COMOX VALLEY REGIONAL DISTRICT BOARD
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Minutes of the meeting of the Comox Valley Regional District Board of Directors held on April 27, 2021 in the Civic Room of the Comox Valley Regional District offices located at 770 Harmston Avenue, Courtenay, BC commencing at 4:00 pm.
 
 
MINUTES
     
 
Present:
Chair:J. KetlerVillage of Cumberland
Vice-Chair:A. HamirLazo North (Area B)
Directors:D. ArbourBaynes Sound-Denman/Hornby Islands (Area A)
 W. Cole-HamiltonCity of Courtenay
 K. GrantTown of Comox
 E. GrievePuntledge/Black Creek (Area C)
 D. HillianCity of Courtenay
 M. McCollumCity of Courtenay
 W. MorinCity of Courtenay
 M. SwiftTown of Comox
 B. LeighOyster Bay – Buttle Lake (Area D)
Staff:R. DysonChief Administrative Officer
 J. WarrenDeputy Chief Administrative Officer
 M. FoortChief Financial Officer
 D. DeMarzoGeneral Manager of Community Services
 J. MartensGeneral Manager of Corporate Services
 M. RuttenGeneral Manager of Engineering Services
 L. DennisManager of Legislative Services
 
   
ATTENDANCE:
With the exception of Chair Ketler and Director Arbour, all directors attended via electronic means.
 
 
RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES:
The Chair acknowledged that the meeting was being held on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation and read the following article from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) available online at: www.un.org/:

Article 31: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions;

In conjunction with indigenous peoples, States shall take effective measures to recognize and protect the exercise of these rights.
 
 
IN-CAMERA MEETING:
M. McCollum/A. Hamir: THAT the board adjourn to an in-camera session pursuant to the following sub-section of section 90 of the Community Charter:

90(1)(k) Negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a regional district service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the committee/board, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the regional district if they were held in public;

AND FINALLY THAT the in-camera portion convene immediately following the open portion of the meeting.
208Carried
 
ADOPTION OF MINUTES:
W. Cole-Hamilton/M. McCollum: THAT the Comox Valley Regional District Board minutes dated April 13, 2021 be adopted. [Item] 
208Carried
 
PETITIONS AND DELEGATIONS:
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SHELLFISH SECTOR
 
 
M. McCollum/W. Cole-Hamilton: THAT the following presentations be received:
208
 
- Jim Russell, BC Shellfish Growers Association, regarding an update on the shellfish sector and initiatives in the Baynes Sound area; and, [Item] 
 
 
- Melinda Scott, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, regarding 2021 Shellfish Aquaculture Conditions of License. [Item] 
 Carried
 
REPORTS:
BLACK CREEK – OYSTER BAY SERVICES COMMITTEE – APRIL 12, 2021
 
 
B. Leigh/E. Grieve: THAT the Black Creek – Oyster Bay Services Committee minutes dated April 12, 2021 be received. [Item] 
208Carried
 
Director Leigh left the meeting at 4:36 pm.
 
 
RURAL COMMUNITY GRANTS – 2021 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 
 
D. Arbour/A. Hamir: THAT the report dated April 22, 2021 regarding additional information on applications for the 2021 Rural Community Grants be received, and that the award of grants to the Denman Island Old School Committee - Denman Island Residents Association ($1750 from function 123) and $5,000 to the Guardians of Mid-Island Estuaries ($2,500 from function 120 and $2,500 from function 121) be added to the table to be considered under agenda item F3.3. [Item] 
208Carried
 
ELECTORAL AREAS SERVICES COMMITTEE – APRIL 12, 2021
 
 
D. Arbour/E. Grieve: THAT the Electoral Areas Services Committee minutes dated April 12, 2021 be received. [Item] 
208Carried
 
D. Arbour/E. Grieve: THAT the Comox Valley Regional District Board receive the report as information;

AND THAT the board endorse the Green Shores™ Incentives Project Communications Plan attached to the report dated March 30, 2021 as Appendix A.
208Carried
 
D. Arbour/E. Grieve: THAT the board endorse a Bylaw Dispute Adjudication System and direct the preparation of bylaws, policies and agreements for the implementation of the Bylaw Dispute Adjudication System provided for in the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act;

AND THAT the board direct staff to work with the Court Services Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General to request the Lieutenant Governor in Council of the Province of British Columbia to enact a regulation under Section 29 of the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act (Act), to apply the Act to the Comox Valley Regional District.
209Carried
 
A. Hamir/D. Arbour: THAT the 2021 Rural Community Grants be awarded for the amounts to the organizations as outlined in the table dated April 27, 2021. [Item] 
208Carried
 
D. Arbour/E. Grieve: THAT the following organizations be approached for consideration of multi-year funding agreements through the Rural Community Grant Program commencing in 2023 for a period of up to four years;
• Beaufort Watershed Stewards
• Comox Valley Land Trust
• Comox Valley Project Watershed Society
• Denman Island Climate Action Network
• Denman Island Preschool Society - Blackberry Lane Children's Centre
• Little River Enhancement Society
• Millard Piercy Watershed Stewards
• Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society
• Oyster River Enhancement Society
• Roy Creek Salmonid Enhancement Society
• Strathcona Wilderness Institute
• Tsolum River Restoration Society
• Youth and Ecological Restoration Program
208Carried
 
