[0:04] start by respectfully acknowledging, um, the land on which we're gathered is the unseated territory

[0:09] of the Komox First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land. Um, we do have a proclamation today.

[0:16] Um, and I'll just start by uh stating that I'm very pleased to proclaim August 5th, 2026 as RCMP

[0:24] Musical Ride Day in the city of Courtney. The RCMP musical ride is one of Canada's most recognized

[0:30] traditions, showcasing the skill, precision, and professionalism of RCMP riders and horses.

[0:36] For more than 150 years, the Musical Ride has brought communities together while representing

[0:42] the values of service, integrity, and excellence. We're honored to welcome the Musical Ride to our

[0:48] community and recognize the important contribution of RCMP members who serve Canadians every single

[0:54] day. I encourage residents and visitors alike to take part in the special event which is one week

[1:00] from today uh next Wednesday, uh at the exhibition grounds. So uh and you can get tickets online

[1:05] for that. Um uh next uh we're going to make a presentation. Um we uh had been given a um uh

[1:17] token of appreciation from the Alurnie uh Clayquat Regional District in recognition of the support

[1:22] provided by um Averly Howie, Kirk McDonald, and the city of Courtney and uh during the Mount

[1:28] Underwood wildfire that was in August of 2025. And I think this is really again one of those great

[1:35] uh inspiring moments when communities are really supporting each other in their times of need. And

[1:41] so with that um uh we'll do a photo with Avery. So where would we like to stand for this said photo?

[1:56] That sounds fantastic. We have a round of applause. Yes.

[2:08] Oh, great. We ain't block.

[3:18] right, thanks everybody uh for uh for that part of it and um we are going to do

[3:26] uh some late items. Uh so first I have 3.1 delegation request councelor Cole Hamilton.

[3:36] Yeah, thanks mayor. I'd like to uh ask that we allow Komox uh center queer center Komox

[3:42] Valley to um speak today as a late request for delegation or ask council to endorse that. Okay,

[3:49] it's been first and seconded. Any comments? Seeing none,

[3:52] all those in favor? Any opposed? And motion carries. So that'll come back under

[3:58] uh uh 7.3 I believe. Oh. Oh, the correspondence is 7.3. Yeah. So, 3.1. Perfect. Um, and

[4:17] yeah, late motion item. Okay. And so, do we want to do first do the delegation? We should

[4:29] add it to the agenda if you're going to add it to the agenda. Okay. So um this one's already

[4:42] Sure. So we have 3.2 the late notice a motion for

[4:44] Komox First Nation Treaty of Support from Councelor Helian.

[4:52] Thanks Mayor. I'll move that item 3.2 be added to the agenda. Right. It's been moved and seconded.

[4:57] Any questions or comments? Seeing none. All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries. Excellent.

[5:09] And

[5:13] um and that's going to come back. So I think at this point we'll do our adoption of regular

[5:17] minutes. All right. Excellent. Any errors or omissions? Seeing none, we'll accept those

[5:25] unanimously by council. All right. I feel like I'm getting into a rhythm here now. Okay. Uh

[5:29] and we'll move into delegations. So our first uh delegation is uh uh Daria uh Kavalotski. Pretty

[5:39] close. Hi. Oh, you could just call me Dasha. Thank you. Dasha. Perfect. Uh the floor is yours. Thank

[5:47] you so much for um adding me to your agenda today. Um I had a little bit of communication

[5:53] with the city. Um, so I'm just bringing up the concern that I have around Tintown and parking

[5:59] and not specifically general parking, which I know is an issue there anyways, but specifically

[6:04] accessibility parking. Um, I drove around and I think for businesses it's have over a 100 parking

[6:13] spots and only one of them is accessible at the medical clinic. There are about maybe 35 street

[6:20] parking spots and none of them are accessible and um very often I see the same vehicles so they're

[6:28] probably like employees parking on the street parking. There is a roundabout that I think has

[6:33] been causing some um issues because the roundabout um you're not supposed to park there, but of

[6:41] course there's a big dance school and there's lots of clients going to the medical clinic. So often

[6:46] that spot is still filled with cars and and um and people get parking tickets. And my specific issue

[6:54] why it came up for me is because I can't walk very far, but I also have a neurody divergent child

[6:59] that I can't just drop off at another part of Tintown and let her go to our dance studio. And um

[7:06] and literally there's and and the one accessible parking spot at the medical clinic is obviously

[7:11] for their clients. So for a big um very busy section almost like I would say like it's a mix I

[7:20] think commercial. There's like a yoga studio, some businesses, a cafe. Um it seems like there weren't

[7:27] enough accessible parking spots. So when I reached out um I don't recall, I think it's in my emails

[7:35] um about whether the area meets accessibility requirements. Um, I was told that it was it

[7:42] did [clears throat] meet the requirements, but I I kind of feel like is it was it

[7:47] because it was grandfathered in maybe for the old businesses? It just seems like very inaccessible.

[7:57] So, I wasn't sure what you guys can think about it do, but I was kind of

[8:01] hoping like I noticed the city of Cumberland um they utilize street parking and provide

[8:07] lots of accessible spots um around their busy areas. So, I was hoping that maybe

[8:13] um the council can consider making a few of those street parking spots accessible.

[8:21] Uh, excellent. Thanks very much. And um and I I should have given a little bit of a preamble

[8:26] that normally we don't make uh decisions on the day of a delegation. We sort of listen and then

[8:31] uh it comes back to us to uh give us time to have some uh uh thought into it and and possibly even

[8:37] a a staff report. Uh but that being said, if if you're uh done speaking, uh I'll pass it over

[8:44] to Councelor Hill. And there are counselors that have questions, so I'll pass it over to Councelor

[8:49] Helen. Yeah. Thanks, Mayor. Thanks, Dasha, for bringing this concern forward. Um, coincidentally,

[8:56] we've just had correspondence from five of the businesses that provide services in Tintown uh

[9:03] raising concerns about the adequacy of the parking there. And uh I don't know if we've had the

[9:08] opportunity to respond yet, but um um I think it is something that uh we can query our staff about

[9:15] and um hopefully come up with some plans. I I I think in general that uh Tintown has uh um become

[9:23] a victim of its own success. Um you know, for years um it didn't have that problem and now it

[9:29] does because there's so much happening there and uh it's a bit of a good news story in some ways,

[9:33] but I appreciate the challenge you're having and hopefully uh we can look into it. Thanks.

[9:38] Thank you. Thanks, Councelor Helen for that and councelor Cole Hamilton. Yeah, thanks very much

[9:45] and thanks for bringing this to our attention. One out of 100 seems like a remarkable low ratio and

[9:50] I can absolutely understand. I can picture what you're talking about the difficulty of not being

[9:54] able to drop a child who can't be left alone. So, um we don't usually make motions on the evening,

[10:01] but I I certainly heard councelor Hillian say and certainly I'm taking on board this is something

[10:06] we want to ask our staff about. There must be ways of improving access. and I just appreciate

[10:11] you coming directly to us and making this this incredibly clear request and we'll

[10:15] uh we'll deal with this uh at our next meeting. So anyway, thanks again. Yeah, thanks so much,

[10:21] Dasha. And just so you know, uh myself and I believe other counselors have actually walked

[10:25] that specific area. Uh I I've actually walked all the Tintown, but there's definitely those those

[10:30] businesses uh by by the dance studio, etc. I know um other counselors have also gone down there,

[10:35] so we can actually see it for ourselves. So, um it is uh uh uh uh top of mind, so to speak,

[10:42] just so you know, and we'll be looking forward to getting um some information back from staff. Thank

[10:48] you. Uh and with that, uh you can stay watching uh on the live stream if you would like and we'll

[10:53] move on to um our second uh delegation, which is the Indigenous Women's Sharing Society request

[11:00] for funding. And it says that Kim's going to be chatting with us. And there's Kim.

[11:10] Hello. Thank you very much. Thank you so much for the opportunity to present today,

[11:18] Mayor Wells and Council members. My name is Kim Hall and I am representing the Indigenous

[11:24] Women Sharing Society and the Comox Valley Substance Use Strategy Coalition today.

[11:31] Um, I hope you've all had a chance to at least do a quick view of the Komox Valley substance

[11:35] use strategy report we submitted for this delegation. Today, I'll just hit the highlights

[11:41] of our achievements, the key outcomes, and our priorities for 26 and 207. Next slide, please.

[11:51] So we um respectfully acknowledge that the work of the substance use collaborative occurs on

[11:57] the traditional territory of the Pentlatch, Eekan, Satzilla and and Salt Luth people,

[12:03] now collectively known as the Komox First Nation. All those involved in this work

[12:08] acknowledge the truth about ongoing harms caused by colonization to the health and wellness of

[12:14] First Nation, Matei and Inuit people and commit to continuing the journey towards reconciliation.

[12:21] Next slide. So we'd like to thank the peers who collaboratively lead this work and as Dr.

[12:28] Charmaine Ends shared, the Komox Valley Community Substance Use Strategy has been instrumental in

[12:35] bringing together community partners to discuss and act upon 21 recommendations from both the

[12:41] walking together report, walk with me, and the substance use strategy. This work has

[12:47] been and will be invaluable in providing the community with a solid foundation to move

[12:52] forward with actions from the recommendations. Next slide. The Indigenous Women Sharing Society

[13:00] continues to lead the collaboration of uh the coordination of the collaborate

[13:06] collaborative. Next slide. Since assuming the role as the lead organization in 2024,

[13:14] IWSS has embedded an indigenous and decolonizing lens across all initiatives, fostering inclusive,

[13:22] equitable decision-making and expanding regional partnerships. The collaborative balances immediate

[13:29] lifesaving public health action and long-term foundation work to create system change. Despite

[13:36] the limited funding, we have had to date achieved significant outcomes. Next slide. And just as a

[13:45] reminder of the process and how everything is laid out, in phase three of the strategy development,

[13:51] all of the recommendations from both reports were grouped amongst six collaborative tables and then

[13:59] one central coordinating table that supports all and ensures tables are implementing anti-stigma,

[14:06] cultural safety and resilience and well-being into their work, their planning and in execution of

[14:13] actions. and events. Next slide. And now for the highlights. So with table one initiative focuses

[14:24] on business engagement, municipal policy change and transportation. The collaborative has bridged

[14:31] the gap between downtown businesses and substance use strategies. Syringe disposal containers

[14:37] are now available to businesses via Courtney, addressing significant safety concerns. Ongoing

[14:45] dialogue has also led to adjusted pharmacy hours to mitigate traffic concerns, demonstrating the

[14:52] power of collaborative problem solving between service providers and the business community.

[14:58] The initiative was made possible by the collaborative work of the indigenous women sharing

[15:03] society's harm reduction program called unbroken chain. Peer-led interventions help coordinate

[15:09] these actions while extensive relationship building with downtown Courtney businesses

[15:15] over the past year laid the foundation for this work. Table 2 initiative focuses on safer supply.

[15:23] Significant strides were made in drugchecking expansion with all services including at the

[15:29] new safe inh inhalation site now offering testing. Nasal nlloxxone distribution has uh transitioned

[15:37] from a pilot to a a provincial standard thanks to the indigenous women sharing society's advocacy

[15:44] and other service providers who participated in a successful um nasal nlloxxone pilot throughout

[15:51] the province. the central coordinating table that supports all tables and ensures cultural safety,

[15:59] resiliency and well-being and training for all events. Um, a peer advisory council has been

[16:05] established. This peer-led model addresses power imbalances and ensures that lived experience is

[16:12] embedded in all decision-making, action delivery, and coordination. So now people with lived and

[16:19] living experience support all action tables. Their feedback and contributions have resulted

[16:25] in momentum and direct outcomes. At the same time, peers are developing leadership skills in

[16:32] organizing advocacy and facilitating meetings. And in partnership with the Canadian Alcohol

[16:40] Use Disorder Society, also known as CODs, the collaborative hosted several rethinking drinking

[16:47] events across the valley. These events address the fact that alcohol remains the most important,

[16:53] the most harmful substance in the region regarding mortality rates. We reached over a thousand people

[16:59] at these events alone. The peer advisory committee played a pivotal role in sharing

[17:05] information and engaging the community. This work was further strengthened by the support of our

[17:11] member organizations, the First Nation Health Authority and the Sesame Society. This year,

[17:18] our membership grew with new members, new organizations, and increased participation

[17:24] from our peer advisory committee on all tables. We are highlighting new participation from KFN

[17:30] Health with regular engagement from their harm reduction coordinator and regular committed

[17:37] facilitation support from AVI's positive wellness worker among others. Next slide.

[17:47] So just to recap, the collaborative has achieve a achieved the safer safer syringe

[17:53] disposal for businesses, adjusted pharmacy hours through collaboration. We've launched

[17:59] a monthly newsletter for members, created a resource guide, planning for community

[18:04] health hub, and growing cross- sector membership and leadership. Next slide.

[18:14] And now for the 2026 2027 priorities, we're f we're establishing a youthled advisory

[18:22] table to guide prevention and early intervention initiatives and develop a youth strategy. We're

[18:28] addressing substance use and social isolation among the region's growing senior population.

[18:35] We are strengthening indigenous lent advocacy for those accessing hospital and healthcare

[18:41] facilities. We are ensuring culturally safe and informed care for all actions and initiatives.

[18:48] Continued and ongoing development of all six tables. We're continued to support ongoing

[18:56] uh education and awareness events and the implementation and further development of the

[19:02] Orian package training to promote inclusivity, equity, and anti-racism action development.

[19:10] We are we continue to work collaboratively to address the evolving toxic drug supply including

[19:16] the emergence of new substances and develop coordinated community responses. We continue to

[19:23] work towards a decolonized framework to address substance use and action planning. Next slide.

[19:34] So to move beyond a reliance on inkind and precarious grants,

[19:38] the Komox Valley Substance Use Collaborative requires a stable funding model. An estimated

[19:45] $150,000 annually is needed to support strategic leadership action table facilitation,

[19:52] peer coordination, and communications. To protect current gains and ensure the strategy's long-term

[19:59] impact on community health and resilience, the collaborative is seeking a three-year

[20:04] commitment of $30,000 per year starting in 2026 from the city of Courtney. We are inviting each

[20:12] municipality and the CBRD to join us in a shared commitment to this lifesaving regional initiative,

[20:19] ensuring the collaborative has the stable funding needed to continue improving health,

[20:24] safety, and quality quality of life for all residents of the Comox Valley. Last slide.

[20:33] So on behalf of the collaborative, we greatly acknowledge the city's continued funding and

[20:38] partnership, which has been instrumental in enabling the collaborative to achieve its current

[20:43] milestones. With the city's continued support, it will help strengthen our capacity to deliver these

[20:49] life-saving initiatives, develop cross- sector partnerships, and advance meaningful systems

[20:55] um system change across the region. So, I want to thank you for this opportunity to present and

[21:03] open to any questions. If I can't answer them, I will get back to you um as soon as possible. Thank

[21:11] you. Excellent. Thank Thanks so much. And uh um I I think the the first thing is just to thank you

[21:20] for all the great work that you've done on behalf of the community is extremely appreciated. Um,

[21:25] I I for one and and I believe uh my council is uh quite happy with um uh with the very challenging

[21:33] work that that you guys are are uh are doing. Um I don't see any Yeah. Uh I was going to say I'll

[21:41] pass it over to Councelor Fish. Yes. Thanks. U just curious where um like how you would describe

[21:48] where the money goes, the $150,000 a year. I imagine some of us administrative. um are there

[21:53] any paid employees and is it going to programming and such? Okay. Um that's a detailed question

[22:00] which I will hand over to um the Indigenous Women Sharing Society and I will respond with a detailed

[22:07] response to your question. Thank you. As to where money goes. Yeah. And just in general is fine with

[22:12] me. I don't need to know where every dollar goes sort of thing. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Um I don't

[22:20] I don't know all the specifics because I am on contract with IWSS um and I don't know the whole

[22:28] insight and I would rather relay um a proper answer. So let me get back to you in writing

[22:34] if that's okay. That's great. Thank you very much. Okay. Great question. Thank you. Yeah.

[22:41] Thanks councelor F. Maybe as a subsequent uh to to that one um uh when you talk about the 150 and

[22:49] then you know the request to the city for 30 uh I think it would be good to see where the other

[22:54] funds are coming from if that's from regional district uh town of Komox village of Cumberland

[23:00] um CBRD provincial federal you know where where kind of the it gets sort of cobbled together from

[23:09] because I assume it's from different sources so it is And I can speak a little bit about that. Um the

[23:16] uh the town of Komox contributes uh village of Cumberland. We did um approach CVRD last

[23:24] year but they suggested that we try the community foundation and we are going to be writing a grant.

[23:31] Um they open August 10th. We'll see if that was a that is a fit. We are not always successful with

[23:37] the grant writing as you can appreciate. It is a long hard struggle and there's a lot of people

[23:43] lining up for funds as well. So, um yeah, so it's it's a challenge, but we have a lot of grants

[23:50] out this year. We're hoping that some of them come through. Um but I will give you a detailed

[23:56] um explanation of where, you know, in that $150,000, how how the money will be spent.

[24:05] Excellent. Really appreciate that. And um and then just from a sort of logistical standpoint cuz the

[24:11] request does sort of have some times in there uh with October uh 2026 um and in October there's

[24:19] this interesting thing that's going to happen uh with elections. So um I would say uh usually

[24:25] for something like this it would have to go uh often through the budget process. Um, so just to

[24:31] um let you know that there if it is part of the budget process, uh then that's something that will

[24:36] come out in the new year. Uh but like I said, uh this is likely going to come back to council and

[24:42] then uh uh and we'll see what we can do. But it's it's uh we have one meeting in August and then

[24:49] um a couple of meetings in September. So we're getting close to um the um the end of this term.

[24:55] So uh but with that um thanks again uh for your presentation today and for all the work

[25:01] the society does. It's much appreciated. Thank you so much. Okay. And I think I'm prepared for

[25:10] this. Uh so we have the um uh the late delegation that's going to come today. Uh and I think I see

[25:18] Jojo back there. Um, so if you'd like to approach the podium and just push the button on there and

[25:24] I'll turn on the microphone there. And this is a presentation uh or delegation from Queer Center

[25:30] Comox Valley. So perfect. And there's a button right at the bottom of it. Actually, I might be

[25:36] able to turn it on from here. Let's see. Okay. Okay. Is this the thing? That is the thing. So

[25:45] that's the clicker. Okay. Is the technical term, I think. And there's a right arrow that'll go

[25:49] forward and a left arrow will take back. Yeah, perfect. Thanks. Um, yeah, thank you so much for

[25:54] your time. I am Cherry Muela. I'm of the Dakta First Nation and my pronouns are he, him. Um,

[26:01] and this is our presentation. Our mission is to create an accessible, safe, and inclusive space

[26:08] where queer youth, adults, and allies can come together. We fac facilitate mutual aid, provide

[26:14] resources, and host educational opportunities and events that strengthen our community, uniting and

[26:19] empowering individuals across the Komox Valley and beyond. By offering a space for organizing,

[26:24] learning, and connection, we aim to foster a resilient, supportive queer network. Queer

[26:32] Center is a registered nonprofit since February 2025. Fully volunteerrun, queer center currently

[26:39] functions from mult multiple spaces. Fundraising complete and we have an ongoing hunt for queer

[26:47] community center building. Uh we're looking towards a physical space opening in 2027. Uh

[26:53] we work in partnership with many other businesses and nonprofits such as CV Pride Society, CBTS,

[27:01] Weird Church, Catch, CV Arts, Elevate, DCVIA, and many more. As you can see on the screen,

[27:09] we have um many different core programming that happens consistently such as queer coffee where we

[27:16] tend to feed brunch to more than two dozen weekly attendees with additional food provided to those

[27:23] in need. Uh usually provided from the food bank. We uh have volunteers who come and cook at the

[27:29] foundry. Trans night is on a bi-weekly rotating venue. art socials monthly at the art gallery. Um,

[27:38] and we have holiday and special event gatherings. Um, we also provide many different uh community

[27:46] support resources such as a calendar that lists all of the different notable queer inclusive

[27:52] events across the Komox Valley and beyond. We promote these events uh on our calendar and on

[27:58] our social media. We provide many different volunteer positions. There's asset lending,

[28:03] connection, mutual aid. [snorts] Quer center team provides answers to questions like where's the

[28:09] pride party? How do I connect with the organizers of this event? Is that venue safe for me to

[28:14] host my event? These are two examples of the posters for our regularly scheduled events. Um,

[28:23] Queer Coffee is a great one and has been going on for a long time. Uh we often meet new people

[28:29] through queer coffee and trans night. We we host many free public events such as the pride parade

[28:38] which happens in August and was hosted by Queer Center starting in 2025. Um we have the pride

[28:45] parade coming up August 29th uh which we hope to be much bigger and more successful and bring more

[28:53] people together. We have opportunities for dozens of local businesses and performance performers

[28:59] and thousands of community attendees. Trans Day of Visibility is March 31st every year. Celebration,

[29:07] education, connection. Trans Day of Remembrance um is every November um and is a more somber

[29:14] event to commemorate people who did not make it and celebrate our own survival.

[29:22] And these are the previous posters for those events. Um, yeah, we have these every year. We

[29:30] hope to continue doing it. Courtney already benefits greatly from these events. Uh,

[29:37] we have created a positive reputation of the city of Courtney for being so inclusive um,

[29:44] and bringing people together in this way. People have chosen to live in Courtney due to the level

[29:50] of connection that they could make here. We promote tourism. It increases downtown activity

[29:56] uh and tends to help with supporting small local businesses. We envision that Pride will become

[30:02] a festival that will draw people in from across the island. Advocacy means increased safety and

[30:08] understanding from marginalized to us LGBTQIA plus community members. and we have many free

[30:15] and public community events. The 4-day festival in 2025 brought together members of the queer

[30:22] community across the valley. Events focused on youth, parents, and the general community.

[30:27] Dozens of local residents came out to watch the parade and learn about the queer community. Queer

[30:34] Center volunteers are here because this community is vital for their connection and survival. I can

[30:38] speak on this quite a bit myself. Um, I have been at risk of homelessness many times in my

[30:44] life. I am disabled and visibly transgender and that has led it to be very difficult to

[30:50] find employment. The support that I've received through being able to volunteer with Queer Center

[30:55] has been life-changing. Members of the queer community face higher barriers to housing, jobs,

[31:01] and other necessary services. Our volunteers make time to participate despite that. Paying

[31:06] us to do this work is poverty reduction. We are training young leaders to go and do their

[31:11] own projects in the community. Um I had notes here. Oh god. [laughter] Um I also wanted to

[31:21] speak on the the level of leadership skills that have been taught to people especially

[31:27] younger indigenous people. Um I have watched many people's lives change for the better. Uh,

[31:33] it's truly admirable. With increased advertising and word of mouth, attendance will continue to

[31:41] grow and we need to take safety more seriously. Pride parade has thousands of attendees and

[31:45] requires more formal safety infrastructure. Trans-Pacific events are all the more needed.

[31:50] While public anti-trans discussion creates fear within the community, 2026 Trans Day of

[31:55] Visibility was the first publicly posted event in the newspaper. Moving forward from what used to

[32:00] be word of mouth only events. This is a first for Komox Valley. Public access increases risk. The

[32:06] Lapu Lapu tragedy in Vancouver last year has made everyone more aware of risks at public events.

[32:15] Um, and these are the speakers and I would like to invite Rumor to come up here. Thank you, Rumor.

[32:29] Hello, my name is Rumor Blunt. My pronouns are he, him, and they, them. I was one of the

[32:34] organizers for a trans day of visibility this year. Um, and I'm here to kind of speak as a

[32:43] member of youth in the queer community and what being a part of Queer Center has done for me.

[32:51] Um, Quee Center always aims to give individuals [clears throat] the powers to seek out to create

[33:00] the community they envision. And so your level of involvement is really up to you. And that

[33:07] can be anywhere from you're just helping close up an event to you want to plan a whole event

[33:14] on your own, just like go out there, or you want to plan an event, but you're not too sure how to

[33:19] do that. And there's lots of people to help you cuz there's a lot of queer elders that have been

[33:24] around and they they know what grants to write, what grants to apply for. They know the lists and

[33:29] names of all the publicities that you want to contact so that people know about your event,

[33:35] how to book a facility, so you have a venue. Um, this year I wanted to be more involved in

[33:44] my community because I've seen career center do a lot for many people and do a lot for me and I just

[33:52] wanted more leadership experience before I go off to university. Um, and so I decided that I would

[33:59] help plan trans day of visibility and I ended up doing a lot more than I thought I would. Um,

[34:06] I did a lot of I wrote a lot of emails to speakers and the DJs organizing. I helped organize our

[34:18] speakers and our DJs. I wrote emails to reach out to the people that we wanted for press and

[34:24] publicity. I even went on the record, the local newspaper to advertise and explain the importance

[34:31] of trans day of visibility. Um, I helped organize a bit of the catering and I was involved in

[34:40] helping making decisions around the catering, which I wasn't expecting cuz I'm just 19. Um,

[34:48] Chris Center really cares about making sure that youth is put in leadership roles when they want

[34:54] to step up to it. And this is really important and carries on because this applies to real life.

[35:01] This carries on forever. Whenever you feel your community is missing something, we now have the

[35:08] skills to bring that forth. We know the process of writing grants, writing letters to our city

[35:15] council, showing up to meetings like this. Um, and that can apply for anything, not just like pride,

[35:22] of course, for pride, but for other issues. Um, and it's really huge. I used to be a very timid

[35:33] person and I've always wanted to be involved in my community and now I I just am involved in my

[35:39] community and I feel pretty confident leading uh in different areas. Actually being a part

[35:47] of Queer Center has helped me personally land a full ride scholarship university. uh I wouldn't

[35:55] have gotten that without career center. I uh had a lot of health struggles in high school,

[36:01] so I didn't get to do many extracurriculars and I thought time was kind of running out for me. But

[36:07] uh just being a part of Queer Center helped give me an opportunity to learn leadership and

[36:14] learn how to be a better member of society and make change that I want to see happen.

[36:22] and funding this would be huge because people deserve to be compensated for the labor they

[36:28] do. Um, we're learning this is like a place to learn entry-level skills and to be able to

[36:37] be compensated for that means that you don't you have more time to put into learning these

[36:42] skills that eventually later in life leads you into manager positions, event organizing,

[36:49] and just so many other possibilities. Thank you. Excellent. Thanks so much for for that. Yeah,

[36:57] Jojo, now the 10 minutes has uh expired, councelor Fr. Yeah. Well, I was thinking the same thing.

[37:05] It looks like um Jojo's up to speak as well. Maybe we could afford them two more minutes to

[37:09] to finish off. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate that. Yeah. Yeah. Um I uh mostly let you speak for me

[37:15] for the most part and I think they did a fantastic job of that. I'm so proud of both of you. That was

[37:19] awesome and incredible. Um this is radical. um elevation of young leaders. Um it's also

[37:24] uh we're much more concerned about safety. A couple of days ago, something um horrible also

[37:28] happened in Berlin. Um we need funding to go into uh training our volunteers to be able to continue

[37:34] expanding these absolutely vital events. Um we're requesting $5,000 total in support of vital and

[37:41] free community events. Um we have two budgets. One is for the Pride Parade and one is for a

[37:46] trans day of visibility coming up to 5,000 total. Um I'm here for questions. I can also flip back

[37:51] and forth between these two. Um I'll go through it quickly. Um medical services, we want a paramedic

[37:56] um on ground for the pride parade. Uh we want organizer on our area. Um we have young uh we

[38:01] have youth that are planning these events that we are training to go and plan their own later on. Um

[38:06] and we want to pay them for their work. Um we want to uh hire security guards from our own community.

[38:11] Um we want uh we need insurance obviously um photo photographer flags and decorations. And then trans

[38:17] day of visibility which is an annual event. Weird church started in 2020 2021 I believe

[38:22] um and we've continued we've carried it on um and it's another um people are coming to Komox Valley

[38:27] uh all across Vancouver Island for these events because we are one of very few places all across

[38:33] Vancouver Island that is putting on trans-pacific public events um venue rental sound system rental

[38:38] DJs land acknowledgement MC speakers um again we want to pay people that go up and give their voice

[38:43] to these sorts of things and catering um these budgets is not all of it uh it does not account

[38:48] for unpaid volunteer labor. Um again, we're very motivated to do this, but this is just a small

[38:54] part uh to cover partially what we're doing. I'm here for questions. That was a quick two minutes.

[39:00] Thanks. Thanks so much. And again, uh a huge thanks for for the presentation today. It was very

[39:05] heartfelt uh and much much appreciated, I think, by our council. So, so thank you so much for uh

[39:10] coming to present to us. And I'll pass it over to uh councelor Jiller or sorry, councelor will call

[39:17] Hamilton. Council Jer doesn't have his hand up. I don't believe so. Um, first of all, thank you so

[39:23] much all three of you and Luther, I didn't realize the role you had in the trans day of visibility. I

[39:27] was at the event at the curling center and it was joyful and it was the food was really good and it

[39:33] was just um it just um gave me an idea of how capable you you guys are in terms of putting on

[39:39] events. When I see this very carefully itemized list, I can tell that you're putting a lot of

[39:44] thought into the planning of it. And uh I know that we don't usually make motions on the evening

[39:49] of a delegation, but the next meeting is after these events. And so at some point I'd be happy

[39:56] to make a motion to wave that and then uh make a motion to support the uh the work been doing.

