St. Stephen Council Meeting Addresses Unsightly Premises And Development Initiatives

In a recent council meeting held in St. Stephen, various topics were discussed, ranging from community safety and infrastructure updates to housing funding and development projects.

Council addressed public complaints and concerns regarding unsightly premises and the handling of property-related issues. They emphasized the importance of transparent communication with residents and acknowledged the need for caution when addressing legal matters.

"I would like the public to understand that the dangerous and unsightly premises bylaw is a bylaw that the municipality passes to adopt a provincial act," said Deputy CAO Sean Morton. "So we are not creating these rules. We are adopting provincial regulations. So we are bound by what that act says and is very prescriptive. There's a very set out process that goes along with that. It's a little bit misleading. I've said this before in that the unsightly part of that title makes people think that I don't like the looks of it. So it's unsightly. That's not the way it works. There are very strict guidelines. So there are several properties within the town that we have files open on. We have concerns with other properties that may at some point get to that point."
 
Council also discussed the possibility of implementing a minimum property standards bylaw to tackle unsightly premises but emphasized the need for further discussion and collaboration with legal experts.

Updates on various infrastructure projects were provided, including progress in Public Works divisions such as Parks and Recreation. The completion of dock installations, asphalt laying, and painting projects were highlighted. The council also celebrated the completion of the Plaza project and the Turning the Corner project, both of which received positive feedback from the community. The meeting also addressed the need for improved water access for paddleboarding enthusiasts and explored the possibility of adding a secondary landing for easier access.

The meeting also addressed the ongoing housing crisis and the need to address vacant properties.  The council discussed the Housing Accelerator Fund grant application, which aims to alleviate housing shortages and prepare development-ready properties.

"Off top of my head, I believe it was a total request of about $5 million to help our community deal with housing shortages and make development ready properties," said CAO Jeff Renaud. "I will freely admit that all the heavy lifting was done by Alex Henderson's team at the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission. It's just another example of the good partnership we have with our friends at the RSC Planning department."