At its Aug. 20 meeting, Courtenay council approved a pay hike for the mayor, effective Jan. 1, 2019. The mayor’s annual salary will jump from $61,807 to $64,500, which is the market median for mayors in similar-sized B.C. municipalities, including Campbell River.
An adjustment to mayor and council salaries will also be made as of Jan. 1 to compensate for upcoming federal tax law changes that eliminate the tax-free portion of salary for elected officials that could be claimed in lieu of expenses related to duties.
The estimated cost to the City for the adjustment will be $23,400 for 2019.
“This is not a significant increase to taxpayers,” Coun. Doug Hillian said.
As per a bylaw, a yearly remuneration is conducted through a market review process. A consultant was paid $5,775 to conduct the review. The annual salary of $22,732 for councillors will not increase as a result of the study.
Also Monday:
•Council approved applying for grant funding towards the Woods Outfall Upgrade Project through the Canada – British Columbia Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The grant would fund up to 73 per cent of the $1,075,000 project.
Council had previously approved project funding through the City’s five-year capital project plan. If the grant application is successful, the City’s portion of the project would be $287,000.
Located at the north end of Woods Avenue, the outfall receives runoff from a 41-hectare catchment. It discharges into Morrison Creek, a sensitive habitat for the Morrison Creek Lamprey. During intense storms, high flow velocity and volume can erode the slope. The outfall consists of a wood structure that is in poor condition, causing erosion on both banks of the creek.
After screening six potential projects, City staff selected the Woods project for application to the ICIP, which is investing nearly $4 billion over the next four years to initiatives that help access potable water, manage/treat wastewater and stormwater, or reduce/remediate soil or air pollutants.
•A group of residents in the West Orchard neighbourhood of Courtenay have created a vision that balances development with ‘respectful densification’ and heritage preservation, in terms of homes and trees.
“We feel development should not automatically override heritage recognition,” Patricia Foster said.
The group believes heritage conservation is an important economic driver. It hopes guidelines can be established before developers request variances.
The heritage area within West Orchard roughly encompasses Quinn, Pidcock and Menzies avenues, and Second, Third and Fourth streets.
•The Comox Valley RCMP is initiating a local Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program, which aims to create safe communities in rental housing. Const. Donna Collins has come out of retirement to implement the three-phase program. It involves a workshop with managers and owners, a security assessment and a safety social hosted by management. The program has proven beneficial in about 2,000 communities across North America. Property values have increased, and calls for police service have dropped by up to 90 per cent.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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