Municipality of North Cowichan
Committee of the Whole
AGENDA

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 5:00 P.m. - 6:00 P.m.

Municipal Hall - Council Chambers & Electronically

This meeting will be conducted by video conference using the Cisco Webex platform. This meeting, though electronic, is open to the public 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 you can connect online or you may dial 1.844.426.4405, enter 1# for English, enter the meeting ID 2778 521 7650, 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 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].

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 July 11 and July 31, 2023 meetings for adoption

• Recommendation:

  THAT the minutes of the regular Committee of the Whole meeting held July 11, 2023, and the Special Committee of the Whole meeting held July 31, 2023, be adopted, as circulated.

4.

DELEGATIONS

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.

STAFF REPORTS

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

6.1

Introduction to Development Economics & Community Amenity Contributions Project

Purpose: George Parker from Mulholland & Parker, Land Economists, to present background information on the land economics principles and financial analysis that underpin the ongoing Development Economics & Community Amenity Contributions study.

6.2

Affordable Housing Policy - Public Engagement & External Referral Report

Purpose: To provide an update on the feedback received from external referrals and the public engagement conducted on the draft Affordable Housing Policy & Implementation Plan.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole direct staff to wait to bring forward the draft Affordable Housing Policy to Council for consideration until the report from Mulholland & Parker Land Economists regarding development economics in North Cowichan has been received and staff has had an opportunity to make further revisions to the Policy.

6.3

Zoning Bylaw Rewrite Process

Purpose: To introduce a proposed program and schedule for comprehensively updating Zoning Bylaw 2950.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole recommend that Council endorses in broad terms the proposed program, sequencing and timing of zoning amendment modules for staff to bring forward for consideration, as set out in Attachment 1 to the Planning Manager’s September 12, 2023 report.

6.4

2024 Permissive Tax Exemption Applications

Purpose: To consider Permissive Tax Exemption applications received for the 2024 assessment roll.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole direct staff to draft a Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw, which includes:

  1. 100% tax exemption for all land and improvements to all organizations that Council had granted in prior years,
  2. 50% of all land and improvements for Class 8 for Maple Bay Yacht Club and Mount Brenton Golf Course,
  3. (insert percentage here) tax exemption for land and improvements leased to House of Grace Pregnancy Centre; and,
  4. (insert percentage here) tax exemption for all land to Cowichan Community Land Trust’s Quamichan Lake property.

7.

ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION

8.

NEW BUSINESS

• Recommendation:

8.1

Royal Canadian Legion Chemainus Branch #191 Re: Request for letter of support

Purpose: To consider the request from the Chemainus Legion for a letter of support to include in their grant application for a New Horizons for Seniors Program Grant from the Federal Government to upgrade their lounge kitchen.

• Recommendation:

  THAT the Committee of the Whole recommends that Council authorize the Mayor to provide a letter of support to The Royal Canadian Legion Chemainus Branch #191 in support of their application for a New Horizons for Seniors Program Grant from the Federal Government in order to upgrade their lounge kitchen.

9.

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.

10.

ADJOURNMENT

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