Mayor's Report - December 2002

Inaugural Council Address

By Mayor Ralph Drew

I wish to start by congratulating Belcarra’s four ‘new’ Councillors on their election, and express my appreciation for the excellent job our ‘veteran’ Councillors did in fulfilling their responsibilities over the past three years. In particular, I want to acknowledge out-going Councillor Larry Carlsen, and thank him for his six years service on Council. Larry embraced his role in a very dedicated manner and his contributions will be missed. At the same time, I also want to welcome Belcarra’s newest Councillor, Colin Richardson, and say that I look forward to working with him during the next three years. I consider myself both privileged and fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such exceptional individuals.

Last year in my annual address I spoke of the Provincial initiative to transfer policing costs to small communities with populations less than 5,000 people. This is an issue that could significantly impact Belcarra’s annual municipal budget. Our most recent information indicates that this issue is still “alive and well”, albeit the downloading of police services costs is most likely postponed until the 2004 calendar year. Council has been proactive on this issue over the past year, and we will continue to pursue a fair and equitable solution for the residents of Belcarra during the coming year.

A noteworthy undertaking for the year ahead is the rezoning application by the YMCA for their Camp Howdy property at Farrer Cove. This proposal is arguably the most comprehensive development that will occur in Belcarra, and it represents an opportunity to be a positive impact for Farrer Cove residents, the municipality as a whole, and the YMCA. Consideration of the application will necessitate the review and amendment of the Belcarra North Official Community Plan (OCP), followed by the rezoning process, and will require a timeline that spans the coming year.

Over the past six years Council has been actively enhancing the fire protection infrastructure within the Village. Beginning with a 58,000 IG storage tank installed on a Crown Land lease on the hillside at the south (top) end of Tatlow Road, underground pipe has been installed from the tank site to fire hydrants at Main Avenue, Bedwell Bay Road, and Marine Avenue. This year the fire hydrant system was extended along Marine Avenue from Tatlow Road, and it is Council’s plan to extend this segment of the waterline as far as Young Road in 2003.

A 58,000 IG storage tank was also installed on property leased from the GVRD adjacent to the Belcarra Water Users’ facilities on Dutchman Creek, with the first fire hydrant located at Salish Road. In 2001 the waterline was extended and fire hydrants added at Turtlehead Road and the intersection of Belcarra Bay and Bedwell Bay Roads, with an additional hydrant located between the two intersections. Engineering design work also has been completed for extension of the waterline from Salish Road to the Whiskey Cove turnaround, and it is Council’s plan is to construct this next segment of the Dutchman Creek system in 2003.

These fire protection projects have thus far cost approximately $750,000 with another $450,000 anticipated to complete the project over the next three years, all of which has been funded on a pay-as-you-go basis. To date, over 180 homes are benefiting from insurance reductions as a result this program of fire hydrant protection. At an average savings of $200 per household per year, that amounts to over $36,000 per year in reduced insurance premiums. To continue with these significant projects I am recommending that Councillor Ross be appointed as Chair of Public Works & Planning.

Treaty negotiations within the Lower Mainland have been a significant issue over the past four years that began with Council holding a series of public information meetings on subjects such as Belcarra’s Inventory of Interests. This was followed by the development of the LMTAC First Principles, a document that is a guide to both the negotiators and local governments as we proceed through the treaty process. The present focus of LMTAC is “Regional Governance” including the issues related to non-natives living on Treaty Settlement Lands governed by native local governments. To continue representing Council on these issues, I am recommending that Councillor Colin Richardson be appointed Chair of Belcarra’s Treaty Advisory Committee, Chair of Special Projects, and also appointed as Belcarra’s Representative on LMTAC. I am also recommending that Councillor Ross be appointed alternate representative on LMTAC, and that Jim Chisholm, Joe Kesckes and Don Simkin be re-appointed to Belcarra’s citizen Treaty Advisory Committee.

The Protective Services Committee has the most breadth of all Council functions. This committee is responsible for all matters relating to Block Watch, Family Court, Emergency Preparedness (PEP), Policing (RCMP), Fire Protection (SVFD), and the District 43 Community Policing Committee. This committee is also responsible for related protective services such as those provided by the Harbour Master, Coast Guard, Ministry of Forests, and the most essential component of Belcarra’s protection strategy, a well-functioning community Block Watch program.

An important project planned by the Protective Services Committee for the coming year is new electrical interfacing and emergency power generator for the Village Hall, which is Belcarra’s emergency operations centre in the event of a major incident such as earthquake or wildland forest fire. Capitalizing on emergency preparedness grants from the province, the existing BC Hydro service connection will be replaced with an underground service that will be dual-fed from both BC Hydro and a new higher-capacity on-site power generator. The project also will include protecting and re-routing telephone and Internet services to an underground conduit so that the completed works will provide reliable, protected and secure utility service connections. Belcarra’s Protective Services Committee is also intending to review and update the Emergency Preparedness Plan that was developed 10 years ago to better reflect the today’s circumstances.

To oversee these important projects, I am again recommending that Councillor Drake Chair the Protective Services Committee. To maintain momentum and also pursue new initiatives with Block Watch, Emergency Preparedness and Communications, I am recommending the appointment of Ted Bojanowski, Jim Chisholm, Walter Frith, Walter Laube, Martin McGregor, Mike Mostrenko, Don Simkin, George Stewart, John Stubbs, Dave Warren, and Bob Wilson as citizen members of this committee. I am also recommending the re-appointment of Dave Warren to the District 43 Joint Family Court Committee.

The Environmental Affairs Committee has been very active over the past three years, and I am again recommending that Councillor Glover be appointed to Chair this committee. The anticipated enactment of the new provincial streamside protection directives is still uncertain and, as a consequence, the bylaw drafted by the Northeast Sector Stream Stewardship Committee was not be taken to the community for discussion as previously contemplated. To continue pursuing this initiative, I am recommending the re-appointment of Denise Bougie, Corrine Goodman, Maureen Jamieson, Don Reid, Andrew Shutek, Lillian Shutek, and Irene Turnbull as members of the Environmental Affairs Committee.

Over the past 19 years, the Finance Committee has successfully pursued fiscal strategies to minimise the impact of decreasing provincial grants and maintain Council’s pay-as-you-go policy for both the municipality and the Sasamat Fire Department. Traditionally, the Mayor has chaired the Finance Committee, and it is my intention to continue the multi-year financial planning process started in 2000 to enable Belcarra to meet the capital expenditure challenges of infrastructure renewal during the coming decade.

To summarize, I am recommending the following appointments for the coming year:

• Councillor Drake be appointed as Chair of Protective Services, and also re-appointed as Belcarra's representative to the GVRD Parks Committee and Alternate Director to the GVRD Board of Directors;
• Councillor Ross be appointed as Chair of Public Works & Planning and also appointed as alternate representative to LMTAC;
• Councillor Glover be appointed as Chair of Environmental Affairs;
• Councillor Richardson be appointed as Chair of the Treaty Advisory Committee and also Chair of Special Projects;
• Councillors Drake & Glover be appointed along with the Mayor to the SVFD Board of Trustees; and that
• The Mayor be appointed as Chair of the Finance Committee, and also appointed as Belcarra’s representative on the GVRD Board of Directors.

The coming year will be busy as always, and I am confident that both Council and its committees can meet the challenges and achieve their objectives.

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