Sparwood Council Facts

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Posted: February 5, 2016

Sparwood Council Facts

The following is a synopsis of what occurred during the Feb. 1 District of Sparwood council meeting.

BYLAWS

Development Application Procedures Bylaw

Council adopted Development Application Procedures Bylaw 1177, 2016 that replaced Land Use Application Procedures Bylaw 1042. In addition to providing clear application procedures for the new Development Permit Areas (DPAs) established within the Official Community Plan, many of the application fees have been reduced substantially and has provided discounted rates on combined or concurrent applications.

Delegation Bylaw

Council adopted Delegation Bylaw 1181, 2016 as a means of reducing the red tape on specific permits and licence applications. The bylaw delegates council’s authority to the:

* Manager of Planning to issue Development Permits (where no variance is involved) and Sign Permits; and

* Director of Community & Facility Services the authority to support/deny the issuance of Special Occasion Liquor Licence (by the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch) for an event that is to be held in a public facility or on public lands.

Draft Off-Street Parking & Loading Bylaw Bylaw

The draft Off-Street Parking and Loading Bylaw 1044 was presented to council at the Committee of the Whole meeting to introduce the bylaw to council in order for them to provide staff direction on any changes to the bylaw prior to public engagement and formal consideration of first reading. Their decision to post notice and begin the public consultation process will be brought forward to the February 15 regular meeting for endorsement.

Draft Sign Bylaw

The Draft Sign Bylaw 1179, 2016 was presented to council at the Committee of the Whole meeting to introduce the bylaw to council in order for them to provide staff direction on any changes to the bylaw prior to public engagement and formal consideration of first reading. Council decided to postpone the consultation on the draft Sign Bylaw until after the highway signage issues with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) have been resolved and council has been provided with additional information comparing the existing and proposed bylaws with provincial best practices.

2016-2020 Budget Process

Budget discussions continued during the Committee of Whole where they were presented with a draft operating expense plan. Council discussed the various budget changes. The first draft of the budget is expected to be presented on February 29, which will be followed by a Public Open House on March 1, from 2-4 p.m. for public comment and feedback.

BC Family Day

Due to the statutory holiday, Family Day, on Monday, February 8, garbage pickup scheduled for that day will be picked up on the following day, Tuesday, February 9.

District of Sparwood Main Office and Public Works Office will be closed on Family Day.

The Leisure Centre will be hosting a free public swim from 1 – 4 p.m. and a free public skate with complimentary skate rentals from 1 – 4 p.m.

Youth Engagement Strategy

Council debated whether to implement a Youth Ambassador Program (similar to the one in Elkford) or to undertake the development of a youth engagement strategy at the Committee of the Whole meeting. Council determined that engaging with Sparwood’s youth was critical in countering youth outmigration and increasing opportunities for their youth locally. Following Columbia Basin Trust’s (CBT) recent announcement of the new Basin Youth Network program, Council resolved to pursue funding through the CBT. That decision will be brought forward to the February 15 regular meeting for endorsement.

Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) Community Initiatives & Affected Areas Programs

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016/17 CBT Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs. Application forms and proposal guidelines are available at the District of Sparwood Municipal Office and or online through the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) website at www.rdek.bc.ca/departments/community/cbtprogra ms/. The application deadline for project proposals is 9 a.m. Monday, February 15 to the RDEK office.

Sparwood Winterfest 2016