Here are the highlights from the October 7 City Council meeting.

Mayor Morrison acknowledged the passing of former City Councillor Bob Adams, who was also a long-time employee in the Public Works department.

Mayor Morrison recognized resident Fred Wah as the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence. She also recognized past Nelson Sports Ambassador Jazmine Lowther for her success at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Spain and France, Councillor Jesse Pineiro for being named Coach of the Year, and the Nelson Boxing Club named the province's best club by Boxing BC Association during the Bronze and Silver Gloves.

Council approved a request from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #51 asking for Council permission to paint a commemorative crosswalk on the crosswalk at Victoria Street and Stanley Street, directly across from the pride sidewalk.

Council approved the 2026 Council calendar and the 2026 acting mayor schedule.

Council approved the request for the RDCK to apply for and administer UBCM’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund on the City’s behalf, in order to ensure a responsive, consistent, high-quality Emergency Support Services (ESS) delivery across the region. For the City of Nelson, this investment would ensure consistent oversight of the ESS program, reduce the burden on municipal Emergency Management staff during emergencies, and provide reliable access to regional on-call coverage and coordinated training opportunities.

Council discussed and approved the request from the Railtown Housing Society for $35,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) and $65,000 from the Downtown Waterfront Reserve Fund. Securing this funding will allow the Railtown Housing Society to get final project approval from CMHC. The Railtown housing project will create 55 units of workforce housing in the Railtown neighbourhood and aligns with the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy and Housing Needs Report. Council did not approve in-kind engineering support and has suggested Railtown Housing Society resubmit the request once an idea of needs is better understood.

Council has directed staff to review the Affordable Housing Fund grant funding process to identify procedures that would encourage community engagement.

Council received the minutes from the Cultural Development Committee, the Heritage Working Group, and Greater Nelson Economic Development.

Council received the Building Permit Statistics for the period September 1 – September 26, 2025.

Council moved in-camera at 8:25pm and adjourned the meeting at 9:20 pm. Residents are welcome to review the Council agenda or watch a recording of the meeting on YouTube.

Here are the highlights from the September 9 City Council meeting.

Following a public hearing directly before the Regular council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to approve Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 3629, 2025. Council passed a motion to amend some of the language in section 4.9 to clarify intent.

Council voted to adopt Zoning Bylaw Amendment (Official Community Plan Update) 3626, 2025; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment (Official Community Plan Update) 3627, 2025. The proposed amendments include housekeeping matters and the introduction of fines, to a maximum of $500 for “failure to obtain” and “non-compliance with” a Heritage Alteration Permit.

Council adopted Development Application Procedures Amendment (Official Community Plan Update) Bylaw No. 3628, 2025 which introduces a new policy tool, Development Approval Information, a specific mechanism established under section 485 of the Local Government Act, which allows municipalities to create bylaws specifying what information developers need to submit to ensure development proposals are consistent with the City’s strategic directions and priorities as outlined in the OCP. The information provided in a DAI report helps to ensure that potential community impacts of proposed developments are understood and considered prior to City Council or City staff making a decision.

Council adopted the Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 3645, 2025 which simplifies the fee structure for Short-Term Rental (STR) guest room licences, streamlining the application process, and ensures greater clarity and flexibility for licence holders.

The draft 2026 council meeting calendar and the draft 2026 acting mayor schedule were presented and referred back to staff for revision.

Council approved the Fire Dispatch Service Agreement with the Regional District of Fraser Fort George to provide outsourced fire dispatch services. As a current provider of this service to the Regional District of Central Kootenay, this arrangement improves coordination and communication in adjacent response areas. Additionally, the new service will enable Nelson Fire & Rescue Services (NFRS) to optimize the use of its fire suppression resources and budget by outsourcing fire dispatch functions.

Council received the Q2 Purchasing Report, Building Permit Statistics for the period August 1-31, 2025, and the AP Cheque Listing Summary for August 2025.

The council meeting was adjourned at 10:15 pm. Residents are welcome to review the Council agenda or watch a recording of the meeting or the public hearing.

Here are the highlights from the August 19 City Council meeting.

