Review of Items - WL Committee of the Whole Meeting

On Tuesday, WL Council, meeting in Committee of the Whole, will be considered the following items:

1) 2010 Annual Report - I'm impressed to see this item so early before Council and it certainly will meet the required deadlines in the Community Charter so kudos for Council/Staff to try and get this before the public before Council is required to hear from the public on the 2010 Annual Report by the end of June.  See the 2010 Annual Report here

2) Industrial Tax Revitalization Bylaw - see the proposed Bylaw here however I'm not certain that this will attract the type of industrial investment Council is seeking because, at present, we are #1 for the heavy industry tax mil rate, in addition to high business & light industry tax mil rates.  The bylaw, for the record, will:

a) Establish 3 Classes of Tax Revitalization
b) Formula of tax deferral established based on level of investment, sustainable local jobs, building based upon LEED Green Energy Building Standards (note - building to LEED standard is expensive, depending on the level desired - silver, gold or platinum)
c) Areas defined - West Fraser Sawmill/Plywood, Tolko - Soda Creek, Co-Gen Plant, former Jackpine Engineered Wood facility and an area at the WL Regional Airport

3) Parking on City Boulevards Proposal - see here.  This is what was presented to the community in April so we'll have to wait and see what Council's reaction to this is but it was endorsed by Council's BRAC (Bylaw Review Advisory Committee) of which Councillor Geoff Bourdon in addition to City Staff sit on the BRAC

4) Expansion of Off-Street Parking - see here.  City Staff propose that the local area tax of $0.10 per .093 sq metres remain and allow $50.00 deduction per customer parking spot offered as an incentive to supply parking spaces. The $50.00 deduction was to be included within the previous revision of the Off-Street Parking Bylaw, however, it was not included which was an oversight. As a response to this error, Staff has been giving the $50.00 credit for qualifying parking spaces as it was the previous Bylaw revisions intention and expand the off-street parking zone to include the Station House Gallery and area site, Cariboo Lodge parking area, business area encompassing "Movies on the Go", "Red Tomato Pies" and the property directly behind & area between 1st Ave and Cameron to 1st Ave and Proctor St