North Cowichan council has directed its corporate officer to initiate the Alternative Approval Process to obtain elector assent for the Municipality to borrow the funds needed to construct a new North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP facility.
During an AAP, borrowing goes ahead unless 10 per cent of property owners and residents oppose the proposal.
The total cost of the new facility is $48 million. North Cowichan would borrow the full amount while the RCMP would pay back about 60 per cent of the loan.
Also each spring, the RCMP sends North Cowichan a request to approve, in principle, the RCMP contract budget for the next fiscal year. Approval of the budget is to be forwarded to the RCMP by June 15, which allows the Federal Government to set aside its 10 per cent share of the budget.
Council considered the 2021-2022 RCMP contract budget of $6.98 million, which shows a 1.6 per cent increase over the previous fiscal year. North Cowichan would be responsible for the 90 per cent balance not paid by the Federal Government.
“This increase reflects the added cost of adding one new police member and includes $500,000 for a new telephone system for the new RCMP facility,” noted North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring. “Council had some concerns regarding the potential increase in staffing levels and decided not to approve the proposed budget at $6.98 million. Instead, council approved, in theory, a budget of $6.76 million, which included the phone system, but not the additional police member.”
In other developments at council’s June 3 meeting, a presentation was received from the Senior Environmental Specialist advising of changes to the Riparian Areas Protection Regulations. A riparian zone is an area bordering streams, lakes, or wetlands that link water to land and can influence or provide fish habitat.
In the presentation, staff highlighted recent changes in Provincial regulations mandating that all RAPR assessments now be reviewed by the Province until a 90 per cent approval rate of all assessments is achieved.
Council considered creating a Public Engagement Framework and Policy as well as a select committee to help guide staff with its development. These documents would help shape standardized processes for engagement across the organization, build in measurements for success to facilitate continuous improvement and set council’s expectations and visions for public engagement.
The 2019 Statement of Financial Information was presented to council for approval. The Financial Information Act requires municipalities to prepare a SOFI each year, within six months of the organization’s fiscal year-end.
A SOFI details financial statements and disbursements for employee remuneration, and goods and services. Council unanimously approved the 2019 SOFI.
The resuming of Public Hearings and Board of Variance business was then considered. Both of these types of meetings were paused in March, due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Since then, the Provincial Government has made provisions that would make it possible to hold Public Hearings and Board of Variance meetings safely.
“Council decided to lift the moratorium on public hearings and to hold them electronically,” Siebring indicated. “Members of the public will be able to participate via teleconference or written submission by email or Canada Post.”
Council also directed staff to prepare an amendment to the Fees and Charges Bylaw to reduce the fee for a Development Variance Permit to $250 while the provincial state of emergency in relation to the pandemic remains in effect.
The next regular council meeting takes place electronically on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30 p.m.