Municipality of North Cowichan
Regular Council
AGENDA

Wednesday, February 01, 2023 at 5:00 P.m. - 6:00 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. All representations to Council form part of the public record.

 

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 2773 766 8937, and then enter the meeting password 1111.

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

As soon as there is a quorum present after the time specified for the Council 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 CONSENT AGENDA

To adopt all recommendations appearing on the Consent Agenda in one motion, without discussion or debate. Included are items that are regular, non-controversial, or routine in nature. Any item may be moved out at the request of any Council member for discussion or debate, before the agenda is approved. Items removed from the Consent Agenda will be placed under New Business.

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council approve the Consent Agenda and the recommendations contained therein.

2.1

Items for decision

All recommendations provided under each of the items listed below will be adopted once the Consent Agenda is approved, unless removed and placed under New Business. 

2.1.1

Council Meeting Minutes for Adoption

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

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council adopt the minutes of their special, regular and public hearings meetings held January 18, 2023.

2.2

Items for information

All items listed below will be received for information purposes only once the Consent Agenda is approved, unless removed and placed under New Business where Council may consider taking action. 

2.2.1

Our Health Our Community Survey: MNC Suggested Questions Submission

Purpose: To provide Council with the submitted suggested survey questions, pursuant to Committee of the Whole direction issued on January 10, 2023.

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council receive for information the February 1, 2023 report from the Manager of Planning.

2.2.2

Public comments Re: Proposed motion to amend the Urban Containment Boundary (UCB)

Purpose: 21 submissions were received from members of the public expressing their opposition or support for the motion [to provide a 24-month amnesty period for properties previously included within UCB] that Councillor Findlay previously gave notice on and which Council shall be considering under Agenda Item 11.1.

[Note: The deadline for inclusion in this agenda was January 25, 2023. Any submissions received after this deadline have been delivered to Council.]

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council receive for information the submissions from the public regarding Agenda Item 11.1.

3.

APPROVAL OF REGULAR AGENDA

To consider any items of business not included in the Agenda that are of an urgent nature they 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].

4.

MAYOR'S REPORT

Mayor’s opportunity to make announcements and update Council and the community on various matters which the Mayor has participated in since the last meeting.

5.

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.

5.1

Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society Re: Parks and Trails Master Plan

Purpose: Rick Martinson, on behalf of the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society, to present the Society’s request for an adjustment to the Parks and Trails Master Plan.

5.2

Townsite Planning Re: Proposed motion to amend the Urban Containment Boundary

Purpose: Scott Mack, on behalf of Townsite Planning Inc., to speak in favour of the motion that Councillor Findlay previously gave notice on [which Council shall be considering under Agenda Item 11.1] regarding an amnesty period for landowners who had their properties removed from the Urban Containment Boundary in the new OCP.

6.

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.

7.

BYLAWS

Bylaws appearing under this section will be listed in order of readings as follows: (a) bylaws for adoption shall appear first, followed by (b) bylaws receiving third reading, then (c) bylaws receiving first and second or first three readings.

8.

REPORTS

This section includes reports from staff requiring a decision of Council and/or staff presentations. Staff reports for information only are placed in the Consent Agenda.

8.1

4th Quarter Report for RCMP Activities

Purpose: Inspector Chris Bear, North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, to present:

1. North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP’s quarterly report for October to December 2022;
2. Cowichan Community Policing & Engagement Society quarterly report for September to December 2022; and
3. Downtown Duncan Corridor and Area January to December 2022 Annual Review.

8.2

Curbside Automation Implementation Plan – Cart Size

Purpose: To provide an estimate on the cost savings associated with an 80 litre cart size for garbage and organics as part of the curbside automation implementation plan.

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council:

  1. Authorize staff to proceed with the Automated Curbside Collection Implementation Phase one Plan in 2025, including the purchase of four fully automated trucks (three diesel and one electric truck), yard waste collection and a default cart size of 100 litres;
  2. Direct staff to increase the garbage fee in 2023 from $125 per year to $183 for phase one of the Automated Collection Program; and,
  3. Allocate $110,000 to cover the electric premium for the electric fully automated truck from the Climate Action and Energy Plan Corporate Reserve Fund; and,
  4. Allocate up to $250,000 on electrical upgrades and one level three charging station from the Climate Action and Energy Plan Corporate Reserve Fund and Local Government Climate Action Program grant.

8.3

Amendment to Consent Agenda Policy

Purpose: To consider what personal information is to be disclosed to the public in correspondence contained within Consent Agendas.

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council amend the Consent Agenda Policy by:

  1. Inserting “With the exception of author name” before “all personal information shall be redacted” in section 4.4; and,
  2. Inserting “Where an author has requested that their name not be disclosed publicly, their name shall be redacted prior to inclusion in the Consent Agenda” to the end of section 4.4.

9.

NOTICES OF MOTIONS

This section includes notices of motions submitted by Members of Council for introduction only, discussion and debate of the motion shall occur at a future meeting. Introductory remarks or clarifying questions are not permitted at this time as per Council’s Notice of Motion Policy.

10.

UNFINISHED AND POSTPONED 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.

11.

NEW BUSINESS

This section includes external items that require a decision of Council, items that have been removed from the Consent Agenda, and motions submitted by Council members, where previous notice has been given, for Council consideration.

11.1

Urban Containment Boundary – 24 month Amnesty

Purpose:  For Councillor Findlay to move the motion that was introduced at the January 18, 2023 regular Council meeting.

• Recommendation:

  THAT Council provide a 24-month "amnesty" period for all owners whose properties were excluded from the revised Urban Containment Boundary (UCB) included in the Official Community Plan, in order for those property owners to provide notice to North Cowichan staff of their intention to proceed with their property development options, which had been available to them prior to the UCB change.

12.

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.

13.

ADJOURNMENT

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