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Municipal smoking regulation bylaw adopted
What Happened at Invermere Council This Week?
By Carol Gordon
The regular meeting of the District of Invermere council was held on Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Office.
In attendance were: Mayor Gerry Taft and Councillors: Greg Anderson, Paul Denchuk and Al Miller.
Staff present were: Chris Prosser, Chief Administrative Officer and Kindry Luyendyk, Corporate Officer.
Gallery: Two people.
BYLAWS & PUBLIC HEARING REPORTS
Smoking regulations bylaw passed
Council passed to adopt Smoking Regulation Bylaw No. 1537, 2018 and Ticket Information Utilization Amendment Bylaw No. 1538, 2018.
Smoking Regulation Bylaw (for further information and discussion see Council Meeting Report May 8, 2018)
Councillor Anderson: “I think we’re just moving into the 21st Century so I definitely support it.”
Councillor Denchuk: “I’m getting nothing but great feedback from smokers and non-smokers alike who like it.”
Councillor Miller said he’s been getting much the same support “but there’s been questions (by some) as to how the Bylaw Officer is going to manage it.”
Councillor Denchuk added, “I think the Bylaw Officer will do what he can and the word will spread.”
Mayor Taft: “I think for the most part from the comments I have received most people understand, especially the beach parks, why you would want to have rules. I think the reality of our bylaw enforcement in town is that – A – we are complaint based and secondly a lot of it is focused on education prior to tickets. The goal for most bylaw enforcement in general and not just Invermere is compliance, it’s not really to generate revenue.”
He added, “I think that most people see the rationale behind not having second hand smoke at the beach and not having cigarette butts on the ground. We can live with it in parking lots and certain areas.”
REPORTS REQUIRING ACTION:
Invermere Housing Corporation
Mayor Taft: “This is a housekeeping item to keep the registered but not active Housing Corporation alive for another year.”
Mayor Taft: “The purpose for this one was more around the attainable housing so it wasn’t so much about social housing but it was about whether or not there was a way of having the attainable housing where people that can afford a certain level of housing can purchase a unit and the escalation and market value would be capped and in the future they could sell that unit back to the housing corporation and it could be resold in the future and it would hold at a certain level. That model only really works when prices are going up. When prices are flat or going down it doesn’t really work very well.”
Council passed the resolution.
Mountain Al Fresco
Council approved that the District of Invermere apply for a special event permit with the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch for the Mountain Al Fresco event on July 7.
CVCF Operations Advisory Working Group Terms of Reference (for further information and discussion see Committee of the Whole Meeting Report May 8, 2018)
Council approved CVCF Operations Advisory Working Group Terms of Reference and a call for volunteers will be issued.
CORRESPONDENCE REQUIRING ACTION
Shuswap Band invites council to National Indigenous Day Celebrations
In a letter addressed to Mayor Taft, Shuswap Band Chief Barb Cote said: “The Shuswap Band of the Secwepemic Nation would like to formally extend an invitation to you to attend our upcoming National Indigenous Day Celebrations at the community building on June 22, starting at 12 p.m. We would be honoured to have you join the Grand Entry with our Chief, Council, Elders and other honoured dignitaries.
“Our day of Celebrations which will host Cultural activities, Pow Wow Dancing and many activities laid out to support our Shuswap Identity.”
CORRESPONDENCE FOR INFORMATION
Regional District of East Kootenay Board Highlights
The next District of Invermere regular council meeting is Tuesday, June 12 at 7 p.m.
District of Invermere council meets regularly throughout the year on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (second Tuesdays only during July, August, September and December) at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Office (914 – 8th Avenue, Invermere) unless otherwise indicated.
e-KNOW
