Council Meeting

Good evening, neighbors.

I'll call the council meeting to order for Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026, and start with a territorial acknowledgement that we recognize the Quangwin speaking people known today as the Esquimalt or Kusapsom Nation and Songhees Nation and that their historic connections to these lands continue to this day.

This evening we'll hear from the public during the public participation and the question portion of the agenda.

If you wish to provide your comments to council regarding a specific agenda item, which is a development variance permit for 254 Island Highway, there's a specific time in the agenda for anybody to speak to that.

So if you could hold your comments off from public participation to a space within the agenda item that uh speaks to 254 Island Highway, that would be appreciated.

Uh a reminder that council is a safe and respectful and inclusive space.

All members of the audience are asked to treat each other with the same respect they do themselves.

If you wish to provide comments during the public participation period or ask questions during the question period, please begin by indicating your name and just your street name.

For the record, you may then give us the benefit of your views.

To provide comments virtually during public participation period or to ask questions during question period.

You can scan the QR code or use the link on the live webcast stream or the town's website under live webcasts.

Again, we ask you to provide your name and your street name to begin your comments.

Your comments will be read aloud at the appropriate time by a member of the webcast team.

Speaking of the webcast team, I would like to wish Carl an early birthday.

His birthday is tomorrow.

Carl is supports us and makes all things electronic happen during these meetings.

So happy birthday, Carl um public participation comments are limited to five minutes for each speaker and must be related to items on the agenda and question period is open to any question and is limited to two minutes for each speaker and you will be timed the meeting will be recorded by participating in the webcast you are consenting to being recorded and the recording will be available on the town's website for future access um can I get a motion to approve the agenda including uh the blue sheet which is the late correspondence counselor rogers you want to speak to it also make I'd like to table um 14a three and it's the um my motion with respect to adding transit infrastructure to the active transportation improvements um my supporting documentation I sent the wrong file and I apologize to staff so you just want to table that and on with one two and four yes please second or for that we could just uh as amended uh approve the agenda and just turn oh I I didn't have mine up go ahead council um and and further um can I pull an item from the consent agenda you certainly may yes uh I'd like to pull B the minutes of the West Shore Parks and Rec into 10 B to 11 thank you, Councillor Rogers.

That'll be uh new item 11A, and that will get pulled.

Anybody else want to pull anything out of the consent agenda?

And then uh can I get a motion to approve?

Uh moved by Councillor Matson, second by councillor Rogers.

Thank you. All those in favor.

Any opposed non-opposed motion carries, and that brings us directly to public participation period.

So we'll go firstly to people in the room that would like to speak to anything on the agenda, and uh then we'll go to the people external.

So yeah, go ahead, Diane.

Hello, Marin Council.

Uh, my name is Diane, I live on Judberg, and I'm here to get talk about short-term rentals.

I spent considerable time listening to the May 19th discussion and reflecting on what was said.

And what concerns me now is no longer simply the issue of short-term rentals, it's the broader question of governance, fairness, and whether public input can genuinely influence decisions in this community.

The town's mission speaks to good governance, accountability, transparency, and respect.

Those principles require more than defending past decisions or presiding over meetings.

They require a really willingness to reconsider decisions when circumstances change, new information becomes available, and unintended consequences become apparent.

The more that I've listened to the discussion, the more that I found myself asking the same question.

Where does this end?

Because when you really look at it, the difference between what people call short-term rentals and long-term housing is just the length of stay and not always the reasons that people are coming.

So a nurse may be here temporarily working at a hospital for two weeks.

A family from Seattle may spend two weeks exploring Victoria over Christmas.

A film worker may come and stay for a year and a half while working on a production before returning home to another province.

A couple may build a home in another area of Victoria, but they need temporary accommodations for 18 months, well 18 months while they do that.

Some of those situations are labeled long term and some are labeled short term.

Yet all of them are temporary accommodations for people who are here for a specific purpose and who will eventually leave.

So when people talk about protecting the long-term rental market, who exactly are they talking about?

Are they talking about somebody working at quality foods, like the mayor has suggested, who cannot afford rent in one of the new apartment buildings?

Or are they talking about a film worker whose employer is paying accommodations for over a year?

So then who is exactly considered the right renter?

And at what point do municipal leaders move beyond regulating housing and begin deciding which types of people homeowners are allowed to rent, they are allowed to rent to?

Do municipal leaders get to decide that temporary workers are less deserving than someone else?

If municipal leaders can decide how long someone may stay in my home, do they eventually get to decide who may stay in my home?

When elected leaders prioritize hypothetical future hotels and speak of being the voice for renters, then who is speaking for the homeowners?

When a municipal council creates a temporary non-enforcement period for a bylaw that prohibits short-term rentals while leaving the bylaw unchanged, residents are left without any lawful way to comply with provincial regulation requirements.

And once council becomes aware that homeowners could face provincial penalties of thousands of dollars as a result, is it reasonable or responsible to maintain a situation it created while refusing to take steps to protect the community members it's supposed to be serving?

To me, that does not reflect good governance or responsible governance.

These are not insignificant decisions.

They affect how people can use their homes and now potentially expose them to financial risk.

Yet many of the reasons given for maintaining the ban appear to be based on assumptions rather than evidence.

There is no factual basis for the claim that a handful of homeowners operating principal resident short-term rentals are driving long-term rental challenges in View Royal.

While I understand and appreciate council's focus on housing affordability, there is no evidence that owner-operated short-term rentals are the cause of the housing pressures we are experiencing, nor that prohibiting them would meaningfully improve housing availability.

Housing affordability is a complex issue that is influenced by many factors.

Likewise, there is no evidence that allows print that allowing principal residents short-term rentals would negatively impact the viability of a future hotel in View Royal Royal.

The possibility that a future hotel could be impacted remains speculative at best.

When developing its short-term rental legislation, the province recognized a distinction between commercial short-term rental operations and homeowners renting space within their principal residence.

There is also provincial legislation that prevents landlords from simply ending long-term tenancies in order to convert units to short-term rentals.

Decisions that significantly affect homeowners should be based on evidence and demonstrated impacts rather than assumptions about outcomes that may or may not occur.

It starts to make me wonder at what point of owning a home, even what the point is anymore.

If you can't make any meaningful decisions and you have no meaningful control over how you use your property or who you are able to welcome to it.

Bed and breakfasts are already permitted in View Royal.

The town has already accepted the prince principle that short-term accommodations can exist within residential neighborhoods when it's owner operated and properly regulated.

So this discussion is not really about whether short-term accommodation can exist in residential areas because it already does.

The real question is whether council is willing to modernize and modernize its bylaws to reflect provincial framework, reflect current realities and treat residents fairly.

Throughout this discussion I have heard a great deal about hypothetical impacts and possibilities but very little willingness to consider new information changing circumstances or the views of residents.

And what I'm left wondering is who is speaking for the people who live here pay taxes here and bear the consequences of these decisions.

I would have thought that role belonged to our elected officials.

Residents are entitled to ask whether their voices still matter whether public input can genuinely influence decisions and whether council remains willing to reconsider its position when new information becomes available.

Because if evidence public concern and real world consequences cannot influence a decision then the question becomes very simply where does this all end thank you Diane.

Does anybody else wish to address counsel on any topic?

Yes please apparently Linda from Glenarley Drive welcome Linda Hi.

I've got a couple things I wanted to ask about and I didn't bring my agenda but um the the letter the going that Councilor Rogers has asked to go to the highways department to expand the the park and ride.

I think maybe the letter might be better addressed to the hospital so that their employees don't park there all the time because it's it's employee parking.

You can watch them walk from there.

So whether they expand it or not, maybe the highways would like to look after our boulevards instead.

So I that's just one of my things.

I think that it's ill timed to have to have a letter go to highways to expand it, especially with the bus things happening.

So I just mixed it.

The other part, um, I noticed on the agenda that the development pyramid for the parking is further down the agenda, but I have to be somewhere else tonight.

So I just want I don't disagree with having just five parking spaces.

I think it's fine for this business.

At this point, the only thing I want to bring up is the intersection and going around that corner, how narrow it is, and then you hit those cars coming out of there.

So a solution, maybe we could have a mirror on the telephone pole so that when you pull around the corner you can actually see if cars are pull pulling out of there.

Um the other part of it is you've got cars in front of the businesses that the people are going into that are parking there a lot longer than two hours all the time.

I see the same cars every day all the time when it's so maybe some enforcement with those cars would help those businesses at the top of the hill too.

So just some ideas for improving that.

I sit at that corner waiting for that light to change, waiting for a truck to come around and hit me because it's so narrow.

I just shudder every time.

Um I don't have a problem with the parking, but uh I did bring some pictures that I could give you if you would like, and then I'd be on my merry way.

Thanks, Linda. Appreciate it.

Anybody else in uh chambers wish to address counsel on any matter associated with the agenda.

Seeing none. Uh Carl, we got anybody on the line that um uh wanted to address council.

Uh Mayor Tobias, we have no messages on the form system. And thank you for the birthday wishes.

Cheers, Carl. Um, and I think that brings us down to our bylaws. Is that you, Lynn?

Uh yes, it is, Mayor Tobias.

Good evening, Mayor Tobias and members of council.

The report in front of you this evening is to provide an update to council on the proposed zoning bylaw amendments related to density bonusing in the town zoning bylaw to align with the provincial legislation by June 30th, 2026.

At the council meeting on May 19th, staff presented a report to council on the proposed zoning bylaw amendments, and council passed a motion to instruct staff to prepare the necessary zoning bylaw amendment um to be brought forward this evening.

When staff presented the report and presentation on March May 19th, it was noted that the current underground density bonus provision in the RM1 zone should be removed as proper as the property zoned RM1 in the town are have uh have land use designations that actually don't support this added bonus densities.

