Date:
Time: Immediately following Budget Committee
Location: Virtual Meeting
Minutes: May 26, 2020 Halifax Regional Council Minutes (PDF)
Summary of recorded votes: May 26, 2020 Special Halifax Regional Council Summary of Recorded Votes (PDF)
Agenda
REVISED
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – NONE
3. APPROVAL OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS
4. CONSENT AGENDA*
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council approve the following item: 9.2.1
5. CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
6. CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED BUSINESS
7. CORRESPONDENCE, PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
7.1 Correspondence
7.2 Petitions
7.3 Presentations
7.3.1 Tourism Sector Recovery and Discover Halifax 2019 Year-End Updates
- Report [PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council suspends the rules of procedure under Schedule 3, the Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee Terms of Reference, of Administrative Order One, the Procedures of the Council Administrative Order to accept the annual Discover Halifax update.
8. INFORMATION ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD – May 12, 2020
8.1 Councillor Whitman – Award of Contracts – Quarterly Report October to December 2019 [PDF]
9. REPORTS
9.1 CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
9.1.1 Review of Code of Conduct for Elected Municipal Officials [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. Suspend the rules of procedure under Schedule 6, the Executive Standing Committee Terms of
Reference, of Administrative Order One, the Procedures of the Council Administrative Order; and
2. Endorse the approach for a revised code of conduct regime as outlined in the staff report dated January 2, 2020 and direct the Chief Administrative Officer to bring this approach forward as Halifax Regional Municipality’s position during future consultations conducted by the Province. This position includes:
a. The inclusion of new and revised code provisions that are in keeping with the best practices outlined in sections 4B and 5 of the Discussion section of the staff report dated January 2, 2020;
b. The ability to create an annotated code format that incorporates context and commentary; and
c. The inclusion of enforcement protocols that are consistent with the best practices outlined in sections 4C and 5 of the Discussion section of the staff report dated January 2, 2020.
9.1.2 Case CA0129 - Proposed Amendments to Administrative Order 29, Respecting HRM Civic Addressing Policies – Street Naming and Renaming from January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020 [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt the proposed amendments to Administrative Order 29, Respecting Civic Addressing Policies in order to approve:
1. the naming of six new private lanes as identified in Attachment A and Maps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the staff report dated April 20, 2020;
2. the retiring of the private lane name, Dogwood Dr, Cow Bay, as identified in Attachment A and Map 7 of the staff report dated April 20, 2020; and
3. the renaming of a portion of Symonds Road, Bedford to Science Park Drive, Bedford, as identified in Attachment A and Map 9 of the staff report dated April 20, 2020.
9.1.3 Councillor Appointments to the Women’s Advisory Committee [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. suspends the rules of procedure under Section 6, the Executive Standing Committee Terms of Reference, of Administrative Order One, the Procedures of the Council Administrative Order; and
2. appoint two Councillors, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Executive Standing Committee, to the Women’s Advisory Committee after a vote by individual ballot, as outlined in the Discussion section of the staff report dated May 5, 2020.
9.1.4 Proposed Amendments to Administrative Order 15, Respecting Licenses, Permits and Processing Fees, to Forgive Sidewalk Café Fees [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt the amendments to Administrative Order 15, the License, Permits and Processing Fees Administrative Order, as set out in Attachment 2 of the staff report dated May 7, 2020.
9.1.5 Polling Location Increases – 2020 Municipal and CSAP Elections – Supplementary Report [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council increase the number of polling locations for the advance poll to two in the following districts:
District 1 – Waverley, Fall River, Musquodoboit Valley
District 2 – Preston, Chezzetcook, Eastern Shore
District 3 – Dartmouth South, Eastern Passage
District 11 – Spryfield, Sambro Loop, Prospect Road
District 12 – Timberlea, Beechville, Clayton Park West
9.1.6 Bedford Highway Functional Plan
- Report [Large 17 Mb PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. Suspend the rules of procedure under Schedule 3, the Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee Terms of Reference, and under Schedule 7, the Transportation Standing Committee Terms of Reference, of Administrative Order One, the Procedures of the Council Administrative Order;
2. Endorse in principle the “Balanced Modes” option, as discussed in the staff report dated January 15, 2020, to inform future transportation infrastructure and land use planning within the Bedford Highway Corridor;
That Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to:
3. Advance the design of the Bedford Highway and initiate efforts to establish a formal right of way necessary to implement the “Balanced Modes” option; and,
4. Initiate efforts to investigate the potential to widen the Bedford Highway right-of-way between the Windsor Street Exchange and Seton Road to provide transit priority in both directions.
