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BIM Link May
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Bowen Island Municipality 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0
Phone: (604) 947-4255 Email: bim@bimbc.ca  |
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May, 2008
BIM LINK
A publication of the Bowen Island Municipality |
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Volume 2, Issue 2 |
Civic Facilities Working Group Completes Mandate
The
Civic Facilities Working Group has wrapped up its work and fulfilled
its mandate to provide recommendations to Council regarding the siting,
uses, cost, and conceptual design of community, recreational, and
arts/culture facilities. An impressive presentation of the final report
of the CFWG garnered high praise from the mayor and Council last month.
"As a Council, we could not ask for more," Mayor Bob Turner told the
CFWG members. "This succeeds our best dreams of where we could be at
the end of the process."
The industrious group,
chaired by John Reid, has held more than 50 meetings, spent hundreds of
hours consulting with the public, hired and worked with an architect to
develop a feasibility study, conducted inventories and analyses of
sites and potential design, completed a functional program and have
made many recommendations on what Council and the community should do
next.
Proposed is a multi-use 18,500 square-foot facility that will be designed using criteria ensuring exemplary sustainability.
As
Reid explained to Council, the building will be “a showcase and the
heart of the community, fostering connections, creating a place where
we cross paths. It will celebrate Bowen’s unique character … and
capture the look and feel of Bowen with a timeless design built to an
appropriate scale but with capacity for future expansion.”
The plan is to situate the centre along Government Road, east
of the existing playing field at BICS. The slimmed down version of the
facility will house arts and recreational components, including a small
gymnasium, an exercise room, a multi-purpose arts performance space
with retractable theatre seating, a small art studio, a
kitchen/bar/concession and other common-use rooms. A stellar feature is
the “Island Living Room”, a common lobby, waiting room and gathering
area that encourages interaction among all members of the community.
The cost to build the structure is estimated at $450 per
square feet. Adding in the expense of landscape features,
infrastructure and equipment, the total bill for capital costs for a
community centre could run to $10.5 million.
Council has directed staff to work with the CFWG on a
financial strategy and each has stated that construction should not
proceed until all monies are secured. The financial strategy will
combine private fundraising, matching federal and provincial grants and
grants for green building design, accessing borrowed money, revenue
from sales of the surplus lands and drawing funds from municipal
reserves. The intent is to finance the cost without raising taxes, and
without significantly diminishing the Municipality’s reserves earmarked
for other important capital projects, such as road repair and fire hall
upgrades.
The CFWG subcommittees have also examined and addressed issues
such as long-term capital planning, fundraising and governance. The
group is looking at operating costs and will be developing a business
plan for the Community Centre in the next phase of work.
Among its recommendations, the CFWG is asking that the Council take four immediate steps as outlined below.
1)
To immediately establish a Bowen Island Community Centre (BICC) Working
Group to oversee the development of the design, construction,
operations plan and governance structure of BICC Phase I; and
2)
To proceed with the next stage of architectural work (schematic design)
for BICC Phase I based on the HBBH Feasibility Study and Facility
Program and allocate $200,000 in the 2008 budget; and
3) To proceed with the planning phase of a capital campaign
for municipal projects including BICC Phase I and allocate $30,000 in
the 2008 budget; and
4) To hire the services of a project manager on an as-needed
basis to provide continuity for the BICC project amidst changing
working group volunteers and municipal Councils and staff, and allocate
$20,000 in the 2008 budget.
The
CFWG will host a public meeting on Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. – 1
p.m. They will present findings from 11 a.m. – noon. and be available
for questions and feedback. Following that meeting the working group
will return to Council to ask elected officials to act upon their
recommendations.
To view the CFWG report to Council and/or read the Feasibility Study and other documents, click here. |
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Council moves forward on rezoning applications
The municipality went to work on a
number of rezoning applications this past week, attempting to move
forward the process on a seniors care facility, the proposed
development of Cape Roger Curtis and a submission for an inn at Artisan
Square. All three applications have attracted significant public
interest and, as a result, the committee of the whole meeting held May
20 was standing-room only. Council listened to staff reports and took
comments from the audience in attempting to make decisions on some
controversial and complex proposals.
