North Cowichan council members wore pink shirts for their regular council meeting Feb. 17 in advance of Pink Shirt Day Feb. 24.
The actual day serves as a reminder to lift each other up, help one another and advocate for those who need it.
In Al Siebring’s mayor’s report, he shared that he recently attended the annual Local Government Leadership Academy conference by virtual means.
“This is my favourite conference each year, as the learnings from other local government officials from around the province is always incredibly valuable,” noted Siebring. “My favourite session was on crisis management, hearing how other regions have come together during crises was very educational and inspiring.”
Council received a presentation from Insp. Chris Bear on the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP’s fourth quarter activities. Overall in 2020, there was an 11 per cent reduction in the number of calls for service, mostly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, certain types of calls increased, such as arson. Mental health apprehensions were also up significantly and those types of calls consume a lot of RCMP time and resources. Bear ended his presentation by expressing how excited he and his team are seeing the site works commence at the new RCMP detachment location on Ford Road.
Next on the agenda was an update on Quamichan Lake water quality monitoring and management from Dr. David Preikshot, North Cowichan’s senior environmental specialist. Ongoing year-round monitoring and sampling is providing data that will assist in determining what approaches need to be taken in regards to managing the lake’s blue-green algae blooms.
Work in progress includes: managing phosphorus and monitoring water quality in the lake (sediment coring, nutrient sampling, monitoring lake temperature, and consulting with other scientists); controlling phosphorus entering the lake (zeolite traps in trial locations, enhancing wetlands and storm water systems, and working with the agricultural community and the Province) and riparian protection and enhancement (tree planting, working with stewardship groups, removing invasive plants, and restoring wetland/stream habitat).
During 2021-22 staff will be analyzing the water quality and sediment data. This analysis will be done in consultation with colleagues in the provincial government and private consultancy to develop tactical approaches to mitigate blue-green algae blooms in the lake.
Up for adoption was a Zoning Bylaw Amendment that would allow cannabis sales at 2763 Beverly St. However, because council received a letter for consideration from Cowichan Tribes after the original public hearing that took place on Jan. 20, a new public hearing will be required. Council is not permitted to consider new information between when a public hearing takes place and the bylaw is adopted.
As a result, council rescinded third reading and directed staff to schedule a new public hearing that will take place in the coming weeks.
Council considered the recommendations from the Feb. 9 Committee of the Whole meeting regarding the COVID-19 safe restart grant budget amounts for 2020 to 2023. Recommendations that will allocate various amounts to specific items in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 budgets were approved and any unspent grant funds will be reallocated to future years’ budgets.
Support was given for pre-budget approval to proceed with the Smiley Road water main replacement project in Chemainus. This project is scheduled to take place before the 2021 budget is finalized this spring, and so pre-budget approval was necessary in order to proceed at this time.
Council directed staff to bring back a report outlining a public engagement process that will assess public interest in pursuing an automated solid waste pickup program and include detailed cost scenarios for council’s further approval.
The report will come back to council in the coming weeks before any engagement takes place. The current fleet of garbage trucks needs to be replaced in the next few years, and that has prompted looking at moving away from manual to more automated pickup strategies.
Council also directed staff to prepare an amendment to the Fees and Charges Bylaw to increase the rate for the annual waste collection service from $102 to $111.
“The increased revenues are needed to fund the increase of operating costs for the garbage and recycling program, in addition to an increase in tipping fees, a public awareness waste reduction program, the engagement plan to research converting to automated collection and inflationary increases,” explained Siebring.
The next regular council meeting takes place electronically on Wednesday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m.
