At the regular council meeting of September 8, the following items were dealt with.
Delegations:
• Marcel Des Roches came before council requesting remediation work on the Connie Road right-of-way, as the roadway was unstable. The item will be dealt with during the 2015 budget deliberations.
• Ray Bindig from East Sooke spoke to council about the traffic and deteriorating road conditions on East Sooke Road due to construction at Silver Spray. Mayor Wendal Milne stated they are working with the developer on a daily basis.
• Elaine Elllinger came before council requesting a bylaw which would make it illegal to feed wildlife, ie: deer and rabbits within the municipal boundaries. Ellinger said Oak Bay has adopted a bylaw where a $300 fine is levied for feeding deer. Staff will prepare a report on this issue and bring it back to council.
• Members of the Sooke Community Arts Council came before council to request a waiving of the park use fee at Ed Macgregor Park for two years for the non-profit Sooke Community Arts Council’s Art in the Park event.
• The chair of the Arts and Beautification Committee requested a $3,000 sponsorship to the Sooke Dance Studio for their yearly performance of The Nutcracker in a Nutshell. As this is not a non-profit organization they are not eligible for a grant under the community grants program.
Staff will prepare a report for council.
Unfinished Business:
• An Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy was brought before council for adoption. As there were some concerns expressed by council, it will be brought back after concerns are addressed.
• 2076 Otter Point Road (Tin Grotto) Enforcement Action
Action will be taken against the property known as the Tin Grotto on Otter Point Road. In July council agreed to postpone enforcement action and the property owner did a small amount of work to clean up the unsightly premises. The district will now proceed with removing the unsightly conditions to bring the property into compliance. Items around the perimeter of the building will be removed and disposed of and the cost of the clean-up will be attached to the property taxes.
The property has a long history of complaints beginning in 1986 including unsightly premises, egress, animals at large, outdoor storage, fire and building code violations, threats to safety and squatters on adjacent property.
Public Input and Information Meetings:
Council issued Development Variance Permits to 2061 Otter Point Road for a reduced rear lot line to accommodate a storage area; and to 7064 Richview Drive for a reduced front lot line setback for an accessory building.
Reports Requiring Action:
• Removal and Replacement of Covenants for properties at 1923 Maple Avenue S, 1919 Maple Avenue S and 6881 Galaxie Drive will be decided after the property owners have discussions with staff.
• Sixteen trees will be placed on Wadams Way and memorial plagues with the names of pioneer families will be placed on each tree. Each plaque will cost approximately $300.
• The Municipal hall messaging board at 2205 Otter Point Road will not be replaced with an electronic board. Two quotes for $18,416 and $26,671 were received for installation of an electronic sign but council decided to go with the simpler wooden sign as they felt there was not enough traffic to warrant such a sign and they didn’t see the value of an $18,000 sign.
Council voted to re-schedule the regular council meeting of November 10, 2014 to November 3, 2014 and cancel the November 24, 2014 meeting and not schedule any meetings until after the Inaugural Council meeting on December 1, 2014.
Continued from September 15 meeting:
Council voted unanimously to put the following two questions on the November 15 ballot.
“Would you support the District of Sooke working with the community to develop multi-use community centre facilities? YES or NO?”
“Should the District of Sooke join other municipalities in renewing and restating its opposition to the expansion of oil tanker traffic through Coastal BC waters? YES or NO”
