At the Special Meeting of WL Council on Sept 5th - WL Council, with Councillor Geoff Bourdon opposed, agreed to give 3 Readings to Sign Amendment Bylaw #2165 of 2012 and that the public be given an opportunity to speak to Bylaw #2165 prior to adoption at WL Council's Sept 18th meeting (process same as speaking to a Development Permit or Development Variance Permit). Council also agreed to advertise this information with a request that the public may write to Council with their thoughts on Bylaw #2165 prior to September 18th. You can read how to do that here
Meanwhile - prior to indicating my own thoughts on the Bylaw, I think a brief history on this topic would be helpful:
Feb 14th Committee of the Whole meeting - Staff were directed to engage the public with respect to upcoming changes to the City's new Sign Bylaw. Also at this meeting, WL Council received a report from its' Bylaw Review Advisory Committee on the new Sign Bylaw as well - read more here
March 27th/March 29th - WL City Staff engaged both Real Estate agents and the general public as to the contents of the new Sign Bylaw
April 24th - WL City Staff report on the March 27th/29th Public Engagement Sessions for Sign Bylaw #2153, 2012. Read more here
May 8th - WL Council gives 1st, 2nd and 3rd Reading to Sign Bylaw #2153, 2012 - Councillor Danica Hughes was opposed
May 22nd - WL Council adopts Sign Bylaw #2153, 2012 - no member of WL Council opposed
August 28th City of WL Mayor Kerry Cook recieves complaint, via email, on August 21st from Kerry Gustafson questioning need to comply with 'Cariboo Theme' as a sign requirement as per term of Sign Bylaw #2153 and the City's new OCP. Read the Staff report here. As a result of the report, Council directed its' Staff to bring forward an amendment to Sign Bylaw #2153 as it relates to the 'Cariboo Theme' and signage in Development Permit areas, mandated 'voluntary compliance'. It should be noted that WL City Councillors Ivan Bonnell, Geoff Bourdon and Sue Zacharias voted to retain Sign Bylaw #2153 as it is presently written with City of WL Mayor Kerry Cook and Councillors Danica Hughes, Surinderpal Rathor and Laurie Walters opposed
Sept 5th - WL Council gives 3 readings to Sign Amendment Bylaw #2153 with Councillor Geoff Bourdon opposed.
Prior to August 21st, 2012 - no member of the public raised a concern relative to the 'Cariboo Theme' and signage in Development Permit areas that I am aware of
For the record, here is my official submission to Williams Lake City Council as it relates to Sign Amendment Bylaw #2153 and as of midnight on Sept 10th, I have not received a formal reply from any member of Williams Lake City Council:
Mayor/Council:
As requested by Mayor/Council, at its’ Sept 5th Special Meeting, I wish to take a moment to offer my own opinion on Sign Amendment Bylaw #2165 and why it should be immediately withdrawn and my deepest appreciation to Councillor Bourdon for voting no to 1st, 2nd and 3rd reading of Bylaw #2165 and I hope that he will vote no to the adoption of this bylaw, even if his colleagues vote to adopt the Bylaw
Background:
On March 27th/29th – public information meetings were held to discuss the new Sign Bylaw and not once were any concerns raised about complying with the new ‘Cariboo Theme’ raised by anyone. For Mayor Cook and Councillors Walters/Hughes – perhaps you should re-read the information in a City Staff report dated April 12th and presented to WL Council on April 24th at a Committee of the Whole meeting. Nowhere in that report were any concerns raised by the public over compliance with the ‘Cariboo Theme’ in the City’s OCP and Sign Bylaw #2153
Meanwhile – at the August 28th COW Meeting, this topic was brought up by way of an email from local businessman Kerry Gustafson. The minutes from that meeting show that Councillors Bonnell, Bourdon and Zacharias wanted to keep Sign Bylaw #2153 intact while Mayor Cook and Councillors Hughes, Rathor and Walters wished to do otherwise. My deepest thanks to Councillors Bonnell, Bourdon and Zacharias holding true to the principle that one person raising a concern should not warrant changing a major intent of a bylaw – regardless of what that bylaw is
Finally – the City will, over time, have three bylaws coming forward for consideration which includes:
a) Development Procedures Bylaw
b) Development Cost Charges Bylaw
c) Zoning Bylaw
Are Mayor Cook and Councillors Hughes/Walters saying that they’re prepared to change a bylaw(s) on the whim of 1 person?? I hope not because this City is in real governance problems if that is indeed the case
Conclusion:
If Bylaw #2165 passes as proposed – the public will no longer, from my perspective, have any confidence in any consultation process as they’ll see that a majority of WL Council will be prepared to change bylaws, at will on the basis of one complaint. I might feel differently if Council was in receipt of many complaints over the new Sign Bylaw which we haven’t seen to date.
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