Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the meeting of Council of March 18. It is 7 p.m.
I'll call the meeting to order. Council, you've seen the agenda, of course. I note, Councillor McLACHLAN is online virtually
with us and any concerns or conflicts, not in the amendments or on the agenda. Not motion to adopt, please.
And seconded, all in favor. We are adopted. Without further ado, we'll go to page 4.
And this is the swerney lands, also known as Silverstone Heights public hearing report.
And I guess we'll turn it over to you, Mr. Allen, acting chief administrative officer, Allen.
Thank you. Thank you for your shift.
As described in the report, the intent here is to separate the event of the public hearing and the correspondence leading up to it
from the actual decision on how to proceed with the official community plan.
It's a large volume of detail for both of those reports. And so we wanted to present this to council for review for receipt
and officially close the engagement process, a period of this application pursuant to council policy.
It's best practice for us to do it this way, particularly the large application.
We're still waiting on information from the applicants in terms of the specific phasing that we need to describe in the upcoming report.
So the timeline is on them, but there are aware of having constraints generally in terms of having left in this term, time left or time spent after public hearing can be vulnerable.
But nonetheless, we wanted to present this. So I'm happy to answer any of the questions that you may have arising from public hearing.
We can talk about that tonight. If you like, but the intent here is not to make a decision on how to proceed with the development application.
It's to receive the information in front of you. And then you have it and you'll have some time between also now and when we do ask for a decision at some point this spring to continue to digest the information.
Thank you.
Yeah, that was sort of the question I had that we can't be discussing this at this point and we certainly don't want to discuss new information.
So council.
Anybody got questions or concerns?
I did want to ask one thing in respect to recommendation two.
I thought we concluded as part of the process we conclude the public hearing at the end of the public hearing.
So I wasn't clear why we have the second recommendation.
I'll be doing assist.
We council adopted a policy approximately four years ago, which is referred to in that recommendation.
And it's based on just the formality of concluding the process.
You are correct at the close of public hearing.
We cannot receive any more documentation. Council cannot receive any further delegation or input.
But having this officially as council resolution allows the engagement process for an OCP or an OCP amendment to be opened up by a council
resolution and close by council resolution and just providing need parameters around it.
Okay, we're in something new.
Thank you.
Other comments council.
Council.
I'm going to log on please.
You're muted.
Are we heard from council rings here?
I'm part of me yes.
Just moments before meeting or receiving the email indicating you couldn't make it.
Thank you.
I'm just wondering for clarification.
That means the OCP amendment here will not be discussed in our future discussions of the OCP.
It's basically wrapped up here.
So the issues that are not addressed currently in this area of OCP will be closed.
Is that the point?
I'll certainly let Mr. Ellen add to it.
But no, that's certainly that's not my understanding.
This is just the package of public.
The information that we've received from the public engagement.
It stops.
Correct.
This is a submission of the entire package and you've been able to ask questions about
of this evening or the next time the report comes through what we're doing.
Here's the information package.
We're submitting it to council formally and closing off that process.
But you can ask questions this evening or when we bring the detailed technical report about how to proceed
forward on the application.
So there are there are opportunities.
We'll talk about asking questions on the information that we do have and staff not providing new information
or applicants or public as well as just.
Here's our, here's our scope of information.
If I compare phrase so if we don't understand something, I don't know, there's a word in here that we don't understand.
That's okay.
We can't be moving forward with the substantive discussion of the merits of this application.
Not this evening because we'll write a proper report when it's ready.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Councilor Bel?
Is that an answer to your question?
Councilor Bel?
Yes.
Through the trial.
Make a motion.
To move recommendations.
Thank you.
Your second.
Second.
Any other questions?
Please.
Thank you.
Just a quick one.
Recognizing we're not really digging into the technical aspects of moving.
Moving forward here, but.
Are there components of this feedback that we did collect that staff know the applicant will be trying to find a way to incorporate or.
Think, yeah, just incorporate into the next time we see the proposal.
I can say the applicant will have this entire package.
We touched base that even though it's been six weeks or so we have not yet.
That's probably heard back from them, so it's walls of their court, but they will have this information and just to be extra sure we'll send this report again as a package to them.
Okay.
Please.
Thank you.
Councilor McGillacum.
Thanks.
Through the chair.
I just wanted to get a little clarification on page 7 of 28 where it talks about the covenant for a master development.
The master development agreement was placed on title on in 2021 implementation of the covenant was deferred.
For the second phase of silverstone height residential.
Development and again for telesilverstone facility in 2020.
So I'm just wondering what was that process for deferment?
Is there anything written?
Was there any public acknowledgement of it being deferred?
Because on the surface of it it looks like the covenant.
Like so many covenants says these are the rules of the covenant.
And there's no other paperwork or anything to back up any changes.
So I'm just wondering do you a little clarification on that if I could please.
Thank you.
