By Andrea Arnold
Acting Mayor Joe Kolida called the November 26th, 2024 McBride Council meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Chevron site update
CAO Jeanette McDougall presented a verbal report concerning Chevron’s “abandoned site” at 655 Main Street. Following communication with representatives, she reported that Chevron is preparing to conduct monitoring, and sampling of new wells and existing wells off site to Dec 16th to 20th.
She has been in conversation with Chevron and hopes to have representatives meet with Council either the first or second meeting in the new year. She says they are not very responsive and she thinks this is due to how busy they are divesting properties in Alberta.
Finance Report
Karen Stahl provided an update on a revamped budget format. She said they have had to do a lot of background infrastructure work in order to make the improvements. Part of this is a new coding system that allows for staff to pull information out of their financial system and provides a way to delve into details better. They have recorded a lot of accounting transactions to clean up the records to allow for clear reporting. They tried to make the purpose of reports clearer by renaming them.
Next year this new system will be used by all areas of the budgeting process. They will then put in a new quarterly financial reporting package with comparisons to budget and will lead right into the following year’s audited financial statements. Stal says it will be a more robust package with summary level information with the detailed transaction information to back that up.
CAO McDougall added that they are looking at implementing EFTs to allow for payments during events such as the mail strike.
Food program support request
Council approved a $250 Grant-in-Aid to the McBride Secondary School to offset the food costs that support student nutrition at McBride Secondary School. The school offers a weekly hot lunch and is in need of financial support to keep the program running.
Emergency Services Supper invitation
Council appointed three Village of McBride representatives to attend the Emergency Services Supper on November 30th, 2024 at the Robson Valley Community Hall.
Park usage request
Council approved the McBride Secondary School’s request to use the power to serve hotdogs and hot chocolate at the Steve Kolida Park Pavilion on Friday, November 22, 2024, contingent on receipt of a Certificate of Insurance. The request came between meetings and Council was not able to approve the request before the event.
Volleyball team support
Council approved a $250 Grant-in-Aid to the McBride Secondary School Girls Volleyball team to help with the travel, accommodation and food expenses as they travel to the BC Provincial Volleyball Tournament being held in Nanaimo BC.
Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association Membership
Council confirmed the Village of McBride’s continued membership in the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association.
Development Variance Permit – 849 4th Avenue
Council approved a development variance permit for a single car garage already existing, but that does not meet the minimum requirement for setbacks.
Bylaw amendment
Council gave Council Procedure Amendment Bylaw No. 832, 2024 first, second and third reading. The new bylaw will state that Regular Council meetings must be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, with a few exceptions. When local government conferences are being held, the meeting may vary as needed to accommodate members’ attendance at the conferences. These dates will be included in the annual Notice of Council meetings. In the months of September and December, only one meeting will be held on the second Tuesday of each of those months.
Christmas cards
Council directed staff to prepare and send out digital Christmas Cards.
Regreening
Council directed staff to submit an application to the 2025 BC Hydro Community ReGreening program for a grant of up to $10,000 towards a project that will see trees planted on municipal property including parks, on Main Street and at the cemetery.
Tactical Plan and budget
Council agreed to support the Village of McBride 2025 One Year Tactical Plan and Budget, as endorsed by the McBride Tourism Committee, for submission to Destination BC. Through the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), the Province has been collecting two per cent tax on short term accommodation in McBride since August 1, 2021, after the Village’s application to Destination BC was approved in April 2021. The Province has transferred just over $143,726 to the Village, collected between August 1, 2021 and August 31, 2024. The spending of the MRDT is guided by a five year strategic plan, stemming from the Council-adopted 2020 McBride Tourism Master Plan, and submission every November of a one-year tactical plan with accompanying budget.
Christmas party
Council approved hosting a 2024 Christmas Party to a maximum of $1,500 and that funds be drawn from the Staff Training account which currently has a balance of $10,334.63.
In camera
Council moved to proceed to an In-camera meeting for consideration of matters of the Community Charter related to: Section 90 (2): (b) the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.
The regular council meeting was recessed for council to conduct the in-camera meeting at 6:25 p.m.
