Transcript: Regular Meeting of Council - 21 Sep 2026

Nope. We got to wait for C to come back. [laughter] Thank you. Thank you. [laughter] Okay, we are ready for tonight. [clears throat] It's the regular meeting of council, Monday, September 21, 2026. Call to order at 7:02. closer. Okay. Uh 702. [clears throat] And so I look to councelor Marshall, I believe it is, for the territorial acknowledgement. Thank you, chair. Thanks everybody. If you can just uh give us a second here so we can start, that would be great. Thank you. I appreciate it. Um I will read the territorial acknowledgement and then I just hope the chair will allow me to um acknowledge uh someone that's just passed away who was a former counselor as well if he'll give me that opportunity. [clears throat] Um so first nations acknowledgement. Um to begin with we acknowledge we're gathered on Wasanic territory council's committed to strengthening relationships with our neighboring first nations communities.

As we look over our agenda for the day, let us be mindful of the potential implications that our decisions have on indigenous peoples and to consider the common interests we have with neighboring First Nations governments who are also making decisions and passing laws that support a sustainable region. I also just want to acknowledge a long-standing resident and a community builder and former counselor, George Aard, who passed away last month. George had deep roots in North Sanich. His father established Brackenhurst Farm here almost 100 years ago. In 1930, George took over the dairy operation in 1957 and expanded the business and the productive acreage. And today, the fourth generation has taken over. Having a keen interest in the future Sanich and a belief that a farmer's voice should be at the table, George successfully ran for our first elected council in 1966.

He advocated for farming and for the protection of farmland. And he was the chair of the fire committee. He led work on the establishment of our municipal volunteer fire protection service, separating it from the shared services with Sydney. We have the fire service currently because of him. Under his watch, North Sanage got its first firetruck and constructed the fire station. His promise from his election to his last was to meet the challenges of council with integrity, honesty, and common sense. He won seven elections and served on council for nine years. In recognition of his contributions while in council, he was conferred the freedom of North Sanich when he retired and he was the last person holding that honor.

While continuing to farm, George went from municipal politics to agriculture politics and advocacy and he held executive positions in several industry uh associations as well as leadership roles on a number of provincial and national committees shaping policy and leading change in the agricultural industry. Thank you. [clears throat] [applause] So we move on item three which is introduction [clears throat] late items. We have late items 7 A1 7 A7 and 11 C. Are there any other late items? I see no late items. I look for approval of the agenda with laid items. Just through the chair before we do that um I'm just noticing agenda item 8A which is the loan authorization bylaw.

Um, Sydney defeated that bylaw uh last week and so I'm not sure if that needs to be on our agenda item anymore since that required unanimous resolution by all three municipalities. So yes, now that it's been defeated, I don't know if we need to debate that. What we can [clears throat] do there as a late item is when we get that item, I'll have simply withdraw it from the agenda list and give a reason why. Is that okay? Uh, so we look for an approval of the agenda. uh with late items council council seconded council manki [clears throat] we look dive right into public participation period and the rules and procedures sorry all with all those in favor [laughter] unanimous [clears throat] so I was anxious to get the public participation um staff I noticed a change there um do you want me to do this as well.

[clears throat] Yes. Okay. Thank you. So, I assume there's going to be public participation tonight. So, I will go straight into rules of procedures. Persons [clears throat] wishing to address council must state their name and municipality of residents for identification and also topic involved. Questions and comments must be on topics which are not normally dealt with by municipal staff as a matter of routine. Questions and comments must be addressed through the chair and answers given likewise. Debates with or questions of individual council members will not be allowed. No commitment shall be made by the chair in replying to a question. Matters which may require action of the council shall be referred to a future meeting of the council. Each speaker during public petition period must use respectful language and refrain from making offensive gestures or signs and is limited to speaking for 3 minutes or less unless authorized by the chair to speak for a longer period of time and 20 minutes will be allotted for the public participation period unless extended by

vote of council. So I look for the first person to come forward. [snorts] There we go. Thank you. I'm Sharon Hope. I live in Sydney, but I'm associated with the Friends of North Sanage Parks, and I'm here tonight to talk about the findings of two projects we initiated this summer. [snorts] The first one is an assessment of Pavle Park and the second one is a soil moisture content study where we sampled the soils in May and August following the same methods that I've reported to you in 2022 and 2024. So, Pav Park is an um undeveloped uh undisturbed 8 hector park and Sasha and Carmen who were our two summer employees uh examined the soils, the forest stand, the understory vegetation, the wildlife and general site conditions.

The findings of that project were that first of all there were extensive amounts of invasive species and that there should be a plan in order to remove those over a considerable period of time which of course the friends of North Sanage parks that's their mandate. So they will be undertaking this uh it will be a lengthy process because of the size of the park. The next uh finding uh recommendation is to preserve the high biodiversity present in this site. And this is something that I can't stress enough that this is an undisturbed park which is very unusual in North Senich. So we really want to see that this biodiversity is pre preserved and there is very little or no disturbance to that area.

Another thing that we have um underway [clears throat] here is uh to continue to monitor the health of that park to ensure that that biodiversity is preserved. [snorts] Next uh to collaborate with First Nations particularly with respect to the vegetation of cultural significance. And to go on to the second study that we had, this is the soil moisture study. It was conducted um in the same manner as I mentioned as 2022 and 2024. The soil sampling was done in May and August in seven parks. The objective was to see if permanent wilting point was reached by August. And permanent wilting point is when there is no longer available moisture for vegetation to grow and thrive. The findings were that by August all the parks had reached permanent wilting point.

So again, we're having these series of droughts that are occurring in North Sanage. So the recommendations were to create some strategies to address the ecological impact of drought on the flora and fauna in North Sanage. And there are many reasons for this, but one is because there's going to be less carbon sequestration under drought conditions. Another recommendation was to monitor the dying western red cedar, grand fur, Douglas fur, and the general canopy in the district. And that is that would give you an idea of the rate of change that is taking place right now. There's no way of getting the rate of change. Um, sorry, could you just get um wrap it up very quickly if you wouldn't mind?

Okay. Three minutes. to create some specific management plans for the drought current um and to collaborate with First Nations on efforts of that type. And finally, my concern is to hire someone for the district who would take care of these ecological efforts. Thank you very much. Thank you. Loren Solner, North Sanich Marin Council. I'm speaking tonight regarding the thoughtful letter that's on the agenda from Miss Kavanaaugh. She writes her concerns about the recently erected sign in on Pat Bay banning horses from May 1st to September the 30th. This bylaw was enacted about 45 years ago. Sometime afterwards, it was removed. It was illegal. As uh unless there has been any changes to the legislation, any planner should know nor Sanage has jurisdiction to the land only to high tide. Therefore, the sign is still illegal and should be removed. Never has there ever been activity on the beach like the charge of the light brigade. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Allison Griffith. It's been decades since the last time I was here. The last time I was here, it was to defend our youngsters here in North Sanage. They are restricted in many many areas of excitement, um, horseback riding, parks, and what I want to do is make sure that the municipality of North Senate, which is a rural community, is to have a commitment towards these young, young children that we have Here we have moved out to North Sanage from Oak Bay because my children are now in their 40s were horse mad and they were on the beach in the water canoeing everything.

Then of course as they got older and they had the the horses um they rode the the horses on the beach. Now, my grandchildren are tried to ride their ponies on the beach and they were told to get off the beach. Now, this is a lady that with a dog on the beach. Now, I'm sorry. If horses are not allowed on the beach, dogs shouldn't be allowed on the beach. [laughter] Thank you. Hello, Mayor and Council. I am Leslie Gould, a resident of North Sanage. Today is Yam Kapor, the Jewish high holiday in which we atone for our sins of the previous year. Today we say to each other sha tova. So mayor, to you and council, I say sha tova. Tonight you have before you an important document from an interim director of planning that will affect all residents of North Sanage.

North Sanage zoning bylaw number 1606 2026 update. A planner must fill out a retired membership application form in order to retire from the planning institute of BC and attest to the following quote. I hereby certify that during the period for which I am a retired member, I will not be actively engaged in any paid planning work in any capacity and acknowledge and agree that should I become engaged in any paid planning work, I will immediately contact the institute and request to reinstate my active certified membership status unquote. As of today, our director of planning is listed on the PIBC website as a retired member. Nina Schmidt, manager of operations for the Planning Institute of BC, recently wrote the following email. Quote, Joseph Kanda is a current retired member in good standing with PIBC.

He was a certified member between 1979 to 2013." In summation, for the period from June 2026 to today during which our plan has been a paid contract, I just have to interrupt. We're he has been challenging the credentials of our member of the planning and this is inappropriate to be done. Well, what you're I'm sorry to the mayor. It's inappropriate to interrupt me, but I'm just stating it's we we've had this conversation regularly. [clears throat] If there's a concern about a member of staff qualifications, that would go to our CO. He's not a member of staff. He's a contractor. Yes. And that would still go to our CEO.

