The Municipality of the District of

SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL

July 21, 2004

The meeting was called to order by the Warden, in the Conference Room, in the Administrative Centre, in Barrington, N.S., with the following members present:

- Warden Sterling Belliveau
- Deputy Warden Eddie Nickerson
- Councillor Louise Halliday
- Councillor Dwayne Hunt
- Councillor Wayne Smith

- Cecil O’Donnell, MLA
- Dennis Cochrane, Deputy Minister of Education
- Paul MacLellan, Regional Director, Facilities Planning and Operations Project Management,  Nova Scotia Department of Education
- Brian Holland, Municipal Clerk

Absent were Councillors Fred Bower and Angus Atkinson.
 

PURPOSE OF MEETING

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the proposed new school being built in the Municipality of Barrington.  

Mr. Cochrane explained that the Department of Education had incurred several complications in picking a site for the new school.  He also stated that it is better to take the time now to get the best site rather than to regret choosing a site in the future.  

At the present time there are two (2) sites being considered; one is property, privately owned, behind Causeway Interiors in Barrington Passage, and the second site is the Municipal property in Oak Park.  There are acquisition issues with the property behind Causeway Interiors.  There is also some question as to whether or not there is an adequate water supply on the Oak Park property.  

At the present time the Department of Education is leaning towards the Oak Park property as a site for the new school.  The S.S.T. preference, which was previously stated, was the Sherose Island site, then the Causeway Interiors site, and then the Oak Park site.  Councillor Halliday indicated that she did not believe the S.S.T. would be “overly upset” if the Oak Park site were chosen over the other two sites.

There then followed some discussion regarding the Sherose Island site and why it was no longer being considered.  

Mr. Cochrane explained that there are other risks involved in the Sherose Island site besides the construction of sewer and water.  These risks include the archeological artifacts that may be located on the site.  Should any artifacts be unearthed during construction, this would put a complete halt to construction.  There are also live sewer and water lines underneath the proposed location for the playing field on this site.  There are also some areas where there is residual furnace oil contamination from former mobile home sites which were used by the Department of National Defense.  Mr. Cochrane also indicated that more work than was expected was needed to make the entrance road satisfactory for use of school buses.  
 

Page 2, Special Meeting of Council, July 21, 2004
 

Mr. Cochrane emphatically stated that the former site of the Barrington Municipal High School would definitely not be used for a new school and was definitely not being considered.  He also indicated that the Sherose Island is now definitely off the list of sites being considered.  He indicated that the focus is now on the Oak Park site and that the Department of Education would be looking at this site as its first alternative.  

Mr. Cochrane stated that the tender call for the new school has now been delayed by at least two weeks.  He indicated that the servicing of the Oak Park site would be cheaper than purchasing the Causeway Interiors site.  

Mr. Cochrane and Mr. MacLellan both indicated that the Department of Education was still aiming to open the new school in September of 2005, although they felt it would be difficult to do this.  Mr. Cochrane indicated that it would be more likely that the school would be opened in December of 2005, and that the Department of Education would move into the new school over the Christmas holidays.  Mr. Cochrane indicated that construction could be started by the end of October at best.  It was suggested that the site could at least be cleared prior to that time in order to give the public an indication that construction is beginning on the site.  

When asked, Mr. Cochrane estimated that the cost of a new running track at this site would be in the vicinity of $180,000.00.  When asked, Mr. Cochrane also indicated that the current school property and the property on which the running track and soccer field are now located will be returned to the Municipality as quickly as possible.  He also indicated that the damages done to the property at Sherose Island during evaluation of that site would be repaired, and that the invoice forwarded to the Department of Transportation and Public Works for costs incurred by the Municipality during that time would also be paid.  

The meeting was adjourned by mutual consent of those in attendance at approximately 2:33 p.m.