Kings County Mayor & Boundary Review Update

All eleven councillors have supported an historic motion to elect a Kings County Mayor. This will happen in the upcoming municipal elected set for October, 2016. This irreversible change leaves an outdated Warden system behind. My previous post outlines why I think this is a very good thing.

Council has also approved a motion aimed at reducing by three the number of councillors to be elected in 2016. This motion passed by a narrow margin.

While the election of a Mayor does not require approval from the Utility and Review Board (UARB), the boundary changes required to elect eight instead of eleven councillors requires an application to the UARB and approval by the UARB before coming into effect.

Council engaged professional services to help with the decisions made in December at a cost of $26,144. The resulting report by Stantec recommended a reduction from eleven to nine, not eight, districts. For me, the consultant's recommendation was sound and untainted by any notion of political interference. Notably, it was supported by a scientific survey and three public meetings. The report did provide boundary recommendations for eight districts in the event that councillors wanted further reductions than indicated by the survey and public meetings.

Nevertheless, council was not afforded an opportunity to vote on the consultant's recommendation because Deputy Warden Hirtle and Councillor Atwater were permitted to bring forward a motion to approve alternate boundaries for eight districts.

This alternate had been requested by Deputy Warden Hirtle and it was supported by a majority of six (Hirtle, Atwater, Brothers, Best, Ennis and Lloyd) when a vote was called.

Since then the Advertiser has published three articles about the controversial "in-house-alternate" eight district boundary map. It is likely that presentations will be made by a variety of individuals when the UARB holds its required public consultation. A date has yet to be set.

I am taking the time to do my own analysis of the boundaries and should have more details to post in the weeks immediately ahead. Click here for the Kings Governance and Electoral Boundary Review Final Report. Skip to page 59 for a description and map of the proposed eight district boundaries approved by council. These boundaries hold big changes for the community of Centreville (it joins Canning) and Meadowview (it joins Coldbrook).

Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or if you want to discuss this issue in more detail. I can be reached at 902-670-2949.

Kings County Citizens Want a Mayor

Have your heard that two of three Kings County residents have a strong preference for electing a Mayor for Kings County in 2016? Consultants surveyed 386 randomly selected residents this fall and found people want to elect a Mayor, even though they were informed that once the switch to Mayor is made there is no way to revert to the Warden system.

This could mean that when county voters head to the polls in October, 2016, they will be marking their ballot with a choice for Mayor as well as a choice for councillor. In other words, the people, not councillors, will choose who will lead and represent the county.

A citizen initiated petition, delivered to council in October, also showed strong support (600 plus signatures) for electing a Mayor for Kings County. Pierre Clouthier, a resident of New Minas, presented the petition results. He used a graphic of a horse and buggy to illustrate why it is now possible to leave the “outdated” Warden system behind.

When Kings County was incorporated in 1879 and Kentville was incorporated in 1886, counties elected Wardens and towns elected Mayors. 

Why? According to Clouthier reasons were practical and related to travel constraints. It was the time of horses and buggies and rutted roads. It was therefore impossible for Mayoral candidates to campaign in all areas of the county. 

Towns didn't have this geographic problem so residents were given the advantage of electing their own Mayor. More than 100 years later, with cars, faster mail, and social media, county candidates for Mayor can campaign county wide.

The most negative opinion I heard at one of the public consultation meetings about the current Warden system was this... Becoming a Warden can push people to “make backroom deals”. Once a simple majority of councillors is drawn to a Warden a voting block can be produced. Agendas can then be controlled and perks provided to those districts represented by members of said voting block.

In contrast, a successful Mayor must put a platform before voters. A Mayor provides an independent leader who, once elected, is responsible to all residents, more so than councillors. More transparent representation and fairer application of the general taxpayer's dollar may have a better chance.

Fewer districts are also likely to be recommended by the consultant based on survey results. Council will vote on the number of districts, 8-10 (versus the current 11 districts), as well as the change to a Mayor (versus remaining with a Warden) no later than mid January. Council's decision will then be further examined, approved or adjusted by the Utility and Review Board. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or comments.

Kings County Residents are saying: “Leave Warden System Behind” and many are inclined to reduce the number of councillors too. 

Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have questions about this or any other council or community issue. 902.670.2949.

Survey Monkey... A way to have your say at MOK!

Survey One: About the number of councillors and if electing a mayor is a good idea

A marketing consultant in Bedford is conducting a random telephone survey of County residents over the next month. Residents are being urged to cooperate if called. About 300 responses will be registered by the consultants. 

All residents have an opportunity to provide opinions on the say types of questions... number of councillors, if Warden or Mayor leadership is best.

The Survey can be found if you follow this link at Survey Monkey... a free online survey service.

The survey takes about 5-minutes.

Regional Governance Study for Kings County

Hot on the heels of news about discussion opening between the Chair of the Village Commission of New Minas and the Mayors of Kentville and Wolfville, the Warden of the County finally brought forward a timeline for the stalled study of regional governance. 

During Kings Partnership Steering Committee discussions it was decided that the study should be stalled until the province released its third year of fiscal condition data for municipalities across the province. That data was released almost one year ago. It showed the Town of Berwick's fiscal condition is the least robust among the four municipalities of Kings County.