You worship I will attempt, but admittedly some of it will be speculation.
The first time it was prior to any of the current planning staff working here.
So I was a state of flux for a period of time when the director of finance was also acting as a director of planning.
And there were no flatters here in the district.
So each other than a planning technician for a period of time.
So the the first of the world might have been then the second deferred dating back to roughly 2019 or 2020.
When cancelled decided it was within the public interest to move forward with the trellis silverstone care facility.
The covenant entitled there was a decision made at the council table that they wish to proceed with that application.
Thank you.
Um.
That's what got.
Yeah, thank you.
It is a little gray, but I think I mean the facts are what they are.
Things have happened as they've happened.
We can't really change that.
But I think it, you know, it is a little bit confusing for from a planning point of view and from the public point of view about the public interest here.
But if the council actually made a resolution or a motion to move ahead with trellis.
Obviously there was some agreement with the developer and the municipality to do so.
So I guess that's where it sets things.
We're good. Thank you.
Anything else, council?
I'll call the question all in favor.
I'm sorry.
Councilor McDonald.
You're in favor?
Favorite?
Go ahead.
Yep.
Okay. Motion carries.
Also then can go to item 5.2 starting on 130, page 130.
And this is the DVP for 5570 saltgrass lane.
I guess we have Mr. Baker in virtual land.
Let's see, there he is.
Welcome.
Thank you.
Mr. Baker.
Is there.
Stuff you want to.
I later.
Nothing beyond.
What's in the report?
Just that.
The applicants are asking for a very.
Very soon.
A lot for a second.
Freestanding sign.
A hearted saltgrass lane.
Okay.
Thank you.
Council.
Is.
Councilor.
Tempered.
Thanks through through the chair.
Just a question on the sign itself.
So it's.
It's backlit.
It's an LED sign.
Is that true?
It's a lit sign.
Is that.
You're understanding?
Hello.
Good evening.
Yeah.
Sorry for giving me.
I'm just.
I'm just checking here.
I may have to confirm.
But I believe it may be.
Yes.
It would be.
Okay.
And does it face?
I guess it doesn't face.
The housing that it faces is the side of the house over an edge water.
It's no one's going to be staring straight into a sign.
Which else.
You talking about the one that they're asking for the variance of.
Okay.
XB ID2.
ID3.
So that sign is perpendicular to the streets.
So the lighting would be facing up and down.
Saltgrass lane.
Not across.
Okay.
Saltgrass lane.
Great.
Thank you.
Okay.
Absolutely.
My God.
Please.
Yes.
Thank you to the chair.
I'm just wondering.
Now I don't think they're going head with the full development.
Only the the front part.
So I'm just wondering if they need to have signage that extensive or whether we could.
Put it off till they actually need it when the second part of the development starts.
Because to me, it's going to be like a half-filled site with all the signage pointing to things that probably are going to be there for 10 years.
So I'm just a little concerned about that.
Thanks.
Okay.
Perhaps.
Is there any indication that there is a phase two at any stage in the plans?
Mr. Allen.
The original proposal included a phase two.
But that's been deferred due to the increased costs of the development of the site in particular.
The site development.
But this particular sign refers to the restaurants, sweets, and events face.
I'm parking in the mortgage, which are a part of the present proposal.
Okay.
Sorry.
Thanks.
The Council of McLaughlin.
They see your hand up, is it?
Yep.
Okay.
Council.
We have a recommendation in front of us.
Anybody want to pick it up?
Sorry.
That's a room?
No.
I will move the recommendation.
Page 130?
Yes.
Ms. McLaughlin.
Thank you.
Great.
The DBP 202601 be approved.
Seconded Councillor Bell.
Hey.
All in favor?
Very opposed?
Very.
Councillor McLaughlin.
Yeah.
There it is.
Good.
Thank you.
Your hand is down again.
Oops.
Okay.
You're muted.
Council.
McLaughlin.
I think you're saying you're okay.
Yeah.
You're in favor.
Okay.
So without further ado, we go to 5.3 on 152.
I want to talk about your appointment.
Ms. Paulson.
Go ahead, please.
Councillor Tom.
Thank you.
Realizing that, you know, we're not going to try and choose somebody else to be the chief election officer here.
So on the flight.
I'm going to move the recommendation as it appears on page 152.
Hey.
And I have a seconder from Councillor Shepherd.
It's interesting.
I had occurred to me and I wanted to flag this perhaps for staff to think about it.
It was just, I don't know, driving over today.
There's so many issues in the last couple of years around balladding and voting as any consideration being given to swapping chief election officers from one municipality to another.
You know, I can see, you know, it's unusual in, I think, election VC and election Canada that, you know, it's somebody quite independent.
So, that was one idea.
It was swap with Gibson and they swap with us.
Oh, I'm not proposing any amendments, but I'm proposing, you know, the staff take that away and think about it.