So the zoning bylaw and the OCP would be inconsistent.

Uh this change was not captured in the original motion.

However, the the bylaw that council will consider later in the agenda incorporates that change.

Should be revised to align with the local government act.

And as such, this change was also captured, was not captured in the motion.

It was discussed at the council meeting on May 19th.

And that change has also been added to the zoning bylaw amendment that council will consider later in the agenda.

The recommendation this evening is to receive this report for information.

Thank you.

Move proceed. Second.

Please, so it's moved by uh counselor Matzon, second by Councilor Lemon.

Uh please go ahead with your uh question, Councilor Rogers.

Yes, thank you.

Uh so staff the um with the issue of um uh green roof.

I mean, it doesn't prohibit anyone from designing a green roof on their structure, it's just that they're the changes to say that um there won't be any density bonusing.

Through the mayor, um council rogers, you're absolutely correct.

So the uh design guidelines strongly encourage uh sustainable sustainable infrastructure improvements such as um pardon me stormwater management techniques that uh encourage green roofs and projects, and so we can still hang our hat on those design guidelines and work with developers to to encourage green roofs.

However, we have to remove it from our zoning bylaw to align with the density bonus provisions in the legislation.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions, comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor of receiving the report.

Any oppose? Seeing none oppose motion carries, and I think uh the next uh move is to uh provide first, second, or third meeting.

First to third uh for zoning bylaw 900 2014 by law metinant 1172 2026.

Councillor Matson moved the motion, councilor Lemon seconded questions or comments.

All those in favor?

Any opposed, seeing none opposed, motion carries, and then uh finally motion to adopt, and that's automated vote counting system authorization procedure and bylaw number uh 48020 uh or 2002, and that's to amend the automated vote count system authorization and procedure bylaw regarding the definition of an acceptable mark, which was just outdated.

So, can I get a movement to adopt?

Uh Lemon uh motion to adopt counselor matts in seconds.

Although any comments or questions, I think it's fairly straightforward one.

All those in favor.

Any opposed? Seeing none opposed motion carries and uh uh mayor's report.

Uh sometimes I have a few things to say.

Other times I bypass it to provide us a little bit more time with the agenda.

But tonight we slid something in as council will recall.

Um we kind of high tasked me and you guys agreed to go out and kind of have a discussion about potentials for clinic.

So Lauren Friesen is here, the general manager for Aroga Lifestyle Medicine.

There have been operating out of View Royal for a bunch of years.

One of the first meetings I had with them was uh we need more space to operate clinics in View Royal.

Uh and that was three and a half years ago.

And so what they did is found some place on the second floor, the same building that Western uh financial currently is in, or they're just moving out.

Uh and uh some of the delay in discussion was the lease or the owner, which is Patterson Group, uh, wanted somebody to take over the whole floor because it was easier.

Uh since that time, Lauren's worked their magic and arogas worked their magic to convince them that uh we'll we'll partner up and um uh take a significant chunk out of it for a roga's practice, uh which is located on the first floor.

Um, but part of that could be uh uh a potential clinic space for View Royal.

So what uh Lauren's gonna present on tonight is an opportunity.

It's something that you asked me to go out and do to present back.

There's no decision tonight on any financial commitment or anything like that.

Then the discussion now would be um uh are you comfortable enough with proceeding to get more information to find things out?

So a couple of things came to light.

You'll see a couple of figures in the report.

One is how much it would cost us per month and per year to pay for the lease portion of that.

The other part, which is harder to chew on, is the cost to renovate it to turn it into clinic space.

About a week after I had this discussion with Lauren while he was on vacation, the federal government said there may be a grant opportunity.

But we can't apply for the grant unless we've got you know uh an ability or an intent to proceed to uh apply for the grant.

Um so right now it's unconditional.

This is just for information.

But what I think we're looking for is if it's council's intent to uh proceed in principle to come back with like class C estimates and and a better business case.

Um that is um that that's in order, but that that would be a council decision.

The other thing that Scott and I and Lauren were talking about was um there's a thing that we haven't touched before, and uh municipalities can go about things two ways.

One is through a nonprofit organization, which I discussed before that maybe council would have representation on that, some members of the public that would be part of um uh the clinic, um uh kind of steering uh the nonprofit.

The other is a partnership agreement.

So the partnership agreement necessarily wouldn't be with a rogue, it would be with the nonprofit that would supply the money.

The understanding would be potentially that if you treat this many people that are unattached in View royal, then we'll pay the rent.

The rough kind of contract or whatever.

Um, so we're not experts on that.

Like Lauren's not an expert, Scott's not an expert.

I'm not an expert.

There are things we need to find out, but we're not going to find them out unless there's a willingness to proceed in five.

Without further ado, Lauren, can I have you come up and make your presentation?

Carl, take it easy on him.

Excellent. Good.

Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Tobias and Council.

Appreciate the opportunity.

And my colleague, our co-founder and our chief medical officer, Dr.

Jazdeep Suluja is with me this evening as well.

As probably many of you know, uh Auroga's been in the community since about 2017, moved into Eagle Creek in 2018.

So we're coming up to 10 years in that location.

We which we've outgrown our space there, which is which is a good thing.

We're able to continue to increase our service to the community, the broader Vancouver Island community.

And so we started looking at for space about a year ago.

And um, and yeah, uh a few months ago, we heard that the second floor was coming available.

Um the floor plates are about 16,000 square feet, which is too much for us uh alone.

And we have an offered a lease now with the Jimmy Patterson group for about half that space of which our specialty clinic and other things would be located in there, as well as primary care.

So this evening we're gonna focus on the primary care piece of this.

Next slide, please.

So we know that there's a huge demand for primary care in the community.

I just actually just to show of hands, how many people do not have a primary care practitioner or somebody in their family doesn't have a primary care practitioner currently?

So yeah, um, and uh Dr.

Suluja. Um, you know, the estimate is uh in View Royal that about 35% do not have uh primary care or not attached to a primary care provider.

Um we don't know exactly what that number is.

We're gonna find out that number.

Um there is an you know course attachment registry, um, but we're gonna dig into that a little bit more.

Um major issue, and and while Aurora primarily is a specialty clinic, we know that health care starts with primary care.

That's just so core, and there's there's a huge demand and need for it.

Um so we estimate there's probably about anywhere 4,500 to 55,000, 6,000 uh people in View Royal that that are not attached to primary care.

Again, we're gonna dig into that a little bit more uh in the next little bit.

We also know that you know it's a growing community, especially with the base expanding.

There's a lot of military families, it's another area that we do a lot of work with.

And so we know that the demand is certainly not going to lessen as we go forward.

Next slide, please.

Merit Tobias talked a little bit about, and I'm not sure if we can see that the slide's a little too small.

But we're looking at a couple of different options, but that it's it's really a community governed solution.

A not-for-profit is part of that, and it may be a partnership agreement.

And the things that I think are important is the you know, the municipality along with other groups would have representation on that and make sure that we're we're meeting the needs of the um of the community.

Uh would also be important that it's it's it's aligned with with the island health and the primary care network priorities.

So very much community-oriented primary care.

Next slide. That would be uh have the family physicians and nurse practitioners, um, registered nurses, mental health support, um, allied health, like dietitian, etc.

So really a full wrap around uh virtual care would be integrated into the care delivery as well as as care coordination.

So that would be the the focus of the primary care.

And 2500 square feet could accommodate approximately eight exam rooms.

Um, and um, I think ultimately we'd be able to attach as it ramps up, essentially all of the residents uh who are looking for a family physician in the area.

Who we served, uh, who we served.

Next slide, please.

Um, there's there's several different groups that that are a priority.

Um, number one is unattached view royal residents, um, secondly, those seniors and and vulnerable folks in the area.

Uh, another important group is first responders.

Um, we already do a lot of work with first responders at Aroga, and um we do cancer surveillance for including your uh firefighters in in View Royal.

Um, and so we'd want to make sure we're supporting your first responders and the RCMP on the West Shore is another priority group taking care of those who take care of us.

Um, and also the military families.

Many of those don't show up on those registry registry lists, and they they come to you know they love moving to Victoria, although they are often leaving behind the kind of care that they had back home.

They move into View Royal, and it's really difficult for them to find a family physician.

We have a long list who are looking right now.

So that's the prior, those are some of the priority areas.

Um of the six pillars.

Next next slide, please.

Thanks. Talk about six pillars of of the initiative.

Um, primary care attachment.

That's key. We want to make sure this is uh sustainable in the long term, that it's financially fully viable.

Um that it's also generating really positive community health outcomes.

Primary care is not just gonna be about meeting the emergent needs of someone in terms of their health care, but looking long term.

How can we support the community to be really healthy, healthy food, movement, all of those things, which are the core to what a company like ours, Aroga, stands for.

It's lifestyle medicine.

It's not just the pill.

It's really getting ahead of the game.

We also recognize how this needs to integrate into the healthcare system as a whole.

We're right across the street from Vic General.

And obviously, there's a lot of people who go into Vic General, use the emergency and other services because they don't have primary care.

So making sure that this facility is fully integrated into the overall strategy for healthcare delivery in the capital region.

Regional collaboration is important as well, as mentioned.

And then we again, first responders is another pillar with this.

Let's take care of those people who who take care of us.

I've worked extensively with the RCMP over the last 15 years, providing a metabolic health program really across the country.

And so often it's like if we're not taking care of those folks, it's really hard for them to do a good job keeping our community safe.

This is in no way nailed down, but these are some ideas.

Act Societies Act and having an independent community board that oversees the operation of the primary care group.

