The first Board meeting of 2015 was held on Thursday, February 12th, with many exciting decisions coming from the Board.
The second draft of the five-year financial plan was presented and received by the Board. This draft included preliminary budget amounts for the years 2015 – 2019. The projected CCRD portion of the tax levy is down from December’s report, and is currently estimated to be at 2.4 percent increase over 2014 levels. This may change as finishing touches are applied to the accounts and presented again at the March meeting.
Keeping in line with the Integrated Strategic Plan 2015 – 2019, the Board has agreed to partake in a workshop to continue the discussion on the issue of electoral area restructuring. This is a core strategy in the Governance section of the Integrated Strategic Plan. It states the CCRD will continue to evaluate and analyze potential adjustments to electoral area boundaries. To see other core strategies of the CCRD over the next five years please visit the CCRD website or office to see the draft Integrated Strategic Plan 2015 – 2019.
Grant in Aid funds were awarded to local community organizations. Legislation permits a maximum of $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed values to be used in Grant in Aid, which amounts to a total of $14,900 for the CCRD in 2015. The Board thoroughly reviewed and discussed all eligible requests. The following organizations received funding: BC Central Coast Archives; Bella Coola Valley Arts Council; Bella Coola Valley Museum; Bella Coola Valley Ridge Riders; Bella Coola Valley Tourism; British Columbia Conservation Foundation; Discovery Coast Music Festival Society; Dog Town Bella Coola; Healthy Beginnings; Lebelco Community Club; Norwegian Heritage Society; and S.H.E.D. Society of Bella Coola.
An ad hoc Official Community Plan Advisory Committee (OCPAC) was established by the Board. The purpose of the OCPAC is to review the current Official Community Plan, and provide advice to the CCRD Board and staff on land use planning issues. The CCRD is currently looking for community volunteers to sit on this Committee. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to contact the CCRD.
The CCRD office will now be open to the public on Mondays. New hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30am – 4:00pm, closed for lunch from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. Being open on Mondays allows the CCRD to offer improved levels of service to the public.
The next meeting of the CCRD Board will be March 12th and the public is welcome to attend. For the complete draft of the February Board meeting minutes visit the CCRD website at www.ccrd-bc.ca and on our Facebook page. Don’t forget to like the Facebook page at Central Coast Regional District – CCRD for updated information.