Quesnel-Shiraoi Twinning Society
Council heard highlights of the Quesnel-Shiraoi Twinning Society’s summer Japanese cultural exchange. This exchange included 12 students from Grades 6 to 9, 3 chaperones and 4 adults that visited Tokyo and Shiraoi Japan from June 28 to July 10, 2015. Shiraoi is the sister city to Quesnel. The delegation visited various sites in Tokyo and Shiraoi. The delegation presented Mayor Simpson with a gift from Shiraoi elected officials and a flag signed by all members who participated in Quesnel/Shiraoi cultural exchange trip.
Council Year in Review
Mayor Simpson provided a review of 2015 that included the following Council highlights:
Governance – Council completed a significant amount of work through the three Council Standing Committees: Executive Committee; Financial Sustainability and Audit Committee; and Policy and Bylaw Review Committee. “These meetings are open to the public, enable Council to dig deeper into the City’s budget, refresh and update its policies and bylaws and manage Council’s strategic engagement with pubic and potential partners.”
Budget – through significant operational savings in 2015, and continuing in 2016, “a cumulative result over these two budgets is an approximate 10% reduction in overall operating costs (or an avoidance of almost 8.5% increase in general taxation) which allowed Council to increase taxes in 2015 only for the City’s Capital Reinvestment Reserve; a major step toward addressing a long-standing annual infrastructure deficit.”
Strategic Plan – a number of strategic decisions were acted upon: “dissolution of the external Quesnel Community Economic Development Commission with the economic function now operating in-house; moving along with the process towards building the proposed new public works facility; a general framework for the City’s budget; the rationalization of Council’s Legislative and Community Support budgets; and the City’s future involvement in the West Quesnel Land Stability project.”
Partnerships – Council and the Cariboo Regional District Northern Directors “made a decision to incorporate the soccer facility and the School District 28 contract into sub-regional recreation. This partnership continues to proactively and collaboratively manage the Arena project.”
Initiatives – “repealed and updated significant number of bylaws, created new ones that help Council market the community as a progressive place to live and invest in. New Master Parks Plan is in progress; developed new regulations regarding panhandling in the City; through savings found elsewhere in the budget the City was able to assist Northern Health with temporary housing for two doctors during the summer months avoiding curtailments of the hospital’s Emergency department operating hours; all Council UBCM resolutions were adopted; West Fraser, Tolko and C&C Wood Products supported the City’s interface community forest initiative that will see incremental fibre to our local mills; and submitted 16 applications to the Northern Development Trust and have recommended policy changes that would see more of the Trust’s Mountain Pine Beetle fund flow to the City with less impact on local taxpayers.”
Council Committees
Council has revised Council Committees for 2016 as follows:
Standing Committees – Executive Committee; Financial Sustainability and Audit Committee; and Policy and Bylaw Review Committee.
Select Committees – First Nations Reconciliation, Recognition and Partnerships; Tourism and Marketing; West Quesnel Land Stability; and Volunteer Citizen of the Year.
External Committees- CCBAC; NDIT’s Regional Advisory Committee; Post-Secondary Education & Training Council; Air Quality Roundtable; Healthy Communities; and Community Connections.
Council Liaison Appointments – Business Improvement Associations; Chamber of Commerce; and Neighbourhood Associations.
Reference Groups – Accessibility and Inclusion; and Housing.
Council Initiatives – Social Sustainability and Public Safety; and Canada Day.
Proposed New Public Works Facility
Council approved engaging the electorate for electoral assent for borrowing $10,000,000 to complete the proposed new Public Works Facility. Next steps include:
· Conduct public information process: QCity news, open house – January 2016
· Alternate Approval Process – First Quarter of 2016
· Development of construction drawings – 2016
· Site prep work managed by Public Works – 2016
· Construction Request for Proposal – 2016
· Construction start – Spring 2017
· Construction ends/relocation of Public Works – 2018
Next Meetings
Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 7 pm
Regular Council Meeting
Tuesday, January 5, 2015 at 7 pm
(If Necessary)
Regular Council Meeting
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