It would have representation from the township, healthcare professionals representing aroga.

We'd have legal and financial expertise, healthcare systems advisors, community representatives, and also representatives from the military first responder community.

One of the things that we also want to recognize within the structure of this, the um the clinical liability, professional licensing, all of that would be managed through that nonprofit.

It wouldn't be up to the township to manage any of those risks.

It would be done through that community governance structure and the medical director for the operation.

Next slide, please.

Now the now the numbers.

These are very high level.

That includes the build-out for the space, equipping eight exam rooms and related spaces.

And then a cost, an annual cost for renting the space of about 110 to 130,000.

We're in the process, as mentioned, with negotiating that lease.

on the second floor because it's already is um you know was finished nicely through western financial we we we need to look closer at how much of that space we can use uh how much how much we have to to to rebuild significantly to uh accommodate the the purposes in mind um one thing just on an operational cost is the physicians nurse practitioners they are not covered through any of this they're they're paid through the province of course through um through msp and or through the the uh pcn system to pay for the nurse practitioner um and but the but the operating entity would get a portion of those fees to help cover uh overhead costs uh but we know that there would be ultimately a shortfall to be able to do this and that's where the annual contribution uh comes comes in um next slide just talks a little bit more about the one-time uh capital investment uh the improvement build out again very high level um of about 225 dollars a square foot which is probably you know is lower than what you know finishing space typically is but we're contemplating that we will be able to make use of some of the the space um as it is already uh being built out uh equipment and furnishings for exam rooms and the waiting area etc and then legal and startup costs or a total of about 770 000 two year and next slide please we've done a high level sort of two year financial summary um clinic revenue is generated through billings to um to the provincial government for physicians working under the longitudinal family practice model um and you know, there's typically arrangement, as you're probably aware, that physicians get a split, usually around 75% of their billing goes to the physician, with the 25% going to the practice to support overhead.

That varies uh to some degree, but that's a good rough estimate.

And then the province pays nurse practitioners directly, and they give an amount to clinics to cover overhead.

Really doesn't cover all of it, but but those those are some of the revenues that would be generated.

And then operating expenses are estimated based on you know our many years of operating medical clinics, uh and that includes everything from our admin staff.

Um it would include some uh dietitian and other professional staff and uh medical director um uh costs, etc.

Next slide, please.

This slide just talks to the patient attachment ramp of over the first couple of years.

Our goal would be in the first year to um to attach over 1200 people.

Um and that would be based on um essentially one full-time uh physician and a half time NP.

If we can onboard more and quicker, uh that ramp up is going to accelerate.

Um again, we've as we in the past as we brought on new physicians, those numbers are fairly realistic, and we do see there's a good window to attract uh family physicians to the community right now.

Next slide, please.

We also recognize that there's an opportunity to build really a collaborative funding model.

Um, and uh Tobias talked a little bit about the funding, potential funding through the through the feds.

There's some other grants that we can look at as well to support upfront and operating costs.

Um there's some provincial funding, there's funding through first responder organizations, there's funding through veteran supporting organizations, and and other groups.

So that's something that uh I think is is needs to really be uh delved into in the next little while and to really understand what is available and begin the process of of applying for those um for those opportunities.

Next slide, please.

And this is just sort of wraps up what we're trying to accomplish here is you know, measurable impact for View Royal residents that um you know of the 12,000 or almost 13,000 uh residents in View Royal, we're estimating about 4,500 don't have a family doctor.

We also recognize there's gonna be new people moving in over the next five to ten years, and and that will won't uh stop.

And and and then on top of that, the military and uh families and and veterans and first responders who are either in the area now or or uh or will be moving in.

So our total attachment target would be around 8,500 for for the clinic, and we think you know that those eight exam rooms would be sufficient to to be able to serve that um that population.

Um last slide, please.

And this just is the recommended next steps, and uh the mayor spoke a little bit about some of those those things would be really to um as a next step to start more detailed uh exploratory discussions with island health, uh division of family practice, the ministry, um granting agencies, etc.

Um, we also need to finish up our process with uh with the lease, and we feel like that's going to be quite positive.

Um looking at governance frameworks and um and the nonprofit corporation to make sure we have the right model.

Um do a more detailed analysis of the financial model, both the uh cost to start up as well as the ongoing costs, and look at other things such as partnership capacity, staffing partners, clinical leadership, etc.

Um, and ultimately all of those things will lead to the development of a full business plan with a comprehensive funding strategy and uh a phased implement implementation roadmap, and uh and then of course through that as a report back to council as we're making progress.

So thank you very much and happy to answer any questions.

Council Lemon, go ahead.

Oh my goodness, I'm so heartened by this.

Thank you for coming and to presenting this to us.

Is there a is is are there any other examples within BC or within the South Island of what you're proposing?

There is. Absolutely.

As you probably aware, Callwood has a model that it has municipal support.

There's many communities now that are looking at this.

And my colleague, Dr.

Selujah has been quite involved in consulting with municipalities and looking at at different models.

So there's nuances and we can certainly explore further what the different models, you know, what each could could mean for this.

It strikes me as distinct from Caldwood in that Callwood as an employee situation there.

And just to speak to that as well, there's a real benefit in this being part of a larger healthcare operation, both for uh cost um benefits uh and and also just the available services.

Okay, good, thank you. Um just to when when do you you know, and you know, in your dreams or whatever, see year one?

Um we would love it to be in fall of this year.

Um that depends partly on on if we can use some of the space almost as is for some elements of what we're doing uh on our in our main clinic, and then we may be able to start something even before the full build-up and be able to start uh creating space.

Okay. But you know, likely it's gonna be a little longer than that.

All right. Can I ask a little more? Um operates now as a typical medical clinic?

Um in a sense, I mean, most of our billing is through MSP, 90% of it, um, 85%.

We're we're more specialist oriented, so we have a whole team internal medicine, endocrinology, women's health, pediatrics, psychiatry.

So we have a full range of specialists.

We also have primary care right now, but it's it's a smaller part of the clinic.

Um with this, this would now really have a dedicated primary care element.

Okay. And the the docks that you are on boarding, are they all from the US?

No, no, we have some.

We have uh we we also are uh you know a facility where we uh do resident training.

Um so we have two amazing new internal medicine physicians who are wrapping up you know their residency through UBC.

So we're bringing on certainly Canadian physicians.

We're we're I've been in healthcare for over 35 years.

I've never seen you know the interest um we're getting from you know nationally for people joining us.

Um and I I think that's because of our model uh where we focus on more than just the pill, it really is that full lifestyle medicine strategy.

Um and I think it's thanks to the amazing work that our our leadership has done over the last few years.

And just uh hoping you can comment on this before I go to counselor McKenzie.

Uh you started here, but now you have uh um clinics in what other cities?

We have a satellite clinic in Vancouver and Toronto as well.

So smaller operations, but yeah, home base is here in Victoria.

Council McKenzie.

Thank you for your presentation.

So is it um correct then?

My understanding is that the patients at this clinic would be exclusively View Royal residents.

You wouldn't have um clients or um that were from differ or patients from different areas.

And if that's the case, which I think it is, um how would you promote it and uh do checks to ensure that that is the case?

Yeah, I mean priority is gonna be View Royal, and then some of those other groups we had mentioned, right?

People who serve the View Royal residents.

Um I think you can do it through postal code.

Um I think is probably the the most logical.

Um I think there is a way to to kind of geocach the area.

Um I'm sure there'll be times where it's it's not a hundred percent you know accurate.

Um, but that would be the the way we would approach it.

Thank you. And and you kind of answered my second question, which was yeah, the priority groups, a lot of them, let's say the West Shore RCMP, they might not actually live in uh a West Shore community or View Royal.

So then they would be eligible because they work in because they serve the View Royal community.

Right, thank you.

Um just to add to that, there's a lot of unknowns.

Let's say if um uh a member of our fire department um uh joins us and gets in the end the very next day decides to move to Sanichor, whatever.

I mean, you don't just don't cut off service.

So there there's gonna be exceptions, but I think the intent would be to um uh go on the register and and start hacking the register.

Um the there's a challenge that they really don't know how many people are unattached in view royal.

Uh first reason is it's not broken down by municipalities in any of their data schemes.

We're working on that to make it a little bit better, uh, but they acknowledge that it's very difficult for them to do compared to how they have their reporting funneled up.

And I'm more interested in so you've got the group that are registered, and then you know, we have the other group that we know less about.

Like uh, and and some are already attached, so we know that number.

So if but the uh number that's not on either one of those are is really the concern point, and that number seems to fluctuate depending on the data set.

Um, and it's fluctuated enough for me within the past year to say I don't trust your data so much.

So I'm trying to get to the bottom of it.

I know it's significant.

Uh and uh for those folks that now have doctors, um, a lot of them that have been members of the community for a long time are retiring, and there's nobody necessarily coming in behind them.

So um just just more data.

Is that all your questions, or do you have some more, Councillor McKenzie?

Counselor Mattson, please.

Oh, thank you for your presentation.

I'm uh delighted to hear the progress that's being made.

Uh I I do have a lot of experience doing primary care, both working for the ministry and being uh on the board of Island Health.

And one of the things I've found was uh as soon as you put physicians on salary and they start practicing a different style of medicine, it gets more and more less and less income is generated.

So I was really quite encouraged to hear that uh you'll be basically doing fee-for-service billing and with the physicians taking a percentage so that there won't be a lack of incentive for them to to see, you know, provide good care, but also to see a number of number of patients in a in a day.

Um also in my discussions with uh divisions of family practice, they said they can just basically pick out the view rural residents because in their database they I guess they ask for the municipality or something so they they can pull those out.

