NCLGA Board Highlights - Jan 25/26 mtg

Last month -- I attended my first NCLGA or North Central Local Government Association Board of Directors' Meeting in Prince George, after my successful bid for 1 of the 2 vacant NCLGA Director at Large positions.  There were also new Regional Representatives appointed from the Regional District of Fraser Fort George (RDFFG) and North Coast Regional District

My personal thanks to my NCLGA Board colleague (and RDFFG Area H Director Danielle Alan) for the link to the highlights - click here

The next meeting of the North Central Local Government Association Board of Directors' will be in the City of Prince George, BC on Friday, March 29th and Saturday, March 30th, 2019

~SF

McLeese Lake helps out Riske Creek to start a VFD

Mr. Mike Elvin of Riske Creek (L) and

McLeese Lake VFD Fire Chief Ian Hicks (R)

Recently -- McLeese Lake VFD Society President Ian Hicks met with Mike Elvin from Riske Creek who is trying to start up a Volunteer Fire Department there....

McLeese Lake VFD Society will be donating the following to the start-up Riske Creek VFD there:

* 15 pairs of Fire Pants
* 15 Jackets
* 6 Helmets
* 1 Spine Board
* 20 Pairs of Gloves and 1 Box of First Aid Supplies
* 4 SCBA Oxygen Setups

I have forwarded Mr. Elvin's contact details to Cariboo Regional District Area 'K' (East Chilcotin) Director Chad Mernett so the two of them can connect...

Riske Creek has experienced a number of wildfires since 2010 so I'm glad to see they are starting up a VFD there....

As I mentioned to Chief Hicks -- this is another example of rural communities of the Cariboo-Chilcotin helping out each other, when required... especially when I remember, that it was McLeese Lake that needed the help back in 2013 when the community of McLeese Lake identified the need for a local VFD after the horrible head on collision in Feb 2013 that killed a family from Prince George.... so it's heartwarming to see that we can "Pay It Forward" to a fellow rural community in the Cariboo-Chilcotin

~SF

Local Gov't Mtgs - Wk of Feb 18-22

The following local governments of the Cariboo-Chilcotin are meeting next week, as follows:

Quesnel - Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 19th at 6 pm in Quesnel Council Chambers (4th Floor - 410 Kinchant St).  On the Agenda:

* Lhtako Dene Indigenous Cultural Centre Project - Alfred Waugh, Formline Architecture (30 Minute Presentation, followed by Q&A)

* Rise and Report from In-Camera -- Lhtako Dene Indigenous Cultural Centre - January 8, 2019 Special Closed Council Meeting - Gift of Land & Matters arising from the February 11/12, 2019 Quesnel City Council Strategic Planning Sessions

* Various Committee Reports for Information and Endorsement of Recommendations

* Barkerville Brewing - Outdoor Patio Year-Round Use
* Branding and Marketing Update

* Northern Development Initiative Trust - February 2019 Grant Application Intake
* Bylaw 1863 - Cannabis Zoning Amendment (Retail Sale & Production Facility) - Final Adoption

View the full Agenda here

School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) -- Public Input Session on the 2019-20 Budget.  Session to start at 4:30pm on Wednesday, February 20th in the Marie Sharpe Gym (260 Cameron Street, Williams Lake).  The session will be live-streamed to those at PSO Secondary (200 - 7th Avenue, 100 Mile House) with members of the SD27 Board of Education being present at PSO Secondary

Williams Lake - Committee of the Whole Session on Tuesday, February 19th at 5pm in the Rick Hansen Boardroom (Basement - 450 Mart St).  On the Agenda:

* Draft 2019-2028 Capital Plan
* Water Management Strategy

View the full Agenda here

Cariboo RD Emergency Preparedness Committee Highlights - Feb 15th mtg

Present: Chair M. Wagner; Directors M. Sjostrom (via teleconference), B. Bachmeier, S. Forseth, J. Sorley, J. Glassford and G. Kirby

Meeting called to order at 9:30am

Meeting Agenda adopted & Minutes of the Committee meeting held on January 25th, 2019 were received/adopted

Business:

1) Priority Actions Status Update for February 2019

The Committee had before it a report of the Manager of Protective Services
Discussion ensued thereon.  Report here

Resolved - Report received

The Committee adjourned at 12:15pm

Cariboo RD's Emergency Preparedness Committee meets today!

Starting at 9:30am this morning - the Cariboo Regional District's Emergency Preparedness Committee will meet to review the prioritization of emergency preparedness actions of the Cariboo Regional District...

Committee Membership: Area 'A' Director Mary Sjostrom, Area 'B' Director Barb Bachmeier, Area 'D' Director Steve Forseth, Area 'F' Director Joan Sorley, Area 'I' Director Jim Glassford, Area 'J' Director Gerald Kirby and is chaired by Area 'H' Director (and Cariboo RD Board Chair) Margo Wagner

Today's Committee Agenda can be viewed here

~SF

Forseth to take Lack of Pilots Resolution to #NCLGA2019

Yesterday - I was interviewed by The Goat - a local radio station about my bid to take the topic of a decreasing pool of trained pilots to the 2019 North Central Local Government Association AGM which is being held in Williams Lake from May 6-10, 2019

More details here

~SF

150 Mile Fire Protection Budget Meeting

Cariboo RD Area 'F' Director Joan Sorley (left)

with 150 Mile VFD Chief Stan McCarthy (right)

Last night before a crowd of roughly 20-30 people, Cariboo Regional District Area 'F' Director Joan Sorley, along with CRD Staff/150 Mile VFD Fire Chief Stan McCarthy supporting Director Sorley, -- the proposed 2019 150 Mile Fire Protection Service budget was presented for public feedback.  It is currently proposed that the  150 Mile Fire Protection Service's tax requisition be increased to $80.05 per $100,000 of residential assessment

Following presentations from Director Sorley, the CRD's Manager of Protective Services (S. Masun) and the 150 Mile VFD Fire Chief (S. McCarthy) -- a Question and Answer period ensued

The meeting was well run and conversation occurred before and after the meeting.  If you missed the meeting and want further details, please contact Director Sorley via email at jsorley@cariboord.ca



The Cariboo Regional District is currently accepting feedback on its' full region-wide budget which you can find here.  The deadline to submit comments is Tuesday, February 19th

~SF

Picture of proposed tax requisition of for all 14 CRD Volunteer Fire Departments in 2019

Legislative Changes concerning BC Local Governments'

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

The Province has proposed a number of legislative changes that will clarify provincial and local government authorities, help local governments better respond to community needs and support British Columbia’s affordable housing goals.

If passed, the municipal affairs and housing statutes amendment act 2019 will amend the following provincial statutes:

The Vancouver Charter:

The proposed changes would align Vancouver Charter authorities with those under the Local Government Act, allowing the City of Vancouver to use housing agreements to limit sale, lease and share prices of housing units. These amendments support the city’s initiatives to expand the range of affordable housing options and support government’s 30-point plan on housing affordability.