[40:03] But again, thank you and uh thank you for putting on an amazing event back in March. I look forward

[40:07] to attending in future. Thanks Councelor Cole Hamilton. Appreciate that. And councelor Morren,

[40:15] great. Thank you, mayor. I just want to say thank you to all of you for speaking. Um, it was quite

[40:20] emotional for me. I was a youth worker for many years. I often worked with uh uh folks who yeah

[40:27] just were looking for a a sense of belonging and a a place to fit. And um it sounds like queer cent's

[40:34] really done that for many people. Um I also did a program around leadership skills for youth. We

[40:39] often um say where are all the volunteers? Oh, they're all gay-haired. that this shows that

[40:45] there's a whole there's a whole group of young people who are putting in tons of volunteering

[40:50] in the community and that's something to to celebrate. Um I [snorts] think and uh yeah, I'm

[40:57] hoping that if a motion goes forward, we can take a look at that. But I just commend you all for uh

[41:02] for coming out um at a public event and um being confident up there. It's not easy to do. Um and uh

[41:10] yeah, thanks for for all you do in the community. Thanks, Councelor MREN and Councelor Jeliker.

[41:18] Yeah, and just echo my colleagues comments. Um really happy to see the growth of queer culture

[41:25] and the responsibilities um and place that you're taking in community both to support members of the

[41:32] queer community but also to support the broader um uh community and understanding uh how to be allies

[41:40] to the queer community in a a hyperpolarized world. And um similar to councelor Cole Hamilton,

[41:46] happy to support the request tonight, given the the logistics of our next council meeting, I think

[41:52] uh you named um uh I think important contexts uh over in Europe, in Berlin, and I think uh we don't

[42:01] have to look far even in British Columbia to know that um security at um large gatherings is really

[42:08] crucial. Um, and that is both security guards, but it's also taking care of your volunteers. And I

[42:13] think Jojo, you've articulated that tonight, the importance and the care that queer culture takes

[42:18] in um, looking after their own volunteers and organizers. I think that is part of safety as

[42:25] well. And so I'm happy to to support that motion as well. Thanks for being here, everyone. Thanks,

[42:31] Councelor Jiller. And back to councelor Cole Hamilton. Yeah, thanks. It fits. Uh I think I

[42:37] first have to seek the approval of councel to put a motion forward because we don't usually

[42:41] um Adriana perhaps you can tell me do I second. Okay. Great. Thank you. All right. Should we ask

[42:48] anyone oppose just to Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. We happy. A vote has to take place. So all those in

[42:53] favor? Any opposed? And that carries unanimously. Okay. Can I read the resolution? Yeah. Thank you.

[42:59] Uh so I'd like to uh put forward the council approve a grant in the amount of 5,000 to the

[43:04] queer center Komox Valley to support a portion of costs associated with the 2026 Pride Parade

[43:09] and 2026 Trans Day of Visibility events including but not limited to event safety, accessibility,

[43:16] venue production and programming expenses with funding to be allocated from the gaming funds

[43:22] council initiatives budget. Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Uh and uh thanks for crafting that

[43:30] uh for today. That's much appreciated. Uh I think by all of council, are there any further comments

[43:35] before we take the vote? Seeing none, all those in favor? Any opposed? Uh congratulations. Uh we

[43:42] did take some some action here today. Again, a great presentation. And maybe I'll give Jojo the

[43:47] last word. Thank you. I think this is historical. I I truly like um this is incredible. Thank you

[43:53] so much. You're welcome. And uh again, I think uh you have some great supporters here. Many of

[43:59] us have attended many of the events that you guys do and I and I for one definitely look forward to

[44:04] attending many more. So uh uh really appreciate you taking all the time and effort to make sure

[44:09] that the events that you're doing are done as not just as good as possible, but as safe as possible

[44:14] as well. Much appreciated. Thank you. Okay. All right. Um uh getting back to all right we

[44:28] are now on to item 6.1. Oh and we have uh staff Sergeant Troy Lorard to give us a presentation

[44:38] and I'll pass it over to you. All right. Thank you. So I just wanted to take a short time to

[44:47] talk about the strategic priorities for 26 and 27. Um after consultation with municipal leaders

[44:54] uh Komox first nation regional district and other stakeholders we identified and carried forward um

[45:01] five strategic priorities uh in the upcoming year. So first uh road safety these are no particular

[45:07] order of course no area of order of uh importance uh road safety crime reduction specifically

[45:14] prolific offenders uh police vis visibility and um community engagement mental health and community

[45:23] wellness as well as indigenous relations and reconciliation. So, I'm just going to walk

[45:29] through each of them as well as their objectives, initiatives, and how we're going to measure

[45:35] success. So for road safety, the objective is to enhance road safety throughout the Comox Valley

[45:41] and through initiatives such as increasing traffic enforcement and police contacts,

[45:46] uh regular vehicle check stops, joint pair driving enforcement with the BC highway patrol located out

[45:51] of Campbell River and Oceanside and education and enforcement regarding unlawful recreational

[45:56] vehicles and e-mobility devices, which has become quite the issue. Um, we're going to measure our

[46:02] successes in these regards with uh at least 120 impaired driving enforcement actions, 480 unlawful

[46:08] driving enforcement actions as well and documented traffic and safety projects and initiatives

[46:16] through crime reduction. Uh, so we're going to to um help reduce crime through folks management and

[46:22] prolific offenders. Some of the key initiatives will be the monthly identification and publication

[46:27] of priority offenders. This in association with many other um agencies and partners

[46:32] um specifically the Revoy program uh which is um been very effective over the last year that's been

[46:37] in existence. Uh curfew and compliance probation compliance checks for um offenders that are in

[46:45] community regular meetings and ongoing meetings with crown probation parole and other partner

[46:49] agencies and other community crime prevention presentations. And we're going to measure these

[46:56] through uh at least 72 offender awareness products, uh offender management enforcement

[47:02] actions, external partner meetings, and uh community prevention presentations.

[47:10] Comes time for uh police invisible, community relations, uh visibility and community

[47:15] relations. Uh we so we are looking to be clear and accountable and transparent while increasing our

[47:19] police presence. So that will include downtown foot patrols as well as the bike patrols. There

[47:26] have been some uh challenges of course with that over the preceding year with uh staffing levels.

[47:30] So we're looking we're trending in the right direction anyhow. Um some incoming bodies and

[47:36] uh people returning um to full duties um with our seasonal policing that will include enhanced rural

[47:42] and recreational area patrols and again our participation in community events, ceremonies

[47:47] and parades. Um, and this again is despite our staffing pressures at the current moment. So,

[47:55] we're looking to have at least 100 documented downtown business visits, at least 480 rural

[48:00] recreational patrols, and 64 community engagement activities. Of course, you know, we do that all

[48:06] the time, but um just add some measures to that with health and community wellness. So,

[48:13] our objective of course to improve public safety through collaborative mental health responses.

[48:17] Some of the initiatives are referrals to mental health and wellness services,

[48:22] ongoing collaboration with the island health and community partners and formalization and

[48:26] long-term sustainability of the micro program that you guys are familiar

[48:30] with through various presentations. So we're looking to measure that through at least 240

[48:34] referrals to support services and engagement uh number of engagements with our partner agencies

[48:45] and under um priority of indigenous relations and reconciliation looking to strengthen that

[48:51] relationship with Komox's first nations and indigenous communities. we're doing through

[48:55] this are ongoing engagement monthly with chief and councils participation in community events

[49:02] uh youth outreach and education and elder engagement with reconciliation activities.

[49:08] Again our measure measures will be through attendance of those council meetings and

[49:12] various uh community participation, youth projects and elders focused initiatives.

[49:21] So I can report um Idaho council was interested in uh how things have been going in relation to

[49:28] these. So just starting off in Q1 we are at the end so we run off of the uh fiscal year.

[49:33] So quarter one um has just ended at uh in June. So road safety there's been very good

[49:40] uh strong enforcement uh activity. We did add a third uh municipal traffic member. So the addition

[49:48] of that person to our team has been has been good. Uh we had some joint impaired driving initiatives

[49:54] with the BC highway patrol and they have spent some time in some problem areas in the community.

[49:59] I think you're aware of as well back road and some other um some other areas. In the crime reduction

[50:06] front uh we've had multiple intelligence products developed on priority offenders.

[50:11] Uh we've also added we've become the hub with community corrections with something called so

[50:16] you might be familiar with Revoy repeat uh violent offender initiative that's in conjunction with

[50:23] um crown probation all these other partners well we've introduced another one that's the chronic

[50:28] property offender initiative so very similar to revoy but just focusing on uh property offenders

[50:37] and we've had 29 over the last quarter 29 offenders that were arrested or charged for

[50:42] non-compliance. Those are people that are actually in the community uh where through

[50:46] our proactive efforts and and just checking uh resulted in 29 additional charges against those

[50:53] offenders. On the mental [clears throat] health side, um our mobile integrated crisis response has

[50:59] generated over 90 referrals during the first quarter and we've had extensive stakeholder

[51:03] engagement with municipalities and island health and other um agencies in regards to that program.

[51:09] um just trying to solidify and ensure that it's going going to be running forward. In

[51:16] regards to indigenous reconciliation, uh we have continued representation and participation at the

[51:21] uh KFM council. uh significant engagement with elders, cultural program and youth initiatives.

[51:27] And we have a newly unen engaged constable straight off out of depo. And one of his

[51:32] um projects as part of that program is going to be with some um some youth initiatives.

[51:42] That is yours. [laughter] There any questions? I answer that very quickly, but yeah. No,

[51:49] that that's that's fine. Uh thanks very much for the the presentation. uh much appreciated

[51:54] articulating what those uh suggested um uh priorities are and then going through the

[52:00] uh the actual um numbers there. I do see a number of uh uh uh hands have gone up and lights have

[52:08] been put on. So maybe I'll start with uh councelor online and then I'll go to the members of council

[52:14] in Yeah, thanks mayor and thanks um staff sergeant for being here. Um, I've got a few questions,

[52:21] but I'll just start with one just into the last slide. Um, really happy that um, you highlighted

[52:27] that Courtney was selected as uh, a hub for the chronic property offending intervention

[52:32] initiative. Um, I'm wondering if you can kind of give us a little bit more detail. I think this

[52:36] is probably the first time um, we've mentioned it in a public meeting at the city of Courtney. Um,

[52:43] specifically, I'm kind of curious to know how the coordinator I understand that um, there's

[52:48] meant to be a coordinator uh, that's assigned or added resource to the detachment. Um, and we've

[52:54] had lots of conversations around the resources required at the detachment to support um, the work

[53:00] the good work that you do in the community. So, I'm wondering if you can maybe um, speak to uh,

[53:04] how that is uh, playing out here locally. Thanks. Yeah, in regards to SEO, so it's much along the

[53:12] line of the REO V Revoy program where it's clearly established that a small number of people commit

[53:19] a majority of offenses. So, this focusing on those individuals um the an additional resource

[53:28] is not required for this. there is an additional resource. Um, Komox Valley has become the the hub

[53:34] sort of for the North Island and the coordinator for SEO is through community corrections. Um,

[53:40] so we will have a liaison um assigned from our office that we do in in conjunction with our for

[53:47] um crime an analyst. Um so they'll be working together to identify those offenders

[53:54] uh strategies and ensure that the uh appropriate reporting and all those things are done when

[53:59] those offenders are identified and hopefully you know uh arrested and charged and brought before

[54:06] the courts. So there's not an additional person to our compliment for that program.

[54:16] Excellent. Uh, thanks for that. And and I think, you know, one of the things about that program

[54:20] when I was talking to the the minister um when it was first announced is that also dubtales.

[54:26] I know our our council and many others uh have have lobbied for uh bail reform. Uh and so that

[54:33] has also come into play. And so those are going to kind of dubtail into each other as far as I

[54:37] know. Um you'd probably have a better idea, but uh so it looks like there's a few things coming

[54:43] together all at once. So yeah, that's correct. So there will be as before um community corrections

[54:48] involved, probation, um crown all involved. So speaking the same language when it comes to

[54:54] these particular offenders so everybody's aware of what's required and uh to make sure that product

[55:00] is before the court. Excellent. Uh appreciate that answer and I'll pass it over to councelor

[55:05] Hillian. Thanks Mayor and um thanks very much uh staff sergeant for uh you and your members service

[55:12] to the community. Um I'm going to ask you a bit of a philosophical question here. Um incidentally I'm

[55:21] pleased to see the priorities and uh road safety being uh the first uh people might be surprised to

[55:28] know that uh it's over many years it's it's the issue that comes up most frequently when people

[55:33] contact us about concerns. It's about basically traffic safety in their neighborhoods. But um

[55:39] what's your assessment of how safe our community is? Um, I worked in community corrections for many

[55:45] years and when I hear people talking about uh it's not safe to go downtown and things like that, I'm

[55:50] I'm thinking I know a lot of people over many many years who have done some horrible things in this

[55:56] community [snorts] and um in my view the community is is potentially as safe as it's ever been. Um

[56:04] you're an experienced police officer. Uh how safe is is the community of Courtney particularly? We

[56:10] just had a presentation from some young people that are involved in putting in on events and

[56:14] uh I have a grand uh niece visiting from Germany right now. So obviously the the events in Berlin

[56:22] were foremost in my thinking. But uh how safe is uh is Courtney in general compared to other places

[56:28] that you've worked and and uh your assessment of uh our ability to keep people safe at these

[56:34] types of events and in general? Yes, thank you. nothing like putting me on the spot. But no,

[56:40] I I would agree with that. You know, Courtney is is a is a very safe community. Um that being said,

[56:46] you know, always saying that perception of of crime is almost as bad as a crime itself, right?

[56:52] Because it perpetuates and people [clears throat] um you know, they become alarmed. But I I think

[56:58] that anybody can walk the streets uh most most time anywhere, day or night, without real fear.

[57:05] Um, so there's kind of two parts to that question. So, um, yeah, time times have changed, right? Um,

[57:11] since I began policing 30 years ago in the late 1900s, I'll put it that way just to alarm anybody

[57:19] in the room. Um yeah, times have changed and we've reached out um since last year uh and and

[57:27] with people organized conducting events um after the Lapu Lapu tragedy and reached out with sort

[57:33] of planning documents and um we've done some with with you know Canada Day and the upcoming

[57:39] nautical days and and various events about how to safely plan and myself and Sergeant Brock Brennan

[57:46] usually spend a lot of time with organizers making sure that those those things are looked after,

[57:50] things that maybe over the years that typical organizers wouldn't have thought of doing,

[57:54] but now it just becomes common place, right? So, we want to make sure all those things are covered

[57:59] off and and we spend a lot of time ensuring with with through the organizers that maybe

[58:04] some things they haven't thought of are covered off. And with the change to the sort of bylaws

[58:09] about special events, that's really helped us get in contact with these organizers and make

[58:14] sure those things are are in place. And every year I know we reach out with the with the pride

[58:18] organizers and let them know that um you know we're there for to for safety reasons of course.

[58:25] Yeah. Thanks very much and and again thanks to union members for your ongoing work. [snorts]

[58:32] Thanks very much councelor Hillian and councelor Warren. Great. Thank you mayor. Thanks so much

[58:37] for the presentation. I won't give you a tricky question like councelor Hillian. Um but I was

[58:43] wondering around this um kind of increased um attention to the prolific offenders and the 29

[58:49] offenders you mentioned. Um I know you your role can only go so far. So you can make the charges.

[58:56] Um you can have increased charges. You can be more kind of I don't like the word vigilant but more

[59:03] vigilant I guess in terms of um addressing these issues but then people do complain. It's kind of

[59:09] a revolving door. They get charged. People come out. I guess I'm just curious whether um you're

[59:14] feeling like there's been any positive outcomes for those folks that are you know and often they

[59:22] are folks who are have a mult you know a multitude of of issues. We certainly have people coming

[59:29] um and you know sort of the more organized people who are praying on vulnerable etc. But some of

[59:36] the people committing crimes like that are doing it out of desperation. So, I guess I'm curious,

[59:42] you can you can do the charges, but what are the outcomes after that you've seen? Yeah, you know,

[59:48] if you're speaking specifically about the Revoy program, we've seen really good success in it. Um,

[59:52] maybe that slide was a little bit misleading. It wasn't 29 offenders. We identified 12. It was 29

[59:58] just additional charges, okay, on offenders over the last quarter, right, that were under current

[1:00:04] charge. So that's goes through like if somebody for example is on a curfew, a lot of members will

[1:00:09] go at 2 in the morning and knock on the door and make sure that they're home, right? So that might

[1:00:12] you making sure people are abiding by conditions that are imposed by the courts. Um so like I I

[1:00:18] mentioned that again not telling any secrets here but it's a usually small number of people that dis

[1:00:23] disproportionately responsible for offenses and um and that's includes everything from violence

[1:00:31] to thefts to nuisances and this these programs um f try to focus those resource those resources

[1:00:41] not just ours but crown probation other community agencies on on those offenders. Right. Right. Um

[1:00:49] so it means that we've uh reduced the offending by those repeat offenders. Um increasing compliance

[1:00:58] with court order conditions um information sharing with crown counsel, probation, parole,

[1:01:04] uh social services, and I hopefully to bring up fewer victims. Right? That's that's the whole

[1:01:11] goal behind it. And I think it has been working well. there is good engagement from all sides. Um

[1:01:16] we said what makes a a wheel strong it's multiple spokes right so we have to bring all those people

[1:01:21] together to uh to make sure that the program goes forward but I think we are seeing success with

[1:01:26] them. Did I have a followup there? I see nobody else waiting yet. And I guess I am curious about

[1:01:33] those more sort of predatory um folks who are, you know, frankly coming and or may already be

[1:01:41] here in terms of finding desperate people to do the do the deeds for them. And I mean I I

[1:01:48] also have a bit of a background in with working in youth justice as well. Um and yeah, I I would see

[1:01:56] vulnerable folks really being kind of prayed on. Has there been any action around kind of tackling,

[1:02:03] you know, the the sort of higherups that take advantage and and get people frankly to do their

[1:02:09] dirty work and a word? Yes. [laughter] So that that's what we're always looking for and I think

[1:02:14] we've had that discussion in council before. We're not if you're talking about saying substance use

[1:02:20] um we're not looking for the end user. We're looking for those supplying,

[1:02:24] right? Um that that's the endgame to take away that. Um, yeah, and I mean sometimes

[1:02:32] those people are are getting people to work off their debts by theft and things like that.

[1:02:37] So that's sort of what I was getting at. Okay. Thanks so much. Excellent. Thanks very much, uh,

[1:02:43] Councelor Fish. Yeah, thanks Mayor and and thanks for coming in and sharing the the path ahead. Um,

[1:02:50] I'm just happy to move the recommendation or it's not really a recommendation. I'll move this

[1:02:54] motion that council identify the following top five areas of concern regarding police services

[1:02:59] in the city of Kourtney for 2627 as road safety, crime reduction, police visibility and comm uh and

[1:03:07] community mental health and um community wellness and indigenous relations and reconciliation.

[1:03:18] All right, it's been moved and seconded. Uh councelor Jelker. Yeah, thanks Merritt. I'd

[1:03:22] still had some clarifying questions actually. Um, so this is the first time we've seen

[1:03:29] um the presented like this where there was um I guess the RCMP coming with the five. Um so I'm

[1:03:38] just kind of processing that. Um uh but I do have a question as it relates to cuz I was looking at

[1:03:45] uh our community priorities um over the last few years and one of the ones uh that we had included

[1:03:52] previously was violent crime specifically drug trafficking violence and relationships and sexual

[1:03:57] assaults. And so I guess my first uh clarifying question um for you staff sergeant is how do we

[1:04:05] feel we are doing relative to um that previous community priority. Um I think we spent a fair

[1:04:12] bit of time talking about um our concerns around violence and relationships and drug trafficking

[1:04:17] specifically. So love to hear your uh insights on where you think we've come over the last

[1:04:23] uh two years on that file. Yeah. And you know those are always priorities. Um for us

[1:04:29] um intimate partner violence um is always at the forefront. We have the dedicated resources

[1:04:36] um ensuring that um you know we're taking the proper steps that we're plugging uh victims

[1:04:45] into the proper resources working with community partners to um ensure safety um and planning and

[1:04:55] um sort of that integrated case and and threat assessment um for you know problem again

[1:05:01] offenders. So that's something that never drops off the table from my perspective. Uh intimate

[1:05:06] partner violence is is is always in the forefront. It's those um priorities and again this was a very

[1:05:13] quick overview of sort of the top priorities a very sort of high level. Um they are we're always

[1:05:20] dealing with those. Um second part of the question was for which part uh drug trafficking. Yeah. And

[1:05:28] also that's something we have a you know dedicated resources as well that is their their almost their

[1:05:35] primary mandate is to identify and and to target um trafficking uh in the in the in the community.

[1:05:43] So um I don't have any specific numbers in front of you but uh as been requested by council we will

[1:05:49] be reporting on those. I mean, typically it's reported on quarterly, but you're looking for

[1:05:54] um and we've heard the request uh quarterly reports on how we're doing. That's why I laid this

[1:06:02] um the objectives out to you so you're fully [snorts] aware of what the objectives are and

[1:06:05] we'll report back on the key successes uh of those objectives and initiatives. Yeah. Thanks,

[1:06:11] Staff Sergeant. My my last question mayor is um in the slide it speaks to key initiatives under

[1:06:17] um [snorts] crime reduction uh publication of priority offenders and I think the success

[1:06:24] measure that you've identified that goes along with that is offender awareness products. So I

[1:06:29] think that's the first time that we've also seen that languaging. Um and so can you break down what

[1:06:35] that is? What does that look like? And what does um the publication of priority offenders is that

[1:06:40] publication to the public? Um and what what's the utility of that? How does that reduce crime? Yeah,

[1:06:48] I mean occasionally there will be publications on it. Uh typically that's more of an in-house

[1:06:53] publication. U so all our members partner agencies are aware of who has been identified as one of

[1:07:01] these REO we're speaking specifically to Revoy uh a Revoy candidate. Um, so we will let that

[1:07:07] offender know that you have been designated as this by the hub, the community, and that's

[1:07:14] not just the police, but that is, you know, crown, parole, probation to let them know that, you know,

[1:07:19] basically they're under the microscope. Um, you know, could that be an education,

[1:07:25] awareness, proactive measure? Sure. But, um, I think the, uh, yeah, the 72 is more.

[1:07:33] So, we're going to every month we will have designated offenders and that is going to be

[1:07:38] um broadcast out to our membership and as well to the to the hub um about those candidate those

[1:07:44] people that are included in the program. Thanks. Excellent. Yeah. Thanks, Council Zeler. And I

[1:07:51] think you know one one of the there's a couple things that that have come kind of to to light.

[1:07:55] One uh the request came a little bit later than it normally does. This is the first time where um uh

[1:08:02] I think in the past there have been um suggested priorities. Uh but this time it came kind a little

[1:08:10] bit more canned in the sense that it was for the whole Komox Valley. So it's sort of each council

[1:08:15] um adding to it. So, uh, in sort of debriefing with, uh, the officer in charge, Inspector Mercer,

[1:08:22] um, you know, getting this a little bit earlier would be great. And then,

[1:08:26] uh, having, um, we've been talking for a long time now about having elected officials, RCMP, uh, uh,

[1:08:34] meeting. And so all elected officials could come together, Komox First Nation as well. Um and

[1:08:42] uh and actually have uh a larger discussion where we can talk about this and other sort of community

[1:08:48] art uh policing needs and challenges and topics uh in whether it's a half a day or a full day um once

[1:08:55] a year, twice a year, but getting that happening on a much more regular basis so that we're a

[1:09:00] little bit ahead of things. And uh and I would concur. I I would say since I've been on council,

[1:09:06] um intimate partner violence has definitely always been one of the top uh priorities for council. Um

[1:09:12] and uh and so um yeah, so it's really about trying to see what we can do or you know, does it make

[1:09:19] sense that five is the is the maximum? Uh when we know the RCMP uh when you pick up the phone,

[1:09:26] they answer and they respond. And so, um, I think has been mentioned earlier before, I think our our

[1:09:33] community is quite well served. Um, and so on these types of talk topics, there's maybe a bit

[1:09:39] of massaging that we have to do kind of going forward to make sure we're we're all kind of,

[1:09:43] uh, speaking the same language and and on the same timelines, uh, getting things going. So,

[1:09:48] but I think we're Q2 right now and we're giving the priorities for the year. So, we're we're

[1:09:54] already a bit behind, I think, this year. Um yeah. Uh with that, we do have a motion based on the

[1:10:02] um priorities that were set forward that's been moved and seconded. Uh so all those in favor? Any

[1:10:09] opposed? And motion carries. And thanks again for your presentation today. And I would say there's a

[1:10:14] lot of information that was quite helpful. So just a bit of a a bit of a thumbs up to say it looks

[1:10:19] like every time there's an iteration and things get better. So you can pass that on to whoever

[1:10:24] assisted you with it or if it was just you. uh in the basement uh but also pass that on to Inspector

[1:10:30] Curver. Inspector Kerver Whoa, where did that come from? Inspector Mercer having a flashback

[1:10:36] flashback there of some sort. But uh again, um your comment on getting out into the community uh

[1:10:43] has been uh something that I've been observing and have had the opportunity to meet uh with you guys

[1:10:49] uh on a variety of topics uh and just really thank you for your service to the community.

[1:10:56] All right, with that, uh, have a great evening. You don't have to stay for the rest of the meeting

[1:11:00] unless you really want to. Um, and, uh, we'll move on to external reports and correspondence.

[1:11:07] And we do have an Idian's way traffic calming, um, letter and councelor Cole Hamilton. Yeah, thanks,

[1:11:16] Mayor. I wrote to staff earlier with a a proposal for a resolution on this and I um knocked on doors

[1:11:22] in 2018 and 2022 on this stretch of the street and I heard about it from pretty much every person I

[1:11:29] spoke to along there. So, this is not new to me at all and having gone through the materials that Mr.

[1:11:35] Buukich, pronouncing that correctly, um, forwarded to us. It looks like there's been a back and forth

[1:11:40] going on since, um, last December on this. And uh I think it would be good for us to um review

[1:11:49] the concerns that were raised and perhaps also um to be doing something in the meantime given

[1:11:55] this has been uh ongoing for quite some time, many years depending on how you're counting,

[1:12:01] but certainly since December, many months uh since the request was made. So if it's okay, maybe I'll

[1:12:07] uh just uh make a motion. And that is uh the council and I pass this on to Miss Proton who

[1:12:15] has that. The council directs staff to immediately implement short-term operational safety measures

[1:12:20] on Idian's way such as temporary speed reader boards, enhanced enforcement requests,

[1:12:25] or rapid rectangular flashing beacons or RFBS uh at the Crown Isle South Trail crosswalk to

[1:12:33] mitigate speeding risks and uh the council direct staff to reassess the Idian's Way traffic calming

[1:12:40] application taking into account the concerns raised by Mr. Vukich and report back to council.

[1:12:50] Hopefully, there's a seconder for that. It's been seconded. Uh I think it was a wholesome motion,

[1:12:57] so I don't know that you necessarily need to speak to it or I I do see other questions and

[1:13:01] comments. And we'll start with council more. I absolutely support the intent of of the motion. I

[1:13:08] just feel like maybe we should get um some kind of uh response back from staff and entertain a motion

[1:13:17] um potentially at the next meeting. Um but I absolutely think that there needs to be

[1:13:23] some response, but I'm just not sure whether the detail of the motion is appropriate for tonight,

[1:13:30] but other people can weigh in. Thanks. Thanks, Councelor Morren and Councelor Hillian. Well,

[1:13:37] thanks Mary. Um, so in our council package, we have what looks like a presentation and I wasn't

[1:13:42] sure what the intent was. We was the intent that uh we simply look at it or was there some intent

[1:13:49] around anyone speaking to it whether staff or uh the residents who sent it in? Thank you. This

[1:13:56] originally came in as a delegation request and um due to various logistical reasons um was not added

[1:14:03] to the agenda as a delegation, but I understand um that there are people here tonight and I don't

[1:14:08] know if they would be prepared to speak to it or if they're just here to answer questions. Right

[1:14:12] now it is not scheduled as a delegation. Okay, fair enough. Um yeah, I mean I I'm I'm fine with

[1:14:19] the motion that's been proposed. I just think it's important that our staff have an opportunity to uh

[1:14:26] respond. There's suggestion in the presentation material that uh people are not happy with the

[1:14:33] engagement they've had uh with city staff and and I think it's important that there be an

[1:14:37] opportunity for us to hear the staff perspective on that as well. So but um no no quarrel with the

[1:14:46] concerns. As I acknowledge to our staff sergeant, it's the number one concern in every neighborhood

[1:14:51] in the community, which is why we've uh done what we've done to lower speed limits and bring

[1:14:56] in other measures. And so, anything that we can do to help in this area as well. Thanks. Thanks,

[1:15:02] Councelor Halen. Mr. Garvin, do you want Yeah, we'll go to councelor Fr and then councelor

[1:15:07] Joliker and then Mr. Okay. Yeah, I was just going to ask for maybe staff's thoughts. Obviously, we

[1:15:12] have that um process now to for for neighborhoods to come forward and present their traffic issues.

