Council Meeting

Good evening and uh welcome to the council meeting for February 21st, 2023.

I call the meeting to order and with a territorial acknowledgement, we recognize the Laquangwan speaking people known today as the Esquamalt Nation and the Songhees Nation, and that their historic connections to these lands continue to this day.

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Speakers will have five minutes each during the public participation period and two minutes to ask a question or questions during the question period, and you will be timed.

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Second councillor uh Brown uh motion and councillor McKenzie seconded.

All in favor.

Any opposed, none opposed.

Motion carries uh minutes and adoptions of previous minutes.

So we've got the A and B uh two council or a council meeting and a special council meeting.

Can I get a motion to adopt?

I move adopt A and B.

So Councilor Rogers uh motion, councillor Brown does a second, all in favor.

Any opposed, none opposed, motion carries.

Uh my report will be brief.

Uh last week I had the opportunity to uh meet with the mayor of Sanich, Dean Murdoch, um, who we've been trying to meet uh for the past four months, and uh managed to do it.

So uh the topic of our meeting were uh was really on three uh basic issues.

One was uh where our borders touch and cooperative planning opportunities uh between our mutual staffs.

The other one was a consistency for both speed and planning and West Burnside, uh as well as uh speed patrols, and I um noticed uh an RCMP uh West Shore RCMP officer as I was driving through West Burnside uh this afternoon.

So the the presence is there, be warned um that if you're cruising West Burnside and you get a ticket, then the mayor told you so.

Um and uh the other topic of conversation was actually the Helmkin Wilkinson traffic backup that is quite significant and is continuing to build.

And with the large-scale development of all of our municipalities, that's not going to get any easier.

So no decisions were made, just opening the door to cooperative planning when it comes to our corridors on things that make sense.

This weekend on Saturday, I was with Councillor McKenzie pulling weeds out of uh View Royal Park with about, I don't know, 40 other volunteers, about 40 other volunteers.

My dog appreciated immensely.

Uh Councillor Rogers, he did not go in the Riparian zone.

Um, but uh he supervised us uh very well and made sure that we got a lot accomplished, and we certainly did.

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of opening up the first black led daycare in British Columbia, and that was at um Victory Hill Daycare here in uh the Harbor District.

It was uh very well attended by uh Mitzi Dean and some some dignitaries.

And out of the few spots they had available for daycare.

They had over 75 applicants trying to get into that daycare.

So there's no question that daycare is a growing uh business and one uh much in demand.

Um so this Thursday I have the opportunity to go with Leanne to a cooperative um uh discussion for uh um uh I guess uh the concept of development for the area around Whale Road in Calwood, and again with the rest of the West Shore mayors, including Machosen, were cooperatively discussing what best could could fit and some potential opportunities uh that that we can get.

So uh all good things happen when uh we talk to our neighbors, and that's where uh we are.

Um and that is my mayor's report, and we can move down to petitions and delegations, and I see none.

And this comes to an opportunity for a public participation period.

So I think Sarah's briefed everybody in the room, and we'll start with their first.

Would anybody like to address counsel?

Nobody in the room.

Anybody, Carl, on the phone would like to address counsel?

Mayor Tobias, we have no callers at this time.

Okay, very well.

Thank you.

That uh closes public participation period.

Um we have no business arising from previous minutes.

Reports we have none.

I would like to say it's a light agenda but we haven't started into the meat of business yet uh and now we have committee of the whole uh resolutions and i know i'll move the committee of the whole resolutions you're moving the committee of the whole to approve or discuss to approve to approve a second adjoin is there a second yeah and now we can start a discussion um does anybody uh want to discuss any item in the committee of the whole resolutions?

We could pull it out if they councillor Lemmon.

Um yes, I I think that um I think I would like to no, I know I would like to pull out the um OCP piece of the Committee of the Whole resolution package.

Um number six.

Okay.

Any other discussion, Councillor McKenzie?

Um staff.

Um you should be aware that the library will be making a presentation to us on March the 7th.

So if you delayed that resolution, you will get a presentation on that date.

Well, rather w whether or not you delay.

Thank you, Kim.

Uh that was going to be my comment uh that we hold off until the presentation from uh the library.

So pull the library.

Yes, I agree with that.

Yeah.

Council London, your microphone is still on.

