District 8 Update #17 – Centre Plan Package A Public Open House Dates, Last Regional Council Summary, African Nova Scotian Ancestral Roots Awards nominations, Common Roots Urban Farm envisioning session, and More!

March 9, 2018 Lindell News & Updates Comments Off on District 8 Update #17 – Centre Plan Package A Public Open House Dates, Last Regional Council Summary, African Nova Scotian Ancestral Roots Awards nominations, Common Roots Urban Farm envisioning session, and More!

List of events and notices – here’s what is included:
Update:

  • Centre Plan Package A Public Open House dates
  • Regional Council Summary – March 6th
  • Budget Committee 18-19 Budget Public Participation
  • Residents invited to provide input on Long-term Aquatic Strategy
  • Survey: Accessing Affordable, Healthy Food
  • Vincent Coleman Dedication Ceremony
  • African Nova Scotian Communities Ancestral Roots Awards
  • Interested in joining the Nova Scotia Mass Choir
  • Common Roots Urban Farm envisioning session

Items of Interest

  • February North End Community Circle Roundtable Notes
  • North End Business Association
  • Quinpool Road Business Association
  • Other Committee and Board commitments
  • Building Poverty Solutions: Ideas for Action – A Community Report

Contact me:
Phone: 902-579-6975
Email: Lindell.Smith@halifax.ca
Website: www.LindellSmithHfx.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindellSmithHFX/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindellSmithHFX
Council Coordinator: Nadine Yuriev
Phone: 902.490.1577
Email: Yurievn@halifax.ca

311 – HRM’s Call Centre

HRM’s call centre is open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5:30pm weekends to respond to routine inquiries and complaints from HRM residents. Please use this service since it helps HRM keep track of issues that are of concern for residents (missed solid waste pickup, sidewalks not cleared, transit info or complaints, etc.) For more information please visit http://www.halifax.ca/311/

Please send your feedback on issues before Community Council and Regional Council – and on any municipal issue. If you would like to send your comments to all Regional Councillors please email the Clerk’s Office (clerks@halifax.ca) so that your comments are shared and are part of the public record.

If you would like to send events or information to be possibly included in my e-newsletter, please email with the subject line “E-Newsletter”
Update:
HRM Meetings/Updates
Centre Plan Package A Public Open House dates

Package A is available for review. Draft Package A Land Use By-law (LUB) and Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy (SMPS). As the next step in the adoption process Package A contains the first set of draft land use policies and regulations which focus on areas designated as Centres, Corridors, Higher Order Residential and Future Growth Nodes. Package A deals with standards for development, set backs, transitions, built-form and creating complete communities.

Public Open Houses:

  • Monday, March 19th, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at St. Joseph A. McKay Elementary School – 5389 Russell Street, Halifax
  • Thursday, March 22nd, 6 – 8 pm at NSCC Ivany (Waterfront) Campus, 80 Mawiomi Pl, Dartmouth
  • Monday, March 26th, 1 – 3 pm & 6 – 8 pm at Dalhousie University SUB, McInnes Room – Halifax South
  • Wednesday, March 28th, 1-3 pm & 6 -8 pm at the Mic Mac Aquatic Club, 192 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth
  • Tuesday, April 3rd, 6 – 8 pm at the Halifax Forum, Maritime Hall, 2901 Windsor Street, Halifax
  • Thursday, April 5th, 1 – 3 pm (lobby) & 6 – 8 pm (multi-purpose room)at the Dartmouth North Community Centre, 105 Highfield Park Dr, Dartmouth

Storefront – The storefront location opened on February 26th at 5161 George Street in Halifax (in the old RBC Building at the corner of George and Hollis Street).

The storefront will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.  Weekly schedule will be posted on Twitter @hfxplanning and Facebook Halifax Planning https://www.facebook.com/hfxplanning/ every Monday.

Read Package A here: http://centreplan.ca/#the-plan
Leave online feedback: https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/centre-plan/survey_tools/discussion-4-package-a

Regional Council Summary – March 6th, 2018
First Reading Proposed By-law U-103, Amending By-law U-100, the User Charges By-law – “Welcomed in Halifax” Program Criteria
Regional Council gave First Reading to By-law U-103, amending By-law U-100, the transit user charges by-law, to permit the waiver of transit fees for up to one year for a refugee under the settlement support program or for a refugee claimant.  Second Reading of the by-law amendments is scheduled for March 27, 2018.
Request for Funding – Community Museums – Fiscal Year 2017-18
Regional Council approved interim funding of $110,000, be allocated for heritage organizations in fiscal year 2017-18.
Transit Priority Corridors – Gottingen Street
Regional Council approved proceeding with detailed design of a continuous northbound bus lane on the Gottingen Street corridor at peak hours (7am-9am and 3pm-6pm, Monday to Friday), with a provision for intermittent northbound transit priority measures off peak, that will include allowing short duration time regulated (15-90 minute) parking and loading where appropriate, and to return to the Transportation Standing Committee with:
  1. A Parking Loss Mitigation Plan which includes engagement with the public and stakeholders, returning with a recommendation prior to tendering the project;
  2.  A supplementary report regarding the potential for moving northbound express buses (as planned) to a different route and moving Dartmouth bound express buses to Barrington Street via the Bridge ramp.
  3. A plan to measure and evaluate the impact of the project and recommend changes, if any, within one year of implementation.
South Park Bicycle Lane Extension and Enhancement
Regional Council approved the installation of 1.2 km of protected bicycle lanes and related changes to the right-of-way on both sides of South Park Street between Sackville Street and Inglis Street; and requested a supplementary staff report with a recommendation, regarding a two year monitoring and evaluation program for the bicycle lane, monitoring to include vehicle flows, bicycle volumes, pedestrian activity and transit ridership and further to explore methods to measure impact on retail and commercial activity, reporting back to Council annually during the first two years after implementation.
Electric Bus Pilot
Regional Council directed staff to partner with Nova Scotia Power Inc., (NSPI) and the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) to undertake a two-year pilot of energy storage at charging stations to offset electricity costs during peak periods and determine the viability of a broader system deployment of battery electric buses in the Halifax Transit’s fleet.
Budget Committee 18-19 Budget
Council is currently in Budget deliberations. All budget meetings are open to the public and agendas are posted online. The public is encouraged to attend the meetings, and are also encouraged to present to Council. Residents have 5 minutes to present to Council on any budget related item. You can contact our Clerks office for more information. Clerk’s Office: clerks@halifax.ca

