Brandon City Council Briefs (May 7)

Highlights of the May 07, 2012 Regular Meeting of Council

• Mayor Shari Decter Hirst began the meeting by presenting a congratulatory plaque to Brandon residents Ed and Edna Verherst, recent winners of the Burgess Shield in the Best Home Grounds Category of the Manitoba Good Roads annual competition. The Verherst’s received the honour for their gardening beautification efforts on their Ninth Street property and were presented with the prestigious award at the Association’s annual banquet last month in Brandon

   

• City Council heard a presentation from representatives of SIFE Brandon (Students in Free Enterprise) and the United Commercial Travelers (UCT) regarding the upcoming Brandon Spring Clean-up. The clean-up, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 th, will see community volunteer groups fan out across the City and undertake outdoor clean-up efforts. UCT will donate money to the participating groups for their efforts. Following the cleanup, SIFE will celebrate the grand opening of its Urban Farm Project in the area of Sixth Street North and Stickney Avenue at 2 p.m.

   

• As per a recommendation of the City of Brandon Personnel Committee, City Council ratified a four-year agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union Division 1505. The contract is for the period of April 1st, 2011 to March 31, 2015, and represents general wage increases of 2% in the first, second and third years and 2.5% in the fourth year. Other contract highlights include the adjustment to the grievance procedure and the introduction of the ability for policy grievances; the introduction of a revised overtime distribution process; the elimination of the minimum two-hour piece of work assignment and the introduction of two new Letters of Understanding. The contract was ratified by the ATU local membership last month.

   

• City Council received a presentation from Carmel Olson, chair of the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council. The council, established by City Council in late 2010, has been working to: establish a positive profile of the Aboriginal community in the City of Brandon; look at education among the community’s Aboriginal child, youth and young adult populations; examine housing issues and opportunities within the Aboriginal community; study economic development opportunities; support and encourage Aboriginal employment within the City of Brandon organization; and explore various collaborations within the community.

   

• City Council approved the appointment of Randy Brown and Willmar Lopez as citizen representatives on the Renaissance Brandon Board of Directors, with their terms expiring in May of 2014. City Council also passed a motion to request that the Rosser Ward councillor of the day be a permanent member of the Renaissance Brandon Board of Directors. Council also received a verbal update from Rosser ward Councillor Corey Roberts on behalf of Renaissance Brandon regarding the group’s downtown revitalization efforts, including parking strategies, free downtown WiFi and musical entertainment. Discussion also centered on the Strand Theatre Project group’s recent denial of funding from the Federal Government.

   

• City Council also received a verbal report from Linden Lanes ward councillor Shawn Berry on behalf of the Brandon General Museum and Archives Inc. regarding the group’s recent activities. Highlights include having secured a lease extension at its current location at 19-Ninth Street for another year and a partnership with proponents of the seasonal downtown Cruise Nights for display of classic cars in front of the museum on Cruise Night evenings. Council also approved a motion to support keeping the B.J Hales Collection in Brandon and to ask the Brandon School Division to turn the collection over to the Brandon General Museum and Archives Inc.

   

• City Council heard a brief verbal report from South Centre ward councillor Garth Rice on behalf of the Keystone Centre Board of Directors. The centre is currently in contract negotiations with three partners/users and continues to work through issues relating to its short-and-long-term capital needs. 

   

• City Council approved the absence of University ward councillor Jeff Harwood from Council meetings in April and May of 2012 due to medical reasons. 

   

• City Council reaffirmed the current version of Brandon’s Emergency Plan, which was reviewed after the City’s flood response in 2011. No changes were recommended following the administrative review and City Council adopted the Plan with no changes. 

   

• City Council approved the transfer of previously approved funding of $53,700 from the Affordable Housing Reserve to the Affordable Housing Grants operating account, for the purpose of purchasing three equity shares in the Western Manitoba Seniors Non-profit Housing Cooperative Ltd.’s Seniors Affordable Housing Project at 620 McDiarmid Drive. 

   

• City Council approved the purchase of a Leica GS09 system (GPS Survey Equipment) at a cost of $20, 220.86 (less GST) from Lewis Instruments, for surveying use in the Department of Development Services. 

   

• City Council gave final approval for the re-zoning of 1660-34th Street from DR Development Reserve Zone to RSF Residential Single Family and PR Parks and Recreation Zone by the applicant Waverly Developments Ltd. for the purpose of creating 41 single-family lots, public reserve and a public road. 

   

• City Council gave approval to amendments to By-law No. 7019 for the purpose of rezoning of property located at 1230-18th Street North from RLL Residential Large Lot to RSF Residential Single Family and OS Open Space. A second public hearing on the bylaw as amended will be held by the Planning Commission on June 6th, 2012.

   

• City Council gave third and final readings to two bylaws: A) an amendment of the Fee Schedule By-law 7009 to allow for rate amendments based on the level of service offered in a specific circumstance and B) an amendment of Schedule “B” of the Vacant and Derelict Building By-law to better address the Life Safety issue in a vacant, secured building.

   

Archived video from the meeting