Sept. 20th Council Meeting Highlights

PUBLIC HEARING
The Public Hearing for Zoning Amendment (Royston) Bylaw 795, 2011 was held and there were approximately 8 people in attendance.  Bylaw 795 proposes to rezone the property at 9614 Chase Road from single family to duplex.  No letters were received and no comments were heard from the gallery at the public hearing for the rezoning.

 AGRITOURISM BYLAW AMENDMENT OPEN HOUSES

On June 7^th Council discussed concerns around the development of Agritourism accommodation on ALR Land and recommended that the agritourism accommodation provisions in the zoning bylaw be removed until significant public consultation had been undertaken. Council directed staff to initiate the consultation process suggesting that a meeting be held in each ward of Lake Country.  Staff proposed that one centralized meeting be held at the Municipal Hall on October 5^th allowing a greater breadth of conversation and larger attendance to discuss issues related to Agritourism. One centralized meeting will also allow the attendance of outside stakeholders to attend one meeting rather than a several meetings, saving time and money. Council suggested the possibility of holding the meeting over several days allowing more options for residents to attend.

BUILDING BYLAW 709, 2011 – FORMS POLICY

Council adopted Building Bylaw Forms Policy No. 11.118 which simply standardizes the forms, permits and applications that are a part of Building Regulation Bylaw 709, 2011.  By adopting these forms as policy, rather than as part of the Bylaw, the forms can be easily updated and changed through policy amendments rather than through Bylaw amendments.

DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 11184 DAKOTA ROAD

The applicant for DVP 2011-005 initially commenced construction of a 2-storey deck off the rear of the house without applying for a building permit and was requested to stop work.  It was then determined that a variance was required as the rear yard setback was being encroached upon. The property slopes downward from Dakota Road to the rear property line and is rather unusable due to the slope.  One neighbouring resident spoke against the proposed variance suggesting that the deck would reduce the surrounding views. Council discussed a potential allegation of an illegal suite in the home and after some discussion, approved Development Variance Permit DVP2011-005 varying the required rear yard setback from 6 m to 4.38 m.

DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 10559 OKANAGAN CENTRE ROAD WEST

The applicant for DVP 2011-008 requested a variance to reduce the required side yard setback from 3 m to 2 m to build a 2938 sq ft accessory building with a games room/gym and garage, behind the existing dwelling. Approximately four neighbouring residents submitted letters opposed to the variance.  Council denied the variance noting that there are several modifications that can be made to the building whereby it would meet the required setbacks and eliminate the need for a variance.

ZONING AMENDMENT (WUTHRICH) BYLAW 796, 2011
Owners of 10 properties along Stubbs and Ottley Roads in Lake Country made application to have their properties rezoned from Rural Residential 2 to Rural Residential 3 to allow for future subdivision. The bylaw received first reading on Aug. 16, 2011 which included a requirement for the property owners to work with staff to develop a conceptual servicing model of the area before second reading was considered. Staff recommended that the detailed servicing concerns be addressed as part of the larger McCoubrey Plateau planning process and after a lengthy discussion, Council referred the bylaw back to staff and the applicant reiterating the requirement for a conceptual servicing model of the area before presenting the bylaw at a public hearing.

NOTICE ON TITLE 11039 DELDOR ROAD
Council placed a Notice on Title on a property at 11039 Deldor Road for construction of a building without the required permits violating Building Regulation Bylaw 709, 2011. The property owner has not responded to date and was not in attendance to speak to the item.

AUDITOR APPOINTMENT

Grant Thornton LLP, and its predecessor Rutherford Bazett, have been the District of Lake Country’s auditors since incorporation, as well as the auditors for the former Winfield Okanagan Centre Irrigation District. The firm has an extensive background in serving as auditors for local public sector organizations, including several irrigation districts, the City of Kelowna and the District of Peachland. The existing 5‐year contract has expired with the completion of the 2010 year‐end. Council approved staff’s recommendation and appointed Grant Thornton LLP as the District’s auditors 2011 to 2015.

TRANSIT OPERATING AGREEMENT
Council authorized the Annual Operating Agreement for transit service between the District, BC Transit and FirstCanada ULC for April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012 as part of Lake Country’s participation in the Kelowna Regional Transit System. Annual Operating Agreement (AOA)’s with BC Transit and the transit operating company are standard agreements which provide the annual budget, payment schedule from BC Transit to the operating company, the service hours, and fares.  The total cost of the Kelowna Regional Transit System is $18.0 million, with Lake Country’s share being $789,000, or 4.4% of the total. After accounting for fare revenue and BC Transit’s contribution, the 2011/12 AOA estimates the District’s net cost to be about $325,000.

LEFT TURN SIGNALS AT HIGHWAY 97/BEAVER LAKE/GLENMORE ROAD INTERSECTION

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) has agreed to install advanced left turn signals at the intersection of Highway 97 and Beaver Lake/Glenmore Roads. The total cost of the project is $70,000 with construction and installation costs split 50/50 and MoTI absorbing the design costs of about $5,000. Council amended the 2011 Financial Plan to include the District’s portion of $35,000 in the capital budget funded by $27,654 from Council Contingency and $7,346 from Prior Years’ Accumulated Surplus. Installation should be complete this fall.

FIRE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN & SECOND QUARTER REPORT

The Lake Country Fire Department has embarked upon a program to develop a Strategic Plan to guide its activities over the next five to fifteen years. The intent is to establish a direction for the Department to follow as it faces the challenges inherent in any public service agency in this day and age. The Strategic Plan does not deal with direct operational matters such as fire ground activities but rather focuses at a higher level on internal administrative matters, long term financial requirements and sets a course aimed at addressing the way the District manages the fire service. The Fire Chief also presented the Second Quarter Report including stats on incidents, recruit training, inspections, capital projects and more. 

ENABLING ACCESSIBILITY FUND - ACCESSIBLE RAMP AND SWIM BAY

The Human Resources and Skills Development Department of Canada is accepting applications under their Enabling Accessibility Fund Small Project Component with a deadline of September 23, 2011.  The maximum funding for a project is 75% up to $50,000 supplied by the federal government.  Over the past three years, both PARC and the Access and Age Friendly committees have mentioned the idea of an accessible ramp that would allow access to one of the lakes in the community. The exact location hasn’t been decided although Beasley Park beach may prove to be suitable as it is not a fish spawning ground and the depth of the lake is gradual.  Council approved the submission of a grant application and a $12,000 capital expenditure in the 2012 budget contingent on the grant application being successful representing the District’s 25% contribution. If the grant application is approved the project must start by March 31, 2012 and be completed by March 31, 2013 and Council requested that staff engage in discussions with Committees and other community stakeholders before a final location is determined.