The last CCRD Board meeting was held on February 14. All four Area Directors were present, as was Acting CAO Donna Mikkelson and former Property Manager Stephen Waugh.
First on the agenda were matters brought out of a Special In Camera board meeting held the previous day. Those included the termination of the contract for Property Management services, formerly held by Stephen Waugh, as of February 15. Area C Director Brian Lande confirmed that Waugh had resigned from the position.
Lande also confirmed that two members of the Board, Chair Reg Moody and Area A Director Cathi McCullagh had been appointed to a CAO Recruitment Committee to oversee and manage the process of hiring a new full-time CAO.
“We have a number of applicants,” said Lande. “It will probably be another month before the position is filled, but process in underway.”
The Nusatsum Property Owners Society, represented by Gordon Gibbs and Chris Carlson, brought forth a proposal to rehabilitate the Nusatsum groyne, a manmade structure constructed of rip rap that is intended to deflect the river away from properties and the highway.
The existing groyne on the Nusatsum was constructed about 30 years ago and lost about 50 feet during the floods of 2010 and 2011. The Society is concerned that if the groyne is not repaired, the river will end up flooding over the highway and personal properties.
The Society feels that, although the Flood Response Repair Advisory Committee (FRAC) did not identify the groyne as a high priority, it is a crucial part of the Nusatsum neighbourhood and could be completed for a reasonable cost, in contrast to the other projects such as the Hagensborg gap. The Society is requesting a letter of support from the CCRD to further proceed with the process of fixing the groyne.
“It’s a small, reflective dike that could be repaired at a relatively low cost,” said Nusatsum resident Chris Carlson. “It’s really an integral part of keeping the river away from properties and the highway.”
Director Lande, who resides in the Nusatsum neighbourhood, confirmed that the CCRD will respond to the Society’s concerns but was unclear about the role the organization would play. Former EPC Stephen Waugh cautioned against deviating from the recommendations of the Flood Response Repair Advisory Committee, which did not identify the Nusatsum area as a priority.
Chair Moody requested follow up from Administrative staff and this will be deferred until the return of the Interim CAO in March. He expressed his thanks to the delegation for bringing forward their concerns and noted that the regional district will respond.
Colin McMillan was on hand to present his recommendations for a restructuring of the CCRD. McMillan is requesting that the board support (in principle) serious consideration of the concept of electoral restructuring and instruct the Interim CAO to look into the process required to consider the options for structural changes and report back at the next board meeting.
The Board discussed the matter and confirmed that the District has been in touch with the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development on this matter. The Ministry has stated that they will entertain options for such a study once a new, permanent CAO is in place.
Leslie Harstead and Ken Dunsworth from the Hagensborg Waterworks District presented copies of an overview and application for an infrastructure planning grant through the Ministry of Community and Rural Development. The grant funding would be used to determine the feasibility of using a well as a secondary source of water during times of high turbidity, drought, or other emergency situations.
As the Hagensborg Waterworks District is an Improvement District they are not directly eligible to receive funding, so the application must be submitted via the local government.
The CCRD confirmed that it will support the application by the Hagensborg Waterworks District to the Ministry of Community and Rural Development for an Infrastructure Planning Grant to undertake a “Multi-source Feasibility Study.”
The next Board meeting will be held on March 14. The full minutes can be found online at www.ccrd-bc.ca or requested from the CCRD office.