Quesnel Council Highlights - August 29th mtg

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Elliott Street Supportive Housing Development  BC Housing has submitted an Official Community Plan and Rezone application to develop a supportive housing complex on Elliott Street. The proposal is for BC Housing to purchase 11 lots on Elliott Street to develop a supportive housing complex that would better meet the increasing mental health and addictions healthcare needs of the proposed facility’s residents and would result in the relocation of Season’s House from Carson Avenue. The City’s Public Hearing for the proposed Official Community Plan and Rezone application has been rescheduled to Monday, September 18, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers due to new information being brought forward from City staff in two different reports that were presented to Council include a summary report of the Proponent’s (BC Housing) Public Open House held on August 15, 2017, as well as, a report of the operational agreements for this proposed development with the following highlights from each report. Public’s Input - Summary  Present:  171 members of the public signed-in for the August 15, 2017 Open House 3 City of Quesnel Staff, 2 BC Housing representatives, 1 JTW Consulting representative (consultant for BC Housing), and 14 individuals from the Quesnel and Shelter Support Society Feedback Data:  83 public written submissions with 63% being received from West Quesnel residents, business owners, or both. More than half of all the participants had an overall positive stance on the proposal West Quesnel business owners and resident submissions show just over half of those respondents had an overall negative stance on the proposal; with 39% being clearly positive. Operational Agreements - Summary Agreements will be brought to a future Council meeting and must be established prior to Council’s consideration of any final readings of the proposed OCP and Zone Amendment bylaws. These agreements include: Operations Agreement – between the shelter operator (Quesnel Shelter and Support Society) and BC Housing. Housing Agreement – between the City of Quesnel and BC Housing that requires BC Housing to keep in good standing a Good Neighbour Agreement with the City and other identified community partners (ie. RCMP, Northern Health, Neighbourhood Association) Good Neighbour Agreement – develops a timely process where community/neighbourhood stakeholders will have neighbourhood concerns/issues addressed by the shelter operator of the facility and is managed by a committee of community stakeholders. Next steps include the Operational Agreements being finalized and the September 18, 2017 Public Hearing.

U-Pass Program – North Cariboo Community Campus  U-Pass agreements between the City of Quesnel, BC Transit, University of Northern British Columbia, College of New Caledonia and both students unions for these post-secondary institutions located in Quesnel have been approved. Effective September 2017, students at the North Cariboo Community Campus in Quesnel will all contribute, some exemptions apply, to the U-Pass program that will provide transit at a reduced-rate, and free drop-in admission to the Arts and Recreation Centre for the pool, gym, and drop in fitness classes.

West Fraser Centre – Concession Agreement  Rocky’s Concession has been awarded, through an Expression of Interest process, a five-year management and operation of the food and beverage concession at the newly constructed West Fraser Centre that is scheduled to open September 16, 2017.

Shipping Containers in Residential Areas Zone Amendment Bylaw 1828 received final adoption and prohibits any further additions of shipping containers for residential properties. The primary concern for prohibiting shipping containers for residential properties is the safety of Quesnel’s Fire Fighters.  There have been fatalities of fire fighters, in the province, due to sealed shipping containers exploding. For more information regarding shipping containers, please contact the Development Services department.

Bylaws Bylaw 1828 – Zone Amendment – Prohibit Shipping Containers in Residential Areas – Final Adoption Bylaws 1829 & 1830 – OCP & Zone Amendments – Supportive Housing (Elliott Street) – Rescheduled Public Hearing Date to 6:00 pm, Monday, September 18, 2017 at City Hall Council Chambers Bylaw 1831 – Municipal Ticket Information Amendment – Ticketing Changes for Business Licensing – Final Adoption

Next Meetings 7 pm, September 5, 2017 – Regular Council Meeting 5:30 pm, September 12, 2017 – North Cariboo Joint Planning Committee