The Building Act:

The proposed amendments would provide flexibility for the Province to share some authority on specific building regulations with local governments, while still allowing the Province to establish effective regulations on a number of emerging issues, including secondary suites, fire sprinklers and the establishment of a code for existing buildings as part of the climate action commitments in CleanBC.

The Local Government Act:

The proposed changes would allow local governments to better respond to various community needs. The proposed changes respond to the increasing recognition that access to high-speed internet has evolved into a basic service. The changes will allow regional districts to assist businesses in bringing high-speed internet to underserved communities. Amendments will remove a redundant requirement in relation to notices of assent voting.

The Cultus Lake Park Act:

The proposed changes would amend the Cultus Lake Park Act to provide modernized regulatory tools, procedural rules and corporate powers. This act was passed in 1932 and has had limited amendments.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler Act:

The proposed changes would allow for the removal of the requirement for the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s official community plans to be approved by the minister, making it consistent with the practice followed for nearly all local governments.

On the Road....

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Editor's Note -- this week's Quesnel City Council column is written by Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson. He can be reached via email at mayor@quesnel.ca

I’ve spent the last month on the road, speaking at conferences and meeting with government representatives to advance the City’s initiatives and strategies. I forgot how tiring travelling can be, especially in the winter, but I believe it was well worth the effort to get around the province and promote some of the innovative work we’re doing here in Quesnel.

My first trip was to Williams Lake for a two-day Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Board meeting. The second day was our regularly scheduled meeting, but day one was a special Board meeting focused on the state of forestry in our region, with presentations from C&C Wood Products, Tolko, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD), Red Cross, and a joint presentation from FLNRORD and West Fraser on the Caribou issue. It was a highly informative day that outlined both the complex challenges confronting this sector and some of the opportunities we must take advantage of if we hope to address these challenges in a timely manner.

My second trip was to Prince George for the annual Natural Resources Conference. Prior to the commencement of the conference I was asked to speak at a BC Chamber of Commerce sponsored pre-event that was primarily focused on the state of the economy in the North. I participated on a panel that explored community economic development activities and was able to highlight the key components of our economic transition strategy and the investments we’re making to transform Quesnel into a community that people want to come to as visitors, residents, and investors.  View the 2018 economic transition strategy at www.quesnel.ca/reports.

During the Natural Resources Conference, I was able to speak with most of the Provincial Ministers who influence resource policy (Forests, Agriculture, Environment, Aboriginal Relations) and even got a few minutes with the Premier. I was also able to meet with senior government bureaucrats and industry representatives to continue to advance our Future of Forestry Think Tank (FFTT) process. There is great interest throughout the Province in this initiative.

My work to advance our FFTT project continued during my third trip, which was to Victoria to speak specifically about our project at the Western Contractors Association AGM. While in Victoria, I had an opportunity to meet with the new Deputy Minister of FLNRORD as well as staff from the Ministry of Jobs, Trade, and Technology. I also had a chance to speak with the Minister of Education’s staff to ensure that our request for a new school is advancing through the budget process.

My final trip entailed travelling to Kamloops to meet with potential funding agencies for our FFTT project and then to speak at the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) Conference and AGM. Once again, I had been asked to speak about our forestry initiative and, specifically, how radically we must change our “forest management” practices in light of the unprecedented disturbances we’re seeing on the land base and in response to a rapidly changing climate. 

After speaking at the ABCFP Conference, I flew to Vancouver to attend my first meeting of the Fraser Basin Council (FBC), as I was just appointed to this Board by the Chair of the CRD. This is a great networking opportunity for our region and City, as the FPC Board is made up of an eclectic group of people from all walks of life and from around the province. 

I closed my final week of travelling off with a white-knuckle drive from Kamloops to Williams Lake to attend a regular meeting of the CRD Board before finally heading home.

All-in-all a very good month of networking that is already paying off in the form of partnerships, funding, and support for our community’s economic transition strategy.

Nomination Period for Cariboo RD Area F By-Election starts today!

Starting at 9am today (February 12th, 2019) until 4pm sharp! on Friday, February 22nd (excluding the weekend of Saturday, Feb 15 & Sunday Feb 16th), the Cariboo Regional District's (CRD) Chief Election Officer (Alice Johnston) or her Deputy (Lore Schick) may receive nominations for the position of Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area 'F' Director to complete the reminder of the 2018-2022 term

Full details on what you need to know can be viewed here

As per provincial law -- candidate expense limit is set at $5,000.00 while 3rd Party expense limit is $750.00 for this by-election. More details about campaign expense rules for local general elections/by-elections or local referendums from Elections BC here

Shortly after the nomination period closes on Friday, February 22nd at 4pm- the CRD's Chief Election Officer will publish the unofficial list of nominees for the CRD's Electoral Area 'F' By-Election.  On Friday, March 1st -- the CRD's Chief Election Officer will then officially declare either 1 candidate is elected by acclamation or an election by voting is required, if there are 2 or more candidates.

Should an election by voting be required -- the polling stations within Electoral Area 'F' for General Voting Day on Saturday, March 30th will be advertised along with the advanced polling days of March 20 and 25, 2019 at the CRD Office in Williams Lake

Best of luck to all who put their name forward for the position of Electoral Area 'F' Director of the Cariboo Regional District...

~SF

8 days remaining for Cariboo RD's 2019 Budget Survey

Just a reminder that 8 days remain to fill out the survey for the proposed 2019 Cariboo Regional District Budget and 2019-22 5 Year Financial Plan

Full details on the proposed budget and survey can be viewed here

As the Cariboo Regional District's Finance Chair -- I strongly encourage people to provide their feedback (good, bad or ugly) on our proposed 2019 Budget/2019-22 5 Year Financial Plan to ensure our budget reflects your priorities, based on where you live in the Region.... 

Thanks, 

~SF

Breakdown of 2018 Local Election Results

Recently - I was made aware of Civic Info BC's efforts to break down the various categories as it results to the October 2018 Local Elections in BC....

For the District of Wells:

* Women make up 40% of the 5 member (4 Councillors' and 1 Mayor) Wells Municipal Council.  BC's average is 35.2%

Full breakdown here

For the City of Quesnel:

* Women make up 14.3% of the 7 member (6 Councillors' and 1 Mayor) Quesnel Municipal Council.  BC's average is 35.2%

* Since the 2008 local election, voter turnout has been on a downward slide from almost 50% in 2008 to 25% in 2018

Full breakdown here

For School District #28 (Quesnel):

* All but one incumbent from the 2014-18 Board of Education for School District #28 (Quesnel) were re-elected

* 5 men and 3 women ran for the 7 seats on this Board and only 4 men and 3 women were successfully elected...

