Valemount Council: Simpcw First Nation meeting, wildfire resilience plan, short-term rentals

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

Valemount Council discussed an upcoming meeting with Simpcw First Nation, hired a contractor for a Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan, and short-term rental regulations during its April 8th regular meeting.

Mayor Owen Torgerson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Council moved to add an in-camera meeting item to the agenda, and adopted the minutes of the March 25th regular meeting. Then, council moved on to administrative reports.

Meeting with Simpcw First Nation

Simpcw First Nation was scheduled to host a Community-to-Community Forum on April 10th and 11th. Community-to-Community Forums are funded by the Union of BC Municipalities for the purpose of strengthening relationships between local governments and First Nations.

Council approved to fund the costs of traveling to Barriere using a grant from the Ministry of Emergency. The Ministry grants Valemount $40,000 each year through the Emergency and Disaster Management Act. Because the act includes requirements for engagement with Indigenous governments, this grant can be used to cover the cost of attending the Community-to-Community Forum, according to the staff report.

Wildfire plan contract

Council approved granting a $31,500 contract to Geoterra Integrated Resource Systems for the creation of a Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan. The Union of BC Municipalities granted $32,000 to the Village to cover the cost of creating the plan.

The plan will build upon the Valemount Community Protection Plan, written in 2012. According to FireSmart BC, Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans identify ways local governments can reduce the risk of wildfire and educate residents about emergency preparedness.

Vacation rental rules

Council gave first and second reading of amendments to the section about short-term vacation rentals in the Official Community Plan (OCP). Staff have proposed amendments to the zoning bylaw which would contradict the OCP, and recommended updating both rules at once for consistency.

According to the staff report, the current version of the OCP contradicts proposed amendments to the zoning bylaw related to short-term vacation rentals and additional dwelling units. For example, the OCP says additional dwelling units – that is, residential units on the same lot as a larger primary home – cannot be used as a short-term rental, although the zoning bylaw allows this. Additionally, the proposed amendments to the zoning bylaw would allow owners to rent two additional dwelling units on a short- or long-term basis, but the OCP says owners may only rent one additional dwelling unit.

Before the amendments to the plan are adopted, staff will notify the public and schedule a public hearing for feedback on the amendments.

Zoning bylaw updates

Staff proposed amendments to the zoning bylaw to bring it up to date with provincial legislation, and to reflect residents’ housing needs and changes in other Village bylaws. These amendments include changing the definition of a minor short-term vacation rental to mean an accessory dwelling unit (that is, another building on the same property as a main home) or a room in the home, but the main home must be occupied by the owner or a long-term renter.

Council gave first and second reading to the bylaw updates.

Annual Holiday Policy

Council approved amendments to the Village’s Annual Holiday Policy to include the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation among the statutory holidays granted to Village employees. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was announced as a federal statutory holiday in 2021, and staff updated the policy to reflect this.

Ministry of Municipal Affairs transition

Deputy Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Tara Faganello wrote to local governments to give an update on the Local Government Division of the Ministry. Part of the division’s staff moved to work with Minister of State for Local Government and Rural Communities Brittny Anderson, and the Province has combined the Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which were two distinct ministries before the election. 

Torgerson said he wanted to bring the letter to Council’s attention, as Anderson’s role is meant to focus on rural and remote communities and act as a link between the Union of BC Municipalities and the Office of the Premier.

911 funding application 

Council approved the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG) to apply for a grant to develop a system which will allow Regional District staff to create and edit civic addresses in anticipation of taking over 911 services next year. The grant, administered by the Union of BC Municipalities, requires sub-applicants – that is, the municipalities involved in region-wide projects – to submit a resolution giving approval for the Regional District to apply for and manage the grant funding.

“It’s absolutely critical as RDFFG is repatriating 911 service to the north, and so we’re having to rebuild their civic addressing systems for further integration with that,” Torgerson said.

In-Camera

Council moved to an in-camera session for consideration of two (2) items per Section 90 (1)(m) and 90(2)(b) of the Community Charter to discuss matters related to: 90(1)(m) a matter that, under another enactment, is such that the public may be excluded from the meeting; and, 90(2)(b) the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.