Council Update: Road Train, Assessment Cap, Public Safety and Lobbyists

Road Train: On Tuesday’s agenda, the grant request for the Halifax Community Road Train was back at Council. The Road Train is the creation of Ambassatours (Murphy’s) and operates in Downtown Halifax on a donation basis. The Road Train was at Council because Ambassatours asked Council for a grant to …

Council Update: Traffic Calming, Motorcycle Noise, Street Navigators

Traffic Calming: The highlight for me on yesterday’s agenda was changes to the Traffic Calming Administrative Order. The existing Admin Order sets out the process that HRM undertakes to assess whether to implement traffic calming measures on residential streets. A request for an assessment can come from residents or from …

Council Update: Cornwallis, Feeding Wildlife, Capital Plan

Cornwallis: The main item at Council’s October 3 meeting (agenda here) was the creation of a special advisory committee on Cornwallis and commemorating Mi’kmaq history in HRM. Setting up an expert panel isn’t an unusual approach in dealing with these sorts of issues. The staff report notes that several US …

Council Update: Purcell’s Cove Backlands, Feral Cats, Otter Lake, Pensions

Purcell’s Cove Backlands: My first day back from my 1.5 week vacation and our publicĀ agenda wasn’t a very long one. Council had a long discussion in camera on the Purcell’s Cove Backlands though and I’m able to share some details now because the municipality has reached a tentative deal with …

Council Update: Macdonald Bridge Connector, Bloomfield, Stormwater ROW, and Cannabis

Macdonald Bridge Bikeway Connector Project: The most significant item on the August 15 agenda was the Macdonald Bridge Connector Project. The Connector Project will bring cycling improvements to both sides of the harbour with its signature piece being a new flyover ramp that will save cyclists who are heading across …

Council Update: Development, Ferry (events and dogs), Transit, Senior Housing

Development and the Centre Plan: The most controversial items on Council’s agenda for this week was what to do with the 22 requests for plan amendments that have been filed with HRM given that the Centre Plan is underway. There are basically three kinds of development applications that HRM receives: …

Council Update: Council Pay, Accessible Ramps, Electronic Voting

Council Pay: It was a relatively light agenda at Regional Council this week since the hearing into the Willow Tree proposal at Quinpool and Robie was cancelled. The main item in terms public interest was the formula that determines how much councillors get paid (currently $85,000 a year). The key …

Council Update: Crosswalk Flags, Back to Our Roots Farm, Heritage Grants & Paving Politics

Crosswalk Flags: The main item on the agenda on Tuesday was the proposed crosswalk flags administrative order. Crosswalk flags areĀ not a municipal program and are provided at the request of residents by the Crosswalk Flag Society of Nova Scotia. HRM permits flags to be installed at all crosswalks except for …