At their Oct. 2 council meeting, councillors decided to waive approximately $100,000 in permit fees for the new wastewater treatment plant.
A report from the director of corporate services said the move was warranted "given that the municipality is the owner of the project."
Licensing power
Councillors gave three readings to a bylaw amendment that will give the power to grant, deny or pull business licences in the District to the corporate officer through a new licence inspector designation.
"The Business Licence Bylaw delegates the authority to the licence inspector to grant, issue, deny, transfer, suspend and cancel a business licence," a background report on the topic stated.
In the past contraventions of business licence bylaws were dealt with by bylaw enforcement.
In camera
On Oct. 2 council released information showing that the two new hires for the District's business development committee will each make $60,000 a year.
The District has hired Kirk Exner as director of business development and Dave Jephcott as manager of business development for Sechelt Innovations Ltd. although the limited company is yet-to-be approved by the inspector of municipalities.
RFP
Council told staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to see if anyone other than Salish Soils is interested in running a pilot curbside organic pick-up project in Sechelt.
Salish Soils brought the idea to council but later councillors heard Direct Disposal wanted a chance to pitch their services for curbside organic pick-up through an RFP process.
New committee
Council moved to create a new committee that will review the 2014 grant applications to the District and make recommendations to council.
The new grant review committee is meant to help councillors sift through the dozens of applications they get each year and streamline the process.
Churches targeted
Coun. Doug Hockley was vocally against granting property tax exemptions to churches during the Oct. 2 council meeting.
He said the total tax exemption for churches in the District adds up to $36,423 this year and that taxpayers of every faith were paying for it.
"Basically over the next three years every one of us will be putting up $11.50 to support those various religions, regardless of whether you attend them or believe in them," he said.
"And I find that open to question, especially for the future of the District of Sechelt, which can hardly sustain where we're going when our residential property taxes are currently 93 per cent of the treasury."
When the question was called, everyone but Hockley voted in favour of granting the property tax exemptions to churches this year.
No loop route
During the Sept. 25 committee of the whole meeting, Rebecca Newlove, B.C. Transit senior planner, gave an update to council on service adjustments that may come to the District in the future, but creating a circle loop is not in the cards.
Hockley pushed to pave Mason, Heritage and Sandpiper roads at a cost of $625,000 last year, stressing that B.C. Transit would be able to create a "circle route" and connect what are now separate West Sechelt and West Porpoise Bay routes.
Newlove said the "loop route" is not being considered by B.C. Transit as they strive to have two-way traffic on each route. A circle route would mean some people would have to travel the length of the entire route to get to a stop nearby in the other direction.
Instead, B.C. Transit plans to look at on-demand bus service to take travellers to the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden on Mason Road, which is one area Hockley wants to see service extended to.
Newlove thanked council for their interest in the new B.C. Transit Plan, which should be completed later this year.
