Dec 10, 2021

Council Notebook for December 7, 2021

Ladysmith Council met for a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 with  awarding the contract for the Transfer Beach Park improvements among the agenda highlights.                  

The first item of the agenda was a delegation from the Arts Council of Ladysmith & District.    The organization provided an update on the status of their operations as well as their desire to return to the Machine Shop.

The Town received $1.8-million in federal Gas Tax funding to undertake structural, code and electrical upgrades to the Machine Shop.  During these renovations, the Arts Council has been relocated to Davis Road School.

The Town continues to explore grant opportunities from senior levels of government to complete the work so tenants may return to the building.

Next, Council confirmed the schedule of regular Council and Committee of the Whole meetings for 2022.

Regular Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, unless the meeting falls on a statutory holiday. COW meetings are held the second Tuesday of every second month.

No regular meetings will be held during the first week of January and only one meeting will be held in August.

Moving on, Council awarded the contract for the renovations and upgrades to the Transfer Beach washrooms to Boston Construction Corp for $364,100, excluding GST.

Other improvements to be completed at Transfer Beach Park in the coming months include upgrades to the picnic shelters, the addition of an accessible walkway and construction of a shelter over the Salish Wind canoe. The Town received a $701,552 Provincial grant earlier this year for these projects supporting Council’s strategic priorities.

Next, Council accepted with reservations the proposed BC Transit Nanaimo to Cowichan Express Route bus stop location in front of Bob Stuart Park on 1st Avenue.

Although Town staff worked with BC Transit and the CVRD to find an alternative stop location, however BC Transit found their requested location best met several requirements.

The Express Route will travel between Duncan and Nanaimo and include seven round trips daily.

Next, Council awarded the tender for the watermain replacements on Methuen Street, French Street, Kitchener Street and Parkhill Terrace to David Stalker Excavating Ltd. in the amount of $577,263.70, including GST.  This project is replacing three cast iron watermains and an AC line.

Council then gave the first three readings to a proposed bylaw to regulate renovation-related evictions, or ‘renovictions.’

Staff were also directed to schedule a public hearing and distribute the required notice to the public.

Council directed that Mayor Stone, on behalf of Council, write a letter supporting the efforts of the Kinsmen Club of Ladysmith to acquire the former BC Hydro property at 6th Avenue and Methuen Street for the purpose of building affordable housing.

Council will also provide a letter of support to the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association for their 2022 Civil Forfeiture funding application to support a Restorative Justice in Education Resilient Youth project.

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