[0:37] Okay, testing.
[0:38] >> Testing one, two, three. Testing one,
[0:40] two, three.
[0:41] >> This is a test of the streaming system
[0:43] and its audio capabilities.
[38:01] » [snorts]
[38:01] >> Hey, are we ready team so we can get
[38:03] through tonight?
[38:04] >> Yeah, I'm good.
[38:05] >> Yeah, [laughter] just like No,
[38:08] everybody's perfect today actually.
[38:12] >> Yeah.
[38:13] [laughter]
[38:15] >> Okay. experiences though.
[38:18] >> I like them as a last return [laughter]
[38:20] PTSD.
[38:22] >> Well, I'm sorry.
[38:26] » It's all okay. It's August.
[38:30] >> You know, half the municipalities in
[38:31] British Columbia have stopped even
[38:33] meeting, I think, for the rest of the term until after the election, at
[38:36] least some of the big munis. So, really,
[38:38] >> having a meeting in August seems to be
[38:40] peculiar. Anyways, but here we are,
[38:42] August, our one meeting of the month,
[38:44] and it's a regular meeting. And I'd like
[38:46] to welcome everybody and call the
[38:48] meeting to order and acknowledge the
[38:49] land on which we gather is the
[38:50] traditional territory of the Taha, the
[38:53] Silks, and the Snags people, and is home
[38:55] to the Matey and many diverse Aboriginal
[38:56] persons. We honor their connection to
[38:58] the land and rivers and respect the
[39:00] importance of the environment to our
[39:01] strength as a community. I've received
[39:04] no late items before the meeting. So if
[39:05] I could ask for an adoption of the
[39:07] agenda circulated moved by councelor
[39:09] Lockenberg, seconded by councelor Payne.
[39:11] All those in favor opposed and that
[39:13] carries. There are no previous minutes
[39:16] to adopt at this meeting. So we will go
[39:18] [clears throat] right into item number
[39:19] six which is some workshops educational
[39:22] um session and we're going to start with
[39:25] a council code of conduct and then we'll
[39:26] be doing the council correspondence and
[39:28] action item list. And I would like to
[39:31] then ask uh Sarah to take the hot seat
[39:36] at the end of the room.
[39:40] [clears throat] Nope.
[39:47] » Hi everybody.
[39:48] >> Our communications person Stephanie.
[39:50] >> Yes. This is Stephanie, our
[39:52] communications coordinator, and she is
[39:55] joining me to talk to you guys about the
[39:59] communications during auction. So,
[40:02] [clears throat] basically, I've pulled
[40:04] um out of from the code of conduct
[40:09] bylaw. That's your bylaw. So today um I
[40:13] will pro provide a brief overview of
[40:16] communication expectations during the
[40:18] 2026 election period for the city of
[40:20] Nelson um from the council code of
[40:23] conduct bylaw. Um the purpose is not to
[40:26] limit legitimate communication about
[40:28] city business but to ensure
[40:32] um communications remain nonpartisan,
[40:35] respectful, accurate and clearly
[40:36] separated from election campaigning.
[40:40] Um election periods create an additional
[40:42] responsibilities for council members and
[40:45] appointees. [clears throat]
[40:47] The principles of integrity,
[40:49] accountability, respect, and
[40:50] transparency continue to apply. Uh our
[40:54] goal is to protect public trust and
[40:56] maintain a clear distinction between
[40:58] municipal governance and election
[40:59] activities.
[41:07] Um the first point to remember is that
[41:10] the code of conduct does not stop
[41:12] applying during um the election.
[41:16] In fact, additional communication
[41:18] restrictions are layered on top of the
[41:20] existing expectations. The campaign
[41:22] period begins 28 days before general
[41:25] voting day. So for the 2026 um local
[41:29] general election, that is September 19th
[41:32] through October 17th, which is general
[41:35] voting day, October 17th. Um during this
[41:38] period, members um and
[41:43] um must be especially mindful about how
[41:47] you communicate, what resources you use,
[41:50] and how you separate your official role
[41:52] from campaign activities.
[41:55] >> Councelor Payne has a question.
[41:57] >> So I guess that was my question. So
[41:59] members, that that's council
[42:03] >> counselors are the members that you're
[42:05] referring to here.
[42:06] >> Yep. uh to members, council members
[42:08] appointees
[42:10] >> and can you just give me an example of a
[42:11] council appointee?
[42:13] >> So anyone on the APC or the CDC? So the
[42:17] um cultural development committee or the
[42:18] housing committee or would be um
[42:22] sorry what ask me that again.
[42:25] >> I I'm just so a council appointee is
[42:28] someone who's on a city of Nelson
[42:31] committee. [clears throat]
[42:32] >> Yes.
[42:33] >> Okay. and the um
[42:35] >> uh advisory body members.
[42:39] >> So like the APC
[42:42] >> um
[42:44] >> library board
[42:46] uh
[42:47] >> so just the different committees have
[42:49] different designations as far as what
[42:51] their members are called.
[42:52] >> Yes. So, for example, um councelor
[42:55] Pinero is the council representative on
[42:58] the library board,
[43:01] [clears throat]
[43:02] >> but I'm also just a counselor.
[43:03] >> But you are a counselor.
[43:05] >> Well, we've also appointed Yeah.
[43:07] >> Yes. and separate people from
[43:10] counselor.
[43:12] >> So, we've appointed people. So, all
[43:15] members of the library board covered
[43:18] under the
[43:20] So,
[43:23] for
[43:23] >> I just want to make sure I'm clear on
[43:25] the definitions.
[43:26] >> Okay.
[43:27] >> It was the members that threw me because
[43:28] I didn't see counselors or mayor or
[43:30] counselor.
[43:32] >> You are as council considered a member
[43:35] of council. So, and this this
[43:39] presentation is speaking to appointees
[43:41] or members of council.
[43:43] >> Okay. And it would sorry it would apply
[43:45] if uh another member of the library
[43:48] board who's appointed perhaps would run
[43:50] for council then they have to
[43:51] differentiate between if they're talking
[43:53] with the library or they're talking
[43:54] about the election or whatever
[43:57] >> or Yes. And and just to go broader to
[44:00] that is um
[44:03] there is a member of the public that's
[44:06] running that's on the uh that intends to
[44:09] run that's on the police board and that it's even more restrictive there.
[44:14] So he's had to withdraw from any um
[44:18] police uh meetings.
[44:21] So he can't even attend um a meeting
[44:23] until after the election. So gets
[44:26] elected to council, then he's off.
[44:29] Doesn't get elected to council, then
[44:31] that person can continue on the police
[44:33] board. But right at the current time, um
[44:37] uh is not um a working member of the of
[44:41] the police board.
[44:44] >> What about staff who decide to run for
[44:47] council? They're in the same situation.
[44:49] They But they so they what would they be
[44:51] un under? Are they members,
[44:54] [clears throat] council appointees or
[44:56] >> they are this is specifically for
[44:59] council.
[45:00] >> Okay. So this that code of conduct
[45:02] doesn't
[45:02] >> So they well the code of conduct
[45:06] >> no [clears throat] the code of council's
[45:07] code of conduct is not applying to our
[45:09] >> thank you
[45:10] >> staff there they would be just like a
[45:13] other member of the um
[45:16] >> the candidate.
[45:17] >> Yeah. that other candidate that you know
[45:18] as far as you know we've certainly given
[45:21] directions from our staff you also
[45:24] represent the city of Nelson and you are
[45:27] not to you know you as a private citizen
[45:31] yes you could be advised you probably
[45:34] shouldn't um but you certainly on city
[45:37] time and just the perception that people
[45:40] know you're a city employee so you
[45:42] probably should not get involved in
[45:44] someone's campaign or or you
[45:47] [clears throat] know, we'd recommend not
[45:48] even to actively, you know, be
[45:50] campaigning for someone or promoting
[45:52] someone. Just because it's hard to, you
[45:56] know, separate those two hunts. It
[45:58] doesn't mean you can't. As long as it's
[46:01] clear you're not on city time talking to
[46:04] somebody in the lunchroom or or a
[46:06] citizen in the street or anything like
[46:08] that, if you are strictly um on in your
[46:12] off time, you can. We recommend you
[46:14] don't. But um
[46:15] >> I'm talking staff member running for
[46:18] council.
[46:18] >> If you ran then again when you're
[46:21] working for the city in Nelson, you
[46:22] can't be out campaigning on city time
[46:25] and and just right. But [clears throat]
[46:28] yes, you're [cough]
[46:30] >> and our policy is and our policy would
[46:32] be they they would have to if they were
[46:33] elected, they'd have to
[46:35] >> Yeah. Why resign? I don't know. Having
[46:38] an employee and a counselor.
[46:39] >> Yeah. I'm not sure.
[46:41] >> No, you cannot. You have to you have to
[46:43] take a leave of absence
[46:44] >> to run and then
[46:46] >> oh to run
[46:47] >> to run.
[46:48] >> Okay.
[46:49] >> And then a leave of absence to you can
[46:51] you make
[46:52] >> it would be in the contract.
[46:53] >> Yeah. Unionized contracts have to
[46:57] >> allowances for that
[46:58] >> leave of absences.
[47:00] So yeah, so the code of conduct.
[47:02] >> So that must [clears throat]
[47:03] >> as for council and appointees uh staff
[47:06] have their own you know they have their
[47:08] own sort of code of staff code of
[47:10] conduct that they adhere to.
[47:12] >> Thanks.
[47:15] >> Okay, we got that mostly clear.
[47:19] Okay. So, um the most important concept
[47:23] in the entire presentation that I'm
[47:25] giving is understanding the difference
[47:27] between city business and campaign
[47:29] activity.
[47:32] [clears throat]
[47:34] Um so, city business includes municipal
[47:37] services, programs, policies,
[47:39] operations, and official council
[47:41] decisions. Uh communications about
[47:44] legitimate city business can continue.
[47:47] uh campaign activity is different and
[47:49] you would refer to LEFA. So that is the
[47:53] act that you would refer to to make sure
[47:57] that what you're doing is is legitimate.
[48:00] Um campaign activity is different. It
[48:02] includes election related promotion,
[48:04] fundraising, endorsements, candidate
[48:06] support or communications intended to
[48:08] influence voting. The practical test is
[48:11] simple. If city resources are being
[48:14] used, ask whether the activity is
[48:17] genuinely municipal business or whether
[48:19] it benefits a campaign.
[48:23] Members should avoid using city staff,
[48:25] facilities, equipment, technology, and
[48:27] email systems.
[48:29] Other city funded resources for election
[48:31] purposes unless those same resources are
[48:34] equally available to all candidates.
[48:38] >> I I guess [clears throat] we would ask
[48:40] that, you know, particular through this
[48:43] time. If there's things that you want
[48:45] from, you know, questions you
[48:47] legitimately have for the work we're
[48:49] doing, then run them through myself or
[48:52] Sarah and don't go directly to staff
[48:55] and, you know, put them in that
[48:57] uncomfortable situation of trying to
[48:59] navigate what Sarah just said.
[49:02] [clears throat]
[49:05] » So, who speaks for the city? Um, role
[49:08] clarity becomes especially important
[49:10] during election season. Under
[49:12] [clears throat] the code, the mayor is
[49:13] the designated, this is exactly what
[49:15] you're talking about, I think, is the
[49:16] designated spokesperson for the city.
[49:19] Um, formal media and public inquiries
[49:21] regarding city business should generally
[49:23] be directed through the mayor or Kevin.
[49:27] Um, individual members are still
[49:29] entitled to express personal opinions.
[49:32] Um when doing so you must clearly
[49:35] indicate that you are speaking in a
[49:37] personal capacity um and not on behalf
[49:40] of the city. Accuracy is also critical
[49:44] um before speaking publicly about city
[49:47] matters. You should ensure information
[49:49] is complete, accurate, and not
[49:50] misleading. And that's why it's so
[49:52] important, one of the reasons why it's
[49:54] so important for you to either speak
[49:55] with the mayor or Kevin first and then
[49:57] it runs through Stephanie. and
[50:00] [clears throat] Stephanie will
[50:02] verify, confirm, make sure it's
[50:05] accurate.
[50:06] >> Connect the media inquiry with the
[50:09] either the subject matter expert or the
[50:11] person who can best speak to the
[50:13] specific issue um or direct back to to
[50:16] the CEO or the mayor.
[50:19] >> And can you give us an example?
[50:23] Um
[50:25] well I mean this morning uh someone from
[50:29] CBC reached out wanting to schedule an
[50:32] interview for tomorrow morning um to
[50:34] discuss something that's coming up
[50:36] tonight at the table and
[50:39] which was the right thing to do. He
[50:40] emailed me directly. Um, and then I set
[50:43] up a meeting. Um, but I know that,
[50:47] you know, we all the longer you do this
[50:49] job, the more kind of personal
[50:50] connections and communication you have
[50:53] uh, with people and so they do try to
[50:55] circumvent the um, official channels.
[50:58] That reporter also uh, texted the mayor
[51:01] [laughter and clears throat]
[51:02] just because I was in a meeting and
[51:03] didn't get back to him right away. So,
[51:05] that's an example of, you know, if they
[51:06] do reach out to you directly, which I
[51:08] know sometimes they do, and we have the
[51:09] forum on the website, um, you can always
[51:11] direct them back to me and then I can
[51:13] officially direct them to the person
[51:15] that they would need to be speaking to.
[51:19] >> Yeah, I get that part. I'm just trying
[51:20] to think.
[51:21] >> Yeah, I think the general rule was,
[51:22] yeah, if you direct it back to us before
[51:25] you put up your hand and say, I'm quite
[51:27] happy to talk to about that on behalf of
[51:29] the city. uh because even if you say you
[51:32] know it's hard to different like it's
[51:36] really hard to separate the two to say
[51:38] oh I'm this speaking to this as a you
[51:41] know a citizen or a elected official as
[51:44] long as it's really clear but if it's if it's not super clear that this is if
[51:50] you want me to talk as someone running
[51:52] for council which would be the same as
[51:55] anybody else running for council um but
[51:58] if they're saying you know whatever or
[52:00] something come up as Stephanie said a
[52:04] decision on on that you are going to
[52:07] make tonight and you were clearly acting
[52:09] on city business so you shouldn't be the
[52:11] spokesman for that thing and I guess
[52:14] during the election campaign we're not
[52:16] having council meetings so that's not
[52:19] going to happen but um you know they you
[52:22] know you just have to the safe thing is
[52:25] direct it back to us
[52:27] [clears throat]
[52:29] >> so media inquiries, I understand. But
[52:30] what about citizen inquiries? Is that
[52:32] the same thing?
[52:35] >> Again, if it's about city business, then
[52:38] it should be directed back to the city
[52:41] and we will uh address it. If it's um
[52:44] Leslie Payne, I'm a candidate for for
[52:47] this thing. What's your opinion on
[52:49] whatever u red bouncy balls? Then then
[52:54] you can uh answer that as a elector or
[52:57] as a campaign person. just or someone
[52:59] running just as somebody that's not on
[53:02] council can answer that same question.
[53:04] And um
[53:05] >> guess you need to make sure that you
[53:08] differentiate like I'm not answering
[53:09] this question as a counselor for the
[53:11] city of Nelson. I am answering it as a
[53:14] as part of my campaign as someone
[53:16] running for council to be reelected. So
[53:19] this is my personal opinion.
[53:21] >> Maybe the easiest thing is pretend you
[53:22] were not counseling. You're just
[53:24] campaigning, right? [laughter]
[53:27] >> Yeah. How would you add to that if you [clears throat] when you were not on
[53:31] council and you were campaigning? Right.
[53:34] >> I guess the for council that is sitting
[53:37] now for those that are running again in
[53:40] this upcoming election, it's really
[53:41] important to be clear about the your
[53:44] role like your two separate roles, your
[53:46] separate roles. So yes, you are on
[53:48] council.
[53:50] You are um relaying the appetite of all
[53:53] of council or it's you as an individual
[53:57] running
[53:59] for this election to be on council. So
[54:02] you just need to be clear about
[54:04] differentiating and saying ahead of time
[54:08] when you answer someone or something.
[54:11] So, just a last followup. I think the
[54:12] city manager said that we wouldn't be
[54:15] meeting during the campaign period, but
[54:17] we do have meetings during the campaign
[54:19] period.
[54:19] >> Yes, we have one. We have one, I guess.
[54:21] >> Okay. Yeah. So, I just wanted clarity if
[54:23] something had changed.
[54:25] >> We have four meetings left,
[54:26] >> but I thought that's why I was confused
[54:28] when that's okay.
[54:30] >> During your meetings, J'll [laughter]
[54:32] make it.
[54:33] >> Looking for clarity.
[54:34] >> Yeah.
[54:34] >> A lot of moving targets these days.
[54:36] >> Yeah. So, especially during that period
[54:37] then. [clears throat]
[54:38] >> Yeah.
[54:38] >> And Yeah. just will primarily try to
[54:42] handle most of those things as staff and unless that's clearly they want you
[54:49] know it's a a political decision that
[54:52] you know the mayor's a spokesperson
[54:53] right
[54:58] » and I do believe that if I'm not
[54:59] mistaken that I saw a notice go out that
[55:03] no um commissions or or committees will
[55:06] be meeting in October.
[55:08] >> That's true. Yeah, that's correct. Yeah.
[55:10] >> So, where is that in our policies?
[55:13] >> So, it doesn't have to be in our
[55:14] policies. That's just an operational
[55:16] decision that staff can make based on
[55:20] the election. And the fact that we don't
[55:23] want things to become election issues.
[55:25] We don't want to put um or jeopardize
[55:29] um committee members
[55:32] in their integrity, I guess, like their
[55:34] decision-m. We don't. So there's no point in having anything them
[55:40] meet to discuss anything of.
[55:42] >> So was that the CDC and the library are
[55:44] included in that?
[55:46] >> So the library um and the police are
[55:47] different because they have a different
[55:49] board, but the CDC, the housing
[55:51] committee, um the APC, anything to do
[55:56] with development, they're all included
[55:59] in that.
[56:00] >> So certain things will grind to a halt
[56:02] then for like four months, it seems.
[56:04] four months or four weeks.
[56:06] >> Well, you've got October.
[56:07] >> October.
[56:08] >> That's it.
[56:09] >> There's no meetings in October.
[56:12] >> Okay, that's it.
[56:13] >> So, everyone will be assigned to their
[56:15] new commissions committees by the
[56:18] November scheduled meeting then because
[56:20] >> potentially, maybe not. But, I mean,
[56:22] >> I'm trying to understand you're talking
[56:24] about how business is going to roll
[56:25] forward and I'm just trying to
[56:26] >> I just I just saw it. I I read I think
[56:28] it went to everybody. I I read that
[56:30] there's going to be no meetings in
[56:31] >> I did read it as well. So I didn't see
[56:33] anything after that that the committee
[56:36] selection should be
[56:38] >> the committee selection typically
[56:40] happens at a regular council meeting.
[56:42] November 3rd is our inaugural meeting.
[56:44] So that would that means that it's at
[56:46] the prestige. It's kind of a it's a
[56:48] swearing in ceremony of new council. Um
[56:53] anything after that? So the December
[56:55] meeting I think there's one meeting in
[56:56] December. It's a regular meeting. It is
[56:59] a business meeting and perhaps in
[57:02] December or perhaps in January. I'm it
[57:04] would be up to the new council or
[57:06] council to decide um when the
[57:11] appointments are made for anything other
[57:13] than um regional district.
[57:16] >> Yeah. And that could also be made in the
[57:19] I mean there could be a special meeting
[57:20] attached to the cow meeting of of
[57:22] October. So it's not like
[57:24] >> not of October
[57:26] >> November. Sorry. The Yeah.
[57:29] So
[57:29] >> yeah, if there's something urgent that
[57:32] you need need them to meet and and we
[57:35] prioritize that and get people appointed
[57:37] to that and carry on the business, you
[57:39] know, we've never ran into a situation
[57:41] where, [clears throat] you know, things
[57:43] got stalled because we didn't get people
[57:46] appointed to committees. So
[57:49] >> I would just think the APC committee
[57:51] would want to have that available to
[57:52] run.
[57:53] >> Yeah. And we're again we'll look at
[57:55] what's coming up and what potentially
[57:57] the APC would be looking at um and make
[58:00] sure that we don't we don't we're not
[58:02] interested in delaying people's projects
[58:04] because we we're not organized at our
[58:07] end. So we we'll definitely look at
[58:08] those.
[58:10] >> Okay.
[58:12] >> Um so social media is gets some special
[58:17] attention because it can blur the lines
[58:19] between personal views and official
[58:21] information. um and campaign messaging
[58:24] pretty easily. So um the code of conduct
[58:27] applies broadly to personal accounts,
[58:29] official accounts, campaign accounts,
[58:31] adv advocacy accounts, and any other
[58:34] online platform used by council. U
[58:38] members of council are responsible for
[58:40] content appearing on their accounts and
[58:42] should regularly monitor posts and
[58:45] comments. Um, Stephanie, I don't know if
[58:48] you want to speak any more to social
[58:50] media and the importance of again
[58:54] stating whether it's your personal
[58:56] account or uh
[58:59] >> you're representing council. Yeah, I
[59:00] think definitely anytime,
[59:03] you know, I'd love to see when you guys
[59:05] share share uh the city content and and
[59:09] definitely help get the messaging out
[59:11] and anytime you feel compelled to
[59:14] comment. I think just yeah making it
[59:16] clear that it's your personal opinion
[59:18] during this time and that you're not
[59:19] like it's not necessarily an official
[59:21] city of Nelson uh statement or a council
[59:25] statement just to just to make sure that
[59:27] it's that it's really clear to people
[59:29] reading it.
[59:32] >> Councelor Kane,
[59:32] >> it's me again. [laughter]
[59:35] [gasps]
[59:35] So [clears throat] yeah, this is a this
[59:37] is an interesting one for me because I
[59:39] rarely use social media. So, the fact of
[59:42] now needing to monitor it regularly is
[59:45] um yeah, I'm trying to figure out how
[59:47] I'm going to manage to do that. But one
[59:50] of the things that I do, you know, when
[59:51] you're talking about sharing, so we have
[59:53] this AMI event coming up shortly. I
[59:56] always try to share those events. I
[59:58] rarely comment what
[1:00:01] >> I don't see.
[1:00:02] >> Oh, sorry. I [laughter]
[1:00:04] heard something think
[1:00:07] my hearing tests. [clears throat] Um,
[1:00:09] yeah. I just want I rarely comment on
[1:00:11] them unless to say, you know, it would
[1:00:14] be great if a lot of people showed up or
[1:00:16] something like that.
[1:00:18] >> So that's that's you're saying that's
[1:00:20] fine.
[1:00:21] >> I can I can do that. So what would be
[1:00:25] not fine?
[1:00:26] >> And we're not, you know, not encouraging
[1:00:28] you to to ramp up any behavior that you
[1:00:30] would naturally do. Some people spend a
[1:00:33] lot more time on social media than
[1:00:34] others. Some people now comment more
[1:00:38] than others. Some people just watch the
[1:00:40] like it's all we're not asking you to
[1:00:42] all of a sudden start sharing every city
[1:00:44] post but then also saying that it's your
[1:00:45] opinion. Um it's really just you know
[1:00:49] doing what you're doing what you're
[1:00:50] doing now that you're comfortable with.
[1:00:52] But in the event that you do share
[1:00:54] something um that has that's not just a
[1:00:58] like a city announcement or a city
[1:01:01] business. if it was an opinion on that
[1:01:04] then we would want to see it um
[1:01:06] >> on my personal
[1:01:07] >> on your yeah just to you know that it is
[1:01:09] your personal account and that it's not
[1:01:11] um the opinion of the
[1:01:14] >> so do I say that in the comments then
[1:01:17] here
[1:01:19] >> uh I mean you you can there's also um
[1:01:22] like on your Facebook profile for
[1:01:25] example there's like a space to write
[1:01:27] like a little bit of a preamble so if
[1:01:29] it's on your personal page you could
[1:01:30] always just put it right at the top
[1:01:31] there. Um,
[1:01:32] >> okay.
[1:01:34] Yeah, maybe a way to look at it is I
[1:01:37] don't know if you have your
[1:01:39] you you as a counselor sort of Facebook
[1:01:42] profile and and to me I would do what
[1:01:46] you normally do if you're sharing you
[1:01:48] know this meeting coming up or whatever
[1:01:50] but then on your you as the candidate
[1:01:52] over here if that's a separate uh you know portfolio or
[1:01:58] whatever then you know do your your
[1:02:01] campaigning piece on this and on and on
[1:02:04] your council one. Keep it clean. Here's
[1:02:06] a meeting coming up and you know
[1:02:10] maybe avoid you know commenting on it.
[1:02:12] Just share information on that and on
[1:02:14] your other ones that you um you know use
[1:02:19] it more for your campaigning. Maybe
[1:02:21] that's a
[1:02:22] >> if I'm going to use it
[1:02:23] >> keep the the two things separately. But
[1:02:26] as soon as you start to melt them then I
[1:02:29] think then it starts to gray things.
[1:02:32] >> [clears throat]
[1:02:33] >> don't know how to melt them. So, that
[1:02:35] will probably not be an issue.
[1:02:37] >> Yeah. I don't know if that's a easier
[1:02:40] way to look at it is just keep them
[1:02:42] clean.
[1:02:44] >> Oh, yeah. And if you are using a a page
[1:02:46] like a separate page for your campaign,
[1:02:48] then yeah, that it's clear that it's a
[1:02:49] campaign page. Um, and then also kind of
[1:02:52] to this point is that you wouldn't be
[1:02:54] using your official city of Nelson
[1:02:57] counselor page to do any campaigning.
[1:02:59] >> Yeah. Do we have official city of Nelson
[1:03:02] counselor pages?
[1:03:03] >> Well, do you have a Facebook profile?
[1:03:06] Lesie Payne, city of Nelson counselor. I
[1:03:09] would say that's your [clears throat]
[1:03:10] people.
[1:03:11] >> Not from You don't have to have one, but
[1:03:13] >> Oh,
[1:03:13] >> for those of you who do have one.
[1:03:15] >> Okay.
[1:03:16] >> I don't think any of us do.
[1:03:17] >> I don't [laughter]
[1:03:18] think if I have one, I don't know.
[1:03:21] >> Yeah. Like I set these pages up. Oh my
[1:03:23] god.
[1:03:24] >> Yeah, they're not they're not pages that
[1:03:26] the city assigned to you and said here's
[1:03:28] the
[1:03:28] >> idea is for clarity on the example is if
[1:03:31] it's about the fact that the meeting for
[1:03:34] the um advanced metering is coming up
[1:03:38] and you see the city ad and you push
[1:03:42] like or share and whatever happens to
[1:03:46] that in social media cyerspace that I
[1:03:49] don't understand the problem becomes if
[1:03:52] you
[1:03:53] that and share and the comment is this
[1:03:56] is the stupidest thing I've ever seen
[1:03:57] and it's going to be a tax wasting mess.
[1:04:00] Um vote for me to make sure it gets
[1:04:02] stopped. That would be a conflict.
[1:04:04] >> Thank you.
[1:04:06] >> Exactly. Yeah.
[1:04:08] >> Okay. Perfect. Thank you.
[1:04:12] I look for my Facebook preamble.
[1:04:16] [laughter]
[1:04:16] >> Okay.
[1:04:17] >> Keith is looking at me like why are we
[1:04:19] at
[1:04:19] >> No, I'm cing it. I'm crafting. You're
[1:04:21] convinced
[1:04:25] [clears throat] an interview. [laughter]
[1:04:26] >> No more pain
[1:04:28] or my brain to pain.
[1:04:32] >> So I think we've uh talked a lot about
[1:04:36] social media accounts, personal accounts
[1:04:40] [clears throat]
[1:04:40] or city sanctioned account if you should
[1:04:44] have one, which apparently did. So there
[1:04:47] we go. Um protecting staff neutrality is
[1:04:50] a foundational principle of local
[1:04:52] government. So members um counselors
[1:04:56] must not request or direct staff to
[1:04:58] assist with campaign activities. I think
[1:05:00] we talked about that at the beginning.
[1:05:02] It's really important um to protect
[1:05:05] staff in particular
[1:05:07] >> and even indirect stuff like you know
[1:05:10] [clears throat] some I'm out on the
[1:05:12] campaign trail, somebody's asked me
[1:05:13] about this. I'm going to phone stab
[1:05:15] because the
[1:05:17] >> candidate that is running that's not on
[1:05:19] council doesn't have that opportunity to
[1:05:22] do that. I think that's the,
[1:05:24] >> you know, that's that's the fairness
[1:05:25] that's trying to be created here is
[1:05:28] don't do anything that the other
[1:05:30] candidate that's not on council can
[1:05:33] can't do, right? And so you mustn't, it
[1:05:36] says you mustn't pressure staff, but um
[1:05:39] I think even just by asking staff for
[1:05:42] information is indirectly pressure. I
[1:05:46] know that seems weird, but it's um it's
[1:05:49] sort of
[1:05:49] >> bosses they feel.
[1:05:51] >> Exactly. Yeah.
[1:05:53] >> Ask them for something they think they
[1:05:54] need to answer, [snorts] which is
[1:05:56] >> Well, more importantly, I think they
[1:05:59] feel like they want to try and satisfy
[1:06:01] you, right? So they're less likely to
[1:06:03] give you an answer that you may not want
[1:06:06] to hear. Right. So
[1:06:08] >> yeah.
[1:06:08] So it might not be accurate
[1:06:10] information.
[1:06:10] >> It's one of those things. Yeah.
[1:06:12] >> Number two, it's not fair.
[1:06:14] >> Yeah. To the city manager's point, you
[1:06:16] know, they view you like bosses. And as
[1:06:18] bosses, you have to understand that
[1:06:20] while it doesn't seem like there should
[1:06:22] be that expectation, you know, for us
[1:06:24] all that are in leadership positions, it
[1:06:26] always feels weird when you hear people
[1:06:27] say, "Well, I don't know. You ask me
[1:06:28] your boss. I'm trying to make you
[1:06:29] happy." It's like I don't expect that of
[1:06:31] you but people just generally feel that
[1:06:33] way. So be very sensitive around that.
[1:06:38] >> Uh this slide also reinforces
[1:06:39] [clears throat]
[1:06:40] another important governance principle
[1:06:42] and that is that um counselors should
[1:06:44] not direct staff on operational matters
[1:06:47] except through the CEO or city manager
[1:06:49] Kevin um or Chris or even the mayor. Not
[1:06:54] even even or the mayor. Um, the
[1:06:58] relationship between council and staff
[1:06:59] should remain professional, respectful,
[1:07:04] and free from political pressure. Sorry,
[1:07:06] I just had a there's like some a little
[1:07:09] notification notification. I'm looking
[1:07:11] at the IT guy.
[1:07:15] Um,
[1:07:16] okay. So, uh, election periods do not
[1:07:20] change obligations regarding
[1:07:21] confidentiality, privacy, or records
[1:07:23] management. Um, confidential information
[1:07:26] obtained through official duties must
[1:07:28] remain confidential unless disclosure
[1:07:31] has been properly authorized. Personal
[1:07:33] information must only be collected, used
[1:07:36] or disclosed in accordance with
[1:07:37] applicable privacy legislation,
[1:07:39] including what if a privacy breach
[1:07:42] occurs, it should be reported to the
[1:07:44] corporate officer, that'd be me
[1:07:47] immediately. Um, council records,
[1:07:49] reports, correspondence, and other docu
[1:07:52] documents created through official
[1:07:53] duties remain city property.
[1:07:57] Um, councilors should be especially
[1:07:59] cautious when discussing city matters
[1:08:01] online or sharing documents through
[1:08:03] social media during the election period.
[1:08:06] Um, campaign considerations never
[1:08:08] override polic privacy or
[1:08:10] confidentiality.
[1:08:21] skipped that last one. So, I'm I'm still
[1:08:23] back on social media. Sorry. But do not
[1:08:25] publish personal information. What other
[1:08:29] kind of information am I publishing as a
[1:08:31] candidate?
[1:08:32] >> Personal information about about other
[1:08:34] people.
[1:08:34] >> Okay.
[1:08:36] >> Yeah.
[1:08:37] >> Didn't get other people. Thank you,
[1:08:38] Rick.
[1:08:39] [laughter]
[1:08:42] » Read that three times. Thanks.
[1:08:44] >> Which is can't be doing anyway.
[1:08:46] >> I was gonna say it's it's so foreign to
[1:08:49] what I way I think that I
[1:08:50] >> This is all in our code of conduct.
[1:08:52] >> Yes, absolutely. Y
[1:08:55] >> um so before you communicate as um a
[1:09:00] counselor or as a candidate, somebody
[1:09:02] running, you need to ask yourself some
[1:09:06] questions. And um is this city business
[1:09:08] or is this a campaign activity? Um, am I
[1:09:11] creating the impression that I am
[1:09:13] speaking on behalf of the city? Um, am I
[1:09:16] using city resources or staff time? Um,
[1:09:20] is the information accurate, complete,
[1:09:22] and not misleading? Is the communication
[1:09:25] respectful?
