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Council in Focus, October Edition

Writer's picture: kc dyerkc dyer

Updated: Oct 18, 2024

A brief recap of Council meetings, as viewed from the gallery


October 15, 2024 Edition

Event: Lions Bay Council Meeting

Time: Public meeting: 7 p.m.

Agenda: HERE

Video: Not yet available


Present at the council table were Mayor Ken Berry, Councillors Neville Abbott, Jaime Cunliffe, Michael Broughton, Marcus Reuter and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ross Blackwell. Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff joined the group to give his reports.


One resident attended in person, and online viewers topped out at 10.


The meeting was preceded by a second Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting for the month of October, once again addressing budget issues. Technical difficulties meant the COW meeting did not begin until 6:30 p.m. The focus continued to be on a general budget review.


To Councillor Neville Abbott's question about the allocation of the Director of Operations' salary, Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff explained that staff salaries are allocated across departments, and therefore broken up with a percentage given to Public Works, Parks, Sewer and Water, depending on the amount of time spent in each area.


After the brief budget discussions wrapped up, resident Deirdre Bain asked about budget actuals that were cited, but did not appear to be part of the package. She was told that the information had been provided to Council on table.


After a brief recess, the regular Council meeting opened just after 7 p.m. Following some discussion, the agenda was adopted with additions to Unfinished Business from Councillors Michael Broughton, Marcus Reuter and Abbott.


Public Participation:

  • Online, resident Anthony Greville followed up on his request from the COW meeting on September 3 regarding money allocated to water strategy. At that time he had queried the more than $6,000 in payments made to JTE Consulting, and asked if the work would be shared with the Infrastructure Committee. Having not heard back from staff, he asked if the report generated could be made available. Blackwell replied that the monies spent had been directed to educating staff to ensure a coordinated strategy response in the case of a drought. He clarified that it was not a technical document, but rather a logistical document. When Greville said he would still like to see the information, Blackwell said he preferred staff operational documents be kept at a staff level. Abbott suggested that in any case, the document might be better directed to the Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) rather than the Infrastructure Committee.

  • Resident Ehsan Monfared reiterated the questions he asked of Council regarding Bear Smart in emails and a letter (beginning on page 131 of the agenda package). He asked about the role of the committee, for more transparency as to who sits on the committee, and how other members of the community can participate. In response, Blackwell noted that Bear Smart is a provincial designation, and a number of requirements must be met in order to qualify. He said the committee in Lions Bay is volunteer-run, with a member of council appointed to provide information. Decisions are made among the three proponents: the committee, Council and the Conservation authority. Blackwell said that no decisions (including waste pick-up times) are dictated by either the committee or the conservation authority, but are informed by both those groups.


Mayor Ken Berry asked Blackwell if a double-standard exists with regard to the publication of information, giving Bear Smart free rein to publish information in the Village Update without Council approval. Blackwell replied that Bear Smart information is always included in the community section with other public committee and event information, and not with Council news. Abbott added that Bear Smart meetings are held in the spring to prepare for the busy bear times in the Village, and that Monfared has been invited to attend.

  • Bear Smart committee member Norma Rodgers voiced her concerns about Mayor Berry speaking at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meetings held in Vancouver last month in opposition to an initiative to protect orphaned bear cubs. She referenced the April 16 council meeting when Councillor Abbott introduced a North Van Councillor’s letter about oversight of orphaned black bear cubs, proposing that wildlife veterinarians should assess the health and determine the fate of cubs of who are found alone. The motion to support this initiative was passed at the meeting. Referencing the part of the Community Charter that states the role of mayor is to reflect the will of council and carry out duties on behalf of council, she said that the mayor's public remarks at the UBCM were disrespectful to residents who expect their mayor to follow the rules. After discussion regarding the mayor's characterization of the legislation as a 'trojan horse", Blackwell broke in to caution council that Council should not be "prosecuting the issues" during the public participation part of the meeting. To avoid a free-for-all, the Mayor should be the only respondent on behalf of Council during the meeting, he added.