Budget info here: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/budget-finances/budgethttps://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/hfxtax2018

Residents invited to provide input on Long-term Aquatic Strategy
The Halifax Regional Municipality is seeking public input to help develop recommendations to meet future aquatic needs throughout the region.

Residents are encouraged to take part in a short online survey on important issues related to indoor and outdoor community pools, competition aquatic facilities, supervised beaches, and splash pads.

The survey can be found at www.halifax.ca/surveys and will be available until Monday, April 30.

Survey: Accessing Affordable, Healthy Food
Compared to major urban centres, Halifax is the one of the most food insecure cities in the country – meaning it’s more difficult in our city to afford and access healthy foods. Those most affected are seniors, low income families, newcomers, people with disabilities and single parents. Food insecurity has long lasting negative impacts on physical, mental and social health and overall community wellbeing.

That’s why we’re entering the Smart Cities Challenge. It’s a chance for Halifax to be awarded $50 million to work together to tackle poverty and one of its most urgent of issues—access to affordable, healthy food for everyone. If we’re successful, we could create real change, using the best thinking and biggest ideas. Change that’s felt in every community.

We know the facts and figures, but there’s a lot left to learn from you. We need to know what will make a real difference in your life, and in the lives of others. That understanding will help us build a strong case for the Smart Cities Challenge. https://www.smartcitieshfx.ca/

Vincent Coleman Dedication Ceremony

Wednesday March 14th 10:30-11:30am | Alderney Ferry Terminal
Join us for the official unveiling of Halifax Transit’s newest ferry, the Vincent Coleman.

Community Events/Meetings
African Nova Scotian Communities Ancestral Roots Awards
The Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI) is pleased to announce their first annual African Nova Scotian Communities Ancestral Roots Awards: Recognizing Young Adult Leaders. This ceremonial event is to give recognition to upcoming community rooted African Nova Scotian leaders. These youthful leaders have helped to shape and positively influence their respected communities.

African Nova Scotia youth between ages 19 to 30 are eligible for nomination in 1 of the 12 categories (Justice, Education, Health, Business, Civic Engagement, and more). To nominate a member of your community, visit their website and complete the application by Friday April 13th, 2018.

Find the application here: http://dbdli.ca/events/african-nova-scotian-communities-ancestral-roots-awards-recognizing-young-adult-leaders/

Interested in joining the Nova Scotia Mass Choir?
The Nova Scotia Mass Choir are holding auditions on Wednesday, March 14that 6 p.m. at the George Dixon Centre, 2502 Brunswick Street, Halifax.

If you would like to audition, please send an email to info@nsmasschoir.com
to register. For information, please contact President Tamar Pryor Brown or Vice-President Deborah Sangster at 902-499-1500 or email info@nsmasschoir.com.

Visit them on Facebook, Twitter or at www.nsmasschoir.com

Common Roots Urban Farm envisioning session
Common Roots Urban Farm has to move in the fall of this year. Join the community to help envision the future farm.
When: Wednesday, April 11th, 7-9 pm
Where: Citadel High’s Atrium.
Items of Interest:

February North End Community Circle Roundtable Notes:
http://necchalifax.ca/note/february-2018/

North End Business Association
For an update on what is happening with businesses in the north end please visit the North End Business Association http://gonorthhalifax.ca/  and sign up for their monthly email.

Quinpool Road Business Association
For an update on what is happening with businesses on Quinpool Road please visit their website: www.quinpoolroad.ca/

 

My other Committee and Board commitments:

Halifax and West Community Council
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/community-councils/halifax-west-community-council

Community Planning & Economic Development
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/standing-committees/community-planning-economic-development-standing-committee
March 8th meeting Cancelled due to weather – Notable report: United Way’s Building poverty solutions: Ideas for Action Halifax Regional Municipality 2018

Halifax Peninsula Planning Advisory Committee (Formally District 7 and 8 Planning Advisory Committee)
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/h/halifax-peninsula-planning-advisory-committee

Community Design Advisory Committee
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/a-c/community-design-advisory-committee

Halifax Explosion 100th Anniversary Advisory Committee
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/h/halifax-explosion-100th-anniversary-advisory-committee

Active Transportation Advisory Committee
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/a-c/active-transportation-advisory-committee

Transportation Standing Committee
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/standing-committees/transportation-standing-committee

HRM Grants Committee
https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/d-g/grants-committee

Halifax Forum
http://www.halifaxforum.ca/

(CACE) The Council on African Canadian Education
http://www.cace.ns.ca/