Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Special Williams Lake Council Highlights - April 22nd, 2025 mtg

In Council Chambers — Mayor Rathor; Councillors Nelson and Moses 

Via Zoom — Councillors Boehm, Delainey and Flaspohler 

Absent: Councillor J. Lyons

Members of the public
Media: Williams Lake Tribune 

Meeting called to order at 6:00pm

Mayor Rathor recognized that the meeting was taking place on the traditional unceded territory of Williams Lake First Nation within Secwepemculecw

Meeting Agenda adopted - click here
Meeting Video here

Resolved: 

1) City Policy be waived to permit more than 2 Members of Council to attend Special Meeting remotely via Zoom for this meeting

2) Members of the Public be permitted to address Council 

18 Members of the Public as well as Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA L. Doerksen then addressed Council 

Business:

Council discussed community concerns regarding Homelessness and Community Safety in Williams Lake and after hearing from the public 

1) At the request of Councillor Nelson -- Council directed that the RCMP be requested to: 

a) conduct proactive patrols in the downtown core of Williams Lake
b) Have Zero Tolerance for Open Drug Use in the Downtown Core and near schools

Staff were requested to: 

a) coordinate a meeting with Interior Health to discuss an Action Plan in regards to full wrap-round addiction response services for the Williams Lake Health Region 

b) install porta-potta's and be accessible 24/7 in the downtown area as a trial program 

c) coordinate with the Province of BC to request funding for more RCMP/Security Services for community safety in Williams Lake

And that emergency funding for additional RCMP/Security up to $100,000 be approved with funding to be allocated from the General Reserve

2) At the request of Councillor Flaspohler -- Council directed Staff to report back on how other BC Communities addressed the topic of homelessness/community safety and provide recommendations to Council for its' consideration

3) At the request of Councillor Moses -- Council directed Staff to:

* organize meetings between Council and local organizations that deal with the topic of homelessness, addiction services, etc. for purposes of collaboration and how Council's actions can align with their services... 

* organize meetings with local Cariboo-Chilcotin First Nations/Cariboo-Chilcotin Metis Association to hear their perspective on homelessness challenges in Williams Lake 

* write to Interior Health requesting that they appear before Council to present information on their integrated RCMP/Mental Health services (Policing Crisis Team) and see if this program would be a good fit for Williams Lake 

* follow-up with UBCM regarding Mental Health/911 System

* That Council take a larger role in supporting the work of the Social Planning Council (Thrive Poverty Strategy) 

And then Council agreed to adjourn at 8:51pm 

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