‘Profound disappointment’ in lack of ceasefire resolution from Tantramar council
On Tuesday night, about 50 people gathered outside Sackville town hall for a vigil remembering the victims of Israeli bombings in Gaza, and asking the Tantramar councillors meeting inside to back a resolution in support of a ceasefire.
Sackville Ceasefire Coalition member Sarah Kardash told the crowd gathered that she was profoundly disappointed in Tantramar council for not taking up the call, but the group continues to ask for a resolution from council. “Municipal governments have a moral obligation to speak up, represent their communities, and collectively call for urgent action from the Canadian government,” said Kardash.
“Ceasefire is a popular demand that people the world over are being asked to take up by Palestinians in Gaza,” said Kardash. “Yet there is no notice of motion on the council’s agenda tonight.”
Kardash said that several councillors responded to the group after a presentation last month which laid out their case for a resolution, but none were willing to put forward a motion. While Councillor Allison Butcher responded positively to the coalition’s presentation in January, Kardash said she later told the group by email that she was “unconvinced that [their resolution] would do much to alter world affairs.”
Councillor Mike Tower emailed the group to say he shared their concerns about the loss of life and the suffering happening in Gaza, but didn’t believe their motion was the answer.… Continue
Petition calls on council to join other municipalities in asking for federal action on ceasefire in Gaza
The devastation in Gaza was again top of mind at Sackville town hall on Tuesday, as about 50 local residents gathered in the cold outside to hold a candlelight vigil, with others attended the meeting inside, and asked Tantramar council to follow the lead of other Canadian municipalities, and ask the federal government to pursue a ceasefire in Gaza.
Sackville Ceasefire Coalition member Sarah Kardash presented to council, spending her five minutes of allotted time laying out reasons why town council should write to Prime minister Justin Trudeau and ask him to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
“As a Jewish member of the coalition, I’m horrified that Israel is weaponizing the deaths of Israeli citizens on October 7 to fuel a genocidal war against Palestinians,” said Kardash, quoting the large numbers of Palestinians killed in the Israeli campaign to eradicate Hamas.
According to the estimates from the Gaza Health Ministry, over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, the majority women and children.
“The UN has called Gaza a graveyard for children,” Kardash told council. “Imagine the equivalent of two nuclear bombs dropping on an area half the size of Tantramar… Experts say the relentless bombing by Israel since October 7 is the most destructive in modern history and among the deadliest in recent history.”
Kardash presented a detailed petition to council signed by 253 local residents, and organized by the coalition, which Kardash described as “a group of Tantramar residents of diverse ages, faiths and backgrounds who are united as global citizens in our humanitarian concerns for the people of Gaza.”… Continue
‘Please include us’: TRHS principal wants high school teams to get discounted rink fees
On today’s show, we take a look at some more items from Tantramar council’s December meeting, including a presentation from Tantramar Regional High School principal Susan Lafford, callling for high school hockey teams to be included in a discounted rink fee program recently approved by Tantramar council. Council also elected a Deputy Mayor for 2024, and got notice of a motion being proposed by Councillor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell that would expand the streets where ATVs are allowed in Sackville and Dorchester. … Continue
Council roundup: budget 2024 approved, air filter project turned down, and councillor censured
Budget passes, shared services calculations to be reviewed
Tantramar council passed a number of budget resolutions this week, setting capital and operating budget spending as well as tax rates for the municipality.
2024 tax rates for Tantramar, per $1000 of assessed property value
- Former town of Sackville: 1.5389 (down 0.0095 from last year)
- Former village of Dorchester: 1.5415 (down 0.0225 from last year)
- Former Sackville LSD: 0.5625 (0.974 w/ provincial portion, up 0.05 from last year)
- Former Point de Bute LSD: 0.7637 (1.1752 w/ provincial portion, up 0.05 from last year)
- Former Dorchester LSD: 0.6411 (1.0526 w/ provincial portion, up 0.05 from last year)
The slew of motions also included one that commits council to reviewing how it divvies up the fiscal responsibility for some of the services that are deemed ‘shared’. As treasurer Michael Beal explained to council, when the cost of running the municipality is allocated to the different areas, the share covered by former Local Service Districts (LSDs) is calculated at 90 percent, a decision made by the provincial consultant who was hired to create Tantramar’s first budget.
