Post Notes for the Council Meeting of July 15, 2013

Note
Additional and Late Correspondence is now up on the City's webpage at:
https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3262

Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook have been advised by the Committee to Restore the Electrical Building the Delegation concerning the brick Electrical Building was advised not to attend as a delegation.  A petition concerning same was accepted.  CLCS has also noted correspondence concerning Provincial Heritage policies and practice in other jurisdictions, which were sent well before the cut off time for inclusion have not been included in the Council Package.
Additions were made to the Agenda at the beginning of this meeting to include the correspondence referred to above and which had not originally been included.  It was noted late correspondence was also included.

Delegation
Megan Lohmann, Community Energy Association, BC Hydro
Megan Lohmann described the new position of Community Energy Manager - a position created by BC Hydro in cooperation with CBT and the RDEK to create motivation and instruction on how to conserve energy.  We will be hearing more about the Energy Diet which BC Hydro would like all residents of the area to embark on.  The plan will be introduced in Rotary Park on July 26th from 11:30 - 1:30.  There will be trade shows in the Fall and home energy audits will take place during November and December for a cost of approximately $100 per home.  There will be an opportunity for the City to claim overall carbon reductions.


Inquiries

Councillor Davis used this time to list many concerns concerning empty buildings, the state of roads, support for a letter from Tracy McGuire concerning demolition of the Electrical Building, request for an invitation to the new administrator for the Railway museum and information regarding the Municipal Auditor's report.  (A report was given at the last Council meeting as to procedure for the Audit.)
Councillor Cross relayed an enquiry regarding the road markings left on Tenth Avenue after the Sam Steele Strong Man Competition and whether the Sam Steele Society would take responsibility for removing the markings. Referred to Administration.
Councillor Warner passed on an enquiry from the Wellness and Heritage Committee regarding whether it would be possible to send a letter to Interior Health recommending the placement of a smoking area away from the from entrance of the hospital.  Mayor Stetski commented that he could take this concern directly to the Hospital Board.

Administration Update
The full Admin. Update can be read at:
https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3241

North Sector Area Plan
In accordance with the Corporation's 2013 Workplan, staff will be commencing work on a new area plan for the north sector lands which were included in the 2007 northern  boundary expansion. The purpose of the plan is to identify future land use and development, servicing phasing and timing and the land's relationship to the adjacent  Wildstone and St. Mary Neighbourhood Plan (includes Shadow Mountain)areas. The majority of the lands currently do not have a land use designation assigned to them in the City's Official Community Plan (OCP).  Staff has prepared a workplan which outlines the steps in the planning process over the next nine months. It is anticipated that consultation for the process will include interdepartmental and intergovernmental meetings, letters and newsletters along with a questionnaire to residents and property owners, a public meeting and an open house to present the draft plan when complete. Specific dates for the various events have not been determined at this point. Staff will advise of the dates when they are scheduled.

City Website Overhall

Economic Development
Cranbrook's BizPal presence was "soft launched" in June, in other words Cranbrook's information is made available on a limited basis for testing/validation purposes. Administration is currently testing the BizPal system to ensure that it works properly with the Cranbrook information. The testing phase and any associated clean-up for the Cranbrook information is expected to be completed by the end of July. At that point a BizPal web-page will be set up on the City's web-site and Cranbrook's presence on BizPal will be officially launched and available for public use.
It is hoped this program will be fully rolled out by the end of July.

Engineering
Capital Roads Program
including ;
14 Av Avenue South -13th Street to 17th Street South
Cranbrook Street/Highway 3 Frontage Road - New Denham Ford to Kootenay
Granite
4th Street NWand Hurry Avenue
2nd Street South - Highway 3 to 14th Avenue South
Drainage Improvement Projects
For the Report go to: https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3241

On DCC's it was interesting to note Engineering has noted a critical piece of information is missing from the Growth Management Study of 2009.  This piece of information is required before further recommendations can be made.
A resolution was made however at the Province's recommendation to review the City's DCC rates every 5 years. Carried.

Leisure Services
• Western Financial Place Events
On September 19, Cranbrook will host the iconic Dwight Yoakam. Yoakam has 12 gold
albums and nine platinum or multi-platinum albums, including the triple-platinum "This
Time". Five of those albums have topped Billboard's Country Albums chart with another
14 landing in the Top 10. More than 30 singles have charted, with 22 going Top 20,
including the incomparable hits "Honky Tonk Man," "Please Please Baby," "Little Ways,"
"I Sang Dixie," "It Only Hurts When I Cry," "Fast as You" and "Thousand Miles from
Nowhere." He has won two Grammies and earned a staggering 21 nominations.

