Present: Mayor Rathor; Councillors Boehm, Delainey, Flaspohler, Lyons, Moses and Nelson
Meeting called to order at 6:00pm
Mayor Rathor recognized that the Council Meeting was being held on the traditional unceded territory of the Williams Lake First Nation within Secwepemculecw
Meeting Agenda adopted with Late Items (14 recommendations from Dec 4th, 2023 Special Committee of the Whole Meeting for consideration of endorsement)
Minutes of the Williams Lake City Council meeting held November 21st, 2023 were received/adopted
Presentation:
Mr. Willie Dye appeared before Council to inform them of the newly incorporated Williams Lake Stampede Parade Society
A Question/Answer period ensued, following his brief presentation
Mayor Rathor thanked Mr. Dye for his time/information
Business:
1) Council received for information the accounts payable computer cheque and EFT listings dated November 23, 24 and 30, 2023
2) Council adopted its Meeting Calendar for 2024
3) Council agreed to designate Councillors for the position of Acting Mayor for December 2023 and all of 2024
4) Council endorsed recommendations of Mayor Surinderpal Rathor for Council appointments to Committees, Ad Hoc/Select Committees and Community Committees for the 2023/2024 term and the appointments to Standing Committees were received for information
5) Council appointed Mayor Rathor as the City of Williams Lake Director on the Cariboo Regional District Board for the 2023/24 term with Councillor Nelson to serve as Alternate Director
6) Council appointed Councillor Sheila Boehm to the Northern Development Initiative Trust Regional Advisory Committee as the City's Director for 2023/2024 with Councillor Michael Moses as the City's Alternate Director.
7) Council appointed Councillor Scott Nelson as the City of Williams Lake delegate to the Municipal Insurance Association of BC for 2024 and Councillor Joan Flaspohler and Councillor Sheila Boehm be appointed as first and second alternates, respectively
8) Council proclaimed January 2, 2024 as "Wrestling Day" in the City of Williams Lake, pursuant to Council Policy No. 115
9) Council approved entering into an encroachment agreement with Christian and Missionary Alliance – Canadian Pacific District, Inc. No. S15034 (Alliance Church) for a twenty-year term for the proposed façade entrance encroaching on the dedicated City boulevard on Third Avenue South, for the property located at 261 Third Avenue South
10) Council approved an application to the BC Air Access Program (BCAAP) Airside Project Stream for Airport Airside upgrades of new Airside Fuel Cabinets in the amount of $770,000.00.
11) Council received for information a report regarding an update on the property located at 3018 Edwards Drive
12) Council gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd Readings to "City of Williams Lake Tree Protection Bylaw No. 2400, 2023"
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor Nelson
13) Council approved a 2024 application to Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) for a grant of up to $50,000 to host an intern under the Local Government Internship Program; and further, that Council commit to providing a financial contribution of $10,000 and staffing resources to host an intern and to providing training and professional development opportunities for the intern, if the application is successful
14) Council approved the proposed new Agreement for the Landfill Site Lease with the Cariboo Regional District for the lands legally described as Lot 1, District Lot 8844, Cariboo District, Plan 43640 and located on Frizzi Road for a five-year term effective January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028
15) Council received a report of the Manager of Recreation and Leisure Services dated November 27, 2023 regarding survey results for the City’s annual Halloween event for information and directed staff to continue planning a Halloween fireworks event annually and that a $12,000 budget for fireworks be established for 2024
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Delainey, Lyons and Moses
16) Council endorsed recommendations from a previous Committee of the Whole meeting, as follows:
a) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #36-2023, staff be directed to bring forward a report on water and sewer utilities and potential funding options moving forward.
b) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #37-2023, staff be directed to prepare a report on options for providing water and sewer services to the Woodland Drive neighbourhood.
c) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #38-2023, the report of the Chief Financial Officer dated November 20, 2023 be received and Council give early budget approvals to initiate the new projects recommended by staff, as included therein, prior to approval of 2024-2028 Financial Plan Bylaw.
d) That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #39-2023 and the report of the Chief Financial Officer dated October 26, 2023, Council receive the information provided on the existing 2023-2025 Fee for Service Agreements and approve a $5,000/year Fee for Service agreement with Better at Home Williams Lake for the provision of sidewalk snow-clearing services for 2024-2025; and further, that $10,000 be included in the 2024 Budget to support a 2024 Stampede Parade.