“The shared service model says that as you go further from the central core services, the local service districts should pay less for some of those shared services. The 90% was chosen by the province, and we don’t know why that was chosen,” said Beal.… Continue
Proposed capital budget includes preliminary work on Dorchester fire hall and village office, plus Pickard Quarry trail improvements
Tantramar treasurer Michael Beal presented the town’s proposed 2024 capital budget to council on Monday, recommending $1,515,000 in capital project spending, with another $200,000 put away in reserve. If approved, the total $1.715 million would come from the town’s operating budget, and none would be borrowed.
The proposed capital budget will go before council on Tuesday, along with a $16.7 million operating budget for the town, a $2.7 million utility operating budget, and a $550,000 capital utility budget.
Nearly 50% of the proposed capital budget ($727,000) would be spent by the public works department, on storm sewers, sidewalks, and the purchase of a new loader expected to cost about $410,000. Another $120,000 is set aside to pay a Tantramar share of provincial department of transportation and infrastructure (DTI) funded projects, which may or may not happen, said treasurer Michael Beal. If applications for DTI projects are not successful, then the $120,000 would be reallocated to cover budget overruns or previously delayed project.
The Active Living and Culture department is planning to spend $272,000 on capital projects, including $40,000 for development of a low impact trail in the Pickard Quarry, which the town acquired last year as part of the Lorne Street Stormwater Mitigation Project. There’s also $25,000 for a parking lot on Walker Road near the head of the Tantramar Outdoor Club trails, and another $25,000 for trails in general.
A new Civic Centre compressor, baseball field lights, and improvements for Beech Hill park are also included in the budget.… Continue
RCMP recommends single municipal contract with 3 more officers for amalgamated Tantramar
Tantramar council will soon decide on the future of the municipal and provincial policing service agreements–the MPSA and PPSA–that govern how the RCMP police the region. Currently, the RCMP are under an MPSA with the former town of Sackville, and a PPSA with the former village of Dorchester and local service districts.
“The federal government has advised us that we cannot have two [contracts],” treasurer Michael Beal told council on Monday. “So we do need to have one contract, either an MPSA or PPSA.”
Beal shared some analysis done by the RCMP ultimately recommending that the town move to an MPSA covering the new area, with an increase in the number of officers in the contract.
Currently the Sackville MPSA calls for ten officers to patrol the former town of Sackville, which had a population of about 6,100 as of the last census in 2021. After amalgamation, Tantramar’s new population was just over 9,000. The physical area of the municipality expanded to a much greater degree, going from about 74 square kilometres to 704 square kilometres.
Councillor Allison Butcher wondered about why the RCMP recommended only increasing their complement by three officers. “A 50% increase in our population, almost 10 times the land mass, yet they think only three more officers will be enough?” wondered Butcher.
Councillor Matt Estabrooks also raised the issue of the ‘cop to pop’ ratio, which would go from 1.64 officers per 1000 people in the Sackville contract, down to 1.44 officers for 1000 people in the new MPSA.… Continue
Tantramar water and sewer rates may go up 6.7%, lagoon upgrade planning could begin next year
Tantramar kicked off budget season last week when treasurer Michael Beal presented the proposed water and sewer utility budget at a special meeting on October 24.
The costs to run Sackville and Dorchester water and sewer services are separate from the town’s general operating budget. Both services are funded by utility bill payments, in Sackville according to metered water use, and in Dorchester with a flat sewer and water tax rate. For both the village and the town, Beal is proposing a 6.7% increase in those fees for 2024.
Increased fees are not as high as they could be, considering some $72,000 savings in administration costs, thanks to the amalgamation of Sackville and Dorchester utility operations.
That savings is balanced out with a cost increase for water services in Dorchester. In August, council approved a move to hire Veolia Water Technologies to run the Dorchester water treatment plant. The global water services company is also on contract to operate the Sackville and Moncton water treatment plants. Beal told council that change accounted for an increase in water services costs of about $110,000.
