Council Highlights - March 27, 2024

Council meetings are livestreamed at westkelownacity.ca/webcasts and archived the next business day. Find the March 26 agenda and archive at pub-westkelowna.escribemeetings.com.

 

With elector assent obtained through the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) for borrowing of up to $8 million to partially fund the Fire Hall #32 Replacement Project, with no new tax increases to the West Kelowna community, Council adopted the required Loan Authorization Bylaw. For more information on the AAP process and official results, please read the March 26 Council Report at pub-westkelowna.escribemeetings.com.

 

Staff provided Council with an update on the City Hall Project. Read the report via the March 26 Regular Council Meeting agenda at pub-westkelowna.escribemeetings.com.

 

Council adopted an amendment to the Fees and Charges Bylaw to incorporate the required utility fee increases to maintain services for 2024. The increases per single family household are: 3.2 per cent, or approximately $8 per quarter for the Rose Valley Water System, including costs to operate the new treatment plant; 4.5 per cent or an estimated $11.25 per quarter for the Powers Creek Water System; 2.0 per cent or $2.02 per quarter for sanitary sewer service; and 5.4 per cent or $2.39 per quarter for solid waste management services.

 

Council appointed Councillors Rick de Jong and Tasha Da Silva and Mayor Gord Milsom to form the 2024 Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel. Council also scheduled the panel meeting for 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 9. To learn more, visit pub-westkelowna.escribemeetings.com.

 

Council directed staff to amend the 2024 Financial Plan to incorporate the necessary staffing resources to address provincial housing initiatives with funding of $377,145 to come from the Unallocated Surplus Reserve for 2024. The positions will also be added to the 2025 Budget, which Council will deliberate in late fall and winter. To learn more, see the March 26 Council Meeting webcast at pub-westkelowna.escribemeetings.com.

 

Following a March 25 public hearing, Council adopted an Official Community Plan amendment to change land use from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential, which would permit a townhouse development, on an unaddressed lot along the west side of Boucherie Road, south of West Bay Road. Council also adopted the related Zoning Bylaw amendment to change the zone from Agricultural to R3 Low Density Multiple Residential.

 

Following a March 25 public hearing, Council adopted Zoning and Official Community Plan Bylaw amendments for 3636 McIver Road to change the land use and related zoning from Agricultural to Compact Single Detached Residential. On a separate but related application, Council gave, first, second and third readings and adoption to part-lot Zoning Bylaw amendments to exchange the zones on a portion of 3640 McIver Road from Compact Single Detached Residential to Single Detached Residential and on a section of 3625 Gates Road from Single Detached Residential to Compact Single Detached Residential. The amendments will enable the final phases of the Glen Eagles subdivision to develop.

Following a March 25 public hearing, Council gave third reading to Zoning Bylaw amendments for short-term rentals. The changes will streamline the short-term rental program for users and those staff enforcing the program. Council also directed staff to develop a report outlining the scope required for the implementation of the RC3 Zone in the short-term rental policy.

 

Council directed staff to apply under the provincial Disaster Risk Reduction – Climate Adaptation Stream to seek 100 per cent funding to construct flood mitigation measures along McDougall Creek. In addition to historical flooding along McDougall Creek, the 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire burned more than 60 per cent of the watershed area, which increases the likelihood of flooding over the next several years.

 

Council gave first, second and third readings to proposed amendments to the Development Cost Charges Bylaw that, if adopted, will increase charges by 3.9 per cent based on British Columbia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2023. Planned annual increases linked to the CPI help to maintain funding for capacity upgrades to growth-related infrastructure year over year, reduce the potential for these costs to shift to the taxpayer, and lower the risk of significantly higher one-time cost increases in the future.