Sharon Bristol

The Town of Amherst is committed to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and accessible community. Its strategic efforts include a Beautification Strategy aimed at enhancing neighborhoods through landscaping, public art, and community engagement to create a welcoming environment. Concurrently, an Accessibility Strategic Plan is in place to identify and remove barriers across municipal goods and services, information and communication, transportation, employment, and the built environment, with an ultimate goal of achieving an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030. Both initiatives emphasize collaboration and continuous improvement to ensure equitable participation and quality of life for all residents.

The Council discussed and approved various items including land use by-law readings, policy amendments regarding council conferences, corrective actions, arts and culture, and land sales and development. Key decisions included funding for a YMCA affordable housing project, land purchases for industrial park expansion, a land trade in the North Tyndal Wellfield Protection Zone, and approval of a budget amendment and RFP award for a new live fire training facility. The meeting also included reports from various internal and external committees.

The Municipal Planning Strategy for the Town of Amherst provides a comprehensive framework and policy guidance for managing future growth and development. Its vision is to create a healthy, prosperous, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable community. The plan focuses on strategic land use, efficient management of town services, cultivating vibrant commercial and industrial areas, preserving historical integrity, and promoting diverse housing options. It also emphasizes environmental protection, climate change adaptation, efficient transportation networks, and the enhancement of community infrastructure, public spaces, arts, culture, and heritage.

The agenda for the meeting covered several key items, including the Demographic Strategic Plan development which seeks to position Amherst as a hub for young professionals and families, and recommendations from the Accessibility, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (AIDE) Committee concerning feasibility investigations for all-gender washrooms and facility accessibility audits. Several Requests for Decision focused on the purchase and sale agreements for expanding the Industrial Park, involving parcels of land from Betty Roop, Cumberland Ridge Developments Incorporated, and Allan Doncaster, Linda Austin, and Larry Pederson. Additionally, the Council addressed a Community Support Grant application from the Nova Scotia Community College, which staff recommended against funding. Internal and External Committee Reports provided updates on the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, Audit Committee activities, the Amherst Youth Town Council's recent engagements, YMCA activities, and the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Program for waste management.

The council discussed the cancellation of the Fresh Start Spring event due to current restrictions and a state of emergency. They also considered waiving interest on outstanding tax and miscellaneous accounts for March, April, and May, and on water and sewer accounts for March, April, May, and June, to assist those financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the council addressed the 2020 capital paving program, approving a tender for the work.