Nearly full complement of council heading to FCM this year

By Craig Westcott/March 17, 2022

The world looks to be at the point of returning to normal travel again, and Mount Pearl City council is no exception.

Last week, council approved a motion to send six members of council to the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference and Trade Show this summer.

The event runs from June 2 - 5 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Representing Mount Pearl will be Mayor Dave Aker, Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley, and councillors Bill Antle, Isabelle Fry, Chelsea Lane and Mark Rice. The only councillor not attending is Jim Locke, who made the motion to send his colleagues out west.

"The costs are in line with our professional development policy and budget," Locke noted. "These events are very useful. It's nice to see that we are getting back in-person again. I've attended many of these over my time on council and they are invaluable. The information that you learn at the sessions, the networking that you're able to do, the friends that you make and the people that you meet from right across our country in little towns and big cities and just getting a chance to share ideas and experiences, it always energizes me and I'm sure that when my colleagues get back from this, they'll be filled with gusto and new ideas and inspired. So I'm happy to bring this forward."

Locke's motion passed unanimously.

Council tweaks deadline for posting minutes of public meetings

For anyone who wants to review the business of council, Mount Pearl council has voted to make the minutes of its public meetings available to the public a little sooner.

In introducing her notice to council about the change during last week’s meeting, Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley pointed out that under the old rules, there was a lack of clarity as to when the minutes had to be made public.

Kieley gave notice she will make a motion to change the rules of the City of Mount Pearl Act at an upcoming meeting. The change will see the minutes of council meetings posted to the City's website within three working days of having been approved at a public meeting.

Anyone interested in perusing the minutes, however, should note that the change still won't mean the minutes are available within three working days of the actual meeting that the minutes are meant to reflect. Rather, they will still lag the meeting by at least two weeks in most cases. For example, the minutes of council's 8 meeting will be examined and adopted by council at its March 22 meeting. So, within three days following that, the minutes of the March 8 meeting will go to the website.

"This is really just to ensure that the public knows when to expect minutes," Kieley said. "I'm a big fan of governance and bylaw tweaks because it usually has a great impact on how we're doing things in an accountable manner and a better manner."

Mount Pearl brings home two marketing awards

By Mark Squibb/March 17, 2022

The City of Mount Pearl is the proud recipient of two Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDCA) Awards for their “Upgrade to Mount Pearl” advertising campaign.

The City won in the Website and Single Publication 5+ Pages category.

The campaign posited Mount Pearl as a crucial player in the Transatlantic Business Hub, and highlighted the city’s business opportunities, amenities, growth opportunities, policies, demographics, and business incentives. The website is accompanied by six industry specific eBooks with further information, which are all downloadable from the website.

The campaign was aimed specially at foreign investors in ocean technology, oil and gas, innovation and technology, health and life sciences, trade and warehousing, and North American head office/back office.

The city’s goal was to attract five to 10 global companies within the next two years and reduce the vacancy rate in Donovans Business Park by five per cent.

The city had previously won three EDAC awards for 2019’s Consider it Done campaign.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley, during last week’s public meeting, said the members of the City's corporate services and economic development team, led by director Cassie Pittman, deserve "incredible accolades" for winning the awards. 

"I think it demonstrates our team's pursuit for innovation and enhanced public engagement and for just progressive development," Kieley said. 

"I just have to echo that,” said councillor Jim Locke. “We have such a great team of professionals. And they're the first ones to acknowledge that while they're the winners of this, it's organization wide, they're quick to acknowledge all the help from all the departments that allow them to do the great work that they do."

Locke noted the team is also still in the running for the EDAC Cup, the Economic Developers Association of Canada’s top prize, which the city won in 2019, and which has yet to be announced for this year. “They continue to do us proud,” Locke said.

Ukraine on minds of council

Mount Pearl councillor Jim Locke took a moment last week to acknowledge Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the terrible bloodshed and misery it is causing.

"I know it's on all of our minds," Locke said. "You can't turn on the radio or open a newspaper or social media or watch the television news (without seeing it). It is absolutely horrendous what is ongoing there."

Locke, who is a teacher at Mount Pearl Senior High, noted many young people are in disbelief that in this day and age such a thing could happen, "and the confusion that they have that the rest of the world seems to be sat back watching this take place. They're like, 'Why don't we intervene? Where is the rest of the world?' And it's tough to explain. It's a very complex circumstance. I know our country has reached out with open our arms to any Ukrainians who wish to come here temporarily or on a long-term basis, and I know that if any come to this province that our city will certainly welcome these folk with open arms to help them get through these trying times."

Locke thanked City staff for raising the Ukrainian flag outside City Hall and for broadcasting it on the electronic screen outside the Summit Centre. “They are small acts, but it's just to let people know that we are thinking of them and we are hoping for a quick resolution of this horrendous event that's ongoing,” he said.

Hackers welcome in Mount Pearl

By Mark Squibb/March 3, 2022

The folks behind the Eastern Health cyber hack likely won’t be there, but the City of Mount Pearl hopes that a number of other, more helpful, hackers will attend Hacking Mount Pearl this month.

The three-day, virtual event will be held March 25 to 27, and registered teams will have to bring their creativity and ingenuity to the table to create a product that tackles issues related to business recovery.

A judging panel will select a winning prototype based on final team presentations.

First place winners will earn, aside from bragging rights, $3,000 in cash, a seat in the Genesis Centre Evolution Program, a free 1-year membership in TechNL, and a free 1-year membership to the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce.

The second and third place teams will also be awarded the same perks, with second place winning $1,500 and third place winning $500.

The event was launched in 2019 as part of the City’s Consider it Done campaign. That year’s winning team, Fantastic Five, developed a program, Fund Box, that would help municipalities better manage permit applications.

Wait what....paving contract comes in under budget?

By Craig Westcott

Here's something you don't see everyday – a big public works project coming in under budget.

But that's exactly what happened with the City of Mount Pearl's repaving of Old Placentia Road in sections from Nelder Drive to Ruth Avenue, the eastbound section of Ruth Avenue to Smallwood Drive, Smallwood Drive to Richard Nolan Drive, and Richard Nolan Drive to Commonwealth Avenue.

The job was awarded in 2020 to Weir's Construction Ltd., for $1.64 million. The funds came out of the City's federal gas tax grant.

By the time the job was competed, despite some additional sidewalk being replaced and other sections of asphalt being removed, the total cost weighed in at just over $1.4 million. That left a savings of $263,841.

Councillor Mark Rice, who co-chairs council's infrastructure and public works committee, described it as a good news story, which he had saved for the end of his regular committee report.

Rice made a motion that council return the savings to the Gas Tax account.

"It's a great news story," agreed Mayor Dave Aker. "And we've already allocated the money (from the savings) to other roadways here in the city."

Three Mount Pearl Senior High Huskies are heading to the mainland for competition this summer. Left to right are Brooke Ledevehat, Adam Goulding, and Michael Hann, who have each secured a place on the Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Games Basketball Team that will be competing in Niagara Falls