CRD Central Cariboo Transit - Next Steps

On May 26th & 27th and May 31st, the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) held public meetings on the future of public transit in CRD Areas D, E, F. The meetings were poorly attended by the public, just 27 people attending all 3 meetings.

Darron Campbell (CRD Manager of Community Services) will now review the feedback forms and public comments on this item and summarize these into a report for the Central Cariboo Rural Caucus meeting on June 9th.

The options that the Rural Caucus (which is made up of the CRD Directors for Areas D, E, F, J and K) have on the proposed Central Cariboo Transit Function are:

1) Halt the process and the bus service to 150 Mile, Dog Creek Rd area and Commodore Heights would terminate on December 31st, 2010

2) Continue the transit service, as a trial, by way of funding via combined Grants for Assistance from Electoral Areas D, E, F for 2011. Note - if one of the Directors for Areas D, E or F doesn't agree with this option that it can not proceed

3) Move the proposal forward to the Board with a decision as to how to finance the Function (tax on Land Only, tax on land and improvements, tax by parcel tax) and the process to obtain voter assent. Once a decision on how to finance the function is made, then that option goes in the Function Establishment Bylaw and this Bylaw would go forward to either the June 11th or July 9th CRD Board meetings. Also, the Rural Caucus will make a recommendation to the CRD Board as to which option will be used to obtain public assent (Counter-Petition or Referendum). At this point, the Directors for Areas D to F have unanimously agreed that the conducting of a referendum for the voter approval of taxes necessary to sustain a Central Cariboo Transit Service will be the option pursued. Only those voters who live in CRD Electoral Areas D, E,F and live within the proposed taxation zone of the Central Cariboo Transit Service can vote on this item

I hope to be in attendance to observe what the CRD Area D, E, F Directors decide on the future of public transit to the rural fringe areas outside the City of Williams Lake