Valemount Council: Fees and Charges Bylaw, Special Olympics

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

Valemount Council passed its amended fees and charges bylaw during a brief meeting on February 11th.

Mayor Owen Torgerson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. After adopting the evening’s agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting, Council moved on to discussing the amended bylaw.

Fees and Charges Bylaw

Council approved amendments to the fees and charges bylaw at their November 26th meeting last year. However, the version of the bylaw it approved accidentally omitted the sections with rates for water fees. The amended bylaw does not make further changes to the fees for violating bylaws, but it does add the mistakenly omitted sections back into the bylaw.

In a previous email to The Goat, CAO Anne Yanciw said staff are unsure how the omission happened. However, the omitted fees have been reinstated since being approved at the meeting. Council unanimously adopted the bylaw.

Special Olympics Letter of Support

City of Prince George staff sent an email asking for a letter of support from Valemount Council for the city to host the 2030 Special Olympics Canada National Summer Games. Prince George has previously hosted provincial games for B.C. and Yukon athletes twice – once in winter 1991 and again in summer 2001 – and is set to host another provincial game this July.

The national game would serve as a qualifier to compete with Special Olympics Team Canada. In her email to the Village, the City’s Event Coordinator Lindsay Timmermans said the City is excited at the possibility of hosting a national event. She asked for a letter of support to include in the bid package she is submitting to Special Olympics Canada.

Councillor Pete Pearson moved to send a letter of support for the bid.

Council passed the motion.

In-Camera

Torgerson adjourned the open session of Council at 7:06 p.m. Council proceeded to an in-camera session for consideration of two items per Section 90 (1)(c) and 90 (2)(b) of the Community Charter to discuss matters related to: 

(c) labour relations or other employee relations. 

(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.