Without the amalgamation savings, hiring Veolia in Dorchester “would have resulted in a straight rate increase for those in Dorchester,” Beal told council. “But because of the combined the savings we had, in certain areas, we were able to do this with a minimal increase in rates.”… Continue
Sackville Fire report to remain secret after council votes 7-2 against Phinney motion
At Tuesday’s Tantramar council meeting, Councillor Bruce Phinney made his case for the release of a consultant’s report looking into allegations of bullying and harassment in the Sackville fire department, but his motion was defeated in a 7-2 vote.
The report at the centre of Phinney’s request was commissioned in April 2021 and completed in the fall of that year. Although the consultants made a presentation on the findings to council and to firefighters, former Sackville CAO Jamie Burke didn’t release the report, or any portion of it, publicly.
Phinney told council that he asked for a copy of the 20 recommendations made by the consultants, but was told he could not have it. “Why? I don’t know, I have no idea,” said Phinney. “But I feel that we need to see the report to understand exactly what was going on there, then to determine who was being charged, accused of whatever.” Phinney says he continues to hear complaints from firefighters he speaks to, but didn’t offer up specifics. “We need to nip this in the bud,” said Phinney. “We cannot continue to have a toxic environment for [firefighters] to work in. And it’s our duty as members of council to turn around and make sure that we protect the people that are there.”
Mayor Andrew Black took issue with Phinney’s phrasing. “We don’t know that there’s a toxic work environment,” said Black.… Continue
DIY project could provide up to 20 new indoor air filter boxes to Tantramar orgs
A local group is hoping to get more DIY indoor air filters in spaces in Tantramar this fall and winter, and Renaissance Sackville has recommended funding a project to help.
At their meeting tonight, Tantramar council will vote on putting $3200 of the $25,000 Renaissance budget towards producing up to 20 new Corsi-Rosenthal boxes for indoor spaces in the municipality, and refurbishing some of the existing supply.
The boxes are a “do-it-yourself air filtration unit,” says organizer Dave Thomas, constructed from a standard box fan, four MERV-13 furnace filters, some cardboard, and duct tape.
“One of the things that we’ve learned through the pandemic is that in order to protect ourselves from getting COVID, we need layers of protection, and one of the layers of protection is [air] filtration,” says Thomas.
The Corsi-Rosenthal box is named after dean of engineering at University of California Davis, Richard Corsi, who came up with the idea, and Jim Rosenthal, the head of a filter manufacturer in Texas, who first built it. The boxes are a lower cost alternative to portable HEPA filters, which can range from $200 to $500 each for small to medium rooms, says Thomas.
Last fall, Thomas and others started helping to build the boxes for local groups like the Sackville Commons, at a cost of about $110 each, but he expects costs this year to be slightly higher. He’s planning to replace filters in roughly 10-15 boxes this year, and build up to 20 more, depending on costs.… Continue
Special meeting called for Lafford zoning requests; controversial building could be finished as early as fall 2024
Lafford Properties will not have to wait until August to find out if Tantramar council will give final approval on zoning changes that would make way for the company’s proposed development at 131 Main Street in Sackville.
Mayor Andrew Black has scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, July 19 at 12pm to consider the third and final reading of the bylaw changes that will rezone a portion of 131 Main Street to higher density R3, and then change the R3 zone to allow for buildings up to 65 feet in height. The first and second reading of the changes were approved on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
Under normal circumstances, three readings of a bylaw amendment are spaced over two regular council meetings at least a month apart, but in this case a special meeting will happen just eight days after the first and second readings.
Black says John Lafford requested the special meeting through the Clerk’s office on Wednesday afternoon. Council’s procedural bylaw says special meetings are called by the mayor, without any detail on what cause or reason the mayor might require.
If and/or when the amendments pass, Lafford says he will be ready to start construction on the property as soon as possible. The developer will still need to get building permits and approvals through Plan 360.
Lafford estimates the construction phase could take 14-16 months to complete. That means a project starting this month could be complete by fall 2024.… Continue