Council Timeline: Monday, June 13, 2022

A presentation from the new RCMP detachment commander opened the first of two Council Sessions for June, with Sergeant Gerald Walker providing for the Coles Note's on his policing resume, while also taking questions from the Council members on a range of areas for consideration.

The night also featured a volume of reports on a variety of topics for the Councillors and Mayor to review.

Among them notes on variance permit requests, updates from Planning, the Corporate Administrator and the Finance office, of the reviews from CFO Corinne Bomben was the release of the annual Statement of Financial Information, which notes civic council and civic staff compensation, as well as a review of the spending by the City from 2021.

Council also moved forward on the process of forwarding a petition on health care in the community the Health Minister, as well as to move the process of bylaw approval for the election bylaw requirements for this falls municipal election.

Some background on the work of Council for the night can be review from the Regular Council Agenda.  

Council also hosted a Closed Meeting, making for the twelfth of the in camera sessions for 2022.

The details related to the reasons for the behind closed door gathering can be reviewed here. 

Further information from our overview and placement in the video archives can be found below, with the permanent record of the council minutes added as they are posted to the city website.

In attendance Monday, June 13, 2022

Mayor Lee Brain -- Present 
Councillor Nick Adey -- Present 
Councillor Barry Cunningham -- Present
Councillor Blair Mirau --   Present (listed as by video)
Councillor Reid Skelton-Morven -- Absent  
Councillor Wade Niesh -- Present 
Councillor Gurvinder Randhawa -- Present

Video Archive for Monday,June 13, 2022 

Council has yet to post the video of their June 13th session, when they do we will add it here and adjust the timeline below accordingly.

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Regular Council Session 

(  ) Regular Council Session for Monday, June 13, 2022

Mayor Brain called the session to order, adopting the past minutes and Agenda for the evening's session, with the addition of one item for the night, that related to a Health petition received by Council in May.

(  ) Presentation to Council

The New Officer in Charge of the RCMP detachment, Sergeant Gerald Walker was welcomed to the community by Council members, with the Sergeant providing a short review of some of his time with RCMP,.

He opened his notes by observing that he is in the process of moving towards Inspector status, which would retain that position as the rank for Officer in Charge for the Detachment.

He outlined notes on  his most recent posting that of Lake Louise Alberta, observing that his wife also an RCMP member has joined him in Prince Rupert, adding that his current work since arrival is mostly that of learning the difference between Alberta and British Columbia policing.

As for his new posting, he outlined how the detachment is fully staffed at the moment, with what he noted was a good group. He also explained some of his work engaging  with stakeholders and community partners, to get a feel as to what they are doing well at the detachment and what could be improved, observing how he doesn't want to make any change for the sake of change but to learn how to give their best service to Prince Rupert.

He also outlined some of the assets he has in the province to call on towards policing in the province, as well as to review some of his current work on the new detachment planning, as well as towards the Performance plan that the RCMP has for each detachment and how to involve the community more with it in the next year.

The focus for engagement for the moment is to work with media and social media to share information, create awareness of and reach more of the local crowd in the community.

Another area of focus will be some of the crime reduction initiatives, through foot patrols, licensed establishment checks and curfew checks, he also observed on the need to do some work on traffic in the community and to increase the visibility of the members around town.

Towards the latter element, he noted of the participation of the members in the Seafest events and how they will look to other events to be increase visibility and participation with the community.

In the year ahead they are also looking towards localized Indigenous education and to bring the City in towards larger crime management strategies.

The Council members had a range of questions and comments for the new Officer in Charge, with Council Adey leading off the conversation,  noting of his long time enthusiasm for a regular dialogue for the city and all of its emergency services.

His first note of interest was related to the work of the Situation Table of the past which was suspended owing to COVID, the program one which brought the RCMP, Health and Social services together, noting that it's running in a number of communities,  with Adey asking what the status of it may be.

The Sergeant noted that he would be holding an Emergency Services meeting with officials at the Hospital on Tuesday and how that issue could be part of that dialogue, observing he could have more details at his next meeting with Council.

The councillor also spoke to the issue of Cannabis Grow Ops both legal and otherwise in the community. 

To that theme, the Sergeant observed how some of the past communities he worked in used their bylaws to add further enforcement options. He noted of the differences between the legal ones and those that may be illegal and what the RCMP could do to make it as safe for the community in cooperation with the City.

