Council blowing smoke for provincial government

At a special council meeting, Tuesday city council lit up its marijuana advice for the provincial government.

Mayor Doug Findlater and his council provided feedback for the ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General on the legalization of non-medical marijuana. Council came up with these suggestions: · The minimum age to buy, grow and possess marijuana should be 19.

· Province should prohibit public cannabis smoking altogether, but allow cannabis vaping wherever tobacco smoking and vaping are allowed.

· Province should launch a public education and awareness campaign regarding cannabis-impaired driving, establish a zerotolerance standard for “L” or “N” drivers, provide training to police officers to identify impairment and include drug-impaired driving in Immediate Roadside Prohibition or Administrative Driving Prohibition enforcement.

· Province should implement a government distribution model.

· Province should implement a public retail system, provided it observes local bylaws.

Council also indicated an interest in revenue sharing with the province as municipalities will be faced with costs related to police training and bylaw enforcement.

Staff will provide council’s feedback in a written submission to the ministry.

At the special meeting, council also discussed temporary agricultural workers

Council directed staff to begin drafting zoning bylaw amendments regarding temporary agricultural worker dwellings.

On Aug. 22, a delegation to council expressed concerns about ongoing alleged criminal activity and bylaw infractions related to temporary agricultural dwellings on Scharf Road.

In response, staff provided a report with options for Council to consider to help address some of these concerns. Council provided the following decision points to help focus the drafting of the amendments:

· Investigate further regulations in the Zoning Bylaw for the use of tents and recreational vehicles as acceptable forms of temporary agricultural worker dwellings.

· Require that all agricultural worker dwellings have hygienic washroom and bathing facilities.

• Require that all agricultural worker dwellings follow occupant loads in British Columbia Building Code, but Council wants input from the industry on this point.

• Investigate further mechanisms for proponents of temporary agricultural worker dwellings to notify the City of their intent to operate.

• Investigate the possibility of requiring business licenses for the operation of agricultural worker dwellings and increasing the fine for a contravention of the bylaw.

• To investigate a council policy for statutory declarations and/or restrictive covenants associated with temporary agricultural workers.

Staff will consult with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Advisory Commission and the local agricultural industry when drafting new regulations.

Public consultation will also be undertaken.

*** At the regular meeting that followed the special one, council discussed arena safety.

In light of the recent tragic deaths of three arena workers in Fernie, Council was provided a verbal report on safety procedures at Jim Lind Arena and Royal LePage Place.

The city maintains its ammonia refrigeration plant to the highest standards for arenas.

It has received a risk assessed facility designation from the BC Safety Authority (BCSA), considered the leading standard in safety when it comes to maintaining, monitoring, and operating an ammonia refrigeration plant inside a community ice arena.

Regular inspections by the BCSA are completed and a refrigeration contractor conducts monthly inspections and routine maintenance on the city’s ice plant.

Staff complete routine checks and fill out a detailed checklist every two hours. All staff are trained and have a provincially-recognized certificate, which is legislatively mandated for workers.

Monitoring is done 24 hours a day and notification is sent if there is a problem. In the event of an ammonia leak, an audible and visual alarm goes off inside the rink, a signal is sent to the monitoring company and staff are notified.

A high speed fan will kick in to help exhaust the ammonia, however, it will shut off if ammonia levels are too high and present a risk to the outside public.

If needed, an emergency shut down button located outside the ice plant can be activated by staff. A gas monitor is mounted outside the refrigeration plant and displays the gas levels inside the plant.

Personal protective equipment is provided to staff including gas masks, eye protection and hearing protection. In the event of an emergency, the City will implement facility evacuation procedures, which all arena staff are trained to lead.