Quesnel Council Highlights - Feb 2nd mtg

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Working with our regional partners

Council approved the following Memorandums of Understanding (“MoU) and Schedules with the Cariboo Regional District (“CRD”) for the years 2015 to 2019. The CRD must also approve these agreements through their Board before they are official.

Taken from the Master MoU, “the intent of this MoU is to lay out...the cooperative approach which the CRD and the City shall take in regards to

the provision of joint municipal services within the City and the Service Area. It is the underlying assumption of this memorandum that the parties, as independent jurisdictions, agree to the cooperative provision of municipal services to the benefit of the greater community. The parties recognize that there is a cohesive community in the greater Quesnel area that exists and functions irrespective of jurisdictional boundaries, and that it is in the best interests of the community to manage development and provide services from a shared viewpoint and through consolidated administrative procedures.”

Below is a list of those agreements and a brief description. The list
below totals $859,288 in operating and $110,893 in capital contributions.

This list does not include all of the MoUs between the CRD and the City.

A. Landfill Service - CRD contributes to the Landfill based on population and percentage of Industrial/Commercial/Institutional assessment.

B. Cemetery Services - The CRD contributes 50% of the cost of maintaining the cemeteries. Burial costs are covered by the fees charged for that service.

C. Invasive Plant Management - The City pays the CRD a set amount each year to address invasive weeds.

D. Transit Services - The CRD contributes a fixed amount towards transit for the Red Bluff route.

E. Quesnel Fringe Fire Protection - The CRD contributes approximately 24% of the cost of the fire department for service provided to Red Bluff and the Two Mile Flat areas.

F. Recycling Services - The CRD contributes to the cost of recycling at the landfill/satellite depots based on population.

G. Parks and Recreation Services - The CRD contributes a set amount towards the major parks/riverfront trail within the city.

H. HandyDART Services - The CRD contributes a set amount towards HandyDART services provided to regional district residents.

I. Emergency Social Services - The CRD/City each contribute a set amount per year towards Emergency Social Services.

J. Landfill Closure Agreement - The CRD/City are both responsible for the future closure of the landfill and both make provisions to pay for these costs in the future.

K. Planning Services - The City currently has the option of voting on development issues in the CRD. The City is proposing to withdraw from this service at the end of 2015.

Efforts for a cleaner community

Council has directed staff to work with BC Hydro to deliver a free Community Energy and Emissions workshop to assist in developing a Community Energy and Emissions Plan.

The City is working to meet a 33% reduction of greenhouse gases below 2007 levels by 2020 and 80% by 2050. The City will take a leadership role in promoting education for community members and businesses on the link between urban design, transportation, water use, and greenhouse gas production. Stay tuned for the public meeting date/s.

Operating budget moves forward

Council will continue moving forward with the Budget as presented at the Committee of the Whole meeting, January 26, including:

1. The proposed cuts to the benchmark budget (which includes the removal of the $51,800 Spring Clean-Up Campaign for 2015);

2. The Supplementals of $31,500 as follows:

- $15,000 Website Redesign;

- $ 2,500 WildSafeBC Program;

- $ 7,000 Quesnel Skyfest Society (total $10,000 with $3,000 previously built-in to budget);

- $30,000 Dragon Creek Inundation Study ($28,000 Dragon Lake Improvement Reserve);

- $ 5,000 Emergency Notification System; and

3. The 5% tax increase for the Capital Reinvestment Reserve of $675,000 for a total investment of $1,362,500, an increase of 98.2% for 2015, that will assist the City in closing the gap of the
    approximate $2 M annual infrastructure replacement deficit.

Proclamations

MAR - Epilepsy Awareness Month

MAR 9-15 - Stop the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth Awareness Week

JUN 6 - Pride Walk

NEXT MEETINGS:

Monday Feb. 16 @ 7 p.m.
Committee of the Whole Session/Preliminary Capital Budget

Monday Feb. 23 @ 7 p.m.
Regular Meeting/Committee of the Whole Session/Public Budget Meeting

Tuesday, Feb. 10 @ 5:30 p.m.

North Cariboo Joint Planning Committee Meeting