[1:15:20] Um and I remember seeing this one on the on the list. And so maybe if staff want to give a just

[1:15:27] a quick a recap of what they found. It looks like it maybe didn't um meet the I guess it was the the

[1:15:36] mark that we had set for immediate action. But um I don't know if our staff have any more comment on

[1:15:41] that. Okay. And maybe I'll pass over to councelor Joler and then let staff speak after that if

[1:15:46] that's right. Uh councelor Joler. Yeah, thanks. Uh similar question to councelor FR. How um I would

[1:15:51] just add if I can we can also hear from staff. Um I'm happy to support the reassessment process. Um

[1:15:59] which I think is a second part of the resolution. Um but I am curious given that we have um a

[1:16:07] transportation master plan, the safe and active school program um and other transportation safety

[1:16:15] measures in place right now and planned for. I I I do get curious like these speed reader boards

[1:16:22] and enhanced enforcement requests like the RRFBs like do we even have enough to go around? Is it

[1:16:30] like if we give this direction, is there going to be an operational impact? Like are these already

[1:16:36] assigned elsewhere in the community? Like do we have enough to just put out to Idian's way? Um

[1:16:42] that's my I guess my question around operational impacts. Otherwise, everything else I'm fine

[1:16:47] with. It's just curious if there's if um we're taking something away from another neighborhood

[1:16:52] to help way at the moment. Thank thanks for that clarification and I'll pass it to Mr. Garp. Yeah,

[1:16:58] thank you. Thank you. the mayor to council. Um I can take it in two parts. The operational response

[1:17:05] uh with localized enforcement and we we do have a program to have the speed readers

[1:17:10] out and that's been very effective. Uh I did have a chance to connect with staff around the

[1:17:15] um flashing uh safety work there and I've been advised that's not a significant issue. Uh and

[1:17:22] that can be deployed. It it is a this has been a long-term uh the edge between the rural area and

[1:17:29] the municipality has been a long-standing conversation. This Indians way connection

[1:17:34] was opened and developed in accordance with transportation plans that were developed many many

[1:17:39] many years ago and the it's a vital link. So it's appropriate staff can come back with information

[1:17:45] based on what's been raised. Uh that's totally appropriate. Had it been a delegation, I likely

[1:17:52] I would assume that would be the the direction from council and unfortunately Mr. Shaw is on

[1:17:57] a a well-deserved vacation day today. Although Matt Brown is here able able in his place, but

[1:18:04] I I can speak to that. I don't believe it would injure any other initiatives that we have and we

[1:18:09] council is aware and has supported the utilization of this type of infrastructure because it's very

[1:18:14] effective and uh it's an important uh pedestrian crossing at the edge of our municipal boundary.

[1:18:22] All right, thank thanks for that feedback councelor Jaliker. Yeah, so I just want to be

[1:18:26] abundantly clear like we have the back to school program starting. Um I and I know that we're using

[1:18:32] these these two traffic enforcements. So can we we know for certain we're not going to be lacking for

[1:18:41] that program? Matt's going to answer just one second. Mr. Brown, thank you mayor to council

[1:18:48] [clears throat] JCore. It's a great question. Um some of these infrastructure pieces that you're

[1:18:52] asking for do take at least 6 to 8 weeks to to receive. Uh we do have a current program but um if

[1:18:57] directed I could order those and we can implement them in the next two three months if asked.

[1:19:05] Okay. Uh thanks that gives us a good sense of that that timeline as well. So much appreciate it. Uh

[1:19:10] councelor P. Yeah thanks. Just to clarify the um flashing beacons at the crossing is that a is that

[1:19:17] a temporary thing that you would order or is it permanent? Oh you're you so close. Just leave it

[1:19:24] on now. Thank you, mayor. Um uh my the response to that is to be a permanent measure be put in

[1:19:30] if if we did add it. Yeah. Do you have a actually I think we asked the cost a while back and it was

[1:19:35] fairly low number. Yeah. It' be approximately there's two tiers. So if it was just a a rapid

[1:19:40] flasher just that the technology temp simply the rapid flasher technology uh or the lumi walk it's

[1:19:46] called additional lighting. So that the base level the rapid flasher be about 15,000 this

[1:19:52] the let me walk be about 25 right and is there also ICBC or somebody puts money into that as

[1:19:59] well or is it just from the city? Oh Mr. Gar yeah in terms of the standard it is the rural edge of

[1:20:05] the community and there is no street lighting opposite so we've often had some challenges

[1:20:09] with rural areas supportive and not supportive of street lighting. So the appropriate uh engineering

[1:20:15] technology based on the standard would be what would be utilized in that area. Um but

[1:20:20] it's doable and uh we've deployed it throughout the municipality. Uh and this is a permanent

[1:20:26] uh pedestrian connection that's very important inside that neighborhood. So it's not like this is

[1:20:31] um emerging that that pedestrian crossing at the edge of the school boundary. Yeah. Well, I'm I'm

[1:20:36] not an engineer, but I don't see any harm. in fact a lot of benefit to putting flashers at pedestrian

[1:20:42] crossings and I find that they can use them if they need to and obviously if there's nothing

[1:20:46] going on they don't have to. So yeah, thanks thanks Councelor Fr and Councelor Hillian. Yeah,

[1:20:53] thanks Mayor. I just wanted to add a comment that um in um discussions with residents in other parts

[1:20:59] of the city about uh the challenges of enforcing speed limits um we've acknowledged that it's

[1:21:06] impossible for the police to be everywhere. Um the uh even down in an area like Puntlage Park where

[1:21:13] there's a 30 kilometer speed limit through the park and you have children and families and pets

[1:21:19] uh walking over to go swimming and such. We regularly hear reports of people racing through

[1:21:24] there. And I've advocated that uh we should in fact be using photo radar enforcement.

[1:21:30] we hear from uh people at higher levels that it's not politically popular and it's unlikely

[1:21:36] that any government will bring it in again. And to me that that just seems counter u intuitive

[1:21:42] because uh we know that that that in fact is an effective way of getting people to slow down if

[1:21:48] you can hit them in the pocketbook. So, I would just encourage residents to consider uh getting

[1:21:53] in touch with their member of the legislature to uh um encourage the provincial government in that

[1:22:00] direction. Uh we're having the opportunity to have some discussions with officials from the ministry

[1:22:05] of the solicitor general as we have in the past about uh what they're doing to expand red light

[1:22:10] cameras and possibly p piloting such enforcement measures. And uh I think pressure from communities

[1:22:18] uh would help. Um I don't know who's out there who's saying that this is not a good idea and

[1:22:24] why it's so politically unpopular because uh it's it's the biggest issue for people in their in in

[1:22:31] their [clears throat] their neighborhoods uh being able to walk safely on their streets,

[1:22:35] cross the roads, and not have to worry about their kids being uh injured by speeders. Thanks. Thanks,

[1:22:43] Councelor Hill. Appreciate that. And looking around, I see no further questions or comments.

[1:22:48] There is a motion on the table. Uh all those in favor? Any opposed? And motion carries. Um

[1:22:58] and so that will get get things happening. So again, thank thanks for uh providing the input

[1:23:03] to the the community and uh and to council. And we'll move on to the letter from the honorable

[1:23:10] Mr. Christine Bole, uh our housing minister. And um excellent. And uh for those watching online,

[1:23:20] if you don't want to read the letter, it's just basically letting us know that

[1:23:24] uh we're well on our way to our housing targets that they imposed upon us last year. And

[1:23:30] uh and so thanking us for our efforts. Uh and so again, at the end of the day,

[1:23:36] uh big thanks to staff and obviously the people who build houses because uh that's they're the

[1:23:41] ones that are getting that done. So, um, that's been received unanimously. We move into staff

[1:23:48] reports and we have the city manager strategic priorities update and I'll pass that over to Mr.

[1:23:54] Garve. Thank you through the mayor council. I'm really happy to bring forward our uh July update

[1:24:01] on the strategic priorities. Um the this is uh the uh term of this council is approaching its

[1:24:07] conclusion and it is uh a vast amount of work that's happened over the last three uh and uh

[1:24:15] half years. Maybe we're a little farther through there. Um in March of 26, we were brought forward

[1:24:21] a status update from the last quarter of 25 and we were directed to um reflect new items that are

[1:24:27] added, adjust timelines and report back in July and September of 2026. Um, this report is our 26

[1:24:33] progress. We're really excited to look at how much is being accomplished. Um, and much of this is

[1:24:39] reported in the city's annual report that was uh recently published. Um, I really want to highlight

[1:24:45] a few items though. Uh, the completed initiatives uh section. So, the Six Street Bridge construction

[1:24:51] of the mo multimmoal link has been completed. We've updated and adopted in the new development

[1:24:56] cost charge bylaw. We've adopted our first ever amenity cost charge bylaw and we have adopted

[1:25:02] our new and updated official community plan that addresses excuse me the uh legislative direction

[1:25:08] from the province. Um our new zoning bylaw has been updated to implement the OCP as well as the

[1:25:14] uh smallcale multi-unit uh housing regulations. We are seeing the implications of these um planning

[1:25:22] documents every day. We continue to lead the way on housing development and with council support,

[1:25:27] developers are continuing to um implement our community plan in accordance with the province's

[1:25:33] priorities. Uh so this is something that uh is something to be really proud of. Uh this council

[1:25:40] um was committed to uh increasing available development, increasing the variety uh of uh units

[1:25:47] in our community to respond to both our emerging demographics and the provincial direction. And

[1:25:52] it's something uh I think we should re really be celebrating. Um the mayor referenced our uh first

[1:25:59] quarter or sorry our initial housing response and uh when we were identified as a housing targets

[1:26:05] community uh it came with praise not concern and uh that continues to be reflected in the

[1:26:10] work that's happening. Um we wouldn't be able to do that without entrepreneurs who are uh seeing

[1:26:15] great comfort in the development policy as well as council's activities in the uh when the rubber

[1:26:20] meets the road which is yes to a reasonzoning. Um I want to also identify a really important change

[1:26:26] uh upgrading the fifth and cliff intersection uh to implement that new pedestrian crosswalk and we

[1:26:31] saw it uh in action uh on market days and uh so um with lots of ice cream sold on either corner. So

[1:26:39] uh and then we have uh implemented a tracking system for our council public inquiries as well as

[1:26:44] the east side fireh hall design and construction management. Uh we're very excited that uh the

[1:26:49] firewall construction has commenced. Um table um the table attached in attachment one provides a

[1:26:56] detailed overview of each section of our strategic priorities. And uh I members of our senior staff

[1:27:02] are here to answer any questions that council may have. But I I just want to thank council for their

[1:27:07] clear direction and staying on our strategic priorities as well as our staff for following

[1:27:12] through. I get the pleasure of reporting back. They do all the heavy lifting. So, um, with that,

[1:27:17] we're available for questions. All right. Thanks so much for that overview and I'll look to council

[1:27:23] if there's any questions or comments regarding the strategic priorities. And councelor Hillian.

[1:27:31] Thanks, Mayor. Um, you know, I I think that the business of the city, which um is certainly being

[1:27:38] discussed a lot in our social media feeds these days with an election approaching, is um is a lot

[1:27:46] easier to do when you're on the outside looking in than when you're actually there making the

[1:27:50] decisions and sorting out the resources that are required. Um I think that the uh the strategic

[1:27:57] plan that uh Mr. Garbert's uh presenting on um has [snorts] been largely uh successful in in many

[1:28:06] many ways. I did want to comment on one aspect and that's the um u the increased density that

[1:28:13] uh that we're seeing partly as a result of um uh provincial legislation but also as a result of

[1:28:20] decisions that the larger Komox Valley made when it adopted the regional growth strategy a number

[1:28:25] of years ago and determined that um it made more sense to infill and uh and build a more compact

[1:28:32] city than to sprawl out into the rural areas. Um many people don't like that because um uh

[1:28:40] it involves uh larger buildings in certain parts of the community. It involves a certain change in

[1:28:46] the charact characteristic of neighborhoods and it obviously involves more traffic congestion.

[1:28:51] Um those are all things that uh are inevitable with a growing community and that um hopefully

[1:28:57] some of the traffic control measures that we've implemented will help with as time goes by. But

[1:29:03] um um I I don't think we can under uh rate uh the significant progress that um the community

[1:29:11] has made in um building uh housing for the people who want to live here and and make this community

[1:29:19] a part of their lives. It's always a challenge to try and retain the qualities that brought here in

[1:29:24] the first place. Um, but I I I personally want to uh say thank you to our staff for how incredibly

[1:29:31] hard they've worked over the last several years to uh um um to realize the achievements in this

[1:29:38] strategic plan and I think that uh by and large the community is is better off for that work

[1:29:44] that's been done. Thanks. Thank you very much uh councelor Helen for those comments. Much

[1:29:50] appreciated. And uh councelor Jeler. Yeah, I councelor Hillian stole my thunder. That's what

[1:29:57] I was going to say. I I I just uh have to add that I'm really proud of the work um you know,

[1:30:03] in an election year. I think this document really highlights uh to folks the complexity of the work

[1:30:09] um and also how um outside influences uh can also delay things. um we had a quite a large ask for

[1:30:19] our staff uh or at the beginning of our term and we also had a major shifts proincially and so

[1:30:26] you'll see that under the buildings and landscapes section a lot of that work was as a result of the

[1:30:32] provincial mandate. So um and I did want to just highlight there's two areas that um aren't colored

[1:30:39] in green but I really genuinely feel like maybe we could color it a shade of green. Um and that

[1:30:46] is in part because I feel like we're almost there. Uh number 23 under affordable housing,

[1:30:52] the homelessness initiatives. This has been a huge priority for council and for staff and

[1:30:59] um we had the opportunity to attend the Braidwood uh blessing ceremony last week. Um and we've moved

[1:31:07] quite a long way with the winter shelter on the agenda today. I know that we have the

[1:31:13] winter shelter strategy upcoming, but I think there's huge pieces in that number alone that

[1:31:20] uh have completed uh at least the city's uh role to to initiate things as well as

[1:31:27] um some of the work um I think um related to the Courtney and uh district memorial pool as

[1:31:34] it's read here is around the needs assessment and the options analysis. I think we we've completed

[1:31:39] that work and it was a huge body of work. So, just some comments. I do have two questions, mayor. Um,

[1:31:45] I think quite quick. Um, one being the um, uh, bike parking. Um, I think it's the first time

[1:31:53] I've noticed this sentence. So, it's action number 20. Um, further direction is required to confirm

[1:32:00] scope, timing, and implementation. So, I I don't know if I just missed that in the last updates,

[1:32:06] but um I'm wondering if staff can speak to um what they need as direction to um to to initiate that

[1:32:15] work or to move that work forward and from whom? Yeah, thank you. Uh thank you for the question.

[1:32:22] Um, councelor the uh related to the downtown transit exchange was the request by council

[1:32:30] to include bike parking. Uh my recollection of the conversation about that is that it is not a

[1:32:37] significant component of that and so we will need to do some more work uh on that. Uh a challenge is

[1:32:44] that um the built form downtown uh we have uh over 10 uh bike uh uh parking areas uh ranging from

[1:32:55] uh secure uh sorry but we are we do not have any municipal secure storage at this point. So

[1:33:02] uh it could potentially require the removal of some parking and some other items like that.

[1:33:07] So that'll be uh some dialogue that we would have um potentially through the down downtown

[1:33:13] uh local area plan work that's going to be happening. So hopefully that clarifies that.

[1:33:20] Does that answer it or did you need further clarification? Yeah. Well,

[1:33:24] I guess yeah, thanks mayor. uh because it's identified as partially resourced in that

[1:33:28] um that row and so I was kind of curious if we needed to you know and not for today but

[1:33:35] I'm happy to speak with my colleagues to see if there's support and bring something

[1:33:39] forward around actually resourcing this conversation beyond the DVLAP process. Yeah,

[1:33:46] thank you for the clarification counselor. Uh we need to go through the planning process identify

[1:33:51] opportunities to undertake that and then see if we need those funds. So that would

[1:33:55] be included in a future financial planning. Uh like I said, there was a hope that the

[1:33:59] transit transit exchange would include that. Uh that's not part of it. Uh and so we'll work

[1:34:05] uh together and we can maybe it depends on the nature of redevelopment of some of the properties

[1:34:12] downtown that would be supported for the DAP if there was secure storage that could be component

[1:34:17] of that. But look, I'm really looking forward to that conversation. Thank you for the question.

[1:34:23] Excellent. I don't see Oh, councelor Fr. Yeah, thanks. Well, maybe just a quick last word if

[1:34:30] that's okay. Um, I just quickly looked up what the population growth estimated was in

[1:34:35] Courtney in the last four years and it was 2500 people and in that context, you know,

[1:34:41] our rents have stabilized in the valley and it's still an amazing place to live. It's

[1:34:46] we still function on a transportation level and um and everyone's generally really happy

[1:34:52] with the services that are available, parks, recreation, um all our community events. So,

[1:34:58] I just want to say thanks for all the hard work that was done and move the recommendation.

[1:35:04] Excellent. It's been moved and seconded. uh and and one of the stats that always

[1:35:09] uh I find quite interesting when you when you look at so we had those many people uh you know sort of

[1:35:15] increase the population but if you actually look at the people who moved to Courtney over the last

[1:35:19] 5 years it's like 50% of the population which is just baffles my mind uh on one sense and yeah some

[1:35:27] of those people might just be moving across the street from Komox to Courtney or Cumberland or

[1:35:33] those kinds of things but that's a lot of people coming to the to uh to Courtney uh proper. So

[1:35:39] um and again I think we've managed it quite well. So kudos to to staff. Uh Mr. Garbin. Yeah. Thank

[1:35:45] you, Mayor. Uh just with the council's direction, I want to let uh council know just like we did at

[1:35:49] the end of the last uh strategic planning process, we actually have kind of a summary graphically

[1:35:55] intensive document that's going to come out in August. Until you were good with what I

[1:35:59] presented today, I couldn't prepare that, but that is all underway. So, it's a good way to wrap it up

[1:36:05] especially so then to some of the counselor's comments so the community is really aware of

[1:36:08] all the great things that have happened um with their tax dollars. Thanks. Excellent. Uh thanks

[1:36:16] again for that and I'll call the question. All those in favor? Any opposed? And motion carries.

[1:36:24] All right. Uh fantastic. All right. So, next on the agenda is a temporary winter shelter season

[1:36:32] review and I'll pass that back to Mr. Garbbert. Yeah, thank you. Um through the merit council,

[1:36:38] um beginning on uh page 73 of the agenda, we have an overview of the uh outcomes from the temporary

[1:36:44] winter shelter at um 971 Cumberland Road. Um our colleague uh Isha Matus Gibbs prepared this

[1:36:51] uh presentation and uh in our transition uh I just wanted to acknowledge our colleagues with

[1:36:57] recreation culture and community services uh and our facilities department as well as

[1:37:01] our operational services staff who've helped uh with this transition to provide this much needed

[1:37:07] uh response in our community uh given the gap with the uh Braidwood facility. Now that the

[1:37:13] Braidwood facility is under construction, we're uh more clear on the uh work that's happening on

[1:37:18] the winter shelter. And I just wanted to let uh acknowledge that uh that the uh incoming facility

[1:37:25] that's a few probably 18 to 24 months out will um address significant need in the community, but we

[1:37:33] will still need temporary winter shelter services in the interim. This report provides an overview

[1:37:39] of a number of areas including the statistics um during the operation. Uh highlights um client

[1:37:47] outreach activities, our peer program and really important our community integration table. Um the

[1:37:54] report is got significant information in there. But what I wanted to highlight for council is that

[1:37:58] um we have um with great intent uh and good partnerships with service providers,

[1:38:05] we've had excellent outcomes. Uh the we recognize that um hosting uh these types of uses uh are uh

[1:38:13] have can have challenges. Um and since the city's become directly involved in this, we've had very

[1:38:20] good outcomes and that's for two reasons. one is intentional um approach to approvals, requirements

[1:38:27] and operations and the second is having a good partnership. And so uh with um the opening of

[1:38:35] 971 Cumberland Road, we have a new partner in the Lookout Society who has been very very good

[1:38:41] uh both to uh residents, the neighborhood and um community members who utilize that and as well as

[1:38:49] uh surrounding businesses, the city itself. Uh we're we're a significant neighbor. Um ultimately,

[1:38:56] uh the program has been very successful again because of the attention to details and council

[1:39:02] gave authorization to um move from um day uh daytime or dawn to dusk type of accommodation

[1:39:10] there. I'm sorry, the reverse evening accommodation to 24-hour operations. And uh that

[1:39:16] pilot meant very well. Um just wanted to highlight our recommendation is that um that we receive this

[1:39:26] review and update um and uh direct staff to renew the license to occupy to allow 247 use of the

[1:39:33] space for sheltering services with a code health and housing society for the 2026 and 27 winter

[1:39:38] sheltering season. the council authorizes the city manager to execute the license to occupy and any

[1:39:44] ancillary service agreements necessary and that recognizing the positive impact that additional

[1:39:49] supports for guests in the community had with the 2526 winter season the city approved funding to

[1:39:55] renew the community integration table peer program and shelter outreach programs for 2526 I'm sorry

[1:40:02] 2627 and direct staff to request financial contributions from the CVRD's HSS function and

[1:40:09] the town of Koma works for these programs. Just wanted to clarify that [clears throat] the three

[1:40:18] the three programs referenced uh uh are approximately $90,000 and those funds were

[1:40:25] supported through uh ask to the region as well as the town of Komach. So uh we intend to proceed

[1:40:32] and um given the success of the program and the support provided we anticipate there would be the

[1:40:38] same level of support previously although uh we cannot guarantee that. So that's why we're asking

[1:40:42] for that direction from council. I had a question uh what the financial program was and it's in

[1:40:47] approximately $90,000 with that if we're here for questions. All right. Thanks very much for that.

[1:40:55] Uh any questions from council starting with councelor Morren? Yeah, it's more of a comment I

[1:41:01] guess. I really appreciated the inclusion of the um the testimonials journeys towards treatment

[1:41:08] um the outcomes that came out of uh people who spent time at the at the shelter. And I think just

[1:41:14] to emphasize that, you know, this is a temporary situation and to have those kind of outcomes

[1:41:20] um from a temporary situation bodess really well when we have a permanent purpose-built shelter and

[1:41:28] facility coming up. Um if we can have these kind of outcomes in a temporary situation with uh the

[1:41:34] wraparound services that helped get several people to treatment and are having lasting success.

[1:41:42] um uh and the you know just the stories that they've shared um folks with brain injuries,

[1:41:50] folks who's had serious car accidents and um you know there's so many different circumstances for

[1:41:57] people and um just yeah I appreciated that. I I think you know um people want numbers. They

[1:42:06] want to know how many people came through, how many people got housed or went into treatment.

[1:42:10] Um but those qualitative um that qualitative information is super important. Um those of us

[1:42:17] who who worked in in fields where um often it was only qualitative um information. You you didn't

[1:42:25] know how successful something was until you saw someone on the street, you know, 10 years later

[1:42:30] doing well or 5 years later or whatever. So um I'm just appreciative of that inclusion in the

[1:42:36] report. Thank you. Excellent. Thanks so much, uh, Council Warren, and I don't see any further, uh,

[1:42:43] questions or comments. Um, so with that, okay, uh, it's been moved and seconded. All those in favor?

[1:42:53] Any opposed? And motion carries. Mr. Garvin, thank you. Uh, just for council's reference,

[1:43:01] um, uh, as outlined and identified by council Joliker, there's a second component. we've

[1:43:06] been retained by the region to bring forward a winter shelter strategy document and we'll

[1:43:11] be bringing that back to council in August. Um it's uh again we'll likely bu it builds on the

[1:43:19] our experience and we'll make recommendations on coordination and uh as I said paying attention

[1:43:26] to the details which has proved very very supportive or very important. So thanks for

[1:43:31] that. Thanks. All right. Um, next on the agenda 8.2.1 is liquor license application number 2602,

[1:43:42] good neighbor agreements 244 street and uh, Pat is going to miss Molly. Oh, Andrew. Okay, Andrew. It

[1:43:52] is through the mayor to council. So, this report is for council to consider a resolution to the

[1:43:58] liquor light liquor and cannabis regulation branch or LCRB in response to liquor license application

[1:44:05] number 2602. This liquor license is to request a change in liquor service hours from 9:00 a.m. to

[1:44:11] 2:00 a.m. 7 days a week for Gladstone Brewing Co. located at 244th Street. A quick background. Um,

[1:44:21] at the May 13th, 2026 council meeting, council considered a staff report detailing liquor license

[1:44:27] application number 2602. At this meeting, council passed a resolution enabling staff to one, request

[1:44:35] an extension from the uh, liquor and cannabis regulation branch for their referral response,

[1:44:41] and two, for staff to work with the applicant to address outstanding bylaw issues as well as

[1:44:47] the finalization of a good neighbor agreement. Um, following this, staff were granted an an extension

[1:44:55] to the referral response from the LCRB until July 2nd, 2026. Staff met with the applicant on June

[1:45:03] 10th, 2026 to work on the good neighbor agreement. No good neighbor agreement was signed by the

[1:45:08] applicant following this meeting. Staff brought a report to council on June 24th, 2026, which

[1:45:14] recommended against supporting the application due to no good neighbor agreement being signed. At

[1:45:20] this June 24th meeting, council opted to postpone the decision on this application as the applicant

[1:45:27] could not attend due to p personal conflicts. Um, since the June 24th council meeting, the

[1:45:33] following has taken place. Staff have obtained an extension from the LCRB until August 2nd of 2026.

[1:45:43] No good neighbor agreement has been signed and staff and the staff report and recommendations

[1:45:48] remain the same from the June 24th meeting and one letter was received from a neighbor on July

[1:45:55] uh 26. This letter was not in support of the application. Um so the applicant is

[1:46:01] attending tonight's council meeting and will be available to answer questions. Thank thank you

[1:46:06] for your time and staff will also be available to answer any questions regarding the application.

[1:46:14] Excellent. Thanks very much uh for that and I'll look to council if there's any

[1:46:18] questions or comments. Councelor Fresh. Yeah. Thanks, Mayor. I was wondering if the applicant

[1:46:23] wanted to take a minute to explain um their application for the extension and

[1:46:29] uh their thoughts on the process. Okay. Yeah. Uh so yeah, if you guys want have somebody like

[1:46:35] to approachate the podium. I don't see any council members not in favor of that. So,

[1:46:44] and your microphone's on now. So, uh yeah, feel free. And then we you may get some questions.

[1:46:49] Yeah, any questions are fine. Um uh just regarding the good neighbor agreement,

[1:46:55] uh I just try to work on it with the city staff. Um some of the terms in it I didn't find to be

[1:47:01] relevant to the actual issue, which was uh all of our complaints were noise complaints.

[1:47:08] uh they all happened after 10 p.m. and we already have a bylaw mechanism in place with the city

[1:47:15] where if amplified music is played after 10 p.m. uh you're in violation of bylaw and subject to a

[1:47:21] potential fine. Um, over the course of 12 years of business, we have had, I believe, 10 complaints,

[1:47:29] uh, almost all of them from one individual and all after 10 p.m. amplified music. And

[1:47:37] uh suppose just with the good neighbor agreement uh the big thing that the main reason I didn't

[1:47:43] want to sign it was because it had a clause in there that tied my business license to

[1:47:51] complying with the good neighbor agreement um when we already have a mechanism in place

[1:47:58] uh through the bylaw system for the noise um and I didn't want my business license tied

[1:48:09] uh to a good neighbor agreement if that makes sense to everyone have questions. So that's

[1:48:15] why I didn't sign it. I tried to get that clause removed. Uh that didn't happen so I didn't sign

[1:48:22] it. I met with the city staff about it. There was a few other things in there that I that

[1:48:26] I thought weren't relevant either because uh for the majority of the like for 100% of the

[1:48:32] complaints it's all been noise complaints. If we extend our license to, you know, two hours later,

[1:48:39] we would still be in violation if we were making noise after that hour. Nothing's really changing

[1:48:42] with the way we operate our business except if we have an event, an indoor event or something. Um,

[1:48:48] we know we have to shut down the outdoor amplified music at 10. If we don't, we're in violation of

[1:48:53] the bylaw, but it doesn't mean patrons have to leave. They can still hang out outside, have,

[1:48:58] you know, uh, a good time with their friends. Um, and if we do a show, say we do a show inside

[1:49:05] our indoor space and people want to hang out a bit longer and this does happen all the time,

[1:49:09] people can still hang out later. What we see right now are uh midnight rolls around, we have to shut

[1:49:15] our doors, maybe the place is, you know, we got 40 or 50 people and they end up going to one

[1:49:21] of our competitors establishments doing the same thing they'd be doing at Gladstones. Anyways, um,

[1:49:30] I don't know. That's kind of why I didn't sign. Well, why I didn't sign it,

[1:49:34] but if anyone has questions regarding the application. Okay, thanks for that. Um,

[1:49:40] looking to council members, councelor Hillian. Yeah, thanks M. I'm just wondering if uh staff uh

[1:49:48] can comment on uh the relationship uh between the good neighbor potential good neighbor agreement

[1:49:55] and the business license and and uh um the importance of that particular clause. Um

[1:50:05] hang on one second. uh through the chair I'll note uh at the onset you'll see under

[1:50:12] enforcement and res remedies under the uh good neighbor agreement it says this good neighbor

[1:50:17] agreement is a non-legally binding except for any specific obligations the parties choose as

[1:50:22] a framework for mutual commitments. Uh the authority for the municipality to revoke a

[1:50:27] business license does not exist in a good neighbor agreement. It exists in the community charter.

