 | COMOX STRATHCONA WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD | |
| Thursday, November 20, 2025 | ||
| Minutes of the meeting of the Comox Valley Regional District (Comox Strathcona Waste Management) Board of Directors held on Thursday, November 20, 2025 in the Civic Room of the Comox Valley Regional District offices located at 770 Harmston Avenue, Courtenay, BC commencing at 9:30 am. | ||
| MINUTES | ||
| Present: | ||
| Co-Chair: | W. Cole-Hamilton | City of Courtenay |
| M. Baker | Village of Sayward | |
| Directors: | R. Mawhinney | Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets (Electoral Area C) |
| M. Vonesch | Cortes Island (Electoral Area B) | |
| D. Arbour | Baynes Sound-Denman/Hornby Islands (Area A) | |
| D. Chapman | City of Campbell River | |
| M. Davis | Village of Tahsis | |
| B. Lanyon | City of Campbell River | |
| E. Grieve | Puntledge/Black Creek (Area C) | |
| R. Kerr | City of Campbell River | |
| W. Morin | City of Courtenay | |
| M. McCollum | City of Courtenay | |
| G. Whalley | Kyuquot – Nootka/Sayward (Area A) | |
| J. Kerr | Town of Comox | |
| S. Sinnott | City of Campbell River | |
| K. Grant | Town of Comox | |
| Alt. Directors: | R. Deck | Village of Zeballos |
| B. Wells | City of Courtenay | |
| R. Nichol | Lazo North (Area 'B') | |
| T. Therrien | Village of Cumberland | |
| Staff: | J. Warren | Chief Administrative Officer |
| L. Wiwcharuk | Chief Financial Officer | |
| M. Rutten | General Manager of Engineering Services | |
| J. Martens | General Manager of Corporate Services | |
| L. Dennis | Manager of Legislative Services | |
| A. Baldwin | Legislative Services Assistant | |
| Absent: | ||
| Directors: | K. Dahl | City of Campbell River |
| J. Rice | Oyster Bay – Butt le Lake (Area D) | |
| M. Lott | Village of Gold River | |
| ATTENDANCE: | ||||||
| Director Cole-Hamilton, Co-Chair of the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board, assumed the role of presiding member. | ||||||
| Directors Arbour and Lanyon were not in attendance when the meeting was called to order. | ||||||
| RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES: | ||||||
| The Chair acknowledged that the meeting was being hosted on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation and that the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board service area is located in the Coast Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Nuu-chah-nulth territories. | ||||||
| CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: | ||||||
| M. Vonesch/B. Wells: THAT the agenda be approved with an additional item regarding the road condition to the Cortez Transfer Station. | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| ADOPTION OF MINUTES: | ||||||
| B. Wells/R. Mawhinney: THAT the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board minutes dated October 30, 2025 be adopted. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| REPORTS: | ||||||
| COMOX STRATHCONA WASTE MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE | ||||||
| K. Grant/R. Mawhinney: THAT the minutes of the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Advisory Committee meeting dated November 6, 2025 be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| LANDFILL GAS BENEFICIAL END USE PROJECT UPDATE | ||||||
| B. Wells/K. Grant: THAT the report dated November 12, 2025 regarding an update on the FortisBC Energy Inc. project to upgrade landfill gas generated at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre to create renewable natural gas be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| Laura Malowaniec, Senior Project Manager, Renewable Gas Supply - Fortis BC, presented an update on the Fortis BC Engergy Inc. project. [Item] | ||||||
| Carmen LeBlanc, Kris Feeney, and Shahrzad Talachian, Fortis BC, were in attendance.
Director Arbour entered the meeting at 9:53 am. | ||||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the Board provide authorization to the Corporate Officer to execute the amending agreement (Appendix A to November 12, 2025 staff report) to the Landfill Gas Purchase Agreement, which will formalize the extension of the deadline for Fortis to confirm financial and regulatory viability from November 23, 2025, to May 1, 2026, clarify the commencement of the BC Utilities Commission acceptance period, and update the licensed site drawing. | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| CSWM 2026 to 2030 PROPOSED FINANCIAL PLAN | ||||||
| E. Grieve/K. Grant: THAT the report dated 12, 2025 regarding the Service 391 Comox Strathcona Waste Management 2026-2030 Proposed Financial Plan, including a five-year operating budget and ten-year capital plan be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the proposed fees and charges schedule for 2026-2028 under the addendum be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| K. Broughton, Manager of Financial Planning, and V. Schau, Senior Manager of CSWM Services, presented information regarding the CSWM 2026-2030 proposed financial plan. [Item] | ||||||
| Director Lanyon entered the meeting at 10:39 am. | ||||||
| B. Wells/M. Davis: THAT the proposed 2026-2030 Financial Plan for Service 391 Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service be approved;
AND FURTHER THAT staff be directed to present the recommended budget to the January 8, 2026 meeting. | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| CSWM 2025 THIRD QUARTER BUDGET UPDATE AND VARIANCE REPORT | ||||||
| R. Mawhinney/K. Grant: THAT the report dated November 6, 2025 regarding a summary of the 2025 Third Quarter Budget Update and Variance Report be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| K. Broughton, Manager of Financial Planning, provided an overview of the report regarding a summary of the 2025 Third Quarter Budget Update and Variance Report. | ||||||
| CSWM RESOLUTIONS STATUS REPORT | ||||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the CSWM resolutions status report dated November 2025 be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS: | ||||||
| K. Grant/R. Nichol: THAT Bylaw No. 889 being "Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service Tipping Fee and Solid Waste Disposal Regulation Bylaw No. 720, 2022, Amendment No. 4" be adopted. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| K. Grant/R. Nichol: THAT Bylaw No. 892 being "Comox Strathcona Waste Management Bylaw Adjudication Ticketing Bylaw No. 687, 2021, Amendment No. 2" be adopted. [Item] | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| ADDENDUM: | ||||||
| CSWM FEEDBACK FOR THE VILLAGE OF CUMBERLAND OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN AND ZONING BYLAWS | ||||||
| K. Grant/R. Mawhinney: THAT the report dated November 19, 2025 regarding an overview of the preliminary feedback to the Village of Cumberland's Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaws be received. [Item] | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| V. Schau, Senior Manager of CSWM Services, provided an overview of the report regarding the preliminary feedback to the Village of Cumberland's Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaws. | ||||||
| K. Grant/R. Nichol: THAT the Board approve feedback to the Village’s Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaws such that staff:
•Complete a legal review of the proposed language to ensure Comox Strathcona Waste Management’s long-term interests are protected; and •Incorporate updates and findings from the legal review, in alignment with the staff report dated November 19, 2025, into the final submission to the Village; AND FURTHER THAT the Co-Chairs be authorized to sign the final submission to the Village from Comox Strathcona Waste Management. | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| NEW BUSINESS: | ||||||
| CONDITION OF ROAD TO CORTES TRANSFER STATION | ||||||
| R. Mawhinney/B. Wells: THAT the verbal information provided by Director Vonesch regarding the condition of the road to the Cortes Transfer Station be received. | ||||||
| 209 | Carried | |||||
| TERMINATION: | ||||||
| K. Grant/B. Wells: THAT the meeting terminate. | ||||||
| 208 | Carried | |||||
| Time: 11:34 am. | ||||||
| Confirmed this _______ day of ______ 20___: ____________________________________ Will Cole-Hamilton Co-Chair | |
| Certified Correct: ____________________________________ Lisa Dennis Manager of Legislative Services | |
| Recorded By: ____________________________________ Antoinette Baldwin Legislative Services Assistant |