Quesnel R.C.M.P. Detachment – New Staff Sergeant
Council congratulated Mr. Darren Dodge in his new role as the Staff Sergeant for the Quesnel R.C.M.P. Detachment. Staff Sergeant Dodge provided summary highlights of the four main strategic priorities that the Quesnel R.C.M.P. Detachment will focus on in 2020/2021:
- Accountability and Good Governance – working with the City of Quesnel, Cariboo Regional District, four local First Nations Governments, and community stakeholders
- Crime Reduction – focus on reduction of property crime
- Increased Public Safety – focus on traffic enforcement
- Organizational Excellence – focusing on quality of investigations
The City’s recycling contract is expiring June 30, 2020. Low market prices and high processing costs for recycled commercial cardboard has resulted in the City reassessing how to process cardboard currently being dropped off at the community’s landfill. Effective July 6, 2020:
- Commercial cardboard products will be required to be weighed at the landfill’s scale and placed in a specific bin designated only for commercial cardboard.
- Residential cardboard will no longer be permitted at the landfill, and must be taken to the Recycle BC Depot located adjacent to the landfill.
These new procedures will allow the City to measure how much commercial cardboard is being collected, will assist in reducing contamination of the commercial cardboard recycled product, and will assist the City to achieve its zero waste goals. Fees for Commercial cardboard drop off will be considered as part of the annual review of the City’s Comprehensive Fees Bylaw with any new fees being effective January 1st, 2021.
Tax and Community Stabilization Reserve Fund
The new Tax and Community Stabilization Reserve Fund (“Reserve”) is intended to provide funds to offset negative tax reassessments (e.g. sawmill closure) and to provide funds, when required, for community stabilization due to negative socio-economic impacts (e.g. COVID-19 Pandemic). Please review the City Staff Report for further financial details of this Reserve.
Council Chambers – Technological Updates
Currently, Council meetings are being held in the Fraser Meeting Room at City Hall via ZOOM technology. The Fraser Meeting Room has a very limited seating capacity due to COVID-19 social distancing public health safety measures.
Council approved up to $120,000 for technological updates to Council Chambers (tv screens, additional monitors for all work stations, update to the sound system, additional cameras for webcasting, and technology that will allow for video conferencing) that would enable:
- Council meetings to return to Council Chambers that is a larger space that is better equipped to accommodate the COVID-19 Pandemic social distancing public health safety measures.
- Improved public participation at Council meetings through webcasting that can be viewed on the City’s website, and will offer some limited seating capacity for the public while still adhering to the COVID-19 social distancing public health safety measures.
- Cost savings due to delegations/consultants having the option to video conference into Council meetings rather than having to attend in person at a Council meeting where the City would be required to pay for consultants’ travel expenses.
Please see the City Staff Report for further financial and logistical details of this project.
Next Steps:
- During current COVID-19 social distancing public health safety measures, and until the updates to the Council Chambers technology have been completed, Quesnel City Council meetings recordings can be found on the Agendas/Minutes page of the City’s website.
Bylaw
- 1892 – Community and Tax Stabilization – First, Second, Third, Final Adoption
Next Meeting
6:00 pm – June 23, 2020 – Council Meeting
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