Council approved up to $20,000 for Twinflower Park’s first phase and backed a temporary purchase of up to five sandwich boards while a group considers how the District should communicate with residents. The most contested issue was the proposed regenerative-development zoning for Millstream Meadows: council amended the draft to bar wrecking and salvaging in one zone, then defeated the amended bylaw’s first and second readings, ending the application without a public hearing. Councillors disagreed over whether the draft could deliver the net-positive outcomes envisioned by the community plan, and how much weight to give the cost of remediating the site and the prospect of recovering that cost. Council also shortened a proposed five-year permissive tax exemption bylaw to cover only the 2027 tax year, and approved notification for a future decision on a concrete plant proposal at 2015 Millstream Road.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council added two registered public speakers to the agenda: one on community bulletin boards and one on the Millstream Meadows zoning proposal. The amended agenda was approved.
Routine: approve the meeting agenda, adding Doone Watson and Libby McMinn as speakers.
Official wording: THAT the August 24, 2026 Regular Council Meeting Agenda be approved as amended to add Doone Watson and Libby McMinn to speak under Petitions and Delegations.
Two members of the public spoke. A representative of the Highlands District Community Association (HDCA) described the history and upkeep of the community bulletin boards, asked for temporary replacements at five locations, and urged a broader discussion about how residents get local information. A resident raised concerns that the proposed Millstream Meadows zoning did not require net-positive outcomes and could move ahead before the District has a way to assess them.
A councillor paid tribute to Bill Vogel, a former councillor and acting mayor who died in July and was known for serving popcorn at the community fling. The mayor also gave a summer update on Capital Regional District business, including regional arts funding, drinking-water quality, an upcoming Regional Growth Strategy update, park projects at Elk and Beaver Lake, and a change of command at the local military base.
6.1 Community Bulletin Boards
community services1 public speaker22:00 Watch · Read
Council approved a small group discussion about District communications, including Council, staff, the HDCA and potentially community members with communications experience. It also approved buying up to five sandwich boards for shared District and HDCA use. Staff estimated the boards would cost about $300 each, or roughly $1,500 total. A councillor suggested the group also consider garbage or recycling bins near mailboxes, where discarded junk mail contributes to litter.
Agreement
The existing bulletin boards have maintenance and litter problems, but they remain an important way to reach residents.
The HDCA representative supported a broader discussion before making a final decision about the boards.
Set up a small discussion group with Council, HDCA and staff representatives, and possibly community members with communications experience, to consider how the District should communicate. The District would also buy up to five sandwich boards for the District and HDCA to use to share information about projects and events.
Official wording: THAT a small group discussion that includes a couple representatives from: Council, Highlands District Community Association (HDCA), staff, and potentially a couple of other people from the community with a communications background and experience be held to consider best practices for District communications;
AND THAT up to five sandwich boards be purchased by the District for use by both the District and the HDCA in the community to promote and inform the public regarding upcoming projects and events.
Council approved moving up to $20,000 in Local Government Climate Action Program funds from “Planning Projects” to the Twinflower Park Phase One project. Staff said about $5,000 was still being held back and that further work might come back to Council in the fall, with some work possibly waiting until the next budget round. Councillors also discussed measures such as fencing and planting to discourage bikes from entering a wetland area.
Agreement
Councillors praised the work completed so far at Twinflower Park.
The wetland area should be protected from trail use, though further measures may be needed.
Move up to $20,000 in approved climate-action funding from planning projects to Twinflower Park so RLC and others can finish the first phase of the park and trail work.
Official wording: THAT up to $20,000 of Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) funds, as approved in the 2026-2030 Financial Plan, be reallocated from “Planning Projects” and added to “Twinflower Park-Park and Trail Enhancement Project, Phase 1” to finalize the completion of Phase 1 work by RLC and others.
Council received the Town of Lake Cowichan’s correspondence and agreed to support and sign the Elect Respect Pledge. Staff were directed to notify the Town and copy the letter to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Agreement
Council supported signing the pledge and notifying the Town of Lake Cowichan.
Council would support and sign the Elect Respect Pledge, then tell the Town of Lake Cowichan and send copies of that letter to AVICC, UBCM and FCM.
Official wording: THAT Council support and sign the Elect Respect Pledge;
AND THAT a letter be sent to the Town of Lake Cowichan advising that we plan to do so, with copies provided to Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC), Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), and Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Routine: formally receive the watershed society's correspondence about its public watershed archive.
Official wording: THAT the correspondence from the Veins of Life Watershed Society dated July 27, 2026, regarding the Veins of Like Watershed Society Public Watershed Archive, be received.
Routine: formally receive Disability Alliance BC's invitation for the District to become a member.
Official wording: THAT the correspondence from Disability Alliance BC dated August 13, 2026, regarding an invitation to become a Disability Alliance BC (DABC) member, be received.