  • Resident Eric Upenieks said he was returning to council to query about the process for bringing a completed development variance permit (DVP) before council. He noted that his application paperwork and payment had been submitted in August, but repeated requests for a progress update had not been addressed. Berry asked that he reach out to staff again for an answer.


Delegation:

Rebecca Montgomery appeared online to propose a mural be painted on the concrete wall under the highway, featuring the Two Sisters, the Indigenous legend that gave its name to the mountains now known as the Lions. Indigenous artist James Harry and his partner Laura Brevner would complete the work. Montgomery anticipates the budget of $60,000 to be covered by a Canada Council grant, with a timeline that would see the mural completed by the summer of 2025. Council members expressed support and a resolution was passed to move the project forward and make application with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI).


Review and Approval of Minutes of Prior Meetings:

The minutes from the Regular Council meeting held June 18, July 16 and September 3, 2024 (beginning on page 6 of the agenda package), were approved with minor corrections. Minutes from July 16 were tabled for review at a later date. The minutes for the Special Council meetings held July 25 and August 21, 2024 (page 10), were approved.


Business Arising from the Minutes:

  • Broughton asked staff for an update regarding the Lions Bay Beach Park (LBBP). Blackwell responded that no contracts have been signed, so he has no further information to share with council. Once executed, he said he will provide a full update of the status of the LBBP to the community and to Council.

  • Abbott asked staff for an update regarding availability of grants to the village, and information with regard to the community's eligibility based on our rural or urban status. This is ongoing.

  • Reuter asked for an update with regard to the appointment of a provincial ethics commissioner. Blackwell said the issue was addressed at UBCM, but subject has not been resolved, and he will share with Council any updates that come his way.

  • The cost-benefit analysis on document storage options is still outstanding, and a low priority.

  • The old request to call an Emergency Program Committee (EPC) meeting was struck from the list, but a new meeting is required.

  • Lions Bay Beach Park (LBBP) minutes have been handed over to Director of Operations Karl Buhr.

  • Staff will report back on the rescoping of the connector project.

  • The Translink Wayfinding Signage project has been cancelled.

  • Blackwell says while the BC Nature Protected Areas Project has been essentially completed, a few outstanding details remain before a report can be made to council.

  • An assessment of the Firefighting Water Reserve Policy has been referred to the Infrastructure Committee.

  • Buhr was not present to address the status of the Water Shortage Policy.

  • When the subject of the Mayor's response to the December 4 letter from the province regarding the speculation and vacancy tax arose, civil discussion among council broke down. CAO Blackwell was forced to remind those around the table of their obligation to speak respectfully to each other, as dictated by their council procedures bylaw.


Staff Reports:

  • Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff requested direction with his recommended investment policy (page 24). After discussion of topics including potential conflicts of interest and a confirmation that any changes in decisions will come to council, the policy was given final reading and adopted.

  • Fire Chief Barret Germscheid gave a verbal update on current Fire Smart initiatives. He said that his team had presented educational information to the public at events in June and at Canada Day, and that his entire crew has received Wildland Fire training. He added that a partnership with Frontera Forestry allowed LBFR to secured a grant to cover a Structural Protection Unit (SPU), and that grant money will also go toward improving Fire Smart standards for critical infrastructure such as the village Work Yard. He also noted that LBFR have completed a number of home and neighbourhood inspections and offered Fire Smart recommendations.

 

Committees:

Climate Action Committee:

  • Minutes from Climate Action Committee Meeting on date (page 36) were received.

  • Abbott asked council to provide direction to staff regarding the establishment of a Mini Recycling Station (page 39). After discussion a resolution to ask staff to work with the Climate Action Committee to facilitate this process carried.

  • The committee also asked staff for their support to address electrical upgrades to Broughton Hall (page 51). They have recently become aware of the new Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Grant Program (page 55), which could help offset these costs, but it has a very tight deadline. After discussion, a motion was made that Council directs staff to submit the grant application before noon on October 16.