Full breakdown here

For School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin):

* only 12.3% of all eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot for the 7 Trustees of School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin)

* 3 Incumbents from the 2014-18 Board of Education for School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) ran with 2 being returned to office

Full breakdown here

For the City of Williams Lake:

* almost 39% of all registered voters' cast a ballot in the 2018 local election
* 8 men and 4 women ran for the 7 available seats with 5 men and 2 women being successful

Full breakdown here

District of 100 Mile House results not available

For the Cariboo Regional District:

* almost 42% of women comprise the 12 Electoral Area Directors.  This is significantly higher than BC's average of 29.1%.  Higher even than the Fraser Fort George RD at almost 29% and Thompson Nicola RD at 30%

* 13 men and 9 women ran for the 12 elected seats on the Cariboo Regional District Board with 7 men and 5 women being elected

* Since the 2011 Local Elections, the voter participation percentage has been steadily increasing...

Full breakdown here

Local Gov't Mtgs - Wk of Feb 11-15, 2019

The following local governments of the Cariboo-Chilcotin are meeting next week, as follows:

Wells - Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 12th at 7pm in Wells Council Chambers (4243 Sanders Avenue). On the Agenda:

* Request for Office space from the Wells-Barkerville Community Forest Board
* Letter of proposed Contract from the Wells-Barkerville Community Forest Board
* Letter from Mr. John Massier re: extension of term as Chair of the Wells-Barkerville Community Forest Board
* Economic Development Rural Infrastructure Grant Application
* District of Wells Energy System
* Wells Corridor Beautification RFP
* Wells Facility Assessment RFP
* 2019 Provisional Budget

View the full Agenda here

Quesnel - the following Council Committee meetings will take place in the Fraser Room (4th Floor, 410 Kinchant St):

Policy/Bylaw Committee - Regular Meeting on Tuesday, February 12th at 9am. On the Agenda:

* External Communications (Quarterly Report & Bylaw of the Month)
* Administration Report - OCP Review - Completed Sections
* Administration Report #4B/19 - Policy Direction - Outdoor Café & Mobile Food Vendor & Sidewalk Food Vendor Bylaw

View the full Agenda here

Financial Sustainability/Audit Committee - Regular Meeting on Tuesday, February 12th at 3:00pm. On the Agenda:

* Final Capital Report 2018
* Reserve Balances - December 2018
* Review of the Five Year Financial Plan Policies
* Review 2019 Budget Survey Results

View the full Agenda here

School District #28 (Quesnel) - Regular Board of Education Meeting on Wednesday, February 13th at 7pm in the SD28 Boardroom (401 North Star Rd, Quesnel). When available, the Agenda can be viewed here

Williams Lake - Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 12th at 6pm in WL Council Chambers (450 Mart St). On the Agenda:

* Scout Island and River Valley Trails Fee for Service Agreement Renewals - Joint Committee Rpt #01-2019
* Zoning Amendment Application - Bylaw No. 2300 - Fox Mountain Brewing Company Ltd. - Adds "Brewery" as Permitted Land Use - 215 Donald Road (Old Greyhound Site)
* Landfill Site Lease Renewal - Third Renewal Term - Approval
* Rick Hansen Foundation Building Accessibility Certification Reports
* 3 Recommendations from Feb 5th Committee of the Whole session

View the full Agenda here

100 Mile House - Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 12th at 7pm in 100 Mile House Council Chambers (385 Birch Avenue). On the Agenda:

* Monthly By-Law Officer's Report
* Curbside Garbage & Recycling Collection Contract
* Charge North Electric Vehicle Charging Network

View the full Agenda here

Cariboo Regional District (CRD):

150 Mile Fire Protection Service -- Public Meeting on the proposed tax requisition increase for this CRD Service on Wednesday, February 13th at 7pm at the 150 Mile Community Hall (3038 Pigeon Rd, 150 Mile House). The meeting is being hosted by Cariboo RD Area F Director Joan Sorley and the presentation will be conducted by CRD Manager of Protective Services, Ms. Stephanie Masun and 150 Mile VFD Fire Chief Stan McCarthy. Full details on this meeting can be viewed here

Cariboo RD Board Highlights - Feb 8th mtg

Present: Chair M. Wagner/Vice-Chair J. Massier and Directors M. Sjostrom, B. Bachmeier, S. Forseth, A. Delainey, J. Sorley, A. Richmond, J. Glassford, G. Kirby, C. Mernett, W. Macdonald, G. Fourchalk, B. Simpson, W.Cobb (10:13am) and M. Campsall

Meeting called to order at 9:45am

Meeting Agenda adopted

Minutes of the Special Cariboo RD Board Meeting held January 17th, 2019 and the Regular Cariboo RD Board Meeting held January 18th, 2019 were both received/adopted

The Board received the Memorandum of Business - Delegations, as of Feb 8th, 2019

Business:

Development Services:

1) Following a Public Hearing - the Board gave 3rd Reading to South Cariboo Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 5176, 2018 and South Cariboo Area Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 5177, 2018 (Bazan/Area 'L')

2) Following a Public Hearing - the Board gave 3rd Reading to Central Cariboo Area Rural Land Use Amendment Bylaw No. 5182, 2018 (Fosbery/Austin - Area 'E')

3) Following a Public Hearing - the Board gave 3rd Reading/Adoption to South Cariboo Official Community Plan, Bylaw No. 5171, 2018 (Areas G, H, L)

4) The Board adopted North Cariboo Area Rural Land Use Amendment Bylaw No. 5132, 2018 (Fouty/Area 'I')

5) The Board received the Building Statistics Report, Municipalities Building Statistics Report and the Inspection Activity Report for December 2018

Environmental Services:

1) The Board agreed to an additional financial commitment of $225,000, plus $25,000 contingency from Community Works Funds to enable completion of the Lexington Water System capital project (Area 'F')

2) The Board received the Refuse Site Inspection Report for October 31, 2018 to December 31, 2018

3) The Board directed Staff to proceed with an petition to seek elector consent to establish a Willoughby Place Streetlighting Service

4) The Board received the 2018 Invasive Plant Management Annual Report

Meeting recessed at 10:23am
Meeting resumed at 10:30am

Delegation:

Breanne Whyte, Community Engagement Lead for Steelhead LNG, and Corey Goulet, VP, Pipeline for Steelhead, appeared before the Board to present information regarding the development of a proposed natural gas pipeline project from northeastern BC to Vancouver Island.