Council heard presentations from City staff on the Q2 financial report and an update on the short-term rental market.

Council granted a renewal to the Temporary Use Permit held by the Nelson Brewing Co. To continue operating a Neighbourhood Pub. The permit renewal extends operations until September 2028.

Council endorsed the application of a Nelson Council member to apply for a non-board committee appointment with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

The Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 3629, 2025 and Zoning Bylaw Amendment No. 3626, 2025 passed first and second reading. A public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 9 at 5pm in Council Chambers. The Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment (Official Community Plan Update) 3627, 2025 passed first three readings. Both the Zoning Bylaw Amendment and the Bylaw Enforcement Amendment are considered housekeeping changes that would be required upon the adoption of the Official Community Plan proposal.

Council approved amendments to the short-term rental (STR) fee structure. The amendment to the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3092, 2008 will simplify the fee structure for STR guest room licences, streamline the application process, and ensure greater clarity and flexibility for licence holders.

Council engaged in a thorough discussion regarding withdrawal from the Geographic Information System (GIS) currently administered by the RDCK and instead transition to a City-managed system integrated with the current GIS system used by Nelson Hydro, and the incoming NG911 system being launched. Council approved the recommendation to bring GIS services in-house, and to amend the 5-year Financial Plan to reflect the updated administrative costs. Council also approved the motion to withdraw from RDCK Bylaw 2136 by January 1, 2027.

The council meeting was adjourned at 9:35 pm. Residents are welcome to review the Council agenda or watch a recording of the meeting. 

Here are the highlights from the July 8 Council meeting.

Council approved changes to the Official Community Plan and Zoning bylaws to rezone 818–824 Front Street, following a public hearing on the rezoning in June. Council also approved leasing 818–824 Front Street to Nelson CARES so they can apply to the BC Housing Community Housing Fund for support to build an affordable rental housing development. The lease is conditional and depends on Nelson CARES receiving funding from BC Housing within a year.

Council directed staff to move the Wednesday Farmers Market back to Baker Street for the remainder of the market season. The Wednesday market will be back on Baker Street starting on July 16. The Saturday markets will remain at Cottonwood Falls Park.

Council directed staff to continue implementing the Active Transportation Plan and to explore cost-effective options for improving bike routes.

Council also directed staff to look into pedestrian-crossing options for busy intersections on Baker Street that would allow pedestrians to cross in all directions at once, including diagonally.

For more information, review the meeting agenda or watch a recording of the Council meeting.

June 2025

Here are the highlights from the June 3 Council meeting.

Council considered changes to the Official Community Plan and Zoning bylaws to rezone 818–824 Front Street. The proposed project is a 6-storey building that includes 50 residential units and may also include potential recreation space connected to the neighbouring Nelson and District Community Complex. There will be a public hearing on the rezoning on June 23, 2025.

Council adopted the Nelson Fire & Rescue Services Fire Master Plan, which includes recommendations to increase firefighter staffing, hire a Deputy Chief, secure a new fire hall location and more. Council also directed staff to look into outsourcing fire dispatch services and to bring a contract to Council for approval.

Council approved asking to renegotiate recycling fees with the Regional District of Central Kootenay. Adopting a more accurate model would ensure a fairer distribution of costs and could save the City over $100,000 annually.

Council approved requests from the Nelson & District Arts Council for two new murals on City-owned property. Gijs VanHee designed a mural that will go on the west wall of the parkade at 420 Vernon Street. Axel Morrison designed a mural that will be displayed on all four walls of the pumphouse at 920 Simpson Road.

Council accepted and approved installation of two sculptures that Dr. Ken Muth donated to the City. A Song to Mothers by Zen Wang will be installed in Lakeside Park. Gigaspider by Ron Simmer will be installed in front of City Hall.

For more information, review the meeting agenda or watch a recording of the Council meeting.

Here are the highlights from the May 6 City Council meeting.

Council denied a proposal to allow a cannabis patio on Hendryx Street. As staff believe the cannabis patio would be the first of its kind in BC, Council members discussed how regulation and enforcement could be a challenge. Council members also raised concerns with smoke and air quality.

