We're live.
Great, thank you. Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to almost regular meeting of Algin
County Council on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. I'd like to call the meeting to order and
at the same time, thank staff for pivoting to an online virtual meeting this morning.
As everybody knows, the driving conditions are very poor and based on a lighter agenda
today, we thought it would be wise to keep everybody safe and at home. So thank you,
everybody, for accommodating that. So we'll proceed with the approval of the
agenda. Any changes, additions? Councillor Noble? So, Catherine, actually, can I have
the resolution? Let me check with Councillor Noble. We'll get the hang of this. Did you have
a change or addition, Councillor Noble? Great, okay. Let's hear the resolution, please.
Resolved that the agenda for the January 27, 2026 County Council meeting be approved
as presented. Thank you. So, Councillor Noble moves. And I think Deputy Warden Jones, second.
All in favour? I'll show her hands. Thank you. That is carried. And I want to check
with Councillor Latham to make sure that you're okay to participate or let us know
or reach out if you have any technical difficulty. Meanwhile, we'll proceed with the next item
on the agenda is introductions. And so I'll turn it over to our CEO to introduce our new
director of homes who I don't know if we are cursed and we're not meant to cross
path since you weren't able to join us at our last meeting and now we're not
able to join us today. But please see a parking if I can ask you to proceed with the more formal
introduction. Thank you, Warden Jigir. I am very pleased to introduce you and I'm hoping we're
not running into too many hurdles. But one day you will meet Joanne Holloway in person. Joanne
is with us in the council chambers today. Joanne comes to us from the private sector after many,
many years in the long term care industry. So we are happy to have Joanne join us. She's
been with us now for a couple of weeks. So I'll ask Joanne just to say a couple of words to
council. Welcome, Joanne. Thank you, Blaine. Thank you, everybody. I appreciate you putting
your trust in me. It's been very exciting for the past couple of weeks. I've had the
opportunity to go into all the homes and as I mentioned in my interview I drove around all
the homes before and they were lovely on the outside and they were not disappointing when
I was able to get inside. So it's been very exciting and I'm looking forward to meeting
everybody face to face again. And thank you again. I appreciate your trust. Well,
thank you so much for choosing to work with us. We really, really appreciate and we
really look forward to all that you will contribute to the homes in Elkin County as a whole. So
a warm welcome and yes, we will cross paths. Physically, I promise. All right. So this takes
us to adoption of minutes. We have the resolution, please. Resolved that the minutes of the
meeting held on January 13th, 2026 be adopted.
Moving second, please. Councilor Windermoos, Councilor Hans second. Were there any errors
or omissions? Seeing none. All those in favor? Motion is carried.
Enough disclosure of pecuniary interests or the general nature thereof. Seeing none. We do not
have any presentations or delegations so that takes us to item 7.1. We have the recommendations
from the Committee of the Whole. The Committee met January 13th. You have the resolutions
before you. We have the resolution, please. Results that items CW 263 to CW 266 from the
Committee of the Whole meeting dated January 13th, 2026 and the recommendations therein
be adopted. Thank you. Mover in second, please. Councilor Ketchabut moves. Deputy
Warden Jones second. Any further comments? Seeing none. All those in favor? Motion is
carried. We don't have any other recommendations from other Committees or reports for information,
so that takes us to item 10. We have several items of correspondence. Anything you wish to
pull out to discuss separately? I'm here. Okay. We're not seeing any requests for further discussions
on any of the items, so the resolution, please. Results that correspondence items 10.1 to
10.6 be received and filed. Mover in second, Councilor Hems moves. Councilor No-Gloss second. All
those in favor? Motion is carried. Any statements or inquiries by members? Deputy Warden Jones.
Yeah, thank you, Warden Jones. Just give everybody heads up or impact awards from the Chamber of
Commerce has come up and we have quite a few people being nominated for different categories
from Central Oregon and South Old and a few other places, so it's exciting that we're seeing
the businesses from Elgin County being part of the nomination and selection team.
Yes, that's great. Do we have a date for the awards? I don't have it off the top of my head,
maybe Carolyn, Mike, or Catherine. I didn't write that down. No, didn't want to put you on the
spot, but if someone knows, Councilor Sloan. Through the warden, it's April 17th. Okay.
Thank you for that. I'm sure there'll be lots of communication around that closer to the date
and opportunity to secure tickets, so stay tuned. But yeah, thank you for the heads up. That's
great to see. Any other statements or inquiries by members?
Seeing none, we do not have any items for a closed meeting, so that takes us to consideration of
bylaws. Catherine. Bylaw number 2603. Being a bylaw to provide a schedule of services and
activities subject to fees and charges by the County of Elgin and to repeal bylaw number 2520.
Resolved that bylaw number 2603 be now read a first, second, and third time and finally passed.
Mover and seconder. Councilor Hans moves.
If you were in Joan's second of those in favor,
motion is carried. Next bylaw, please. Bylaw number 2604. Being a bylaw to
authorize speed limits. Resolved that bylaw number 2604 be now read a first, second, and third time
and finally passed. Mover and seconder, please. Councilor Noble moves.
Deputy warden Joan second. Any further discussion?
Comments? Seeing none. All those in favor?
Motion is carried.
The next bylaw is our budget. Bylaw number, thank you. Bylaw number 2605. Being a bylaw
to provide for the adoption of the 2026 budget of the corporation of the County of Elgin and to
establish the 2026 tax ratios and 2026 tax rates for the said corporation of the County of Elgin
and its constituent lower tier municipalities. Resolved that bylaw number 2605 be now read a
first, second, and third time and finally passed. Mover and seconder.
Councilor Ketchum moves. Councilor Winder second. Any further discussions? Comments?
Seeing none. All those in favor?
The motion is carried.
Next bylaw, please. Bylaw number 2606. Being a bylaw to authorize the warden and treasurer
to borrow from time to time to meet current expenditures during the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2026. Resolved that bylaw number 2606 be now read a first, second,
and third time and finally passed. Mover and seconder please. Councilor Hems moves.
Councilor Ketchum seconds. Any other comments or debate? All those in favor?
Motion is carried. And the next bylaw. Bylaw number 2607. Being a bylaw to
establish remuneration rates for employees covered by the job evaluation scale. Resolved
that bylaw number 2607 be now read a first, second, and third time and finally passed.
Mover and seconder please. Deputy warden Jones moves. Councilor Hems seconds.
Any further comments or questions? All those in favor?
The motion is carried.
Then we serve a budget official. Congratulations everyone again. Great work.
That'll take us to your confirmatory bylaw. Bylaw number 2608. Being a bylaw to confirm
the proceedings of the municipal council of the corporation of the county of Elgin
at the January 27th, 2026 meeting. Resolved that bylaw number 2608 be now read a first,
second, and third time and finally passed. Mover and seconder please. Councilor Nopal moves.
Councilor Woodner seconds. All those in favor?
Motion is carried. And now for adjournment.
Resolved that we do now adjourn at 9 12 a.m. to meet again on February 10th, 2026 at 9 o'clock a.m.
Mover and seconder please. Councilor Woodner moves. Deputy warden Jones seconds. All those
in favor? Then the motion is carried. I think we have a new record.
We might. We might.