Gellatly Bay Moorage - Prompted by the recent mooring of several houseboats in Gellatly Bay, Council has directed staff to develop a water zoning bylaw and pursue the establishment of a Head Lease to oversee the bay. Angus Drive residents attended Council’s meeting and indicated that 13 houseboats are now moored in the bay and several more buoys have been placed. Staff submitted a report on the options available to Council. A zoning bylaw would allow Council to regulate the uses within the lake, but would be most effective in conjunction with a lease. A Head Lease is a form of land transfer from the Province’s Integrated Land Management Bureau that permits the tenure holder to sublet or issue licences to third parties. With a Head Lease, the District is responsible for approval, issuance and enforcement of wharves, marinas and buoys under the private moorage guidelines. A report will be submitted to Council for consideration in the
near future.

Pine Beetle Tree Removal - The District will begin removing 550 trees in municipal parklands that are infested with Mountain Pine Beetle. The District received a grant for $98,500 from National Resource Canada for its Hazard Tree Removal Program. The infested trees represent a hazard to the public and timely removal is important. The District will issue a contract for the removal of the infested trees with the project expected to begin in December with completion by end of March 2009. Council requested staff provide a report on the disposal methods of these infected trees.
The District will also pursue opportunities to partner with Westbank First Nation on this and future pine beetle projects. Staff will make a presentation to Council in January 2009 on the impacts of the beetle within District boundaries.

Westside District Information Technology Set-up - Council approved $763,200 to set up the District’s own Information Technology Centre. Currently, Westside District’s information technology and telephone services are provided by the Regional District of Central Okanagan. Westside
District pays the Regional District $315,000/year for this service. In order to separate Westside District’s information from the Regional District, a computer room must be built to accommodate four new servers and telephone equipment and associated computer hardware, software and licensing will need to be purchased and installed. Part of the cost will be renovating an existing room at the Mt. Boucherie Community Hall facility to make it suitable as a server room. This is anticipated to be a permanent server room for District operations. Council also approved waiving the Request for Proposal procedure due to time constraints. Staff have completed an analysis and determined the vendors of choice will provide good value for services rendered. Five vendors will provide the equipment acquisition and data separation for the District. It is anticipated that the information transfer from the Regional District can be accomplished in
two months.

Rabbit Control Bylaw - Council gave 1st, 2nd and 3rd reading to a Rabbit Control Bylaw that will allow the District to address feral rabbit infestation concerns in a pro-active manner. The bylaw proposes requirements to spay or neuter rabbits before adoption or sale, prohibits uncontained pet or feral rabbits from occurring on private property, prohibits feeding of rabbits in public spaces and requires property owners to modify or clean up problem breeding sites. The bylaw is available on the
District’s website at www.districtofwestside.ca.

Zdralek Cove walkway construction - Council awarded the contract for construction of the Zdralek Cove Walkway to BC Wall. The walkway in the Casa Loma area will be constructed for $101,400 and provide access to Casa Loma Beach Park. The walkway will be a series of staircases and shallow graded, gravel-surface walkways. Construction is expected to begin November 25 with completion December 31. The District received two bids on the request for proposals for the Zdralek Cove walkway, BC Wall was the low bidder. The walkway is not accessible for bikes or wheelchairs due to the steep grade however, a nearby circular route is available to access the
waterfront.

Anders Hall Preschool Playground - Council will consider the installation of pre-school park play equipment at the Lakeview Heights Anders Hall during its 2009 Parks, Recreation and Culture capital budget deliberations. Council has previously heard from the Lakeview Heights Community Association that there is a lack of open spaces and sportsfields in the area. Members of the community attended Council seeking help in purchasing a $54,000 preschool playpark. Council requested staff and members of the community also pursue funding through partnerships and grants.

Council Meeting Dates - Council approved its meeting dates for 2009. Council will now hold an afternoon meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, commencing at 1:30 p.m. and an evening meeting on the 4th Tuesday of every month, commencing at 6 p.m. Public hearing opportunities will be provided at both Council meetings. Committee of Whole dates will be scheduled as needed. The meeting dates calendar is available on the District’s website at www.districtofwestside.ca.

Traffic Bylaw - Council adopted its Traffic Bylaw 2008 No. 0024, which administers inappropriate parking in Westside District. The bylaw outlines appropriate parking of vehicles on residential streets and is anticipated to help mitigate complaints and snow removal concerns for the upcoming winter season.