[1:09:27] Um, and have you made the appropriate
[1:09:31] disclaimer? So, if it's your personal
[1:09:34] um social media page that you say that
[1:09:37] it is your personal opinion, not the
[1:09:39] opinion of council.
[1:09:41] And that's all I think.
[1:09:43] >> Do you have anything that you want to
[1:09:44] add?
[1:09:46] >> Um, no, I don't think so.
[1:09:49] And well, just to reiterate, too, like
[1:09:51] if if a member from the media contacts
[1:09:53] you as a candidate and wants to
[1:09:55] interview you, that wouldn't need to go
[1:09:58] through my office, just to be clear. But
[1:10:00] if you're talking about city business,
[1:10:01] then we'd appreciate that connection,
[1:10:06] >> which is what we're supposed to be doing
[1:10:07] all the time anyways.
[1:10:08] >> Yes.
[1:10:10] Yeah,
[1:10:10] >> you just have to like double down now on
[1:10:13] it.
[1:10:13] >> Like we're never supposed to bother
[1:10:15] staff about operational things. We're
[1:10:17] supposed to
[1:10:18] >> No, but but also if somebody contacts
[1:10:20] you, wants to talk to you, like it's not
[1:10:22] just during this period. It's all the
[1:10:23] time it's supposed to
[1:10:24] >> most of this is actually all the time,
[1:10:26] not just now. Yeah.
[1:10:28] >> To that point, if you have any questions
[1:10:30] about something, if it goes or doesn't
[1:10:32] go, get in touch with Kevin or Sarah and
[1:10:34] we'll be able to sort out, right?
[1:10:38] Okay, thank you. So that is the um
[1:10:42] communications during election time
[1:10:45] workshop.
[1:10:47] >> Thank you. Thanks.
[1:10:48] >> I'm still here. [laughter] So just let
[1:10:51] me uh I have one more um presentation
[1:10:57] that I want to talk about and that is
[1:10:59] the action item list.
[1:11:05] This is the second workshop.
[1:11:10] You can do whatever you want with it.
[1:11:13] [laughter]
[1:11:16] [clears throat]
[1:11:17] So, um
[1:11:20] this is about the council correspondence
[1:11:22] and the action item listing. So, this
[1:11:25] workshop is a little bit different. I
[1:11:26] would like some feedback from you. If
[1:11:29] you have an appetite to share, that'd be
[1:11:32] great. Um,
[1:11:35] so, uh, there are two processes that are
[1:11:40] very similar, but they're very different
[1:11:42] at the same time. So um the purpose of
[1:11:46] this discussion is to review the current
[1:11:48] practices and identify where there may
[1:11:50] be room for improvement and get
[1:11:52] council's feedback. Get your feedback um
[1:11:56] before we bring forward any updated
[1:11:58] policies or processes
[1:12:01] there. Um so we will talk about the
[1:12:02] council correspondence and the action
[1:12:04] item listing.
[1:12:08] Okay.
[1:12:10] So
[1:12:13] currently correspondence can come in
[1:12:15] different forms including letters
[1:12:17] received by mail or handd delivered
[1:12:19] emails from stakeholders
[1:12:22] um and other local governments or senior levels of government and
[1:12:26] submissions through the city's website
[1:12:28] form. Under the current practice,
[1:12:31] um the corporate officer, myself, we I
[1:12:35] review the correspondence for privacy
[1:12:37] and then I direct staff to add it to the
[1:12:39] appropriate
[1:12:40] um council correspondence package.
[1:12:44] Okay?
[1:12:45] And you council receives that package by
[1:12:48] email
[1:12:49] uh before the regular council meeting.
[1:12:53] At the council meeting, you receive an
[1:12:55] index of
[1:12:58] um any of the correspondents, not the
[1:13:01] actual correspondents.
[1:13:03] >> Council P.
[1:13:04] >> Um so handdivered letters um whether
[1:13:09] they're individually or for everyone, we
[1:13:11] used to get mail in those boxes back
[1:13:13] there, but I don't think that we've had
[1:13:15] mail in those letter boxes for quite
[1:13:18] some time. Are we still doing that? we
[1:13:22] just don't get that form of mail anymore
[1:13:24] or what is the purpose of that?
[1:13:26] >> The purpose of that was for invitations
[1:13:30] um individual letters to council which
[1:13:34] we don't seem to get any anymore. That's
[1:13:36] basically the purpose of it. So that's
[1:13:38] why it's
[1:13:39] >> Christmas cards.
[1:13:40] Yeah.
[1:13:42] >> Like we
[1:13:43] >> I'm just saying if you need some space,
[1:13:44] it might not be the best use of uh
[1:13:47] >> Yeah. Well, that's why we're going
[1:13:48] through this whole
[1:13:49] >> that's why process, right? Yeah.
[1:13:52] >> Um okay. So the the challenge with our
[1:13:56] current approach is that only the index
[1:13:58] is included in the public agenda. So in
[1:14:00] the agenda package
[1:14:02] um right now council receives only
[1:14:05] an itemized
[1:14:07] um index of correspondents not the
[1:14:10] actual correspondence.
[1:14:12] Um the full package is sent separately
[1:14:15] by email.
[1:14:17] Okay. And that can create confusion if
[1:14:19] council wants to discuss an item during
[1:14:21] the meeting regular meeting um because
[1:14:25] the public may not have the same easy
[1:14:27] access to the material being referenced.
[1:14:29] So if you Yeah. Okay.
[1:14:33] So we're suggesting that this can be
[1:14:35] this process can be improved to provide
[1:14:37] greater transparency and easier access.
[1:14:40] There are also two existing policies
[1:14:43] that deal with correspondence and we are
[1:14:45] looking um for your feedback before
[1:14:47] bringing forward amendments or
[1:14:49] potentially combining those policies
[1:14:51] into one clearer policy.
[1:14:57] Councelor P.
[1:14:59] >> So you have included the correspondence
[1:15:03] in tonight's agenda
[1:15:06] >> I believe. Is it is [snorts] it it's
[1:15:09] just the itemized listing, right? It's
[1:15:12] not
[1:15:13] >> down.
[1:15:13] >> Okay.
[1:15:16] >> Do you want to go through this and then
[1:15:18] take questions?
[1:15:19] >> Okay, that'd be great.
[1:15:21] >> Yeah.
[1:15:21] [clears throat]
[1:15:24] So, um the intent is to distinguish
[1:15:27] between correspondence that should be
[1:15:29] included in the council correspondence
[1:15:31] package and correspondence that is more
[1:15:33] appropriately handled administratively.
[1:15:35] Under the proposed approach, form
[1:15:38] submissions, advertising, unsigned
[1:15:40] correspondence,
[1:15:41] um,
[1:15:43] operational letters and repetitive
[1:15:45] letters would not be included in council
[1:15:47] correspondence
[1:15:49] package, the package. So that's what you
[1:15:51] get before a council meeting.
[1:15:54] >> And Sarah, that's regardless if they
[1:15:56] address it to council.
[1:15:58] >> Yes.
[1:15:59] >> We determine it's operational. We'll try
[1:16:01] to deal with it. And I guess that person
[1:16:04] always has the chance to say, "We think
[1:16:06] your policy stinks and you should change
[1:16:09] it and I want this to go to council."
[1:16:12] >> That's one of the things that we're
[1:16:13] trying to figure out like right now.
[1:16:15] >> Yeah.
[1:16:15] >> That's what I would like feedback on.
[1:16:18] like I you know if that's the
[1:16:20] distinction you know you don't you know
[1:16:23] [clears throat] my street wasn't plowed
[1:16:24] properly and we go and we say to them
[1:16:27] you know our policy is to plow your
[1:16:29] street at 4 in of snow and and we did
[1:16:35] that and they say well we think your
[1:16:38] policy sucks and council should revisit
[1:16:40] that and it would go to council as a
[1:16:44] policy decision. So what we're thinking
[1:16:46] that operational matters would be
[1:16:48] directed to the appropriate department
[1:16:51] and dealt with and responded to like a
[1:16:55] thank you and um often like right now
[1:16:58] Stephanie is dealing with um the web
[1:17:01] mail the web forms that we receive or
[1:17:03] you receive and then and we sort of
[1:17:05] staff sometimes receive them as well.
[1:17:09] Um, and if they're operational in
[1:17:10] nature, we send them off to the
[1:17:12] appropriate staff person to address and
[1:17:16] then Stephanie sends it out again like
[1:17:19] [snorts] as a response and I believe she
[1:17:21] CC's you um but then but again it's
[1:17:24] operational so we need um direction
[1:17:28] about whether we include council or not.
[1:17:34] Um, okay. Correspondents from
[1:17:36] governments, First Nations, and advocacy
[1:17:39] organizations, stakeholders, and similar
[1:17:41] bodies are included in the council
[1:17:44] correspondence package and on the
[1:17:46] agenda. Um,
[1:17:50] see, letters of support or advocacy from
[1:17:53] the city would also be included. Invites
[1:17:56] would be provided to council as they are
[1:17:57] received, so council has enough time to
[1:18:00] plan accordingly.
[1:18:02] Um the proposed change is that the full
[1:18:06] council correspondence package including
[1:18:08] both the index and the materials are
[1:18:11] included in the council agenda
[1:18:15] um monthly. So does that make sense?
[1:18:23] » Okay.
[1:18:24] >> Can I just ask
[1:18:25] >> Yes. Does it make sense it's on that
[1:18:28] regular agenda versus a cow where you
[1:18:31] get a chance to look at it and decide
[1:18:33] whether you you want to refer something
[1:18:35] to a regular agenda. It's just we're not
[1:18:39] going to deal with it at a regular
[1:18:40] meeting.
[1:18:41] >> That's right.
[1:18:44] Maybe the first time you see it is on a cal meeting and there are things
[1:18:50] there that So I guess one of the
[1:18:53] questions is whether or not you want to
[1:18:55] see
[1:18:57] uh the correspondence package mirror the
[1:19:00] agenda package
[1:19:02] as well, right? because then you have a
[1:19:04] chance to um digest the correspondence
[1:19:07] package, potentially pull something out
[1:19:10] at a regular or cow meeting, whichever
[1:19:12] you decide, but you have had a chance
[1:19:15] beforehand before the meeting um to
[1:19:18] review the correspondence.
[1:19:24] » That makes sense. Is it that you're suggesting that at a
[1:19:30] cow we would see the correspondence
[1:19:33] report from corporate services as we do
[1:19:35] right now? That's what I heard from the
[1:19:38] CEO is that right now on a regular we
[1:19:40] have the list of August 5th and I'm
[1:19:44] hearing that we would restrict that list
[1:19:46] to showing up at the cows only. And in
[1:19:49] the current form that I see it's it's
[1:19:53] declares what the letters are about. And
[1:19:55] there's just enough information shared
[1:19:57] out so people know and seemed
[1:19:58] appropriate level. So
[1:20:02] would we continue doing that? Would we
[1:20:04] is that direction?
[1:20:05] >> I think maybe what I was hearing in the
[1:20:06] question was is that it's like one or
[1:20:08] the other. I guess I guess the idea is
[1:20:12] um
[1:20:14] when I hear that question being asked,
[1:20:15] this is where my head goes is if it
[1:20:17] stays in the regular and we have it all
[1:20:19] there and we're in a regular meeting,
[1:20:21] somebody who's particularly feisty might
[1:20:23] say, "No, I demand to have this dealt
[1:20:24] with right now and we would have perhaps
[1:20:26] no staff input on whatever the
[1:20:29] correspondence was on the table." And so
[1:20:31] then you're in a process where people
[1:20:33] might not have thought that piece of
[1:20:34] correspondence was of any particular
[1:20:36] interest or maybe it was or it wasn't or
[1:20:39] however they feel about it. And then
[1:20:41] you've got somebody demanding to get it
[1:20:43] on the table, getting a seconder, having
[1:20:45] a vote, and then all of a sudden you've
[1:20:47] got something that you have to deal with
[1:20:51] um right away. Or do we want to have the
[1:20:53] ability to look at the correspondence
[1:20:57] and flag and say number 12 um is of
[1:21:02] interest. What do other people think
[1:21:03] about number 12? And then decide whether
[1:21:06] or not then you actually want to make a
[1:21:09] formal recommendation that um that you
[1:21:13] refer it back to staff
[1:21:16] >> um to bring it forward for a piece of
[1:21:18] business.
[1:21:19] >> Okay. But the current practice right now
[1:21:21] is it shows up on the on the most
[1:21:23] convenient meeting that comes up next
[1:21:25] after the report has been completed and
[1:21:27] sent to us. Like you finish on the 5th
[1:21:29] of August, it gets circulated. The
[1:21:31] summary is finished and it's here
[1:21:33] because this happens to be our next
[1:21:35] meeting. Like you're not repeating it at
[1:21:37] the next cow. You're not also listing it
[1:21:39] out. That's right.
[1:21:39] >> Right.
[1:21:40] >> That's right.
[1:21:41] >> So the suggestion would be you would
[1:21:42] always wait for a cow. reinforcing the
[1:21:45] idea that cows are places where
[1:21:47] discussions happen and the public shows
[1:21:49] up and there's also letters and that's
[1:21:51] [snorts] considered your opportunity to
[1:21:52] refer to your next regular which is
[1:21:55] always another two weeks away
[1:21:57] >> in most instances
[1:22:00] sometimes it's at the regular because
[1:22:01] that was the next one sometimes it's the
[1:22:03] cow and it will
[1:22:05] >> show up sporadically based on its own
[1:22:07] schedule like I I don't mind the
[1:22:09] symmetry of it just sticking to the cow
[1:22:12] for clarity I'm fine with that
[1:22:13] >> and would Do you does council have an
[1:22:16] appetite for it for you to receive the
[1:22:20] correspondence package as a package once
[1:22:23] a month that would then show up again on
[1:22:26] the cow agenda
[1:22:27] >> versus a separate circulation?
[1:22:30] >> No,
[1:22:31] >> I my suggestion is just make it part of
[1:22:34] the cow agenda. I think it's just all in
[1:22:36] one time that you look at it because
[1:22:38] >> the other day when something got pulled
[1:22:40] out, I was like, "Okay." And
[1:22:41] unfortunately, I had never gotten the correspondence package. So, I was
[1:22:47] looking at something and somebody wanted
[1:22:48] to put something on the table. I'm like,
[1:22:51] I don't even know what that's about
[1:22:52] because I didn't read it because I never
[1:22:54] got the correspondence package. Now that
[1:22:55] I have a clear sense of what is being
[1:22:57] asked, I I think what would work best
[1:22:59] for me and others may agree is produce
[1:23:03] in the correspondence report as it will
[1:23:05] appear in the cow on that monthly
[1:23:07] schedule. So at the start of the month,
[1:23:09] we always anticipate this collection of
[1:23:11] letters will come in from the last month
[1:23:13] and then when we get to the next cow to
[1:23:14] also be the same thing that we see there
[1:23:16] like they're not two. So we
[1:23:18] >> reports, but we do get the
[1:23:20] correspondence just on its own monthly
[1:23:23] schedule because it's just a volume in
[1:23:25] and of itself.
[1:23:27] >> So just packing it into the cow
[1:23:31] >> to me feels like then we're just we have
[1:23:34] to read it all at the same time when we
[1:23:35] don't need to read it all at the same
[1:23:36] time.
[1:23:38] >> The big show the gap though.
[1:23:41] >> Well, it just show it will you'll get
[1:23:42] that particular report when it's due at
[1:23:45] the beginning of the month. So you won't
[1:23:46] get the emails that have come in since.
[1:23:48] >> You'll get that email and then that same
[1:23:50] report, that same package will show up
[1:23:52] in the cows,
[1:23:53] >> right? But if you said at the beginning
[1:23:54] of the month and the cows the third week
[1:23:56] of the month, what about those wait that
[1:23:58] long unless it's urgent, but you'll have
[1:24:00] seen [snorts] it for July.
[1:24:02] >> Sure.
[1:24:03] >> But you'll get it and then you'll know
[1:24:04] you can talk about it the next cow.
[1:24:07] And sometimes it's long, but most times
[1:24:09] it's not.
[1:24:12] versus it always just being packed in
[1:24:14] the cow because I think then you're
[1:24:15] going to have all the cow stuff like we
[1:24:16] have today and then the correspondence
[1:24:17] package al also showed up on a Thursday.
[1:24:20] >> So you're so basically you're you're
[1:24:23] asking for it to be sent to all of us as
[1:24:25] an email.
[1:24:26] >> Yeah.
[1:24:26] >> And then in a meeting it's also showing
[1:24:28] up again in its entirety embedded into
[1:24:31] an agenda.
[1:24:32] >> Yeah.
[1:24:33] >> So you're asking for it
[1:24:34] >> with no with no adjustments and nothing
[1:24:36] else came in since that time. That will
[1:24:38] go into the next cycle that happens at
[1:24:39] the start of the next month.
[1:24:41] So it would So you get it at the
[1:24:44] beginning of the month.
[1:24:45] >> Yeah.
[1:24:45] >> For the previous month.
[1:24:46] >> Yeah.
[1:24:46] >> In a correspondence package.
[1:24:48] >> Yeah.
[1:24:49] >> Then you also get it in the count
[1:24:50] agenda.
[1:24:51] >> Yeah.
[1:24:52] >> In its totality.
[1:24:53] >> Uh just the just the cover page.
[1:24:55] >> Oh, just the cover page. Okay.
[1:24:56] >> What that what we're getting now cuz
[1:24:58] we'll had it there.
[1:25:00] >> Okay.
[1:25:00] >> If you wanted to, you could put the
[1:25:01] letters in the in camera part of it.
[1:25:04] >> So the only
[1:25:05] >> I would ignore that. I would just do
[1:25:07] >> So I just want to go back to my example
[1:25:08] is that last
[1:25:10] month, something was pulled out about
[1:25:13] ebikes or e- scooters
[1:25:15] >> and all I had was just a reference to
[1:25:17] that and I had never received the
[1:25:21] correspondence package so I never read
[1:25:24] it. So when somebody pulls out number 12
[1:25:27] and it's a line, I have nothing to refer
[1:25:31] to.
[1:25:34] So, do you not want to see like would
[1:25:36] you not want to see the correspondence
[1:25:38] in the
[1:25:40] >> I mean if we can keep going the way
[1:25:41] we're doing it now which is what
[1:25:42] basically you're saying and it's just
[1:25:44] the fact that the list comes at the cow
[1:25:46] versus the regular
[1:25:48] >> do we want to be publishing full letters
[1:25:50] in in the agenda like that's is that the
[1:25:52] >> well that's well that's the question I
[1:25:54] mean the question I always have is like
[1:25:55] do we do these because how much do we
[1:25:56] have to retract and then what do we do
[1:25:58] about letters that we get that are
[1:26:01] really in camera like are really
[1:26:03] >> they go in camera. They should go in
[1:26:06] camera. I mean, they shouldn't be
[1:26:07] showing up or being in a correspondence
[1:26:09] package that gets sent to you or like I get that's where I get a little
[1:26:13] bit cuz cuz I I see what we kind of get
[1:26:16] at at at police which is um heavily
[1:26:19] required to be in camera and I just I
[1:26:22] know there's things here and like how
[1:26:23] much are you going to redact and and
[1:26:26] stuff before you um
[1:26:29] >> I would just put the bundle in the in
[1:26:32] camera the the list there that's been
[1:26:34] redacted that has been
[1:26:37] and just put it in camera.
[1:26:38] >> Okay, then
[1:26:38] >> maybe
[1:26:40] we can investigate like we should be
[1:26:42] able to just put it in a folder and put
[1:26:45] a link on your on your council
[1:26:48] correspondence that if you want to see
[1:26:51] that the detail, you just, you know,
[1:26:54] click on it from here and it'll take you
[1:26:56] to that. I
[1:26:57] >> I guess one of the challenges is that
[1:26:59] members of the public then are not
[1:27:02] seeing
[1:27:03] in full what you're talking about. Yeah.
[1:27:06] >> Well, they're not seeing in full now
[1:27:07] what we're talking about.
[1:27:08] >> That's right. Councelor Panero,
[1:27:11] >> I'm trying to follow along here, but
[1:27:13] >> um seems to me like we just need a
[1:27:16] mechanism by which everybody can see
[1:27:20] the correspondence and then we're trying
[1:27:23] to avoid a situation where something
[1:27:25] comes up and we have to make staff
[1:27:28] scramble because they haven't prepared
[1:27:30] anything. Like we we don't want that. So
[1:27:34] seeing it as it comes in and then
[1:27:36] putting it together if it's if we're
[1:27:38] seeing it as it comes in and then the we were seeing it in real time
[1:27:44] basically and then having that list
[1:27:47] >> at a
[1:27:49] cow I guess we know the context of that
[1:27:52] list and at that cow then we would refer
[1:27:54] it to the next if it's something we need
[1:27:56] to pull out we all know it and we get
[1:27:58] that extra time. So, I think that's the thing. Is that am I
[1:28:03] understanding? You're right. Cuz that seems perfect for me. Like we we're
[1:28:07] still we don't have to wait to see it or
[1:28:08] we're not like letting it cook for 3
[1:28:11] weeks without looking at it. We're
[1:28:13] seeing it as it comes. But then at that
[1:28:15] cow there's this list and if anybody if I or or council Wenberg wants to pull
[1:28:20] something at that point for the next to
[1:28:23] like refer it to the next
[1:28:26] or just to discuss, right? And so we're
[1:28:28] not then discussing things that nobody's
[1:28:31] ever heard of. We're not disc we're not
[1:28:33] throwing staff for a loop by accident or
[1:28:36] on purpose and and it's fine. Um so yes.
[1:28:40] >> So it sounds like sounds like people
[1:28:42] want to do this at the the cow.
[1:28:45] >> For sure. Yep.
[1:28:46] >> For sure. I mean that's where we want to
[1:28:48] see
[1:28:49] >> this list with the potential for having
[1:28:51] discussion would be at um a cow.
[1:28:55] >> Yes. So,
[1:28:57] >> so I gather that from council um
[1:29:02] I gather
[1:29:04] what I'm hearing I guess is that at the
[1:29:07] beginning of each month you would
[1:29:10] receive a full package that would have
[1:29:13] all the correspondence from the previous
[1:29:15] month and then you would have um at the
[1:29:18] next cow meeting you would have it
[1:29:22] >> summarized So line item like you
[1:29:26] wouldn't have the actual letters in the
[1:29:28] package. And if you want to pull out
[1:29:31] some something that's correspondence,
[1:29:34] this is where I think I'm I need you to
[1:29:38] tell me then you vote on it to make sure
[1:29:42] as council to make sure that all of
[1:29:45] council actually wants to move forward
[1:29:46] with it and then it gets placed on an
[1:29:50] agenda
[1:29:51] >> or a work plan or whatever. It's an
[1:29:54] action ite or the action item listing,
[1:29:55] right?
[1:29:56] >> Which I'm going to talk about in a
[1:29:57] second.
[1:29:58] >> I think [clears throat]
[1:30:00] [snorts] the only
[1:30:03] clarification I would make there. I
[1:30:05] think the idea of putting on a cow is to
[1:30:08] give us space to um decide whether it's
[1:30:11] going to go on a regular. So I I
[1:30:13] wouldn't want to see it go on an action
[1:30:15] list cuz now you're dealing with it in
[1:30:17] the heat of the moment as opposed to we
[1:30:20] got two weeks to you know to decide yeah
[1:30:22] this makes sense and and in a regular
[1:30:25] meeting deciding whether there's going
[1:30:27] to be some action on it or not. I think
[1:30:30] the cow meeting is refer it to yes we
[1:30:32] want to refer this one
[1:30:34] >> to the cow meeting or a regular meeting
[1:30:36] to decide what action we want to take on
[1:30:38] this.
[1:30:40] [clears throat]
[1:30:41] I think that creates that additional
[1:30:43] space to do that.
[1:30:45] The um mayor,
[1:30:47] >> the only quibble I have with your plan,
[1:30:49] councelor page, is that three weeks of
[1:30:53] gap, a lot of the correspondence we get
[1:30:56] from the public is like there's a big
[1:30:58] issue that's come up, but people write
[1:31:01] letters and it's like the time frame is
[1:31:04] often shorter like well the two weeks
[1:31:06] before or the week before a cow when
[1:31:10] they know it's coming on the agenda,
[1:31:11] that's when they'll write the letter.
[1:31:13] And I can just anticipate a lot of
[1:31:15] blowback from the public like
[1:31:17] frustration
[1:31:19] um when you know they may have a bunch
[1:31:22] of people organized, wrote a bunch of
[1:31:24] letters and really got passionate about
[1:31:26] it and that that we just don't even
[1:31:28] address it. Um, [clears throat]
[1:31:31] >> I I think that um I I hear what you're
[1:31:35] saying about sort of timeliness, but
[1:31:40] when I think of all of the years, and
[1:31:41] you've now sat here for eight, that for
[1:31:44] the longest time, we never saw
[1:31:45] correspondence. So, let's just get that
[1:31:47] on the table. I mean, we weren't really
[1:31:50] seeing correspondence unless somebody
[1:31:53] was bringing it up, but you personally
[1:31:54] might have gotten some correspondence. I
[1:31:56] mean, we still haven't ser solved all
[1:31:58] the correspondence problems. Like
[1:31:59] correspondence that I get that comes
[1:32:01] directly to the mayor usually gets
[1:32:03] opened by a staff person before it even
[1:32:04] hits my desk. I have no idea what people
[1:32:07] are sending to the rest of you cuz
[1:32:09] you're not coming in with your letter
[1:32:11] and sharing it with the rest of us. My
[1:32:13] mail gets shared. I don't know what
[1:32:15] counselors do. just like the online
[1:32:17] submitt form and like that's one that I
[1:32:20] would like to talk about sort of
[1:32:22] separately because a lot of that comes
[1:32:24] on that online submitt form we all see
[1:32:27] it. I have no idea how many of you
[1:32:30] actually respond to it cuz you decide
[1:32:33] that you know that person and you want
[1:32:34] to respond. Um, but at the same time, a
[1:32:38] lot of that is operational. And what I
[1:32:41] have suggested to staff and maybe you
[1:32:43] guys think that I'm wasting staff's time
[1:32:44] and they're not doing it because of the
[1:32:46] fact that we need to have a discussion
[1:32:47] about it is that when it's operational
[1:32:51] and we know that Stephanie has then sent
[1:32:53] it to say public works public works
[1:32:57] answers the question sends it back to
[1:32:58] Stephanie to send out to the person that
[1:33:00] wrote the letter is because it's
[1:33:02] operational. I would kind of like to
[1:33:04] know what the answer is to the question.
[1:33:05] It's not that I'm going to change
[1:33:07] operations or that I'm going to write
[1:33:09] another letter and say that operations
[1:33:11] is wrong. It's just that it's also an
[1:33:13] opportunity for us to learn like when
[1:33:15] somebody asks a question about why don't
[1:33:18] we plow the snow when it's 2 in versus 4
[1:33:20] in and we've got a sound answer for
[1:33:22] that. We know it's in the policy and we
[1:33:23] could look. when that person's getting
[1:33:25] that letter back, it's nice to see what
[1:33:27] we've sent them back
[1:33:29] >> just because then we know and it just
[1:33:31] kind of puts a bow on the,
[1:33:33] >> you know, and a lot of those online
[1:33:34] things are just comments. So, we're not writing back or anything like
[1:33:39] that. I mean, it's a comment. People are
[1:33:41] allowed and and we are all seeing that,
[1:33:44] right? Um, so [clears throat] I I did
[1:33:46] think that maybe for that and that would
[1:33:48] be different than it being in our
[1:33:51] correspondence package because we've
[1:33:53] already seen the correspondence like to
[1:33:55] me correspondence package is a little
[1:33:56] bit of you guys getting to see all the
[1:33:58] things that come into the mayor's
[1:33:59] office. Like responses back from the ministry like when we've gone
[1:34:03] to a ministerial meeting and I get the
[1:34:05] letter comes back to me and then you
[1:34:08] guys all get to to see it because I make
[1:34:10] sure that it gets into a correspondence
[1:34:11] package. online submittals. You've
[1:34:13] already read what the question is,
[1:34:15] >> but I think that you should get to know
[1:34:16] what the answer is, but I don't think
[1:34:17] that that has to be public. I don't
[1:34:19] think that has to be put into a
[1:34:20] correspondence package. That's just a
[1:34:22] way that's just a form for way for
[1:34:24] people to contact us.
[1:34:25] >> Right. So I guess then I'm a little bit
[1:34:29] confused about the purpose of if not for
[1:34:36] the purpose of of
[1:34:38] delivering us correspondence and then
[1:34:39] having us pull something out and refer
[1:34:41] it to next business meeting if it didn't
[1:34:44] also include things that were timely.
[1:34:46] Like for example this the grizzly bear
[1:34:50] situation that's you know really a lot
[1:34:53] of people are concerned about. Let's say
[1:34:55] we got a whole bunch of emails in the
[1:34:57] week. It just happened. We have a cow
[1:34:58] coming up the following week. You know,
[1:35:02] it would be good to know,
[1:35:04] did people send staff a whole bunch of
[1:35:07] emails? You know, like the the issues
[1:35:10] like that are often quite timely. And so
[1:35:13] we would want to and and the action that
[1:35:15] we might come out of that would be let's
[1:35:18] have the we want a motion of council to
[1:35:20] have whilst they've come in and explain
[1:35:22] the situation. might be simple as that,
[1:35:24] but it is a timely thing that would be
[1:35:27] have been generated by a whole bunch of
[1:35:30] emails that have come in. That's the only thing I'm confused about
[1:35:33] like that the timeliness oftentimes are
[1:35:36] a factor three weeks because because
[1:35:39] otherwise the scenario would be we're
[1:35:41] then waiting not just three weeks
[1:35:44] actually we're waiting a month and a
[1:35:46] half it would be a month and three weeks
[1:35:48] before it comes back to the next cow.
[1:35:51] that that seems like it would generate a
[1:35:53] lot of frustration and the way that
[1:35:55] people would then express they get
[1:35:58] frustrated and then so that what they
[1:35:59] would do is they'd come to a cow and
[1:36:01] we'd have a whole bunch of people coming
[1:36:02] up and providing delegation.
[1:36:04] >> I think that I mean am I am I wrong? I
[1:36:07] mean we have council
[1:36:09] um we have the ability to give council
[1:36:13] reports at meetings. I mean,
[1:36:16] >> well, you can't if there's an urgent
[1:36:19] issue that all council believes it's
[1:36:21] urgent, you can put it on the table and
[1:36:24] >> right
[1:36:24] >> we can share what kind of
[1:36:26] [clears throat] any information we have
[1:36:28] at that stage.
[1:36:29] >> But then that would be true of any
[1:36:31] issue. I I'm I'm just trying to
[1:36:32] understand the consistency there like
[1:36:34] because timeliness does seem to be a
[1:36:36] factor then then just let's not have the
[1:36:37] correspondence at all.
[1:36:38] >> Well, I think I'm hearing two competing
[1:36:40] things. one is uh I heard from councelor
[1:36:44] Paige if we get this right at the cow
[1:36:47] meeting you know with that agenda you
[1:36:50] know there's a lot of other things on
[1:36:51] there do I have a chance to get through
[1:36:53] all that correspondence so
[1:36:55] >> so um
[1:36:58] getting it at the beginning of the month
[1:36:59] and creating that space gives time to
[1:37:01] sort of break up the work you do
[1:37:04] >> uh so that's one principle and the other
[1:37:06] principle how do we make sure timeline
[1:37:08] is so I don't know if there's a solution
[1:37:11] where it's we get that correspondence
[1:37:15] maybe not at the first of the month but
[1:37:16] at the as close you know give you a week
[1:37:20] time
[1:37:21] >> two week something
[1:37:22] >> right so maybe it's just the time when
[1:37:24] we give you the correspondence maybe it
[1:37:26] doesn't have to be the first of the
[1:37:27] month maybe it's from the 15th to the
[1:37:30] 15th or whatever the 10th to the 10th or
[1:37:33] something like that that you know break
[1:37:35] [clears throat] or reduces that gap a
[1:37:38] little bit that gives you the space to
[1:37:40] read it before the cow meeting and also
[1:37:44] is you know not unduly delayed so we can
[1:37:48] look at you know what's reasonable for
[1:37:51] us to get that out and I think as far as
[1:37:53] the detail of it I I think we can
[1:37:56] hyperlink it to you know to the actual
[1:37:58] correspondent so that list you get could
[1:38:01] be hyperl so if you want to pull out
[1:38:04] number 12 you didn't remember it from when it came across you can click
[1:38:09] on number 12 and it'll take you to that
[1:38:11] >> actual for
[1:38:13] >> council
[1:38:13] >> for council. Yeah, that actual letter
[1:38:15] >> councelor Panero and then councelor
[1:38:17] Paige. It just strikes me that I'm just
[1:38:20] trying to think of situations that have
[1:38:22] actually happened sort of like what
[1:38:24] Russell Lockenberg was talking about and
[1:38:26] seems to me that if we had a situation
[1:38:29] like that where and we've seen that a
[1:38:31] number of times a bunch of
[1:38:33] correspondents comes in right before a
[1:38:35] cow meeting for [snorts] example and
[1:38:37] it's something pressing urgent happening
[1:38:40] everybody comes in and you're probably
[1:38:41] going to get public comment about it as
[1:38:43] well
[1:38:44] >> and we do have the ability am I wrong to address public comment if we so
[1:38:53] desire. We don't have to, but if it's
[1:38:55] something that we've gotten, you know,
[1:38:57] whether it's on the correspondence
[1:38:59] package or not, but we've received 40
[1:39:02] emails about it and there's a room full
[1:39:04] of people talking about it, we can then
[1:39:07] say at that point, we're going to refer
[1:39:10] this to the next meeting, which is what
[1:39:12] we would normally do anyway. And so that
[1:39:14] would satisfy
[1:39:16] it's it's not any more timely, but I
[1:39:19] don't see how we would then like we're not addressing it in a substantial
[1:39:25] substantive way anyhow. We mostly just
[1:39:28] refer it to the next meeting if that was
[1:39:30] the thing and we're still free to do
[1:39:31] that whether the whether the
[1:39:33] correspondence package comes here or
[1:39:35] there. So I think that that there's a
[1:39:37] mechanism for exactly what you're saying
[1:39:39] and I think it's a good point that you
[1:39:41] know the public wants to see things
[1:39:43] happening and also there's things that
[1:39:45] are timesensitive.
