Notes from the Cache Creek council meetings of Oct. 4 and 18.
Funding opportunities
At the council meeting of Sept. 20, an amendment was made to a motion brought by Coun. Annette Pittman. The original motion called for staff to look at four possible funding opportunities from Northern Development Initiative Trust, while an amendment directed staff to apply for the grant writer funding program available from NDIT, and review three other grant opportunities — for recreation infrastructure, economic infrastructure, and economic development capacity building — to see if any of them would be beneficial to the community.
When the vote was called the original motion, and not the amended version discussed and agreed on by council, was voted on, so the amended motion returned to the Oct. 4 agenda, where it passed unanimously.
Grant received
Council received for information news that the village has been granted $10,000 under the Local Government Grants Act for infrastructure planning. The money is for an environmental impact study and inflow study for the village’s wastewater treatment plant.
Tax exemption bylaw
At the Oct. 4 meeting, Chief Financial Officer Cristina Martini noted that one of the four properties applying for a permissive tax exemption for 2022 — the Roman Catholic Church property on Stage Road — is currently for sale. Council discussed the implications for the Permissive Tax Exemption bylaw if an exemption was granted and the property was then sold, and no longer operating as a church.
Council asked for clarification on what happens to a property that has been granted a permissive tax exemption if it is subsequently sold, and whether the exemption is given to the property owner or the property. Pending that information, council defeated the motion to give first and second reading to the tax bylaw.
At the Oct. 18 meeting, Martini said she had been in touch with BC Assessment Authority, and recommended not granting the permissive tax exemption to the church property in question. First three readings were given to a Permissive Tax Exemption bylaw which includes The Equality Project clubhouse and Cross Roads Pentecostal Church on Stage Road, and the South Cariboo Sportsmen Association property south of Cache Creek.
Herb Hofer memorial bench
Having recently voted to allow memorial benches to be placed at different locations within the community, and not just in parks, council voted on Oct. 4 in favour of Norm Brezina’s request to place a memorial bench for longtime Cache Creek councillor Herb Hofer in front of the village office on Quartz Road.
Development permit application
On Oct. 18, council voted to defer action on an application from Otter Farm and Home Cooperative to construct a Commercial Cardlock with washroom facilities at 888 Trans-Canada Highway (across Old Cariboo Highway from the Starhouse Restaurant), which is subject to approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Coun. Sue Peters raised concerns about access to the site and wear and tear on municipal roads from large vehicles, noting there would be a tight turning circle off the Trans-Canada and the probability of trucks going up over the curb and sidewalk. Chief Administrative Officer Damian Couture said there would be signage encouraging entry and exit from the southern end of the village, so that trucks avoided the Todd Road bridge. Talarico suggested that the village could lobby the Ministry of Transportation for improvements to Old Cariboo Highway, in light of increased traffic due to the new facility.
The item will come back to a future council meeting after clarification on the points raised has been received.
Council meeting procedures
On Oct. 18, Couture noted that if multiple members of council are recusing themselves from a discussion and there is no quorum, the council meeting immediately goes into a recess. A discussion can be held, but no vote can be taken.
Water conservation bylaw
Council gave first three readings on Oct. 18 to Water Conservation Bylaw No. 3-001, 2021. Among other things, the bylaw stipulates that the village will be under Stage 1 water restrictions between May 1 and Oct. 31 every year, unless otherwise stipulated by council. Stage 1 states that even-numbered properties can water on even days, and odd-numbered properties on odd days. On their appointed days, properties with an underground watering system can water between midnight and 6 a.m., while those with hose-supplied sprinklers can water between 6 and 9 a.m. and 8 and 11 p.m. Stage 4 means water can only be used for prevention or control of fires, and for health and safety.
All minutes and agendas for Cache Creek council meetings can be found on the Village’s website at http://www.village.cachecreek.bc.ca/. Meetings normally take place on the first and third Mondays of each month, and begin at 6 p.m. The next regular meeting will take place on Monday, Nov. 1.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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