So, if if you have a concern, I would suggest the mayor direct you to write your concern to the CEO. And will the CEO respond to an email? Yes. Other than to say you're not available. That's the response I've been told we receive. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. No applause, please. We want to get through tonight. We're going to be busy with you. Thanks. Um time, please. uh Richie Alexander North Sanage resident taxpayer and currently the chair of the community uh advisor planning committee which I thank the council for appointing me twice over the past uh thank you for allowing me a few minutes to speak before my resignation letter from CPAC is formally received tonight which is part of the agenda package after approximately six years of volunteer service including four years serving as chair of uh CPAC. I've decided to resign. This has not been an easy decision. First, I do want to begin by sincere sincerely thanking the volunteer community members who served alongside me and the many municipal staff who supported our committees past

and present. I want to thank the individual members of council who worked with myself and the committees that I served over the six years, supported our work, listened to our advice, and treated our volunteers with respect and values. Councelor McConi, councelor Sanchief, council uh stock when we worked uh on the climate change work group and councelor McKink mck sorry uh when we worked on the community planning uh commission. I didn't get a chance to work with councelor Marshall and I've worked a bit with councelor debatista. I'm generally grateful for those relationships and for what was accomplished together. I've served as a volunteer over those six years and bringing more than 35 years experience as a registered professional biologist including extensive experience in fishery management, environmental management, land use planning, indigenous treaty and reconciliation agreements in their implementation.

During my volunteer service, I provided professional evidence-based advice to council and the municipal staff through the advisory committee on the official community plan, housing, environmental, and planning issues in North Sanage. My goal was to help council, municipal staff, and my community to consider the long-term environmental, community, and reconciliation uh implications of its decision. I'm proud of that contribution as well as the other 20 advisory committee members that volunteered their services on the three advisory committees. I provided that experience through my advice to councils on the planning committee in volunteer capacity including important considerations for North Sanders like the development of the OCP. advice to consider housing needs, infrastructure, environmental constraints, and housing policy while specifically considering First Nation engagements during the OCP development, which I feel council in this municipality benefited from the advice received. My role along with the other volunteers was not to make decisions for council. It was to provide professional information as advice, identify potential implications, and bring that benefit of decades of experience to the

discussion so that council could make informed decisions. My resignation is fundamentally about the unfair treatment of 21. Um, as we have to do with the other with the first person, you come into your three three minutes. Could you please wrap it up? I still have 17 seconds. All right. So, I hope council will establish clearer safeguards for future volunteers and ensure that concerns of all individuals do not unnecessarily place an entire group of volunteers under a public cloud. Again, I'm deeply disappointed by this decision and I wish I was able to finish. Thank you. [clears throat] Again, no clapping, please. If clapping continues, I will call a recess.

Um, so I've been asked to have Peter Chandler up next. So, Peter, thank you very much. Uh, good evening everyone. My name is Peter Chandler and I live in North Sanage. I am the chair of the district's agriculture and food advisory committee. I would like to speak to Richard Alexander's letter regarding suspension of members of the district advisory committees. I have two points I would like to bring to your attention. First, why has there been so little effort on the part of the district to explain or resolve this issue? On June 15th, when this council decided to announce publicly that the committees would be suspended and staff would review the behavior of the members, it was the CEO's position that quote, "The review will be undertaken as expeditiously as possible." That was three months ago.

Despite the numerous emails to the district and the many questions raised during the public participation periods, the district appears to be doing nothing while this cloud of suspicion hangs over the volunteer committee members. It looks as though the concerns that compelled the district to announce the suspensions publicly and with such urgency have been just brushed aside. Having had no response from the district, the volunteers have used their personal funds to request information directly from the district's legal council. Surprisingly, the first response from the district's law firm was they were unaware of the matter. Again, I ask, why has there been so little effort on the part of the district to explain or resolve this issue?

Second, why has the council, having reported on the resolution to suspend the volunteers at a public meeting, [clears throat] not disclosed how each member voted as is required in public meetings? It is best practice to formalize decisions made in a closed meeting by passing the resolution in an open meeting. To be clear, this does not require the release of the information discussed. This is not a matter of confidentiality. It is a matter of transparency and that transparency is what the community looks for in our elected representatives. I urge the council to be transparent tonight. When Richard's letter is before council, I encourage council to disclose how they voted on this issue before we vote for our next mayor and council.

And now, Richard Alexander, a highly respected community volunteer and chair of the community planning advisory committee, has submitted his resignation. Richard's letter to mayor and council on this evening's agenda is very well written. Particularly, the section requesting accountability and clarification. In closing, I want to thank Richard for dedicating his time, deep knowledge, and experience to make North Sage a better place. His contributions to the committee and our community are sincerely appreciated. I would also like to thank councilors Marshall, Shvastava, and McConi for their unwavering support of all North Sanage advisory committees. Thank you. All the staff. [clears throat] Uh thank you through the chair. Council wishes to extend the public participation period. The 20 minutes allotted is up.

Thank you. I have a motion to extend 15 minutes. By 15 minutes. Seconded. Councelor Stark. Yeah. Those in favor? Unanimous. Please continue. Uh Mayor Terry Gould, North Sanage. I'm addressing Richard Alexander's letter of resignation as chair of the community planning advisory committee. His letter to you was a heartfelt cry for justice for himself and 20 other members of his own committee as well as the agriculture and wellness advisory committees, all of whom are unpaid civilian volunteers whose reputations have been stained by this council for a quarter year now. Three months ago, a majority of you voted in camera to publish an undefined and vague illusion to misconduct perpetrated by the committees. The publication of your resolution in the June 29th agenda violated your own rules of confidentiality. You announced in your agenda that on June 15th, you had directed staff to quote, "Conduct a review of the behavior of members of the committees and whether any conduct amounts to a breach of code of conduct." any conduct. The meeting the meetings of these three committees were suspended until the investigation was completed.

You published your resolution in the face of your own workplace policy that states on pages 7 through 10 that confidentiality regarding a complaint the accused and the ensuing investigation is of primary concern until the investigation is completed. How long must this derogatory sword hang over these 21 longerving committee members whose role is merely to offer you non-binding public input on matters such as implementing the OCP through the zoning bylaw changes now in progress. Yet here we are at September 21st and while the while the full committees are still suspended, none of the committee members have been interviewed by staff. None of the 21 accused have been informed of a single misconduct allegation against them. And most crucially in this election season, the public has not been informed which members on council voted to suspend and investigate the committees which voted against and whether there were any abstensions, recusals or absences. All we know is that three counselors who voted against the OCP in 2025 also voted on May 25th against the committee's

current terms of reference. And the three counselors who voted for the OCP in 2025 also voted for the committee's current terms of reference. To those who did vote in the majority to publicize the misconduct investigation of the committees, I don't think you realize how serious a scandal you've stumbled into. Anyone can go online to view videos of the committee meetings and identify the faces and names of the 21 accused, leaving the public to wonder what these mostly senior citizens have been up to in secret. Legal letters have already been exchanged between lawyers for some committee members and the district. Every day this arguable defamation stands. You dig the district deeper into financial liability. We need to break the silence over this since you're all running for reelection. Who were the members of the council majority who voted for the resolution? Who were the members who voted against? pass a rise in report to let the public know how you voted so they can make a decision on whether to vote for you after you enabled the scandalous affair.

Ask yourself, is the secrecy around your vote so stringent that a majority of you can violate your own misconduct rules and then bar the public from both finding out your identities and the process that went into committing such an offense against 21 innocent people. End this secrecy in this session now. [snorts] [clears throat and cough] Uh, good evening, mayor and council. My name is Michael O' Conor. I don't I don't reside in North Senich and reside in Oak Bay, but I love North Senich. It's a beautiful area and I visit it often. I'm here acting as legal counsel for Greg Warner. Um, if you're legal counsel for Greg Warner, um, you should be talking to the corporate attorney that you've already been dealing with. Um, I'm sorry, but you can't come here and talk as counsel unless we had our own council here and we were given no advice that you were going to speak to this council.

