BC Hydro – Peace to Kelly Lake Capacitors Project

Mark Alexander, Project Manager, and Dave Mosure, Community Relations Coordinator, provided Council with an update regarding the Peace to Kelly Lake Capacitors Project (“Project”). BC Hydro has three alternative routes they are considering to build this Project, with Alternative Three being the option for BC Hydro to study further due to favourable overall safety, reliability, environment, constructability and cost perspective.  Alternative Three, if chosen, would build three new Capacitor Stations that will be located on, or near, existing BC Hydro transmission lines’ Rights-of-Way.  The locations of Capacitor Stations will be somewhat limited due to Capacitor Stations needing to be located at very specific intervals along the transmission lines.  The preferred Alternative will be confirmed in 2020 and construction to start 2021 and completed in 2025.

Forestry Initiatives Program

The Forestry Innovation Centre is under constructions and the Forestry Initiative Program initiatives are underway.  The Programs initiatives include:

• Fuel Treatments
  130 hectares of fuel treatments will begin in September 2019 around the following areas:  Airport, Dragon Mountain Communication Tower Site, Ten Mile Park, Hangman Pit, Sugarloaf Park, and private lands by landfill.  Fuel management treatment includes over-story removal, brushing, thinning, piling/burning and chip scatter.
   
• Prescription Development
  Assessments and prescriptions are being developed for an additional 600 hectares with work to begin this spring and summer.
   
• Forest Health on Airport Lands
  Beetle surveys (Douglas Fir and Spruce Beetle) and found evidence of beetles.  MCH repellent and funnel traps have been applied to push beetles out of large Douglas Fir and into traps.  West Fraser Mills donated repellent, funnel traps and pheromones for this initiative. 
   
• FireSmart on Private Lands
  60% of Quesnel Community Wildfire Protection Plan is located on private lands.  The City is collaborating with FireSmart Canada, United Way and the Red Cross to advance innovative strategies for assessing private land and removing barriers for home/land owners.
   
• FireSmart Education and Outreach
  City staff are coordinating Wildfire Preparedness Day on June 8, attending events during the summer, and offering four FireSmart workshops to encourage citizens to take the steps to achieve FireSmart Community Recognition.
   
• Landscape Analysis and Restoration
  On April 12, 2019, stakeholders met for a technical session to determine the steps for enabling a local Landscape Restoration Pilot Project that looked at current data sets and models, identified gaps, and determined how the Pilot should proceed. 

Additionally, the new Council reaffirmed a Resolution of past Council, regarding the importance of Quesnel’s request to the Chief Forester for allocation of a Community Forest in our area.

Cannabis Retails Shops

Council approved two locations at 140-960 Chew Road and 775 Rita Road for Cannabis Retail Shop Applications to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch to further consider. 

City’s 2018 Statement of Financial Information

The City’s 2018 Statement of Financial Information is now available. 

Transit Custom Service – Taxi Supplement Program

Council approved up to $16,200 in the 2020 Operating budget for the implementation of a Taxi Supplement Program (“Program”), which will reduce the number of unmet HandyDART trips and can be used for after hours service requests.  Subject to BC Transit securing Provincial funding, the program would be implemented April 1, 2020.

Bylaws

1856 – Official Community Plan Rezone Amendment - Regional Shopping Centre – 775 Rita Road – Final Adoption
1864 – Five Year Financial Plan (2019-2023) – Final Adoption
1865 – Tax Rates (2019) – Final Adoption

Next Meetings

6 pm – May 28, 2019 – Regular Council Meeting – City Hall/Council Chambers
6 pm – June 4, 2019 – Regular Council Meeting – City Hall/Council Chambers