[1:39:47] The grizzly bear thing being a good
[1:39:49] example. Um and so for those
[1:39:52] timesensitive things I think we have the
[1:39:53] mechanism to act in a timely fashion
[1:39:56] already regardless of what the
[1:39:58] correspondence package does. What the
[1:40:00] correspondence package, this amendment
[1:40:02] might do is just things that maybe
[1:40:05] aren't that maybe don't fill a room full
[1:40:08] of people, but are an action item
[1:40:10] nonetheless. And then we can
[1:40:13] have that be referred in a in a in a
[1:40:16] more sane way than than just dealing
[1:40:20] with it right now on staff where some
[1:40:22] people at the council table aren't
[1:40:24] actually prepared to discuss it
[1:40:25] properly. So does that
[1:40:28] >> Yeah. No, it's on that and I think we
[1:40:29] get that if we if we move the
[1:40:31] correspondence package just to being in
[1:40:34] a in the cow on on the cow days. I mean
[1:40:38] I it's going to be a work in process cuz
[1:40:40] I mean like the whole thing is is like I
[1:40:42] remember used to get all the
[1:40:43] correspondents because in the old days
[1:40:45] you used to get like two 4 in binders
[1:40:47] while now we have everything electronic
[1:40:49] and and like in the old day we we all
[1:40:52] knew that we all saw what we were
[1:40:54] seeing. Nowadays I don't know what
[1:40:55] anybody's seeing, right? Like that's really the the issue is that it's
[1:41:01] and then and how do you how do you
[1:41:03] capture that and you control that? Well,
[1:41:05] you can't because we're all humans and
[1:41:07] we've all got our own personal foibless
[1:41:09] on on how we look at things and um
[1:41:11] address things. And the idea is is that
[1:41:13] as well we try to keep working on
[1:41:15] transparency and accountability is
[1:41:18] making sure that that that people not
[1:41:20] just that that we as a group but also
[1:41:24] the community gets to see or hear what
[1:41:26] kind of correspondence comes across. And
[1:41:28] I think that that as much as we've
[1:41:31] struggled with this in this term, I
[1:41:33] think that we're doing a as as good a
[1:41:36] job as we can do right now given the
[1:41:38] tools we have. I think there's always
[1:41:39] room for um improvement of how we do
[1:41:42] this communication and I think it's a
[1:41:45] work I think this is a work in process
[1:41:48] because of the way communication is is
[1:41:51] changing. I think this is a um a huge
[1:41:55] change.
[1:41:56] So the other area clarification I think
[1:41:59] based on um mayor what you had brought
[1:42:02] up is
[1:42:04] [clears throat] I heard from you even if
[1:42:06] it's operational I would still like to
[1:42:08] hear the answer to that. So I so if
[1:42:13] we're doing that so anything addressed
[1:42:15] to council then even if it's operational
[1:42:18] you would like to see our response to
[1:42:21] that if and we can do that I guess in
[1:42:24] the in that same correspondence or
[1:42:26] >> not I wasn't asking for this in the
[1:42:28] correspondence package. So, I'm going to
[1:42:29] just clarify cuz I just kind of like cuz
[1:42:30] I've been musing about correspondence
[1:42:33] cuz we talk about it periodically during
[1:42:35] our term is the fact that so we get
[1:42:38] these things called online submitts
[1:42:40] which I like drives me crazy just the
[1:42:42] name even. Um [clears throat] and and it
[1:42:44] goes to all of us so we all see it and
[1:42:46] in the background we have um I believe
[1:42:49] it's Stephanie that's in the background
[1:42:50] as a staff person that sees that come in
[1:42:52] because it's coming in and now it's the
[1:42:54] property of the city of Nelson. Um, and often times they're just little
[1:42:59] comments. You you only have so much
[1:43:00] room. So maybe it's a paragraph or um a
[1:43:03] question or whatever. And they're often
[1:43:05] operational as I find. And I don't know
[1:43:07] the rest of you can comment on it. And
[1:43:09] that gets dealt with. But I'd like to be
[1:43:13] able to close the the loop particular
[1:43:15] when it's operational. So if somebody's
[1:43:16] asking the question about why is it 4 in
[1:43:19] that that we plow up versus two that person
[1:43:25] John Doe is going to get a letter back
[1:43:27] from staff from public works that says
[1:43:30] this is the reason why. And I just sort
[1:43:32] of think that it's important for to for
[1:43:35] council to know this is the reason why
[1:43:37] because although we have a policy on
[1:43:38] snowballing and we could all go and look
[1:43:40] at the policy. We're all busy people
[1:43:42] just like the person that asked the
[1:43:43] question. It's just that when that goes
[1:43:45] out, it goes back to that person and
[1:43:47] then it's just CC to council and then
[1:43:50] that person also gets to see that that
[1:43:52] the council has also seen the answer
[1:43:55] that they've gotten
[1:43:56] >> to just close [clears throat] the loop.
[1:43:58] >> Okay. So,
[1:43:58] >> because that's too much to put in the
[1:44:00] correspondence. We get a lot of those.
[1:44:01] So, we were talking staff were talking a
[1:44:05] little bit about this and one of the
[1:44:07] things that came up was
[1:44:10] maybe people submit that form with their
[1:44:14] issue or whatever it is on it to council
[1:44:18] because they don't know where else to
[1:44:19] submit it to them.
[1:44:21] >> And so it ends up being say operational.
[1:44:25] We deal with it. But what I hear you
[1:44:28] saying, mayor, is you would like to be
[1:44:30] CCD or included in the response to it.
[1:44:33] >> Yeah.
[1:44:34] >> Okay.
[1:44:34] >> So, can I ask how that's different than
[1:44:37] what if someone emailed all you guys and
[1:44:39] the same question? So, we don't include
[1:44:41] you on the answer to that one, but we do
[1:44:43] want to council submitt.
[1:44:45] >> Well, it's just so but the email thing
[1:44:47] is different because email could be to
[1:44:50] two of us and I might not even know that
[1:44:52] it got that an email went out, right?
[1:44:54] that online submitt because it's an
[1:44:56] embedded place within our system where
[1:44:59] people can go
[1:45:01] that we all see. I think it would be
[1:45:04] nice to know what the answer was to the
[1:45:08] question.
[1:45:10] The fact that people email us and
[1:45:12] sometimes they email Nelson Counsel,
[1:45:15] >> sometimes they do other things. Um, but
[1:45:18] I think that that online submit, I've
[1:45:19] just always struggled with it because I
[1:45:21] know it's being um answered, but
[1:45:24] sometimes I don't know what the answer
[1:45:26] is. But is that a a question for say a
[1:45:30] Kevin to then come to one of us or
[1:45:34] direct it to the um staff person that's
[1:45:37] the expert in the field whether it's a
[1:45:39] Charlie or a Chris or whatever to get
[1:45:42] the answer and then it comes back to
[1:45:44] Kevin and he provides it to you to
[1:45:47] >> like that's what I'm just asking for.
[1:45:48] the CC that's going
[1:45:49] to go back to the person that's asking
[1:45:50] the question.
[1:45:53] >> Yeah. And Kate's got a question.
[1:45:56] I don't want to we have other things we
[1:45:58] have to do. But Kate,
[1:46:00] >> yeah,
[1:46:02] >> thanks. I just wanted to chime in on two
[1:46:05] little bits there that I think we might
[1:46:06] be able to fix just by adapting the form
[1:46:09] a little bit. I'm curious if we could
[1:46:12] add a little check box at the bottom
[1:46:13] that says, um, if you would like your
[1:46:16] message included officially in an agenda
[1:46:18] package, please include your name and
[1:46:20] address here. So then we're like, okay,
[1:46:22] cool. that goes into correspondence
[1:46:24] whether it's operational or otherwise. I
[1:46:26] think that might clear clear that piece
[1:46:29] of it up. Um it adds more work but
[1:46:33] hopefully the copying and pasting.
[1:46:35] Hopefully most people aren't going to
[1:46:36] want their name and address included.
[1:46:38] You know, some kind of appropriate um
[1:46:41] optin with a disclaimer. And similarly,
[1:46:44] now that I'm thinking about it, the form
[1:46:46] could have some information there that
[1:46:49] says if this um submission is
[1:46:51] operational in nature, please know that
[1:46:53] staff will forward it to the appropriate
[1:46:55] staff person and when the reply comes to
[1:46:58] you, council will be CCD. So that kind
[1:47:00] of clarity for the submitter and for all
[1:47:03] of us, I think might clear up like who,
[1:47:07] what, where. Um,
[1:47:10] yeah, that that's my suggestion to kind
[1:47:12] of simplify some of those processes
[1:47:14] because then the submitter is kind of
[1:47:16] opting into
[1:47:18] these questions.
[1:47:20] >> Could
[1:47:20] >> what do you think,
[1:47:21] >> councelor Tate? Do you think that we
[1:47:23] could ask a question? Is this
[1:47:25] >> Yeah.
[1:47:26] >> Um, do you is this intended for council
[1:47:29] or is this an operational question or
[1:47:32] >> Yeah. Great.
[1:47:33] >> Yeah. I mean that or you or even you
[1:47:36] could put that but folks might not know
[1:47:38] but then the then the initial response
[1:47:42] to the person can say hey just so you
[1:47:44] know this is operational we forward it
[1:47:46] to such and such and I know you do that
[1:47:48] already but if it's on the form page
[1:47:51] right there um then that helps people
[1:47:54] understand you know Kate Tate's not
[1:47:56] going to reply to this complaint about
[1:47:58] the snow plowing at this time because
[1:47:59] Kate is not in operations right but then
[1:48:02] if it comes back on the second go. Now,
[1:48:05] hopefully this doesn't cause frustration
[1:48:06] because I I don't want there to be
[1:48:07] frustration, but like um the CIO
[1:48:10] mentioned, well, if people are like,
[1:48:11] "Your policyy's stupid, Kate Tate.
[1:48:13] Please do something about that." Well,
[1:48:15] then that's in a different step and
[1:48:17] that's also a different communication.
[1:48:19] So, it might be worthwhile to somehow
[1:48:21] kind of give just upfront give a little
[1:48:23] bit of information about how operational
[1:48:26] questions will be responded to.
[1:48:30] >> Okay, I like that. But it still doesn't
[1:48:33] I don't think address the issue of does
[1:48:36] council see the response from staff if
[1:48:40] it's an operational question does it?
[1:48:42] Well, I think
[1:48:44] >> let's refine let's talk about the
[1:48:46] options because I think we don't have to
[1:48:48] call it operational council. We could
[1:48:50] say would you like
[1:48:52] >> u would you like this to go to a council
[1:48:54] meeting uh or would you like you know or
[1:48:57] something like that. I think we can come
[1:48:58] up with something that doesn't make the
[1:49:00] person try to figure out where where it
[1:49:03] should go. Um um um so I think if we do
[1:49:08] that then I do agree like does council
[1:49:12] want to see every time someone we send
[1:49:15] somebody yeah it's our policy is 4 in or
[1:49:20] no we yes we did come by and pick up
[1:49:23] your garbage and you clearly didn't have
[1:49:25] it out on on time or no our plow truck
[1:49:28] did not go by your your house at that
[1:49:31] time our our GPS. Our truck was nowhere
[1:49:35] in the in the thing. Like, how deep in those things do you want to go?
[1:49:40] >> Can I can I just ask a question? And I
[1:49:43] think this question I it feels like
[1:49:44] we're belaboring it a bit. However, I
[1:49:46] think this is actually pretty
[1:49:50] it's it's bigger than it than it looks
[1:49:52] or could could be bigger than it looks
[1:49:54] on two ways. Number one is let's say we
[1:49:57] get everything. We just get it all. get
[1:50:00] everything that's the public writes to
[1:50:02] us and then and the response and it goes
[1:50:04] into a database or folder that we
[1:50:07] technically have that already. It's just
[1:50:09] kind of our access to it. Yeah.
[1:50:11] >> So let's say we do we give give council
[1:50:13] access and then there's a layer on top
[1:50:16] we already have basically is an AI layer
[1:50:19] where you can just query it tell me and we just make it a practice as a
[1:50:24] council that if you have any questions
[1:50:26] you don't have to read everything you
[1:50:28] can get summaries you can inquire
[1:50:31] through the AI to pull out any detail
[1:50:34] >> agent or something
[1:50:35] >> some sort of agent can do that's not a
[1:50:37] problem so so I think that's something
[1:50:41] we should do. There's since there's
[1:50:43] really no reason not to just make that
[1:50:44] service available to council. And then
[1:50:47] secondly, communicating to the public
[1:50:50] that council has that capability I think
[1:50:53] would really help because I think one of
[1:50:55] the challenges that the public has with
[1:50:59] local governments generally, but ours in
[1:51:01] particular, is this sense of like I
[1:51:04] can't get through this. the form is too
[1:51:06] short or I don't feel like I'm getting
[1:51:09] heard or whatever. But and if we had
[1:51:12] that system, then someone like um
[1:51:15] counselor Payne could just like pull up
[1:51:18] everything related to culture or
[1:51:20] housing, tell me all the correspondents
[1:51:22] that we've had related to housing and
[1:51:24] she can then come to the meeting pretty
[1:51:27] prepared to pull out something that she
[1:51:30] feels
[1:51:32] >> come up with the solution and
[1:51:33] everything. Yeah, I can come up with a
[1:51:34] solution [laughter] and solve it. And
[1:51:35] she doesn't even she can come up with a
[1:51:37] solution. But that I I think if we've
[1:51:39] got it all right now, that's probably
[1:51:40] what we can just provide that capability
[1:51:43] to council and let the public know on
[1:51:46] the form that their um email or their
[1:51:51] message is available to to council.
[1:51:56] Um
[1:51:57] if if if even need if they even need to
[1:52:00] know that. I think some would appreciate
[1:52:01] that. Otherwise, they're going to keep
[1:52:03] hammering away to try to feel like I
[1:52:05] need to get this to council. But if
[1:52:07] they're told
[1:52:07] >> well I mean it tells you right there
[1:52:09] like you know when you read that online
[1:52:10] submitt I'm just talking about just one
[1:52:12] way that we get communication from the
[1:52:13] public just about the online submittal
[1:52:15] form and it tells you like when you send
[1:52:18] that it it says there in the header if
[1:52:20] you read them that this has been
[1:52:22] received by council and you will get and
[1:52:24] you will be receiving a response.
[1:52:26] >> Right.
[1:52:27] >> Yeah.
[1:52:28] >> So it's already there. I don't know what
[1:52:29] we would change. We could we could write
[1:52:32] it nicer maybe or fluffier or
[1:52:34] >> Yeah. [laughter] or nothing at all.
[1:52:36] Maybe we've got it all. As long as
[1:52:37] council does have the ability to both
[1:52:40] see everything that comes in in a in a way that you don't have to kind of
[1:52:44] scan through your emails every time. You
[1:52:45] could just query it and you see the
[1:52:47] response.
[1:52:48] >> Yeah. I just wanted to see the response
[1:52:49] to those those particular ones.
[1:52:52] >> Yeah. Yes. So is that then sort of our
[1:52:56] preferred method of communication then
[1:52:59] is we're going to direct people through
[1:53:00] this because there's a system that
[1:53:02] manages this versus if you're going to
[1:53:05] email individuals or everyone or because
[1:53:08] we seem to be treating those as
[1:53:10] different things. I choose to email all
[1:53:13] you
[1:53:14] >> um then you have access to the answer to
[1:53:18] that or or not is I think some of the
[1:53:21] where you have where we we need to have
[1:53:23] some consistency because I don't know
[1:53:25] necessarily the way you do it should
[1:53:28] dictate sort of how we handle that.
[1:53:31] Well, I don't know that you can control
[1:53:32] email.
[1:53:33] >> Currently, when we apply like sort of as
[1:53:36] a practice, uh if a question comes in
[1:53:39] from a counselor,
[1:53:41] >> we as staff reply to [clears throat]
[1:53:44] all of you, right?
[1:53:45] >> If it comes into
[1:53:46] >> if it's Yeah. So, I guess, you know, if
[1:53:49] council has access to see the items and
[1:53:53] a counselor or, you know, someone from
[1:53:55] council or mayor sees something that
[1:53:57] they'd like to see a response on,
[1:53:59] perhaps it could be as easy as sending,
[1:54:02] hey, I'd love to see the response to
[1:54:04] this, right? And, you know, is that a
[1:54:06] possibility that we do it more of as a
[1:54:08] one-off than as a rule? Um because I can
[1:54:11] tell you again, you know, uh 99% of the
[1:54:14] time that I get a request from a
[1:54:16] counselor, I will respond to you all
[1:54:19] with the the answer once we figured it
[1:54:21] out. Uh and it's because that counselor
[1:54:24] took the time and said, you know, I'm
[1:54:25] interested in this. What's going on or
[1:54:26] whatever, right? Like what's the the
[1:54:28] story? Similarly, if that inquiry comes
[1:54:31] in, whether whatever format it comes in,
[1:54:34] you know, as it comes in to be able to
[1:54:35] send to staff that, you know, hey, I'm
[1:54:38] really interested in the answer to this
[1:54:39] and that'll just trigger us. We don't
[1:54:41] provide an answer to just a single
[1:54:43] counselor, right? We provide a tall of
[1:54:44] counsel so everybody's on equal footing.
[1:54:46] Everybody has the same knowledge. So, is
[1:54:48] that what could that resolve? I don't I
[1:54:52] don't think it has to be that
[1:54:53] complicated. Like what I'm what I'm
[1:54:55] imagining is if the the correspondence
[1:54:59] and the replies are going into some
[1:55:01] repository somewhere
[1:55:03] >> then AI can do anything we want. We
[1:55:06] could say just as a counselor I could
[1:55:08] say give me a weekly summary of it. give
[1:55:10] me a weekly summary on on housing issues
[1:55:12] or give me a weekly summary on
[1:55:14] everything and break it down and then I
[1:55:16] can query it to say, "Oh, I'm interested
[1:55:18] in did they ever send an email before
[1:55:20] and what did council or what did staff
[1:55:22] reply to?" Do you know what I mean? Like
[1:55:24] >> and I I hear that. I think that there's,
[1:55:27] you know, and and we might get there.
[1:55:28] There's a fair amount of work on the
[1:55:30] back end because that might go to any
[1:55:32] number of staff to respond to. And I
[1:55:34] guess what we'd have to be doing on the
[1:55:36] staff side is saving this into a
[1:55:38] repository, dumping it there for then AI
[1:55:40] to be able to glean the information.
[1:55:42] >> But my my premise going back was that
[1:55:45] we're kind of doing that already in that
[1:55:48] if we were going to build a package to
[1:55:50] bring to offer to council,
[1:55:52] >> you're you're doing that work.
[1:55:53] >> So why don't we talk about the
[1:55:56] principles of what you know, let's we
[1:55:58] can look at the tools. So the principle
[1:56:01] what is you know Sarah said there are
[1:56:03] some things that are clearly operational
[1:56:06] that we could just respond to and keep
[1:56:09] council out of it. You don't need to be
[1:56:11] part of that. Um and there's things that
[1:56:13] are clearly council that are policy
[1:56:15] decisions. So that's one way we could do
[1:56:18] it. um the mayor is you know suggested
[1:56:22] hey at least on the council submitt I'd
[1:56:26] be interested in even if it's
[1:56:27] operational to hear that answer so I
[1:56:30] think that's one principle that we need
[1:56:32] to understand so if if you do then we
[1:56:36] can decide you know it's a tool such as
[1:56:38] you suggested a way to make that more
[1:56:41] effective and efficient um so so I think
[1:56:45] that what you want to see is the
[1:56:48] beginning of of it all.
[1:56:51] >> I mean, and I think it's a
[1:56:56] there's some good ideas about the house.
[1:56:58] Like there's some good the principle for
[1:57:00] me
[1:57:02] is we can improve the online submittable
[1:57:05] form. Uh I like the idea of checking a
[1:57:08] box saying I'd like my correspondence
[1:57:10] included in an upcoming public meeting.
[1:57:14] Uh, and so it's then treated as a letter
[1:57:17] that's been signed. And I would add an
[1:57:20] attach file opportunity right after that
[1:57:23] box that's not required. The box is
[1:57:26] something that you drop down and get to
[1:57:27] select and say yay or nay just to make
[1:57:29] it explicit. I'm treating this like
[1:57:32] correspondence. I want this to be a
[1:57:34] political statement I'm making. I want
[1:57:36] this to be you should shift policy. And
[1:57:38] that turns it into correspondence. We
[1:57:40] treat like correspondence. and you add
[1:57:42] the attachment, it maybe induces you to
[1:57:44] write down a word doc, which sometimes
[1:57:46] when you're expressing those things
[1:57:47] versus a box, you still get the box, but
[1:57:49] the attach file B is like your
[1:57:51] well-refined version of what you're
[1:57:53] trying to say. And that might spawn some
[1:57:56] people [clears throat] to do that letter
[1:57:57] instead of just what they put in the
[1:57:58] box, which would be an upgrade. And if
[1:58:01] they don't, just like email, right? It's
[1:58:04] a request. You now know there's a
[1:58:05] problem over on in Fair View for a bin
[1:58:08] to be picked up. Staff are by there.
[1:58:09] They actually already picked it up. And
[1:58:11] if we're curious, uh, we will reach out
[1:58:14] and say, "Hey, what do you know about
[1:58:15] that?" And if one of us is curious,
[1:58:16] that's usually an indicative of staff
[1:58:18] sending something back out to everybody
[1:58:20] just to close the loop. I'm okay with
[1:58:22] how that's all been running. But I do
[1:58:25] think Kate's point on just a little bit
[1:58:27] more on the form to say you you are
[1:58:29] turning this into a correspondence by
[1:58:30] doing these additional actions.
[1:58:32] Otherwise, it's just staff's going to be
[1:58:34] in this little pieces attached around
[1:58:36] here. Well, I've already told you it's
[1:58:38] an operational kind of 311 request which
[1:58:41] we don't have.
[1:58:43] And one day we'll have a service work
[1:58:46] order system and we'll get some sort of
[1:58:48] report that tells us requests in
[1:58:50] requests out by department and success
[1:58:53] >> rates there, but we don't have that yet.
[1:58:56] So
[1:58:57] >> I'd wait for that system. Are
[1:59:00] >> those online submittal things? I guess
[1:59:04] my only question would be
[1:59:06] Some of those are like very clearly
[1:59:09] operational questions and have nothing
[1:59:11] to do with anything else. It's just like
[1:59:14] >> you didn't pick up my garbage.
[1:59:16] >> Yeah. And so because I'm pissed about my
[1:59:20] garbage or how much snow is in my lane
[1:59:22] or whatever, I might tick that box
[1:59:26] because when I'm upset, I want everybody
[1:59:28] to know about it. doesn't mean that it
[1:59:31] necessarily belongs
[1:59:34] in in their
[1:59:36] >> response.
[1:59:36] >> Yeah.
[1:59:38] >> Push the button. I mean, we just push
[1:59:40] that button.
[1:59:41] >> They get to they get to say
[1:59:42] >> they get to decide
[1:59:43] >> that it's a letter.
[1:59:44] >> The sender gets to decide
[1:59:45] >> and then we just get to decide to
[1:59:47] >> Well, then it just goes in
[1:59:48] correspondence. So, you're going to read
[1:59:49] it when you get the
[1:59:50] >> We do that. We have people that'll come
[1:59:52] in and Yeah.
[1:59:53] >> Yeah.
[1:59:53] >> Write a letter on a piece.
[1:59:55] >> Provide a letter and Yeah. that it could
[1:59:57] have it goes in the correspondence
[1:59:59] package.
[1:59:59] >> Yeah, it goes in the correspondence
[2:00:00] package for the cow.
[2:00:01] >> Okay, fine. [snorts]
[2:00:05] >> Okay, so I'm going to move along to the
[2:00:07] action item listing, everyone's favorite
[2:00:09] thing.
[2:00:12] Um, so you adopted a new action item
[2:00:16] listing policy on February 3rd and the
[2:00:19] purpose of the policy was to help manage
[2:00:21] staff workload
[2:00:23] um and to provide a structured way to
[2:00:25] track ideas or matters that arise from
[2:00:27] council. Um, a key point is that the
[2:00:30] action item listing does not on its own
[2:00:33] constitute direction to staff. Staff
[2:00:35] direction still needs to come from
[2:00:37] council as a body through a formal
[2:00:39] resolution.
[2:00:42] Um items that do not receive a
[2:00:45] resolution do are not added to the
[2:00:47] action item listing.
[2:00:50] Um the policy is intended to create a
[2:00:53] kind of parking lot for council ideas.
[2:00:55] It allows council to identify matters
[2:00:57] that may be considered in the future
[2:00:58] without immediately redirecting staff
[2:01:01] resources or work plans. The policy also
[2:01:04] reinforces that staff resources should
[2:01:06] be directed to matters formally endorsed
[2:01:08] by councils during quarterly or periodic
[2:01:11] reviews. Council will take a look at the
[2:01:15] um action item listing and decide
[2:01:17] whether an item should move forward or
[2:01:19] not and where it goes and how we address
[2:01:22] it. Um
[2:01:26] so um we need to determine we need to
[2:01:31] clarify the scope and whether the item
[2:01:33] should be removed.
[2:01:35] Um and we need to decide whether
[2:01:38] individual requests for information can
[2:01:40] still be made through the CAO which
[2:01:44] I don't know. I'm thinking yeah. Uh the
[2:01:47] action item listing is intended to deal
[2:01:48] with council generated matters that
[2:01:50] require tracking, formal consideration
[2:01:52] or future direction. So
[2:01:56] um I need to know from you council um
[2:02:01] are you satisfied with the action item
[2:02:04] listing policy as it is right now or do
[2:02:08] you want would you like to see changes
[2:02:09] to it?
[2:02:11] >> I like it.
[2:02:13] >> So formal resolution
[2:02:16] if if on a topic or a subject it goes to
[2:02:21] um a quarterly or budget meeting. Yeah,
[2:02:25] I think maybe [clears throat] some of
[2:02:27] the
[2:02:30] uh some of the additional work we can do
[2:02:32] is is just making sure we have time to
[2:02:36] talk about those things and say you know you know councelor Panero said
[2:02:41] sometimes things become sort of hot
[2:02:44] items and then they go well actually you
[2:02:46] know the world didn't end so we don't
[2:02:48] really need to change the world so maybe
[2:02:50] we don't need to spend a bunch of staff
[2:02:52] time on this so maybe we'll just build
[2:02:54] and you know a six-month review or there
[2:02:57] some of these things that are just not
[2:03:00] worth spending time. We're not really
[2:03:02] going to take it to strategic priorities
[2:03:04] or we're not really going to uh put it
[2:03:06] on a staff's work work plan or whatever.
[2:03:08] Let's have a second sober thought a
[2:03:11] little bit later or this one is actually
[2:03:13] we're hearing more and more about this.
[2:03:14] We need to actually get it on someone's
[2:03:17] work plan and deal with it. So I think
[2:03:19] if we just build in a
[2:03:21] >> I know but we put it on the agenda and
[2:03:25] it it garers about five minutes of it's
[2:03:28] at the end of the day and and a long
[2:03:31] meeting and it garers you know five
[2:03:33] minutes of let's just move on. So I
[2:03:36] think if we just build in some
[2:03:38] >> I have a question in terms of Yes. So I
[2:03:41] mean we you need to I mean you have to
[2:03:43] review the parking lot. There has to be
[2:03:45] enough time for it.
[2:03:46] Um I'm looking at the proposed best
[2:03:48] practice and and it says about doing it
[2:03:50] on a regular and I don't really
[2:03:51] particularly care which meeting is but
[2:03:53] my question is more to um Mr. Jury and
[2:03:56] that is do we do the quarterly
[2:04:01] updates at a regular meeting or are
[2:04:03] those usually at a cow?
[2:04:05] I mean, it's hard with the Q2 because,
[2:04:08] you know, timing wise, I have to wait
[2:04:10] till everything kind of comes in and
[2:04:12] then I look at it and I say we only have
[2:04:13] one meeting in August. So, it's a bit
[2:04:15] challenging, but
[2:04:16] >> Q2 is on the regular meeting.
[2:04:18] >> Yeah.
[2:04:19] >> For tonight.
[2:04:20] >> Yeah. It's on this agenda,
[2:04:21] >> but you know, if if there's preference
[2:04:23] to ensure that it's in a cow for the Q3
[2:04:25] that
[2:04:26] >> Yeah. I don't know. I was just I'm just
[2:04:27] looking at this know in terms of the
[2:04:28] fact I just was thinking um was there
[2:04:30] did it make any sense to try to line up
[2:04:33] >> the doing a quarterly financial update
[2:04:37] and then be looking at the action list
[2:04:40] thinking about what the strategic plan
[2:04:42] is so that it almost becomes like a
[2:04:45] again a a conversation
[2:04:47] around like so I'm just trying to figure
[2:04:49] out does does that does the action list
[2:04:51] have to be in a regular or when we
[2:04:53] normally hear this is in the cow. So
[2:04:55] again that we would say on those means
[2:04:57] we see those two things together so that
[2:04:59] we know that X is on the action list and we're hearing what the finances are
[2:05:06] here and we've got staff in the room and
[2:05:10] are is this can we now action this for
[2:05:13] either one we've got room in somebody's
[2:05:16] work plan or two we just won the lottery
[2:05:20] and now can afford to do the work Like
[2:05:25] it would there be any not that we're
[2:05:26] going to mind meld them together but to
[2:05:29] of being able to hear what the financial
[2:05:31] position of the city is and then to hear
[2:05:35] where we are on the the action list like
[2:05:39] to sort of hear those at the same kind
[2:05:42] of time or have had that opportunity to
[2:05:44] have reviewed the the math and then
[2:05:47] looked at the wish list. Like I'm just
[2:05:50] thinking about could they be um looked
[2:05:52] at as potentially being together in
[2:05:54] terms of when quarterly we review them
[2:05:59] >> and maybe we just [clears throat]
[2:06:01] dedicate a cow meeting more specifically
[2:06:04] to
[2:06:04] >> and then we know that we're going to spend like at least 90
[2:06:08] minutes and those are going to like
[2:06:09] >> workshop. Yeah.
[2:06:11] >> Yeah. Like that's sort of like the
[2:06:12] workshop on on those days and that and
[2:06:14] we do it that way because you know
[2:06:17] sometimes it's like we have a light
[2:06:18] meeting and we we're all full
[2:06:20] [clears throat] of cake and goodness and
[2:06:22] we're thinking actionless. Oh yeah,
[2:06:24] these are all good actions. Let's try to
[2:06:25] do something with them. But you know
[2:06:26] what's the financial implication
[2:06:27] sometimes of some of the things on the
[2:06:29] action list? But just to me it just it
[2:06:31] kind of makes it into a bundle and
[2:06:33] that's that's a thing that you do that
[2:06:34] night to make sure that you have the
[2:06:36] discussion time. Mhm.
[2:06:38] >> Well, and I think the other piece we can
[2:06:40] roll into that is is that strategic
[2:06:43] priority update. Yeah.