Well, we were put on the agenda of your worship and uh, that's why I'm here, staff. Oh, yeah. those arrangements were made and and uh I'm here acting. No, you can't be here acting. If if you wanted to speak speak here, you should have given us this opportunity to have our own the own corporate attorney present. That's not been done. Come in here and representing two members of the community and talking to council in the three-minut session. I'm sorry, is not permitted. Okay. Your worship, can I speak in general terms? Yes, certainly speak in general terms. Not as a not as a Tony. It amazes me that this council doesn't recognize the importance of volunteers in your community. This province is built by volunteers. People who give their time for no compensation but to serve their community. And my reasoning and looking at this situation, I think it's unexplainable why these people have been suspended quite frankly and never given any answers for anything. This is tearing the province apart. It's not just happening here. It's happening in other

municipalities and it should end immediately. These people who volunteers have built our province the way it is and we should be grateful for what they do. Thank you. [clears throat] My name is John Thorp and I live with my wife Diane at 606 MDM Drive in North Sanage. Almost 20 months ago on December 18th, I'm talking about a a problem we had almost 21 months ago. On December 18th, 2024, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Beans Creek overflowed due to a plugged trash track where it enters the 4ft diameter storm drain behind Kalatang Road. Over several hours, the creek flooded seven properties, causing substantial damage. The total cost of residents to remediate the damage was around $500,000 with only a small portion covered by insurance. This is not the first instance of a flood in that area. There was an earlier flood on December the 26th, although the damage was significantly less. Your insur insurer provided a report on April 29th stating the district staff inspected the trash

track several times in December, including the day before the flood occurred, and they concluded the district of North Samich appeared to have complied with its policy and no evidence of municipal delegates negligence. In reality, the trash track failed because a section of the storm drain is missing between Birch Road and Waterfront as shown in an attachment to a document I sent to Marin Council last week. This section of the storm drain is missing because of the council's past failure to exercise a statutory right of way over the property behind 10963 Kalatan Road. The owner of that property regularly dumped material from his yard into that ditch and that material most likely caused the flooding. We understand that ownership of that property has now changed and that the new owner is aminable to assessing to sorry to addressing that issue.

Immediately after the event impacted residents both individually and collectively provided the district with details and photos of the damage on February 25th 2025. We submitted a petition with 15 signatures requesting that the district address this issue. A year later, with no positive results coming from the petition, on February 13, 2026, we met with Ben Martin and reviewed all the material we provided, he told us he had proposed a drainage condition and assessment study in this year's budget. Subsequently, that proposal was accepted and the study has now been completed. However, no capital upgrade will result till at least next year. The district is using incorrect terminology here. What we have been requesting here is not a future capital upgrade. It is an essential fix for a known system fault, one which remains significant and expensive threat to our homes. This needed to be done more than a year ago and it certainly needs to be done before this winter when we're expecting another El Nino weather event

with our insurance now limited to $10,000 for the next four years. We cannot both individually and collectively afford to have this happen again. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Bod Stoddard. I live at 8640 Richland Place just below Dean Park. Um my wife and I have lived there with our family for 30 years or so and we're very happy there. We love our neighborhood and we're hope we're hoping that we can age in place there with parts of our family. In fact, our daughter and her family are happy would be happy if they could occupy our house while we occupied a smaller uh building on the same property. We first came to council or actually to your planning uh department and asked if that would be possible about four or five years ago and we were told no, it would not be. The uh OCP at the time would not allow for that. We didn't have sufficient room and so on.

So, okay, we lived with that and we were told that there was a recommendation for a change in the OCP. So, we patiently waited for that and uh when it arrived, it simply didn't didn't allow for that to happen. Um on the block where we live, there's nine homes and in those nine homes, four have um people living there that are adults with their parents because they cannot afford to move elsewhere and so they're kind of forced to live with their parents. So, what we're hoping is that as the OCP is revised finally, and I understand it's being done so right now, that there will be language that would allow for my wife and I to build a small place uh for us to live in with parts of our family in our main residence so that we could age in place with our family. Anyway, thank you very much for your time.

Thank you. Oh, I'm gonna I'm gonna get to this guy. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I am David Tonkan. I live on Lansen Rogue, and I'm speaking to you on behalf of those residents of the district who live on the waterfront. We've requested changes to the marine zoning bylaws that allow us fair and equal opportunity to enjoy our properties. The amendments fit with the new OCP and were intended to be included with the updated zoning. The current draft completely ignores the requested changes. There are nearly 2,000 voters living on the waterfront. We don't send a mob with placards to shout out our views on the district office front lawn. We don't send members to hurl insults at you from this podium.

We have always worked constructively, openly, and respectfully with staff and council. We've attended all the popups, every Marine open house, all public marine meetings, whether at the district, at local churches, and even at the fire hall. We've met with staff a dozen times over the years, sat on committees, have held our own public presentations, open houses at the Mary Winsspir, and staff and council have attended and spoken at our proud AGMs for years and years and years and years. Think of all the time and work that has gone into the marine sections of the OCP and the supporting zoning bylaws and then look at the result. Not a single change. Not a paragraph, not a word, not a comma, not a period. Absolutely nothing. How can that be? Actually, the truth is that the prior director of planning was working on our changes. And when I saw our changes, I mean, and when I say our changes, I mean council and residents who worked together over years

and years. He heard what we wanted and he diligently drafted those into the OCP, which was adopted, and was preparing changes to the marine zoning bylaws, which are crucial to to make it all work. Where are those marine updates? We wrote the OCP in a manner to protect the waterfront. It was drafted to be flexible, fair, and while strict under certain circumstances, it does allow waterfront owners the ability to protect, maintain, and improve their properties. But without the intended zoning changes, none of it is accomplished. We go back to residents asking for forgiveness as there is no reasonable way to comply with zoning and to the potential risk again for another scar that is a waterfront development at the west end of Land's End. We dealt with all of this in the zoning updates, but the intended changes have somehow disappeared.

This seems a very odd time, less than a month before an election, to throw 2,000 voters under the bus with the message that their legitimate concerns do not matter. We need to find a way to include marine zoning updates. Council needs to include the waterfront residents in the new zoning bylaws and not leave them feeling that decades of participation in community affairs has been a complete waste. Thank you. Thank you. Um before the next gentleman comes up, I'll go to Troy because he's been waiting quite a while. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Good evening. My name is Troy McKay. I'm a Northage resident confirming you can hear me.

Yes. Thank you. I'm speaking tonight in regards to correspondence item 10G, which I'm the author. Uh thanks for the opportunity to speak today regarding pedestrian and school children's safety on Clayton Road between Heather Road and school campus. I'm here because this section of roadway presents a significant barrier to children and families who'd otherwise choose to walk to school. The road is narrow. There's no pedestrian infrastructure and during school pickup and drop off periods. Pedestrians and school children are forced to walk in the middle of the road sharing it with vehicles despite parking restrictions which largely go uninforced. Roadway becomes further congested increasing these safety concerns.

What's particularly frustrating for me is that a lot of the families that are affected by this live close enough to the school to be able to walk to the school and for walking to be a real realistic option. Yet the lack of safe infrastructure effectively forces many families into a vehicle for what should be a short walk. In my view, there appears to be a practical opportunity to create a simple gravel pathway within the public boulevard on the south side of Clayton Road. The available space is sufficient to accommodate a pathway while preserving the existing character and trees of the corridor and minimizing cost. Even a modest pathway would dramatically improve the safety and accessibility of this area. Tonight, I'm not asking council to approve construction. I'm asking for you to take a reasonable next step, and that's to for council to direct [clears throat] staff to meet with me and other interested stakeholders to review the quarter on site and discuss potential options. And I'm also asking that you as council direct staff to report back to

the council for adoption of the next budget in 2027 on the feasibility of implementing a pathway to connect Heather Road to the school. I believe this is an opportunity for North Sanage to make a relatively small investment that would have a significant impact for student safety and school safety and quality of life for the Deep Cove families. Thank you for your time and consideration. And finally, I promise that the pathway I'm proposing you build is much shorter than the email I sent you about it. [laughter] Thank you. Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Huzooki and I'm a resident of North Sanage. This afternoon, I learned that a late item has been added to tonight's council meeting. Notwithstanding that the uh district's notice of September 10th cancelling the zoning bylaw information sessions that were to be scheduled for September 15th as public venues, stated these changes would be presented to council today.

It's a great show of local government democracy and action that North Sanish residents are provided with such an overwhelming amount of time to review the mere 122 items proposed for the change in the bylaw. Staff have been working on this item since July. Yet, the item is added at the last minute, giving residents and council members virtually no time to review it. The report also notes that there was no opportunity for the three local advisory committees to review and comment on the proposed changes. Well, that should be no surprise because all 21 members have been suspended for alleged misconduct. But I digress. To assist the process even further, the proposed changes, and remember there's 122 of them, are articulated in such a way as to be virtually useless in assessing what the actual change will be to the 76page zoning bylaw that has received first reading. There is no ability for anyone reviewing the proposed changes to know whether the proposed changes are merely housekeeping, redundant, or making substantial change to the zoning bylaw.

