Census day on May 11
Mayor Hall highlighted a letter to Council from Statistics Canada as a way to underscore the importance of the 2021 Canadian Census. Today (Tuesday, May 11) is Census Day and residents are encouraged to complete the Census, using the information they received in the mail last week. Census data is critical to informing public policy, and is used for planning schools, hospitals, daycare centres, family services, public transportation, and skills training for employment. In addition, census data supports numerous municipal programs related to infrastructure and public transportation. For more information, visit https://census.gc.ca/index-eng.htm.
Tax rates set
Council approved the tax rates for 2021, which will be reflected in the property tax notices that will be sent to property owners later this month. Less than two-thirds of the revenue needed to operate the City comes from property taxes and the actual annual tax bill in Prince George is very similar to other comparative communities in BC. Earlier this year, Council approved a zero percent tax increase and, in fact, the City’s residential tax rate has decreased in 2021 compared to last year. However, each property’s tax bill is also related to the assessed value of the property as determined by the BC Assessment Authority, so it’s possible an individual property’s tax bill could still be higher in 2021 than 2020 if the assessed value rose in 2021.
New subdivision proposed for St. Lawrence Heights
Council received an application to amend the Official Community Plan for to allow for the development of a 200 lot subdivision at the end of St. Lawrence Heights. Numerous documents were included with the report, which is at item D.5 of the meeting agenda.
Century Group Lands Corp. is seeking to build a mix of single-family and multi-family homes on a 34-hectare area southwest of St. Lawrence Avenue. The application was approved for first and second reading. However, final approval will still require a public hearing, which won’t be scheduled until after the City receives a traffic impact study.
Building permits rise
Construction continues to be a hot topic in Prince George as both the number of building permits issued to the end of April this year, as well as the total value of permits so far this year, continue to be similar to the numbers in 2019, which was a record-setting year in Prince George. According to a report presented to Council, there have been 150 building permits worth a total of $51.6 million so far in 2021.
Council endorses Councillor Frizzell’s role at FCM
Council endorsed Councillor Garth Frizzell’s continued involvement with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) National Board of Directors. As the outgoing president of FCM, Councillor Frizzell will become the past-president starting next month and ending October 2022. Councillor Frizzell has been elected as a member of the FCM National Board of Directors for 12 consecutive years.
Board of Directors selected for 2022 BC Summer Games in Prince George
The City of Prince George’s Nomination Committee for the 2022 BC Summer Games has officially appointed the Games’ Board of Directors, which will be responsible for organizing the Games. Prince George resident Renee McCloskey has been appointed Board President. Ms. McCloskey participated in the BC Games in water-skiing from 1983 to 1995 and was a member of the Board for the BC Games Society from 2008 to 2014. Selen Alpay, owner/operator the Prince George Canadian Tire store, has been appointed Vice-President. During Monday’s Council meeting, Council received a report from Committee Chair, Mayor Lyn Hall, who named all of the appointees.
2021 Union of BC Municipalities resolutions
The City’s Committee on Intergovernmental Resolutions presented four proposed resolutions for Council’s endorsement on Monday evening.
The resolutions highlight the importance of increasing capacity for policing and criminal prosecutions and the promotion of public safety and justice. As demonstrated through reports to Council by the RCMP over the past year, there is a need for training and support in the area of mental health resources, and increased capacity in services that support the laying of charges against those involved in a criminal offence. Delays in charges being approved by Crown Counsel exacerbates the number and frequency of police interaction with prolific offenders in the community.
Three of the four resolutions were endorsed by Council and will go forward to the next provincial meeting of municipalities in September, and the fourth resolution was referred back to the Committee for further consideration and clarification.
Integrated Stormwater Management Plan
Council received an overview of the second stage of the Integrated Stormwater Management Plan focused on engineering and asset management. The results of the first stage of the project relating to the prioritization of actions from the City’s various watershed drainage plans and reviewed opportunities to improve the City’s stormwater asset inventory was presented to Council in March 2021.
The Plan makes several recommendations to assist the City in its stormwater management. The outcomes from the next two working papers, Policy & Regulations and Financial Options, will be brought to Council in the summer.
All of the reports associated with the May 10, 2021 Council meeting are posted with the agenda on the City website.