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MAYOR’S ANNUAL ADDRESS
Monday, December 1st, 2008
By Mayor Ralph Drew
I want to begin by congratulating Belcarra’s re-elected Councillors and thanking them for their continued efforts over the past year. We are indeed fortunate to have such talented individuals who also demonstrate commitment to community service. As I proceed through my address, you will see the broad range of issues that demand the attention of Council and staff, and illustrate the obligation placed on our Councillors given they all have full-time jobs and other time demands.
In keeping with past practice, my annual address will be a series short status reports on subjects that have occupied Council’s attention during 2008, and that reflect Council’s focus for 2009.
Potable Water Infrastructure Project
In November 2005 the residents of Belcarra clearly indicated that they wanted Council to pursue infrastructure funding for a potable water distribution system. In 2006 Council undertook the Preferred Option Pre-Design Study for the submarine crossing of Indian Arm to the District of North Vancouver and followed-up in 2007 with the Environmental Assessment of the proposed submarine alignment.
In October 2006 the provincial government announced the Canada–British Columbia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF), and Council immediately made application for funding under this program. Thanks our MP, James Moore, and to our MLA, Iain Black, both of whom worked hard to lobby on Belcarra’s behalf, two-thirds Federal–Provincial funding for our infrastructure project was announced in January 2008. (Note that I used the word “announced”.) In order to satisfy program requirements to obtain a “signed agreement” under the MRIF program, a number of administrative prerequisites have to be completed to obtain the actual infrastructure grant. In other words, Belcarra has to “jump through hoops” before doing the engineering design work, preparing tenders, and beginning the construction phase of the project. A tremendous amount has been accomplished since January, and in September I reported on the numerous items that have been undertaken thus far.
I am pleased to announce that the Servicing Agreement between the District of North Vancouver and the Village of Belcarra has now been ratified by both Councils, and the legal agreement that enables Belcarra to join the Greater Vancouver Water District will be ratified in the very near future. We are hopeful that the “signed agreement” from Western Economic Diversification Canada will be received early in the New Year which will enable us to proceed with engineering design and construction starting next summer.
Official Community Plan Review
Last year Council was hopeful that work would commence on the Official Community Plan (OCP) review process. This project is still pending due to staff focus being diverted by the work associated with other priorities. Regardless, Council has not lost sight of the need to undertake a review of the OCP, and continues to identify this work as a priority albeit a priority second to work on the potable water infrastructure project. In the interim, however, there are now other issues that must be addressed prior to the OCP review.
Greenhouse Gas Challenge
Local governments from across BC have joined with the Province and the Union of BC Municipalities, to find ways to tackle the challenges posed by Climate Change, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33% below current levels by 2020. In July 2008 Belcarra Council “signed-on” to the C Climate Action Charter and now has to focus its attention on the goals of the BC Climate Action Plan. This means that Belcarra will be joining with municipalities across the region and province to compile energy and emissions inventories for our municipality, implement strategies to reduce energy consumption, and thereby reduce Belcarra’s GHG emissions.
The provincial Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act provides local governments the tools and guidelines necessary to ensure a stronger focus on energy conservation and GHG reduction. Local governments will be required to include GHG-emission targets, policies and actions in their official community plans; therefore, this issue is now a prerequisite to Belcarra undertaking its OCP review.
Energy and GHG-Emissions Inventory
This provincial initiative is being undertaken to provide energy- and GHG-inventory reports for all BC communities. This data collection, analysis and reporting system will provide local governments with inventory baselines, ongoing monitoring and periodic reports to help inform community decision-making and support provincial objectives. The first inventories are anticipated to represent energy-consumption and GHG emissions from community activities in land use, transportation, buildings and solid waste. Benchmarking current energy use and GHG emissions is the obvious first step, and these inventories will help municipalities plan and implement effective strategies for managing GHG emissions and energy use.
Treaty Negotiations
Last year I reported that the Tsawwassen Treaty had been ratified by both the Tsawwassen First Nation and the British Columbia Legislature, and had been forwarded to Parliament in Ottawa for its approval. This year I can report that the Tsawwassen Treaty was ratified by Parliament on June 26th, 2008, and will become effective on April 3rd, 2009. As a consequence, the Tsawwassen First Nation will become a member of the federation of local governments in the Metro Vancouver region --- a historic milestone for British Columbia. As anticipated, this first treaty has resulted in increased activity at both the Katzie and Tsleil-Waututh negotiating tables, and there is potential for another treaty in the Metro Vancouver region within a couple of years.
Other Initiatives
Although I have highlighted a number of significant items, there are also other initiatives below the public’s “radar screen” that warrant mention:
Controlled Access To The Waste Facility – For several years Council has not acted on its contingency plan for controlled access to the Belcarra’s waste and recycle facility. Given the new disposal restrictions on banned materials, coupled with continued unauthorized use by persons from outside our community, Council feels that the time has come to implement gated access to the waste and recycle facility, and the necessary works will be undertaken in the very near future.
Municipal Truck & Tractor Replacement – A replacement for Belcarra’s 27-year-old tractor was purchased this past summer, and the tender to replace Belcarra’s 10-year-old municipal truck is being bid upon as we speak. Both purchases are being funded from Belcarra’s equipment replacement reserve.
Municipal Hall Renovation Planning – Belcarra’s municipal hall was opened in 1985, and has served our community admirably. Several years ago the south end of the building was extended to provide for badly-needed storage space, and now it is time to examine the office needs at the north end of the building. Last year I indicated that Council intended to pursue a needs assessment and design plan during 2008. That project also has been “put on the back burner”, but remains an objective albeit a priority second to work on the potable water infrastructure project.
As is evident from the foregoing, Council and staff have been very busy, and the coming year will be very much the same. As always, I am confident that Council and its committees can meet the challenges and achieve their objectives.
RALPH DREW
MAYOR
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