Municipality of North Cowichan
Special Committee of the Whole
AGENDA

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 4:00 P.m. - 5:00 P.m.

Municipal Hall - Council Chambers & Electronically

This meeting which is open to the public, will be conducted in-person in Council Chambers and by video conference using the Cisco Webex platform, and will be streamed live and archived for viewing on demand at www.northcowichan.ca.

 

Members of the public may attend the Municipal Hall [7030 Trans-Canada Highway] in person, or join the meeting electronically to participate during the 'Public Input' and 'Question Period' portions of the agenda. Please visit northcowichan.ca/virtualmeeting for instructions on how to connect online or you may dial 1.844.426.4405, enter 1# for English, enter the meeting ID 2772 059 7619, and then enter the meeting password 1111.

---

1.

CALL TO ORDER

As soon as there is a quorum present after the time specified for the meeting, the Mayor shall call the meeting to order. If there is no quorum of Council present within 30 minutes of the scheduled time for the meeting, the meeting is adjourned until the next scheduled meeting.

2.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Purpose: To consider any items of business not included in the Agenda, that are of an urgent nature, must be introduced and approved at the time the agenda is adopted. Matters must be taken up in the order that they are listed unless changed at this time.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the agenda be adopted as circulated [or as amended].

3.

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

Purpose: To consider if there were any errors or omissions prior to adopting the minutes of previous meetings of Council.

3.1

Minutes from the November 7, 21 and 28, 2023 meetings for adoption

• Recommendation:

  THAT the minutes of the meetings held November 7, 21 and 28, 2023 be adopted, as circulated.

4.

DELEGATIONS

Delegations appear before Council in order to make a presentation, enter a request for action, or bring Council up to date on a project, idea, or concept, or to provide further information on an issue currently before Council for a decision. Delegations are limited to 10 minutes to make their address to Council unless extended by a unanimous vote of all Council members present. A delegation may not address Council on a bylaw for which a public hearing has been held or where a public hearing is required.

4.1

Restorative Justice Cowichan

Purpose: Presentation from Denise McArther and Suzanne Anderson on behalf of Restorative Justice, to share information about the work of the organization with an overview of their projected 2024 budget.

5.

PUBLIC INPUT ON  AGENDA ITEMS

Public Input is an opportunity for the public to provide their feedback on matters included on the agenda. The maximum number of speakers to be heard during the public input period is limited to five, with a maximum of three minutes allotted to each speaker.  Members of the public attending the meeting in person must register at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting by signing the sheet posted outside of Council Chambers. Members of the public attending electronically must raise their hand once the meeting has been called to order. Please visit northcowichan.ca/virtualmeeting for instructions on how to raise your hand. Speakers are asked to state their name and residential address when commencing their address to Council.

6.

REPORTS

This section includes reports from staff requiring a decision of Council and/or staff presentations.

6.1

Development Economics Financial Analysis

Purpose: Land Economist George Parker (Consultant) to present the findings and recommendations from the Market Research and Financial Analysis study, looking at development economics and implications for the draft Affordable Housing Policy and a potential Community Amenity Contributions policy.

6.2

2024 Capital Expenditure Plan

Purpose: To provide an overview of major capital projects for 2024 capital budget and seek direction regarding proposed supplemental projects.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole direct staff to include the following supplemental items in the 2024 Capital Expenditure Plan:

  • [insert the amount and the name of supplemental item(s) here] funded through [insert name of funding source(s) here].

6.3

2024-2028 Operating Budget

Purpose: To review and provide direction to staff with respect to the 2024-2028 operating budget.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole:

  1. Direct staff to include the following positions and ongoing supplemental items in the 2024-2028 Financial Plan Bylaw:
     • [Council to identify which of the items listed under Recommended Actions (i) to (ii) to include]
  2. Direct staff to make the following reductions in the 2024-2028 Financial Plan Bylaw:
     • [Council to identify which reserve fund contributions listed under Recommended Action (iii) are to be reduced in 2024 or if the budget reduction under Recommended Action (iv) should be included in 2024]

7.

