The Village of Cumberland expects to have a civic cemetery master plan by the end of July.
Cumberland council voted to spend up to $32,000 on a civic cemetery master plan, and chose E. Lees & Associates Consulting Ltd. to complete the task.
According to a report by deputy corporate officer Rachel Parker, the master plan will identify issues cemetery management faces, and outline an action plan for the short-, medium- and long-term.
“The plan would guide the development, use and provision of a range of cemetery services in a fiscal and environmentally sustainable manner over the next 25 years,” Parker writes in her report.
Cumberland residents will be invited to provide input on the civic cemetery master plan.
Coun. Kate Greening was opposed, noting she wanted to see more details about what the consultant would be doing.
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The United Riders of Cumberland updated council regarding their efforts to sign land access agreements with private landowners around Cumberland.
UROC president Mike Manara told council talks with TimberWest and Hancock Forestry have been going well and both companies agree in principal with the idea of UROC managing recreational access on their lands.
Manara also asked council to consider UROC during its upcoming budget discussions as UROC will need about $12,500 to $15,500 per year for costs related to land access for the community.
The land access agreements would benefit the entire community, he told council, noting the trails would be open to various non-motorized modes of recreation and would generate economic spinoffs for Cumberland, such as boosts to tourism.
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Council heard six options for a leachate treatment system to be installed at the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Centre alongside the landfill expansion planned for 2017.
Hired by the Comox Valley Regional District, EBA Engineering consultants presented a lengthy technical report outlining the options, as part of stakeholder consultations. Three options included a combination of on-site and off-site treatment, with some pre-treatment on-site before transfer to municipal wastewater treatment facilities. The other three options were for full treatment on-site.
Economic and technical feasibility were outlined for each option and option six was recommended as preferred. Option six includes pre-treatment of leachate, then transferral of it to the existing Brent Road Wastewater Treatment Plant using Courtenay’s existing sewer system.
To view the technical report, see the Feb. 11 council agenda at www.cumberland.ca.
writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com
