All members of Clinton council were present for the meeting on Feb. 10, which began at 7 p.m.
Seedy Sunday
Council approved a request from Clinton Communities in Bloom to hold their annual Seedy Sunday event at the community garden. The event is scheduled for Sunday, April 11.
Coun. Kim McIlravey successfully asked for an amendment noting that the event would follow all COVID-19 rules and regulations in place at the time of the event.
Free disposal days
Council reviewed correspondence between the District of Logan Lake and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District regarding the cancellation of free disposal days at TNRD-operated eco-depots and transfer stations. The letter noted the 300 per cent rise in the cost of providing the disposal days and the increased amount of material that ends up being sent to landfill rather than being recycled. It also stated that in part because of the cancellation of the free disposal days, there is no longer a tipping fee for the disposal of tires on rims (as well as tires off rims), mattresses, and box springs.
Animal control bylaw
McIlravey recused herself from the discussion of this topic, which looked at the provisions of the village’s Animal Control Bylaw relating to the keeping of livestock for 4-H Club projects, as it was brought to council on behalf of her daughter Libby, a Clinton 4-H Club member.
Section 18b of the bylaw allows for the keeping of livestock on properties otherwise prohibited under the Zoning Bylaw, for a youth raising an animal for a 4-H project. The issue identified was the wording “an animal”, as it was felt that the singular identification could become an issue if a livestock project requires breeding of the project animal and the subsequent need for the offspring to stay with its mother.
Mayor Susan Swan suggested that it would be a good idea to overhaul the entire bylaw rather than just the section under consideration. CAO Murray Daly agreed, saying it would be good to review it in conjunction with the Zoning Bylaw. Coun. David Park noted that the village had been living with the bylaw for several years and that as with anything, “things come up”, so it would be appropriate to look at the whole bylaw.
Daly said that the issue would probably be reviewed by a working group with input from the general public. “We’re not going to focus on this one element; we’re going to take a holistic approach and get some good feedback from the community. We’ll see how it’s working and where it’s failing.” Coun. Sandi Burrage noted that with the pandemic, people were also looking for other animal-related changes, such as keeping chickens at their home. “It’s very timely to do.”
Council passed a motion to do a complete review of the Animal Control Bylaw.
Emergency preparedness
Council also passed a motion to direct staff to allow TRUE Consulting to apply for up to $150,000 in grant funding through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund on the village’s behalf to do flood risk assessment, flood mapping, and flood mitigation planning. The funding would cover 100 per cent of the costs.
Street numbers
McIlravey expressed concern about the number of Clinton residences and businesses which do not display their addresses, noting “This town is terrible.” She said a Clinton RCMP officer agreed.
“I think we have to help people out to put signage. We have paramedics coming from Lillooet, 100 Mile, Ashcroft, who may not know ‘Joe’s house’. Same with the RCMP. I think this is a concern and I don’t know how we can support it or go about it.”
Park said the issue had been on his mind as well, as his mother had recently had an emergency issue where responders drove right by her property as a result of her not having a sign up. He suggested that there could be a partnership with another group to help with signs and do it every few years, given the village’s aging population.
Clinton rec site
Following a request from the Clinton and District Outdoor Sportsmen Association regarding overnight camping at the rec site they put in above the tracks last year, Daly said there had been several emails about the site, with the association wanting to be sure the village was on board with the proposal. Coun. Christine Rivett said she understood this was a courtesy only, as the site in question is on Crown land, and that it would have to meet the standards of other such sites.
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“I think if they meet all the demands of the ministry we should give them our blessing,” she said. A motion stating that the village has no objections to making the site a provincially-approved campsite was passed.
The meeting went into closed session at 7:50 p.m.
All minutes and agendas for Clinton council meetings can be found on the Village’s website at https://village.clinton.bc.ca/. Meetings normally take place on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, and begin at 7 p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24.
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