Abbeyfield House
An application from the Abbeyfield
House of Bowen Island Society and Bowen Court is requesting changes to
the land use bylaw that would permit the construction of nine units for
supportive housing, 12 apartments within the Abbeyfield building, a
coordinator's suite and 15 residential units in townhouse and duplex
structures. The Bowen Court site currently contains19 self-contained
units of seniors housing.
Community Planner, Jason Smith, told the committee of the whole the
proposal is consistent with the Official Community Plan (OCP). However,
he said that the development of the site raises potential issues around
servicing, specifically in regards to access to community water and a
septic system. As well, there is need to address concerns regarding
public safety and the adequacy of current fire protection services. As
a result, staff recommended, and council agreed, that the application
be reviewed by the engineering department and forwarded to the Advisory
Planning Commission (APC), the Affordable Housing Working Group (AHWG),
and the Fire Chief for comment.
Cape Roger Curtis
Michael Rosen, the municipality's
planning consultant, offered council an update on the comprehensive
planning for Cape Roger Curtis. He reviewed comments received from the
municipality's advisory agencies and proposed a set of "overarching
principles" to help guide the planning process. Rosen suggested that
council embrace the principles, along with the Public Interest
Statement, which they adopted in January, 2006. Rosen also identified a
set of planning objectives for staff to aim for during negotiations
with the Cape on Bowen Community Development Ltd. The committee of the
whole resolved to accept Rosen's recommendations (See CRC Principles & Objectives).
The
planner reported that the municipality received a "Neighbourhood Plan"
from the developers of the 630-acre property on May 7 proposing to
amend the OCP. Rosen outlined what he referred to as the highlights of
the application.
He
said it was important to acknowledge the applicant's willingness to
dedicate 52% of the land as parkland. The offer is a "really amazing
opportunity," Rosen told council. Park designations include the Huzar
Creek Watershed Ecological Reserve, the Burke
Creek Basin Park, the South Ridge Park, and the Waterfront Park along
the western shore. A significant portion of the waterfront would be
designated either Ecological Reserve or Community Park.
The plan makes way for an extensive trail network, including
paths along the western shore as well as trails running north/south and
east/west connecting to nearby lands. The owners would like to develop
490 residential units, consisting of 350 single-family lots and 140
multi-family units. A neighbourhood focal point is referred to as a
"Neighbourhood Crossroads", consisting of 5000 square feet of
commercial buildings, an 80-room inn, and a seniors care complex of
approximately 150,000 square feet. An extension of Cromie Road is named
as the main access to the neighbourhood.
Rosen told the committee of the whole that despite many
positive features of the plan, there was still considerable work needed
to try to find a balance between the interests of the community and
those of the applicant's. He pointed out that the density levels
proposed far exceed those contemplated within the OCP. As well, said
Rosen, there needs to be better understanding about the impact of the
development on the entire island and discussion about infrastructure
elements and a suitable community amenities package.
He asked the committee of the whole to direct staff to
continue working with the owners to work out outstanding issues. The
committee complied with Rosen's request. Mark Sager, representing the
CRC development team, said he was looking forward to further
negotiations and moving forward with the plan. A copy of the Cape Roger
Curtis Neighbourhood Plan will be posted on the CRC website.
The Inn at Artisan Square
Council
recognizes the value of a proposed inn at Artisan Square as a sound
economic generator, Mayor Bob Turner stated this week. However, fire
safety concerns will need to be addressed before the public is invited
to a hearing, the committee of the whole agreed.This was the decision
delivered to staff and the applicants and a large contingent of local
business owners and managers assembled at municipal hall on 20 May.
Johnathan
Brownlee is working with Tim Rhodes and others with the intention of
building a four-storey 1600 square metre (17,220 square feet) inn with
20 rooms, four to six residences, and a conference and meeting space.
While Artisan Square is zoned for a small inn, the proposed
building exceeds the allowable floor space, and it is designed to stand
15.27 m in height, which is beyond the currently zoned mount of 9 m.
The added height has triggered concerns about Bowen's capacity for fire
protection, especially in a building intended for overnight stays.