[2:06:45] >> You know, we went over with the mayor
[2:06:47] today on um we meet every month or so
[2:06:51] and we went over sort of our what we
[2:06:54] call our
[2:06:55] >> uh sort of major projects list and and
[2:06:59] we can sort of build that in and you
[2:07:01] know here's here's sort of the bigger
[2:07:03] picture of what's going on. here's where
[2:07:04] we're spending our time and you know
[2:07:06] where does some of these new ideas fit
[2:07:08] in with sort of what's on the plate. So
[2:07:11] you get that fuller picture of of where
[2:07:15] we are financially where we're on our
[2:07:17] you know our strategic priorities or you
[2:07:20] know our our major projects and here are
[2:07:23] some of the new things that people want
[2:07:24] us to sort of deal with.
[2:07:28] Counc,
[2:07:29] >> I don't know if this is the same thing
[2:07:31] you're saying or a separate thing I I'm
[2:07:33] saying. Uh, but to me, I look at the
[2:07:35] action report, which is a direction to
[2:07:37] Kevin, and I would pull that particular
[2:07:40] report into the city manager report
[2:07:42] section of the agenda, and we would
[2:07:44] provide his typical city managers uh
[2:07:48] additionals that you write down. I'm not
[2:07:50] asking for a report, but then this
[2:07:51] report also becomes the basis of that
[2:07:53] conversation, which we would then budget
[2:07:55] more time for.
[2:07:56] >> Yeah. Um, and it lives there because
[2:07:59] it's our direction and where they are.
[2:08:01] And sometimes there'll be things we want
[2:08:02] to bring up because we've seen it over
[2:08:04] and over and other times stuff's changed
[2:08:06] and it becomes the basis for you to
[2:08:08] reflect back what's changed, what's
[2:08:10] coming off, why things are finished,
[2:08:12] what new things were added. because I
[2:08:14] think that you know while we know that
[2:08:16] the city has work plans spread across
[2:08:18] the board that when you're doing the
[2:08:20] when staff is doing the work plan for um
[2:08:24] city council in terms it's not like we
[2:08:25] don't know when our meetings are and
[2:08:28] that we that on that calendar you can
[2:08:32] schedule um this is this is what happens
[2:08:36] on four times a year right like and I
[2:08:39] think it pulls it together and then we
[2:08:41] don't scramble as much sometimes as when
[2:08:43] are trying to figure out how everything
[2:08:46] relates um together. And they could be a very informative um cow
[2:08:52] meeting where there's just more freedom
[2:08:55] of discussion without looking for
[2:08:58] motions and and whatever.
[2:09:01] >> Well, and one of the big things right
[2:09:03] now is just just that consistency um
[2:09:07] right finding spaces in our agenda. And
[2:09:09] it's also just
[2:09:11] we'll be somewhat subjective because at
[2:09:13] the other side of October a different
[2:09:15] group of people might want to so with
[2:09:18] some hesitation. So let's just keep
[2:09:19] being consistent in getting the report
[2:09:20] out
[2:09:21] >> getting those updates. We'll find that
[2:09:23] space to have a better conversation and
[2:09:25] another group might want to do something
[2:09:26] different.
[2:09:27] >> Yeah.
[2:09:28] >> But it's just an idea that it's an idea
[2:09:30] now that they can see in the minutes or
[2:09:31] when they review this council meeting
[2:09:33] that that you know
[2:09:34] >> we did the first one tonight. We've got
[2:09:36] the quarterly report and the
[2:09:38] >> and we're doing action items. [laughter]
[2:09:41] >> So, the last thing I want to go over
[2:09:42] really quick and I'll take one minute to
[2:09:44] do it is the difference between um a
[2:09:46] notice of motion and the action item
[2:09:49] >> twisting. So, is that okay with
[2:09:51] everyone?
[2:09:52] >> Um
[2:09:54] so, a notice of motion is a mechanism
[2:09:56] for a counselor to formally introduce
[2:09:58] new council business. It requires
[2:10:01] advanced written notice 10 days and
[2:10:04] includes a proposed resolution. It is
[2:10:06] designed to lead council towards
[2:10:08] consideration
[2:10:10] um considering the motion. An action
[2:10:12] item is different. It is a mechanism for
[2:10:14] council to capture and track matters for
[2:10:16] possible future work. Um any an idea may
[2:10:19] arise during a council meeting and
[2:10:21] council may resolve to place that idea
[2:10:23] on the action item listing. Um, however,
[2:10:26] placing an item on the list does not
[2:10:28] necessarily mean council is immediately
[2:10:30] considering the full matter.
[2:10:35] Okay. Um, the distinction is important
[2:10:37] because a notice of motion primarily
[2:10:39] governs council procedure while the
[2:10:41] action item listing is primarily about
[2:10:44] work planning, tracking, and protecting
[2:10:47] staff resources.
[2:10:50] Um so in practical terms a notice of
[2:10:53] motion is a formal pathway to introduce
[2:10:55] business for debate and decision and an
[2:10:57] action item u matter is a tracking of
[2:11:02] and a planning tool. It helps um council
[2:11:05] identify matters it may want to revisit
[2:11:07] while allowing staff to understand what
[2:11:09] has been formally endorsed and what
[2:11:10] remains for possible future
[2:11:12] consideration.
[2:11:14] That's it.
[2:11:18] questions.
[2:11:20] >> I have actually one. Sorry,
[2:11:23] >> it's going back a bit because I thought
[2:11:25] we were going to finish and then ask
[2:11:26] questions, but
[2:11:28] >> just be fast. What's the definition of
[2:11:31] repetitive
[2:11:33] uh letters that aren't included? And cuz
[2:11:36] I just I see some of the like like for
[2:11:39] example like a like a big thing that
[2:11:42] everybody's very mobilized about
[2:11:45] oftentimes it will turn into a form
[2:11:47] letter and we'll get like 700 of them.
[2:11:50] >> Is that what you're talking about or
[2:11:52] not?
[2:11:53] >> Yes.
[2:11:54] >> That or so there's that is one topic one
[2:11:57] kind of repetitive letter. So, form
[2:12:00] letter or um somebody an individual will
[2:12:04] keep on and they often do this um keep
[2:12:07] on sending in correspondence to
[2:12:10] different staff members
[2:12:12] >> about the same
[2:12:12] >> the same thing but looking for a
[2:12:14] specific answer and maybe not getting it
[2:12:16] or receiving an answer but not the
[2:12:19] answer that they
[2:12:20] >> in the former case the the form letter
[2:12:22] thing like obviously we've seen that a
[2:12:24] bunch over the years like and it's
[2:12:26] actually like we we'll get a bunch of
[2:12:28] those and then the room will fill. So,
[2:12:30] it's something that I think like we are
[2:12:32] getting at least one of those letters in
[2:12:34] the
[2:12:34] >> Yes.
[2:12:35] >> in the thing. It's not that we don't
[2:12:37] include it because it's a form letter.
[2:12:38] We include one or two of them and then
[2:12:41] the other seven.
[2:12:42] >> I think we've seen that it was like
[2:12:44] >> Yeah. Okay.
[2:12:45] >> We get the number like multiple.
[2:12:46] >> Yeah.
[2:12:47] >> It's like ostriches.
[2:12:49] >> Yes.
[2:12:50] >> That's it. We got 50 of these same
[2:12:53] >> 50 [clears throat]
[2:12:56] six or seven in front of that number.
[2:12:58] Time to Yes. Can I have a motion to uh
[2:13:02] recess for dinner? By councelor Payne,
[2:13:05] seconded by councelor Panero. All in
[2:13:07] favor? That carries.
[2:13:11] Councelor Tate, you'll join us again at
[2:13:15] seven.
[2:13:17] >> Okay. Thank
[2:13:18] >> Yes, I will. Thank you. Okay.
[2:13:22] >> Should I leave the meeting and rejoin or
[2:13:25] should I just like go off? Do you close
[2:13:27] the meeting for the recess?
[2:13:34] You're on mute so I can't hear you if
[2:13:36] you're replying to me.
[2:13:37] >> Can you hear me?
[2:13:38] >> Okay. You to um log off and then log
[2:13:42] back in. She'll let you back in at
[2:13:43] seven.
[2:13:44] >> Okay. Thank you.
[2:13:46] Sorry.
[2:15:24] Yeah, it worked out.
[2:15:28] >> Okay, welcome back everybody. If I could
[2:15:30] have a motion to reconvene
[2:15:33] by councelor Pero, seconded by councelor
[2:15:35] Lockenberg. All those in favor? Opposed?
[2:15:38] And that carries. So council, we are on
[2:15:40] item number seven, the city manager's
[2:15:43] verbal report. So over to you, Kevin.
[2:15:47] Sure.
[2:15:52] Um like I said, we did go over sort of
[2:15:56] our major projects list with the mayor.
[2:15:59] So maybe just briefly, um liquid waste
[2:16:03] management plan is still in progress.
[2:16:08] uh fourth main I think everyone's aware
[2:16:10] we did get the 7 million for that
[2:16:14] project and um we're in design for that
[2:16:18] construction starts next year
[2:16:28] uh fire master plan again we of course
[2:16:34] have done the staffing this year uh for
[2:16:37] that. Uh third party dispatch is going
[2:16:40] well. Our overtime is down
[2:16:42] significantly. So definitely way less on
[2:16:45] that. Um [clears throat] we will be
[2:16:48] bringing a parks operational plan to
[2:16:51] council here hopefully within while
[2:16:54] you're still here in this term. And
[2:16:55] that's really looking at our you know
[2:16:58] first of all what um [clears throat]
[2:17:00] classifying our parks. Are they you know
[2:17:02] parks that we want to maintain to a high
[2:17:05] standard or
[2:17:08] lack a better word, rule standard and
[2:17:10] what what's the level of resourcing we
[2:17:12] need and we just so council have a
[2:17:16] chance to sort of make those uh service
[2:17:19] level decisions. you know, we're
[2:17:22] certainly hearing from our staff and
[2:17:26] um and our supervisors that we're just
[2:17:29] it's really difficult to maintain those
[2:17:32] parks to a standard that we think uh
[2:17:34] council would like to see them maintain
[2:17:36] to. So, so be bringing that forward.
[2:17:40] That will be really more of a budget
[2:17:42] discussion ultimately.
[2:17:44] um
[2:17:46] garbage and recycling modernization.
[2:17:49] I think you're aware that that was um
[2:17:52] presented by Charlie Henderson back in
[2:17:55] budget. We haven't made a ton of um
[2:17:58] progress on there. Although Chris told
[2:18:00] me today that he you know we did some
[2:18:02] costing of of providing that service and
[2:18:06] we've also gone to third parties to see
[2:18:08] what the potential cost for a third
[2:18:11] party provider. So, we'll be bringing
[2:18:13] that again. That might be um
[2:18:18] uh after the uh
[2:18:21] election.
[2:18:22] Um
[2:18:26] soccer and uh the civic arena. feel
[2:18:29] that's on the agenda tonight to look at
[2:18:31] a policy of how we manage those until we
[2:18:35] um the [clears throat] soccer we've done
[2:18:37] some upgrades but again these old
[2:18:40] buildings structurally are don't meet
[2:18:42] the current building code um
[2:18:49] what else we have
[2:18:52] uh the Lakeside Drive bridge um that is scheduled to be uh uh replaced. It's
[2:19:02] at end of life and we'll look at we are
[2:19:05] looking at a two-lane bridge [cough]
[2:19:08] access [clears throat] for that. Um so
[2:19:11] this is one that we may look at a design
[2:19:13] built and work to the industry of here's
[2:19:16] what we need you
[2:19:19] give us proposals of how you deliver
[2:19:21] that.
[2:19:23] Um,
[2:19:30] NG911.
[2:19:32] I think we're included.
[2:19:34] >> I think October 28th is the date that
[2:19:37] we've tenatively scheduled to go live on
[2:19:40] that one.
[2:19:43] » Pending successful testing with Telus,
[2:19:46] but we're still progressing towards that
[2:19:47] date.
[2:19:50] >> Recreation review. Not quite sure where
[2:19:52] that's kind of at these days. I know
[2:19:55] we're trying to find a a date to
[2:19:59] make that happen, get the parties
[2:20:01] together.
[2:20:05] As far as the park service, again, um
[2:20:09] you know, this one, you know, we did ask
[2:20:11] for more funding last year. We'll ask
[2:20:13] for more funding again. And part of that
[2:20:15] was to, you know, do that um have that
[2:20:18] meeting and identify what
[2:20:21] that level of of
[2:20:24] service that's expected how that should
[2:20:26] be uh shared between the partners. Uh
[2:20:30] the good news is on the on the renewal
[2:20:34] of the of the washroom facilities, the
[2:20:36] bath houses there, there is a CBT grant
[2:20:39] um that they created called SHORE, I
[2:20:41] believe. Can't remember what the acronym
[2:20:45] stands for. So we did get money for the
[2:20:47] design part of that. First part is is to
[2:20:50] do the uh redesign of that and I think
[2:20:53] we got 30 or 40,000 which will cover
[2:20:56] that cost of the design. And then
[2:20:59] there's a uh after we do that then there
[2:21:02] will be an opening for capital money and
[2:21:04] I think up to 500,000. So that should
[2:21:07] hopefully uh if we're successful address
[2:21:10] that and I think the fact that they gave
[2:21:12] us design money as they'll be open to
[2:21:16] [clears throat] the capital side of it.
[2:21:19] uh on the IT uh side uh we did do a uh
[2:21:24] what we called the roadmap to really
[2:21:26] look at our IT and how it's structured
[2:21:29] and and um you know how we do things and
[2:21:33] we we used a consultant for that and one
[2:21:36] of the things they clearly identified
[2:21:38] was you know needing that someone
[2:21:41] dedicated to IT so we have hired an IT
[2:21:45] manager that will manage the GIS as well
[2:21:49] Uh so he's Chris doing that.
[2:21:51] >> Yeah. I mean he's coming tonight um
[2:21:53] because we have something in the in
[2:21:54] camera that relates to him. So he'll be
[2:21:56] here later tonight. We can introduce you
[2:21:58] to him. His name's Adam Tero. So yeah.
[2:22:02] >> Yeah. So he's really he's got that road
[2:22:05] mapap for voluntarizing himself how we
[2:22:08] do things here and and uh yeah we'll you
[2:22:12] know get focused around how do we kind
[2:22:14] of you know one of the big areas is we
[2:22:18] need to look at how we
[2:22:21] you know we have all these various
[2:22:22] different pieces of software for
[2:22:25] different um you know different
[2:22:28] departments etc. want to standardize
[2:22:30] more around some key software, GIS, um,
[2:22:34] Office
[2:22:36] 365, etc. So, how do we use those key
[2:22:39] tools or MS 365
[2:22:42] and that relates to records management?
[2:22:44] So, again, he's working with Sarah and
[2:22:46] her team on what platform ultimately our
[2:22:49] records reside on. uh GIS is I think
[2:22:54] we're pretty well there with
[2:22:56] transitioning the data from the RD to
[2:22:59] our GIS system. I think, you know, we
[2:23:03] just need to check with Adam and and
[2:23:07] Greg whether we can give notice. You
[2:23:11] know, the RD will be in budget pretty
[2:23:13] soon, so I think they need to know
[2:23:15] whether we're part of that this year or
[2:23:17] not. So, we advance that.
[2:23:21] Um [clears throat] facilities, uh
[2:23:24] council spent a bunch of work on on
[2:23:26] that. So, we're implementing that.
[2:23:29] uh dam safety. Uh we're doing works both
[2:23:33] uh for our uh water reservoir in the
[2:23:37] station. Uh so a bunch of work there and
[2:23:41] probably more um impactful is the
[2:23:47] uh [clears throat] the Bonnington Falls
[2:23:50] generating plant. we did down safe
[2:23:52] review and there's significant um
[2:23:56] potential cost to meet that those
[2:23:59] standards. Um
[2:24:02] but then Gisler and Blazy did similar
[2:24:04] work for CBT on their all the dams that
[2:24:09] uh CBT owns which are significantly
[2:24:12] larger than ours. uh and um you know
[2:24:15] definitely there's some strategies how
[2:24:17] you manage that risk without spending
[2:24:20] millions and millions of dollars to to
[2:24:22] do that. We also raised that with the
[2:24:25] minister and her staff when she was in
[2:24:27] town that you know this you know
[2:24:31] regulation has to meet the the risk not
[2:24:34] just
[2:24:36] everything and reduce every risk in the
[2:24:39] world. It's just not attainable.
[2:24:43] Um
[2:24:48] and uh Dan and his team is also looking
[2:24:51] at uh the generation renewal of um at
[2:24:56] Bonnington Falls that you know those
[2:24:58] assets are starting to get to end of
[2:25:01] life and how do we approach that and
[2:25:03] again millions of dollars if we um don't
[2:25:07] do it in the right way. So uh so he's
[2:25:10] talking to forest BC hydro and others
[2:25:13] about how best utilize the water in the river. So [clears throat] those
[2:25:18] are ongoing and you'll be seeing that or
[2:25:21] the next council will be seeing that in the new year of of potential options
[2:25:27] there. the five mile
[2:25:30] uh supply line or small water line from
[2:25:34] the intake up at um at the top of five
[2:25:38] mile down to the station reservoir and
[2:25:42] design there. Uh again, Dan's looked at
[2:25:45] that and and feels that there's an
[2:25:47] opportunity to generate some significant
[2:25:50] um generation off off that line if we
[2:25:53] design it in a way that create some uh
[2:25:56] you know some head on that and so
[2:26:01] the new uh we hired a new uh operations
[2:26:04] manager and so he's he's tasked to work
[2:26:07] with our
[2:26:09] uh utility world utilities folks to you
[2:26:11] know look at the design and see if we
[2:26:13] can build in some generation into that
[2:26:16] project.
[2:26:18] Uh what else do we have?
[2:26:23] Uh Ser College, the Pent Street campus,
[2:26:27] uh the new lease is with the province.
[2:26:29] Um we haven't heard, it hasn't been
[2:26:32] signed yet, but they committed to
[2:26:34] signing that for five years. So
[2:26:36] hopefully that will be in place. We've
[2:26:37] had some I know Sam has had some
[2:26:39] meetings with their staff and got their
[2:26:42] facility assessment report to really
[2:26:44] prioritize where that money would um be
[2:26:47] invested up there to uh renew that
[2:26:50] facility. Uh 606 Victoria Street, the
[2:26:53] old KSA uh we have signed the lease for
[2:26:56] that. They have provided insurance. They
[2:26:59] are um going to start programming um for
[2:27:04] this fall. uh the uh ceramics I think
[2:27:07] they have full contingent of 16 students
[2:27:11] and and so they have a full program for
[2:27:15] the year and I think the mayor shared
[2:27:17] medal is really looking more at for
[2:27:19] [clears throat] this year more at sort
[2:27:20] of weekend shorter courses to start uh
[2:27:24] so that's uh definitely in place
[2:27:28] procurement I think we shared last time
[2:27:30] that um we were not able to uh uh
[2:27:35] recruit a uh purchasing or procurement
[2:27:38] manager and we've gone to a third party
[2:27:40] provider and and I think they're early
[2:27:43] that's working well at this stage. Um
[2:27:47] this is also losing purchasing clerk
[2:27:50] there um by this December I think. So um
[2:27:55] we'll be looking at replacing that
[2:27:58] supports that.
[2:27:59] >> Yeah, that posting's gone out. You might
[2:28:01] have seen that
[2:28:03] [clears throat]
[2:28:03] >> union posting. So
[2:28:06] >> yes,
[2:28:06] >> did it go external?
[2:28:07] >> Yeah, it went internal and external.
[2:28:08] >> Okay.
[2:28:09] >> Yeah.
[2:28:10] And with uh again, I think we've
[2:28:13] shared that um Rob [clears throat]
[2:28:15] Nestrom, our long-term capital
[2:28:18] uh projects manager, is retiring and
[2:28:20] we've staffed up or we based her with a
[2:28:25] new project
[2:28:26] » [clears throat]
[2:28:26] >> um manager and and kind of restructured
[2:28:29] that department of how that how how we
[2:28:32] deliver projects. And do you want to
[2:28:34] comment on that?
[2:28:35] >> Yeah, you know, this is something that
[2:28:37] we work with council on. um you know
[2:28:40] started uh a year and a bit ago uh a
[2:28:42] year and a half ago two years ago where
[2:28:44] we looked at how we we had been
[2:28:47] delivering projects and how we wanted to
[2:28:48] especially given the the sort of size of
[2:28:50] our capital plan. So um bringing in an
[2:28:54] Simon she came from the city of
[2:28:55] Castlegar as their uh manager project
[2:28:58] delivery hired her as ours. She already
[2:29:00] lived in town, so uh she was happy to
[2:29:03] not commute and happy for uh the
[2:29:05] challenges that we have. And she's
[2:29:08] working with Shannon McKinnon as a
[2:29:09] project manager uh in their group
[2:29:12] starting out delivering all the
[2:29:13] projects, putting in that, you know, uh
[2:29:15] real solid framework, project management
[2:29:18] framework to just start, you know,
[2:29:20] making sure that we're, you know, with
[2:29:22] the amount of work that we have coming,
[2:29:23] we really need to make sure that we're
[2:29:24] tracking things appropriately so nothing
[2:29:26] gets lost. and you know if somebody
[2:29:28] happens to win the lottery and leave one
[2:29:30] day there's a you know real clear um
[2:29:32] trail someone else can just pick up the
[2:29:34] project and as well we see a lot of
[2:29:35] opportunities to share resources between
[2:29:38] like us and Nelson Hydro right so if we
[2:29:41] you know because project managers are
[2:29:42] kind of modular if we end up having you
[2:29:45] know um a few project managers five six
[2:29:47] years from now with all the projects and
[2:29:49] then we have slow project gets delayed
[2:29:52] that we didn't anticipate then our
[2:29:55] project manager might be able to go
[2:29:56] deliver something for Nelson Hydro and
[2:29:58] they were just short staffed at the time
[2:30:00] or something like that. So the idea
[2:30:02] being we'll all use this common project
[2:30:04] management framework that will be
[2:30:06] quarterbacked out of this project
[2:30:07] management office. So yeah, really
[2:30:09] looking forward to the opportunity. Uh
[2:30:13] really going to miss Rob and all his
[2:30:14] expertise and I'm sure we'll be buying
[2:30:16] him coffee from time to time to find out
[2:30:19] um you know what exactly went on uh
[2:30:22] during you know X Y or Z. But um yeah,
[2:30:26] looking forward to the opportunities
[2:30:27] come along with uh a fresh team there
[2:30:33] >> and [clears throat]
[2:30:34] certly a succession planner.
[2:30:37] I think Gab's going to give an update on
[2:30:39] all the changes and you know he
[2:30:41] presented earlier in the year of of the
[2:30:44] planning work we've done and or what we
[2:30:47] anticipate of retirements in the next
[2:30:49] two to five years and um I think at
[2:30:54] least 50% of that happened in two
[2:30:56] months. So
[2:30:58] believe um [clears throat] um that
[2:31:01] change that we anticipated
[2:31:04] um
[2:31:09] yeah I think that's the
[2:31:12] highlights of um yeah of some of those
[2:31:17] uh projects that we've been uh working
[2:31:20] on and and
[2:31:22] um yeah so if there's any sort of
[2:31:25] questions around any of those then happy
[2:31:27] to to take those.
[2:31:32] Yeah, I think the bottom line is
[2:31:34] significant change and some significant
[2:31:37] projects that we're we're advancing and
[2:31:39] uh you know I think really align with
[2:31:41] the strategic priorities that council
[2:31:43] set.
[2:31:48] » Okay, over to Mr. Johnson. You you get
[2:31:51] your own line coming up so I'm not going
[2:31:54] to you just so you Okay.
[2:31:55] >> Oh,
[2:31:56] >> and I I don't have much uh city manager
[2:31:58] covered off most there. I just wanted to
[2:32:00] say that um you know on the the grant
[2:32:03] front uh there was a lot of um you know
[2:32:06] press about the build Canada strong fund
[2:32:07] that came out and they had the direct
[2:32:09] impact stream and just to let council
[2:32:10] know that um we have applied uh for this
[2:32:14] building actually um we had to replace
[2:32:16] the cooling to towers for AC and um the
[2:32:19] first stream of Build Canada Strong fund
[2:32:22] was looking for those uh shovel ready
[2:32:24] projects and we felt perfectly in line.
[2:32:27] We're just finishing up the design for
[2:32:28] it. we had budgeted $1.2 million out of
[2:32:32] our facilities fund that we all worked
[2:32:33] together on to work the strategy out for
[2:32:35] and council gave us direction. Um and so
[2:32:38] yeah, it's possible that that you know
[2:32:40] we have applied and hopefully we'll get
[2:32:42] funding for that. But just wanted to
[2:32:44] share that um as mentioned during those
[2:32:46] facilities uh meetings around budget. We
[2:32:49] will always be looking for opportunities
[2:32:51] to capitalize on this and this one was a
[2:32:54] great opportunity. So hopefully we're
[2:32:55] successful. Um as well uh just a couple
[2:32:59] other follow-ups. Um Nelson Cycling Club
[2:33:02] had come in and asked for, you know,
[2:33:04] additional support. Just to follow up,
[2:33:06] we met with them up at um um Art Gibbons
[2:33:10] Park uh where they uh have a project and
[2:33:13] they've talked to CBT to get some
[2:33:14] funding to redo uh their jump park in
[2:33:17] there. And um we're able to offer a
[2:33:20] bunch of inind service with helping them
[2:33:22] get a a water supply up into the treated
[2:33:24] areas to be able to water it down uh as
[2:33:27] well as manage some of the drainage
[2:33:29] issues that really impacts them. So um
[2:33:32] had a really constructive meeting with
[2:33:33] them up there. They're really excited
[2:33:34] about the help that we can support with
[2:33:36] there. So just to let council know that
[2:33:38] you are uh supporting Nelson Club in
[2:33:40] that way as well as uh I believe through
[2:33:43] the RDCK they provide um some funding.
[2:33:47] And then finally, uh, on the cycling,
[2:33:49] uh, side of things, Knack Nelson area
[2:33:53] cycling.
[2:33:56] » Yeah. Uh, yeah. Um, Andrew Murray and
[2:34:02] >> they plugged in those connections and
[2:34:04] they were just, uh, looking to have the
[2:34:07] city follow up and support those. So
[2:34:10] just to provide followup that you know
[2:34:13] those are on city land so you know they
[2:34:15] are now ours. They're a good thing to
[2:34:17] have that connection to the rail trail
[2:34:19] and there was some concern about who
[2:34:20] will take insurance and Nelson Cycling
[2:34:22] Club was going to say we'll pay for the
[2:34:23] insurance this year but the city you
[2:34:25] should do it for after that and I mean
[2:34:27] it's [snorts] on our land so it's
[2:34:28] covered under our insurance anyways. So
[2:34:30] just you know was again supporting Nact
[2:34:33] and their initiatives and also you know
[2:34:35] didn't require the the outlay of funds
[2:34:37] from Nelson Cycling Club that they had
[2:34:39] thought it might. So just small ways
[2:34:41] that we are trying to help out based on
[2:34:43] you know requests that come in and
[2:34:45] requests uh that that we see. So
[2:34:48] >> yeah sorry I just a [clears throat]
[2:34:50] couple others when we're should have
[2:34:52] mentioned about the CBT. So we will be
[2:34:54] applying under that shore grant for the upgrades to the bathouses. Um
[2:35:00] we're looking at applying under another
[2:35:02] grant they're called it's called Gather.
[2:35:05] It's to create gathering spaces or
[2:35:07] improve gathering spaces in your
[2:35:09] downtown. So, we've been looking at um
[2:35:12] IOD Park in the Hall Street Plaza there.
[2:35:15] How do we um you know, now that we know
[2:35:18] how it's being used, how do we enhance
[2:35:21] it to um you know, be that downtown
[2:35:24] showcase for entertainment and and um
[2:35:28] people can gather and have their lunch
[2:35:30] and all those sorts of things. So, we're
[2:35:32] looking at that. And finally, we're
[2:35:34] looking at their I [clears throat] think
[2:35:36] it's it's um
[2:35:38] >> River Art or something.
[2:35:40] >> Yeah. So, we're looking at that mosaic
[2:35:43] on where the former bus station was to
[2:35:46] do that wall in a mosaic um art piece uh
[2:35:50] to celebrate the the the Columbia
[2:35:52] [clears throat] River and the basin. So,
[2:35:55] um so those are three exciting programs
[2:35:57] that we think we have three uh solid
[2:36:00] projects for. It's our question.
[2:36:04] >> My hands up. Yeah,
[2:36:06] >> thanks so much. Can you hear me? Okay.
[2:36:10] >> Yeah. As we look at those downtown
[2:36:12] spaces, one thing I think we threw
[2:36:13] around at the table, but I'm not sure if
[2:36:15] it ever landed and I was curious if it
[2:36:16] made its way to a landing place, it has
[2:36:19] to do with posters and like where is a
[2:36:21] good place for posters and can we
[2:36:23] actually have a a poster space that is
[2:36:26] the actual space for posters. Um, one
[2:36:29] thing we learn at the college is that
[2:36:30] the students actually read the posters
[2:36:31] and go to the things. And I think that can be true for other events in
[2:36:35] town. And I was curious if that if
[2:36:37] there's any opportunity with these um,
[2:36:39] improvements to find a space for that.
[2:36:42] >> Okay. No.
[2:36:43] >> Yeah, we do have that one um, poster
[2:36:46] >> um, she has in front of the restaurant
[2:36:48] and um, I think it's about trying to
[2:36:51] figure out managing it when it gets
[2:36:53] >> really full because you're right. I
[2:36:56] think people do have posters and they're
[2:36:57] putting them up and you just reminded me
[2:36:59] is that um thank you councelor Tate that
[2:37:02] today when I was out on um Baker Street
[2:37:06] I don't know did you notice this uh
[2:37:07] councelor Panero that the Eagles Hall so
[2:37:11] there was a project from Nelson Lake
[2:37:14] Tourism to try to sort of beautify with
[2:37:17] so many vacant buildings on Baker Street
[2:37:19] the windows and to keep them from
[2:37:21] becoming the poster hub um that The uh
[2:37:26] the [clears throat] Eagles building now
[2:37:27] has four um different uh lovely pictures
[2:37:32] of the countryside. One is Ainsworth,
[2:37:35] something is Nelson, there's one for
[2:37:37] Caslo, and they're there to sort of
[2:37:39] beautify the the windows,
[2:37:42] >> right?
[2:37:43] >> So that buildings don't look so,
[2:37:45] >> you know, empty or that people aren't
[2:37:47] using brown paper to cover the windows.
[2:37:51] >> Yeah. So, if you get a chance to take a
[2:37:53] look, that's the first I've noticed of
[2:37:55] them and they've been, you know, going
[2:37:57] out to the land owners to property
[2:38:00] owners to to see if they want to
[2:38:01] participate in that in that program. And
[2:38:04] >> yeah, and I think the they're
[2:38:05] [clears throat] looking at um doing some
[2:38:08] type of art on the Nelson uh old Nelson
[2:38:12] home furniture building.
[2:38:15] >> Yeah, I've got to I'll be chasing that
[2:38:17] down in September when I attend. And
[2:38:19] I've got some meetings that I have to
[2:38:20] attend that BCG I can have some
[2:38:23] discussion with
[2:38:24] >> because I asked for some mockup drawings
[2:38:26] to be able to take with me of what we
[2:38:28] could potentially put on those covered
[2:38:31] windows.
[2:38:33] >> Okay, I think that's it.
[2:38:40] » Okay. So, moving on then. Were you
[2:38:44] finished? Um,
[2:38:46] >> okay. [clears throat]
[2:38:46] >> Thank you. So, moving on. Number nine,
[2:38:49] Nelson Cypical Theater Society waiver of
[2:38:51] parking fees. So,
[2:38:55] um we've had a request to wave parking.
[2:38:58] The Nelson um Civic Theater Society is
[2:39:01] renovating the Civic Theater, as we all
[2:39:03] know, has requested exclusive use of 5
[2:39:05] meter parking stalls on Vera Street for
[2:39:07] its contractor. No on-site parking is
[2:39:10] available. staff approved the use and
[2:39:12] principal subject to the city's
[2:39:13] temporary license of occupation policy.
[2:39:16] The policy establishes an annual fee of
[2:39:19] $1,200 per meter stall equivalent to
[2:39:21] $100 per stall per month as the
[2:39:24] contractor will pass this cost on to the
[2:39:26] NCTS. NCTS is asking council to wave the
[2:39:30] $5,500 fee for the 11-month construction
[2:39:33] period.
[2:39:34] So there's quite an extensive report
[2:39:37] there council and there is um a
[2:39:41] recommendation so open to any
[2:39:43] discussion.
[2:39:45] >> Can I just add um I think you saw in the
[2:39:47] report that we estimate the loss of
[2:39:51] revenue to be more in that $25,000
[2:39:54] range. Um and the metered you know if
[2:39:58] you get the metered rate it's about
[2:40:00] 5,000. So, it's already quite subsidized
[2:40:03] for for projects like this.
