Regional Planning Committee Special Meeting Minutes

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DRAFT 
Regional Planning Committee  
Minutes of a Special Meeting  
September 8, 2025 DRAFT Page 1 of 5 
Regional Planning Committee 
Minutes of a Special Meeting 
 
Date: 
Location: 
September 8, 2025 
Electronic Meeting 
 
Members Present: Mairead Boland, Saturna Island Local Trustee, Chair 
Sam Borthwick, Denman Island Local Trustee, Vice Chair 
Tobi Elliott, Gabriola Island Local Trustee, Executive Committee 
Representative 
David Graham, Denman Island Local Trustee 
Laura Patrick, Salt Spring Island Local Trustee (ex officio) 
 
Member Regrets: Aaron Campbell, North Pender Island Local Trustee 
 
Staff Present:   Stefan Cermak, Director, Planning Services 
    Clare Frater, Director, Trust Area Services 
    Robert Kojima, Regional Planning Manager 
    Rob Kroeker, Planning Services Administrative Assistant / Recorder 
 
Others Present: None.  
 
1. CALL TO ORDER 
 
Chair Boland called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. and acknowledged that participants 
of the meeting were attending all across the territories of the Coast Salish peoples. 
 
2. AGENDA 
 
 2.1 Review of the Agenda 
 
No new or late item was presented for consideration. 
 
 2.2 Approval of the Agenda  
 
By general consent the Regional Planning Committee approved the agenda as 
presented. 
 
3. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 
 
No member of the public was present.  
 
4. BUSINESS – WORK PROGRAM ITEMS 
 
4.1 Revised Fiscal Year 2026/27 Business Cases – Request For Decision 
 

DRAFT 
Regional Planning Committee  
Minutes of a Special Meeting  
September 8, 2025 DRAFT Page 2 of 5 
Director Cermak introduced the Request For Decision.  Committee discussion 
included: 
• coordination with other government bodies on mapping has addressed 
concerns about a duplication of efforts with limited resources 
• buying data is a solution for an organization on the scale of Islands Trust 
without putting more people in the field to monitor changes 
• Hatfield is developing eelgrass mapping at a 10 metre resolution to be made 
public in May 2027 
• Islands Trust is looking to further partner with Hatfield for finer resolution 
data of select sites 
 
Trustee Graham joined the meeting at 10:13 a.m. 
 
• a project bringing together indicators and mapping data is an opportunity 
that supports Trust Council Strategic Plan objectives 
• can we create a model that is dynamic, co-created with First Nations, based 
on partnerships, to move forward in a new way? 
• a $150,000 item will be difficult to get through the budget process this year 
• pre-planning and project structuring will be critical 
• a multi-year project should have projected deliverables and demonstrate 
how each stage of the project can be built upon  
• how can First Nations interests and concerns help drive this initiative?  
• growth is not inevitable 
• Denman LTC is discussing removing subdivision potential in response to 
growth and living on an island with finite resources  
• a trustee hears from their constituents that as growth oc

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