Yet, council will be asked tonight to have these changes added to the bylaw for second reading. Mind you, given the way four members of this council ramp through a bylaw to amend the officer's bylaw inside of a week, and that those same four members of council determined that they deserved a 30 plus% salary increase effective January 1, 2027, totally disregarding the recommendation provided by the citizens committee that council itself appointed. It wouldn't surprise any of us here this evening that this item will be passed by a vote of 43. Thank you. [clears throat] Good evening. My name is George Van Wson. I live at 8545 Alec Road in North Sanage. Um, I'm going to switch gears from the previous people and talk about uh further to a letter that I think was submitted to the last meeting about the ongoing construction at 8545 West Sanage. So that would be my immediate [clears throat] neighbor and the uh length of time that we've have had to endure um specifically jackhammering

in addition to uh excavators and dump trucks and uh other construction equipment which has been going on for up to three years. And I think those details were in the letter. Um, I just wanted to put my two cents worth in and say, I mean, we understand that construction takes a bit of time and makes a bit of noise. We ourselves on our property at a carriage house for my son and his family. So, we understand the process, but we don't understand why someone has to jackhammer this year from beginning of May until September 11th almost every day, some Saturdays and even on Sundays and stat holidays, it's been known to happen. It's um very disruptive and we just think it's unreasonable. Um, and the question is, is it really necessary to do all this constant jackhammering or is there a way that you, the council, can help us by limiting the amount of time that is to be spent on a project or perhaps um not allowing jackhammering and do

something like they do in souk, which is blast things, which is very noisy but doesn't last very long. Um, and just in closing, just to say this has been for all the neighbors a disruption of our right to peaceful enjoyment. It goes on all the time and we've just we're just fed up with that. So, we're asking for some help. Um, as outlined above, thank you. Thank you. Good evening, the mayor and council. My name is Gordon Hardwick and I live on West Sanich Road here in North Sanich. I too am speaking to this issue uh that was brought forward just recently uh by George. Um this is regarding noise of construction and excavation. It's not only a health issue, but a bylaw concern as well. Our district bylaw restricts construction noise for set hours between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, Saturdays from 8:00 till 4 with no work or on statutory holidays and Sundays. But there is a gap in this. The district has no regulations addressing

the intensity of of excavation and rock removal and no mechanisms to assess how different methods impact residents. So even within permitted hours, we can be exposed to activities that serely affect seriously affect our health and quiet enjoyment with no recourse. There is this isn't [clears throat] just an annoyance. Uh the BCD um the British Columbia Center for Disease Control, the BC Construction Safety Alliance, Work Safe BC, and public health agencies all recognize noise as a serious threat and hazard to well-being. The district bylaws do not reflect this in any way. Uh decades of research show that noise triggers an unconscious stress response in the body affecting the heart, the brain, the nervous system, and mental health. Jackhammering specifically causes chronic fight and flight uh activation through sensory overload. Um standing near a jackhammer means exposure to 85 to 111 dB um of noise.

The brain treats this as an act of threat, forcing the body into sustained stress, bypassing conscious control. Um, the neurological effects that have been identified through EEG studies show jackhammering noise disrupts normal brain activities and triggers negative emotional responses in the frontal lobe. Constant high decibel exposure overwhelms memory, learning centers, causing poor focus. um more errors and mental burnout. Staying in this heightened state prevents the nervous system from recovery, often leading to anxiety, depression, irritability, and emotional exhaustion, of which I am experiencing a fair amount of at this point. Um um the even attempts to sleep or rest when things go quiet often um exposure disrupts nighttime sleep patterns resulting in insomnia. Auditory systems remain vigilant and continue monitoring the environment during your sleep. the body is uh denied the deep res restorative sleep that drops your blood pressure and heart rate necessary for long-term health. Um on a on a cardiovascular level, the brain's response activates what's called the HPA axis in in the sympathetic nervous

system of which I have experiencing as well, flooding the body with cortisol and adrenaline. Chronically elevated stress almost cause vascular in inflammation and arterial hardening. These are real issues of health and well-being. This raises the heart rate and blood pressure. And research shows that people chronically exposed to heavy noise are up to three times more likely to suffer or uh from a stroke or a heart attack. The bottom line is our bylaws regulate when construction noise can occur, but not how intense it can be and what health impacts it has. Given the documented risks to our hearts, our brains, our mental health, and sleep, the district needs regulations and an assessment process for high impact um excavation and rock removal methods. Uh please consider what we've experienced and thank you very much.

Thank you. My name is Gwen Greenwood and I live at 8590 Alec Road and I'm just speaking as a follow-up to our petition for the Jack Hammering and uh the development activities as been said before have been going on since June of 2022. Jackhammering has continued all this summer starting in May and last heard September 11th. usually between 7 or 8 in the morning to 3:00 or 4 in the afternoon. Apparently, there's more to come. The neighbors are exasperated by this method of rock removal and would like the district to curtail this activity considering the prolonged nature and health impacts of those in the area. Thank you.

Thank you. I see no one else coming forward. So I'll call an end to the public participation period and we'll quickly move on to item six which is adoption of minutes. Are there any errors or omissions? Adoption. Okay. Thank you as read. Move adoption as read. Thank you. Seconded. Okay. Council Marshall. [clears throat] Again questions, comments? I see none. Those in favor unanimous. We move on to reports which is first one is staff report which is permissive property tax exemptions. Staff uh thank you. You've got a staff report there uh before you uh for the 2027 permissive tax exemptions um which council uh we need to pass a bylaw which I need to file by October 31st. I've provided an appendix with a listing of all the applications that I've received. One came as a late item uh today from the uh Sanage Peninsula uh Chamber of Commerce.

Um and there are two that are eligible under section 220 uh of the community charter that are uh uh statutory. Uh and no decision is required that uh on those applications from council. Uh the others are all eligible for uh an exemption under section 224 um and have have received the applications. I've reviewed them and ensured that they are in good standing with uh CRA if they are a registered charity. Um and happy to take any questions uh from council. Thank you. Council [clears throat] questions, comments, council mtok. Yes, thank you and thank you for this list. Um is there anybody new that wasn't didn't apply last year?

Uh no, they're all the same the same group. Thank you. Further questions, comments, council marshall through you, chair to staff. Um the late item that we have for the the peninsula chamber on Papay. So I read through it. I just want to confirm it's their um office. They use it as a business office. Correct. That's correct. That's my understanding. Yes. Further questions, comments motion on staff recommendation. Thank you. [snorts] to Council Datista. Second to Council Marshall. Again, any comments, questions? Actually, none. Those in favor? Unanimous. Move. [clears throat] Move on to item two, which is um North Signish water rates and regulation bylaw. [clears throat] Staff, anything to add?

No, just uh administrative. One of our processes to review um uh financial uh procedures and uh this one came under review. Happy to take any questions uh from council. Okay. Thank you. Um again I'll go I'll go before the motion. Any questions, comments? I see none. Look at a motion based on the recommendation. Council Marshall seconded. Councelor Deatista. [clears throat] I assume that's read. Yes. Thank you. [laughter] And again any questions, comments? I see none. Those in favor unanimous. Uh we move on to item three which is answer ashalt repair and west signage and downey roads staff. Um it just appears our director of infrastructure services has stepped out but um we can maybe move to the next one. Move to the next one. Come back. Yeah.

Okay. Thank you. Okay. [clears throat] We want to item four which is salt removal and fill deposit bylaw. Still, that's still Mr. Martin. Okay. Okay. Well, I'm thinking of going to adjournment. [laughter] Where? Item six. Item six. Oh, there it um season closure. Okay. Item six. Again, staff, anything to add? Nope. Nothing to add. Uh look for a motion based on the recommendation. Thank you. Second, council producer. based on the recommendation. Thank you. Um as read. Yes. Uh yeah. Any questions, comments? I see none. Those in favor? Okay. I'll put your hands up again, please. Favor. Oppose. Okay. [laughter] Motion carries 61 with Council Mint in opposition.

So, um thank you Ben and we'll now move back to Ashfelt Repair West Road. Thank you, mayor, and apologies. You guys are moving along uh quickly. Um if I may just if I may just briefly introduce the report um which is it's seeking approval to proceed with some isolated air areas of ashalt repair in the in the Deep Cove area. Um it's informed by a recently completed roadway pavement condition assessment work. Obviously, this is a um the roadway is a significant asset in our community and this ongoing uh mass management approach seeks to maximize its uh service life. If you have any questions, be happy to answer them. Okay. Again, any questions, comments, look for a motion based on staff recommendation.

I'll go with council stop this time as read and second to councelor deiston. Again, any questions, comments? See none. Those in favor? unanimous. And we move right on to the next one for [clears throat] soil removal and fill deposit bylaw. Staff, thank you again, uh, Mayor. This one's a little bit more complicated, but I welcome the same, um, speed of approval as the last report. Um, sorry, if I may. So, this this this report seeks approval for first, second, and third reading of an up our updated soil and fill um, deposit um, bylaw. Um the bylaw is quite well presented with justifications. Um there's a um pre there's a question and answer sheet as well. Um it really seeks to um update um and become more utilitarian and effective in our community. Um happy to answer any questions that you may have.