The municipality commissioned a Fire Insurance Underwriter's
Study (FUS) assessing the development project. Fire Chief Brian
Biddlecombe said the results indicated that, as a reasonable level of
response, the local fire department would require aerial apparatus,
equipment it does not now own. Acquiring such apparatus would be costly
and necessitate the need for hiring professional firefighters,
Biddlecombe wrote in his report.
The FUS also raised questions regarding water storage and
fire flow – the flow of water that would be available to fight a fire
at Artisan Square via water supply mains. The fire chief said that
while it was not the fire department's intent "to hinder development",
he would be remiss if he did not express his concerns about public
safety and risks to the island's team of volunteer firefighters.
In offering his advice to the committee of the whole, the fire chief referred directly to the FUS, which stated:
"The strength of fire defense within a community depends
largely upon the will and financial ability of the community to support
all aspects of providing fire protection services. The best scenario
for an adequate level of fire protection occurs when community
expectations for fire suppression and prevention match the community’s
willingness to pay for services. The community should continue to
diligently monitor and restrict the construction of structures that
exceed the capacity of the fire protection resources available on the
island."
Brownlee said he had no doubt the proposed inn would be "the
safest building on Bowen Island", basing his comments on a consultant
report he commissioned. The report by Sun Valley Engineering Inc.
"suggested that aerial apparatus was a reasonable request, but not
necessary," Rhodes told the committee of the whole.
The design of the building will be "based on fire flow and
codes to ensure fire could be fought on each floor," added Brownlee.
"It’s a moot point because we are fully covered by a sprinkler system."
The consultant report stated that they found the existing fire flow
capacity to be adequate.
Members of council expressed confusion over the discrepancies
between the reports and said they were uncomfortable going to the
public with the application until the complexities of the technical
analysis were fully understood. They directed staff to continue to work
with the applicants to address the concerns regarding water storage,
fire flow and aerial apparatus
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| Council & Staff host Town Hall Meeting
The Royal
Canadian Legion on Bowen was packed full for the first Town Hall
Meeting hosted by the Bowen Island Municipality (BIM) near the end of
April. Mayor Bob Turner welcomed the throng of residents who gave up a
warm spring Sunday morning to meet with elected officials and staff of
BIM.
Mayor Turner explained
that the meeting was held as a "new enterprise of having a conversation
with the community on an ongoing fashion." He noted that BIM has made
efforts to increase communication with constituents including the
posting of a regular Mayor's Message and articles in the local
newspaper, the launch and upkeep of an informative website, and the
distribution of BIM Link.
The mayor offered a summary of activities of the Municipality and Council. [Please see: What We've Been Up To].
He highlighted a few actions, such as the signing of the BC Climate
Action Charter, and talked about community priorities including the
Snug Cove Action Plan. He then opened up the floor to questions, some
of which were submitted in writing.
Residents spoke about a diverse number of subjects – from the
condition of roads to questions about the number of staff at municipal
hall. Residents spoke about a diverse number of subjects – from the
condition of roads to questions about the number of staff at municipal
hall. Residents of the Queen Charlotte Heights and Valhalla
neighbourhoods expressed their concern about the hazards of driving on
Dorman Road. They presented a petition asking for immediate and
extensive repairs.
In his response, the Mayor referred to
geotechnical studies, which have verified that the one intact lane on
Dorman Road is stable and built on bedrock. He noted that the
Municipality is dealing with a number of road failures, including
sections near the fire hall on the main thoroughfare of Grafton Road.
Council was awaiting a report from the Public Works Department
estimating the cost of fixing Dorman Road and would be setting road
repair priorities, he added.
Former Councillor, Dick Underhill, expressed his opinion that
there was a "multiplicity of things the Municipality has been doing,
but a singularly lack of success in achieving them." He said he was
concerned to see "Council spending immense time on more consultants to
push forward with a project when not concentrating on doing the
basics."
The Mayor disagreed however, saying he thinks the
Municipality and Council have made progress. He defended money and time
spent on consultants as being far from frivolous. The request of the
Civic Facilities Working Group to allocate $30,000 for a fundraiser,
$200,000 for a schematic plan and $20,000 for a project manager is part
of very thoughtful and effective approach to planning, he argued. "We
don’t make decisions when we don’t have the full frame in front of us."
