Remedial actions
Council voted to approve remedial action against three landholders in the City of Prince George for failing to maintain their properties in an orderly and safe condition. The property owners of 7695 Pearl Drive, 3962 Balsum Road, and 3951 and 3957 Crawford Place have been ordered to demolish and remove damaged structures, debris, and other materials and to level the sites in order to eliminate the nuisance and unsafe conditions. Should the owners fail to do so in a timely manner, the City of Prince George will assist the home owners in arranging for the remedial action and allocating the cost to the land owners' property taxes.
Pedestrian accommodation in work zones
Council directed City Administration to review existing City policies, procedures, and permitting processes regarding the accessibility of safe pedestrian access to the pedestrian network in work zones to ensure the City aligns with best practices in promoting pedestrian safety and accommodation in work zones. The direction came following a report and presentation to Council from the Advisory Committee on Accessibility. Administration will conduct a review of the matter and provide a report to Council with recommended actions at a future Council meeting.
Stormwater management update
Council received the results of the last two Technical Working Papers developed for the City of Prince George's Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP). The ISMP is a strategic plan that outlines the City’s short to long-term goals for its stormwater management program and acts as a guide on how to achieve these goals.
The latest working papers focus on how the City’s existing policies and regulations help manage its stormwater system and how they can be revised to meet today’s best practices. The report found that over the last five years the City has spent, on average, $4.4 million per year on stormwater management. Although this is a significant amount of money, it does not provide enough to meet the maintenance and replacement requirements needed. An additional $4.7M annually on average would be required to keep the stormwater system in good working order now and for future generations.
The final two steps in the ISMP include a Council report and presentation on the overarching Guiding Document and Action Roadmap and public engagement including an online survey and educational material on stormwater management.
Downtown Creative Arts Hub grant application update
Administration provided Council with an update on the status of a grant application related to the relocation of the home of the Community Arts Council of Prince George and District to a new downtown location. City Administration has been working with the Community Arts Council to relocate their facility at Studio 2880 to a new location at 1310 3rd Avenue. A grant funding application was submitted to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, but was unsuccessful in securing close to three quarters of the funding required for the $5.62 million project. City Administration will be reviewing the project to identify opportunities to support the delivery of arts in the Prince George region.
Delegation of Authority Bylaw receives final approval
During Monday’s Council Meeting, Council passed final reading of a new bylaw that limits the City Manager’s capital project budget amendment authority to 5% of each capital project budget, or $100,000 per project – whichever is lower. This was one of the action items outlined by Council to address capital project budget overruns, such as the downtown parkade project. While the new practice has been in place since November 2020, enshrining this authority into a bylaw is considered to be a more effective and transparent way of addressing budget amendments. Administration will continue to provide reports to Council, on a quarterly basis, itemizing the City Manager's use of the delegated authority for budget amendments.
Microbrewery application approved
A public hearing was held on an application by Deadfall Brewing to allow for a lounge area for patrons to sample and purchase liquor (i.e. beer) at 1733 Nicholson Street, the location of a proposed microbrewery. Council approved third reading of the rezoning application.
Budget enhancement for Prince George Agriplex Project
Council approved a budget amendment of $100,000 to a previously approved project to upgrade the Prince George Agriplex to show a total project budget of $300,000. In 2021, Council approved the Agriplex Updates capital project for implementation in the same year to support the 2022 BC Summer Games that will be hosted in Prince George.
A recent design exercise identified the need for a drainage system and specified dirt surfacing materials that were not originally anticipated in the Agriplex Update project. These requirements will ensure safe conditions for both horses and riders by eliminating the pooling of water, providing adequate footing, and increasing the longevity of the riding surface. The project must also be completed in 2021 to provide sufficient time for settling and compaction of the surface area to support safe equestrian competitions in 2022.
The full agenda for the Council meeting with links to all of the reports is available on the City website.