[clears throat] Thank you council. Questions, comments? Councelor Sanjief. [clears throat] Thank you chair uh to staff. With regards to the soil removal, we can expect given that there is a housing mandate that there will be a lot more removal of soil. So are there provision being done that they would be reused in the same lot or are they going to move to an agriculture land? If so, are we getting an environmental assessment done or are we demanding an environmental assessment regardless of where the soil is coming from? Thank you counselor and if I may through the chair. Um many questions there. Um and all of them all those activities are covered under in individual regulation. Um so if you just talk about the first question about um excavation for for um a housing or a house that's actually exempt from the soil and fill bylaw that activity as would be a septic field or swimming pool. These are regular occurrences that happen and we have other measures to protect our infrastructure with those events because they're permanent events and so we wouldn't seek a soil and fill

removal bylaw. um if there was an isolated um material transfer, that's when the soil and fill bylaw would apply and that would and that's mostly to protect um our infrastructure during that activity to make sure it's done in accordance and also to make sure that the soil is of um the required quality. Um the application of fill on ALR lands is governed by their own governing body. Um and there's quite stringent requirements for that and this uh revised updated bylaw makes understands that and makes um there's measures for that as well. Okay. Through the chair if I may continue on that I understand the exemption part.

The question is if it is a contaminated soil what would rules would be triggered regardless of whether it is a exempt situation or not. Thank you counselor. Um so contaminated soil is governed by provincial legislation. Um contam contaminated soils act I believe. Um and there's requirements to f to conform to those legislations and our own bylaw. Um and so um any material that's being um relocated typically requires to have a manifest um which characterize characterizes the soil. Um, and that would be the same t typically if it's under our soil and fill bylaw, but also if it's going to any receiving facility in the region.

Thank you. Thank you, council. [clears throat] Further questions or comments? I uh staff, can we do a consent resolution or do you want it broken down individual readings? Uh through the chair, individual readings as as listed on the report would be preferred. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. So, we're looking for a motion based on item one based on the recommendation to councelor Marshall. [clears throat] I recommend that council receive staff report number IS-26010, soil removal and fill deposit bylaw and municipal ticket information bylaw for information. And two, that council give first and second readings to District North Sanage soil removal and deposit bylaw number 15802026.

That council give third reading to District of North Sanage soil removal and deposit bylaw number 15802026. That council give first and second reading to the district of North Sanage municipal ticket information bylaw number 1544 2022. Amendment bylaw number 1610 2026. That council give third reading to district of North Sanch municipal ticket information bylaw number 1544 2022. Amendment bylaw 16102026. Thank you. Seconded council councelor Stark. Any further questions, comments? None. Those in favor? Unanimous. [clears throat] So we move on to the next item which is McDonald Park Road resurfacing staff. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Um so this report seeks um advance to allow night work outside of our current noise bylaw requirements. Um, this work has been scheduled by Sydney and it's for the resurfacing of McDonald Park Road. If you recall when we updated our storm infrastructure and our and we added the multi- uh multi-use path, we did some improvements on our half and Sydney had always planned to make improvements on their half. Now, they are um coming to completion of those and there's going to be um an overlay of the entire roadway

surface planned for later this later this week actually. So this report's simply asking for that advance to the to allow night work. [laughter] Thank you [clears throat] again. Council's questions, comments, council mccllintok. Thank councelor Sanjief. Yes, [clears throat] thank you. Um I see that the request is for a week but the um the one night that they've um they plan on doing the work has been identified as only one night. Is that to give them a window in case of weather or whatever? Thanks council. Three through you to staff. Sorry. and through the chair. Um, when I wrote the report, it was some time ago and it was weather we weren't weather wasn't confirmed. As it turns out, I believe notice has been given out for this Thursday night and it'll be one night of work.

Thank you, Sanji. Thank you, chair. Through the chair, do we know how a I presume there are no residences in that area or in the proximity of adjacent to that particular road? Thank you councelor and through the chair. Um it's primarily businesses. However, there are there are some residences on that strip. There is one resident the the farm property um adjacent sandown I believe. um all of the res if you've been if if you've been around that neighborhood there are um electronic sign boards up I believe and there has been notices provided to all of the businesses and anyone affected on that roadway through the chair would it be because you've identified only one home would it be possible for a district to actually send a letter to them I notifying them that this would be the duration and the rest thank you counselor and I understand um in through our coordination meetings with with the town of Sydney, direct mail outs have been provided to all members affect all residences and businesses affected. So I believe that that resident would have will have or

has already um received that notice but I I can most definitely follow up before Thursday. I would appreciate that. Thank you very much. Other questions, comments? See none. Look for a motion based on staff recommendation. Um I'm go with councilman concern [clears throat] as read or do you wish to read it out? I'll make the recommendation that council wave enforcement provisions of district north sanage noise bylaw number 1383 brackets 2015 from Thursday September 24th to Friday October 2nd 2026 to allow a window for a one night of full road closure and paving during 6 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on McDonald Park Road between Fire Lane number three and Mills Road.

Thank you. seconded. Councelor Stark again. [clears throat] Any questions, comments? I see none. Those in favor? I see none. Hands down. So, it's unanimous. Now, we [clears throat] move right on to item uh six, which is municipal holiday season closure. Sorry. Oh, we Okay, thank you. I didn't I didn't take it out. I didn't take it off. So, we move on to item seven, which is to [clears throat] be added later item, which is north signage zoning bylaw update. Staff, thank you, your worship and council. I'm going to give you a little bit of background on this so you know exactly how it is that we got here today, September 21st. The zoning bylaw update commenced in July of 2025. At that time, it was noted that the district is working to update zoning bylaw number 12 55201 to ensure it aligns with the new OCP, which by the way was adopted July 17th, 2025.

And zoning by number 1255, 2011, continues to be in effect. Short-term rentals were reviewed commencing in March of 26. [clears throat] Open houses were held on April 14th and 1526. Council gave first reading to zoning bylaw number606 2026 attached as appendix A and B of the staff report PSC 26-011 on April 27, 2026. Many changes to the boat zoning bylaw were highlighted on the zoning bylaw update page and connect North Sanage as well as zoning bylaw6006 2026 with the track changes and that document as far as I know is still on the zoning bylaw update page. Since first reading, the bylaw was referred internally to each department and to the advisory committees for feedback. CPAC, ASAC, and HCL uh healthy communities local advisory committee last reviewed and commented on the draft zoning bylaw at its May 5th, 6th, and 7th meetings.

That is the zoning bylaw with the track changes that got first reading on April 27th. On June 16, 2026, the District of North Sanage received a letter from the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs based on the minister's review of the housing advisor report. The letter outlined four proposed directives under the Housing Supply Act and several proposed enhanced reporting requirements. The minister requested feedback from the district on the proposed directives and enhanced reporting requirements. So for the next six weeks, staff, council, and the public worked on the letter of of uh response to the minister, and we sent that letter out to the minister on July 31st of 2026.

At its meeting of August 17th of 2026, council directed staff to continue advancing zoning bylaw number 1606 based on its current scope and policy direction established through the OCP, including consideration and integration of amendments arising from internal departmental and advisory committee referrals and to bring forward for council's consideration of next readings and adoption with staff aiming to have the zoning bylaw, the new zoning bylaw 1606 adopted by October 1st, 2026. So on on August 18th, staff started undertaking a comprehensive review of zoning bylaw 1606 as at first reading. The planning team that worked on this includes Trevor Parks, Tyler Erikson, Monica Devidi, and Dylan Clark, and myself.

Uh we had six 2-hour workshops where we went through the zoning bylaw 1606 with a tooth and fine comb kind of thing. And in those two hours meetings, we identified changes that should be made to the zoning bylaw to bring it into compliance with the OCP and to otherwise modernize the bylaw. It's the housekeeping amendments that someone referred to earlier. We had 2hour sessions. We had six of those sessions. When the sessions were completed, we went back to our offices and we started to populate the zoning bylaw itself and we started to create the table of changes, populate that. [snorts] We worked on that until this until last Friday. Okay. So, uh, we have today sent the table of changes, the zoning bylaw 1606 repopulated and have requested zoning bylaw 1606 with tracking changes.

Zoning bylaw 1606 clean without tracking changes. Zonium bylaw map updated. We are recommending five or six specific zoning redesations in the city and a comprehensive table of changes. Council will receive all of that at its meeting of September 28th. And on 20 on September 28th, staff will be making recommendations on what the next steps should be, including a public engagement program. Um, what I'm going to do tonight is just highlight some of the proposed changes that are included in your new zoning bylaw. They include now the these are what I would call changes of substance because most of the changes are housekeeping, crossing the tees, dotting the eyes, but the ones more of substance include senior care facility and senior housing and care facility definitions, heat pumps within building envelopes, firearm club facility zone and new zone R10, shipping containers and green houses, guest cottage, basement floor space ratios, floor area ratios and ALC definitions, carriage house definitions, marine class A, B and C definitions,

accessible parking ratios and regulations. SPAC has asked for has asked for normalization of our parking ratios. um to be in concert with central Sanage and Sydney [clears throat] townhouse residential and townhouse complex definitions, kitchen definition, uninsured versus unlicensed vehicles. So all of that will come to your table on September 28th. And at that time we we will be asking council to accept these new documents, review them and direct on next steps. And our recommendation on September 28th will be will not be to give it second reading on se on September 28th. It will be to direct a public engagement program comprised mostly of openhouse information sessions.

