WL Council Highlights - April 19th Meeting

Present: Mayor Cook and Councillors’ Barr, Bourdon, Hébert, Rathor, Walters and Zacharias (joined meeting at 7:43pm)

Staff Present:

Brian Carruthers - CAO
Cindy Bouchard - Manager of Legislative Services
Geoff Goodall - GM of Planning and Ops
Tom Chung - IT Manager
Ken MacInnis - Communications Coordinator

Meeting called to order at 6:00pm
Minutes of April 5th, 2011 WL Council Meeting approved

Delegations:

1) WL RCMP Detachment Commander (Staff-Sgt) Warren Brown presented to Council the 2011 1st Quarter Crime Stats
2) Mayor Cook, on behalf of Council, presented the 2010 Certificate of Merit Award to the following individuals:

• Tanna Lauriente
• Brittany Denny
• Carl Lam
• Kanyon Gleeson
• Jason Gordon (absent at the presentation)
• Cassidy Porter
• Sheldon Lainchbury
• Katharina Koppe
• Holden Brown

3) Darlene Doskoch, from the local Canadian Mental Health Association, appeared before Council to give an update on Jubilee Place - see her presentation here
4) Fred McMechan appeared before Council to request a proclamation for “Enjoy Nature” week from May 9-14
5) Ron Halas, COO of Spanish Mountain Gold & Marissa Nobauer, Associate Consultant of Cantana Consulting appeared before Council to present information on the Spanish Mountain Gold project, near Likely.  See his presentation here

Editor’s Note – Ms. Nobauer advised that a public meeting on this project would be forthcoming in the next few months. Stay tuned here for details for the date/time for that meeting(s)

6) Des Webster, Fire Prevention Inspector, appeared before Council to present the City’s Evacuation Plan.  See his presentation here

Editor’s Note – The City intends to have a public meeting on the Evacuation Plan in the very near future and at May's WL Fire Depart. Open House  Again – stay tuned for details here

Mayor Cook declared a recess at 7:40pm
The meeting resumed at 7:45pm

Mayor Cook then requested Councillors’ to be careful with speaking to business items tonight, given this is an election year, otherwise others may complain

Editor’s Note – Doesn’t Mayor Cook trust the City Councillors to act like adults? And who is she referring to when Cook says “others may complain”. I guess we can call the Mayor “Control-Freak Kerry”.  For proof of this: Watch the WL Council meeting video on Shaw Cable - Channel 10 at 8pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7am

Business:

1) Council adopted Bylaw #2136 (2011-2015 Financial Plan/2011 Budget) – Councillor Rathor opposed

Editor's Note - Councillor Rathor informs me that the 1st Quarter 2011 Gaming Funds is equal to $392,000, more than enough to wipe away the 3% property tax hike.  However, the City CAO warned Council not to do so as it is an estimate rather than a firm number, but Council could make up the $300,000 in other ways as well by ditching the "Tree Farm" Project at the WL Regional Airport, deferring the Station House Gallery project until 2012 and putting the $200,000 into tax relief for property owners rather than putting that into the "Pavement Reserve"

2) Council approved the proposed 2011 Municipal Property Tax Rates and Bylaw No. 2137 (2011 Property Tax Rates) was read a 1st, 2nd and 3rd time and further, objectives and a policy for tax distribution in future budgets will be developed by Council – Councillor Rathor opposed

3) Council directed Staff to publish in a local newspaper, notice of availability of the parcel tax rolls for inspection and the requirements and time frame for lodging complaints/challenging the rolls; and further, that Council schedule tentative dates for the Parcel Tax Roll Reviews to be held in Council Chambers, if required, as follows:

Water and Sewer - Thursday, May 5, 2011 @ 10:00 am
Water and Sewer-South Lakeside - Thursday, May 5, 2011 @ 10:15 am
Downtown Parking and Beautification - Thursday, May 5, 2011 @ 10:30 am4

4) Council received for information the report of the Communications Coordinator re: 2011 1st Quarter Economic Indicators

Editor's Note - The report will be available online at www.williamslake.ca and paper copies will be made available.  Also the City CAO advised Council that the new City website is behind schedule by at least 3 weeks which puts the new website being live by the end of May.  I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what Brian Carruthers and his staff have come up with for the City's new website

