February 18 Council In Focus

Rail ownership, bear-resistant bins and flag protocols... oh my!

Discussion of possible rail development, the cost of new wildlife-resistant waste receptacles, and a first-time policy for flag protocols were just a few of the wide-ranging topics covered in the February 18 Council meeting.

For the first time in more than a year, there was no in-camera component scheduled prior to the regular meeting. However upon review of the evening's agenda (found HERE), Councillor Michael Broughton asked for and was granted a closed session at the end of the evening's proceedings to request an update on Battani Creek.

The meeting began with all Council members present in person, except Councillor Jaime Cunliffe and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ross Blackwell ,who both attended online. The gallery totalled 10 residents attending both in person and online.

Rail Corridor Delegation

Peter Scholz, a consultant working on behalf of the Northern Development Initiative Trust, offered a Zoom presentation to Council on the potential offered by the Prince George-to-North Vancouver Rail Corridor.

CN Rail announced earlier this year that it plans to discontinue its lease on the rail line between Squamish and 100 Mile House in the Cariboo region. Last summer, local MP Patrick Weiler and MLA Jeremy Valeriote released a joint statement highlighting how essential rail transportation is for communities along the Sea to Sky corridor and further north. Communities and First Nations along the corridor have been vocal about the importance of continuing the rail service along this line.

Scholz stressed the importance of the need to find a public or private sector partner to take over the rail line from Squamish north to 100 Mile House. He noted that in virtually every case where rail lines across Canada have been abandoned and sold for scrap, they have never been replaced. "Once those tracks have been taken up, they are gone forever," he said.

Scholz outlined a brief history of rail in Canada with a focus on short-haul lines. and noted that several stretches of disused tracks in Alberta and Saskatchewan have been bought up by groups of prairie farmers and run as a successful short-haul operations. He said his group is in talks with a private operator, who is currently completing due diligence with regard to stepping in as a short-haul provider.

Scholz added he plans to provide Council with more information in the next couple of months.

Staff Report on Public Communication and Flag Protocols

• Deputy Corporate Officer Kristal Kenna presented a new bylaw (page 18) to establish an alternative means to publish statutory public notices and other emergency communication that is compliant with the Community Charter. Kenna noted that this option will be used, in special situations, such as an election, where information needs to be shared in addition to the usual locations at the Post Office and the Village bulletin board.

She proposed that staff can consider adding the Village Update, a new mobile sandwich-board sign, and social media sites such as Face Book to be considered as additional options.

During the ensuing discussion, Councillor Neville Abbott suggested that a mailbox drop has traditionally been the most cost effective and that the essential nature of such communication means that it can be delivered even to those who request to be exempt from junk mail. He noted that a QR code can be added to the document, which would allow residents to respond online if needed.

After discussion, the bylaw was given two successful readings and staff will now investigate other options (such as the mail drop) before the third and final readings take place.

• Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell presented a new flag display policy (page 25), noting that the Village doesn't have an existing policy in place. He said the wording for this new policy was adapted from that used in other local municipalities. After discussion, Council voted to accept the new policy.

CAC to pursue a Natural Asset Inventory

Speaking on behalf of the Climate Action Committee (CAC), Abbott reiterated the CAC's recommendation that the Municipality pursue a Natural Asset Inventory (page 31), using funds sourced from the Local Government Climate Action Plan.

A Natural Asset Inventory documents, classifies and evaluates the natural assets within the municipal boundary in order to develop of a Natural Asset Management Strategy. The goal is to both protect these assets and make use of them to help protect the community from the impacts of climate change.

After discussion, this process, first introduced at the January 27 Committee of the Whole meeting, met with Council support.

Council Reports on Playground Naming and Bear-Resistant Cans

• Councillor Ron McLaughlin proposed directing money from the budget toward bear-resistant garbage bins, as a means to assist those who need help covering the cost. (page 50). He explained that his suggested initial investment of a maximum of $47,000 would cover the cost of 100 receptacles. Residents choosing to purchase a bin can pay the $235 per bin cost up front, or opt to pay the cost back over five years through a repayment plan linked to Utility billing. The final cost to the Village will be under $3,000.

Blackwell added the plan to purchase wildlife-resistant cans is already in motion, and the initiative will help make the garbage collection process more equitable.

After discussion, in which it was agreed that this option is being offered principally to support those who cannot meet their garbage collection times, the initiative passed.

• Broughton sought Council's approval to name the new playground area at Beach Park as 'The Erin Moore Playground' in honour of Erin Moore, a seven-year-old Lions Bay child who died ten years ago while on a hike with her family and the local hiking group. (page 58).

Emergency Services

Fire Rescue Dispatch Report (included with correspondence on page 62):

In January, Lions Bay Fire Rescue (LBFR) attended 13 incidents, with 19 uses of apparatus and 101 members attending. Average turn-out time for the month was 11:02, average travel time was 6:09 and the average time on scene was 53:54.

Correspondence

Public correspondence (beginning on page 61) opened with a letter from Kirsten Clausen of Heritage BC regarding Heritage Week.

There was also a letter from City of Kamloops CAO M. Mazzota, (page 66) asking that local governments be included in discussions related to the implementation of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People Act (DRIPA), reconciliation policy, archaeology processes, and any replacement or reform of the Heritage Conservation Act.

Correspondence also included a letter of condolence from Council on behalf of Village residents to the community of Tumbler Ridge in the wake of the recent tragedy. Blackwell clarified that immediately after the event, an email was sent from Mayor Berry to Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka. This second letter, on Lions Bay letterhead, is to be directed to the community. Abbott said that he lived in Tumbler Ridge for a year, and that he would like to read and make a contribution to the letter before it was sent. A motion was carried that he do so and that the letter be sent on behalf of the people of Lions Bay.

Other Items of Note

• Minutes were approved from the January 26 Special Meeting of Council (page 4). After a disagreement over wording, the minutes of the Regular Meeting on February 3 (page 9) were sent back to staff to confirm the correct wording before they will be returned for approval at a future meeting.

• Abbott asked that the topics of highway noise data gathering and the upcoming study regarding fleet electrification be added to the Action Items log (page 17). He also asked if staff could look into more effective signage prohibiting air brakes on Highway 99 at both ends of the Village with the Ministry of Transportation.

  
  
  
  

In the absence of public comment, the meeting adjourned briefly before Council members entered the closed session. When this closed portion ended, Mayor Berry reported that Council had received a Battani Creek update, and had agreed to continue their "advocacy efforts". The meeting closed without further explanation.

The next regular meeting of Council is scheduled for March 3, with residents welcome to attend beginning at 7 p.m.

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