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Letter: Support hard work of North Cowichan council, staff and volunteers

If you support the plan — just say so, if you have concerns — this is your chance to let them know
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Support hard work of North Cowichan council, staff and volunteers

Tell council what you think of the Draft Official Community Plan.

It’s time for us to show our appreciation and support for the hard work of all those working on the new North Cowichan Official Community Plan.

CAO Ted Swabey at a recent council meeting congratulated his team and the community representatives for their work — and I think everyone who participated in this process was equally impressed with their professionalism and their effort to reach out to the community.

This is a legacy project for the mayor and council and now with just a few months left in their term they are offering us an opportunity to provide feedback on the new OCP.

The last plan was developed in 2011 when the iPad had just been released and gas cost $1.23 a litre.

Things are changing quickly in the Cowichan Valley and the 11-year-old community plan was not designed to deal with the rapid growth and the big issues we are now facing.

The draft plan we are being asked to consider and comment on provides a framework for addressing these — both in the short and longer term over the next 20 years.

This is your chance to tell your elected council whether you support the direction of the new OCP, a visionary plan that will determine how the municipality responds to the big issues facing North Cowichan — whether that’s managing future growth and development, protecting and restoring sensitive environmental areas, mitigating and adapting to climate change, increasing the supply of affordable housing, promoting agriculture and food security, or supporting local economic development.

You can view a short YouTube video introduction to the North Cowichan OCP at https://youtu.be/gA-oK-0ySFs.

This video explains how to access the OCP document, executive summary and detailed information on the in person and online meetings.

In summary:

You can attend the in-person meeting on Tuesday, July 19 at 2 p.m. until at least 6 p.m.: Cowichan Exhibition Park (this event will be live-streamed).

You can attend and participate remotely by connecting on Zoom at Monday, July 18 at 2 p.m. until at least 6 p.m.: online access instructions are given in the youtube video.

Or just email and let them know what you think by sending your comments to publicmeetings@northcowichan.ca. (They recommend that you email your submission by Friday, July 15 at 9 a.m. Make sure to address the email to mayor and council, reference OCP Bylaw 3900 and include your full name and address.)

If you support the plan — just say so, if you have concerns — this is your chance to let them know.

Robert Fullerton

North Cowichan