Understanding the Role of the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) - The community seems confused about what the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) does. To clear things up, here’s a straightforward explanation of the APC’s role and how it operates.

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What is the APC?

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The Advisory Planning Commission (APC) is a group of volunteer community members who put their names forward and were then selected by the LTC. At the request of the LTC, their job is to provide advice on local land use, community planning, permits, and any new or proposed bylaws. While the APC offers recommendations, it is the LTC that makes the final decisions.

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How Does the APC Work?

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1. Receiving Issues: When there’s a new land use proposal, bylaw, or permit to consider, the Local Trust Committee may ask the APC for their thoughts. The APC then has 40 days to meet, discuss the issue, and provide their recommendations.

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2. Public Meetings: All APC meetings are open to the public. This  means that anyone can attend and listen to the discussions. Since this is meeting open to the public, these meetings are held in public places.  Notices are posted at least five days in advance so everyone will know when and where they’re happening.

 

3. Discussing Proposals: If someone applies for a permit or wants to change a bylaw, they have the right to attend the APC meeting and share their views. Even if they can’t make it, the APC is  still allowed to discuss and make recommendations based on the information they have.

 

What Happens After the Meeting?

   

After the APC meets and discusses the issue at hand, they write up their recommendations. These are then sent back to the LTC and will appear in the LTC meeting agenda. The APC then reviews the recommendations and makes the final decision. It’s important to note that at this stage that the LTC isn’t required to follow the APC’s recommendations. However, the LTC does take the recommendations into consideration.

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Mikaila (250) 812-2560 mlironi@islandstrust.bc.ca