This month I’d like to provide readers with an update on some key Area C issues and results, as follows:
• Shuswap Watershed Council annual report:
The second annual (April 2017 to March 2018) report for the Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) is now available at www.shuswapwater.ca.
Key initiatives include a Water Quality Program, which consists of water monitoring and a water protection initiatives, a Safe Recreation Program and a Communications and Advocacy Program in support of important watershed concerns.
The bottom line is that we achieved or exceeded all of our annual objectives, while maintaining expenses that were well below budget.
As chair of the SWC, I’m very pleased to announce that an important new initiative to educate the public about the risks of zebra and quagga mussels will be initiated in 2018.
• Building inspection service:
In June, we will be moving forward with a series of public information sessions on building inspection in Area C.
It’s about time this service was made available in our area as building inspection is the only means to actively enforce the BC Building Code.
There are many good reasons why nearly all local governments in B.C. provide this service, including public health and safety, compliance with key planning regulations, reduction of bylaw enforcement complaints, equitable taxation, ensuring that Interior Health and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure requirements are met, provision of important planning information and consumer protection.
There is a number of public misconceptions about building inspection; to learn the facts, I would encourage you to attend a public meeting in your area. Look for our ads on the CSRD website and in local newspapers.
• Cannabis policy and bylaw amendments:
The federal government will be legalizing recreational cannabis use across the country in 2018.
The province has released further details regarding its Cannabis Distribution Act and Cannabis Control and Licensing Act.
Much of the burden to enforce these regulations will fall to local governments, raising concerns about costs. There will be a need for the CSRD to address issues such as public consumption, zoning, and number and location of production, processing and retail operations. CSRD staff are now working to develop a policy approach to this issue.
Going forward, I’ll provide updates as appropriate.
• Roads:
It has been a very challenging winter for snow removal in the South Shuswap, and now with all of the additional sand and gravel spread on our roads, sweeping is the current issue of concern.
While the CSRD does not have any responsibility for any roads, I have continually communicated residents’ concerns to the B.C. government and JPW Road and Bridge, and have actively advocated for change.
If you have a specific complaint about a road, please contact JPW at 1-877-546-3799. In the interim, the province has recently released new standards of performance for road maintenance, including snow removal, and these will be enacted as new provider contracts are awarded this summer.
Hopefully this will make a difference going forward.
• Governance review:
The province has provided the CSRD with a grant to conduct the next phase of the Governance Review in Area C.
While the Area C Governance Study Committee unanimously recommended a restructuring study as the next step, the province determined that the next step will be a boundary analysis.
Under the terms of the grant, four boundary options are being considered, including Blind Bay incorporation, Sorrento incorporation, Blind Bay and Sorrento combined incorporation, and division of Area C into two electoral areas.
This analysis will largely be guided by settlement areas, services and roads, with the results to be shared with the public during the next phase.
The next phase would be a restructuring study evaluating these options, if and when the Province provides its approval and funding. \Taking community input into account, it will be possible to adjust these boundaries at a later stage.
-Paul Demenok is the Area C director for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.