And I guess once we if this goes through and we announce that people who don't have a doctor can register uh you know through that process and noting that they're in Victoria and View Royal, we won't have any problem at all having lots of URL residents available.

So, anyways, I I don't have a particular question.

I was just really happy not to hear that we aren't going to be providing uh or the physicians won't be paid on a salary basis, and there's a style of medicine that will require you know longer and longer visits and anyways.

I've lots of horror stories in terms of my experience with primary care and that happening.

Yeah, I think we want to align incentives as much as we can.

Um thank you very much for the um uh presentation.

That's um it's it you know quite fascinating.

The um and and with the motion that's being proposed, I certainly agree that we need to undertake a detailed feasibility assessment uh of this.

I'd like to see the comparisons with um Nicole and whoever else is modeling this now.

Uh I suspect that when the the federal government is gonna finally build out um um uh housing that uh Esquamo's um medical services will uh be serving the medical uh the um the armed forces individuals there i don't think they'll need to come to V Royal if they're gonna be right and and the same thing with uh Callwood uh that has Bell Matt Park so I hardly I'm not really sure if we're gonna have two thousand um estimated two thousand um you know armed forces individuals coming to this clinic and I think it's not so much all it's their families uh not so much the armed forces uh members themselves um that's where the that's where I think the need is and and talking to the medical family resource center um you know they have many many uh who who just are not attached and um and that's it's a real shame and it really impacts morale but you're right you're right there may be some more things we we do speak regularly to um to the the base about medical services and needs and and so we'll we'll get we'll get more information on that as well.

And I'm curious um uh with again referring to those like um Colwood you know what kind of grant funding did they get and I is that give us any indication of what kind of grant funding we're we may well achieve yeah I I don't know the answer to that in terms of the grant funding I don't know if if okay yeah okay yeah so we can we can find out more yeah absolutely and we'll we'll look at the of several of the of the models that where there's been municipal support.

But John, I can answer part of that.

So the Callwood model, uh, the mayor's uh for the West Shore and I'm including a squimalt meet um on an almost bi-monthly basis just to talk about primary care.

So the Callwood model specifically is a leased space that Callwood pays for with doctors and municipal staff that run it and deliver.

That's their model.

Um the Langford model uh is is a space and they paid for, I think part of the renovation for this space through I think the Masonic Blood shores, uh like a another party manages that.

The Esquimalt model was a developer contributed space that seems not to have attracted a medical clinic in the past couple of years that they're struggling with.

So ours is a bit unique, particularly if it has a flavor of uh both a partnership and a nonprofit.

Um so we don't know what that looks like, but comparatively in a big picture, that's kind of what it is.

Like a squamalt just went for the developer incentive.

But what I'm finding, which is concerning and learning every day, and that is it's an enormous amount of money to convert an office space.

Like it's an enormous amount of money to build the office building, but just to convert it for specific use is uh, you know, beyond it just blows my mind away how much that is.

But I know uh that that those are the different models in the higher child.

But go ahead.

But it sounds like uh, you know, that that challenge you speak of converting office space is gonna be the problem y'all have in Eagle Creek.

Right? Okay, great.

Um, the year two financial summary kind of concerned me.

Um uh at the first year the clinic uh revenue is uh half a million, and the next year it's uh a million, but Rue Oil's contribution is still the same, 130,000.

Is it gonna be 130,000 forever?

Yeah, that we we're we're hoping that there would be some you know ongoing contribution.

Now there may be other th other groups that contribute as well, so that might modify that, but the nonprofit had needs to raise through the the the various parties.

Um, you know, as the just the way that primary care uh functions and the costs associated with running a primary care clinic, it is it is a very difficult um thing to operate uh you know in a sustainable way financially, which is why we're seeing these municipal models because and so many, especially in areas that are expensive, um like the capital region.

So some ongoing support is I think is is is required, um, particularly to run something that is going to be um there's the attachment, but also the larger sort of health and well-being and having some allied health and other services involved too.

So with um with the build out after two years and and you've got the full facility, and I don't know if the full facility is 2500 square feet or 7500 square feet.

2500 square feet is the space that we designated for primary care.

So that would be you know part of the larger space that would include the specialty clinics and other things.

7500 is for what?

So there would be like we our our internists are our specialists is also they would primary care is not including any of the of the other work that Aroga does.

Uh huh.

Um right.

It's focused on family physicians.

Yeah, one of the things that concerns me at Eagle Creek is the enormous success of the complex the shopping center and the dwindling supply of parking so um i wonder um how you know if you're gonna have 7500 and you're gonna have 1500 staff will there be any parking for patients you no no second theoretically yeah yeah for sure no they i mean they uh actually I don't know if we really had major because of the downstairs parking we haven't really had any issue with parking uh that I'm aware of I'm sure you're right yeah um you know that's the cost of success yes and uh fortunately it's on a remarkable best roots as well um but uh it's just one of those things that we thought that Eagle Creek was having a huge abundance of available parking and that's no longer the case um I really look forward I I like the uh the project I like uh the staff's recommendation I look forward to seeing how this develops thank you thank you counselor Brown you're the only one that hasn't asked questions it's uh thank you for your work uh approaching them and and dealing with them thank you very much thanks uh so I'm happy to move staff recommendations okay second uh moved by councillor Matson seconded by counselor uh rogers and we can expect a report back uh when we uh go all uh all the councilor McKenzie so just in terms of that receiving a report from staff that that doesn't involve any uh costs.

Like it's not gonna be contracted out. Okay, thank you.

Just come out of your salary exclusively, Council McCaussi.

Uh all those in favor.

Any opposed saying none opposed.

Thank you, Lauren.

Thanks, Zach, for coming out.

Uh good to see you again.

Uh appreciate that.

And uh now this brings us to uh seven.

Lauren, I know you probably are waiting with bait and breath breath about what happens in the rest of the agenda, but feel free to go if you're uh cheers.

Um staff reports development variance permit area for uh 2026.

So that's uh 254 Island Highway that Linda's already spoke to about and broke the ice.

Uh and uh I think that's over to Leah.

Thank you, Leah.

Thank you, Mayor and Councils.

This presentation is for development variance permit 2026 01 for 254 Island Highway.

The applicant has requested two variances to the town's zoning by law.

The first to reduce the required number of parking spaces from 15 to 4, and the second to reduce the required number of accessible parking spaces, excuse me, from one to zero.

Next slide, please.

So this application was introduced at the special council meeting on May 12th.

Uh following the meeting, public notification was completed in accordance with the town's development procedures by law and the public notification by law.

Following this presentation, the public will be given an opportunity to comment on the application.

Um the applicant will also have the ability to speak before council makes their decision.

I will also note uh that there were three letters of support provided by the applicant um that have been attached uh to the report.

Uh there was also a letter of opposition uh which has also been added to the correspondence received.

Next slide, please.

So just as a reminder, uh the property in question is located on the corner of Island Highway and Stormont Avenue.

Um there's the set of lights there too.

Next slide, please.

Uh so following the special council meeting on May 12th, the applicant provided an updated uh floor plans to show the end of trip facilities, i.e.

the showers and the change rooms, um, which you can kind of see in the bathroom in the lower left corner, uh, which are attached to the report as well in attachment two.

The site plan also shows the physical limitations of the property.

Um, as you know, there's no further parking spaces that can be added given their limited space and the requested accessible librarians to have no accessible parking spaces uh was such in order to not lose any existing parking spaces.

So uh I will also note that the proposed use of office is the least demanding of all of the uses permitted under the current zoning for parking.

Yeah, 15 parking spaces versus 44 for the other uses.

Next slide, please.

Uh so it is staff's recommendation that the DVP um be approved.

You're happy to take some questions from us right now about the application. Thank you.

Uh Council Lemon.

Um, yeah, Leah, was this um?

I mean, obviously there couldn't be 15 parking spaces there, so I don't know how 15 spaces became the required number.

Um was so was this a grandfathered situation that four were allowed all along in this whole building?

Uh so through through the chair, essentially this property was developed and then the building is existing from like the 1950s, I believe it was.

Uh 1940s, excuse me.

Um, and since then there's been various additions that have been done to the building.

So I can't really speak to the zoning requirements way back when.

Um, however, with the uses that were proposed in the 1990s, which was the current winemaker, um I I can't really speak to to why they uh permitted the building in, but they did they did uh take the proposed use.

So okay, good. Now just just one more question.

In the event the the new owner um or a an owner, any anyway, in in the event there was the old building was torn down and new building was put up, would they the these did the four would stand right?

And if they actually needed more, they'd have to come back to us.

So through the chair, yes, as soon as there's a new development, there would be a new variance for the whatever is going on in that building.

Yeah, thank you.

Councilor Matson.

Uh thank you for your presentation.

I'm just curious, how do we it's a 6,500 square foot building, and how do we get up to 14 parking spots?

I just quickly if you just if you just let me know the what the form that was based on square footage.

So uh through the mayor our our zoning bylaw does go by like a number of parking spaces per meter square um and essentially for office it's like one parking space for 30 meters squared um which is the standard number that's been used to calculate the required parking um and all of the others were calculated as necessary and in the same way it was attached the first report um I believe it's still an attachment um to this report as well thank you I've uh got a question that'll go to counselor Rogers so uh help me understand just confirm what I'm saying so the place was built in 1950s we came up with our parking requirements bylaw um uh you know decades after that so according to our bylaw the requires 15 parking spots for that area then they're getting our or 15 reducing that so 11 parking spots more than what is there now um so with four parking spots what could go in there so through the chair um the office uh as I was mentioning has the least amount of required parking spaces out of all of the permitted uses listed under the current zoning um so all of the other zoning um options or I should say like the uses that are options I guess in the under the current zoning.

