Wednesday, December 27, 2017

2017 Cariboo Regional District Area 'D' Annual Report

As we wind down 2017 and I get ready to serve out the last year of the 2014-2018 term of local government - I thought I would take an opportunity to look back at the year that was...

Firstly - let me thank all of you in the various communities that make up Electoral Area 'D' - whether you live in South Marguerite, McAlister, McLeese Lake, Tyee Lake, Soda Creek Valley, Deep Creek, Xat'sull, Wildwood, Pine Valley, Commodore Heights, Mile 168 Rd, Soda Creek Road or Fox Mountain - for the great honour to serve you as the Cariboo Regional District Electoral Area 'D' Director.  It is a privilege that I take very seriously as I work in partnership with you to make your rural neighborhood the desirous place you wish it to be.  Thanks also to all of YOU for your warm/encouraging/constructive criticism comments as I served you this past year.  It's nice to know that I'm doing the right things on your behalf or providing me with feedback to better serve you.  All comments are always welcomed/appreciated...

Also - thank you to ALL of the volunteers in the aforementioned communities, it is thanks to your efforts that these rural communities are such great places to live.

A Special Shout-out to ALL of our First Responders -- RCMP, VFD's, Search and Rescue -- for their efforts above and beyond in protecting our rural communities this past summer and always year round... Thank You for your efforts to ensuring the public's safety...

As to initiatives that I have been working on this past year:

1) 2018 Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Draft Budget

I am pleased to report that the overall Regional District budget will see a tax requisition increase of 2.3%, Cariboo Regional District wide. Within Electoral Area 'D', you will see, generally, a "status quo" budget.  All functions of the CRD that Area D residents' pay for will see either no or very modest increases

Like in 2017, the public consultation for this year's budget will consist of placing of our proposed 2018 Budget in our main libraries in Quesnel, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House & posted on our website at http://www.cariboord.ca/services/finance/business-plans 

Like always - if you have concerns about any aspect of the Regional District budget  you can reach out to me on Facebook (click here), via email at sforseth@cariboord.ca or by phone at 250-267-6725

2) McLeese Lake Community Hall

I continue to work with the McLeese Lake Recreation Commission to secure grants to improve the Hall through energy efficiency projects, etc. in 2017 and this will continue into 2018.  I will be working with the Commission/Province to look into the feasibility of installing a fishing dock along the shores of McLeese Lake, perhaps at the McLeese Lake Hall site, similar to the one at Reservoir Lake in Pine Valley, during 2018.  Stay tuned!

3) McLeese Lake/Tyee Lake Volunteer Fire Departments' (MLVFD/TLVFD)

Much progress was made by the MLVFD Society to get the MLVFD more fully operational for the community's needs.  The CRD gave the MLVFD Society Grants for Assistance in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Their fundraising efforts still continue, as many Independent Fire Departments do throughout BC.  The Society was the recipient recently of a $16,500 community gaming grant from the Province and work is underway now and into 2018 to build a fire hall to store all the assets of the McLeese Lake VFD at one location that is centrally located within the community.  I can also advise that the Province has compensated the McLeese Lake VFD for their efforts at the Rankin Ranch Fire, given it was a provincial wildfire until the BC Wildfire Service was able to arrive

At the request of the Tyee Lake Community Association -- a Grant for Assistance has been approved for the Tyee Lake Volunteer Fire Department (TLVFD) to acquire fire equipment for their VFD in the amount of $10,000.  I am also informed that the provincial Fire Commissioner's office is in contact with the Chief of the Tyee Lake VFD to discuss being compensated for the equipment they used to fight the Forest Lake wildfire until the BC Wildfire Service was able to arrive on scene.