[1:50:32] at any point in time uh a municipality can revoke a business license for reasonable

[1:50:37] grounds. Um so primarily that clause uh as well as most of the other clauses in

[1:50:44] the draft good neighbor agreement are simply an acknowledgment that

[1:50:49] um there are bylaws and there are consequences of breaking bylaws. And so it's simply an

[1:50:55] acknowledgement on the part of the proprietor that uh um that they will abide by those rules.

[1:51:06] Okay. So it's really just to make it aware that both parties know that there are rules outside of

[1:51:13] this good neighbor agreement rather than the good neighbor agreement itself having any authority

[1:51:18] uh or powers within itself. uh through the mayor. Uh that's more or less correct. Uh like I said,

[1:51:26] the power to revoke a business license does come from the community charter. So um it is not the

[1:51:33] good neighbor agreement that introduces that power to the municipality or or creates a legal ability

[1:51:40] for the municipality to do that. That already exists. Okay. Yeah. because I I think from from

[1:51:45] my perspective that was one of the questions I had around like, you know, is there a number

[1:51:49] of complaints or something that was in the good neighbor agreement, but there really isn't. It's

[1:51:53] it's really just working back and forth. Okay. Uh thanks for that clarification. Uh councelor

[1:51:59] M. Great. Thank you. This is also um a couple questions for staff, but they should both both

[1:52:05] should be quick. Um so bylaw enforcement right now is seven days a week, but probably is finished at

[1:52:11] 7 or something at night. I guess I'm curious when the complaints come in. I'm assuming they

[1:52:16] come in the following day. Is there anyone that's able to clarify that? Hang on one sec. Thank you.

[1:52:25] Through the chair. Uh by law enforcement have um informed us that they uh are basing any of their

[1:52:32] investigations on complaint. Uh they are not out there at 10 or 10:30 at night and so they base it

[1:52:39] on complaint. There have been 12 complaints since September of 2023 of the most recent June 20th

[1:52:47] uh 26 uh which was issued a ticket which has been paid. Um and and so it's it's based on complaint

[1:52:56] um residents, neighbors, businessmen. Uh it is true that uh one complaintant has made multiple

[1:53:05] complaints. Uh the last complaint that we had had a a video that was very very clear that the

[1:53:12] music was loud and carrying on after 10 and 10 p.m. But that is by law and not related to the

[1:53:19] liquor license extension. And while not legally binding in a good neighbor agreement, it is part

[1:53:27] of the conversation to make sure that the noise is stopped or shut down at 1000 p.m. Right. just

[1:53:35] took my quick one. Um, so yeah, in the report it says there were six different complaintants. Um,

[1:53:44] so that was since 2023. So would that be excuse me when you say that um we heard that the majority

[1:53:53] came from one person. Would th would those be more recent or were those six complaintants

[1:53:58] spread spread over time or were most of the complaints by one person recently? I guess

[1:54:04] I'm just trying to see if if there's been multiple complaintants in the last little while and through

[1:54:11] the chair the the the dates run from primarily September 16 2023 uh June 24, July 25, August 25,

[1:54:22] September 25, October 25, January 26, um uh March 11th 26, May 27 26, and then June 20th 26.

[1:54:34] So, it's it's I'm sure when the weather's good and people are outside and the events are happening,

[1:54:41] um that's that's when the music is is playing and where there would be more of the complaints. It's

[1:54:47] not on a daily basis and it's not clumped. It's pretty spread out. Yeah. Sorry, I I should be

[1:54:52] more clarifying, I guess. So, but recently, I guess I'm wondering about the one complainant.

[1:54:59] Have they has that been over time or I guess I'm wondering whether those are those have been

[1:55:05] more recent or like have there been multiple complaintants in the in there have recently

[1:55:11] through through the chair there have been multiple complaints over the last two years from different

[1:55:17] people. Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Thanks for clarifying that councelor Fr. Yeah. Maybe maybe I can help

[1:55:25] shed some light on that question because I was kind of wondering if same thing. Do we have six

[1:55:30] complainants complaining twice or do we have you know one complainant complaining five times

[1:55:35] and the other five complaining? You know what I mean? Through through the chair there is uh one

[1:55:40] complaintant who has complained six times. Thank you. Um, and so a followup to the idea of having

[1:55:47] this uh clause in the good neighborhood agreement um that it sounds like formalizes the fact that

[1:55:53] staff can come anytime to council and ask to revoke someone's business license. Is that is

[1:56:00] that a fact? I don't think it was formalized. I think it was acknowledged was the word,

[1:56:06] but I'll let Jake uh through the chair. Uh, no, I would not use the word formalized because that

[1:56:12] power comes from the community charter. Um, and notwithstanding the language of the agreement,

[1:56:18] staff would have to bring forward a report to council. Um, council can only revoke the business

[1:56:24] license on reasonable grounds. Um, so staff would have to provide evidence um of of bylaw

[1:56:32] infractions or other grounds to revoke a business license. I would also add that the charter lays

[1:56:37] out an explicit appeal process where the business owner can come and appeal to council. Um so but

[1:56:45] again to be clear none of that is established by the good neighbor agreement. Um that is core to

[1:56:51] council's uh powers. Thank you. Well that that is kind of what I understand. I think you put

[1:56:56] it best. It acknowledges that that process and those powers do exist. Um and and so to be frank,

[1:57:04] it sounds like a sticking point on, you know, like it already exists. Do do we want to say it or do

[1:57:08] we not want to say it in the agreement? Um and I I really enjoy having this business downtown. Um

[1:57:17] and and I'd like to support businesses like this that create vital talent in our downtown. And so

[1:57:22] I would really hope that we could find some way for this business and um and our process

[1:57:28] at the city to come together and um not not turn down uh basically turn down this application. So

[1:57:36] um I I would actually just appeal to the business that they accept that this is something that we

[1:57:40] can already do and um stick it in there, not stick it in there. Um, it doesn't seem

[1:57:46] important to me either way, but um, it seems like at this point you could just acknowledge

[1:57:50] that we can take away your business license if we find that you're operating outside of

[1:57:55] u, you know, uh, reasonable terms. So, um, I' I'd love to not move this recommendation. And it

[1:58:02] looks like there's a statement there from Yeah. And and and and I think part of it because we

[1:58:08] haven't had this discussion since I've been on council for 12 years of taking away somebody's

[1:58:12] license. So that policy and procedure. Yep. councelor or council regardless doing too much

[1:58:18] talking today. I just want to stress that these processes pursuant to the charter are legislative

[1:58:25] and there is a significant body of work that sets precedent to unpack and go through an

[1:58:35] enforcement process. It's very rigorous. Um, in fact, you could probably search through any media

[1:58:42] relations around this. When a business license is revoked, it's a serious issue and it is not easily

[1:58:50] uh done and nor is it from a local government perspective taken lightly. Um, as is the case

[1:58:57] with any enforcement and council's aware of our bylaw enforcement policy, we our very first step

[1:59:04] is to try to seek compliance. And my understanding of the engagement on this issue is that we've also

[1:59:10] been trying to engage with complaintants. And so in my over 20 years history in local government,

[1:59:17] many much of it with by law enforcement um that the munal often facilitates this dialogue

[1:59:24] especially in areas where the nature of the use and the uses around have some conflict. So it's

[1:59:31] um it's it's a challenge and balancing um the needs of a business as well as preferences or

[1:59:39] the experience of adjacent land uses are there. I just want to I want to be clear

[1:59:44] that the exercise of this kind of legislative authority to revoke uh is extremely rigorous.

[1:59:53] Excellent. Yeah. And and I think just to finish my thought on that policy and procedure that which

[1:59:58] our council hasn't gone through to me the most the closest adjacent idea is when we had nuisance

[2:00:04] properties and again a large amount of work was done. it came to council. Like there was a lot of

[2:00:10] stuff to get to the point of even identifying a nuisance house which the neighbors obviously for

[2:00:16] decades have, you know, were aware of. So I do see uh we have some more lights on over on this

[2:00:22] side. So I'm going to um Oh, did you would you did you have a followup? Yes. Yes, please. I I

[2:00:29] I just wanted to clarify that at no point was the um good neighbor agreement anticipated to tie into

[2:00:37] the business license. This application is for an extension of the liquor license from midnight to

[2:00:43] 2 p 2 2:00 a.m. That's what that's what this is for. The music is a subset. It's the music isn't

[2:00:51] directly tied to the liquor license. The music is supposed to stop at 10:00. That is a municipal

[2:00:58] bylaw regulation. The liquor license extension from midnight to 2 am is a provincial regulation.

[2:01:06] Um, and so I wanted to make sure that we're clear that at no point have we talked about anything to

[2:01:12] do with the business license or revoking it. That that that conversation was never on the table. Uh,

[2:01:17] and if there was something in there that implied that, then we have no problem removing that. the

[2:01:22] the um also the concept of the good neighbor agreement came from the RCMP. It was the RCMP

[2:01:30] that recommended the good neighbor agreement. It was not the city and it was not staff. It

[2:01:34] was the RCMP. We're following up on that and it was council who said they didn't want to proceed

[2:01:38] without the good neighbor agreement which we've tried to accommodate. But I think the important

[2:01:43] thing is we need to separate the complaints from the noise to the liquor license extension. They're

[2:01:50] they're two separate things. Okay. Um, and and I just because I'm looking under that nine

[2:01:55] enforcement remedies uh that that we're kind of focused on here. And the second bullet when I'm

[2:02:01] reading it, it says obtaining a business license is contingent upon accepting and signing this

[2:02:05] agreement, which makes it sound so that's based on what you just said. That sounds very much you. So,

[2:02:13] I'm just just making maybe this wording might need to be massaged based on what I'm hearing. But I'll

[2:02:20] I'll let staff digest that for a second. Maybe uh if you Oh, uh or or you can respond now. Oh,

[2:02:28] hang on. I've turned on all the mics now. Through the mayor. It's possible it's a typo. That might

[2:02:33] me might have meant to say obtaining a liquor license is contingent. Um because the business

[2:02:39] already has a business license. Um, so, uh, yeah, it's it's a bit of an anomaly there, but Okay.

[2:02:46] And and I know we're doing this in real time, so uh, like I said, I just when I read that and I'm

[2:02:51] hearing what I'm hearing, it just, uh, Oh, yeah. Yeah. No, no. I I I I'm I'm on it. Uh, I I will,

[2:03:00] if you don't mind just turning the mics off and back on again, just because, and that was my that

[2:03:03] was all me. My apologies. You You'll push it again and that way you're back in the queue. Um, thanks

[2:03:09] guys. I appreciate that. Uh, and then I'm going to, uh, pass it back over to the applicants. I was

[2:03:15] just wondering, uh, how many other liquor licenses in the area are tied to good neighbor agreements?

[2:03:22] And, and I think what we're articulating here is, yeah, I I'll let them Oh, just press it

[2:03:29] once. Stand by. Otherwise, I'll end up turning on everybody's mics again. Uh, uh, through the chair,

[2:03:35] we don't have that information available. uh we know that it is common place in many

[2:03:41] municipalities to have good neighbor agreements which would be why the RCMP uh recommended this to

[2:03:50] so and and and I think with many of the things that that are done if it's new then sometimes uh

[2:03:57] well maybe there's typos and things and stuff so um uh but uh I want to continue the conversation

[2:04:03] I'm going to pass it over to councelor Hill yeah mayor I just want to reiterate uh the the point

[2:04:10] you made because um that was what I wanted to speak about. It says obtaining a business license

[2:04:18] is contingent upon accepting and signing this agreement. That makes no sense. And and so I think

[2:04:23] we're hearing an acknowledgement that that's a mistake. Um and um I don't actually see any point

[2:04:31] in that line being in there. Um, I think the the the sentence or that particular bullet point could

[2:04:38] start with the parties recognize that the success in reaching the objectives of the good neighbor

[2:04:43] agreement. Um, that Yeah. Well, I mean it it's um I think it's that clause is just poorly written.

[2:04:58] But anyway, um the other point I wanted to make is that the reason we're here tonight is because

[2:05:03] uh there's an application to extend the RS and uh council gets a report uh that acknowledges that

[2:05:10] there have been, you know, complaints about noise. And so the worry is though if it's open later,

[2:05:16] are there going to be more complaints about noise? And and so council recommends a good neighbor

[2:05:21] agreement. I I actually was in favor of approving this application going forward to the liquid

[2:05:27] control branch at the first instance because at that point it sounded like staff were going to be

[2:05:33] able to work out some sort of uh uh satisfactory agreement with the business and uh unfortunately

[2:05:41] that hasn't happened. If it's as simple as as removing or changing this word business to liquor

[2:05:47] or removing that half of the line, um then my suggestion would be that uh we punt this over to

[2:05:56] the next meeting and and give the parties another chance to work it out. Um, you know, I think if

[2:06:03] the if the business operators feel that uh uh this is unfair that they're being asked to do this when

[2:06:09] other part uh businesses perhaps aren't, well, we don't actually know if we're if we're getting any,

[2:06:17] you know, concerns expressed about the operation of other liquor establishments in town. I remember

[2:06:22] when the Aces pub went in, we had lots of people in the apartments next door who didn't want it to

[2:06:29] be there because they believed that there would be noise and uh it would interfere with their

[2:06:35] lifestyle and their enjoyment of their property. Um I'm not aware of whether we've had complaints

[2:06:40] uh in that neighborhood or not. Um but um I agree with Councelor Fr. I think the business

[2:06:48] that we're talking about here tonight is uh a key part of our downtown. It's uh I never go

[2:06:54] by there that it isn't approaching full. Um I'm sometimes there myself. Um, so you know, I mean,

[2:07:02] I think in general, council wants to see this business succeed and, uh, continue to offer the

[2:07:08] services it does and the enjoyment to the people in our community and and, uh, so, um, you know,

[2:07:14] subject to further discussion, I'd be willing to move that, uh, we give another opportunity

[2:07:19] for the parties to resolve it. Yeah. Thanks so much for that. And and and I think again,

[2:07:25] you know, and this might just be an anomaly that like we look at it and the wording is

[2:07:29] potentially just wrong. Um and and the applicant did say that this was the the most glaring issue,

[2:07:35] but there might be some other issues as well. So um and again, I don't want to prolong this

[2:07:39] conversation necessarily too particularly long, but I do see staff are also willing to speak.

[2:07:44] So I'll maybe let staff speak for a second and then um and then go back. Um, normally applicants

[2:07:51] aren't part of the ongoing conversation. So, uh, maybe if there's some more statements, so think

[2:07:56] about that while staff are responding right now as well. Uh, yeah, through the mayor to council. So,

[2:08:03] um, just to be clear, we've we did have a meeting on June 10th with the applicant and based off of,

[2:08:10] uh, verbal communication with the applicant at the meeting, we made some minor changes to

[2:08:14] the good neighbor agreement. Um, I just want to highlight that since May 13th,

[2:08:20] uh, since the first report on May 13th, we haven't had any, uh, the applicant has not supplied us

[2:08:26] with a good neighbor agreement with their edits to it. Um, so we're happy to move forward and

[2:08:33] the city does want to work with the applicant. We just need to understand the applicant just needs

[2:08:39] to understand that they have to um provide their own edits and respond to the city so that we can

[2:08:46] create the good neighbor agreement. Um and if that doesn't happen, it makes it really it makes it a

[2:08:51] bit more challenging for us to to resolve this and move forward. And um I think some of my previous

[2:08:57] reports did outline some of the communications that staff have been trying to uh engage with

[2:09:04] the applicant on. Right. No, much appreciate that. Uh, Miss Maloney, did you have a comment as well

[2:09:09] or through the chair? I just wanted to say that in our initial conversations that the actual issue of

[2:09:15] the business license wasn't raised. There were several other issues that the applicant raised

[2:09:20] um that we're not addressing here. So, this is not a take out one line, fix it all. And that's

[2:09:26] what I'm feeling. Yeah. Yeah. And and we only have an extension to August the 3. Um, and so

[2:09:32] if if we if if if if if council wishes to have a signed agreement before they make a recommendation

[2:09:39] to the liquor board, this is not an approval, it's a recommendation to the liquor board. Um,

[2:09:44] uh, it's very unlikely we'll have that by August the 3. So, I just want you to be aware that if

[2:09:51] it moves forward, we will not have a signed good neighbor agreement. Right. Because August 3rd is

[2:09:57] like less than a week away. Yeah. Yeah. So, and and and that's also uh top of mind for me. Um uh

[2:10:04] councelor Fr. Yeah, thanks. Mayor, I haven't gone yet. I had my hand. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks for

[2:10:11] jumping in there. Yeah. Thanks, Mayor. Um yeah, I do have one question and then uh maybe a question

[2:10:17] for the proponent and then some comments. Um you know, we we did spend a fair bit of time

[2:10:23] and just would like to remind council there was a whole package that went with this application.

[2:10:28] We heard clearly from the RCMP, the inspector himself, good things don't happen when you serve

[2:10:33] alcohol after midnight. I wouldn't recommend this. If I did, I would say we needed the good neighbor

[2:10:39] agreement. We heard that clearly from the people who will be enforcing the issues that occur with

[2:10:45] alcohol being served after a certain point. um to staff uh because there is reference to

[2:10:53] um other establishments who are serving alcohol in Courtney after midnight. And

[2:10:58] I believe I asked this question at one point. I would like just if staff can reclarify that we in

[2:11:04] fact don't have any liquor licenses for um the serving of alcohol in Courtney after midnight.

[2:11:21] uh through the mayor. Uh that data would have to be obtained from the liquor branch.

[2:11:27] Um each license has its own parameters. Uh liquor licenser, liquor licenses are merely referred to

[2:11:35] municipalities over long periods of time. So we wouldn't have that information readily available

[2:11:40] other than anecdotal knowledge. Yeah, I seem to recall mayor as a followup that I asked maybe at

[2:11:47] the first meeting this question and I remember staff had indicated to their knowledge we hadn't

[2:11:53] seen anything. I know that in our this term we haven't seen any applications coming for the

[2:11:59] serving of alcohol past midnight. Um and we also have our um Komox Valley substance use strategy

[2:12:05] work that is ongoing that specifically speaks to the harms related to the sale of alcohol beyond

[2:12:10] certain hours. Um, and so the last question I had because the proponents are there, which

[2:12:15] I appreciate and apologies for not being able to be there in person. Some of the correspondents we

[2:12:20] received was related to the importance of creating an environment for um, entertainment and vitality

[2:12:28] in the downtown core. And I guess I'm just trying I'm having a really hard time understanding how

[2:12:34] um your thriving business, which I also can appreciate and see on a regular basis,

[2:12:40] is doing quite well um and is a really valuable community asset. Um how um the proponent might

[2:12:48] uh kind of tie those two things together, serving alcohol after midnight and downtown vitality. So

[2:12:57] that's a question for you guys. Yeah. Uh there are establishments in Courtney and in the Komox

[2:13:03] Valley that serve alcohol after midnight and have licenses after midnight. I know that for a fact.

[2:13:09] And I do know that the patrons at Gladstones that leave when we have to close our doors do

[2:13:15] go to these establishments later. I can name three that have them, but I don't know if it's relevant.

[2:13:24] Kelly O'Brien's Whistle Stop and Max Pub for starters. Yeah. Um and it's not Yeah. Like I

[2:13:33] think our business is doing well and we are you know helping downtown uh have that vitality and

[2:13:40] uh but we we do know like I I I hang out at Gladston a lot. Uh I know all my a lot

[2:13:47] of my patrons and when uh you know midnight rolls around and it's been like this forever,

[2:13:53] they just go to another establishment. It's not like they're choosing to go home after Gladstones.

[2:13:57] If they want to continue enjoying their night, they will go to, you know, essentially

[2:14:02] my competition. It hinders our business because we try to get entertainment in or groups in and

[2:14:10] uh they don't want to come because they don't want they want to stay later. do a comedy show inside

[2:14:16] for example. Um you know people like comedy shows like you know they'll be later at night because

[2:14:21] of the content but then we got to kick everyone out at midnight while everyone's you know just

[2:14:26] starting to to enjoy their evening and they want to well they end up going to our competition and

[2:14:31] and I'm pretty sure there are no another neighbor good neighbor agreements in the com and at the

[2:14:37] last meeting I was assured that this was the first one ever in our valley so it's a bit unprecedented

[2:14:42] we'd be setting a precedent. I didn't like the way it was written. I did bring up all my complaints.

[2:14:47] Well, I brought up a lot of my complaints about it. Um, one of them being quarterly reviews. Um,

[2:14:53] which I didn't like. I I I brought it up several times to make changes. So, I think might not be

[2:14:59] uh characterized accurately, uh, because I did try to reward it with the staff. Um, but the push back

[2:15:09] was always this is the agreement. Sign it if you want your liquor license extended. I think it's

[2:15:13] mostly a redundant process anyways because the only complaints we've had have been noise. They've

[2:15:18] already said noise is a completely separate issue. So I don't really understand why my business needs

[2:15:24] a good neighbor agreement when no other business that that I compete with or is in the same

[2:15:31] industry requires this. Yeah. And and I think part part of it comes to to the grandfathering it. But,

[2:15:36] you know, I I think as as was mentioned, it is something that was recommended to us and,

[2:15:41] you know, from people that are actually going to be on the front lines where we're we're not. So, I

[2:15:45] think that's where, you know, council uh obviously didn't anticipate probably uh this being as big of

[2:15:53] a challenge, but uh uh councelor Fr, I'll let him speak and then councelor Joler, uh your is

[2:15:58] your is that a new hand up? I just was uh wanting clarity from the Yeah, just wanting clarity from

[2:16:04] the proponent. Um, so you're saying if um you you close your establishment at midnight if you don't

[2:16:10] get the liquor license extension? Well, right now our liquor license ends at midnight 7 days a week.

[2:16:17] Yep. So last call last call is 15 minutes before and at at midnight we're not allowed to sell on

[2:16:24] call and we don't but you're still open. Our patrons just go to other businesses. The liquor

[2:16:30] license allows us to if to for patrons to stay 30 minutes after the liquor license ends uh to to to

[2:16:37] finish their beverage and and leave, but they're not allowed to order alcohol after midnight.

[2:16:45] Okay. Does that answer councelor Jiker or do you have more questions afterwards? I

[2:16:49] just see your hands still up. Yeah, I just I don't think I got an answer to the trying to

[2:16:53] connect the dots between downtown vitality and serving alcohol after midnight. I'm not sure.

[2:16:58] I I I heard the business case for it and I appreciate that as as business owners,

[2:17:03] but uh some of the correspondence we received was related to how this could support downtown

[2:17:09] vitality. And that piece I'm having a real hard time understanding given what we know happens um

[2:17:16] when people are inebriated um late at night. So uh I might be able to address that a little bit. Um,

[2:17:24] I recently attended a uh placemaking event put on by the town and we're doing Duncan Avenue

[2:17:31] bridges. We're doing a lot of work to bring people downtown. We're trying to make this a cool city.

[2:17:38] Uh so if you look at a place like Austin, Texas for example, it's grown uh phenomenally

[2:17:46] in the last few years and it has a vibrant art scene and music scene that actually brings in

[2:17:51] more money than having the state government of Texas centered in Austin. Then you ask yourself,

[2:17:56] would Elon Musk build a mega plant? Would would uh Texas Instruments be there if there wasn't

[2:18:01] somewhere cool for these people to go uh after work? And that vibrance is what I'm talking

[2:18:07] about. It's not only going to bring new people to town or tourists. It's actually going to give

[2:18:11] uh businesses somewhere for their high functioning employees to go to. So it's it's it's a big part

[2:18:17] of what drives that economy, which is about a third of the US. So it's it can be significant.

[2:18:21] And Gladston has a a very familyfriendly kind of environment there. And we don't have a lot of the

[2:18:30] troubles that, you know, a dance club or nightclub would have. We're a we're a little different than

[2:18:35] than some. So, all right. Thanks for that. I'll pass it over to councelor first. Yeah. Well,

[2:18:41] I I have I have a thought on that actually. Um you know, if I'm going to go out at night at,

[2:18:45] you know, 9 or 10:00, it it's a significant factor if I can't get a drink at at a certain point. Um

[2:18:52] and I can go to the Waverly up in Cumberland and and get a drink at 12:30 at night. So,

[2:18:58] um it it does affect um the vitality of downtown. Um, I can also go to those other places that were

[2:19:04] mentioned, you know, the Max Pub, Kelly O'Brien's, which happen to not be downtown. Um, they're

[2:19:09] good businesses, too. But, um, to to the the um counselor's question, that's how I think of it.

[2:19:16] But what I really wanted to ask was more from the applicant. Is the re is the issue here um that you

[2:19:25] feel like your that the good neighbor agreement is going to be tied to your business license

[2:19:34] in a way that it isn't already. I I think that's part of it. It's unprecedented. Uh we don't know

[2:19:41] what the repercussions are going to be because this hasn't been tested on any business before.

[2:19:46] It's it hasn't been used or know is there do do I hear anything saying all new future businesses in

[2:19:53] my industry will be required to sign this. It seems to be directed solely at my I'll just be

[2:19:59] I'll just be frank. It's it's it sounds to me like um you're more worried about it than it than like

[2:20:07] where it sounds like it already exists. It sounds like council can deliberate on your business lace

[2:20:12] since anytime it wants anyways. And this good neighborhood if if you can get to the point

[2:20:17] where you can acknowledge that a good neighborhood agreement isn't going to change that fact. Uh it

[2:20:22] might be a moot point and we might be able to just settle this whole thing and move forward and get

[2:20:26] you guys the extension. That's that's how I feel about it. Um and we only have a few days left

[2:20:32] before we have to ask for another extension. So, um, I' I'd put the ball in that court right there.

[2:20:38] I think I think we just want to move forward and even even tonight. It's it's a lot of time,

[2:20:43] but it's good that we all understand how the liquor license works. And yeah, and and again,

[2:20:50] you know, the the council coming up with new policy and procedures is basically what we do,

[2:20:56] land use, those kinds of things. And and things change over time. And so this um again we're

[2:21:02] looking what the best practices are from uh the experts that that we get our input from who who

[2:21:09] were here earlier [snorts] tonight um at the RCMP. And so um and you know when we talk to

[2:21:14] other municipalities to see how things work and um and it's it's quite interesting uh something

[2:21:22] like a good neighbor agreement when it was first brought up finding out how it works in other

[2:21:27] communities. The strange thing is it is literally as was described an acknowledgment so that when

[2:21:35] people ask us why we did something we can say well we made sure everybody acknowledges kind

[2:21:39] of their role in this and their responsibilities it it doesn't create those responsibilities and

[2:21:45] and I guess that that I to kind of speak to what councelor first is talking about it doesn't sound

[2:21:51] like to me the good neighbor is necessarily creating uh situation, do things. You talked

[2:22:00] about a quarterly thing because again, we have two choices here. From what I'm understanding, we got

[2:22:06] till August second. So, we got to figure this out today or not. And and so I I think we worked past

[2:22:13] the business license thing. It sounds like it's a typo or something. The quarterly report or check.

[2:22:20] I couldn't I I wrote it down, but I I wrote it really fast now. I can't read my handwriting.

[2:22:25] Yeah, it would be quarterly meetings with the city staff, so four times a year, which can I make one

[2:22:34] more comment before that speak to that particular um part of the agreement? Um I remember a few

[2:22:41] years back and I don't know if you remember this mayor or councelor Helian, but the curling club

[2:22:45] came to council and they wanted their license extended. I believe they can drink till 6:00

[2:22:50] in the morning and they can and they can start at 9 in the morning. Um and and so we're not really

[2:22:56] trying to vilify um alcohol use at we weren't historically anyways and I'm I'm not at this

[2:23:02] table. So that's where I stand on on this and I really hope we can sort this out and move forward.

