MINUTES OF A COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025
Official minutes from the Council meeting held on May 20, 2025, recording decisions on a family practice clinic and procedural bylaw amendments.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL
MINUTES OF A COUNCIL MEETING
HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025 VIEW ROYAL MUNICIPAL OFFICE – COUNCIL CHAMBERS
PRESENT WERE:
- Mayor Tobias
- Councillor Brown
- Councillor Kowalewich
- Councillor MacKenzie
- Councillor Mattson
- Councillor Rogers
PRESENT ALSO:
- S. Sommerville, Chief Administrative Officer
- S. Jones, Director of Corporate Administration
- I. Leung, Director of Engineering
- E. Bolster, Deputy Corporate Officer
- 6 members of the public
- 0 members of the press
CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Tobias called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOVED BY: Councillor Brown SECONDED: Councillor Rogers
THAT the agenda be approved as presented. CARRIED
MINUTES, RECEIPT & ADOPTION OF
a) Minutes of the Council meeting held May 6, 2025
MOVED BY: Councillor Lemon SECONDED: Councillor Mattson
THAT the minutes of the Council meeting held May 6, 2025 be adopted as presented. CARRIED
b) Minutes of the Special Council meeting held May 13, 2025
MOVED BY: Councillor Lemon SECONDED: Councillor Mattson
THAT the minutes of the Special Council meeting held May 13, 2025 be adopted as presented. CARRIED
MAYOR’S REPORT
The Mayor thanked Council members for their support regarding the Province of British Columbia’s proposed Bill 7: Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act and Bill 15: Infrastructure Projects Streamlining Act, and discussed upcoming meetings concerning the proposed bills.
PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
a) P. Gudaitis, South Island Division of Family Practice, Re: Establish a Family Practice Clinic in View Royal
Councillor Mattson introduced P. Gudaitis and Dr. M. Sherman from the South Island Division of Family Practice, who presented a proposal for the Town of View Royal to secure space for a new family practice.
Council, Mr. Gudaitis, and Dr. Sherman discussed key aspects of the proposed family practice, including patient attachment exclusively for View Royal residents, space requirements, municipal involvement in healthcare, physician recruitment and retention, fiscal arrangements, and overhead costs.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD
BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES
REPORTS
8.1 STAFF REPORTS
a) Island Highway Cross Section Concept
- Report dated May 7, 2025 from the Director of Engineering
The Director of Engineering gave a summary of the report to Council.
MOVED BY: Councillor Lemon SECONDED: Councillor Rogers
THAT the report dated May 7, 2025 from the Director of Engineering titled “Island Highway Cross Section Concept” be received for information. CARRIED
8.2 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE RESOLUTIONS
8.3 OTHER REPORTS
a) Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors meeting held April 10, 2025
MOVED BY: Councillor MacKenzie SECONDED: Councillor Mattson
THAT the minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors meeting held April 10, 2025 be received. CARRIED
CORRESPONDENCE
9.1 FOR ACTION
9.2 FOR INFORMATION
Councillor Rogers discussed the need for pedestrian improvements on Watkiss Way, noting that trees should be removed to facilitate sidewalk installation and as required.
a) Email dated May 11, 2025 from H. Eliason, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated May 11, 2025 from H. Eliason, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way be received for information. CARRIED
b) Email dated May 14, 2025 from D. Ridout, Re: Town Hall Planning-Zoning Classification Inquiry
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated May 14, 2025 from D. Ridout, Re: Town Hall Planning-Zoning Classification Inquiry be received for information. CARRIED
c) Email dated May 8, 2025 from S. May, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated May 8, 2025 from S. May, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way be received for information. CARRIED
d) Email dated May 7, 2025 from C. Kitson, President, Erskine Lane Strata, Re: Watkiss Way
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated May 7, 2025 from C. Kitson, President, Erskine Lane Strata, Re: Watkiss Way be received for information. CARRIED
e) Email dated May 7, 2025 from A. House, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated May 7, 2025 from A. House, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way be received for information. CARRIED
f) Email dated May 7, 2025 from J. Grenier, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated May 7, 2025 from J. Grenier, Erskine Lane, Re: Watkiss Way be received for information. CARRIED
BYLAWS
NEW BUSINESS
a) Committee of the Whole Meetings – Councillor MacKenzie
MOVED BY: Councillor MacKenzie SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-94-25 THAT Procedure Bylaw No. 677, 2007 be amended to establish a 6:00 p.m. commencement time for both Council and Committee of the Whole meetings. CARRIED
b) View Royal Family Practice Clinic – Councillor Mattson
Council members discussed Provincial downloading, the potential financial and staffing impacts to the Town, and the specific opportunities envisioned and available to secure space from developers.
MOVED BY: Councillor Mattson SECONDED: Councillor Lemon
THAT the Town of View Royal work with the South Island Division of Family Practice to secure the clinic space necessary to attract family practitioners to View Royal to help with patient attachment and access to clinical services.
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Kowalewich
THAT, for the proposed motion regarding clinic space to attract family practitioners to the municipality, the words “in principle” be inserted after “THAT the Town of View Royal”. CARRIED Councillors Brown, Lemon, and Mattson opposed
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Kowalewich
C-95-25 THAT the Town of View Royal, in principle, work with the South Island Division of Family Practice to secure the clinic space necessary to attract family practitioners to View Royal to help with patient attachment and access to clinical services. CARRIED Councillors Brown, Lemon, and Mattson opposed
Councillor Mattson left the meeting at 8:40 p.m.
QUESTION PERIOD
MOTIONS & NOTICES OF MOTION
a) Candidates for 2026 Local Government Election – Councillor MacKenzie
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor MacKenzie
THAT same day consideration be given to Councillor MacKenzie’s notice of motion - Candidates for 2026 Local Government Election. CARRIED Councillor Lemon opposed
MOVED BY: Councillor MacKenzie SECONDED: Councillor Rogers
C-96-25 THAT information for prospective candidates for the 2026 Local Government Election be made available at View Royal’s Canada Day event. CARRIED
CLOSED MEETING RESOLUTION
MOVED BY: Councillor MacKenzie SECONDED: Councillor Rogers
THAT there is a need to have a meeting closed to the public and persons other than the immediate members of Council, officers and employees of the Town, and those identified under Section 91 (2) of the Community Charter shall be excluded on the basis of Section 90 (1)(c) – labour and (k) – municipal service. CARRIED
RISING REPORT
TERMINATION
MOVED BY: Councillor MacKenzie SECONDED: Councillor Rogers
THAT this meeting now terminate. Time: 8:52 p.m. CARRIED
MAYOR
CORPORATE OFFICER
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