Land Development Committee Policy (Approved 2024-09-14) — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 7a78c86d3d7b · verified 2026-06-05 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 1 | 10 1. Purpose The purpose of the Land Development Committee is to provide recommendations to Council regarding strategic municipal land use planning and development, guided by the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law in accordance with St. Mary's 2026 A Ten Year Strategic Plan. Land planning initiatives on municipal land shall aim to be cohesively connected with Active Sherbrooke Plan, Climate Change Action Plan, Sherbrooke Streetscape Plan, Source Water Protection Plan, and the St. Mary's Active Living Strategy. 2. Scope The objectives of the Committee are to provide direction for the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's land use planning and development on municipal lands, with the purpose of achieving the strategic goals of the community, and to provide recommendations or best practices to achieve the desired priorities. Topics for consideration: 2.1 Business and Commercial Development Opportunities (i.e. Main Street Development, Rural Land Use Planning, Agriculture, etc.) 2.2 Housing Development Opportunities (i.e. Secondary Suites, Tiny Homes, Subdivision and Development Standards, etc.) 2.3 Incentive and Instrument Programs 2.4 Neighbouring Community Land Development Plans 2.5 Inventory and Rating System of Municipal Land 2.6 Sustainable Land Development (i.e. Renewable Energy, Shoreline-Waterway Interface, etc.) 2.7 Increase Residential and Commercial assessment tax base 3. Planning 3.1 To advise and assist Municipal Council in accomplishing land development policies and objectives as outlined in St. Mary's 2026 A Ten Year Strategic Plan and the Municipal Planning Strategy. 3.2 To advise on community-centered, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable land development in St. Mary's. 3.3 To ensure that all land use plans adhere to the Statements of Provincial Interest on agriculture, drinking water, flooding, infrastructure and housing using the "Guide for Municipalities". 4. Definitions LUB- Land Use By-law MPS- Municipal Planning Strategy Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 2 | 10 Non-Voting Members- Non-voting Members include Municipal staff, Organizational representatives, and/or representatives who act as resource support, or offer expertise and assistance on matters under consideration by the Committee, and/or for information sharing purposes. Presiding Officer- The person presiding over a meeting. This may also be referred to as "Chair". Quorum- A majority of the total number of voting members currently the committee. Resident- A person is ordinarily resident in the place where the person lives and to which, whenever absent, the person intends to return. A person may be ordinarily resident in only one place at a time. Where a person usually sleeps in one place and has meals or is employed in another place, the person is ordinarily resident in the place where the person sleeps. Where a person is being provided with food, lodging or other social services by a shelter, hostel or similar institution, the person is ordinarily resident in the shelter, hostel or institution. Voting Members- Voting Members include Members of Municipal Council and Members of Public on Committee as appointed by Council. 5. Membership 5.1 The Committee will be comprised of the following breakdown: 5.1.1 Three (3) Municipal Council Representatives (Voting Members) 5.1.2 A maximum of two (2) Members of the Public (Voting Members) 5.1.3 Member(s) of Municipal Administration (Non-Voting Members) 5.2 The Municipality will endeavor to have a representative(s) that can offer perspective in more than one specified area and or an appropriate representative attend, present, and discuss the relevant perspective in relation to the topic at hand. Perspectives for consideration may include: 5.2.1 Member(s) of the Home Builders Community 5.2.2 Member(s) of the Business Community 5.2.3 Member(s) of the Agricultural Community 5.2.4 Member(s) of the Sustainability-Climate Change Community 5.2.5 Member(s) of the Coastal, Ocean and Fisheries Community Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 3 | 10 5.2.6 Member(s) of the Affordable Housing Community 5.2.7 Member(s) of the Health and Wellness Community 5.3 Voting Members on the committee will consist of a minimum of: 5.3.1 Three (3) elected officials for the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's and 5.3.2 Two (2) individuals appointed by Council who are residents of the Municipality but not Members of Council (nor an immediate family member of a Member of Council) or employees of the Municipality (full time, casual, part time, term or seasonal). 5.3.3 The appointed residents shall possess knowledge and understanding of a relevant perspective listed in 5.2 and or apply to be a Member at Large via Form LDC-1- Application for Appointment to be approved by Council. 5.3.4 Must be at least 18 years of age (legal voting age) 5.3.5 Where there is a potential conflict of interest, Section 11-Disclosure of Conflict Interest of the Council Procedural Policy shall be followed. 5.4 The committee, including the outside appointments shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting of St. Mary's Municipal Council. At that time the Municipality will advertise for outside appointments if vacancies exist. 5.5 Committee members are eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses associated with meetings. Claims may be made from their place of residence to the meeting location at the set municipal rate. Reporting requirements as per the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Mileage Expense Policy shall be followed. 5.6 The Land Development Committee is a voluntary resident committee and as such public members of the Committee will not receive honoraria for time served. 5.7 The meetings of the Land Development Committee are open to the public. Members should be aware that their names will be in the public realm and a list of membership may be provided when requested. Member information other than name and/or municipality will be kept confidential in accordance with Provincial legislation. Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 4 | 10 5.8 The first term of the Committee will begin after the second quarter of this fiscal year. Moving forward all terms will be for a One (1) year term (fiscal year). Outside appointments to the committee may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms. 6. Chair and Vice Chair's Responsibilities 6.1 The Committee will be Chaired by the Warden of the Municipality. The Vice-Chair will be the Deputy Warden. The regular responsibilities of the Committee Chair and Vice Chair are as per Section 2.4- Presiding Officer Responsibilities of the Council Procedural Policy. 