Council committees are created under the Community Charter and provide an opportunity for members of the public to work collaboratively and provide advice on matters referred to them by Council through their Terms of Reference.
The Heritage Select Committee meets at 7:00 pm on the second Wednesday of February, April, September, and November. Meetings are held at the Highlands Community Museum at 1589 Millstream Road.
Agenda and Minutes are available on the District of Highlands meeting portal. Meeting Portal
The purpose of the Committee is to facilitate greater collaboration and exchange of ideas and provide advice and recommendations to Council on any matters that may be referred to the Committee by Council.
The Committee's mandate is to advance and uphold the heritage vision for the Highlands, as outlined by the Heritage Task Force:
The District of Highlands Heritage Vision Statement "The Highlands community’s vision of heritage is rooted in people’s shared experience of a sense of place. It is dynamic, representing the living and changing nature of heritage. It includes the tangible and intangible elements of both the past and the present. It contains ideas and memories. It is who we are and how we identify ourselves. It is our community’s inheritance. The heritage vision recognizes examples of community history and the desire of residents to feel connected to nature, by supporting the idea of conservation. It celebrates the aesthetic and innovative; and honours the uniqueness of the Highlands community social fabric."
The purpose of the Committee is to facilitate greater collaboration and exchange of ideas and provide advice and recommendations to Council on matters that may be referred to the Committee by Council as follows, but not limited to:
Climate emergency, adaptation, and mitigation
Emergency preparedness, resiliency, and recovery
Environmental protection, preservation, and enhancement
Community wellbeing
Land use and development
Official Community Plan amendments
Agenda and Minutes are available on the District of Highlands meeting portal. Meeting Portal
The basic emergency response structure of the Highlands involves the Municipal Council, the Emergency Planning Committee, and the Emergency Response Team.
Types of members include:
Chief Administrative Officer
Council Representative
Fire Chief
Fire Fighters
Mayor
Municipal Emergency Coordinator
Police
Public Works (or contractors to the municipality)
Search and Rescue
Agenda and Minutes are available on our the District of Highlands meeting portal. Meeting Portal
COMMITTEE MEMBER SEARCH
Would you like to become the District of Highlands respresentive to this committee? Review the resource documents below and if you are interested we encourage you to apply: Application Form
The Committee is comprised of residents appointed by each Council from partnering municipalities. The Committee will meet electronically a minimum of four (4) times per year at 2:00 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the following months: February, May, September, and November.
Committee meetings will be hosted on an annual rotational basis by the member municipalities. The current member host is the City of Colwood. Agenda and Minutes are available on our the District of Highlands meeting portal. Meeting Portal
The Board of Variance is established under the provisions of the Local Government Act which requires each municipality that has enacted a Zoning Bylaw to establish and appoint members to a Board of Variance.
The District of Highlands Board of Variance is a statutory committee composed of three volunteer members appointed by Council. The Board of Variance has the authority, upon receiving application, to grant minor variances from the Zoning Bylaw in situations where compliance with respect to siting, dimensions, or size of a building or structure would cause an applicant undue hardship. Variances may not vary the density or the permitted use of land.
The Board of Variance may also grant relief from a requirement contained in the Tree Bylaw within certain limitations where it is satisfied that compliance would cause the applicant undue hardship.
To date the District of Highlands Board of Variance has never held a meeting. When meetings are scheduled, Agenda and Minutes will be able available our the District of Highlands meeting portal. Meeting Portal
External Committees, Commissions and Boards
Council members are appointed to a variety of external committees, commissions and boards.