[2:40:08] In fact, they
[2:40:10] >> [clears throat]
[2:40:10] >> um
[2:40:13] yeah,
[2:40:17] sorry, I kind of caught him out of the
[2:40:18] corner of my eye first, although I was
[2:40:19] looking at you. So, I'm going to go
[2:40:20] council Lockenberg, then I'm going to go
[2:40:22] councelor Panero, and then I'm going
[2:40:24] counselor Tate.
[2:40:25] So, so like you said, it's it's much
[2:40:29] more than 5,500
[2:40:31] um lost revenue. The is it normal for a
[2:40:35] project like that? like I could see how
[2:40:39] you would use maybe some of the parking
[2:40:41] for materials and stuff like that, but
[2:40:45] like I couldn't like have we had other
[2:40:48] experience with other projects where the
[2:40:49] contractors are kind of in part of the
[2:40:51] time and then out and kind of cycling
[2:40:53] through a little bit more like do they
[2:40:55] >> is it more convenience or it's pretty
[2:40:57] much they need it like no question.
[2:40:59] Yeah, I think you know efficiently
[2:41:01] getting things to sight and and you know
[2:41:05] we have I think the report does speak to
[2:41:08] we have given them some stalls behind
[2:41:10] the building
[2:41:11] >> 10 spots behind the
[2:41:13] >> and [clears throat] we waved the fees on those ones. Um but the access is
[2:41:18] through the front of the building. It's
[2:41:20] not through the back. So workers can
[2:41:21] park there that are working there for
[2:41:23] the day. But if you're you know running
[2:41:26] parts back and forth or whatever it's
[2:41:29] Yeah, you have to be be.
[2:41:31] >> Yeah. Okay. I guess that that's what I
[2:41:33] was trying to just get clear on. Is it
[2:41:34] more of a convenience thing for like if
[2:41:36] you're going to work there and you're
[2:41:37] bringing your tools in? For sure. But if
[2:41:38] it's constant through the day, then I
[2:41:41] can see it.
[2:41:41] >> Yeah. This we've got those stalls for
[2:41:44] people that are, you know, have to come
[2:41:46] and work there all day. Uh this is for
[2:41:48] those folks that would be coming and
[2:41:51] going. Um, and so materials, you're
[2:41:55] >> coming in the trade's coming in for a
[2:41:57] day or two and they got their tools in
[2:41:59] their van and they're running to and fro
[2:42:01] >> and they're parts are in their van that
[2:42:04] [clears throat]
[2:42:05] >> we experienced the same thing when we
[2:42:07] did the project there that we needed
[2:42:09] that closer access. Yeah, we had bulk
[2:42:11] parking out back and that
[2:42:13] >> Okay. Okay. Thanks.
[2:42:16] >> Um, I've got you on the list, Councelor
[2:42:19] Panero.
[2:42:20] >> Uh, just the wording here like this
[2:42:23] $49,280
[2:42:26] in expected
[2:42:30] that's not guaranteed by any means. It's
[2:42:32] just what we think might happen.
[2:42:35] >> Well, we use what we average on a meter
[2:42:39] >> in that area. So that doesn't mean the
[2:42:41] meter's plugged every second for, you
[2:42:44] know, a month straight. We recognize
[2:42:46] that they're not going to be always
[2:42:47] full. So that's an average.
[2:42:49] >> It's not its max potential. That's an
[2:42:51] average. I see.
[2:42:53] >> And then if they're asking just for this
[2:42:56] $5,500. So even if they paid the $5,500,
[2:43:01] we're still
[2:43:03] >> potentially losing revenue,
[2:43:04] >> potentially losing $44,000.
[2:43:07] >> And part of the impact is other
[2:43:10] businesses in that area. People choose
[2:43:12] if they can't find parking to go
[2:43:13] somewhere else, right? Unfortunately, we
[2:43:16] [cough] have these two [clears throat]
[2:43:17] large projects that are going on side by
[2:43:20] side, right? So, it's really putting
[2:43:21] pressure on that whole block or that
[2:43:24] whole section of Vernon Street there.
[2:43:26] [clears throat]
[2:43:27] >> Do we know when uh some of the parking
[2:43:29] on the other side of Vernon would open
[2:43:31] up?
[2:43:31] >> Another year,
[2:43:32] >> much longer here.
[2:43:34] >> So, fortunately, they're back doing work
[2:43:36] in that building. Um, and it's been
[2:43:38] refinanced. So, our expectation, they
[2:43:41] paid us all the money that they owed us.
[2:43:43] So our expectation is that they weren't
[2:43:46] going to you know they wouldn't have
[2:43:48] done that if they if they weren't
[2:43:50] proceeding with the project. So that's
[2:43:53] yeah Mike I don't know if you have any
[2:43:55] sense but yeah it's definitely a year
[2:43:57] long year longer to you know to
[2:44:01] get that building built.
[2:44:04] So yeah it's really unfortunate that and we had that same issue that you
[2:44:09] know when we did our project. So,
[2:44:11] there's been a lot of not a lot of
[2:44:13] parking available down there.
[2:44:16] >> And I I read this a couple days ago, but
[2:44:19] was there other parking in the back
[2:44:22] somewhere?
[2:44:22] >> Yeah, they get 10 spots in the curling
[2:44:24] club against the curling city.
[2:44:27] >> That's for your laborers that show up
[2:44:29] and, you know, start at 8 and finish at
[2:44:31] 4:30, right? And whereas you have the
[2:44:33] trades coming in and out and everything
[2:44:35] that
[2:44:36] >> you know if you have the you know HVAC
[2:44:39] people coming in or mechanical or the
[2:44:40] electrical and
[2:44:42] >> they run down to their van and you know
[2:44:44] they got all their tools and supplies on board right so
[2:44:50] >> is there any way of splitting the
[2:44:51] difference or like
[2:44:53] >> some as much as you council chooses you
[2:44:56] like giving them I don't know what makes sense is it like
[2:45:00] they had two stalls.
[2:45:02] instead of five.
[2:45:03] >> Yeah. I don't know if it's
[2:45:05] >> I think they would
[2:45:07] >> I think what we've heard from them, they
[2:45:09] need five stalls to make this.
[2:45:10] >> So, I don't think it's it's the number.
[2:45:14] They'll pay the 5,000 if they if that's
[2:45:16] the decision.
[2:45:18] >> Oh, I need a bit more lay down area,
[2:45:19] too. I could see them.
[2:45:21] >> Uh they seem to be happy with their
[2:45:23] layown area. They were really great to
[2:45:25] work with, right?
[2:45:26] >> Yeah. They don't have the
[2:45:27] >> they don't have the big steel components
[2:45:28] that we were dealing with and
[2:45:30] >> you know the scaffolding a lot of it's
[2:45:32] there. So
[2:45:34] >> yeah sort of you know different jobs
[2:45:36] they're doing but
[2:45:39] um
[2:45:40] yeah it's I would agree with city
[2:45:43] manager it's five spots that they need.
[2:45:45] five spots.
[2:45:46] >> Councelor Tate.
[2:45:51] >> Thanks. Yeah thanks. It takes me a
[2:45:53] second to find the right buttons. Um I
[2:45:56] I'm a little bit confused because I
[2:45:58] thought there's not a lot of parking
[2:45:59] straight in front of the like where you
[2:46:03] go into the Civic because of the bus and
[2:46:05] then the seniors parking. Can you just
[2:46:07] speak to like how many spots would be
[2:46:10] left for other humans to come and go on
[2:46:13] that block once you take away I think
[2:46:15] there's a bunch that are also reserved
[2:46:17] for seniors which maybe you could speak
[2:46:19] to that and just help me understand the
[2:46:20] lay of the land there please.
[2:46:23] >> Yeah. So the cross the street.
[2:46:24] >> Seniors
[2:46:26] when there's no construction have those
[2:46:29] stalls right in front of the senior
[2:46:31] center. Um so we have gymnastics
[2:46:34] >> while construction has happened. Uh
[2:46:37] we've given them an equivalent number of
[2:46:40] stalls across the street. Uh so there's
[2:46:42] five that are taken up there. Uh I think
[2:46:46] the ones that they would be looking at
[2:46:48] would be similar to the ones we had
[2:46:50] which would be to the
[2:46:53] >> [clears throat]
[2:46:54] >> uh east I guess of of the civic center.
[2:46:58] So um up the street the five that are closest to the I guess the entrance
[2:47:04] to the
[2:47:06] >> [clears throat]
[2:47:06] >> um
[2:47:07] >> gymnastics.
[2:47:08] >> Well the yeah gymnastics and
[2:47:11] >> yeah so that's [clears throat] I think
[2:47:14] those are the five that would be
[2:47:15] available for for their project.
[2:47:17] >> Okay can I can I say it back to you? So
[2:47:19] the spaces that are directly in front of
[2:47:21] the senior center that are normally for
[2:47:23] seniors, these are the ones that we're
[2:47:25] looking at setting aside for this
[2:47:27] construction or that has been requested
[2:47:29] to have the fees waved on. And um during
[2:47:32] this time, the reserve spaces have gone
[2:47:35] across the street and what and then the
[2:47:39] other five spaces to the east. Sorry, I got lost in the three-way swap there.
[2:47:44] Can you say it again?
[2:47:45] >> Can I try swing out sitting on her?
[2:47:47] Sure.
[2:47:47] >> Yeah, thanks. the the seniors because
[2:47:50] the senior spots were in front of
[2:47:52] gymnastics, the five reserved, right?
[2:47:54] Pre- any jobs, right? So, that's
[2:47:57] ultimately the place where construction
[2:47:59] would be going or construction vehicles
[2:48:01] would be going is in those nearest
[2:48:04] spots. Now, it's a bit weird because the
[2:48:07] seniors when they had those spots, they
[2:48:09] were never metered, right? They were
[2:48:11] just expanded down that curb. So,
[2:48:14] they'll be slotting in there. The
[2:48:16] seniors have now gone directly across
[2:48:18] the street from the seniors center on
[2:48:21] the co-op side where they have the five
[2:48:24] spots now. So, bit of a shell game
[2:48:27] there.
[2:48:29] >> Um, and that's what we did when we cuz
[2:48:32] of the bigger components in our job, we
[2:48:34] had to hoard out the whole sidewalk. Um,
[2:48:37] and so then the seniors needed access.
[2:48:39] So we put them across from the senior
[2:48:41] center and built that, you know,
[2:48:43] crosswalk across the road and the
[2:48:45] boulevard there. And so we've just gone
[2:48:48] back to that setting for this project.
[2:48:53] [clears throat] So the metered spots are
[2:48:55] taken up by the seniors and we're going
[2:48:58] to use theirs. So they would have to pay
[2:49:01] for the equivalent. Even though these
[2:49:02] spots aren't metered, they would be
[2:49:04] paying
[2:49:05] >> Yeah. their spots or the equivalent
[2:49:07] metered spots because
[2:49:08] >> so the seniors are paying that that fee
[2:49:12] >> to have those reserved.
[2:49:14] >> No, [clears throat]
[2:49:16] seniors used to have no fee spots their
[2:49:20] building.
[2:49:20] >> We've given them metered spots across
[2:49:22] the street. Uh so I think the
[2:49:25] construction folks would use the senior
[2:49:28] spaces and we're losing revenue on those
[2:49:31] five meters across the streets. So
[2:49:34] that's what we charge the contractor.
[2:49:37] >> So with the seniors reserved parking
[2:49:39] moved across the street, they not only
[2:49:41] is it the five spots, it's also no pay.
[2:49:44] So that no pay has been maintained in
[2:49:47] the transition across the street
[2:49:50] >> and we would recover that by charging
[2:49:52] the contractor for you know for those
[2:49:55] you know assume you know treating them
[2:49:57] as metered spots even those.
[2:50:00] >> Gotcha. Okay.
[2:50:01] >> As
[2:50:02] >> I'm with you. Thank you. It's kind of a
[2:50:04] shell game. You know, we're losing
[2:50:06] revenue from the seniors because they're
[2:50:07] not in their space. Uh so we charge the
[2:50:10] contractor for equivalent metered
[2:50:12] spaces.
[2:50:18] » Councelor Tate, do you have another
[2:50:21] followup?
[2:50:24] >> She's shaking her head now.
[2:50:25] >> No. Okay. Councelor Paige,
[2:50:28] >> maybe a couple questions. Um, when we
[2:50:31] were doing our project, did we pay
[2:50:33] ourselves or did we charge that out?
[2:50:37] Those five stalls that we used while we
[2:50:39] were doing the project oursel doing the
[2:50:41] roof.
[2:50:42] >> I don't know if we were eligible to
[2:50:44] charge it to the project because that
[2:50:46] was grant funded.
[2:50:48] >> Okay. I'm
[2:50:50] >> didn't charge the parking there
[2:50:52] >> because it's an improvement on our own
[2:50:54] building. I'm a bit sympathetic to to
[2:50:58] letting the fee part slide because we're
[2:51:00] getting the benefit of the improvement
[2:51:02] to the building as a broader piece and
[2:51:04] they still have a lot of fundraising
[2:51:06] left to do. Uh the other piece is are we
[2:51:10] able,
[2:51:11] you know, without
[2:51:13] stirring a pot with the seniors and
[2:51:15] recognizing the value of their parking
[2:51:17] able to add a criteria to that parking
[2:51:20] that it's also good for handicapped.
[2:51:24] We've had some disability concerns with
[2:51:26] those across. We have multiple medical
[2:51:28] clinics in that area and it it seems
[2:51:30] like they're exclusive use for seniors
[2:51:33] might not be
[2:51:36] we probably could add an accompanying
[2:51:38] criteria.
[2:51:39] >> Yeah, we are going to look at hours like
[2:51:42] there's [clears throat] no point if
[2:51:43] seniors aren't in the senior center for
[2:51:45] until 11:00 that you know nobody else
[2:51:48] can park in there. So, we're going to
[2:51:50] look at some of the hours to kind of
[2:51:52] maybe make that more workable
[2:51:55] recognizing the the existing, but we can
[2:51:58] certainly talk about
[2:51:59] >> seniors and handicap.
[2:52:00] >> Yeah.
[2:52:01] >> Um,
[2:52:01] >> and did we not Sorry, I just want to
[2:52:03] follow up on you asking it. Did we not
[2:52:05] make one of those parking spots a
[2:52:07] disabled spot? one of the I've did we
[2:52:11] not make a disabled spot on
[2:52:13] >> I don't believe the seniors
[2:52:15] >> side
[2:52:16] >> on the senior's locations
[2:52:17] >> on that side of the street we didn't put
[2:52:19] in a disabled parking spot
[2:52:20] >> there is around the medical associates
[2:52:23] clinic there
[2:52:23] >> yeah but not one on the co-op side
[2:52:26] >> okay thank you
[2:52:27] >> I think those two can piggy back um so
[2:52:30] that's just where I said I for $5,000 an
[2:52:32] improvement to one of our own buildings
[2:52:34] if we were doing the project we wouldn't
[2:52:35] necessarily be costing it out to a
[2:52:38] grandfather you're all for all those
[2:52:39] reasons I I'm okay with pushing the
[2:52:42] revenue if other people are
[2:52:49] want to make
[2:52:49] >> so you want to make a motion then
[2:52:51] >> I'll make that motion to approve the
[2:52:52] request
[2:52:55] >> I think that's one of the options
[2:52:56] >> yeah approve
[2:52:58] >> so then you change deny to approve
[2:53:03] [clears throat]
[2:53:07] » seconder
[2:53:08] And is there a second here?
[2:53:10] >> I can second. Um
[2:53:13] move
[2:53:13] >> by councelor Paige, seconded by
[2:53:15] councelor Lenberg.
[2:53:17] >> Um so just just to be clear here, what
[2:53:20] we're talking about is not the mechanics
[2:53:23] of parking or anything like that.
[2:53:24] Really, it's the issue is a subsidy for
[2:53:27] the NCTS. That's that's the issue. or do
[2:53:29] we want to subsidize them an additional
[2:53:32] 5,500 on top of the effective subsidy of
[2:53:36] $44,000.
[2:53:40] Um
[2:53:42] and um I'm assuming like I it's not
[2:53:46] included in the package that I saw where
[2:53:48] what the status of their um fundraising
[2:53:52] is right now, but I'm assuming that
[2:53:58] this is pretty significant for them. Did they do they know about it? Some of these things might catch you by
[2:54:05] surprise. you build a fundraising plan
[2:54:07] and then you're like, "Ah, we didn't
[2:54:10] think about the fact that we need this
[2:54:12] parking and have to pay and that can
[2:54:14] really throw a throw them a bit for a
[2:54:18] loop." Is that the case? Do we know
[2:54:20] that?
[2:54:20] >> I don't know what you know how if this
[2:54:23] was picked up in the general conditions
[2:54:25] of the contractor when they uh set their
[2:54:28] budget, but yeah, they still have a
[2:54:30] fairly significant shortfall. I know
[2:54:32] they're been asked to um submit on uh
[2:54:37] one of the Build Canada uh programs. So,
[2:54:39] I know they're doing that and that could
[2:54:42] be
[2:54:43] >> uh make a big change, but again, we have
[2:54:45] a line of credit with them that we're
[2:54:47] hoping that they can
[2:54:49] >> repay uh fairly quickly. So, um yeah,
[2:54:53] they get that large grant, then
[2:54:55] hopefully they that allows them to repay
[2:54:58] that that line of credit.
[2:55:00] >> Yeah. Yeah. as far Yeah. As far as the
[2:55:03] like a project process, right? You work
[2:55:06] with your, you know, your team as you go
[2:55:09] into the construction process and
[2:55:12] >> in theory, these things are understood.
[2:55:14] All your costs are understood and
[2:55:15] they're accounted for in your your
[2:55:17] project costing.
[2:55:18] >> Yeah.
[2:55:19] >> To city manager's point, you know, under
[2:55:21] this exact line item that was in there
[2:55:23] or not, not sure. But yeah, it would be
[2:55:26] an expectation.
[2:55:26] >> It would be an expectation that it would
[2:55:27] >> that it would be that you would address
[2:55:29] that. So that's where I'm a little
[2:55:30] uncomfortable with the motion on the
[2:55:33] table because I don't like this like
[2:55:37] trying to, you know, grab every
[2:55:39] opportunity for us to squeeze in another
[2:55:42] fundraising. Well, having said that, I
[2:55:44] am really sympathetic to the fact that
[2:55:46] they've got a dis difficult task of
[2:55:48] fundraising and and that they're, you
[2:55:51] know, there's some paid staff, there's a
[2:55:52] lot of volunteers that are working on
[2:55:54] this and that some of these things might
[2:55:55] catch them by surprise. Doesn't sound
[2:55:57] like this is would have likely caught
[2:56:00] them by surprise.
[2:56:01] >> Say that this was something they weren't
[2:56:04] anticipating.
[2:56:05] >> Yeah, this is in in my mind this would
[2:56:08] only be really justified if it caught
[2:56:11] them by surprise. If it was just like,
[2:56:14] hey, here's another opportunity to make
[2:56:16] another request. This is probably not
[2:56:18] the appropriate way to do that. I would
[2:56:20] prefer to be evaluating it as an
[2:56:24] additional subsidy like your or
[2:56:26] additional grant that the city's
[2:56:27] providing. That's how I would prefer to
[2:56:29] receive this. Um the fact that we're I I
[2:56:34] didn't the other thing that's not
[2:56:35] totally clear, but I think you clarified
[2:56:37] in your remarks was the 49,280 which is
[2:56:42] the the averaged amount we would have
[2:56:44] made revenue on those meters over those
[2:56:47] 11 months. But anybody could have
[2:56:50] purchased these same spots for $5,500.
[2:56:54] >> Wow. If you have a construction project.
[2:56:56] >> If you have a construction project.
[2:56:57] >> Yeah.
[2:56:58] >> So, in that sense, we aren't
[2:56:59] subsidizing. I just want to be clear in
[2:57:01] my own mind. This is we're not already
[2:57:03] subsidizing them because we would have
[2:57:04] done this for a private entity as well.
[2:57:07] So,
[2:57:08] >> you know, that's where I'm kind of
[2:57:09] wrestling with with this. Like,
[2:57:12] you know, this is legit. the the 5500 in
[2:57:15] my mind is not that relatively not that
[2:57:19] much, but to us it is something
[2:57:21] [clears throat] we want to nickel and
[2:57:23] dime as much as we can to protect the
[2:57:24] taxpayer. But this is a tough job that
[2:57:29] they're doing to to raise this money.
[2:57:31] And I think god if if you keep getting
[2:57:35] hit by these kind of surprises, it can
[2:57:37] really slow your momentum to to raise
[2:57:39] the cash. So that's where I was
[2:57:41] sympathetic to the motion
[2:57:44] and having heard what um
[2:57:47] uh Johnson Chris what's your title
[2:57:50] general manager Johnson [laughter]
[2:57:52] whatever
[2:57:54] >> general manager community
[2:57:56] etc [clears throat] etc. We don't we
[2:57:57] don't have we don't have a meeting
[2:57:58] that's long enough for you to talk about
[2:57:59] what it's titled Chris
[2:58:01] >> H. Yeah. I'm going to
[2:58:04] Yeah. I mean it's only 500. So I'm going
[2:58:06] to say I'm leaning towards a yes because
[2:58:10] I sympathize with what they're trying to
[2:58:11] do.
[2:58:13] >> Okay. So we've got a motion that's been
[2:58:14] moved and seconded. Is there any further
[2:58:15] discussion? Does anybody else have
[2:58:17] anything that they want to say or add or
[2:58:21] council Panero? I just sort of I
[2:58:24] appreciated the point that was made by
[2:58:27] counselor Paige and that we were getting
[2:58:30] eventually we were getting a building
[2:58:33] that functions and that is worth a lot
[2:58:36] more than 5,500 bucks. Um and also
[2:58:40] recognizing that this process has been
[2:58:43] extremely long and painful for I think
[2:58:47] everybody involved on both ends of the
[2:58:49] spectrum. So getting it if this I don't
[2:58:53] know how much of a difference this makes
[2:58:54] to them or to us or to anybody but if it helps get this over the line
[2:59:00] faster which then helps them you know
[2:59:03] start paying off their debts and
[2:59:06] functioning as as what it's supposed to
[2:59:08] be as an asset in the community. It
[2:59:12] seems like not that big a deal to me.
[2:59:14] I'm sympathetic towards it as well.
[2:59:20] I have a quick question. Thanks. Um,
[2:59:23] yeah, thanks for the comments. I am
[2:59:25] curious what other
[2:59:28] semi-standard city fees that should be
[2:59:32] embedded in the overall project
[2:59:34] construction cost could come up as a
[2:59:37] letter of, oh, could you wave this,
[2:59:39] please? I'm thinking just off the top of
[2:59:41] my head like a hydro connection or those
[2:59:43] sorts of things like what other um I'm
[2:59:46] just curious about setting a precedent
[2:59:48] and whether we have any kind of um
[2:59:51] benchmarks for saying yes or no besides
[2:59:53] that we empathize with the fact that
[2:59:55] it's a big project and that in the end
[2:59:57] the city gets the benefit of a working
[2:59:59] building. U which are really great
[3:00:01] points but I was curious what else we
[3:00:03] could potentially have as an another
[3:00:06] ask.
[3:00:08] Well, there's obviously [clears throat]
[3:00:10] um you know the building permit fee um
[3:00:13] hydro connections. Uh I don't I don't
[3:00:16] think they have any hydro upgrades. I
[3:00:19] think that I think they're we had three
[3:00:21] phase in that building already. I don't
[3:00:24] think there's any utility fees that
[3:00:26] probably building permit fee which I
[3:00:28] think they've already paid.
[3:00:32] » What was that last one?
[3:00:34] >> Building permit fee.
[3:00:35] >> Building permit fees. I heard
[3:00:37] >> something else.
[3:00:38] So, we don't anticipate any further
[3:00:40] ones?
[3:00:41] >> No, like I said, there's service is is
[3:00:45] fine. Um, yeah, I don't I don't think
[3:00:48] there's any there's no new connections
[3:00:50] or anything. It's they're just
[3:00:51] renovating existing space.
[3:00:57] » Thank you.
[3:00:58] >> Okay. So, the only thing I would just
[3:01:01] like to add is that I would ask that um
[3:01:04] city staff do have a serious
[3:01:05] conversation with um seniors um
[3:01:09] >> group about their requirement to have um
[3:01:13] five spots. maybe they'd like to
[3:01:15] >> sure
[3:01:16] >> go down to for as to be supporting of
[3:01:19] this project that's um going on
[3:01:23] and um whether or not we can look at
[3:01:27] time to make sure because I drive by
[3:01:30] those spots fairly frequently. I drive
[3:01:34] downtown that's I have a little route
[3:01:36] takes me down Vic Ferin Street when I
[3:01:39] come to town and they're often empty.
[3:01:42] So, if I've got the 9:00 a.m. doctor's
[3:01:46] appointment at the medical clinic and
[3:01:47] everything's full, because we we we know
[3:01:50] because we've seen online submissions
[3:01:52] about people concerned about parking
[3:01:54] that do have businesses down there and
[3:01:55] such that that if you're not there at 9,
[3:01:58] then somebody could be like, I mean, a
[3:02:00] doctor's appointment these days is what,
[3:02:02] four and a half minutes. Um,
[3:02:05] and uh, you know, you're not you're not
[3:02:07] there for for two or three hours. So, um
[3:02:10] I think that if we can look at some some
[3:02:13] work there
[3:02:13] >> flexibility.
[3:02:15] >> Yeah. Anyways, this has been moved and
[3:02:17] seconded. Um all those in favor
[3:02:23] and that Thank you, Kate. Got that.
[3:02:25] Thank you everybody. So, that carries.
[3:02:28] Thank you everybody.
[3:02:30] Okay, moving on to
[3:02:34] um bylaws.
[3:02:36] Oil 11A is the step code in zero carbon.
[3:02:39] I'd just like to just note that
[3:02:42] councelor Payne has returned to the um
[3:02:45] meeting at 7:47. Um staff are proposing
[3:02:48] amendments to the city of Nelson
[3:02:50] building bylaw number 3456
[3:02:53] 2019 to adopt higher performance
[3:02:55] requirements for part 9 buildings,
[3:02:57] generally lowrise residential and small
[3:02:59] buildings under the BC energy step code
[3:03:01] and the BC zero carbon step code.
[3:03:03] Following council's direction at second
[3:03:05] reading, the proposed memo was revised
[3:03:07] to require zero carbon EL4 to be
[3:03:10] effective December 31st, 2026, replacing
[3:03:13] the previous proposed phased
[3:03:14] implementation as well as moving to step
[3:03:17] four for part 9 buildings. Council
[3:03:19] provided third reading at the July 21st
[3:03:21] special meeting and is now being asked
[3:03:23] to adopt building bylaw amendment energy
[3:03:25] step code step 4 plus zerocarbon EL4
[3:03:30] bylaw number 3654
[3:03:32] 2026 effective December 31st 2026. So
[3:03:37] council there's quite a bit of
[3:03:38] information again in your package here
[3:03:39] tonight and we have discussed this um at
[3:03:43] two previous minutes. This has been part
[3:03:46] of our Nelson next um advocate advocacy
[3:03:49] and part of our strategic plan. Um is
[3:03:52] there a mover moved by C
[3:03:56] [laughter]
[3:03:57] >> and second by councelor Tate?
[3:03:59] >> Um is there any need for further
[3:04:02] discussion councilors?
[3:04:04] >> Mayor maybe I'll just take this
[3:04:06] opportunity. I'm not sure that all of
[3:04:07] councils have the opportunity to meet
[3:04:09] Mike Cohen, one of our building
[3:04:10] officials as it might been around. Okay,
[3:04:13] my apologies. Thanks, Chris.
[3:04:15] >> Yeah, just making sure.
[3:04:17] >> Yeah. Okay. I missed that meeting. Yeah.
[3:04:19] Fair.
[3:04:20] >> Oh,
[3:04:21] >> that's why.
[3:04:21] >> Yeah, he was the original.
[3:04:24] >> Yeah, the original.
[3:04:25] >> Yeah.
[3:04:26] >> Anyways, thank you for being here today.
[3:04:28] >> Um, so seeing no further questions or
[3:04:33] comments. Um, and it's been moved and
[3:04:37] seconded that council pass the following
[3:04:39] resolutions. that the corporation city
[3:04:41] of Nelson bylaw building amendment
[3:04:43] energy step code step 4 and zerocarbon
[3:04:45] EL4 bylaw number 36542026
[3:04:49] be finally adopted. All those in favor
[3:04:53] and thank you councelor Tate and opposed
[3:04:57] and that carries.
[3:04:59] Okay, moving on to 11B
[3:05:04] the cemetery
[3:05:06] >> cemetery management bylaw and fees. So,
[3:05:09] the proposed Nelson Cemetery Management
[3:05:10] bylaw modernization modernizes the
[3:05:13] city's regulatory framework to reflect
[3:05:14] current operating practices, legislative
[3:05:16] requirements, and long-term financial
[3:05:18] sustainability. The bylaw supports
[3:05:21] improved administration of cemetery
[3:05:22] services while updating the fee
[3:05:24] structure to better align with current
[3:05:26] operating costs and council's decision
[3:05:28] to increase cost recovery for cemetery
[3:05:30] operations. Council is being asked to
[3:05:32] adopt the proposed Nelson Cemetery
[3:05:34] Management bylaw and the accompanying
[3:05:36] amendment to the fees and charges bylaw
[3:05:38] to implement the updated regulatory and
[3:05:41] fee framework. So, councelor, just to
[3:05:44] remind you, we had um an independent
[3:05:46] contractor [snorts] come and give us
[3:05:48] some thoughts about our cemetery moving
[3:05:50] forward. and we've had a number of
[3:05:53] follow-up meetings regarding changes to
[3:05:57] how we operate the cemetery as well as
[3:05:59] the need for improvements on our cost
[3:06:02] recovery.
[3:06:04] So, we have two recommendations there
[3:06:06] that I think we need to pass separately.
[3:06:11] Yes. Thank you. Um, [clears throat] so
[3:06:14] does anybody want to move the first
[3:06:16] recommendation? Councelor Lochenberg,
[3:06:18] seconded by Councelor Tate. Council
[3:06:20] Octberg,
[3:06:22] >> you'd like me to read it?
[3:06:23] >> Yeah, please.
[3:06:24] >> Okay.
[3:06:26] Um, that the Nelson Cemetery Management
[3:06:29] bylaw number 3668 2026 be finally
[3:06:32] adopted.
[3:06:33] >> Councilor, is there any further
[3:06:34] discussion on this issue?
[3:06:39] » See, I Oh, I just have a question, but
[3:06:41] it can go after the vote or before the
[3:06:43] vote. It's probably more appropriate
[3:06:44] before the vote.
[3:06:46] >> For the vote.
[3:06:47] >> You may not sway the vote. I was just
[3:06:49] curious because I'm in Suriri at a
[3:06:51] funeral today at a very large um
[3:06:53] cemetery um and I noticed that the um
[3:06:56] cemetery grounds were adhering to the
[3:06:58] water restrictions and the grass was
[3:07:00] very very yellow and I was just curious
[3:07:02] um do we do um how does the watering
[3:07:06] with respect to restrictions go at our
[3:07:07] cemetery and and how do those things
[3:07:09] align?
[3:07:11] >> Yeah, we operate off a well there so
[3:07:13] it's not part of the distribution
[3:07:15] system.
[3:07:18] Yeah. So, it stays a little bit greener
[3:07:22] because we're not using potable water.
[3:07:26] Anyways, so
[3:07:28] >> thank you.
[3:07:28] >> No further questions or
[3:07:32] concerns. All those in favor of the
[3:07:34] motion.
[3:07:36] One, two, I need three hands. Four
[3:07:38] hands. Okay, that carries. Anybody
[3:07:41] opposed?
[3:07:43] You know, just on that point,
[3:07:44] [clears throat] maybe we should look at
[3:07:46] how we tell that story because we've
[3:07:48] taken a lot of opportunity to make sure
[3:07:51] we're not using potable water and, you
[3:07:55] know, watering playing fields, watering,
[3:07:57] you know, the cemetery and some other
[3:07:59] spaces. And the general public probably
[3:08:02] doesn't realize that. They go up to the
[3:08:04] cemetery and
[3:08:05] >> ask that same question. Why is the city
[3:08:07] using a bunch of water [clears throat]
[3:08:08] and telling me not to water my lawn?
[3:08:11] We've, you know, strategically made sure
[3:08:14] that it wasn't affecting our water
[3:08:16] >> system
[3:08:17] >> and something that we've discussed with
[3:08:19] communications to make sure is out there
[3:08:21] just because that certainly has come
[3:08:22] before, but it's a great opportunity to
[3:08:24] say it here loud loudly and
[3:08:27] >> like a little like a little thought
[3:08:28] bubble. Did you know?
