Third transit bus coming; service to expand
Starting on Oct. 1 there will be one more transit bus in operation and it will used to run trips to Valleycliffe every 30-minutes instead of the current 60-minute service.
The additional bus will mean extended service hours to Garibaldi Highlands and Brackendale. It also means on-demand service to Brennan Park will be offered to bus riders.
This is a pilot project that is scheduled to end at the beginning of March.
Mayor Ian Sutherland said the service to Brennan Park is a good thing for the community.
SmartGrowth on the Ground concept plan presented
Members of Council had their first look at the Smart Growth on the Ground concept plan this week.
The next step in the creation of the future vision for Squamish's downtown area involves sharing the concept plan with the people who participated in the land use plan charrette process held prior to the creation of the concept plan. DOS staff also plan to create an action plan to begin implementing the plan.
Draft OCP expected in October
Consultants are moving ahead with efforts to update the official community plan (OCP).
Following a survey of residents and a number of other public consultation initiatives, those leading the OCP update indicate a draft version of the updated plan will go before council a month before the next municipal election.
The OCP sets the vision for future growth in the community.
Grant-in-aid for Cops for Cancer
The Squamish RCMP was granted the use of a ball field at Centennial Fields and the municipal campground near Brennan Park so the police can host a ball tournament to raise money for research into cancer.
The value of the grant was $1,052.00.
The tournament is set for Sept. 10 and 11.
Mamquam Elementary field to be studied
With an eye on helping to upgrade local school fields, the DOS is going to spend up to $4,500 to assess the field at Mamquam Elementary and create a proposal to improve the field.
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale voted against spending the money as she said Centennial Fields need attention and they should be upgraded before money is invested in property the DOS doesn't own.
Sutherland disagreed. He said the Centennial Fields are in great shape and there is a need for more fields. He added it is cheaper to upgrade existing fields than it is to build brand new fields.
Building bylaw adopted
An updated building bylaw was adopted by the members of Council, but only after developer Wilf Dowad shared some of his concerns about the new rules for development.
He said the deposits developers are now required to put down are too low and he said the bylaw is full of wording understood only by those with a legal background.
Sutherland asked DOS staff to take note of Dowad's concerns and consider bringing forward amendments.
Olympic plan going to VANOC
The DOS has a plan to become an Olympic venue for the Games in 2010 and the plan is being delivered to the Vancouver Olympic organizers and the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
Sutherland announced on Tuesday after an in-camera meeting that a plan to construct an ice sheet in Squamish for use as a sledge hockey arena will be forwarded for review.
The new arena was originally planned for Whistler, but the resort is leaning toward allowing it to be built in Squamish so Whistler can put more money into construction of the Whistler's Olympic Village.
