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.

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

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

Photo courtesy Nova Scotia Drag Racers Association. Credit: David Corkum

A checkered flag will once again fall at the South Shore Regional Airport.

The South Shore Drag Racers Association has secured a 20-year lease with the Region of Queens to operate the Greenfield Dragway on the site.

The contract puts an end to months of uncertainty for the racers.

The Region of Queens owns the airport and thought they had a deal with a developer to buy the land last year.

When that fell through, the drag racers and the South Shore Flying Club both attempted to buy the airport.

The two groups have shared the facility for years and council decided at their Dec 13, 2022, meeting to retain ownership of the airport and renew leases with both organizations.

South Shore Drag Racers Association vice-president Jack Johnson says the group is excited to move forward and focus on racing.

“We’re happy to have it finally come to an end. We’re happy to have a long-term deal and now we can look forward to carrying on our normal business into the 2023 season which actually is the 20th season for the NSCRA,” said Johnson. “So we’re pretty happy about that.”

Johnson says the drag racers provide a huge boost to the local economy every weekend as members travel from across the province and as far away as northern New Brunswick to compete.

“I would say 80% of our business is done locally in town and as far as race weekends go, I’m not sure anybody can even put a number on what we bring into the community. I know the two stores in Greenfield, they both bring in extra staff on race weekends,” said Johnson. “So, I mean, the fuel, the snacks a handful of the travelers that don’t have mobile homes they stay in hotels locally, they eat at the local restaurants, again, they’re buying their gas and fuel sometimes right here in Liverpool, so it has a big effect on the economy in a very positive way.”

In addition to the economic spinoffs Johnson says the association has become knitted into the fabric of the community.

They participate in the annual Memorial Car Show, donate to Christmas Daddies each year, provide opportunities for youth to be involved in the sport and receive the support of local volunteers to put on their events.

The Region has yet to announce a new lease at the airport for the South Shore Flying Club but whenever that happens Johnson says they’re looking forward to sharing the site again with the flyers.

“Hopefully that relationship can continue on both of our parts. I know we intend to do everything we can to continue to work within the same as what we did in the past that was our intentions through the whole thing,” said Johnson.

The South Shore Drag Racers Association has announced a six-event season at the Dragway will begin the weekend of May 26^th.

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

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

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

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