[3:08:30] >> Well, you know, one of those story
[3:08:31] boards might we add those up there,
[3:08:34] right? And do we not take the water from
[3:08:37] the well for the flower watering?
[3:08:42] >> We have a stand pipe. I'm not sure if
[3:08:44] we're using that the way we did in the
[3:08:46] past. Maybe we can check that. And we
[3:08:49] >> for flower watering.
[3:08:50] >> We had a stand pipe down coming off the
[3:08:53] lake that we could
[3:08:55] >> Yeah, it comes from somewhere else to
[3:08:57] water the plants.
[3:08:58] >> We actually could fill up our truck to
[3:09:00] water.
[3:09:02] >> Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if they still are
[3:09:03] or I
[3:09:05] >> Yeah, depends on their circuit and
[3:09:08] probably what makes
[3:09:09] >> Yeah.
[3:09:10] >> most little sense cuz I think there's
[3:09:11] one down at the public works yard, too.
[3:09:17] » So, okay. So, that's been that one's
[3:09:21] been moved, seconded, and passed. And
[3:09:24] then moving on to the fees and charges.
[3:09:28] Is there somebody that wants to move it?
[3:09:30] Councelor Tate. Secondary councelor
[3:09:32] Loctenberg. Councelor Tate, give it a
[3:09:35] read.
[3:09:35] >> Yeah, I'm ready. I'm I'm doing all the
[3:09:37] buttons here. Uh that the Nelson fees
[3:09:40] and charges amendment cemetery fees
[3:09:42] bylaw number 3669 be finally adopted.
[3:09:46] >> So, last opportunity, council, any
[3:09:49] questions or concerns regarding that?
[3:09:52] Seeing nobody putting their hand up. All
[3:09:54] those in favor
[3:09:58] and opposed. And that carries. Thank you
[3:10:00] very much.
[3:10:03] Moving on to we get to finally hear from
[3:10:07] Chris Jury, our CFO. So, the chief
[3:10:10] financial officer is going to provide a
[3:10:12] quarter 2 financial update to council.
[3:10:18] >> Yeah. So, um I don't have a presentation
[3:10:20] per se, but I'll go through the document
[3:10:22] you have in front of you that's um eight
[3:10:25] pages, but the, you know, the first page
[3:10:27] is just that first RFD page. Um what a
[3:10:31] couple things that we included this time
[3:10:33] that we hadn't before um is a one-page
[3:10:38] um Q2 update from Nelson Hydro. So,
[3:10:40] that's kind of at the back end of that.
[3:10:42] uh one of the
[3:10:44] uh positives, one of the many positives
[3:10:46] that's come out of bringing in an IT
[3:10:48] manager and I think uh we pointed out
[3:10:51] Mike that was at the back of the room
[3:10:52] and I see Adam Tero's here as well. He's
[3:10:55] our new manager of IT and he'll be
[3:10:57] presenting later in the evening, but you
[3:10:59] can recognize him at the back of the
[3:11:01] room there. Um, one of the uh, positives
[3:11:04] of bringing him in is to focus on the IT
[3:11:06] side of things which allowed um, our
[3:11:10] part-time Nelson Hydro, part-time IT
[3:11:12] manager to focus more on hydro. So, one
[3:11:16] of the things he's providing to us now
[3:11:17] is a bit more of a focused update from
[3:11:20] Nelson Hydro. So you see that each
[3:11:22] quarter from this point forward that he
[3:11:25] can bring that in and he's doing a lot
[3:11:26] of work with Nelson Hydro doing more
[3:11:29] frequent uh forecasting with them and
[3:11:32] really trying to dial in their budgeting
[3:11:34] process. So I think um that's all great
[3:11:36] that he's able to allocate a bit more
[3:11:37] time to that. So this is one of the the
[3:11:39] things you'll see from him. Um, so
[3:11:42] starting kind of on that first page
[3:11:44] there, um, where it says Q2 financial
[3:11:48] update 2026,
[3:11:50] overall position at June 30th, the city
[3:11:52] remains in a strong financial position.
[3:11:55] Revenues are at 64% of annual budget and
[3:11:58] expenses at 48%.
[3:12:00] Um, I just sort of caveat that a little
[3:12:03] bit on both the revenue and expense
[3:12:05] side. you know, we have a lot of revenue
[3:12:07] sources that are very front-loaded that
[3:12:08] will get our taxes and water and sewer
[3:12:10] fees all at the beginning of the year.
[3:12:12] So, we expect that to be on the the
[3:12:13] higher end. Um, and flip side on the
[3:12:16] expenses, you know, we do have
[3:12:18] collective agreements that will bring in
[3:12:20] a wage increase at that midway point in
[3:12:22] the year. So, we would expect to be
[3:12:24] under 50% um, you know, for the most
[3:12:27] part for our expenses. Um, but you know,
[3:12:31] there's other expenses that are heavier
[3:12:33] in the front part of the year and some
[3:12:34] in the later half. So, it's more of on
[3:12:36] the expense side, it's just more of a a
[3:12:38] guideline, a check-in, but sort of
[3:12:40] comparing to where we were this time
[3:12:41] last year is a good uh gauge.
[3:12:46] So, if we uh flip over to the revenue
[3:12:48] side, I'll just kind of focus in that's
[3:12:50] on the third page on a few of the the
[3:12:52] revenue variances and um highlights. uh
[3:12:56] overall revenue as I mentioned is at
[3:12:58] that 64% point. Um you know some of
[3:13:02] those areas that are trending higher
[3:13:04] than 50% sale of services is at 54%. It
[3:13:08] was at 51 last year this time. Um same
[3:13:12] as other revenue at 62% versus 56% this
[3:13:16] time last year. Some of the big drivers
[3:13:19] in there um I see parking coin is up
[3:13:21] about $100,000 from this time last year.
[3:13:24] And some of that could be related to
[3:13:26] timing of when we um you know pull the
[3:13:29] coins out of the meters, when we send
[3:13:30] them down to get counted and come back,
[3:13:32] but not to the tune of 100,000. So, it's
[3:13:35] definitely on the positive side of
[3:13:36] things. Uh 21% of our parking revenue is
[3:13:39] coming from pay by phone. I thought that
[3:13:41] would be an interesting metric. We just
[3:13:44] started um this year really dialing in
[3:13:46] how we're recording that. So, I don't
[3:13:48] have a comparison for you from last
[3:13:50] year, but we will now going forward. So,
[3:13:52] we can kind of look at that 21% and see
[3:13:55] how that's um I would expect growing
[3:13:57] over time.
[3:13:59] Um police have some uh grants and
[3:14:03] special project revenues that have come
[3:14:05] in um for some of the things they're
[3:14:06] working on with the province. Some of
[3:14:08] special investigations.
[3:14:10] Um so that's brought in some revenue
[3:14:12] that's helped offset some of their
[3:14:14] overtime costs and additional labor
[3:14:16] costs. So we'll kind of see that when we
[3:14:19] look at the expense side of things.
[3:14:21] Building permits are up uh 200,000 from
[3:14:24] this time last year. Um and some of our
[3:14:27] internal charges as well. If you recall,
[3:14:30] we increased uh the rental fees that we
[3:14:32] collect down at public works for transit
[3:14:35] and Nelson Hydro to account for the new
[3:14:39] office space that we created there. So
[3:14:40] that's bringing in some additional
[3:14:42] internal revenue, though they are funded
[3:14:44] by other sources, hydro and BC transit.
[3:14:49] Um yeah, other than that, tax revenues
[3:14:51] where we expect it to be. Water and
[3:14:53] sewer fees are at 101% of budget uh due
[3:14:57] to growth. Oh jeez. Just got to remember
[3:15:01] to go to the council meeting tonight.
[3:15:03] [laughter]
[3:15:04] >> You're late.
[3:15:08] » Stay awake. [laughter]
[3:15:10] >> This is where you goes
[3:15:13] in my pocket every 10 minutes. Um and uh
[3:15:18] Nelson Hydro sales are at 49% near the
[3:15:21] midpoint uh slightly below 51% that we'd
[3:15:25] seen in prior years. Um and again we can
[3:15:28] sort of look at that one page report
[3:15:30] from uh Nelson Hydro, but that's you
[3:15:33] know almost entirely just due to
[3:15:35] weather. You have milder
[3:15:37] >> uh winter milder spring then then you're
[3:15:39] going to see decreases in revenues but
[3:15:42] correspondingly we also have a decrease
[3:15:43] in power purchase costs. So those go
[3:15:46] hand in hand.
[3:15:48] Um, flipping over to the expense side of
[3:15:51] things, um, total expenses as I
[3:15:55] mentioned at 48%
[3:15:57] uh, versus 47% at Q2 2025. So very close
[3:16:02] to how they were last year. Uh,
[3:16:04] protective services is at 48%. This is
[3:16:08] below 50% but um, is higher than last
[3:16:11] year's pace which was at 45%.
[3:16:14] So, primarily looking at, you know,
[3:16:16] police wages are higher than they were
[3:16:18] at this time last year. I did mention,
[3:16:20] you know, they do have some special
[3:16:21] project funding they've used to um they
[3:16:24] did have some additional overtime and uh
[3:16:27] they do have some grant funding that's
[3:16:29] um funding one of their positions um
[3:16:32] this year. So, uh you know, there's some
[3:16:35] corresponding revenue and expense side
[3:16:36] of things there. Um but that's one area
[3:16:40] of of focus that I think we'll uh we'll
[3:16:42] be watching. I do have a budget meeting
[3:16:44] set up for them tomorrow. So, we'll go
[3:16:46] through a few of those things and and
[3:16:48] start looking at 2027.
[3:16:50] [snorts] Uh transportation services is
[3:16:52] at 46%.
[3:16:55] Uh you know, that's above the 42% we
[3:16:57] were at last year. Uh again, if you
[3:17:00] recall, we reduced the snow removal
[3:17:02] budget this year by $90,000 and shifted
[3:17:05] that into parks and into our utilities.
[3:17:08] So, it's expected that you'd see that
[3:17:10] trending on the higher side.
[3:17:13] Um, sewer operations is one that is
[3:17:16] probably the clearest operating pressure
[3:17:18] that we're seeing and will have a bit of
[3:17:20] an impact on how we budget for 2027.
[3:17:24] Um, this is largely just due to
[3:17:27] additional repairs, maintenance, and um
[3:17:30] unforeseen [clears throat] um spending
[3:17:33] down at the sewage treatment plant. So,
[3:17:37] um, you know, as we're, you know,
[3:17:40] building out our plan, we see equipment
[3:17:42] failures that are happening earlier than
[3:17:45] we would have expected. Um, so we're
[3:17:47] having to replace some of the equipment
[3:17:48] and parts and things down there to to
[3:17:50] kind of keep things going. Um, I think
[3:17:53] it's important to note that, um, you
[3:17:57] know, the current sewage treatment plant
[3:17:59] is expected to last another 6 to 8
[3:18:01] years. But I think um what I'm seeing is
[3:18:05] that the staff are really doing a good
[3:18:06] job of taking that kind of practical
[3:18:08] life cycle approach to repairing. So
[3:18:11] they're looking at used parts and
[3:18:13] refurbished parts and just making sure
[3:18:14] that we're not investing in something
[3:18:17] that's going to have a much longer life
[3:18:18] than the actual plant itself. So really
[3:18:20] taking a pragmatic approach to it all.
[3:18:23] Um but yes, still there's there's
[3:18:25] failures and things that happen. So, um,
[3:18:27] that's kind of where we're at. Um,
[3:18:30] as far as just keeping that going while
[3:18:32] we replace [snorts] it.
[3:18:34] Uh, water operations is favorable at 46%
[3:18:38] compared to last year. That was a
[3:18:40] challenge for us. We were at 54% last
[3:18:42] year. The crews focused a lot more on
[3:18:44] capital works this year as opposed to
[3:18:46] operating repairs and maintenance. Um,
[3:18:48] you know, doing the Josephine um project
[3:18:51] at the beginning of the year. So, um,
[3:18:53] we're seeing less pressure on the
[3:18:55] operating side.
[3:18:57] And, uh, mentioned Nelson Hydro a little
[3:19:00] bit as well. Um, they're slightly above the midpoint, but they're below
[3:19:05] the 54% we saw last year. And that's
[3:19:07] again the corresponding decrease in
[3:19:09] power purchase costs. uh but they do
[3:19:12] have additional pressures in some of the
[3:19:14] other operating and maintenance
[3:19:15] expenditures but in overall uh trending
[3:19:18] to come in under budget for operations
[3:19:21] maintenance and power purchases.
[3:19:26] That's it for the revenue and expense.
[3:19:29] Um and I know that during the city
[3:19:32] >> library you're not even
[3:19:33] >> Yeah. Well, I haven't got there yet. I
[3:19:35] was going to kind of go Yeah.
[3:19:36] >> Last line of capital piece here. Um, so
[3:19:40] the city manager did a good job in the
[3:19:42] verbal update of touching on quite a few
[3:19:44] of the projects um on the go. We've
[3:19:47] listed most of them here, sort of those
[3:19:49] major projects, where they're at in the
[3:19:52] timeline as far as you know, had we just
[3:19:54] started, are we on budget, are we
[3:19:57] substantially complete? A couple of the
[3:19:59] areas to um that you know staff and
[3:20:03] myself are are keeping an eye on are the
[3:20:06] city hall office elevator sort of
[3:20:09] cooling tower projects. Um cooling tower
[3:20:13] hasn't started yet. Just in the design
[3:20:15] phase of that but as far as the elevator
[3:20:18] I think one of them is completed.
[3:20:21] Budgetwise we're looking a little over
[3:20:23] budget on that project. Um I think last
[3:20:26] check was about trending forecasting
[3:20:29] about 60,000 over budget which would be
[3:20:31] 6% [clears throat] of the total elevator
[3:20:33] project budget mainly due to additional
[3:20:36] fire alarm and electrical requirements
[3:20:38] that um came in higher than expected. Uh
[3:20:41] so we're looking for cost savings in
[3:20:43] other areas of the facilities plan to
[3:20:44] try and keep us all on side there. Um,
[3:20:48] the IT hardware.
[3:20:49] >> Sorry.
[3:20:50] >> What do people think of our new new
[3:20:53] color elevators?
[3:20:56] >> I gotta be honest, it took me a while to
[3:20:58] I felt something's different here.
[3:20:59] [laughter]
[3:21:01] >> Inside the elevator.
[3:21:02] >> Oh, no. At the end of the hallways,
[3:21:04] either end of the hall is painted green
[3:21:05] now.
[3:21:06] >> Let you know that you're at the city of
[3:21:07] Nelson, I guess. Yeah.
[3:21:08] >> Well, yeah,
[3:21:09] >> there was.
[3:21:10] >> Nobody's noticed that. [laughter]
[3:21:12] >> I noticed
[3:21:13] >> patchy portions from the old signs that
[3:21:15] had been ripped out. They're pretty
[3:21:17] >> rough shots. So,
[3:21:19] >> yeah. And and [snorts] the new elevators
[3:21:22] look pretty pretty sharp. They're all,
[3:21:25] >> you know, the just even the the facing
[3:21:27] on the the wall is so
[3:21:29] >> much more modern and new.
[3:21:32] >> Take a look.
[3:21:33] >> Yeah.
[3:21:34] >> I don't know if I want to mention it,
[3:21:36] but I feel like I walked through the
[3:21:37] door and the elevator opened and I was
[3:21:39] like, "Is this
[3:21:40] >> Yeah, [laughter]
[3:21:40] >> that open cuz I came through the door.
[3:21:42] It's your birthday."
[3:21:43] >> Yeah.
[3:21:44] >> Set that up for you. That's fine. That's
[3:21:46] fine. That makes sense.
[3:21:50] » Um, yep. So, that's the city hall
[3:21:52] projects. Uh, on the IT front, hardware
[3:21:55] replacements. Uh, we did have that core
[3:21:58] infrastructure replacement at the
[3:21:59] beginning of the year that we um sent
[3:22:01] notification to all of council about uh
[3:22:04] wanting to put in an order quickly
[3:22:06] before prices escalated. Um, we don't
[3:22:09] have any more major purchases lined up
[3:22:12] for the rest of the year. So, uh, most
[3:22:15] of that happened at in the first
[3:22:17] quarter. Um,
[3:22:19] wastewater treatment plant, I mentioned
[3:22:21] some of the operating and capital, um,
[3:22:23] pressures that they're feeling there.
[3:22:25] That will likely feed into the 2027
[3:22:28] budget and how we kind of look at, um,
[3:22:32] forecasting and, uh, planning that out
[3:22:35] for what that looks like over the next
[3:22:36] few years.
[3:22:38] Uh, NG 911, we mentioned an October 28th
[3:22:41] go live date. Uh that's a 100% grant-f
[3:22:44] funed project and that one's coming in
[3:22:46] well under budget so that's positive.
[3:22:49] Um there's some other major projects
[3:22:51] there too. Yeah.
[3:22:52] >> So when you have a grant to do the work
[3:22:54] and it comes in under budget, do you get
[3:22:55] to keep the money?
[3:22:56] >> You do not. [clears throat]
[3:22:59] >> That'd be a good deal.
[3:23:00] >> I [laughter] was going to say
[3:23:01] >> Yeah. It' be nice if they instead.
[3:23:03] >> Is there something else that we could
[3:23:04] Yeah,
[3:23:04] >> we do encourage you to [laughter]
[3:23:06] >> There must be [clears throat] some other
[3:23:07] part of that project we could
[3:23:08] >> No, they're actually pretty good. like
[3:23:10] they're as you know on the civic project
[3:23:12] um both
[3:23:13] >> I remember that that's what I asked
[3:23:15] >> but NG 911 I think they've been [snorts]
[3:23:19] you know really good in terms of the
[3:23:20] scope of what they've covered so um if
[3:23:24] we're under budget we're quite happy to
[3:23:26] send you
[3:23:27] >> okay
[3:23:28] >> you're happy I'm happy
[3:23:30] >> yeah um so they upfront funded 50% of
[3:23:33] the grant and we've worked through that
[3:23:36] and now we're working into you know a
[3:23:39] point where we'll have additional
[3:23:41] expenditures and then we'll ask for that
[3:23:42] to get funded. So, we won't be returning
[3:23:45] any money, but we just might not be
[3:23:47] entitled to the full the full amount of
[3:23:49] grant funds.
[3:23:51] >> Trying to We're trying to help the
[3:23:52] province out where we can. [snorts]
[3:23:54] [clears throat]
[3:23:56] >> Uh yeah, so there's other projects on
[3:23:57] here listed mainly for facilities,
[3:23:59] transportation, equipment, um purchases.
[3:24:02] you know, we've got a retiring um fleet
[3:24:06] manager who's been very active in making
[3:24:07] sure that we've got all our procurements
[3:24:09] done before he leaves. So, had quite a
[3:24:11] few of those over the last couple
[3:24:12] months. Uh water and sewer projects are
[3:24:14] in budget. And um yeah, I guess just as
[3:24:18] sort of closing for overall for the city
[3:24:20] portion of this, you know, at the
[3:24:22] halfway point, um operating results are
[3:24:25] generally consistent with expectations.
[3:24:28] um you know there's always going to be
[3:24:29] timing differences as far as revenue and
[3:24:31] expenditures but uh we're continuing to
[3:24:34] monitor sort of those um areas I
[3:24:37] highlighted the sewer maintenance uh
[3:24:40] protective services hydro sales again
[3:24:42] there's we can monitor but there's not a
[3:24:44] lot of control we have over that um and
[3:24:47] then some of these capital projects that
[3:24:49] are you know trending a little on the
[3:24:52] higher side we'll we'll try and look for
[3:24:53] savings in other areas of the capital
[3:24:55] budget to offset Yeah,
[3:24:59] >> I'm just curious how we can be on budget
[3:25:02] with sewer main upgrades when we have
[3:25:04] the, you know, CP rail surprise.
[3:25:07] >> Well, we did add some additional
[3:25:11] we added that extra amount that we
[3:25:13] talked about.
[3:25:14] >> We were able to add that on budget.
[3:25:16] >> Finalized the budget and the Josephine
[3:25:18] project came in on budget. So, we did
[3:25:20] quite well on that piece.
[3:25:22] >> Thank you.
[3:25:24] >> Um, so Yep. So then there's the hydro uh
[3:25:27] report as well. I think I've sort of
[3:25:29] touched on a few of those pieces. So I
[3:25:33] didn't have um much uh to kind of add to
[3:25:38] that. Uh like I say, it's revenue and
[3:25:40] power purchases, some of the plant
[3:25:42] maintenance um expenditures as well.
[3:25:46] again, Nathan Russ, the our finance
[3:25:49] manager, who's spending time with Nelson
[3:25:51] Hydro, along with Dan Gesler, the um
[3:25:54] general manager there, um doing a really
[3:25:56] good job of working together and trying
[3:25:58] to um really dial in the budgeting
[3:26:01] process and and do a great job of
[3:26:04] forecasting future years so that they
[3:26:06] can that'll inform uh future budgets.
[3:26:09] So, it's good to have that additional
[3:26:10] resource.
[3:26:12] And yeah, as um as you mentioned there
[3:26:15] um Council Payne, we uh reached out to
[3:26:19] the library as well to see if they could
[3:26:20] provide a midyear report. Um they do one
[3:26:25] quarterly, I think, for the library
[3:26:26] board. So you may see that I don't know
[3:26:30] how the flow works if you actually see
[3:26:32] that in your council package as well,
[3:26:33] but um I thought this was a nice um kind
[3:26:36] of halfyear check-in with the library to
[3:26:39] see where they're at with things. And
[3:26:41] I'll continue to have them provide this
[3:26:43] each year. They'll provide a end of year
[3:26:45] of course when they come and present
[3:26:46] their budget, but having that midyear I
[3:26:48] think is kind of nice way to stay in
[3:26:50] connection with how things are going
[3:26:52] there. Um yeah,
[3:26:55] >> councelor P.
[3:26:56] >> Can I I just want to go back to um
[3:26:58] Nelson Hydro with major storms. Yes.
[3:27:00] >> So what you're saying is currently um
[3:27:03] they're over budget in that area
[3:27:06] >> due to several major storms that we had.
[3:27:08] But the [clears throat]
[3:27:09] you talk about the rural storm budget
[3:27:11] being over is the urban storm budget in
[3:27:15] the same position or has it mainly been
[3:27:18] the rural that's been
[3:27:20] >> yeah they're the most impacted. We don't you know have nearly the impact
[3:27:24] here for urban.
[3:27:25] >> We don't budget for really yeah big
[3:27:28] major storms in the urban area
[3:27:31] >> primarily the rural and to be clear
[3:27:33] they're not currently over budget but
[3:27:35] the trend is it's looking over budget.
[3:27:37] Um but that would assume we have the
[3:27:40] same storms we had in the first half of
[3:27:42] the year and the second half of the year
[3:27:44] which may not happen. So we may end the
[3:27:46] year with not being overbudget. One of
[3:27:49] the things about storm is that it is a
[3:27:52] recoverable expenditure. So if you go
[3:27:55] over your uncontrollable expenses such
[3:27:58] as storm, you can recover that through
[3:28:00] future rates. So that's one of the
[3:28:02] things that BCU allows us to um you
[3:28:05] because it's such a challenge to
[3:28:06] forecast that and there's nothing you
[3:28:08] can really do. So that's one of those
[3:28:10] areas where if you do go over budget,
[3:28:12] it's recoverable in you know in a
[3:28:14] deferral account in future years. So in
[3:28:17] the city when we have those storm events
[3:28:19] and there's branches everywhere is that
[3:28:21] that's dealt with by public works then
[3:28:23] okay that makes more sense. Thank you.
[3:28:27] >> Yeah. Yeah. Anything unless it affects
[3:28:30] the electric utility then it's all
[3:28:32] public works. All that flooding um work
[3:28:34] we've had to do in these storms is
[3:28:37] really on the public works side of it.
[3:28:41] [clears throat]
[3:28:46] Yeah, that's all I have.
[3:28:48] >> Any questions for
[3:28:50] >> Yeah, I'm happy to
[3:28:50] >> CFO.
[3:28:56] Seeing none, if I could have somebody
[3:28:57] move receipt of um his report for
[3:29:00] information. And [clears throat] as you
[3:29:02] saw tonight, uh Chris presented and
[3:29:06] Amy's off on her maternity leave and uh
[3:29:10] don't think she's had a baby yet, but uh
[3:29:12] she's expecting soon. I believe the end
[3:29:14] of August was her due date.
[3:29:16] >> Yep, I think so.
[3:29:18] >> So that was moved. I just want to get it
[3:29:20] moved. So that was by council Panero.
[3:29:21] Seconder is that council lock. All those
[3:29:25] in favor of receiving the report. Thank
[3:29:27] you. And that carries.
[3:29:29] >> Sorry. Yeah, just um yeah, just
[3:29:32] recognition recognizing um you know the
[3:29:37] pretty soon happy event with Amy and we
[3:29:40] certainly miss her here and and Chris
[3:29:42] has had to uh you know fill the shoes of
[3:29:46] a bunch of his senior managers there and
[3:29:50] he's backfilled for most of those
[3:29:52] positions and as I said earlier
[3:29:55] procurement we've gone third party on
[3:29:56] that and so that's something new so Um
[3:30:00] yeah um of course in the finance
[3:30:02] department there's pretty stretched
[3:30:04] right now so um
[3:30:07] may not attend as many uh um other
[3:30:10] meetings as as he has in the past just
[3:30:13] so he can focus on you know rebuilding
[3:30:16] that team of his down there.
[3:30:22] » Okay. So moving on to item 12B.
[3:30:27] Uh, pickle ball.
[3:30:29] >> Freedom City.
[3:30:31] >> Wait, Freedom City. Sorry, I got ahead
[3:30:33] of myself. Put a tick beside it before I
[3:30:35] did it. Um,
[3:30:36] >> you're awarding that to pickle ball.
[3:30:38] >> Yeah. [laughter]
[3:30:40] >> Anyhow, the city of
[3:30:43] >> the city the the city's freedom of the
[3:30:45] city policy has not been updated since
[3:30:47] 2000 and no longer reflects the current
[3:30:49] legislative framework. The attached
[3:30:51] amended policy aligns eligibility,
[3:30:53] voting requirements, and statutory
[3:30:54] effects with section 158 of the
[3:30:57] community charter and staff
[3:30:58] recommendation is that council adopts
[3:31:01] the amended policy. And so I'm just
[3:31:03] going to add to this because this was
[3:31:05] something that basically I brought up
[3:31:07] and it's been on my [clears throat] sort
[3:31:09] of plan as we look at things like the
[3:31:13] sports ambassador and the cultural
[3:31:14] ambassador and the fact that we've now
[3:31:16] um added another cultural um award and
[3:31:19] we have the heritage award and this is
[3:31:21] something that hasn't been given out for
[3:31:22] a number of years. Um, somebody the last
[3:31:26] time I thought it was given out was to
[3:31:28] Sean Lamb in like 2008, but somebody
[3:31:30] told me that we gave it to the Kilties
[3:31:32] in uh
[3:31:33] >> Y
[3:31:33] >> in 2014,
[3:31:36] I think.
[3:31:37] >> That's not on the list, is it?
[3:31:38] >> 2018. 2019.
[3:31:40] >> Oh, it is
[3:31:41] >> 2018
[3:31:43] first year.
[3:31:44] >> Yeah. Anyways, so it's like so they've
[3:31:46] been few and far between sort of in the
[3:31:48] last little bit and then it was always a
[3:31:49] question about whether or not we wanted
[3:31:51] to do this or if we wanted to do
[3:31:53] anything with it. This is before us
[3:31:55] tonight um to at least update the policy
[3:32:00] >> and that that council can have at any
[3:32:03] time a future discussion about whether
[3:32:04] or not they um see this as an award that
[3:32:07] they want to um give out. The other
[3:32:10] thing is is that we could say no, we
[3:32:12] don't want to update this policy and
[3:32:14] perhaps you know one of the options
[3:32:15] obviously is just to remove this policy
[3:32:17] from our our books so to speak going
[3:32:22] forward. The recommendation is um to
[3:32:25] adopt the amended freedom of the city
[3:32:27] policy
[3:32:29] um make bringing it at least in line
[3:32:31] with the um requirements of the
[3:32:34] community charter.
[3:32:37] So, it's been moved by councelor Paige
[3:32:40] and it's been seconded by councelor
[3:32:42] Lockenberg.
[3:32:45] It's like, okay, is he scratching his
[3:32:46] head or is he? And councelor Payne has a
[3:32:49] question. Councelor Payne has a
[3:32:51] question. When when I read this, um, I
[3:32:54] got a very colonial feeling about the
[3:32:58] history of it. So I I love the concept
[3:33:01] of
[3:33:03] um you know having an award for
[3:33:06] exceptional contribution to the city and
[3:33:09] what's behind it. I did look a couple of
[3:33:11] other communities, but I
[3:33:14] um as you say, updating it now to just
[3:33:18] bring it in line with current
[3:33:20] legislation
[3:33:22] may be worthwhile, but at some point in
[3:33:25] time, I think we need to look at it with
[3:33:27] a more
[3:33:28] um decolonializing
[3:33:31] perspective so that
[3:33:34] it's that it goes through a a broader
[3:33:39] um assess ment with different groups in
[3:33:42] the community to make sure that it meets
[3:33:44] the needs of a wider array.
[3:33:50] I'm talking about um diversity, equity,
[3:33:52] inclusion and the indigenous
[3:33:54] perspective.
[3:33:58] So that's my suggestion.
[3:34:02] So um
[3:34:05] it's been moved and seconded. Um, we can
[3:34:08] defeat that motion and refer or
[3:34:12] we can pass it and flag that
[3:34:17] it probably needs to have
[3:34:20] more revision and more update.
[3:34:25] And Council Panero, it's going to go to
[3:34:28] you for discussion.
[3:34:30] >> Sure.
[3:34:30] >> I guess I don't know. I feel like we
[3:34:34] have so many options as far as like
[3:34:36] giving
[3:34:38] people recognition in the community. We
[3:34:40] have awards and different things that
[3:34:43] sort of hit
[3:34:46] different aspects of our community that
[3:34:48] um we have several and this in its
[3:34:53] former iteration anyway is very
[3:34:57] specific
[3:34:58] uh and not
[3:35:02] if it's all the same, like we can adopt
[3:35:05] the new version or whatever, but I don't
[3:35:09] really see the point in it to be honest.
[3:35:11] Like, we don't give it out. We haven't
[3:35:13] given it out in a very long time. And
[3:35:15] it's hard to imagine giving it out again
[3:35:18] when we have, you know, a cultural
[3:35:20] ambassador award, we have a sports
[3:35:22] ambassador award, and we have all these
[3:35:24] other ways of giving recognition to
[3:35:26] people that stand out in the community.
[3:35:28] So it seems a little bit redundant to
[3:35:31] me. So if that if there's staff time
[3:35:33] involved in fixing it, I think you just
[3:35:36] my goal would be just to scrap it.
[3:35:39] >> Okay, I see counselor Tate with her hand
[3:35:42] up.
[3:35:43] >> Hi, thanks so much. Um, yeah, I wanted
[3:35:45] to just bounce off counselor Payne
[3:35:47] because when I read the new version, I
[3:35:49] actually thought that it leaned into um
[3:35:52] a broader ideal um and it's
[3:35:56] um and to speak to councelor Pierro
[3:35:59] where those other um ambassadorship
[3:36:02] awards are and I think we discussed this
[3:36:04] in the past, you know, they're focused
[3:36:05] on a particular aspect of a person's
[3:36:07] achievement
[3:36:09] um and usually early in their careers
[3:36:12] whether it's sports or cultural or
[3:36:14] otherwise or while they're still
[3:36:15] working. What I liked about this is that
[3:36:18] it gave an option for um like a lasting
[3:36:22] community impact and I think I was just
[3:36:25] going to control F. I think the impact
[3:36:27] word is even in there and and I liked
[3:36:30] that um kind of bigger ideal. Um
[3:36:35] and it also in the policy says that it
[3:36:37] doesn't need to be every year and it
[3:36:38] should be used sparingly. And so I think
[3:36:40] it gives that opportunity for a really
[3:36:42] like
[3:36:43] special person who has done something
[3:36:46] special for the community that is unique
[3:36:48] and outside of maybe that those specific
[3:36:51] genres. Um and so I I actually thought
[3:36:53] it did lean into a big a bigger view of
[3:36:56] how to positively impact a community. I
[3:36:59] was happy with the shift in language.
[3:37:02] >> Councelor Paige. Yeah, I'm sensitive to
[3:37:06] how we are inclusive in our awards and
[3:37:10] our activities. I think given the
[3:37:13] medieval history of of this particular
[3:37:16] award, which used to be a ceremony that
[3:37:20] you would hold where people who were
[3:37:23] part of a feudal system, if you lived in
[3:37:26] a city for a year and a day, there was a
[3:37:28] ceremony. You were declared to have
[3:37:30] freedom of the city and that freed you
[3:37:31] from your surfom.
