Rockland
Neighbourhood Association: Minutes of the Board
Meeting of Board of Directors
December 13th, 2006
Directors Present: Henry Phillips, Janet Simpson, Linda Foubister, Dave
Clark, Doris Schuh, Doreen Mueller, Susan Bartol-Drinker, Frank Hess,
Ethelyn McInnes-Rankin, John Weaver, Mitch Hammond, Wayne
Poohachoff,
Guests: Councilor Bea Holland, Richard Cane, Lois Johnson
Meeting called to order at 19:01
1. Agenda: Motion
to accept (as amended): (LF/WP) Carried
Add:
• Business arising:
• walking tour
• New business:
o Pemberton Trail - report,
Bring forward – Land Use (zoning) motion
2. Minutes of November 15th: Motion to approve
(LF/DM) Carried
3. Land use (zoning) motion
Background – committee seeks transparency in the face of anticipated
development pressure – achieve accountability by clarifying where board
members stand on every issue.
Motion: (FH/WP)
WHEREAS transparency, consistency, and accountability are essential
components of sound decision making for neighbourhood land use issues;
and
WHEREAS land use issues have major financial and environmental impact
upon neighbours, developers, and upon the future integrity of the
entire Rockland community; and
WHEREAS the Rockland Neighbourhood Association supports residential
development of a high quality, as embodied by the principles and
objectives of the Rockland Neighbourhood Plan;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
the Land Use-Zoning Committee will henceforth express its
recommendations to the Board of Directors on rezoning applications,
variance applications, and other issues before it, in the form of
recorded, polled resolutions;
the Land Use-Zoning Committee, acting under the authority of the Board
of Directors, recommends to the Board of Directors that the Board apply
the same method of polled, recorded votes when dealing with the
committee's resolutions;
the Board of Directors put forward an addition to the
Association's Bylaws requiring polled,recorded votes with respect to
Land Use-Zoning resolutions , presenting the appropriate resolution to
the Membership for the AGM Feb 2007 for ratification;
the record of the resolutions regarding Land Use decisions by the Board
be made public by way of Minutes of Meetings on the RNA's web site;
and further, that the implementation of the recommendation to the Board
of this Land Use-Zoning Committee is subject to fulfillment of the
following conditions:
1. Approval of the Bylaw by the Association membership;
2. An appropriate Director's Liability insurance coverage extend
protection to all Board members for any Board/ Committee activity; and
3.The Board adopts a Conflict of Interest policy, including a method
for disclosure of such conflict, for the operating of the Board.
Discussion:
LF: What is the meaning of “polled and recorded? – There is a roll call
and against the name of each board member present is recorded either
yea, nay, abstain or conflict of interest.
JW: is this procedure necessary? It gives special status to the LU(Z)
committee. Also, votes may be taken out of context, as the discussion
is not usually fully recorded. – The objective of the committee is to
provide feedback to the board, seeking consensus.
SBD: the board discussed this earlier in the year - we are seeking a
board position - we operate as a whole. Our arguments and
recommendations are stronger without recording the split.
LF: conditions - director's liability insurance - does this suggest
that our current coverage is insufficient?
DM: decisions, recommendations should go out as a board decision,
without weakening by indicating the degree of the split - but sees the
value for accountability to association members to inform their vote.
DC: we are an advisory, not a decision-making body - therefore this is
a level of scrutiny that is not justified.
JS: feels that this level of accountability to the membership will
strengthen our advice and recommendations to City Hall.
HP: the conditions - can they be resolved before the bylaw is passed?
-otherwise we may have a bylaw that can't be put into action until the
conflict of interest and insurance aspects are dealt with. – We are
insured against liability as long as directors don't engage in libel or
slander.
FH: Boormans' has a policy that would cover all directors but not
committee members.
BH: will look at the current coverage
LF: has tried in the past to get a clear picture, but it may be
unknowable, until put to a legal test.
WP: thinks we can get the Conflict of interest policy developed prior
to the AGM
FH: calls for a polled vote on this topic
EMR: insufficient information for her informed vote
MH: clarify that if any of the 3 conditions are not met then the motion
dies unimplemented - doesn't go forward to the AGM
friendly amendment –
"to the satisfaction of the board at the January meeting"
Yea: Linda Foubister, Mitch Hammond, Frank Hess, Doreen Mueller,
Henry Phillips, Wayne Poohachoff, Janet Simpson, John Weaver
Nay: Susan Bartol-Drinker, Dave Clark, Ethelyn McInnes-Rankin, Doris
Schuh
Motion carried
Action: LU(Z) will draft wording of a bylaw amendment for January 3rd
meeting,
to be brought forward to Jan 10th Board meeting.
