[Items 2 & 3]
[00:04:58]
CLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST.
DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A PECUNIARY INTEREST IN ANY MATTER BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY?
[00:05:08]
SEEING NONE.AND DO I HAVE A SECONDER? COUNCILLOR COCHRANE AND BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION, I'M GOING TO ASK MS. BASSI-KELLETT TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE MOTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOUR WORSHIP, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
SO AFTER THE BASECO RESIDENTS WERE ABLE TO RETURN HOME ON THURSDAY LAST WEEK, CONDITIONS HERE WITH THE FIRE THAT'S BEEN KNOWN AS ZF 015 CREATED CONDITIONS THAT MADE THIS FIRE A POTENTIAL THREAT FOR YELLOWKNIFE.
SINCE AUGUST 1ST, CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN MEETING DAILY WITH ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE'S NORTH SLAVE WILDFIRE RESPONSE TEAM, WHO'VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE PARTNERS DURING THIS RELENTLESS YEAR OF 2023.
IT'S BEEN A VERY UNUSUAL WILDFIRE SEASON.
BUT WITH THE ADVICE FROM ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE FIRE WILDFIRE EXPERTS WHO KNOW ABOUT PATTERNS OF FIRE, THEY REALLY INFORMED US AND CONFIRMED FOR US THAT THE NEXT 4 TO 6 WEEKS ARE GOING TO BE JUST AS DRY AND WINDY AND THEREFORE STILL MAINTAINING A HIGHER HIGH FIRE HAZARD WELL INTO THE FALL.
THE CITY HAD A PLAN AND IT'S MOSTLY STEMMING FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DOING SITE SPECIFIC FIRE SMARTING AS NEEDED, AND WE ARE INSTALLING WATER SPRINKLERS IN KEY AREAS AS WELL WHERE THERE COULD BE SOME VULNERABILITY. AGAIN, THESE ARE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES THAT WE'RE TAKING AS A SAFEGUARD, GIVEN THE DRY CONDITIONS.
THE SECOND PRIORITY IS CREATING A PERIMETER AROUND THE ANGLE BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S WHERE OUR SEWAGE FORCEMAIN IS.
NOW, THERE ARE ALSO PRIORITY AREAS FOR SPRINKLING, AND THOSE INCLUDES AREAS AROUND GRACE LAKE FOR RESIDENTS WHO BACK ON TO GREEN SPACE AND ALSO FOR KAM LAKE PROPERTIES OFF OF ENTERPRISE DRIVE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BACKSIDE OF KAM LAKE DOWN TO GRACE LAKE AREA IS ALSO PROTECTED THROUGH SPRINKLERS.
WE'RE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE.
WE CONFIRM PRIORITY AREAS WITH THEM FOR FIREBREAKS AND FOR FIRE.
SMARTING AND WORK HAS BEGUN ON THE AREA WEST OF THE SAND PITS THAT BEGAN ON MONDAY.
AND THESE ARE DELIBERATELY FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING AND THEY COMPLEMENT THE SPRINKLERS THAT THE CITY ALREADY OWNS THAT WE HAVE BEEN MOBILIZING IN CAM LAKE AND ANGLE, AND THOSE ARE, OF COURSE, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR WATERING LAWNS, PARKS AND ALSO THAT FIRE THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS.
SO LOTS OF SPRINKLERS ARE IN CONTACT.
WE'RE ALSO PLEASED THAT ACFD IS ABLE TO SUPPORT THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE TO REFRESH THEIR STAFF ON HOW THEY CAN USE THEIR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAVE IN DETTAH IN CASE OF THE FIRE THREAT FROM DUNCAN LAKE AND THE HEARNE LAKE FIRES.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON.
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THE CLOCK AND FROM OF COURSE, THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS WHO CAME IN ON THE AUGUST LONG WEEKEND TO HELP US OUT.SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME COVERAGE OF THE SPECIAL FUNDS FOR FIRE BREAKS THAT THE CITY IS A PART OF.
AND THIS IS CALLED THE WILDFIRE BREAKS PROJECT.
AS WE KNOW, AND THIS IS PROVIDING $20 MILLION OVER SEVEN YEARS FOR THE 29 ELIGIBLE COMMUNITIES SO THAT ALL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN THE TREE LINE CAN BUILD FIRE BREAKS THAT ARE ALL OUTLINED IN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLANS.
FUNDS WERE GOING TO START FLOWING TO COMMUNITIES IN 2024.
SO TODAY, CITY ADMINISTRATION IS SEEKING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL TO SPEND FUNDS ON WILDLAND FIRE MITIGATION WITHIN OUR BOUNDARY, FOLLOWING OUR COMMUNITY WILDLIFE PROTECTION PLAN, SECTION 98 OF THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT PERMITS EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS THAT ARE NOT BUDGETED AS LONG AS THERE IS A RESOLUTION OF COUNCIL APPROVING. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DO NOT HAVE AN EXACT AMOUNT THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE SPENDING ON THE PRIORITY AREAS FOR FIRE BREAKS, BUT WE DO HAVE A BALLPARK IDEA OF THE COST OF THIS WORK AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TO REFINE WHAT THAT ESTIMATE CAN LOOK LIKE.
