May 21, 2024 Halifax Regional Council

Date: May 21, 2024

Time: 10:00a.m., Reconvene 1:00 p.m., Reconvene 6:00 p.m; Reconvene if Required May 22, 2024 at 1:00 p.m., May 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m., and May 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

Location: Council Chamber, 3rd Floor City Hall, 1841 Argyle Street, Halifax

Minutes: May 21, 22 & 23, 2024 Halifax Regional Council Minutes (PDF)

Video: May 21, 2024 Halifax Regional Council Video

Agenda

The meeting continued on May 22 and May 23, 2024.

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1. CALL TO ORDER AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

2. SPECIAL COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – May 7, 2024

4. APPROVAL OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AND APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

5. CONSENT AGENDA*
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council approve recommendations in the following items: 13.1.1, 15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.2.3.

6. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF THE MINUTES
7. CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
8. MOTIONS OF RECONSIDERATION – NONE
9. MOTIONS OF RESCISSION – NONE
10. CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED BUSINESS – NONE
11. NOTICES OF TABLED MATTERS – NONE

12. PUBLIC HEARING – 1:00 P.M.

12.1 Housing Accelerator Fund - Urgent Changes to Planning Documents for Housing & Suburban Housing Accelerator SMPS & LUB (MINORREV-2023-01065)
i) Staff Recommendation Report dated March 27, 2024 [PDF]
ii) Heritage Advisory Committee Report dated April 17, 2024 [PDF]

- Staff Presentation [PDF]

-Staff Recommendation Report Attachments - all attachments are in PDF format:

ATTACHMENT A
Attachment A1 – A3 Interdepartmental Correspondence and Jurisdictional Scan
Attachment A4 – A5 Changes After Public Participation and Factsheet
Attachment A6 – Regional Centre Development Requests
Attachment A7 – Suburban Development Requests
Attachment A8 – What We Heard Report [Large 49 Mb file]

ATTACHMENT B
Attachment B1-B2 – Regional Plan and Subdivision By-law Amendments

ATTACHMENT C
Attachment C1 – Regional Centre SMPS Amendments - as amended April 23, 2024 [Large 25 Mb file]
Attachment C2 – Regional Centre LUB Amendments - as amended April 23, 2024 [Large 27 Mb file]
Attachment C3 – Suburban Housing Accelerator SMPS - as amended April 23, 2024
Attachment C4 – Suburban Housing Accelerator LUB - as amended April 23, 2024 [Large 19 Mb file]

ATTACHMENT E
Attachment E0 - Downtown Halifax MPS Amendments
Attachment E1 - Downtown Halifax LUB Amendments
Attachment E2 - Eastern Shore (East) LUB Amendments
Attachment E3 - Eastern Shore (West) LUB Amendments
Attachment E4 - Lawrencetown LUB Amendments
Attachment E5 - NPLMLLCBEP LUB Amendments
Attachment E6 - Prospect LUB Amendments
Attachment E7 - St. Margarets Bay LUB Amendments
Attachment E8 - Shubenacadie Lakes LUB Amendments
Attachment E9 - Lake Echo-Porters Lake LUB Amendments

Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:

1. Adopt the proposed amendments to the Regional Municipal Planning Strategy, the Regional Subdivision By-law and applicable secondary municipal planning strategies and land use by-laws, as set out in Attachments B1 to C2, and D1 to E9 of the staff report dated March 27, 2024, as amended by Halifax Regional Council on April 23, 2024.

2. Adopt the Suburban Housing Accelerator Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law as contained in Attachments C3 and C4 of the staff report dated March 27, 2024, as amended by Halifax Regional Council on April 23, 2024.

3. Following the approval of the Suburban Housing Accelerator Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law, direct the Chief Administrative Officer to:

a. Consider amendments to applicable planning documents to enable the Suburban Site Specific Requests listed in Attachment A7, Table A7-3 of the staff report dated March 27, 2024; and

b. Follow the public participation process set out in section 6(a) of Public Participation Administrative Order.

13. CORRESPONDENCE, PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
13.1 Correspondence

13.1.1 Fly-past Request – SailGP Event* [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council grant permission to Heli-Inter Inc. to fly two helicopters (1 ASTAR 355 NP & 1 ASTAR 350 B2) over HRM, including the Halifax Harbour, at altitudes for the Astar355 NP of 300 to 1000 feet and 1000 feet for the B2 for periods of time between 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day from May 30 to June 2, 2024, for event flight preparation, broadcast rehearsal and broadcast coverage as part of the SailGP event.

