qathet Regional District (qRD) directors reviewed how to get more participation in public hearings during its December 8 planning committee meeting.
At the meeting, directors were discussing an amendment to the Electoral Area B official community plan (OCP) amendment bylaw, to ensure consistency with natural hazard potential findings from the 2015 landslide and fluvial hazard study. Area B director Mark Gisborne said concern was expressed over the lack of public communication with regard to the public hearing. According to a staff report, three people attended the virtual public hearing on the OCP amendment.
Gisborne said one of the attendees had expected everyone affected would be mailed a notice inviting them to attend. He said while he agrees this would be ideal, his understanding is that this would be cost-prohibitive to send mail out to everyone in Area B.
Gisborne said taking a look at the documents provided to the public hearing, the policy that staff followed states that “planning staff book notice in newspapers, two consecutive papers no more than 10 days before the hearing and no less than three day before the hearing.” He said that is according to Local Government Act section 466.
“Prior to that meeting staff indicated they consider the Wednesday [Midweek Peak] and Friday [Peak] paper to be considered consecutive issues of the newspaper, which would be compliant with the act,” said Gisborne. “I’d just like to say as a subscriber to our local paper, I have to disagree. They are not consecutive issues of a newspaper. The Friday paper is a newspaper. It focuses on information, articles, it has a cost to purchase and it’s delivered to rural residents if they have a subscription.
“The Wednesday paper, however, is considered by most people to be a flyer. It focuses on advertisements, it doesn’t have a cost to purchase, and it’s not delivered to rural residents.”
Gisborne said additionally, the Friday newspaper does not always arrive on Fridays, sometimes it arrives on Mondays.
“According to our staff policy, I sympathize with staff, as they appear to be required to get both published notices with a 10- to three-day limit prior to the meeting,” said Gisborne. “The Local Government Act says something a little different than what we have in our policy.”
Gisborne said the policy indicates notice must be published in at least two consecutive issues of the newspaper, the last publication to appear not less than three days and not more than 10 days before the public hearing.
“The principle of this legislation is to provide ample notice to the community about proposed changes to their official community plan,” added Gisborne. “Our current practice, however, can result with the ad showing up on the same day that the meeting is taking place. I’m wondering if perhaps we should amend our communication and engagement policy so there is a bit more time for that ad to come out so residents have a bit more time to talk and communicate and realize something is going on that affects them because getting two, maybe three people showing up to the meeting – we’d like to bump those numbers up.”
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said the Local Government Act language is identical to the language in the regional district’s public hearing procedure and policy. She said it does say that notice should be published in at least two consecutive issues of the newspaper. She said it’s not to say there couldn’t be a third notice if that is so desired.
“Generally, local governments do the two ads and it has been checked in the past,” said Roddan. “The Powell River Peak meets the requirements of a published newspaper and whether the Wednesday and Friday issues are considered consecutive issues, we have been told that it is. The notice requirements meet our policy and the Local Government Act requirements.”
Electoral Area A director and board chair Patrick Brabazon said he wondered if Area A residents were somewhat different from Area B because in his experience, if an ad is to be run in the Peak, going for the three-paper bargain going Wednesday, Friday, Wednesday, is appropriate. He said if the ad is placed on a Friday, people who subscribe to the newspaper are one market, and the rest of the people are going to their mailboxes in the rural areas, to a Powell River Peak box with the Wednesday paper.
“I have no problem with the fact that the staff did a Wednesday and Friday, but in the future, I might suggest doing a Wednesday, Friday and Wednesday,” said Brabazon. “You’ll have lots of days between the last publication and the meeting.”
Gisborne said there was not a Peak newspaper box next to his mailbox so he doesn’t get the Wednesday paper unless he searches for it.
Roddan said the notice was also available on the regional district website on the notice board and the Peak website, so it wasn’t just in print in the newspaper.
Gisborne said he would give notice of motion at the end of the meeting to review the policy at a later date.
The committee carried motions to recommend the board give third reading and final adoption to the Electoral Area B official community plan amendment bylaw.
In addition to direct home deliveries within the city, copies of the Wednesday Midweek Peak are delivered to approximately 56 dropboxes in the rural areas, north and south of City of Powell River and on Texada Island, according to Peak publisher Kelly Keil.
“BC Ferry cancellations due to inclement weather can cause a delay for regional district subscribers who receive the Friday paper via Canada Post,” said Keil after the meeting. “It’s rare that the ferry doesn’t run, and we never miss the post if it’s on time.”
The Peak is printed on Vancouver Island and transported via ferry on the Comox-Powell River route prior to being delivered to subscribers.
