Friday, December 14, 2012

CRD Board Highlights - Dec 14th mtg

Editor's Notes:

1) The CRD Board will be providing no letters of support for the WL Community Forest after it was unable to agree whether or not to give a letter of support to either the residents of Big Lake or the Williams Lake Indian Band.  At issue was the City of Williams Lake/WL Indian Band being unable to work with Big Lake residents' to work through, at best, some minor issues prior to approval of the WL Community Forest

2) In no surprise -- Area 'G' Director Al Richmond was easily re-elected as CRD Chair for his 5th term (Dec 2008-Dec 2013) with Area 'A' Director Ted Armstrong continuing as CRD Vice-Chair for 2013.  My congrats to both Directors' Richmond/Armstrong on their re-election victories :)

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

CCRHD Recruitment and Retention Policy

The Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District endorsed a resolution to maintain the funding for its Recruitment and Retention program at $120,000 for fiscal 2013 through 2015 to allow contributions of $30,000 annually towards recruitment contracts in the north, south and central Cariboo. An annual contribution of $30,000 to the Northern Medical Programs Trust is also included within this envelope. Both programs will be reviewed in 2015 to consider whether or not to continue these contributions beyond 2015.

In 2009, the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District Board adopted a Recruitment and Retention policy with the proviso that it be reviewed in three years to determine its effectiveness and appropriateness. Several months later, the Board approved an annual contribution to the Northern Medical Programs Trust, again with the stipulation that the contribution be reviewed in three years.

Provisional Budgets Headed to Consultation Meetings

The Cariboo Regional Hospital District (CRHD), the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District (CCRHD) and the Cariboo Regional District’s (CRD) 2013 provisional Budgets and Business Plans were endorsed by the Board. The provisional budget will then be presented to CRD residents in 2013 through three sub-regional consultation meetings taking place in the south Cariboo (100 Mile House at Creekside Seniors’ Centre) on January 30; north Cariboo (Quesnel at Quesnel Legion Hall) on January 31; and the central Cariboo (Williams Lake at the Pioneer Complex) on February 2.

The CRD’s traditional Town Hall Meetings for 2013 will be held at the beginning of the budgeting process in September and October in each of the electoral areas and municipalities. The budgets are currently listed on the CRD website on the December 14 agendas at cariboord.bc.ca.

Wood Stove Exchange Program

The Cariboo Regional District Board will be supporting the 2013 Wood Stove Exchange program. The program encourages residents to replace their old inefficient wood stoves with cleaner burning models that improve personal health and air quality by providing funding incentives. The Cariboo Regional District will refund wood stove inspection fees to participants of the program after installations are approved by CRD staff. The program is a partnership of the Ministry of Environment and the BC Lung Association, and will be administered in 2013 by the Williams Lake Air Quality Roundtable.

Community Works Approved

Up to $10,000 of Community Works Funds were approved for energy efficiency upgrades to the Lone Butte Community Hall. Work will include replacement the current heating system, which is electric infrared heat with gas infrared heaters. The gas infrared heaters will operate at approximately 95 percent efficiency. During the meeting, the CRD Board of Directors also authorized up to $50,000 to perform energy efficiency upgrades to the Central Cariboo Search and Rescue facility in Williams Lake. Projects scheduled for this building include a heating system retrofit, door replacements and ancillary heating upgrades.

CRDL hosts Amnesty for Literacy

The CRD Library will be hosting its annual fines amnesty during "Family Literacy Week", at all branches from January 22 - 26, 2013. Family Literacy Week is a national initiative intended to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. The Library's fines amnesty will apply to participating members returning overdue materials, along with donations of recommended non-perishable foods, to be provided by our library branches to local area food banks. Further information is available online at crdl.bc.ca.

CRD Chair and Vice-Chair Elected

The CRD’s Area G Director Al Richmond, and Area A Director Ted Armstrong were re-elected during today’s meeting as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. This marks the fifth consecutive terms as Chair and Vice-Chair for Richmond and Armstrong. A full list of the 2011-2014 CRD Board of Directors is available online at cariboord.bc.ca

Happy Holidays

The Board of Directors and staff of the Cariboo Regional District wish residents of the Cariboo Chilcotin a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The CRD offices will be closed from December 24 through to January 1, 2013. CRD offices will re-open on January 2, 2013.

Declarations

Pitch-In Canada Week – April 21-27, 2013
Drinking Water Week – May 20-26, 2013

Next CRD Board Meeting

Friday, January 18, 2013

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