A Question/Answer period ensued

The Chair, on behalf of the Board, thanked the delegation for their time/information

Meeting recessed at 10:57am to CCRHD Board
Meeting resumed at 1:00pm

Business, cont:

Community Services:

1) The Board endorsed the following NDIT Applications for submission to NDIT's Cariboo-Chilcotin-Lillioet Regional Advisory Committee for consideration:

a) Alexis Creek Outdoor Arena
b) Williams Lake Cycling Club - Firefox Upgrade
c) Business Façade Improvement Program 2019
d) CCCTA, Gold Rush Trail Purpose Driven Marketing Project

Communications:

1) The Board received/endorsed the CRD Corporate Communications Plan, as submitted

Finance:

1) The Board considered the following Grant for Assistance applications (Year Round Intake) as follows:

a) Junior Cadet Society of BC - receive only
b) Mile 108 PAC - $1,000 from Area 'G'
c) South Cariboo Sustainability Society - receive only
d) Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club - $1,000 split equally between Areas D, E, F
e) Cataline Elementary School PAC - receive only
f) Williams Lake Pride Society - $1,000 from Areas 'E', 'F' and 'L'

2) The Board endorsed a recommendation from its' Chief Administrative Officer to direct staff to amend the 2019 Administration Financial Plan to include $7,000 for payment of 50% of the fees associated with use of the Cariboo Memorial Complex for the 2019 NCLGA Convention

Administration:

1) The Board received a request from Director B. Bachmeier (Area 'B') to discuss the Procedure Bylaw provisions' to participate in a meeting electronically and agreed to refer the Board's Procedure Bylaw to the Policy Committee for review

2) The Board received a report of the Deputy Corporate Officer/Executive Assistant in respect of the Cariboo RD's regional representative to the NCLGA Board

3) The Board agreed to appoint Directors Delainey/Sorley/Kirby to the Central Cariboo Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel which will convene on 2:00 p.m. on February 27, 2019 & appoint Directors Sjostrom/Glassford/Simpson to the North Cariboo Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel which will convene on 10:30 a.m. on February 26, 2019

4) The Board approved submission of an 2019 NCLGA Resolution, as amended, in respect of a cannabis excise tax revenue sharing agreement with the Province of British Columbia

Resolved - That Staff bring forward an NCLGA Resolution to the March 1st Board Meeting concerning Fire Inspection for Public Buildings in Electoral Areas

5) The Board received the following NCLGA/UBCM/FCM Member Items:

a) Peace River Regional District - Caribou Recovery Update to UBCM Resolution B116
b) District of New Hazelton - Northern BC Tourism Association

Committee or Commission Minutes/Recommendations:

1) The Board received the following Committee or Commission Minutes from previous meetings, as follows:

a) Central Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus Minutes - November 28, 2018 (correction to previous minutes and amend Board Resolution accordingly)
b) South Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus Minutes - January 14, 2019
c) South Cariboo Joint Committee Minutes - January 14, 2019
d) Central Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus Minutes - January 15, 2019
e) North Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus Minutes - January 15, 2019
f) Central Cariboo Joint Committee Minutes - January 23, 2019
g) Emergency Preparedness Committee Minutes - January 25, 2019

2) The Board endorsed recommendations from the above noted meetings, as follows:

a) South Cariboo Appointments for 2019 - South Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 14th, 2019 meeting)
b) Social Planning Council of Williams Lake GFA Application - Central Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting) - Refer back to Central Cariboo Rural Directors' Caucus -- Director Forseth opposed
c) Central Cariboo Appointments for 2019 - Central Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)
d) Williams Lake Fringe Fire Agreement/Extension - Central Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)

Director Bachmeier declared a conflict of interest on the next item and left the Boardroom at 2:26pm


e) Bouchie Lake Rural Crime Watch Grant for Assistance Application - North Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting) Waive Policy/Approve $2,813.72 from Area B Grant for Assistance fund

f) NC Agricultural Development Advisory Committee/Budget Allocation Request - North Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)
g) Quesnel Search and Rescue Society Contribution Increase Request - North Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)

Director Bachmeier returned to the Boardroom at 2:42pm

h) Accessibility and Advisory Committee of Quesnel/Invitation to Participate in Meetings (Dir Sjostrom) - North Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)

i) Procurement of CRD Meeting Space in the North Cariboo - North Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)
j) Quesnel Airport Advisory Committee appointment (Director Glassford)- North Cariboo Rural Caucus (Jan 15th, 2019 meeting)
k) Williams Lake Daybreak Rotary Club - Support Request for Bike Bridge in WL River Valley -- Central Cariboo Joint Committee (Jan 23rd, 2019 meeting)

l) Alexis Creek Outdoor Arena Project/Cariboo Strong Funding - Central Cariboo Joint Committee (Jan 23rd, 2019 meeting)
m) Invitation to BC Hydro to Attend CRD Board Meeting - Central Cariboo Joint Committee (Jan 23rd, 2019 meeting)
n) Priority Actions Status Update for January 2019 - Emergency Preparedness Committee (Jan 25th, 2019 meeting)
o) UBCM 2019 CEPF Application/Emergency Operations Centres and Training - Emergency Preparedness Committee (Jan 25th, 2019 meeting)

Directors' Requests:

1) The Board received a report of Director Forseth (Area 'D') concerning an update on Community Energy Association EV Charging Stations

2) The Board received a request of Director Forseth concerning Rural Mailbox Break-Ins in Area 'D' and directed a letter be forwarded to Canada Post requesting an update on replacement of the damaged rural mailboxes with a copy of the letter to be forwarded to Cariboo-PG MP Todd Doherty and Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy MacLeod

3)  The Board received requests from Directors Sjostrom, Forseth and Sorley (Areas A, D and F) in regards to 2019 NCLGA Resolutions as follows:

a) Lack of Pilots across small airline market (Dir Forseth - Area D)
b) Emergency Social Services Consistency for Level 3 events across BC (Dir Sorley - Area F)
c) Funding for Staffing in Regional Fire Centres where wildfires are located (Dir Glassford - Area I)
d) Fire Mitigation Planning on Transportation Corridors (Dir Glassford - Area I)

and the Board directed Staff to prepare NCLGA Resolutions accordingly

Chair's Report:

1) The Board received a written report of the Chair's activities up to Feb 5th, 2019.

Meeting recessed at 3:44pm
Meeting resumed at 3:50pm

Closed Board Session:

At 3:50pm -- the Board convened an In-Camera Session as per Section 90(1a - appointment) of the Community Charter

Resume Open Board Session:

At 4:43pm - the Board resumed its public meeting and adjourned

CCRHD Board Highlights - Feb 8th mtg

Present: Chair B. Simpson/Vice-Chair A. Richmond; Directors M. Sjostrom. B. Bachmeier, J. Massier, S. Forseth, A. Delainey, J. Sorley, M. Wagner, J. Glassford, G. Kirby, C. Mernett (9:34am), W. Macdonald, G. Fourchalk, M. Campsall and S. Watson

Meeting called to order at 9:30am

Meeting Agenda adopted
Minutes of the CCRHD Board Meeting held on January 18th, 2019 were received/adopted

The Board received the Memorandum of Business - Delegations, as of Feb 8th, 2019

Business:

1) The Board gave 1st, 2nd, 3rd Readings and Adoption to the following CCRHD Capital Expenditures Bylaws:

a) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure - CT Scanner (Cariboo Memorial Hospital) Amendment Bylaw No. 117(1), 2019
b) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure (100 Mile District General Hospital – Admitting/Triage Patient Area Renovation) Amendment Bylaw No. 137(1), 2019

c) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure (Cariboo Memorial Hospital Triage/Waiting Room Renovation) Bylaw No. 153, 2019

d) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure (100 Mile District General Hospital Access Control System Upgrade) Bylaw No. 154, 2019

e) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure (100 Mile District General Hospital/South Cariboo Health Centre Staff Duress System) Bylaw No. 155, 2019

f) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure (Interior Health IMIT Project) Bylaw No. 156, 2019

g) Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Capital Expenditure (Interior Health Laboratory Middleware) Bylaw No. 157, 2019

Meeting recessed at 9:38am
Meeting resumed at 11:07am

Delegation:

Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi, Medical Health Officer for Interior Health, Amanda Lavigne, Substance Use Practice Lead, and Alyshia Morgan, Manager of Mental Health and Substance Use in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, appeared before the Board to discuss some of the public health implications and concerns about Cannabis legalization and harm reduction/opiod crisis response

A Question/Answer period ensued

The Chair, on behalf of the Board, thanked the delegation for their time/information

The Board adjourned at 12:22pm

Independent review concludes auditor general for local government offers value

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

The office of auditor general for local government will continue to operate. An independent review shows that the office offers value as a resource for communities to help them deliver the services people count on.