6.2 Should a Committee Member miss a significant number of consecutive meetings without proper notice, the Chair will contact the member to determine if the member is able to recommit their time to the committee or plans to resign and be replaced. 6.3 The Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Municipal Representative or Municipal Staff shall not serve as Chair in the absence of the Committee Chair. 7. Committee Members' Responsibilities 7.1 Understand the goals, objectives, and desired outcomes of the committee; and 7.2 Understand and represent the interests of community stakeholders; and 7.3 Act on opportunities to communicate positively about the committee; and 7.4 Check that the committee is aligned with Land Development Committee Policy. 7.5 In all cases Committee Members will advise the Chair if they are unable to attend at least 24 hours in advance, this is to ensure a quorum will be met. 7.6 A Committee Member may resign at any time but must provide the Chair or CAO with written notice in advance of resignation. The Chair, CAO and or the exiting Committee Member may request an exit meeting to receive feedback that may improve the function or direction of the committee. 7.7 From time to time, Committee Members may be privy to information that must remain confidential and, as such, will be subject to Appendix A- Municipal Confidentiality Agreement Form 7.8 Committee Members shall review and abide by the guidelines as per the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Code of Conduct Policy. Committee Members shall sign Appendix B - Statement of Commitment to The Municipal Code of Conduct. 7.9 Committee Members have no direct financial responsibilities or ability to authorize payments or other expenditures on behalf of the Municipality Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 5 | 10 8. Administration Responsibilities 8.1 Consult with neighbouring communities when adopting or amending land use plans; and 8.2 Sets the agenda for each meeting in consultation with the Committee; and 8.3 Utilize the Committee as per policy; and 8.4 Provide Administrative support where required; and 8.5 Record meeting minutes, distribute minutes and information as required and any other tasks deemed necessary. 8.6 New Committee Members will receive an orientation from the Chair or designate and a Municipal Administration Member or designate within one month of appointment. This will include a review of the Committee Policy and an update on any current issues or topics relevant to the working of the committee, Health and Safety. Additional committee training needs must be budgeted for and approved by Council prior to any expenditure occurring. 8.7 Municipal Administration are non-voting members of the Committee. 9. Rules of Engagement 9.1 Committee Members shall review and abide by the guidelines as per the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Council Procedural Policy. 9.2 The committee may receive presentations from the public upon approval of the chair, as per the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Presentation to Council Policy. 9.3 Committee Members shall abide by Virtual Meeting Policy should virtual attendance be required. 10. Amendments to Committee Policy 10.1 The Land Development Committee Policy may be reviewed by the Municipal Council every year prior to the Annual General Meeting or as necessary. 11. Attachments Form LDC-1 - Application for Appointment Appendix A - Municipal Confidentiality Agreement Appendix B - Statement of Commitment to The Municipal Code of Conduct Schedule A - Policy Amendments _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Municipal Clerk Date Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 6 | 10 FORM LDC-1 APPLICATION FOR APPOINTMENT 12. Section B Eligibility (Please check Yes or No) Are you a resident of the Municipality of St. Mary's? Yes No Are you 18 years of age or older? Yes No Are you an employee of the Municipality? (Full time, Part time, Casual, Term) Yes No Are you the spouse (including common law), sibling, child or parent of a Member of Council or of an employee of the Municipality Yes No 13. Section C Qualifications 1. Describe any personal/professional experience in finance, or municipal government. Section A- Contact Information Name Mailing Address Telephone Number(s): E-mail: Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 7 | 10 2. Please explain your experience working on a committee, a task force or other similar setting. 3. Please describe any other qualifications or experience you have that you feel would benefit the Land Development Committee. IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS: Please be aware that the names of the candidates recommended for appointment to the Land Development Committee will be submitted to Council as a public document. Applications can be directed to: Marissa Jordan, CAO Telephone: 902-522-2049 Municipality of St. Mary's Fax: 902-522-2309 PO Box 296 E-mail: [email protected] Sherbrooke, NS B0J 3C0 I certify that the information contained in this application form is accurate. Date: Signature: _______ Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 8 | 10 APPENDIX A MUNICIPAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT NAME & POSITION TITLE DATE DISCLOSURE I acknowledge that in the course of carrying out my duties and responsibilities with the Municipality of St. Mary's, I may gain knowledge to information concerning the business of the Municipality, its employees, clients and Municipal Council. The disclosure of any information could potentially be highly detrimental to their interests. Accordingly, I hereby agree to treat all confidential information which I may have access to during the course of my employment with the Municipality, neither will I take possession of, make a copy of or allow another party access to any information or receive a copy. Furthermore, upon termination of employment with the Municipality of St. Mary's, I hereby agree to keep all confidential information in which I may have had access to during my employment with the Municipality. SIGNATURE _________________________________ _______________________________________ Name Printed Signature Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 9 | 10 APPENDIX B STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF CONDUCT I ________________________________________declare that as a Committee Member of the (Full Name) ________________________________________________________________ acknowledge (Municipal Committee) and support the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Code of Conduct Policy. Signed: _________________________________________ Declared at _____________________________________ in the County of ________________________________ this _______ day of ______________________, _______, before me, __________________________________________________ CAO/Clerk/Commissioner of Oaths Municipality of the District of St. Mary's Land Development Committee Policy Page 10 | 10 SCHEDULE A POLICY AMMENDMENTS Version # Amendment Description Approved By Approval Date