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[0:00] All right, everybody. I do have quorum in this room. So, I'm going to call this meeting to order. As a live open meeting, a live audio video feed is being broadcast and recorded on rdco.com.
[0:14] And as always, we would like to acknowledge our presence on the traditional ancestral and unseated tumolau of the sealed coconut gun people who've resided here since time immemorial.
[0:24] We recognize honor and respect the sealed coconut gun lands upon which we live work and play.
[0:29] Board members, can I please get an adoption of our agendas presented please move by
[0:34] Director Van Minsell, seconded by Director Cannon all in favor, opposed and carried.
[0:38] And can I please get a move of our meeting minutes from October 20th, 2026, please move
[0:42] by Director DeHurch, seconded by Director Milson, thank you, any errors or emissions in those
[0:47] minutes, seeing not falling favor, opposed and carried, moving right along into development
[0:53] and engineering services.
[0:54] We have item 5.1, please, in the skin turret.
[0:57] 5.1 is the development permit amendment DP26-11 for 1643 North West Side Road.
[1:04] This is a special vote, fringe, electoral area west, electoral area east, and west
[1:08] clona, one director, one vote.
[1:11] To consider a development permit amendment application for a residential development on a
[1:16] 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire impacted property, presented by Barbara Everdeen Regional Planning
[1:22] Specialist.
[1:23] Oh, welcome, it's Edwardian and good morning.
[1:25] Good morning.
[1:26] Chair and members of the board.
[1:28] This is a development permit application for regional board consideration.
[1:38] Keep you waiting.
[1:43] Liquid book there.
[1:45] There we go.
[1:46] The purpose of this presentation is to provide the regional board the opportunity to consider
[1:52] this application for a residential development on a wildfire impacted property.
[1:58] The subject property is located within the Blue Gross Ranch area of Central Ocanog and West
[2:05] Electoral area.
[2:09] The subject property is bound to the east by Ocanog and Lake, West by Westside
[2:15] Road, with similar low density rural residential properties to the north and the south. Prior
[2:21] to 2023, a residential dwelling and accessory structure were present on the property, which is
[2:29] decibel via a shared driveway with the neighboring properties to the north and the south.
[2:35] The property was significantly impacted by the 2023 McDool Creek wildfire, which resulted
[2:41] in structural loss of the dwelling.
[2:48] The subject property is located within sensitive aquatic, hillside, and wildfire interface
[2:53] development permit areas.
[2:56] The proposed development is within a high value shoreline area within the rural west side
[3:00] official community plan, which sets out a 20-meter minimum leave strip as seen in orange in the bottom
[3:08] right quadrant on the slide, to protect spawning grounds for Copeney salmon.
[3:13] For this reason, a regional board review of the proposed development is required.
[3:19] The applicants are proposing to redevelop the residential dwelling and supporting services
[3:23] in a new location, with the goal of preserving the real character of the site and minimizing
[3:28] overall site disturbance. Their current development permit locates the dwelling between the shared
[3:35] driveway where it crosses the subject property near Oconog and Lake and the 20 meter leaf strip.
[3:43] The applicant applied to amend their development permit when it became clear that the current
[3:48] building site was not achievable without further set back from the shared driveway, which also serves
[3:54] as a functioning utility corridor for BC Hydro and Tellis. The revised development plan
[4:00] proposes construction of the dwelling approximately three meters east of its currently approved location.
[4:08] This falls within the 20 meter leaf strip, however, remains outside of the 15 meter riparian
[4:14] area set back.
[4:18] The environmental assessment has determined that there will be no increase to the amount
[4:21] of disturbance with the new proposed building site, and includes a detailed restoration plan for
[4:27] section of the property. The average slope of the subject property is approximately 35% descending
[4:34] from west to east across the property and the new proposed location is within the hillside
[4:40] development permit area. For this reason the geotechnical report was submitted which confirms
[4:46] the slope feasibility of the proposed development footprint.
[4:52] Presented here is the timeline
[4:57] for this
[5:02] resources and our ecosystems within the regional growth strategy, and additionally the
[5:07] proposal is aligned with principles of natural environmental protection under the
[5:12] ROW Westside OCP.
[5:16] This application was referred to internal and external agencies.
[5:20] Notable comments have been embedded in the staff report as well as the conditions of the
[5:25] development permit. Overall, this application has been reviewed by staff and all agencies,
[5:31] And it meets provincial requirements for protection of the riparian area and also includes restoration and replanting within the 20 meter leaf strip.
[5:43] In summary, the applicants are proposing to redevelop a residential dwelling and supporting services after the 2023 wildfire.