Um, like there's 22 parking spaces for a bakery or a financial institution or a retail store, uh, and then you're jumping up to 29 for a cafe or 44 for the other uses.

Like there's no other number.

Okay, thank you. Uh Leanne, did you have something to add to um yes?

In addition to what uh Ms.

Curtis mentioned is that any use that goes into this building will require parking variants.

Otherwise, this building will be will sit vacant.

Yeah, that was my concern.

Um, that uh, you know, if um we're not able to use this were intended, nobody is going to be buying extra property uh necessarily for a parking lot uh for that in order to do it.

So, what do we do with these grandfathered older properties that still have life in them, obviously enough for them to elicit business interest.

So uh Council Rogers, go ahead.

Yes, um you know it's it's interesting to see the evolution of of how these businesses operate and of course the density of um view.

The one big um advantage of the island highway project that we did, goodness knows, 2007, uh 2015, whatever it was, was that we um we purposely put parking in front of uh of the the buildings down to the fire hall.

They that hadn't really formally existed uh before then.

So um I'm turning my attention to the correspondence uh date of May 23rd um and their opposition.

Um and they they speak of the lack of parking for the four businesses.

Now I think it's important to note that they are retail businesses, not um office businesses that uh is being proposed here.

Um, I think um I don't I don't think the um unless we tore the buildings down and put in uh raised the building to put in underground parking, that's the only way that we would be able to just um meet uh any kind of parking variances uh for uh for that area.

I think it does indicate, however, that um uh the the riders may raise a good point um that we're not enforcing the two-hour parking.

So those people that um reside um in a letter suggests that those people residing at 280, the uh um the condos, they're parking for much longer than uh than the two-hour, thus taking away the um the business uh intended parking.

Um and you know, when I looked at uh your report, excellent report uh last time, um, we saw the aerial photograph and there was vacant parking.

But that only is if we are uh ensuring that people are respecting the two-hour parking.

And it may be that at some future time, um, you know, maybe when the parking starts infiltrating down into the harbor, because you can certainly can't do it on Stormont.

Everyone parks on the harbor, that harbor would be incensed and you know really require and demand that we have um uh enforced uh enforcing the two-hour parking.

So that that's I think a future uh trend that the town and the staff and council, future council has to contend with.

In this current situation, I appreciate that um I hopefully the business folks that intend to take over this premise are true to their word.

They do not exceed uh the parking.

They don't their staffing does not uh you know park there, they do rely on the public transportation, and indeed their customers are few and far between.

There is, you know, we're we've got an opportunity for the applicant to actually make comments.

I hope that's okay.

Um is there any other questions?

Councilman.

Um, so actually, my question will be for the applicant. So um, yeah, I'll hold on.

That comes as the applicant here and willing to one, please quick go. Said uh for Leah? Yes. Okay, go ahead.

So we've reduced if we reduce the parking to four.

Uh what happens if the building is sold?

If if they sell a year from now, they move and what are the parking requirements?

Um, so through through the chair, um, it would stick with the use essentially.

So if the other business, if it were to be resold in the future, it'd be an office.

Um, it would still have the same variance.

However, if a different use was to go in, once again, we'd be likely revisiting the variance question.

Thank you, Leah.

Um applicant, are you happy to answer questions?

Okay, great. Yeah, if you could just introduce yourself and the name of your business.

My name is Kal Volikovsky, 5157 Del Monte.

Uh, I'm one of the owners of White Wolf Homes.

Um, I had of stuff to say, but I can answer questions first.

Uh whatever. Yeah, perfect.

Um, so yeah, so my name's Kavlikovski.

I mentioned uh about the application and for the parking variants.

I just wanted to touch on some of the things you guys have mentioned and some of the arguments kind of for us doing this here.

Um I think for think first for starting off, this is a very large building for us.

It's probably three times the size of what my business needs, but the price point for us is affordable, it has really high exposure for our business.

Uh it solves a business need for my staff, and there's there's typically about five of us that work out of the office.

The other 20 plus staff are all on site.

And it's very rare that all five people are in the office at uh at all times.

Uh two of my staff actually live within walking distance.

So we're not even sure if they're gonna be driving to work or not.

Um so just wanted to note that as well.

Um our business model uh ideally is is structurally structured to prevent growth when I meet with clients and sell our jobs.

We advertise ourselves as a boutique builder, which means I limit the amount of jobs I take on.

So it isn't to counselor Rogers' point.

It isn't in my best interest to say to you guys, I have three to five staff at any time in here, and then all of us then all of a sudden I have 10 plus staff.

It's not where I want to go with my business, not what our clients want to see, and not how we market and and sell ourselves.

Um so I think ideally a council can have confidence that this isn't a situation where we go back on our word, and if there's a covenant or something you guys want to propose to limit that, I'm I'm happy to entertain that as well.

Um This space has been for sale for about three years.

Um, so I think that itself should be telling as to how challenging this site is for any business.

Um as Leah had mentioned, our business use here is the lowest that it could be.

And um I you know, I kind of then raised the question similar to what Mayor Tobias had said is if my business can't operate out of here, then what business could?

Because um we're we're we're taking on, like I said, about three times the amount of office space that we actually need here.

But again, price point makes sense.

Uh, you know, our our long-term plan would be to land assembly with neighbors and rezone and all that, which would come in a fully different application many, many years down the road.

But that is one of the attractive points of this building.

Um, I've already spoke to the two adjoining neighbors who are interested in partaking down that path again, many years down the road or whatever.

So um, as much as it satisfies my business operations, it's also a long-term investment uh to kind of more align with the OCP and stuff.

Um I just also want to note that we're not the source of the neighborhood pressure.

I know you guys got the opposition letter, but at the end of the day, like we're gonna be functioning within our core.

I realize you can't look at the tandem spot there as a parking spot, but there is that bonus parking should we use that to double park vehicles or something.

Um, so again, I'm just asking not to be uh held to the same standard as everyone who might be, I guess, uh abusing their parking rights right now.

Um I mentioned that the uh immediate neighbors uh at 252 Island Highway and uh very directly beside us in Stormont, they also uh support this application.

Um, I feel like bringing our business uh to this spot would is a is a benefit to the community.

We're a very reputable high-end custom home builder and um again have a very low impact on the the traffic and parking and all that kind of stuff there.

Um wasn't required for this application, but we did do a professional traffic analysis for this.

So we originally we thought we would have to hire a traffic engineer, so we do have a letter that supports that as well, which I'm sure staff at Vie Royal can provide that to you guys if you were curious as well.

Um and yeah, I think I think at the end of the day, I just want to summarize like we're trying to house three to five people in 5,000 square feet, and uh, I just think this is a uh what's sort of looking for um an issue of how the bylaw is stated for this building as opposed to uh and it I would obviously love to see the landlord sell his building.

I'd love to get my business up and running there and hopefully uh I can answer any uh resistance you guys have to this application.

Thank you, Govern. Any other questions for you, African? No. Thank you. Okay, cool.

Appreciate it.

You want me to answer? Oh my god.

Are you going to answer my question?

So I was like, but um, I think even with the best of intentions, there probably will be times where there might be all the employees are in the office and you have a customer that same day, and there might be on occasion times where someone's gonna have to park elsewhere.

I guess do you will you be coming up with a plan for when that occurs?

Like um maybe employee goes somewhere else to park or like a kind of uh schedule so you know, like yeah, to try to avoid that situation as much as possible.

Uh through the chair, uh the just to clarify your question, you mean just the office staff all being there, not my site staff, right?

Yeah, yeah. Okay, perfect.

So I just wanted to clarify the site staff don't come to the office.

Um yeah, I mean it's an interesting point.

I mean, uh I I I would say like it's it I realize you don't know me.

People like to stretch the truth here and there, but it's very, very rare that five people are in the office at at all times.

Like we're running 12 construction sites at any time.

Our two PMs are in and out of the office.

Uh our controller lives right down the road.

He actually drives a smart car, but you know, maybe he opts to leave his smart car at home and and take and walk.

Um my office admin also walks or also lives a block away as well.

So I mean, on those type of days, we could look at regulations like that.

But um, I you know, I I don't want to sit here and guarantee that because I think it would be an unrealistic expectation.

But uh at the same time, we're it it's it's such an unusual circumstance here you're at your mentioning that to make a policy for it would be a little over over top, I think.

Thank you.

Thanks a lot. Um, and that I think bring us down to anybody who wants to talk to the um development variance permit.

Um go to anybody in the room that wants to address it, any other than the participant.

Nobody has to. Uh and if there's nobody does, that's okay.

Uh Carl, anybody online with any comments about the development variance permit for 25 for Island House?

Uh Mayor Tobias, no, we have no comments.

Okay, thank you.

And we've got uh I think was there two correspondence uh items or one.

Uh uh thank you.

Uh, do I have a seconder to receive correspondence?

Councilor Lemon, uh all those in favor of the receipt of correspondence.

Um that motion passes, and now it goes down to uh move staff recommendation.

Recommendations moved by counselor Matzen, seconded by Counselor Lemon.

Counselor Matson, did you want to motivate and then we'll go to you, Counselor Lemon?

Uh no, I think pretty well everything I heard this evening suggests it's a a reasonable, reasonable idea.

Um a good idea and a reasonable use of the property.

I have no problems at all.

I think it's uh a lot better than having an empty building there, and um everything I've heard about the the future owner is has been good, so I'm I'm happy to welcome to the community from my perspective.

Council Lewin.

No, this is dead easy.

Um you couldn't possibly put 15 in.

Um you can barely put four in.

So this was um a easy decision for me.

Um if nothing, if this doesn't go in there, what does go in there?

And then the chances of it remaining vacant for a longer period of time, then you have a whole suite of other uh problems.