Although Tyee/McLeese Lake VFD's are independent of the Cariboo Regional District - the Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department, which is a fire department of the Cariboo Regional District, was also compensated by the Province for their efforts to protect the community of Wildwood, given the Wildwood Fire was a provincial wildfire

4) McLeese Lake Library

After a very lengthy wait of some 7 years - the community of McLeese Lake was finally able to receive its' new community library and the grand opening was held on December 16th, 2017 and by all accounts, the community of McLeese Lake was very pleased with the new building.  In Spring 2018 - we will tidy up the site with shrubbery, cleanup the layout of the expanded parking area and ensure the under-skirt wiring is protected

5 ) Soda Creek Cemetery

I received a request from the caretakers' of the Soda Creek Cemetery for possible funding to update the fencing at the old Soda Creek Cemetery back in late 2015. Due to the wildfires, I was not able to make progress on this item as I would have liked so I'm hoping to make further progress on this item in 2018

6) Dog Control Service - Commodore Heights/Pine Valley/Wildwood

As a result of two requests for a dog control service in both Wildwood/Pine Valley and now McLeese Lake - I am working with CRD Staff to present something to the communities of Wildwood/Pine Valley/McLeese Lake sometime in 2018, through a "Responsible Dog Owners' Bylaw".  CRD Staff are researching this item now with the hope of presenting this to appropriate residents' sometime during 2018 and see if there is an appetite to move forward on Dog Control and take additional steps, if appropriate

7) Building Inspection in Area D

This past Spring -- the Regional District undertook a petition process to receive consent of those Area D residents' residing north of Wildwood up to Marguerite to remove their properties from the CRD's Building Inspection Service.  Unfortunately, the petition failed however I am working with the provincial government to try and find another method to remove these properties from the Building Inspection Service Area and redraw the Area D Building Inspection Service Area to an appropriate sized area which would be Wildwood south to the Area D boundary with the City of Williams Lake.  I will keep you informed as this item progresses in 2018

8) 2017 Wildfires

As we all know - the unprecedented wildfires in the summer of 2017 had a huge impact on everyone in the Cariboo Regional District and that of Electoral Area D residents'.  The CRD recently wrapped up a number of community meetings in the Region to understand how the wildfires impacted upon residents' generally and specifically.  A final report on this subject is due in the 1st Quarter of 2018 and I hope to convince the Board to hold another round of meetings in Spring 2018 to ensure that the final report reflects what residents' told us from October to December 2017.  I expect that we will be in the recovery stage for a number of years and the CRD has hired a Recovery Manager, Ms. Stephanie Masun, to assist us with the Recovery stage.  Please feel free to reach out to her if you need assistance as a result of the 2017 Summer Wildfires, via email here or by phone at 1-866-759-4977.  There are also resources on the CRD Website to assist people with their own individual recovery - click here

I want to thank ALL of the Electoral Area D residents' who reached out, by phone/Facebook, etc, during the 2017 Wildfires and provided me with words of support or suggestions at the height of the 2017 Wildfires.  That was greatly appreciated and more than you can ever know as I tried to serve you during the 2017 Wildfires to the best of my ability

Other Initiatives/Matters:

Other initiatives that I was involved with in 2017 included:

* Attend LGLA/NCLGA/FCM/UBCM Conferences in Richmond, Terrace, Ottawa and Vancouver respectively

* Financial Contributions to Tyee Lake Community Association AGM, Wildwood Community Assocation and Xat'sull Save the Salmon event at the Xat'sull Heritage Village in the Soda Creek Valley

* Continue to participate on the Public Liaison Committee with respect to Mt Polley

* Participated in the Grand Opening of the new West Fraser Aquatic Centre (old Sam Ketchum Pool) and new McLeese Lake Library

And much more....

During the 2017 wildfires and generally throughout 2017! - I was in contact with MANY people, local elected officials in BC, Area D residents' and residents' throughout the Central Cariboo region -- their feedback and offers of assistance is greatly appreciated.  Through the conversations - I was able to ensure I was performing my role as CRD Electoral Area 'D' Director as best I could  Thank you all!

In 2018 - I plan to report out on what I'm up to often as I can plus my monthly expenses/meeting calendar as well - both here and on my Facebook page which you can view at https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Forseth-CRD-Area-D-Director-530711320407846/?ref=hl

On my own behalf - I wish ALL of your families a very happy/healthy 2018

Steve Forseth
Director - Electoral Area 'D' (Commodore Heights - McLeese Lake)
Cariboo Regional District
Ph: 250-267-6725
E: sforseth@cariboord.ca

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