Mar 11, 2021

Ladysmith Council Notebook for March 9, 2021

Ladysmith Council met as the Committee of the Whole on March 9, 2021 with the 2021 Grant in Aid requests from community organizations and a yard waste collection pilot project among the agenda highlights. 

The first item on the agenda was the 2021 Grant in Aid requests and this year 14 applications were received from groups and organizations. 

Included in the Grant in Aid budget is a portion allocated to the Frank Jameson Bursary, which is awarded annually to a Ladysmith Secondary School graduate. Three requests received in 2020 were also rolled forward to this year. 

The Committee recommended to Council that $54,700 in GIA funding be distributed to support initiatives benefitting the community. Additional funds were also allocated towards waiving of fees and late applications. 

Next, the Committee recommended that Council direct staff to implement a new yard waste pilot project, with two spring pickup dates planned for the end of April and May 2021. 

As part of the pilot, a summary report detailing public participation levels will be presented to Council so it can provide further direction on a possible fall pickup schedule. 

The Town’s solid waste contractor Waste Connections will collect the yard waste placed at curb side on the specified dates.  More details on the pilot project will be announced by the Town in the coming weeks. 

Moving on, the Committee recommended that Council direct staff to prepare a Park Dedication Bylaw. 

Currently, there are 14 Town-owned properties that function as parkland but that do not have any formal dedication for this use. Instead, the land area is zoned for park or identified as a park through signage or the Town’s own inventory.  Examples include Bob Stuart Park or the recent recreational bike trails area next to Brown Drive Park. 

Parkland dedication is a legally binding designation that restricts the use and disposal of the parcel.

The Committee also recommended that Council direct staff to identify portions of road right of way that are currently being used as park space and bring forward the necessary bylaws to also dedicate these parcels as parkland. 

Next on the agenda, the Committee recommended that Council direct staff to bring forward amendments to the Zoning Bylaw related to two-storey coach houses. 

The Committee provided examples such as shrinking the footprint of two-storey coach houses, applying regulations to setbacks, incentivizing one-storey coach houses through the permit process, and following best practices.

All of the Committee’s recommendations will be included on the Council agenda for Tuesday, March 16, and is scheduled to begin at 7 pm.