I will say something that is probably going to be unpopular.

There's probably going to be a time in the future where we're going to have to do what other municipalities did and actually think about a parking lot somewhere.

Um, aside from things, if we want to attract business and uh things to uh along there, we're gonna have to consider it.

Otherwise, we'll be in the same situation we're in now.

And it's too expensive commercially to go into a uh underground parking for absolutely everything, right?

So um just saying that for future councils to consider, but Council Roger.

Yeah, um, I certainly support the motion.

Um the um uh I I like what um I hear from from the um um proposed um owner and uh how you know and even the fact that you got a traffic study or traffic report to verify and and uh your your position that that's helpful.

Um I I I do take um uh a great interest in the uh letter the opposition uh that opposed this circumstance, but the opposition is really um about the four retail businesses, not the the office business that uh you're bringing in.

Uh my count is there's 16 parking stalls on the street.

And um, if um we were and you know, if for us to support business, we may want to enforce the business principles of two-hour parking to make sure that there is adequate rotation, that um those people that are living at 280 are are um respecting the businesses and not um taking up a valuable parking spot that is so vital to our businesses, be they uh office or the the retail side.

So it's um it's incumbent on us, the town and and uh and council.

Our business is to help those businesses.

So that may be a thought uh for the future.

Thank you, but I support it.

We've got a move in your secondary, lots of time for discussion.

All those in favor?

Any opposed? Motion curious.

Thank you. Um okay, and the next thing on is uh Ivan, you're up uh to talk about my favorite subject.

Uh sewer pump street pump station contracted services.

Thank you, Mayor Tobias.

I'm the young director of engineering.

Uh this uh staff report before you is a little timely.

Um three things were assessed uh in order for us to bring the stock report forward, which is essentially a lift in uh level of service to maintain our sanitary server pump stations.

We have 17 of them, all with our increasing with age.

And generally speaking, when things increase the age, it takes a little bit more to maintain the assets.

But anyways, there were three events over the last couple of few years that has triggered this request for a lift.

The first one is that historically speaking, our sanitary sewer pump stations were maintained by neighboring municipality.

It was a long-standing agreement.

And today they have to look out for number one, which is their own assets.

And their assets are aging as well, and they're unable to provide the same level of service as they provided to the town in the last few years.

It's gotten to the point where the town needs to seriously look at a different model to maintain the pump stations.

And the best practices also change.

The third is uh just through our sustainable infrastructure replacement plan done in 2022.

Our sanitary pump stations are 69% consumed.

So they are aging and they are due for replacement.

When they are due for replacement and a level of service is ignored, then that can lead to failures.

Staff conducted a risk assessment of the current situation and the potential of a critical to extreme risk is it can be high.

So that's the reason why we're requesting an additional level of service.

So they basically transferred the business.

So it's very difficult to find external contracted services to do the work, quite simply because the demand for it is fairly low when other municipalities have their own public works department.

But we did do a scan and we talked to industry, we've talked to other municipalities, and uh Care Mechanical Services came up as a contractor that's not only capable of doing the work, but for uh sometimes these municipalities also contract care to do some of the work as well.

So the staff we issued what's called a notice of intent to direct award.

We posted that in BC bid.

It's included in our purchasing policy to provide a fair challenge to a direct award.

So essentially we go out to BC Bids and say we are intend on direct awarding of the CARED.

If you think that you're capable of doing the work, you can challenge it, and then we can go through a public process.

We receive zero challenges on that.

And so as a result, we want to bring forward this uh the staff report to you to um basically uh issue a contract till the end of the year for about 132,470 dollars.

And I would say that this is to catch up, and whenever we need to catch up on the maintenance of our assets, it is more money than if we're to be at a baseline and just cruising.

So this is for us to catch up, and then in the ensuing years or next year 2027, we will start looking at a uh multi-year contract of services, which would be at a baseline level.

Um based on what we see with the 17 pump stations and the number of uh inspections that would be done this year.

The unit rate per pump station is actually quite favorable.

It's it's a good number, and it would uh help mitigate um the risks of failures uh in our pumps and our valves and all of the things that requires confined space entry.

Um, so the staff report is or the recommendations here that the town enter into a contract with care mechanical contractors limited for the routine maintenance of the town sanitary sewer pump stations until the end of 2026 for a total value of 132,470 net of GST.

Uh, but happy to take questions.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah, I could start with one that'll go to counselor Brown. So, so where is the money coming out of?

Uh, Mayor Tobias, very good question.

Probably should have breezed it, I should have noted that.

Um, so the financial impacts, uh, we could the 132,000 wouldn't be um I wouldn't be increasing the budget by that much.

We staff, when we took a look, there are things that we could probably defer that are less risk.

Um, so uh an estimation is that's we would be about 90,000 over our sewer operating budget for this year after all the other commitments are incorporated into the budget.

And how we would fund that would be through um the surplus of a sewer operating reserves, um, which would uh which there is a healthy balance for thank you.

Ivan Council Brown.

Is Gorgon this is done by staff before prior to, or do we have a contractor before?

Um yeah, Mayor Tobias, uh the neighboring municipality generally did the work uh and again because of the lower level service, they weren't they weren't able to provide that service anymore.

Yeah, it's really important to get this done because I know we had the incident just off of six mile road the other day near Anne Crescent.

So I believe two homes were flooded, so pretty shitty mess.

But anyway, um, yeah, for sure it has to be done.

And uh I know we have a list station at our townhouse, and the same thing.

We have some that comes every month to check it, and uh very important.

So uh thanks for bringing this forward.

Thank you. Ivan, Councilor Rogers.

Yeah, excellent report.

Thank you. You you've highlighted the uh uh the need very well.

Um you you noted that um the town state uh pump station is approximately 69 percent consumed.

Um how much is what is a uh good consumption rate and and um when does it go to code red if we exceed a certain percentage?

Uh yeah, thank you.

Uh Mayor Tobias, yeah, I've actually talked to Ben Lubritz, our uh asset management's um kind of champion on on our team.

Um if you maintain your assets well, then you can afford to have a higher consumption.

So generally speaking, the strive is to get to 100% consumed and then replace.

That's the best values of dollars spent.

However, if we do not maintain their assets uh well enough, then that's when we start come coming to a catastrophic risk.

And we do have, I mean, uh we do have 17 pump stations, and I believe 15 of them are right by the water.

So, you know, having one go off uh can not only have impacts to to properties, but also to the environment.

And uh, you know, case in point, we just had the Comox uh uh event uh where there was uh very high publicity issue as well as uh enormous, I'm sure, fines and so forth.

So, and uh we've got similar waters of um you know that are you know that obviously need uh critical protection.

Um you have any sense of how much the ongoing costs uh into 2027 and so forth will likely be?

Uh Mayor Tobias, we did do a desktop study, and um there would be more inspections but less intense.

And so as a result, the the cost would probably be a bit of the same, maybe a little bit less than what you're seeing now.

The beauty of doing it that way, though, is that there is economy of scale, and so a lot of that work can actually be lumped in with our existing work they're already doing.

And so you're kind of hitting two birds at one stone, and you might be getting actually additional cost savings.

And my last question, how does this tie into the um uh five-year review of um the sewer um maintenance master plan?

Uh yeah, Mayor Tobias, it'd probably be in tandem.

I would expect that in our previous sanitary master plan mentioned that our pump stations were in relatively good condition, and I believe that's probably going to change with the sanitary master plan.

It's been about almost 10 years since uh that master plan was done.

And so as a result, that 10 years and 10 years with uh a need to increase level service, but not doing it can um can significantly affect our assets.

Giving an example, you know, these wet wells where pump stations, you know, raw sewage is a very corrosive environment.

10 years of metal being a corrosive environment can can do a number.

Oh that was almost my last question.

The the other one is um um you know, the unforeseen uh if we go in another atmospheric river, that really would put pressure on our pumps, and we obviously we need them to be finely tuned in in that uh uh unexpected event as well.

So all good substantive support.

Thank you. Go ahead, council.

Thank you. Um sounds like these guys are the only game in town.

So I mean we we really we really need them and we really need this.

So this is a six-month contract, Ivan.

We'll need to presumably renegotiate for the following 12 months and then the following 12 months and the following 12 months, right?

Yeah, Mayor Tobias, we're gonna look into that further.

Right now, this is an emergency situation, and we know cared.

They've done work for us before.

Um, we'll do our ultimately best to adhere to the purchasing policy.

So if that means going to RFP, I mean the best case, the best and worst case scenario is that we have one and then we just award one, but there could be more that provides the opportunity for the town to get best dollars for value, best value for dollar spent.

Um, we'll cross the bridge when we get there.

We so did the arrangement we had with the other municipality, um, did it come anywhere close to this kind of dollars.

Uh Mayor Tobias, I don't know.

Um, they did provide a service that was I would say maybe within 30, 40 percent at one point, and that was a long time ago.

And that there they have been um the level of service has diminished quite simply because they have to look out for number one, which is their own municipality, which I can I can understand.

Okay, thank you, Ben.

Any other questions, comments?

Anybody happy to move the recommendation?

Move by counselor Rogers, second by Councillor Mattson.

All those in favor.

Any opposed? Being none opposed, thank you, Ivan.

Well that brings us to draft annual report year ended December 31st.

Is that yours Scott?

Yeah, thank you, Mayor Tobias.

Um, on behalf of the staff of V Royal, I'm proud to present the 2025 draft annual report.

Uh particular thanks go to Jennifer Cochran, who shepherd us through the process and did an excellent job.

I think it's uh the best I've seen in my this is my third one here.

Um getting some compliments online, so it's great.

The public's reading it.

