Council Highlights Oct. 4
The Municipality of Pictou County held its monthly meeting Oct. 4. Here are highlights from the meeting.
Council has declared Oct. 18-24 as Waste Reduction Week in Canada. The week is dedicated to raise awareness about its commitment to waste reduction, resource conservation and community education for sustainable living. The MOPC recognizes that losing waste to disposal and as litter are local and global threats to the environment.
Council has declared the property at 6333 East River West Side Road, Eureka as dangerous and unsightly. The property owner will be given 30 days to clean up the site. If it is not done within this time, it will be demolished by the MOPC, and the expense of the cleanup will be billed to the property owner.
Council approved the following Municipal Services Grants:
River John Community Action Society – Farmer’s Market expenses - $600
East River St. Mary’s Fire Department - $1500 – operating expenses
Moose River Cemetery – operating expenses - $400
Trust Springville Presbyterian Church – ramp/electrical door opener/paint - $3,400
Eureka Fire Department – operating expenses - $4,100
Council has approved amendments to its Wind Municipal Planning Strategy & Wind Energy By-Law. Following a public hearing on Sept. 20, two written submissions were accepted by council, and it approved the amendments following a second reading at its Oct. 4 council meeting. The amended by-law will now be forwarded to the provincial government which has up to 60 days to review it and make sure everything is in order. The proposed amendments deal mainly with setback requirements of utility scale turbines.
Council is seeking fellow municipal support in writing a letter to the Nova Scotia Health Authority and provincial government asking that more dialysis seats be allotted in Pictou County. Councillors said they are hearing from Pictou County residents that there are not enough seats in the county and people are being forced to travel to Antigonish or Colchester counties as well as HRM for treatment.
Council has asked that MOPC staff look at drafting a vaccine policy for councillors stating they need be double vaccinated unless there is a medical exemption. It also asked about a policy for staff to be fully vaccinated, but it was agreed that the Nova Scotia Union of Government Employees as well as the municipality’s legal advisor would need to be consulted before it could be developed.