 | COMOX VALLEY REGIONAL DISTRICT BOARD | |
| Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | ||
| Minutes of the meeting of the Comox Valley Regional District Board of Directors held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 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: | 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) | |
| M. McCollum | City of Courtenay | |
| W. Morin | City of Courtenay | |
| Alt. Director: | B. Wells | City of Courtenay |
| Staff: | J. Warren | Chief Administrative Officer |
| L. Wiwcharuk | Chief Financial Officer | |
| J. Martens | General Manager of Corporate Services | |
| D. DeMarzo | General Manager of Community Services | |
| A. Mullaly | General Manager of Planning and Development | |
| M. Rutten | General Manager of Engineering Services | |
| L. Dennis | Manager of Legislative Services | |
| 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 80 - Commemoration: We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. | ||||||
| CLOSED MEETING: | ||||||
| E. Grieve/J. Kerr: THAT the Board adjourn to a restricted closed session pursuant to the following sub-section of section 90 of the Community Charter:
90(1)(c) Labour relations or employee negotiations; AND FINALLY THAT the restricted closed portion convene immediately following the open portion of the meeting. | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| ADOPTION OF MINUTES: | ||||||
| W. Morin/V. Brown: THAT the Comox Valley Regional District Board minutes dated September 16, 2025 be adopted. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES: | ||||||
| DELEGATION FOLLOW UP - BEAUFORT WATERSHED STEWARDS | ||||||
| J. Warren, Chief Administrative Officer, provided a verbal update on the delegation from Dave Weaver on September 16, 2025 regarding the findings of the Beaufort Watershed Stewards' recent 2025 watershed assessment of the cumulative effects of industrial development in the Trent River Watershed. | ||||||
| V. Brown/B. Wells: THAT the CVRD Board write to the Minister of Forests to share the board's disappointment with news that the Private Managed Forestlands Act (PMFA) is not being updated contrary to input that local governments have provided, and to request an update on how the Minister will be protecting drinking water;
AND FURTHER THAT the Beaufort Watershed Stewards be encouraged to engage with K'omoks First Nation on their research findings. | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| REPORTS: | ||||||
| VISITOR CENTRE BUSINESS PLANNING SCOPE | ||||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the report dated October 2, 2025 regarding Board approval on the scope and budget amendment for a business planning process for the Visitor Centre property be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| L. Kilpatrick, Community Development and Resilience Manager, provided an overview of the report regarding the scope and budget amendment for a business planning process for the Visitor Centre property. | ||||||
| E. Grieve/M. McCollum: THAT staff be directed to initiate a business planning process for the Visitor Centre property with the scope presented in this report dated October 2, 2025;
AND FURTHER THAT the 2025-2029 Financial Plan for Service 550 Comox Valley Tourism Service be amended by increasing professional fees by $20,000 to complete a high-level business plan for the Visitor Centre property with funding from the Future Expenditure Reserve (550). | ||||||
| 209 | ||||||
| W. Morin/M. McCollum: THAT the first clause of the motion be amended to add the words "excluding consideration of the first three assumptions" at the end. | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| The vote was taken on the main motion, as amended, as follows: | ||||||
| THAT staff be directed to initiate a business planning process for the Visitor Centre property with the scope presented in this report dated October 2, 2025, excluding consideration of the first three assumptions;
AND FURTHER THAT the 2025-2029 Financial Plan for Service 550 Comox Valley Tourism Service be amended by increasing professional fees by $20,000 to complete a high-level business plan for the Visitor Centre property with funding from the Future Expenditure Reserve (550). | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| 2025 APPROVED GRANTS BUDGET AMENDMENT | ||||||
| W. Morin/E. Grieve: THAT the report dated September 22, 2025 regarding budget amendments to include grants that have been awarded since the adoption of the Comox Valley Regional District’s 2025-2029 Financial Plan be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| K. Broughton, Manager of Financial Planning, provided an overview of the report regarding budget amendments to include grants that have been awarded since the adoption of the Comox Valley Regional District’s 2025-2029 Financial Plan. | ||||||
| B. Wells/J. Kerr: THAT the 2025-2029 Financial Plan be amended to include the awarded grants as outlined in the staff report dated September 22, 2025. | ||||||
| 210 | Carried | |||||
| STRATEGIC INITIATIVES UPDATE | ||||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the report dated October 2, 2025 regarding an update on the Board’s Strategic Initiatives be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| UBCM CONVENTION MEETINGS FOLLOW-UP | ||||||
| E. Grieve/M. McCollum: THAT the report dated October 2, 2025 regarding the outcome of Minister and Staff meetings attended at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| C. Wile, Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, provided an overview of the report regarding the outcome of Minister and Staff meetings attended at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference. | ||||||
| ELECTORAL AREAS SERVICES COMMITTEE – SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 | ||||||
| K. Grant/W. Morin: THAT the Electoral Areas Services Committee minutes dated September 16, 2025 be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| COMOX VALLEY RECREATION COMMISSION - SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 | ||||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the Recreation Commission minutes dated September 16, 2025 be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| ELECTORAL AREAS SERVICES COMMITTEE – OCTOBER 7, 2025 | ||||||
| E. Grieve/J. Kerr: THAT a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for a term of one year to permit tourist accommodation use of the property at 3812 & 3812A Laurel Drive, legally described as Lot 8, Section 6A, Nelson District, Plan 24103, be approved;
AND FINALLY THAT the Corporate Officer be authorized to execute the Temporary Use Permit once the applicant has provided a written acknowledgement that the applicant has read, understands, and agrees to the conditions of the permit. | ||||||
| 208 and 213 | Carried | |||||
| ADJOURN TO CLOSED MEETING: | ||||||
| The Board adjourned to its restricted closed meeting at 5:06 pm. | ||||||
| RISE AND REPORT: | ||||||
| The Board rose from its restricted closed meeting at 5:18 pm. | ||||||
| TERMINATION: | ||||||
| E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT the meeting terminate. | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| Time: 5:18 pm. | ||||||
| Confirmed this 21st day of October, 2025: ____________________________________ Will Cole-Hamilton Chair | |
| Certified Correct: ____________________________________ Jake Martens General Manager of Corporate Services / Corporate Officer | |
| Recorded By: ____________________________________ Lisa Dennis Manager of Legislative Services |