[2:23:12] Uh Mr. Garvet, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Uh I think political lights are off. I just wanted

[2:23:19] to si maybe potentially um suggest or provide an option to council. They could council could

[2:23:29] ultimately if you want to move forward with this with a recommendation to the U liquor

[2:23:35] control license cannabis licensing branch. Uh you could dictate the terms of the good neighbor

[2:23:40] agreement and have support conditional on that agreement. I I I don't want to sound there's a

[2:23:45] lot of conversation here about timing etc. So that that that's an approach. Um sounds like

[2:23:53] there's edits to be made related to business licensing and that's really if if this is a

[2:23:59] council priority which they identified as a good name bear agreement that's a that is a

[2:24:03] path forward. So okay appreciate that. Um and just before you speak uh did you guys still want Mr. uh

[2:24:14] uh through the chair. I just wanted to uh make a point of clarity. Uh the there the requirement for

[2:24:21] quarterly meetings is only for the first year uh and then at least annually to review operations,

[2:24:27] noise data if collected, complaints and update this agreement as needed. So it is not quarterly

[2:24:34] meetings on an for every year. It is for the first year and then annual meetings. Um just

[2:24:40] as a just as a point of uh making sure council's aware of what the agreement says and and sorry

[2:24:46] you had said something in there and and maybe Pat Pat will be clarifying this but does um uh if so

[2:24:55] let's say there's no complaints. Does that mean the meetings can just like not even happen? Sorry

[2:25:01] Mr. mayor at and to council. That's exactly what was expressed on June the 10th is is that if the

[2:25:07] meeting is not necessary, if there have been no issues, if the RCMP hasn't been called anything,

[2:25:11] if there have been no bylaw issues, then that the meeting is cancelled and and we so when we say

[2:25:19] quarterly for the first year, it was only to sort of get things going and then annually after that.

[2:25:24] And it didn't have to be a physical meeting. Could have been a Zoom. Could have been a a a phone

[2:25:29] call. Could have been any number of ways of doing it, but it was a check-in to just make sure things

[2:25:34] were going well. And and RCMP were very clear that if no meeting was necessary, then no meeting would

[2:25:40] be held. Okay. Appreciate that clarity. Sorry. Uh you had your hand up. I guess I just wanted to um

[2:25:48] say that this is inhibiting us from having events. I mean specifically there were some African events

[2:25:53] where they really wanted to go later and I wasn't able to do that and I was really calling on the

[2:25:56] African community to do and and other lots of lots of community event. I always trying to throw

[2:26:00] community events and and this is unquestionably inhibiting that and we as a business all of you

[2:26:09] who live in this community can see that all we do is reinvest into the downtown and reinvest and

[2:26:14] reinvest um a and do charitable things. Last year we gave over $45,000 to Yana. We This is a good

[2:26:22] business that uses our money for this community. And I also think that these six people, I'm not

[2:26:29] sure why they get such a loud voice compared to all the people that are enjoying what we are

[2:26:34] doing. It just doesn't seem proportionate and it just doesn't feel fair. So, so there are specific

[2:26:40] clauses in the good neighbor agreement that will mitigate or reduce your ability to do business.

[2:26:49] Well, the quarterly meetings, how it's worded in there, like nobody else has to do that and

[2:26:55] then making amendments based on on like what I don't even know what that means.

[2:26:59] It's such an ambiguous agreement and I don't know there wasn't any real examples of these agreements

[2:27:06] being used successfully in other cities and it's going to set a huge precedent and right now it's

[2:27:11] just Gladston that's getting that's that's on the hook for this curling club being a prime example

[2:27:17] not that long ago gets to 6:00 a.m. without anyone saying anything but Gladston asks till 2 a.m.

[2:27:23] And then all of a sudden it's it's all based on this good neighbor agreement that uh you know

[2:27:29] the like I've read it many times and it just we already have bylaw. The only complaints were noise

[2:27:36] complaints and I know they're trying to separate the two but it really our whole meeting was really

[2:27:40] about the noise complaints and we already have a mechanism in place for that and we already have

[2:27:45] a bylaw system in place for some of these other issues. So what the good neighbor agreement just

[2:27:50] seems completely redundant to me. Yeah. And and I guess that that's the challenge is that we're

[2:27:54] seeing this uh you know council's direction was this might be a path forward for future things. So

[2:28:00] yes, you're the first one. My question though was based on the comment was this this agreement will

[2:28:06] mitigate or reduce your ability to do business. And so what I'm hearing is not that it'll reduce

[2:28:12] your ability to do business that you're aware of, but you're not sure. There might be some Well,

[2:28:17] it's it's the 2 a.m., right? If we don't sign this agreement, we don't get to be open later.

[2:28:24] That reduces our business confounding business. It restricts our growth. Okay. So, if you signed it,

[2:28:29] you would be able to stay open. But if you don't, then you can't and therefore that's

[2:28:36] causing it. Okay. Yeah, that that's clarified. Uh counselor. Yeah. And council occurs online

[2:28:42] as well. Yeah. Thanks, Mayor. I think the other important context here um just in response to

[2:28:48] councelor Fr's's comment around alcohol, the city has endorsed the substance use strategy, there's

[2:28:54] clear policies in there around municipal alcohol policy that our staff uh have on their work plan.

[2:29:00] We haven't resourced it yet, but it's on the work plan to do. And in the absence of that,

[2:29:05] this is a mitigating measure provided by the experts, the RCMP, um, to mitigate the harms

[2:29:13] related to alcohol that the city acknowledges through the substance use strategy. So,

[2:29:17] I do want to just bring that larger piece in. And this is one of those unfortunate situations

[2:29:22] where we do have competing priorities. we have uh thriving businesses, businesses that want to grow,

[2:29:27] and we have um the city taking action to reducing harms related to substance use. So,

[2:29:33] I just wanted to add that context because I think it's important um and that we do have these two

[2:29:38] things happening at the same time. Thanks. Right. Thanks for that clarity. And councelor F. Yeah.

[2:29:46] So, I have a question for staff. Um, this idea of having quarterly meetings in the agreement,

[2:29:55] is that necessarily any different than what you would already do if there were complaints? Like,

[2:30:00] would you not maybe already have meetings if there were a bunch of complaints about a business? Uh,

[2:30:06] through the chair, our bylaw enforcement powers would allow um bylaw enforcement officers to

[2:30:12] attend a business and speak with the owner. Um the meetings would just be an opportunity to

[2:30:18] do it in maybe a more casual uh I don't want to say casual but uh without dur with Yeah.

[2:30:25] without someone showing up randomly at the at the doorstep. So I think it's maybe more of a

[2:30:30] more proactive approach um less magisterial. Sure. It it sounds to me like we're really

[2:30:36] just acknowledging and making it simple to do the things that the city can already do.

[2:30:41] Like if you do have a noise complaint complaint then um instead of like you say bylaw coming in

[2:30:47] and um being a bit adversarial you've already got a meeting set up and try

[2:30:52] to try and sort things out. Is that the concept or you know saying no? Oh hang on

[2:30:59] uh through the mayor. Yes, it it uh it's an opportunity for us to to discuss. I would

[2:31:05] also point out um that uh the city uh has a much smaller hammer than the liquor branch and a lot

[2:31:13] of these clauses in the good neighbor agreement actually um speak to barkeeping practices that

[2:31:20] are expected by the liquor branch. Um the the the wording is very much similar about for example

[2:31:26] encouraging patrons to not disturb the neighbors and things like that. So um although they may

[2:31:33] have to have a meeting with uh you know the city every uh you know quarterly for the first year

[2:31:40] uh the liquor branch can send inspectors into the business at any time um without disclosing

[2:31:45] their presence and so on um to look for liquor infractions and the liquor branch can revoke a

[2:31:50] license a liquor license immediately almost if they see serious infractions. So, um, we're not

[2:31:56] necessarily asking for anything, uh, hours beyond what the, uh, the liquor branch can already do.

[2:32:06] Um, and certainly no more extensive one than what the liquor branch can do. Well, thanks for that.

[2:32:12] It it does sound like we're merely acknowledging the things we already can do in this neighborhood

[2:32:17] agreement. So, um, and and I I also want to point out that we u we have safe ventilation

[2:32:23] sites. I'm sure those go very late at night. Um, no, they're closed. Yeah. Um, but we push to have

[2:32:31] safe inhalation sites put in and um, yeah, I think I think there's a difference between encouraging

[2:32:38] people to use less drugs and alcohol and um, and vilifying it and and saying it's absolutely

[2:32:44] prohibited. So, I'll leave it at that there. Thanks. Okay. Yeah. and and and you know casting

[2:32:49] back to I think when Matches opened up their outdoor patio um there was similar uh concerns

[2:32:57] uh especially around the sound and I think if the idea of a good neighbor agreement had if that had

[2:33:03] been recommended to us at that time it like we likely would have done it I I and I I'm correct

[2:33:08] I think we may have good neighbor agreements for other things other than liquor things so it's not

[2:33:13] like this is just for liquor this is for things that um when we're looking at at our community

[2:33:19] and where there's a potential conflict uh to have these good neighbor agreements just though that

[2:33:25] it's all articulated and and I look at it like a and and I think council I don't want to speak for

[2:33:30] council necessarily totally they can shake their heads if they don't think uh believe or agree

[2:33:35] with me but it's really like a comfort letter that just says these are the things that we agree upon

[2:33:40] through other mechanisms but we're just putting it in one place so we can easily refer to it uh

[2:33:47] Councelor Cole Hamilton, I do apologize. You're you had your light on or um did you want to speak

[2:33:52] still? Yeah, I was going to say I was Yeah. Yeah. Thanks very much. I was going to ask um something

[2:34:01] along the lines of what councelor Rush was asking about whether the other um portions of the

[2:34:05] agreement require something more than is required by um by the province. And um I guess I I haven't

[2:34:13] spoken because I my colleagues ablely make the sort of the the point that uh this isn't legally

[2:34:20] binding. It doesn't ask any more than would be otherwise asked. It doesn't give the city any

[2:34:26] particular powers. Um it uh it uh it's a set of agreements of shared understandings. And I think

[2:34:35] that's all we've been trying to achieve here. Um and uh I think it's um I I would maybe ask I think

[2:34:48] again I think councelor Fish has been making many of the same points. So it's why I haven't

[2:34:51] been speaking is that if one can acknowledge that this doesn't have an a legal impact on you. It's

[2:34:58] not legally binding. Um it's a set of common yeah common understandings of how we all want to move

[2:35:05] forward. um if we can't reach that that's you know after having advice from the people from the RCMP

[2:35:14] um that that would be a good way to move forward and this may be the first time we're doing it and

[2:35:19] likely I'm guessing for similar applications it'll be the way we move forward going uh from

[2:35:24] now on but uh yeah so I'm guess I believe I'm not probably adding anything new to the comments that

[2:35:30] are already been made but just wanted to to share that for now thanks I appreciate that councelor

[2:35:35] Cole Hamilton Hamilton and Council Moore. Great. Thanks, Mayor. Um, yeah, I think part of part of

[2:35:42] the issue is that um the other businesses I think they do operate after midnight. Is that what I

[2:35:51] heard? Yeah. Um, but we haven't necessarily heard from neighbors in those areas or whatever. Um,

[2:35:59] but I guess my question is regarding kind of the fairness of the good neighbor agreement. If there

[2:36:07] were issues happening at the other establishments and there were RCP complaints, I would assume,

[2:36:15] but this is what I'd like clarification on that that someone would come to us and say just like

[2:36:21] a nuisance house, which is what happened with the nuisance house. um multiple complaints, multiple

[2:36:27] issues, people came um and then we came up with this nuisance bylaw in response to that. Um so

[2:36:38] would that be accurate that if there were issues happening in other establishments like we would

[2:36:43] we would want to have a good neighbor agreement with those establishments as well, would we not?

[2:36:51] uh through the uh mayor. Uh we would it would certainly be beneficial to have good neighbor

[2:36:57] agreements with those establishments and the opportunity to do so may actually present itself.

[2:37:02] They have to renew uh their liquor licenses. They may seek to change their liquor license as the

[2:37:08] applicant has. Um, in terms of enforcement, um, if something were to occur at those,

[2:37:16] uh, businesses that was substantial enough, um, the municipality could, um,

[2:37:22] go through the rigorous process of of revoking the business license. Um, you know, again,

[2:37:28] on reasonable grounds and and that's obviously proving that is dependent on the circumstances,

[2:37:35] but yes, it it very much uh can uh happen. You can you could revoke a business license or declare it

[2:37:41] a nuisance um depending on the nature of the infraction infraction and the proof available.

[2:37:47] Well, I think this is illuminating that, you know, there is a gap like maybe it is something I don't

[2:37:54] think it's going to happen this term necessarily, but in terms of um that ability to to monitor

[2:38:01] um you know these to um to take a look at all the establishments and whether or not

[2:38:12] um there's a way to you know create good neighbor agreements with other establishments. based on on

[2:38:19] uh things that are happening. But I guess um yeah, I I I guess I'm yeah, I'm hopeful that if there's

[2:38:28] just a couple things that need to be changed that we can do that. I mean, I think that having even,

[2:38:36] you know, an an annual check-in, unless there are other issues that come in is reasonable. I

[2:38:42] think changing that language around the uh the um liquor/ business license. Um but I I guess I

[2:38:52] I do think that we will see more of these and this was a recommendation from the RCMP and I

[2:38:59] think that if we had another establishment that was um what that there were issues we we would

[2:39:06] be doing we wouldn't be just you know not doing anything. Um, but I do appreciate that it does

[2:39:12] seem like a small number of complaints and, you know, half of them were from one person. Um, so,

[2:39:20] you know, I I understand that that's um that's a challenge for sure, but I think that we have not

[2:39:27] been having any bylaw complaints about the other establishments to my knowledge, but that might

[2:39:33] be something that staff can look into. Thanks. Thanks, Councelor Warren. And I'm going to jump

[2:39:40] to councelor Halen just because he hasn't spoken a whole lot this evening on this topic. Yeah. And

[2:39:45] and I will acknowledge that um I originally voted against uh um requiring this process,

[2:39:51] but um that notwithstanding that it's a resolution of council um that a good neighbor agreement be

[2:39:59] enforced. I think I've heard you say that you're not going to sign one. So So I mean that would

[2:40:06] leave us at an impass. I don't hear anybody at council proposing that we take away the uh the

[2:40:12] requirement. Um we've been we've spent nearly an hour on this. My suggestion is we adjourn

[2:40:18] um for our supper break and uh give the business the opportunity to consider their position and and

[2:40:25] uh um and then um you know spend five minutes on it after that and and then move on. Um,

[2:40:32] I think we're at an impass here where we're simply exchanging uh the same arguments. If if

[2:40:38] it's a council resolution that uh if we're going to recommend this action to the liquor control

[2:40:43] branch, there needs to be a good neighboring agreement, then that that is in fact the position

[2:40:48] that you're in. Um, unless the council changes its mind, which has not been indicated. All

[2:40:55] right. Appreciate that, Council Helian. And I'm going to let councelor Fr make a comment and we

[2:41:00] may take you up on your suggestion. Well, just just quickly, I I would um I I would reiterate

[2:41:06] that this good neighborhood agreement really changes nothing and we can do all the things in

[2:41:12] the good neighborhood agreement. I'm sure even right now. So, I implore you to reconsider and

[2:41:18] um I'm happy to move that we table this item till after our meal. Give you time to think about that.

[2:41:24] I move that we table this item. Is that Yeah, it's been seconded. Councelor Joler,

[2:41:29] do you have any comments uh before I take the Oh, yeah. Sorry, non debatable. All those in

[2:41:36] favor? Any opposed? And uh so what we're going to do is we're going to adjourn our recess right

[2:41:43] now for our dinner break and then we'll be back uh and we'll come back at 7:00 p.m.

[2:42:07] I like the sticker. I'll send That work.

[2:59:41] Yeah.

[2:59:46] Okay. Thanks a lot. All right. Byebye.

[3:00:04] Oh, you 7

[3:00:37] All right, thanks everybody. Uh we're now back uh from our recess and continuing on uh item

[3:00:44] 8.2.1 liquor license application uh and the good neighbor agreement for 244th street. And I will um

[3:00:56] uh we recess. I'll maybe look to council at this point. Um I believe the applicant has left. Uh

[3:01:05] so councelor. Yeah, just a question mayor. Um is the liquor uh control or the liquor and cannabis

[3:01:15] regulation branch aware of all the permutations of the process that we're going through? And I mean,

[3:01:22] I think we've asked them for for an extension and and uh I'm just wondering to what extent

[3:01:28] this process, regardless of what resolution we pass, might influence their decision one way

[3:01:33] or the other. Those might be two questions, but I'll pass it over to staff. Uh through the chair,

[3:01:38] um we've asked them for the extension so they are aware that there is some kind of a dialogue

[3:01:43] going on. Two extensions. Um, in terms of what they'll be aware of, um, generally speaking, um,

[3:01:50] all paperwork associated with a municipality's referral process is sent to them, um, with their

[3:01:57] response. So, emails from the applicant and so on would be going to the branch. So, they would,

[3:02:03] I guess, be aware of the conversation that's occurred. Thanks, Councelor Hillian and Councelor

[3:02:09] Moore. Thanks, Mayor. Um so basically if um well first of all if something happened and the parties

[3:02:20] came back and did want to do something then another extension would have to be applied for and

[3:02:25] is that a usual thing to have a third extension granted or oh hang on sorry I got to find the

[3:02:33] right one uh through the mayor. Uh probably not. um not for these reasons. Uh it's tough to say,

[3:02:44] but uh yeah, I'd say our situation is pretty unique. Yeah. Yeah. And I guess just a quick quick

[3:02:50] follow up around um so obviously this um involves other parties, the RCMP, etc. And so I mean we're

[3:02:59] not the only ones that have to provide feedback. So, I mean, regardless of what happens here, the

[3:03:06] RCMP could decide to um yeah, if there's no good neighbor agreement, then that was that was part

[3:03:16] of their feedback that they would that they wanted that. So, I mean, I guess I guess the bottom line

[3:03:21] is it's not just um it's not just council that's weighing in on this um process, but I guess if

[3:03:28] there's no agreement signed um before in the next couple days, then uh it's all kind of a phenito.

[3:03:37] Thanks. Thanks, Council Warren. And Mr. Garbbert, you had a comment. Yeah, thank you to the mayor.

[3:03:42] uh just we've we spent quite a bit of time on this and uh councelor Kian identified so our staff are

[3:03:49] acting on council's direction the requirement for a good neighbor agreement is there uh so unless

[3:03:55] that changes uh uh then the recommendations in front of you is the policy direction from council

[3:04:02] um as I had said previously there are a number of options to council council could consider

[3:04:07] their previous requirements I'm not trying to engage in the political debate here, but we also

[3:04:13] uh council could provide their support contingent on a good neighbor agreement as well. That is the

[3:04:18] feedback. That's the requirement of council. So, I'm just trying to provide some options

[3:04:21] because I think everyone [clears throat] pardon me, everyone is uh struggling a little bit with

[3:04:27] uh with the matter at hand. So, I just want to be clear. the polic as it is is because of council's

[3:04:36] direction for the good neighbor agreement and that there is an option for conditional consideration

[3:04:42] of this if we have the same direction from council all right thanks for that council call

[3:04:47] Hamilton yeah thanks mayor I I just wanted to ask a question just to maybe clarify something that

[3:04:52] was raised in previous conversation that there are other u places that stay open past midnight

[3:05:00] um and that they apparently do not have good neighbor agreements. I just wanted to maybe

[3:05:06] ask if staff could confirm that uh we've never had the opportunity to weigh in on that with

[3:05:13] those entities because they've not requested a change of this type. There's never been a point

[3:05:18] at which we could have requested a good neighbor agreement. So, this is not a matter of being

[3:05:24] treated differently. It's a matter of um of this coming before us and um us following the advice of

[3:05:33] the RCMP and I would assume that the advice if if other um entities came extending wanting similar

[3:05:42] extensions that we would get similar advice from the RCMP and we would take similar action.

[3:05:47] It's [snorts] just uh you know this is a matter of first instance we have not had had this happen and

[3:05:52] there was some reference to the curling club. I don't know. I wasn't at that board. I don't know

[3:05:57] who made that decision or how that came to be. But in the 8 years I've been here, we've never had the

[3:06:02] opportunity to to uh be in a situation where an extension um was asked for that a good neighbor

[3:06:10] agreement might be the right solution to. Um so this is I just want to clarify the other places

[3:06:15] that stay open within town, they listed a few of them. um those are not opportunity circumstances

[3:06:23] where we've had the opportunity to make to go through this kind of process and this kind of

[3:06:26] analysis. Thank you through the mayor. I would just say uh to the best of my knowledge the issue

[3:06:32] of the requirement of a good neighbor agreement has not come up in the referrals. So this was a

[3:06:37] specific response to a referral. The previous consideration of um liquor either a new liquor

[3:06:45] license or an extended nick liquor license. So, I point council, we just had a a new liquor license

[3:06:51] for another business downtown. Um, and it was not it did not come out as a as a recommendation. Uh,

[3:06:59] it was not for the same timeline, but it did not come out as a recommendation. So,

[3:07:02] this is we are acting on the advice of um of uh specialists in the area as a condition uh to move

[3:07:10] forward and council accepted that. Um uh we had a reference to the substance use strategy and

[3:07:18] some work related to the consideration of um the licensing of intoxicants. That is work that will

[3:07:24] happen. So it may be that our recommendation when considering liquid licenses that good neighbor

[3:07:30] agreements be be incorporated but that work has not yet happened. [clears throat] So in this case,

[3:07:36] I believe this is twofold response to circumstances and advice as well as um

[3:07:43] the previous uh considerations were were different and they didn't have the same circumstances that

[3:07:50] resulted in that referral. If we had received that same level of referral for the two more

[3:07:55] recent liquor license applications, we would have provided that to council. So I I believe

[3:08:00] that would likely have been a condition had the uh referrals um highlighted that need. Thanks Mr.

[3:08:08] Grabbit. I appreciate that. And and another bit of information that I I've received recently uh just

[3:08:14] in the la last 20 minutes or so is looking um at other opportunities when we look at you know the

[3:08:22] uh you know one of the comments was around they're the only one. Uh if we look to the

[3:08:26] resort municipality of uh Whistler, they actually have the exact same thing as a requirement uh for

[3:08:33] all business licenses for liquor establishments and cannabis stores. So, you know, we're not

[3:08:38] blazing a trail here or anything like that, but there are other opportunities to look at things,

[3:08:43] but I think as Mr. Garbett said, those things are being reviewed right now to see what's the best

[3:08:48] fit. Um but we are at this point following the advice of um uh the RCMP at this point. With that,

[3:08:55] I'll pass over to councelor. Thanks, Mayor. I just wanted clarification

[3:08:59] on um what the RCMP uh was was wanting in the good neighborhood agreement and if we knew why

[3:09:10] uh through the mayor uh they they weren't specific uh but they accepted the um uh good

[3:09:19] neighbor agreement that was prepared by us. It was part of the conversation. They had no

[3:09:24] changes or edits to it. Uh they and and uh while the mayor provided the example of Whistler, Naimo

[3:09:32] has these uh agreements with with um uh liquor establishments as well, bars, pubs. So it's this a

[3:09:40] standard thing for the RCMP now to have these good neighbor agreements. I can't speak for them, but

[3:09:47] they never came up with any suggestions, changes, or edits to the Good Neighbor draft. Okay. Well,

[3:09:52] I'm just going to make a quick comment. Um, it's completely political. I I actually think

[3:09:58] that there's just too much red tape and if we already have all the things available to us to

[3:10:04] deal with bylaw problems and and so on. Um, yeah, I think good neighborhood agreements is just a way

[3:10:12] to smile at each other and say we're going to do what we're going to do. But, um, I I can see why

[3:10:17] businesses wouldn't like it. That's for sure. I mean, to be asked to to spend time to come in and

[3:10:21] see staff four times and have it written down and signed, um I I totally get it. At the same time,

[3:10:27] um it doesn't sound like anything that you're not already able to do. So, I don't I don't think,

[3:10:33] you know, obviously they're not coming back to sign an agreement tonight. So, um yeah, it's

[3:10:39] I think it's really unfortunate that we haven't been able to bring the two perspectives together.

[3:10:46] Thanks, Councelor Rich. Sir Warren. Great. Thanks, Mayor. Just um related to the the comment that

[3:10:54] our city manager made about um contingent on um if there's if we don't have time to

[3:11:03] um have them sign before an extension though, how can we approve something

[3:11:08] contingent on because yeah, I mean I don't see how we could do that within the timeline.

[3:11:17] So I I I just I don't know if there was something else that you were getting at,

[3:11:23] Mr. Garet. Through the through the mayor, just in speaking with our director of services,

[3:11:28] it it could say that the city supports the liquor license extension provided there's a

[3:11:37] um good neighbor agreement in place. Not not that it has to be in place there,

[3:11:41] but it could be considered in their deliberations on the liquor license approval at the at the

[3:11:46] liquor license cannabis board uh approver. But again, it's not an ideal situation. It doesn't

[3:11:52] actually go to council's direction. Yeah. I mean, I I just think I mean, what does that

[3:11:59] mean exactly? Because the the the timeline I don't know. Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm thrilled with

[3:12:07] that idea either. Thank you. Thanks, Council Warren. Councelor Hill. Thanks, Mayor. I I'm

[3:12:14] prepared to move that council recommend support to the liquor and cannabis regulation branch

[3:12:21] for the application in question subject to the completion of a good neighbor agreement. Period.

[3:12:32] Okay. So, it's not the one that's on the screen. So, that's slightly different.

[3:12:36] So rather than not recommending it move forward, it's recommending it moves forward contingent on

[3:12:41] the good neighbor agreement, which technically could still happen within the next few days.

[3:12:46] Councelor Haleen, I'll I'll give you the mic back for subsequent Well, you my point would be that it

[3:12:55] would then be in the hands of the liquor control branch who will go through their process. We'll

[3:13:01] see this recommendation and we'll either um say, well, where's your good neighbor agreement or not

[3:13:09] if they think it's important and then it'll be the liquor control bunch making the decision,

[3:13:13] which is what it's making. it's it's their job anyway and essentially we will have

[3:13:19] done our part um following through on the council resolution. um and you know doing what I think is

[3:13:27] uh what the majority of council feels is that that we don't necessarily want to stand in the way of

[3:13:32] this business continuing with their business model but we do want them to follow through with the

[3:13:38] council resolution that was made but by doing this without putting a timeline on it we we essentially

[3:13:44] send our recommendation off to the liquor control branch and then it's up to them and you know the

[3:13:51] the good neighbor agreement happens in that time frame rather than us spending another two hours on

[3:13:57] it and getting our staff to spend more hours on it here tonight or in the days to come. Thanks,

[3:14:03] Councelor Helen. Uh, councelor M. I thought that councelor Cole Hamilton was in front of me,

[3:14:09] but he turned his light off. Um, I guess I just wanted to ask staff, is that um is that a a doable

[3:14:16] process? Um, like will that work? uh through the chair. I'm just trying to look up the act,

[3:14:25] but I do believe it is possible for a municipality to recommend approval with

[3:14:30] conditions. Uh it certainly is possible for the liquor control branch to impose conditions. Um so,

[3:14:38] uh and worst case scenario, the liquor branch probably just refer it back to us.

[3:14:46] Yeah, I guess I'm just I don't know how if the if this is expiring in a couple days, how? Well, no,

[3:14:55] the the liquor the liquor branch has granted an except for a a couple days, two two extensions,

[3:15:03] I believe, to get us to August 2nd. Uh to August 2nd. I'd just like to also say that August 1 is

[3:15:11] the holiday. Mhm. Um so that would give two days to have a conversation and and I Yeah.

[3:15:17] I just [clears throat] to to add to that to to councor um if the if if the condition that we

[3:15:27] place on it is that there be a good neighbor agreement which is what we recommended in May

[3:15:34] and and it was council said no we want the good neighbor agreement. This is why we're

[3:15:38] here now. And and so if we if we say that, oh, a condition that we have a good neighbor agreement,

[3:15:46] I think I can pretty much guarantee we're going to go through this cycle for a long time.

[3:15:55] Thanks, Council Moore and Councelor Helian. Yeah, the the uh the delay is to give time for

[3:16:02] council to consider its recommendation. Um and uh I if we send the recommendation along along

[3:16:11] with the copy of the good neighbor agreement with whatever amendments uh have been discussed

[3:16:16] here tonight that are considered appropriate, then it's in the I think it's in the hands of

[3:16:20] the liquor control branch. And if they punt it back, well, fair enough. Um maybe at that point,

[3:16:28] uh we take a harder line and and say no, we don't support it. But uh um I I'm just going

[3:16:34] by what my sense is of what uh the majority of council here tonight appears to want to do. And

[3:16:41] uh you know that would be consistent with uh not standing in the way of this business but also

[3:16:48] uh honoring the previous resolution of council. We could in fact as Mr. Garbbert has said rescend the

[3:16:58] requirement. Um, but as I said before, I haven't heard anybody propose that here tonight. So,

[3:17:06] I'm proposing a way for us to move forward with this. And if it gets sent back, so be it. But,

[3:17:11] um, um, I don't know whether it will or not. Maybe the liquor control branch will just decide, oh,

[3:17:17] well, they didn't want to sign the good neighbor agreement.

