News HousingSome disappointing news from the Provincial government. After teasing that they were considering it, Housing Minister John Lohr announced that the Province isn’t looking at building any new public housing (CBC story here). This is a profoundly disappointing decision. According to the 2022 Auditor General’s report on Nova Scotia’s …
Agenda Regional Council April 25Agenda Budget Committee April 25Agenda Committee of the Whole April 25 (policing study)Agenda Regional Council April 4Agenda Committee of the Whole April 4 (playing field strategy) Saturday Paid ParkingCouncil approved the 2023/2024 budget, but not without some last minute drama around parking. HRM has changed course …
Agenda, Budget Committee, March 29 HRM’s 2023 budget is now largely complete. Council completed our last step of approving the budget adjustment list on Wednesday. The budget adjustment list is created as each department presents to Council. Council moves motions to potentially spend more money on an existing or a …
Agenda, March 21Agenda, March 7 Shelter Downtown DartmouthIn Council’s March meetings, there was a bundle of decisions related to housing including a motion I brought forward related to the emergency shelter at the Christ Church Hall on Dundas Street. My request was that the Mayor write the Province to ask …
Community Policing Office Alderney GateI’m pleased to share that a new community policing office has opened in Alderney Gate. The police office is located on the ground floor between the Customer Service Desk and the Library in office space that had recently become vacant (signage to come). The policing office …
Agenda, February 21Agenda, February 22 (Budget) Short-Term RentalsThe main item on Council’s agenda this week was the regulation of short-term rentals (Air BNB, VRBO, etc). Most of HRM’s existing land-use bylaws don’t allow for short-term rentals in residential areas. Short-term rentals are considered a tourist accommodation use, which was generally …
Agenda, February 14 (Public Works)Agenda, February 10 (Library)Agenda, February 8 (HalifACT)Agenda, February 3 (Police)Agenda, January 27 (CAO’s Office) Budget time is always the busiest time of year at City Hall. To build the budget, Council reviews each department, which pretty much triples the amount of time we spend in the …
Agenda, January 24Agenda, February 7 Penhorn Lake Park SaleCouncil has approved the sale of a small piece of land in Penhorn Lake Park to Penhorn Residential Holdings GP (the company that owns the adjacent redevelopment). The land totals 221.7 square metres, the equivalent space of seven transit buses. The land …
Council’s budget process resumed last week as we went over the proposed capital budget. You might recall discussions back in December on what the starting point for the average out of pocket tax bill should be. Staff had proposed an 8% increase to the bill, but Council asked for 4% …
Agenda, January 10 Stormwater Right-of-Way ChargeHRM is changing how the stormwater right-of-way charge is paid. The stormwater right-of-way charge has a long and complex history. First thing to know is there are two stormwater charges. One is specific to property and that’s on the Halifax Water bill. The second is …