Thank you.
Anything, any other, rules of wisdom? A, a call of vote, or sorry, I didn't get a, yes, I did get a motion. All in favor?
All right, then we can go to 5.2. Nope, how about we go to 6.1. That's what everybody's here for.
For, um, it's awesome. Anything, any, any, itifications?
Excuse me, and I know I believe the report summarizes the substantial changes that are recommended for the bylaw.
And then we've included a track changes version of the consolidation just so that it's easy for everybody to see exactly where those changes are made.
The, the track changes document does look a little bit messy, but I find that's the easiest way to to see exactly for for the best transparency.
And then, of course, we have the actual amendment bylaw attached as well for council's consideration.
And we're happy to answer any questions.
Thank you.
With the proposal to cancel the 7th and 14th meetings.
I'm wondering if we should, you know, tentatively schedule a council meeting for the end of September because we'll have a council meeting on the second of September.
And then a committee of the whole on the night and then we're at UBCM for what would have been the second council meeting.
And then we've got another committee of the whole on the 23rd.
So our last ability to actually make decisions will be September 2nd.
And I'm wondering if it'd be for us to schedule a one for like the 29th of September just, you know, it's not our usual day.
But the 30th being a statutory holiday.
Curious to know what other councilor thoughts are on it.
Okay, and I had something similar.
I was curious.
I understand cancelling the 14th.
But what, why are you recommending we cancelled the 7th of the ties in it?
The 7th being an advanced voting day.
We've traditionally always held advanced voting opportunities in the council chambers room here.
So any of the polling hours are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
And the 10 days ahead is consistent with Gibson's and elsewhere.
The first advanced voting day is a requirement in the legislation.
The local government act.
The second advanced voting day is optional and can be determined by our by law.
So it is that one that's you.
Okay.
All right, council.
Because I didn't thought of the 30 of the 29th.
The 29th.
Please.
Yeah.
Thank you.
I mean Tuesday is not our usual day, which would be the 29th.
The other option would be to make the 23rd of council meeting instead of a committee to hold.
Just so that we can close off any decisions that need to be processed.
Because otherwise with the August break before that September 2nd meeting.
And nothing at like that's going to be a monster of a meeting.
An advanced full needs to be in this room.
Because I had question that going wrong.
No, we just keep the 7th.
It's our final meeting.
Please.
No, we could certainly coordinate it in a different location.
Excuse me.
It counts over.
What are your thoughts?
No, I'm through Shepherd.
You know, you end up earlier.
I hadn't thought about that about the lack of meetings earlier on what the implication was.
I mean, if it isn't a problem holding the advanced voting in another location.
I'm happy to agree to that.
I had a separate question over the hours.
I was going through the the the marked up version of the document.
And notice that the hours of the advanced polling were deleted.
The EDM, the PM, and wondered why that was so.
Thanks.
Please.
Those hours are specified in the local government act.
So it's not really necessary for us to include them in the bylaw.
There are several other sections that were duplicated in the local government act that we had removed.
And instead we have inserted some parameters that help with the ballot counting and some of the different factors that.
Can be prescribed by the chief election officer or through the bylaw rather than just repeating the local government act sections.
Please.
So I threw the chair just to follow up to that as I think about this changing of the meeting dates.
You know, if you're holding an advanced polling day, it's people are going to assume it's going to be a municipal hall.
So I had actually I'm going to bounce back and forth here and say, no, I think we should.
Keep the date as suggested and add the extra meeting date in September as counselor to all suggested.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Yeah, I would just agree with that.
I think this is where people have been coming for years to vote.
So I'm in support of adding in September 29th.
And that's Tuesday.
My right.
Yeah.
There's a 30 of this is a stat.
Am I right?
Yeah.
Angled web.
We've.
How many, I mean, how many people off typically vote in the advanced fall and to counselor Sheppard's point if it's.
You know, we moved it upstairs.
People coming here wouldn't told you're leaving.
You know, to go cross town.
I don't have the exact numbers or even a very good rough estimate in my head.
But I do recall it being fairly substantial for each day.
I want to say it in the range of four to five hundred voters.
In total.
Anyways, okay.
I think it could be 400 each.
I'm not sure.
I'd have to get back to you on that.
But it's it would be a lot of people to talk through this.
Yeah.
We could we could meet out in the playground.
I also, I mean, your hands.
A motion.
Yeah.
I'm going to move the recommendations as they're presented.
And I'm going to add a recommendation.
That a regular counsel meeting be scheduled for September 29.
Okay.
Seconded.
So it's a one comprehensive motion one two and a new three.
Okay.
Can we go back to the report then?
Just there are other questions.
Folks about the details.
We've got new sign by laws.
And of course.
So anything.
I mean, I see that.
And I did want to ask when we say, for example, on page 156.
Signs are prohibited on district facilities.
Structures parks and playing fields.
