Courtenay Council Meeting Highlights for February 22

This update covers highlights from the February 22, 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 made a statement on the discovery of unmarked graves in Port Alberni. The confirmation of 67 student deaths, and the discovery of 17 suspected graves at the site of the former Alberni Indian Residential School in the territory of the Tseshaht First Nation is heartbreaking. Read the full statement.

Councillor Jolicoeur spoke about Black History Month in February and brought attention to the myriad challenges that have been and are faced by Black citizens. For more information visit bcblackhistory.ca

Delegations

• Comox Valley Arts
  Presentation to provide an update about CVA's work, Fee for Service Agreement (5 year support), programming and plans for 2023 from Jennifer Casey, Executive Director, and
  Juliana Bedoya, Community Engagement Director.
  
  Comox Valley Arts is currently working on several initiatives including:

• Studio tour, a weekend of celebrating the arts
• A digital creation hub, digital tools for art making
• Arts + land – taking art experience outside, responding to the landscape
• CV/Arts Art Wagon – a mobile community art wagon
  
  
• Lerwick Forest
  Margaret Waterton, resident, presented on her idea of allocating space in Lerwick Forest to address dwindling ecology, increase forest knowledge, respect and understanding through community involvement and education using the guidelines of the City of Courtenay's Urban Forest Strategy.

Presentations

• Comox Valley Emergency Program
  Presentation by:
• Howie Siemens, Emergency Program Coordinator, CVRD
• Russell Dyson, Chief Administrative Officer, CVRD
• Kurt Macdonald, Fire Chief, City of Courtenay

The “Fracture on 5th” regional earthquake exercise this past September was a success and really showed that regional collaboration and regional training is key. The Emergency Program is suggesting a consolidation of the service to a regional service. At this point the service is contracted to local governments. This service change would mean more local governments would have a vote on matters relating the emergency program.

Staff Reports

• Pacific Salmon Foundation Licence Agreement - McPhee Meadow Nature Park PIT Installation Request
  Council approved a five-year Licence Agreement between the City and the Pacific Salmon Foundation for the McPhee Meadow Nature Park property to have a passive integrated transponder antennae system to monitor salmon and steelhead in the Puntledge River. The goal of the project is improving salmon and steelhead populations.
  
  

• Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association Temporary Licence of Occupation
  Council approved a temporary licence of occupation agreement between the City and theDowntown Courtenay Business Improvement Association for an office located at 580 Duncan Avenue.
  
  
• Signing Authority Update
  Council updated banking, investment and financial transaction signing authority appointments to reflect staffing changes in the Financial Services Department.

External Reports

• CVRD - Regional Social Development Grant Service Feedback
  Council directed staff to write a report providing an analysis of the proposed Regional Social Development Grant Service. This would see the potential establishment of a new regional service to provide financial support to non-profit community-based organizations that are working to address social issues in the Comox Valley.

 

Internal Reports

• Development Services Management Report
  Council received the Development Services Management Report.
  
  
• Financial Services Management Report
  Council received the Financial Services Management Report.
  
  
• Fire Department Management Report
  Council received the Fire Department Management Report.
  
  
• Public Works Management Report
  Council received the Public Works Management Report.
  
  
• Changes to Privacy Legislation
  Council received the "Privacy Changes to FOIPPA" Briefing Note.

Council Reports

Members of Council are given the opportunity to talk about various meetings and events attended.

Council Resolutions

• Appoint Acting Mayor for March 2023
  Council appointed Councillor McCollum as Acting Mayor for the month of March 2023.
  
  
• UBCM Housing Summit
  Council authorized Mayor Bob Wells and Councillor Evan Jolicoeur to attend the UBCM Housing Summit, with expenses to be paid by the City.

The meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m., the next meeting is Wednesday, March 8, 2022 and will be available on the City of Courtenay’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CityofCourtenayBC/streams