49] line and um the definition thereof. um
[18:54] in order for us to approve this um
[18:57] without any definition in it um
[19:00] should we be adding it now or I mean I
[19:03] don't want to belabor this one at all.
[19:06] So that would be to council's decision.
[19:10] Um it's hard for us to explicitly define
[19:14] where the property line is with a
[19:16] survey. Uh we have a vague idea based on
[19:20] uh easements and road ends. Uh we do
[19:23] have a pin locator to look at uh
[19:25] property lines if they are marked. Um so
[19:28] I do if council wishes to have a
[19:32] definition hinged
[19:34] by
[19:36] you can come back.
[19:41] I just want to read this just for a
[19:43] second about the connection and
[19:58] maybe 68 or
[20:02] you think you have 6 a.m.
[20:06] Six six.
[20:07] » Yeah. In the dialogue.
[20:09] It might cover what I'm looking for. The
[20:13] owner of a building the nearest part of
[20:14] which is not rather than 300 ft from
[20:17] shall be required.
[20:20] No, that's just
[20:23] » Yeah it does not define the property
[20:24] line. Um and what what we could rely on
[20:28] and perhaps Mr. of Pearson helping you
[20:31] know that GIS technician Amanda B for
[20:35] the town of Turo u can measure out from
[20:39] uh roadways or property lines that are
[20:44] in our GIS system and we should be able
[20:47] to to come up with measurements that
[20:48] define the property line but that
[20:50] doesn't define it within the bylaw that
[20:54] just gives us the measurement
[20:56] » The the main thing is um to measure
[20:59] based on the the data that our GIS
[21:02] technician has available. Um it's only
[21:04] approximate and so if you're depending
[21:06] on how important understanding exactly
[21:08] where that line is though I would say
[21:11] it's questionable. Yeah. Yeah. certainly
[21:15] do.
[21:15] » Is number eight covered
[21:19] all costs associated with the
[21:20] installation, connection, maintenance or
[21:22] repair of
[21:24] with the exception of the portion of
[21:25] connection from the property line to the
[21:27] main line
[21:29] which is the responsibility of the town.
[21:32] So, so that would cover it correct. So
[21:37] the property line no matter where the
[21:38] property line actually is from the
[21:41] property line to the main line is the
[21:43] tax responsibility. Correct. Correct.
[21:46] » I think the issue at hand is we just
[21:48] can't definitively pinpoint where the
[21:50] property line is right without a survey.
[21:53] Um but we'll be able to you know get
[21:55] very very close.
[21:56] » Yeah. But I think number eight covers
[21:58] what I'm what I'm looking for is the
[22:00] road portion sidewalk portion right or
[22:04] partial lawn or whatever. Yeah. Okay.
[22:07] All right.
[22:10] With that, I will make
[22:12] a motion that council
[22:16] approve
[22:18] the changing of the wording of section 8
[22:21] in the sewer connection bylaw
[22:24] T26-10.
[22:30] Uh moved by counselor Ros. Second by
[22:33] counselor LeBlanc. All those in favor?
[22:36] Motion carried.
[22:39] The second pylon policy we have this
[22:41] evening is the procurement policy.
[22:48] I'll make that motion that council
[22:49] approve
[22:51] the adding of the section of purchasing
[22:54] of equipment to the procurement policy
[22:58] number 2026-05.
[23:01] Moved
[23:02] » By councelor Osborne.
[23:04] Seconded by council in favor
[23:08] motion carried.
[23:10] Moving on to number 12 which is council
[23:12] updates.
[23:14] Councelor Rosmore I have a brief update.
[23:16] It's regarding my attendance for the
[23:18] FCM. Um I attended the FCM on behalf of
[23:22] the town in June. Um
[23:26] the FCM this year focused on a couple of
[23:28] things. Um it was about communities. It
[23:31] was about a lot about water and
[23:33] wastewater and it was about um stability
[23:36] within municipal government or the
[23:38] instability of municipal government. Um
[23:41] I took in a number of um sessions on
[23:46] social media bullying, intimidation,
[23:49] incivility
[23:51] um and tools on how to
[23:54] um cope with that. Um
[23:59] Nova Scotia isn't um the only province
[24:03] that's going through this. It's it's
[24:04] across the country. The other um session
[24:08] um that um was in particular interest
[24:33] I'm
[24:53] the CIO implied and it's very in the
[24:56] public but it takes a couple of case
[24:58] this way. We were uh first ones in the
[25:01] old saying goes first in first serve.
[26:28] Thank you, council.
[26:30] » Nothing.
[26:32] » I have nothing. We have no in camera
[26:35] session this evening and follow the
[26:37] meeting agenda at 7:27.