Council approved a request from Sue Big Oil – West Kootenay to pledge $11,500 toward legal fees in support of a class action lawsuit against major fossil fuel companies. The funding has several conditions, including that other BC municipalities participate.

Council adopted an amended Financial Plan Bylaw for 2024-2028 and approved the 2025 property tax rates. Property taxes are due by July 2.

Council approved taking on a loan on behalf of the Railtown Housing Society at 85 Baker Street that would upgrade the existing road – adding water, hydro, road and yard improvements they would need to develop a 55-unit workforce housing project in the area. The loan (which would be approximately $750,000) would be added to the Railtown Housing Society's property taxes and would be paid back in full including interest.

Council authorized staff to apply for funding from the Union of BC Municipalities to hold relationship-building forums between the City of Nelson and the Sinixt Confederacy/ Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and between the City of Nelson and Ktunaxa Nation/Yaqan Nukiy.

Council authorized staff to apply for additional funding from the Union of BC Municipalities for Next Generation 911 improvements. The City received $3.5 million for this work in 2023 and will apply for an additional $715,490 this year.

Council approved an Interim Urban Forestry Plan to manage Nelson’s urban forest, which includes actions such as piloting a tree trimming program, launching a Tree Protection Bylaw, and initiating public engagement programs. Staff are continuing to develop a full Urban Forestry Management Plan for Council consideration by 2027.

Residents are welcome to review the Council agenda or listen to a recording of the meeting.

Here are the highlights from the April 1 City Council meeting.

Three members of the Fire Department received awards at the start of the Council meeting. Captain Scott Jeffery received a Long Service Award for 20 years with the City of Nelson. Fire Chief Jeff Hebert and Captain/Training Officer Marc Thibault received the British Columbia Long Service Award for 25 years of dedication to fire service.

Council considered taking on a loan on behalf of the Railtown Housing Society at 85 Baker Street that would upgrade the existing road, adding the water, hydro, road and yard improvements they would need to develop a 55-unit workforce housing project in the area. The loan (which would be approximately $750,000) would be added to the Railtown Housing Society's property taxes and would be paid back in full including interest. The proposal will return to Council for further consideration.

Council approved increasing fees at the Nelson and District Youth Centre by $7 a day for the Weekday Warriors afterschool care program and for day camps. The increases will help offset rising costs for food and staffing. The increases are now in effect.

Council considered amending the Financial Plan Bylaw for 2024-2028 to account for several unanticipated challenges that arose after the financial plan bylaw was adopted. First, the City’s insurance payout for the Mill Street substation failure was $1.7 million, but had been forecast at $2.5 million. Second, power purchases from Fortis BC were $477,000 greater than budgeted as there was a cold weather event in January 2024 that increased peak demand by 16% and as charges are based on the highest level of demand in the year. Further, the amended financial plan reflects Council’s decision in 2024 to provide grant funding to the Nelson Civic Theatre Society.

Council adopted a policy on reviewing the City Manager’s performance. As the only employee of Council, previously there had not been a formal policy guiding the City Manager’s performance reviews. The purpose of the policy is to establish a structured, fair, and transparent process for City Council to conduct regularly-occurring performance reviews of the City Manager.

Residents are welcome to review the Council agenda or watch a recording of the meeting.

Here are the highlights from the March 4 and March 18 City Council meetings.

 City Council received a presentation on what residents think about the preliminary draft budget. Following the presentation on March 4, Council moved forward with the corresponding Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw. Council adopted the bylaw on March 18. The bylaw includes a proposed property tax increase of $165 for the average single-family home. More information is available at LetsTalk.Nelson.ca

 Council approved increasing fees at the Nelson and District Youth Centre by $7 a day for the Weekday Warriors afterschool care program and for day camps. The increases will help offset rising costs for food and staffing. The increases are effective as of April 1.

On March 4, Council passed first and second reading of the Official Community Plan Amendment and Zoning bylaw Amendment as the first steps in the process of rezoning the property at 1306 and 1308 Fell Street for a 48-unit SHARE Housing project. Council also directed staff to research two alternatives – reducing the building from five storeys to four storeys and to consider moving the project to a neighbouring lot – prior to scheduling a public hearing.

