The Corporation of the City of Grand Forks

Committee of the Whole

MINUTES

Meeting #:	C-2022-5
Date:	Monday, May 09, 2022 at 10:00 A.m. - 11:00 A.m.
Location:	7217 - 4th Street, City Hall Council Chambers

Present:

• Mayor Brian Taylor
• Councillor Zak Eburne-Stoodley
• Councillor Cathy Korolek
• Councillor Chris Moslin
• Councillor Everett Baker

Absent:

• Councillor Neil Krog
• Councillor Christine Thompson

Staff:

• Duncan Redfearn - Chief Administrative Officer
• Kevin McKinnon - Deputy Corporate Officer
• Morgan Strohmann - Corp./IT Services Assistant
• Juliette Rhodes - Chief Financial Officer
• Justin Dinsdale - Manager of Capital Projects
• Kirsty Faramin

​GALLERY

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1.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

2.

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor Taylor called the May 9, 2022, Committee of the Whole Meeting to order at 10:00 am.

3.

INTRODUCTION OF LATE ITEMS

4.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AGENDA

a.

Adopt agenda

May 9, 2022, Committee of the Whole

MOVED

• THAT the Committee of the Whole adopts the May 9, 2022, agenda as presented.

  Carried

5.

MINUTES

a.

Adopt Minutes - Committee of the Whole

April 11, 2022, Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes

MOVED

• THAT the Committee of the Whole adopts the April 11, 2022, Committee of the Whole Minutes as presented.

  Carried

6.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Mayor Taylor advised the gallery of the new public participation procedures under the updated Procedure Bylaw.

7.

REGISTERED PETITIONS AND DELEGATIONS

a.

RCMP Annual Performance Plan Acceptance

Sgt. Darryl Peppler

Sgt. Peppler presented the Annual Performance Plan.

RCMP focus to engage in positive interactions with people, show support post-COVID all with intentions to gain support on all three initiatives for 2022:

1. 1. Public Engagement - respond to current events and community's need for support
      • Participated at Grand Forks Secondary School to support students with recent tragedies.
      • Participated at Save-On to promote Motorcycle Safety Program
   2. Traffic - alcohol and drug impairments, unsafe vehicles off the road
   3. Community Involvement - encourage foot patrols in community downtown, schools, and in Christina Lake including boat launch, all hours not only office hours

Discussion also included during question period:

• • Staffing is nearly back to full complement
  • Drug trade at all levels in Grand Forks
    • Fentanyl is in every drug - none are safe from contamination
    • Time consuming - one charge can take up to four years
    • Often needs undercover work and manpower that they do not have
    • Small window to actually have a successful charge hold
    • Dealers are well versed in the law process and how to avoid charges

b.

Annual Summary from Security Contractor

GF Governance Plus

Bud Alcock presented a summary of GF Governance Plus's activities for the City in 2021.

• Participated in clean up with and without contractors - 18 camps
  • Do not ask people to leave, only clean up when people have moved on from camps
• Great rapport with all people in our community
• Assist local law enforcement agencies such as local fire department, RCMP with various scenarios
• Contract is 20 hours per week
  • Actual time that company provides - 50 hours per week

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) doesn't see a need for a contract, as there is "no need and not required as there is no crime in their area".

c.

BC - Anti-human Trafficking

Cathy Peters

Ms. Peters presented to Council on Human Trafficking and the Sex Industry.

• BeAmazing.org is her website about exploiting girls and women
• Refers to "Sex Industry Slavery" written by Winnipeg RCMP officer outlining statistics on sex trafficking in our country
• Extend education to everybody but access challenges in small isolated centers within BC
• Discussion on education in schools
• Ask for awareness training within the community
• Alberta has a task force of 30 people raising awareness on this topic, BC does not have a task force - just Cathy Peters
• Federal Government moving towards legalizing prostitution impacting sex trafficking in a positive way.

d.

Skatepark Sponsorship

Grand Forks Skate Committee

Tyler Van Mol presented a plan to update the Grand Forks Skate Park.

• Currently in a stewardship with the City
• Have succeeded in expectations of the City in regards to teaming up with other organizations

Support of other local organizations: The Rotary Club, youth involvement and participation in ideas of key improvement areas of the park.

• Clear goals on what and when they want to repair and build
  • • Repair/resurface concrete, remove graffiti and revitalization of the park goal is October 2022 (phase one)
    • Dependent on funding phase two will start next year May 2022
      • Applying for grants proposals
      • Unique ways to raise funds and incorporate anyone who wants to support the organization
        • Grassroots fundraising- bottle drives and host BBQ's

e.

Copperfields Living

Harry Harker, Daniel Chiu

• Mr.Chiu and Mr. Harker updated Council on their proposal to develop land on the north side of Observation Mountain.

Needs City and RDKB collaboration for boundary expansion

• Water, sewer and electrical access
• Sharing information with their engineer
• Future land use compliments the City of Grand Forks
• Want consideration of this Council to move forward

Discussion from Council:

• City may not have capacity for this with current of infrastructure

8.

REGIONAL TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION - WITH AREA D

Area D - no formal report

• continue to monitor species specific to our community
• climate visioning session prepared for wildfires in our area

9.

PRESENTATIONS FROM STAFF

a.

Monthly Highlight Reports

Department Managers

Alex Adams - Public Works Department:

• Met with geocache committee and arranged three locations for geochaches placements
• Floor plans for Senior's Society have been agreed on and renovations can begin end of May, beginning of June.

