Courtenay Council Meeting Highlights for February 28, 2024

March 1, 2024

This update covers highlights from the February 28, 2024 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.

Staff Reports

  • Procedure Bylaw Amendment
    Council directed staff to bring forward a bylaw to amend the Council Procedure Bylaw as follows:
     a. Remove the requirement for a motion resulting from a delegation to be made by way of a notice of motion;
    b. Remove language limiting what Council can do when a main motion is under consideration in section 35;
    c. Remove language limiting which motions can be debated in section 29;
    d. Amend section 20(6) so that bylaw amendments are permitted prior to third reading;
    e. Amend section 9 to require that members joining the meeting electronically make best efforts to use facilities that allow participants and the public to clearly watch and hear the member’s participation.

 

  • Comox Valley Nature - Garry Oaks Restoration and Stewardship Pilot Project
    Council authorized staff to negotiate and execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Comox Valley Nature as required to initiate the Garry Oaks Remediation and Stewardship Project and Council approved a grant up to $5800 from gaming funds, to cover tree risk abatement activities.

    Council also delegated authority to the Director of Recreation, Culture and Community Services to negotiate and execute a five-year agreement with Comox Valley Nature to support the initiative and activities outlined within the Comox Valley Nature Garry Oaks Remediation and Stewardship Project and Council approved up to $4000 from gaming funds for each year of the five-year agreement in matching funds to support the project.


External Reports

 

  • Community Priorities for RCMP Fiscal Year 2024-25
    Council directed staff to schedule a Committee of the Whole meeting for the purpose of discussing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) community priorities for 2024-25 and that the date and time of the Committee of the Whole meeting be determined in association with the RCMP in order to accommodate their availability.

Internal Reports

  • Management Reports
    Council received the Development Services, Operational Services, Financial Services and Fire Department management reports.

  • Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) - December Meeting Minutes
    Council received the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) December 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes.

  • Improvement to Bill Moore Baseball Diamond
    Council received the “Improvements to Bill Moore Park Baseball Diamond” briefing note. The Comox Valley Baseball Association (CVBA) and Courtenay Recreation have been in discussion regarding improvements to the baseball diamond at Bill Moore Park. CVBA has submitted a proposal outlining a series of improvements to the baseball diamond that would enhance the baseball experience including a more stadium like setting through fencing improvements, addition of a bullpen, and installation of a scoreboard. CVBA has secured funding to proceed with these improvements at no or little expense to the City of Courtenay.

Council Resolutions

  • Collaborate with Youth Climate Corps BC for Climate Action – Councillors Hillian and Cole-Hamilton
    WHEREAS youth are particularly impacted by the climate crisis and Youth Climate Corps BC is an organization that has worked successfully with local governments in BC to empower youth, providing paid work and training to young people in climate action projects that foster hope by helping to reduce emissions, build resiliency and adapt communities to the changing climate;

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to explore and report back on the possibility of the City working with the Youth Climate Corps, including potential funding sources and projects related to climate action, to engage the public in promoting climate change mitigation and resilience.

 

  • Active Transportation on Ryan Road – Councillor Frisch
    WHEREAS the Province and the City of Courtenay are both committed to Greenhouse Gas reduction, poverty reduction, and positive health care outcomes;

    WHEREAS safe cycling infrastructure and active transportation in general is an important part of achieving those goals;

    WHEREAS the City has endorsed a cycling infrastructure plan and begun the investment to provide cycling and active transportation infrastructure on the portions of Ryan Rd that fall within its control;

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to draft and send a letter on behalf of City Council, to the Minister's office to formally request:
    • A meeting with the Minister of Transportation;
    • Inclusion of active transportation infrastructure within Ministry of Transportation corridors, and;
    • That the local Courtenay office be directed to work with City of Courtenay staff to develop actionable plans for the inclusion of active transportation infrastructure on Ryan Road.

 

Unfinished Business

  • Reconsideration – Zero Carbon Step Code
    On 1st May 2023 the province introduced the Zero Carbon Step Code (ZCSC) to the BC Building Code to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in new construction.

    In keeping with the City's Official Community Plan, Council directed staff to incorporate into the 2025 work plan and budget the staff resources and funding required for the engagement and policy development needed to accelerate the adoption of levels EL3 and EL4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code.

  • The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce Funding Request
    Council directed staff to prepare an agreement between the City of Courtenay and the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the development and implementation of a comprehensive business retention and expansion program for Council’s consideration.

  • The Brazilian Foundation Funding Request
    Council considered but did not support the request to provide event expenses for their cultural event at the K’ómoks Big House.

 

Notice of Motion
(For discussion at a future Council Meeting)

  • Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Beds – Councillor Jolicoeur
    WHEREAS the Province of BC and Canadian Mental Health Association of BC announced in January 2024 an urgent increase in funding for treatment beds across BC; and

    WHEREAS the Comox Valley Substance Use Strategy, informed by local data and lived experience of people impacted by mental health and substance use, calls for the urgent need for local medical detox and treatment services; and

    WHEREAS Council has recently met with the Minister for Mental Health and Addiction clearly requesting increase mental health & substance use services, including medical detox and mental health and substance use treatment services.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council request the Premier, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and CMHA-BC urgently prioritize the funding of treatment & detox beds in the Comox Valley from this new funding;

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Council forward the Comox Valley Substance Use Strategy Phase 2 report and the Walk with Me report along with this request; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Council send correspondence to regional government partners to seek letters of support for this request.

Council Reports

Members of Council are given the opportunity to describe various meetings and events they have attended. See attachments in the agenda with submitted written reports.

In Camera Resolution

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

90 (1) A part of a council meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to or is one or more of the following:

(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;

(e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality; and
 

(2) A part of a council meeting must be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to one or more of the following:

(b) the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.

2024 – 2028 General Financial Plan

The financial plan portion of the meeting in which detailed budgets were discussed took place from 4:00 p.m. until 10:06 p.m. For detailed discussions see the YouTube video attached to the agenda. The following motions were passed:

Council deferred consideration of the 2024-2028 General Fund Financial Plan to the March 13th, 2024 Council meeting,

AND Council directed staff to report back on options that would contemplate increasing the application of the previous years’ annual surplus to the current 2024 taxation year based on the following models:

  • 7.7% Discretionary Tax Change
  • 6.7% Discretionary Tax Change

Council directed staff to report back on options to increase the utility class tax rate to the maximum allowable rate and shorten the recreational tax rate from seven years to four years.

Council directed staff to report back on the City of Courtenay’s total reserves and surpluses.

 

The meeting began at 12:30 pm and adjourned at about 10:06 pm, the next meeting is Wednesday, March 13 and will be available on the City of Courtenay’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/CityofCourtenayBC/streams