5) Council received the notes from the Advisory Planning Commission meeting held April 12, 2011 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2134 regarding Secondary Suites was read a second time and a Public Hearing be scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 7:00 pm in Council Chambers at City Hall – Councillor Rathor opposed

Editor’s Note – lots of discussion on lack of APC Members not attending the April 12th meeting. Perhaps if Councillor Zacharias or Mayor Cook attended an APC meeting in the near future, it would assist APC members in letting the politicians know why they aren’t able to attend APC meeting(s)

Councillor Walters, on the next item, declared a conflict of interest as the applicant is related to her family

6) Council accepted the application to amend Zoning Bylaw No. 1825 by allowing for the construction of a hockey rink training facility upon Lot C, District Lot 6483, Cariboo District, Plan BCP38984 through a text amendment to the permitted uses in the General Industrial (M-2) zone; and Council gave first reading to Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2132 and that the application was forwarded to the Advisory Planning Commission for their comments and recommendations.

Councillor Walters returned to Council Chambers

7) Council referred DVP #3-2011 to the Advisory Planning Commission for its review/recommendations. Council will formally consider the DVP at its’ May 3rd meeting

8) Council approved free transit service on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 in recognition of Clean Air Week.

9) Council awarded the tender for Pavement Marking 2011 / 2012 / 2013 to G&D Line Marking in the amount of $177,084.30 (3 year total) excluding HST

10) Council awarded the acquisition of revised orthophotography to Terrasaurus Ltd. in the amount of $17,000.00 excluding HST.

11) Council authorized the Mayor and Corporate Officer to sign the Accountability Agreement with NDI for capital upgrades at the CMRC.

12) Council awarded the contract for a Boiler Replacement at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex to RL7 Mechanical Ltd. for the tendered price of $148,911

13) Council awarded the contract for a Brine Header Replacement at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex to Fraser Valley Refrigeration for the tendered price of $60,850

14) Council supported the Special Occasion Liquor License request from the Williams Lake Cycling Club to host a concert/dance/beer garden in conjunction with the Peel Out event scheduled from 6 pm – 11 pm on May 21, 2011 in Gibraltar Room of the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex pursuant to City Policy & subject to RCMP approval.

15) Council agreed to 3 Committee of the Whole Recommendations as follows:

a) Council received the report of the Planner dated April 5, 2011 providing an update on the public engagement process and comments provided on the Draft Official Community Plan for the City of Williams Lake and the proposed adoption schedule be approved:

First Reading and Capital Plan Review - May 3, 2011
Government and Agency Referral Process - May 5, 2011
Public Consultation at City Hall - May 16, 2011
Advisory Planning Commission - May 17, 2011
Second Reading - May 24, 2011
Public Hearing, Third Reading and Adoption - June 7, 2011

b) Council approved increases to the Transit fares as follows:

Cash Fares:

Adult - $1.00 to $1.25
Senior/Student - $.75 to $1.00

Book Tickets:

Adult - $.95 to $1.13
Seniors/Students - $.70 to $.90

Monthly Passes:

Adult - $32.00 to $37.00
Senior/Student - $24.00 to $28.00
HandyDART - $1.50 to $1.75

Councillor Rathor opposed

c) The Summary report from the Fraser Basin Council on the Sub-regional Workshops held on Climate Change Adaptation was received and members of Council were encouraged to attend the Adapting to Climate Change in the Central Cariboo and Chilcotin Region-Wide Workshop on April 28, 2011 from 5pm to 9pm.

16) Proclamations:

a) "Nature Awareness and Appreciation Week" – May 9th to 14th
b) “Day of Mourning” – Thursday, April 28th
c) “Vision Health Month” – May 2011

17) Council received for information the “Council Information Package” as follows:

March 29, 2011 – Letter from District of Barriere re Donation of Work Truck - see here
March 30, 2011 – Letter from Province of BC Office of the Premier re Tuition Fees at TRU - see here
March 31, 2011 – Letter from Community Social Services re Social Services Awareness Month - see here
April 4, 2011 - StreamTalk Newsletter, Spring 2011 - see here
April 6, 2011 - Member Release from UBCM re West Nile Virus Risk Reduction Initiative - see here
April 8, 2011 - Member Release from UBCM re Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative - see here
April 2011 - Information re Home Owner Grants and Northern & Rural Area Homeowner Benefit  - see here

Members of Council gave oral reports on issues/events occurring in the City
Meeting adjourned at 8:35pm