Courtesy: Town of Peace River. Monday, April 7 Meetings.
Special Council Meeting:
~Council provided third reading to Bylaw No. 2172 – Land Use Bylaw No. 1891 Amendment – Redistricting Plan 9221058, Block 1, Lot 18 and Plan 1121857 from M-1 to C-2. This is to provide more commercial vs industrial business opportunities on those parcels.
~Council directed Administration to provide a letter to Northern Sunrise County regarding proposed Bylaw B458/24. NSC is also refreshing their Land Use Bylaw, and there are considerations about policies in the Town and County’s Intermunicipal Development Plan.
~Council directed Administration to negotiate the sale of 8700 100 Ave, Parcel B, Plan 842 1257, with conditions, as discussed.
Governance and Priorities Meeting:
~The Peace River Municipal Library presented a 2024 year in review. The library saw an increase in visitors from the previous year, with 34,754 visits in total. It was also brought to Council’s attention that the library has been challenged by some negative interactions with intoxicated or dangerous visitors. Daniel Cress, Director of Protective Services, said he has begun working with the library on plans for addressing this.
~Several organizations made presentations seeking grants. Those included Peace River Citizens on Patrol, Wahoos Winter Swim Club, Peace River Rotaract, Peace River Scottish Society, Peace Playland Association, and Jet Boat Racing Canada, Western Zones Racing Association. Two other organizations applied for grants – the Peace River & District Chamber of Commerce and Peace River Minor Hockey Association U18C Team – but did not present. Council will determine who receives grants and how much at a future meeting.
~Chief Administrative Officer Barb Miller gauged Council’s interest in offering property tax incentives to stimulate non-residential construction and/or revitalization, redevelopment, or expansion. A property tax incentive bylaw could stimulate development of those lots and ultimately lead to greater return on investment with the taxes generated by the development in the future.
~Council considered a draft Economic Committee Bylaw and Terms of Reference. Among other changes, the bylaw would reduce the number of required meetings per year and align the committee more with other committees of Council in function.
~Director of Protective Services Daniel Cress shared the March 2025 call report. It showed 145 complaints with 35 Town Tags issued, 10 provincial tickets issued, and two warnings given.
~Director of Community Services Tanya Bell presented a plan to streamline application processes for community events. We will provide more information on that soon.
~CAO Miller informed Council that the reduction in the consumer carbon tax rate to 0% would save the Town an estimated $81,215 this year. As it is not clear how long this rate will last, this could change with policy adjustments, but it provides insight into the impact the tax has on municipal budgets.
~CAO Miller informed Council that the Enabling Housing Choice North Project is moving along, with a survey available for the public on our website.
~CAO Miller provided an update on the new Town Hall building, relaying that to date, the building has been cleaned; elevator serviced, certified, and operational; and an inventory of office furniture and equipment has been compiled. Design work is now underway, with considerations such as seating gallery in the Council Chambers, the mayor’s office, washroom facilities, and more.
