Fresh off a national award, the Town of Qualicum Beach has decided not to be part of the 2014 Communities in Bloom national competition.
In October, the town picked up the Home Hardware Outstanding Achievement Award for Community Involvement at the Communities in Bloom Award.
On Monday night at its regular meeting, council decided to take a year off from the competition and then let the new council decide whether to get involved for 2015. A municipal election is slated for November, 2014.
Briefly from town council’s meeting Monday night:
• Coun. Scott Tanner introduced a motion that passed unanimously instructing staff to review the town’s cemetery bylaw, specifically the bylaw’s definition of “non-resident.”
Tanner said it’s possible people who have lived just outside the town’s boundary for decades and contributed to the town’s economy would not have an appropriate opportunity to be buried in the town cemetery under the current bylaw’s wording.
• Tanner, the town’s representative on the district recreation committee, also told council about possible expansion plans for the Ravensong Pool. He said the district’s financial plans include the setting aside of money, possibly as much as $7 million, for expansion of the pool, which he said is operating at 95 per cent capacity.
“There will not be a second pool (for the region) built in Parksville,” said Tanner. “This pool (Ravensong) will be expanded.”
• A hot topic in the summer, mobile food vendors will now have to pay attention to a new policy adopted by council on Monday night. With their application to operate a mobile food establishment (commonly known as a food truck), applicants must now supply, among other things, pictures of the unit showing all sides, a list of food and beverages to be sold, dimensions of the food vending unit, three requested locations in order of preference, number of employees and Vancouver Island Health Authority approvals.