Petition
https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3242
8.1 K. Haberman Petition regarding the Electrical Building
The petition was accepted with Councillor Whetham noting some signatures were from out of town. It was generally conceded however that most were indeed from in town.
Councillor Cross spoke of what was at stake with this issue.  In effect she said to deny a group of volunteers the opportunity to take on this project would be to deny citizens their willingness to show love of community. That would be a an even bigger loss.
Comment
Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook note that while some signatures may have been from out of town it says something that people from out of town recognise Cranbrook's heritage  It should also be noted, this considerable number of signatures was obtained in a very short time in order to meet the deadline of this Council meeting.  Of note, a man from Paris who questioned why Canadians like to knock their old buildings down.

Correspondence
https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3243
9.1  Pinewood Playground
It was suggested that the correspondents be advised to apply to Columbia Basin Trust.
9.2  Sign Bylaw, Billboards
A letter in opposition to Billboards.
9.4 Miracle Grow Garden Contest
9.5  Chamber of Commerce regarding changes to the Building Bylaw
The Chamber would like to see the changes to the Building bylaw be delayed for more consultation.
9.8 RDEK Highlights

9.9 - 9.10  These items do not appear currently(July 16)in the Council package. Letters from David Humphrey regarding Municipal Heritage Property and Community Heritage Registers.
Mayor Stetski thanked Mr Humphrey for the considerable research regarding municipal heritage property information, including that of Cranbrook.  As Mayor Stetski pointed out Cranbrook's record of heritage preservation, despite several studies and recommendations for improvement, has been poor.
The information reveals that the Electrical Building in question for demolition is included in Cranbrook's  list of Provincially Registered Protected Properties as it part of the City Hall complex.  The protected list is provincially registered and has only very few Cranbrook buildings on it. A Community Heritage Register, which is less formal but recognises buildings of significance was begun in 2003 but no buildings have been listed on it, unlike other municipalities which have considerable lists. 
A motion was made to refer the issue of a Register for Cranbrook's Historical Buildings to the Wellness and Heritage Committee. 
Comment
It is rather shocking that this information was not considered by those in charge before this issue came before Council. Any recommendations regarding the Electrical building are therefore null and void at this time, pending more research by those volunteers willing to save part of Cranbrook's history at their own expense.

Late items
9.13 A letter from CABDA concerning the proposed Building Bylaw and a request to delay readings for more consultation.  
9.14 A letter from the Home Builders Association
9.15 A letter from the Chamber of Commerce regarding the Sign Bylaw.
9.16 A letter from Ken Haberman

Report Recommendations

11.1 Wellness and Heritage
1. THAT Council consider the recommendation of the committee to proceed with allowing dog waste dispensers at Moir Centennial Athletic Park, provided that an off leash area be designated and is fenced; and further THAT additional signage is posted stating that all dogs must remain on their leash in other areas of the park, keeping off all sport playing fields.
Mr Hales (in CAO Staudt's absence) explained the cost for the dog off leash area to be about $20,000. This recommendation went over well with all of Council and it was agreed to put this item into the 2014 budget.
Approved.

2. THAT Council direct the Wellness and Heritage Committee to research options for additional dog friendly locations within the City for both on and off leash areas, and report recommendations back to Council at a future date.
Approved. Chris new , Leisure Services explained that comparative research has been done with other cities and that Cranbrook lags behind other cities in their development of dog parks. 

12.1 Mayor's Brown Bag Lunch
https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3252

12.2  Rescue Vehicle Agreement

12. 3 Coffee with the Mayor
https://cranbrook.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=3255


Bylaws
13.1 Building Bylaw 3725 First, Second Reading
This item created considerable debate.  It was pointed out several times that consultation can happen between and third readings which is part of normal process.  Councillors Pallesen and Davis felt they would like to see this done now even though it would result in another months delay in the bylaw's progress. It was pointed out that this Building bylaw is in some urgent need of updating due to liability issues.
Forst and second radings carried with Councillors Davis, Pallesen and Scott opposed.

13.2 Leisure Services Fees and Charges Bylaw3765, Adoption.
Carried

13.3 Sign Bylaw 3773 First, Second and Third Readings
A letter received from the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce requesting a height limitation of 10 metres rather than the current 7.5 metres and a time limit for removal of abandoned signs, was discussed.  Council voted in favour of implementing an abandonment agreement time limit for abandoned signs but not in favour of the 10 metre limit.  

13.4 Zoning Amendment 3774
Carried.