Watch City Council meetings live or view recordings at www.campbellriver.ca/webcasts.

The City of Campbell River acknowledges that we are on the territory of the Laich-Kwil-Tach people of the Wei Wai Kum and We Wai Kai First Nations.

CITY RECEIVES HEALTH AND SAFETY AWARD
Mike Roberts, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the British Columbia Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA), presented the City with the BCMSA 2023 Safety Improvement Award at the Committee of the Whole meeting on November 21, 2023, recognizing staff for their work in creating a positive, safe and healthy work environment. A healthy and safe community is one of Council’s strategic priorities, and the City is committed to being a leader within the community when it comes to safety — whether that is through workplace culture, future planning, downtown revitalization, infrastructure readiness or partnerships.

Photo (by the City):
Mayor and Council; City staff, including Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee members; and Mike Roberts, CEO of the BCMSA.

FINANCIAL UPDATES
Draft 2024-2033 Financial Plan
(Presented during the Committee of the Whole meeting on November 21, 2023.)
Council received the draft 2024-2033 Financial Plan ahead of budget deliberations, which begin at 9:30 a.m. on November 28, 2023. The draft budget proposes a moderate 3.45 per cent tax increase, which is below the rate of inflation over the last year, invests in community safety and downtown revitalization, and proposes additional resources to maintain core service levels and accommodate community growth. This was reduced from an initial projection of 8.13 per cent and follows Council’s direction to keep the tax increase within the City’s financial policy parameters of 3.5 per cent. It works out to an estimated $6 monthly increase for the average homeowner.

Highlights of the draft plan include:

• $1.4 million over three years towards improving downtown safety, including the expansion of security patrols, Downtown Safety Officer operations, public works clean-up activities, and the addition of two bylaw enforcement officers
•  New positions supporting community safety, including a Bylaw Enforcement Manager and four RCMP members, as well as funding to complete the City’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan.
• Outlining commitments to improved Indigenous relations and increased opportunities to collaborate on development and economic initiatives with the Wei Wai Kum and We Wai Kai First Nations
• Projects that support community vibrancy, amenities and revitalization of the downtown core

View the Draft 2024 Budget, at campbellriver.ca/financial-plans. Watch the budget deliberations live at campbellriver.ca/webcasts.

2023-2032 Financial Plan Amendment Bylaw
Council gave first, second and third readings to 2023-2032 Ten-Year Financial Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3940, 2023. The 2023‐2032 Financial Plan was adopted by Council in April 2023. Since adoption, Council decisions have been made that require amendments to the 2023‐2032 Financial Plan to comply with the Community Charter. Expenditures were funded through City reserves or result in a net zero impact on the operating budget and do not impact taxation.

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES UPDATE
Public Notice Bylaw
Council gave first and second readings to Public Notice Bylaw No. 3938, 2023. In 2022, changes to the Community Charter and the Local Government Act came into effect to provide municipal governments with more flexibility for how they publish required public notices. The amended Section 94 of the Community Charter now allows a municipal government to adopt a bylaw that provides for means of publication other than advertising twice in a local newspaper.

The proposed changes in the Public Notice Bylaw will revise the process for first notifications, which will now be completed via the City’s social media accounts, with a link to the City’s website. The second notice will continue to be placed in the newspaper to extend the City’s communication reach and to create a hardcopy of the notice, in addition to a notice in the e-edition of the newspaper. The City’s Public Notice Bylaw will modernize how the City gives notice to the public, while also enhancing the City’s objective of open, transparent, and accessible public communications. The proposed changes are also intended to create timing efficiencies and cost-savings for the organization. These changes were made based on community feedback that was received through the City’s 2023 Citizen Satisfaction Survey. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Destination Campbell River 2024 Annual Tactical Plan
Council approved Destination Campbell River’s 2024 Annual Tactical Plan and directed staff to submit the report to Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) by November 30, 2023. The City delivers its destination marketing through Destination Campbell River. As a designated recipient of Municipal and Regional District Tax funding, the City is required to submit an annual tactical plan to Destination BC. The plan details the destination marketing activities that will be undertaken in 2024 as they relate to the five-year strategic plan that Destination Campbell River prepared in 2021.

Ride-Sharing Opportunities
Council directed staff to report back with information about provincial ride-sharing legislation and the process to bring ride-sharing to Campbell River. Staff will report back in 2024.

CORRESPONDENCE
Petition From Residents for Lower Speed Limit on Thulin Street
Council received a petition from the residents of Thulin Street, requesting traffic-calming measures and a reduced speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour (km/hr) for Thulin Street. The petition also requested that a speed limit of 40 km/hr be implemented on all residential streets, more signage, and an educational program about safe driving. Council referred this item to staff for further review, and staff will report back on options to address the concerns.

Request for a Letter of Support for Saltwater Salmon Farms
Council received correspondence from Shannan Brown, People and Culture Director, Cermaq Canada Ltd., requesting that a letter of support for saltwater salmon farms be sent to the Federal Minister for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Council directed staff to send a letter of support.

HIGHLIGHTS OF NOVEMBER 23 2023 COUNCIL MEETING - NEWS RELEASE - 2023