October 17, 2023
Commercial Tax Concessions
THAT Halifax Regional Council:
1. Refuse to adopt the amendments to Administrative Order 10, the Partial Tax Exemption Administrative Order.
2. Direct the Mayor to write a letter requesting the Province amend section 87 of the Halifax Regional Municipal Charter to specifically permit the extension of tax concessions with respect to commercial properties.
October 16, 2023
Hammonds Plains Rd - Functional Plan
THAT North West Community Council request a staff report outlining and prioritizing the steps needed to initiate the planning and consultation process to develop a Functional Plan for Hammonds Plains Road. The report should consider the following: 1. Impact of “Schedule J” growth restrictions on developing a connected public road network; 2. The increase of population and traffic due to large mixed use as-of-right developments; 3. Previously promised connections to Margeson Drive, Eider Drive, Lucasville Road; 4. Lack of power poles and lines for streetlight infrastructure on Hammonds Plains Road; 5. Need to improve wooden cross-culverts and stormwater infrastructure, including stormwater easements on private property; 6. Modernizing intersections and installing turn lanes for public transit and traffic flow; 7. Implementing pedestrian safety infrastructure including crosswalks, safer off-street transit stops, and connecting to Lucasville Greenway Project; and, 8. Alignment with work already underway to resolve flooding at Bluewater Road and St. Margarets Bay Road, as well as planned upgrades to Halifax Water infrastructure including decommissioning Uplands Park Wastewater Treatment Facility.
September 26, 2023
Transfer of provincial PIDs in HRMs Road Boundary
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer provide a staff report on:
a. a plan for identification and transfer of provincial road reserves, parkland via subdivision, and stormwater infrastructure such as drainage corridors that should have been transferred to the municipality resulting from past provincial property transfers in 2006 and 2022; and,
b. a description of their maintenance standards and planned activities to maintain/upgrade provincial stormwater infrastructure, including drainage corridors outside of and within the municipal service boundary, that fall under provincial authority in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
September 26, 2023
Emergency preparedness for CSAP and HRCE schools in HRM
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide a staff report and return to Council with details on and recommendations for emergency preparedness for CSAP and HRCE schools in HRM including: 1. Emergency evacuation plans or timeline to deliver evacuation plans for each school; 2. Roles, responsibilities, and resources expected of HRM to implement and support those plans; 3. Timeline for tabletop exercises and Command Post/Full Scale exercises and training for evacuation involving students and staff leaving school property and relocating; and, 4. School community communications plans.
September 12, 2023
Canadian Capital Cities Org Membership and 2024 Conference
That Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to provide a staff report regarding HRM’s lapsed membership with the Canadian Capital Cities Organization (CCCO), options to rejoin and host the CCCO Annual Conference in Halifax early October 2024.
August 24, 2023
Windsor St. Exchange Redesign Consideration
THAT the Transportation Standing Committee direct the Chief Administrative Officer to prepare a staff report on the Windsor Street Exchange redesign to include: a. Separated and wide sidewalks; b. Separated and protected bicycle lanes; c. Dedicated transit-only lanes for people using public transit; d. Protected intersections that are safe for all vulnerable road users; and e. Design for 40 KPH traffic speeds.
August 22, 2023
Wildland Urban Interface Preparedness Strategies
THAT Halifax Regional Council request the Chief Administrative Officer prepare a staff report regarding wildland urban interface preparedness strategies for Halifax, including recommendations on the following:
1. Identify and create a prioritized list of communities within the wildland urban interface and intermix areas requiring addition of emergency evacuation routes and dry hydrants, with Halifax Emergency Management, Halifax Fire & Emergency, and Planning and Development to compile data to complete wildfire risk assessments and identify obstacles to completing these projects;
2. Review development standards and propose requirements for consideration regarding secondary evacuation routes and emergency water sources for all new and expanding large developments;
3. Review and make recommendations regarding improved resilient building codes, land use bylaws, homeowner education and other means that would encourage and require home hardening using low and non-combustible construction material to Fire Smart standards, Fire Smart building designs, defensible space standards for landscaping around homes, appropriate vegetation, tree species, and fire-fuel management program on public land, and public education and community action programs promoting fire risk awareness, and;
4. Present Council with options within its control for immediate action and a list of requests for the Province regarding either requests for additional powers or immediate action on the part of the Provincial Government, and;
5. Establishment of a joint working group with provincial and municipal staff to collaborate on collective action towards wildland fire mitigation and risk reduction in HRM, and;
6. Review of all current large development plans to confirm that secondary evacuation routes and planning for emergencies are incorporated;
7. Explore options for fulsome community wildfire response planning.
July 11, 2023
HRM Signatory - Cities United in Action for Biodiversity
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to develop a staff report on Halifax Regional Municipality becoming a signatory of the Montreal Pledge – Cities United in Action for Biodiversity.
June 20, 2023
Prioritizing Community Safety in HRM
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to 1) develop a staff report outlining and prioritizing budgeted and non-budgeted initiatives within the 2023/24 Budget and Business Plan that will help mitigate and manage wildfire risk to communities; 2) provide an update to Council on the progress to enhance crisis communication capacity, which is listed as an objective in the Strategic Priorities Plan for 2021-2025.
June 20, 2023
Progress on Crisis Communications
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to: ..... 2. Provide an update to Council on the progress to enhance crisis communication capacity, which is listed as an objective in the Strategic Priorities Plan for 2021-2025.
June 6, 2023
Westwood Hills Egress
That Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide a staff report on developing egress for Westwood Hills Subdivision in Upper Tantallon.
May 18, 2023
Traffic Speeds - Parking Lots - Collaborate with Province
THAT the Transportation Standing Committee request a staff report that outlines the process to request authority from the Province of Nova Scotia to establish and enforce reasonable and consistent traffic speeds in private commercial or public parking lots to prioritize pedestrian safety in HRM.
April 25, 2023
Amendments by-law c-1100
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to provide a staff report and return to Council with recommendations to amend By-law C-1100 Respecting Campaign Financing to: 1. Restrict campaign contributions from foreign actors; 2. Re-evaluate maximum campaign spending considering inflationary rise in expenses; 3. Align the campaign Contribution Period with Nominated Candidacy; 4. Manage or impede third-party contributions for election advertising; and, 5. Address housekeeping amendments.
March 21, 2023
Provincial-Municipal MOU Concerning Homelessness
THAT Halifax Regional Council: 1. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to explore on behalf of the municipality, bilateral or multilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), to support homeless and precariously housed individuals and increase housing supply; and 2. Direct the CAO to return to Council with a MOU-negotiation-report outlining the nature of the proposed collaboration, what the parties hope to achieve, and how desired results are to be reached.
February 21, 2023
Fire Emergency Assets for Population and Community Growth
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide a staff report and return to Council with options to adequately plan for population growth and future community development by identifying capital and operational requirements to establish new Fire Emergency Services assets, including but not limited to:
a/ options for property and/or land acquisition;
b/ capital cost contributions allocated to build new fire stations;
c/ access to water sources in unserviced communities;
d/ adequate roads with sufficient egress;
e/ appropriate mitigation strategies to address community risk factors such as further development in the wildland urban interface;
f/ human resources requirements to staff new fire stations.
February 7, 2023
Modernize land use bylaws with zone for park and open space public land
THAT Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide a staff report and return to Council with recommendations to modernize rural and suburban land use bylaws to rezone or establish a zone for municipal park and open space land specifically for park and community use.