“Communities throughout British Columbia have let us know that they find value in the services offered by the auditor general for local government (AGLG) and that is why the office will continue to operate,” said the Hon. Selina Robinson, BC's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “The review shows that the office provides local governments with useful recommendations that are being implemented in communities around our province. While progress has been made in recent years, I expect the AGLG to continue improving its service to local governments by working closely with ministry staff on the report recommendations.”

Robinson initiated the independent review of the AGLG as required by legislation. The review was completed by Kelly Daniels, an independent consultant, and contains a global best-practices scan for performance auditing, a survey to all local governments in B.C. and interviews with key stakeholders.
The survey found that a majority of audited local governments feel they have benefited and are on track to implement the AGLG’s recommendations. Additionally, the survey indicates that almost 90% of non-audited local governments have read the AGLG’s recommendations to other communities, and the majority are using the reports as a resource to benefit their own communities.
Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including Local Government Management Association, Government Finance Officers Association, Columbia Institute’s Centre for Civic Governance, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

Stakeholders reported a significant improvement in the approach, performance and professionalism of the AGLG office over the past two years, beginning with the change in AGLG leadership in 2015.
The report provides recommendations to help the AGLG office serve local governments more efficiently and explore alternative approaches to providing performance audits, particularly for smaller communities, that would not require onerous staff time to support the audit team.

The ministry will work with AGLG staff to review and consider the report’s recommendations to improve the AGLG’s future operations.

Quick Facts:

The review was overseen by a working group comprised of representatives from the ministry, UBCM and a local government that underwent a review by the AGLG.

Independent consultant Kelly Daniels, former chief administrative officer of the Capital Regional District and Regional District of Nanaimo, conducted the five-year review.

71% of local governments that had been audited felt they benefited a medium to high degree from the audits.

86% of local governments that had not been audited indicated that someone in their organization had read a performance audit report or perspectives booklet.

Since its creation in 2012, the office of the auditor general for local government has completed a total of 27 performance audits.

Learn More:

Read the Auditor General for Local Government Act and Office Review 2012 – 2017: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/local-governments/governance-powers/auditor_general_local_government_review_2012_2017.pdf

Expedited funding aids forest industry and environment

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Editor's Note -- local investment from the Forest Enhancement Society includes $960,066 to West Chilcotin Forest Products Ltd. (54,321 cubic metres; Chilcotin Plateau west of Williams Lake; chips for pulp) and $3,430,491 to Cariboo Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (227,486 cubic metres; Chilcotin Plateau west of Williams Lake; wood pellets) 

Funding of $10 million from the Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia will mean more wood waste will be redirected to mills instead of being burned on the ground, creating more jobs for British Columbians and reducing carbon emissions.

“This is good for local jobs and for the health of the forests, and it is a positive step toward increased safety for forest-dependent communities,” said the Hon. Doug Donaldson, BC's Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Companies and workers will be able to make better use of residual timber and, in addition to creating employment and reducing waste, this approach will also help to reduce fuel on the landscape to mitigate wildfire risk.”

The individual grants range from $90,500 to $3,430,491 and cover nine projects in B.C.’s Interior (see backgrounder). The successful proposals were selected from among 33 applications that were submitted in response to a call for proposals specific to fibre use, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The recovered wood will be used for a variety of purposes, including chips for pulp, wood pellets, hog fuel for bio-energy and cants (low-grade timber products).

The ministry’s Forest Carbon Initiative, along with partners such as the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, focuses on how to make better use of wood fibre and reduce emissions from the burning of wood waste.

By using 100 cubic metres of lodgepole pine debris for energy or pulp, rather than burning it in a slash pile, about 17 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions can be avoided.

“The Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia’s board of directors is delighted to expedite the approval of these fibre utilization projects so that operations on the ground can begin immediately,” said Wayne Clogg, Board Chair, Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia. “The society is pleased to assist with these projects, because doing so will avoid carbon emissions, reduce smoke caused by slash burning, support jobs and potentially displace some fossil fuels.”
As a result of the expedited approval process, the successful applicants will be able to start taking the woody debris out of B.C.’s forests this winter. The proposals will see over 1.13 million cubic metres of fibre removed from the landscape.

“The Ulkatcho First Nation, as an owner of West Chilcotin Forest Products, very much appreciates the support of the governments of B.C. and Canada in assisting with the incremental utilization of harvesting waste that would otherwise be burned,” said Stephen James, executive director, West Chilcotin Forest Products. “The West Chilcotin plateau lacks the infrastructure that many other areas of the province take for granted. Given the distance to markets for our forest products, enhanced utilization of our forest fibre has always been a struggle. With this assistance from the Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia, we can now start to do our part to fight climate change while, at the same time, providing much-needed employment for our band members.”

Quick Facts:

The Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia, a Crown agency, was established in 2016 to advance the environmental and resource stewardship of the province’s forests by:

preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires;
improving damaged or low value forests;
improving habitat for wildlife;
supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low value forests; and
treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases.

As of January 2019, the B.C. government has invested $235 million in the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C., with over $173 million allocated to date for wildfire risk reduction, reforestation, forest rehabilitation, wildlife habitat restoration and raising awareness of the FireSmart program.

The Forest Carbon Initiative is funded in part through the federal government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund. This initiative assists with B.C. government priorities, such as:

revitalizing the forest sector;
partnering with First Nations;
supporting the Province’s CleanBC commitment to transition to a low-carbon economy; and
providing economic benefits for rural communities.

