April
13, 2016
Present:
Janet
Simpson (JS), Ian Mayhill (IM), Norman Clark (NC), Bob June (BJ),
Dave Clark
(DC), Norman Clark (NC), John Edwards (JE), Vanessa Dingley (VD),
Marc Hunter
(MH), Dave McWalter (DM), Lawrence Bortoluzzi (LB)
Absent:Sue Simpson (SS), Stephen Roughley,
Guests:
Pamela
Madoff, Gary Pemberton, Aimee Botje
Meeting called to order at 19:00
·
Agenda
o Motion
to
approve(BJ/IM)
§ Amended
to
include Truth Centre, and Stanley Avenue proposal under Business
Arising and
Committee plans under New Business
§ Approved
as
amended
·
Minutes of March 9, 2015
o Motion
to
approve(BJ/IM)
§ Carried
·
Councillor’s Report PM
o Storm
water
utility – first bills will be sent in the fall of 2016
o Parks
projects
§ Staff
considering
the addition of tree permits issued on private property, to the
'Place
Speak' notification system. (GP: city also considering adding
demolition
permits to the system)
o Looking
for
10 Youth counselors, age 12 to 24 to explore how youth engage with
city and
vice versa. Each member of the team will receive a $1000
honourarium and the
application deadline is Thursday, April 21, 2016
o Neighbourhood
projects
My GreatNeighbourhood grants program
§ Enhance
public
spaces, animate under utilized areas
§ Rockland
at
St Charles
o Neighbourhood
concerns
§ Demolition
of
Historic house at 1326 Richardson
§ 704
Robleda
secondary suite
o Biketoria April
25 report
out to council - concerns, parking removal at urban villages.
§ Jubilee
NA
active on the impact of bike routes on Oak Bay Avenue.
o Growing
in
the City initiative adopted in February
§ Revised
Boulevard
standards are now in effect
§ Urban
Farm
roadside stands
o New
exposure
today on CFAX how you feel about ... architecture, heritage,
·
Business arising
o Belmont
tree
issue
§ FH
communication
with JS reported pruning not done yet. When?
§ DC
argued
last month that we shouldn't get involved, as it appears that this
is a
(section 12) beneficial pruning, not a (section 13) hazardous tree
order.
Motion: (VD / DC)
That the RNA
board reply to FH suggesting that local residents communicate
directly with the
property owner. Carried, unanimously, except abstentions JS, IM,
MH, BJ
Motion: (IM / MH)
That the RNA
takes no position on the pruning of trees on private property.
Carried,
unanimously.
o Support
for
Stanley Street group’s brief to the City regarding neglect of
unoccupied
homes and the demolition of character homes. (Not coming from the
Fernwood
NA/CA)
§ Looking
for
RNA approval in principle
§ Change
minimum
standard of upkeep from “public safety” to “weather tight roof and
walls”
§ For
pre-1955
homes, a formal, multistep process to explore options for
retaining,
moving, salvaging prior to demolition
§ Discussion
–
general agreement with the intent of the brief, but much of the
detail could
not be supported
Motion: (DC / MH)
The RNA
strongly supports the preservation of character homes and the
retention of
existing housing stock where appropriate. Carried, unanimously,
except
abstentions IM, DM.
o Truth
Centre
§ Dissident
Group
has been able to register a caveat on the sale of the property
§ Abstract
Developments,
the intended purchaser, is seeking preliminary meetings with
immediate neighbours and with the LUC. Meeting with PM, BJ
scheduled for
Monday, April 18th.
§ LUC
is
not ready to enter discussions until there is clear title to the
property.
ACTION – PM will
clarify status
of the purchase with Abstract.
·
New Business
o Bylaw
Review
IM, VD
§ Currently,
the
Board is compliant with all bylaws, save XII – notification to
members.
Bylaws specify delivery by hand or by Canada Post. Recommendation
is to change
current practice to bring it into compliance.
§ BC
Societies
Act may address this in the Fall of 2016, so no change to the our
bylaws is recommended until that Act is changed.
o Eileen
Evans
memorial
§ Cyclist
killed
on her way to volunteer garden. Given our close association with
the
“Friends”
Motion: (NC / IM)
That the RNA
donate $100 to the “Friends of Government House” to contribute to
a planned
memorial bicycle rack at Government House. Carried
unanimously
§ IM
will
draft a cover letter
o Calendar
for
May – reminder will soon come from the City to apply for the Base
Grant.
o Committee
Reports
– IM and JS had a discussion, and propose that the standing agenda
item
be changed from Committee Reports to Project Reports
§ DC
Encourage
Committee Reports to be circulated by email, or through the secure
Director’s area of the Web Page, to the directors in advance of
the monthly
meeting
·
Committee Reports
o CALUC
Meeting
– LB attended for BJ
§ 20
attended.
What commonalities, best practices? So much diversity that only a
rough grouping was possible. Each community deals differently with
the
preliminary meeting. Some term it the initial phase if there is
vague or
incomplete information available.
§ Next
meeting
will concentrate on best practices.
o Communications
§ Newsletter
deadline
is April 30th
o Social
Committee
§ MH
has
had additional discussions with the firm that delivers outdoor
open cinema.
He will prepare a proposal for discussion, targeting mid-August on
Craigdarroch
Castle’s lawn.
§ Considerable
discussion
on cost and benefits.
o Environment
§ Thanks
for
the input. Once Environment committee provides feedback, an
updated draft
of Terms of Reference will be circulated.
·
Meeting was adjourned at
21:10 (BJ/VD))
·
Next Board Meeting-May 11,
2016 @ 1401A Rockland