Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

At the most recent Region of Queens Council meeting council landed on a site for the construction of a new library, approved a new multi-unit residential development and discussed creating a policy for selling municipal property.

The meeting started with a pair of presentations.

The first by North Queens Active Living detailed the programs they offer and benefit they bring to the community.

The group is currently working towards gaining status as a society.

They’re asking council to continue supporting their work in the upcoming budget to the tune of $16,500.

Next, the Region of Queens Pool Committee outlined their desire to build the new outdoor pool at Queens Place as well as some rough timelines and next steps.

If all goes to plan, their aim is to begin construction in 2024 with the goal of opening the pool to the public in spring of 2025.

Council then followed up on the public meeting held before session and granted the request to convert a multi-unit building in Hunts Point from short-term to long-term rentals.

They also agreed to the name “Ocean Side Drive” for the road going into a proposed development near the hospital in Liverpool called “The Point”.

After much back and forth over the past year council accepted the library committee recommendation to build the replacement for the Thomas H Raddall library at Queens Place.

When the recommendation first came to council in June of 2022 some councillors didn’t want to see the library moved from downtown Liverpool.

Since then, the committee has looked into several different site options but determined any of those would increase the cost of construction by half a million dollars.

Council also considered the Rossignol Centre in which the library currently sits has been put on the market and a quick sale could leave the county without a library.

During the discussion portion of the meeting council asked staff to come back at a future date with options on a policy for the disposal of municipal properties.

Some members of council cited the recent proposed regional airport sale and the upset it caused all parties involved as the reason to have a process in place that was fair, transparent and easily understood when selling municipally owned land.

And finally, council heard from staff that the recent tax sale saw 16 properties sold for a total of $327,450.

Of that, $34,500.58 will pay off outstanding accounts and $292,949.42 will be held in the tax sale surplus reserve in trust for 20 years to give owners the opportunity to recoup the proceeds of the sale.

Council will take their next meeting on the road to Brooklyn on January 24.

The session will begin at 6:00pm at the Brooklyn Community Hall.

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

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Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

Schools weren’t the only institution getting back to business online in the new year.

Gathering restrictions meant to slow the spread of the omicron virus caused Region of Queens council to meet via zoom January 11.

Mayor Darlene Norman says everyone has learned to be flexible in these times including council.

“It appears to be working,” said Norman. “I wouldn’t want to do this forever; I think there’s something about actually being in the space. But this is just as good, let’s say.”

It was a busy agenda to start the year.

Mayor Norman started the proceedings by discussing Project 1792, an initiative which highlights the anniversary on January 15 of the 1,196 Black Loyalists who boarded 15 ships to return to Africa after the British government broke their promise to provide opportunities in Nova Scotia.

“It’s time to start looking at our past and realizing and learning from it and learning how to be better people going forward,” said Norman.

Council also heard from the North Queens active living committee who are hoping to renew funding for their part time programming coordinator.

That position will be discussed when budget deliberations get underway.

Several properties that were meant to go to tax sale will instead be disposed of via a sealed-bid tender process.

The public has until February 22nd to bid on a dozen properties being sold to recover outstanding property taxes.

The region will be hiring an asset management coordinator to track and assess the millions of dollars’ worth of property and equipment owned by the municipality.

Transfers payments from the federal government are based on an accurate assessment of municipal infrastructure.

“We need to get this done because, your gas tax is based on your infrastructure, and we’re required to have this done,” said Norman. “So, if we want to continue getting gas tax money, we have to get ahead of this.”

Council will also form an ad hoc policy review committee.

Mayor Norman says she, two members of council and municipal staff including the diversity and inclusion coordinator will convene a series of half day meetings to go over the 20-year-old policies.

Norman says the plan is to have policies written in plain language which are easily understood and compliant with current laws and regulations.

“The policies need to all be reviewed; they need to be corrected,” said Norman. “There’s questions such as why was this made, is it still valid in today’s world, is the language diverse and inclusive?”

The committee will bring their recommendations back to council once they’ve completed their work.

The next Region of Queens council meeting will be held live over Zoom January 25.

Anyone wishing to view the proceedings can contact Heather Cook at the municipal office for the sign-in information by e-mail: hcook@regionofqueens.com or telephone: 902-354-3453.

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

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.