The Thompson-Nicola Regional District board of directors adopted Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2442, 2013, during its Jan. 16 meeting.
The bylaw allows licensed medical marijuana production facilities in AF-1, FL-1, I-2 and I-3 zones or lands within the Agriculture Land Reserve, subject to the following conditions:
(a) Facilities must be licensed by Health Canada.
(b) Use must be located on a parcel having a minimum parcel area of eight hectares except on lands zoned I-2 or I-3, where the minimum parcel area shall be four hectares.
(c) All buildings used for medical marijuana production shall be set back a minimum of 50 metres from all parcel lines.
Clearwater septage receiving station — award of equipment supply
The quote from Drycake Vanderbeken Enterprises Ltd of $134,048 was accepted for the supply of septage-receiving screening equipment and associated shipping container related to the Clearwater Septage Receiving Station.
Acquiring the equipment is one step in the construction of a septage receiving station to be located near the sewage lagoon in Clearwater.
The proposed septage receiving station would receive septic tank sludge from District of Clearwater, Wells Gray Country (Area A) and Thompson Headwaters (Area B).
The project will be 80 per cent funded through the federal gas tax general strategic priorities fund and 20 per cent through the TNRD and District of Clearwater.
Mobile communications service in rural areas
A letter will be forwarded to federal Minister of Industry James Moore and MP Cathy McLeod requesting that when new air time is released for mobile communication that consideration be given for improving service to rural areas in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
BC Hydro Dividends and Rates
A letter will be forwarded to the Minister of Energy and Mines, Bill Bennett, requesting that the government dividend from BC Hydro be limited to a maximum dividend of $245 million, as was stipulated in the 2013 provincial budget; that the BC Utilities Commission review BC Hydro rate increases; and that further energy producing home improvements, beside solar water-heating, receive government tax credits.
Gas tax funding
McLure Fire Hall, which is located in Electoral Area P, will receive up to $15,000 towards a heating system, through the federal gas tax community works fund.
Collocation agreements for TV rebroadcasting sites
The TNRD will enter into collocation TV rebroadcasting site agreements with the following organizations:
• Raftview Communications Ltd.
• ABC Allen Communications Ltd.
• The Seventh Day Adventist Church.
• PerfectWorld Innovations Ltd.
2014 Board Committee Appointments
Appointments were made to the following board committees:
• Film Commission: directors Rice and Murray.
• Invasive Plant Committee: director Gillis, director Watson as alternate.
• Municipal Finance Authority: director Ranta, director Roline as alternate.
• Municipal Insurance Association: director A. Anderson, director Sternig as alternate.
• Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition: director Watson, director Gillis as alternate.
• Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process Steering Committee: directors Milobar and R. Anderson.