WE DO HAVE FISCAL CAPACITY IN 2023 BASED ON HOW UNUSUAL THIS YEAR HAS BEEN TO DATE, INCLUDING THE PAUSE FOR LABOR DISRUPTION THAT HAPPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS AN INTERIM USE.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS.
SO AT THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TURN IT BACK TO YOU.
YOUR WORSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION WELCOMES ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS MS. BASSI-KELLETT, AND THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF AND ALL THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS ALL WEEKEND LONG.
I KNOW THAT REALLY SHORTENED YOUR LONG WEEKEND AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
SO OPENING THIS UP TO COUNCIL.
DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR. COCHRANE.
THERE WE GO. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
MY ONE QUESTION IS WHAT KIND OF MITIGATION EFFORTS ARE WE WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AT THE WEEKEND IN THEIR PREPARATIONS FOR EMERGENCIES IN.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
WE HAD WORKED IN 2019, I SHOULD SAY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD WORKED WITH DATA IN 2019 TO SUPPORT THEIR USE OF SPRINKLERS AROUND THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT SPRINKLER IN TO MOISTEN AND MAKE SURE THAT THE AREAS ON THE PERIMETER OF THE COMMUNITY ARE SATURATED.
THAT, YOU KNOW, BOY, 2019 SURE FEELS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO TO ME.
SO I'M SURE EVERYONE ELSE IT DOES AS WELL.
SO OUR FIRE CHIEF IS GOING OUT AT 1:00 THIS AFTERNOON TO PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT TO KDFN TO THE STAFF THEY HAVE ON THE GROUND NOW AND PLAYERS ON THE GROUND WHO ARE ABLE TO DO A REFRESHER ON THE USE OF THE SPRINKLERS.
WE'RE ALSO MEETING WITH KDFN LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH SOME OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF JUST TO CONFIRM HOW THEIR APPROACH IS GOING AND KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THE NORTH SLAVE REGIONAL EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION WOULD KICK INTO GEAR IF THERE WERE A NEED TO EVACUATE.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR PAQUETTE.
[00:15:02]
THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT DOESN'T EXCLUDE STAFF FROM SPENDING WHATEVER THEY NEED TO.
SHOULD WE GET INTO AN ACTUAL STATE OF EMERGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE PROTECTED ABOVE AND BEYOND WHATEVER THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE THAT ARE GOING TO BE FLOWING? KNOWING THAT SOME OF THEM ARE COMING NOW AND SOME OF THEM ARE COMING LATER.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THAT A VERY EXPLICIT STATEMENT.
OVER SEVEN YEARS, WE'RE GETTING 2.3, FIVE, $4 MILLION THROUGH THE WILDFIRES MITIGATION PROJECT.
WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THIS MONEY.
AND CERTAINLY OUR REQUEST TODAY IS THAT WE ARE AUTHORIZED THAT COUNCIL ENDORSES, STARTING TO SPEND MONEY TO BUILD THE FIRE BREAKS BASED ON THE URGENT URGENCY AROUND THE FIRES THAT WE KNOW ARE IN OUR AREA AND WHAT THE REST OF THE SEASON IS LOOKING LIKE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD JUST RECOGNIZING THAT MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE DOING THE FIRE SMARTING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS HAD MANY OF THOSE ACTIVITIES REQUIRE LAND USE PERMITS.
HOWEVER, THE MACKENZIE VALLEY LAND USE REGULATIONS DO HAVE EMERGENCY PROVISIONS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
WE DON'T NEED TO DO ANY OF THAT REGULATORY STUFF BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF IN THE EMERGENCY SPACE.
SO JUST WANTED TO CHECK THAT BOX.
BUT WE DO WANT TO KEEP THE REGULATORS INVOLVED AND AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND YES, I DO WANT TO REITERATE.
BIG THANKS TO CITY STAFF AND STAFF AND ALL THE FOREST FIREFIGHTERS FROM THE N.W.T.
TO ALASKA TO NEW BRUNSWICK TO SOUTH AFRICA.
THEIR HARD WORK, DEDICATION TO FIGHTING THE CURRENT FIRES AND PROACTIVELY WORKING TO TO MITIGATE THE RISKS FOR YELLOWKNIFE AND ALL COMMUNITIES IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
I KNOW IN THE MEDIA I'M QUOTED AS SAYING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE FIREBREAK WORK IN TWO YEARS.
