Cumberland County approves fewer council members

We began council Nov. 27 at 5 p.m. in-camera with seven items covered.

Public council began at 6.

This month we met five times dealing with council size and boundary review.

We will now send a report to the UARB to consider a council of eight members and a mayor.

If all is approved there will be eight districts after the next municipal election. What is now District 10 will be District 8.

This was the first item on our agenda.

Next we had a discussion on our September financial statements.

To date, finances are trending towards a small surplus at year end.

We approved first reading of an amendment to the land-use bylaw to rezone 11 Brook Rd., Port Greville to allow a future RV park and camping site.

A public hearing will be called in January.

First reading on amendment to land-use bylaw to rezone 13394 Highway 4, Wentworth was approved to allow for a dairy bar and drive thru coffee shop.

A motion to approve first reading of the land-use bylaw to rezone 3145 Malagash Rd. to allow a shed to be moved was approved.

Four grant requests were approved.

Committee nominations for 2020 were deferred to December meeting.

We approved a motion to apply for funds for physician recruitment and retention. This involves Amherst and Oxford as well as Cumberland.

A letter will be sent to the province to ask for a committee to be struck to develop a standard operating procedure for an operational plan for road closure on the Tantramar Marsh.

Information items in our package included a report on the recent Municipal Alcohol Symposium, the Northern Region Solid Waste Resource Committee report, a thank you letter for a recent grant and a fact sheet on gold mining and the environment.

The next council meeting is Dec. 11. See you there!

Question: “Have you considered running for council?” Call your councillor!

Don Fletcher is the District 10 councillor on Cumberland municipal council