Summer COW Tackles Hot Topics

Safety, bylaws and 'eye-poppingly' high costs on July agenda

The only Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting scheduled for July in Lions Bay arrived with a packed agenda addressing issues from public safety in emergencies to the high costs of future infrastructure replacements.

COW meetings are discussion-focused gatherings intended to allow Councillors to take a deeper look at complex issues without making any formal decisions. All councillors were present at the table, apart from Councillor Jaime Cunliffe, who attended online.

The meeting opened with emergency management consultants Dave Mitchell and Associates offering an overview of the state of emergency management services in small communities across the province including Lions Bay. The half-hour presentation (summarized HERE) concluded that it is more important than ever for small communities to work together to manage collective resources in case of emergencies.

Public Works Projects Currently Seeking Proposals

Though Director of Operations Eric Villeneuve was not present in person for the meeting, he submitted a report offering updates on the latest Request For Proposals (RFPs, page 15) which was addressed by Council.

As of June 23, the Village is looking for:

• A new Municipal solid waste collection contractor for the Village. The purchase of bear-resistant carts has meant the current waste collection contractor requires a multi-year commitment to justify installing compatible lifting equipment on their trucks, so a public procurement process has been initiated to find a new contractor.

• Qualified consultants to complete a Natural Asset Inventory for the Village, as a response to the Climate Action Committee recommendation adopted

by Council to identify, and map key natural assets (forested areas, creeks, riparian zones, wetlands, and foreshore), assess their condition, and develop an inventory to integrate into the Village’s asset management planning. The budget for this project is $60,000.

• Up to three engineering consultants for studies, design, procurement, and construction support over a three-year term to design watermain and culvert replacements variously along Creekview and Oceanview Place and Bayview Road, included in the 2026 budget. Villeneuve said that completing this competitive process now will allow the Village to engage these consultants on an as-needed basis without issuing separate public procurements, and will "ensure compliance with trade agreements and best value for taxpayers".

• A separate RFP to secure an engineering consultant to provide SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) programming and support for the water and wastewater systems. This will replace the volunteer efforts of a local resident whose specialized expertise is no longer available to the Village, as he has relocated.

• A qualified contractor to install approximately 520 water meters over the next 10 months, in a mandatory public tendering process.

Residents with questions about the tendering of these projects were invited to email Villeneuve at doo@lionsbay.ca

Big Ticket Infrastructure Replacement Costs Discussed

Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell said there is a need to open discussions regarding the looming question of infrastructure replacement, and how Council would like to set their financial priorities. He called the numbers "eye-poppingly significant" and said they will impact future councils with long-term planning.

Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff presented Council with a report (page 17) identifying priority assets due for replacement and the costs that will mean for the Village over the next 20 years. He said that current infrastructure is coming close to the end of its service-life, and said Council should get a sense of what those costs will look like for taxpayers.

Calling the looming costs "the elephant in the room", he suggested that Council needs to gain an understanding of what Public Works has identified as significant areas to ensure the long-term sustainability of the community. "This is something the community needs to plan for, and determine a path to address long-term obligations."

Blackwell noted this is a multi-year exercise, but he felt it was time to begin taking a closer look at these upcoming expenses. He suggested that this fall's new council should create a standing committee to address what he said is going to be "a very difficult and long-term conversation." He noted that every community has to address these problems.

Councillor Neville Abbott said that in Lions Bay it's not possible to "develop your way through these problems", and that more houses won't fix the problem. He said that the Infrastructure Committee has looked at some of these issues, and has come to somewhat different conclusions with more cost-effective ways to deal with these upcoming expenses.

Existing Land Alteration Bylaw Addressed

As a result of the surge in public concern regarding the clear-cutting of privately-owned land at 250 Oceanview, Council requested a review of the existing Soil Deposit, Soil Removal and Land Alteration Bylaw (No. 510).

Blackwell said this was a continuation of earlier discussion as to whether this bylaw could be modified to include land alterations. Council can develop a bylaw to combine landscape and tree management, but through the Official Community Plan, development permit areas (DPA) can limit the hazards through a selection of robust guidelines, which gives more latitude.

In the subsequent discussion, Abbott asked if a modified bylaw could stand in as a '"band-aid solution" until the DPAs are enacted. However, Blackwell said that given time-constraints, workload and the upcoming OCP, the best option is to hold fast until DPAs are enacted. He reiterated that staff and Council have been receiving questions from residents with concerns over the land-clearing on Oceanview Road, not understanding that the Municipality doesn't have any regulatory tools to intervene in this situation. He noted that in future, DPAs can be enforced to help protect public safety around steep slopes.

Councillor Email Communications Under Fire

Blackwell said he was asked if there was a standard around communications that Council members should share.

Councillor Michael Broughton clarified that he had asked the question with regard to a letter sent to residents in the community by a councillor on the subject of legal fees over the last council term. Broughton said he had some concerns over the information provided, and was worried about people drawing conclusions over incomplete information.

Blackwell responded by sharing best practices for communicating information to the public. (page 40).

Other topics addressed included:

• Blackwell clarified two sections of the new Indemnification Bylaw (No. 666, found on page 8) at Council's request.

• In response to a letter from resident Charlie Bradbury, Council agreed to consider a future Youth Citizen of the Year Award. Abbott spoke in favour, and suggested a policy be put on the upcoming agenda.

• During a discussion of the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities conference, Blackwell said it is important to plan ahead as to who will represent Council, and develop a powerful and compelling pitch. Staff have not yet been notified as to any meetings they will be granted.

• Minutes from the May 12 COW Meeting were tabled for further review.

• McLaughlin suggested the Mayor offer a few words of appreciation on behalf of Council to Lions Bay Arts Board, donors Kim Mailey and Victoria Rogers, artist Ciarra Saylar and the LB Arts committee, and this was added to the regular meeting's agenda later in the evening.

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