Minutes of the meeting of the Comox Valley Regional District Board of Directors held on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 in the Civic Room of the Comox Valley Regional District offices located at 770 Harmston Avenue, Courtenay, BC commencing at 4:05 pm.
MINUTES
Present:
Chair:
W. Cole-Hamilton
City of Courtenay
Vice-Chair:
J. Kerr
Town of Comox
Directors:
D. Arbour
Baynes Sound-Denman/Hornby Islands (Area A)
V. Brown
Village of Cumberland
K. Grant
Town of Comox
E. Grieve
Puntledge/Black Creek (Area C)
R. Hardy
Lazo North (Area B)
D. Hillian
City of Courtenay
M. McCollum
City of Courtenay
W. Morin
City of Courtenay
Staff:
J. Warren
Chief Administrative Officer
L. Wiwcharuk
Chief Financial Officer
D. DeMarzo
General Manager of Community Services
J. Martens
General Manager of Corporate Services
M. Rutten
General Manager of Engineering Services
A. Mullaly
General Manager of Planning and Development
L. Dennis
Manager of Legislative Services
IN-CAMERA MEETING:
E. Grieve/D. Hillian: THAT the board adjourn to an in-camera session pursuant to the following sub-sections of section 90 of the Community Charter:
90(1)(c) Labour relations or employee negotiations;
90(1)(i) The receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose; and,
90(2)(b) The consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the regional district and the provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.
208
Carried
RISE AND REPORT:
 
The Board rose from its in-camera session at 3:51 pm.
 
The open meeting resumed at 4:05 pm.
 
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 Call to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action report:
Call to Action 38 - Justice:
We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal youth in custody over the next decade.
 
ADOPTION OF MINUTES:
D. Hillian/V. Brown: THAT the Comox Valley Regional District Board minutes dated December 5, 2023 be adopted. [Item]
208
Carried
BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES:
DELEGATION FOLLOW UP - COMOX VALLEY HOSPICE SOCIETY
 
J. Martens, General Manager of Corporate Services. provided a verbal update on follow-up on the December 5 2023 delegation from the Comox Valley Hospice Society and their request for consideration of a service agreement to contribute to stable core funding to support the society's work. The Board may consider providing further direction on this matter.
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT the Board write to Island Health and the Ministry of Health to advocate for increased funding to community hospice societies.
208
Carried
RECONSIDERATION OF BYLAW NO. 795 BEING "COMOX VALLEY SPORTS TRACK AND FIELDS SERVICE CONVERSION BYLAW NO. 2353, 2001, AMENDMENT NO. 2"
 
M. McCollum/D. Hillian: THAT Bylaw No. 795 being “Comox Valley Sports Track and Fields Service Conversion Bylaw No. 2353, 2001, Amendment No. 2” be given first and second readings concurrently. [Item]
208
Carried
NAY: Brown, Grant, Grieve, Hardy
D. Hillian/M. McCollum: THAT Bylaw No. 795 being "Comox Valley Sports Track and Fields Service Conversion Bylaw No. 2353, 2001, Amendment No. 2" be read a third time.
208
Carried
NAY: Brown, Grant, Grieve, Hardy
REPORTS:
BLACK CREEK – OYSTER BAY SERVICES COMMITTEE – DECEMBER 4, 2023
 
E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT the Black Creek – Oyster Bay Services Committee minutes dated December 4, 2023 be received. [Item]
208
Carried
E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT the 2023-2027 financial plan and capital expenditure program for the Black Creek-Oyster Bay Water Local Service Area, function 313, be amended by increasing water infrastructure expenditures in 2023 by $420,973 for the construction of the Well No. 6 project to be funded by a transfer from the service’s development cost charge reserve in the amount of $120,973, a contribution of Community Works funding from Electoral Area C in the amount of $215,113 and transfers from other governments in the amount of $84,887 representing a contribution of Community Works Funds from the Strathcona Regional District’s Electoral Area D.
209
Carried
ELECTORAL AREAS SERVICES COMMITTEE – DECEMBER 4, 2023
 
K. Grant/J. Kerr: THAT the Electoral Areas Services Committee minutes dated December 4, 2023 be received. [Item]
208
Carried
COMOX VALLEY SEWAGE COMMISSION – DECEMBER 5, 2023
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT the Sewage Commission minutes dated December 5, 2023 be received. [Item]
208
Carried
COMOX VALLEY WATER COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 5, 2023
 