That's my report your worship. Thank you very much. [clears throat] Then uh council look for any any motions, questions, comments of staff. Council [clears throat] Mcccleintoch. Yes. Thank you. And thank you for the uh for the explanation. And I appreciate that and I'm sure the um I'm sure those listening do as well that this is not a second reading or um of the uh of the zoning bylaw. Um there are couple of things you said that um and you refresh my memory of the date, but uh I do recall a majority of council making a motion that they wanted the bylaw complete by the end of this term.

Would that would that was that correct? Well, I think I think on August 17th there was an aspirational date of October 1st. Could we get the zoning bylaw adopted by October 1st? [clears throat] And my answer is, well, we've come a long way and we will have it all in front of you September 28th. But you're not going to get it adopted by October 1st because when you move from first to second reading or or when you move to any readings, you do need to give a public notice in uh two issues of a locally circ circulating newspaper of council's intention to consider the zoning bylaw to give it first readings or not. So, you're not going to be able to do that between September the 28th and October the 1st.

[snorts] Thank you. And that was my concern when the majority of council made that uh made that motion, which I voted against. We did receive some information, and I'm sure that all of council has from uh from Spring Harrison um requesting more time for consultation, and I uh I'm certainly in favor of that. And if we don't meet those um those timelines that the majority of council um voted on um I certainly won't be uh upset about that. I think the more consultation with the community the better and if it does take us a bit longer and if it does take us through this it doesn't get completed in this term that's the way it is. It has to be done right. There also was a um something mentioned by one of the speakers if I have opportunity to give one more question through to you staff and uh by Mr. Tonkan in regards to marine zoning. Um I see you you've made reference to marinas.

Yeah. But not necessarily to the marine zoning. Yeah. Now now what sort of consideration um and and amendments uh can we be looking forward to? Well, at this point the staff is so let's let's just talk about this whole uh use of the foreshore for buildings and structures and docks or or whatever it is that uh you know these these people are looking at. Um it is true that there's an amendment to the OCP which which looks after design guidelines for that kind of activity. What we have not done is put any regulations in the zoning bylaw to facilitate a blending of M5 and M6 for the purpose of considering structures on the foreshore. Now this item was reviewed by CPAC on May the 5th. The CPAC recommendation as I understand it is that the issue needs more study.

I came on board on June the 1st. Between June the 1st and today, the planning team, those five people I just remembered mentioned, I reviewed the issue with them three times. Three times. My first time I said to them, what's wrong with this? Like why not just do it? So the staff recommendation each and every time continues to be the issue needs more study. And as we start thinking about the budgeting that we're going to do in October, I'm at a position right now where I think I need to recommend a forshore and marine setback study for the work program in 2027. and we may have to allocate some funds to get that done. So my position today is that it's too early to amend the zoning bylaw. However, when you get to second reasoning, if if if council wants to instruct M5 and M6 zones to allow structures in the foreshore, just give us that instruction and we'll make it happen.

Thank you. [clears throat] Thank you, council. Questions, comments? Councelor Marshall. Yeah, just a comment um through you staff to or through you chair to staff. Thank you for for the table of changes of the work on this um you know when I go through it like you've already said and acknowledged is that it does need more community engagement. Um we do have the table of changes some definitions and things have changed but we don't see what those are at current. Um but it sounds like a red line will be coming on the 28th. So thank you. Um, also appreciate councelor mccllintok's comment on the motion that was made and I invite everybody to watch the meeting from that uh from August 17th I think you said it was um on what that motion was. It did say October 1st but the discussion said that we are flexible with that time and if we determine that more community engagement is needed that's what we'll do and it sounds like

that's where we're at. So if we you know we tried as best you could and now we know we need more community engagement especially since there are substantive changes. So thank you. Can council questions comments council manki. Uh thank you chair and um just a question through to staff. Um Mr. Tonkan spoke about um previous discussions. Um have you had a chance to meet with uh Mr. Tonkan or with Prowl? Thank you. No. And a follow up to that. Is that something that could be possible prior to bringing this back on the 28th? No. And is there a reason for that? Yeah, because as I've said, the staff position on this issue is that it requires more study before we're prepared to recommend it's a good idea.

Let's do it. That is the staff position now. So, I think it's up to Mr. Tonkan to make representations to you, council, and tell you why it's such a good idea so you can then instruct staff to put it into the zoning bylaw. Okay. Thank you for that and um hold on a second please if you don't mind staff. Sorry. Thank you through the chair. What I might note as well is I I believe we have a good understanding I believe of what the the ask is um and it has been discussed by our staff and so um if council I mean council we're happy to take any direction from council. If council would like to follow up on any clarification that you may need um from Mr. Tonkan are proud. We're happy to do that. Um I think at our staff level, we understand um what's being asked to be considered and the staff opinion is that that does require more study and we we are committed to undertaking that um as

Mr. Kenda notes um unless directed otherwise likely put it into uh a 2027 work plan to be part [clears throat] of a study and update at a later date. Thanks. Council me [snorts] and then councelor stock. No, that's fine for now. Thank you. Council council stock. I Yes. Thank you through you chair. Um I was just wondering to Mr. Kinda is the issue that um the staff and Prow have been discussing the issue of concrete um structures in the foreshore. Is that part of or is that part of it? because I know that's an old it's a very uh old issue that we've been discussing for many years.

It's actually kind of a complicated issue in the sense that when when when staff briefed me on it again for the third time. The other item that came up is that, you know, if we're going to do a foreshore study or or get funding to do a foreshore study, you need to also look at the 15 m setback because we're having problems interpreting what can or cannot happen within the 15 meter setback and that may have to do with concrete structures or something else. So, it's it's just a complicated issue is what I'm trying to tell you. Yeah. All right. Thank you very much. And um I appreciate also very much that we're going to have the that time between September 24th and December for uh community and residents engagement. I think that's a really good idea.

So anyway, thank you very much. Thank you chair counc. Um thank you chair. First, uh, let me thank you staff or three to staff for the inclusion of the accessible parking standard alignments. Very much appreciated. Um, I guess I'm just seeking a little bit of clarity cuz there's, you know, there's lots of refers to, you know, amending definitions and better definitions and new regulations and things like that. So, um, when we see this at our next meeting, are all these just going to be highlighted in red lines so we can see them? Like I I just it I I don't know how to approve a definition of something and and I'm just going to pick one that jumped out at me. Added an indoor amenity space definition.

Yeah. To um complement the existing outdoor amenity provisions. Missing definition. So are we going to see what that definition in a red line version next week? I guess is my question because I'm I'm hesitant to adopt it to move forward without knowing the changes from what currently exists to what exists and what will exist. It's a it's a good question. So I'll just I will I will repeat this. What you can expect to see with your agenda for September 28th is zoning bylaw6006 with all of these changes on the list. Okay. U in a document and there's actually going to be two documents. One of the documents will have all will be a tracking of changes. So you can see where zoning bylaw 1255 began and where zoning bylaw606 is today. So it's going to have all of these changes on the list will be in the document and they will be tracked or redlinined or blue line. The second document you're going to get is bylaw6006 with all the changes written into it. No

red lines. It's it's it's a zoning bylaw as it will read if you approved all the changes. Okay. The third document you're going to get is a zoning map with the with with the updated zones on it. [clears throat] And the fourth document you're going to get is an even more comprehensive table of changes. So you can refer to the table and then refer back to the track changes and so on. like we're trying to figure out the easiest way you can go through all of these changes and make decisions. And I think the tracked change document and the table of changes, if you link them together, it should help you make decisions on these council [laughter] Marshall.

Yeah, through you chair of staff. Thank you for that. Um, will that also be available at the community engagement sessions for the the community when you're doing those sessions? Oh, certainly. Once once uh once you receive these documents, we're going to put them on the zoning update page, you know. So, so they'll be there like anybody can refer to them online if they want you know in in terms of the community engagement sessions like these still need to be designed you know like we need to from my perspective we got we we we want to give information on the major changes as opposed to giving information on the editorial changes dotting the eyes and crossing the tees you know so we have to figure out a way to do that so that the so that the people can effectively comment back, you know.

[clears throat] Come back to council. Are you ready? [snorts] Okay. No, chair. I'm I'm still struggling with moving forward with the bylaw. I think I said it last time as well. Um knowing, you know, we have potential, you know, housing mandates coming our way. I'm still struggling with moving forward and tracking changes and knowing that we might have to repeat this process. So I'm just struggling how to [snorts] move forward with this right now. Okay. Any further question? Thank you chair. Uh thank you for the report. My question first begins with the enhanced reporting requirement from the province. What is being done? Is there a dashboard being created so that the public and the province knows what's going on the public and the province? Correct.

