Council Highlights - April 29, 2024

Read below about the decisions made by the City of Dawson Creek Council at the April 29, 2024 Council Meeting.

Proclamation: OI  Awareness & Wishbone Day

Local residents Rachel Veiner and Hayden Fontaine were in attendance to proclaim May 4-11, 2024 as National OI Awareness Week and May 6, 2024 as Wishbone Day in Dawson Creek. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by fragile bones that break easily, also known as “brittle bone disease”. A person is born with this disorder and is affected throughout their lifetime. Learn more about OI and Wishbone Day at oif.org.

Proclamation: MS Awareness

Local resident Sherri Mytopher was in attendance to proclaim May 2024 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in Dawson Creek. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling neurological disease affecting an estimated 1 in 400 Canadians and over 90,000 across the country. Lean more about MS and how to raise awareness of this disease at mscanada.ca.

2023 Ovintiv Events Centre Annual Report

OVG staff from the Ovintiv Events Centre were in attendance to present the 2023 Ovintiv Events Centre Annual Report to Council. The reports notes that the centre saw 120 different events in 2023 with a total of 52, 259 attendees. View the full report online.

Pioneer Surveyor Sculpture Revitalization

Karl Mattson, the artist behind the creation of the Pioneer Surveyor Sculpture that stands in the heart of the Dawson Creek Traffic Circle, was in attendance to discuss the need to revitalize the sculpture. The sculpture was put in place in 2004, and Mattson would like to make improvements and upgrades to the sculpture to re-animate this piece that has become an integral part of the fabric of Dawson Creek. The Dawson Creek Art Gallery will apply for grants on behalf of this project. If the grants are not successful in raising the full amount, Council approved the request for up to $10,000 from the 2024 Capital Budget.

DCSS Student Council Update

The Dawson Creek Secondary School Student Council was in attendance to give Council an update about the Student Council, including their Mission Statement, their upcoming elections and the major initiatives that they are working on. The DCSS Student Council presentation can be viewed online.

Community Tourism Plan Presentation

In fall of 2023, the City of Dawson Creek was selected to have a new Community Tourism Plan completed by Destination BC. Through engagement with stakeholders and City staff, the plan was created and is now available for viewing. View the full Dawson Creek Community Tourism Plan online.

Invitation to Participate in a Wheelchair Tour of Dawson Creek

A letter from resident David Johnston included an invite to Mayor and Council to participate in a wheelchair tour of Dawson Creek to raise awareness of the accessibility needs within the community. The Mayor elected to attend the tour and invited any Councillors that could join him.

Request for Swim Passes - SPCRS

A request from the South Peace Community Resources Society (SPCRS) for swim passes towards their program for women and children fleeing violence was received. Before the meeting, Ovintiv reached out and asked to cover the cost of the passes. Council received the letter for information and the passes will be donated to SPCRS on behalf of Ovintiv.

Request for Sponsorship - DC Choral Intensive Workshop & Spring Concert

A letter was received requesting sponsorship towards the upcoming DC Choral Intensive Workshop & Spring Concert taking place at Unchagah Hall on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2024. Council approved the sponsorship of $2000 towards the event.

Request for Sponsorship - 2024 Charity Best Ball Golf Tournament

A request for the City of Dawson Creek to be a “Hole Sponsor” at the 2024 Charity Best Ball Golf Tournament hosted by the South Peace District Crime Prevention Association was received. Council approved the sponsorship of a hole for $250 at the tournament.

Request for a Resolution of Support - Arenas & Ovintiv Event Centre Capital Project

The City of Dawson Creek Grant Writer submitted a request for a Resolution of Support towards the FCM Green Municipal Fund Grant for Energy & Heating Recovery. The grant will cover the study of Energy & Heating Recovery within the Kin and Memorial Arenas, as well as the Ovintiv Event Centre. Council approved the request for the resolution of support.

Request for Donation - Notre Dame School Annual Carnival Event

A letter was received from the Notre Dame School Parent Support Group requesting a donation of either a coupon for family swimming, certificates that could go towards summer programming for children or a monetary donation towards the silent auction table being filled for the Notre Dame School Annual Carnival Event on May 10, 2024.  Council directed staff to provide up to $250 to the event.

Request for Donation – Judo Club Event

The Judo Club requested 100 Youth Swim Passes to use as a giveaway at their upcoming event. Council approved the request.

Report No. 24-048 from the Chief Financial Officer re: 2023 Draft Financial Statements

The 2023 Draft Financial Statements were approved by Council and the 2023 Audited Financial Statements will be brought forward to be formally approved at the May 13, 2024 Council Meeting. View the 2023 Audited Financial Statements online.

Report No. 24-053 from the Chief Administrative Officer re: BC Transit Annual Operating Agreement 2024/2025

The BC Transit Annual Operating Agreement was approved by Council for 2024/2025 for a total of $373,009. The agreement reflects a 10.7% decrease in transit costs over the previous year’s annual agreement.

Report No. 24-054 from the Community Culture & Recreation Manager re: Splash Park Engagement

In November 2023, Council provided direction that the location, type, and scale of a splash park needed to be determined by the community through engagement. The results of the first phase of engagement, a public survey, were included in the report. Upon closing of the survey, the City received a total of 647 responses and 237 written comments. The community reacted quickly to the launch, with over 500 responses within the first week.

The next step in this engagement process will be an in-person engagement session in June, which will include the cost of the splash with the features that the community chose as top priority. The second phase will include an opportunity for the community to share their concerns and/or vote against the project. The results of the engagement session in June will be brought back to Council in August, at which time Council will have the opportunity to review the results and decide whether or not to move forward with the project.

Report No. 24-055 from the Capital Project Manager re: Invitation to Tender 2024-16 Capital Road Works - 96 Avenue - 8 Street to 13 Street

Council awarded the Invitation to Tender 2024-16 Capital Road Works – 96 Avenue – 8 Street to 13 Street to Swamp Donkey Oilfield Services for a total budget of $5,084,395.62, which is $955,722.38 lower than the anticipated budget that was approved in the 2024 Capital Budget.

Report No. 24-056 from the Communications & Engagement Manager re: City of Dawson Creek Marketing Campaign RFP 2024-03

Council awarded RFP 2024-03 City of DC Marketing Campaign to Partners & Hawes Marketing Consulting Inc. for a total of $141,418.19. City staff will work alongside contractors to develop and launch a marketing campaign to attract businesses, new residents, professionals and visitors to the community.            

Bylaws

The Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 4579, 2024  was adopted with changes to the bylaw noted in Section 2 – Amendments.

Committee of the Whole Reports

Each quarter, City of Dawson Creek Departments prepare a Committee of the Whole Report that details the highlights of the quarter and what each department has been working on.

This Committee of the Whole also included Report No. 24-052 Revitalization Tax Exemption. The report speaks to the process of developing a Revitalization Tax Exemption Program. The implementation of a Revitalization Tax Exemption Program has the ability to incentivize local economic growth and is a tool that can be considered by Council to assist with the strategic priority of downtown revitalization.

Find the links to each department report at the bottom of the April 29, 2024 Agenda.