Although Parksville’s advisory design panel (ADP) has been reduced from six to four members, city council proceeded with an amendment to its terms of reference that will allow the panel to operate with a new minimum.
At the Jan. 17 Parksville city council meeting, director of community planning and building Blaine Russell went before council to advise them of an attendance issue that has resulted in the panel no longer satisfying the previous requirements under responsibilities and conduct.
The ADP terms of reference stated the panel required a minimum of five members to remain operational, and that if any member failed to attend three consecutive meetings, except for illness-related reasons, they would cease to be a member.
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In his presentation, Russell indicated an alternative option to revising the terms of reference would be to recruit for replacement candidates. A process, he said, that would likely take several months and would render the ADP non-functional in the interim.
“To facilitate additional members will take us about two or three months to actually do the advertisements, bring a list to council, and then appoint them, as well as do orientation. So for that reason, we’ve just recommended to proceed with the four members remaining.”
Council voted in favour to revise the terms of reference, at least until the end of the current term which started on Feb. 1, 2021, and will continue until Dec. 31, 2022.
The ADP is comprised of volunteers that review development permit applications and other design-related matters referred to it by council.