January 9, 2024 Halifax Regional Council

Date:

Time: 1:00 p.m., Reconvene 6:00 p.m.

Location: Council Chamber, 3rd Floor City Hall, 1841 Argyle Street, Halifax

Agenda

1. CALL TO ORDER AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

•    Special Presentation – Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC) 2024 Assessment Roll – 1:00 p.m. [PDF]

2. SPECIAL COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Regional Council December 12 and Special Regional Council December 21, 2023

4. APPROVAL OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AND APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

5. CONSENT AGENDA*
Motion:

That Halifax Regional Council approve recommendations in the following item: 15.3.1

6. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF THE MINUTES
7. CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
8. MOTIONS OF RECONSIDERATION – NONE
 

9. MOTIONS OF RESCISSION – December 12, 2023
9.1 Councillor Lovelace [PDF]
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council rescind Council’s decision of December 12, 2023, declaring 21 Fox Hollow Drive, PID 40684557, surplus to municipal requirements.
 

10. CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED BUSINESS – NONE
11. NOTICES OF TABLED MATTERS – NONE
 

12. PUBLIC HEARINGS – 6:00 P.M.
12.1 Proposed Administrative Order SC-103, Respecting Closure of Almon Lane, Halifax 
- Report [PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council adopt Administrative Order SC-103 as set out in Attachment 3 of staff report dated October 6, 2023, to permanently close Almon Lane, Halifax, as a street, and authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to direct the Clerk to certify a copy of the policy passed by Council incorporating a survey or a metes and bounds description of Almon Lane, and to file the certified copy of the policy in the office of the Halifax County Registry of Deeds and with the Minister of Public Works.

12.2 PLPROJ 2023-01544: Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law amendments to restrict water lot infilling on the Northwest Arm 
- Report [PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council adopt the proposed amendments to the Regional Centre Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy, the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy, the Regional Centre Land Use By-law, and the Halifax Mainland Land Use By-law, as set out in Attachments A, B, C, and D of the staff report dated December 6, 2023 to restrict water lot infilling on the Northwest Arm.
 
 
13. CORRESPONDENCE, PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
13.1 Correspondence 
13.2 Petitions
 

14. INFORMATION ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD – December 12, 2023
14.1 Councillor Lovelace - Legislative Update – 2023 Fall Sitting [PDF]
 

15. REPORTS
15.1 CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

15.1.1 Second Reading Proposed By-Law S-452, an Amendment to By-Law S-400 Respecting Charges for Street Improvements - Supplementary Report - REVISED [PDF]
i) Staff report dated August 14, 2023 [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt the revised Amending By-law S-452, Amending By-law S-400, the Street Improvements By-law, as set out in revised Attachment 1 of the supplementary report dated October 6, 2023.

15.1.2 Proposed Amendments to Administrative Order 17, Respecting Remuneration for Members of Council - Review of Council Compensation [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt the amendments to Administrative Order 17, the Council Member Remuneration Administrative Order, as set out in Attachment 2 of staff report dated December 21, 2023. 

15.1.3 Canadian Capital Cities Organization Membership Renewal and 2024 Fall Conference [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Renew membership with the Canadian Capital Cities Organization; and,

2. Provide a proposal to host the organization’s annual member conference for the 2025 annual conference event in September 2025.

 
15.2 COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDING COMMITTEE
15.2.1 Second Reading Proposed By-Law N-208, an amendment to By-law N-200 Respecting Noise - Construction Noise Updates [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt By-law N-208, amending By-law N-200, the Noise By-law, as set out in Attachment B of the staff report dated September 27, 2023.

15.2.2 Rural Recreation Strategy  
- Report [PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Approve the Rural Recreation Strategy (Attachment 1 of the staff report dated October 11, 2023);

2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out the actions contained in the Rural Recreation Strategy as part of the multi-year budgeting and business planning process;

3. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to return to Regional Council via Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee with a progress report after one year of the adoption of the Rural Recreation Strategy.
 