Any other comment?

So uh I'm happy to change my motion to you wish to amend your motion?

To move all the other ones except for two and six.

I think there's general support in there.

So the motion on the table is to um to approve all um with the exception of items two and item six.

And uh we've already got uh will we need a seconder for that motion.

Um counselor brown, sure.

And all in favor.

Any opposed?

I'll also to get it on the floor, move the OCP resolution.

Oh no.

Two?

No, well at least the first one to start with.

Say that again, Councillor Mattson.

That's a two-part resolution if we have to break it up to debate it again which we shouldn't but I guess we may you're you're referring to specifically number six so you will yes okay and and um so you're you're putting your motion is well that we approved that we approve it second okay so now that it's on the floor we have counselor mattson moving uh seconded by councillor brown councillor lemmon I'm going to well before I go there councillor mattson the mover and then to counselor brown um uh would you like to motivate your motion yeah i won't go into long detail on this because we had a half an hour discussion at the committee the whole but you know um the really the bottom line was you know elections have consequences and given that the majority of us ran on eliminating that the draft of OCP I I just think that that's certainly the the direction I heard the public uh say and it's you know certainly what I've how I feel that we need to sort of uh stop at the old draft and go into uh as we discussed stay with 2011 and make modifications to it and the other thing I wanted to point out even with the 2011 OCP we managed to put in close to 2000 units of housing probably or 1500 units of housing so we can certainly do a lot with the current OCP so I don't see any reason why we just why there's any great rush to jump into a document that this obvious the public doesn't like so that's probably it in a summary.

Thank you Councillor Matson Councilor Brown.

Yeah, we discussed this uh at great length, and I agree uh with uh counselor matts and the 2011 plan.

I went through it uh yesterday, read the whole thing again.

It's actually quite good it it's it needs a lot of tweaking too, because a lot of this the numbers are very old.

Um but I but I I personally I don't understand why um I hate to go back and Chris Lake's previous council, but why they would the new document is 20 pages longer than the old document, so it's it's more than just a tweak, it's a it's a complete rewrite.

So um I don't understand the reason for that.

The 2011 one needs some tweaking for sure.

We need to get more community input.

And it was suggested in the motion from the Cal that we have a one day workshop after we get some more community input and then work on the 2011.

Thank you, Councillor Brown.

Other comments, Councillor Lennon.

Yeah, thank you.

Or was it your understanding that in going into a retreat that there would be you know picking and pulling from the draft plan and working with what we liked in it and chucking what we didn't?

The discussion at the meeting last week at the committee of the whole, your worship, includes what the motion is.

There was discussion uh that it would enhance the 2011 official community plan and that pieces of the draft may also be included.

So the draft isn't completely being turfed by my colleagues' understanding and by staff's understanding.

Councilor Matson, your microphone's on, so it does control the camera as well.

So um was that a question to Councillor?

It kind of was I just, you know, I struggle with I it's it it's applauded, it's a flauded draft, and we know that.

Um I'm I'm not comfortable with so much of it.

I know the people here aren't comfortable with much of it.

But we've invested $135,000 in that.

And in a year when we're going to to um be looking at a significant tax increase, I don't know that the whole thing needs to be turfed.

I think there are significant parts of it, you know, there that the the that people are so opposed to, I'm opposed to, but I don't know that the whole plan is is a write-off.

Okay.

So if there's okay, so if there's good stuff we can pull, good.

Okay, good.

If I if I could just comment before we go to uh Counselor Qualowich, um I I think really the heart of it is the map.

It's the it's the the change in zoning in the map.

And I think Councillor Uh McKenzie um posted a question that was pretty apt.

Like, why are the people in Helmkin and Harbor District uh more represented and concerned about this than the rest of uh View Royal?

And and I think the answer is because that's who it's directly impacting the most, right?

And that's why we've had representations from uh the Helmkin area and the Harbor District, because it really impacts those areas uh the most.

So I I I think there's parts in it, but what could concern me, and I I think the public is that we continue on, and that map is still there.

So really that map is the OCP.

The rest of the stuff around it are words, but really that map is the area of concern in the OCP.

And so if we say we're going to use parts of it, we're going to continue on the concern of the public and of everybody else.

And I, of course, we can draw from that document.

We own the document.

