Minutes of the Westport Village Commission

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024

  1. Call to Order: 6:32pm
  2. Attendees: Mike McKinnell (chair), Gordie O’Neill (commissioner), Shelley Lonergan (vice chair), Angela Lonergan (clerk), Andrea Hyslop (Municipal Advisor Department Municipal Affairs & Housing)
  3. Additions to the Agenda: None
  4. Adoption of Agenda: Gordie motioned to adopt; Shelley seconded. Motion carried.
  5. Minutes:
    a. November Shelley motioned to adopt; Gordie seconded. Motion carried.
  6. Monthly Financial Statement
    a. June: Gordie motioned to adopt; Shelley seconded. Motion carried.
    b. July: Gordie motioned to adopt; Shelley seconded. Motion carried.
    c. August: Shelley motioned to adopt; Gordie seconded. Motion carried.
    d. September: Gordie motioned to adopt; Shelley seconded. Motion carried.
    e. October: Shelley motioned to adopt; Mike seconded. Motion carried.
    f. November: Gordie motioned to adopt; Mike seconded. Motion carried.
  7. Old Business:
    a. Community Hall doors and locks/repairs/ replacement: Gordie advised he spoke to Peck’s. They are trying to get a lock that can be activated remotely. They will replace the tumblers in the current locks so we will have a keyed entry. The Rec Hall kitchen and office locks will not be changed.
    b. Life Rings on Wharves: Gordie advised he has the rope to attach the life rings and Mike Huntley is coming to do the work for the Harbour Authority.
    c. Job Opportunities: Angela advised there has been no response/interest in the commissioner posting as well as the lawn maintenance, snow, and garbage removal tender. There is no charge to post in passages so it will be posted again, as well as at the store and post office.
    d. Road Repairs: Gordie advised he had no response from Todd Amero. He will try again and also reach out to Peter Scherer about how to get the Highway 217 designation back. Discussed possibly starting a petition.
    e. Crystal Clear Water Filter: Angela advised the bulb was changed and extra filter left. Gordie advised that he would show Mike McKinnell how to change the filter. To be removed from the agenda.
    f. Clerk replacement and banking access: Angela confirmed access has been set up for Mike McKinnell to sign off on cheques. Angela also now has a bank card to make deposits and be able to sign in online to print bank statements for balancing. To be removed from the agenda.
    g. Levy rate reporting: November minutes were accepted confirming the levy rate will remain the same. Angela will forward this information and supporting documents to the Municipality.
    h. Hall rental rates, deposits, check in/out process, and special rates: The change in rates and processes were discussed at the November meeting. Ongoing discussion around pricing and processes continue. Mike advised he would work up a document to help outline rental costs that need to be considered. Discussion of creating a rental agreement/guideline for hall use to help renters understand the requirements and enable the commission to follow a consistent process. A document to track hall usage throughout the year would help to understand how the halls are being used as well as possible use for funding grants. Ongoing at this time until everything is in place.
    i. Community Hall shut down January to March: It was agreed the Community Hall would be shut down during the colder months. It was discussed that the heat pump should be set at one temperature to reduce the risk of frozen pipes. It was discussed that a set process for “winterizing” the hall should be outlined to follow in future years if this shutdown is found to be beneficial.
    j. Rec Hall double door leak: Angela advised she had left voice messages for Malcolm Amero but had no response. Gordie advised he would try to reach out to him.
    k. Library gutter cleaning/covers: There was no response from Malcolm Amero. Gordie will try reaching out to him. Mike was questioning if we had a volunteer could they do the work. If the volunteer has liability Insurance yes. A commissioner can do the work as the commission has coverage. Mike advised he would check with Sail2 to find out how they get their volunteers.
    l. NSFM fees: The check was prepared but with the postal strike could not be mailed. Angela advised she could drop off the next time she was going that way. Andrea Hyslop who attended the meeting offered to drop it off as she was going there in the next few days. It was agreed this was acceptable by the commission. To be removed from the agenda.
    m. GIC maturing: The commissioners confirmed the $10,000 GIC that matured was reinvested for two years at a rate of 3.xx%. To be removed from the agenda.
  8. New Business:
    a. None
  9. Next Village Meeting Tuesday February 4th, 2025 Rec Hall Kitchen
  10. Adjournment: 8:06pm