Those are our parks and playing fields.
That'd be correct.
So school district parks are available still.
That's correct.
We can only require signage on related to our property or municipal grounds.
Whereas the school district would be responsible for their own rules around signage on their lands.
Thank you.
Yeah.
We administer their election.
All right.
I don't think I have anything else.
Councils.
Oh, yeah.
It's not just another thought.
Have you given any thought to some sort of, I don't know,
an event where we ask the school kids to come and see what it's like to vote.
I'm kind between the first.
So we've got the systems in place.
We hadn't started considering any advanced events like that.
However, we are still in the process of our sort of engagement process planning for that.
So we could certainly take it under consideration.
Yep.
I think that would be worthwhile.
Some older kids might like to show up and see how it's done.
Great.
Okay.
Council.
We've got the motion.
One, two, and the new three.
Okay.
Call the question.
All in favor.
Period.
Very good.
Council.
We can then go to the minutes.
By law.
Thank you.
172.
So this is a little more complex.
So we've got to vote on the by law and one and yes.
We can and be.
It's also, yeah, we're not voting on the third item.
It's just a stand-alone.
The new meeting date.
Yeah.
Okay.
So this is before us for three readings.
Council.
You can do them all at once.
Or we.
That's a third for.
One.
A first for one, two, and three.
And a second for one.
Two and three.
Okay.
Anybody got concerns.
Not all in favor.
Period.
We're like.
Now we can go to the minutes.
That right.
And I'm tracked.
So the meeting of March 4th.
Also meeting.
That's over shepherd.
Yeah.
Move a adoption of the minutes.
Eight.
Second.
Great.
All in favor.
The adoption.
Thank you.
Councilor McLaughlin.
It's okay if you wish.
You can put your hand up.
I can.
I can see it.
Okay.
Then we'll go to the council meeting.
March 11th.
And.
Three.
Forward.
Motion.
Seconded.
All in favor.
Period.
Committee of the whole.
March 11th.
Yeah.
Move to endorse.
Thank you.
Seconded.
All in favor.
And.
I'm going to come back to.
Page 192.
Your matters.
I'm.
If we'll come back now.
So could we could.
I see clarification.
Page 192.
Recommendation six.
References.
Staff be directed to a symbol.
Councilor.
Immuneration.
Task force.
How is that.
How was that, what was done the last time, and assume you anticipating doing it the same?
Thank you for the question.
So when we did the council room iteration task for us last time, public notice find out.
So people could apply in and then staff reviewed the applicants and then we created task for us from there.
So I lead the task for us in that I provide meeting times and any resources they might need, but then they just moderate the conversation themselves.
So after we've chosen the folks that will be part of the independent task force, nobody else knows about that.
And then they come up with a report and then that report is presented to council.
Right. So we don't approve who's on that task force?
Nope. I don't believe the previous council even knows who's the last task force.
But you do, I mean.
I do, and I mean yes.
No, that will be possible.
The council is happy that I can provide that information now.
If you were to ask or if you'd like them to report it more than happy to share that at that time.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Hey.
Hey council, anything else?
Matters arising?
No.
We'll go to the regional district representatives and we'll ask council rings here for the Wilson report.
Well, conveniently, there hasn't been any regional district meetings since our last council meeting because everyone was away at LGLA last week.
So meetings last week scheduled tomorrow.
However, I did listen into a webinar.
E-com was doing a webinar with all the regional districts, chairs and CIOs and emergency planning staff.
We have talking about next-gen 911.
Some of the service delays in rolling that out.
And then some possible upcoming changes to service standards.
E-com has a higher quality, a higher level of service standard for answer times than apparently like the rest of the country has.
And so...
They've promised to actually do some proper engagement in July, because there was some frustration raised
both in the call and, you know, previously, where e-contents to just dictate what it's going
to be in local governments that are kind of tired of that. That's that's the regional district report.
I have a moment, just a roll straight down the council. The only thing I've got for council in the last two weeks, planning has started for candidate day.
So, you know, early plans are sounding very similar to previous years, you know, parade, packet park, just bringing people downtown.
There has, there was some talk about trying to wrap in the 40th anniversary of the district this year.
It's also the 30th anniversary of the car club this year. So, they're looking to celebrate as much as they can as well.
Last year, there was some conflicts in the upper field between vendors, vendor parking, fire department, and the car club.
So, the car club didn't get to have as much of a presence as they wanted. So, hopefully starting early, we can make sure that there's proper room for everybody up there.
And I know that John Burns who coordinates the market is going to be talking about a couple of other places for vendor parking that aren't the upper field.
So, that the upper field can be used more for programming.
That's really all I got. Thank you.
Thank you. Councilor Bell, go to you and then Councilor McDonald.
I think the one thing, just to report that the community investment program, we have completed our meeting
in terms of determining who will be receiving grant grants this year.
