Back to SearchBoard Chair and Vice-Chair election results
The Board held its annual election for the positions of Board Chair and Vice-Chair. Directors Forseth and Wagner were nominated for the position of Chair, and Director Wagner was elected. Director Wagner was the incumbent candidate, and has served in the role since November 2017. She is also the Director for Electoral Area H (Canim Lake/Forest Grove). Directors Massier, de Vries, and Neufeld were nominated for Vice-Chair, and Director Neufeld was elected. Director Neufeld was first elected in 2022 as the Director for Area E (South Lakeside/Dog Creek). Chair Wagner and Vice-Chair Neufeld will each serve for a one-year term as required under the Local Government Act, which expires in November 2024.
First look at updated Solid Waste Management Plan initiatives
The Board has received an updated look at new initiatives proposed under a revised Solid Waste Management Plan. The plan, which was the subject of public engagement earlier this year, proposes to continue with several initiatives which received positive feedback from residents. This includes developing diversion and reuse centers, commercial recycling trial programs, promoting food waste prevention and education, supporting efforts to expand multi-unit building recycling, landfill disposal bans, and modifying select rural sites to reduce illegal and excessive dumping. A proposal to expand user-pay systems to rural sites was rejected during public consultation, and the plan will account for a review of this decision in 2028.
The Board also received an update on plans for curbside collection in rural neighbourhoods, including implementation timelines for four neighbourhoods which were in favour of the service. The board also discussed future opportunities to engage residents of three neighbourhoods where participation levels were too low to assess support for the service. Plans for future implementation will be reflected in the final draft of the Solid Waste Management Plan.
A final draft of the plan is expected to be presented at the December 8, 2023 meeting, where the Board will be able to decide whether to refer it to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy for approval.
2024-2028 financial planning gets underway
The Board received its first look at the overall picture for the 2024-2028 financial plan. While the budget presented was preliminary and subject to changes, the Board dissected departmental workplans feeding into the budget. Healthy discussions were held around service levels and financing options for building inspection, bylaw enforcement, solid waste management, and local water and sewer systems.
The budget will be reviewed again at the Finance-Budget Committee meeting on January 11, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. At that meeting, final budgets and work plans will have been received for the North Cariboo Recreation and Parks, Central Cariboo Recreation, and Solid Waste Management / Rural Refuse services. More information about final budget proposals and public feedback opportunities will be available after that meeting.
Board turns its eye to impacts of provincial housing legislation
Following a series of provincial announcements about new legislation to change how local governments conduct land use planning, the Board received an update on two of those proposals from the Planning Services department – short term rental regulations and Bill 44, the Miscellaneous Housing Statutes Amendment Act. While preliminary discussions were held about the impact of new housing legislation, there was universal acknowledgement that more information would be needed, particularly around any new regulatory requirements. The new legislation will also impact the Planning Department’s workplan in 2024 as processes and bylaws are updated to reflect new legislative requirements.
Public engagement to be sought for sewer system proposal in Bouchie Lake
A $50,000 request for a community sewer system feasibility study in Bouchie Lake was deferred by the Board for six months, along with a request for additional public consultation. The Board noted that no recent public engagement had been done to determine the community’s desire to pay for a community-wide system. The Board will be seeking public input about the proposal before deciding on setting aside funds for a feasibility study. More information will be provided in 2024 about this engagement opportunity.
Board receives update on Community Works Funds allocations
A historical overview of how community works funding has been spent was presented, showing roughly equal amounts have been spent on each sub-regional area (north, south, central) and on region-wide initiatives. A significant proportion of funding has been allocated to landfills and transfer stations, water and sewer systems, and recreation facilities. Since the program’s inception in 2006, a total of $20.9 million has been spent or allocated to critical infrastructure projects across the Cariboo Regional District.
Upcoming Meetings:
Nov. 20 @ 11:00 a.m. – South Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus
Nov. 20 @ 12:00 p.m. – South Cariboo Joint Committee
Nov. 22 @ 3:30 p.m. – Central Cariboo Rural Directors Caucus
Nov. 22 @ 5:30 p.m. – Central Cariboo Joint Committee
Nov. 30 @ 1:00 p.m. – Solid Waste Management Committee
Nov. 30 @ 2:15 p.m. – Emergency Preparedness Committee
Dec. 8 @ 9:30 a.m. – CRD / CCRHD Board
See the full CCRHD and CRD agendas at cariboord.ca/agendasminutes.,
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