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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil this Week 2014-10-20.pdfMichael Krenz, Director of Coastal Offices, Spectrum Operations Branch for Industry Canada made a presentation to Council outlining the role that his team plays in the process whereby towers are built to support various communications needs of citizens. Mr. Krenz noted that the greatest growth in Canada’s telecommuni- cations infrastructure has been in the cellular and wireless sector, and that citizens are demanding even greater access to services across the nation. He outlined the responsibilities of Industry Canada and noted that enhancements to the public consultation process have been rolled out in the last few years. He noted that the new protocols do require that service providers look at co-location opportunities and described the enhancements around public notice and consulta- tion. He noted that Maple Ridge’s proto- cols were consistent with best prac- tices across the nation. His presentation outlined the ex- emptions for consultation and not- ed that some of the safety codes are under review and revisions are expected to roll out soon. One of the interesting statistics from Mr. Krenz’s presentation was that 25% of BC households now use a cellular device as their home phone and that 85% of households now have at least one cellular de- vice. This speaks to the demand that exists for enhanced coverage for mobile communications. Council asked Mr. Krenz a number of questions relating to the Industry Canada role in the siting and con- struction of mobile communica- tions structures. Council thanked him for the presentation and re- ceived the staff report and presen- tation as information Managing Cellular and Radio Tower Installations City of Maple Ridge 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 October 20, 2014 Inside This Issue:  Managing Cellular and Radio Tower Installations  Recommendations: Council Advisory Committee  Public Works & Development Services Resources  Silver Valley Area Plan Update  Business Property Class & Major Industry Property Class Reports Council This Week Page 2 Recommendations: Council Advisory Committees Ceri Marlo, Manager of Legislative Services & Emergency Program, made a brief verbal report outlining the recommendations of the Advisory Committee Task Force. The report, prepared by Mayor Daykin, Councillor Dueck and Councillor Hogarth made recommendations regarding the standing committees and commissions of Council, funding and scope of work. The report also recommended that the Bicycle Advisory Committee scope of work be revised to become the ‘Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee’ and that a new committee be established as the ‘Environmental Advisory Committee.’ Council reviewed the recommendations and made suggestions regarding the language and some of the budget implications for the new and revised committees. The Task Force will bring this item before Council once the recommended changes have been made. Public Works & Development Services Resources Jim Rule, Chief Administrative Officer, made a verbal presentation outlining the report on Public Works & Development Services staff resources. The report outlines the need for increased hu- man resources in the Public Works & Development Services area based on the work volumes of the division and Council’s goals around service delivery times and customer service expecta- tions. Mr. Rule advised that the City develops budgets and business plans that balance service levels with a goal of minimizing impacts on taxpayers. The report looks at a number of indicators and comparisons of the timing of development and comparisons of workloads from other communities to support the recommendation to add re- sources to the Public Works & Development Services division. The report also outlines the fund- ing sources for the additional staff, with the first two years being funded by reserves and subse- quent years being funded by various methods including the increase of some development fees. Council directed a number of questions to the department managers in Planning and Engineer- ing and discussed their expectations around service levels and the impacts of programs such as the Employment Investment Incentive Program and how that might impact the workload of the department. Council voted to move the item forward to the next Council meeting for final consideration. Council This Week Page 3 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 ver- sion that better meets the needs of our citizens with visual impairments. Silver Valley Area Plan Update Diana Hall, Planner 2, made a brief presentation outlining the material from her report on the Silver Valley Area Plan Update. Ms. Hall walked Council through the development of the Silver Valley Area Plan and the history of development in the area. The report outlined the pace of development and key demographics of the Silver Valley area. She noted that the average household size and incomes in the area were higher than Maple Ridge averages. She also provided Council with the counts for the existing versus potential de- velopment in Silver Valley. She reported that the plan has been underway since 2002 and mov- ing forward as planned. She noted that the full development of the area will happen over the next two decades. One area of concern was the plan for each of the hamlets to have a small school, based on the model of education facilities that was prevalent when the original plan was conceived. The new formula for school development in BC seems to have swung back to the large school format, which differs from the plan. Members of the Planning team spoke about how other facilities, parks and amenities, would be able to keep the concept of the civic heart of each of the ham- lets. They also spoke of how the commercial nodes would come when the hamlets reach key population numbers. The example of the commercial node on 102 Avenue in Albion was cited as a comparison. Council directed a number of questions to Ms. Hall and her colleagues relating to the develop- ment of the area. The item was received as information. Business Property Class & Major Industry Property Class Reports Council received the Business Property Class and Major Industry Property Class Reports as infor- mation.