February 20 2024

Submitted by site_admin on Fri, 02/23/2024 - 00:21

BAMFIELD COMMUNITY AFFAIRS SOCIETY

General Meeting Unofficial Minutes

Tuesday 20 February 2024 at 6.30 pm
via Zoom - hosted by Jamie Willock (Chair)

Attendees  (23): Jamie Willock (Chair), Sheryl and John Mass, Julie Bradley, Tom Jensen, Robin and Bob Schmitt, Max Salamon, Jan Teversham, Louis Druehl, Rae  Hopkins, Jaleen Rousseau, Stacy Denton, Laura Bradley, Betty Beyko, Bob Beckett, Glen Ballman, Ben West, Stella Wenstob, Christine Mathers, Clay Steell, Barry Sills, Phil Lavoie

Regrets: Susan Derasp

Acknowledgement of Indigenous Lands: The BCAS acknowledges that the land on which we meet is within the Traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations where indigenous peoples have lived since time immemorial.

Statement of Inclusivity: The BCAS is responsible for fostering a public forum within its community to facilitate communications and services that diverse groups identify as respectful, inclusive and accessible.

The meeting was called to order at 6.31 pm.

Adoption of agenda.  m/SWenstob s/BSills

Adoption of Minutes of January’s Community Affairs Meeting. m/RHopkins s/MSalamon

PRESENTATION  by ACRD  -  Teri Fong

ACRD Financial Plan 2024

The presentation will be sent with the minutes

Questions:

  • How was the Liquid Waste project funded? With two grants
  • How is the $29,000 allocated to the Parks ? It covers ACRD staff, dock and facility insurance
  • Why was the requisition for funds for Building Inspections up by 100.99%? Up because new way of accounting for payments of building permits (value divided into three chunks, instead if one lump sum) and because new Building Code will likely slow down turn around on permitting (i.e., revenue stream).
  • Possibility of cardboard balers for the transfer station? Teri will respond
  • Bob Beckett added that solid waste bins cost $20,000. The idea is for us to buy the bins and the savings made by owning them would pay for them in three years. Local smaller companies could be used instead of those out of Nanaimo.

ACRD DIRECTOR’S REPORT – by Bob Beckett

  1. Response to Max Salamon’s Corkboard posting

Recently Max posted his thoughts and comments regarding the Bamfield Development Plan and the proposed Bamfield Liquid Waste Management (Bamfield Sewer Connection Service). The posting also alluded to a number of other important matters including but not limited to, ACRD governance, Community input and engagement/consultation processes associated with formulating priorities and next steps, ACRD grants for Bamfield, ACRD and staff familiarization with Bamfield, etc.

Max kindly reached out to me via my ACRD email and asked me to review the posting and perhaps speak to his observations and concerns at the February BCAS meeting. I got back to Max thanking him for his invitation and suggested that after consultation with James Willock that we put it off until the March meeting, given the fact that Teri was presenting tonight.

Also, I was away in Ohio with my son for the past week and wanted to make sure I had adequate time to appropriately prepare.

I look forward to presenting with the BCAS committee approval next month.

  1. Speaking of communication.

As your ACRD Director I always appreciate hearing from the community, be it about a problem you are encountering, a community project that needs some support at the regional or provincial level, or who best to call at the ACRD to help you navigate your way through whatever you are dealing with. So, if you wish to get hold of me, I suggest you email me at my ACRD email address B.beckett@acrd.bc.ca or my cell at 250-818-2719. I generally do not communicate through social media.

  1. Electric vehicle charging stations, or EV

Clay Steell continues to be a strong advocate for getting EVs installed in Bamfield, and rightly so as it is just a matter of time given the road improvements that we begin to see electric vehicle showing up in our community. To date unfortunately the ACRD has not been able to secure 100% grant funding for ACRD operated charging stations. I understand that both the BMSC and HFN have shown some interest to acquiring these assets and may qualify for existing grant dollars to offset the initial investment. I have recently had a discussion with one Bamfield business operator who would like to install a public charger station at his place of business, and I will be lobbying on his behalf to see if we can secure partial grant funding for his application/project.

  1. ACRD Transportation Advisory Committee

I am currently chairing a regional ACRD Transportation Advisory Committee to explore several transportation related matters focusing on potential emergency access routes and an alternate permanent Alberni Valley route following the closure of highway 4 this past summer and most recently on December 24th. This committee is made up of representatives from across the region including having a senior representative from MOTI sitting at the table with us. Michael Person from the MOTI has been very helpful, and at our last meeting just a week ago, announced provincial funding in order to identify a preferred emergency access route and the steps necessary to maintain the route to an appropriate level that would ensure safe and viable transportation necessary for personal and commercial vehicles.

