Council advanced a new sewer billing model that keeps 67% of wastewater charges fixed and ties 33% to water use; the plan drew sharp disagreement over fairness, high-use bills and the cost of maintaining the system. The most contested spending decision was a $6,500 request for Orange Shirt Day: council rejected proposals for $1,000, $3,250 and the full amount before approving $5,000. Council also moved farm tourism zoning changes to the next approval stage, adopted updated short-term rental rules, and endorsed a phased Streamkeepers program. A letter will go to federal and provincial leaders about oil-tanker risks, while staff will return with more information on a possible tax exemption for WorkLink.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council adopted the agenda as presented, with materials received in connection with a delegation included.
Routine: approve the agenda for this meeting as presented.
The public hearing covered proposed accessory uses on eligible farm properties in the RU1, RU2 and RU3 zones. Agri-tourism and farm-based accommodation would require farm-class status; alcohol production would be limited to eligible Agricultural Land Reserve properties. The rules set limits including a maximum of 10 sleeping units and less than 5% of a parcel for accommodation-related development. Speakers questioned whether the bylaw’s exclusions could conflict with future provincial changes to food service rules, how kitchens in secondary dwellings would be treated, and whether the change could create an unfair tax advantage. Staff said the bylaw aligns with current provincial rules, clarified that three dwellings are permitted, and said the formal complaint raised by a speaker was still within the response period. Council later considered third reading under item 10.4.
Council adopted the July 27, 2026 meeting minutes as presented.
Routine: adopt the minutes of the July 27, 2026 Council meeting as presented.
A representative of 60’s Scoop Legacy of Canada asked the District for $6,500 toward a September 30 Orange Shirt Day gathering at Edward Milne Community School. The planned event included a healing walk, ceremony, cultural performances, story circles and a youth art exhibit, with more than 500 people expected. The total budget was $16,500, with $10,000 reported as secured from other sources. Public speakers differed over whether municipal funds should support the event, how the request fit with other public spending, and the importance of local government taking part in reconciliation. Council made its funding decision later under New Business, item 12.1.
A delegation asked council to oppose increased oil-tanker traffic through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, citing the proposed West Coast pipeline, spill-response limits in high winds, risks to salmon and southern resident killer whales, and possible damage to Sooke’s tourism economy. Public speakers disagreed over the District’s role: some said council should represent local concerns to senior governments, while others argued pipeline and environmental decisions belong to provincial and federal authorities and emphasized economic benefits. Council later chose to update its 2023 letter on coastal readiness rather than adopt the delegation’s proposed wording.
Council adopted the consent agenda, covering correspondence, the Chief Administrative Officer’s report, draft Land Use and Development Committee minutes, and a veterinary hospital development permit. Two correspondence items, including one about the removal of a memorial bench at Eakin Park, were pulled and deferred to a later meeting.
Approve the listed correspondence, CAO report, committee minutes, and veterinary hospital development permit item together as part of the consent agenda.
Correspondence received from July 22 to September 1 was handled through the consent process. The correspondence about the removed memorial bench at Eakin Park and two other items were pulled from consent and deferred. In public comment, two speakers described the bench as the only seating at a popular bluff-side walking route and asked that it be replaced or that neighbours be allowed to raise funds for a new one.
Set aside the three named letters for discussion at a future Council meeting and receive the rest of the correspondence from July 22 through September 1 for information.
The Chief Administrative Officer said staff had raised concerns after negative online commentary about District operations. She said the District runs a lean organization, with vacancies across nearly every department, and staff were continuing to meet service expectations. She invited residents with questions about operations to consult the District website or contact her.
Routine: receive the Chief Administrative Officer’s report for information.
Council issued a development permit for an addition to the Otter Point Veterinary Hospital at 6830 West Coast Road, following the Land Use and Development Committee’s recommendation. The item passed as part of the consent agenda.
Issue the development permit for the addition to the Otter Point Veterinary Hospital at 6830 West Coast Road.
