REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA

Monday, June 09, 2025 at 6:00 P.m. - 7:00 P.m.

Council Chambers of City Hall

1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC

We respectfully acknowledge the unceded ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh,
on whose land we live, work, and play.

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A.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That the agenda for the regular meeting of Council scheduled for June 9, 2025, BE ADOPTED.

B.

MINUTES

B.1

Adoption of the Regular Council Meeting Minutes - May 26, 2025

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That the minutes of the regular Council meeting held May 26, 2025, BE ADOPTED as read on this day and that such minutes as read set out all of the business before Council at that meeting and fully and properly record all of the resolutions passed by Council at that meeting.

C.

CONSENT AGENDA (FOR INFORMATION)

C.1

Membership to the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council RECEIVES FOR INFORMATION the report dated May 6, 2025, from the Chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, titled “Membership to the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association.”

D.

REPORTS

MAYOR SIMON YU

D.1

2025 UBCM Resolution Recommendation: BC Ambulance Agreements

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council ENDORSES the resolution as proposed in the report dated May 30, 2025, from Mayor Yu, titled “2025 UBCM Resolution Recommendation: BC Ambulance Agreements”.

COUNCILLOR TRUDY KLASSEN AND COUNCILLOR BRIAN SKAKUN

D.2

Reinstating Public Notice Advertising in the Prince George Citizen

• RECOMMENDATION:

  WHEREAS Section 94.1 of the Community Charter mandates that public notices be published in a local newspaper, such as the Prince George Citizen, the City’s paper of record, unless no local paper exists, which does not apply to Prince George;

  WHEREAS Council’s recent resolution prioritizes local, provincial, and Canadian advertising sources over American platforms like Meta, supporting the wholly locally owned Prince George Citizen and the regional economy;

  WHEREAS the City’s shift to Meta, city websites, and email subscriptions for public notices limits access for residents without digital platforms, countering the Community Charter’s intent for equitable access and risking non-compliance;

  WHEREAS the Prince George Citizen’s investigative journalism has driven transparency reforms, such as enhanced capital project oversight and whistleblower policies;

  WHEREAS the Prince George Citizen maintains comprehensive archives, serving as the primary research source for councillors, staff, and residents seeking historical and current city information, far more accessible than the City’s website, library, or UNBC resources, and the loss of this continuing, updated archive would be a significant detriment to the community;

  WHEREAS reinstating advertising in the Citizen aligns with Council’s commitment to transparency, accountability, community engagement, and preserving civic history;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the City of Prince George directs the Chief Administrative Officer to:

  1. Reinstate public notice advertising in the Prince George Citizen for all notices required under Section 94.1 of the Community Charter, effective Q1 2026, with a budget of up to $100,000 annually, funded from the 2026 communications budget.
  2. Reduce advertising on American platforms like Meta by 50% by Q2 2026, redirecting funds to the Citizen and other Canadian media, in line with Council’s resolution.
  3. Publish a transparency report by Q3 2026, detailing advertising expenditures by platform (e.g., Citizen, Meta, city website) and public notice reach (e.g., print vs. digital metrics), to be shared on the City’s website and in the 2026 Annual Report.
  4. Engage residents via a Q1 2026 town hall to explain the return to Citizen advertising, highlighting its archival value and gathering feedback on notice accessibility.

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT quarterly updates on advertising compliance, costs, and archival access be provided to Council, starting Q2 2026, to ensure accountability.

D.3

UBCM Resolution Endorsement

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council ENDORSES the following resolution be submitted to the 2025 Union of BC Municipalities Convention:

  WHEREAS the Community Charter undermines voter intention by misaligning Council and municipal officer’s incentives, as Section 152(2) requires a two-thirds vote of all council members to terminate a municipal officer;

  WHEREAS Section 151’s mandate to review suspensions at the next meeting is too short to properly review a suspension thouroughly;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM call on the provincial government to amend the Community Charter Section 152(2), allowing termination of a municipal officer by a simple majority vote of council members present, with notice and opportunity to be heard;

  AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UBCM urge the provincial government to amend the Community Charter Section 151(2) to extend the suspension review period of a municipal officer to the third meeting after suspension, with notice and opportunity to be heard.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY - MAYOR SIMON YU, CHAIR

D.4

Police Support Services Programming - Citizens on Patrol and Block Watch

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council RECEVIES FOR INFORMATION the report dated June 2, 2025 from the Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety, titled, “Police Support Services Programming - Citizens on Patrol and Block Watch”.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS - COUNCILLOR GARTH FRIZZELL, CHAIR

D.5

Quesnel-Hixon Road Restoration

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council DIRECTS staff to provide a support letter for the rebuilding of the Quesnel-Hixon Road to the Minister of Transportation and Transit as further detailed in the report titled “Quesnel-Hixon Road Restoration” from the Chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, dated May 29, 2025. 

D.6

2025 UBCM Resolution Recommendation

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council ENDORSES the resolution as proposed in the report dated May 29, 2025, from the Chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, titled “2025 UBCM Resolution Recommendation”.

DIRECTOR OF CIVIC OPERATIONS - BLAKE MCINTOSH

D.7

Request for City Support - Maintenance Equipment for New Paved Trail Network at Caledonia Nordic Ski Club

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council RECEIVES FOR INFORMATION the report dated May 28, 2025 from the Director of Civic Operations titled “Request for City Support – Maintenance Equipment for New Paved Trail Network at Caledonia Nordic Ski Club”.

MANAGER OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES / CORPORATE OFFICER - ETHAN ANDERSON

D.8

Proposed Amendment to 2025 Council Meeting Calendar for a Fall Committee of the Whole Meeting

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council AMENDS the 2025 Council Meeting Calendar by adding a Committee of the Whole meeting on October 14, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. and reschedules the October 22, 2025 regular Council meeting to October 20, 2025.

E.

BYLAWS - FINAL READING AND ADOPTION

E.1

City of Prince George Transit Service Annual Operating Agreement 2025-2026 Authorization Bylaw No. 9560, 2025

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That Council GRANTS FINAL READING AND ADOPTION to "City of Prince George Transit Service Annual Operating Agreement 2025-2026 Authorization Bylaw No. 9560, 2025."

F.

CORRESPONDENCE

F.1

Correspondence dated May 28, 2025 from Jim Murray: Traffic Circles

F.2

Correspondence dated May 26, 2025 from Mike Hawes, General Manager, Prince George Spruce Kings Junior Hockey Team: Request for Replacement of Aging Score Clock at Kopar Memorial Arena

G.

ADJOURNMENT

• RECOMMENDATION:

  That there being no further business the Regular Meeting of Council, BE ADJOURNED.