By Andrea Arnold
McBride Mayor Gene Runtz called the Jan 9, 2024 Village of McBride Council meeting to order at 6:08pm.
New staff
CAO Jeanette McDougall took the opportunity to introduce the new public works manager, Brian Taphorn, to the Council members.
Community to community invitation
All members of Council accepted the invitation from Jenna Lee Campbell, Executive Assistant for the District of Clearwater to attend a Community-to-Community event on March 6th 2024. The topics to be discussed are Regional BC Hydro, Cellular and Internet Coverage, Emergency Management/ Wildfire season, Multi-Community MOU, and Highway 5 Safety.
Council then passed a motion approving the coverage of travel expenses.
Bylaw amendment
Council passed the motion to repeal resolution 071114,23 that gave final reading and adoption to Sign Bylaw Amendment No 819, 2023. This original amendment included a Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure signature line. This signature is not required, so the bylaw has been rewritten. They then gave first, second and third reading to Sign Bylaw Amendment No. 825, 2024.
Grant application for more lights
Council directed staff to prepare a grant application to Northern Development Initiative Trust’s Main Street Revitalization Capital Program for the next phase of ornamental street light installation on Main Street.
The first phase finished in July with the replacement of Main Street’s lights with 30 new lighting fixtures.
Phase two of the lighting project would see the installation of these lights along Main Street from the Welcome Arch to Highway 16, improving the lighting of the Welcome Arch and possibly adding a few streetlights between Main Street and Robson Centre (Village office complex).They also asked that staff bring cost estimates back to council in January for a resolution of support for a grant application prior to submission.
Conference attendance
Council approved the attendance of Mayor Runtz and the rest of Council at the 21st Annual BC Resources Forum in Prince George on Jan. 16-18, 2024.
McBride Visitor Information Centre
Council approved issuing a letter to Destination BC confirming the McBride & District Chamber of Commerce as the Sponsor Organization and sole provider of the McBride Visitor Information Centre Services.
In Camera
Council voted to move to an in-camera council meeting for consideration of matters of the Community Charter related to Section 90 (1) (c) labour relations or other employe relations; and (k) negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality if they were held in public.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:23pm.