We we can make use of of anything we want.

But I think the concern that I heard was that the public was not being heard.

There was a plan created, it went out for public engagement, the plan didn't change.

It went out for a second public engagement, the plan didn't change.

At the very end of this process is First Nations engagement.

They should have been at the first people that we engaged with, not as an afterthought to try to sell a plan at the end.

So I'm concerned with the plan and the level of engagement that we've done.

Um but I I think I've said a lot before, but I think that's that's generally the the concern point.

Counselor Quant.

Thank you.

Well, I I think it's been said a couple of times.

There there was a lot of progress the last meeting, I think.

And it's certainly contentious.

We know that.

We know that this was a political issue, so there's some political posturing happening.

There's a lot a lot of semantics happening right now with this.

Uh and may I provide compliments to staff on the way that number six is worded because it's it's worded quite well.

It leaves us a lot of wiggle room for all of us and all of uh all of our wants and needs for this plan moving forward.

What it does is it allows us to take the good stuff from the draft, which uh taxpayers here have spent so much money on already.

And moving forward, uh, we're going to make people happy by making those changes.

We can say tweaks, we can say changes.

It's draft.

This is a draft document.

It's fair to say when it comes to vocabulary that we know that a draft means there will be changes.

And we can all agree on that.

Um there's apathy from particular neighborhoods in View Royal.

There always will be.

Um is that our job to to move forward and reach out in the community after COVID?

Yeah, it probably is.

It probably is.

We need to probably do a better job now that there's time for us to do that.

So when I look at number six, um, I think there's a lot of there's a lot of, you know, room there for us to grow and to make all seven of us somewhat happy.

We're never all gonna be happy together with this thing.

It's it's challenging.

Um, but I'm actually quite comfortable with the way number six is worded.

Uh let's go to counselor McKenzie and then Councillor Roger.

I I think I have um two thoughts.

Like it is very possible that with this uh new engagement, whatever whether it's on the 2011 or um this draft, that we will get the same amount of engagement or particular potentially even less.

I know COVID was a reason, but now that people are out traveling and all doing all kinds of things, there actually might be less engagement.

Um so that's kind of just in the back of my head.

And then it's also possible that we have the same outcome after the engagement, that the maps could be exactly the same with a different process.

This is because it's not only the people living in those areas that shape what happens to those areas, it's also the rest of residents.

So, you know, even if I'm in a different location, I might have a vision for um, I'll just use Helmkin as an example.

So I think if we have to be happy with that, otherwise um uh we can't just keep redoing it until we get a certain outcome.

Thank you, Councillor Council, Councillor Rodney.

Yes, so um the motion is not to proceed with the current version for the many, I think, significant reasons.

Um, yes, uh we invested 135,000, but that doesn't make a plan right.

And um I there are um significant problems, not only with um the problem of engagement.

Um I I like I said, I heard so many times where people were uh doing the walkabouts and uh they felt they were lectured to.

Okay, so there's a bad process already.

Um and uh, you know, there was a suggestion that with correspondence we said that we should proceed with the open houses.

Open houses is a presentation, it's not an engagement really.

Um and what is it, a to our open house?

And and do we think that we're gonna get um uh all the necessary input and do we think we're gonna get it through a public hearing?

No, and we don't even have a the committee structures that we want.

So let's get that lined up as well, concurrently to this.

That we are are having um a really good, solid um community basis in those uh advisory committees, not just the two.

And um I had um a look through the process of the 2011 OCP.

It was pretty darn amazing.

It started in 2009.

Uh there were open houses, workshops, engagement, and uh all the points that um uh and you know what?

We also based it on local area plans.

We did a local area for Choco, Helmaken, hospital, and and uh and the like.

So we don't we didn't do that this time.

We thought we could just tweak it with um a very significant density plan that looked, walked, and smelled like Langford.

And if we're going to do that kind of stuff, when we consider that only 30% of oil is buildable, you know, and an entirely different structure than Langford.

I mean, even the there are points in here where, for example, the um, what was it, there was um how many people per square kilometer?

Well, that assumed that we were putting people in the Theast Park, in the ocean, you know, and it's not.

You have to put, if you put all those people in just the 3%, then it's 1,500 people per square kilometer.

That's a whole different number than uh what was proposed in this report.

