Courtenay Council Meeting Highlights for April 26

April 28, 2023

This update covers highlights from the April 26, 2023 Council meeting. If there’s something from the meeting that you’d like more detail on, the full agenda, video, and minutes (when available) of each meeting are posted on the City of Courtenay website at www.courtenay.ca/councilmeetings 

Council respectfully acknowledged that the lands on which this meeting was conducted are the Unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation.

Mayor Wells announced that April 18th to May 12th is Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds Season when the aerobatics flying team will conduct a month-long training season in Comox Valley.

Mayor Wells acknowledged April 28th as the "Day of Mourning" to honor workers who died, got injured, or became ill due to their job. It serves as an opportunity to renew the commitment to enhance workplace health and safety, thanks to the efforts of those who have fought for safer workplaces.

Staff Reports

  • Accessible BC Act
    The Accessible BC Act was brought into law in September 2022. It requires that local governments establish an accessibility committee, develop an accessibility plan, and establish a process for receiving public feedback on accessibility. The deadline for compliance by local governments is September 1, 2023.

    Council directed staff to proceed with the development of a Comox Valley Accessibility Framework in partnership with the Comox Valley Accessibility Committee, Comox Valley Regional District, Town of Comox and Village of Cumberland.

  • Code of Conduct
    Council directed staff to initiate a review of Council’s Code of Conduct.

  • Development Variance Permit No.2208-1130 5th Street
    Council approved this application to allow a home occupation to operate within an accessory building on the property. Adjacent property owners were notified but no public comments were received.

  • Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association 2023 Budget and Tax Levy Request
    Council approved annual DCBIA funding of $60,000 through Bylaw No.2264. Funding provided to the DCBIA is recovered through a special property tax levy which is applied to class 5 – light industrial and class 6 - commercial properties within the downtown Courtenay business improvement area.

  • Sewer Infrastructure Projects 2023
    Council will proceed with adoption of Sewer Infrastructure Projects 2023 Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3093, 2023 at a future Council meeting through the Municipal Liabilities Regulation Section 7 Approval-free liability zone, rather than an Alternative Approval Process.

  • Comox Valley Fire and Rescue Services Agreement Renewal
    Council authorized the renewal of the Comox Valley Fire and Rescue Services Agreement between the City and the Comox Valley Regional District, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland, Ships Point Improvement District and the City of Campbell River for a term of five  years commencing May 9, 2023, and ending May 10, 2028.

  • 2023 -2026 Strategic Priorities
    Council received the draft 2023-2026 Strategic Priorities for the City of Courtenay, developed with staff since November 2022 through a series of facilitated sessions. The sessions included an overview of ongoing work program items and capital projects, updates on the status of ongoing 2019-2022 priorities established by the previous Council, and discussed their priorities and key projects that would be the focus for the term 2023-2026. Council referred the plan for public input prior to consideration of adoption in May 2023.

Internal Reports

  • Courtenay Branding Update
    Council received information on the branding update, which will provide a manageable and practical set of guidelines and templates, including adjustments to the City crest to improve usability in print and communication platforms, updated typography, graphics, and colour palettes, and templates for a wide variety of purposes. The roll-out of the updated branding is expected to begin in early summer 2023.

Council Reports

Members of Council are given the opportunity to describe various meetings and events they have attended.

Council Resolutions

  • Election to FCM Board of Directors – Councillor Cole-Hamilton
    Council endorsed Councillor Will Cole-Hamilton to stand for election on FCM’s Board of Directors for the period starting in May 2023 and ending June 2024 and that the City will assume all costs associated with Councillor Will Cole-Hamilton attending FCM’s Board of Directors meetings.

  • Municipal Input in RCMP Contract Decisions – Councillor Cole-Hamilton
    Council will join the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in calling on the federal government to commit to ensuring that local governments are meaningfully consulted, fully informed, and at the table on issues related to policing costs given the municipal role in keeping our communities safe and the City will convey this support in writing to our Member of Parliament, Gord Johns, the Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendocino, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

 

Notice of Motion

  • Permissive Tax Exemptions for Non-Profit Child Care - Councillor Cole-Hamilton
    A motion will be put forward at a future Council Meeting for Council to ask staff to prepare a report for Council outlining the options for, and impact of, providing permissive tax exemptions for community owned non-profit childcare organizations. 

  • Vacancy Tax – Mayor Wells
    A motion will be put forward at a future Council Meeting for Council to direct staff to coordinate with local governments within the Comox Valley, and report back to Council on the options and implications of a vacancy tax in the City of Courtenay.

 

Bylaws

For First, Second and Third Readings

For Adoption

Council adopted all of the above Bylaws.

In Camera Resolution

Recommendation:

THAT Council close the meeting to the public pursuant to the following subsections of the Community Charter:

90   (1) (a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality;

(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m., the next meeting is Wednesday, May 10, 2023 and will be available on the City of Courtenay’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/CityofCourtenayBC/streams