Um I think anyone who's who's really interested in view oil should give it a read.

I always imagine it will be the coffee table book that people will sit around and talk about.

Um it's not quite there.

We you know, there's room for improvement always, but um I I have noticed some uh compliments online, so people are reading it already.

Um we we hope next year to align our strategic plan with the annual report.

That's a bit of a process so that we're reporting back uh on the strategic plan a little more closely.

Uh so that will be a project for this fall uh for some of you.

But um yeah, happy to take any questions on the annual report.

It will be published and it will come back to you uh in early July.

Councilor Mass.

Yeah, I just wanted to compliment staff on the report.

Uh what I really like is it's really easy to read and lots of pictures showing off uh how beautiful view oil is and and and the love lovely venues we have for uh so anyways, congratulations.

I don't really have any questions.

I just wanted to say thank you.

Awesome. Anything else that we wanted to say?

Council. It is it's a thing of beauty. So thank you to all of you and to Gender and staff.

Uh through the mayor, I'd just like to add thank you to council for approving the extra point two FTE in our communications and engagement department.

Um because Kelsey certainly helps uh put some polish on on everything and arrange all the photos to show off your oil as well.

Although my picture isn't big enough.

Um I I've just noticed, I think in general, Scott, uh, I'm not sure if you have, whether it's a Facebook post promoting um an exciting agenda like this, she does a good job of breaking it down, like why you need to pay attention to it, to you know, other thoughtful things like uh even when she was working three days a week just to have a set of eyes that were trained on you know digestible chunks that the public could consume about municipal life.

We would like to get them to pay her.

She's made uh a noticeable difference, I think, in our ability to reach out.

So please pass on our thanks.

Um and I think we're at that point that we need a motion to receive it.

Moved by Councillor Mattson, second by Councillor McKenzie.

All those in favor.

Any opposed none opposed, motion carries.

We've got one thing now that we're on consent agenda.

We've got one thing pulled out that will be 11A, and that is the minutes from the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors.

So what we are moving is everything except be uh Councillor Mattson, seconded by Councillor Rogers, all those in favor.

Any opposed, seeing none opposed, Councillor Rogers.

Yes, thank you.

The um uh the main point uh from the West Shore Parks and Rec um is um what page?

Uh I think for the front page, yeah.

New business, uh West Shore um 60th birthday party on um September the 12th, 2026, from nine to four.

And uh so I think that's that really is a significant event to celebrate.

And um, I'm hoping uh we can put that um in our notices on on the website to encourage uh everyone to go and attend and celebrate our recreation.

Thank you, Councilor Rogers.

Thanks for uh pulling that out and bringing up.

Is there um events?

Are we gonna have a dunk tank for Councilor Rogers?

Uh I think they're still uh uh finalizing what activities.

I know they were talking about a run.

So if you're into running, um but yeah, I uh in addition to that, I'm not I'm not too sure.

I know there's gonna be music and things like that.

So yeah, it should be fun.

Thank you, Councilor Rogers.

We could bring back Rock the Shores.

Yeah, I don't know why that disappeared.

Uh my friends uh went to a 5k in couch in the valley.

It was called the foam run or something this last weekend.

And uh they said they got more muddy than clean through it because you have to leopard crawl through a bunch of uh things.

So yeah, maybe just for uh um counselors that aren't returning should uh have to participate.

Something uh something for Wesher Parks and Rec.

Uh with that, uh Counselor Rogers, will you uh move to receive uh items?

Uh seconded by Councilor Matson, all those in favor.

Um and now that moves us down to question period.

Anybody got a question for council?

Seeing how just the you two here, you must have a question.

Come on. Uh all right.

Thanks, Ed. Uh Carol, we got anybody online that's uh sent a question in.

Uh Mayor Tobias, no questions at all this evening.

Uh thank you, Carl.

Uh and down to notices of motions.

Uh first one up is Councilor Matson and construction related lane closure.

So this has already come through, and now it's a matter of convincing you that this is a good motion.

Yes. Uh well actually the motion sort of speaks for itself, but you know, we've had such horrific traffic issues uh because of some of the construction going on.

And so what this motion is for staff to look at, what options there are available for council to uh reduce the impact that these lane closures have on residents.

Um not only in terms of the hours that the road is closed and the impact on those residents, but how we can actually go about preventing those who want to take shortcuts through the residential areas, which unfortunately many do at high speed, um and put those costs back on onto the developer.

So that's basically notion.

I understand uh we have a lot of ability to to reduce this the imp implic impacts of these drive uh of these road closures.

So I'll second.

I think that was partly motivation, Councilor Matson, but I'll give you an official stab at motivating again if you wish to, or you could just um push it to Councilor Matt.

I'm sufficiently motivated or Councilor Lemon, do you wish to motivate no?

I I would um you know perhaps add to it and ask that staff yeah the thing the the most annoying the most annoying um um traffic holdups have been um situations that are not of the greater to the greater good they're they're not benefiting the residents of the town as they're not municipal projects they're not provincial projects they're not their private enterprise and uh so i would ask staff in looking at this if they could look at evenings um dependent on um the locations of of these the the the projects that are holding everyone up but i know everyone is getting you know um roundly teed off with uh the project by the formile and uh justifiably thank you so i think um am i hearing this right like two things triggered this one is this current project and perhaps the other was the um hydro that was no longer am i saying that right those are the two relevant those are the most recent but there are others that have had the same impact okay certain so uh um i'm gonna act for staff ivan i know we look a lot alike dress alike a bit but um what i'm gonna suggest is like what are we asking staff to do is this a report is this uh or does a report maybe include an amendment or a change to the bylaw what specifically are you asking from staff well staff probably has more knowledge in this area than I do.

I'm wanting for them to come up some with some options.

And you know, we don't need a 20-page report, but just simply what are the best ways of reducing the impact on the residents.

Uh and those who, you know, and and just the aggravation and the uh that that's happening in our community from some of these.

And you know, lots of options doing it at night, uh, reducing the hours so that's not during rush hour, uh, preventing people from going b through the rest of the community by having uh you know traffic folks that that that are hired by the company, uh, and simply charging them.

So yeah, so I understand some municipalities they charge you know, sort of by the hour that the roads close, and if you charge a sufficiently high enough uh amount, they will uh do their best to get it done quicker.

Thank you. Ivan, um I'm just wondering if you're clear from the direction or yeah, thank you, Mayor Tobias.

If if I can ask council if council wishes for staff to look at options specifically through the island highway, or is it through all of Vie Royal?

I I'm thinking of through all our it's our major corridors are the ones that were are most likely to have large construction projects on them.

So yes.

Island, highway, helm can walk burnside admirals.

Yeah. But sound right to everybody.

Is that clear enough for you, Ivan?

Uh yes, thank you.

Because really you're talking about diverting off of a main through fare and then all that traffic would that is supposed to follow a detour, doesn't follow a detour and causing problems with speed limits and what there's also been situations where it looks like they've taken two lanes to do the work that they're doing.

You know, it's so again if there were a cost for significant significant cost for for that sort of thing, they'd probably find a way of doing it quicker too.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes, and and um uh I appreciate the motion.

I think uh one of the things that um I wonder about in in it seems like in previous years we would have a lot of um uh the opportunity for nighttime work that you know requiring businesses to do the work in nighttime.

And um I it seems like it that's uh no longer an option.

So that would be one thing I'd would like uh staff to uh you know uh explain more about if it's uh if nighttime continues to be feasible, uh or you know, that they should be paying for it.

The other thing is too, I'm worried about um the fallout.

Once um, you know, we get a lot of um these kind of things going on, um, those commuters um when they see just normal backup traffic, they're you know, now have learned there's plan B.

There, you know, that you can take the route through the harbor or the route through uh some other street.

So I I think uh we in in terms of the options of reducing the negative impact is that the long-term options may be looking at um increased um traffic calming measures.

You know, I know that we have a policy about that, but part of that policy of having traffic calming could be, you know, that that um as a result of that construction, we have taught the commuters to go through the harbor.

And uh now we don't have, and one of the things we have to look at is are the roads having sufficient line marking to keep the the traffic going back and forth safely and separate, because there are no line markings really to speak of in um in uh you know, except for those corners.

So um that's that's the other aspect in terms of options is how we address what we've learned, uh taught the commuters.

Thank you, Councilor Rogers.

My Google Maps actually deferred me to View Royal Avenue automatically when they saw the um slowdown with the hydro project.

Yep. It's it's like automatically rerouted and came up with a different time.

So Ivan, maybe that would be another consideration.

Like how how do you deal with that when your electronic uh device, whether it's Apple Maps or TPS or whatever, uh is doing it.

I'm not sure if we can put a a block on there.

Maybe you could jam the satellite side.

Um, but thank you.

That's clear enough for staff.

And I think we've motivated enough, and uh folks have got an understanding what we're looking for is options at this point.

So we've got a mover and a second, or all those in favor.

Any oppose motion carries?

And I think uh um it's down to you for number two, and this was park and writers.

This is the one you wanted to.

You wanted to uh table three.

You wanted a table number three.

Okay, so go ahead with number two, please, sir.

Okay, the the motion is that uh council right to Victoria Transit and the Commission, and as well as Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure to expand the number of parking stalls once the uh Modi Bus on Shoulder project um at Helmican Park right it no longer requires the site for buildings and equipment um I've given some various overhead uh pictures one showing the the Modi use um that's at the top section um they have uh if you look at the one below that you can see what the parking was before Modi moved in so they took away M 463 um or the number of parking stalls that you see in in the smaller section but so um at the moment there is uh the capability of 52 parking stalls totally if you flip over the page you can you know I've shown you the uh the total square footage of of the um uh if we did expand the top part you get another 730 square meters of parking um so the theoretical and I put in you know just cut and paste uh some and it could be then returned the uh increase in size to 23 even more parking stalls depending on how we would uh configure it and just for your information back in 2015 there was informal additional parking showing 23 more cars uh that we'd had um then and that was had been uh since uh removed so that's that's the motion the rationale the site's already been cleared okay we're gonna go to a seconder now counselor rogers so uh we got a seconder for counselor second uh seconded by counselor mattson.

