River Valley bridge retrieval and removal contract awarded to Quality Excavating
Council awarded a contract for bridge retrieval and removal in the Williams Lake River Valley to Quality Excavating for a cost of $51,500. The City's share of the cost will be $10,300 if Disaster Financial Assistance approves the expanded project scope or up to $26,300 if DFA approval is not provided. The reclamation work is part of an ongoing project to restore the River Valley and reopen it to the public following flooding in April of 2020. The intent is to recover the City's share of the project cost through the sale of the bridges for a minimum of $2,000 per unit.
Council approves SOFI submission
Council received and approved the 2021 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) report and disclosure schedules and approved its submission to the Province.
Fee Bylaw amended
Council gave the first three readings to the Fee Amendment Bylaw, introducing an update to reduce credit card convenience fees from five per cent to three per cent.
FCM grant and UBCM applications approved
Council approved an application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) 2022 Asset Management Planning Grant Programs for up to $50,000 and committed to conduct the proposed activities, including a review of current assets, develop an asset management program and system integration and training, to FCM's Asset Management Program. If the grant is approved Council will commit $94,946.01 from the Asset Management Plan capital budget toward the cost of this initiative.
Asset management outlines conditions, levels of service, asset and service risks, activities and programs for each service area and resources required to provide a defined level of service in the most cost-effective way. Council also approved an application to the Union of BC Municipalities 2022 Asset Management Planning Grant Program for up to $25,000.
Development variance permit approved at Green Acres Mobile Home Park
Council approved an application for a development variance permit from the property owners at 3001 Mackenzie Avenue North (Green Acres Mobile Home Park) to reduce the buffer area from 7.6 metres to zero metres in order to relocate two manufactured homes currently within a slide area due to slippage caused in September of 2021.
City amends COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy
Council supported a recommendation to amend its COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy. Under the amended policy, contractors and volunteers will be removed from the policy.
The City of Williams Lake continues to navigate through the pandemic following recommendations from health officials and medical experts, along with the Provincial Health Order. The policy will still apply to Council, employees and paid volunteers including paid on call firefighters.
Council continues push for more support on prolific offenders from Province
A letter from the Ministry of Attorney General, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General on an investigation into prolific offenders greatly concerned Council. Council requested staff provide Council and the ministries with records of all of the work that has been done in the Williams Lake area addressing the negative impacts prolific offenders have on the community and on increasing crime trends in Williams Lake and its surrounding areas.
CCTV cleaning and camera inspection contract awarded
Council awarded a contract for CCTV camera inspection and cleaning project toNorthern Lites Technology Ltd. for $88,037.25.
The project consists of providing CCTV inspection of sanitary sewer main pipe, a digital copy of the inspection and cleaning of approximately 20.45 kilometres of sanitary sewer mains.
City's Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw and Tax Rate Bylaw approved
The City's Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw and Tax Rate Bylaw were both adopted. The Financial Plan Bylaw sets out the City's operating expenditures, amounts required for capital purchases, proposed funding sources and proposed transfers to or between funds from 2022 to 2026.
The Tax Rate Bylaw, meanwhile, will result in a 10 per cent residential tax rate reduction for 2022.
City and Council to participate in National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations
Council approved a request from the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council for road closures on First Avenue, Oliver Street and Seventh Avenue for the National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations and parade ending at Boitanio Park on Tuesday, June 21. Council noted its support of the event, and agreed to look into having a float entered into the parade, and to participate in the festivities.