Mayor and Council:

  • Broughton's report on his activities at the UBCM (page 82) was received.

  • Abbott also reported on the UBCM. After attending a number of meetings he reported that the village emergency program committee has a lot of work to do, but that anticipated changes in the act will not happen until after the election. Regarding conservation issues, he said Lions Bay is ahead of the curve due to their work with Bear Smart and the Conservation Office. He addressed BC assessments, and said a mass re-appraisal process might be a consideration. He also submitted the briefing notes he provided to Anne Kang, the Municipal Affairs minister, addressing water treatment plants (page 95) and water supply (page 97). With regard to the bear cub assessment vote, he reiterated his concern that the Mayor did not uphold the will of council according, to the dictates of the Community Charter.

  • Broughton reported that the Howe Sound Community Forum takes place next week, and that he and Berry will attend and report back.


Emergency Reports:

  • Fire Rescue Dispatch Report for September, 2024. (page 124)

Eight incidents were reported in the month of September, along with 15 usages of apparatus. 52 members attended the various incidents.

  • Sea to Sky RCMP Reports:

A number of RCMP reports were submitted to the agenda that have appeared in previous agendas this year. The report outlining events from November to December 2023 was summarized in the February 21 edition of Council in Focus HERE. The January to February 2024 report was summarized in the April 17 edition HERE. The report for March to April 2024, was summarized June 20 HERE.


The report covering May and June, 2024 is found on page 105. This reporting period required 70 calls for service, 46 of which took place on the Sea to Sky Highway within the boundaries of the Village. Of these, 29 were moving violations, plus one abandoned vehicle. There was one lost property report, and one unspecified request for assistance. There were four collisions, two of which were valued at under $10,000 damage and two over, but none fatal. There were two well-being checks and four cases of debris, broken-down vehicles or pedestrians removed from the highway.


The remaining 24 calls for service within the village included one report of a threat, two reports of a disturbance, and one reported breach of the peace. Two suspicious persons or vehicles were investigated, as was a report of impaired driving, and the Mental Health Act was invoked once. There were two reports of stolen cars valued at over $5,000, a report of theft from a motor vehicle valued at more than $5,000, two reports of lost or stolen property and two reports of theft under $5,000. There was one investigation of drug trafficking, one report of lost property and one false alarm. The police completed a single well-being check, three unspecified assists, plus a single case of rescuing a stranded person and one investigation into a missing person.


Correspondence:

The list of correspondence begins on page 106 of the agenda package. This quarter, responsibility for addressing the correspondence falls to Councillor Reuter.


  • General correspondence began with a letter from City of Mission on the subject of Infrastructure Investment for Complete Communities. (page 108)

  • MLA Jordan Sturdy wrote with a Sea to Sky fuel price update report. (page 112)

  • The City of Merritt wrote about the Burden of Delinquent Taxes. (page 123)

  • MP Patrick Weiler wrote with a new intake for the Green and

    Inclusive Community Buildings Program (GICB) applications. (page 129)

  • Fire Commissioner Brian Godlonton wrote with reference to changes in the Fire Safety Act. (page 130)


Resident correspondence began on page 80 of the agenda package and included:

  • A note from village Administrative Assistant Jordan Szmidt on behalf of Events Committee chair Ryan Bruce in support of the upcoming Halloween Event. (page 131)

  • As discussed during Public Participation, Ehsan Monfared wrote a follow-up to a series of letters to Council about Bear Smart. (page 132)

  • Norma Rodgers wrote in response to concerns voiced about Bear Smart. (page 134)


No further comments were offered from the public gallery so the meeting adjourned. The next meeting of Council is a Committee of the Whole scheduled for November 5 at 6 p.m., with a full regular Council meeting set for November 19 at 7 p.m.




As always, The Watershed welcomes your thoughts. Leave your comments below, or email us at editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca 

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