Learn More:

More information about the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. is available online: http://www.fesbc.ca

2018 Local Gov't Election Expenses released!

Yesterday - Elections BC, the Provincial agency responsible for election of MLA's, provincial referendum & initiatives'/recall campaigns and now the oversight agency for local government/board of education campaign financing legislation released the full list of campaign expenses for the 2018 Local Government or Boards of Education General Elections for Boards of Education, Municipal Councils and Regional District Boards'

You can look at the full details here

Within the Cariboo-Chilcotin Region:

District of Wells:

Office of Mayor -- Campaign Expense Limit - $10,000

* Current Wells Mayor Gabe Fourchalk spent $0 to get elected while his competitor, Lindsay Kay, spent $7.64 in her mayoral campaign

Office of Councillor - Campaign Expense Limit - $5,000

* Chris Cooley, Ksenya Dorwart, Mandy Kilsby and Jordan Rohatynski each spent $0 and were elected in their respective campaigns

* Birch Kuch spent $0 in the campaign but was defeated
* Caleb MacMillan spent $0 in the campaign but was not elected

City of Quesnel:

Office of Mayor - Campaign Expense Limit - $10,000

No election -- Bob Simpson acclaimed for a 2nd term

Office of Councillor - Campaign Expense Limit - $5,000

* Tammy Burrows spent $205.53 - not elected
* Cody Dillabough spent $869.18 - not elected
* Scott Elliott spent $900 - re-elected
* Tony Goulet spent $268.80 - elected
* Susan McNeil spent $417.80 -- not elected
* Ron Paull spent $502.00 -- re-elected
* Laurey-Anne Roodenburg spent $2,957.63 -- re-elected
* Martin Rouge spent $365.96 -- elected
* Kyle Townsend spent $0.00 -- not elected
* Mitch Vik spent $1,168.71 -- elected
* Lindsay Woods spent $0.00 -- not elected
* Fritz Wyssen spent $0.00 -- not elected

School District #28 (Quesnel):

Office of School Trustee (elect 7 Trustees at Large) -- Campaign Expense Limit: $9,709.20

* David Chapman spent $1,460.28 -- re-elected
* Wendy Clement spent $147.00 -- re-elected
* Tony Goulet spent $120.00 -- re-elected
* Gloria Jackson spent $175.12 -- re-elected
* Julie-Anne Runge spent $160.00 -- re-elected
* Roland Sawatsky spent $909.64 -- not elected
* Howard Schonke spent $0.00 -- re-elected
* Cyril Tobin spent $0.00 -- elected

School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin):

Office of School Trustee (elect 1 Trustee per Zone) -- Campaign Expense Limit: Zones 1-5 and 7 is $5,000 while Zone 6 (City of Williams Lake) is $6,656.00

Zones 1 and 3 -- No election required as Linda Martens (Zone 1) and Willow Macdonald (Zone 3) successfully re-elected by acclamation

Zone 2:

Mary Forbes spent $0.00 and was elected
Robyn Angus has not filed with Elections BC as of this writing....

Zone 4:

Ciel Patenaude spent $0.00 and was elected
Karen Blanchard spent $683.01 and was not elected

Zone 5:

Angie Delainey spent $0.00 and was elected
Jim Ritchie spent $0.00 and was not elected

Zone 6:

Alexis Forseille spent $89.96 and was elected
Chris Ford spent $418.20 and was not elected
Katie Blaxland spent $0.00 was not elected

Zone 7:

Anne Kohut spent $0.00 and was elected
Bruce Baptiste spent $0.00 and was defeated

City of Williams Lake:

Office of Mayor -- Campaign Expense Limit: $11,418.00

Walt Cobb spent $4,575.78 and was re-elected
Surinderpal Rathor spent $4,384.40 and was not elected

Office of Councillor -- Campaign Expense Limit: $5,709.00

* Sheila Boehm spent $429.67 and was elected
* Ivan Bonnell spent $919.42 and was re-elected
* Marnie Brenner spent $623.45 and was elected
* Jodie Capling spent $342.61 and was not elected
* Tom Hoffman spent $1,504.28 and was not elected
* Dave Moore spent $1,369.01 and was not elected
* Scott Nelson spent $2,824.60 and was re-elected
* Jason Ryll spent $2,397.20 and was re-elected
* Craig Smith spent $1,012.00 and was re-elected (Editor's Note -- the value of the re-used signs is included in this figure so Councillor Smith actually only spent $12.00 in his re-election campaign and that $12.00 was for bank account charges so the net effect was that Councillor Smith spent $0.00 for his re-election campaign)

* Natasha Wiebe spent $180.50 and was not elected

District of 100 Mile House:

Office of Mayor -- Campaign Expense Limit of $10.000

Mitch Campsall spent $450.00 and was re-elected
Rita Giesbrecht spent $4,398.29 and was not elected
Glen Macdonald spent $0.00 and was not elected

Office of Councillor -- Campaign Expense Limit of $5,000

* Wally Bramsleven spent $503.18 and was not elected
* Leon Chretien spent $0.00 and was not elected
* Ralph Fossum spent $0.00 and was re-elected
* Laura Laing spent $46.71 and was not elected
* Cameron McSorley spent $587.19 and was not elected
* Dave Mingo spent $790.18 and was re-elected
* Christ Pettman spent $0.00 and was elected
* Maureen Pinkney spent $1,287.98 and was elected
* Nicole Weir spent $503.18 and was not elected

Cariboo Regional District:

Office of Director -- Campaign Expense Limit of $5,000 per Electoral Area

Areas C, D, G, H and I held no elections -- John Massier (Area C), Steve Forseth (Area D), Al Richmond (Area G), Margo Wagner (Area H) and Jim Glassford -- all elected by acclamation

Area A:

Mary Sjostrom spent $1,436.25 and was elected
Cory Delves spent $740.24 and was not elected

Area B:

Barb Bachmeier spent $601.61 and was elected
Elizebeth Montgomery spent $7.90 and was not elected
Robert Shkuratoff spent $306.63 and was not elected

Area E:

Angie Delainey spent $0.00 and was re-elected
Melynda Neufeld spent $865.98 and was not elected

Area F:

Conrad Turcotte spent $1,450 and was elected (Editor's Note -- as Mr. Turcotte was not able to be formally sworn in before the December 7th, 2018 deadline, the Cariboo Regional District is currently conducting a By-Election for this Electoral Area with General Voting Day set at Saturday, March 30th, 2019

Brice O'Neill spent $1,568.31 and was not elected
Shannon Rerie spent $539.00 and was not elected

Area J:

Gerald Kirby spent $1,751.33 and was elected
Doug Wickenheiser spent $35.00 and was not elected
Roger William spent $207.22 and was defeated

Area K:

Chad Mernett spent $0.00 and was elected
Betty Anderson spent $0.00 and was defeated

Area L:

Willow Macdonald spent $1,133.44 and was elected
Brian Coakley spent $483.84 and was defeated

New and improved Love Northern BC website champions local businesses

Courtesy of the Northern Development Initiative Trust:

Northern Development has successfully launched a brand-new, mobile-friendly Love Northern BC website to better connect 1,600 businesses with customers.

The original website was designed to be viewed on a desktop to support one community and 50 businesses. However, a 2017 site analysis revealed that nearly 50 per cent of web traffic came from mobile or tablet devices.

The site is now optimized for mobile users and the upgraded platform offers other perks.

Visitors to the site are invited to make an account and can receive email updates about the program, including “new business” notifications. Users can also create “favourite” lists to keep track of places they want to visit. This tool is perfect for someone visiting the area for business or planning a road trip through the region.