[3:37:33] uh and that slowly became less and less
[3:37:36] of tradition as the concept of of
[3:37:37] people's freedom became more enshrined
[3:37:41] in just the legal framework of where we
[3:37:43] live today and this is a vestage of that still lives on and is reserved for
[3:37:48] an honor. So I wouldn't necessarily look
[3:37:51] to transform this award um because it
[3:37:55] has that history and and kind of keeping
[3:37:57] it there is is is a hearkening back to
[3:38:00] some of the principles that brought us
[3:38:01] here which is in itself colonialism but
[3:38:04] I'm also sensitive to how we create you
[3:38:06] know new recognitions that are
[3:38:08] modernized but this has like a story in
[3:38:11] ancient history and if anything I would
[3:38:14] be curious where the register is kept
[3:38:17] and do we maybe want to put a a little
[3:38:19] bit more um you know dressing and
[3:38:22] decoration around some of those more
[3:38:24] formal pieces because it used to be you
[3:38:26] were on a roll and that role is probably
[3:38:28] more of a voter role and a resident role
[3:38:30] nowadays but it was it was what a city
[3:38:32] would adopt you and say you were allowed
[3:38:34] to to trade and work and live in that
[3:38:37] city and there was no lord somewhere
[3:38:39] that said you had to be on a field out
[3:38:41] there.
[3:38:43] It's [snorts] really interesting
[3:38:44] history.
[3:38:46] counc
[3:38:50] [clears throat]
[3:38:50] >> the other thing I want to bring forward
[3:38:52] is how over the course of this it looks
[3:38:54] like three women out of the entirety
[3:38:57] have um achieved this award so that's
[3:38:59] why I think not only
[3:39:01] >> um that colonial aspect but the you know
[3:39:04] equity inclusion part is something and I don't know how we achieve that I know
[3:39:09] there's some historical
[3:39:11] um trying to think of the word that
[3:39:17] maybe just was the way it was back in
[3:39:20] 1947. I wasn't alive then, but I think
[3:39:23] it it it may it merits I think it merits
[3:39:27] more work. And I I'm sort of thinking
[3:39:29] now that maybe this isn't the award.
[3:39:32] Maybe there is a different award. And I
[3:39:35] don't know what's out there, but I'm
[3:39:36] sure we know lots of people who could
[3:39:38] help us find out.
[3:39:40] >> Well, and I guess at the end of the day,
[3:39:42] we don't have to give out awards. I mean
[3:39:43] there's like we can take I'm just
[3:39:46] thinking about what councelor Panero was
[3:39:48] just saying that um you know it's just
[3:39:51] that this has um been on the has been on
[3:39:55] the books um and I discussed this at a
[3:39:58] previous time when I had a meeting with
[3:40:00] the um culture development officer in
[3:40:04] regards to the new um presentation that
[3:40:07] we have for um for a person within arts
[3:40:11] and culture who has a you know a
[3:40:14] substantive portfolio of work that
[3:40:16] they've achieved in a in a lifetime that
[3:40:18] will be recognition that will be um
[3:40:20] given out not necessarily every year but
[3:40:24] to um [clears throat] look at that
[3:40:26] outstanding contri contributions.
[3:40:29] So, this is another award that
[3:40:31] potentially um is not just in one silo,
[3:40:36] but could be given to somebody that's
[3:40:39] done a lot of contributions, but we
[3:40:41] don't have to have it. Option, one of
[3:40:43] the options there is to actually take it
[3:40:45] right off the right off the books.
[3:40:50] Councelor Payne.
[3:40:52] >> So if we take it right off the books and
[3:40:56] then find something else, we can somehow
[3:40:59] where the next council can propose that
[3:41:03] as one of the possible action items to
[3:41:05] be looked at as we go forward because I agree with you the way this has been
[3:41:11] changed so that it's not specifically
[3:41:14] volunteer. There are a number of
[3:41:16] segments of our community that don't
[3:41:19] have anything in particular like you
[3:41:22] know business really business not for
[3:41:24] profofits social services many of those
[3:41:28] have had
[3:41:30] city changing events and contributors
[3:41:34] >> pardon me
[3:41:35] >> healthcare that's what I mean so there
[3:41:37] there's lots of areas where exceptional
[3:41:40] service has been provided to the city
[3:41:43] that has definitely definitely changed
[3:41:45] the needle and made it a better place to
[3:41:47] be.
[3:41:48] >> Yeah. And when I look at this, I mean
[3:41:49] there's a lot of men here, but I mean
[3:41:50] some of these like talk about
[3:41:51] healthcare, I mean Dr. Morrison got this
[3:41:53] award. I mean we've had sports um Ernie
[3:41:56] Gar won because of his contribution to
[3:41:58] sports. Joan Riker um got her award
[3:42:01] because of her contribution to the
[3:42:02] social service sector. Like in terms of
[3:42:05] these people's names that are on here, a
[3:42:07] lot of them come from a lot of sectors
[3:42:08] that you've just um listed. counselor
[3:42:11] >> paying Sean Lamb obviously arts and arts
[3:42:14] and culture. I would see like you know
[3:42:16] Sean Lamb got this award. I would see
[3:42:18] Shaun Lamb [clears throat]
[3:42:20] >> would have probably been a candidate for
[3:42:21] the new um CDC award, the new the new
[3:42:25] cultural award. So anyways, we've got a
[3:42:28] motion on the table to adopt the amended
[3:42:30] freedom of the city policy. Um do we
[3:42:33] want to take a vote and people can vote
[3:42:36] that however they want and then we can
[3:42:38] try another motion or
[3:42:39] >> vote.
[3:42:41] >> Yeah. So calling the question on the uh
[3:42:45] resolution as it appears. All those in
[3:42:48] favor
[3:42:50] and opposed and that carries. So there
[3:42:54] we go. So that carries and we can leave
[3:42:59] it to the next.
[3:43:01] Um, just that you've all heard my
[3:43:03] thoughts before and that was the fact
[3:43:05] that I thought that perhaps this would
[3:43:06] be something that a council because of
[3:43:08] the fact that you would don't want to
[3:43:09] give this out every year because you're
[3:43:11] looking for special
[3:43:14] people and we're looking for all of
[3:43:16] those things in regards to equity and
[3:43:20] gender diversity and everything else
[3:43:22] that that a council would like a council
[3:43:25] might pick one in a term. So that maybe
[3:43:28] you would look at this award being given
[3:43:29] out every four years. I think we're a
[3:43:31] little bit late in our term here, but I
[3:43:36] think that that would be something that
[3:43:37] we'd want to bring it back so that we
[3:43:38] didn't amend this and then now all of a
[3:43:39] sudden we dropped it off the plate again
[3:43:42] and then it come, you know, 10 years
[3:43:44] from now somebody goes, "Oh, do we need
[3:43:45] to adopt that or adjust it?"
[3:43:49] How's the page?
[3:43:50] >> Do we do we have a physical plaque
[3:43:53] somewhere of these? And I've just missed
[3:43:54] it
[3:43:56] like the registry. I know it's probably
[3:43:57] a book somewhere, but like looking at
[3:44:00] that list, it feels like it's
[3:44:02] >> I don't I don't think we have a formal
[3:44:03] registry. This is the other thing is I
[3:44:05] don't think there's anything
[3:44:07] formal that we've kept that I found in a
[3:44:09] record trying to look in the
[3:44:12] >> in the city
[3:44:13] >> installation somewhere or something at
[3:44:15] the archive.
[3:44:17] >> [clears throat]
[3:44:17] >> I think that probably is the kind of
[3:44:18] thing to go in is to say where where do
[3:44:21] we put this this particular
[3:44:25] award where do we keep track of it?
[3:44:27] Where do we honor that we've given?
[3:44:29] Yeah, the mayor suggested, you know, um
[3:44:33] you know, maybe like even our all of
[3:44:35] former
[3:44:36] >> mayors and counselors, you know, maybe
[3:44:38] doing a, you know, a kiosk that, you
[3:44:41] know, lists all the all those people
[3:44:43] that are sports ambassadors,
[3:44:46] >> uh, culture ambassadors, freedom of the
[3:44:48] city. So, um, you know, there's a, you
[3:44:51] know, if you're interested in that,
[3:44:52] there's a place certainly we can put it
[3:44:55] on a web page and stuff, but maybe when
[3:44:57] you come into city hall, if you're
[3:44:58] interested in knowing who the mayor was
[3:45:00] in 1907, that you can just go to the
[3:45:05] kiosk and find out some of the, you
[3:45:07] know, those important people recognized
[3:45:09] in our community over the years. And it
[3:45:12] could be little posters on the other
[3:45:13] side of the years that they were chosen.
[3:45:15] >> Yeah. But even just tomorrow night, the
[3:45:17] wall we have, I was talking to him about
[3:45:18] the fact that we would get that on some
[3:45:19] kind of like touchcreen or whatever and
[3:45:21] you could look cuz as much as I mean the
[3:45:23] they're getting old and tired out there.
[3:45:25] are a lot of people that come
[3:45:26] down. I see them all the time. It's like
[3:45:29] you know my grandfather was a city
[3:45:31] counselor and they want to go and find
[3:45:33] the picture way down the hall. So I mean
[3:45:36] people do stop and look when the when
[3:45:38] the children come in to visit city
[3:45:41] council. They're like, "Look at look at
[3:45:44] all those old people mustaches."
[3:45:47] [laughter]
[3:45:48] >> So, it they they do seem, but I mean, we
[3:45:50] could we could modernize how we present
[3:45:52] all of that stuff. So, there's lots of
[3:45:53] options on how we can do it when we get
[3:45:55] there.
[3:45:57] Um, so now we're moving on to pickle
[3:45:59] balls and they're not getting the
[3:46:00] freedom of the city.
[3:46:02] >> They're not. [laughter]
[3:46:03] Darn.
[3:46:04] >> I think they're going to be really
[3:46:05] upset.
[3:46:06] >> I'm going to be getting there is going
[3:46:08] to there is going to be emails tomorrow
[3:46:10] to the mayor. Um,
[3:46:12] >> golden pickle.
[3:46:13] >> Yes. [laughter]
[3:46:15] >> So, 12 C. Local pickle ball players have
[3:46:18] asked council to consider improved pickle ball facilities at
[3:46:21] Lakeside Park, including permanent
[3:46:23] courts over the longer term. Staff
[3:46:25] recommend purchasing two temporary net
[3:46:27] systems for the two tennis courts
[3:46:29] already marked for pickle ball.
[3:46:31] >> This approach addresses current demand
[3:46:33] while preserving existing tennis and
[3:46:34] basketball use and maintaining the
[3:46:36] flexibility of the court area.
[3:46:39] So, we all heard them come. Councelor
[3:46:42] Lockenberg, are you moving?
[3:46:43] >> I'll move the option number two
[3:46:45] actually.
[3:46:47] And but um because I also want to ask
[3:46:51] questions about it. I'm not sure if it's
[3:46:52] the best approach, but it's something if
[3:46:56] it is the best approach, that's the one
[3:46:57] I
[3:46:59] >> Okay,
[3:46:59] >> which is
[3:47:00] >> is there somebody that wants to second?
[3:47:02] So option two just for everybody is that
[3:47:05] remove the tennis net adjacent to the
[3:47:07] basketball area and install two
[3:47:10] permanent pickle ball courts and nets.
[3:47:14] Is there a seconder for that? And maybe
[3:47:16] if there's no secondary, you might just
[3:47:17] get to ask your question and
[3:47:18] >> Yeah, that's fine. Maybe it was better
[3:47:20] to ask it beforehand, but
[3:47:22] >> Okay, I'm not seeing a seconder. So I
[3:47:23] think you're going to I'm going to give
[3:47:25] you the
[3:47:26] >> Okay. So my question is it the taking up
[3:47:29] and putting down of nets is potentially
[3:47:32] an unnecessary hassle if the because my
[3:47:37] read from the communities I keep getting
[3:47:39] surprised at how many pickle ball
[3:47:40] players there are. the tennis has
[3:47:43] already quite a bit of options and it
[3:47:46] sounded like from what I heard that
[3:47:47] there's more
[3:47:49] demand for pickle ball at that spot than
[3:47:52] there is even for tennis. Is that is
[3:47:55] that the case?
[3:47:56] >> Uh I wouldn't say that we've found that
[3:47:59] um
[3:48:00] >> answer you
[3:48:01] >> or is it I mean in part [laughter]
[3:48:03] >> the thing you'd have to do to read
[3:48:05] demand is I mean if there's not the
[3:48:07] option then the demand's not going to be
[3:48:08] there but if it was would
[3:48:09] [clears throat] the demand be there? my
[3:48:11] read had been that it probably would be
[3:48:13] like if it's there.
[3:48:15] >> Yeah, there's I think that's been like
[3:48:17] we hear that. Yeah. Yeah. To your point,
[3:48:19] you know, they don't really have an
[3:48:21] option to play down there with the
[3:48:22] exception of the few that have access
[3:48:24] >> to the temporary nets that are there
[3:48:26] now.
[3:48:27] >> Yeah.
[3:48:27] >> Um I would just differentiate that um a
[3:48:30] couple items maybe to help uh color the
[3:48:33] picture that we've tried to draw in this
[3:48:34] report uh thus far. Um, one is that the
[3:48:38] nets that we are looking at are a higher
[3:48:41] grade net than what is currently stored
[3:48:44] in the box down there that some of the
[3:48:46] uh, winter club members have access to.
[3:48:48] >> Um, and they're actually on rollers, so
[3:48:50] they would stay. They'd be very easy to
[3:48:53] slide them into place and then have a
[3:48:55] court going up, take down. Yeah, they're
[3:48:58] just you slide them over, lock the
[3:49:00] casters, boom, you have a like real
[3:49:02] high-end tournament level net and court
[3:49:05] available,
[3:49:06] >> right?
[3:49:06] >> And you would want to lock them away.
[3:49:08] Like would that be part of the
[3:49:09] [clears throat]
[3:49:10] >> Well, we would secure them. So, we we've
[3:49:12] talked about that obviously in
[3:49:13] operations cuz, you know, this is, you
[3:49:14] know, an asset that would be sitting
[3:49:16] there. So, we lock the or sorry, each
[3:49:19] night our our crews go around and lock
[3:49:20] certain things. Historically, we haven't
[3:49:22] locked the tennis courts, but we can.
[3:49:24] Okay. Uh, and because they'd be
[3:49:25] constructed and longer, that would be
[3:49:27] the first step that we would take. We'd
[3:49:28] also explore options if we can just lock
[3:49:30] them against the fence and then they
[3:49:31] stay, you know, put and don't get messed
[3:49:33] around.
[3:49:34] >> So, we'll be exploring options, but we
[3:49:36] do feel like there are options to try
[3:49:38] and keep it secure. Obviously,
[3:49:40] >> somebody who's really motivated can
[3:49:42] figure things out, right? Um, so I just,
[3:49:45] you know, want to say that as far as
[3:49:47] sliding them into place, um, that, uh,
[3:49:50] is actually quite an easy, um, proposal.
[3:49:54] with these nets. And moreover, you get
[3:49:56] to then take advantage of two courts
[3:49:58] because there's actually pickle ball
[3:49:59] lines painted on two of the three tennis
[3:50:01] courts. And so if one was being played
[3:50:03] on and one wasn't, then you could move
[3:50:05] it to either as opposed to having just
[3:50:07] one single or two courts on one court,
[3:50:10] right?
[3:50:11] >> As well, and you know, this is probably
[3:50:13] something that I should have written
[3:50:14] better in option number two is, you
[3:50:17] know, we've said remove the tennis net
[3:50:18] adjacent to the basketball area. You
[3:50:21] know, there is possibility that you
[3:50:22] could move that to the middle court to
[3:50:24] have pickle ball because there is
[3:50:25] basketball nets on either end of the
[3:50:27] tennis court that would ultimately be
[3:50:28] shut down if you're
[3:50:30] >> playing pickle. You can't really play
[3:50:31] basketball when somebody's playing
[3:50:33] tennis there anyways. But
[3:50:34] >> when there's tennis, the nets in the
[3:50:36] middle, you have more of a half court to
[3:50:37] play basketball. Right.
[3:50:39] >> Right. So if you know we could you know
[3:50:42] if council did want to go the permanent
[3:50:45] route um then we could look at that
[3:50:47] middle court and then it would because
[3:50:49] one of the things that staff really
[3:50:51] wants to maintain down here is the
[3:50:54] multi-use of the facility
[3:50:57] >> uh and having those options. So we feel
[3:50:59] like having the tennis courts there it's
[3:51:00] great if you want to play tennis you can
[3:51:02] play tennis with two of the three courts
[3:51:04] you can put the pickle ball nets in and
[3:51:05] you'd have you know two courts available
[3:51:07] there. Plus then we also maintain the
[3:51:09] basketball nets on either end.
[3:51:11] >> Yeah.
[3:51:12] >> All of this is, you know, generally in
[3:51:14] mind to see how this works, see how it
[3:51:16] goes. We do believe that there's demand.
[3:51:18] I think that's pretty clear for anybody
[3:51:19] who's talked to anybody about this.
[3:51:21] >> While there's an opportunity to work on
[3:51:24] what is this sort of more longer term
[3:51:26] solution, which is that you'll see at
[3:51:28] the end of the report, the attachment,
[3:51:30] there's actually the resident proposal
[3:51:32] for permanent courts, right? So some
[3:51:34] gives us time to do some thinking about
[3:51:36] where those possibly could be.
[3:51:38] >> Okay.
[3:51:38] >> We're really focused on keeping um green
[3:51:41] space green space down at Lakeside.
[3:51:43] >> So um be somewhere else, but that's more
[3:51:46] color for the picture.
[3:51:47] >> If I may have a follow-up question to
[3:51:49] that. [clears throat]
[3:51:49] >> Sure. So what I part of what as I was
[3:51:51] thinking this through that I could see
[3:51:53] conflict because you know when I played
[3:51:54] tennis years ago it there would be
[3:51:57] situations where you're in line waiting
[3:51:59] for a court and if you've got the mix of
[3:52:01] pickle ball and tennis you can imagine a
[3:52:03] scenario where some tennis players
[3:52:04] playing and behind them is the pickle
[3:52:06] ball so they come onto the court they
[3:52:08] take over the net and then do you know
[3:52:10] what I mean and then you've got like a
[3:52:12] weird dynamic there where then then the
[3:52:14] next people are want to play tennis or
[3:52:16] those guys then go back in line to play
[3:52:17] tennis then the the net [clears throat]
[3:52:19] has to be moved away and then the tennis
[3:52:20] has to be set up. It just seemed
[3:52:22] unnecessarily complex if both of them
[3:52:25] would be in active use anyways.
[3:52:28] >> Well, when we can look at, you know,
[3:52:30] [clears throat] I think the the portable
[3:52:33] net piece is like that's a high quality
[3:52:36] just as as good of an option as a
[3:52:40] permanent net there.
[3:52:41] >> Yeah.
[3:52:41] >> So, you know, do you you know, then you
[3:52:44] could look at you could designate the
[3:52:46] middle courts as pickle ball.
[3:52:48] >> Yeah. and you know and tennis is on the
[3:52:52] other two courts and if there's
[3:52:54] basketball you know tennis would have to
[3:52:56] share with basketball. Um so I think
[3:52:59] there's some options around reducing
[3:53:02] that conflict that certainly has come up
[3:53:04] as you know are we going to create
[3:53:05] conflict is someone you know like person
[3:53:09] you know two little two teenagers are
[3:53:11] playing basketball and screws up the
[3:53:14] tennis players and and pickle ball
[3:53:16] players and um so that would be
[3:53:19] definitely something we're monitoring is is this working is you know we have a
[3:53:23] vision of multi-purpose
[3:53:26] ideal in the ideal world. But
[3:53:28] >> if it just creates conflict, then and I think the portable nets still give you
[3:53:34] options to say, "Okay, well, we're just
[3:53:36] going to designate this pickle ball.
[3:53:38] It's it's not moving. You can't we'll
[3:53:40] take down the tennis court net and and
[3:53:43] it's a pickle balls court, right?"
[3:53:45] >> And you know, the idea of that multi-use
[3:53:47] and like overcoming those challenges is
[3:53:50] like an important part of shared space
[3:53:52] like that too, right? So that you know
[3:53:54] it's not one camp tennis camp and the
[3:53:56] pickle ball camp and they're all just
[3:53:57] staring at each other, right? It's like,
[3:53:59] well, work it out. You know, this is
[3:54:00] what public access is all about.
[3:54:03] >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, for sure. I
[3:54:05] just can just imagine scenarios where
[3:54:07] you get this lineup of pickle ballers
[3:54:08] and then there's one tennis group in the
[3:54:10] middle of four groups of they come on
[3:54:12] and they move everything out and it's
[3:54:14] just like
[3:54:15] >> anyways, but I trust you guys.
[3:54:17] >> I think it's sort of working now. Um
[3:54:20] like not only is there u people that are
[3:54:23] in club that have the portable net down
[3:54:26] there that they can set up
[3:54:27] >> net
[3:54:28] >> but there's also um yeah people that
[3:54:30] bring their own nets down there and play
[3:54:32] and then there's also people that will
[3:54:33] play over top of the the uh tennis nets
[3:54:38] and I think it speaks to the you know
[3:54:40] this is really intended to keep it
[3:54:43] multi-use by groups sometime you know
[3:54:47] the city's discuss with us about
[3:54:50] A longer term solution sounds good.
[3:54:53] >> And the key here is it's free. This is
[3:54:56] public space.
[3:54:57] >> Yeah. Yeah, totally.
[3:54:58] >> You know, not everybody can belong to
[3:54:59] the tennis club and we heard not
[3:55:01] everybody can afford to belong to the
[3:55:03] pickle ball club. I've got counselor
[3:55:05] Paige and then I've got counselor Tate.
[3:55:07] >> Okay. Like I'm good with whatever is
[3:55:10] flexible. Uh that multi-use piece is
[3:55:13] important. And we had mentioned
[3:55:15] uh RCK staff had already been given some
[3:55:19] direction to look at having some
[3:55:22] additional equipment at the paddle
[3:55:23] center. Um this is going to be
[3:55:26] complimentary or or instead of so just
[3:55:29] to keep that uh just to share that for
[3:55:32] those of us who are at Wreck 5 will have
[3:55:34] heard it but not maybe everybody else.
[3:55:37] Uh, and
[3:55:39] the the basketball courts are so well
[3:55:42] done and the lighting is so good. And I
[3:55:46] would be curious when it comes to those
[3:55:48] tennis courts if we can improve some of
[3:55:50] the light fixtures there. If we're
[3:55:53] spending $6,000 on equipment and if
[3:55:55] there's going to be any kind of
[3:55:56] improvement on lines,
[3:55:58] um, as we go into future season, it is quite they're quite
[3:56:04] superior fixtures on the basketball side
[3:56:07] of things, which both from a lighting
[3:56:09] quality perspective, from an from a
[3:56:11] height perspective and how they light
[3:56:12] the court, I just think it's more
[3:56:14] comfortable when we get into this kind
[3:56:16] of season, which is a lot of the year
[3:56:18] quite honestly at the start and the end
[3:56:19] of the season, just to improve those
[3:56:21] lighting, have one kind of consistent.
[3:56:26] » Yeah, there's some improvements that
[3:56:27] have been identified for the lighting
[3:56:28] down there, such as having it on a
[3:56:30] timer, right?
[3:56:32] >> So that uh you can actually
[3:56:34] >> turn it on and then it goes off and we
[3:56:35] aren't just bathing everything in light
[3:56:37] when there's nobody playing. So also
[3:56:39] good. Yeah, we have some electrical work
[3:56:41] to do down there. So that's something
[3:56:42] that we've discussed in the past.
[3:56:45] >> Council Tate,
[3:56:47] >> thanks so much. um in my recollection
[3:56:50] after that big windstorm there was a
[3:56:52] quite a large um private donation to
[3:56:55] repair the tennis courts and I just
[3:56:56] wanted to make sure that we were um
[3:56:58] looping those folks in if there were any
[3:57:01] permanent changes being made just to
[3:57:03] have those conversations because I think
[3:57:05] that they were well you know I'm open to
[3:57:09] um the multi-use I'm a big fan of
[3:57:11] multi-use but just making sure that
[3:57:13] perhaps there's some discussions that
[3:57:15] can be had there as Am
[3:57:19] I miss am I misremembering?
[3:57:21] >> Well, there's just to be clear, yes,
[3:57:23] thereation, but the city did put in um
[3:57:27] substantial money as as well. So,
[3:57:29] >> Okay.
[3:57:30] >> A private uh individual. Um
[3:57:34] >> Okay.
[3:57:34] >> Yeah.
[3:57:36] >> Okay. Good. Just to and maybe just have
[3:57:39] a quick email. Hey, just if there was
[3:57:41] permanent changes being made, I'm not
[3:57:43] sure what would be the standard and
[3:57:45] likely we've never encountered that
[3:57:46] before, but
[3:57:47] >> boy, for every uh policy, there was a
[3:57:50] reason, right?
[3:57:52] >> Yeah, I Yeah, we've discussed that,
[3:57:54] Councelor Tate. Um and to the city
[3:57:57] manager's point um while we really
[3:57:59] appreciate uh the the support provided
[3:58:02] by uh the family um you know and this we
[3:58:07] did have just sort of cursory
[3:58:09] discussions with them about this and um
[3:58:12] you know I think that this temporary
[3:58:14] solution would fit with you know their
[3:58:18] perspective on it but um you know at the
[3:58:20] end of the day it is a public asset uh
[3:58:22] and so needs to be managed for the
[3:58:25] public. Um, and that's that's sort of
[3:58:27] where we landed on that discussion, but
[3:58:29] we certainly had it internally.
[3:58:33] >> Yeah. Oh, I I agree. It's public asset.
[3:58:35] I just would be curious if if people
[3:58:38] were to find out like through a
[3:58:40] newspaper article or some kind of
[3:58:42] Facebook post, it might feel a little
[3:58:44] bit weird when there's just an
[3:58:46] opportunity just to do that outreach,
[3:58:47] but it sounds like that's already done.
[3:58:49] So, yay. Thanks.
[3:58:50] >> Yep.
[3:58:52] >> Cerate. Um I'm interested is there any
[3:58:55] way that we or how do we monitor use at
[3:58:59] that site?
[3:59:00] >> Yeah. Formally, um
[3:59:04] we don't
[3:59:04] >> I guess we could create a like when you
[3:59:07] go for a hike, we could put a register
[3:59:08] in there and ask people to sign up on
[3:59:10] there.
[3:59:11] >> Something like that, you know.
[3:59:12] >> Is there anything illegal about putting
[3:59:14] a camera there that would just flick on
[3:59:16] every time somebody was using it?
[3:59:17] >> A privacy thing.
[3:59:18] >> Yeah.
[3:59:20] >> Yes.
[3:59:20] >> I'm Yeah. I'm just Yeah. I'm not saying
[3:59:23] to take Oh,
[3:59:25] >> yeah. I [clears throat] hear you. Yeah.
[3:59:27] Like some easy way to count it or
[3:59:29] >> some easy way to like when you drive
[3:59:31] down the road and there's a thing on the
[3:59:32] road and you go over. So maybe I don't
[3:59:35] know. I I think we're making decisions
[3:59:38] without
[3:59:39] >> complete information. I understand there
[3:59:41] is a strong need in the community and
[3:59:43] this sounds like a a great temporary
[3:59:45] solution. I'd also be interested to know
[3:59:48] if 60,000 so a $30,000 net if there's
[3:59:52] two of them, right?
[3:59:54] >> 3,000 or $6,000 for the two.
[3:59:57] >> Sorry. Wow. Obviously read that one
[3:59:59] wrong.
[4:00:00] >> Yeah.
[4:00:00] >> Um Yeah. Will they be able to be reused
[4:00:04] at some permanent site or will they
[4:00:05] always just be
[4:00:07] >> the the quality that we're getting?
[4:00:09] Yeah, they'd definitely be able to be
[4:00:11] reused or continue to be an option down
[4:00:13] there if the permanent site arises, you
[4:00:16] know, just to have those. Um, and you
[4:00:19] know, we've this is something that uh
[4:00:21] we've been talking about for a while
[4:00:23] down there. And so staff um has been
[4:00:27] paying attention, I guess you would say.
[4:00:28] So just anecdotal uh you know, evidence
[4:00:31] about who's using using it. And they do
[4:00:35] find that it's, you know, quite often
[4:00:37] like tennis is is quite busy down there.
[4:00:39] Pickle ball does get played. You know,
[4:00:41] to councelor Lockenberg's uh point too,
[4:00:44] you know, you'd probably see even more
[4:00:45] pickle ball if there were two nets set
[4:00:47] up there. Um but it's something that
[4:00:49] we'll certainly be watching as we go. Uh
[4:00:52] and as far as um getting those
[4:00:56] statistical accounts aren't really built
[4:00:58] for that right now and we'll have to put
[4:01:00] some thought to it to try and understand
[4:01:02] how much use it would see.
[4:01:05] >> Yeah. I want to make sure we're
[4:01:06] investing where
[4:01:07] >> wisely. Yeah.
[4:01:08] >> Yeah.
[4:01:09] >> Use our funds where we're serving the
[4:01:12] greatest number of the population to
[4:01:15] meet the best and highest value. Um, my
[4:01:18] last question is, do we have a ballpark
[4:01:20] of what the two permanent would cost?
[4:01:21] Maybe that's why I got the $60,000.
[4:01:24] >> No, about uh on the court.
[4:01:26] >> No, no, I'm saying to put in two
[4:01:29] permanent
[4:01:30] >> It's about the same. Yeah, we did ran
[4:01:32] the numbers. So, and and realistically,
[4:01:34] these nets are are less expensive. Uh
[4:01:37] the ones that we found uh were two grand
[4:01:39] a piece.
[4:01:40] >> I don't mean permanent nets. Sorry, I'm
[4:01:41] asking the wrong question. Oh,
[4:01:43] >> at some point in time when we do take do
[4:01:47] the work to find out where we're going
[4:01:49] to put permanent
[4:01:50] >> pickle ball courts, do we have a
[4:01:53] ballpark figure?
[4:01:54] >> Be higher than that and it would be find
[4:01:57] grant funding.
[4:02:00] >> Yeah, I did reach out to uh CBT and they
[4:02:02] have funded a number of pickle ball
[4:02:05] courts across the the region. Yeah,
[4:02:07] >> it just did rebel stoke for 180. Rebel
[4:02:10] still got 100.
[4:02:11] >> So more than 60.
[4:02:13] >> Yeah.
[4:02:13] So I don't know when he got
[4:02:15] >> I don't know either. [laughter] I'm
[4:02:16] still trying to figure it out.
[4:02:18] >> And that's probably Well, and I think
[4:02:19] that was a bigger project than almost.
[4:02:21] It might not have just been pickle ball
[4:02:23] courts, but
[4:02:24] >> Okay.
[4:02:24] >> Yeah, they might add other stuff there,
[4:02:25] but I think
[4:02:26] >> it's going to be sight specific.
[4:02:28] >> Yeah. I mean, I think this is really
[4:02:29] just the beginning.
[4:02:30] >> Yeah.
[4:02:31] >> This is a sport that we know is
[4:02:34] >> substantially growing. So, this is a I
[4:02:36] think this is a great initial
[4:02:39] move to make that available,
[4:02:42] >> but we definitely need to move forward
[4:02:46] whenever, but I'm [snorts] sure the next
[4:02:48] council will be talking about. So, let's
[4:02:50] give it a try to get a resolution on the
[4:02:52] floor. So, I
[4:02:55] >> think we moved it. Oh, we didn't.
[4:02:56] >> No, we haven't because um
[4:02:57] >> I'll move the move the main motion.
[4:02:59] >> Okay. And is there a seconder?
[4:03:02] Councelor Payne. So, councelor Paige,
[4:03:06] >> the council direct staff to purchase two
[4:03:08] temporary pickball net systems for use
[4:03:10] at Lakeside Parks.
[4:03:13] The Lakeside Park courts have
[4:03:15] >> been moved and seconded.
[4:03:19] >> Question. Um, should we add for a budget
[4:03:22] of up to $6,000 up to? Yeah.
[4:03:25] >> Yeah.
[4:03:27] >> If they cost more than that,
[4:03:29] >> I think we've we've scouted them.
[4:03:31] They're their
[4:03:33] >> grand piece. We think it's just a matter
[4:03:34] of whether we can get them and whether
[4:03:37] costing will shift. That was being
[4:03:40] conservative.
[4:03:40] >> Yeah, I saw two. Yeah, between two and
[4:03:43] three that you can get high quality.
[4:03:45] >> And is the mover fine with just adding
[4:03:46] up to $6,000?
[4:03:49] >> Super friendly.
