The regular January 23 meeting of the District of Sooke council brought forth the following decisions:
Delegations
Sid Jorna came forward representing the Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society to introduce the society to council. They currently have 115 members. Hikes are regularly scheduled on the first Saturday of each month and new participants are welcome to join.
Phoebe Dunbar, representing Sooke Food CHI and the Sunriver Allotment Garden, came before council to request support for a funding request from Walmart Evergreen and Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). The group also needed, in writing, the district’s permission to be on the site. Council agreed to write a letter of support.
Delegation Bylaw Amendments
Council adopted Bylaw No. 515 as presented and waived the public hearing.
Mayor Wendal Milne said he saw the amendment as an “administrative change.”
The bylaw reduces the spending authorization of the Chief Administrative Officer from $75,000 to $7,500.
Bylaws
Council adopted Bylaw No. 513, Zoning Amendment Bylaw (500-1). The purpose was to correct duplicity between two zones in Bylaw No. 500, Sooke Zoning Bylaw 2011.
Council gave first, second and third reading to Bylaw No. 516, Sooke Core Sewer Specified Bylaw. The applicants applied to be included into the Sooke Core Sewer Specified Area because of a failing septic field. This issue brought up the changes in zoning on a number of properties in the area. Some properties were downzoned from R1 to RU4 which left the property owners unable to subdivide if they chose to.
Councillor Herb Haldane said it, “seems like a bit of a money grab,” and he didn’t see the rationale for changing the properties to RU4 zoning. He said the old zoning allowed a property owner to subdivide on a property of 1,000 sq. metres and the new zoning RU4 meant the property had to be at least one hectare before it could be subdivided.
Reports
Council granted the Sooke Hospice Society $100 to go towards the application fee to erect a wooden sign at their Goodmere Road location. The sign bylaw does not allow a waiver of fees for non-profit groups and the only way to “waive” the fee was to give them the $100 from the Council Contingency Fund.
A report on the garbage collection on municipal property and transit stops initiated discussion among council members. The District of Sooke pays $654.50 plus HST per month ($7,854/year) for garbage collection from parks, trails and transit stops. Island Advertising Inc. pays Sooke $700/year to offset garbage collection costs on the 13 receptacles at transit stops. The report states that the district had to add on $200/month ($2,400/yr) to empty those receptacles.
Councillors Rick Kasper and Herb Haldane questioned the decision that was made to install the benches and garbage receptacles for such a small benefit to Sooke.
“This was done behind closed doors,” said Haldane in reference to the deal with Island Advertising Inc. “$700 is a crappy deal… locals should have done the work.”
Coun. Kasper said, “perhaps some bargaining should have been done. The dollars and cents don’t add up.”
Mayor Wendal Milne suggested a review of that contract.
Covenants
Council authorized the release of a covenant registered to property located at 2260 Maple Avenue North and the execution of the Option to Purchase/Right of First Refusal Agreement for the affordable housing unit on the property.
Council approved the sale of the affordable housing unit at $160,000 which met the conditions of construction by the developer. This the first affordable housing unit in Sooke and it was constructed to the same standard and quality as the other units in the development.
The district now has right of first refusal if the property comes up for sale. The purchase price of $160,000 is set for 25 years and if it sells for more than that amount, the difference goes to the district. The standing committee on land use will refine the criteria for who qualifies to purchase affordable housing.
Council scheduled a public hearing for February 13, 2012 to receive comments from the public on the release of a restrictive covenant on the Sooke Harbour House which limits the number of outdoor events that can occur on the property to 15 times a year.
Land Use and Environment Committees
An in-camera resolution on January 19, 2012 saw three members of the public appointed to the Finance and Administration Committee. The two members are Lorne Christensen and Monica Scheiahu along with David Maitland as alternate public member at large. The council members on the committee are Councillors Rick Kasper, Bev Berger and Kerrie Reay.
Appointed to the Land Use and Environment Committee are Andrew Haden and Geoff Steele with Adrian Cownden as alternate public member at large. Councillors Herb Haldane, Maja Tait and Kevin Pearson sit as council representatives. Mayor Milne thanked all of those people who put their names forward.
Other committees will be reviewed to see where they could possibly be combined or restructured.
