Monthly Executive Meeting
August 9,2007
Community Hall
Executive in attendance:
Faye Langille, Diane Swansey, Jane Rathbun, Bill Lockhart, Charles Schafer,
Charles Wagner, Kevin O’Halloran, Steve Sanders, Dave MacDonald (Chair)
Guests:
Krista Snow, Dist 2 Councilor,
HRM Staff members – Ivy Warren, Norma MacLean, Gordon Roussel
Call to order by Chair at 7:30 pm
Chair announced this meeting will be an information session with our District 2 Councilor Krista Snow and three HRM staff members to discuss three items;
1) Opportunities of funding to assist with repairs to the Community Hall
2) Possible uses of current Sidewalk Area Rate Account
3) Information
regarding study proposing Inland Container Terminal at
Item #1
HRM staff outlined the funding program which is available to assist with repairs to the Waverley Community Hall. It is comprised of equal contribution portions one-third from the Provincial Dept of Health Promotion, one-third from HRM grant, and the other one-third from the recipient non-profit organization.
HRM staff recommended WRA prepare a comprehensive repair cost estimate to identify all aspects of the building that need work. They also extended their services to assist WRA with navigating the application process. As well they identified two key contacts in the respective partners; they are Carol Jamison w/Dept of Health and PJ Temple w/HRM.
Item # 2
Krista Snow informed the Executive that the existing side walk area rate tax for Waverley has not able to build a sufficient amount in it’s funding account to meet the costs of constructing sidewalks in today’s economy. The set area rate is $0.004 per $100. of assessment value which can only generate approximately $ 6000. a year. Krista Snow emphasized that since this particular area rate has been collected from the Residents of Waverley the accumulate amount in this account belongs to the residents for their exclusive use. She recommends this area rate stop being collected as a side walk construction fund and requests the WRA to decide what should be done with the existing account.
Gordon Roussel, HRM Financial Consultant, identified there were two choices available to the WRA that can be done with this account. They are:1) drop this particular area rate altogether and use the current remaining account balance toward some appropriate use within the Community; OR 2) switch the area rate (and it’s current account balance) to another new use for the Community; this would then continue to generate funds into the account for whatever new purpose chosen.
Gordon Roussel advised that these choices should be presented to the residents at a special meeting of the WRA and it be decided by a vote of the membership which way to go.
An open discussion followed as to some of the possible ways in which such an area rate could be used if it were to be changed to a new use. The Executive were in support of using the current account balance for repairing the community hall as well as changing the area rate to be used for major improvement projects in the community.
These improvement projects would be selected by the executive on an annual basis.
.. The Executive were in agreement with calling a special meeting and Thursday Sept 27 was selected as a tentative date for this special meeting to be held at the Waverley Legion at 7:30 pm.
The WRA will draft a ‘notice of special meeting’ and forward
it to Gordon Roussel who will arrange for mailing it out to all
Item #3
It was agreed that for this item the HRM Staff were not needed, they were thanked for their attendance as well as for the helpful information they provided and they were excused.
The executive informed Krista Snow that at the annual
meeting there was concerns presented by a resident regarding the HRM sponsored
study that recommends the establishment of a new Inland Container Terminal in
The executive pointed out it believes there is a need for clarification of who and what is driving this study; how does this type of 24 hour operation would be permitted to operate in Waverley within the HRM noise regulations; how does such a project fit into the long term strategy for Waverley; plus a multitude of questions about the report that is recommending Rocky Lake as the ‘best choice’.
Krista Snow acknowledged this is an important matter and agreed to arrange for Dave MacCluster (w/HRM Traffic) to attend the next Executive meeting ( Sept 13) to help answer some of these concerns. This meeting is to be confirmed by the Chair via e-mail with her.
Meeting adjourned at 9:35 pm