Media Releases

27 March 23 Amherst town council highlights

Amherst town council nominated two of its citizens as outstanding volunteers deserving provincial recognition when it met on Monday, March 27, 2023.

Doris Walton, the founder and operator of the After School Bell Program, was nominated as Amherst’s Volunteer of the Year, while Oskar Sigtryggsson, who has contributed greatly to the community via his involvement in the Amherst Youth Town Council, was nominated as the town’s Youth Volunteer of the Year.

Walton and Sigtryggsson will represent the town later this spring when the province holds its annual volunteer appreciation event in Halifax on May 27.

All the nominations received by the town will be recognized for their volunteerism during an event that will be hosted by the Town of Amherst on April 18, 2023. Full details of the event will be announced at a later date.

Funding approved

Council approved giving funding to the Pathways to Resiliency research project in the amount of $13,500.

Participation in the project was recommended by the Intermunicipal Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee because the research would provide the committee with qualitative data on the barriers faced by youth, aged 12 to 19, in the Cumberland region.

Such data would help inform the towns of Amherst and Oxford and the Municipality of Cumberland about the resources that may be required to make the region more vibrant to youth, provide insight into the complex challenges between education, life skills and employment and ultimately help the communities build a framework that helps youth in the region be more resilient.

The research project is receiving $30,000 from Mitacs, an organization that assists in research projects. The Municipality of Cumberland and the Town of Oxford have also been asked to contribute to the project.

Amendments made to several policies

Council approved amendments to several policies, the majority of which were house keeping items like changing the polices to reflect current staff positions and responsibilities, meeting times and the term length of appointments.

Among the policies amended were the Planning Advisory Committee Policy, North Tyndal Wellfield Advisory Committee Policy, the Salary Administration Policy, Overtime Policy and Procurement Policy.

Council also approved the creation of an Inventory Control of Non-Capital Equipment Policy. This new policy ensures the non-capital equipment for the Town of Amherst is accounted for on an annual basis. Non-capital equipment is defined as tools, computers, communication devices and other equipment used by employees to carry out their work that have a value between $1,000 and $5,000.

These policies can all be found on the town’s website at: https://amherst.ca/index.php?option=com_docman&view=list&layout=table&slug=policies&own=0&Itemid=434

Amendments to bylaws

Council also gave first reading to an amendment to the Local Improvement Bylaw that will enable the town the promote new residential development within the town by allowing it to provide financing of new streets and infrastructure and providing a method in which developers can pay back the loan.

First reading was also given to an amendment to the Bylaw Respecting Discharge into Public Sewers that provides clarity on the intent and interpretation of the bylaw, which is designed to protect the environment and the town’s sewer infrastructure.

In addition, first reading was given to amendments to the Vending Bylaw, which are mostly housekeeping, like updating job titles. Restrictions have also been added to regulate safety in regards to vehicle traffic and parking as well as fire safety issues.

A clause was also added that allows the $200 permit fee to be waived if the vending businesses is owned and operated by youth. Council hopes this will promote entrepreneurship within the town’s youth.

Before any of the amendments to the three bylaws go into effect, the amendments must be advertised and given a second reading.