Council Highlights – August 11, 2025

Council Highlights provide a snapshot of public meetings. For the official record, please refer to the adopted minutes, which are posted once approved at next month’s Regular Council Meeting. Consult this meeting's agenda to view presentations and files mentioned in the Council Highlights.     

Public Presentation 

Prior to the Regular Council Meeting a Public Presentation was held as Riverview Town Council formally gives its intention to update Riverview’s Municipal Plan. The updated Plan is intended to cover the municipal boundaries of Riverview and is an update to the land use policy within the existing Municipal Plan. This public presentation launches a 30-day period during which the public is invited to submit written comments on the updated Municipal Plan (deadline September 10, 2025). Comments can be submitted to clerk@townofriverview.ca. 

A public hearing is also scheduled and objections/comments can be submitted to clerk@townofriverview.ca after September 19, 2025 up to and no later than 11 a.m. on the day of the Public Hearing, which is Tuesday, October 14, 2025 (6:30 p.m.). You can view the draft plan on our website.  

Presentation by Jenna Stewart, Planner Plan360 

• The Municipal Plan sets out a vision for future growth and development, covering everything from housing, economic development, and more. The Zoning By-law directs development and brings the Municipal Plan's vision to life, guiding how land is used and how development will occur within town limits.
• The updated vision for Riverview reads: “Riverview is a dynamic community where people thrive, businesses prosper, and the natural environment is balanced with growth, providing a high quality of life for all.”
• You can read more details about the Municipal Plan updates on the Dillon Consulting website. 

Regular Council Meeting 

ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES 

• Regular Council Meeting – July 14, 2025 

PETITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, & DELEGATION 

• Presentation from Economic Development Manager, Shanel Akerley, for an Update on the Commercial Development Grant Strategic Program Redesign.
  • Grant updates proposed though this presentation will ensure only projects with a commercial component are eligible, offer a bonus structure for sectors of opportunity in high demand such as health care and overnight accommodations, lower the project value threshold to accommodate participation from small and medium businesses, implement a review committee to evaluate individual applications and provide recommendations to Council for final approval, set an annual grant budget cap, strengthen the payment disbursement process, shorten the program timespan to accommodate more applications, adjust the declining payment scale for budget efficiency, and implement new legal agreements to ensure participant compliance and legal safeguarding of the Town’s interests.
  • Council passed a motion to approve the Town of Riverview to move forward with the strategic redesign of the Commercial Development Grant.
• Presentation from Economic Development Manager, Shanel Akerley, on a Housing Market Update Report.
  • This report explains notable areas of consideration, the ongoing need for supporting residential construction to meet community needs, and compliance with committed Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) timelines.  

NEW BUSINESS 

• Grant Report: Council approved a grant for Crime Stoppers of NB in the amount of $500. Council passed a motion to postpone (6-1) to request more information from Curl Moncton in regard to their request for a grant in the amount of $550.
• Council passed a motion to Award the Request for Proposal 25-121 for the secondary plan for Bridgedale, Gunningsville, and Robertson area to Upland Planning + Design, and for the Town to enter into negotiations to finalize the contract arrangements. The requirement for a secondary plan is proposed as this is an area that has been flagged for potential development but with additional barriers that need to be considered. A portion of HAF funding can be used for this project, and this authorizes the firm to proceed with the work.    
• The Strategic Plan Update was provided as information to Council.
• Council passed a motion to approve the framework of the updated Long-Range Capital Budget Plan, while seeking direction on tolerance of debt level and tax rate growth in the ten-year plan. This reflects the Town’s commitment to long-term sustainability and priorities. It compliments the annual budget by providing a forward-looking lens on decision making. Discussion centered around the Government of New Brunswick’s property assessment rate freeze that impacts the municipality’s budget and what a comfortable debt cap would be for the municipality.   
• Council passed a motion to direct staff to investigate and recommend options to increase the number of roundabouts in the Town of Riverview, both for new subdivisions and for existing intersections. Based on staff recommendations, Council can then decide whether to adopt any of the recommended measures.
• Council passed a motion to provide confirmation outlining that the Town has the legal authority to enter into a Contribution Agreement with the Government of Canada under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) for the Mill Creek Naturalized Stormwater Pond project, and that the Town of Riverview commits to funding the recipient share of $932,500, which includes all applicable project contingencies, as required under the terms of the CHIF Contribution Agreement. 

COUNCIL STATEMENT & INQUIRIES 

• Mayor LeBlanc thanked Riverview Fire & Rescue and all first responders for their ongoing efforts to combat the wildfire in Irishtown Nature Park in Moncton. A reminder to residents that Mill Creek Nature Park is closed to the public due to the ongoing extreme wildfire hazard in the province. Open air trails like the Riverfront Trail and Gunningsville Trail continue to remain open to the public.
• M. Ouellet, Director of Engineering & Public Works, shared that water consumption during the summer months and the extreme heat conditions can tax Riverview pipes, and following the by-law usage for water conservation practices is very important.  

NEXT MEETING   

Council meets next on Monday, September 8, 2025 at 7 p.m. for a Regular Council Meeting. The meeting will be live-streamed on our website, and the agenda for the meeting will be available prior to the meeting on the Town of Riverview Council Meetings webpage. For more information, contact clerk@townofriverview.ca or call (506) 387-2136.          

Visit our Council Meetings page to watch archived and upcoming Council meetings.