17) Council received the Meeting Minutes of the Central Cariboo Joint Committee meeting held on November 22nd, 2023
18) Late Items - Council endorsed 14 recommendations from last night's Special Committee of the Whole as follows:
* Council approve entering into a Fee for Service agreement with the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy for a one-year term in the amount of $22,920 for provision of seniors advocate and assistance services, and that this amount be pre-approved for the 2024 Budget.
* Council authorize 2024 Grants in Aide; as follows:
i) deny the Cariboo Chilcotin Elder College 2024 Grant-in-Aid request for $4,452 for the purchase of sound equipment.
ii) approve a 2024 Grant-in-Aid for the Gavin Lake Forest Education Society in the amount of $2,500 to subsidize grandparent camp fees.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Lyons and Delainey
iii) approve a 2024 Grant-in-Aid for the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin Society in the amount of $2,500 for seed funding for a new Cowboy Christmas event.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Delainey and Flaspohler
iv) approve a 2024 Grant in Aid for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139 in the amount of $5,000 to replace their existing ice machine.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Delainey and Flaspohler
v) approve a 2024 Grant-in-Aid for the Williams Lake Stampeders Men's Hockey Team in the amount of $5,000 for bus maintenance, travel expenses and ice expenses.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Delainey and Flaspohler
vi) deny a 2024 Grant-in-Aid for the Williams Lake Trail Riders Association in the amount of $5,000 for the addition of a water system for indoor/outdoor arenas at the Association's facility.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor Nelson
vii) refer the 2024 Grant-in-Aid application from the Social Planning Council for funding to perform social infrastructure connectivity mapping to the Central Cariboo Joint Committee for discussion before a final decision is made at a future Council meeting, and that Council approve in principle a Grant-in-Aid contribution of up to $10,000 for the group.
Mayor Rathor declared a conflict on the next item as he a member of the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and accordingly left Council Chambers at 7:51pm and Councillor Delainey assumed the Chair
viii) approve a 2024 Grant-in-Aid for the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple Society in the amount of $5,000 to assist with the replacement of the temple roof.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor Flaspohler
Mayor Rathor returned to Council Chambers at 7:52pm
* That pursuant to Committee of Whole Council Report #51-2023, the report of the Chief Financial Officer dated November 29, 2023 be received and Council direct the following:
General Fund – Do not raise tax rates, but benefit from property valuation increases, as assessed by BC Assessment (approximately 6% overall tax increase to property owners, mostly in Industrial and Business classes), and use existing reserves to fund capital funding shortfall in 2024;
Airport – Use existing reserves to fund capital funding shortfall, and bring separate report to Council, if grants are denied for crucial projects, outlining alternative funding options;
Sewer Fund – Use existing reserves to fund capital funding shortfall in 2024;
Water Fund – Use existing reserves to fund capital funding shortfall in 2024, and bring a report to Council, not later than March 2024, outlining how the future funding pressures in the financial plan are to be addressed, leaving all funding options on the table including deferring or cancelling projects, fee and parcel taxation increases, and borrowing; and
Transit Fund – Aim to increase paratransit taxation by $70,000 (estimated 10% paratransit taxation rate increase) to implement Sunday service.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Boehm and Nelson
* Council enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BC Transit to introduce Sunday transit service for the citizens of Williams Lake effective April 2024.
* Council receive the report of the Chief Financial Officer dated November 22, 2023 regarding asset management program implementation and $110,000 be included in the 2024 Budget for Asset Management.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillors Boehm, Nelson and Mayor Rathor
* Council allocate $50,000 annually from Community Forest dividends as an investment into the Williams Lake Endowment Fund.
CONTRARY TO THE MOTION: Councillor Flaspohler
20) Council received the "Council Information Package" as of December 5th, 2023
Members of Council and Staff provided verbal reports on their recent activities
21) Proceed to Closed/In-Camera Council Meeting
It was RESOLVED --
That Council resolve into a Closed Meeting, upon adjournment of the Open Council Meeting and in accordance with Section 92 of the Community Charter for discussion of items identified under Section 90 (1) (a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality, and (c) labour relations or other employee relations.
Council adjourned at 8:26pm
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