Tim Rhodes, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said that he
would like to see a business plan for the operation of a community
centre before additional dollars are spent on a schematic plan. He said
that local businesses are concerned that new municipal recreational
facilities would compete with private operations.
Several Councillors responded in support of the role the
Municipality has played for many years, delivering services and
programs that might not be otherwise available, or are offered at a
subsidized rate to those who cannot afford commercially available
amenities. The mayor said that "common sense will prevail" to ensure
that Municipality facilities do not compete with, but rather complement
local businesses. "We can’t afford to pay for anything that duplicates
services."
Mayor Turner urged the public to attend a public meeting, set
for May 24, hosted by the Civic Facilities Work Group. It will be then
that the group will present its report and address any concerns or
questions raised regarding the planning and feasibility of civic
facilities, including such issues as fire safety and operating costs. |
Youth reach the peak
The Bowen Himalayan Odyssey
team (2007) show their spirit as they reach the summit at 11,500 feet
in Kanchenjunga National Park. Following in their tracks was this
year's group, lead by the Bowen Island Municipality's youth worker, Ben
Tamblyn. The group of teens spent the last year attending leadership
workshops, raising funds and preparing for travel to lands profoundly
different from where they came. This spring youth flew to India,
visited Darjeeling, participated in home-stays in Tumlong, a village
in Northern Sikkim and trekked the Himalayas. Thanks to BIM's
sponsorship and the passion and dedication of Tamblyn and his crew, the
program been a huge success, now heading into its fourth year. As
Tamblyn told council, the program has “created a lot of buzz” both on
the island and in other communities where there is keen interest in
offering similar leadership opportunities to local youth.
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Public Hearing to be held to consider rezoning of Crippen Park
A rezoning application
that would limit residential use of heritage cottages in Crippen Park
will be the focus of a public hearing set for 2 June, beginning at 7:15
p.m. at Municipal Hall. Metro Vancouver (formerly GVRD) has asked local
government to amend the land use bylaw adding "commercial guest
accommodation" as a permitted use of the cottages.
Currently the property
is zoned as park, allowing up to 15 dwelling units. Over the past few
decades a few of the heritage cottages have been used as full-time
housing for residents. However, that will soon no longer be the case.
According to their application, Metro Vancouver is applying
for short-term stays, with up to two weeks in duration, as per its
regional parks policy outlining park use. Recognizing the historical
significance of the Davies Orchard cottages, the owner of the parkland
has promised that revenues generated from accommodation fees will be
used to help restore, preserve and maintain the buildings.
Jason Smith, Community Planner, recommended to the committee
of the whole this May that the proposed bylaw proceed to a public
hearing. He pointed to provisions in the Snug Cove Village Plan
allowing intended uses, and reported that the Official Community Plan
also carried relevant policies concerning the rehabilitation of
heritage structures in Crippen Regional Park.
Both the Advisory Planning Commission (ACP) and the Affordable
Housing Working Group (AHWG) have reviewed the applications as well.
Smith noted that while the APC had no objection to the proposed
amendments, members of the AHWG expressed some misgivings.
A number of the members of the group were concerned that
Bowen's limited affordable housing stock would be being further
diminished by the bylaw, reported Smith. However, the majority of the
group eventually voted in favour of supporting the application.
Mitch Sokalski, speaking on behalf of the parks department of
Metro Vancouver told Council that "…, we believe parkland is not a
basis for residential or affordable housing."
"In the past we have had rentals [but] we've always told
tenants that would be phased out. Should Council not support a
rezoning, don't think we will allow tenants back in because it is
against our policy."
Metro Vancouver is hoping to have cottages available for short-term rentals by this summer.
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 Bowen becomes an Idle-Free Zone
The Bowen Island
Municipality (BIM), following the lead of many communities in the
Sea-to-Sky corridor, has enacted an anti-idling bylaw. It will prohibit
the idling of a vehicle or boat engines for more than one minute in a
60-minute period, with some exceptions. The Municipality adopted the
bylaw as a way of addressing concerns about pollution and health
problems caused by toxic emissions. BIM is committed to improving air
quality as part of the Sea of Sky Air Quality management plan.
In deciding to move
ahead with the local legislation, Mayor Bob Turner noted that the
Municipality had received numerous letters in support of the bylaw.