Um, this report, um, the draft refers to the 2016 Transportation Master Plan.

No, that was just a technical update.

It was not the comprehensive plan that we did in 2011 or 2008, which was a good start and a good foundation for the 2011, and that's why I'm happy to go back there because that 2011 Transportation Master Plan gave us population transportation level of service uh predictions of what we uh could anticipate.

And that's what this plan did not do.

It's an incomplete plan, and that's why I really strongly suppose uh I mean agree that we can't proceed with this.

We have to go back.

We have to get the right foundational documents, we have to do the same kind of respectful engagements with our communities and and uh and uh council matching talked about local area plans.

Yeah, let's do it.

So um uh you know, assessing doing a workshop, assessing the potential enhancements, but also really work on what foundation we're going to do this time properly.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Rogers.

Councilor Lemon.

Yeah, just to be clear, um my my question was read the the um the specifics of the committee of the whole motion.

Um I totally agree that the draft is flawed and and needs considerable work.

U my question was simply are we chucking it all or are we keeping the parts that are manageable?

And and Mayor, when you say it's the map, I agree.

So so just for clarification.

Just for clarification in terms of the motion, we're gonna take the 2000, we're moving forward with the 2011 plan, but if there's good stuff that we want to move from the the draft we will take that out in okay.

Good I can live with that.

And I think, you know, I I'm happy with the way, whether council agrees with it or not, the wording of the first one, because I think it all gives lowers the temperature a bit and and allows us, like uh as Councilor Rogers said, it took them three years to build the 2011 OCP.

We're we're not in a rush to build another OCP.

It's okay if we spend time.

So I think we should call the question on the first part and then discuss the the second part of the motion because I'm not actually we don't have to, we can just do both and we're gonna meet and discuss.

Uh it it doesn't because I do not like the word.

It looks like we're going to be a facilitated workshop to be held to review the 2011 official community plan and provide enhancements.

That that is not in my mind, doesn't capture the spirit of our discussion.

Uh it it we're not going to be meeting during that day to provide enhancements to the 2011 OCP.

I thought the the spirit of our discussion was we're going to get together in uh in a day-long workshop, discuss our lessons learned from this process, and really plan a plan, right?

Not not come up with uh that that workshop in my mind wasn't to take the 2011 OCP and for the council without public engagement, start carving it up.

That was not not my intention at all.

My intention was that meeting would be we went through a process here, we went through an investment, and let's what what do we learn?

Let's discuss how much engagement we need to do and and it's simply where do we start so I I would like to to put the first part of that motion on the table and then discuss the second one.

Counselor Matson.

You know I I think at this point the council knows what we're what's intended.

We could spend a whole bunch of time wordsmithing that second motion but I don't think it's going to add things we we know where we're going with this.

Let's let's just pass this motion and get it going.

I'll move an amendment we can move an amendment or we could just do it in two chunks.

Do the first part and then do what we're gonna do the second one.

Council Right.

If I can try an amendment um uh that for the second part that the committee recommend to council daylong facilitated council workshop to be held to review the 2011 official community plan and assess next steps.

I I think you um that addresses your concern.

It doesn't uh say that we're going to enhance it, we're just going to assess next steps, which includes a whole mess of things.

Absolutely.

That that satisfies my concern.

Any other comments at all?

So the motion on the table, uh Council Lynn.

Can we amend the amendment to consider next steps?

Because assessing assumes that we have something to assess, and we don't have next steps to assess yet.

Even though that should have been in a process in itself.

So the motion will read, and I just want to be crystal clear on this, that the committee recommend to the council not proceed with the current version of the draft official community plan, and that the committee recommend to council that a day-long facilitated workshop be held to review the 2011 official community plan to consider next steps.

That's the motion on the table.

Can I get a mover and a seconder?

Uh Masson and Brown seconded.

Uh all in favor.

Any opposed?

So counselor McKenzie is opposed.

Motion carries.

And that brings us back to number two, the Victoria Public Library.

There was comment on that.

Do we are we just going to table that till after the presentation?

Is that what I heard staff recommend?

That was my request anyways.

Make mayor Tobias that that is the opportunity represented by the uh representatives of the library doing a presentation regarding their budget on March the 7th.

So a monthly table would be appropriate.

