City Council Preview: Monday, February 28, 2022

There appears to be a shift from the recent past towards how Council will now be hosting their public sessions, one which appears to herald a return to the Council Chambers, though with a few modifications.

A new advisory at the top of the Council Agenda Page charts the new course of action for the Council sessions.

Scheduled Regular Council Meetings have moved primarily to a remote format, with some limitations to public access in order to protect community health and safety. 

Community members will be permitted into City Hall to view in the gallery, as capacity permits. 

To request to attend a meeting, or to provide a written comment or question to a Committee of the Whole at a Council meeting, please contact Corporate Administrator Rosamaria Miller at rosamaria.miller@princerupert.ca or call (250) 627 0934.

As for the agenda for February 28th, the Council members are looking at an extensive agenda, with a wide range of topics up for review and potential discussion.

The Committee of the Whole component of the night features four presentations to Council on the evening.

The Regular Council session features a number of Reports from the planning department related to Development Variance Permits.

The council members will be hearing reports from a number of Departments included on the list of presenters for the evening, the Chief Financial officer, the Communications Manager and the Director of Approvals.

Progress towards three bylaws also makes for part of this evenings work.

Council members will also have opportunity to raise any items or notes of interest at the end of the Regular Council Session.  

Towards that opportunity, they may wish to speak to some of the themes of the Mayor's recent Social Message commentary, where he tends to share his notes on civic issues.

If the topic hasn't been raised prior to the end of the session, Council members may wish to ask for an overview towards the recently announced plan to put a number of civic lots up for bid towards the development of housing.

As well,  the city's elected officials may wish to discuss whether there was a proper use earlier this month of the Mayor's Facebook portal, one that normally focuses on civic issues, where the Mayor spoke to his own personal thoughts towards COVID mandates and other COVID related controversies in the community and nation.

And since they may be on the topic of COVID mandates, they may wish to discuss the city's own employment COVID vaccination mandate in light of the mayor's recent commentary.

Another area that could require an update is the status of the latest Water Advisory for the community and if the City anticipates removing their latest cautions in the near future.

Tonight's Council session can viewed by way of the Live Feed from the City website, or on Cable Television from CityWest Cable Channel 10/310.

You can review the Regular Council Session Agenda here. 

Tonight is a Committee of the Whole Session, which features the noted presentations and offers opportunity for feedback from community members for the Council Members, you can review the full Agenda for the COW session here.

Council will also host a Special Council Session, one which certainly has a few items to be discussed behind the closed doors to tweak the interest of the public.  

The 5:00 PM meeting closed to public for the three elements of the Community Charter cited below:

 

Personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality

The acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality. 

Litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality, and 

The receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose

Negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interest of the municipality if they were held in public.

That meeting tonight marks the Third Closed Session  hosted this year by Council

The outline of Council's work ahead for the evening can be reviewed below:

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COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SESSION

Adoption of Agenda and Past minutes -- The Mayor will review the agenda for the evening.

Petitions and Delegations

Council will hear four presentations on the evening

1) Aaaron Thompson, Transit Planner, BC Transit, Re: Transit Future Service Plan

2) Kerianne Smith, Swingsmith Cages Re: Proposed use of Canfisco Warehouse for Indoor batting cages

3) Kendal Standring Re: Vicious dog designation

4) Paul Lagace, Poverty Law Advocate Re: Single Family Dwelling Rentals

Questions from the Public

Reports, Questions and Inquiries from Members of Council

Adjournment to reconvene to Regular Council meeting


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REGULAR SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL

Adoption of Agenda and Past minutes -- The Mayor will review the agenda for the evening and Council will adopt the minutes of past meetings.

Reports and Resolutions

Report from Planning  -- Council will hear a report related towards a Development Variance Permit for a property at 885 Borden Street  (see page  10 of the Agenda package)

Report from Planning  -- Council will hear a report related towards a Development Variance Permit for a property at 945 Hays Cove Avenue  (see page 14 of the Agenda package)

Report from Planning  -- Council will hear a report related towards a Development Variance Permit for the CBC offices on Third Avenue West (see page 18 of the Agenda package)

Report from Planning  -- Council will hear a report related towards a Development Variance Permit for a property at 1429 Overlook Street (see page 22 of the Agenda package)

Report from Planning  -- Council will hear a report related towards a Development Varian Permit for a property on 1039 Hays Cove Avenue  (see page 38  of the Agenda package)

Report from Chief Financial Officer -- Cost and Commissioning consultants Award: RCMP  Detachment project -- Ms. Corinne Bomben will outline the scope of the contract award towards the first stage of the RCMP detachment project  (see page 47  of the Agenda package)

Report from Manager of Communications  -- Consideration of a final brand package for the City of Prince Rupert -- Ms. Veronika Stewart will update City Council and seek approval of the new civic local design and Brand guidelines (see page 49 of the Agenda package)

Report from Director of Operations  -- Master Service Agreements - Award Colliers Project Leaders -- Mr. Richard Pucci will outline the city's plans towards its work on upcoming projects through a Master Service Agreement to award a contract to Colliers Project Leaders for those projects. (see page 51  of the Agenda package)

Bylaws

Report from Approval Officer -- City of Prince Rupert Subdivision and Servicing Bylaw  --  Council will be asked to provide fourth and final reading for the bylaw  (see page 53  of the Agenda package)

City of Prince Rupert Delegation Amendment Bylaw -- Council will be asked to provide fourth and Final reading to the City of Prince Rupert Delegation Amendment Bylaw (see page  66 of the Agenda package)

Business Regulations and Licensing Bylaw No. 3476, 2021 --- The City Manager will outline the scope of the Bylaw, some of which addresses their concerns related to renovictions in the community,  Mr Buchan will ask for Third reading of the document.  (see page 67  of the Agenda package)

The evening will come to an end with any Additional Items as well as Reports, Questions and Inquiries from Members of Council.

Council members can  take advantage of the period to offer up any items or concerns that they have for consideration on the night. 

The Live broadcast of the City Council session can be found here, a video archive of past sessions is available here.

Our items of note related to the February 28th  session can be reviewed here.  

While our archive of all sessions for 2022 for Council is available here.