[3:17:20] We're not going to give them their license. Then it's their decision.

[3:17:27] All right, councelor.

[3:17:32] Oh. Uh, I should I let councelor co go first? Uh, if that's all right.

[3:17:42] Councelor Cole Hamilton. Okay. I was going to say I'm always happy to have more information

[3:17:46] before asking. Um, so if we were to do this, then it would be the the the the

[3:17:55] province that would negotiate the good neighbor agreement under this uh and the province is the

[3:18:03] province then free to say, you know what, it doesn't really matter to us. We're good. So,

[3:18:09] but but you're nodding, but but I'm just curious to know with staff if we if we

[3:18:16] have this this qualified support. Um, and then the qualification is never met. Um,

[3:18:24] does the province have the discretion to just do what they please at that point or does that

[3:18:28] stop the process? I I feel like in some ways we're just handing this off to someone else

[3:18:32] who might decide to [clears throat] just ignore our um [snorts] you know reasoned request. Yeah,

[3:18:39] I think historically yeah it's referred to us but we don't we just make a recommendation but

[3:18:44] I think it's up to the liquor control board for the actual answer but Mr. Thanks. I think staff

[3:18:49] might be responding but ultimately uh through the mayor to counselor. Um the reason why we

[3:18:55] have chosen because we are not required actually the municipality has chosen to involve ourselves

[3:19:00] in liquor licensing approvals. Uh and we have done that historically. Um they are looking for

[3:19:06] our direction. Um so if we have a take on this it have some suggested conditions per Mr. Belaba's uh

[3:19:16] commentary then that that is a position we can take but I'll I'll I'll defer to my colleague.

[3:19:24] Sorry through the mayor. Just reading the act. So um just to be clear uh if council were to

[3:19:31] recommend uh that the license not be issued the liquor branch must refuse the license.

[3:19:38] That's in section 38 subsection 4 of the act. If council recommends approval and I would

[3:19:45] group approval with a condition in that the liquor and cannabis regula uh regulatory branch uh must

[3:19:53] take the recommendation into account in deciding whether or not to issue or amend the license. So

[3:19:58] I would extend that to taking into account the recommendation for the condition. They would

[3:20:03] consider whether the condition is reasonable or not. They could decide whether to impose

[3:20:08] that same condition. um whether or not they would actually negotiate with the applicant the terms

[3:20:15] of the good neighbor agreement, probably not. Um but they could theoretically say, you know,

[3:20:20] we'd like to see a signed good neighbor agreement before we issue this license. Thank thanks for

[3:20:26] that clarity and the nuances of whether it's approved or recommended or not recommended

[3:20:31] by council and how that that affects them. Councelor Joeler, you've been patient. Thanks.

[3:20:36] uh just a comment that uh the the parties of the agreement um are the city of Courtney,

[3:20:43] the proponent and the RCMP. And so the negotiation and the finalization of agreement

[3:20:49] ultimately will have to lie with those parties as they're addressed now. And I think those are the

[3:20:55] parties that are well positioned to address the issues that have come up through this process.

[3:21:01] Um, and so for that, I'll be supporting a process that is city-led rather than asking a regulatory

[3:21:08] body that's really simply speaking to one part of the the process um to do that work for us. I

[3:21:14] don't think it actually addresses the issues and the concerns that have been raised throughout the

[3:21:18] process by our staff, by bylaw, by the RCMP, and by neighbors and the bylaw complaintants. Thanks.

[3:21:28] Okay. So, we do have a motion on the floor.

[3:21:39] Ah, yes. Uh, so highlighted in yellow on the screen. Uh, so, councelor Joel,

[3:21:44] you can see that. So, there's the original uh motion that was uh um moved by councelor

[3:21:51] Hillian and seconded, but then there is a potential amendment recommended by staff

[3:21:56] that the council authorized staff to finalize a good neighbor agreement,

[3:21:59] including approval of minor amendments. And maybe I'll pass it over to councelor Hillian. Yeah,

[3:22:05] I think that makes sense. I would suggest adding the word recommended in front of good

[3:22:12] the recommended good neighbor agreement. And then that's staff makes those minor amendments and

[3:22:19] attaches it to this letter that goes to the the liquor branch. And to councelor Jelicker's point,

[3:22:26] uh it's it still ends up being an agreement as proposed as recommended between the city,

[3:22:34] the business, and the RCMP. Um it's up to the liquor licensing branch whether they want that to

[3:22:42] be part of it or not. And but if if they do, then it comes comes back to the city, the business,

[3:22:49] and the RCMP to actually sign the agreement. All right. Thanks for that. Um I don't see Oh,

[3:22:56] councelor M. Oh, don't apologize. So the Have we seen what the RCMP is submitting to the liquor

[3:23:06] branch? like are they saying something about um contingent on a good neighbor agreement

[3:23:17] um through the mayor to council. So the the LCRB does reach out to

[3:23:23] uh the RCMP individually and then as a part of our process we do we also reach

[3:23:28] out to the RCMP. So we don't see what the RCMP's direct response to the LCB would be.

[3:23:34] um we only see what they send us and uh it was a short email and it did recommend the

[3:23:39] good neighbor agreement for for us but we don't see what what else they're sending.

[3:23:43] So that will go what if we pass this excuse me resolution all that correspondence about the

[3:23:49] RCMP recommending to us to have a good neighbor agreement will be part of that package. Okay.

[3:24:01] Okay. Oh, I'm seeing nods, but maybe just say yes so that councelor Joliger can also

[3:24:09] uh through the mayor. Yes, we're going to include all the materials that we've received. All right.

[3:24:14] Thanks for that. You're taking a beat. Okay. All those in favor? Any opposed? I have three opposed.

[3:24:29] Um I think I'm gonna pull council just since we have online as well. I I have

[3:24:42] opposed. Who is the third opposed? Councelor Mren

[3:24:49] and I'm voting in the affirmative with councelor Hillian and councelor Fresh I believe.

[3:25:06] So if CL staff could just clarify what that means for this application at this point in time,

[3:25:12] Mr. Garvin. So the resolution that was proposed failed and so we don't have any

[3:25:19] comment now uh on the application. So, it would be at council's discretion to

[3:25:23] either for the matter or make a subsequent resolution. Move the staff recommendation.

[3:25:35] Okay, that's been moved and seconded. We've had lots of discussion, so I don't anticipate

[3:25:39] any more. All those in favor? Any opposed? Councelor Hilly and Councelor Fresh opposed.

[3:25:51] and I'll I'll vote in favor.

[3:26:04] Okay, moving on to item 8.3.1, permissive tax exemption policy update. And we'll

[3:26:13] um pass it over uh or we have the permissive tax exemption policy update. So, I'll pass it over to

[3:26:18] Mr. Langmire. Nice to be here once again, council. Before us is an updated permissive tax exemption

[3:26:26] policy as directed by council last fall. So, there are a number of changes that occurred within the

[3:26:32] policy as directed by council. I'm going to go over a a few of the important ones. So, a key one

[3:26:37] is exemption duration. The policy goes to a 4-year uh bylaw cycle and this is to align with council's

[3:26:45] term and to reduce the overall administration time and burden of the annual permissive tax exemption

[3:26:51] policy process. We'll likely still see an annual permissive tax exemption bylaw come to council,

[3:26:59] but it'll be much smaller because it'll be um only addressing the new applicants and any applicants

[3:27:04] that had some sort of change within the year or upcoming year. A major change is the exemption by

[3:27:11] activity. And within the policy, there's a table in the activity type and there's definitions the

[3:27:16] activities. Historically, the city's permissive tax exemption was either at 100% and that was

[3:27:23] typically for um grandfather or quite longstanding organizations within the community. Uh within a

[3:27:31] policy update that occurred several years ago, if an organization provided services

[3:27:37] to the entire region versus strictly city of Courtney residents, the exemption was based

[3:27:42] at 40% versus 100. By moving to an exemption by activity, it really allows the municipality and

[3:27:48] council to focus where they put this report uh into the different types of activities provided.

[3:27:56] We're continuing on with the exemption cap of 2% of the prior year's municipal taxation. We've made

[3:28:02] the language clear that is based on just the municipal portion of taxation. In the past,

[3:28:07] there's been questions on well, is it the municipal plus the other taxing authorities

[3:28:11] or is it all together or just the one? So it's very much just the municipal portion.

[3:28:17] The 2% cap is what was used historically and it it is we have not exceeded the cap. We are

[3:28:26] nearing it but it's been a a pretty good gauge. Uh it is representative

[3:28:32] what other municipalities are doing. Some have a lower cap, some have a higher cap.

[3:28:39] There are uh a few properties that are captured under an existing 10-year bylaw. There are no

[3:28:45] recommendations to change those bylaws. We'll let those run the course. And at the end of

[3:28:50] those permissive tax exemption bylaws, any changes that occurred under the new policy

[3:28:55] will take effect at that time. Recognizing that some organizations could see a change in the

[3:29:03] value of their permissive tax exemption policy or tax exemption value, the policies includes

[3:29:09] transitional pro provisions to smooth out uh the big taxation changes. So written into it is if

[3:29:16] the organization sees more than a $5,000 change in the exemption, that change will be phased

[3:29:23] in over a period of of five years. The financial impact of the policy change um okay the financial

[3:29:35] impact currently the permissive the total value of exemption is just over a million dollars.

[3:29:45] The proposed policy would see this exemption drop to 400 to $743,000. This represents a reduction of

[3:29:53] about 26%. 14 organizations will see an increase in the permissive tax exemption value while 31

[3:30:01] organizations will see a decrease. And I should say when I reference the current exemption total

[3:30:07] is 1 million. That includes the municipal portion and the other taxing authorities.

[3:30:14] The policy would take effect for applications received through 2027 and the tax change would be

[3:30:22] in the 2028 year. This gives staff time to create a new application and allow the notification to

[3:30:29] organizations to apply under the new policy and to organizations that might not have ever

[3:30:35] applied in the past. Further, this timing actually aligns with the second year of a new council term.

[3:30:42] And with that, I'm open to questions. Excellent. Thanks for uh bringing this forward. I know it

[3:30:48] was much anticipated by council. I'll pass it over to councelor FR. Thanks,

[3:30:52] mayor. Uh can you remind me, do other levels of government pay municipal taxes? So,

[3:30:58] provincial government that owns a shelter for instance,

[3:31:03] that is a very um I'll leave I'll leave specific question. Yeah. So if it's the

[3:31:09] the the provincial and federal governments do not pay property taxes as we levy them. They pay up

[3:31:17] uh uh grants in lie of taxes is a an amount that is very close to what we would tax but we do not

[3:31:25] send the provincial or federal government tax bills. The specific question about supportive

[3:31:31] housing if the province only one the approach is to assess the value of supportive housing at

[3:31:39] $1. So they technically pay tax but the value is only a dollar. So it is essentially non-t

[3:31:45] taxable for the entire property. That is correct. Okay. Thanks. Thanks councelor

[3:31:52] Fr and councelor. Okay. And I do, just so you know, I do see councelor Joler online,

[3:31:57] but it's not your turn. It's councelor. Yeah, thanks mayor. I just want to clarify in the

[3:32:03] past I've disqualified myself uh and then we had uh we amended the process so I didn't

[3:32:09] need to because I sit on the board of one of the organizations that's being considered. But this

[3:32:14] uh u proposal tonight is essentially establishing policy. We're not actually deciding on the

[3:32:23] uh the uh organizations involved and what the exemption they get or are we? Excellent question.

[3:32:31] Thanks. I'll start by saying I'm not a lawyer um but staff have discussed this and feel that

[3:32:35] this is similar to the OCP where you are making general changes but you're not making specific

[3:32:40] decisions about properties. So, for example, um the permissive tax bylaws will come back

[3:32:46] to council and at that point you'll be making specific decisions about properties. Of course,

[3:32:50] um council should always be aware of any um influences and participate in the discussion if

[3:32:57] they feel that it is appropriate for them. Thanks very much. Thanks, Councelor and Councelor Ziller.

[3:33:06] Um, I do have a few questions, so I'm happy to get back in line, but first just really appreciate

[3:33:11] the the policy and us uh clarifying a lot here. There's obviously been a lot of thinking that's

[3:33:18] gone into this and appreciate um the attachment of the consultant report to refresh my memory on

[3:33:23] some of the comparables that was done and the the research around best practice across the province.

[3:33:30] Um I guess um what I didn't see in the consultant report and it's not necessarily explicitly

[3:33:36] mentioned in the staff report either is um and yeah maybe the consultant or the staff can speak

[3:33:45] to policies PTE policies across the province that address organizations that receive core

[3:33:51] operational funding from provincial bodies that those provincial bodies can fund taxes

[3:33:59] um specific Specifically, I guess I'm thinking about social service organizations

[3:34:02] or organizations that receive core funding for heritage or cultural services in our community.

[3:34:09] Um, and the reason I ask that is because we we do ask for financials as part of the new policy. Um,

[3:34:18] and I through that we'll be able to see revenue and where those organizations get a lot of their

[3:34:23] funding. And um I think it's kind of one of these things we often hear about in the community around

[3:34:29] um the role of municipal government in um overseeing or addressing or or having to

[3:34:37] front the bill for provincial related um spaces including the the things I listed social services

[3:34:44] come top of mind. Um, so I'm just kind of curious if in the research if anything like

[3:34:49] that came up or in any conversations with the consultant around the ways in which some of our

[3:34:55] partners in the community who apply for PTE might be able to uh successfully uh receive

[3:35:01] funding for taxes. So we do have Chris Payne on the line who has worked extensively on that

[3:35:09] original report for the permissive tax and did the background research. Uh I do want to say

[3:35:15] at the start though the policy as presented does not include looking at that and changing

[3:35:24] the exemption amount as it wasn't uh specific council direction uh given back in the fall.

[3:35:35] But I would like Chris can speak to what he has seen across the other provincial

[3:35:44] research you did. Uh yeah, thank you. Uh how's my uh sound coming through? Perfect. Okay. Excellent.

[3:35:52] Um I will note that um I have not come across any policy that uh speaks specifically to um

[3:36:00] what is funding those organizations that are under consideration. Um however as the counselor points

[3:36:06] out there are several uh policies that uh allude to financial ability and whether or not that

[3:36:14] should be considered. Uh so no it doesn't really talk uh specifically about who is funding but

[3:36:20] um but uh it is common for policies to require financial disclosures so that

[3:36:26] um council and the public can ascertain where the funding is coming from if they so choose.

[3:36:35] Excellent. Thanks for that. And uh councelor Fr. Yeah, I was just um I think one of the ones that's

[3:36:43] changing is um is the Sid Williams. Is that am I correct in that that that's their their exemption

[3:36:50] is dropping from 100% to 40%. Yes. uh based on the type of service provided. The organizations

[3:36:57] with service agreements with the city uh some of those agreements have specific language around

[3:37:03] u tax exemption and that would be something you would have to bring forward at the time

[3:37:08] of considering the permissive tax exemption. Okay. Thank you. And councelor Shel again.

[3:37:18] Um so just reviewing the policy really appreciate it's quite robust now. Uh I

[3:37:23] do have I think two questions from the draft policy. Um one being um the long list of of

[3:37:31] documentation we're requesting of applicants which I actually really support and appreciate. But I

[3:37:36] noted that we and maybe it's because it's covered elsewhere but we don't actually ask for proof of

[3:37:43] uh good standing with the BC societies act. Um, so wondering if if staff have any comments on that.

[3:37:56] I don't have actually any comments on that one. Uh, we do ask for financial statements and you

[3:38:01] would typically have to be in good standing with society act. That is something been added though.

[3:38:10] Okay. Um, mayor, am I good to go with my second question? Yes. Okay. There's a section I'm just

[3:38:16] trying to pull it up that speaks to and I app I am in favor of the shift to the four-year um but in

[3:38:23] the policy um there's some language here around I think it's on page three of the draft policy

[3:38:31] second paragraph council may consider applications for exemptions exceeding one year to a maximum

[3:38:37] of 10 years. Um um and then it goes on to say that those organizations receiving multi-year

[3:38:44] exemptions may still be required to provide um annual reporting. And so the the the word may

[3:38:51] kind of spoke to me. And so I wanted clarity. You know, we're not requiring annual reporting for

[3:38:57] those who have, you know, that will be in these this new 4-year cycle that we have or is that

[3:39:04] just old language we haven't removed? The idea of not requiring annual reporting for the regular

[3:39:11] four-year cycle is to reduce the administrative burden. In the event that we have uh a tenure,

[3:39:17] which would be outside of the the normal uh PTE path, I wanted the language in there that we

[3:39:24] may ask for the specific type of documentation. what scenario that um may actually end up being,

[3:39:33] I'm not sure, but it leaves us the flexibility to, you know, the council to consider a 10ear bylaw,

[3:39:38] but still have a couple stipulations upon it. Right. And as a follow-up, mayor, to that,

[3:39:44] um, just really quickly, um, so we are covered in the policy though, if something changes for

[3:39:50] an organization, they are still required to inform us, um, as part of the even though

[3:39:58] we're not requiring them to send us annual reporting. If something changes, they move,

[3:40:02] they they they get a million dollar donation, I don't know, right? But they have to kind of

[3:40:07] inform us of that. That's part of the policy and part of the also the clause around removing them

[3:40:13] from PT if they don't inform us of any major changes. Yes, that is correct. Okay. Thanks.

[3:40:22] Um Cole Hamilton. Yeah. Thanks, [clears throat] Mayor. My uh my thinking on this is that this is

[3:40:31] a fairly significant change. Um, and it's going to result in, I think, probably about a4 million

[3:40:38] dollars worth of tax burden being redistributed. And I noticed that, you know, given that we're

[3:40:43] now at the very end of July, we are now into the pre- campaign period of an election year. And my

[3:40:51] understanding is that because of various aspects of timing, any change that was made here wouldn't

[3:40:57] apply next year. would not it would it would be a um a further year into the future before it could

[3:41:03] be um before it could be actioned. And given that there is that amount of time and that this is a

[3:41:11] fun fundamental um change um and that we're sort of on the doorstep of an election, I um when we

[3:41:19] get past proceed, I think I I would be inclined to um to have a motion uh deferring it until

[3:41:28] uh early 2027 following the election when a new council is in place and able to express their

[3:41:35] priorities rather than us at sort of the 11th hour of this term uh making a fairly fundamental policy

[3:41:41] decision. Um and uh anyway, I'm happy to make a motion along those lines when we get to the point

[3:41:48] of uh of when once we get beyond receipt. Thanks, Councelor Cole Hamilton. Appreciate that. Uh

[3:41:55] councelor Fr. Yeah. Um I guess I just have a quick comment. I don't even know if it's a question,

[3:42:01] but I noticed that that the Quantis village would be reduced to 0% exemption for their senior

[3:42:08] housing. Um, it looks to be around $37,000 of extra taxes that we would collect from them. And

[3:42:14] u I guess just out loud, I'm just wondering what that means for their bottom line. And I guess the

[3:42:20] question would be then is um sort of what's the rationale around that that piece of taking it

[3:42:27] away from housing? And I know you mentioned in the report, but you could just say it out loud for me.

[3:42:33] Mr. Garrick. Yeah. Thanks. So I just this is Mr. Langmire and Mr. Payne's work, but I just say the

[3:42:39] I just want to remind council that the matters that we are providing uh information on is it's

[3:42:45] council's direction from our previous engagement that took a couple of reports to get here. So

[3:42:50] uh the reason why we're coming forward particular particularly wow that's a new word particularly

[3:42:57] in respect to housing uh was directly as a result of council's consideration. So the other category

[3:43:05] was where housing was landing and that's why that's in front. So ultimately if council

[3:43:10] uh doesn't want to clarify that then they could give some specific direction but the reason why

[3:43:16] we're talking about this is because council asked us to do that. Yeah. Thanks for reminding me then.

[3:43:22] I'll leave it at that for actually well I do have another question. Um if that's okay. Uh

[3:43:27] there's a stipulation in here about um and this is kind of what brought up the whole redoing our

[3:43:32] tax exemption bylaw is um not making disparaging remarks about uh other organizations. I believe is

[3:43:40] is did I say that correctly? Was close enough. And I'm just wondering what that process would

[3:43:46] look like then. Have you guys contemplated what what you know does someone just come up and say

[3:43:53] I heard someone making a disparaging remark or have you contemplated how that process

[3:43:57] might unfold if someone accuses one of these organizations from making such remarks? Again,

[3:44:03] this goes back to the discussion was had in the fall. Uh in that prior report, it talked about

[3:44:09] a number of different ways a council could uh provide input or judgment or provide direction

[3:44:17] on how that applies. What came out of that council direction was specifically adding that wording.

[3:44:25] What I foresee occurring is it it gives uh council the the policy background to make a decision at

[3:44:32] the time that a permissive tax exemption bylaw is put before them. And so it really becomes a

[3:44:38] decision of council because it is challenging for for staff to quantify or really determine what

[3:44:47] that is. Fair enough. Feel the same way. Thanks, Mr. P. Yeah, thank you. Through through the chair,

[3:44:55] sorry, through the mayor. Uh just to uh reinforce uh the statement from our staff, ultimately

[3:45:01] uh council was uh looking for a way to ensure that the permissive tax exemption was in alignment with

[3:45:09] the organization's objectives. And ultimately, if there was a a misalignment, that would have

[3:45:15] to have been documented. I I don't anticipate that it would be hearsay or we heard this.

[3:45:21] uh you know the the the universe is very uh there's a lot of information out there and

[3:45:26] so if there was a situation whereby we had a applicant or a current recipient that would

[3:45:32] be in for renewal then that would be a topic that would be raised and there was a reference to the

[3:45:37] uh cardinal direction from our community plan and there's there's a few ways to measure that. Uh so

[3:45:45] I I think it was council's intention to have um a frame of reference that that they that would would

[3:45:51] be pretty easy to understand. Uh and uh these are you know sort of public public standards

[3:45:58] related to uh the values of the organization that are pretty well articulated. Thanks for

[3:46:07] that and councelor. Thanks mayor. Um yeah two questions. First clarification on the child care

[3:46:18] um issue which has caused us grief for many years. um child care is specifically mentioned as being

[3:46:27] eligible childcare facility, but there's also um in I believe in the criteria a stipulation that

[3:46:36] uh we're not going to give an exemption to any organization that's competing with

[3:46:43] uh another organization in the community. That was our dilemma with child care all along. So how are

[3:46:50] we squaring that circle? Uh within the policy it identifies social programming is including child

[3:46:56] care and it being specifically identified would be how the recommendation to include a child care

[3:47:03] application versus something else that may be not considered right now that then would compete with

[3:47:11] uh for-profit enterprise. But I mean there are child care operators who are

[3:47:15] for-profit enterprises and there's others that are in nonprofit society. So is that

[3:47:20] the distinction that we would be making? The we cannot give a permissive tax exemption to

[3:47:27] the for-profit enterprises but we can to the not for-profit. So by specifically

[3:47:34] identifying that the child care falls into that social programming category of exemption,

[3:47:40] that's how we would provide the the specific child care exemption. All right. Um my other question is

[3:47:47] that um there's policy that clarifies if a um an eligible organization is doesn't own their

[3:47:55] property but is leasing it and how that works. Um, but I didn't notice the community justice center,

[3:48:02] which that applies to, um, in the list. Um, so I'm not sure if they're still on our list or if,

[3:48:09] uh, if they've been left out by mistake or if an organization is leasing, they are still welcome to

[3:48:17] apply. We want to document though that any tax savings are directly passed on to the NPO and

[3:48:26] is not just absorbed by the landlord, right? um if that organization is not on the list,

[3:48:31] they must not have applied say basis on prior year's information. Okay. Thanks. Yeah. And and I

[3:48:37] think over the years uh I've often been surprised by organizations that obviously should be getting

[3:48:42] a tax exemption and and they weren't. And so uh um it it's just one of those things that that

[3:48:48] can happen. Um so uh councelor Joel Lur. Yeah, thanks Mayor. Just a quick note, it is in the uh

[3:48:55] community justice is in the appendix in the Excel sheet uh for councelor Hillian. They're there. Um

[3:49:02] um and to the comment around disparaging, it's specific to identifiable groups within the context

[3:49:08] of the human rights framework and human rights legislation. So, it's a very specific group. Um I

[3:49:15] guess yeah, I'm happy to support this. It's been a long time coming. It was clear direction from

[3:49:19] council for us to work on this. Um I understand the concerns around um a election year. However,

[3:49:27] this has been on our on our strategic priorities list for a while. Um and I did note though that

[3:49:34] um given that this is a change a positive change for many organizations and more of

[3:49:40] a burden for others. So there's there's actually a mix of folks in this group for this new policy.

[3:49:46] But I'm wondering if staff can just speak to the approach and it's in the policy, but I think it's

[3:49:51] just good to name for those who are maybe watching and for council as well just the transition period

[3:49:57] um and the thinking that's gone into that. Um I believe it's uh over a period of five years,

[3:50:03] but I'm wondering if staff can just speak to how they're thinking that might roll out and

[3:50:07] the communication and the timing um for the 2028 uh permissive tax year or 2027 for that matter.

[3:50:17] So, in the event council adopts this policy, staff will start creating the new application process

[3:50:24] and communicate out for existing applicants and to to new applicants to apply within that new

[3:50:32] application process. will see who applies, fit, slot them into the category that they

[3:50:40] should fit into, and then compare to what kind of change in exemption they would have received

[3:50:45] if they have already been in the program. At that point, if we see something over $5,000,

[3:50:51] we'll make the recommendation to phase that change in. And so you'd see one of

[3:50:57] the increase each year until they're at the uh appropriate amount per the policy.

[3:51:07] All right. Thank thanks for articulating that and uh um I I yeah I I definitely

[3:51:16] relieved to see this coming forward but again I do understand the timing is is problematic.

[3:51:22] Um [clears throat] uh if I were to make a comment on, uh the tax exemption listing for the nonprofit

[3:51:30] organizations really becomes a formatting one. I think this kind of captures what we're thinking.

[3:51:35] Maybe there needs to be some tweaks here and there, but uh uh one of the big challenges because

[3:51:40] it is justified vertically uh fully justified vertically uh centered um when you're reading

[3:51:47] across if any one of the cells is bigger all of a sudden that you can't just follow it with your

[3:51:54] eye across. So given if it keeps that formatting I would definitely put the lines in across for those

[3:51:59] rows just so it makes it a little bit easier. For the ones that are just a single line it's

[3:52:03] fine. it's the ones with multiple lines, it gets a lot little bit harder to track. And then when

[3:52:08] you're trying to find something like I think the community justice uh center might be an example

[3:52:14] where one of the cells is like massive and the other ones are smaller and so it can just make it

[3:52:19] a little bit wobbly there. So um but uh with that uh councelor Cole Hamilton. Yeah, thanks Mayor. Um

[3:52:28] I see we're dispensing with receipt. I I think there's no more questions. Yep. All right. Um,

[3:52:35] so I would move we defer um this decision and this staff report until a meeting uh in early 2027 when

[3:52:44] the new council is elected and in a position to um express priorities for themselves. So that it

[3:52:51] be deferred until uh early 2027. Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Councelor F. Yeah,

[3:52:59] the only problem I see with that is that um you know, we won't be sending it out for feedback. I

[3:53:04] would assume like if we pass some readings of it, then it'll kind of be out in the ether and be a

[3:53:10] little more prevalent in people's minds. And if we don't do that, then we wouldn't maybe get the

[3:53:15] feedback back. But um you don't see a problem with pushing it off a few months? Oh, okay. But yep,

[3:53:25] I think given that it won't have impact uh until 2028, I don't think there's anything necessarily

[3:53:31] lost on that. And um I think there may be opinions like it could be that future council looks at the

[3:53:37] other housing category of 0% and decides that perhaps not for-p profofit housing should be a

[3:53:43] something. And the more I look at it, uh we find ourselves forced to vote on that tonight. That's

[3:53:48] something I'm going to need to talk about as well. I I I think there's um there's a lot good here,

[3:53:53] but it's coming to us late in the game. Um and again has that that lag time that it's

[3:54:01] not going to take effect till 2028. So I think that perhaps allowing for um consideration in the

[3:54:07] in the new year makes makes sense to me. Sounds wise. [clears throat] Thanks. Yeah. And I mean,

[3:54:12] yeah, I I think anytime after the election and and again trying to get into the nuanced

[3:54:18] conversations that I think councelor Cole Hamilton is is alluding to there where it's like, you know,

[3:54:23] there may be organizations where they're funded from the province and so tax exemptions really

[3:54:29] don't affect them um or uh or otherwise, but it's it's for deferrals. So, we'll get back to that.