Council approved three readings of a new sewer charge bylaw using a 67% fixed charge and a 33% usage charge based on winter water use. The current $653 annual charge has been unchanged since 2020; the proposed model targets $3.5 million for 2027 operations and asset renewal. Staff estimated that the average single-family household could pay about $711, while roughly half of users might see a lower bill and about 30% could face increases of 11% to 100%. Staff will check high-use accounts and develop an appeal process before the final 2027 rates are set. Debate focused on whether usage-based billing is fairer than a flat charge, how large bills and leaks would be handled, and whether the asset-management contribution is sufficient. Councillor Haldane opposed both receipt of the report and the readings.
Routine: receive the report on the proposed wastewater billing model for information.
Give the wastewater charge bylaw its first three readings, advancing the proposed billing model—with charges split between a fixed portion and water use—toward adoption.
Council adopted the zoning amendment modernizing Sooke’s regulation of short-term rental accommodations after receiving the required Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval. The chair initially called the vote unanimous, then corrected the record to note that a councillor opposed it.
Adopt the updated zoning rules for short-term rental accommodations in Sooke.
Council adopted Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 950 after receiving Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval. The transcript does not explain the bylaw’s specific changes.
Adopt the zoning amendment in Bylaw 950.
Council gave third reading to the farm-use zoning changes heard at the public hearing and directed staff to send the bylaw to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit before adoption. A councillor supported the change as a way to align local rules with provincial requirements and give farms more flexibility. Staff noted that bylaw section numbers would update automatically after the short-term rental amendment was adopted.
Give the zoning changes for eligible agricultural properties a third reading, allowing agri-tourism, farm-stay accommodation, and alcohol production as accessory farm uses under the proposed rules.
Send the agricultural zoning changes to the provincial transportation ministry for review before Council considers adopting them.
Council rescinded the interim appointments of Raechel Gray and appointed Denise Swanston as Deputy Corporate Officer and Deputy Chief Election Officer for the 2026 local government election.
End Raechel Gray’s appointments as Deputy Corporate Officer and Deputy Chief Election Officer for the 2026 local election.
Appoint Denise Swanston as Deputy Corporate Officer and Deputy Chief Election Officer for the 2026 local election.
Council received the first-half financial update. Operating spending was 46% of budget at June 30 and salaries and benefits were at 47%, broadly on track. Building permits were down about 26% from the same point last year, with fewer large multi-family projects and less permit revenue; staff said deferred revenue would help in 2026 but the trend would need watching during 2027 budget planning. Capital spending was still low, with projects expected to move forward later in the year.
Routine: receive the second-quarter 2026 financial operating report for information.
WorkLink sought relief from about $12,000 in municipal property taxes on its Church Road facility. Its employment-services contract with the province runs to March 31, 2027, but it was not selected for the next procurement stage and may lose that funding. Councillors raised questions about what services WorkLink would continue to provide and whether the District should absorb a cost tied to provincial funding decisions. Council first received the report, then directed staff to bring back a bylaw amendment adding the property to the non-profit exemption category, giving council time to seek more information before deciding on the exemption.
Routine: receive the report on WorkLink’s tax exemption application for information.
Have staff prepare a change to the tax exemption bylaw that would add WorkLink’s property to the category for nonprofit exemptions for Council to consider.
The review found the mayor’s remuneration close to the market midpoint and councillor pay somewhat lower than comparable municipalities. Councillors discussed whether pay affects who can afford to serve, the awkwardness of setting their own compensation, and the relationship between remuneration and travel or committee duties. Staff said receiving the report changes nothing now; the next council can consider a fuller review during strategic planning.
Routine: receive the Council remuneration review report for information.
Council received the community risk assessment, the first stage of a project to guide future disaster-risk planning. The consultant described risks linked to Highway 14 and other road closures, reliance on electricity and communications, climate change, rapid growth, and social division or low trust. A risk-reduction phase was expected in November or early December.
Routine: receive the 2026 community disaster risk assessment for information.
Council endorsed a 2026–2029 framework for a District Streamkeepers program, with phased delivery subject to budgets, staff capacity and partnerships. The program will mobilize volunteers and collect stream data; 27 people, including local Nations’ guardians, had taken part in training, well above the initial target of 10. Staff can seek grants, but any proposal requiring new municipal spending or staffing must return to council. Staff will also refer the framework to local Nations for feedback.