15.3 COMMUNITY PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDING COMMITTEE & HERITAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
15.3.1
Sharing our Stories: HRM's Culture and Heritage Priorities Plan* 
i) Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee report dated December 14, 2023 [PDF]
ii) Heritage Advisory Committee report dated November 15, 2023 [PDF]
iii) Staff recommendation report dated October 23, 2023 [PDF]
-Presentation [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Endorse the direction contained in Sharing our Stories: HRM’s Culture and Heritage Priorities Plan as provided in Attachment A of the staff report dated October 23, 2023 as a framework for amending the existing Regional Plan and Secondary Planning Strategies and developing new planning documents and other municipal policies and programs as may be necessary to implement the Culture and Heritage Priorities Plan direction; 

2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to include funding options for actions contained in Sharing our Stories: HRM’s Culture and Heritage Priorities Plan for consideration in the 24/25 budget.

3. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide progress reports every two years on the implementation of the Plan. 
 

15.4 ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDING COMMITTEE
15.4.1 HalifACT Annual Progress Report: 2022-2023 
- Report [PDF]
- Presentation [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council receive the HalifACT Annual Progress Report: 2022-2023 for information, discussion and a presentation.
 

15.5 EXECUTIVE STANDING COMMITTEE 
15.5.1 Second Reading Proposed By-law C-1102, an amendment to By-law C-1100 Respecting Campaign Financing  [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council adopt By-law C-1102 amending By-law C-1100, the Campaign Financing By-law, as set out in Attachment 1 (Revised) of the Executive Standing Committee report dated November 27, 2023. 
 

15.6 MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
15.6.1 Councillor Lovelace - Administrative Order 50 Amendments [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer to provide a staff report on amending Administrative Order 50, Respecting the Disposal of Surplus Real Property (AO-50), to ensure surplus land designated for Affordable Housing can support housing construction including required provincial regulatory requirements for On Site Septic Disposal Systems (OSSDS), groundwater, wetlands, and watercourse alteration.
 

16. MOTIONS
 

17. IN CAMERA (IN PRIVATE)
Council may rise and go into a private In Camera session, in accordance with Section 19     of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, for the purpose of dealing with the following:
 
17.1 In Camera (In Private) Minutes – December 12 and 21, 2023
Motion: 
That the In Camera (In Private) minutes of December 12 and 21, 2023 be approved as circulated.

17.2 PERSONNEL MATTER - Private and Confidential Report
A matter pertaining to an identifiable individual or group.
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report dated December 27, 2023; and;

2. Direct that the private and confidential report dated December 27, 2023 be maintained private and confidential.

17.3 PERSONNEL MATTER - Private and Confidential Report 
A matter pertaining to an identifiable individual or group.
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report dated January 3, 2024; and 
 
2. Direct that the private and confidential report dated January 3, 2024 be maintained private and confidential. 

Private and Confidential Information Items

1. Private and Confidential In Camera (In Private) Information Report - re: Personnel Matter 
 

18. ADDED ITEMS

18.1 Councillor Blackburn - Leave of Absence Request – Councillor Russell [PDF]
Motion:

Pursuant to the Halifax Regional Municipal Charter sections 14 (4) and 22 (1) I request, that Halifax Regional Council grant Councillor Paul Russell a leave of absence from all meetings, including Regional Council, North West Community Council and Budget Committee, until February 14, 2024 to allow for medical treatments and recovery.

17. IN CAMERA (IN PRIVATE)
Council may rise and go into a private In Camera session, in accordance with Section 19     of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, for the purpose of dealing with the following:

17.4 PROPERTY MATTER - Private and Confidential Report 
A matter pertaining to providing instruction and direction to officers and employees of the Municipality pertaining to the acquisition / sale of land. 
Motion: 
That Halifax Regional Council: 

1. Adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report dated January 9, 2024; and 
2. Direct that the private and confidential report dated January 9, 2024 be maintained private and confidential.
 

19. NOTICES OF MOTION

20. ADJOURNMENT
________________________________________

 

INFORMATION ITEMS
January 9, 2024

1. Memorandum from the Chief Administrative Officer dated October 5, 2023 re: African Nova Scotian Road to Economic Prosperity Information Report [PDF]

2. Memorandum from the Chief Administrative Officer dated December 22, 2023 re: 2023-24 Skilled Talent Recruitment and Retention Strategy Update: Information Report [PDF]

3. Memorandum from the Municipal Clerk dated January 2, 2024 re: Requests for Presentation to Council – Treno Morton - the African Nova Scotian North End Halifax Community Land Trust [PDF]