The District of Sechelt will take concerns raised by the Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) group around logging in the Wilson Creek watershed to their next meeting with the Sunshine Coast community forest.
At the May 4 council meeting, Ross Muirhead of ELF asked the District to not allow any logging within cutblock EW002 in the Wilson Creek watershed.
He said that extensive logging in the area in the past and plans for future harvesting by various logging operations calls for the preservation of cutblock EW002, which the community forest is currently planning to log.
"Another 15 to 20 per cent of critical forest cover is scheduled to be logged over the next five years - thus the importance at this time to protect what is left of intact forests, especially the Wilson Creek Forest," Muirhead said.
Councillors called cutblock EW002 "tiny" in comparison to other cutblocks in the area and said that current logging plans call for preservation of old-growth trees, which ELF has stated it supports. However, Muirhead said the old-growth retention is not enough and pressed council for a complete ban on harvesting in the area.
Council will be meeting soon with the new board and chair of the community forest, and Mayor Darren Inkster said the concerns raised by ELF will be discussed at that meeting.
Tax rates
The District of Sechelt tax rates bylaw passed first, second and third reading at the May 4 council meeting.
Chief financial officer Andrea DeBucy said the school district tax rates have now come in, showing a decrease of about 3.5 per cent.
"That means that most folks who qualify for a homeowner grant will actually see a decrease in their net tax bill," she said.
Council also moved to lower the business multiplier from 2.05 to 2.0 per cent. That change will be brought back with the tax bylaw at fourth reading.
The deadline to have the tax rates bylaw adopted under the community charter is the middle of May.
Onni development
A 104-unit development, proposed for Sechelt Inlet Road beside Choquer and Sons Machine Welding, will head back to planning committee for further discussion after council raised concerns over site buffering, mixed housing and sewer infrastructure.
Coun. Fred Taylor brought up the need for some one-level living in the development and further investigation into sewer connection options rather than a septic field on site.
Coun. Keith Thirkell echoed those concerns, adding the need for more buffering to separate the development from the industrial site next door.
A representative from the Onni Group, which is the proponent for the project, was visibly upset with council's decision.
"Maybe you would like to acquire the land from us and have at 'er," he said.
He noted the company has $30 million invested in the housing development and said he felt council was "fooling around over some nonsense."
Coun. Taylor took offence to that statement.
"Council's opinion is not nonsense, as the developer has suggested, and they should be very clear that we have an interest in the broader community," Taylor said. "When you're long gone and a new industry moves next door, we have to deal with the complaints, so I take exception to those kinds of phraseology. We're doing our best with integrity to plan a good community and I will not allow anyone to come in front of our council and suggest that we are not doing that."
Garbage rates
The garbage control, collection and disposal amendment bylaw was adopted along with the sewer user fees amendment bylaw at the May 4 meeting.
The garbage bylaw will charge residents $147 per unit each year, while the sewer user fees bylaw charges $353.85 a year for each single detached family residence.