[4:03:49] >> Okay, that's great. Then so you have a
[4:03:52] question still. Um just cuz thinking of
[4:03:55] cricket thinking of some of the other
[4:03:57] stuff are we is this the solution or
[4:03:59] we've run this solution past pickle ball
[4:04:01] or the people who have advocated for
[4:04:03] pickball at least before we go do a buy
[4:04:07] uh I've had some informal discussions a
[4:04:10] little bit more um no they they want to
[4:04:15] you know they want to start here they're
[4:04:18] really what their goal is to is to have
[4:04:20] permanent public courts [clears throat]
[4:04:21] and
[4:04:22] >> in Nelson
[4:04:24] um
[4:04:25] they would like two dedicated nets as
[4:04:28] their first option but as I you know as
[4:04:33] the GM and I said the the quality of
[4:04:36] these nets are equivalent to the quality
[4:04:38] of a permanent net um we need to I think
[4:04:42] you have to be open if in the event
[4:04:45] there is conflict and it's not working
[4:04:47] then I think you can still achieve you
[4:04:50] don't need a permanent net to achieve
[4:04:52] that you could just designate a court as
[4:04:55] permanent pickle ball, take the, you
[4:04:56] know, the tennis net down and then it
[4:04:58] would be a a pickle ball court, right?
[4:05:01] So, so I don't think you're going to
[4:05:02] lose all that.
[4:05:04] >> Yeah.
[4:05:04] >> Um I would just like us to circle back
[4:05:08] with the group before we pull a trigger
[4:05:10] on a particular equipment. Just this is
[4:05:12] just see what surfaces.
[4:05:14] >> Yeah, we'll go back to them in terms of
[4:05:16] what net they would recommend.
[4:05:17] >> Buy one, we see how it works. Maybe the
[4:05:19] secondary by two.
[4:05:20] >> No, I think you want to
[4:05:22] one court. They definitely asked for
[4:05:25] two.
[4:05:26] >> Yeah,
[4:05:27] >> you'd just be wasting a court if you
[4:05:28] didn't do two.
[4:05:29] >> Okay, fair enough. I just want us to
[4:05:31] circle back. I don't want it to
[4:05:34] >> be installed show up and then someone
[4:05:36] who's actually playing pickle ball will
[4:05:37] be like well you know it really should
[4:05:38] have been
[4:05:40] >> other product or
[4:05:41] >> we definitely have communicated that we will uh talk to that folks that
[4:05:47] are the experts in this field of what
[4:05:50] they would recommend as the best
[4:05:53] uh
[4:05:55] I guess
[4:05:56] >> can I can I ask one more question before
[4:05:57] we vote
[4:05:59] >> yeah for sure I'm hey I could be here
[4:06:01] all night. [laughter]
[4:06:03] >> I just want to push you just a little
[4:06:06] bit more to make sure that I'm imagining
[4:06:07] this right. These nets, cuz it's not in
[4:06:10] the in the gen package, these nets would
[4:06:12] be just out, right? Like they would
[4:06:15] >> they're on permanent rollers.
[4:06:17] >> Permanent rollers.
[4:06:17] >> You push them off the cord
[4:06:18] >> and they're kind of rolled up and you
[4:06:20] would kind of just like
[4:06:23] >> they're like this.
[4:06:24] >> This
[4:06:25] >> and you just kind of roll them
[4:06:26] >> up against the fence. Yeah. Put them up
[4:06:27] against the fence. have it like crank
[4:06:29] tensioner, like a winch tensioner.
[4:06:31] >> Okay.
[4:06:31] >> So, they're like Yeah, they're very
[4:06:33] >> So, really quick, you just slide it in,
[4:06:34] slide it out.
[4:06:35] >> Slide it in, lock the casters, and
[4:06:37] they're like tournament level. The ones
[4:06:39] that we've scoped out are tournament
[4:06:41] level, like, you know, regulation.
[4:06:44] >> But then the other thing is, wouldn't
[4:06:45] you have to take down the tennis net?
[4:06:47] >> It actually keeps the tennis between,
[4:06:49] >> you know, [clears throat] splits the two
[4:06:50] or anything.
[4:06:51] >> No, no, it splits the Well, there's
[4:06:53] enough room between them.
[4:06:55] >> Yeah.
[4:06:55] >> Okay. So it's not not a danger to be
[4:06:57] like running back and then bang into a
[4:07:00] net.
[4:07:00] >> Well, you have that in pickle ball
[4:07:01] anyway. You have a fence or a wall
[4:07:04] >> in pickle ball.
[4:07:04] >> A lot of movement necessarily.
[4:07:07] >> It's not like tennis like you're
[4:07:08] >> No, there's a lot of movement
[4:07:09] >> but not that kind.
[4:07:10] >> But you have got it.
[4:07:12] >> You already have that barrier. You have
[4:07:13] a a fence and the ones up there.
[4:07:15] >> Sure. Okay.
[4:07:16] >> There's a fence behind you, right?
[4:07:17] >> Yeah. It sounds
[4:07:18] >> in Mary Hall. There's a wall behind you.
[4:07:21] >> Yeah. Yeah. I know that
[4:07:22] >> there's enough room.
[4:07:23] >> Sounds like you guys got to check it
[4:07:25] Yeah, there's enough room for for that
[4:07:27] space. Cool.
[4:07:30] >> Okay, motion's been moved and seconded.
[4:07:34] All those in favor
[4:07:37] and opposed
[4:07:39] and that carries. Okay, moving on to
[4:07:43] 12D, the civic um center. So, this is
[4:07:47] our interim um risk mitigation strategy.
[4:07:50] Council is being asked to confirm its
[4:07:52] policy direction to continue operating
[4:07:54] the civic arena and indoor soccer
[4:07:55] facility as important community
[4:07:57] recreation assets while long-term
[4:07:59] capital planning and funding efforts
[4:08:01] continue for future facility upgrades.
[4:08:03] Council is also being asked to adopt the
[4:08:05] roof monitoring and risk mitigation
[4:08:07] program as the framework used to manage
[4:08:09] winter roof load risks and support safe
[4:08:11] occupancy of both facilities. The
[4:08:14] program establishes monitoring,
[4:08:16] inspection, recordkeeping, operational
[4:08:19] response measurements, communication
[4:08:21] protocols, and authority for temporary
[4:08:23] restrictions or closures when warranted
[4:08:25] by conditions.
[4:08:27] This approach is consistent with the
[4:08:28] facility strategy and asset management
[4:08:30] principles discussed with council during
[4:08:32] the 2026 budget process while
[4:08:35] recognizing that aging facilities may
[4:08:36] continue to operate where risk can be
[4:08:38] appropriately monitored and managed to
[4:08:40] long-term renewal or replacement
[4:08:41] solutions are planned and funded. The
[4:08:44] recommendation balances public and
[4:08:46] employee safety, community recreation
[4:08:48] needs, surface continuity, responsible
[4:08:51] asset management and financial
[4:08:53] stewardship.
[4:08:55] So we have a report there. We talked
[4:08:57] about this in previous seasons
[4:09:01] and there is a recommendation there.
[4:09:06] >> Council Loenberg, is there a secondary
[4:09:07] of the recommendation? Councelor Panero.
[4:09:11] Council, any discussions?
[4:09:15] » I just want to you have the engineer
[4:09:18] report.
[4:09:19] >> [snorts]
[4:09:19] >> Um,
[4:09:21] and we just want to be clear that
[4:09:23] certainly the structural engineer has
[4:09:26] said that roof is so underbuilt at
[4:09:29] current um current snow loads even
[4:09:32] though there's no sign of distress at
[4:09:34] the present time that they weren't
[4:09:37] comfortable of saying you can just keep
[4:09:39] monitoring it and not address it. So the
[4:09:42] strategy is an interimm strategy. we
[4:09:45] will um apply for grants to uh do the
[4:09:49] structural upgrade um
[4:09:50] >> civic arena,
[4:09:52] >> right?
[4:09:52] >> On the civic arena on the arena. Um, so
[4:09:55] [clears throat] we just, yeah, just want
[4:09:56] to be clear that everyone is aware that
[4:10:00] certainly the engineer developed what
[4:10:02] that monitoring program looks like and
[4:10:05] including inspections each year, but um,
[4:10:09] certainly has identified that they
[4:10:11] couldn't sign off on that's a permanent
[4:10:14] solution.
[4:10:18] Okay, seeing nobody's hand up.
[4:10:23] Um,
[4:10:24] >> council,
[4:10:25] >> sorry, I have a question.
[4:10:26] >> Thank you.
[4:10:28] >> Thanks. Um, so do I understand correctly
[4:10:31] that the program is that mitigation plan
[4:10:33] from 2024 and we're we're just
[4:10:37] reaffirming our
[4:10:39] approval of that that program or is
[4:10:41] there a new differently documented
[4:10:43] program?
[4:10:44] >> No.
[4:10:46] >> Okay.
[4:10:46] >> It's from uh 24 and then we use that
[4:10:49] adapted it for the soccer facility after
[4:10:51] that. U okay uh assessment was
[4:10:54] completed. So
[4:10:56] >> same uh broadstrokes uh process of
[4:11:00] monitoring have um threshold depths of
[4:11:03] snow that we monitor for when it gets
[4:11:06] near those we consider what our actions
[4:11:09] are. when they hit those thresholds or
[4:11:11] just before they do we close the
[4:11:13] facility to all personnel uh you know
[4:11:16] significantly exceeds then we will do a
[4:11:19] more thorough inspection prior to
[4:11:21] reopening the facility.
[4:11:23] >> Uh those same basic tenants are there
[4:11:26] from the 2024 plan and this getting
[4:11:29] council to um
[4:11:31] >> you know have this be a council policy.
[4:11:35] [clears throat]
[4:11:36] >> Okay. It is it written is there a policy
[4:11:39] written down somewhere? I'm I'm miss I'm
[4:11:41] just trying to understand the
[4:11:42] attachments honestly. It is it'll be an
[4:11:45] internal document and it's not written
[4:11:47] yet. It's going to be based on that 2024
[4:11:49] one and extended to the soccer pitch but
[4:11:53] it's not actually cap like it's not
[4:11:55] actually in these documents the new
[4:11:57] program.
[4:11:58] >> Uh well we are just using the existing
[4:12:01] program.
[4:12:03] >> Gotcha. Okay. So the 2024 one we're just
[4:12:06] reaffirming that and extending it to the
[4:12:08] soccer.
[4:12:10] >> Yes, we are to for council. This is um
[4:12:14] you know the Marchie case would be a
[4:12:16] good example of of why we are here. So
[4:12:18] that this isn't a staff decision or
[4:12:21] couldn't be conceived to be a staff
[4:12:22] decision to operate like this. So this
[4:12:25] >> okay
[4:12:26] >> we are looking for council to provide
[4:12:28] direction to staff to use this uh uh
[4:12:31] approach to manage the facilities in lie
[4:12:35] of you know until we are able to upgrade
[4:12:37] the civic arena roof and um you know the report speaks to it but the
[4:12:43] engineering uh um report for the soccer
[4:12:47] center came back and did not recommend
[4:12:49] an upgrade. It did identify that it was
[4:12:52] underbuilt to today's compared to
[4:12:54] today's snow loads, but that it doesn't
[4:12:56] show any signs of stress and there um
[4:13:00] you know has performed sufficiently over
[4:13:02] its lifetime. So there was not that
[4:13:05] recommendation for an upgrade that there
[4:13:07] was on the civic arena. We still operate
[4:13:10] them in the same manner to you know uh
[4:13:13] ensure safety of participants and staff.
[4:13:16] Um, but this is the the route going
[4:13:18] forward and staff is looking for counsel
[4:13:21] to direct us and essentially make
[4:13:24] >> Thank you. And do so would I would it be
[4:13:27] the case then that after if this
[4:13:29] decision was approved then there would
[4:13:31] be a new actual policy with a policy
[4:13:34] number or just this agenda item. This is
[4:13:38] how we do it. This is our approach.
[4:13:39] Here's our rationale. Council approved
[4:13:41] it. I'm just curious. Just to clarify,
[4:13:45] you are [clears throat]
[4:13:46] approving that mitigation plan for the
[4:13:48] civic arena. So, it's the
[4:13:51] >> um I guess for a lack of a formal
[4:13:54] policy, that is your policy on how we're
[4:13:57] going to manage this
[4:13:58] >> building. And I agree. I think we should
[4:14:01] formalize it in an actual policy that is
[4:14:04] adopted by council. So, for now, this is
[4:14:08] that is your policy and we'll formalize
[4:14:10] it into a a proper policy. So it's
[4:14:13] clear. It should not be unclear.
[4:14:16] >> Thank you.
[4:14:19] » Okay. Seeing no council page.
[4:14:23] >> Sorry.
[4:14:25] Um
[4:14:26] right now as the language is, we're just
[4:14:29] contemplating how we're going to set
[4:14:32] direction for future funding and
[4:14:34] long-term capital planning for the roof
[4:14:36] itself. But there needs to be a bit of a
[4:14:39] needs to be a strategic plan about the
[4:14:41] investment in the building completely uh
[4:14:44] or at least that side of it. So, it's
[4:14:46] like how do we
[4:14:48] decide long term what we're doing with
[4:14:51] the the improvements from everything to
[4:14:54] change rooms to outside facades to
[4:14:57] reinforcement if there's solar panels on
[4:14:59] the roof to like I'm I'm throwing some
[4:15:02] lobsters out on the table both as
[4:15:04] serious and unserious pieces like what
[4:15:06] is the contemplation of that footprint
[4:15:08] long term if this is going to be here
[4:15:10] for a hundred years even the
[4:15:12] conversations about the allocation we do
[4:15:15] with correct that is used to basically
[4:15:17] define costing for rental fees is is
[4:15:21] potentially not sufficient to put this
[4:15:24] building anywhere after 25 years where
[4:15:26] we could really make the investments and
[4:15:27] means it's still an asset 80 years from
[4:15:30] now if that's if it's the last historic
[4:15:32] heritage arena that's still in operation
[4:15:35] of its kind you know what is the very
[4:15:38] long-term plan for it and before we're
[4:15:40] looking for $12 million to replace a
[4:15:42] roof
[4:15:43] >> well Um
[4:15:45] >> I'm just
[4:15:45] >> at this Yeah. At this point um in your
[4:15:49] facility
[4:15:51] uh plan that you adopted this building
[4:15:54] would be just maintained would not be
[4:15:57] improved. Um so that's where that's the
[4:16:00] current plan. If you want to change that
[4:16:03] then you've shown you know what the
[4:16:07] implications over the 10 years. Uh once
[4:16:10] we get past that 10 years, we start to
[4:16:13] uh hopefully generate uh you know enough
[4:16:17] funds to start to renew buildings and
[4:16:20] you'll have to you know this building
[4:16:23] can be in the mix of it. So
[4:16:25] realistically over this next 10 years
[4:16:28] unless there's a change in in funding uh
[4:16:32] i.e. uh significantly more taxation from
[4:16:36] some party or a large grant, then you're
[4:16:39] maintaining this building as is. And
[4:16:42] we're dealing with, you know, those
[4:16:44] structural components of the of the
[4:16:46] building, you know, HVAC, ro grooves, uh
[4:16:48] in this case, some structural
[4:16:50] deficiencies. But again, this is
[4:16:52] contingent on getting a grant for those
[4:16:55] structural deficiencies. So, we're
[4:16:57] trying to buy some time. Um, in 10 years
[4:17:00] time, unless something's changed in that
[4:17:03] 10-year period, then, um, we're going to
[4:17:06] maintain this building as is, uh,
[4:17:09] hopefully get a grant to, um, you know,
[4:17:12] deal with the roof. And that gives you
[4:17:15] capacity to decide what you want to do
[4:17:17] going forward.
[4:17:18] >> Yeah, I I support where we're at right
[4:17:21] now. I support affirming the policy. I
[4:17:24] support buying some time in the
[4:17:26] subsequent years of us buying time.
[4:17:28] >> Yeah.
[4:17:28] >> You know, is it interesting to maybe
[4:17:31] have an arena foundation if the
[4:17:35] community wanted to form one? Could we
[4:17:37] contemplate how we might set forward a
[4:17:39] garden path for that to happen where
[4:17:42] we're not necessarily chasing the cost?
[4:17:44] But if the community starts to show up
[4:17:46] and is able to contribute some sort of
[4:17:48] meaningful, we're able to match or more
[4:17:50] effectively match and have a longerterm
[4:17:51] vision for it as [snorts] opposed to
[4:17:54] waiting the 25 years it'll take to get
[4:17:56] on the front side of our $80 million
[4:18:00] capital uh liabilities that we have. I
[4:18:03] just before we just fix this one big
[4:18:06] thing and chase one grant for one thing,
[4:18:08] I'd like to know where the building is
[4:18:10] going and I'd like to think about how we
[4:18:12] enable that.
[4:18:14] >> Yeah, I think that's a yeah, it doesn't
[4:18:16] take very long for 10 years to go by.
[4:18:18] So, um you just start contemplating what
[4:18:23] you know what the future of this
[4:18:24] building is. We're buying time at at the
[4:18:27] present time. And part of buying time is um the engineer said we need to
[4:18:33] actively be searching for grants for
[4:18:35] this and um or you need to they're not
[4:18:40] willing to sign off and you're looking
[4:18:42] at bigger risk. U if there was an event
[4:18:46] there and and you got an engineer that
[4:18:48] said we said this was not a permanent
[4:18:51] solution and you as council chose to
[4:18:54] just ignore my advice and and try try to make a interimm strategy
[4:19:02] a long-term strategy and you know
[4:19:04] recommend that and you know we you know
[4:19:06] we're not engineers but um you know the
[4:19:12] I guess what gives us some comfort is
[4:19:14] we're not seeing any um or the engineers
[4:19:17] wasn't seeing any um um structure or
[4:19:21] stress on that structure but they also
[4:19:23] pointed out there's been failures
[4:19:25] elsewhere with similar type of uh under
[4:19:30] um live load conditions in other places.
[4:19:34] I think uh Prince George had a failure,
[4:19:36] Cranberrook had a failure. So
[4:19:39] >> again,
[4:19:39] >> yeah, these are, you know, they're not
[4:19:41] just making things up. They can fail.
[4:19:44] >> Mhm. I get that.
[4:19:47] >> Okay, seeing no other hands. I'm going
[4:19:51] to try this again. Council Tates, there
[4:19:54] are no hands. Okay.
[4:19:58] Um,
[4:19:59] yeah. So, it's been the recommendation
[4:20:01] has been moved and seconded. All those
[4:20:04] in favor
[4:20:06] and that carries. Thank you everybody.
[4:20:09] And now we are on to I think
[4:20:13] reports, minutes and
[4:20:16] reports. So, we do minutes first.
[4:20:19] >> Move receipt. And so, Councelor
[4:20:22] Lochenberg has moved receipts of the
[4:20:25] Nelson Public Library Board and the
[4:20:26] Nelson Housing Committee. Is there a
[4:20:28] seconder?
[4:20:30] Seconded by Councelor Panero.
[4:20:33] Um, any concerns, questions regarding
[4:20:36] either of these two sets of minutes?
[4:20:40] Seeing none, it's been moved and
[4:20:42] seconded for receipt of information. All
[4:20:44] those in favor?
[4:20:46] Opposed? And that carries.
[4:20:50] Moving on to reports. [snorts]
[4:20:52] So, I'm going to go slowly through this
[4:20:54] because last time I
[4:20:57] asked and we had it all passed and then
[4:20:59] people wanted to pull out. So, seeing
[4:21:02] items one through five,
[4:21:06] is there any of those items that anybody
[4:21:08] wishes to remove
[4:21:11] from the information items report at
[4:21:14] this time? Councelor Payne, what are you
[4:21:17] looking to remove? So if I have
[4:21:19] questions on them, I need to remove
[4:21:20] them.
[4:21:21] >> Yes. So which like one, two, three,
[4:21:23] four.
[4:21:24] >> Three and four.
[4:21:26] >> You're saying of one to five?
[4:21:27] >> Oh, one to five. So hopefully you're
[4:21:29] looking at the same thing I am.
[4:21:30] Development services, corporate
[4:21:32] services,
[4:21:34] >> services council agenda.
[4:21:36] >> No,
[4:21:37] I'm in correspondent.
[4:21:39] >> So you're in item number three.
[4:21:41] Corporate services.
[4:21:42] >> Yes.
[4:21:43] >> You want to set that aside. Okay. So
[4:21:45] then if I could ask for a motion to
[4:21:48] receive for informations item 1, 2, 4,
[4:21:52] and five.
[4:21:55] Moved by councelor Lockenberg. Is there
[4:21:57] a seconder?
[4:21:58] Moved by councelor Panero.
[4:22:01] One more chance. Anybody? Everybody's
[4:22:03] okay. So we're going to move one, two,
[4:22:06] four, and five for information. All
[4:22:09] those in favor?
[4:22:13] And that carries. Okay. Item three,
[4:22:16] corporate services council
[4:22:17] correspondence has been requested to be
[4:22:20] removed for further discussion.
[4:22:23] Councelor
[4:22:25] Payne.
[4:22:27] Um I number three invitation to the
[4:22:29] Gutney Tourism Summit. Um I'm just
[4:22:33] assuming that there will be a staff
[4:22:34] member attending that event.
[4:22:39] » That's probably something more
[4:22:41] interesting like
[4:22:42] >> tourism would go to
[4:22:43] >> or something. Um, we don't, you know,
[4:22:46] I've attended, uh, I know they had one
[4:22:48] in Rosland that I attended, but I don't,
[4:22:52] there's not a natural staff person that
[4:22:54] would go to this. Probably either
[4:22:56] tourism or or economic development would
[4:22:59] might send somebody.
[4:23:01] And um I'm just interested a number for
[4:23:04] the Dutch elm disease survey which was
[4:23:07] completed in the first couple of weeks
[4:23:10] of
[4:23:12] >> do we know when we'll see the results
[4:23:14] from that?
[4:23:15] >> No. And I actually sent uh earlier today
[4:23:18] an email um to operations to say hey did
[4:23:22] I never really did did you see anyone
[4:23:24] around and have we heard back? So when I
[4:23:27] hear back um I'll let you know or Yeah.
[4:23:31] And other than the newsletter, I didn't
[4:23:33] really see a communication. Was that the
[4:23:36] um one part in that correspondence said
[4:23:39] there would be a communication out to
[4:23:41] folks in case people asked us what those
[4:23:43] guys were doing? But so the newsletter
[4:23:46] was it okay?
[4:23:49] >> Yes.
[4:23:51] >> The Dutch are are you speaking of the
[4:23:53] Dutch?
[4:23:53] >> Yes.
[4:23:54] >> Okay. I don't know. It's
[4:23:57] >> the newsletter. Yeah. And then uh cuz
[4:23:59] that was coming via the
[4:24:01] >> and the link didn't work in the
[4:24:02] newsletter that I guess that's why it
[4:24:03] was problematic for me.
[4:24:05] >> Okay.
[4:24:07] >> Yeah.
[4:24:07] >> But we didn't get a request. We didn't
[4:24:09] get any emails.
[4:24:11] >> I didn't see anybody. I'm just wondering
[4:24:12] whether or not I'd be interested to see
[4:24:14] whether you got your reply back. And
[4:24:15] this ministry has been very um busy in
[4:24:20] terms of fire um and work that they're
[4:24:24] doing. and maybe they um weatherwise
[4:24:27] didn't quite get here. So
[4:24:30] >> as a consultant they had
[4:24:31] >> cuz they got in touch with us back in 24
[4:24:34] saying they were going to be coming
[4:24:35] around
[4:24:36] >> and they
[4:24:36] >> and I know I talked to invasive species
[4:24:38] about this like two years ago that
[4:24:41] >> Dutch elm because
[4:24:42] >> we do we do want to know because we have
[4:24:44] a lot of Dutch elms here and it would
[4:24:46] make a big difference in a couple of our
[4:24:48] parks if we suddenly had to start
[4:24:50] cutting down the trees because that's
[4:24:52] really the only mitigation for Dutch elm
[4:24:54] if it takes hold is to actually remove
[4:24:57] and destroy the in its totality.
[4:25:01] It's my understanding.
[4:25:05] » Just wondering. So, we don't know if
[4:25:08] they were here and we'll just wait until
[4:25:10] we get a report.
[4:25:12] >> Yeah.
[4:25:12] >> Okay.
[4:25:14] Anything else?
[4:25:19] Um, number 10, the letters to uh the
[4:25:23] federal and the provincial minister of
[4:25:25] housing, Gregor Robinson and Christine
[4:25:27] Bole. Um, excellent letters. Thank you
[4:25:29] very much. The only question that I have
[4:25:32] is when a letter like that goes out, it
[4:25:34] says a letter from mayor and council,
[4:25:37] but I don't remember seeing the letter
[4:25:39] prior to it going. So, how does that
[4:25:43] work? Help me understand. We have a
[4:25:46] policy. [clears throat]
[4:25:47] We have a policy. So unless it's asking
[4:25:49] for something or we are [clears throat]
[4:25:51] providing something, the policy says
[4:25:53] that it doesn't come to council even
[4:25:55] though it may have the mayor or council
[4:25:58] signature on it.
[4:25:59] >> Was this the one that came up through
[4:26:02] council? Yeah.
[4:26:03] >> No, this
[4:26:04] >> which one is this different?
[4:26:08] [snorts]
[4:26:08] >> Um it it covered a a lot. It like it was an excellent letter.
[4:26:14] I think we I think it came out of that
[4:26:17] and
[4:26:19] >> there was a previous letter. Oh, about
[4:26:21] the housing fund.
[4:26:23] >> Yeah. No, there's the housing fund one.
[4:26:24] This is the one that was about the fact
[4:26:26] that
[4:26:27] >> the this is about the DDC's and the the
[4:26:30] whatever. And so this was this was
[4:26:33] driven by
[4:26:33] >> came from council is what you're saying.
[4:26:35] >> It came from council. The request to
[4:26:36] have
[4:26:37] >> it as I said was great. Just wanted to
[4:26:39] understand it so it goes to the policy.
[4:26:41] That's the answer that I need.
[4:26:42] >> Yeah. just to add some addition to that.
[4:26:45] They have reached out to us now to
[4:26:47] discuss further um their ideas around
[4:26:50] this. So I think we're going to meet uh
[4:26:53] the week of I think the 31st or the 1st.
[4:26:56] We're going to have a session with FCM
[4:26:59] to talk about what we were um yeah those
[4:27:02] ideas that we shared in that letter were
[4:27:05] >> great. Yeah. No, there was a lot of
[4:27:07] really valuable information shared and
[4:27:10] requested. So, I think I hope that will
[4:27:12] move forward. Um, and I did have one
[4:27:14] more piece of correspondence that wasn't
[4:27:16] in the package. Do I have to ask about
[4:27:18] that at a separate time? [clears throat]
[4:27:21] >> Well, none of us,
[4:27:22] >> everybody got it. It was one of the, you
[4:27:25] know, two mayor and council ones.
[4:27:29] >> That's not on here.
[4:27:30] >> Well, it wouldn't They're not
[4:27:32] >> It was It was one of the email ones.
[4:27:33] Like, I'm still trying to sort out the
[4:27:36] >> They're not on here right now. Okay.
[4:27:41] So that's I guess that's what I'm trying
[4:27:42] to understand. So what I have been
[4:27:44] noticing which we discussed this evening
[4:27:48] earlier today is that letters that used
[4:27:51] to just come to us and I'm not sure
[4:27:54] where they went if we weren't reaching
[4:27:56] out and then they started to get
[4:27:57] responded to because they were
[4:27:59] operational and it was from staff and we
[4:28:02] were getting copies of that. So this is
[4:28:05] one that I didn't see a response to. So,
[4:28:08] I'm just trying to understand if it was
[4:28:10] responded to. How do I do that? We
[4:28:13] probably need to at this point right now
[4:28:17] connect with either myself, one of the
[4:28:19] three of us, and figure out probably me
[4:28:23] since I'm responsible for correspondence
[4:28:25] and um we can have a conversation about
[4:28:28] it.
[4:28:29] >> Okay. It may have been followed up on. I
[4:28:31] don't even know. And you may not have
[4:28:33] been CCD on it to date. And and the
[4:28:36] reason that I ask is when people send
[4:28:40] their correspondents as we know they're
[4:28:42] hoping that we will take some action
[4:28:44] [laughter] on it. So we seem to I
[4:28:47] believe action is being taken on many of
[4:28:49] these things which is great but if I
[4:28:52] don't know that and somebody else asks
[4:28:54] me it's harder to you know then all of a
[4:28:58] sudden it's it's email here and email
[4:29:00] there and go there. So the CCing is
[4:29:02] really optimal. So that was the sort of
[4:29:05] the discussion maybe after you left is
[4:29:07] how do we create a system that
[4:29:10] >> um that you're aware of that and there's
[4:29:12] discussion from do we just create a
[4:29:14] >> sort of give you access to you know to
[4:29:18] that database for a lack of a better
[4:29:20] word that if you're interested you can
[4:29:23] go have a look if counselor
[4:29:25] >> and we have been getting a lot of those
[4:29:27] emails we've been getting a lot of those
[4:29:28] emails of the responses for the last
[4:29:30] maybe two two and a half months I think
[4:29:32] that makes sense. Yeah. So,
[4:29:34] >> we're just looking at how we provide
[4:29:36] that information and streamline it.
[4:29:38] >> So, in this particular case, I can just
[4:29:40] forward this email to you and say, "Can
[4:29:42] I please see the response or was there a
[4:29:46] response or Yeah,
[4:29:48] >> yeah, we'll we'll we'll figure it out."
[4:29:50] >> Okay. Thank you. That's
[4:29:51] >> all I brought it for so I can
[4:29:53] understand. And that was I knew there
[4:29:55] was a presentation, but I didn't have
[4:29:57] all the details. So, that's it for me in
[4:29:59] correspondence. Thank you very much.
[4:30:01] There was a lot there. So, councelor um
[4:30:04] Paige is moving item um councelor Payne
[4:30:08] is moving item three. Is there a
[4:30:10] >> seconder
[4:30:12] receipt
[4:30:13] >> for receipt of information? Councelor
[4:30:15] Lockenberg.
[4:30:17] So, all those in favor of item three
[4:30:22] receipt of information and that carries.
[4:30:25] Thank you everybody.
[4:30:28] So
[4:30:30] and
[4:30:31] yeah great. So moving on
[4:30:36] any minutes reports
[4:30:38] motion late items. Item 16 resolution to
[4:30:42] closing the meeting to the public. It is
[4:30:44] of the opinion of the council that the
[4:30:45] public interest requires that persons
[4:30:47] other than members of council and staff
[4:30:48] and any approved audiences be excluded
[4:30:51] from this meeting and that the special
[4:30:53] closed meeting of council continue under
[4:30:55] sections 90 1 C D and G of the community
[4:31:02] charter to deal with matters related to
[4:31:03] the following labor relations security
[4:31:05] of municipal property litigation or
[4:31:08] potential litigation affecting the
[4:31:10] municipality. Is there a mover? Moved by
[4:31:12] councelor Paige, seconded by councelor
[4:31:15] Blockberg. Councelor Page, you have a
[4:31:16] question.
[4:31:17] >> We have a ecooter update in the agenda.
[4:31:20] >> The reports in the
[4:31:22] >> It was in the reports.
[4:31:23] >> Was in the correspondence
[4:31:26] to be in
[4:31:27] >> No, it was number five as well.
[4:31:29] >> Yeah, it was number five in the that we
[4:31:32] passed.
[4:31:33] >> Okay, great. That says memorand says a
[4:31:35] memo from I guess the police. Yeah,
[4:31:38] there's a whole
[4:31:39] >> looked like a
[4:31:44] part of the
[4:31:45] >> package. Okay,
[4:31:51] » you
[4:31:52] >> Yeah, no, that's fine. I just I I saw it
[4:31:54] and I was wondering if this is like
[4:31:55] meant to be for a future agenda because
[4:31:58] it
[4:31:58] >> Okay.
[4:32:02] » So, we've moved and seconded item.
[4:32:05] Sorry, who seconded it? Sorry,
[4:32:07] >> I did.
[4:32:08] >> Council Dr. B.
[4:32:09] >> Okay, thank you.
[4:32:11] >> Um,
[4:32:12] all those in favor
[4:32:15] >> and maybe we can
[4:32:16] >> and that carries.
[4:32:19] >> Maybe we can just order these so that
[4:32:21] some stuff I we can do the
[4:32:24] >> up the shelter operations.
[4:32:26] >> Yeah. Can we um can we So, it's been
[4:32:28] moved and seconded. All everybody's in
[4:32:30] favor that we're going to move in
[4:32:31] camera. Can we can let her off and then
[4:32:34] we'll
[4:32:35] >> start the agenda and reorder as
[4:32:37] necessary.
[4:32:41] » So, I'm going to I just want to stand
[4:32:45] up.
[4:32:45] >> Yeah, I'm going to stand up. I'm going
[4:32:47] to go wash.