AND IF ANYBODY IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING GOOD TO READ OVER OR LISTEN TO OVER THE COMING WEEK, I WAS LISTENING TO THE CONFERENCE BOARD OF CANADA'S PODCAST THIS MORNING, ECONOMIC MATTERS, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE WILDFIRES.
AND THEY NOTE THAT LEAVING ALL OF THE FIRES BURNING OF COMMUNITIES TO THE POOREST LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT LEAVES COMMUNITIES VULNERABLE AS WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO KEEP THE CORE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE WATER, SEWER AND WASTE IN GOOD ORDER.
AND SO IT'S IT'S A BIG ASK TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL THAT.
AGAIN, THEY'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK THIS SEASON THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR FUTURE YEARS.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID, THE NEXT 4 TO 6 WEEKS ARE GOING TO BE INTENSE.
UM, AND FINALLY, JUST A BIG THANKS TO RESIDENTS TO FOR, FOR THE CARE AND DEDICATION
[00:20:01]
TO, TO TO BEING FIRESMART THIS SEASON REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.THE NWT FIRE PAGE IS YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR INFORMATION AND TO TRY TO MINIMIZE LISTENING OR PERPETUATING RUMOR MILL REALLY GOING TO THE THE SOURCE. THE NWT HAS GOT THE CURRENT INFORMATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO EVERYONE ELSE'S COMMENTS AND SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE FIRE CREWS AND CITY STAFF, CONTRACTORS, EVERYONE FOR THEIR HARD WORK. IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED.
TO ECHO MARIOTTI'S COMMENTS REGARDING THIS BEING AN INSTANCE WHERE THE MUNICIPALITY WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AND TIGHTEST CONSTRAINTS ON OUR SPENDING BEING TASKED WITH THIS VERY CRITICAL AND TIMELY TASK.
THANKS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WPA FOR ALL THEIR WORK TO GET SOME OF THIS FUNDING TO US NOW.
BUT I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET AS MUCH OR ALL OF IT OR MORE.
TO US, THIS IS THE EXACT SCENARIO.
WE'RE LIVING THROUGH IT RIGHT NOW THAT THIS FUNDING IS DESIGNED FOR.
SO LET'S GET IT TO US SO WE CAN USE IT.
JUST LIKE TO THANK RESIDENTS FOR THEIR PATIENCE AND CALMNESS.
THERE WILL BE MORE SMOKE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE SEASON, SO MAKE SURE TO CHECK RELIABLE SOURCES.
AND YEAH, THE PREPARATIONS WILL BE MADE.
AND THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS FOR WHAT IS GOING TO BE A PRETTY EXHAUSTING SEASON.
THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR. MCLENNAN.
ANYTHING FURTHER FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE. O.
YOU WANT TO? TURN IT ON. THERE WE GO.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, JUST A QUESTION ON THE CONTRACTORS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CITY STAFF AND CONTRACTORS COMING IN THE WEEKEND TO GET THIS GOING.
I KNOW EVERYONE'S STRETCHED ALREADY THIS SUMMER WITH CONTRACTORS, SO, UM, DO WE ANTICIPATE ENOUGH CAPACITY TO GET THE WORK DONE THAT WE NEED DONE EVEN ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
YEAH, CAPACITY IS A CLASSIC ISSUE ACROSS YELLOWKNIFE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE CAN CERTAINLY CONCUR WITH THAT.
AND SO THERE WERE SEVEN CONTRACTORS.
SIX OF THEM HAD EQUIPMENT IN TOWN.
ONE DID NOT. SO THEY COULD NOT SUPPORT ANY WORK AT THIS TIME.
OF THE SIX, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE COMMITTED FULLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO THEY HAVE CONFIRMED FOR US THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY SCENARIO, THAT THEY WOULD DROP WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND BE FULLY AVAILABLE TO THE CITY.
THAT WORK IS GETTING UNDERWAY.
IT HAS GOTTEN UNDERWAY ALREADY AND THE OTHERS REMAIN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH US SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT IF THERE WERE AN EVENT AND FORGIVE ME, AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY.
AND WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW THAT WOULD ROLL.
THANK YOU. YEAH. NO MORE QUESTIONS.
ANYTHING FURTHER? SEEING NONE.
WE KICKED OFF WITH A BANG WITH OUR FIRE SEASON, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND I JUST I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE FIREFIGHTERS BECAUSE THIS IS A DANGEROUS JOB.
AND I'M RECOGNIZING WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUTH.
I CALL THEM YOUTH. THEY'RE UNDER 25 THAT ARE FIGHTING THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD.
[00:25:05]
SO MY SEE SO SEEING A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS.SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS TO A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS PRESENTED.
IN FAVOR. AND THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
SEEING AS THAT IS THE END OF OUR AGENDA, CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? OF COUNCILLOR MCGURK AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY ON MONDAY, AUGUST 14TH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.