D. Arbour/M. McCollum: THAT the funding request from the Denman Island Housing Association to assist with pre-development costs for the Denman Green affordable housing project not be supported;

AND FURTHER THAT consideration be given to the potential establishment or inclusion of Denman Island in an affordable housing service to be initiated with a letter to Islands Trust to review options and jurisdictional considerations.
208Carried
 
D. Hillian/M. McCollum: THAT, subject to the outcomes of the Alternative Approval Processes for the proposed Rural Roadside Garbage and Recycling Collection Service, the Comox Valley Regional District Board write a letter to encourage Recycle BC to waive the waiting period for the Rural Roadside Garbage and Recycling Collection Service to join the Recycle BC program considering that adjacent municipalities already participate.
208
 
E. Grieve/D. Arbour: THAT the motion be amended to include that the board request that participating municipalities provide letters of support to Recycle BC, pending staff's further investigation of whether this would be a benefit to the CVRD's waiver request.
208Carried
 
The vote was taken on the main motion, as amended, as follows:
 
 
THAT, subject to the outcomes of the Alternative Approval Processes for the proposed Rural Roadside Garbage and Recycling Collection Service, the Comox Valley Regional District Board write a letter to encourage Recycle BC to waive the waiting period for the Rural Roadside Garbage and Recycling Collection Service to join the Recycle BC program considering that adjacent municipalities already participate;

AND FURTHER THAT the board request that participating municipalities provide letters of support to Recycle BC, pending staff's further investigation of whether this would be a benefit to the CVRD's waiver request.
208Carried
 
COMOX VALLEY SEWAGE COMMISSION – APRIL 13, 2021
 
 
D. Hillian/W. Cole-Hamilton: THAT the Sewage Commission minutes dated April 13, 2021 be received. [Item] 
208Carried
 
COMOX VALLEY WATER COMMITTEE - APRIL 13, 2021
 
 
D. Hillian/W. Cole-Hamilton: THAT the Comox Valley Water Committee minutes dated April 13, 2021 be received. [Item] 
208Carried
 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICE – BYLAW AMENDMENT
 
 
D. Hillian/W. Cole-Hamilton: THAT the report dated April 23, 2021 regarding an amendment to the service establishing bylaw for the Comox Valley Economic Development Service to remove the restriction on borrowing in order to enable the Comox Valley Regional District to potentially assume the outstanding mortgage for the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre be received. [Item] 
209Carried
 
D. Hillian/M. McCollum: THAT Bylaw No. 654 being "Comox Valley Economic Development Service Conversion Bylaw No. 345, 2016, Amendment No. 1" be introduced and read three times;

AND FURTHER THAT the Board authorize participating area approval for Electoral Areas A, B and C to be given by the electoral area directors consenting in writing to adoption of Bylaw No. 654 in accordance with Section 347 of the Local Government Act;

AND FINALLY THAT prior to submission of the bylaw to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval, written consent to the adoption of the bylaw be sought from the Directors for Electoral Areas A, B and C as well as council consent from the City of Courtenay and Town of Comox being the participants in the service.
209CarriedNAY: K. Grant
 
2021 CORPORATE PLAN INITIATIVES
 
 
D. Arbour/A. Hamir: THAT the report dated April 21, 2021 regarding the 2021 Corporate Plan’s core services with potential for including metrics and key progress indicators in subsequent strategic planning sessions, be received. [Item] 
208Carried
 
J. Warren, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, presented an overview of the staff report regarding the 2021 Corporate Plan’s core services with potential for including metrics and key progress indicators in subsequent strategic planning sessions for receipt. [Item] 
 
 
D. Hillian/W. Morin: THAT the 2021 Corporate Plan’s core services with updated initiatives, as included in Appendix A to the staff report dated April 21, 2021, be approved.
208Carried
 
BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS:
W. Cole-Hamilton/W. Morin: THAT Bylaw No. 654 being “Comox Valley Economic Development Service Conversion Bylaw No. 345, 2016, Amendment No. 1” be given first and second readings concurrently. [Item] 
208CarriedNAY: K. Grant
 
W. Cole-Hamilton/D. Arbour: THAT Bylaw No.654 being "Comox Valley Economic Development Service Conversion Bylaw No. 345, 2016, Amendment No. 1" be read a third time.
208CarriedNAY: K. Grant
 
ADJOURN TO IN-CAMERA:
The board adjourned to its in-camera session at 5:26 pm.
 
 
RISE AND REPORT:
The board rose from its in-camera session at 6:26 pm.
 
 
TERMINATION:
E. Grieve/D. Hillian: THAT the meeting terminate.
208Carried
 
Time: 6:26 pm.
 
 
 Confirmed this 11th day of May, 2021:


___________________________________
Jesse Ketler
Chair
 
Certified Correct and Recorded By:


____________________________________
Lisa Dennis
Manager of Legislative Services
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