A rigorous process, a great committee, and they put a lot of time and effort into it and both up the meeting and prior to that.
One of the most difficult decisions always to make, and a lot of people depend on this money, but very pretty is what the way it went.
And committee that was involved. Well, you'll be hearing very shortly about Maria who will be bringing the applicants or the applications or reviewed council and sign-off.
Do you have a date or staff as a date?
It's going to be midday, as far as I know.
I'm sure that she wanted to do it earlier this year.
Well, that's great for the donors or the applicants rather are hanging waiting on beta breath.
So, yeah. Thank you, Councilor Bell, Councilor McDonald.
Yes. Thank you. Through the chair.
I did attend the LG LA conference. I had a good company there with quite a few RG directors.
And I think it was much less attended than they typically are because it is kind of the final year.
But I think also, because I think it's been kind of a rough goal for a lot of councilors.
A lot of municipalities with all the international issues and the political polarization and housing policy and all the issues we ended up dealing with it.
We didn't really imagine, I think, when we started.
So, it was quite an interesting get together and to everybody tell the kind of, I look there wounds together.
I guess a little bit.
But we had a interesting, you know, speaker, Bill Baker's name.
And he's kind of an ad guy. He's into getting P.E. does a lot of, of course, conferences gets people interested in telling their story.
So his message was to, in order to finish strong, which was the theme of the conference, is to put maybe think and put up your own experience into a story.
A short story, almost like a little TED talk really, to communicate and to synthesize what you've been through and to compress it in a way that is a kind of a good way to communicate to the public because we're communicating with the public a lot.
So I guess learning some of these skills, it would have been nice if they told us that for years ago, but it's really interesting to go through that process.
So I think that was the main focus of the conference is just talking to people about their experiences and how they communicate them and what they did right and what they did wrong, which is really learning about.
And then the other thing was about stewardship, asset management was really the focus of the stewardship and how you steward your, your, not your governance, not so much your operations, but of course you need your operations staff to help you stewardship things that are really critical right now like infrastructure.
It's not about financing new infrastructure. It's about realizing that a lot of your existing infrastructure takes a lot of money to upgrade it for the next 25 years.
So I think it gives us this quite well on that starting to look at their natural assets as part of that equation, which I think is not an excellent idea obviously, but so that was really insightful.
And then the it ended up really talking about the new training that the agency is going to use in terms of using like a 1940 small about how to teach people things and my classroom setting and and structured learning they're going to move to a much more fluid approach.
The open to more than just people in local government through UBC they're going to be revamping it entirely and doing a lot more of it online even though they realize a lot of personal interaction meeting people these events is really critical for talking about burden issues.
They realize it's getting harder and harder to get people together. So they're and they also want to engage a lot more people into getting it to politics. So I think they'll be quite interesting transition and they're going to start doing that next year.
I think they're working on it quite a bit so that was a lot to to take in three days sitting on a dining room chair which they give you but.
So yeah it was it was good to go to but challenging in terms of the the content it was you know quite personalized I guess thanks.
Thank you that's interesting. Elsewhere wrote.
Thank you not much attended the community services master planning group with the consultants.
I've connected with nation's new house and finding on getting our.
You know, leading scheduled out with the new council.
And himself and working with Kelly.
Allie with our vulnerable populations working group.
Together we can. Who does recovery housing all over BC is very.
Excited to expand to the south coast.
And they're senior executive team is going to be coming over sometime in April.
And so Kelly and I are going to be setting up some leadership leadership roundtable just to.
So everybody can get a better understanding of their programs.
Um, etc. So that is very exciting news.
Um, and we'll help to fill that.
A little missing gap and that housing continuum.
Um.
I think that's it.
Great. Thank you.
Um, nothing this last week.
Just a reminder though that last week the community safety technical working group met.
And sort of just to remind the public that.
Um, their.
Uh, rain city have done a fabulous job with the unhoused tent community.
Uh, by the shelter and I've found housing for all but three or four people.
So, uh, that's dramatically different than it was a year ago.
Um, everyone knows I think is aware that.
The, the servicing is going to be built within the next sort of two or three weeks or started for the community services building.
So there's discussion about how to help the remaining people.
Uh, and that's ongoing. Thanks.
Hey. Thank you.
Um, I guess for me, the big thing dominated the last couple of weeks is the work.
Uh, I, a number of people have been doing including our MP.
Patrick Wiler on the temporary foreign workers.
Uh, issue.
Uh, culminated in a media event on Monday and a number of things in publicity.
Probably heard in the last couple of days.
I can tell counselors, lots going on.
Both in Ottawa and Victoria and across the rural parts of BC and the rest of the country.
Uh, attended these purpose.
Uh, the temporary socials in A. G. M. last night.
Um, surprising, but everybody in East purpose phase getting older.
A lot of the same old faces.
