Short-term rentals denied and airport lease highlight latest Queens council meeting

Group photo of Region of Queens council

Region of Queens Council. Photo Region of Queens

Region of Queens Council has rejected a developer’s request to allow short term rentals in all three units they are building in Beach Meadows.

A public hearing on the matter kicked off Tuesday’s Region of Queens council meeting.

The developer will have to stick to the current zoning to permit long term housing which allows only one short term rental on the site.

The council portion of the meeting began with the approval to update the Emergency Management bylaw.

After the development agreement was rejected, council voted to consolidate municipal insurance under one provider.

Much like a multi-line discount for having a car, home and life insurance policy, the Region will save approximately $60,000 by combining all coverage under one provider, AON Reed Stenhouse Inc.

AON requires a significant increase in deductible for fire department trucks, raising the current amount from $5,000 to $25,000 per incident.

The Region agreed to pick up any deductible costs above the $5,000 limit as it is rare for the fire departments to make a claim for the trucks and the move is considered low risk.

Council then approved a tiered system for providing low-income property tax relief.

Anyone with an annual household income up to $20,000 will receive $400 in relief, from $20,000 up to $25,000 will get $350 and between $25,000 and $30,000 will enjoy $300 in property tax relief.

Commercial operators will pay almost $18 more per tonne in residual waste tipping fees going forward.

Council approved a hike to $29.90 per tonne in closure costs effective April 1.

All is back to normal at the South Shore Regional Airport as the municipality has come to terms on a 20-year lease with the South Shore Flying Club.

The club will pay $4,000 plus HST to the Region each year and will be able to continue its activities in exchange for maintaining the site.

The municipality announced earlier this month it had come to terms on a 20-year lease with the South Shore Drag Racers Association.

The two groups will continue to share the airport as they have for years.

During the discussion portion of the meeting council talked about construction of the proposed outdoor pool at Queens Place.

Council put forward the idea that once the scope of the pool is known, that project and the proposed build of the new library alongside Queens Place should be combined and operated by the same project management team.

The next Region of Queens council meeting will be held Tuesday, April 11 in council chambers beginning at 9:00am.

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Council recap – tax relief, library and a newly named road

A lighter than usual agenda was dominated by the proposed new library during the Region of Queens last council meeting.

As previously reported here, council voted to rescind their approval to build a new library at a site in Queens Crossing.

They’ve asked for studies to determine the cost to instead build either directly beside or attached to Queens Place Emera Centre.

The March 14 meeting began with a presentation from Queens Care Building Society updating their progress on the new long-term care home to be built at Queens Crossing.

The group is currently awaiting design approval before they can formally buy the land from Region of Queens.

Next council gave second reading to a Tax Exemption bylaw to support some non-profit organizations by allowing them to forgo paying their municipal property taxes.

Council passed the motion to give up $241,000 in revenue for the Region of Queens.

They also approved the naming of a new road off Shore Road in Western Head as Serenity Now Lane.

Council then rescinded library approval before awarding a community grant of $2,800 to this station, QCCR to update some broadcasting equipment.

Approval was granted to conduct an HVAC investigation at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.

Council agreed to provide $10,975 to DUMAC Energy to complete a comprehensive heating, ventilation, and air conditioning assessment to determine the needs and find solutions to the heating and cooling systems in the building which houses the Astor Theatre.

During the discussion portion of the meeting council talked about creating a tiered support system for low-income property tax relief.

Anyone with an annual household income up to $20,000 will receive $400 in relief, from there up to $25,000 will get $350 and between $25,000 and $30,000 will enjoy $300 in property tax relief.

Council will vote on that proposal in an upcoming meeting.

Added discussion items included how to reduce the amount the Region’s fire services are paying for insurance.

Council decided they will go with a lower cost insurance provider and pay the higher deductible for any of the five departments as there have been very few claims.

The next council meeting will be held Tuesday March 28 in council chambers beginning at 6:00pm.

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Queens Council roundup February 28

Entrance to Region of Queens council chambers

Entrance to Region of Queens council chambers. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council will once again vote whether to build the new public library at Queens Place.

After receiving more information on the costs to run a road and services to the new location Councillor Maddie Charlton presented a notice of motion for council to vote on the suitability of Queens Place for the new facility at the next council meeting. There will be more to come on this story later in the week.

While the new library provided the most heated discussion there was still plenty to discuss at the Feb 28 meeting.

Staff continued reviewing and updating existing bylaws and presented council with a modernized Emergency Management Bylaw.

Council then filled vacancies on the Heritage and Planning Advisory Committees.

Next staff recommended council approve a development agreement for the construction of a three unit fixed-roof overnight accommodation on Beach Meadows Road.

A public hearing will be held March 28 in council chambers for residents to provide input on the proposal.

The next item was a proposal shift the various insurance policies held by the Region to a single provider.

The move could save the municipality $65,000 each year.

Eight items in the discussion portion of the session began with a request to name a private road, “Serenity Now Lane”.

From there council talked about the Region’s area rate policy and requests for area rates from Brooklyn Cemetery Association and Brooklyn Recreation Association.

An area rate is a tax collected for a specific community purpose which is collected by the municipality through the property tax bill and paid to the administrating group.

The two Brooklyn Associations were concerned they couldn’t meet the level of accounting standards deemed necessary by the municipality.

Mayor Darlene Norman says if the Region is going to collect money on behalf of an organization, there needs to be the upmost transparency.

“It’s very important that when groups come to us requesting us to collect taxpayer’s money on their behalf that there be a third party independent look at their books.”

Norman says the groups will meet with the Director of Corporate Services and their councillor before presenting their yearly budgets and the reasons the area rate is required in a public meeting.

Council followed that with the library discussion which resulted in the motion to rescind the approval of Queens Place as the new library site.

A question about installing new sidewalks in Cobbs Ridge was shut down when Public Works staff said if the sidewalk was to be built, the underlying infrastructure should be updated first, which would increase the cost of construction exponentially.

Council then punted a discussion of whether council meetings should be live streamed to the communications committee.

The committee is looking into ways to improve sound and video for people wanting to follow council proceedings from home.

The last discussion point was to have an engineering firm perform a comprehensive study of the heating and ventilation system at the Astor Theatre.

Staff are recommending the study be included in the 2023/24 budget and work should begin as soon as possible.

Finally, the municipality announced it has entered into a lease agreement at the regional airport with the South Shore Drag Racers Association.

Discussions are continuing with the South Shore Flying Club.

Region of Queens Council will meet next in council chambers beginning at 9:00am on March 14.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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