Residents are interested in taking action to protect the environment
and promote healthier habits, he noted. Vehicle emissions have been
directly linked to significant respiratory health effects while exhaust
contributes to smog, acid rain and climate change. Wasting fuel,
especially at the current hit of $1.35/litre, is avoidable, as is
damage to vehicles caused by idling.
While the bylaw brings into effect penalties, the Municipality hopes to
encourage compliance through education and understanding about the
benefits of living in an idle-free zone. An anti-idling ambassador will
be stationed in the Sea-to-Sky area to help explain why adding nitrogen
oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide, volatile organic compounds and
greenhouse gas emissions to the air we breathe just doesn't make sense.
To read the Anti-Idling Bylaw, No. 210, click here. |
Council sets target aimed at reducing greenhouse gas
Following the lead of
the provincial government and Metro Vancouver, Council unanimously
agreed to set a community greenhouse gas reduction target of 33% below
2007 levels by 2020, and 80% below 2007 levels by 2050. Council has
directed staff to work with the Sustainability Framework Working Group
and the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) to develop a greenhouse gas
strategy that will consider how to reduce pollution locally.
They have asked the
APC to look into the process of revising the Municipality's land use
regulations and policies – the Land Use Bylaw and the Official
Community Plan. The goal is to ensure that future development leads to
"a complete, compact, more energy efficient rural community" and one
that can realistically achieve the gas emission targets.
Setting the targets, Council agreed, sends a signal that the
Municipality is willing to "do its part" and act as a leader by working
on provincial and regional energy reduction pilot projects and
strategies. It potentially allows Bowen to be able to invest carbon
neutral offset funds back into the local economy.
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| Staff take steps towards becoming Carbon Neutral
Staff
of the Bowen Island Municipality are taking the lead in finding ways to
ensure operations of the local government become carbon neutral.
Several members of the BIM staff and Council attended a workshop in
Vancouver in March aimed at identifying strategies to meet commitments
entailed in signing the BC Climate Action Charter. The primary
obligation of the Charter is becoming carbon neutral in operations by
2012. Upon return from the workshop, staff proposed a number of
initiatives, which were quickly approved by Council.
BIM staff will conduct
an energy and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions inventory of municipal
operations, assessing Bowen Island's carbon footprint and identifying
financial costs and estimated GHG production. Once complete, they'll
search for ways to reduce energy use and emissions.
In a report to Council in April, Bryan Kirk, BIM's Chief
Administrative Officer, noted that the staff will identify "low hanging
fruit" – those ideas that can be quickly turned into action with
immediate results.
The Engineering and Operations Department has already begun
work on the carbon audit, building on a partial inventory that was
completed in 2005. It is roughly estimated that municipal operations
contribute about 100 tonnes per year of GHG emissions. The largest
source comes from the road maintenance fleet and the consumption of
heating fuel used in its various buildings and facilities. The
provincial carbon tax, to be applied to fossil fuel purchases, will be
introduced in 2008, at $10/tonne and rising by 5% each year to reach
$30/tonne in 2012.
Upon completion of the audit, staff will design projects that
effectively reduce carbon emissions. They’ve already taken some small,
but significant steps including replacing all the incandescent bulbs
with CFL bulbs at municipal hall, reinstalling baseboard thermostat
with a programmable unit and educating their crews regarding the
adverse effects of idling their vehicles.
BIM Sets 2008 Five-Year Financial Plan
The Bowen Island Municipality has established its 2008 Five Year Financial Plan, Tax Rates and Parcel Tax rates:
New legislation
requires that the Municipality’s revenue policies be included in the
financial plan bylaw to provide information as to how the revenue
portion of plan was developed and decided upon by Council:
- The
Municipality will increase the annual contribution to reserves for the
maintenance and replacement of infrastructure by an increase in
property tax of at least 1.5% each year commencing in 2009 for
approximately 11 years. At which time it is estimated that the annual
contribution to reserves will be sufficient to maintain and/or provide
substantial replacement funding for the Municipality’s assets and
infrastructure.
- Utilities will be operated on a self-funded basis though equitable user fees.
- Recreation fees will be established to collectively recover a minimum of 100% of direct costs for recreation programs.
