The RM of Ritchot’s council met on the evening of June 17 to address a variety of items on their agenda. The council members are still meeting via remote video while the council chambers has been set up to host the public with social distancing measures in place.
At the beginning of the meeting, there were a number of delays due to internet connectivity for one of the councillors, as well as a malfunction of an online voting program. Council members appeared to be using an online program to count and register their votes, but the lag time between members issuing their votes and the meeting chair receiving and recounting the vote into the record took much longer than issuing votes by voice. The votes were also anonymous when voting was carried out in this manner.
Mayor Chris Ewen eventually resorted back to each councillor issuing their votes vocally.
While there was a municipal staffer present to facilitate the meeting, the resulting delays were notable as a few delegations were waiting to take their turn to speak to a number of variance requests.
One variance regarded in the installation of a larger than typically allowed swimming pool and deck, and another had to do with the construction of a new garage.
A variance request was made by Wayne Zacharias to allow a single-family dwelling on a property zoned AL (Agriculture Limited) at 1267 Marchand Road. Multiple nearby homeowners submitted a joint letter of opposition. The letter, read into the record by CAO Mitch Duval, cited a variety of concerns, including the low-lying nature of the land on a flood plain. The land had previously been turned down for development.
The fill used on-site was also in dispute, with many residents opining that the fill required to bring the elevation of structures up to acceptable levels was excessive. They estimated that 3,000 deliveries of fill would be needed. The letters suggested that the traffic needed to handle these deliveries would be disruptive to the neighbours and damaging to municipal roads. The fill already existing on the property is thought to be toxic.
A delegate for the Zacharias’ request refuted claims that the fill was toxic, explaining that it is sugar beet material and a geo-report had been completed. She also said that additional deliveries of fill would be negligible.
After all sides were heard, Councillor Janine Boulanger spoke to her firsthand experience touring the property. She corroborated most of concerns that had been presented by homeowners opposed to building on the property, adding an additional concern: an easement for the driveway.
“Being a low spot, the driveway is often underwater,” Boulager said. “The public easement is there for public use, as well as emergency, Manitoba Hydro, or services access. It needs to be raised quite a bit and would infringe on neighbouring properties and also impact the drainage pattern in the area. It could have repercussions for years down the road. The water levels have exceeded flood levels 16 times in the last 20 years, so this is proof it is a very low property.”
Boulanger also described her observations during a site visit. “The land is being moved and hills made. The soil is not contained or packed or capped properly. Items have shifted and sunk already. Two samples need to be done to approve the soil on those dikes… That river is nasty and dangerous and fast-flowing. I can’t see any more development being a good idea along that riverbank. The conditions for approving would be extensive and who would oversee those conditions are being met? I can’t see how it would be a good idea to govern this.”
Mayor Ewen agreed with Boulanger’s comments and the variance request was denied.