Meeting of Board of Directors


June 14th, 2006

Directors Present: Henry Phillips, Linda Foubister, Janet Simpson, Dave Clark, Doris Schuh, Ethelyn McInnes-Rankin, Susan Bartol-Drinker, Frank Hess, Doreen Mueller, Wayne Poohachoff, John Weaver
Regrets: none
Guests: Councillor Bea Holland, Catherine Spencer, Mitch Hammond, Henrik de Pagter, Leida-Marie Grant, 2 others
Meeting called to order at 19:02

1. Agenda: Motion to accept (as amended): (LF/DC) Carried
2. Councillor's report
• Notification of upcoming events - public markets, Cameron Band shell concerts
• Strategic plan for CRD, reps of all 13 municipalities will attend
• Consultant's report on secondary suites being presented along with the planning department's recommendation to council tomorrow
• Overarching Planning Department news –
o Advertisement for Planning Department Manager
o Reorganization into applications and policy units
o Budget for consultants to support Planning staff
• No support for RNA to proceed on planning ahead of Planning Department
• 1322 Rockland has submitted a revision - May come to Committee of the Whole on July 6th; Council prefers to let the process run its course.
3. Minutes for May 10th: Motion to approve (as amended): (LF/DS) Carried
(Financial report ‘received’, not ‘approval deferred’)
4. Business arising from the Minutes.
- Appointment of director to fill the vacancy due to the resignation of Patricia Kidd. The opportunity was offered to other nominees from AGM, both declined.
Motion (HP/LF) – To appoint Mitch Hammond as new co-chair of LU-zoning to to fill the vacancy due to the resignation of Frank Hess - carried
Motion (HP/WP) to appoint Mitch Hammond as director to fill the vacancy due to the resignation of Patricia Kidd. Carried
Discussion: FH: MH has made great contributions to land use committee, but does not support appointment of director, despite the provisions of the constitution and bylaws. Would like to see more discussion from prospective candidates. Supports the candidate, doesn't support the process. MH: willing to serve in either capacity
EMR: solicit nomination from the broader membership. DM: also concerned that those who ran should be approached; now that they have declined, OK to proceed with appointment, don't lose time. DC: Don't need to have a full suite of directors. LF: speaks in favour - good to have him on board to fully discuss matters.
- Secondary suites: JS received an information package: Policy runs contrary to the RNA plan. Also, there are pieces missing from the results of the focus groups, e.g., no requirement for owner occupation; infrastructure costs, parking. Do we need a quick response?
BH: - This is being received for information tomorrow - no decisions will be made. BH will recommend that Council make no decision before July 31st.
This major piece of work deserves a more thorough process, not a quick response. Suggest that RNA strike a working group to review, discuss and make recommendations through the RNA board. Clearly deal with secondary suites, not illegal suites.
DM - the LU-policy team will help.
Action: Provide a notice to the membership, with the link to the document, (ready tomorrow) and direct feedback to JS for now.
- City Recreation Forum, June 20th. Susan Lewis has volunteered to represent the RNA. Action: Invite Susan to the July Board meeting to report on the June 20th forum.
- Bowker sewer forcemain project: CS attended. Another meeting has been proposed. LF has volunteered to represent RNA. Potential disruption 6 months to Richmond between Oak Bay Avenue to Fairfield. LF will report.
EMR, BH left 20:11
5. Correspondence
Downtown Advisory Committee has recommendations for City Hall regarding Derelict Building Bylaw (based on Winnipeg model), including taxes based on land value, not property value to encourage maintenance of buildings.
Request for Community Arts Grants Proposals for Artists in residence or
community arts project. Deadline for applications is July 15th.
Harm Reduction - guide for communities
HdP gave an account of the recent public meeting on Hazard reduction.
Emergency Preparedness Guides - all hazards.
Email - follow up on noise associated with garden maintenance at Government House.
6. Committee Reports
Communications: Web Site - Minutes posted; Agenda posted; Dates of future meetings posted.
New link for all materials associated with 1322 Rockland.
Link to BC Government link to invasive plants (re: new CRD ban on compostable waste)
Nine email notices sent out last month
Welcome : One package delivered last month.
Newsletter - Victoria Composting Society wanted to know our newsletter policy and rates.
LF cut and pasted from the 2004 notice on the website.
Update (4x per year down to 2X per year) Rates are probably out of line with the current profile)
Suggest eliminate all but the business card size for $35. (? Classified ads at $10 per line)
New content by July 31st for the next edition.
CALUC: Council held 2 workshops (day and evening). Planner can't give the same presentation to the community, but we have a copy of the materials - DM may talk to Brian Sikstrom who is assigned directly to RNA.
Propose to take City materials, and pair that with RNA materials and compare and contrast in a neighbourhood meeting in September.
CALUC process - 8.5x11 format for development plans is too small for review - each NA should have access to a full-size set of plans for rezoning/variance.
C.A.N. - no report
Action: solicit a back-up representative. WP will draft a note and send it to JW
Safety - email from Brenda wanting to set up a block watch (Royal Terrace). Referred to Bev. Mentoring available from HP's wife Karen.
Action: Is there notification of Block Watch on our website?
Garden - grant pending.
Land Use (zoning) – Revised proposal for 1322 sent to City Planning Department.
Propose a letter to Deb Day and Council re: the impact of latest revision and the process, as WP thinks the current revision is sufficiently different as to constitute a new application, and therefore warrant another round of community meetings.
End of June as target date for a draft letter to be presented for Board's consideration.
Land Use (strategy) DM had conversations with BH and Deb Day regarding pre-work RNA could do in preparation for the plan revision.
Planning Department will consider this option as new planning staff come on-stream.
May wish to re-visit the bylaw specifications to R1A and R1B zones.
E-mail - there is an urban planner who is interested in joining the committee.
Pemberton Trail - accepted in principle by last year's board, but there is no proactivity on the part of the City. How much density bonus is a trail worth.?
7. Date and time of next meeting
July 12th, 2006 at 7:00 pm at the Truth Centre (smaller meeting room on Pentrelew side)
We will also meet August 9th and September 13th.
8. Close of meeting -
Motion: To adjourn (DC/CS) Carried
Meeting adjourned at 21:45