Sackville town council met last night for their regular monthly council meeting.
Council passed the budget, keeping the tax rate flat for 2021 without significant cuts to programs and services.
After the motions on the budget passed, Councillors Shawn Mesheau, Bill Evans and Deputy Mayor Ron Aiken weighed in with kind words for town staff.
Shawn Mesheau thanked staff for their work reducing debt and limiting borrowing. “I think those are key factors to our financial security into the future,” he said.
Mesheau also spoke about the uncertainty of the coming year. “I think this will be the year that we really have to be diligent in regards to understanding the services that we are providing, and maybe the services that we’re not providing that might be needed,” said Mesheau. “And I would hope that council has further discussions around this early in the new year to to get a better understanding of this.”
Councillor Bill Evans commented that because the process of passing a balanced budget without increasing the tax rate looks routine, “people might not appreciate the position we’re in, and the direction that we’re moving.” Evans noted that for two years in a row the town will have spent “a million dollars or more on capital projects without borrowing any money.”
“We are in a good position and we are moving in a good direction,” said Evans. “And that doesn’t just happen. So I want to thank all of the staff that make us look good.”
Deputy Mayor Ron Aiken said that after speaking with other officials from around the province, he feels Sackville is in a “better position than most,” and he thanked and congratulated staff.
PUBLIC HEARING ON ABATTOIR PROPOSAL
Council also hosted a public hearing on the proposed bylaw changes that would allow for an abattoir to be built on Crescent Street in Sackville.
Farmer Chris Pierce is proposing to operate a small slaughterhouse to process roughly 15 cattle per week, at 72 Crescent Street in Sackville.
No members of the public joined the meeting to speak, though two letters were read into the record by planner Lori Bickford.
One letter expressed strong opposition to the proposal, citing concerns about over the potential for psychological damage to slaughterhouse workers, as well as, potential health and environmental concerns.
Another letter expressed support for the concept of an abattoir in terms of its positive effect on food security and growth for local agriculture, but the writer expressed concerns that the town does not have the capacity to regulate the external impacts on the area, and that the proposed location is too close to residential homes.
The bylaw changes proposed by Bickford establish a setback of 100 metres for any proposed abattoir. Pierce’s proposed location at 72 Crescent Street is 116 metres from the closest home, says Bickford.
Councillors did not discuss any of the issues raised last night.
The earliest a decision can be made about the by-law changes is council’s next meeting on December 14, 2020.