 Residents are welcome to review the Council agendas or watch recordings of the March 4th and March 18th meetings

Here are the combined highlights from the February 4 City Council meeting and the February 18 Special City Council meeting.

City Council received a presentation on PayByPhone, a system that will allow drivers to pay for parking via an app or a website. Drivers can still use coins in the meters if they prefer. PayByPhone will be available at all metered parking spots by the end of the month. For more information, see the PayByPhone media release.

Council adopted an updated Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw that allows more flexibility in how members can be appointed. The bylaw also clarifies that the type of development applications that would be presented to the Commission for a recommendation, prior to going to Council for a decision, includes amendments to the Official Community Plan, amendments to the Zoning Bylaw, and other requests.

Council adopted an updated Board of Variance Bylaw that includes updated references to the Local Government Act and clarifies meeting procedures.

Council adopted a bylaw to increase the fee for an annual seniors parking pass from $90/year to $144/year. The parking passes allow seniors to park at any meters except those on Baker Street. While downtown parking fees increased in early 2024, seniors with annual parking passes for the downtown area were exempt last year.

Council approved increases to vendor fees for the Nelson Farmers Market in the range of $2 to $5 per market event to increase revenue and improve operations. Currently our vendor fees are lower than other markets in comparably-sized BC communities. The increase would put our fees on par with other communities.

Each municipality and regional district received funding from the Province to engage with Indigenous Governing Bodies on emergency management. Council agreed to a proposal from the Regional District of Central Kootenay to transfer the City’s allotment of $40,000 to them to pool our funding and respond collaboratively.

Council voted to raise the following topics at the Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local Governments, where local governments vote on items of shared interest.

Increased Funding and Requirement for Civics Education

Enhancing Rural Transit Systems

Rural Health Transportation

Ranked Voting for Mayoral Elections

Water Security in British Columbia

Addressing Repeat Offenders

Regional Approach to Homelessness

Increasing Investment in Recreational Tourism to Support Rural Border Communities

Interprovincial Trade Barriers

Speculation Housing and Vacancy Tax in Rural Communities

Eliminating Income Tax on Secondary Suites and In-Home Rentals

Ensuring Equitable Access to Child Care Funding for Private Child Care Providers

Supporting Rural Contractors for Effective Home Retrofits

Rural Focused Immigration Policy to Support Workforce and Economic Stability

Provincial Core Funding for Evolving Public Libraries

Regional Strategy for Rehabilitation, Homelessness, and Public Safety

Residents are welcome to review the February 4 and February 18 meeting agendas or watch recordings of the meetings. 

Here are the highlights from the January 7 City Council meeting.

Council approved three requests for funding from the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. Council approved providing $5,000 for Community Futures and the Greater Nelson Economic Development Partnership to promote a home-sharing platform that connects hosts with renters and helps renters find affordable housing. SHARE Nelson and Nelson CARES each received $10,000 to continue preparing BC housing grant applications. If the applications are successful, both projects would need to come back to Council for approval. The SHARE Nelson project at 1306 and 1308 Fell Street would require Council to approve a rezoning application. The Nelson CARES project at 818 to 824 Front Street would require Council to authorize use of City-owned land.

Want to get married at the Hall Street Pier? Council is considering updating bylaws to set wedding rates at the pier at $500, which would cover operational costs. Council is also considering bylaw updates to mitigate issues such as unauthorized mooring, disorderly conduct and unsafe practices at the waterfront.

While downtown parking fees increased in early 2024, seniors with annual parking passes for the downtown area were exempt last year. Council is considering increasing the fee for an annual seniors parking pass from $90/year to $144/year. The parking passes allow seniors to park at any meters except those on Baker Street.

Council has approved changes to make it easier for property owners to develop secondary suites and laneway houses. These changes remove the requirement to upgrade the water lines for secondary suites and, in certain cases, for laneway homes. Please contact Development Services development@nelson.ca for more information.

For more information, view the Council agenda or watch the Council meeting recording.