My only question is that too late in the budget process to approve something after the 7th of March.

That's my only question.

It is not we table.

Can I have a second?

Second uh by councillor McKenzie.

So Councilor Mattson uh move to table.

Counselor McKenzie seconded.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

None opposed.

Motion carries.

Other reports.

Uh we've got minutes to the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors and a verbal update from Councillor Qualit.

Thank you.

Well, thank you all for supporting the budget and requisition request earlier this evening and passing that from the committee of the whole.

Other municipalities have supported that as well to move forward for our budget.

We've had two meetings actually since this update, and this uh these agendas are always kind of a month behind when it comes to the minutes.

So I do have two months to update council on.

Uh we every month uh at our at our meetings, we get a presentation from one department in uh in the society.

And last month in January is the aquatics uh department presentation.

And if you didn't know, we have uh more young swimmers than we can fit.

So West Shore Parks is uh training our own swim instructors now to to get more instruction for more swimming lessons for youth in the community.

Uh the skate park, if you've been following along, it's actually quite a big deal when it comes to uh recreation facilities in in Canada.

And uh this is going to be a world class skate park with uh federal, provincial, local uh delegates there for the grand opening, and this this will be a world class facility uh and one moment we also uh have been updating and moving forward with our strategic plan that uh we had a facility that are in last year and we're moving forward hitting our hitting some of our key objectives it's a new board of directors except for myself and counselor anderson from highlands.

So there's a lot of there's a lot of growing happening and new uh new input from uh much different representatives from some of the bigger communities uh than years past.

So there's there's been quite a bit of uh change and it's a lot of it's positive.

So uh thank you all for your support so far with that and proud to serve on the board uh as the chair.

Thanks, Counselor McCollage.

Um yeah, Councillor Rudd.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Uh good report, and always uh great to see what um uh the society is doing on inclusion, diversion, and equity.

That's um I always a section I look forward to.

Um on that same vein, uh I suppose uh I'll give me some flexibility, um, accessibility, you know, at the West Shore and due to new provincial regulations and expectations.

Um, any thoughts uh from the society of how to um improve the accessibility on the site.

Thank you.

And first let me address your comment about diversity, equity, inclusion.

That was actually an initiative I brought forward in 2021.

Uh we've uh we've added it to the Strap Plan, we've added it to the website.

There's an uh a current employee who uh now is uh responsible for uh DEI at West Shore.

Of course, we serve tens of thousands of people.

Uh when it comes to accessibility, that's something that uh I think every you know every local government agency and in West Shore Parks and Rec included is trying to improve on.

Councilor Rogers.

Uh there are uh some programs right now that are geared towards um people that are not fully abled.

We have sledge hockey if you're familiar with that.

Uh it's when you the players uh play hockey on sleds.

Uh there's there's uh times designated for special user groups.

Um I would be pleased to come back with a more fulsome report on the level of accessibility at the West Shore Parks and Rec for all of us.

And I think it is a very important topic and something that uh deserves extra attention.

And if I may have uh another comment, if I may.

Um again, also really exciting to hear about the progress of the uh the skateboard part.

It was very interesting, and I and I raised this when um when we had staff presenting the fiscal plan and um and the budget, uh, and that was the feedback that I'd received from uh the RCMP and some uh concerns of uh being able to get down there and when uh after hours when there's folks that still want to skateboard in the midnight and and hours and uh the assurance from staff that uh they would uh be able to have the have people there all the time.

Um uh it'd be an interesting thing to monitor for with um I don't know, lights or security cameras or whatever, but to make sure that it remains safe um for all individuals, um, you know, and in particularly in such a secluded area.

Well, speaking from experience with law enforcement, of course, and serving uh as the chair of West Shore, I can tell you that has been discussed at length.

Uh what we know is that we have a full-time employee that is always and usually more than one that's always on site at the West Shore Parks and Rec because we have uh hockey rinks, ice rinks there, and because of the chemicals involved, uh, it's mandatory Canadian federal law that we shall have employees there.

Uh when it comes to uh mitigating any kind of uh criminal activity or problems, we have uh accepted crime prevention through environmental design was of course considered during the design of it.

It's in an area where uh I would say property damage would be more minimal than other areas, which is a good thing.

But to your point, uh Council Rogers, yeah, it is, it is at the bottom of a hill.

