Council directed staff to invite Manna Homeless Society to appear as a delegation at the May 1 Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss their fundraising efforts towards purchasing a Mobile Health Unit.
Airport noise
Council directed staff to draft an Airport Noise Complaint Policy which could include details of the active noise abatement procedures, an electronic procedure to accept all complaints with the date, time, and location of the infraction, and the name, address, email, and phone number of the complainant and a public log of all complaints. Council also directed staff to create an airport email list or webpage which will notify users weekly of any unusually noisy scheduled helicopter or other activities, which are outside of normal airport operations, the information for which will be solicited from airport operators. Coun. Teunis Westbroek moved that council amends the motion by inserting “that staff be instructed to commence the process with an education session on the existing noise complaint practice.”
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Quality Foods Festival of Lights 2019
Coun. Westbroek moved that council grants permission to Quality Foods to hold a special Festival of Lights fireworks show from a barge on the water in front of the Qualicum Beach Visitor Centre on Saturday, May 25, starting at dusk. And further that the town provide traffic control through a contracted service, barricades, extra garbage cans, and in kind services of staff on site, subject to the applicant working with staff to ensure town requirements are met, including emergency services notification, insurance and special event notifications. The motion was carried.
Filming on town-owned properties
Council approved Town of Qualicum Beach Policy No. 4004-15, Filming on Town-Owned Properties.
“Given that Chesapeake Shores is in their fourth season filming here, we’re looking to put together a policy mirroring what the City of Parksville does just so we’re in alignment with Chesapeake Shores and other filming communities that may come to Qualicum Beach so that we have a set table,” said Town of Qualicum Beach corporate officer, Heather Svensen.
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Coun. Robert Filmer voiced concern about the potential harm film crews had on local businesses.
“On a busy day of filming—today they had half of Primrose (street) and half of Second Avenue closed for parking—it’s taking away from our residents being able to get to these businesses and as everyone knows residents in Qualicum Beach, if they can’t park out front of where they need to go, they’re not going to go,” Filmer said. “We are now getting revenue from Chesapeake Shores but the businesses are still not getting anything. Is there any way that this revenue that we are getting we can share with the businesses that are hurting?”
Svenson said the film crew has been working with each business their production may affect.
“If there is any kind of negative impact, they are actually paying those businesses…they are cutting them cheques,” Svenson said.
The town’s policy states, it is the policy of the Town of Qualicum Beach to support the British Columbia film industry by accommodating commercial and noncommercial filming on town properties while protecting the town’s assets and avoiding disruption to our businesses and use by residents and visitors.