So we're, we're, we're looking for, uh, and, and I think this would probably true for all the community associations and appeal to those younger in our community to step up and get involved and have a bit of fun.
Uh, sad thing, just acknowledge the passing of Mark Pearson on January 9th, those who know Mark.
Uh, she was a passionate, long standing, uh, advocate for Davis Bay.
Wilson Creek Summer Park for the Davis Bay Parkway, which we still call a highway.
And, uh, so our thoughts are with her family.
And, uh, early shout-out, perhaps the rotary is again organizing what they're calling this year community connections event on April 18th.
And they're looking for volunteer and other community groups to participate.
If you've been there at the seniors activity center, it's a great day for, uh, people to come and learn what else is going on.
Maybe they want to volunteer, maybe they want to learn about what's going on or maybe they just want to meet some new people.
So, if anybody out there wants to, uh, become, uh, be a participant or an exhibitor, I guess you'd call them, uh, reach out to rotary or I believe the senior center, uh, soon they're filling up fast.
So, that is my report.
Also, there's nothing else.
We're then go to page 193, and this is the Solar Waste Management Plan update letter from our D, or receipt.
And, what do we want to do with it?
Please.
And sign this one, so I feel a little bit into it.
Don't we have the Solar Waste Management Plan on our draft agenda for next week?
It is.
Yes, yes.
So, uh, I think as far as I'm concerned for letters.
It's been working, I guess.
It's coming next week.
This is my thoughts.
I don't know.
Right.
Is there anything to do with it?
So, they've been invited.
We can assume there.
Okay.
So, no letter required.
It's a rhetorical question.
Yeah.
Right.
So, we will, uh, give us then the motion is to receive the letter.
Okay.
Second.
Anything else?
All in favor of receipt?
Erried.
Uh, then 10.2 is, uh, the stirps on 195, but the substantive is the letter from your, uh, you, uh, Prince George,
regarding the petition and an appeal to, uh, individuals for sure to sign the petition.
Uh, if they so wish.
And I think the way I read this, he was, uh, when the beginning, I'm writing task for your support.
Uh, I'm not sure if the district itself could sign, but that's sort of the way I read this.
And we wanted to, as a council, be signifying, support or otherwise.
These councilor Shepherd.
Yeah.
I mean, all, all make a motion that, uh, council, um, sign the petition, um, on behalf of the community.
I think a lot of those points, uh, this council has been advocating for at UBCM meeting with ministers.
So, uh, unless any other councilor should agree with individual points, okay?
Well, we'll follow.
So, yeah, there's a motion to, uh, for district to sign.
Oops.
No, apparently.
And we'll take a, your phone.
Okay.
Well, find out of his phone as waterproof.
Um, was that a second concert?
No, not in the second meeting.
I've actually got a point of order.
Okay.
All right.
Point of order?
The, uh, the commons petition site actually requires it to be a Canadian citizen or a resident of Canada.
That sign sign petition.
So, I don't know that we as an organization can sign this petition.
Um, I mean, it personally speaking, I'm, I'm supportive of because of it.
Because I think it's a lot of the work that's already being undertaken for bail reform.
I don't think we as an organization can sign this petition.
No.
And, um, I was, I agree with you.
Um, I was thinking of a letter that would work in sway through the system, but would not be part of the electronic.
Um, so, your, your point of order was to clarify that.
So, I don't think we can, yeah, I guess I would throw that motion.
Okay.
You cleaned up yet?
Good.
Um, okay.
So, counsel is there any appetite to provide an indication to, uh,
instords that we are supportive to follow the form of, uh, getting better.
Firstly, I already signed it. So, I mean, you know, six or seven signatures, I think is probably more effective than any ways.
Yep.
Okay.
And I think people that are watching will understand that council, I believe, is generally supportive, so we'll just take it for a receipt.
Yes, you may the splash.
Well, okay. So we'll take this as received and certainly I've already signed it.
And we will do talk to Mayor, you are quite often, so I'll convey our general support. Next, we talk.
Okay. So, that brings us to the seed funding proposal for a cultural center feasibility study.
And council, we have this, and I should, if it's not clear from those that are remaining in the gallery, we have John down and Brian Baxter with us to answer any questions, but council, I wish to proceed.
And I'm sorry, we had an amended version of this that was sent around. I don't think it's materially different.
So, okay. So, but it's fine, it's crafting rather than substantive changes. I think it's fair.
Yeah.
Councilor Shepherd. Yeah, to the chair. So we're just being asked to, to receive the documents on the proposal.
Well, it's, it's before us for consideration, which is a nice term for, okay. So, what do any thoughts on what we want to do with it?
How did you receive the document?
Oh, let other council, please.
Okay. Please.
Thank you. I guess I'm, I'm generally supportive of an independent sort of organization working on this concept in terms of providing supportive funding.
I mean, we've finished our budgeting process.
We were pretty tight in terms of money for things.