[5:52] Conditions have been added based on comments received throughout the referral process.
[5:56] This is another step to advancing post wildfire rebuilding for this neighborhood and community.
[6:05] Therefore, staff recommends that the regional board receives the subject report and supports the issuance of the development permit for the subject property.
[6:14] Thank you and this concludes staff's presentation.
[6:17] Thank you, Barbara and thanks for working on this. I know a lot of these sites are very challenging with
[6:23] properties. I know staff have been working hard to help folks recover after the devastating losses.
[6:29] I'll go to directors for a for questions of this time, Dr. Carson.
[6:36] Yeah. Was this property subject to the 2023 wildfire recovery principles that the province put up?
[6:43] through the chair thank you director Carson it was not and that's because the build was not
[6:49] on the the the new proposed structure is not on the original building permit and the
[6:56] director is also lapsed at this point so that is so they didn't need that to move forward here no
[7:02] okay thank you okay thank you director i have a seconder and uh director sing does anyone else
[7:10] Any questions on this?
[7:13] Oh, thank you.
[7:14] It's actually a special vote.
[7:16] Sorry.
[7:18] Thank you.
[7:18] Thank you, Corporate Officer.
[7:20] I got a people keeping me in line here.
[7:21] I have a seconder in Dr. Kraft.
[7:23] So just remind you who's voting.
[7:25] It's West Cologne on our E.A.
[7:26] is that correct?
[7:28] It's special.
[7:30] So given that it's a fringe area, so we'll left for a rest, electoral or at east, and west, Corona, one director, one vote.
[7:36] President, thank you. So I'll call the question. All in favor? A post? And carried. Thank you so much.
[7:49] Thank you for being ambitious, director Singh.
[7:53] And item 5.2, please. 5.2 is the Crown Land 10-year application for the north-west side transfer station. This is an all directors unweighted corporate vote to consider endorsement for
[8:05] crown land tenure to expand the north west side transfer station presented by Travis Kendall associate director of engineering.
[8:13] Mr. Kendall.
[8:14] Good morning chair. Thank you, Salad for the introduction.
[8:18] I'll jump right into it.
[8:21] Just a clicker wakes up.
[8:32] The Electoral Area Services Committee first endorsed this approach.
[8:36] The option A, last September, which was incorporated into the board approved financial plan and action by RDC of staff.
[8:43] Front counter B.C. reached out to an August requesting a specific board resolution and some additional information so that the crown and your application could proceed.
[8:58] Option A and or several measures to improve north west side transportation services out of those endorsed only one is outstanding and that's to obtain the land to support potential future service improvements.
[9:11] Here is an aerial photo of the existing transfer station site, the north west side transfer station site,
[9:17] and the proposed additional land tenure that's requested.
[9:22] Staff recommended the board endorse this application for Crown land tenure,
[9:26] and that concludes staff's presentation.
[9:28] Thank you.
[9:29] Dr. Carson for questions.
[9:33] Yeah, Charles, this is just wondering, I'm looking at the diagram here,
[9:36] and I'm comparing it to the submission that the community association put in.
[9:42] And on the left-hand side, that little triangle there that comes out, if you extended the bottom line to the road, that portion in there.
[9:52] Why was that not included in the application tenure?
[9:57] Chair, I can't speak to that exact piece, but I can confirm that our staff have reviewed this requested land footprint, and it's aligned with what we need to complete the upgrades.
[10:07] Okay, well, the plan at the Community Association put forward what we were looking for is a second
[10:14] egressor access to the site. Currently we only have the one and on a busy day we've got cars
[10:21] backed up on the access road, we've got cars backed up in the site. So their plan included a
[10:27] secondary entrance or egressor access to it and it was in that site there. Is there any way
[10:34] And we could apply for that piece of land there so that we could follow through with the full plan and allow for a flow through on the site.
[10:45] Through the chair.
[10:47] The application before the board right now is for this footprint and that's the process that's in place with front counter B.C.
[10:53] A secondary site access could be provided with this footprint.
[10:58] But if we would like to obtain that additional land, we'd look to the direction of the board.
[11:03] Okay, yeah, because my understanding was as we work on to get that piece of land in there so that we could develop the site as to the plan that was presented to the board previously.
[11:20] Chair, the proposal that was put forward by staff was to acquire additional land to support a suite of additional options in the future for board consideration.
[11:30] And the only approval we have from the board right now is to expand the footprint, the available land to expand to, in the Northwest side, adjacent to this transfer station, as well as the transfer station in Trader's Gulf.