13.2 Petitions

13.3 Presentations
13.3.1 Joint Regional Transportation Agency [PDF]

14. INFORMATION ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD – NONE

15. REPORTS
15.1 CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
15.1.1 Funding to the 2023/24 HRM Affordable Housing Grant Program – Administrative Order 2020-008-ADM, Respecting Grants for Affordable Housing [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:

1. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to allocate $6,105,444.31 from the Housing Accelerator Fund to fund affordable housing projects in the Regional Centre;

2. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to allocate an additional $23,561 from the Housing Accelerator Fund to fund affordable housing projects in the Suburban Area outside the Regional Centre but within the Urban Service Boundary; and

3. Delegate to the Chief Administrative Officer, or their delegate, the authority to administer grants to affordable housing projects from the funds allocated in recommendations #1 and #2, using the Administrative Order 2020-008-ADM, Respecting Grants for Affordable Housing as the basis for the grants, including:

(a) the eligibility considerations, and eligible and ineligible costs;

(b) the general requirements;

(d) the additional content for applications;

(e) project evaluations and application review; and

(f) conditions of payment and approval of grants; such as the authority to approve grants, determine the amount of such grants, and approve and execute contribution agreements for such grants.

15.2 ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY STANDING COMMITTEE
15.2.1 First Reading Proposed By-law S-613, an Amendment to By-law S-600, Respecting Solid Waste Resource Collection and Disposal – Illegal Dumping and Litter Abatement Enforcement Update* [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council give First Reading to By-law S-613, amending By-law S-600, the Solid Waste Resource Collection and Disposal By-Law, as set out in Attachment D of the staff report dated April 3, 2024.

15.2.2 Corporate Renewable Energy Purchase Options* [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:

1. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to enter into negotiations with both Roswall and the Green Choice Program administrators to purchase renewable electricity for corporate consumption from either/or both parties as deemed most suitable to the Municipality; and

2. Award and execute an Alternative Procurement agreement for the provision of renewable electricity with one or both suppliers, subject to terms and conditions agreeable to HRM and approved by Legal Services.

15.2.3 Proposed Amendments to the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations* [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council request that the Mayor write a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing urging for the adoption of the Proposed Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations as described in the staff report dated April 29, 2024.

15.3 MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
15.3.1 Councillor Austin – Ferry Staffing [PDF]
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to provide a staff report on ferry staffing levels. The report should include:

1. An overview of current staffing levels

2. Options to increase the number of relief staff to provide more capacity in the system and

3. Revisit the possibility of adding an additional crew, which could be used to allow for increased service levels during special events like Pride and Canada Day

16. MOTIONS

17. IN CAMERA (IN PRIVATE)
Council may rise and go into a private In Camera session, in accordance with Section 19 of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, for the purpose of dealing with the following:

17.1 In Camera (In Private) Minutes – May 7, 2024
Motion:
That the In Camera (In Private) minutes of May 7, 2024 be approved as circulated.

17.2 PROPERTY MATTER - Private and Confidential Report
A matter pertaining to providing instruction and direction to officers and employees of the Municipality pertaining to the acquisition / sale of land.
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:

1. Adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report dated March 19, 2024; and
2. Direct that the private and confidential report dated March 19, 2024 be maintained private and confidential.

17.3 LABOUR RELATIONS - Private and Confidential Report
A matter pertaining to reports, advice and recommendations, instruction or direction to officers and employees of the Municipality concerning labour relations and employee negotiations arising out of the contract or contract negotiations with one of the Municipalities unions.
Motion:
That Halifax Regional Council:

1. Adopt the recommendations as outlined in the private and confidential report dated May 3, 2024; and
2. Direct that the private and confidential report dated May 3, 2024 be maintained private and confidential.

Private and Confidential Information Items

1. Private and Confidential In Camera (In Private) Information Report - re: Intergovernmental Relations

18. ADDED ITEMS

19. NOTICES OF MOTION

20. ADJOURNMENT
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INFORMATION ITEMS
May 21, 2024

1. Proclamation – Jewish Heritage Month – May 2024 [PDF]

2. Proclamation – Health & Safety Week – May 6-11, 2024 [PDF]

3. Proclamation – Menstrual Health Day – May 28, 2024 [PDF]

4. Proclamation – Access Awareness Week – May 26 – June 1, 2024 [PDF]

5. Proclamation – Filipino Heritage Month – June 2024 [PDF]

6. Memorandum from the Chair of the Board of Police Commissioners dated May 1, 2024 re: Board of Police Commissioners 2023-2024 Annual Report [PDF]