Mr. Adey's third and final question was to hear from the Sergeant towards which issues locally provide for the most challenges for the members and what the City can do to help them out.

Towards those themes, the Officer in Charge noted of the volume of intoxicated persons and mental health concerns that the detachment members receive complaints about, particularly of note in the downtown area and Five Corners part of the city, noting how they could work with Social Services and Northern Health towards some solutions to that.

Councillor Niesh picked up on the level of public drinking and milling about in the downtown area, observing how its mostly a group of younger people that are turning the downtown area into a party situation, Mr. Niesh noting of concerns from business owners about the disruptions to their property and operations.

The councillor also offered up the observation that with COVID there appears to have been more money in the community for such public drinking and other issues of concern, asking what the RCMP could do to resolve those situations.

In reply, Sergeant Walker relayed one interaction that he had with a group and how he had moved them along from that area, which was received well by a resident nearby.

He observed the approach would be to get members more visible in those areas of concern, noting how he has no problem taking someone to cells if they are doing something that would require that, though he also would welcome ways to avoid that if possible. He outlined how visibility with such options as foot patrols is huge as it encourages  and discourages behaviour in the areas of concern.

Councillor Cunningham also commented on the open drinking issue and how he was glad that the detachment is looking to tackle it as well as the traffic enforcement issues in town.  He also looked for a return of the community liaison officer program with the schools.

To that theme the Sergeant observed he is looking at that program towards reviving it in the community.

Mr. Cunningham also suggested a return to the reporting of local crime statistics to Council and the public, a comment that the new Officer in Charge said he would look towards providing.

Councillor Randhawa also welcomed the new Sergeant to town and noted of the list of items covered previous.

With that the Sergeant's presentation came to a close, with his next Destination a similar session with Port Edward Council on Tuesday.

Reports and Resolutions

(   ) Report from Planning Re: Development Activity Report  for May 2022  -- Council received a report from the Planning Department outlining the range of development activity for the month of May.  (see page 12  of the Agenda package)

(   ) Report from Planning Development Variance-- Council received a report from planning related to a Development Variance Permit for a property at 1425 2nd Avenue West. Council members had no questions related to the variance request, with Councillor Cunningham observing he did not see any impact from the proposal. Council approved the motion and sent process forward to public notification.    (see page 20 of the Agenda package)

(  ) Report from Planning Development Variance-- Council received a report from planning related to a Development Variance Permit for a property at 108 Prince Rupert Boulevard. The only comment on the topic came from Councillor Cunningham who noted that the deck was already removed.  Council then approved the motion.  (see page  26 of the Agenda package)

(   ) Report from Chief Financial Officer   --  Council received a report from CFO Bomben related to the April 2021 Financial Variance Report. Ms Bomben observed how the Operating and Utility revenues and expenses were on target despite inflationary pressures, though she did note how the increase in oil and fuel prices will likely negatively affect the city's operational results across the board. She also noted that current actual expenses reflect 2021 wage rates and will change depending on the results of upcoming contract negotiations. 

She also provided a synopsis of some of the current capital and special projects programs noting of the Woodworth Lake Dam which is finalizing, while the landfill cell is in the permitting stage, Work also continues on the CN Station and design is in progress for the new RCMP detachment. 

Ms. Bomben also issued a warning for the city's paving program noting how the rising cost of oil will impact on the paving program which could see less linear paving with a focus on those areas in poor condition given the current limitations.  Council had no questions for the CFO related to the report and received and filed it.   (see page 32  of the Agenda package)

 (   )Report from Chief Financial Officer   --  Council received  a report from CFO Bomben related to the 2021 Statement of Financial Information, with the CFO noting of the range of material available for Council's review.  

Councillor Cunningham was the only member with a question, he inquired about the low amount of 58,000 dollars that had been paid to Yellowed Pavement marking for their work in 2021. In reply she observed that owing to the weather last year as well as logistical issues for Yellowed Pavement, the company did not do as much work as they would normally do.  (see page 38   of the Agenda package)

(  ) Report from the Corporate Administrator   --  Council received  a report from Corporate Administrator Rosa Miller, that will update the Council Resolution status for items from April/May 2022 Council received the report for its information, with no comments or questions. (see page  58 of the Agenda package)

(  ) Report from the Corporate Administrator Re: NCMBA Pump Track  --  Council received a report from Corporate Administrator Rosa Miller, that outlined plans for a Licence of Occupation for property in McClymont Park for the purpose of a Pump  Track for biking.  Towards comment the council members had a few questions.

