Despite COVID-19’s prominence over much of B.C.’s and even the world’s day-to-day life, the Village of Harrison Hot Springs Council conducted their March meeting all the same.
The Council met – under the condition that the public was advised to keep away due to coronavirus spread concerns – on March 16. Unsurprisingly, a number of items on the agenda related to COVID-19 closures. This included the closure of Memorial Hall and the cancellation of subsequent events until further notice. The council further ordered meeting only once per month instead of once every two weeks to further their efforts to flatten the curve, effective April and May 2020.
The village office is closed to in-person services, and any resident with concerns or questions should contact the village office via phone at 604-796-2171 or via their website at www.harrisonhotsprings.ca.
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In other council business, the council approved the consultation plan for the upcoming update of the Official Community Plan (OCP). The village plans to consult with residents and local entities in a number of ways, including the initial community survey (which is still ongoing until Friday, March 27) and suggesting meetings with Tourism Harrison Hot Springs, the Agassiz-Harrison Chamber of Commerce and the Sts’ailes First Nation.
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The council once again approved two bylaws that would help regular inter-municipal ride-hailing business licenses (IMBLs) needed to allow ride-sharing drivers from companies like Uber and Lyft to operate in the area. The main administration of IMBLs and any subsequent violations would be handled through the city of Vancouver. The village would receive a percentage of tax revenue generated from the ride-hailing companies once initial administrative fees were paid up. There are 24 other partnering municipalities, including Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Surrey and Langley.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for April 20 at 7 p.m. May’s council meeting is scheduled for May 4 at 7 p.m. At this time, the village continues to recommend the public refrain from attending due to ongoing concerns of spreading the coronavirus.