Fiscal Condition Kings County.

Fiscal Condition Town of Berwick.

Fiscal Condition Town of Kentville.

Fiscal Condition Town of Wolfville.

It was a pleasant surprise at the October 1, 2015, Special Council meeting, to see the Warden move an addition to the agenda that introduced motions putting the study back into play. Prior attempts by other councillors had been rebuffed. I'm looking forward to seeing terms of reference by January 1, 2016, and having this necessary work proceed in the new year. To date, there has been 2-years of unnecessary delay.

Chronicle Herald article on Kings County Regional Governance Study.

A $10.76 Million Municipal Complex Defeated

A motion that would have seen 10.76 million dollars spent on a new municipal complex was defeated on September 1, 2015. Three councillors, the Warden and Deputy Warden voted for the expenditure (Best, Brothers, Ennis, Hirtle, Lloyd). Four voted against (Bishop, MacQuarrie, Raven, Winsor) and one abstained (Atwater). Six positive votes were required for this motion to pass. 

Councillor Atwater's eleventh hour doubt on his ability to decide whether to support this poorly founded motion is to thank for its defeat. His withdrawal from the horseshoe provided the opportunity we now have to find a better solution. 

Emails, meetings, and phone calls continue. Some discussion indicates that the motion was not so much defeated as stalled. I want to be clear that, for me, the overall project as it was envisioned, with its close to 11 million dollar cost, is now permanently past tense. I believe any attempt to rejig motions to allow the project to move forward, as was done directly following its defeat, would be unethical. District 3 constituents, as well as other constituents I have heard from are glad the motion was defeated.

I have many questions that need to be answered before the needed relocation project can be re-envisioned. I trust that we will now be going back to the drawing board. A workshop, unfortunately to be held behind closed doors, is scheduled for this Wednesday afternoon. A special council meeting is scheduled for September 22 to deal with the municipal complex dilemma.

Meanwhile, I have been assured that we have no contractual or verbal agreements that would place the county at risk if, or when, we move entirely away from the current project.

Council needs to set fresh goals aimed at a solution to our relocation problem. What was placed before us is best understood, despite the significant work that went into it, as a rush job. The hurry, hurry mantra we were under blurred the vision of too many and was not in the public's best interest. 

Below are some of the things I believe councillors need to have clearer answers to, if council is make a decision that can be defended to our bosses, you, the people of Kings County. 

With the September 1, motion behind us, we are now positioned to use the winter months to work towards a build that can start next spring. We can reset timelines by adding the extra 6-months permitted by the province for an exit date from our current location. That will provide a full year (April 1, 2016, to April 1, 2017) to complete the build. We will have the advantage and cost savings of a summer season building schedule to help the work along. 

Several things are on my mind right now...

Location
1. Do we continue looking at building on the land in Coldbrook or do we re-examine the tenets upon which that decision was supported? (I have received strong support from many constituents for keeping the municipal offices in Kentville).

• Council was, at least this particular councillor was, left with the impression that there was a $45,000 cost avoidance if we moved out of Kentville... In other words, we needed to be in the county because we shouldn't pay "taxes to the town". But now I'm hearing that the annual costs are much less than $45,000 and that the annual bills for our current location are largely tied to the rent paid by the Department of Justice. An accurate detailed description of "county payments to the town" could remove a key cost barrier to staying in Kentville. 
• Council was, I think, left with the impression that there was not a suitable piece of land available in downtown Kentville. That too appears to no longer be the case.
• Council was told it was too late to jointly address the need for new space for the regional library and the municipal complex. But the opportunity to revisit that appears possible.

2. Our public works and economic development staff have yet to weigh in on where the best location is from the perspective of:

• Limiting the distance that needs to be traveled to access or provide municipal services for most residents, businesses and staff. 
• Supporting economic development of our region.

3. A last location question can be asked from a regional planning perspective. Where should a new complex be built if a decision is made in the years immediately ahead to form a regional government (as more municipalities in our province are now doing)?

Affordability/Setting a Budget
4. The question of how much the county can truly afford to invest in a new municipal complex has yet to be answered satisfactorily
5. Are there any investments in a new municipal complex that could be made at this time to help increase future economic development opportunities? For example, should the small business hub being called for by entrepreneurs and small businesses be included at the complex?
6. What would the cost implications (likely savings) be if we co-located with the regional library?

Net Zero Energy Goal
7. I would like to hear directly from experts in the "green energy" sector about the pros and cons of building to the Net Zero standard, in 2016, in Nova Scotia. For example, what are the possible maintenance costs for such systems over a 20-year period or the costs of operation relative to energy savings?My initial reaction is to be very attracted by Net Zero, and the prospect of a federal Green Municipal Fund grant to offset its costs, but as discussions in the community have continued it is clear we need to know more.

We now have an amazing opportunity, presented to us when Wayne left the horseshoe, to give this project the sober, second thought it deserves. 

Councillor Atwater has proven, again, to be no-one's dummy. For that, I'm thankful.

