Courtenay Council Meeting Highlights for May 8

May 13, 2024

This update covers highlights from the May 8, 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.

Presentations

  • 2023 Financial Statements
    Cory Vanderhorst, Regional Assurance Partner at MNP, presented on the 2023 City of Courtenay Financial Statements including financial statement highlights, draft audit report and audit findings report.

  • 2023 Municipal & Regional District Tax (MRDT) Financial Report
    Tanya Massa, 4VI, presented the 2023 MRDT Financial report for Experience Comox Valley including the Comox Valley Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC), strategic objectives, website content (ExperienceComoxValley.ca), visual assets, social media, promotional campaigns, Comox Valley Visitor Centre information and more.

  • City of Courtenay Engagement Strategy – Project Launch
    Hilary Farson and Zaqir Virani of Spur Communications presented on the City of Courtenay Engagement Strategy, and provided an overview of the project’s objectives and timeline.

    The purpose of an engagement framework is to serves as a roadmap to guide meaningful interactions between Council, residents and interest holders. It ensures that every voice is heard and valued, particularly those from equity deserving groups. The four key elements are inclusivity, transparency, accountability and ongoing learning.

  • Vancouver Island Health Authority
    Jennifer Block from Vancouver Island Health Authority presented on Vancouver Island Mobile Outreach and Overdose Prevention Services (OPS) and an OPS expansion update. OPS services continue to be provided at England Avenue. An expansion to include inhalation is in design/development stage with construction on a temporary site beginning this summer. The projected opening of the expansion is October 2024.

Staff Reports

  • Reconciliation Framework Update
    Council received the briefing note outlining actions to begin developing a Reconciliation Framework. As the Citybegins to develop the Reconciliation Framework, indigenous relations specialist, Ginger Gosnell-Myers will support this important work.

    The City is committed to advancing and upholding the principles of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and has adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, pledging to use it as the framework for reconciliation.

  • City of Courtenay Engagement Strategy – Project Launch
    The City is embarking on a new project to develop an Engagement Strategy that aims to enhance relationships with the community and improve engagement processes. The project will involve research, interviews with council members, staff engagement, public and interest holder engagement, framework drafting, and template development.

    Engagement with residents is critical for local governments as it plays a vital role in democratic processes and decision-making. The process will include consultation with organizations serving equity-deserving communities. There will be specific and targeted engagement with organizations that support Indigenous peoples. Council received the “City of Courtenay Engagement Strategy Project Launch” briefing note. 
  • Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) Regulations
    Paul Rosenau of Urban Planning and Steve Bayer of EKISTICS, led an interactive discussion with Council on the impacts of proposed zone regulations.

    The provincial government has enacted the provincial Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act (Bill 44 Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing - SSMUH) which requires that local governments permit up to four small-scale multi-unit housing units on properties exclusively zoned for single residential or duplex use.

    Council received for information the report entitled “Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing Regulations” and made parking requirements as follows:
  • Properties within 15-minute walking radius of the downtown core, or town centres, or urban corridor, be reduced by one stall per property; and,
  • When more than one access point to a property is available, such as a front street and laneway, parking stalls must be distributed in a manner as to prevent a continuous row of parking stalls.

    Council directed staff to bring forward amendments to Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, 2007 to align municipal regulations with the Local Government Act.

    Council further directed staff report back to Council on the feasibility of providing residential on street parking to meet the parking requirements of the R-SSMUH Zone, to identify and consider any required amendment of Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, 2007, in 2025.

    For more information on the SSMUH visit www.courtenay.ca/ssmuh

  • 2023 Annual Development Cost Charges (DCC) Report
    Council approved the "City of Courtenay Annual Development Cost Charges (DCC) Reserve Fund Report" for the year ended December 31, 2023. DCC’s are collected from developers to help pay for capital costs associated with providing, constructing, altering or expanding sewage, water, drainage and highway facilities, and providing and improving parkland.

  • 2023 Audited Financial Statements
    Council approved the "Audited Financial Statements" for the year-end December 31, 2023.

    The firm of MNP LLP was appointed by Council to undertake the independent audit for the 2023 year. The auditor’s responsibility is to report on whether the annual consolidated statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations, change in net financial assets and cash flows of the City in accordance with Canadian Public Sector Accounting Standards.
  1. Cumberland Road – between Grant Avenue and Piercy Avenue.
  2. Willemar Avenue – between 5th Street and Cumberland Road.

