Notes from the Cache Creek council meeting of Nov. 1.
Commercial cardlock receives approval
At its meeting on Oct. 18, council voted to defer approval of a development permit application for a proposed commercial cardlock at Highway 1 and Old Cariboo Highway. Instead, council asked for clarification from the operators, Otter Farm and Home Cooperative, about signage and entry to/exit from the property, citing concerns about truck traffic and signs.
READ MORE: Cache Creek defers decision on commercial cardlock facility
Vafa Alizadeh of Otter Co-op addressed council via video at the Nov. 1 meeting. Coun. Sue Peters said that she welcomed and totally supported the development, but added that as the former owner of a travel centre for more than 20 years, she knew the damage truck traffic could do to concrete and asphalt.
“The turning radius coming from the highway from the north and turning onto Old Cariboo by the Starhouse: my concern is for the sidewalk and curbing at that particular corner because B-trains do take a considerable amount of area to turn. I wonder if you’ve done any kind of research or contact with the Ministry of Transportation [MOTI] to make the access a little wider,” she said. “I’m concerned about sidewalk and curb infrastructure.”
Alizadeh said that the width and length of all the turning points has been taken into consideration, and that the company planned for one way into and one way out of the site to ease traffic. He added that the company would resurface Old Cariboo from the exit point back to the highway, and put in signage and curbing to prevent traffic from turning right onto Old Cariboo as they exited the site.
Following Alizadeh’s presentation, council voted to approve the development permit application for the cardlock.
Grant update
CAO Damian Couture provided an update about four grant opportunities from Northern Development Initiative Trust that had been brought to council’s attention. He said that the village has applied for funding for a grant writer, and will not know until spring 2022 if the application is successful, but that the search for a grant writer will start before then. Of the other three grants, he said that two are for projects, not operations, so no applications have been submitted, but that as the intake is quarterly future projects might apply.
The fourth grant opportunity — for economic development capacity building — is for hiring someone to do economic development for the community, and Couture said that while it is definitely viable, it has the same deadline as the grant writer. “Since we’ve already started that, let’s decide that and then at the beginning of the year look into applying for this posting. I think both roles are good for the community.”
Mayor Santo Talarico said that there could be a discussion about it during budget planning. “We can have some robust discussions about where we’re heading in 2022 and what we’re able to take on and where our goals and priorities will be.”
Water conservation bylaw
Council gave approval to first, second, and third reading of a new water conservation bylaw, which will see the village go to Stage 1 water restrictions from May 1 to Oct. 31 each year unless otherwise directed by council.
Donation of used fire gear
Fire chief Tom Moe had previously received council approval to donate expired fire equipment to First Nations Emergency Support Services, for use in training. However, a letter from him noted that despite several attempts to contact FNESS, he had not received a reply, and therefore reached out to Firefighters Without Borders Canada. It is a not-for-profit organization that ships expired fire gear to poorer nations around the world, and Moe noted that the Cache Creek equipment would be going to the Philippines.
“Unlike Canada, they have no ‘best before’ regulations on fire equipment and are thrilled with any donations they receive,” he wrote. “We were even able to send our expired SCBA bottles, which would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. We, as members of the CCVFD, feel good in knowing that our old gear will be put to good use, and possibly even save lives.”
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