Centreville Park Update

Last night we gathered at 6 PM at the park with a mission to lay sod around the perimeter of the new playgrounds. 

This was the finishing touch to a large playground project that couldn't have been completed on time and on a limited budget without an extraordinary squad of community volunteers. Official Opening is August 22.

The donation of valuable time and skills was crucial to success every step along the way. It's beautiful. It's well-used. It's a testament to the "yes we can" attitude of this amazing community. 

A few yards of sod short? No problem. Evan Smith (on vacation) will go pick the remainder up with his truck and lay it today. Can't let vacation time get in the way of helping. Today's rain afterall is a bonus that is helping make the new sod happy!

Installing this playground was a key part of the park's renewal project. This project started with community consultations by recreation students from Acadia. Next project will be on stream soon... An outdoor learning centre, new bathrooms, and a brand new trail from the parking lot to link all the new amenities together. While the playground project drew minimally, but thankfully, on municipal funds, the next will be completed with a zero draw on property tax dollars. Well done Centreville!

August 1 Fundraiser at My Home Raised $1821

 “Colour Us Green” Backgrounder

The Project

This community-based, action-oriented project has been several months in the making and is currently underway. It aims to create positive environmental change in the small, tight knit community of Meadowview and beyond. Meadoview is nestled between a regional hospital, the Cornwallis River and a closed landfill site.

For decades Meadowview hosted the “dump” that served both town and county residents. This resilient community of just under 100 homes was so often littered with garbage falling from trucks or retrieved by residents for scrap that it was the subject of ridicule and slurs. The dump was closed in the 90s. Subsequently, contaminated water created the need for the installation of public water system and household wells were abandoned. The community has steadily rebuilt.

Now, twenty years on the community has launching its Colour Us Green initiative. The goals include: finding ways to economically green the area's homes; its community centre; as well as studying the feasibility of transforming the 20-acre brownfield site created by the landfill closure into a green energy generator.

The Partnerships

This work has been launched by the Meadowview Community Development Association and in partnership with:

1. The Clean Foundation;
2. The Nova Scotia Community College; and
3. The staff of the Municipality of the County of Kings

The Expected/Potential Results

1. A rewarding and very relevant work term placement for a student in the Nova Scotia Community College's Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology (ESET) program.
2. Recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Meadowview Community Development Association regarding how best to green its 100-year old building that operates as a busy community centre.
3. A feasibility study that will determine the economics and steps required to use a 20-plus acre landfill as a site for a solar energy farm. Biogas will also be examined although it is unlikely that the site produces enough methane to be viable as a green energy source.
4. Creating the possibility of a large economic development opportunity for the community and county through the transformation of a brownfield site. While this large acreage's life as a dump is long gone, and surrounding properties have greatly improved, some stigma lingers. Economic development in the community of any scale would be welcome; however, establishing a green energy site would have the advantage of introducing an initiative of significant scope that could launch the first large green economy initiative for Kings County.

The People and what they say about “Colour Us Green”

Joe Benjamin, President of the Meadowview Development Association:

“This project will focus positive attention on our community and could result in a large economic project in the years ahead. Our goal is to bring much needed jobs to our corner of the county. It's a huge bonus that these jobs could put us on the green economy map for Nova Scotia or even the Maritimes. That would be a big step up for us because after all these years we are still often identified with the many negatives of being neighbours to the landfill site.”

Ryan Ferdinand, NSCC ESET Student, is a recent graduate of Environmental Science, Mount Allison University:

“I enrolled in the ESET program at NSCC to gain skills I needed to become part of the green energy workforce. A central interest for me is how local communities can generate and use renewable energy locally, so this opportunity to have a job placement within a community development project of this scope is awesome.”

Dr. Wayne Groszko, NSCC Faculty in the Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology (ESET) program, key advisor for his student's work placement has been advising the community on its energy goals since the fall of 2014:

“At a first glance, we estimate that solar energy on the top of the closed landfill could supply the equivalent electricity needs of about 250 homes. This study will fill in the details of how much and how it could work.”

Pauline Raven, Municipal Councillor for District 3, is hosting of the August 1, Noon to Midnight, fundraising event. Rain date is August 2. This event addresses a funding gap for the project with any excess helping with green retrofits to the Meadowview Community Centre. She and her partner are looking forward to a steady turnout on August 1 at their 1494 Pereaux Road cottage in Delhaven. Raven introduced Dr. Groszko to the board members of the Meadowview Community Development Association after a discussion indicating an interest in exploring ways to “green” the community.

The Colour us Green project is a bold example of what the Ivany Report calls upon Nova Scotians to do---“Move the economic ball wherever they can.”

Playing it Forward

The project includes public presentations and discussions of the project and its results. The association plans to share its work on greening the community hall with other Kings County Hall Associations. Bullfrog Energy has expressed interest in helping the Development Association fund green energy upgrades.

The Meadowview Development Association is also supporting a Property Assessed Clean Energy initiative to make residential energy retrofits more accessible to lower-income households. This project was referred to the Municipality of the County of Kings Budget and Finance Committee. The association is waiting for recommendations to come to council chambers.