    As part of the project work corresponding Cycling Network Plan (CNP) improvements are incorporated where practicable.

  1. 23.4 lane-km construction projects of neighbourhood bikeways with speed reductions to 40 km/h
  2. 16.3 lane-km construction projects of buffered painted bike lanes
  3. 1.3 lane-km construction projects of painted parking protected bike lanes
  4. 13.8 lane-km of design projects including more than 11 lane-km of protected bike lanes
  5. 2 protected intersection design projects
  6. 1 pedestrian bridge design project

 

  • Vancouver Island Health Authority Mobile Outreach and Overdose Prevention Services
    Vancouver Island Health Authority (Island Health) provides a range of outreach services through its Mental Health and Substance Use teams locally. Island Health outreach teams work in communities to offer accessible services to those facing challenges related to mental health and substance use, including in encampments, supportive housing, and other community settings. The IHOST mobile outreach program meets people where they are by travelling to key locations throughout the community.

    Council delegated authority to the Director of Recreation, Culture, and Community Services to determine the form and content of an agreement between the City of Courtenay and Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) to facilitate the continued provision of health services by Island Health’s mobile outreach IHOST program on City owned land; and

    Council delegated authority to the Director of Recreation, Culture, and Community Services to authorize any required agreements or other legal documents necessary to provide Island Health access and permission to use City-owned land for the purposes of providing health services through VIHA’s mobile outreach IHOST program; and

    Council directed staff to not enforce the Traffic Regulation Bylaw No. 1926, 1996 as it pertains to the provision of health services by VIHA’s mobile outreach IHOST program on City owned land during the term of the Agreement. 

External Reports

  1. The proposed Dove Creek Place location is not supported by the City
  2. There is no staff capacity to explore options for the temporary provision of sani-dump services within the City’s collection system for summer 2024
  3. Staff resources will be made available to support the efforts to identify other potential locations for consideration of a permanent sani-dump facility beginning in September 2024
  4. The City requests that information be provided detailing the list of potential locations and the details considered for each location as investigated by the Comox Valley Regional District and any incentives the Comox Valley Sewage Commission may offer to the provider of a viable site for a sani-dump.

  • Letter from Comox Rocks
    Council received for information the request from Comox Rocks for sponsorship of the K’ómoks Festival 2024.

Unfinished Business

  • Delegation - Julia Tait - Enhancing Business Bylaws for Visually Impaired Access
    Council referred the request from Julia Tait to amend City bylaws and take other steps to improve the accessibility of City and non-City owned buildings to staff for consideration in conjunction with public comments received as part of the development of the Accessibility Plan.

  • Delegation - Rhonda Posegate - 3120 Dove Creek Place
    Council referred the request from Ronda Posegate and Tristan Koehler to place barricades that would block the entrance to the cul-de-sac at the end of Dove Creek Plan to staff for consideration and asked staff to report back on the feasibility of implementing the request.

Bylaws

For First, Second and Third Reading

  • Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3128, 2024 - Anderton Dike Phase 1
    Council gave first, second and third readings to “Loan Authorization Bylaw 3128, 2024 – Anderton Dike Phase 1"; and proceeded to adoption of “Loan Authorization Bylaw 3128, 2024 – Anderton Dike Phase 1” through the Approval-Free Liability Zone granted by the Municipal Liabilities Regulation section 7.

  • Loan Authorization Bylaw 3136, 2024 – Strategic Land Acquisition 2024
    Council gave first, second and third readings to “Loan Authorization Bylaw 3136, 2024 – Strategic Land Acquisition 2024” and proceeded to adoption of “Loan Authorization Bylaw 3136, 2024 – Strategic Land Acquisition 2024” through the Approval-Free Liability Zone granted by the Municipal Liabilities Regulation section 7.

  • Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3137, 2024 - 6th Street Bridge
    Council gave first, second and third readings to “Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3137, 2024 - 6th Street Bridge” and proceeded to adoption of “Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3137, 2024 - 6th Street Bridge” through the Approval-Free Liability Zone granted by the Municipal Liabilities Regulation section 7.

For Adoption

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 subsection 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:

(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

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

 

The meeting began adjourned at 7:10 p.m., the next meeting is Wednesday, May 22 and will be available on the City of Courtenay’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/CityofCourtenayBC/streams