  1. Community Volunteers

In Teri’s presentation tonight there is a slide that speaks to one of the ACRD Board’s strategic plan priorities and the one that I want to speak to is 1.4 Support for our volunteers. As a community we are blessed to have a community where not only can we count on our neighbours, but we also have so many volunteers doing so much for our community and I will not list them all as I do not want to accidently miss someone or some group. I simply wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and thank Sheryl Mass for all her contributions and efforts as Chair of the Parks Committee. You and your park committee volunteers have been nothing short of amazing and I hope that given your retirement from the chair position, someone will step up and take over your spot soon. 

 Further discussions

  • West Dock. There have been two zoom meetings between ACRD and Transport Canada (TC) about the process of the transfer of responsibility for the dock. A further meeting is planned. The community will be able to comment on future plans. It is certain that TC wants to get rid of the dock assets.
  • Development of a 36 unit condominium in East Bamfield. This project seems to have been given the go ahead without any consultation of the community. Bob Beckett was not aware of the project and will look into it to report back. Stella Wenstob will send any information that she has to him.

TREASURER’S REPORT

as at 31 January 2024

Credit Interest for January 2024: $29.05

Total Assets:  $38,527.83

Withdrawals in January: $7000 as a GIA was given to the West Park Composting Toilet Project. The annual costs for the Zoom account was $224. Account fees were $3.00.

COMMUNITY REPORTS

        1.   Centennial  Park - Sheryl Mass

  • Sheryl is stepping down as the Chair of the Parks Commission.
  • A summer manager is still being  sought.
  • The grant request to rebuild the office was not successful so that it will be reroofed using current park funds.
  1. Community Hall- Louis Druehl
  • If anyone (or any groups or societies) wish to discuss specific uses of the Community Hall they should contact JP Hastey.
  1. Bamfield Harbour Authority- Tom Jensen
  • There is high demand for moorage from June to September this year as tourists are applying; however, there will not be enough spots for them all.
  • Paul Board has been added to the Board to make a total of 7 members.
  1. Bamfield Community School- Robin Schmitt.
  • Kindergarten registration is now open so anyone having a child turning 5 this year can get them registered.
  • A question as to whether there was a programme to educate children on sexual exploitation was asked and Robin said it formed part of the health programme.
  1. Fire Hall–Phil Lavoie
  • There are three new recruits-one first responder and 2 fire fighters. There now a total of 23 volunteers of which 6 are first responders.
  • Eight sets of new turnout gear is arriving- from a grant. It cost $30,000 for the 8 sets
  • The new fire truck is coming from Winnipeg. It is expected to arrive on Thursday when the volunteers will get some training on the vehicle and it should then arrive on the west side on Friday.
  • The old fire truck is for sale.
  • The priority is now for a new fire hall on the west side. If you have thoughts as to what would be useful in the new building please contact Phil.
  • New training will be required as more electric cars will arrive in Bamfield and knowledge of their batteries related to the possibility of fire is essential.
  • There will be an evening workshop on fire extinguishers soon- with door prizes!
  1. Bamfield Community School Association – Julie Bradley
  • A ten page winter and spring programme guide has been printed that covers the programming up to April. They are available at the school.
  • March spring break camps are available.

OLD BUSINESS

1.Cougar Pass

  • Mainroad has responded to our letter to say they are only responsible for the wooden boardwalk and not the trails that link it together. Any upgrades to the sections of trail will have to be completed locally. There is funding available as a GIA from Community Affairs so anyone interested in taking this project on this can get in touch with us.
  • Another section of the Boardwalk trail has come under attack from the north east waves that were experienced recently. Boulders and rocks have fallen onto the beach and the trail has been somewhat eroded. John Mass will contact the owners responsible for that section to get the rocks replaced.

2.Other Road Maintenance Issues

  • Mainroad has been working in Bamfield removing danger trees and installing culverts.
  • Road surface improvements have also been underway in East and West Bamfield.

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting, will be  Monday 18 March 2024

Meeting Adjourned at 19.44   m /JMass s/SWenstob Unanimous

Link to Bamfield 2024 DRAFT Financial Plan Presentation: https://bamfielder.ca/sites/default/files/Bamfield%20Feb%2020%202024%20Financial%20Plan%20Presentation.pdf#overlay-context=