Mayor Brain asked about the Emergency vehicle access from the Sherboorke Side of the proposed track, the City's Operations Director Richard Pucci confirmed that a vehicle would be able to reach the area in question.

Councillor Adey observed that there is a portion of analysis in the report that notes there is a requirement that there be upgraded paved access to the track to tackle accessibility constraints adding that maybe there is a way to kill a bird with two stones from that.

Councillor Cunningham had questions related to safety concerns over the walking path that would be close to the creek and the track area, the Mayor noted that the City could chat with the proponents of the tack about that issue.

The Mayor also noted how it was a good news story and the track would be a great new recreation area for the community.

Council them approved the motion. (see page 61  of the Agenda package)

(   ) Notice of Motion -- Direct staff to forward the community petition on Health Care Concerns to Health Minister Adrian Dix -- The Mayor provided some background to the petition from community residents that was received in May by Council, observing over the concerns over local health services in the community.

Councillor Cunningham spoke to the topic noting of the grass roots nature of the petition and how it calls attention to conners over the loss of health services little by little in the community. He observed that with the construction of the New Mills Memorial Hospital some residents are concerned that the situation will continue to see more reductions.

The Councillor recounted some of the recent history of those reductions and how Northern Health has made some commitments and then changed them, stating that the community needs to get some definite answers from the Minister of Health and Northern Health about what's going to happen to the hospital and hospital care in the area.

He also observed how there is a need for medical facilities of a good quality to serve the whole region, also noting how some of the industrial partners are also nervous about diminishing services and how the issue is one that we have to let Victoria know the community is serious about.

Bylaws

(  ) Report from CFO Corinne Bomben Elections Procedures/Voting -- Council received a report on the Bylaw provisions for the Elections Voting procedure and Automated Vote Counting System for this fall's Municipal election. Councillor Adey had one question about the report asking if anything is new or different about the process.  

The City's CFO and Electoral Officer, Corinne Bomben provided a short review of the bylaw provisions and how the new bylaw reflects the day for advance voting in more general terms, as well as a medication for the number of nominators required from two to ten. She also noted that there is now a nomination deposit  to be put in place. The new bylaw also addresses mail ballot voting elements. 

Councillor Adey concluded his thoughts by noting of the interest in the electoral process across North American

Council then gave first, second and third readings of the bylaws required.  (see page 65 of the Agenda package)

Questions, Comments, Reports or Inquiries from Council

(  )   Councillor Cunningham opened the commentary period with a question related to the ongoing waterman work on McBride Street at the moment. In reply, Operations Director Richard Pucci observed that the city is replacing the entire run of 100 year old pipe in the area in question. The reasoning behind that is to make sure that they don't fix one problem and create another immediately after that could put them in the same situation, thus they will be replacing the entire length in question.

Councillor Cunningham also brought up the issue of road conditions on the road to the Seal Cove area and Coast Guard base there.  Mr. Pucci noted that they monitor the road and that his team will have another look at the area in question.

Mr. Cunningham also provided notice of an SPCA fundraiser event set to take place on June 22nd, with a Jail and Bail program to be key to that fundraising. He observed that all the money raised will be kept in the community and issued a challenge to the council members and others in the community to get involved.

Councillor Adey observed on the events of Seafest over the weekend and noted the enjoyment that community had from its return, as well as with the Charles Hays Grad event on Friday contributing to the weekend calendar.

Councillor Niesh followed up  on the Seafest themes and noted of the absence of the waterfront events, which was related to a lack of volunteers, calling on the community to share their time to help get the festival back up to the past volume of events.

Councillor Cunningham also made note of the work of the volunteers to get the events to the streets over the weekend, thanking them for their work, hailing the work of Betty Weir who has been a long time volunteer with Seafest on the parade.

With no other comments from the council membership the June 13th Council Session came to an end, with the Council members then returning to their adjourned Closed Session of earlier in the evening.

You can access our  Council Archive for the June 13th session here, where a number of items regarding the Council Session, including links to local media coverage can be found.

As always, our Council Timeline is only a reflection of our observations from the Council Session of the night.  Be sure to consult with the official minutes from the City, when posted to their website for further review.

Official minutes of the Regular Council Session from May 30th, 2022 (not available yet)

The Next Session for Prince Rupert City Council is set for Monday, June 27, 2022.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.