[3:54:35] Um all those in favor of deferral. Any opposed? Councelor Joler is opposition.

[3:54:46] So this motion is now deferred. All right. Or motion is carried. Motion

[3:54:53] to defer is carried. My apologies for misspeaking

[3:54:57] there. Uh on to 8.4.1. The Courtney Wreck membership and admission fees for 2027.

[3:55:08] and I'll pass it over to Miss Saunders. I'm just gonna buy Kathy some time. Uh [laughter] Kathy

[3:55:15] Collins, our manager of recreation programming, is going to introduce um the Courtney Recreation

[3:55:20] membership and admission fees for 2027. Uh and then she'll just pass it back to me at the end

[3:55:25] uh to provide an edit on the recommendation uh that's in the report. Fantastic. Uh,

[3:55:32] let me put on the podium mic there for you. All right. Thank you. Floor is yours. Uh,

[3:55:38] through the mayor to council, as Susie uh said, I'm here to present the report on Courtney

[3:55:43] Recreation's proposed admission and membership fee rates for 2027. Recreation admission fees

[3:55:49] and memberships have not been increased since 2023. Historically, fee adjustments

[3:55:54] have been based primarily on comparisons with surrounding municipalities and market rates.

[3:55:59] In 2022, council adopted the recreation fees and charges framework, which established that a

[3:56:04] benefits based approach to recreating recreation pricing. This framework provides clear direction

[3:56:10] that municipal subsidies should be applied where community benefits are the greatest. In addition,

[3:56:16] Cornney Recreation's emission age categories have not been comprehensively reviewed for

[3:56:20] many years and no longer reflect current industry standards or today's life stages.

[3:56:26] Staff are therefore recommending three key changes effective January 1st,

[3:56:29] 2027. The first change is modernizing the age categories. The proposed age categories

[3:56:36] better reflect current industry standards in today's stages of life. The two key changes

[3:56:41] include expanding the youth and young adult age category from ages 13 to 24 which would replace

[3:56:47] the current youth student category of ages 12 to 18 uh which also included post-secary

[3:56:53] students who were able to prove uh eligible enrollment. The proposed change uh would better

[3:56:59] support youth and young adults during important educational employment and life transitions.

[3:57:04] Secondly, we are proposing the introduction of a dedicated senior admission rate starting at age

[3:57:09] 65 for the first time in Courtney Recreation's fee structure. Uh it should be noted that while many

[3:57:15] uh of our surrounding municipalities begin senior pricing at the age of 60, staff recommend age 65

[3:57:21] uh because it aligns with the province's definition of senior. And additionally,

[3:57:25] uh, staff recommend that the city continue to provide an additional benefit to Evergreen

[3:57:30] Club members by offering the senior rate to club members who are at the age of 55 and older. The

[3:57:37] second recommendation applies the count council's benefits based fees and charges framework by

[3:57:42] aligning subsidy levels where community benefit is the highest. This would impact our fees in

[3:57:47] the proposed age categories in the following ways. For adult emission fees, um we've noted that they

[3:57:53] haven't kept pace with the increasing operational costs and remain below comparable municipality

[3:57:58] recreation centers. Uh the adult emission rate serves as the foundation for cost recovery and

[3:58:03] is based on the direct daily operational costs associated to the service delivery of the

[3:58:08] wellness center. As the jump to full cost recovery would place the adult fee out of market value,

[3:58:14] uh we are recommending an increase of 75 cents at this time in recognition that fees have not

[3:58:19] changed in over 3 years and to align with current market rates. Staff are recommending increasing

[3:58:25] adult mission fee from 675 to 750 including tax. Uh I wanted to note one correction on page six

[3:58:33] of the report. Um the cost recovery rate pre-tax should have been noted at $1.37 rather than the

[3:58:40] amount shown of $1.69 uh which would have been above the current admission fee to get to the um

[3:58:45] rec cost recovery weight rate. Um staff are also recommending approval of an annual 2% increase

[3:58:53] rounded to the nearest 5 cents post tax until such time as staff can return with the multi-year fees

[3:59:01] and charges by law. It is anticipated a 2% annual increase from the proposed new fee uh that would

[3:59:07] take approximately 6 years to achieve the cost recovery rate of 780 pre-tax. This phased approach

[3:59:14] gradually improves cost recovery while reducing reliance on tax subsidy. Uh for youth young adult

[3:59:20] emissions, staff are recommending a consistent 50% discount from the adult admission rate. As

[3:59:26] the youth fee is currently $4 including tax and therefore greater than 50% of the proposed adult

[3:59:32] rate, it's recommended that youth admission fees remain unchanged at $4 including tax. It

[3:59:39] is recommended that youth fees not increase until the fee reflects 50% subsidy rate and

[3:59:43] then would increase 2% annually in alignment with the adult fee. Maintaining the current youth rate

[3:59:50] improves affordability, encourages lifelong participation, recreation, and supports the

[3:59:54] city's commitment to investing in youth. For senior admission, staff are recommending a

[4:00:00] consistent 25% discount from the adult admission rate. This results in a proposed senior admission

[4:00:05] fee of $5.60 including tax. The senior's rate would also include an increase annually 2% to

[4:00:13] maintain the established 25% subsidy relative to the adult rate. This creates a consistent

[4:00:18] pricing approach while supporting healthy aging through affordable recreational opportunities.

[4:00:25] Courtney Recreation remains committed to equitable access by reducing financial

[4:00:28] barriers to participation. Uh the recreation access program known as RAP and the regional

[4:00:33] leisure for everyone access program known as LEAP uses Statistics Canada's low income

[4:00:38] measure to determine ED eligibility. Um, RAP con currently provides eligible Courtney residents

[4:00:44] with an annual subsidy for memberships and registered programs and 52 complimentary

[4:00:49] drop-in visits each year. If council approves the new age categories, those same categories will be

[4:00:56] reflected in recreation access program eligibility to ensure consistency across recreation services.

[4:01:03] Staff are also recommending that council direct a review of the recreation access

[4:01:07] program scholarship amount so they align with the proposed benefits based pricing approach, ensuring

[4:01:13] subsidies continue to provide the greatest support where community benefit is the highest. The last

[4:01:19] key change for 2027 is that membership pricing has been updated using the same benefit-based

[4:01:24] philos philosophy as the admissions, creating a simple, transparent and consistent approach across

[4:01:30] fitness, the wellness center and squash. For fitness in the wellness center, membership options

[4:01:35] have been streamlined to 1, three, and 12-month terms, reflecting the options most frequently

[4:01:40] purchased by customers. Whereas for squash, it has been streamlined to a punch card option for

[4:01:45] a one-year option based and a one-year option based on usage. As a result, uh the six-month

[4:01:51] memberships will be discontinued due to low demand. Staff are also recommending a new exciting

[4:01:58] combination membership in response to customer feedback. Uh this membership provides access to

[4:02:04] the wellness center, drop in fitness classes and squash under one single membership. This

[4:02:09] would eliminate the need to purch for one person to purchase multiple memberships for part for all

[4:02:14] the participants who use multiple services. The combination membership will initially be offered

[4:02:19] as a one and three-month option uh while staff evaluate um the demand and the customer uptake.

[4:02:26] Overall, these recommendations modernize Courtney Recreation's pricing structure by aligning fees

[4:02:31] with council policy, current industry practices, and community needs. They maintain affordable

[4:02:36] access for youth and seniors, establish a transparent and equitable approach to recreation

[4:02:41] pricing, including modernizing age categories, and move adult emission fees towards sustainable

[4:02:46] cost recovery while continuing to provide the high quality recreation services that we like

[4:02:51] to do. Um, and that's [clears throat] it for me. I'm just going to pass it back to Susie quickly.

[4:03:01] Thank you. Through the merit council, as you'll see on the screen, thank you to Miss Proton. We

[4:03:05] have an suggested edit to the recommendation in that uh last paragraph that council directs staff

[4:03:11] to increase adult emission membership and punch cards, sorry, annually by 2% rounded up to the

[4:03:17] nearest 5 cents including tax uh and adjustth and young adult and senior fees accordingly based on

[4:03:23] the benefits. based model. Uh this is specifically because we do have many people who still who do

[4:03:28] pay cash uh for their admissions and so when we have a fee, we want to make sure that it is

[4:03:33] rounded up to the nearest 5 cents to make that uh simple and easy um and that we're doing that post

[4:03:39] uh or inclusive of tax. Uh so we just wanted to make sure that was clear in the recommendation.

[4:03:44] If we do a 2% increase, we will end up with uh numbers that are harder to administer um with

[4:03:50] the public. And so this just clarifies uh how we practically apply that uh annual increase. And

[4:03:56] we're happy to take any questions. Excellent. Thanks so much for that. And we'll start with

[4:04:02] councelor Fr. And uh we do have coun uh councelor Morren on uh in the room and then councelor.

[4:04:08] Thanks Mayor. Um you mentioned that uh was it the adult drop in rate? You didn't feel like

[4:04:14] you could you were doing you were comparing it to market rate. I'm like what's market rate at

[4:04:19] $7? Are you talking about other municipalities as market rate? Yeah, good question. Yeah. Yeah. Um,

[4:04:24] so these rates are fabulously low, which I think is exactly what we want, we need. So, I love the

[4:04:30] work you did and uh happy to support it. Thanks. Thanks, Councelor Fish. Councelor Mo. Great.

[4:04:37] Thanks. Um, thank you. Thanks for um hanging in there. You've been here a long time tonight.

[4:04:43] Um, so in terms of uh just because this has come up a lot this week, um, Courtney residents don't

[4:04:53] get any perks by being a Courtney resident. No, [laughter] other than living in Courtney,

[4:05:01] um, and people have brought up, you know, the the idea about being able to use passes throughout

[4:05:09] um, the valley. So, I'm just wondering I know we've had that conversation, but I just wondered

[4:05:14] if there's been any update around those kind of discussions um and whether you have any knowledge

[4:05:20] of um yeah, you know, the the municipality having a preferred resident rate. That's better. I'll let

[4:05:29] Susie speak to the preferred resident rate, but I'm happy to respond about the regional

[4:05:33] membership. No. Okay. Thanks. Kathy, do you want to go first? I'm actually going to pull up some

[4:05:37] data for uh councelor Morin on the uh regional use, but if you want to go ahead. Okay. Um yeah,

[4:05:44] thank you for the question. So through uh mayor to council I actually sat on the joint intermunicipal

[4:05:50] committee when we did the review um about a regional pass and uh that's actually how leap

[4:05:56] originated because uh what we discovered at that time oh I cannot remember the year I think it was

[4:06:02] precoid just slightly precoid um lots of interest but not a willingness to pay so it kind of fell

[4:06:09] off at that point because that's typically what you know people what we we are seeing So, right.

[4:06:15] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for refreshing my memory and what I haven't heard any uh requests for that

[4:06:22] lately in terms of all the other requests we've gotten. Yeah. Yeah. It hasn't stood out as a as a

[4:06:27] a key request. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you through the mayor to counselor Morren just to build on

[4:06:34] your uh question about sort of resident based pricing. Uh we haven't explored that at this time.

[4:06:41] We don't have direction from council to explore it at this time, but the last time as part of the

[4:06:46] regional pass um discussion, so that was in 2022. Uh the data that we pulled for Courtney recreation

[4:06:53] on usage uh showed that 86% of users were from the city of Courtney. So uh the percentage of

[4:07:00] folks who are accessing Courtney Recreation from outside of Courtney is uh less than 15%. So not

[4:07:07] would be worth it to date necessarily and that's reflective when we looked at Komox Cumberland

[4:07:13] uh their recreation um registrations it was all very similar. So we all have very similar

[4:07:20] um reflections of the residents using recreation within their communities and a little bit of folks

[4:07:26] accessing uh services outside their communities. Great. Thank you. Thanks Councelor Mourin and

[4:07:33] Councelor Jelker. Thanks, mayor. Really happy to see this report and support the the work around

[4:07:40] the the changing of the age uh categories uh and the new passes, the punch pass and the the

[4:07:47] wellness um the combined wellness membership. Um I did have two questions though. Um the staff report

[4:07:55] speaks to the 2% increase uh year-over-year for the adult rate um to get us to cost recovery. Um

[4:08:05] and so wondering if we've projected how long that will take us to get to and the staff report also

[4:08:13] articulates uh that it excludes um facility overhead and admin and so is the intent to

[4:08:21] uh consistently exclude those costs within the cost recovery framework that is being proposed.

[4:08:30] Thank you for the question through mayor to council. Um to your first question with

[4:08:35] regards to the 2%. Um Susie and I were doing some quick math. Um and we projected approximately six

[4:08:42] years if we were to continually do the 2%. Uh we chose the 2% because historically that's

[4:08:49] what we're seeing used as an inflation in inflationary cost. Thank you. Um, however,

[4:08:56] we do we do recognize that we'll be doing some work to come back with a bylaw. So, we could

[4:09:00] recommend different things at that time as well for a five-year fee fee plan. Um, with regards to

[4:09:06] the second question, I can you if you have extra, Susie, but um it's not typical in admission fees

[4:09:12] and programming fees where you're taking in all of the facility costs. Um, we did do some quick,

[4:09:17] um, math on that and it would put it would put our fees in the $20 range, which is is not something

[4:09:24] you traditionally see in munal recreation, which is why we chose the daily operating costs as our

[4:09:30] focus. Okay. Yeah. And my second question is about squash. Um, I see that uh, you did quite

[4:09:38] a bit of comparables for the wellness center um, in different regions. Um I'm just noticing squash

[4:09:47] um the rates um aren't increasing significantly in some of the categories and I'm just wondering did

[4:09:54] we also do that same exercise um around squash um rates and comparables. Thank you for the question.

[4:10:02] Yeah. Yeah. All the comparables were done. Um what we decided to do based on feedback based

[4:10:08] on administrative um resources is to streamline. So all the fees now align uh between wellness

[4:10:16] center squash and uh fitness. So they're all one fee regardless of which activity you take you're

[4:10:22] um participating in. That way that it allows us to streamline our punch cards, our memberships

[4:10:27] and everything at one rate. We're hoping it will increase usage is kind of the goal there. Yeah.

[4:10:36] Excellent. Uh sounds good. Looks like we might be nearing the end of our discussion. Uh so

[4:10:45] okay so um recommendation one's been moved. Any questions or

[4:10:49] comments? Seeing none. All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries.

[4:10:57] Okay. Uh recommendation two has been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Seeing none.

[4:11:02] All those in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries and we will move into um the strate strategic

[4:11:13] transportation plan uh phase update at 9.1. And given that we're quarter after 8, I'm not sure if

[4:11:22] there's like a long version and a short version like Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin, but uh anyways,

[4:11:28] I'll pass you up as soon as you push the button. Uh thank you for having me today. I'll give you

[4:11:32] the Cole's notes version. Um I I am excited to talk about transportation and Courtney. It's a

[4:11:37] pretty exciting time. Um I appreciate council's support on moving towards the FA the planning

[4:11:42] phase. Um there's multiple phases that we're looking at right here right now. Um primarily

[4:11:47] under the the three pillars, the road safety piece that we looked at, improving efficiency on our

[4:11:52] corridor and the mode shift. Um in general the the two main streams that our team are working on and

[4:11:59] and give it put into context planning is typically your your heavy lifting of the phase of of a

[4:12:05] strategic transportation plan. Um we have two kind of streams that we're really primarily working on

[4:12:10] right now and our end goal is um for the planning phase as part of those three key key pillars is a

[4:12:18] report card that the council can see likely in this fall. Um and that's kind of focused around

[4:12:24] our modeling information, understanding what the current network is is is performing like um and

[4:12:29] that's reviewing kind of the planning information that's associated with that like our growth

[4:12:34] uh strategy for the OCP and also throughout the region what other communities are planning what

[4:12:38] the other communities like Cumberland planning or comwalks CVRD and the other stream is

[4:12:44] uh going down an engagement with our interest holders um and that's primarily through the

[4:12:49] major road network project um We're working with CFP Comox the regional district again u the the uh

[4:12:58] the airport BC ferry so multiple interest holders as part of that so those are the two main streams

[4:13:03] um and we look to make establish that report card and present that back to to council in the fall so

[4:13:11] excellent uh no I really really appreciate that and uh since we're probably not going to get to

[4:13:16] uh council events or activities uh might be a good time to give you kudos on the um

[4:13:22] uh finishing of the clip and uh fifth street intersection. That was great. Uh and just so

[4:13:30] many positive comments uh from downtown folks. So just thanks so much. Appreciate this. Uh councelor

[4:13:35] Helian. Thanks Mayor. appreciate this work and and particularly appreciate that uh highlighted as as

[4:13:45] a strategic priority is advocacy for Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on both the bypass

[4:13:52] and the 17th Street intersection. Uh um I think it's really important that that continue and

[4:13:59] uh just pleased to see that it's top of the list here. Thanks. Thanks, Councelor Hill and Councelor

[4:14:05] Moore. Great. Thanks, Mayor. Thanks so much for this uh briefing note. Um you mentioned mode shift

[4:14:11] and I'm just wondering if we'll be getting any updated information around where we're at. I know

[4:14:18] as far as I understand transit is still pretty constant like there's not really a big shift

[4:14:24] but but uh different for cycling especially with ebikes. And I I think our goal when looking back

[4:14:31] at one of our plans was um anyway, we're we're creeping up there, but I if you could give a

[4:14:42] refresher on that, that would be great. I I think that that that is that that is shifting. Yeah. The

[4:14:48] positive direction through the mayor of council. I thank you for the comment. Um I guess there's

[4:14:53] in the immediate term um overseeing improvements. Um we talked about fifth cliff and fifth the mile

[4:14:58] vision technology we implemented there. So we what we implemented there is uh detection for transit

[4:15:03] or buses so they get preemption that way. So we're kind of in the immediate term we're looking at

[4:15:08] ways we can improve transit service or mode shift through that. Um also recently last week at sixth

[4:15:14] street we implemented mile vision in that that area um to support the active transportation

[4:15:19] corridor to the bridge. So as opposed to bikes getting off their off the bike and pushing the

[4:15:24] the button, right, the mile vision can detect those cyclists there and and activate for them.

[4:15:28] So right from that not that mode shift piece in the short term, we're looking at solutions

[4:15:31] like that with technology. Um, aside from that, when we look at the major road network project,

[4:15:37] um, we're working with all the interest holders like the CBRD, the um, the base, MOTT, um,

[4:15:44] we're reviewing all their long-term documents, um, and making sure, um, and BT transit, of course,

[4:15:49] their their long-term documents um, and how we can incorporate that into our major road network. And

[4:15:54] the way looking at the major road network and the scorecare we get from that, it's not just

[4:15:58] efficiency for cars. It's going to be the the to speak the the tide that lifts all boats. So if we

[4:16:03] improve one service, everyone kind of gets better. So that's the idea behind that. Could you refresh

[4:16:08] my memory on what the the target is for cycling uh in terms of [clears throat] 10% I don't know 10%

[4:16:17] or something from the street transportation. Yeah, that's what I meant. Yeah. uh from our we haven't

[4:16:21] established our key performance indicators from the STP that we'd like to see. So that's something

[4:16:25] I just was thinking of what what the past target was. I saw it somewhere, but okay. Thanks. Thank

[4:16:31] you. Excellent. Thanks for that. And uh yeah, I I can tell you 12 years of getting my bike out

[4:16:37] of city hall parking lot. Uh that light does not detect bicycles. I've seen many people wait a very

[4:16:44] long time before they realize they have to push the button. So uh with that, I'll pass over to Mr.

[4:16:49] Yeah, thank you through the mayor uh to council. I just I just want to highlight one uh emerging

[4:16:54] uh very positive note. Um and it would go back I think to the uh coordination of the conversation

[4:17:00] and the uh uh uh um sorry Ryan corridor related to the CFP com. So um Mr. Shaw and possibly Mr.

[4:17:09] Brown will be given an update to our CIO uh group because what's emerging is the horsepower related

[4:17:16] to support our strategic transportation plan is invaluable uh as a advisory group around the

[4:17:23] greater transportation question in all modes. And so uh we we don't yet have a a terms of reference

[4:17:30] or anything like that but we have reached out to the interest holders to provide um support and

[4:17:37] it has been phenomenal and I've been part of a couple of those meetings and so recognizing

[4:17:42] the opportunities that are in front of us and the development program that's going to happen

[4:17:47] over the next 25 to uh 50 years uh it's really important. So it's it's something that we'll be

[4:17:53] uh reporting back to council on and then seeking uh support from the other local governments

[4:17:58] and interest holders to formally participate in that. We've actually talked about how much time

[4:18:03] our staff is t taken up with the support of other organizations groups but it's really important for

[4:18:09] us to engage create a terms of reference and then be really clear to our partners about that. So,

[4:18:14] but u we've seen how important that that is uh in supporting discussions with the minister of

[4:18:19] transit or transportation and transit related to CFP Comox and we want to really build on

[4:18:23] that momentum. So, um I I know that there was some initiatives in the past as it relate to that that

[4:18:28] that maybe the city wasn't maybe as positive about participating in, but we are strongly

[4:18:34] supportive of uh this initiative and it's a good use of uh uh resources. So, stay tuned on that.

[4:18:42] Excellent. Thanks so much for that. Uh I don't see any further questions or comments at this point.

[4:18:47] So all right. Uh so it's been moved and seconded and we'll just receive that unanimously by council

[4:18:56] and we'll move on to a notice motion uh for future use of Cliff Avenue. And again, councelor Halen,

[4:19:03] you don't have to read the whole thing. Thanks, Mayor. This is uh for the August 26th council

[4:19:11] meeting and it's simply to go on record for the benefit of the community given uh some

[4:19:16] misinformation that may be out there that uh this council's intent is that uh once the Braidwood

[4:19:25] um uh project by BC Housing which is now commenced construction is completed and uh operational that

[4:19:33] the uh the property uh where the connect center is currently located will no longer be used for

[4:19:38] that purpose. I think it's important that we clarify for that for the community and that's

[4:19:42] the purpose of that motion for our next meeting. Thank you so much uh for bringing that forward and

[4:19:48] uh um and with that we'll move on to 10.2 which is the late item. Uh and this one yeah councelor

[4:19:59] Rich maybe I'm just a little confused. Were you going to speak to it? Probably not. Um,

[4:20:06] oh sorry, we are jumping to the next one, right? Oh, my apologies. Yeah.

[4:20:15] Uh, I believe there's a 10.2 late item one which is on the screen.

[4:20:24] Uh, councelor Halen. Thank you. Uh, thanks, Mayor. Um, I believe this is on the agenda for tonight.

[4:20:33] Um the in my capacity as an advisory role and liaison between the regional district

[4:20:39] board and ministry of indigenous relations and reconciliation I do sit on the um main

[4:20:46] table for the Komox treaty and u became aware of possible delays in the federal government's

[4:20:53] uh uh approval of that treaty uh due to difficulties related to availability of

[4:20:59] translation services and as a result um uh felt it appropriate for local governments to

[4:21:06] lend their voices uh to stress with the federal government how important this treaty is and thus

[4:21:13] um this motion has been passed by the regional district and it's brought to the city tonight

[4:21:19] um to land. Is it brought as a notice of motion or you hoping to wave that notice of motion and

[4:21:23] pass it tonight? No, my understanding is that it's on the agenda as an actual uh Sorry. Um,

[4:21:30] we had received this by email and I confirmed by email at the time that it was meant to be

[4:21:33] a notice of motion. Of course, council is able to suspend the rules and consider it tonight.

[4:21:38] All right. All right. It's been suspended. Uh, well, the motion to suspend has been made. Uh,

[4:21:46] moved and seconded. All those in favor? It's been suspended. Back to you, Councelor Hill. Thanks.

[4:21:52] And perhaps I'll let councelor Cole Hamilton um well he can second it. I'll move that the city

[4:21:59] of Courtney write a letter to the honorable Rebecca Alti, Minister of Crown Indigenous

[4:22:04] Relations with a copy to the Prime Minister affirming our support for the Komox Treaty,

[4:22:10] its importance in advancing collaborative work on local infrastructure and economic development,

[4:22:15] and urging that all measures be taken to ensure a smooth and expeditious path to federal approval.

[4:22:23] Can somebody second? Thank you, councelor. A second. And there's probably no need to speak to

[4:22:29] this, but uh I know that the regional district passed this and I believe that Cumberland is

[4:22:34] passing this this week. It's just a think all hands on deck around the valley to try and make

[4:22:38] sure that the smoothest and most expeditious path after many decades uh is afforded to come

[4:22:44] first nation in Ottawa. So yeah, be absolutely supporting this. Thanks very much. Um, all right.

[4:22:51] Uh, having said that, uh, all those in favor? Any oppose? And that motion passes unanimously. Uh,

[4:22:59] thanks very much, uh, for bringing that forward. Now, we're going to go to bylaws, and we're going

[4:23:04] to start with 11.1.1 official community plan amendment bylaw 3233 2620. Yeah, I don't have

[4:23:13] to read it all. It's all good. It's been moved and seconded. any questions or or uh I'll pass it

[4:23:19] over to staff. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um Mr. Mayor and Council, I'd just like to introduce

[4:23:25] this item. Uh Andrew Stewart Jones is going to be describing this. I would I would like to say that

[4:23:30] um the applicant has been patiently waiting for four and a half hours and and is here to answer

[4:23:37] any questions. So um uh please take advantage of that and I will turn it over to Andrew. Thank you.

[4:23:46] Uh, thank you, Pat. So, through mayor to council, um, the application before you is to

[4:23:51] consider first reading of an official community plan amendment and zoning amendment bylaw at

[4:23:57] 2620 Sheraton Road to permit a green uh, burial cemetery. Green burial is defined as the interment

[4:24:05] of human remains in an intact non-created state without inbalming and using biodegradable

[4:24:11] materials such as a compostable shroud or coffin. Green burial is often viewed by proponents as

[4:24:17] a more environmentally friendly option to conventional burial. Although as noted in

[4:24:21] the staff report, it is not free of environmental impacts. Although the objective of the proposal

[4:24:26] is to provide for a green burial, the application achieves the secondary objective of environmental

[4:24:33] protection by preserving the property in its natural state in perpetuity. The subject property

[4:24:39] is located in East Courtney and is approximately 1 hectare in size. The property is located directly

[4:24:45] off of Sherwood Road and is immediately south and adjacent to the city-owned Lurwick Nature Park.

[4:24:54] So in the OCP the subject property is designated as urban residential which supports apartment

[4:25:00] buildings up to four stories in height. The proposed use would be considered an institutional

[4:25:06] use and would require an official community plan amendment. The subject property is currently zoned

[4:25:13] residential smallcale multi-unit housing which allows for up to four housing units on every lot.

[4:25:19] The proposed zoning amendment would change zoning from the residential small-cale

[4:25:25] multi-unit housing to public use in assembly one PA1 zone with an exception that restricts use to

[4:25:32] uh cemetery only on this lot. In terms of the proposed development, uh there is a concept plan

[4:25:40] that is for a 600 grave cemetery. The applicant has proposed minimal development on the site plan

[4:25:47] which includes an internal bark mulch pathway, a five-stall parking area and access throughout the

[4:25:54] site using a handdrawn cart for uh from a cart exchange as well as a compostable toilet for

[4:25:59] visitors. The proposed site plan rationale provided by the applicant can be found in

[4:26:05] attachment number one of this report. Um so staff have provided a brief Courtney context. Um,

[4:26:13] the city of Courtney currently owns and manages the Courtney Civic Cemetery. A staff report

[4:26:18] submitted to council in November of 2025 provided some context regarding the current state of the

[4:26:23] cemetery, outlining that it is estimated that the cemetery will run out of casket space by60.

[4:26:29] The report evaluated green burial as an option, noting that the remaining section of the city

[4:26:36] cemetery has a high water table and would not be able to accommodate this type of burial.

[4:26:43] Uh from a regional perspective, Cumberland and Kemell River own and manage cemeteries

[4:26:47] with a green burial option. Denman Island also has a cemetery with the green bur with green

[4:26:53] burial options, although it is only available to residents of Denman Island. Um so so far the

[4:26:59] applicant has completed a number of background studies for this application and we've kind of

[4:27:03] gone into some details in the report. Um there are still several outstanding requirements and staff

[4:27:10] have advised the applicant to postpone most of the outstanding requirements until after

[4:27:15] first reading to avoid uh that the applicant incur these expenses should council refuse

[4:27:21] the application. Um there's a there's a list of outstanding requirements, but some of the more

[4:27:27] uh some of the more um involved would be doing a hydro geotechnical report uh that includes

[4:27:35] like one year of groundwater monitoring and uh this was also a recommendation by the Vancouver

[4:27:40] Island Health Authority due to um proximity to existing wells. So in terms of uh public feedback,

[4:27:47] we did host a the applicant did host a community information meeting for the proposed development

[4:27:53] on June 11th, 2026. Approximately 52 members of the public attended the event in addition

[4:27:59] to two representatives of the applicant and two planners from the city. A total of 33 written

[4:28:05] comments were received during a during the event and within a week following the event. Those in

[4:28:11] support generally like the idea of a green burial, expressed that this type of burial option was

[4:28:16] needed, and thought the property was well suited to this use. During the community information

[4:28:21] meeting, a number of concerns were also raised, including um number one, land use compatibility

[4:28:28] and neighborhood impacts. Number two, concerns for environmental protection and ecological effects.

