Minutes of General Meeting

September 18, 2002

                                                      Tigh-Na-Mara Resort         

In Attendance:           Rob Hill, Chair             Patricia Wells  

                                    Helen Sims                               Michelle Jones             

Egon Kuhn                               Glenn McCurrie

Gerry Lewkowich                     Blair Milligan

Ross Harvey                             Susan Norgaard

Fred Heringa                            Lorrie Conn

Daragh Nagle                           Councillor Anton Kruyt

Councillor Jim Banks

Marilyn Hayden, Recording Secretary

Guest Presentation:               Rob Roycroft, City Manager, City of Parksville

                                                Councillor Jim Banks, City of Parksville

Rob Hill called the meeting to order at 7:30 A.M., introduced and welcomed Councillor Jim Banks and Rob Roycroft then turned the meeting over to them.

Rob Roycroft reported that many changes have taken place and will be taking place in the City of Parksville.

·            Transportation Plan completed, resulting in bylaw amendments. The transportation study will be made available for review.

·            Official Community Plan in place.

·            New Traffic Bylaw – regulates aspects of highway.

·            Working on arena plans.

·            Development has advanced this past year.

·            Municipal election will produce a 50% turnover for a new City Council

·            Progress is being made on the waterfront as some of the lands are now for sale.

·            Plans for Despard to become a 2-lane road.

·            Building Bylaw has been provided to ODCA for review.

·            Parksville Residents Association has been dissolved.  French Creek, Nanoose and Craig Bay Resident Associations are all active.

Discussion on the feasibility of a joint Economic Development Office to be shared between Parksville, Qualicum Beach and the RDN.

·            Rob Roycroft acting Economic Development Officer for Parksville.  Area initiatives to support the film industry (Film Nanaimo) and a video to attract the High Tech Industry to Parksville.

·            A budget of 1 ¼ million would be required for an Economic Development Officer – not possible at this time.  Believe in collaborative group to further Economic Development.

·            Councillor Anton Kruyt reported that Qualicum Beach Council discussed it as a budget item and it failed due to lack of funds.

Waterfront Erosion

·            A consultant (Tarbottle, chosen from Vancouver, because of international experience) has looked at the waterfront erosion in the park and confirmed that there is an active process on the beach. 

·            Council has chosen to take the approach of monitoring at the present time.  Reasons being that the construction of a sea wall will cost millions of dollars and would not be attractive.  The sandbar removal will be opposed by environmentalists and would be very expensive. It appears that the beach will erode back to the edge of the existing road.    One area of the beach is accreting land and a city sewer line is now on private property.  The property owner is now asking the City to remove the sewer line.

·            Gerry Lewkowich reported on his review of the Hay Report that recommended a do nothing approach with monitoring.  This recommendation was accepted by Council at the time, but has not been followed, as riprap has been placed on the slope.  The riprap solution is not working, erosion is still happening and eventually the land and roadway will be lost.

Discussion on hiring locally.

·            Helen Sims suggested that priority should be given first in order of City, RDN and the Island before hiring out of Vancouver or Alberta.

·            Rob Roycroft invited the ODCA to examine the current city tendering policies.

·            Michelle Jones reported that the City of Courtenay uses a point system to give local firms a fair advantage to tendering.

·            Rob Roycroft stated that staff had put similar policy recommendations to Council, but Council did not accept them, as they felt that they needed to watch the purse strings.

·            Councillor Jim Banks and Councillor Anton Kruyt stated they would be pleased to review any suggestions proposed by the ODCA and suggested working in conjunction with the local Chambers of Commerce.

Rob Hill thanked Rob Roycroft for his presentation.

Business Meeting (In Camera)

Minutes of August 21, 2002

  25/01/2012