Tuesday, August 15, 2023

WL Council Highlights - August 15th mtg

Present: Mayor Rathor; Councillors Boehm, Delainey, Flaspohler, Lyons, Moses and Nelson

Meeting called to order at 6:00pm

Mayor Rathor recognized that the Public Hearing/Council Meeting were both being held on the traditional unceded territory of the Williams Lake First Nation within Secwepemculecw

A) Public Hearing

The Corporate Officer read aloud the purpose and intent of Zoning Amendment Bylaw #2386, 2023 (564 Oliver Street).  City Staff confirmed no letters received for or against ... 

The Mayor called 3 times for oral input -- none received

MOVED/Seconded and Resolved -- That Bylaw #2386, 2023 be referred to Council for consideration of 3rd Reading

Public Hearing adjourned 

B) Regular Council Meeting

Council Meeting Agenda adopted
Minutes of the previous City Council meeting were received and adopted

Matters from Public Hearing:

Following a Public Hearing held earlier in the meeting -- Council gave 3rd Reading to Zoning Amendment Bylaw 2386, 2023 for property at 564 Oliver Street.  The Bylaw will now go to the Ministry of Transportation for approval as per Section 52 of the Transportation Act (zoning bylaws within 800 m of a controlled access highway (Highway 97))

Delegations/Presentations:

1) Court Smith, Williams Lake Stampede Association President appeared before Council to provide an update on the 2023 Williams Lake Stampede

Following the presentation -- A Question/Answer period ensued... 

Mayor Rathor, on behalf of Council, thanked Mr. Smith for his time/information

Business:

1) Council received for information the accounts payable computer cheque and EFT listings dated July 19, 20, 26, 27  and August 3, 2023

2) Council approved compensation, registration and travel expenses for interested Council members to attend the UBCM Annual Convention being held in Vancouver, BC from September 18 to 22, 2023; and Council agreed to allocate an additional $26,942 from City reserves to address budget shortfalls and to accommodate attendance of all Council members at the 2023 UBCM Convention

3) Council endorsed a Central Cariboo Joint Committee recommendation as follows:

That the Joint Committee Meetings for the remainder of 2023 be held in the Rick Hansen Boardroom of City Hall.

4) Council accepted a Development Permit application from Harrison Design, on behalf of Quality Leasing Inc., to permit the construction of a new stand-alone service commercial building at 270 Broadway Avenue North, legally described as Lot 1, Part of Lot A, District Lot 8815, Cariboo District, Plan 28083 and permitted one additional requested variance, as follows:

i) Amend Section 409 of Zoning Bylaw No. 1825, 2002 to reduce the required access width from 6.0m to 4.0m for the subject property

and rejected an additional requested variance, as follows:

i) Amend Table 6.1 of Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw No. 1730, 2002 to allow for curb and gutter only along Broadway Avenue North, with no sidewalk

5) Council accepted a Zoning Amendment Application from The Little Cariboo Café / GRB Holdings Ltd. to add "Community Care Use and Varies Parking " for property at 280E Third Avenue North and gave 1st and 2nd Readings to Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2381, 2023; notify nearby property owners and that a Public Hearing be scheduled for September 12, 2023 at 6:00 PM in Williams Lake Council Chambers 

6) Council gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd Readings to Road Closure and Removal of Highway Dedication Bylaw No. 2395, 2023; and Staff were directed to issue notice of the proposed bylaw to adjacent property owners and forward the bylaw to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and local Utility agencies for comments and approval.

7) Council received for information a report of the Events & Marketing Coordinator dated August 9, 2023 regarding a summary of the City's budgeted spending on local news media advertising compared to Meta advertising, together with the letter from Black Press Media dated July 13, 2023

Resolved - That the City of Williams Lake immediately halt all online advertising with Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and that the Federal Government immediate review Bill C-18 (Online News Act) and its' impact on local news organizations and that NCLGA/UBCM be asked to support a call to review Bill C-18 and its' impact on local news organizations

8) Council endorsed the following recommendations from the General Governance Committee, as follows:

a) That pursuant to General Governance Committee Report #01-2023, the report of the Senior Engineering Technologist dated July 7, 2023 regarding a proposed new tree management bylaw be received and staff be directed to prepare a Draft Tree Removal Bylaw for consideration at a future Council meeting; and further, that this bylaw be shared at a Central Cariboo Joint Committee meeting for information.

CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor Nelson

b) That pursuant to General Governance Committee Report #02-2023, the report of the Building Official dated June 27, 2023 regarding an updated soil removal bylaw be received and Council give first three readings to "City of Williams Lake Soil Removal and Deposit Bylaw No. 2393, 2023" and "City of Williams Lake Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 2394, 2023"; and further, that staff be directed to develop mechanisms for informing appropriate First Nation governments of enforcement actions under this bylaw that may constitute a breach of the Heritage Conservation Act, and the proposed bylaw be forwarded to impacted First Nation governments prior to adoption.

CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor Nelson

9) Council received a report of the Chief Financial Officer dated August 11, 2023 regarding a request to have a property tax payment penalties waived be received and directed staff to notify the requesters that tax penalties cannot be waived 

CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Mayor Rathor

10) Council adopted the following Plans:

a) City of Williams Lake Heat Alert Response Plan
b) City of Williams Lake Accessibility and Inclusion Plan

11) Council received Minutes of the Special Central Cariboo Joint Committee Meeting held July 19, 2023

12) Council received a letter from the British Columbia Prosecution Service (BCPS) dated July 26, 2023 regarding the Electronic Monitoring Program

13) Council received a letter from the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) dated July 17, 2023 regarding the Province's response to City of Williams Lake Resolution EB19 "Rural Medical Locum Funding"

14) Council authorized changing City Hall lights to blue on April 1st, 2024 -- in recognition of the Royal Canadian Air Force's official Centennial Anniversary 

15) Council proclaimed September 10, 2023 be proclaimed as "World Suicide Prevention Day" in the City of Williams Lake, pursuant to City Policy

16) Council proclaimed the week of September 18 to 24, 2023 be proclaimed as "Rail Safety Week" in the City of Williams Lake, pursuant to City Policy

17) Council proclaimed September 9, 2023 be proclaimed as "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day" in the City of Williams Lake, pursuant to City policy.

18) At the request of the Ontario Disability Employment Network -- Council authorized the lights of City Hall be changed to purple and blue on October 19, 2023 for "Light It Up! For NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month)

19) Late Item - Council received a letter from the City of Quesnel dated August 8, 2023 requesting Williams Lake City Council to pass a resolution in support of the Quesnel Highway 97 North-South Interconnector Project and agreed to the request of the City of Quesnel to do as requested... 

20) Council received the "Council Information Package" as of August 15th, 2023

Members of Council provided verbal reports on their recent activities... 

Closed Council Session:

MOVED/Seconded and Resolved -- 

That Council resolve into a Closed Council Session, following adjournment of the Open Session, according to Section 92 of the Community Charter for discussion of items identified under Section 90 (1) (b) of the Community Charter --  personal information about an identifiable individual who is being considered for a municipal award or honour, or who has offered to provide a gift to the municipality on condition of anonymity.

Council adjourned at 7:51pm

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