Agricultural Advisory Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:
Date:	Thursday, December 12, 2019
Time:	6:00 P.m. - 9:00 P.m.
Location:	Council Chamber City Hall, 1435 Water Street

Members Present

• Domenic Rampone
• Jeff Ricketts (Alternate)
• Keith Duhaime
• Kevin Daniels (Alternate)

Members Absent

• John Janmaat
• Pete Spencer
• Yvonne Herbison

Staff Present

• Legislative Coordinator (Confidential)
• Avi Gill

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1.

Call to Order

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.

Opening remarks by the Chair regarding conduct of the meeting were read.

 

2.

Minutes

accept with change -  rates and water security for farming.

Moved by  Domenic/  Seconded by Keith

Carried

• ​THAT the Minutes of the November 14, 2019 Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting be adopted.

  
  

3.

Applications for Consideration

 

3.1

Morrison Rd 1425, A19-0012 & FH19-0003, Application for a Non-Adhering Residential Use Permit for Temporary Farm Worker Housing - Surinder K. Boparai & Avtar S. Boparai

Staff presented a PowerPoint outlining the application and responded to questions from the Committee.

Confirmed they would be at there limit for number of workers on the property after this application.

Confirmed the ancilliary buildings are storage sheds.

Reviewed the services to the unit.

Surinder Bororai - 1865 Treetop Road. Applicant:

- Confirmed they chose middle of the orchard as they did not want to cut any trees down to accommodate the dwelling.

- Confirmed cabins were already on the other properties they farm.

- Confirmed area cleared for at least 4-5 years.

- Staff confirmed a deposit is required for the landscaping buffer as part of the application.

Moved by Dom 2nd by Keith,

Carried

 

3.2

Dunster Rd 3183, A19-0013, Application to the ALC for Non-Adhering Residential Use Permit - Gian & Kuldip Jaswal

Staff provided a PowerPoint presentation giving an overview of the application and responded to questions from the Committee.

- Confirmed that basements and garages are not included in the ALC floor area calculation.

- Confirmed demolition will need to be competed before final occupancy is granted on the newly constructed house.

Ramsay Jaswal, 3183 Dunster Rd, Applicant: 

- business invloves every sing member of the household.

- initial contact was before the rling from the ALC

- Provided history of family farming in the community - 53 acres, apples and cherries.

- moving towards fourth general farmers in the community.

- provided backgorund on family unit and their care

- looking to expand their agricultural portfolio

- 8 members in household today and as younger families move forward to have children the existign house will be too small.

- delayed demolition - giving economic conditions of crops.

- Reviewed multi-generational family ALC applications from other communities withou demolition of exiting structures.

- Would agree to a covenant requiring to demolish existing dwelling and provide a bond to ensure the demolition.

- Also would agree to a farm covenant on the property.

- request that committee consider the request for delayed demolition and request for new residence as separate requests.

- Responded to questions from the Committee.

- confirmed size requested is for those in the home now.

- reviewed the landscape buffer.

- Commented on the privacy the new floor plan would accommodate

motions

Moved by Domenic seconded by Aura for NON support

Opposeded Avi Gill 

 

Anedotal Comments:

respect the multigernatrional family buit vould be reconfigured int oe thw 500 sg m size limit.

respect what intergenerational families bring to agriculture 

2nd motion 

Moved by Domenic support the convenant the bond and delayed demoliton 2nd by Keith 

Carried

 

3.3

Gallager Road 2975, A19-0017 - David Geen

Committee member Domeninc Rampone declared a conflict of interest and left the meeting as he works with the applicant.

Staff provided a PowerPoint application outining the application and responded to questions from the Committee.

Confirmed that there are no complaints on the existing temporary housing structures.

Confirmed with the applicant that they are requesting an additional 70 beds.

David Geen, 16041 Parkland Rd,Applicant:

- Responded to the question future plan on Pooley road for a future 44 farm worker housing. 

- Presented a PowerPoint  presentation outlining the family's farming operations in the Okanagan.

- Chose the site as its is at the bottom of the property and most accessible. Uses the poorest farmland as it is also in a frost pocket.

- spoke to the capacity of the dorms during each season.

Responded to questions from the Committee.

- confirmed no fruit trees will be removed to accommodate the new temporary structures.

- Confirmed site is planted out at 100 acres planted in cherries. Currently require 60 workers on the property with a build out of 100 workers.

- Confirmed work with A-1 busing to provide worker transporation for shopping, doctor, etc.

Staff responded to questions from the Committee.

Confirmed if approved it could be a max up to 130 up to 10 months of the year.

Moved by Keith seconded by Avi 

Carried

Anedotal Comments

- empahsize substaintila buffering around propose dorms to protect from continue with a good landscape buffer for the dorms considering future residential development on Kirshner Mountain.

- encourage consolidation of the labour that makes sense from an agricultur land use - one property that will accommodate more than one farming operation in the same zone 

4.

ALC Decisions - Update

5.

New Business

Discussion of developing a policy/evaluation for dwellings larger than 500 sq m. meeting farming criteria.

6.

Next Meeting

​The next Committee meeting has been scheduled for January 21, 2019.

7.

Termination of Meeting

The Chair declared the meeting terminated at 7:56 p.m.