January 20 Council In Focus

Parks, Parking and bylaws on the jam-packed agenda

Residents attending Tuesday's council meeting were met with a 258-page agenda brimming with new bylaws and year-end reports.

All Council members were present in person, along with Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell at the table and outgoing Director of Operations Karl Buhr in the gallery. The public was well-represented, with 20 residents online, and nine members of the fire department attending in person.

There was no information reported out from Council's in camera meeting prior to the evening's public event.

Business Arising

Council Ron McLaughlin addressed his concerns regarding insufficient information provided to Council prior to closed meetings, including the one held January 6. The closed meeting that evening was not held after Council voted it down.

McLaughlin noted that he will continue to oppose meetings called without sufficient background information or specific topics provided. He added that once a vote has been taken, the decision is final.

"Casting aspersions after a vote has been taken has no place at this table," he said. "Our community deserves no less than best practice when it comes to procedures that will allow us to meet, be informed, discuss and vote, the latter without rebuke. This Council can do much better. Let’s try."

Unfinished Business

Two bylaws were up for third reading.

Council began by addressing the amendment to the Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Bylaw (No.455, page 16 of the evening's agenda). In the discussion prior to the vote, Councillor Michael Broughton said he felt third reading was premature until questions raised at a meeting in December had been dealt with. DO Buhr clarified that, while this situation may change, for the present there is no limitation on green waste, and that there is an option available for residents unable to meet their alloted collection time slot. The motion for third reading was approved.

Council also addressed the new Draft Building Bylaw (No. 649, page 93). Councillors showed support for bird-friendly amendments and acknowledged the hard work on background research by Building Official Dave Butler. Again, third reading was approved.

The 2024 Annual Report (page 27) from Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff was presented to Council for information. Councillor Neville Abbott queried why fire callouts had doubled in 2024. Blackwell suggested that callout numbers may continue to rise with the Village's age demographic.

Staff Reports

• A wide-ranging discussion followed Blackwell's proposed amendments to the Zoning and Development Bylaw (page 155) addressing minimum lot size, which was offered for first and second reading. Topics included varying lot sizes, how subdivision works, and the many checks and balances including environmental considerations, septic suitability, and servicing obligations provided by the bylaw. Blackwell clarified that the language in the existing bylaw is unenforceable and not legal. Council accepted first and second reading, and also resolved to further address the complexities of the bylaw in a future Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting.

• Blackwell summed up the recent history of Lions Bay Fire Rescue (LBFR). He said that not having a fire chief has reached a crisis point. Last fall, Council approved a third-party review of Lions Bay Fire Core Services (page 210) conducted by Emergency Management Group. The recommendation is to recruit a full-time fire chief, with a proposed total compensation cost of $152,000 (including benefits). Council was united in their support of LBFR, and Mayor Ken Berry said that the department has an exceptional record in training firefighters who work throughout the Lower Mainland. There was unanimous agreement to undertake a search for a new, full-time fire chief.

• The proposed amendments to water, sewer and garbage rate bylaws (page 215) were presented for the upcoming year, and after discussion, all received three readings.

• A 2025 Year-End Bylaw Department Recap (page 226) was submitted for Council's information by Bylaw Officer Taj Bindra.

Mayor and Council Reports

• Councillor Ron McLaughlin offered a report on a proposed park in the memory of David and Barbara Enns (page 235) at Brunswick Beach on Village-owned property at the joining of Battani and Magnesia Creeks. McLaughlin briefly discussed the working group's plans for the area and then said he would forward the recommendations to staff for their review and input. He asked that staff submit their proposal for Council’s approval, and the motion passed.

• McLaughlin also introduced a motion to get a long-awaited comprehensive Village parking plan (page 242). In a multi-part recommendation, it was agreed that staff will gather information, provide a financial overview and then prepare a comprehensive plan for Council review. A COW meeting will be held to gather resident feedback. To Blackwell's remark that "at least 80 hours of staff time" would need to go into the creation of such a plan, Councillor Jaime Cunliffe replied that it would be "80 hours well spent," and noted that parking and the associated traffic continues to be one of the most significant issues faced by the Village.

Emergency Services

Fire Rescue Dispatch Report from the Surrey Regional Fire Office (page 251):

In December, LBFR attended 13 incidents, with 19 uses of apparatus and 41 members attending. Average turn-out time for the month was 11:27, average travel time was 11:38 and the average time on scene was 79:36.

Correspondence

Public correspondence (beginning on page 246) opened with further objection to the proposed Professional Reliance Act, this time from Mayor John Bolt of the City of Greenwood. Other letters received on the same topic came from Mayor Sue McOrtoff of Osoyoos (page 249), Mayor Owen Torgerson of Valemount (page 255), and Mayor Ken Williams of the District of Highlands (page 257). This act, introduced as a private member's bill intended to speed home construction, has received almost universal disapproval from municipalities across the province, over concerns that it could create reliance upon private sector expertise at the cost of higher risks and less due diligence from local governments.

There was no resident correspondence presented.

Other Matters

• Minutes from the regular Council meeting of January 6 and the special Council meeting of January 12 were swiftly adopted.

• Abbott submitted the November 25 meeting minutes on behalf of the Climate Action Committee.

• It was agreed that Tree Committee members be invited to the upcoming COW meeting set for January 26.

  
  

There being no public questions, the meeting adjourned.

The next regular meeting of Council is scheduled for February 2, with the open portion of the meeting beginning at 7 p.m. A Committee of the Whole meeting is set for next Monday, January 26 at 6 p.m.

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