It is kind of uh out of the way.

And if if there was a group of youth or whatever down there at a certain time, um could they go undetected for a while, perhaps?

Yes.

Uh time will tell.

And I think anytime you implement a new infrastructure into an area like that that will bring an influx of users, you know, it'll there'll be some growing pains.

Thank you.

And uh just a point uh if I may um offer anything I can do to promote because we invest a lot from View Royal uh into and it's got great programs.

But I just want to doubly ensure that everybody has knowledge that these programs are available.

So I know we have a newsletter coming out.

Uh anything else I could do to to carry that message forward about specific uh plans, then please let's uh include those out and get our bang for the buck.

I think that is a great idea, and I can take care of that for you.

I can communicate with uh I think is it Julie who does a newsletter?

Is am I still able to do that by this time for this next one?

Great.

Just yep, I'll do that.

I'll do that tonight.

Uh and uh because we have some some items we can share.

Great idea.

Thank you.

So we've got some correspondence and these include the late items.

Uh of note is that we do have wild salmon in our stream because of the hard work of uh handy dart folks and our volunteers and BC Transit site.

Amongst the late items too, which should be included on your uh late items blue sheet.

Can I get a motion to receive and include late items?

Second.

Uh seconded by counselor Lemon.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

None opposed.

And uh bylaws.

And I think this is over to you, Director of Engineering.

Thank you, Mary Tobias.

Uh, so this is the development cost charge consumer price index increase staff report.

There's no presentation.

Basically, the recommendation is to receive receive this report, but I can provide some background.

Generally speaking, the uh municipalities are able to adjust or increase their uh DCC rates.

Um there's two ways, and it depends on whether it's a major or a minor adjustment.

And so major adjustments usually require uh the inspector of municipalities to make sure that is done correctly into the provincial statutes and requires some engagement.

And for minor adjustments, there are some exemptions, except exemptions to that.

And um this is what I'm requesting at this point.

Um we the staff had or the municipality hasn't increased their rates since 2019 I think it was when the DCC bylaw was enacted and so what the exemption allows you to do is to basically uh increase the rates to the city or Victoria's uh consumer price index without going back to the province so it just needs to be enacted by bylaw turns out that last year's CPI was just under seven percent and so it was ever a time to increase your your rates now is the time uh I must say that while seven percent sounds like a large number um given that the rates haven't been uh adjusted in the last four years.

There's only about a year over year increase of 1.7 percent but in the meantime, happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Council rogers.

So yes I I certainly uh I support the intent on and the bylaw, but is there any way of being able to just build in a cost of living annually to the DCCs?

We have to basically follow the book by the letter when it comes to the uh the exemption uh bylaw.

I think it's called the development cost charge amendment bylaw approval exemption regulation.

Yeah, that's what it's called.

It's a long sentence since it's been a long day for me.

But um, so it basically says there's there's certain metrics you can use.

Uh the one that's relevant to us is that uh an exemption can be made where you don't have to go to the province if and only if your increase doesn't go above CPI.

So you can go up to CPI, but you can also find you can find a number below, should that be the case.

And there's been I've we've I've chatted with other municipalities and they've done something similar.

And could we put this on uh an annual cycle for review, Ivan?

Because obviously it's this is going to be something that we should review on an annual basis based on inflation.

So uh I I I just would like to kind of see it because it should be adjusted the same way as I think everything else.

And if we ignore it, then we do so perhaps at um not receiving the benefit that we could.

Uh yes, so the DCC best practices guideline says that for um minor adjustments like this uh should be reviewed on an annual basis.

Uh for major adjustments, such as a full DCC bylaw review, that's generally not required for uh once every five years, basically.

So this would fall in the once a year category.

So uh we'll receive uh your recommendations.

We receive this for information, and then I'm assuming there'll be an amendment that comes along with the bylaw or just a rate that is set.

Uh yeah, so the next agenda is to basically uh recommend first second and third readings of the bylaw.

Excellent.

Thanks.

Uh so we've got uh recommendation for motion that the report uh that Ivan's report be received.

Moved.

So I've got uh councillor um Rogers uh moving it and uh Councilor McKenzie second it.

None opposed.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

Back to you I did.

