The city says steps are being taken to make downtown Campbell River a safer place.
The Downtown Safety Select Committee is a group of concerned citizens who have come together to examine the social issues that are plaguing the downtown area.
Mayor Andy Adams says the committee provided a list of action items for council.
“Council moved several of the action items immediately at yesterday’s committee of the whole meeting, and the other items more related around policy issues and those types of things will be brought forward at the next committee of the whole for consideration,” Adams said. “And these are all to improve the safety and cleanliness in our downtown core, reduce loitering, public intoxication and littering.”
Council endorsed the committee’s recommendations to encourage new downtown investment and development by:
- improving safety and cleanliness in the downtown core through ongoing, annual capital investment in the Downtown Refresh program;
- joining other municipalities in actively lobbying the provincial and federal government to open/fund mental health and addictions facilities in the province, and specifically in Campbell River; and
- establishing a Downtown Safety Select Committee in September 2021 to review progress and make recommendations to Council. (Council requested an action tracking report to assist with progress review.)
Council also endorsed the committee recommendations to allocate funds for:
- Immediate removal of the permanent glass cover over the Spirit Square stage, up to $5,000 (estimated cost)
- Expansion of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Grant Program, up to $40,000
- Improvements to the BC Hydro box at 13th Avenue and Shoppers Row, up to $10,000 (estimated cost)
- Installation of garbage cans, up to a maximum of $25,000
- Security camera program expansion, up to a maximum of $25,000
- Continued funding of the Get the Point Program, up to $30,000
- Expansion of the infill street-light program in the downtown core, up to a maximum of $15,000
Costs will be covered from the $225,000 downtown safety fund Council established during financial planning in December 2020.
The committee supports actions currently underway, including establishing:
- a local situation table program
- a community/problem-solving court
- a stakeholder group for the Strengthening Communities funding program
For improved safety and cleanliness downtown and to reduce loitering, public intoxication and littering, the committee recommended that Council direct staff report back on policy options for:
- Social service relocation incentives, up to $75,000
- Potential bylaw amendments to limit/restrict shopping carts in specific geographic areas
- Zoning bylaw amendments to prescribe location/spacing of social services in the downtown core
- Prohibiting beach fires between 1st Avenue and Roberts Reach
- Assessing alignment and timing of existing resources (security, bylaw, etc)
- Earlier hours for bylaw enforcement to deal with encampment removals before regular business hours
- Creating a downtown investment strategy that would align City investment with private interests/timelines
- Speeding up approval of residential land development projects to improve the affordability of housing
- Streamlining development permit requirements/processes for improvements to existing buildings downtown
- Investigating mechanism to charge businesses/operators for disproportionate use of emergency services
Downtown Safety Selection Community representatives are Ben Lanyon (chair), Rodney Semkiw (vice-chair), Brett Giese, Dan Samson, Heather Gordon Murphy, Jonathan Shead, and Patti Webster.
The committee says the main problem areas impacting local businesses and residents are related to cleanliness and lawlessness.
Adams says council members appreciate the time and valuable information that the safety committee provided.
He stressed that, while the opening of the supportive housing facility at 580 Dogwood Street and the extension of the Rosebowl facility have helped, we need to look at it from a long-term lens.
“We are continuing to work with the Coalition To End Homelessness as to how we’re going to find these permanent long-term solutions and working in partnership with Island Health, BC Housing, and the provincial government because a lot of this falls as a direct result of mental health and addictions, that really needs some provincial funding support to really address the core root of the problem,” Adams said.
