Coun. Susan Brice was blunt about the Saanich Citizen Advisory Governance Review Committee’s request before council on Monday.
The request, which came from the newly created committee, sought a change to bring the membership down from 13 to 12, and to reduce the quorum to seven.
“Attrition is a reality with municipal committees,” said committee chair John Schmuck.
Thirty-three residents applied to be on the committee, with 13 chosen, as well as two alternates. But already, the committee lost one member and both alternates, bringing the remaining number of committed members to 12.
“We lost one to pregnancy, one to a conflict of interest and one to a job opportunity,” Schmuck said.
Brice spoke out when council moved to split the request and have the quorum reduced to seven while maintaining the total number of members at 13, with a plan to fill the spot.
“I came here tonight prepared to approve this request,” Brice said. “It’s disrespectful council would parse this request. This is a committee we created to oversee [Saanich governance in the first place].”
The governance review committee was created in late 2015 to fulfill the Saanich referendum question on the 2014 municipal ballot: Do you support council initiating a community-based review of the governance structure and policies within Saanich and our partnerships within the region?
In the end, council moved to reduce the committee’s quorum to seven.
Council to endorse SIPP funding request
Saanich will endorse the new South Island Prosperity Project as it makes a request to the provincial government for $1.8 million in funding over three years.
The SIPP is the region’s newly created economic development initiative, replacing the former Greater Victoria Development Agency. Saanich funded the former GVDA for about $30,000 per year and will now fund SIPP for $109,157 in 2016 and then $184,634 per year until 2020. The total amount of annual funding from the 10 Greater Victoria municipalities committed to SIPP is $600,000.
To advance its position, SIPP is requesting the provincial government match the $600,000 in annual funding for a three-year pilot program.
Saanich council voted to approve the letter of endorsement on Monday night, following the recent release of the South Island Prosperity Project’s five-year strategy.
The project’s CEO, Emilie de Rosenroll, will soon stand before Saanich council with other members of SIPP to present the five-year plan as a delegation.
Braefoot rezoning goes to public hearing
An eight-lot proposal at 4079 Braefoot Rd. was approved Monday to go to public hearing.
The redevelopment of the land will add a length of sidewalk to Braefoot and add a cul-de-sac at the end on Malton Avenue, where three of the houses will face. It will also have a 2,150 square-metre covenant protecting green space.
Council approved the request, which the Gordon Head Residents’ Association also has no objections to.
The application seeks a partial rezoning of the 8,848 square-metre 4079 Braefoot lot from municipally zoned agricultural (A1) to single family zoning, which is in line with the rest of the lot.
Five of the lots will share a ‘hammerhead’ access off Braefoot. The other three will access off Malton. No variances are requested except for a minor setback on one lot to minimize impacts to trees.