Expressing concerns
At the December 4 regional board meeting, directors voted that qathet Regional District (qRD) will write a letter to Union of British Columbia Municipalities and the provincial minister of housing and municipal affairs, with a copy to the BC fire commissioner, expressing concerns that the office of the fire commissioner is not living up to commitments.
According to a motion at the regional board meeting, the regional district noted that upon a request from a regional district, the fire commissioner is supposed to perform fire investigations and inspections relative to the new Fire Safety Act at no cost to regional districts.
The motion stated that the no-cost investigations and inspections initiative was repeatedly reinforced at convention presentations, as well as on the fire commissioner’s website.
Meeting scheduled
The regional board voted to host a qRD on-the-road board meeting in Electoral Area B in August 2025. The regional board traditionally holds its August meeting in one of the electoral areas. In 2024, the meeting was held on Texada Island, and in 2023, the meeting was on Lasqueti Island. The regional board, however, broke with the tradition during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding all its meetings virtually.
Funding included
At the December 4 finance committee meeting, the committee recommended that the regional board direct staff to include funding in the Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department 2025 operations budget to perform a workplace assessment in the new year. There were recommendations for similar assessments for the Northside Volunteer Fire Department, Savary Island Volunteer Fire Department and Lasqueti Island Volunteer Fire Department, but directors chose not to make motions from the recommendations.
Application recommended
The finance committee is recommending that the board endorse an application to BC Hydro for the community regreening program grant for up to $7,500 to provide trees and plants, and that any costs not covered by the grant be funded through the solid waste service. qRD has been successful in obtaining five of these grants in years past and have purchased and planted trees in regional district cemeteries and parks.
The planting plan for the latest grant application is to supplement the existing trees and plants at the new resource-recovery centre with low-maintenance trees and plants, increasing the greenspace and aesthetic of the site.
Fee increase
A five per cent increase to the 2025 cemetery fees and charges schedule has been recommended by the finance committee to the regional board. If approved by the regional board, the fee increases would take effect on January 1, 2025.
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