District of Sechelt council passed a motion at a Feb. 16 meeting to convey their concerns over usage of and payment for the existing RCMP building in Sechelt, in light of a new RCMP building currently being built in Gibsons.
"We want to ensure that the RCMP continues their commitment to the utilization of the Sechelt RCMP building and that the payments toward our capital costs are not reduced because of the Gibsons [RCMP detachment]," said Coun. Fred Taylor.
Building fees
Councillors gave final reading and adoption to five bylaws that will up the rates required for building, plumbing and sewage as well as application and copying fees.
The increase in rates is the remaining 50 per cent increase that was agreed to by council in January 2010. At that time council approved all fee increases at 50 per cent of the level proposed by staff, with the provision the other 50 per cent increase be applied this year.
In addition, the plumbing amendment bylaw was further amended by adding a new fee of $62.50 for solar hot water heating and a new fee of $1,500 to the application and copying amendment bylaw for supply and installation of each geodetic survey monument. That fee was set based on actual costs associated with the service.
For a full list of new fees go to www.district.sechelt.bc.ca.
Hospital
Council sent a request for funding for hospital equipment to the upcoming grant-in-aid discussions, but they made it clear the request should be filled by the province.
In a letter to council presented Feb. 16, the St. Marty's Hospital Foundation asked for a share of the annual dividend paid to the District by the community forest in order to purchase "key clinical and non-clinical equipment for the new facility."
Last year that dividend was about $25,000.
"It's another area where I think a fair bit of downloading has occurred from the provincial government," said Coun. Keith Thirkell. "It's a wonderful gesture, but it's a $25,000 cheque. The last dividend was $25,000 I believe, and that's a huge sum of money. I would prefer to see that dividend be discussed in detail."
Taylor and Coun. Alice Lutes agreed with Thirkell, saying health is clearly a provincial matter and that our provincial taxes should be looking after equipment needed in hospitals.
But Coun. Alice Janisch didn't think the province would be willing to pay for the needed equipment.
"I don't think cocking our snoot at the province will make any difference," she said. "They've had this policy in place for a long time and when they build a capital project like the hospital they don't provide the equipment. That's why there was a campaign here to raise money for a CT scanner you're not sending a message to Victoria. It isn't received once it gets there. I think Sechelt should step in and support the community."
Mayor Darren Inkster saw both sides and encouraged councillors to think about the needs of the local community.
"Even if there's downloading and missing equipment, we should probably, if need be, step in because we can not hold children and people without hospital equipment hostage to the downloading of the provincial government. We should do our best to help, so I think we should look at it that way," Inkster said.
Council agreed to send a strongly worded letter to the Ministry of Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities, objecting to the construction of hospitals without adequate equipment and highlighting the unfair burden it puts on communities.
Access
Councillors endorsed recommendations from the accessibility advisory committee this week that will make it easier to navigate Sechelt.
At the Feb. 23 committee of the whole, councillors approved a total expenditure of $99,000 to address accessibility issues in the District.
An external advisor will be hired to perform an audit of scooter accessibility at a cost of $5,000. Council approved $1,500 to organize an access awareness day forum in June. A four-way stop at Trail and Dolphin will cost $2,500 and $90,000 was earmarked for a Teredo/Shorncliffe letdown of the south side of the street. The latter project will be combined with a BC Hydro project.
Staff will also work on measuring and adjusting disabled parking spaces and erecting a fourth crosswalk at Cowrie and Trail.
