CBRM council heading back to Centre 200
Deputy Mayor Earlene MacMullin to preside over session
SYDNEY — Cape Breton Regional Municipality council is heading back to the spacious concourse of Centre 200.
With public health measures still in place to combat the spread of COVID-19, the elected body is set to hold its December meeting in the concourse of the municipality-owned entertainment and recreation complex. The recently-elected council's first meeting, held in November, also took place in Centre 200 after the regular council chamber was deemed too small and logistically unable to safely hold a pandemic-era meeting.
Deputy Mayor Earlene MacMullin, who will preside over the meeting as Mayor Amanda McDougall remains off after giving birth late last month, said she's looking forward to eventually returning to the round-room council chamber located at city hall in Sydney.
“The chamber in city hall is much more efficient in every aspect,” said MacMullin, who is also the councillor for District 2.
“We are looking at adapting the council chamber because we don't know how long COVID is going to last. They are currently working on it but we're not sure when it's going to be completed.”
It certainly won't be ready for Tuesday evening when council sits down at 6 p.m. to
to deal with a slightly lighterthan-normal agenda. As with the November meeting held in the same venue, this session is also closed to the public although it can be viewed online.
THE AGENDA
The meeting kicks off with the usual array of proclamations and resolutions, including one put forth by District 4 councillor Steve Gillespie that encourages residents of the CBRM to shop locally during the holiday season.
The Shop Local Day proclamation read in part: “A number of our local businesses have experienced challenges this year, and supporting local businesses in our area is key to making opportunities out of these challenges. Every dollar we spend locally this holiday season will have a positive ripple effect on our own economy for years to come.”
Gillespie notes that the Cape Breton Partnership has launched its #capebretonfirst concept which asks residents to shop, stay and eat local.
Council is also expected to give final approval to register four CBRM properties as municipal heritage properties. The properties are the Dominion Italian Hall, the Grand Narrows Waterfront, the Saint Joseph's Catholic Parish Church in Albert Bridge and Bernie's Bakery in Whitney Pier.
The New Aberdeen Revitalization Affordable Housing Society will make a presentation to council outlining its mandate, history and accomplishments to date. The society is also asking the municipality to sign over a vacant parcel of land in Glace Bay for the purposes of passing it on to a proposed purchaser who plans to place a mini-home on the lot.
Chief financial officer Jennifer Campbell is on the agenda to go over the mandatory annual reviews of the CBRM's hospitality, travel expense and audit committee policies.
The council is also expected to name some of its own to a number of committees and external agencies, such as the audit committee, police commission and the Nova Scotia affordable housing commission.
Rookie councillor Glenn Paruch has made a request that council direct CBRM staff to prepare an issue paper on a proposed study into the possibility of establishing a new recreational facility with two courts to be used for activities such as basketball, volleyball and seniors activities.
And, municipal solicitor Demetri Kachafanas will provide an update on a freedom of information request that ended up in the office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nova Scotia who ruled last month that the CBRM contravened parts of the Municipal Government Act by withholding requested information and by failing to meet its duty to conduct an adequate search.
The CBRM council meeting is set for 6 p.m. The session follows an afternoon meeting of council's nominating committee which takes place at 3:30 p.m. Both meetings can be viewed in real time on the CBRM's YouTube channel.