Coun. Sheila Christie elected to serve one-year term as deputy-mayor
Coun. Sheila Christie was elected by her peers to a one-year term as the Town of Amherst’s deputy-mayor during the Oct. 25, 2021, council session.
Christie replaces Deputy-Mayor Hal Davidson, whose term as deputy-mayor ends on Oct. 31, 2021.
Town policy requires council to annually select a deputy-mayor, who holds the office for a period of one year, with each term beginning on Nov. 1 and ending on Oct. 31 of the following year.
Council committees
Council approved the appointment of council members to various committees when it met on Oct. 25.
Mayor David Kogon was appointed to the Regional Emergency Management Committee while Deputy-Mayor Hal Davidson was appointed to the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, the Planning Advisory Committee and the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee.
Coun. George Baker was appointed to the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority and the Northern Region Solid Waste Committee.
Coun. Sheila Christie was appointed to the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, the Intermunicipal Tourism Committee and the Planning Advisory Committee while Coun. Leon Landry was appointed to the Intermunicipal Poverty Reduction Committee, the Planning Advisory Committee and the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Coun. Lisa Emery was appointed to the Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority, Municipal Alcohol Policy Committee, Regional Emergency Management Committee, Senior Safety Advisory Committee and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee.
Coun. Dale Fawthrop was appointed to the Cumberland Public Libraries Board, L.A. Animal Shelter Committee, Tree Advisory Committee, Tyndal Wellfield Advisory Committee, YMCA Board of Directors and Accessibility Advisory Committee.
All members of council are also appointed to the town council’s committee of the whole and audit committee.
Citizen appointments to Accessibility Advisory Committee
Marina Godfrey and Matthew Medland were appointed by council to serve one-year terms on the town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Their appointment brings the total number of citizens members on the committee to five.
Godfrey and Medland join George Godfrey, Joanne Hopper and Tammy Allen, who were appointed in September, as citizen appointees on the committee. Councillors Dale Fawthrop and Leon Landry were appointed as council’s representatives on the committee last month as well.
There is room on the committee for one more citizen appointee.
This new committee will play a pivotal role in helping the town become a barrier-free community where all citizens can reach their full potential.
Citizen appointment to Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee
Rochelle Howlett was appointed to the Town of Amherst’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee by the Amherst town council when in met on Oct. 25, 2021.
Howlett joins Tammy Drew, Holly Martin, Tammy Gero and Jolene Gouchie as citizen appointees on the committee. Deputy-Mayor Hal Davidson and Coun. Lisa Emery are council’s representatives on the committee. All of them were appointed in September.
The purpose of this new committee is to advise the Amherst town council on matters related to inclusion, diversity and equity within the community and the corporation of the Town of Amherst.
Community Support Grant amendment
Several amendments to the Town of Amherst’s Community Support Grant Policy were approved by the Amherst town council when it met on Oct. 25, 2021.
The most significant amendment will see the ‘A’ Fresh Start Initiative grants being offered once a year instead of twice annually. This change was recommended after the town received few requests during the first round of the grants in 2021 and no requests in the second round.
The other amendments help streamline the process for applying for a Community Support Grant.
Green Bin resupply
A transfer of up to $47,000 from the Town of Amherst’s reserves was approved by Amherst town council on Oct. 25, 2021, in order to restock the town’s supply of green bins, which are used to hold compost prior to the bi-weekly collection.
The town replaces about 200 green bins annually. By ordering a three-year supply, the town will save about $17,500 during that three-year period.
Donations accepted
A request by the Dr. & Mrs. H.E. Christie Community Foundation to accept a $10,000 donation, with the condition that it be forwarded to the Cumberland County Minor Hockey Association, was accepted by the Amherst town council during its Oct. 25, 2021, meeting.
A similar request from CIBC Wood Gundy, which asked council to accept a $20,550 donation, with the condition it be forwarded to the Amherst Little League Association, was also accepted by the council.
Provincial regulations prevent the two associations from receiving grants directly from the two organization because the associations are not registered charities. However, the regulations do allow the town, which is a registered charity, to accept the donations and forward them to the respective associations.
The town has done this several times in the past, and like previous locations, the transactions will help improve access to physical activity among Amherst and area youth.
Cumberland Public Libraries Board
A request by the Cumberland Public Libraries Board to add an additional community representative to the library board received the support of the Amherst town council when it met on Oct. 25, 2021.
Currently, the board has five members, one each from the Town of Amherst, Town of Oxford and the Municipality of Cumberland, and two members appointed by the provincial executive council.
In making the request, the board indicated they are looking for the new community representative to help strengthen the board’s connection to the community and aid it in
make decisions that benefit a larger sector of the population by bringing an eye to inclusion, equity and diversity.
Meeting dates/times changed
Council approved changing the meeting dates for their November and December committee of the whole and council sessions.
The town’s policy governing the holding of meetings set the third and fourth Mondays of a month as the meeting dates for the committee and council. Because November has five Mondays, council decided to change the meeting dates until the fourth and fifth Monday of the month.
As a result, the November committee of the whole session will be on Nov. 22, while the council session will be on Nov. 29.
The Christmas holidays prompted the council to move the start time of the committee of their whole meeting on Dec. 20 to 3 p.m., an hour ahead of the normal start time, with the December council session starting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 20.
Intermunicipal Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee
The terms of reference for the newly formed Intermunicipal Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee were approved by the Amherst town council when it met on Oct. 25, 2021.
The purpose of the committee is to advise all the municipalities in Cumberland County on matters regarding poverty reduction through the application of social equity lenses within rural communities.
The committee’s goals are:
- Increasing the wellness and quality of life for all constituents living the in Cumberland region by focusing on what is needed to prevent people from experiencing poverty
- Supporting those who are marginalized by focusing on inclusion, empowerment, capacity building and cross-sectoral collaboration.
The committee’s terms of reference must also be approved by the Municipality of Cumberland and the Town of Oxford before the committee can begin its work.