Love Northern BC began in 2011 as Small Town Love, a Quesnel-based grassroots initiative. Its purpose was to create an online platform to showcase and support local businesses competing against chain stores and online retail. In 2016, Northern Development expanded Small Town Love into a movement including 74 communities and spanning vast distances through ongoing committed funding and support. Through partnerships between the Trust and local community champions, the program has become Love Northern BC – the largest shop local program in Canada.

Website here

Joel McKay - CEO of the Northern Development Initiative Trust stated:

Local businesses are the backbone of the economy in the North. Through the Love Northern BC platform, we are able to showcase the unique businesses that call our communities home.


About Northern Development Initiative Trust

Northern Development has a passion for growing the economy of central and northern British Columbia. Communities, First Nations and businesses of the north are leaders in creating jobs, new revenues and improving the quality of life in the region, and the Trust is dedicated to supporting their growth. The Trust combines funding with smart thinking and since 2005 has found more than 3,300 ways to say “yes” to projects that help the region thrive.
www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca

Lots of reasons to be proud of Quesnel

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Editor's Note -- this week's Quesnel City Council Column is written by Mayor Bob Simpson.  He can be reached via email here

When I first moved to Quesnel I thought I’d be here for a few years -- that was in 1985!

I love our community and all it has to offer residents and visitors alike. Despite having numerous opportunities over the years to pursue my passions elsewhere, I’ve never felt any compulsion to leave and I intend to retire here. This is my home, and I want it to be a welcoming place for others to feel at home too.
This is why, as your Mayor, I’ve done my best to work with Council and our many partners to create and start realizing a vision of Quesnel as a sustainable, fun, and thriving community that will continue to attract and retain visitors, residents, and investors for generations to come. While our vision of Quesnel as a destination community has been met with outright resistance from some and measured skepticism from others, for the most part it has been enthusiastically embraced by those who’ve taken the time to truly understand what we’re trying to achieve and why.

Fortunately, as we make the right investments and pursue the right strategies, more and more people are coming around to this latter camp: embracing our vision and enthusiastically promoting it. Better yet, they’ve become ambassadors and advocates for our community.

This was abundantly evident last week as Quesnel played host to the Women’s and Men’s Provincial Curling Championships. Quesnel was an exceptional host community and received accolades from Curl BC and the athletes, coaches, officials, and families who came here for this event.

The West Fraser Centre proved to be an outstanding venue for this event and the technological improvements we were able to make with Northern Trust’s funding assistance were icing on the cake, adding a high level of professionalism to the venue. Our North Cariboo Recreation staff went above and beyond throughout the event to ensure that the venue looked great and the needs of those using it were met as quickly as possible.

The Quesnel Curling Club was an incredible host, rallying over 170 volunteers and making sure there were lots of fun activities and entertainment for the visiting teams and their supporters. And, our business community rose to the occasion in splendid fashion as sponsors, boosters, and by providing a welcoming environment in their businesses to all our visitors.

By all accounts, Quesnel should be very proud of what we collectively achieved as hosts for this event. It’s important to note that it was the first time Curl BC held the Men’s and Women’s Championships together, and the first time the Men’s Championship was held outside the Lower Mainland – even more reason to be proud of our achievement.

Part of becoming a destination community is our desire to become known as a “hosting community” – a place where mid-sized competitions, conferences and trade shows can be held. We proved this past week that we are more than capable of achieving this part of our vision. Next up is an even bigger event: Minerals North in 2020.

Over the next few weeks we will meet with the various groups involved in hosting the Curling Championships to debrief and learn from this experience so we can enhance our hosting capabilities as a community. But, without a doubt, we have plenty to be proud about as a community.

On behalf of Quesnel City Council, my sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this Championship event such an incredible success.

Quesnel Council Highlights - Feb 5th mtg

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

College of New Caledonia – Annual Community Update

Henry Reiser, President, and Sonia Spiers, Operations Manager, provided a community update regarding the Quesnel campus by providing updates on the Strategic Plan Update, the Education Plan, the Aboriginal Education Plan, and the Community programming and events. For more information, please view the College of New Caledonia Institutional Accountability Plan and Report, 2017-2018 Reporting Cycle, that was released in July 2018.

2019 Capital Budget

Council approved the 2019 Capital Budget with highlights as follows:

• 2019 Capital Budget is $21,621,361.
• The Public Works Facility is the largest capital project at $10.975 million being funded by debt and the Capital Reinvestment Reserve.
• The budget is based on grants of $5.0 million for 2019 (the largest being $3.8 million for the Two Mile Flat Water Main) with the rest of the funding coming from reserves, utility fees and taxation.

Next steps include City staff to build the Five Year Financial Plan Bylaw with capital projects and funding sources proposed over 2019 – 2023.

BC Air Access Program – Grant Applications

Council approved City staff submitting a British Columbia Air Access Program grant application that will cover 75% of the project costs.  The projects are to replace the airside sidewalk, and new siding for the Airport Operations Building.

Community Group Budget Amounts

As per the Budget Principles Policy criteria, Council considers funding various community groups from the Community Support Budget.  Council approved funding for the following community groups:

• SkyFest – use of airport and airport office space, and in-kind assistance of City crews
• $12,250 - North Cariboo Highway Rescue (2019 – 2022)
• $12,250 – Quesnel Search and Rescue (2019 – 2022)
• $10,000 – Baker Creek Enhancement Society (2019 – 2022)
• $  4,000 – Quesnel Ambassadors Program + $1,000 in 2019 for new branding
• $  5,000 – Quesnel Foundation (2019)

CleanBC Strategy – Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Council approved Staff submitting a grant application, through the CleanBC Community Fund, that would provide up to 73% of capital costs to install two electric vehicle charging stations at the Quesnel & District Visitors Information Centre.  The Charge North Rural Electric Vehicle Network represents six regional districts and 37 municipalities along Highways 16, 97 and 5 that aim to have electric vehicle charging stations over 2,780 km of highway from south of Kamloops to Haida Gwaii.  The CleanBC Strategy regulations aim to mandate that by 2040 every new car sold in BC will be electric.

Bylaws

• 1859 – City of Quesnel Council Procedure – Final Adoption
• 1861 – 2018 Financial Plan Amendment – Final Adoption
• 1863 – Cannabis Zoning Amendment – Retail Outlets and Production Facilities – Second and Third Readings

Next Meetings

6 pm – February 19, 2019 - Regular Council Meeting
6 pm – February 26, 2019 - Regular Council Meeting

Committee of the Whole Session (WL Council) - Feb 5th mtg

Present: Mayor W. Cobb (Chair); Councillors S. Boehm, M. Brenner, S. Nelson, J. Ryll and C. Smith

Agenda approved/Minutes of the Committee of the Whole meeting held Jan 22nd/2019 was received/approved

Delegation:

Representatives from the Williams Lake Farmers' Market appeared before the Committee to discuss holding an additional market on Tuesdays from 3:00pm to 7:00pm for the 2019 market season, erect a permanent on site market sign, and permit the market to utilize an on-site cargo trailer instead of the previously approved storage shed

Discussion ensued thereon

The Chair, on behalf of the Committee, thanked the delegation for their time and information

Resolved - That the Committee recommend to Council:

That the request of the Williams Lake Farmer's Market to hold an additional market on Tuesdays from 3:00pm to 7:00pm for the 2019 market season, erect a permanent on site market sign, and permit the market to utilize an on-site cargo trailer instead of the previously approved storage shed, be received and Staff work with the Williams Lake Farmers' Market on these items...