Conflict of interest policy - look to Society Act, and to the RNA
instruments.
4. Councillor's report
• Penny Ballantyne is the new City Manager.
o Starts Feb 1/07
o Experience in Provincial Government
management.
• planning dept has hired, more coming. Also some
work to contract
o secondary suites, green building policy, parking
strategy,
• development cost charges, (need Provincial Approval
to proceed).
• strategic plan - 4 drafts, now at printer - goals,
objectives, vision, performance measures
• budget being pared; capital plan is linked,
partnership $
• City will develop gathering points for branch
pick-up
5. Correspondence and E-mails
o Correspondence:
o City: Council minutes
o Cary Bulletin
o Reply from Canada Post re graffiti - local postal
depot –
Action: add 1-800 number to graffiti section on the web site
o E-mail
o Wayne Hollahan - arguments against proposed changes
to the Shell Station
o Ron Soule 937 St Charles – suggested changes to
information in the heritage walking tour – apparently there are
conflicting sources of information.
o Gail-Price Douglas - catalogue of grants.
(MH, BH left)
4. Business arising
LF requests additional funds for more work on the walking tour –
o Improve the value, work on the design of the
brochure – more compelling content, more user friendly. - Add
heritage trees; map as a souvenir, better paper stock.
o Still $1500 left in our account for future
printings - this could be applied to the proposed upgrade.
Motion (LF/EMR) That the board, subject to available
funding including the balance of the walking tour account, approve
investigating the update of the heritage walking tour, with regards to
design, content and
production. Carried
o Pemberton Trail - DM met Joe Daly. When original
presentation from Ken Milbraith was given - was there any discussion
with the affected property owners? (ANS - no. On the tour, later, some
property owners were pointed out as having been consulted)
Because some property owners have not been consulted, it is difficult
to be explicitly included in the greenways plan.
LF - concept as presented was of a trail system that would be
opportunistic, and options pursued as they arise. City has
identified key properties to flag for potential purchase, or for
consideration at the time of redevelopment.
Key properties are already implicated - 1322, Castle, Camosack Manor.
Need some clarification from the city, or refer all communications
directly to the city.
Action: Ignore for now.
5. New Business
o Membership form revision
o “From time to time we receive requests for RNA
electioneering, or circulations of RNA-related petitions
o reference the “Protection of Personal Privacy Act”
o add “and for no other reasons”
Background: We currently use the distribution list to circulate
information approved by the Board.
o EMR will redraft and send to HP for review
o Snow removal - if anyone asks it's the City's
responsibility for sidewalks adjacent to the garden. Action - Add a
note on snow removal responsibility to the newsletter
6. Committee Reports
Land Use (zoning) –
o letter from Jacob DeVilliers - density bonus policy
document was made available to a public hearing on a Michigan St,
Rezoning, and City took it for information..
Tim Van Alstine James Bay has set a meeting inviting other associations
to develop an action plan for dealing with the City on this issue.
• Basement definition - need to clean up the R1B
bylaw, and basement is only one facet, but maybe a doable piece on its
own.
Land Use (strategy) –
• LUS Shell Station rezoning went through -
convenience store takes over
from service bay. Midnight closing?
Newsletter -
• Distribution in January, mostly electronic, but
will print 100 hard copies for distribution.
• Include notice of AGM, PPPA consent on Membership
Form,
Action: Send short articles by January 1st.
Traffic
• Discussion with Keith Kresse - no new
transportation plan in the works
• 2 median islands on Richardson - at Arnold, at
Minto. Curb extension on Despard at St Charles (in future years)
Emergency Preparedness
Continuing with the weekly routine of emailing out to our list specific
ideas for preparing for emergencies. Receiving positive feedback.
Garden –
• Web site updated
• Tricia Hodgson - will paint signs and flowers. 2x3
feet, then attach to metal frame.
• GA donated 15 foot Yew, planted with MH help.
Membership:
• New applications coming in
7. AGM and Nominating Committee
• Speaker - Liberty van Alstine?
o Kevin Key - Gateways to Rockland project
o Or someone to talk about tree inventory? Corey
Manton arborist for City - does permitting.
• Tree age and infestations will result in entire
blocks harvested at once, and replace with alternate species –
• Nominating committee is Catherine Spencer, Don
Hamilton, M. Adams.
o give them notice of your intentions and submit
biographical information if you are interested in running for another
term. If you have any ideas, talk to potential candidates and
identify them to the nominating committee.
• Create committee annual reports by January Board
meeting -
8. Date and time of next meeting (AGM)
February 12th, 2007 at 7:00 pm at the Truth Centre on Fort Street.
11. Close of meeting -
Motion: To adjourn (DC/JS)
Carried