Courtenay Council Highlights for January 10, 2024

January 19, 2024

** Due to technical issues the Council Highlights below link to agenda items but do not link to the YouTube video of the Council Meeting. The YouTube video is available here: January 10 Council Meeting video.**

This update covers highlights from the January 10, 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.

Delegation

  • Comox Valley Situation Table
    Presentation by Dayna Forsgren, Comox Valley Situation Table Coordinator, to provide an overview and share the process of Situation Tables in BC and the formation of the Comox Valley Situation Table.

    The Situation Table is a risk-based, collaborative, rapid triage model. It focuses upstream to connect individuals/families facing situations of acutely elevated levels of risk (AER) – as seen across multiple agency lenses – to the services they need, immediately.

    Acutely Elevated Risk (AER) refers to situations where individuals and/or families are facing a composite level of risks factors, spanning across multiple human service and justice disciplines, and where there is a high probability of harm occurring soon.

Staff Report

  • City of Courtenay Communication Strategy
    Hilary Farson and Zaqir Virani, Spur Communications, presented on the Communication Strategy. It comprises the strategic recommendations, planning framework guidelines, and methodology. It includes information on engagement inputs, communication channels, work plan prioritization and forecasting.

    The strategy provides the City with an actionable communication plan to effectively inform residents, providing transparency of the necessary resources, tools, and frameworks. Council adopted the Communication Strategy.

External Reports and Correspondence

Bylaws

For First and Second Readings

  • Parks and Open Spaces Regulation Bylaw No. 3121
    Council passed first and second readings of this bylaw.

    The Parks Control Bylaw Modernization Project was initiated in February 2023 to better reflect and address the needs of its population, changing park usage trends, and emerging challenges related to climate change and urbanization. The impact assessment underscored the achievement of a balanced approach, allowing for a variety of activities while safeguarding ecological zones and the community’s natural assets.

Internal Reports and Correspondence

  • Solid Waste Automated Curbside Collection - Update
    An update was provided on automated curbside collection. January 2nd, 2024 marked the transition to automated curbside collection in the City of Courtenay. In the lead up to the start of the new service nearly 30,000 carts were delivered to the estimated 9,960 residences in the City that are part of the curbside collection service.

    The update addressed how the transition has went so far, changes to the system, cart exchanges, additional carts, home health care needs, assisted set-out service, wildlife resistant carts, solid waste contamination, utility fees, bylaw and contamination management policy and old container exchanges.

Council Resolutions

  • Comox Valley Farmers’ Market – Councillor Frisch
    The following resolution was approved by Council:
    THAT Council direct staff to prepare a report on the request from the December 6, 2023 Comox Valley Farmers' Market delegation to reduce rental fees at the Native Sons Hall for fall and winter markets.

 

 

  • Transit Strike – Councillor Hillian
    The following resolution was approved by Council:
    WHEREAS the current disruption of transit services is creating significant hardship for many local residents; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council send correspondence to B.C. Transit and the Province of BC expressing concern about the ongoing transit strike in the Comox Valley and requesting that the Province support the parties involved in the strike to find a prompt resolution that restores transit service.


Bylaws

For First, Second and Third Readings

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

Council closed 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;

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

(k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:00, the next meeting is Wednesday, January 24 and will be available on the City of Courtenay’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/CityofCourtenayBC/streams