Business:

1) Building Bylaw Update

The report of the Director of Municipal Services (G. Muraca) was presented to the Committee
Discussion ensued thereon

Resolved - That the Committee recommend to Council:

That pursuant to the report of the Director of Municipal Services dated January 24, 2019, Council accept the changes to the building bylaw as presented and "City of Williams Lake Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019" and "City of Williams Lake Bylaw Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 2302, 2019" be brought forward for the required readings

2) Late Item - Williams Lake Transit

The report of the Director of Development Services (L. Hartley) was presented to the Committee
Discussion ensued thereon

Resolved - That the Committee recommend to Council:

That pursuant to the report of the Director of Development Services dated February 4, 2019, Council direct BC Transit to amend the three year Annual Operating Agreement as follows:

* Additional dollars for Taxi Supplements
* Improvements to Transit Infrastructure, as discussed at Committee of the Whole

With no further business - the Committee agreed to adjourn

2018 Cariboo-Chilcotin Population Estimates

BC Stats, a division of the Provincial Government recently released its' population estimates for BC for the year ending December 31st, 2018....

Within the Cariboo Regional District:

For the 12 combined Electoral Areas in 2011 - population was 39,834
For the 12 combined Electoral Areas in 2018 - population was 41,400

For the District of Wells in 2011 - population was 245
For the District of Wells in 2018 - population was 233

For the City of Quesnel in 2011 - population was 10,192
For the City of Quesnel in 2018 - population was 10,428

For the City of Williams Lake in 2011 - population was 11,171
For the City of Williams Lake in 2018 - population was 11,359

For the District of 100 Mile House in 2011 - population was 1,913
For the District of 100 Mile House in 2018 - population was 1,892

Source document here

~SF

Local Government Meetings - Wk of Feb 4-8

The following local governments of the Cariboo Chilcotin are meeting next week, as follows:

Wells - Special In-Camera Meeting on Tuesday, Feb 5th at 9am in Wells Council Chambers (4243 Sanders Avenue).  To read the In-Camera Meeting Notice, click here

Quesnel - First, a Public Hearing on Cannabis Regulations - 6pm on Tuesday, Feb 5th in Quesnel Council Chambers (4th Floor, 410 Kinchant St).  Public Hearing Agenda here

Upon conclusion of the Public Hearing, the Regular Meeting of Quesnel Council will follow.  On the Agenda:

* Delegation -- College of New Caledonia - Annual Community Update
* Committee Reports -- Executive Committee
* Report from Councillor R. Paull -- City of Quesnel 100th Anniversary Reserve Fund
* Draft 2019 Capital Budget
* BC Air Access Program - Airport Grant Application
* Community Group Budget Amounts (2019 Budget)

View the full Agenda here

Williams Lake - Committee of the Whole Session on Tuesday, Feb 5th at 6pm in the Rick Hansen Boardroom (Basement - 450 Mart St).  On the Agenda:

* Delegation -- Williams Lake Farmers Market re: 2019 Season Requests
* Building Bylaw Update

View the full Agenda here

Cariboo Regional District - Meetings as outlined below:

Feb 5th -- Open House on proposed User Fee Increase for Red Bluff Sewer System with Cariboo RD Area 'A' Director Mary Sjostrom/CRD Staff in attendance.  Open House session at the Lodge (1262 Maple Heights Rd, Quesnel).  Meeting details here

Feb 6th at 10am - South Cariboo Joint Committee meeting in 100 Mile House Council Chambers (385 Birch Avenue, 100 Mile House). On the Agenda:

* Review of Strategic Priorities for South Cariboo Recreation along with review of South Cariboo Recreation Services 2019 Business and Financial Plans and Capital Projects Plan
* In-Camera Session -- Sec 90(1e - land) of the Community Charter

View the full Agenda here

Feb 8th -- Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Hospital District at 9:30am followed by Cariboo Regional District Board at 9:45am or adjournment of the CCRHD Board, whichever occurs first.  Both meetings will be held in the Cariboo Regional District Boardroom in Williams Lake - 180D North 3rd Avenue

CCRHD Board Agenda:

* Delegation at 11am -- Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi, Medical Health Officer for Interior Health, Amanda Lavigne, Substance Use Practice Lead, and Alyshia Morgan, Manager of Mental Health and Substance Use in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, to appear before the Board to discuss some of the public health implications and concerns about Cannabis legalization and harm reduction/opiod crisis response.

* A number of Capital Expenditure Bylaws for 3 Readings and Adoption

View the full Agenda here

Cariboo RD Board Agenda:

* 10:30am -- Steelhead LNG

* Various Land Use matters for consideration
* Refuse Site Inspection Report
* Willoughby Pl Streetlighting
* NDIT Grant Applications
* Grant for Assistance (Year Round Intake) applications
* Various Committee Recommendations for purposes of endorsement
* Reuqests from Directors Forseth (EV Charging Stations, NCLGA Resolution - lack of trained pilots and rural mailbox break-ins), Sorley (NCGLA Resolutions - ESS Consistency), Bachmeier (CRD Procedure Bylaw - Electronic Participation) and Sjostrom (NCLGA Resolutions - Prohibitive House Insurance after wildfires, financial support for Quesnel Fire Centre and multi-agency effort to undertake fire mitigation along highways and access roads)

View the full Agenda here

Local Caterers needed for #NCLGA2019

Courtesy of the City of Williams Lake:

The City of Williams Lake and Cariboo Regional District are looking for formal, written quotations from local suppliers for the provision of catering services for a series of meals over the course of the 2019 North Central Local Government Association Conference being held May 7-10, 2019 in Williams Lake, BC. Proposals may be submitted for any or all of the meals required.

From May 7-10, 2019, Williams Lake will welcome upwards of 300 delegates to the community to attend the 2019 North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) Conference. A range of catering services are required over the course of the four days. A majority of the conference-related events and catering services will be required on site at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, unless otherwise specified.
Closing date is Monday, February 25, 2019 at 4:00 pm Local Time.

Enquiries may be directed to:

Angela Cail, Procurement & Asset Mgmt Coordinator
Email: purchasing@williamslake.ca
Phone: 250.392.1780

A link to the document can be found on the City’s Website at http://williamslake.ca/DocumentCe…/…/2436/NCLGA-Catering-RFP, or copies of the Request for Proposals can be picked up at the City of Williams Lake office at 450 Mart Street during regular office hours.