So, I'm not sure if or how we could fund anything towards this, but, I mean, certainly, I think the district decision could provide a letter of support towards this project.
But I don't know if that's what all is being asked for here.
So, I mean, given that we have the room, I would welcome them to come forward and give us a couple minutes, right, overview of what they're envisioning here, just for more context and community awareness.
Okay, we'll just do that in a second, but Councilor Bell.
I would support that as well. I'd like to hear more about the vision.
And certainly, at this point, the funding, I think it's not something I would like to discuss, isn't what we want to hear more.
Okay.
So, oops, thank you. Councilor McDonald.
Yes, through the chair.
I do have some questions a bit about it, so I thought I'd bring them up before they speak.
I'm a little concerned that we don't really have the critical mass to support such a venue here, the way it seems to be described.
Maybe in 20 years, maybe, but also, in terms of if it's going to be a tourism attraction, et cetera, I'm concerned that we might have more people wanting to come in the great weather, which, again, adds to our, our various issues in our issues that we know don't have any comfortable medium to long term solutions.
So, if they could just keep that in mind in their comments, and I need some convincing that way, because, you know, sometimes in an effort to provide some nice services, special cultural and arts services, who doesn't like that, I'm very in support of that.
We end up making trade-offs that cause some problems in other areas, so I'm just trying to be strategic about it. Thank you.
And I think, as a general rule, feasibility study is exactly to assess those sort of things, so I certainly agree with the general comments.
Mr. Down Mr. Baxter, if you want to come up, because the only way we can hear you or come from a clock, and can hear you is to use the microphone.
I think, though, just to anchor this, you know, this is, as you've heard, there's certainly no money now.
I want to relate for this year. There's perhaps a curiosity of what is possible.
And, okay, no, no, well, by the way, two minutes, and you, and you get to press the button on the microphone.
Just, and just so, just before you start, so I'm offering you this, because just so that we get some questions answered that the council is indicated.
But this is just to start a discussion, I think, out of which, I think you're hopeful that maybe it's fair to say you'd like, and this is never going to work, would be a better answer than we don't really know what we want to do.
You've got to still press the button there.
Yeah, that was really the intent of this was to just, you know, to begin a conversation, dialogue about the possibility of something like this happening in the future.
I mean, this would be a major undertaking that would be maybe 10 years away, but just given my participation in the art community here, this is something that keeps coming up.
So, I didn't make a little note here if that's okay to read from.
So, first, you know, thank you for the opportunity to let us speak this evening.
What we were proposing is not simply a building, but the beginning of a conversation.
And one grounded in years of a community dialogue across the lower Sunshine Coast.
And again, again, we keep hearing the same thing.
We have an extraordinary creative capacity here, but our cultural infrastructure has not had pace.
So, you know, with the, um, if you wanted to look at the recital society in this and that and so on, that was our idea was to maybe put this concept forward that might bring people together.
To help figure out how to do it.
The proposed ask for something very modest in scale, but significant in impact.
Support for the feasibility study.
A careful professional process that allows us to listen properly, engage broadly and determine what is both needed and achievable.
At its core, this is about creating a shared space, one that brings together the visual and performing arts education.
Food, gathering, and community life while respecting the autonomy and contributions of the many organizations already doing important work.
We see this not as a replacement for anything that exists, but as an opportunity to strengthen the entire cultural ecosystem.
With the right partnership, including the Salish Nation, local organizations and all levels of government, we believe this project can become a meaningful long-term public asset.
And we are simply asking to take the first responsible step, and so that's, um, we're not looking for funding.
Actually, what would be wonderful is if just putting this forward now, if, because it's just been sort of the two of us trying to put this together, which is taken a bit of effort.
It's a very good question to have some very good people to edit and make their points made.
So that's kind of where we're at.
And, like I say, I wasn't expecting this at all.
But, um, yeah, it's a beginning, if that's okay.
And I understand the concerns of, you know, whether in the future with Barry and this, or maybe it has to be a hotel,
or whatever it might be that, um, yeah, we're just starting.
So, if that's okay, um, great.
No, thank you.
I think, you know, I counsel, I mean, any follow-ups or, that's why I preface it in these sort of things.
If you get a lot of people saying, no, don't bother.
It's in some ways more helpful.
You don't spend time on something that nobody's interested in.
Well, I don't think you're hearing that from us.
Right. Okay.
And if anybody has any suggestions over time, it's certainly like to learn how to keep going forward.
And I'm not sure we have two architects that are helping us when we're guiding us through this process.
Yeah.
That, um, maybe what we could do after this is, um, you're hoping to maybe hold a, um, maybe something like that,
with a stakeholders meeting, maybe in the summer, um, at Bonnie Grud, just to bring some people together in the community,
expressed interest in maybe supporting such a thing, or, um, um, um,
I think that's a good idea.
And let us know.
Yeah.
