Skip to content

Oct. 24 District of Hope council agenda briefs

Council meets again Monday, Nov. 14 in the Hope Municipal Building.
91101hopeoct24council
Councillors at the Oct. 24 council meeting.

AdvantageHOPE’s contract

Council will endorse a three-year contract renewal with AdvantageHOPE.

This comes as council declassifies a July 25 in-camera resolution.

The agenda item states that AdvantageHOPE will provide economic development services and run the Visitor Centre and museum.

The District of Hope will set aside $250,000 for the delivery of all services.

Minor development permits

Council has granted the District of Hope’s director of community development the powers to approve minor development permits.

This means that District of Hope staff can review and approve minor developments, rather than having every permit go to council, promising to streamline applications.

“Let’s say we’re speaking the floodplain aspect of it, let’s say in the Coquihalla, the requirements are just being a setback and a flood construction level,” director of community development Jas Gill. “Our former OCP would say to come to council for that approval, however it can be done in-house through the community development department.

Gill noted that the IOCP outlines when a permit application needs to go to council.  Broadly speaking, anything that requires an engineer will require council’s approval, with some exceptions.

Coun. Donna Kropp noted that this is an example of how council is becoming more business friendly.

“I’d like to see those things moved forward and be actually advertised so people know that council is moving towards a much more business-friendly, open concept,” said Kropp.

New flag for Hope

Council will host a public flag design contest that will incorporate the District’s new brand colours and new logos.

“So, it could be something that’s just the colours, or the logo,” said District chief administrative officer John Fortoloczky. “I mean, we have to leave this very open and very creative.”

Fortoloczky noted that the current flag does not reflect the new branding guidelines, which were set out in 2011-2012 by the District, AdvantageHOPE and the Hope and District Chamber of Commerce.

Fortoloczky added that the District should advertise the process to solicit submissions.

The local school district has responded favourably to supporting this and will bring it up to their school board for approval before committing.

A future committee of the whole meeting will decide which design becomes the new flag.

Telus to install two cell towers

Telus has received the approval of the District to install two cell towers at the intersection of Flood-Hope and Silverhope Roads and Cypress Street and Walnut Drive.

Initially, Telus wanted to install a third one at Old Yale Road and Marie Street, but they have withdrawn  the proposal to install it there, after receiving a petition against it from residents around that area. Telus plans to revisit that proposal.

Responding to concerns from the Fraser-Cascade School District 78, about the amount of radio frequency output from the tower closest to the Silver Creek Elementary School, presenter Chad Marlatt noted that they measured that amount to be 0.13 per cent of the allowed output as set by Health Canada, at the front door of the school.

Marlatt also explained that Telus considers Silver Creek to be under-serviced.

Responding to a question from Coun. Scott Medlock, who asked why Telus had to bring this to council, Marlatt said federal regulations require that installing a purpose-built tower or extending a tower by more than 25 per cent requires local government assent.

The new towers will both be 15.9 metres tall, whereas it is currently 7.62m at the Silverhope Road location and 9.90m at the Cypress Street location.