W. Morin/D. Hillian: THAT the Water Committee minutes dated December 5, 2023 be received. [Item]
208
Carried
ISLAND CORRIDOR FOUNDATION PLANNING PROCESS GRANT
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT the report dated December 6, 2023 regarding a request from the Island Corridor Foundation for financial support to participate in the ongoing Island Rail Corridor planning process be received. [Item]
208
Carried
Larry Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer, Island Corridor Foundation, was in attendance.
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT a conditional grant of $25,000 be provided to the Island Corridor Foundation from the Island Rail Corridor Funding Grant for the purposes of providing technical analysis and investigations, engagement and other activities to directly support the specific deliverables under the grant and to support the development of a shared vision for the future of the Vancouver Island Rail Corridor.
208
Carried
BOARD CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY AMENDMENT
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT the report dated December 5, 2023 regarding a proposed update to the Board Code of Conduct Policy be received. [Item]
208
Carried
J. Martens, General Manager of Corporate Services, presented an overview of the report regarding proposed updates to the Board Code of Conduct Policy. [Item]
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT the proposed amendment to Board Code of Conduct Policy, P78, to reflect Appendix A of the staff report dated December 5, 2023 be approved in principle, with a correction to Section 22, and referred to the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board for review and feedback.
208
Carried
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES UPDATE
 
D. Hillian/K. Grant: THAT the report dated December 8, 2023 regarding an update and progress overview on the Board strategic initiatives be received. [Item]
208
Carried
NORTH ISLAND 9-1-1 SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT
 
K. Grant/D. Hillian: THAT the report dated November 15, 2023 regarding a request from the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation (Corporation) for endorsement of a new Shareholder’s Agreement be received. [Item]
208
Carried
K. Grant/M. McCollum: THAT the new North Island 9-1-1 Corporation Shareholders Agreement, attached to the staff report dated November 15, 2023, be approved.
208
Carried
INVESTMENT AGRICULTURE FOUNDATION FOOD SYSTEMS EMERGENCY PLANNING PROJECT
 
V. Brown/J. Kerr: THAT the report dated December 7, 2023 regarding approval to submit an application to the Investment Agriculture Foundation’s Emergency Planning and Preparedness Fund in partnership with LUSH Valley Food Action Society (LUSH) be received. [Item]
208 and 212
Carried
E. Grieve/W. Morin: THAT staff submit an application to Investment Agriculture Foundation’s Emergency Planning and Preparedness Fund program for a food systems emergency planning project;
AND FURTHER THAT, if successful, staff be directed to enter into an agreement with LUSH Valley Food Action Society to manage and administer the project including the completion of all project deliverables required by the Investment Agriculture Foundation.
208 and 212
Carried
BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS:
K. Grant/D. Arbour: THAT Bylaw No. 807 being “Graham Lake Water Service Parcel Tax Bylaw No. 807” be given first and second readings concurrently. [Item]
207
Carried
E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT Bylaw No. 807 being "Graham Lake Water Service Parcel Tax Bylaw No. 807" be read a third time.
207
Carried
K. Grant/W. Morin: THAT Bylaw No. 808 being “Water Tolls Bylaw 2023 No. 100, Amendment No. 2” be given first and second readings concurrently. [Item]
207
Carried
K. Grant/D. Arbour: THAT Bylaw No.808 being "Water Tolls Bylaw 2023 No. 100, Amendment No. 2" be read a third time.
207
Carried
K. Grant/E. Grieve: THAT Bylaw No. 809 being “Denman Island Water Regulation and Rates Bylaw, 1997, Amendment No. 8” be given first and second readings concurrently. [Item]
207
Carried
E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT Bylaw No. 809 being "Denman Island Water Regulation and Rates Bylaw, 1997, Amendment No. 8" be read a third time.
207
Carried
K. Grant/D. Arbour: THAT Bylaw No. 800 being "Union Bay Water Tolls and Other Charges Bylaw 278, 2020, Amendment No. 7" be adopted. [Item]
207
Carried
K. Grant/E. Grieve: THAT Bylaw No. 802 being "Comox Valley Water Systems Regulation Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2866, 2006, Amendment No. 14" be adopted. [Item]
209
Carried
K. Grant/D. Arbour: THAT Bylaw No. 804 being "Royston Water Service Regulation, Fees and Charges Bylaw, 2010, Amendment No. 5” be adopted. [Item]
207
Carried
E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT Bylaw No. 806 being "Black Creek- Oyster Bay Water Service Regulation, Fees and Charges Bylaw 2008, Amendment No. 12" be adopted. [Item]
209
Carried
ADJOURN TO IN_CAMERA:
 
The Board resumed its in-camera session at 5:26 pm.
 
RISE AND REPORT:
The Board rose from its restricted in-camera session at 6:23 pm.
 
TERMINATION:
E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT the meeting terminate.
208
Carried
Time: 6:23 pm.
 
Confirmed this 9th day of January, 2024:
____________________________________ Will Cole-Hamilton Chair
Certified Correct and Recorded By:
____________________________________
Lisa Dennis
Manager of Legislative Services