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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil this Week 2014-03-17.pdfCouncil welcomed our local MLAs to the Workshop meeting to discuss a number of local issues.. The first two issues were related as they speak to the local costs of dealing with home- lessness, addiction and mental health. The first discussion was around the ‘Blue Ribbon Panel on Crime Reduc- tion.’ Council members spoke of how local law enforcement resources were impacted by dealing with individuals in the community who have mental health and addiction issues and that there needs to be better support services to deal with these issues. The MLAs re- ported that the recommendations from that work should be presented to the Legislature and the public in the next couple of months. MLAs Dalton and Bing both noted that the issues around mental health and addiction had been a common theme throughout the Prov- ince as the panel gathered information and ideas. Following on that theme, Council made the case for some adjustment in the delivery of services for people suffering from addiction, mental health and the resulting homelessness that some of them are dealing with. Council ex- pressed the need for more services and that the Province should re-examine how services are delivered, especially as it relates to people who are falling between the cracks in the decentralized service delivery model. MLA Dalton not- ed some of the local investments that have been made in providing more ser- vices locally. He and MLA Bing also listened to the ideas that were present- ed by Council and made a commitment to bring them forward to the appropriate Ministries. Council spoke to the MLAs about the issues surrounding ‘Party Bus’ opera- tors and the lack of legislation to deal with underage drinking and drug use that is associated with these ventures. Council noted that these kinds of viola- tions in licensed establishments... Discussion with MLA Marc Dalton and MLA Doug Bing Council This Week Maple Ridge 11995 Haney Place Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9 Canada Tel: 604-463-5221 Fax: 604-467-7329 Website Enquiries Email March 17, 2014 Inside This Issue:  Discussion with MLA’s Dalton and Bing  Environmental Management Strategy  Maple Ridge Leisure Centre Update  Cottonwood Landfill Closure Plan Update  Medical Marihuana Discussion Discussion with MLA Marc Dalton and MLA Doug Bing cont’d would have severe consequences; however the ‘grey area’ of responsibility has allowed this issue to go un- checked. Both MLAs committed to speak with the Ministries that would best be able to deal with this issue. Council took the opportunity to talk to the MLAs about concerns relating to how the BC Assessment will be viewing legal marihuana grow operations as the new Federal Guidelines take effect. Council is looking for some input from the Provincial Government on this issue as it will have an impact on local governments de- pending on the tax status that is granted to these operations. Both MLAs noted that the new Federal guide- lines created a new paradigm that will take some time to fully evolve. They also noted the concerns relating to the potential tax implications and committed to sharing the concerns with their colleagues in Victoria. The final item was a note that the District may be seeking a change of designation to a ‘City’ and that Council wanted to make sure that the local MLAs had that on their radar so they could help expedite that work based on the final results of the public consent process. Both MLAs pledged their support of that work. Council thanked MLA Dalton and MLA Bing for taking the time to meet in this public setting. Council This Week Page 2 Environmental Management Strategy Update Catherine Berris of Urban Systems, made a presentation to Council reviewing the project process, key find- ings and the goals and objectives of the Strategy. She noted that the presentation was intended to elicit some feedback from Council prior to the final report being presented to Council in the upcoming weeks. The presentation outlined the recommendations in the following categories:  Goal A: Conserve and manage our natural assets  Goal B: Design and build sustainable neighbourhoods  Goal C: Improve communications and environmental awareness Ms. Berris noted that in many areas the District would merely have to ‘tweak’ existing policies and practices while some recommendations, such as the possibility of establishing an Environmental Advisory Committee would be new practices. Ms. Berris noted that the engagement from the public had been outstanding and that it was clear there was a strong love of the natural setting of the community. In his thanks to Ms. Berris and the Planning staff, Mayor Daykin noted that the creek that he used to play in as a child had been covered over in the 1950s as the land was developed. He noted that when you contrast that era of development to what has happened in east Ma- ple Ridge it is clear that our community has been moving in the right direction by creating more sustainable development practices. Compassionate Cities Update Shawn Matthewson, Recreation Coordinator Social Planning, provided Council with a report and verbal up- date on the work toward Maple Ridge becoming a ‘Compassionate City.’ The project was driven by the So- cial Planning Advisory Committee (SPAC) and the specific work was done by the Substance Misuse Pre- vention Committee of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows-Katzie Community Network. Ms. Matthewson presented a recommendation that SPAC be directed to request that the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows-Katzie Community Network conduct the research and propose an implementation strategy for SPAC’s consideration regarding the inclusion of a Compassionate Cities Designation in the 2015 Business Plan. Council passed that recommendation and thanked Ms. Matthewson for her report. Page 3 Council This Week Maple Ridge Leisure Centre Update Christa Balatti, Recreation Manager, presented a report to Council relating to the usage of the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre and an analysis to determine if the recent opening of private exercise facilities is impacting the 2014 Business Plan for the Leisure Centre. In addition to the breakdowns of the types of admissions and the sales of various membership types, Ms. Balatti provided Council with an overview of the wide variety of programs that occur in the Leisure Centre. While the exercise services are similar to those offered by local private facilities, the Leisure Centre pro- grams are broader in scope and age participation than those of any private provider. In addition, the pool facility and the associated activity, is unique in the community. Ms. Balatti reported that there has been a slight drop in revenue for the first two months of the year, and that staff will continue to monitor to see if this is a short term trend or a longer term one. If there is a long term impact to the revenue, staff will make ad- justments in programs and service delivery to ensure that the overall funding envelope from the 2014 Busi- ness Plan is maintained. Council thanked Ms. Balatti for her presentation. Please Note! Council This Week is an informal summary of the reports and discussion of Council’s work at Workshop. This document will provide links to all reports and presentations that were provided to Council as part of their deliberations. The comments are not the official minutes of the meeting. These notes are intended to capture the essence of the discussion so that citizens can keep in touch with the work of Council in this public meeting. This version of Council This Week has been modified to a more accessible version that better meets the needs of our citizens with visual impairments. Cottonwood Landfill Closure Update Russ Carmichael, Director of Engineering Operations, provided Council with a report and verbal update on the ongoing work to meet Provincial guidelines on the closure of the old Cottonwood landfill. He noted that the Cottonwood landfill ran from 1966 to 1991, and that since that time the District has in- stalled and maintained the site with leachate protection, collection and disposal, a methane abatement sys- tem, ground cover and monitoring wells. He noted that this is a long term process, and that the use of the land has been designated as park, but that the land would not support any significant structures, so the use would be more passive in nature. Mr. Carmichael noted that the District will be proceeding with a formal closure plan for the Cottonwood land- fill by July 1, 2014. Council asked a number of questions regarding the potential land use and the business case around using the methane from the site. He noted that there had been an assessment of the business case for using the methane for other uses, but that the project was not financially feasible. Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Boag from the Parks & Facilities department also discussed the challenges of the site for more ac- tive use in the short term, but noted that over time, as the land settles more, the area will be looked at for higher and better uses. Council thanked Mr. Carmichael for his presentation. Medical Marihuana Council added an item to the agenda relating to the upcoming changes to the Federal Medical Marihuana regulations. Council discussed their concerns relating to the existing licence holders and what actions would be taken to ensure that there was compliance with the new regulations. In particular, Council asked if there would be recommendations around changes to our bylaws that would allow the District to recover costs as- sociated with local enforcement and inspections relating to the change in the Federal legislation. Mr. Gill, General Manager: Corporate & Financial Services indicated that suggested revisions to the bylaws would come forward as the transition from the old paradigm to the new one occurs. Mr. Gill noted that Chief Spence from the Maple Ridge Fire department and Superintendent Fleugel from the Ridge Meadows RCMP have been working on a plan in conjunction with the Licences, Permits & Bylaws department, and that matter will come before them at Committee of the Whole. Council adjourned the discussion until they hear that report. Page 4 Council This Week