Okay. So um the short answer is no. I don't know anything about a dashboard, but if you want one, I'm sure we can make one. But with with with respect to consultation with the province under section 52 of the transportation and transit act, uh we have to circulate the draft zoning bylaw at third reading to the province for adoption by the Minister of Transportation and Transit. Now typically we send that at third reading. I have in fact contacted Ministry of Transportation and Transit to tell them that we are working on a zoning bylaw update and sooner or later we're going to be sending something down to you and we're going to be asking your minister to sign it.

May I continue? Uh based on the information you give with the transit uh bylaws section 52 uh the in the proposed changes or in the OCP the two areas we have the uh connecting access or the highway that area is not being impacted by the current zoning process. Uh I I hope I understand the question. Are we the the there's there's all sorts of properties that are being reszoned. Okay. Now, we do have a transportation impact study for the McTavish interchange. So, we're looking at the impact of reszoning and redevelopment in that area. Is it the McTavish interchange? Thank you. And through the chair, it's it's it's the area um east of East Sanich, north of McTavish, right? Um main wearing is right through there. Yeah. Okay.

Sorry. Am I continuing with my questioning with it? Okay. U one of the things that I have you as you can see that yes you are seeking guide what the council wants you to do but you've also indicated that there have been an internal discussion with the different departments uh I would have thought that you would have highlighted some of those factors now so that we would know what's going on I will I will speak to that there's actually no reason to do that because the comments that came back from the internal departments supported everything we're ing in our zoning bylaw update. We just basically implemented their comments through the chair. It would be useful to listen to for the council and the public to know what the comments were. Having said that, I would move on to the next question. when you're labeling issues um as far as you me mentioned things about housekeeping clarification and modification or alignment I think one of the missing factors that comes into play

is if there is an amount and increase the amount of building that can be constructed it would be useful to have those kind of information what the land impact would be if we mic out as proposed in the zoning so that we know where we are heading to in the next 10 20 years from now. Uh if there is an issue with regards to decreasing the amount of land that still remains in the natural state, I think those are factors that needs to be brought in based on what the zoning law or rules will be. The same thing if there is an impact of setbacks, what is it? How does it impact those? I think there are some factors that need to be introduced that may be broad but it gives an indication of what the district may or may not be able to do. So any planning that we aiming for has to be 20 years from now 10 at the best so that we can start identifying what risks we need to mitigate in the future. So I think there are a lot of

information that needs to be brought into play. I'll summarize a few five numbers. Total additional floor area that you're looking at total potential building footprint. Total potential impermeable surfaces that would be impacted through the zoning. The total loss of tree canopy impact through the new zoning process. Thank you. You further questions, comments? Seeing none, we have a staff recommendation. Anyone wish to make a motion or any other motion? see nothing we have to move forward on this guys. Okay, councelor Marshall. Uh yeah, I don't have the staff recommendation in front of me from the late items, but it sounds to me I'll I'll just make a a motion to see if it's amendable to council and if I capture what staff have said uh that we receive the information tonight for uh receive the report for information and then we direct staff to continue with um establishing uh community engagement sessions after they bring this back to council on September 28th.

Thank you. Seconded Council [clears throat and cough] Mcccleintoch, any further comments, questions? I see none. I see Phil in pain, but that's about it. Um, through the chair. Were you calling the vote? Yes. Sorry, you I wanted a question. Okay. Okay. Uh, okay. Then we'll take a vote. Those in favor? Those opposed? Motion carry 61. Council Sanji in opposition. [cough and clears throat] We move on to the next item which is um council is on report. So I look to councelor Deatista. Yeah, thank you chair. Just um we had our peninsula rec commission um meeting August 27th uh initial review of the 2027 budget. Um one of the big topics is making sure that our staff stay in line with requisition versus revenue. Um the direction from the commission is to keep it as close to 50/50 as we possibly can.

Um and so requisition is 49.2 revenue is 50.8. So it's pretty close as we tend to get. So we're pretty happy with that. Um and then yeah, we there was some discussions about the arena accessibility improvement project. Um for anybody who's been into either arena A or Arena B, they are they're very very unaccessible. Also, we got a bit of a high level update um that an architecture firm um has been secured to start looking at what options could be explored. Um and then Herald Engineering to work with Falconer Brown as well. But uh that that's it as far as the report goes. Okay. Make a motion to receive lays on report dated August 27th from me regarding the PRC.

Second, councelor Stock. Any questions, comments? I see none. Those in favor? Those opposed? Um motion's unanimous. So that's laid on report. We next now go to unfinished business. Item [clears throat] A, which is um San Peninsula Recreation. Um I'm going to make a motion that this be withdrawn from the agenda because it's no longer applicable as Sydney undertook a vote on this week or two ago and they voted against it. And our understanding is but we don't we don't have verification of this that central signage may have done the same. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, m new but even so just the fact that Sydney said no and the rules of it are is that all three municipalities which is central signage Sydney and North Sage has to approve it. So Sydney's already turned it down. So um so I'll do a motion that um excuse me that um 8A be withdrawn and um we move on to the next item. and seconded.

Council DP those in favor. Okay. Um unanimous. So we move right into item nine which is motions and new business. I don't believe there is any. Nope. Take it off. Move into correspondence which is a which is August 14th from C Ventner regarding ongoing construction noise. I think we did get a good uh discussion from him for three minutes each. Council Marshall. Yeah, thank you. I'll just um make the motion and put it on the floor and then we can discuss it that council receive a correspondence dated August 19th, 2026 from C Venttor uh regarding ongoing construction noise at 8545 West Sage Road. Um but also direct staff. I'd like to direct staff to bring back to council possible um things that we can do about that. I know there's development permit I think in place now. So if there's conditions that we can um apply to that.

So if we could just have a report on what options are available to council, that would be great. Can I speak have a second [snorts] council stand up first? Any questions, comments? Oh, staff. Sorry, I was ignoring you guys. Yeah, just maybe to to to bring you an update. We are working on amending the noise and light bylaw. And the major amendment is to deal with with with with this type of construction noise. And whereas in the current bylaw, you can work from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. I think 6 days a week and maybe even on Sundays or whatever, the the like one of one of the changes to the noise bylaw is that that type of construction can be had 5 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 400 p.m.

So we are reducing the period in which we can't really eliminate the activity. It's a legitimate construction activity. we can try and regulate how many hours in a day that can be had. So that is the recommendation coming forward. It was my intention to have that report tonight. Uh we had to pull it because once you amend the noise bylaw, you also have to amend the municipal ticketing information bylaw and there's a whole bunch of other bylaws that are connected. So our report was not complete enough to make those connections. So, we're going to try and get this to you as soon as we can, but it's in progress.

[clears throat] Okay. See that? Uh, yes. Thank you, chair. I through you uh to staff. Um, we've we've had these complaints for what about a long long time and this gentleman who's doing that work has been conducting it for many years. And I'm just wondering if if it's possible that our inspector could go and you know even if we can't do anything as you said it's a construction project can't he talk he or she speak to this fellow this gentleman and say you know all your neighbors have been complaining and we would ask you to be more circumspect about how much noise you make and when I I don't know if that's if we do those kind of things, but maybe that would be a good start, staff. So without prejudicing anything including the staff report that's coming forth and so on you know we we have had contact with this particular person and we we have talked about hours of work and so on and we have required him to

amend his development permit because he was starting to do work outside of the permitted development permit area and so he's in the process of of doing that and so on. I'm also understanding that his work will soon come to a finish is my understanding for what it's worth. Council Marshall sorry then council mi. Would you like to go first? I've already Okay. Thank you. Um thank you staff. So I appreciate that you're talking about a noise bylaw. They're amending the noise bylaw and I know that's that's a bit of a lengthy process. I think for bringing that forward if included in that report if there's any other options that we have. I know other municipalities do have parameters can put conditions on development permits. They have parameters for concussive percussive noise. So I know that's in the zoning bylaw, but when that report comes forward, [snorts] if you can just also be clear or provide any other information as to what else might be done, maybe nothing, but if you could just bring that forward too and what perhaps what other municipalities have,

that would that would be great. Thank you, Councy. Uh thank you, chair, and uh through the chair of staff. I have been out to the property and uh certainly empathize with the neighbors and what they've been going through. Um I did receive a phone call on Sunday as I was sitting in the ferry terminal at 2:00 in the afternoon or 1:30 in the afternoon that the jackhammering was going on um as we were speaking. So um what for the residents, you've indicated you've spoken to the the property owner and you think things are going okay. um what um what sort of recourse or what could the property owners that are obviously impacted by this drilling happening on a Sunday when it's outside of that um the permission zone.

What would you suggest as far as recourse? Can they contact your bylaw officer uh to file a complaint or where do you go with that? Please. Um people can file a complaint whenever they want. If there's if there's an issue that they think is happening that's contrary to our bylaws, absolutely file a complaint. We will service every complaint that is filed. How we might dispose of the complaint is something quite different. So if the if the uh complainant or the the one who is complained against if he's operating within the zoning by within within the bylaws, well it's legal. We can't really do anything about that, you know.

