For its next meeting with the RCMP, council is including some old and new items.
Once again, they want to address public safety concerns at Comox Lake, including boaters.
‘Sometimes, they really do need the police out there,” said Mayor Leslie Baird at the April 27 council meeting. “That can be a very dangerous lake out there, and we need to make sure people are looking after themselves.”
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Council was responding to correspondence from Insp. Mike Kurvers of the Comox Valley RCMP about the annual performance plan to identify community priorities.
Last year, council asked for crime reduction, especially around prolific offenders, along with traffic and road safety to be addressed. Coun. Gwyn Sproule cited the concern of traffic racing along Comox Lake Road, in particular, saying it could be combined with the lake issue.
Coun. Sean Sullivan asked why community policing was again left off the agenda after the community has asked for it.
Coun. Jesse Ketler said she has been having weekly meetings with the RCMP through her role on the region’s emergency operations centre (EOC) for the pandemic and explained the RCMP have “more on their plate recently with COVID,” such as homeless encampments and property theft.
Council voted to endorse the plan with priorities identified as traffic/road safety including ATVs, Comox Lake and community policing.
Council supports initiatives
At the April 27 regular meeting, Cumberland council endorsed a few initiatives around poverty, active transportation and a green rebuilding plan.
For a regional poverty reduction plan, the Comox Valley Regional District was looking to council to support its application to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities program that aims to fight poverty in communities. The plan focuses on housing affordability, children and youth, transportation and food security.
The CVRD also was also looking for support for its application for a provincial active transportation plan program. The regional district is hoping at undertaking a planning exercise that would identify gaps and barriers for active transportation in the area, jurisdictional roles and opportunities for more action. Community partners will include the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, School District 71 and K’ómoks First Nation.
Finally, council was asked to support a letter from the Climate Caucus, a group of more than 250 local government representatives from across Canada, calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make Canada’s economic recovery from the pandemic “green” by help easing the transition to a more resilient, low-carbon economy.
The letter highlights a number of ideas such as investments in public transit and renewable energy, local food security, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, zero waste plans, divestment from fossil fuels, restructured municipal funding, keeping “Main Street” alive, restoring ecosystems and support for the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Setback variance approved
Council approved a variance permit application for a property at 4708 Cumberland Rd. at the April 27 meeting.
The request asked to adjust a rear-yard setback for principal dwellings from the required 4.5 metres to 2.6 metres for the purpose of adding an addition to a single-family home.
Some members of council questioned the need for the variance as opposed to the applicant building within existing regulations in the first place.
“It would be nice if people built within the rules,” said Coun. Sean Sullivan.
Staff, however, received no comments from the public in response to the request, so council voted in favour.
Alternate meeting space approved
Council has approved holding public meetings in Moncrief Hall at the Cultural Centre at 2694 Dunsmuir Ave., beside the Museum, to provide more space for physical distancing as Covid-19 restrictions are eased. They also approved scheduling committee of the whole meetings for July 27 and Oct. 26. These will take place following regular meetings on those days.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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