So that some of us perhaps can participate as well.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, thank you all very much.
Okay.
Yep.
Please go to the room.
One question.
I just wanted to comment.
Thank you.
Um, this comes up every three to four years.
And, you know, I mean, it is a gap in our community for sure, for sure.
But what we haven't seen in my eight years here is actually the arts community come together itself,
and come to us and get behind it and say, um, this is what we need.
And it is always whenever we hear about it's generally the same, you know, mixed kind of concept that could be used by multiple, you know, different types of art.
Um, but I, you know, for something like this to be successful, you're going to have to be committed, even if people say no.
And like it's almost got to be a passion that, you know, you have to ask 18 times before you get anything close to, yes, the data shows that.
Yeah.
And so I would want to see you come back like in an organized fashion that's not just YouTube guys, not that you can't do it by yourself.
But, you know, you'd want to have because all your applications to grants and anything is going to depend on, you know,
the type of work you can show.
We just wanted to get the pressure.
Yeah.
And I applied, I applied the effort because I do think it's a gap in the community.
But certainly some sort of non-profit kind of organization is going to have your,
probably going to have the best chances success in my experience.
Yeah.
And I guess what we sort of, we're thinking too is with the feasibility study if we can apply here and there to get some money.
And then, you know, raise money within the community as well.
But that the, the actual, you know, complex facility would be, that would probably be mostly private money.
Well, and there's a lot, there's, I would say, from my experience, there is lots of that around.
And the community is, like, it'll come out and support lots of different endeavors.
So I don't think it's a pipe dream.
Just, and I think it's a good, a great start of conversation.
Yeah.
Okay.
Thanks.
So I want to go to the council for the question and then wrap this up.
Council.
Yes.
Thank you to the chair.
I mean, I also have a background in architecture.
I was working in Victoria and a group that came forward with a similar type proposal for right down on the waterfront.
And it looked great.
Like, this is why you get architects involved.
Sometimes it's they design something and you see the dream, right?
And it's like, oh, yes.
Look at it.
We want it, which is nice.
But usually what you need in a case like this is a very wealthy patron.
I know in Calgary also the whole art scene was solely transformed with one major patron who just decided she wanted to have
Opera and ballet and Calgary and et cetera, et cetera.
And that really helped a lot.
And it is great to see it come together.
And I do think there is a lot of disparate groups here.
It would be really nice to have some coordinating kind of overarching agency or place or
group that would kind of, you know, get us working together and advertising this together and coordinating it together.
Getting a synergy of all these groups working together because there's a lot of good intentions local groups,
but it's hard to get them to, you know, gel together and raise, you know, get that kind of critical mass that we need locally.
But also the quality that you need to attract people.
It could be a good tourism thing.
If we could get it over the shoulder season.
So these types of things if they're very done well.
You will come in the rain to see the best pianists and all of Canada.
I did.
So we're good.
I mean, with the architects, it was not, well, one has done many civic buildings across Canada and places.
But it was more about what what do we need to do in the plant and so they came back with information.
And then also, I'd like to, my work is a CPA and so we had a meeting with.
And then we brought the proposal and he said, well, let's get it. Now you've got to put some meat on the bone. I didn't mean like, yeah, why?
Yeah, yeah. That came back with like a whole host of things. So we're just, yeah, we're just trying to get it going and hopefully from something like this.
Then someone else in the community can be joined on and because it's going to take everybody.
Yeah, they could have.
I agree. Go to Councilor Bill.
Yeah, one final question or a comment. Your first paragraph is those probably the critical paragraphs.
Your feasibility study. That is one of the primary pieces that you need to get together.
Not as quickly as you can, but no, it's got to be a priority because I know that there's some projects that are happening here right now.
And that is their sticking point is their feasibility study and they're looking for money for feasibility studies.
So that's how you get the support that you need for funding from all kinds of areas.
Yeah, critical point. Yeah, great.
And good luck. And it's great. That will even feel there's a need for it.
Yeah. Thank you for being here.
Great. Thank you, John.
Okay. Great.
Okay. Well, thank you all very much.
Okay. Council one last item should take all of 30 seconds.
Release from closed item 11.1 on page 227.
Oh, your worship, if I may. And requesting a slightly different procedure for the receipt of the release from closed.
We are transitioning from a manually built resolution tracker to an automated one in order to accurately capture motions that are released from closed.
I will ask that you make a motion to see if Council has an appetite to formally receive this item through a vote.
So to be automated we're going to involve humans. Excellent.
That is correct.
All right. So moved to release from closed and seconded all in favor.
Released, are we released?
Okay. Council, anything else?
If not, the motion to adjourn all in favor.
We are adjourned. And now, chance for questions.
And we have one familiar name in the gallery in the zoom.
We stopped.
So Lynn, don't know if you have any questions.
But anybody here, if you have questions of us, this is your chance.