Hello everyone - I hope you've had a nice weekend relaxing/working in your yard. Thanks to all of you in your efforts to help our essential workers by staying home and only leaving for essential errands.
The RDN’s Electoral Area Services Committee and Committee of the Whole will be meeting tomorrow. Most Directors will be attending by teleconference. You can find the agendas and reports, and will be able to listen to the audio of the meeting here: https://www.rdn.bc.ca/events/2020-04-14
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at vanessa.craig@rdn.bc.ca
The Electoral Area Service Committee meeting starts at 1:30 pm. There are two agenda items specifically addressing Area B:
• A request that the EASC endorse RDN staff applying for a grant to conduct evacuation route planning for Gabriola, Mudge, and DeCourcy. I am very pleased that this is on the agenda as I’ve been working towards enhanced emergency preparedness on the islands. Update - the EASC supported this - it will appear on the next Board agenda on April 28th for the Board’s consideration.
From the report: “Efficient and safe evacuation routes are needed for the movement of people, livestock, animals and personal property from an area of imminent or actual threat to an area of safety. Successful and detailed planning is the key to effectively executed evacuations when an event occurs that requires these actions. Electoral Area B has unique evacuation challenges with limited capacity of the ferry. The funds from this grant stream will identify strategies and alternate evacuation methods to coordinate a safe an orderly multiagency evacuation response for Gabriola, Mudge and DeCourcy Islands.”
• Signing of a 3-year agreement with the Gabriola Museum for continued support for 2020-2022. The Museum currently receives $16,000 per annum from Area B taxes, which was increased from $12,000 per year as of 2019. The Museum requested an increase to $24,000 per annum as of 2020, but I supported retaining the level of support at $16,000 at this time. Update - the EASC supported this, and it will go to the Board for consideration on the April 28th agenda.
• During this meeting we will also be discussing a staff recommendation to register a Bylaw Contravention Notice on title of a property in Area H; considering a request to approve a Floodplain Bylaw exemption in Area H; approve a consultation plan and give First and Second Reading to OCP amendments for Areas A and H; and also that the committee consider OCP and zoning amendments for the Nanaimo Airport. In all other RDN Electoral Areas, the RDN is responsible for planning functions (eg OCP and development variance requests), which are handled by the Islands Trust in Area B.
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The Committee of the Whole meeting starts at 3 pm. Issues we will be discussing include:
• That the Board enter into Mutual Aid Agreements with neighbouring regional districts and member municipalities to enable the continuity of wastewater and drinking water services according to the Provincial Order M084. This will result in new agreements with RDN member municipalities as well as the Cowichan Valley Regional District, Comox Valley Regional District, and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. The purpose of the Mutual Aid Agreements is to provide a framework by which the signatories may call upon resources of other jurisdictions if their own resources are overwhelmed during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
• A departmental operational update
Update - the Operational Update included discussion of staffing and projects. Some projects will likely need to be delayed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on staff capacity. Because the RDN Board has already approved its 2020 budget we do not have the ability to modify it at this time. Regional Districts are required to finalize their budgets earlier than municipalities (which have until mid-May), which is why you might have seen budget discussions still happening at municipalities. RDs and municipalities are asking the Province for flexibility in the normal requirements around taxation and payments given the pandemic.