Agricultural Advisory Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:
Date:
Time:
-
Location:
Council Chamber
City Hall, 1435 Water Street
Members Present
  • Domenic Rampone
  • Keith Duhaime
  • Pete Spencer
  • Yvonne Herbison
Members Absent
  • Jeff Ricketts (Alternate)
  • John Janmaat
  • Kevin Daniels (Alternate)
Staff Present
  • Legislative Coordinator (Confidential), Arlene McClelland

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.

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

Reviewed the Terms of Reference of the Agricultural Advisory Committee.

 

MOVED - Domenic Rampone

SECONDED - Yvonne Herbison

CARRIED

  • ​THAT the Minutes of the June 10, 2021 Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting be adopted.



Staff:

- Displayed a PowerPoint Presentation summarizing the application.

- Responded to questions from the Committee.

Staff - Confirmed no more fill would be added to this site. 2000 meter square is already there.

Art and Linda Scheffler, Curtis Road, Applicant

-  the fill came from wihtin the glenmore valley from various development sites at that time.

- Responded to questions from Committee

- No soil test was required for first soil sample.  Brought soil in 2018 and 2019 they rebuilt and seeded the field and was back in agr operation in 2020.

- confirmed there is no standing water on the field now.

- there is some rock in it, came from valley road construction.

- the lake has dropped signicantly with the heat we have had, have about 18 inches.  when we filled in 2018 we were under significant water.  

- levlved out property from the south to north boundary and is sloped toward curtis road and that is how we have left, reseeded it and worked it.  the water has subsided.  the area is high in alcholinity.  Roberts Lake flooded us and we were unable to put drainage in.  we ensured we were above water table so we wouldn't hvae to fight with rising water table in future.  It now looks very good and is viable and operable.

- Non irrigated pasture mix has been used for seed.  Mostly a grass pasture as we have livestock on the property.

- Any environmental impact to the lake? - Applicant, there's a road quite a distance from the lake, so their property would not have impacted the lake.  There has been fill placed across curtis road to the west all due to Roberts Lake.  lived there 35 years and roberts lake would always dry up, we have seen roberts lake grow every year without any drainage.  it has flooded private properties and raod etc, in this area.

Adequate drainage without any drainage tile at all?  It is sloped but as far as impacting other proeprties with drainage there is none.

Staff:

- the applicant is correct, there is no env concerns.  city working with land owners with drainage.  No env. concerns.

RESOLUTION:

MOVED - Derek

SECONDED -Domenic - she never said who???

CARRIED

Anecdotal Comments

- NO Comments

  • THAT the Agricultural Advisory Committee recommend to Council that Application No. A21-0005 for non-farm use to place up to 2000 cubic meters of fill to the subject property, located at 841 Curtis Road, Kelowna, B.C., be supported.



Staff:

- Displayed a PowerPoint Presentation summarizing the application.

- Responded to questions from the Committee.

Square footage of ATCO trailer uncertain but not too large and will be used for the office..

Domenic - Will Scale be installed

Will it be returned to a crop area once bin storage is over. Non farm uses has no timeframe. runs in perpetuity so no time limit on it.

- Can a covenant be placed on the land, Staff noted that it is possible for covenant with link to ownership, has to be restored, better if ALC put in  those restrictions.  Could put covenant on title so that it has to be restored.

- Is there a plan for the topsoil, asked applicant to get an egrologist report stated 616 cubic meters, 30 to 40 truck loads.  we know the size and scale and do not know where it's coming from. does topsoil stay or leave the property, city has no requirement of where it goes.

Theressa Ross, McCulloch ARoadApplicant

- 1942 proeprty in family. we are third generaton on the property

- would like to work an agreement with consolidated fruit packers to receive fruit from other farmers to get to osoyoos.  

- Responded to qustions form committtte

Confirmed that No scale is required.

staging area for bins and once not full of fruit will be stored.

Committee - too bad Farm land is being used for this.  farm trucks will not be 100% efficient.  can see a benefit but its a shame that farmland being taken out of production without some sort of criteria of moving it some place in the future.

in order have a b train loaded with frit behoin the property, its heavy, if topsoild there is will be heavy and make big ruts and make a mess of the soild, move soil aside and put crush down to sustain the weight of equipmen on site.  Yes, entire site, fruite washed and stored there and easier to keep cantominents out of the bins.  when bins get shipped to osoyoos they are emptied and washed and hauled back.  

confirmed the bin storage is on the small piece of property.  

what is being farmed on 3/4 of an acre.  - it was red delicious apples.  Husband is a logger and not here often and we have to utilize skills when we can.  

Staff:

- Responded to questions from Committee.

- not anticipating any congestion or road issues.it is a permitted use in the ALR could put larger facilities out there and doesn't trigger transportation studies or assessments.

RESOLUTION:

MOVED -Ddomenic

SECONDED -Pete

CARRIED

Anecdotal Comments

- Committee recommends to Council that see a coventant on title that it goes back to farmland if that particular operation no longer exists.  (suggest that) if they sold the property if it would be a rquirment to mismantle this before new ownership.  do not want housing to be put on there. concered if this operations ceases that it goes back to agriculture production.

the committ has concerns about future use of porety and would like some kind of safegurads put on this file in situation no longer doing the bin storage and receiving of fuit it would go back into production and no housing permitted.  attach to property and not ownership in the future.

if large packing house can be built to Pooley Road and Rose road - massive building and shouldn't be here/

  • THAT the Agricultural Advisory Committee recommend to Council that Application No. A21-0009 for non-farm use to allow a year round apple and peach bin storage station and seasonal fruit receiving station, located at 2981 East Kelowna Road, Kelowna, B.C., be supported.



The ALC has been quite and there hasn't been any decisions.

No updates.

No new business.

​The next Committee meeting has been scheduled for September 9, 2021.

The Chair declared the meeting terminated at 6:46 p.m.