A proposal to ease last year's approved increase to off-street parking rates will get tossed around the city council table Monday night.
Council will discuss a notice of motion introduced by councillors Frank Everitt, Lyn Hall and Murry Krause in early January to change the monthly parking rates hike to a 10 per cent increase.
If approved, the trio is also proposing additional 10 per cent increases be added annually in 2015 and 2016.
"When establishing a fees and charges bylaw it is important that we are consistent with the fee structure by establishing incremental increases," the notice of motion said. "As well, to make sure that increases are affordable and realistic to the consumer, and to provide consumers with a comprehensive communication plan outlining the proposed increases."
On Jan. 1, a new off-street parking rate structure came into effect that bumped up monthly rates, some by as much as double, depending on the location. Council approved the rate increase as part of their core review deliberations last July and finalized the appropriate bylaw in late September.
By November, some members of council said they regretted that decision after public blowback over the size of the increases.
Forest forfeit
Council will be asked to give the OK for Prince George to give up its forest licence.
The city is currently in the third year of a five-year temporary Community Forest Agreement (CFA) licence. The agreement was an extension of the original licence granted in 2006 to address mountain pine beetle infestation and related wildfire hazards on Crown land within the city boundary.
Under the plan, the city has harvesting rights with an allowable annual cut of approximately 12,000 cubic metres per year in the 4,800 hectares of forested Crown land.
"From the CFA alone, about 44,000 cubic metres of scaled timber, mostly dead pine, has been removed and used in local mills," said community forest manager Dan Adamson in a staff report. "Many hundreds of additional cubic metres of non-merchantable timber has been chipped and spread on site."
With so little time left in the agreement and provincial and federal grant sources drying up, staff are recommending the city surrender the tenure back to the province.
"From city inventory and assessment work, there are no additional operable parcels within the city's CFA that meet the criteria for wildlife mitigation treatments under the grant funding programs," Adamson wrote.
A separate agreement for land outside the city's borders is being managed by the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, in partnership with the Lheidli T'enneh and the Prince George Cattlemen Association. The city was originally part of that agreement and proposed expansion, but pulled out last May after agricultural stakeholders cited trust issues.
Alcohol amendment
The majority of Prince George residents who participated in the city's consultation on its alcohol service procedure have no problem with booze being served in municipal facilities and support its introduction at Kin 1.
The engagement process included a 27-question survey, which was completed by 121 residents. According to survey results, 74 per cent of respondents indicated they supported alcohol service at civic facilities including Kin 1, if conducted within the draft policy's guidelines.
The city's alcohol procedure dates back to 1997, but in 2012 Prince George underwent a pilot project to serve liquor at CN Centre during hockey games and other special events.
Under the new policy, that change would become permanent, allowing alcohol consumption at public events in "spectator seating areas of city property" as long as "adequate alcohol-free zones are designated at all times when alcohol service is offered."
Those who were opposed to the policy expressed concerns about drinking and driving, rowdiness at public events and negative messages to youth regarding alcohol consumption.
According to a staff report, the ability to sell alcohol during the pilot project period increased the average alcohol revenue by 100 per cent at Cougars games and by 50 per cent for concerts and other CN Centre events. The licensing of Kin 1 is said to provide a new revenue stream for the city.
