North Cowichan council kicked off its Nov. 1 meeting by celebrating and recognizing Wayne Coombs, a long-time volunteer with the municipality, for his 25 years of service on the Forestry Advisory Committee.
Council then heard from North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Inspector Chris Bear , who provided his quarterly report for July through September. Bear reported calls for service have increased over the same period last year, and the amount of time that general duty policing members have for proactive patrols is still very low, another consistent trend.
A presentation from the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society updated council on ongoing projects, including those funded by North Cowichan’s Grant-In-Aid program. The Somenos Marsh is a very important conservation area in the municipality and council plans to continue working closely with the Society for the benefit of the local environment and community.
Much of the discussion that took place during the meeting focused on an application from the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit (VIMC). The application includes amendments to zoning and the Official Community Plan.
Council decided to refer the application to the City of Duncan, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Cowichan Tribes, School District 79, and Sahtlam Neighbourhood Association for review. It also decided to refer the application to the Community Planning Advisory Committee and the Environmental Advisory Committee, with clarification that neither Committee receive public input or presentations.
Background information on VIMC’s application can be found on North Cowichan’s website.