Present: Mayor Cook and Councillors Bonnell, Hughes, Rathor and Walters
Absent: Councillors Geoff Bourdon and Sue Zacharias
Staff Present:
Pat Higgins - Acting CAO/Director of Finance
Tom Chung - IT Manager
Lilliana Dragowska - Planner
Cindy Walters - Planning Clerk
Joe Engelberts - Manager of Water/Waste
Ken MacInnis - Communications Coordinator
Meeting called to order at 6:04pm
Agenda approved with 1 late item (verbal report from Councillor Rathor on 2012 WL Stampede)
Minutes of June 19th (Regular) and June 28th (Special) Council Meetings approved
Delegations/Presentations:
1) Darrell Orosz from the Cariboo Fire Centre gave an update on the 2012 Forest Fire season
2) Tammy Keetch gave an update on the Wood Stove Exchange Program
3) Mayor Cook presented CRD Area 'D' Director Deb Bischoff with a 'Community Spirit' Award for 'Science World' at Thompson Rivers' University
Business:
1) Council received the accounts payable computer cheque listings for the periods ending June 21 and 28, 2012
2) Council requested the Minister of Community Services (Hon Ida Chong) to confer the power to the Council for the City of Williams Lake, pursuant to Section 315.3 of the Local Government Act, to write off unpaid property taxes, plus applicable penalties and interest, for 3 properties
3) Council received seven items identified by the Auditor as it relates to the 2011 Budget Year End and requested that the Auditor provide these items in the form of an addendum to the original 2011 Auditor's management letter and Staff were directed to bring back a report to Council outlining options to address the identified items.
4) Council received the Williams Lake Central Business Improvement Area's proposal for the Chuck Wagon Concession to set up on Community Corner as a year-round food vendor and the WLCBIA will be advised that the City currently has no concerns with the operation of such a business on the Partnership site.
5) Council approved the 2012 Mobile Vendors Pilot Project as proposed for Courthouse Square, Kiwanis Park, Boitanio Park and Herb Gardner Park and authorized Staff to advertise for mobile vendor participation in the pilot project. Council also authorized the proposed Selection Committee to select and place mobile vendors in the designated sites around downtown Williams Lake for the 2012 season
6) Council authorized Staff to increase the 2012 Water Budget by an additional $30,000 from the Water Utility Fund to ensure that there is adequate funding to complete the Variable Frequency Drive assembly for the #4 Well located at Scout Island.
7) Council gave two readings to Zoning Amendment Bylaw #2162, 2012 (Dove Real Estate Ltd - 12 Lakeview Ave). Public Hearing for this bylaw will be held on August 21st, 2012
8) Council appointed Mayor Cook to make a presentation to the BC Special Committee on Timber Supply on Thursday, July 5th outlining recommendations related to mitigating future timber supply issues
9) Council reconfirmed the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex' Alcohol Consumption Policy and all CMRC User Groups will be advised that the Policy will be strictly enforced immediately.
10) Council approved 3 Committee of the Whole Recommendations as follows:
a) Council approve the amendment to Council Policy No. 22, Bank Signing Authority, to allow for electronic signatures to be used on cheques issued in the amount of $2,000 or less - Councillor Rathor was opposed
b) Council directed Staff to begin development of an Accessible Parking Bylaw following the model from SPARC BC as contained in their September 2009 Accessible Community Bylaws Guide
c) Council directed Staff to pursue the request from the BC Ambulance Service for rental of office space at the Williams Lake Fire Hall
11) Council referred a letter from the Cariboo-Chilcotin Conservation Society regarding changes in Bill C-38 to the Fisheries Act to Staff for a report back to Council
Editor's Note - interesting that Mayor Cook and Councillors Bonnell/Rathor profess that they know nothing about the changes to the Fisheries Act proposed in Bill C-38. This when Bill C-38 was hotly debated for the last couple of months... as my readers' may know already - Bill C-38 become law, by royal assent, last Friday
12) Council received/endorsed all recommendations contained in the minutes from the June 27th Central Cariboo/City of WL Joint Committee meeting
13) Council ratified two In-Camera motions as follows:
a) That pursuant to the report of the Striking Committee dated June 14, 2012, Council appoint Barbara Doedel to the Accessibility Advisory Committee to fill the vacant position of “Service Provider” for the balance of the 2012 term.
b) That the Cariboo Regional District and Provincial Government be advised that Williams Lake City Council supports a continuation of the current agreements to provide Williams Lake rural fringe fire protection.
Editor's Note - Councillor Rathor, on Item 'B', failed to chose his words carefully when he suggested that the press release from the Cariboo Regional District of last Friday was not truthful. I profoundly regret he chose to do this and sincerely wish he could found a different way to express his opinion on the issue of Rural Fire Protection without resorting to calling CRD Directors Bischoff, Kemp and Sorley as 'liars'... :(
14) Council received the 'Council Information Package' of July 3rd as follows:
June 13, 2012 - Letter from Town Taxi re Request to Passenger Transportation Board for Taxi Rate Increase
June 14 & 15, 2012 - CRD Board Highlights;
June 19, 2012 - CCACS News Release re Canada Day Celebrations in Boitanio Park;
June 25, 2012 - CFIB Release re BC Property Tax Report 2012;
June 20, 2012 - UBCM Member Release re Presentation to Expert Panel on Business Taxation;
June 21, 2012 - City of North Vancouver re Shark Fin Harvesting;
June 22, 2012 - Minister of State for Multiculturalism re 2012 Provincial Nesika Awards;
June 27, 2012 - CRD/City News Release re Cariboo Mountain Biking on Sea-to-Sky Hwy Billboard Sign.
Council also asked Staff to bring forward a report on the items from the CFIB and UBCM concerning business taxation
Editor's Note - I agree with Councillor Bonnell when he said 'what's the point of asking Staff to report on these items'. To deal effectively with business taxation, there is one solution - spend less money, but I don't expect that to occur with this Council
Councillor Rathor gave a brief summary of how the 2012 WL Stampede turned out
Council adjourned at 7:38pm and reconvened In-Camera under Section 90(1)(a) of the Community Charter
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