City Council Preview: Monday, March 9, 2020

The start of the month of March makes for the launch of City Council's Budget consultation process, with tonight's meeting offering the first of two public comment periods for residents to weigh in on the Budget Plan presented in February by the City's Chief Financial Officer Corinne Bomben.

Last week, the City released its expansive Five Year Financial Plan, which we previewed on Friday afternoon, both the Presentation of February and the Financial Plan document should offer some guidance for residents and help to shape any comments or quesitons for tonight.

Council will also receive a presentation related to the recent Child Care Study conducted in the community, the document comes with a range of recommendations for Council to consider.

Among some of the other work on  the night Council members will  be asked to approve a recommendation of a contract award for some work at the Ridley Island Landfill site towards a lagoon expansion.

Tonight also makes for decision night for Council, as the City's CFO brings forward the request for direction as to whether the Council members wish to use the Alternate Approval process or take the issue of Two Loan Authorization bylaws to a full referendum.

A number of property Variance Requests makes for the homestretch of tonights meeting.

That will be followed by an opportunity for commentary or questions from the City's Councillors, who will be able to make inquiries or offer comments of any issues of note for them.

You can review the Full Agenda Packages for the Regular Council Session from the City Website here.

Tonight also features a Closed session of the Council collective, with tonight's 5PM session closed to public.

The City citing one section of the Community Charter as to why they will Close the doors tonight.

90.1  (e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality


Last year Prince Rupert City Council hosted 18 such closed sessions, tonight marks the third Closed Session for 2020.


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REGULAR SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL

Adoption of Agenda and Past minutes -- Mayor Brain will review the agenda for the evening and Council will adopt the minutes of past meetings.

Petitions and Delegations

Child Care Assessment Presentation  -- Council will receive a presentation from Alison Watson, Kate Toye and Liliana Gragowska of Watson Projects, highlighting their findings as part of the Child Care Assessment and Action Plan (see page 5 of Agenda)

Opportunity for Public Comment on the 2020 Budget -- Corinne Bomben, the City's Chief Financial Officer will review some of the Financial blue print for the year ahead, with Council then to call on members of the public offer comment or ask questions of the document. See the Five Year Financial Plan details here.

Reports

Report from the Director of Operations -- Re: Landfill Leachate Lagoon Project Award -- Engineering Coordinator Richard Pucci will provide the details to his recommendation that the contract for the work to be awarded to Broadwater Industries.  (See page 52 of the Agenda)

Report from the Chief Financial Officer -- Seeking direction from City Council as to which process they will use to see Loan Authorization Bylaws -- With a  pair of borrowing requirement ahead for the City of Prince Rupert, that of funding for the Water Dam construction, as well as expansion work at the Ridley Island landfill site, councillors will be asked to decide on which method they will use to consult the public. The two options include the Alternate Approval process, or a wider full referendum option (see page 54 of the Agenda)

Four Requests for Development Variance Permits also are part of tonights Agenda.

City Planner Zeno will review the background for all four. The first for a property on 8th Avenue East, a second for a property on 7th Avenue East, a third for a property on 5th Avenue West, the final property variance request that for a property on 8th Avenue East

You can review the applications for each starting at page 56 of the Agenda.

The evening will come to an end with any Additional Items as well as Reports, Questions and Inquiries from Members of Council.

Council members can  take advantage of the period to offer up any items or concerns that they have for consideration on the night.

The Live broadcast of the City Council session can be found here, a video archive of past sessions is available here.

Our items of note related to the  March 9th session can be reviewed here.

While our archive of all sessions for 2020 for Council is available here.


Cross posted from the North Coast Review