Make the Streamkeepers Program Framework an endorsed municipal service, supporting volunteer coordination and stream monitoring, among other program work.
Have staff roll out the Streamkeepers Program in stages, depending on annual budgets, staff availability, partnerships, and regulatory requirements.
Allow staff to look for and apply to grants and other outside funding sources that could support the Streamkeepers Program.
Require staff to return to Council for approval before pursuing a grant that would involve unbudgeted municipal spending, ongoing costs, extra staffing, or another significant obligation.
Share the Streamkeepers framework with local Nations for feedback, recognize their members’ participation in training, invite each Nation to say whether and how it wants to take part, and bring any major changes arising from that input back to Council.
Council debated four possible sponsorship amounts for the September 30 Orange Shirt Day event. The $1,000, $3,250 and $6,500 motions failed; a final motion for $5,000 carried. Debate turned on the event’s importance to reconciliation and its expected community reach, the District’s financial limits, and whether a more detailed budget or recurring funding arrangement should be required. The chair said future councils could consider making support a budget line item.
Provide $1,000 in District sponsorship for the 2026 Orange Shirt Day event.
Provide $3,250 in District sponsorship for the 2026 Orange Shirt Day event.
Provide $6,500 in District sponsorship for the 2026 Orange Shirt Day event.
Provide $5,000 in District sponsorship for the 2026 Orange Shirt Day event.
Following the pipeline delegation, council chose to update the District’s October 2023 letter on coastal readiness for increased tanker traffic. The letter is to address the potential further doubling of tanker numbers linked to the proposed West Coast pipeline and meet a September 18 federal feedback deadline, with copies to senior federal and provincial leaders and the regional district. Councillors differed over whether the letter should go further and oppose the project outright; one also suggested a future public vote, but timing made that difficult before the election.
Update the Mayor’s earlier letter about preparing coastal communities for increased tanker traffic, reflecting the possibility that the proposed pipeline could double tanker numbers, and send it to the federal Major Projects Office by its deadline with copies to the named federal, provincial, and regional officials.
A resident who regularly picks up a child at Poirier Elementary raised concerns about traffic leaving the school driveway onto Throup Road. The speaker said queues could block 10 to 15 cars and warned that more through traffic might push vehicles toward the elementary school parking lot. Council received the correspondence for information.
Routine: receive the correspondence about the Throup Connector for information.
The correspondence raised concerns about beach fires during high fire danger and dogs off leash or leaving waste at Ella Beach. A councillor asked whether a no-fire sign could help. Staff and the fire chief said enforcement is limited: much of the beach below the high-tide line is provincial land, and a sign would not by itself ensure compliance. Council received the letter for information.
Routine: receive the correspondence about behaviour at Ella Beach for information.
The correspondence was discussed after a councillor said its account of earlier Throup Connector decisions was misleading, particularly about whether the Art Morris Park ball field was affected. The chair said the reviewed road cross-section ended before Throup Road and the ball field was not part of that phase. Council received the correspondence for information.
Routine: receive the correspondence about the Throup Connector and Art Morris Park ball field for information.
Councillors commented that the lengthy letter raised concerns about provincial direction and suggested a possible municipal democracy and judicial review fund. One councillor questioned the reliability of material that appeared possibly generated by artificial intelligence; another said the letter raised issues worth considering. Council received it for information.
Routine: receive the correspondence about public records coordination and municipal legal defence for information.
A councillor said the petition raised practical safety suggestions related to the Fishy Park area and moved to refer it to staff. Council approved the referral and received the correspondence for information.
Receive the engineering safety petition correspondence for information.
Change the motion so the engineering safety petition correspondence is referred to District staff.
Receive the engineering safety petition correspondence for information and refer it to District staff.
Council adjourned the meeting at 10:34 p.m.
Routine: adjourn the September 8, 2026 Council meeting at 10:34 p.m.
All 37 decisions from the minutes appear under the agenda items above.