NEW BUSINESS

This section includes matters that have been postponed to a certain time or referred to staff, a committee or some other organization or person, and shall be placed under this section when the matter is returned to Council for consideration.

7.1

Bylaw Deliverables in Business Plan

Purpose: To consider the motion submitted by Councillor Justice.

• Motion submitted by Councillor Justice:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole provide direction to staff to adjust the Bylaw Projected Business Plan Deliverables by adding the bullet point “To provide support aimed at saving lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our community who use drugs,” reflecting this critical role Bylaw officers already play in the community and using the wording Council endorsed in the Safer Corridor Improvement Strategies.

7.2

Climate Emergency Priorities Slides in Business Planning

Purpose: To consider the motion submitted by Councillor Justice.

• Motion submitted by Councillor Justice:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole direct staff to amend the slide titled  “Climate Emergency Priorities” in business plan presentations to read as “Climate Emergency and Environmental Sustainability Priorities”;  the intent being, to better capture the broad range of work being done by the Municipality to both prevent ecological overshoot,  and to build resiliency to climate change (as explicated in our Official Community Plan).

7.3

Urban Forest Strategy

Purpose: To consider the motion submitted by Councillor Justice.

• Motion submitted by Councillor Justice:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole direct staff to provide a report exploring the feasibility, possible timing and resources necessary for developing an Urban Forest Strategy (as described in the Official Community Plan Projects & Implementation report), considering both the potential for locating grant opportunities and paying for the project with funds from the CAEP reserve.

7.4

Update of Parks and Trails Master Plan

Purpose: To consider Councillor Justice's motion as submitted.

• Motion submitted by Councillor Justice:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole provide direction to staff to add the Updating of the Parks and Trails Master Plan, aligning with OCP policy direction (4.4.2c), into Council’s Strategic Plan and to schedule the project in either the 2024 or 2025  (as soon as capacity permits).Specifically, the update should address:

  1. Aligning the PTMP with the goals and objectives of the new OCP.
  2. Exploring and addressing Quw’utsun Nation's concerns related to recreational trails in forest lands.
  3. Responding to changes in recreational demand, usage patterns, and resources enduring from, or linked to, the pandemic.
  4. Incorporating evolving/new insights into economic development opportunities related to organized/unorganized mountain/gravel/road biking tourism.
  5. Addressing the formal request from the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society for a plan revision concerning Richards Mountain.
  6. Exploring the potential establishment of a parkland acquisition strategy and associated fund, in line with OCP policy 4.4.2c.
  7. Integrating new understandings and goals emerging from the nascent Biodiversity Protection Policy, especially recommendations regarding ecological trail impacts.
  8. Tackling community concerns over trail access and parking that became pronounced during the pandemic.
  9. Responding to changes in provincial legislation with respect to Municipalities ability to negotiate parkland contributions through rezoning applications.
  10. Reconsidering parkland acquisition plans in the Bell McKinnon Local Area Plan given unanticipated complexities in the implementation of that plan.
  11. Exploring emerging or potential opportunities for collaboration with Quw’utsun Nation to identify areas for conservation/protection that can contribute to the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation between Canada, BC, and the BC First Nations Leadership Council and which also have potential for recreational use.
  12. Exploring recreational opportunities related to the presence of the national training centre of Rowing Canada.
  13. Addressing changes related to the new Regional Recreation funding model.

8.

QUESTION PERIOD

Question Period is an opportunity for the public to ask brief questions regarding the business discussed during the meeting. When invited by the Mayor, members of the public who are attending the meeting in person may step up to the podium to ask their question(s) and members of the public who are attending electronically may raise their hand at this time. Please visit northcowichan.ca/virtualmeeting for instructions on how to raise your hand.

9.

ADJOURNMENT

Once all the business is done and over with, the Mayor may declare the meeting adjourned without requiring a resolution of Council.