Okay, that's the uh the second one is the development cost charges by law um 1011 uh 2019 amendment bylaw by law to amend development cost charges.

I'll move first a third.

Second.

Uh all in favor?

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Council 11.

Mayor, have we received all of the correspondence?

Yes, yes.

We did.

Yes, we have.

We do have some notes in motion, but I think uh we don't have any new business.

And that brings us to our question period.

Would anybody like to ask a question?

I see one person with a question.

So my name is Susan Prescho.

I reside at 285 Palais here.

And um I guess with the decision of the motion regarding the draft of the OCP, I would ask on behalf of the residents that live in the transition areas and Fort Victoria that we take down the draft of the map and the draft off the View Royal site.

So that is the question I think we could uh consider the question.

Thank you.

See any other questions.

Mike Wilcher, 5914, Erskin Lane.

Still got to remember that.

You can tell me if this uh question is out of line or not in keeping with the rules of order here.

But uh I just had a curiosity, and if it was fair to ask the question, tell me if to ask somebody, uh an individual member of council uh why they voted on an issue, uh, one of the votes that you took this evening.

Just curious.

Is that a fair thing to ask or no?

That's okay.

That's fine.

Um, the other question I had is um, and forgive me, I've been out of touch with a lot of things, so if there's been an update, um, yeah, forgive me.

But the handy dart worksite, there's not much that's been happening for for quite a while.

Is is it known that when things are going to uh pick up again?

Because I think I'm saying, oh well, they're doing really great on the site prep and everything else, and seems to have taken a long pause.

I I I can answer that question directly, and uh we'll try to create have an update for the handy dart.

Um, so they had to move some electrical around the heavy towers and whatnot.

Um, so I think right now they're just in a place where they've finished their final assessments and are getting ready to construct.

Um, one of the discussions I had with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure uh was around uh increasing some sound barriers as well on the other side.

Um uh so that may uh come before council and be a thing.

But uh to your point, I think a construction report uh is not too much to ask for because it was actually on my to-do list for uh a a session in the future.

If I could uh ask council to invite uh a progress report from um Katie or somebody at Handy Dart.

I know they've been very good or if they had a website that we could uh post so that um uh that we could all see some updates that would be great if staff could take for for action that would uh help me out any uh other thoughts on that I know they've been very forthcoming in the last little while and like I say they've they've been uh quite open to giving us updates and I'll ensure they're added on.

Um so I think we can go to the phone now if there's any questions on the phone Carl.

Mayor Tobias, we have no callers on the phone board.

Okay, thank you.

That brings us to notices of motion, reconsideration of traffic light at uh 472 Atkins Island Highway.

Councilor Rogers.

Uh with the guidance of uh Mr.

Yes, thank you.

Emma uh the CAO, I'm going to uh propose a different amendment as the notice of the motion.

Uh the staff provide a comprehensive, and I've given a copy to um CAO.

The staff provide a comprehensive report on the pros and cons of the proposed traffic light, including impacts of resident stakeholders, assess the broad implications of this and the proposed rapid transit mobility hub, including projected traffic implication impacts on six mile Burns Light Island Highway from this light and or the hub, as well as affirm that neither impedes the commercial residential potential of the six-mile neighborhood center as identified in the OCP and and include all for community information engagement process.

And that would be the motion for consideration.

Could you say that again?

That the staff he just likes to hear my voice.

Thank you, Councilor Rogers.

Staff, did you have uh response for that before I put it around the table?

Councilor Rogers did supply me with a copy of the resolution before the meeting.

I'm okay with the resolution that was worded.

With that, I'll second the motion.

Now that it's on the table, any discussion about that?

Because uh this is obviously something that previous council had discussed, and that was the light just in the vicinity, probably we're in between lights on on this strip.

Uh and that is by I think integratire now.

We're close to where the CRD is.

Councilor Qual.

I'm familiar with this.

I actually voted in the negative for that light in the past, so I'm okay looking at it again.

And could uh I know it's been a motion before.

Well that would have to be my call that it gets pulled back, Kim?

Is that correct?

I'm sorry?

Would that have to be the mayor's call that that come back up for reconsideration?

Yes, a motion to reconsider is at the direction of the mayor.

I'm just wondering at this time it's just a report as opposed to uh a motion, though, right?