9.1.7 Strategic Transit Projects – Rapid Transit Strategy and Electric Buses
- Report [Large 23 Mb PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. Suspend the rules of procedure under Schedule 3, the Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee Terms of Reference, and under Schedule 7, the Transportation Standing Committee Terms of Reference, of Administrative Order One, the Procedures of the Council Administrative Order.
2. Approve the Rapid Transit Strategy described in the staff report dated May 6, 2020 and direct the Chief Administrative Officer to:
a. develop an implementation plan including resourcing, functional planning, land acquisition strategy, and long-term capital planning, subject to securing external funding; and
b. consider the application of mechanisms that preserve opportunities to accommodate transit infrastructure within the public right-of-way (e.g. transportation reserves, increased front yard setbacks), in the ongoing review of the Regional Municipal Planning Strategy and other planning documents as applicable;
3. Approve the Electric Bus Proposal described in the staff report dated May 6, 2020 and direct the Chief Administrative Officer to commence with the acquisition of low carbon emission public transit buses, subject to securing external funding;
4. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to submit both the Rapid Transit Strategy and Electric Bus Proposal for funding through the Federal Government’s Public Transit Infrastructure Fund and the Green Infrastructure Fund, as well as any additional stimulus funding streams that may become available.
5. Authorize the Mayor to send a letter of support for both the Rapid Transit Strategy and Electric Bus Proposal to the Province of Nova Scotia to stimulate discussion regarding the benefits and potential funding for these projects.
9.1.8 Proposed Amendments to Administrative Order 2020-009-ADM - Virtual Public Hearings [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt the amendments to Administrative Order Number 2020-009-ADM, the Allocation of Grants and Withdrawals from Reserves During COVID-19 Administrative Order, as set out in Attachment 3 of the staff report dated May 11, 2020.
9.2 HALIFAX AND WEST COMMUNITY COUNCIL
9.2.1 Case 22682 - Amendments to the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy, Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law, and associated second amending development agreement for 5534-5558 Bilby Street and 2819-2827 Isleville Street, Halifax* [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council give First Reading to consider the proposed amendments to the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy and Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law, as set out in Attachments A and B of the staff report dated March 24, 2020, to enable an extension to the date of commencement of construction for a Development Agreement at the southeast corner of Bilby and Isleville Streets in Halifax and schedule a joint public hearing.
10. MOTIONS
10.1 Councillor Russell
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:
1. request that Province of Nova Scotia and the Federal government amend the COVID-19 Nova Scotia Rent Deferral Program, the intent of which is to help Nova Scotia’s small business and not for profit communities remain viable in the wake of the COVID-19. Specific amendments to the program should include:
a. develop a path to transition for landlords and tenants from the Province’s program to the Federal Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CERCA) program, and;
b. ensure that any future programs to support commercial landlords requires, as a condition of eligibility, that the applicant has provided rent relief for their tenants by participating in CERCA and other relief programs, and;
2. write a letter to the Premier, with copies to each of the HRM area MPs requesting that they support this amendment, and;
3. request the Province of Nova Scotia immediately institute a temporary moratorium on any commercial rent default evictions, where the reason for the rent default is related to COVID-19.
10.2 Councillor Russell
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council send a letter to the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Premier that:
a) Thanks them for relaxing the restrictions related to the COVID-19 virus, including the ability to hold drive-in church services; and
b) requests that we are also able to hold drive-in movies, for occasions like Canada Day, that follow a format similar to the drive-in church services.
10.3 Ratification from Budget Committee May 13, 2020
Motion:
That the Budget Committee direct the Chief Administrative Officer to revise the 2020/21 Operating Budget to remove weekly green cart service and provide notice to affected contractors no later than May 15, 2020.
11. IN CAMERA (IN PRIVATE) - NONE
12. NOTICES OF MOTION
13. ADJOURNMENT
________________________________________
INFORMATION ITEMS
May 26, 2020
1. Proclamation – Filipino Heritage Month – June 2020 [PDF]
2. Proclamation – Intergenerational Day Canada – June 1, 2020 [PDF]