October 6, 2025 Regular Council Summary

Presentations

Council received semi-annual updates from Tourism Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Systems Planning Organization.
Section 8a,b

Committee Recommendations

Recommendation from the September 10, 2025 Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusiveness meeting:

• Council directed staff to include Maffeo Sutton Park as part of the accessibility audits that will be undertaken by the Rick Hansen Foundation in 2026.

Recommendations from the September 17, 2025 Finance and Audit Committee meeting:

• Council directed staff to update Council's Debt Management Policy to allow long-term borrowing without electoral approval when the City is within the allowable assent free borrowing limit.
• Council directed staff to proceed with a Capital Development (Project Execution) Plan and costing for the South End Community Centre and allocated $2 million to undertake this work.
• Council endorsed the "next steps” as outlined on page 10 of the report “Nanaimo Builds for the Future Plan Update”. These steps recognize the priority projects for long-term borrowing to be the Public Works Yard, RCMP Detachment Expansion and the South End Community Centre. Consideration of the Waterfront Walkway and Beban Park Improvement projects will be put on hold until detailed design and costing of the priority projects are completed.

Administrative Reports

Council is supporting the establishment of a Friendship City Program and endorsed the Friendship City Policy (COU-249). This new program provides a clear, consistent and community-driven framework for international partnerships and will ensure measurable outcomes, time-limited partnerships and local ownership of Friendship City activities.
Section 12a

"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw 2025 No. 7159.25" (a bylaw to assign fines for violations against the Waterworks Rate and Regulation Bylaw 2006 No. 7004) passed three readings. Once in place, the bylaw would help the City better address vandalism and tampering of the City’s water assets.
Section 12b

Council gave consent on behalf of electors to the adoption of the Regional District of Nanaimo’s "Regional Parks and Trails Service Regional Parkland Acquisition Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1961, 2025". The bylaw proposes to authorize borrowing a sum not to exceed $21,200,000, over a term of 20 years, for the purpose of acquiring land for a regional park (Hamilton Marsh conservation site). As part of the approval process, the RDN requires the consent of at least 2/3 of local service participants.
Section 12c

Council directed staff to work with the Downtown Nanaimo Business Association to establish a business improvement area (BIA) for a five-year term starting in 2026. A BIA is a way to improve business success by organizing and financing support programs which could serve to enhance the vitality of the downtown core.
Section 12d

As part of the Active School Travel Program, Council approved the following projects:

• Raised crosswalk on Cranberry Avenue
• Intersection improvements at Ohio Way and Montana Road
• Intersection improvements at Montana Road, Ranchview Drive and Kentucky Place

The projects are contingent on a successful grant application for $125,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund – Safe and Active School Routes initiative. An additional $245,000 in funding would come from the City’s 2026 Pedestrian Unallocated budget.
Section 12e

Council endorsed criteria, as outlined in the staff report “Manufactured Home Communities – Electrical Capacity Assessments” for issuing up to three manufactured home community electrical capacity assessments, to be selected through an application process. The assessments would help support the conversion from fossil fuels to electrical energy supply in manufactures home communities.
Section 12f

Development Reports

Housing Agreement Bylaws for 224 White Court Way and 95 Kennedy Street passed three readings. The agreements would permit a residential shelter for up to ten people at each facility.
Section 13a,b

Bylaw Updates

"Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw 2025 No. 7429" was adopted.
Section 14a

Other Business

Council directed staff to name the park located at 933 Park Avenue ‘Five Acres Farm Community Park’.
Section 17a

Council directed staff, as part of the City Plan review, to seek opportunities and create policies that support and advance planning of Transit Oriented Development centres, including Country Club and Woodgrove, in a way that provides clear connection to the Island Corridor, which may be used for corridor-related transit in the future.
Section 17b

October 6, 2025 Regular Council meeting - agenda, documents and video