Coming to Halifax council: Campaign finance bylaw, surveillance camera pilot, parental accomodation

Halifax Regional Council is back on Tuesday and they’ll have a full slate of topics to address after two weeks off.

Along with addressing a proposed campaign finance bylaw and parental accommodation for municipal politicians council has two public hearings to address municipal construction projects.

That busy day means lots of things to get through. Here are some of the highlights.

Surveillance camera pilot to be discussed

A report on a surveillance camera pilot that was requested in the wake of the 2017 homicide of an 18-year-old girl is set to come before city council on Tuesday.

Deputy mayor Tony Mancini, councillor for Harbourview-Burnside-Dartmouth East, is set to bring the information item before council.

He’s the councillor for the area where the homicide occurred and was behind the effort to examine a possible surveillance camera pilot in the wake of the death of Chelsie Probert, who was found in medical distress on Farrell Park, a pathway between Albro Lake Road and Farrell Street on June 6, 2017.

Probert later died from her injuries.

The staff report says the homicide, along with another violent crime that occurred in the area in 2017, drew attention to the pathway and its reputation as being unsafe.

Staff say despite its reputation, a review of police-reported crimes in the park and surrounding area to indicate that violent crimes are unusual in the area.

WATCH: Dartmouth community clearing brush, installing lights where 18-year-old Chelsie Probert died

1:55 Dartmouth community clearing brush, installing lights where 18-year-old Chelsie Probert died

In the wake of Probert’s death, the municipality conducted a Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) audit on Farnell Park.

The audit, which is designed to help create conditions for a safer environment, made 13 recommendations. Most of them, including the maintenance of trees and shrubs, improvements to lighting, installation of signage and waste bins and introducing more family-friendly venues have been, or are in the process of being completed.

One of the recommendations was to adopt the use of surveillance cameras, but staff said that even if they were adopted would be “unlikely to prevent future violent incidents.”

Additionally, the park doesn’t have access to power or network capability and staff have concluded that it would “require significant investments” from the city in order to create the infrastructure.

As a result, municipal staff have concluded that the park shouldn’t be used as a pilot project for surveillance cameras

Parental accommodation for municipal politicians

Halifax Regional Council is set to adopt a series of policies that would provide parental accommodation for municipal politicians in the HRM.

The decision would bring the municipality in line with provincial legislation that enabled municipal councillors to take parental leave without penalty and without asking permission of their councils.

That bill, known as Respecting Parental Accommodation, was given royal assent on April 18, 2018. and allows councillors who are pregnant, or who have recently become a parent, to miss three council meetings without risk of losing their seat and without financial penalty for up to 52 weeks.

Previously, councillors would automatically lose their seats if they missed three consecutive council meetings and parental leave was only granted by a motion of council.

WATCH: Halifax considering time limits, other restrictions for roadside memorials

2:00 Halifax considering time limits, other restrictions for roadside memorials

Second increase for contract to replace Burnside Transit Centre roof

Council is being asked to approve an additional $266,000 for a contract to replace the roof of the Burnside Transit Centre.

Staff say the additional funding is necessary after it was discovered during demolition of the roof that large areas of the “roof deck” were significantly corroded.

The corrosion was due to the use of salt to melt snow and ice during the winter months and forced the municipality to bring on a structural engineer to direct them how to replace the damaged areas.

The extra work wasn’t an anticipated part of the original $1.3 million contract but staff say it was necessary for the completion of the project.

The additional funding has been reviewed and approved by staff, and is a 24.5 per cent increase over the original contract.

Halifax campaign finance law

Halifax councillors will consider the first reading of a new bylaw that would govern campaign finance rules in the municipality.

The bylaw would clean up and amend the HRM’s existing finance bylaw.

The changes — if adopted — would include changes to how signs from previous elections are recorded.

Halifax would now consider signs from previous elections as an expense and would have to be recorded as such. The storage of signs or other materials are personal costs and can’t be deemed a campaign expense.

If adopted staff say they’d begin producing new election material and have them ready for the Fall of 2019 in preparation of the 2020 municipal election.

Council is set to convene after the Committee of the Whole wraps up its meeting. They’re set to begin at 10:00 a.m., at Halifax City Hall.