No, I am but it it's obviously going somewhere, Councillor Masson.

So I wanted to I know Councilor uh Rogers, uh and I knew that it wasn't just gonna be for information.

So I was wondering if it would have an outcome or not and what those options were for it.

Counselor Rogers.

I think we'll just vote on it or I don't and then I guess it's the question too for guidance is it's just notice a motion for a subsequent meeting.

It's not we're like we're voting on the motion or anything.

Yeah, it's not for same day of consideration.

So so uh uh Sir your motion is to receive, correct?

Okay, and we've got a seconder.

Any other discussion?

No other discussion.

Call the question.

All in favor.

Any opposed?

None uh uh so that uh passes to receive for information.

Uh item B, Councilor Rogers, BC Transit to implement short-term service priorities.

Yes, thank you.

And uh basically this is a uh a motion that we write a letter um for council support that we write a letter to um transit for um the um uh they did a report for a scrum, if you will, a local plan in 2001.

Um and in that short-term uh plan, they had proposed the number 40, the 46, and the 24 improvements to those three routes.

In fact, a brand new route, the 40.

And the the letter is to work with our neighbors, Esquamo, the First Nations and Santach, to ask transit to move this along in 2024.

And do we have a stated date now that transit was going to impose or is it fuzzy?

It it was not clear.

It's just to get that discussion going.

And my understanding is that transit will be coming in April, committee of the whole.

So they will also be available to help us along on that file.

So your specific motion is you're looking for a letter in support of your recommendation.

That we uh asked the neighboring municipalities if they wish to join as signatures on that letter.

Okay.

Um counselor quilters.

Okay.

Well, did uh you two want to speak to it first or shall I?

I I I I don't know if you you guys have seen the uh the documentation that I provided.

Um it's uh it's the the amazing thing about uh particularly the number 40 is that it has great uh not only huge benefits for the residents but also for the economic development of um uh Santa Cisquamalton.

And in my discussions with uh Kim, the uh uh manager of Kenya and Tire, uh, he's very excited about that because that provides another alternative for um his employees to uh bus to uh their their work site as opposed to driving and parking somewhere in View Oil.

Well, I've been quite vocal about BC Transit in the past, and again, we don't have a seat on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.

We weren't even considered for it, and we've been advocating for that for a long time.

We have received, I would say, you know, a bit of a carrot and a stick approach from BC Transit, and we never seem to get a bite.

And uh, I think we need to continue to put pressure on BC Transit to provide us attention for our growing community.

So I support this all the way, John.

Thank you.

And just for my understanding, uh, can council or staff um did View Royal ever have a seat on the BC Transit Commission for uh for Victoria?

Not to my knowledge.

And so then now that has gone from Calwood to Machosen.

Every bus going to the West Shore passes through View Royal, and we've never had representation on that commission.

That's correct.

What did we do to muddy the relationship with BC Transit to this extent?

If I recall, Councillor Roger, just to give them a heck of a hard time before.

Yeah, that was in the 1990s.

Okay, so uh so now we're we've got the motion, it's on the table.

I'll I'll follow that up uh as well because I think there's some discussions at CRD talking about taking a greater role in transportation, and I'm gonna encourage maybe that the BC Transit uses the CRD as their uh method of governance uh for these things because it seems better suited than randomly choosing um communities for the West Shore.

Seeing that you know it's not just about population, people are actually going somewhere when they go to the West Shore, either to work or at home.

So I will follow that up, but the motion on the floor is to um to send a letter to BC Transit encouraging that development.

So uh Councilor Rogers.

Uh we just have a further amendment with a CC to our uh West Shore rep.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Uh so uh we've we've got a motion, we've got a seconder with Councillor Mattson, I believe.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

Not opposed, motion carries.

Uh, and that would be uh take us to a closed meeting resolution.

Um so unfortunately, we're gonna have to ask our wonderful audience to um to um thank them for coming out this evening.

Uh, but we've got to go to a closed meeting resolution that I can guarantee you is not anything about anything that we've discussed this evening.

And typically at this point in the meeting, I will let you know there's 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, subsection two of the community charter shall be excluded on the basis of section 90, subsection one C labor, and um Roma numeral I legal advice.

We just need a termination, please, from council.

Can I get a motion to move?

Sure.

All in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries.