September 22 Council In Focus

3 hours ago

7 min read

Reports look to the future

Members of Council all appeared in person for the penultimate meeting of this term, apart from Mayor Ken Berry, who chaired the meeting via Zoom.

Prior to the adoption of the agenda there was considerable discussion, after which a number of new items were added.

The agenda can be found HERE. Sixteen residents attended in person and online.

Director of Operations (DOO) Eric Villeneuve, Finance Officer Joe Chirkoff and Fire Chief Lorenzo De Arcangelis attended, sitting in the gallery until called to speak at the Council table.

Q2 numbers, capital projects and 2027 budget

Chirkoff presented a report (page 15) addressing the budgeted figures from the second quarter (which ends June 30) versus actual expenses. He noted that the budget presentation planned for later in the meeting would address most of Council's questions. Discussion briefly touched on the fact that legal fees had been in excess of $200,000 for each year of the term, an indication that there may be anticipated savings in staff salary costs, and that the mild winter meant less overtime for shovelling and other weather-related issues. Councillor Neville Abbott addressed the revenue from the Community Recycling Depot recyclables, which was agreed may well be slightly higher than the expected $45,000.
Chirkoff also offered Council members a report (page 26) on the status of capital projects for the year. As requests for proposals are due, the All-Areas metering project expenditures are expected to go up. The CUBB project funds are currently in a high-interest account with any interest having to be directed to the project.
Chirkoff then presented a first look at a draft budget for 2027. (page 29). He noted this preliminary look only addresses the core budget, as specific capital requests will be the purview of the incoming Council. He addressed Council's strategic priorities, base service levels, scheduling to get the budget in on time and revenue sources. He said the preliminary core budget plan includes a property tax increase of three percent, with utilities expected to rise by five percent at an anticipated inflation rate of three percent.

Code of Conduct Defeated Yet Again

In one of the items added to the agenda, Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell reminded Council that they had resolved to re-address the Code of Conduct (CoC), the second and third readings of which had been shot down at the last Council meeting.

Prior to the vote, discussion included the fact that the province is expected to offer new guidelines later in the fall. Blackwell clarified that the province will not mandate specifics, but instead will set out elements that will be required in municipal codes. He asked Council members to consider which CoC they would like the next Council to sign — the existing one, or the one prepared earlier in the year by Village solicitors Lidstone and Co that was up for consideration.

Councillor Neville Abbott suggested a decision be put on hold until the mandated guidelines arrive. Councillor Ron McLaughlin noted that he spoke to Village principal solicitor Don Lidstone at the recent Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meetings, and that Lidstone said that even though he had done the re-write, he hadn't charged the Village for the work, and recommended waiting for the provincial guidelines. Despite this, both Berry and Councillor Michael Broughton spoke in support of the new CoC. The motion was defeated.

Climate Action Committee calls for fleet electrification study

The Climate Action Committee offered a report (page 43) which made six recommendations to Council, including reaffirming its existing Public Works fleet commitments, prioritizing the electrification of the bylaw vehicle, and making a plan regarding future fuel consumption. Blackwell said he felt that the committee's ask was an over-step, and said that Council can act on recommendations from committees or not, as they decide.

Offering background, Abbott said: "We spent several years of steadily decreasing our emissions, and last year they increased (despite the oil furnace removal)." He noted that a split decision on Council meant the purchase of an electric vehicle was not prioritized, and that ultimately it was a staff decision. Blackwell confirmed that a report on the fleet electrification will be brought forward to the new Council, which DOO Villeneuve confirmed, and Council approved a simpler resolution.

Beach Park Costs Under Discussion

McLaughlin requested staff produce a financial summary on Lions Bay Beach Park costs to be brought to the next Council meeting. After discussion and an amendment seeking further information from Broughton, the motion passed. Blackwell expressed concern that staff may not have time to address the work before the final meeting due to other commitments including the pending municipal election, but McLaughlin declined to extend the deadline, noting that the issue is long-standing. The motion passed.

UBCM a Success

Members of Council summarized their experiences at the recent UBCM meetings.

Berry noted that the event was very productive, and that all members of Council were in attendance. He made a point to thank Blackwell for his efforts, including what he called the well-written briefs that were presented as take-aways to the two Ministers. He noted that he met with Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Green and requested that the Emergency Disaster Management Act be amended to formalize a regional model for delivering aid, recognizing that smaller communities can't meet current legislation requirements. They also met with Minister Christine Boyle regarding gaps in the legislation for the Code of Conduct.

Abbott said he attended a number of workshops including on the topics of watershed management and online harassment, as well as the CoC and Emergency Management meetings. He said he also had several sidebar meetings that addressed finding grants, and possible future collaborations with Port Coquitlam on the highway noise monitoring projects.

Both McLaughlin and Councillor Jaime Cunliffe thanked Blackwell and Berry for their preparation. Cunliffe noted that while the province still has a long way to go with First Nations reconciliation, there appears to be an appetite for further action.

Broughton highlighted a meeting with the Community Relations Officer for ICBC, and felt that a future collaboration regarding highway noise may be possible. All Council members agreed it was a very productive UBCM.

Fire Chief reports on wildfire and LBFR training, operational plans

Fire Chief De Arcangelis offered a report on the recent Lone Tree Creek Wildfire. He noted that Metro Vancouver assumed lead command, with members of Lions Bay Fire Rescue (LBFR) operating as a part of the Unified Command. structure. He noted that the lightning-caused fire was in steep and difficult terrain, and that low cloud restricted helicopter access. He added the decision to issue a precautionary evacuation alert was based on anticipation of conditions worsening overnight, which did not occur. He also noted that while firefighters fought the blaze, LBFR strategically placed equipment in case it was needed.

Discussion included communication to residents over the course of the event, as well as improvements that are needed. He added that LBFR has learned from the experience, and continue to plan for future events.

De Arcangelis then offered an extensive overview (page 50) of the training, organizational development, operational readiness, and longer-term planning initiatives currently underway within LBFR. Highlights included: that firefighters come to LBFR pre-certified, and that plans for organizing rotating shifts of four firefighters in the Village at any time are underway.

Correspondence

The only item of general correspondence (beginning on page 84) was a letter from Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor regarding Local Government Climate Action Program funding. Councillor McLaughlin, who is currently overseeing responses to these letters, acknowledged receipt.

Resident correspondence included letters from:

Bear Smart Team member Norma Rodgers asking for closer scrutiny of proposed bylaw changes regarding waste collection (page 86). Rodgers wrote two further letters regarding the implementation of the GFL waste collection contract (pages 87 and 93). McLaughlin recommended a response from DOO Villeneuve, with the information to also be shared in the Village Update.
Long-time resident Gail Craig wrote two letters asking for reconsideration of the green waste collection bylaw (pages 89 and 96). McLaughlin asked that Villeneuve similarly respond to these letters, again with information shared.
Resident Emilie Montgomery wrote two letters (page 91 and 94) asking that Council reconsider the September 1 vote that did not support changes in the waste disposal bylaw, and that Council consider the results of a poll taken on a private Facebook page in support of the early collection of waste over the current staggered collection time schedule. McLaughlin acknowledged receipt of the letters, and Broughton said her comments would be given due consideration.
Kelvin Grove resident Vince Reiche, wrote seeking information collected from the newly-installed highway noise monitors (page 97). Information will be provided by the DOO.
Communication from Lions Bay Saplings program to indicate that registration is now open (page 88). Requested that they be allowed to advertise in the VU for two weeks, which Council agreed to. There was some discussion that the new Council may want to re-examine the criteria for what qualifies for inclusion in the Village Update in the future.

Other Items of Note

Minutes of the September 1 Council meeting were approved, with minor changes.
After a question from McLaughlin, it was confirmed that the end of the Oceanview Drive porta-potty trial period will be October 1 (Action Item 393, on p. 14).
As Council liaison to the Bear Smart team, Abbott addressed Broughton's questions about the mother and baby bears currently living in the Village, noting that human interaction has been minimized, and that further public education from the committee is in the works.
A resolution approved giving Fire Chief De Arcangelis signing authority on the Fire Department bank account, along with the Village Finance Officer and Municipal Accountant.

The final regular meeting for this Council term is scheduled for October 2, with the open portion of the meeting beginning at 7 p.m.

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