As a precautionary measure to help slow and limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) closed the doors of its administration building to the public on March 17, 2020. They also cancelled their usual board meeting at the end of the month. The first SRD virtual board meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.
Continue reading First SRD Virtual Board Meeting Ever; Public Denied AccessTag Archives: Electoral Areas Services Committee
EASC Turned Down Linnaea’s Application For Funds To Purchase A Heat Pump
In theory, Cortes Island receives a portion of the Provincial Gas Tax. A recent Strathcona Regional District report states, “as of January 1, 2020, the balance of Electoral Area B’s Gas Tax Reserve is approximately $565,325 and (this year) is expected to receive a 2020 transfer of $58,155 in addition to any interest earned on the balance.” According to Regional Director Noba Anderson, the amount keeps growing because Cortes has not been able to access these funds. “The SRD has still not developed any kind of application guide or internal policy around Gas Tax spending, although it has been on the CFO’s work plan I believe for at least five years.” On March 11, 2020, EASC turned down Linnaea’s application for $44,520 in Gas Tax dollars to purchase a heat pump.
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Cortes Island Has Three Directors
When Noba Anderson was re-elected, on October 20, 2018, most of Cortes Island thought she was our representative to the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board. Since then, we have discovered there is a sense in which Cortes Island has three directors.
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Thank-you SRD, But There Is Currently No One To Negotiate With You
The opinions expressed in this report are my own and not necessarily shared by any organization, or committee, I belong to.
It has been more than a year since 14 disgruntled Cortes residents attempted to change the outcome of the 2018 election with a lawsuit that the Supreme Court of British Columbia eventually dismissed as having “no basis.” Now at least one of the former plaintiffs has joined a group of anonymous Cortes residents who informed the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board of an alleged secession plot. Twenty minutes of the board’s Feb 26, 2020, meeting was consumed with this nonsense. Kudos to Chair Michele Babchuk and the other Directors who recognized it as such. However the suggestion that SRD receive a delegation, or have staff look into ways to help Cortes find a more democratic form of local government, is premature. There is currently no one to negotiate with them.
Continue reading Thank-you SRD, But There Is Currently No One To Negotiate With You
Tiber Bay: Outside the Protected Zone
Twenty years ago, Bill Friedel was embroiled in a night-long-battle to save a neighbouring Cortes Island property from fire. As they were in Tiber Bay, outside the protected area, the Cortes Island Fire Department did not intervene. One night last Spring, a downed power line “remained live for over 20 minutes and started several intense, small fires …” Luckily, these blazes were spotted before they spread. Tiber Bay is still outside the protected zone today and many residents are asking to be included in the Fire District.
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