Region-wide trails & parks service discussed, CRD (Cariboo Regional District) makes preliminary commitment
After an initial conversation, the Board will be investigating a regional parks and trails service. Initially brought forward in the previous Board term, an updated memo and overview of the proposed service was presented by Darron Campbell, Manager of Community Services. The memo outlined a framework for a regionwide service and the process to establish it.
The CRD has historically invested grant and recreation service funds into developing low mobility trails throughout the region. This includes trails the recently developed in Pioneer Park, 108 Mile Ranch, and the Esler Sports Complex, adding to existing trails throughout the Cariboo and Chilcotin. These trails are not managed consistently, with each trail having different maintenance needs and priorities based on who owns property and tenure for the trails. The last five years have seen a significant demand for more trails in the region, but existing funding mechanisms limit trail development to sub-regional recreation service areas, provincial parks and tenures, or other specifically established services like the 108 Mile Greenbelt.
A key feature of a new service would be a new trails coordinator position, which would be responsible for leading the design, construction, and maintenance of the CRD’s existing and possible new trail networks. A regional service would also allow the CRD to focus on funding the best projects within the whole region, rather than having to manage internal jurisdictional boundaries alongside funding inequities between different areas with varying population sizes. The service could also fund trails connected to key recreation sites with additional amenities available within them as part of the overall service.
A preliminary outline of the service would see residential taxation set to around $1.30 per $100,000 assessed value, which would raise $225,000 for the service. One area to be determined moving forward for the service would be transferring trail maintenance and development costs from other budgets, like sub-regional recreation, to the newly established regional trails service. Additionally, unlike most regional district services, there is no requirement for any elector approval process for this type of service.
After a detailed discussion, which included questions on further public engagement and conceptual funding model scenarios, the Board in Committee approved a resolution to confirm its desire to proceed with the establishment of a regional parks and trails service. The Board will need to ratify this decision at its next regular Board Meeting, and then will share the proposal with municipal councils to determine their desire to participate. This will mark the next step in a possible service establishment, and next steps will be identified at a future board meeting. Several other factors for how a service will be funded, delivered, and operated will need to be identified as part of the decision making.
Community Works Funding Policy Review
The Board reviewed its policy for how Community Works Funding is assigned and allocated during financial planning. The current policy allows these funds to be used on various projects subject to a 2/3 majority vote, without allocating funding to specific electoral areas. The Board identified water systems, firehalls, and asset management planning as key priorities for these funds moving forward to address aging systems and increasing costs to replace them. The discussion closed with a decision not to request changes to the existing policy.
In depth overview given about needs for CRD utility systems
The CRD’s Manager of Utilities, Kelly McDonald, provided the Board with an overview of the 16 water and sewer systems operated by the CRD. The presentation highlighted key concerns and priorities for each system. Several systems are prioritizing the installation of a SCADA system, which will allow for remote monitoring and control of key features of these systems. Several systems need investment to address deteriorating and end-of-life infrastructure. A major concern for these systems is limited funding, as the CRD must either raise revenues through local service area taxation and fees, or secure grant funding from other levels of government. An overview was also provided of technical information related to chlorinating water alongside treatment systems in most of the CRD’s water systems, either to address ongoing water quality advisories or to mitigate future risks of issuing boil water notices and advisories.
CCRHD lends support to City of Williams Lake on hospital closure solutions
Following careful and lengthy deliberations, the CCRHD’s Board will be supporting the City of Williams Lake’s call for an independent review of the working conditions at Cariboo Memorial Hospital to identify challenges and try to find solutions to the staffing issues at the hospital. This follows a series of emergency room closures over the last month, which also impacted 100 Mile General Hospital, and follows a meeting organized by Interior Health for the City of Williams Lake’s Council.
In discussing the request, there was broad acknowledgement that there is a broad shortage of post-secondary training spots for doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and other health professionals. The Board also acknowledged that Interior Health’s Chief Executive Officer has been mandated by the Minister of Health to conduct a similar review as was done in Clearwater. The costs of such a review would be borne by the Province and have no impact on the financial position of the CCRHD.
The CCRHD also funds a healthcare landing and retention program, which seeks to complement the recruitment efforts of both Northern Health and Interior Health. These programs assist in securing temporary accommodations for health professionals coming to the region, providing exposure to unique recreation experiences in the region, and supporting peer-networking events. The CCRHD is also engaging School District 27 in an effort to secure dedicated childcare spaces in Williams Lake for children of health professionals.
Multiple notices on title filed for expired, missing permits, missed inspections, improperly zoned buildings
The Board spent more time this week authorizing CRD staff to register several notices on title for buildings which were not built to the requirements of the BC Building Code. Notices on title can affect multiple things for property owners – it’s a signal to insurance companies, financial institutions, and future property buyers that a building on the property was not certifiably built to the standards of the BC Building Code. Cariboo Regional District residents are reminded to obtain their building permit before they build, and request inspections at key construction points to ensure compliance with the BC Building Code. Code compliance isn’t just a legal requirement – it signals that your home meets common standards for future home buyers, insurance companies, and financial institutions.
It bears noting that the purpose of building inspections is to provide a limited and interim spot-checking function for health and safety. Accordingly, inspections are not a warranty that the building is free of defects or that it complies in every respect with the BC Building Code. It remains the responsibility of the owner and their builder, as applicable, to ensure that the construction materially complies with the BC Building Code.
CRD Board approves agreement, allowing 10-new T-hangars to be built at SC Reg Airport
The Board has approved a new occupancy agreement for a private developer at the South Cariboo Regional Airport. The agreement will allow for up to ten new T-Hangars to be built at the airport, which will increase the aircraft storage capacity of the airport and boost revenues generated from airside services. The hangars are to be financed, built, and operated by the private developer in the future.
Troll Mountain Ski Hill rezoning application gets a nod
A rezoning application from the owners of Troll Mountain Ski resort received its first steps towards approval on September 6, with the Board granting first and second reading of the necessary bylaw amendment. The bylaw would see the property’s land use designation under the North Cariboo Rural Land Use Bylaw be designated as a Comprehensive Development Zone. This would facilitate further development of the site alongside recognizing the property’s current use within the existing bylaw. The resort is also located primarily on Crown Land within a designated controlled recreation area under an approved Operating Agreement with the Province of BC. The current zoning designation is a mix of Resource Agricultural, Rural Residential, and Tourist Commercial zones, which do not fully recognize the property’s current and historical use.
A public hearing will be scheduled by the CRD to provide a platform for public input on the application. The property owner will also be required to receive several approvals before the application proceeds further, including a covenant agreement to comply with the CRD’s Shoreland Management Policy, receiving approvals for encroachment agreements and controlled access permits from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and removal or relocation of a building within the designated set back area. Following these steps, the Board could consider adoption of the bylaw.
Lac La Hache Sewer System extension approved
A bylaw was adopted to authorize the expansion of the Lac La Hache Sewer System service area boundaries to include one larger property on Timothy Lake Road. Originally introduced at the August 16, 2024 Board meeting, the bylaw will allow the property owner to connect to the system and discharge wastewater into the system.
Upcoming Meetings:
Sep. 25 @ 2:00 p.m. – Emergency Preparedness Committee
Sep. 25 @ 5:30 p.m. – Central Cariboo Joint Committee
Sep. 26 @ 9:30 a.m. – CCRHD / CRD Board Meetings
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