November 4, 2019 Regular Council Summary

Committee Recommendations
A two-direction bike lane on Front Street has been accelerated from 2021 to 2020. Staff will be returning to Council with final designs prior to its installation.

$220,000 in funds will be allocated from the Strategic Infrastructure Reserve Fund for downtown improvements (a funding request of $10,000 for animated decorative lighting/lasers was removed).

An open house will be held at East Wellington Park and a draft version of the East Wellington Park Management and Action Plan will be posted to the City’s website to gather public input. A non-farm use application will be submitted to the Agricultural Land Reserve for park development and staff will report back to Council with a final draft plan.

Council approved the City of Nanaimo’s application to the 2019 Community Action Initiative’s Community Wellness and Harm Reduction Grant for $50,000. If successful, the grant money would be used to support a peer-run skills and employment program which would create positive opportunities for social connection and interaction between drug users, the business community, and the general population.

A request from the Nanaimo BMX Association for $35,000 in upgrades to the Marie Davidson BMX Park has been referred to staff. A report will be prepared for Council’s consideration as they enter budget discussions for this year.

Staff will be preparing a communications strategy around snow and ice removal with the aim of educating residents and business owners about City bylaws relating to snow removal on sidewalks.
Section 8 b

Fire Station No. 1 – LEED Certification
The Fire Station No. 1 Project will be exempt from the LEED certification requirement. This will help reduce costs and scheduling and although a formal certificate would not be received, many of the benefits of LEED will still be realised by incorporating LEED equivalent green and sustainable building features.   
Section 10 a

2020 Appointments to the Regional District of Nanaimo Board
The following appointments to the Regional District of Nanaimo Board will be renewed, for a term ending 2020-DEC-31: Mayor Krog and Councillors Hemmens, Armstrong, Geselbracht and Brown (5 votes each); Councillors Turley, Bonner and Thorpe (4 votes each); and Councillor Maartman as an alternate.
Section 10 b

2019 Asset Management Reserve Fund Amendment Bylaws
Amendment Bylaws related to asset management reserve funds (for General Funds, Sewer Funds and Water Funds) passed three readings. The amendment bylaws revise the purpose of the original bylaws to specifically identify the use of the funds for operating projects as well as projects that are also funded by Development Cost Charges (DCC’s).
Section 10 c

2019 Reserve Fund Establishment Bylaws
The following establishment bylaws passed three readings:

• “911 Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7295” (To establish a 911 Call Answer Service Reserve Fund)
• “Cart Replacement Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7296” (To establish a residential solid waste Cart Replacement Reserve Fund)
• “Copier Replacement Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7297” (To establish a Copier Replacement Reserve Fund)
• “Emission Reduction Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7298” (To establish an Emission Reduction Reserve Fund)
• “Housing Legacy Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7299” (To establish a Housing Legacy Reserve Fund)
• “Information Technology Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7300” (To establish an Information Technology Reserve Fund)
• “Nanaimo District Secondary School Community Field Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7301” (To establish a Nanaimo District Secondary School Community Field Reserve Fund)
• “Parking Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7302” (To establish a Parking Reserve Fund)
• “Property Acquisition Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7303” (To establish a Property Acquisition Reserve Fund)
• “Strategic Infrastructure Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7304” (To establish a Strategic Infrastructure Reserve Fund)
• “Sustainability Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7305” (To establish a Sustainability/Energy Consumption Reduction Reserve Fund)

Section 10 d

Property Maintenance
The owners of properties at 188 Cap. Morgans Boulevard and 63 Pirates Lane have been directed to remove materials (including derelect vehicles, garbage, etc.) from their property within fourteen days or it will be removed at the owners’ cost.
Section 10 e

A Housing Agreement Bylaw for 1400 Wingrove Street (to authorize a housing agreement for rental housing) passed three readings and Staff will be registering a covenant to reinforce the terms of the agreement.
Section 10 f

Development Around Nanaimo
A Development Permit for 560 Third Street (to reduce the required number of parking spaces from 216 to 188) was approved.
Section 10 g

A Development Variance Permit for 1074 Old Victoria Road (to vary the front yard and flanking side yard setback requirements for mobile home pad areas in an existing mobile home park) was approved.
Section 10 h

A mixed-use building at 507 Milton Street has been accepted into the Downtown Revitalization Tax Exemption Program.
Section 10 i

Bylaw Updates
The following bylaws were adopted:

• “Zoning Amendment Bylaw 2019 No. 4500.154” (To amend Schedule D of the Zoning Bylaw to modify Category 5 – Energy Management to include reference to the BC Energy Step Code)
• Highway Closure and Dedication Removal Bylaw 2019 No. 7289 (To provide for highway closure and dedication removal of an unnamed road adjacent to 3500 Rock City Road)
• Highway Closure and Dedication Removal Bylaw 2019 No. 7290 (To provide highway closure and dedication removal of a portion of Fifth Street adjacent to 900 Fifth Street)

Section 11 a-c

Travel Expenses
Council approved the costs for Councillor Geselbracht to attend the BC Municipal Climate Leadership Council in Richmond from November 7-8.
Section 13 a

November 4, 2019 Regular Council Meeting – agenda, documents and video