However, we will we we service every complaint that is made. Uh thank you very much. Just to make sure I'm right on the zoning bylaw, I do want to confirm that Sundays is a no-go for that sort of thing. Is that correct? Can I can I get back to you on that? I think the answer is yes, but I'd like to check that before I says it's absolutely yes. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Council Sanjief. Thank you, Chair. U just a question question that I have with regards to you did mention that the gentleman might be bringing back uh some development permit. that's going on. Would it be possible to attach a time frame that they have to finish their work within an x number of days? Uh because this is an ongoing noise for 3 years. 3 months. The last 3 months have been excruciating for the uh neighbors there. I spent 2 hours there. Not only was I traumatized, even

the animals and the rest that are there gets get traumatized with a hammering. There should be a limit put on for how long they can do it and no other in a calendar year. That's the maximum they're allowed to do. This is an ongoing issue. our manager of building and our blaw enforcement officer are really competent guys and I I'm I'm certainly going to ask Andre if there is a limit that we can put on to the hours of operation on a specific development permit through the chair I'm not uh thank you for that I'm not talking about just their unless you're talking about the total number of hours in a calendar year that they can make that noise my was a duration of it saying that 5 days, 2 weeks, 3 months, they have to finish the using the jackhammer. End of the story or use blasting.

Yeah. Yeah. So, I can I can certainly ask Andre that. So, I'm not sure what the answer is now. I will explore it and see if we can do something. Further questions, comments? Okay. We have a motion on the floor. Seconded. Those in favor? Unanimous. Move on to item B which is April 19th 26 from H Cavana. [clears throat] Again any questions, comments? I see none. Look for a motion based on the recommendation and any staff any direction to staff. Okay. Council Datista. Yeah, thank you chair. I'll just make the motion to receive for information and then um forward the letter for information to our bylaw enforcement staff for review. Um, I'm just curious.

I mean, I am curious whether the sign is in conflict with the bylaw or not. I think one of the speakers spoke about that earlier, but I'm going to refer that to staff to conduct that analysis. Thank you. Seconded. Council Marshall. [clears throat and snorts] Any further questions, comments? I see none. Those in favor? Unanimous. So we move on to item C which is um August 1926 from Phil court construction regarding inground swimming pools and buttons zoning by law update [clears throat] again we've um any motion council council stock uh yes thank you chair I think um that we should follow the staff recommendation receive the correspondence and we should uh ask uh staff to look at this uh to be included in the zoning bylaw update. Thank you.

Or it may be already what he's talking about I think makes a lot of common sense that swimming pools um be not treated in the way in our zoning bylaw that they are now. Um Steph, I'm sorry. I was having a senior's moment and I wasn't paying attention. What are we talking about right now? uh the letter from uh sorry Phil Co Construction all right LTD about um regarding inground swimming pools and the zoning bylaw update. Okay. Thanks to through the chair maybe what I might suggest is if if this item's referred to staff for consideration in the zoning bylaw update then that will make sure that it gets to our team to to consider in the update.

Okay. doesn't automatically put it in the update, but it'll be for consideration and we'll report back to council. Yeah. Okay. And that's my motion. Okay. Thank you. Seconded, Council Datista. Uh any comments, questions? Uh those in favor? Those opposed? Motion carries 61 with council Sanjie in opposition. We move on to item D, which is September 1st, 26 from Jay Langanger regarding short-term rentals and zoning bylaw update. [clears throat] um look for a motion and seeing none. Okay, councelor Disa. Yeah, thank you chair. I'll make a motion to receive the letter from September 1st for information and then request that staff include it in the correspondence when it relates to short-term rentals.

Okay, thank you. Seconded, council. I'll go with councelor Sanjief. Um no more any further questions comments see none those in favor [clears throat] unanimous move on to item me which is uh September 3rd from scouts Canada [clears throat] and um this is I was interested so I'll go with councelor the stock yes thank you chair uh I'd like to make the recommendation that we authorize the scouts county greater to proceed with their 2026 Apple day fundraiser scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th between 9 a.m. and 400 p.m. in North Sanage. Thank you. Seconded. Thanks, Council Sanjief. Questions, comments? See none. Those in favor? Unanimous? Move on to item F, which is dates September 10th from El Dra Dradner regarding [snorts] noise concerns at Braar Beach.

Council Marshall. Um, I'll just move to receive the correspondence dated September 10th, 2026 from Al Dradner regarding noise concerns at [clears throat] Braar Beach and further uh direct staff to respond to the the writer. I know we just had a conversation around bylaws. So, I think if that's noise after that time, it might be a bylaw issue. So, I just direct it to staff to respond to the the letter writer. Thank you. Seconded. Councelor Sanjie. Um, I want to answer any questions, comments, but those in favor? Unanimous. And we move on to item G. I think it was the gentleman that spoke earlier. Um T McKay creation of safe walking path on Clayton Road thoughts council mint.

I'd just like to make the staff recommendation to receive the correspondence date of September 12th, 2026 from Tccay regarding the creation of a safe walking path on Clayton Road and further to direct staff accordingly. Okay. Thank you. Second council stock. Any questions, comments? Council. Yeah, just chair. I'm just wondering if we can refer that letter to staff for consideration in their active transportation plan. Attention. M okay. Thank you. Certainly that too. And second agreed. Yes. Okay. Those in favor? Unanimous. Uh correspondence to the 13th from R. Alexander regarding resignation of chair. Counc Manki. Uh, thank you, Chair. I'm not making a motion here, but I would just like to take a moment to thank Mr. Richard Alexander. For six years of dedicated volunteer service to our community. Six years is a significant commitment, and your time, knowledge, and willingness to serve have made a real difference to the work of the community planning advisory committee and to North Sanage.

Volunteering takes time, patience, and a genuine desire to make your community a better place. You have given all of that generously and we are truly grateful as the council liaison to CPAC. Thank you Richard for your years of service, your thoughtful contributions and for everything you've done to help our community. I hope you know how much your efforts have been appreciated and how much you will be missed. Thank you. Uh [clears throat] looking for a motion council first. Just commenting on that. I would wholeheartedly support councelor McConkey's um uh statement to Mr. Alexander. I don't know if he's still here or not, but um uh his efforts are certainly appreciated. Thank you. Thank you. Motion.

The motion is from councelor McCunk. Oh, she said she wasn't Oh, [laughter] better to go there. Sorry. Uh thank you. I will make the um motion that council receive the correspondence dated September 13th, 2026 from R. Alexander regarding resignation of chair and member of the cutuny planning advisory committee. Thank you. Seconded comes to Sanjief. Um I'll go any questions comments through the chair. I would like to add to what councelor McConi has mentioned and also um acknowledge uh Richard's contribution to the mockback. he was quite instrumental in the environmental climate and uh ecology uh committee. So thank you very much. We'll miss you but we do hope that you will be able to continue to provide a service from the outside. Thank you.

Okay. So any further comments, questions? See none. Those in favor unanimous. I now look item 11. I look for a consent. There's a late item here which is item C. So I look for a consent resolution for items A, B, and C. Councelor Datista. Thank you. Seconded councelor Stark. Those in favor? Thank you. And now we move to a rising report. And there are two rising reports issues. And these are two motions to report on on from from the in in camera meeting of September 21st, 2026. One council for the district of North Sanich is aware of Felicia Mazonei, a former employee of the district, speaking publicly about the termination of his employment from the district. All discussions and decisions about Mr. Mazone's employment and the termination of his employment were carried out in meetings or parts of meetings close to the public pursuant to section 90 1A of the community charter to protect his personal privacy. As a result, only information lawfully released to the public by council resolution can be discussed publicly. At the closed meeting of council held on

Monday 21st, 2026, council decided to release to the public the following information because it wished to clarify for the public that contrary to comments circling in the public in the public, [snorts and clears throat] excuse me, council wishes to clarify that Mr. Mazone's employment as district planning and ser and committee services with the district of Osanage concluded on June 22, 2026. He was aware of the conclusion of his employ of the conclusion of his employment and while not required he was provided reasons for the decision pursuant to his employment agreement. Mr. Mazone has received a severance in accordance with his employment contract. Uh, item two, following consideration of information received from several sources concerning the circumstances surrounding a workplace complaint filed by a former district employee against the the chief administrative officer.

The district determined that there was no reason to believe that the complainant was was either fabricated or not made in good faith and that the legitimacy of the complaint has been undermined. Accordingly, the district directed that the investigation into the complaint against the chief administrative officer be discontinued. Circuit. The circumstances surrounding the filing of the complaint, including the concerns regarding his possible fabrication and the conduct of certain members of council in relation to the complaint, will be considered as part of a separate independent investigation currently underway concerning allegations breaches of the district's respectful workplace policy by certain members of council. As that investigation remains ongoing, the district will not comment further on those matters at this time.

Um so I now move for adjournment. Councelor Data second to councelor Stark. Those in favor unanimous. We're done for the evening. Thank you folks.