Council Meeting Highlights for October 1, 2018

Council Meeting Highlights for October 1, 2018

Click on button to watch the video of the Committee of the Whole and Regular Open Meeting.
 
Committee of the Whole                                      Regular Open Meeting    
 
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
 
Delegations

• Mr. Ralf Nielson, Managing Director Advisory and Sustainability Services, Colliers International gave a presentation on the Osoyoos Community Health Centre Feasibility Study.  Mr. Nielson feels that an Urgent Primary Care Centre is needed in the community, with eight physicians.  There has been five different sites in the community for the facility, however, the 89^th/Nighthawk drive discounted because of land topography, and 6901 Main Street but the Community Health Center would not be best use for that site and risk of flooding.  Preferred location of the building would be the current Sagebrush Lodge site with one of the two methods proposed in the study.  Mr. Nielson stated that there are 2-3 new physicians that have come to the physicians in the community or within the region that would be attracted to working at the new center, with the residential development could be earmarked or set aside for physician’s transition into the community.  Mr. Nielson stated that there would be a re-shifting of the workload and physicians and could see a net balance.  Mr. Nielson stated Colliers discussed this project with Interior Health’s real-estate group.  Mr. Nielson stated that Interior Health was hesitant to make a commitment but open to explore what is possible at the Sagebrush Lodge site.  Mr. Nielson stated that option 2B (Interior Health Authority Partial Demolish and Upgrade to Sagebrush Lodge, Lease to Town) is attractive from Land Cost and Capital cost perspective.  If the Town wanted to develop their own land such as Scenario 4 (Maple Drive) it would cost $9.8 million.

REGULAR OPEN MEETING
 
Bylaws

• Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1085.111, 2018 (9141 Main Street) was adopted.  This amendment is required as a car wash/oil change service station is not currently permitted use in the C2 – Shopping Centre Commercial zone.  The proposed building is of a smaller scale than the four existing commercial buildings in the Gateway Plaza, and will utilize vacant undeveloped commercial space.
• Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw No. 1346, 2018 was read three times. Each year council updates their permissive tax exemption bylaw, which is to be adopted no later than October 31^st each year, this tax exemption bylaw would take effect for the 2019 tax year.  This permissive tax exemption bylaw had one change to add the Canadian Legion Branch#173.
• Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 1230.20, 2017 was read for a third time.  Amendment to Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 1230, 2007 is proposed to incorporate a new Foreshore and Lake Development Permit Area (FLDPA), for general permissions of private moorages.  A public hearing was held on September 17, 2018.
• Foreshore and Lake Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1294.02, 2017 was read a third time.  Amendments to the Town of Osoyoos Foreshore and Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 1294, 2012 are proposed to bring the bylaw more into conformity with Provincial regulations, round out regulatory requirements, and add clarification to some provisions of the bylaw.  A public hearing was held on September 17, 2018 
• Housing Agreement Amendment Bylaw No. 1343.02, 2018 was read three times.  Construction of the first house that will be offered under the Near-Market Affordable Housing (NMAH) Program is under way.  This has created some interest and caused the Administration to review the policies and documentation.  In the review we found an “issue” with the current structure of the program and its inability to prevent short term windfall profits on the second and subsequent sales.  The program was set up to keep the houses for longer periods of time; however, that changed from 30 years to 20 years.  The latest change to 5 years may make the house more attractive to buy, but is open to short term “flipping” by second buyer in and around the 5 year period. The result is any owner within a 15 year period of the first purchase must own the home for 5 years before the home can be sold for market value.
• Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1085.107, 2018 was adopted.  This is a proposed rezoning of Airport lot 1 from  M1 – General Industrial – Site Specific (restricted uses) to Comprehensive Development CD-10 (to allow for a mix of restricted general industrial uses with accessory residential).  The proposal is to allow for the construction of a 7 unit general industrial building.  The intent is to have one residential unit above each of the strata industrial units.  A Public Hearing was held on September 4, 2018.

Business

• Council accepts the Urban Forestry Plan as information for future planning programs.
• Council gave pre-budget approval in the amount of $87,000 for the funding of the construction of the West Bench Washroom project.
• Council approved funding for $1000 from the Grant-in-Aid Funding to the Dance Oasis dancers for their travel to Disneyland.
• Council approved the organizers of Music in the Parks request for $15,000 to enable the 2019 program.

Reports

• Councillor Youngberg is on the nominating committee for Okanagan Regional Library.
• Councillor Campol excited to see the great turn out at the Downtown Revitalization meeting.
• Councillor Campol is excited to see the turnout of candidates for the Local Elections.
• Councillor King attended the Desert Sun AGM.
• Councillor King attended the Destination Osoyoos Board Meeting to review budget.
• Councillor King attended the Downtown Revitalization meeting.
• Councillor King attended Rib Fest.
• Mayor McKortoff thanked everyone who attended the Downtown Revitalization workshop and thanked staff for their hardwork.
• Mayor McKortoff encouraged everyone to attend the Candidate Public Forum from 6-8 pm at the Sonora Centre on Tuesday, October 9th.
• Mayor McKortoff wished everyone safe travels and a Happy Thanksgiving.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

• Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1085.109, 2018 - Regional Cannabis Retail Sales in C1, C2, C3 Zones with Site Specific Rezoning.  To date, the Province has indicated that policies related to the sale of cannabis will be fully implemented by October 17^th, 2018.  This amendment allows Council to approve a rezoning application for Cannabis Sales as a site-specific permitted use in the C1, C2, C3 Zones with consideration of Policy PLA-019 and any additional information Council deems appropriate including all or some of the information required through the Provincial Licensing process.

Copies of reports are available within the Council Agenda packages located on the Town’s website www.osoyoos.ca.
 
The public is encouraged to attend the Committee of the Whole meetings which take place in Council Chambers at 9:00 am on the morning of the Regular Open Council meetings at 2:00 pm to learn additional in-depth information regarding upcoming business.