8.1 RZ-02-15 Reintroduction and Proposed Zone - 1965 Millstream Road ("Millstream Meadows")
zoning development1 public speaker29:28 Watch · Read
The draft would create two regenerative-development zones for Millstream Meadows, with commercial and industrial uses, development limits and environmental protections. Staff described changes to setbacks and container heights, and said that a proposed net-positive assessment tool would inform future rezoning applications but was not ready. Council amended the draft to prohibit wrecking and salvaging in the more intensive M2-RD zone. It then defeated first and second readings of the amended bylaw, so the application did not proceed to a public hearing. Staff said a new application would likely be needed for Council to reconsider the proposal. Debate included the prospect of recovering some remediation costs through sale of the property: the mayor cited a 2024 appraisal of $19.1 million and a February 2026 appraisal of $6.1 million, while a Capital Regional District representative said the difference largely reflected uncertainty about development under the current land-use designation.
Agreement
Councillors recognized the effort that staff and community members had put into the South Highlands Local Area Plan and the zoning work.
The property has environmental constraints, and environmental protections would apply to future development.
Disagreement
Some councillors said approving the zones before a net-positive assessment tool was ready would leave the community’s regenerative-development goals without a way to require or assess net-positive results.
The mayor argued the draft provided adequate environmental safeguards and that broader commercial and industrial options could support the tax base and help recover public remediation costs; other councillors questioned prioritizing recovery of those costs or were not convinced the draft met community expectations.
Councillors differed over whether the draft should move ahead to public discussion or be held back for further work on assessment tools and development requirements.
Carried 5 to 22026-196Item 8.11:37:16 Watch · Read
Amend the proposed zoning rules for Millstream Meadows to exclude wrecking and salvaging operations from the permitted industrial uses.
Official wording: THAT "(e) Industrial uses within this Zone shall exclude "wrecking and salvaging" operations." be added to Section 11.5.2(1) of Schedule B to Bylaw 488.
Defeated 0 to 72026-197Item 8.11:38:02 Watch · Read
Give the Millstream Meadows zoning amendment its first two readings, with the added rule excluding wrecking and salvaging operations from industrial uses.
Official wording: THAT “Highlands Zoning Bylaw No. 100, 1998, Amendment No. 49, (M1-RD, M2-RD, 1965 Millstream Road) Bylaw No. 488, 2026” be given first and second readings as amended to add "(e) Industrial uses within this Zone shall exclude "wrecking and salvaging" operations." to Section 11.5.2(1) of Schedule B to Bylaw 488.
Council changed the proposed five-year permissive tax exemption period to one year, covering the 2027 taxation year, then gave the amended bylaw first, second and third readings. Councillors said a five-year term would commit the next Council too far ahead; one councillor recalled that the earlier discussion had contemplated a four-year term.
Disagreement
One councillor preferred a one-year term so the next Council could reconsider the exemptions; the original proposal was for a five-year term.
Carried 5 to 22026-199Item 8.21:44:36 Watch · Read
Change the proposed permissive tax exemptions from a five-year term to a one-year term covering the 2027 tax year only.
Official wording: THAT Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw No. 489, 2026 be amended by replacing the five-year permissive tax exemption term with a one-year permissive tax exemption term applicable to the 2027 taxation year only.
Council adopted the parks fees and charges amendment. A councillor asked whether nonprofit groups would pay to use parks. Staff said West Shore Parks and Recreation was covered by an existing agreement and insurance arrangements.
Agreement
Staff clarified that West Shore Parks and Recreation would not pay these fees under the existing agreement.
Carried 7 to 02026-202Item 8.41:48:44 Watch · Read
Adopt the amendment to the District's parks fees and charges bylaw.
Official wording: THAT "District of Highlands Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 333 (Parks), 2011, Amendment No. 2, Bylaw No. 485, 2026” be adopted.
The proposal is for a concrete manufacturing and loading plant with silos, hoppers, conveyors, an office and a truck wash pad. One silo would be 33 metres tall, above the 25-metre zoning limit; the applicant said a different plant design would reduce noise and use the land efficiently. Council voted only to issue notice ahead of a future decision. One councillor raised concerns that the application did not clearly identify the site’s regenerative-development designation and questioned the applicant’s flexibility on measures such as revegetation. Another councillor welcomed the proposed approaches to water and wastewater.
Agreement
Council agreed to notify the public before making a later decision on the permit and variance.
Disagreement
A councillor questioned whether the proposal adequately addressed regenerative-development goals, including revegetation; another expressed support for the proposed technology and water-management approaches.
Carried 7 to 02026-203Item 9.11:54:27 Watch · Read
Notify affected parties about the development permit application with a variance before Council considers it in the future.
Official wording: THAT notification be issued for Council’s future consideration of Development Permit with Variance application DVP-01-26.