Skatepark, dogs, CETA, and more: a summary of the February 4, 2013, Nelson City Council Meeting
By Bill Metcalfe
The following is a summary of the items discussed by Nelson City Council at its regular meeting on February 4, 2013.
Dogs
Councillor Deb Kozak gave council notice that she intends to introduce a motion that would amend the Animal Control Bylaw to allow dogs in the downtown core for a trial period between May 1 and October 31.
Council will discuss and decide on Kozak’s motion in the near future, on a date to be announced.
Skatepark
Council approved the Skatepark plan described in a previous Nelson Daily story. The Nelson Daily will detail Council’s discussion leading to this decision in a separate story in the near future.
Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
Council passed a motion asking the federal government to exempt the City of Nelson from the provisions of CETA if the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Seven Trade Principles are not followed. The lengthy discussion that led to this decision will be outlined in an upcoming story in The Nelson Daily. To read The Nelson Daily’s story about the last time this issue was discussed by Council about one year ago, click here.
Streetcar museum
Council approved a request by the Nelson Electric Tramway Society to convert a portion of the streetcar barn building at Lakeside Park into a standing museum.
Hydro bylaw
Alex Love of Nelson Hydro presented some changes to Nelson’s Hydro Services Bylaw, last updated 30 years ago. He said the highlights include provisions for independent power producers, new fees for connection services, more flexibility on the process for disconnection for non-payment, and rules about vegetation management around service connections.
Wildfire Management
Council agreed to apply for further funding from the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ Operational Fuel Treatment Program to enable the City to continue with the Community Wildfire Protection Program.
Learning Place
Council approved an extension of the tenure of The Learning Place literacy centre in the basement of City Hall until June of 2014. The Learning Place hosts ESL classes, conversation clubs, adult tutoring programs, Scrabble tournaments, youth events and family reading programs.