[4:28:35] Three, long-term management and governance. four, concerns around accessibility and public

[4:28:40] use of the parcel. Five, economic viability and business considerations. And six, concerns about

[4:28:47] regulatory and technical feasibility. Um, the full community information summary report can be

[4:28:51] found in attachment number four of uh the staff report. Um so in terms of alternative options

[4:29:01] uh we included a section in the report that says that although the application um is for a green

[4:29:06] burial, further communication and discussion with the applicant revealed that a key intention of the

[4:29:11] applicant appears to be uh to preserve the land in a natural state. Alternative options for land

[4:29:16] preservation that were not discussed with the applicant include uh donation of land to the

[4:29:21] city as protected park or as a green burial site that would be managed by the city. Um so staff's

[4:29:28] recommendation uh as mentioned in this report the official community plan amendment and zoning

[4:29:33] amendment bylaw would change the land use from residential to institutional and would affect

[4:29:39] the city's ability to meet provincial housing uh targets. From staff's review of city policy,

[4:29:44] there is little support to develop land zone for housing as new internment sites with a clear

[4:29:49] mandate to meet provincial housing targets. In addition, there is policy that supports protecting

[4:29:55] water quality, which may also be affected by this proposal. Given the lack of policy backing,

[4:30:01] this application cannot be supported by staff at this time. Staff acknowledged that although

[4:30:06] public engagement demonstrated that there is some some support from the community for green burial,

[4:30:11] it is staff's opinion that the proposed site is best suited to housing development and that

[4:30:16] another site is likely better suited to the proposed use. There is some policy support for

[4:30:21] retaining natural areas and it may be an option for the applicant to preserve the property through

[4:30:26] means other than a green burial. Thank you for your time and staff will be available to answer

[4:30:31] any questions. All right. And the proponent as well uh based on the earlier comment. So,

[4:30:37] excellent. Uh councelor Fr. Yeah. Thanks, Mayor. Well, I I just want to say thanks to the proponent

[4:30:44] because I think the idea of protecting this land is extremely important and um and laudable. I I

[4:30:50] wonder I don't know if you want to get up and and um or you can probably say it from

[4:30:55] there is or any of those other I guess there was only really one other option I think suggested

[4:30:59] by staff to maintain that and that would be to donate it to the city. Um, was there something

[4:31:04] else that if if the if you're going to ask her to uh to speak, we will ask her to go to the podium

[4:31:09] just so councelor can hear as well. That's okay. I mean, if she wants to get up and let us know what

[4:31:14] she thinks of that, she can. But, um, but maybe not too long because we're all extremely tired.

[4:31:22] I'll just turn on that podium microphone for you and you're good to go. Thanks. Um,

[4:31:28] I spent four years looking at options to preserve the property in perpetuity and there are none.

[4:31:34] You can I've been to Victoria and talked to conservation lawyers. I've talked to different

[4:31:38] organizations. In 2006, I bequeath the land in my will to the Komox Valley Land Trust. Uh when my uh

[4:31:47] executive passed on, I had to redo my will and the Komox Valley Land Trust was no longer interested

[4:31:54] in the property because they said it was too small and it was of no ecological significance

[4:31:59] to them. So that let that out and there is to the best of my knowledge in four years of research no

[4:32:05] other option because conservation covenants can be broken. Um there is no way the only thing

[4:32:11] that would preserve that property in perpetuity is a natural green burial cemetery. Yeah. Well,

[4:32:16] thanks for bringing that perspective to council tonight. Thank you so much. That's good. Yeah,

[4:32:21] that's great. Um, I will highlight for council though that I know of a few properties that have

[4:32:26] covenants on them. One is really close to my house beside Northgate Square Church. You guys

[4:32:30] might be aware of it, a stand of tall trees right in the middle of development and it seems to be

[4:32:35] uh untouchable. And um yeah, there are other properties that have been given to the city

[4:32:41] by various people that are now parks. Um though nothing nothing really is forever. Um it's hard

[4:32:47] to hard to say anything's going to last forever. Um but with that um I I appreciate appreciate the

[4:32:54] intention. Thanks and councelor Jelker online. Thanks Mayor. Um yeah really thorough report and

[4:33:03] um verbal report from staff. appears like there's a fair bit of concerns from VIHA as well as

[4:33:12] um some quite extensive outstanding items and so I guess I'm just a little surprised

[4:33:18] um I guess I'd like to hear from staff but also from the proponent um why this is coming to us if

[4:33:25] there's still so much outstanding work that's required um maybe that piece was needs to be

[4:33:31] shared by the proponent but there is I think at least yeah one 2 3 4 5 seven items uh listed in

[4:33:39] the staff report uh on page nine um the big pieces of work that are required and so is it of the view

[4:33:48] of staff that that um can't be done or is the proponent unwilling to do that work and then we

[4:33:54] can um consider this matter once that outstanding work has been finalized. Miss Corn, thank you. Uh

[4:34:03] thank you for the question. uh and through the mayor and council. Um this this this applicant

[4:34:10] came to the city almost two years ago to to try and have this conversation and has been through um

[4:34:15] almost a dozen staff members at this point. Uh but one of the one of the concerns and considerations

[4:34:21] we had was there was obviously a lot of discussion debate about this and be there is a lot of work

[4:34:26] that needs to be done before it can be finalized and because it's a bylaw process it was staff's

[4:34:32] determination that the best way to do this is bring it forward to council. If council has any

[4:34:38] appetite to move forward with this and give first reading then the conditions would be applied to

[4:34:44] be met before second reading and public hearing. But there we didn't feel that it was appropriate

[4:34:50] at this point to have the applicant spend a significant amount of money on something that

[4:34:56] council has no appetite for. So that's that's why this this process has been been handled this way.

[4:35:03] So, so, um, Council Joff, this is, um, uh, looking at the issue, recognizing there are, uh, concerns

[4:35:11] and studies that need to be done, but making sure that we didn't send the applicant on a wild goose

[4:35:17] chase to spend tens of thousands of dollars on study if council did not think this was a good

[4:35:23] idea in the first place. And I got a followup, mayor, for the proponent. Is this are those

[4:35:30] um six items outstanding items um things that the proponent is willing to commit to completing? Is

[4:35:38] that something that's in their business plan that they're able to cover the costs and and do the

[4:35:44] work for that? Um I I guess I'm asking because I am interested in the alternative option that staff

[4:35:51] have offered around exploring council giving staff direction to explore the the assignment of the the

[4:35:58] land to the city. So u but happy to hear from the proponent. Thank you. I would be happy to discuss

[4:36:06] donating the land to the city as a green burial cemetery but from my research I don't think that

[4:36:15] there is sure nothing is forever but um this is the best and only way that I can find that

[4:36:24] will preserve it in perpetuity. So I would want reassurances obviously from the city if I was

[4:36:30] going to enter into something like that that that that it would be remain or be allowed to proceed

[4:36:36] as a green burial cemetery because if I give it as a park um we know that parks can change.

[4:36:46] Sorry, is that answering your question? It it does. And so just to be clear,

[4:36:52] are you willing privately to do this work, these six large items of work? Yeah. Provided that

[4:36:59] I [clears throat] have have some understanding that it has a chance to go through. But I,

[4:37:04] as Miss Maloney says, I don't want to spend 30 $40,000 to find out you guys originally

[4:37:10] thought that you didn't think it was a great idea. Okay. Yeah. and and and of course given

[4:37:15] the the timeline we're on right now regardless there's a new term starting uh in in the coming

[4:37:21] months as well. So and I'm not sure if councelor heard but it has been moved and seconded as well.

[4:37:27] So just so you know there's a motion on the floor in case in case you had missed that. Um councelor

[4:37:35] um yeah thanks mayor. Um so I I don't understand the business model. Um, first of all,

[4:37:43] um, to staff, uh, is there much of a precedent for privatelyowned cemeteries in either British

[4:37:49] Columbia or the rest of Canada? In my experience, they're either on a church ground or they're run

[4:37:56] by a municipality. But, there is actually huge precedent through the chair for privately owned

[4:38:02] cemeteries. Uh, there's a huge one in Cedar. Um they they um uh u they they those are definitely

[4:38:12] run as a business and uh there there are quite a few of them and as municipalities

[4:38:20] uh start to have their cemeteries fill up um with maybe not opportunity to expand,

[4:38:28] private operators are are opening other uh cemeteries, right? Um we had the opportunity to um

[4:38:36] go through the uh uh the local cemetery recently when the windfall was u initiated and I thought

[4:38:44] that there was some discussion of the possibility that green burials could be incorporated there at

[4:38:50] some point. I'm wondering if staff can uh clarify that uh in terms of our future intent with our own

[4:38:57] cemetery. Before you talk, Miss Broant, it uh green burial is not currently contemplated as

[4:39:05] an imminent use. And if you look at the land in the cemetery, while there still is space,

[4:39:11] um natural burial, green burial often takes up a larger section of land and has

[4:39:15] a different type of landscape than um the type of burial we do there now. So it would require

[4:39:22] um planning ahead and establishing probably a fairly large section where we would do that. Um so

[4:39:30] I'd have to look at the cemetery master plan to be sure, but it is not uh currently contemplated in

[4:39:35] the next few years of capital planning. [clears throat] Okay. Yeah. So, well, in that case,

[4:39:41] um I um I think it would be awkward uh for a neighborhood to have land that uh reszoneed

[4:39:51] for cemetery purposes. Um I I you know, I I appreciate that uh it's maybe irrational,

[4:39:59] but I think for some people it's it creates discomfort. uh there were comments around uh

[4:40:05] post-traumatic stress uh of uh veterans and things like that. Um but um uh based on that and and and

[4:40:14] the various other issues highlighted in the staff report, I I would be much more interested in

[4:40:19] uh in us finding a way to uh um to give um Miss Waterton some assurance that uh a covenant to

[4:40:27] protect uh her land as as park space could in fact be honored and uh and maintained over

[4:40:34] time. Thanks in perpetuity. Yeah. Can I just note that and there's two um sites of on from the real

[4:40:42] estate board on how to break covenants and if we take an example locally mech lang was a covenant

[4:40:51] and Mr. Yeah, thank you through the mayor uh to council. There are a a laundry list of ways to

[4:41:00] protect uh properties. Uh council's very aware of the MC Meadows property. Um there are a number of

[4:41:08] ways whether it's a combination of ownership. We have parks that we own that also have conservation

[4:41:14] covenants by third parties. So again, u what is in front of council right now is an application for

[4:41:22] uh Green Burial Cemetery. Uh questions about what may or may not be possible with other

[4:41:28] uh type of application um and assurances to the donator. Um that's a separate matter that we can

[4:41:34] address. But it is um uh through my time councils where I have a background in planning there's a

[4:41:41] number of methods a way to uh ensure uh that is uh in in the will of the uh the person who

[4:41:49] either bequeaths it or transfers it or sells it for a limited amount. Um yeah. Okay. Um,

[4:41:59] councelor going to say I know there's we're nearing the end of the conversation,

[4:42:04] but once the vote on this matter, mayor, I'm going to raise another motion um related to the

[4:42:11] alternate option listed in um the staff report. Okay. All right. Uh we do have a motion on the

[4:42:18] floor. I don't see any further questions or comments. All those in favor? Any opposed? And

[4:42:24] uh so motion carries. And councelor Zer, you have a follow-up. Yeah, just um related to the

[4:42:30] the I'm just pulling up the staff report that the the correct language in the staff report

[4:42:35] um related to um so that's uh council direct staff to work with the proponent

[4:42:41] to explore park or green burial options um in collaboration with the city of Courtney.

[4:42:51] Okay, it's been seconded. uh our count uh sorry staff

[4:42:58] councelor Rich. Yeah, I don't I don't know that I would support the motion with green burial

[4:43:04] in there considering that's what we just made a motion on and there may be a rule against actually

[4:43:11] contemplating something right after you've made I'm happy to remove the green burial then in that

[4:43:16] case. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, it's been amended. So maybe if you could just say it one more time and

[4:43:24] uh I and I think uh Miss Proton's going to try to bring it up on screen, but if you could just say

[4:43:29] it one more time. Yeah. That council direct staff to work with the proponent to explore

[4:43:36] uh park dedication for the property. And is that was that on page 14 of the

[4:43:51] We're both right

[4:43:55] and 8:45. You know, I don't know I could ask for much more.

[4:44:10] Yeah, I think that that captures it.

[4:44:14] Sure.

[4:44:32] While we're waiting, Councelor M. just a uh I just wanted to um say thank you for saying

[4:44:42] so long tonight and also um reading through the comments even though many of your neighbors were

[4:44:48] not necessarily um in favor of this. They all spoke so highly of you and I actually know one

[4:44:55] of your neighbors who um just I happened to run into who said the same thing and that they really

[4:45:01] appreciate your your stewardship and your devotion and I just wanted to make sure to say that because

[4:45:06] you've been here so long and yeah the the fact that you've been working on this for years at

[4:45:12] this point and are still this positive and uh um yeah it it's great to see uh that optimism. um and

[4:45:22] really trying to take what you have to make the world a better place. So, it is much appreciated.

[4:45:29] And councelor Jeliker, your hand is still up,

[4:45:31] but I'm not sure yet. Perfect. We are just about to. We just wanted to make sure we have the

[4:45:41] have it up on the screen. Councelor Joeler, you can see that.

[4:45:47] All right, that's the motion. Uh, all those in favor? Any opposed? And motion carries. So,

[4:45:56] the saga continues. There's a bit of a quest, but I think this gives you some some clarity. Um,

[4:46:03] thank you, Mr. R. Appreciate council direction. I just would let council know that this is not

[4:46:08] work that staff would be undertaking under this term and we'd have to figure out how

[4:46:12] to do that in our uh the work of our uh uh development services department, recreation,

[4:46:17] culture and community services to do our parks planning. Uh so uh respect council's direction

[4:46:23] but this would be work with the next council. Thanks. Okay. Yeah. And that's just timelines

[4:46:31] and sausage makers etc. Okay. Uh thanks everybody. Uh we are uh moving on to first,

[4:46:37] second, and third readings. Uh tempor temporary [clears throat] boring bylaws 3238.

[4:46:46] Okay, it's been moved. Any questions or comments? Seeing none,

[4:46:49] all in favor? Any opposed? And motion carries.

[4:46:57] Recommendation two has been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments?

[4:47:00] Seeing none. All those in favor? Any opposed? And motion carries.

[4:47:08] Recommendation three has been moved and seconded. All those in favor?

[4:47:12] Any opposed? And motion carries. And now for adoption. Cemetery bylaw 3205. Okay, it's been

[4:47:21] moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Seeing none. All those in favor? Any opposed?

[4:47:26] And motion carries. And finally, uh, business license bylaw 3212. Business license bylaw.

[4:47:39] It's been moved and seconded. Any questions or comments? Councelor Fr. Yeah, I'm sorry. I

[4:47:46] know it's late, but um, so there we've had a lot of feedback on the license bylaw, the business

[4:47:53] license, basically the cost of the business licenses and the changes. And I just want to

[4:47:58] hear from staff um if getting a business license is in fact a way to gain revenue at the city or if

[4:48:09] there are some other really important things about having someone have a business license in general

[4:48:19] uh through the mayor. Uh I'm not sure I understand the question. Could maybe just repeat it for me.

[4:48:24] I guess just like wondering at a high level why do we need business licenses at the city?

[4:48:31] What happens if we don't? Um yes uh uh business regulation is an optional provision under the

[4:48:39] community charter. Um uh if you don't regulate business, uh if a council were to choose not to

[4:48:48] regulate business, um you would you lose the ability to uh well essentially to regulate

[4:48:55] business, um we actually discussed it a bit earlier with the uh this evening and that um if

[4:49:01] you had a business that was engaging uh repeated contraventions of municipal bylaws, um you would

[4:49:08] not be able to revoke their business license if you didn't have a business regulation and big

[4:49:12] business licensing regime in place. Um so it is uh essentially an ability to uh vet that businesses

[4:49:23] comply with bylaws before they establish themselves in the community. And then there are

[4:49:29] powers under the charter to revoke their ability to do business if they are not in compliance with

[4:49:35] um municipal bylaws and and and good good faith uh processes. Right. And so the reason

[4:49:42] for raising the rates is to in fact pay for that program which allows all those things you just

[4:49:46] mentioned. Uh uh just before I'm sorry. Were you? Yeah. If I if I could very quickly uh long meeting

[4:49:55] uh just uh adding because I this unfortunately started uh I've been involved since the beginning

[4:50:01] of this uh there are a number of purposes uh in addition to Mr. Bellaba's commentary um there

[4:50:09] is a it is a source of information to help with economic development and business planning. Second

[4:50:14] um the awareness of those businesses helps us address emergency planning and our fire

[4:50:19] response. Um and it also is um a very important um tool that other uh organizations use related to

[4:50:30] um kind of the economy and the like. So it's it's a source of information and uh also um it's kind

[4:50:38] of the another component is it has the potential to be used to support economic development. Um

[4:50:45] and that's some conversations that we did have uh through council on our strategic planning on how

[4:50:50] to potentially look at economic development um how to support businesses, how to get that information

[4:50:54] and so business licensing is a a really important source of data uh within the uh our information

[4:51:01] requirements. So I just in in addition to that the need to regulate those businesses because of

[4:51:06] some of their externalities. Okay, sounds fair. I guess I my my line of thinking is uh you know,

[4:51:13] did do we really need to raise certain um businesses rates, you know, going from $100 to

[4:51:19] $150. Um especially if it's like a small homebased business, they might not be making a ton of money

[4:51:26] to begin with. But um that's my line of thinking that I just want to confirm that uh in fact

[4:51:31] collecting money from every single business to give them a license is in fact really important.

[4:51:39] Okay, thanks for that. Uh, Council Warren. Yeah, thank you, Mayor. It's getting late,

[4:51:43] so I'll try to try to uh formulate my thoughts here. Um, we did, you know, make some changes

[4:51:51] to the original in terms of keeping those um larger uh size businesses, pubs, um uh

[4:52:01] whatever the other categories are. um at that at the the feed that was there before which was

[4:52:09] uh a big part of the feedback that we received. We felt that people felt it was very inequitable.

[4:52:15] Um the other piece of feedback though that we didn't consider was pretty much what councelor

[4:52:22] Fish just talked about and even though um going from $100 to $300 doesn't seem like a big jump,

[4:52:29] it's percentage- wise it is a big jump. and um I re reread the comments um that we've received and

[4:52:36] did some notes on them and [snorts] then we did receive a couple other pieces of feedback and I

[4:52:43] I know this is up for adoption tonight but I still don't feel that we've gone far enough.

[4:52:49] I think we've done some great stuff. The we've had positive comments about the pro-rated aspect.

[4:52:55] We've had positive comments about I think the late um uh you know the renewal times and also

[4:53:02] the the food having more food vendors and things like that. So, there's lots of positives in here,

[4:53:06] but I really kind of on principle, I don't think that 150% or whatever um increase um I don't agree

[4:53:19] with it and I would like to see us either phase in that increase over um a longer time period

[4:53:27] or reduce that increase to those other businesses. Um, and I did want to ask what the transition time

[4:53:35] was because I couldn't find it when I looked again when this would when those increases would come

[4:53:41] into play. And now my computer is uh through the chair. Uh I believe the bylaw would take

[4:53:51] effect the moment it is adopted and then the fees would apply uh basically if any businesses applied

[4:53:58] for a license afterwards and then you would have renewal fees which would be annual. Um. Mhm. So,

[4:54:06] I don't know if there's an appetite for um sending this back with that amendment to either phase in

[4:54:14] um phase in the increases or to reduce the increase. Um and I don't have the chart in

[4:54:22] front of me and I don't know if we can bring it up at all, but we don't have a motion on the floor,

[4:54:26] but you could at some point put a motion on the floor and that that's how Oh, sorry. Yeah,

[4:54:31] we do. Yeah. My apologies. Uh an amendment. You could uh move an amendment. Yeah, I'm trying to

[4:54:38] find the the chart, so I'll see if I can do that. But anyway, uh I don't know if there's anyone

[4:54:44] ready to speak, but I can look for that. Councelor Jer will I'll just try and find it then. Thanks,

[4:54:49] Brandon. Thanks, Mayor. I mean, I uh was quite critical of this from the get-go and uh addressed

[4:54:57] council with my concerns um initially. Uh did a ton of research around what other communities

[4:55:04] are doing. Um you know, I was hoping that we'd consider a hybrid approach. I I am in

[4:55:10] favor of cost recovery and I think that we can do a hybrid model where proportionality is considered

[4:55:18] uh where we consider some of the things that we've heard from business community the chamber um and

[4:55:25] I agree with councelor Mo there is some good things here um I had spoken at the time around

[4:55:31] uh startup rebates um and looking at proportional business scale and we we've made those some of

[4:55:38] those changes is um but I think within the context of small businesses uh one employee two employees

[4:55:46] at at home businesses I think that's something that we I agree that we can do some more work on

[4:55:53] um and there are other municipalities that we can look to in BC that are a hybrid model where

[4:55:59] uh there's cost recovery and proportionality is included that was not part of this policy nor

[4:56:05] the drafting of the bylaw. It does require more administrative work cuz there's more verification

[4:56:11] required. Um, but I think we have heard from the business community that they would like

[4:56:16] for us to consider other things in addition to cost recovery. Um, and so I'll just leave it at

[4:56:22] that. I do have some things that I had drafted months ago on this. So, um, that that's helpful,

[4:56:27] but I'll see the four for now. Thanks. Okay. I don't see anybody else ready to speak uh just

[4:56:33] yet. So, if somebody could extend our meeting and take into account that we do have an in camera

[4:56:38] as well. Okay, there's been an extension to 10 o'clock. It's been seconded. [laughter] I'm going

[4:56:47] to call the question whether you like it or not. All those in favor? Any opposed? And no one has

[4:56:54] opposed it or at least has energy to raise their hands. So, uh, with that, I'm going to Mr. Garet,

[4:57:00] you had a comment. I'll pass it over to you. Um, thank you. Uh, if if I may. Um, this work was

[4:57:07] undertaken at council's direction. We have given we've been given direction to uh generate revenue.

[4:57:14] We responded to council's uh guidance. Uh, we have re-engaged. Um, and now what I'm I'm hearing is

[4:57:24] pretty significant changes to the delivery of this service. And uh we are very close to the

[4:57:29] release our time of business licensing. Ultimately if we have not presented what council would like,

[4:57:35] I think we need to go back to the drawing board uh in order and undertake uh and spend

[4:57:41] uh more uh engagement resources uh to to do this in the right way. But uh unless we have some

[4:57:49] runway uh for implementation, this is going to be quite challenging. Um and so um my my apologies

[4:57:56] uh you know if uh we we've gone down route but uh we are now receiving a different direction

[4:58:04] than we had in the previous consideration of the bylaw. Uh and we have not actually engaged

[4:58:10] uh on other aspects of this bylaw. If we undertake more changes we may need to uh provide additional

[4:58:16] notice over a period of time. And uh we do have a backs stop of um undertaking our notifica or

[4:58:25] sorry the um distribution of uh the license uh fee uh requisition on behalf of existing licenses. So

[4:58:33] if council is not really in a position uh then we we maybe should consider some direction to table

[4:58:39] this work um until the next license fee because uh we we we are definitely unable to um undertake

[4:58:46] the additional work uh with the time that remains. Thanks for that uh councelor Fr. Thanks mayor. Um,

[4:58:55] I think one of the the bigger increases of concern was around homebased businesses and I think it

[4:59:01] went and you can correct me if I'm wrong. I think it went from $100 to 150. But um, what I'm sensing

[4:59:11] or not what I'm sensing, what I'm feeling right now is we I think we do maybe just need to move

[4:59:15] ahead with this and um, and and I think businesses unfortunately will will have to absorb the extra

[4:59:21] $50 in that particular instance. So, I'm happy for to call the question whenever you're ready. Okay,

[4:59:28] councelor Morren. Yeah, thank you. I haven't been able to find the comparison chart. I have the the

[4:59:35] new chart or the the chart with the new fees, but not the comparison. So there were a couple

[4:59:40] of others other than the home occupation that um I there were 27 letters [clears throat] um

[4:59:49] and they were most of them were quite detailed and I I agree we provided direction but we I I

[4:59:58] believe when we even discussed this the first time there was a lot of discussion about this

[5:00:03] and we came back to the drawing board again. So, I would be more interested in actually

[5:00:09] um uh yeah pushing it pushing it on to the next term to to give time to to tweak it a

[5:00:17] little bit more if we don't have the time to do that now, but I don't know if um others um are in

[5:00:23] agreement with that. Thanks. I appreciate that. And I see councelor Joler had offered something

[5:00:29] previously. I'm not sure if you're going to speak to that now, but uh the floor is yours. Thanks,

[5:00:34] Mayor. I just emailed it to our corporate officer and to council. Um I recognize that we're in the

[5:00:40] middle of discussing adoption, but this could be something we can consider that captures um and I

[5:00:48] agree with the city manager that this is what I'm proposing in the email that just was sent.

[5:00:53] um is additional work that we did not direct staff to do uh as it relates to um thinking about

[5:01:00] proportionality for the things like homebased businesses and micro businesses. Um it speaks

[5:01:07] to in continuing to engage in a a cost recovery uh framework which is what staff have laid out

[5:01:14] in this bylaw and in the policy. Um and it it expands it. So, I don't know what the right

[5:01:19] um if I and I can't see head nods in the room. So, I don't know if it's just myself and counselor

[5:01:25] Morren that uh would be open to deferring this and um redirecting staff to do more work. And I

[5:01:30] I appreciate that that would mean that we would be looking to probably January 2028 implementation,

[5:01:37] but I think this is really important to get it right. So, all right. and Council Morn does have

[5:01:44] her light on and and I would say we'd also likely need to vote on the motion that is on

[5:01:49] the floor unless it's rescended. Uh and then uh then uh look what our options are at that

[5:01:56] point. But councelor Moore. Yeah, thanks Mayor. Um I actually what um councelor Jolliker sent I I

[5:02:04] really don't want to go that far. I think staff has done a ton of work already and I I just I

[5:02:11] actually feel like there's just a a a few um you know minor things that could happen, but I I'm not

[5:02:18] necessarily in agreement with this long list of um of uh ideas here um necessarily. So, thanks.

[5:02:31] Okay. Um Councelor Hill. Thanks, Mayor. Just on a point of process, if uh if council doesn't like

[5:02:40] the the business bylaw as it is, I I would suggest that the the course of action is to

[5:02:46] defeat adoption and that would leave it up to staff to bring it back in within whatever time

[5:02:52] frame worked for them. Okay. And uh and so I guess I guess one of the questions it would come back

[5:03:00] uh but would a subsequent motion potentially provide uh some clarity or not? I guess that

[5:03:09] follow question uh through the chair. A subsequent motion providing direction on what council would

[5:03:16] like to see staff bring back would be helpful in in doing that and getting the bylaw adopted.

[5:03:23] Okay, we'll call the question as requested. All those in favor? Any opposed?

[5:03:33] It's for the one that's up on the screen right now.

[5:03:42] Okay. Warren and Jeros. Okay, then it is carried. Okay.

[5:03:50] Um All right. And with that, uh, we're gonna in camera. Yes. Yep. So, if somebody would like to

[5:04:00] I'll move that. Councelor Hill. Um, I believe we have council uh reports on the agenda. We

[5:04:07] do. I did say we were going to dispense of it, but I know some Could I could I have one item?

[5:04:14] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yeah. Um, Mr. Mayor, at the uh at the last uh council meeting,

[5:04:19] uh we had a presentation related to a fee dispute between local businesses and the

[5:04:24] Allen Corridor Foundation. I made some comments at that uh time that um I later recognized as

[5:04:33] um inmperate and hyperbolic in nature. And um I want to say that I'm sorry for those comments

[5:04:40] uh which uh potentially impugn the integrity of uh people who both work and serve as directors

[5:04:47] on the Allen Corridor Foundation. It was not my intention to impugn their integrity and um it was

[5:04:54] thoughtless and inconsiderate of me to not have realized how those comments might be received.

[5:05:00] I also want to acknowledge that um there was likely more to the situation than was

[5:05:05] presented at that time. So it was also therefore wrong on my part and unfair to imply judgments

[5:05:11] without hearing and understanding the complete picture. So I I want to apologize for any harm

[5:05:17] or distress that I caused at that time and I thank you for your indulgence tonight. My pleasure and

[5:05:25] uh my apologies for having to wave the rest of it, but I I appreciate your words tonight. Uh

[5:05:32] getting on to 12.7 the inc camera resolution. It's been moved and second. All those in favor?

Council Meeting

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