Council agreed to keep exploring a National Urban Park around Coburg Peninsula, but Parks Canada and staff must clarify costs, governance and how the city’s control would work before Council decides whether to proceed. On housing, councillors said provincial targets are outpacing the infrastructure funding needed to serve new homes and unanimously backed a letter asking the province for support, including for the affordable-housing project at One Jerome Place, also known as 85 Belmont. Council also changed the order of its planned budget service reviews so roads, sewer and other major infrastructure costs come first. Two items drew requests for more information: WorkLink’s tax-exemption application was sent to the grant process, while councillors approved an inter-community business licence change despite concerns about the fee increase and limited public engagement.
Generated from the recording's captions and the agenda (minutes not yet published by the council).
Council listed resolutions released from closed meetings. They covered changes to reporting and dispute processes for the West Shore RCMP facility project; appointments of an alternate subdivision approving officer and a Board of Variance member; and findings in a code-of-conduct investigation involving Councillor Jordison. The released code-of-conduct decision included a formal reprimand, removal from committee and Acting Mayor duties for 24 months, and release of investigation reports. During the earlier agenda discussion, a councillor sought to change the wording of the September 22 news-release resolution; the amendment was denied. The Mayor said Council would not revisit the conduct decision during the 30-day appeal period.
Agreement
The Mayor and Corporate Officer said the released resolutions were for information and that any appeal of the code-of-conduct decision had to be made in writing within 30 days.
Disagreement
A councillor sought to change the resolution’s wording from saying “the news release” to “a news release”; the amendment was opposed and did not pass.
Councillor Jordison objected that she had not been given an opportunity to address Council or the public about the sanctions. The Mayor said Council had already made its decision and would not discuss it further during the appeal period.
6 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
parks environment1 public speaker20:19 Watch · Read
One representative of Friends of Havenwood Park thanked Council and city staff for supporting the volunteer group. The speaker said volunteers had contributed 2,238 hours over four years, including 1,249 two-hour volunteer sessions. No one else spoke in the public-participation period. The Mayor reminded speakers that comments about the Colwood Creek Park Agricultural Land Reserve application were not permitted because it had been subject to a public hearing.
Agreement
The Mayor thanked the volunteer group for its work and support of the park.
8.1 National Urban Park (NUP) Project Update – Engagement Results and Park Scoping
Staff reported that the March–May engagement drew 797 responses, estimated to represent 255–300 people. Nature conservation and recreation were the most popular park priorities; Coburg Peninsula was the most-supported Colwood parkland for possible inclusion. Council agreed to continue discussions with Parks Canada and the Esquimalt, SC'IȺNEW, Songhees and T’Sou-ke Nations, and to receive further information on administration, costs and implementation before another public-engagement round or a decision on designation. A councillor added that Council should seek to meet with Indigenous partners at the lagoon as often as feasible. Parks Canada’s project lead said Colwood would retain ownership of its land, and that inclusion in a study area would not commit land to a final boundary.
Agreement
Council broadly supported continuing to explore the proposal, while seeking more detail before making a designation decision.
Conservation, reconciliation, public access and responsible recreation were all identified as important considerations.
Disagreement
Councillors differed in emphasis: some highlighted the potential for national protection, funding and visitor education, while others raised questions about governance, costs, access, city control and whether land could be affected by other jurisdictional or treaty discussions.
There was no settled view on which park-management model would best balance conservation, recreation and local control.
The Director of Finance outlined a 2027 budget process with public feedback on service delivery, recurring service reviews and supporting financial policies. Council unanimously endorsed the approach with one change: move the second-year service-review group ahead of the first-year group, prioritizing major cost areas such as engineering, roads, public works, storm sewers and the sewer utility. The Director said new staffing positions, service increases and significant new spending would still come to Council for separate consideration. Supporting policies were expected at the next meeting.
Agreement
Council supported the proposed budget approach and timeline.
The Director of Finance agreed that moving the infrastructure-focused review group earlier was workable.
The Director of Finance explained why the roughly $37 million accounting surplus did not mean the city had that amount in cash: much of it reflected developer-contributed assets and other accounting entries. The city’s budgetary surplus was about $2.2 million. Property-tax adjustments, investment income and payment-in-lieu-of-tax revenue were among the uncertainties; developer contributions were $4.6 million below budget but, as explained by staff, those contributions go into reserves and do not directly drive the operating surplus or deficit. Councillors asked how sustainable the surplus was, how asset-maintenance costs are tracked and where residents can find debt information. Staff said contributed assets are recorded in the city’s asset-management system and debt details are in the financial plan.
Agreement
Council supported receiving the report and praised the finance team’s work.
Staff agreed to make the report clearer for the public, including labelling chart amounts in millions.
Disagreement
A councillor questioned whether the surplus was sustainable and raised concern about the difficulty of relying on a five-year forecast; staff said the amount varies, particularly with payment-in-lieu-of-tax revenue, and that the development outlook remained uncertain.