So that was a a little bit of motivation.

So what specifically you're looking for is that um uh council directs me to write a letter to BC Transit to advocate expanding the parking capacity for Hampton Park and Run.

Transit as well and uh both the transit staff and the commission, Victoria Commission, and the Ministry of Transportation and Highways.

So yeah.

Thank you for that.

Uh so did you want anything to add for motivation about the reason why before it goes to Councilor Matson?

If I'm off just my I I haven't finished my points. Thank you. Thank you.

I think we got it though. Just uh I think we got it. Uh no, no. I wouldn't I wouldn't hurt yourself on this.

Allow me to say this.

The space has been cleared, it's ready for the blacktop and line painting, and the whole bus on shoulder project is for the rapid buses.

And so we now would be able to provide more communal parking to take advantage of that service.

Perfect, counselor Metz.

Sure, and I'm I mean that that sounds good, but my my one concern is just the number of hospital employees who are parking and and walking to work from there, you know, unless they bring their bike there to it.

So I I'm not sure maybe we could also just uh send a note off to them to the hospital or I and ask if their employees not use the spots.

Yeah, I I I I don't I think it could be anybody, right?

That uses this spot, maybe not intended for park and ride.

And what do we define that is?

What if somebody parks there and goes to work in Eagle Creek as opposed to the hospital?

So I I mean I I would have thought there would be something that you would put in your car that you're a frequent that you could if you were if that was your route, BC Transit would give you something to put a deckle on your uh window to prove that you're parking riding or what you could apply for that otherwise it would cost but maybe this be moved over to um asking for greater participation because it could be taken advantage of for other things.

I've had people that live around there complain about other things that were definitely not park and ride that involved staying in your vehicle with other people that were going on in the parking ride uh that they were concerned with uh as well.

So I mean uh I think there's some policing, but it gets in a different Modi is a different animal than the RCMP for their specific lands.

So I think there's some issues with um the park and ride now.

So but you're talking about that specifically.

Modi runs that, but BC transit it's meant to support BC transit in in the uh in in for the ridership, but that is a Modi parking lot.

It's not a BC transit parking lot, from what I understand.

Right. So uh the the letter would go out to Modi for the parking lot's use or expansion, but the advocacy would also be to uh BC transit.

Okay.

I I also like your idea of uh getting a somebody they have to apply to get a sticker to BC Transit and explain where they work and have some sort of rationale and if they don't have a sticker, get a ticket.

But we don't we don't patrol that one.

That would be Modi who would have to enforce, right?

Just to be clear.

Council Rudy.

I I think the second point is that you know if these are commuters that are coming in, they are usually uh going to be heading that way and uh early in the morning.

And um, and once the popularity of the the rapid bus um you know dedicated bus lanes, um I think we'll get a lot of very early night 7 a.m.

8 a.m. taking up most of the parking stalls so that anyone thinking of using them for hospital visits or Eagle Creek would be uh finding that commuters who got there first.

So let's let's hope for the best.

Uh-huh. Okay, so uh it's been moved and seconded and motivated all those in favor of that.

Any opposed to that.

Elna, if you could remind me out of this one, as it requires me to write a letter uh as something separate because sometimes I forget, but if you could pastor me on it, I would be much appreciated.

Um and number four, a new word that is actually a word, because Scott and I looked it up, and uh thank you for that.

Councilor Rogers is number um uh four, and that's de-gazetting portion of Little Road to Addis Parkland.

Uh the motion I'll read first and then motivate later.

Uh staff investigate and bring back a report on the on the process to degazette all or portions of Little Road to Watkins Way and rezone that portion as park as part of our joint to join on to Eagle Key Park.

Excellent. Thank you, Councilor Lemon. Go ahead, Council Rogers.

Yes, thank you.

So um first off, let me uh just uh give you two examples on if you look at that last part of page two.

And that's your handouts that uh yeah, my handout um page two, you'll see that there are two precedences.

We've done this before.

Um, first was um with respect to Knock and Hill Park.

Uh there was a road that had been in existence, and you see I marked that in red.

And um this was all under Mayor Hill's um uh council.

And uh so we we de-gazetted that road and then added that onto uh Sanich's Nockin' Hill Park, just as we had bought 101 High Street and added that to Sanich's Nock and Hill Park.

So there was one success there.

Um, and many trees obviously were protected.

Uh second was Barker Road, it used to be called Barker Road on Hart Road, and that was D-Gazetted to become Meller Park.

And um again, that was a successful degazetting, and now we have a playground.

So to that rationale, um, we have Little Road that um is mainly used uh by Sanich as a very rural road because it's in the ALR, and uh for the few properties that they're in and a dead end um just a few um meters, if you like, into where you can see that on page one, uh the red line.

Um my recommendation and hope is that uh council will support that we uh de-gazette the portion and hopefully we can de-gazette the portion um from uh the Sanishes End to the Helm uh Watkins Way, and then all that would be um a substantial um area of 20 meters by 330 meters um of um significant forest that we could add on to Eagle Creek Park.

The um now it is the part that I I need uh staff to uh work on because looking at um uh the top of page two, you'll see that there um is a dotted line.

And the dotted line shows the boundary between Saints and View Royal.

The dotted line does not run directly in the middle of Little Road.

So um uh I would be asking uh Sanage or V WO to staff to work with Sainage to see their interests in degazetting their portion to add on to um Eagle Creek Park.

The justification for that is we did that for them by um can adding 101 High Street and that other road to Knock and Hill Park.

So um, and I guess one of the things um I hope uh staff to uh assess for us is the portions on the south side of the Watkis that is on the view or sorry, on the Victoria General Hospital blue property.

It actually goes all the way down to halfway into the Vec Vic General.

Um I'm assuming that Vic General probably still need to have that road access, perhaps at a future time.

So clearly that that should be the if you like, the new little road.

Continuing on this obviously is consistent with the protection, preservation, and expansion of our tree canopy.

They uh our policy that we've just adopted.

Um and similar for uh Sainage.

Um de-gazetting you know is legal costs, but um there's no residence and it should be relatively minor.

And it's very likely the Sanich residents on Little Road do not want the possibility of it becoming a former road as a rat-running option to go up to Burnshide and uh buy Pash Helm again.

That would be a nightmare.

So um that's my point.

Thank you, Councillor Rogers. Councilor Levman, did you want anything to add?

I I'll just add that the portion that my um esteemed colleague is referring to is is a road that's not a road.

It's used as a path, it's considered to be a path, and I actually hadn't thought of that part as part of Little Road.

So it makes perfect sense to me.

Thank you. Um Scott, is there any issue with this? Uh this is something that we should entertain.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

There are some potential issues with this.

Um staff uh looked at three different maps all showing three different ownerships.

So I I would estimate that surveying would need to be done to confirm whether this is part of V Royal, whether it's part of Sanich.

Um and uh I would expect for a linear parcel like that the cost to survey would be um possibly more than council anticipates.

Um working with Sanich sounds great, but Sanich has other priorities.

Um and this uh this could be the top of V Royal's priority list, but um, we can't guarantee Sanich would treat it the same way.

Um so this this could turn into a multi-year process.

Um would would the first uh place to step with this motion probably be that staff comes back with uh costing to better inform us to to if it involves things like surveying and adequate uh council rogers?

Um yeah, but I'm I've anticipated that they would need to investigate and and bring back a report and and um I I know it's uh we have other priorities, but to begin this process and to consult with Sanich um and estimate those costs would be uh reasonable.

Understood.

Understood. Thank you.

Um thanks, Scott, uh for that.

So I think the intent is is to uh probably uh report of costs um associated with it.

So Councilor Mats.

Well, I just I don't understand why we're doing this.

If it's basically just a trail now and no one uses it.

Um if you can't get all the way through, you know, can't get through to Watkins.

I mean anyways, I just don't see the purpose of doing this.

I mean it's gonna remain a trail no matter what happens.

Council Rogers?

Um not quite. Um if you there are other um you know properties, I think there's already the access uh of um one six four seven uh little road.

But um if you look at the front page, you can see that the it shows that our VOL is trail mapped and our trail goes on that road.

So if we want to um uh we are we built that trail, presuming that that you know was going to be uh park, you know, and if uh if that does become um, you know, and and I imagine that would have to be at the future council and uh get direction to um um you know make that a road for whatever reason or sanish warning to make that a road then we would have the cost of having to change that trail because uh we're on that road and we don't want to be in the middle of traffic so it um you know we have presumed when we built this and um you know the the the benefit again of uh we see what happened um behind that open field used to be forest but the owner bought the uh forest and wiped it out so um and that forest you know it it um it it's a huge uh loss and and I think this is integral to um a valuable natural forest area that uh promotes the um and under the under the our auspices of um uh the tree canopy thank you counselor mattson and counselor rogers so um had a bit of discussion on it uh is there any comments or questions still all those in favor of the motion for staff to come back to uh with a report on degazetting those areas identified by council rogers all those in favor all those opposed seeing none opposed motion carries um thank you for that can I get a motion to adjourn please moved by councilor brown seconded by council micards is there a comment?

Did I miss anything, Elna?

Okay. Nothing uh all those in favor?

Any opposed? Seeing not opposed, Mushkari's happy birthday, Carl.