Despite disagreement from Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek, regional district directors approved a number of initiatives associated with regional water management at Tuesday night’s regular board meeting.
Westbroek voiced concern over the changes when they first came up last month, saying it wasn’t fair for his town to suddenly start sharing water with the region after years of good planning by the municipality.
“I trust that the board and CAO (Paul) Thorkelsson want to go ahead with this, and Qualicum Beach doesn’t,” said Westbroek. “We aren’t going to get railroaded in the process.”
The changes include: working with regional partners to develop a regional water governance model; developing water pricing and regulation changes for RDN-operated water service areas; updating water requirements for subdivision developments; and standardizing regional drought communication protocols.
Parksville Mayor Marc Lefebvre pledged his support behind the changes, quoting an editorial piece praising regional governments experimenting with consensus based management involving multiple stakeholders.
Thorkelsson insisted the changes are meant to “start a broad conversation about water” confirming the outcome will be controlled entirely by the RDN board. “The only changes that get made, get made by this board,” he said. “Bylaw changes only get made by the board, not by staff, any changes that come out of this are fully controlled by the board.”
“I think there’s been an underlying current that somehow there’s an underlying agenda. This is entirely open and transparent, any changes will come to this board,” said Thorkelsson.
Other highlights from Tuesday night’s regular RDN meeting:
• Board members voted to replace all 24 existing diesel buses with 24 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek called it “a great move in the right direction, it will improve our ability to be more cost efficient.”
• The RDN board awarded a contract for bird control services at the Regional Landfill to Pacific Coast Raptors for three years starting Oct. 5 for $277,980.
• The board directed staff to proceed with an application for Crown Land Nominal Rent Tenure related to the investigation and development of a groundwater supply source for the Whiskey Creek Water Service Area.
• Qualicum First Nation chief Michael Recalma, representing Deep Bay/Bowser as an alternate, made a notice of motion directing staff “to hold a board seminar to examine those recommendations arising from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the RDN will act on in a meaningful manner, and the chiefs of Snuneymuxw, Snaw-Naw-As and Qualicum First Nations be invited to attend.”
• The RDN halted a property acquisition on Gabriola Island, withdrawing a purchase contract with Emcon Services for three lots totalling 8.5 acres on Paisley Place adjacent to Gabriola Elementary School.
VARIANCE DENIED
It’s back to the drawing board for one Nanoose Bay man, whose development variance permit was denied at Tuesday night’s regular Regional District of Nanaimo meeting.
A property located at 1542 Madrona Drive is undergoing a renovation and expansion including the construction of a freestanding deck that reaches further out into the bay.
Two people spoke out against the development, including neighbour David Roach, who claimed the construction may negatively impact adjacent properties.
“The application is essentially a request for the board to disregard the set back, it’s not a request to vary it,” said Roach.
“Given the increasing attention to climate change, particularly rising sea levels I’d expect the RDN would encourage increasing set backs from the natural boundaries of the Strait of Georgia, not approving decreases.”
Roach claimed privacy may be compromised, and more importantly, public risk may be increased due to bank instability.
However, David Wallace, an agent of the applicant, said the property owner has done his homework hiring a geotechnical engineer and addressing safety concerns.
“(The applicant) is replacing a house built in the 1970s,” said Wallace. “All they are asking to do is replace the existing house.”
But RDN director Bob Rogers, who represents Nanoose Bay, denied the application saying there needs to be further examination of the set back in question and more consultation with neighbours.