• THAT the Committee of the Whole receives the monthly highlight reports from department managers.

  Carried

b.

Transient Liaison Report

Bylaw Services – Transient Liaison

John Wilson gave update to Council.

• April 1 through April 28 steady activity with warmer weather moving people to outside shelters. Clean up complete at Moto now that snow melt is gone; camp on city land - removed uninsured vehicles. Ongoing complaints having interactions with hostile people and grateful that RCMP support to staff when needed.
• Freshet: looking at areas that debris from man made shelters may be harmful to the environment ending up in the river and needing to be removed.
• Use of out of service water truck for removal of debris and clean up as well as tipping fees are covered by a grant

Council discussion:

• Public participation in clean up areas is not a viable option as they are not trained to properly dispose of materials found in abandoned camps.
• Where do vehicles get disposed
  • RV disposed in city impound works yard
• Safety:
  • Any use for a body camera? Staff currently working on process, researching bylaws and policies as it invades upon privacy act and the operator can't utilize the on/off switch when needed.

c.

DMAF - May Update

Flood Mitigation

Mr. Stevens updated Council on the current state of DMAF program.

Objectives referred to in power point

• Relative to 2nd Street/Kettle River which have achieved elimination or significant reduction in flood risk. The dike height is between seven and eight feet high built to 200 year flood level event.
• Local economic benefit: approximately 70% of $22 million ($15 million will be directly given back to local business such as restaurants, grocery stores and hotels).
• Trails along all sections for community access ramps to most key areas of dikes, natural greenspace planned for both east and west, may not all be multi-use trails
• Environmental stewardship recycling of homes, salvage program
  • • construction materials salvage, concrete in North Ruckle, recycling dike fill material, reuse of trees from downtown. North Ruckle also is going to create fish and riparian habitat

Grand Forks is recognized as trailblazing this large scale DMAF program in all of Canada.

Chief Administrative Officer advised: Provincial funding $20 million federal component indicated a revised claim. They wanted more information on buyout in North Ruckle and will provide funding in following two weeks.

Council discussion regarding lack of funding for DMAF from federal government:

• MP Richard Cannings has offered his support to take this issue to higher levels to secure the federal funding promised to Grand Forks.

10.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF FOR DISCUSSION

a.

Draft for Engagement - Official Community Plan Bylaw 2089, 2022

Planning and Development

The Manager of Strategic Initiatives/ Flood Recovery briefed Council on the latest draft of the Official Community Plan.

Discussion regarding

• Effects the new OCP will have on new developments including the prevention of building within the flood plain
• Controls and constraints for development to ensure the protection of the environment
• Form and character for new buildings being constructed.
• Development and Planning has the ability to incorporate new ideas on trails on the dike.
• Strong feedback from people using response to survey.
  • CAO in his experience - theme in response will trigger a response to that theme of questions
• Accept your report and move forward on the plan

• THAT Committee of the Whole recommends to Council to receive for consideration the draft Official Community Plan Bylaw no. 2089, 2022; and further,
  
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommends to Council to instruct staff to undertake community engagement and agency referrals in preparation for the formal bylaw adoption process.

  Carried

b.

Update of Council Code of Conduct

Corporate Services

Chief Administrative Officer introduced the draft updated Code of Conduct Policy based on the latest UBCM recommended practices.

Councillor Thompson moved further discussion to May 30 to give Council ability to look at submitted reports of Code of Conduct more closely.

• THAT the Committee-of-the-Whole refer the attached Code of Conduct to the May 30, 2022 Regular Meeting.

  Carried

11.

INFORMATION ITEMS

12.

PROPOSED BYLAWS FOR DISCUSSION

a.

Remuneration Committee Recommendation

Corporate Services / Financial Services

The CAO introduced an updated Council Remuneration Bylaw based on the recommendations from the Remuneration Committee.

Moved to May 30, 2022 Regular Meeting.

• THAT the Committee of the Whole recommends to Council to give first three readings to the updated Council Remuneration Bylaw No. 2091 at the May 30, 2022, Regular Meeting of Council.

  Carried

13.

CORRESPONDENCE ITEMS

a.

Avalon Gardens - Exclusive Use of Parking Spaces

Avalon Gardens

Discussion around private use of public parking spaces:

• Create strain on availability of parking spots for other local businesses limiting customer parking in the downtown core.
• Originally Council gave this option to businesses due to the pandemic as a way to continue to offer services to the public under pandemic orders.
• Unclear of what businesses utilized parking spaces or have bump outs for their patios prior to pandemic.
• Council wanted clarity on specifics of parking including possibility of charging for this type of request.

Move for further discussion to Regular Meeting.

b.

The Boardroom Cafe - Exclusive Use of Parking Spaces

The Boardroom Cafe

Council discussion on this topic moved to Regular Meeting.

c.

Grand Forks International Liquor Permit

Grand Forks International Baseball Tournament Society

Moved to Regular Meeting.

d.

Street Closure Request

City of Grand Forks 125th Planning Committee

Moved to Regular Meeting.

14.

LATE ITEMS

15.

REPORTS, QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL (VERBAL)

16.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AND MEDIA

17.

ADJOURNMENT

The May 9, 2022, Committee of the Whole Meeting was adjourned at 1:45 pm.