8.4 Housing Targets Progress Report - Reporting Period 2.0
Council discussed the report showing Colwood on track to meet its provincial housing targets. Councillors said growth needs to be matched with funding for roads, sewer, drainage, transit, schools and other services. One councillor noted that approved development was about three times the sewer capacity available to serve it, and the Mayor raised the stalled, shovel-ready affordable-housing project at One Jerome Place, also known as 85 Belmont. Council unanimously backed a letter asking the provincial minister for long-term infrastructure funding, growth-related cost-sharing tools, coordination of infrastructure with development, and a phased approach to approvals if funding or capacity cannot be secured. Staff were also asked to seek an update on funding for the affordable-housing project and report on funding opportunities and policy changes.
Agreement
Council supported telling the province that housing growth requires matching infrastructure capacity and funding.
Councillors supported asking the province for an update on the affordable-housing project; staff were asked to verify the project’s address.
Disagreement
No substantive disagreement was expressed about the proposed letter. A councillor cautioned that the province might not act on the request.
8.5 Disaster Resilience Initiative: Community Risk Assessment and Disaster Mental Health Resilience Report
The Fire Chief described the community risk and disaster mental-health reports as foundational work for a future disaster-risk-reduction plan. A councillor urged the city to organize broad, ongoing public education and engagement so residents can help identify local risks and prepare for emergencies. The Chief said a new emergency program officer would begin work the next day and that further planning would come to the next Council. Council received the reports for information.
Agreement
Council supported receiving the reports and the need to continue resilience planning.
The Fire Chief agreed that community engagement would be part of the next phase.
9.1 Permissive Tax Exemption (2024-2027), Bylaw No. 2135, 2026 - First, Second and Third Reading
budget finance1 public speaker1:48:15 Watch · Read
WorkLink Employment Society sought a tax exemption for about 61% of its building; the estimated exemption was about $37,000. Its representative said the exemption would help keep community services, including an open resource room, running after WorkLink lost a contract. Councillors wanted more information on how many Colwood residents use the service and how other West Shore municipalities might share the cost. Staff noted that the bylaw would have to be adopted by October 31, making a decision after further research difficult. Instead of advancing the exemption bylaw, Council unanimously referred WorkLink to the grant-in-aid process.
Agreement
Councillors recognized WorkLink’s community services and supported helping it pursue other funding.
Council agreed that more information about local service use and regional contributions would help assess support.
Disagreement
Some councillors were reluctant to grant a city-funded exemption without information about how much WorkLink serves Colwood residents and whether other municipalities would contribute; another councillor noted that the city has granted exemptions to organizations whose services cross municipal borders.
9.2 Inter-Community Business Licence Bylaw No. 2132, 2026 - First, Second and Third Reading; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1603, 2016, Amendment No. 9 (Inter-Community Business Licence), Bylaw No. 2134, 2026 - First, Second and Third Reading
Staff explained that the revised Vancouver Island agreement lets mobile businesses, such as contractors and landscapers, work in participating municipalities with one inter-community licence. The fee was described as rising from $170 to $270, with the licence valid across participating communities rather than requiring a separate licence in each. A councillor said the changes had not been clearly explained or opened to public engagement; another asked whether the agreement had an end date or a way to review the fee, and urged staff to provide redlined versions of future bylaw changes. Council gave the agreement and bylaws first, second and third readings; two councillors opposed.
Agreement
Supporters said the agreement would align fees among participating municipalities and make it easier for mobile businesses to work across the region.
Disagreement
Two councillors opposed the bylaws; concerns included the limited explanation and public engagement, the fee increase and the agreement’s apparently open-ended term.
9.3 Public Notice Bylaw No. 2117, 2026, Amendment No. 1 Bylaw No. 2133, 2026.- First, Second and Third Reading
Council adopted the Development Permit Delegation Bylaw. It had already received first, second and third readings at the August 24 meeting. No debate was recorded.
9.5 Sewer Local Area Service Enlargement Amendment Bylaws - First, Second and Third Reading
Council gave first, second and third readings to four sewer local-area-service enlargement bylaws covering 3436 Fulton Road and 2444 Sooke Road. No debate was recorded.
9.6 Sewer Local Area Service Enlargement Amendment Bylaws - Adoption
Council adopted two sewer local-area-service enlargement bylaws for 605 Hallsor Drive. They had received first, second and third readings at the August 24 meeting. No debate was recorded.
Decisions
Colwood has not published the minutes for this meeting yet. Councils post minutes only after a later meeting adopts them, usually two to six weeks afterwards. We check weekly. We last checked Fri, Oct 2, 2026. Votes and decisions are taken only from the official minutes, so this section fills in once Colwood publishes them. Anything above about motions comes from the recording and is preliminary.