[11:46] But we don't have any direction from the board yet to undertake work beyond that.
[11:51] Okay, I thought that was the direction that you were given was to go for the full site as it was put in the proposal.
[12:01] Okay.
[12:03] And just from my own clarity, Travis, if with this restartable process, if we were to redraw the line there,
[12:09] because I was hearing you say that a secondary access could be considered with this current footprint,
[12:14] I just am trying to understand if that could still be considered in the future.
[12:20] I just don't want it delayed. I don't want to delay the upgrades. So I just need clarity on that.
[12:25] Chair, I believe the second footprint could be our second access could be incorporated into this footprint.
[12:32] I'm not aware if it would restart the process or not. I would need to see some guidance from Frank out of BCM.
[12:41] Can we approve what we've got here and then make an application for the other token one?
[12:47] I'll go to the CAO.
[12:50] through the chair pending board direction?
[12:54] Yes.
[12:54] All right. Thank you.
[12:57] All right. So I will get a resolution on the floor for what we're considering here.
[13:14] I'll just get, I'll just get this endorsed first and then Dr. Carson.
[13:18] We'll just work on a second recommendation for staff to review your request there.
[13:23] Can I get a mover of this please from the board?
[13:26] by Dr. Carson, seconded by Dr. Singh, all in favor, a post and carried. Thank you.
[13:34] Thank you through the chair. May I suggest that this gets deferred to the Electoral
[13:38] Area Services Committee?
[13:40] Okay. Do you need a resolution to do that?
[13:43] I'm seeing a not indirect occurs and so I'm assuming that's fine. Okay. Perfect. Thank you.
[13:53] Oh, before the election, he's referring to. I don't believe. I don't believe so.
[14:06] The next electoral area service committee through the chair is December 17th.
[14:13] All right. All right, moving right along. Thank you, everyone. We do have a number of members that want to get out of here to other commitments.
[14:20] So I appreciate how expedient we're being.
[14:23] Item 6.1, please moving into Protector Services.
[14:27] Item 6.1 is the 2026 UBCM Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, ESS Equipment and Training Grant application.
[14:33] and this is an all-directors-on-weighted corporate vote
[14:36] to seek regional board approval for staff to apply
[14:38] for the UMBC UMBCM-Rother Community Emergency Preparedness Fund,
[14:44] Emergency Sports Services Equipment and Trading Grant,
[14:47] and presented by Laura Wilson,
[14:49] Supervisor of Emergency Support Services.
[14:51] Just before we go to you, Laura, first for myself,
[14:54] and the Director of Mental, just really
[14:57] you want to apply to ESS in your
[15:00] Local group of everything that's been going on through the summer. It's been really great to see how the province's
[15:05] investment in two table-top exercises and trainings have really elevated the level of service with ESS.
[15:11] And I started doing my training through GIABC, the summers like it, I just added a little bit more.
[15:17] But just big kudos to the ESS team and the volunteers because we've learned a lot in the last two years.
[15:22] And the province should definitely take note of all the great work that's been going on through your leadership.
[15:26] And I'll go over to Mayor Ben Minceau for remarks from P2.
[15:29] This is an easy one, so I'd like to like to move it.
[15:35] Do you want to give your presentation?
[15:36] Do you put some time into it, so over to you, Laura?
[15:47] Yeah, this is a fairly straightforward ask from the 2020-26CBCM community.
[15:53] Emergency preparedness fund for ESS training and support stream.
[15:57] This is a combined us across the region to $180,000 that will support exercises and training
[16:04] on-going recruitment efforts. As we work collaboratively as a region, this expands our ability to
[16:10] strengthen ESS continuously improve coordination across activations as well as enhance volunteer
[16:17] resilience and sustainability. We look forward to building on those strong partnerships across
[16:21] the region for emergency preparedness and response. And therefore through the chair, we'd be recommending
[16:27] that a staff would be recommending that the board support this regional grant application for the
[16:34] perfect. I have a mover and director of adminsal, I have a seconder and vice-chair
[16:38] Ireland, all in favor, a post and carried. Thank you so much.
[16:44] All right, board members, do we have any pressing director items?
[16:47] Or can I get a motion to move in camera and adjourn this open portion?
[16:53] Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, Director Singh, for being here for Director Stack
[16:57] believe. So I will now ask for a resolution to move in camera, relating to land matters.
[17:06] So I have a mover and vice chair. All right, let's take a second by Dr. Weber. All in favor.
[17:10] Opposed being carried.
[17:13] Let's give staff time to power down. And we still have Dr. Johnston online with us.