PORT HAWKESBURY: Taxi rates have increased to $7 per trip within the town.
During the regular monthly meeting on Jan. 6, and after Deputy Mayor Jason Aucoin declared a conflict and left the meeting, Port Hawkesbury Town Council officially approved amendments to its taxi bylaw, and passed a new taxi policy.
Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton said the policy has been removed from the new taxi bylaw, which means the town no longer has to amend the whole bylaw to make changes.
“We have structured our bylaw a little differently than the prior taxi bylaws because we did have a lot of policy entrenched within the bylaws,” she explained. “What we’ve essentially done is taken the policy component out of this new bylaw so if there is a need to make a policy change such as increasing the cost of Point A to Point B in town, then we would have the power to do so without having to go and re-do our entire bylaw.”
CAO Terry Doyle said the town no longer has to undergo a long process to make changes.
“Fares would change as the cost of living changes, as the marketplace changes, and we didn’t want to be stuck to the very arduous process of amending the bylaw to change a fare or fees, as an example. Application forms is another example,” he noted. “Procedures around the old processes; there’s a number of things we pulled out of bylaw that we need to move more quickly on for amendments.”
Last fall, the town received a letter from a resident, and was approached by Dave’s Taxi and Harper’s Taxi to consider increasing the in-town rate from $6.50 per trip, based on rising fuel costs and other expenses.
To change the rate, the town had to amend its taxi bylaw, resulting in the first reading, as well as a public hearing.
Doyle said last fall that the last formal amendment to the bylaw was in 1991, but that the rate had been increased since then from $5 per trip. He added at the time that the rate in surrounding municipalities is around the $7 range.
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Aucoin asked for an update on plans for more lights on the town’s athletic fields.
“We’ve been after that for years and years, and if there’s monies available, I would hope we could get council on the same page. It’s about time that we get that done,” Town Councillor Hughie MacDougall said in agreement. “If the opportunity arises, I think we should jump at it.”
The CAO said staff has been in discussions with the Town of Antigonish, which recently completed a similar installation, as well as an engineering consultant.
“Electrical engineer Paul Doiron, he’s very familiar with the ball industry and the lighting of ballfields and soccer fields. He’s agreed to do an initial scope. He’s done work for the Town of Antigonish in previous projects,” Doyle responded.
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Ahead of a meeting between council and Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway on Jan. 18 about the town’s priorities for 2022, the mayor wanted to know which areas councillors would like to focus on.
“He’d like to understand a little bit about where council would like to take the town, to see what areas he might be able to assist in,” Chisholm-Beaton noted.
As far as priorities, Aucoin identified housing and health care professional recruitment. Along with those issues, Town Councillor Blaine MacQuarrie mentioned economic development and waterfront development.
Town Councillor Hughie MacDougall said priorities will depend on what the government is able to help with, and Town Councillor Mark MacIver asked if Kelloway can provide council with a list of programs coming out this year, prior to the meeting.
“Maybe council can discuss, if there is a list, which ones we want to put emphasis on,” MacIver suggested.
Doyle added that the meeting will be an opportunity to facilitate open communication between council and the MP.
“I think going back to our strategic planning priorities is always important, and keeping that focus there,” the CAO added.