Kent agrees to focus on promoting agriculture
The Kent Agricultural Advisory Committee has highlighted four key points in the Ag Area Plan for council to consider a priority for 2013.
The recommendations came out of two meetings KAAC held late in 2012, and council approved those last Monday night.
They include AAP Recommendation 4.3.2, which states that the District of Kent include the agricultural community in the planning and implementation of design standards and maintenance or operation plans, when created recreational trails.
They also put forward 4.5.1, which recommends the District discourages applications for additional residences in the ALR, and 4.7.1, which recommends the District make every effort to support District farmers in making their products available for local purchase either from the farm gate or through a farmers market.
Finally, they recommended 5.5.1, which talks about declaring an "Agricultural Week" to place emphasis on the active agricultural industry and importance of operations.
However, council did not approve a fifth recommendation asking to eliminate a proposed $25 business license administration fee. CAO Wallace Mah explained that the fee was an important one, that helped the District cover the costs of non-compliance and enforcement.
"Although it says it's a fee, it's more than that," Mah said.
Council opposed that motion unanimously, and sent it back to KAAC for further discussion. Councillor Duane Post was absent.
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