Sechelt councillors endorsed a five per cent increase to the fees for garbage and recycling collection and sewer usage in Sechelt at their April 20 council meeting.
The new annual charge for collection of garbage and recycling will be $147 and will appear as a charge together with the annual property tax notice.
The annual rate for sewer user fees to be paid by each single-detached family residence will be $353.85. Each senior citizens' apartment unit will be charged $206.85 and public and/or non-profit users like community halls, libraries, fire halls and churches will pay $379.05 under the new bylaw. The bylaw passed first, second and third reading and is expected to get fourth reading and final adoption on May 4.
APC architect
Council decided the District's advisory planning committee (APC) will have an architect appointed to it after a debate on the merits of starting up an architectural design panel.
Coun. Fred Taylor previously requested staff bring forward a report for discussion on the possibility of a design panel. That report came to the April 20 council meeting, from which Taylor was absent.
Coun. Keith Thirkell was in favour of setting up an architectural design panel to help guide the look of future developments in the District, but others on council said the panel would duplicate the work already being done by the APC.
After some debate on the merits of the panel, Thirkell moved that an architect be appointed to the APC to help guide future building in Sechelt and all agreed, passing the motion unanimously.
