September 14 Council with New Cameras and Dry Creek Update

Lots of juicy stuff on City Council’s Agenda tonight.

Some particularly interesting ones.

• Port Alberni Port Authority Lease is back on the agenda.
• Truck Route Discussion
• Free BC Transit for Federal Election
• 21st Avenue Crossing in the OCP and implications for the ACRD “Ring Road”
• Update on giving Seniors free BC Transit.
• Passing the variances for Italian Centre and 3rd Avenue Apartments

New Cameras!

Check it out!

 

 

There are 3 new cameras and a very fancy new system that combines them all together.  This will eliminate the need for Shaw to bring in their cameras and set them all up before every Council meeting.

In fact they won’t even need the truck at all since the audio/video ‘feed’ will be piped back to Shaw for it to be broadcast on TV.  I am told that even though the new cameras are 1080 HD video quality, the quality of the picture on Channel 4 will not actually improve much due to other factors.

However, the audio should be much improved as we will be getting new microphones (not here yet) that will be much higher quality and will have a push button so they will only be ‘live’ when participants press the button.

These upgrades also mean:

• Video will be archived by the City and eventually accessible to the public online (either through the City website, or a service like Youtube or both)
• Live Streaming will be possible.  Exact details have not yet been worked out but the IT dept. is continuing to work on it.
• The City will be able to video and stream events other than Council meetings including Public Hearings and any other meetings in Council Chambers.

This was a big priority for me so I am really excited that it is happening.  It will be very important for the transparency of our City to have these recordings available.

Dry Creek Update!

Things are really starting to move along with the Dry Creek project.  Here are some pictures.  Most notably, the former Jade Restaurant has been torn down, preparations are being made to dig the new culvert under 3rd Avenue, and there is activity up past the horseshoe park in Dry Creek Ravine.

Here is the work further up in Dry Creek Ravine, pictures from September 9.

And now the continuing work… in time-lapse form.

From the 4th Avenue Bridge looking East (upstream).

From the 4th Avenue Bridge looking West (downstream)

From the creek bed behind the Jade Restaurant.

The trenching of the rest of Dry Creek.