- Fees
for development related functions (i.e., building and other related
inspections development approvals, subdivision) will be set at levels
to recover full costs.
- Solid Waste Management Services is financed 100% by a combination of parcel tax and fees (through decal sales).
- Bowen Island Municipality will pursue alternative revenue sources prior to consideration of incurring debt or increasing taxes.
Legislation
also now requires that each year Council engage in discussion about how
Municipal taxes are to be distributed between the various property
classifications, during the budget process. Accordingly the financial
plan bylaw must now identify the result of those discussions by
disclosing the Municipal tax ratios established for each property
classification and the reasons for them. The following information has
been included in the 2008 Tax Rate Bylaw:
- There is no appreciable difference between the benefits delivered or demands made
on the infrastructure between residential and business properties and recreational.
- To encourage the preservation of the rural community farm properties will be
provided tax relief of a 50% tax rate as compared to residential.
- Utilities and light industrial properties will be apportioned tax at approximately four
times the residential rate as it is believed that the proportion of revenue received from
these property classifications is not proportionate to the benefits derived from the
community.
- Residential 1.00 : 1
- Utilities 4.16 : 1
- Light Industry 4.16 : 1
- Business and Other 1.00 : 1
- Recreation/Non-Profit 1.00 : 1
- Farm .50 : 1
According
to the Financial Plan Bylaw, the Municipality's total revenues in 2008
will be just under $5.7 million. It is estimated that approximately
$2.9 M, or 51% will be derived from property taxes. With transfers from
reserve and other funds, including accumulated surplus, the total
funding of BIM rises to $7.8 million.
On the expenditure side of the balance sheet, BIM will spend
approximately $4.3 million on general government services, plus another
$615,000 in water and sewage system operations. It will transfer
$945,700 to reserves, capital expenditures account for $1.9 million,
and principal debt repayment will cost an additional $62,845.
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| Council sets ferry traffic priorities
Council
has recently set a number of ferry traffic infrastructure priorities
aimed at improving conditions in Snug Cove and specifically in and
around the marshalling area. Brad Hawthorn, the former Director of
Engineering and Operations prepared a report in February considering
what the Municipality might do to develop short-term solutions
addressing ferry marshalling issues.
While noting there currently
exists no committed ferry marshalling or traffic plan, Hawthorn
referred to the Snug Cove Master Plan, written by consultants Hotson
Bakker Boniface Haden. It recommends that the first phase of planning
should focus on reconfiguration of the ferry "gateway", between Cardena
Road to the ferry ramp.
Council agreed with several of Hawthorn's recommendations and
outlined priorities that should be reflected in future infrastructure
plans. In keeping with community, transportation and environmental
objectives, Council agreed that in terms of traffic management, the
priority order for various transportation modes should be as follows.
1) pedestrians and cyclists,
2) transit and school buses,
3) high occupancy vehicles,
4) other private passenger vehicles
Plans should be developed to ensure that higher priority
transportations modes gain more convenient access to the ferry and are
not impacted or impeded by those of lower priority. Waiting and
marshalling areas for each transportation mode need to be located so
that those of higher priority are closer to the ferry terminal.
Projects that benefit higher priority transportation modes should take
precedence over lower priority ones.
Council also identified high ranking improvements to include a
new waiting room and shelter for ferry passengers, improved access for
pedestrians to a new waiting room and access for bus, taxi and
handicapped vehicles to the waiting room area, and improved passenger
drop off/pick up area on Cardena Road.
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Green team formed
The Municipality has a new committee
to help it promote sustainability principles. The recently-formed
Greenways Advisory Committee will provide advice and input into future
park, trail and outdoor recreation planning, land use decisions,
eco-tourism and nature conservation opportunities on Bowen. Council
took steps to formalize and strengthen its Greenways Strategy by
embedding it within the framework of the Official Community Plan
earlier this year.
On April 14, Mayor Bob
Turner announced the appointments of Sue-Ellen Fast, chair, and
committee members André Chollat, Alan Whitehead, Cathy Buchanan, David
Van Berckel, Dawn Riley, Josephine A. Riley, Shauna L. Stickland and
Zoe Thorbergson. Councillor Peter Frinton was named as liaison.
The committee will act in an advisory capacity recommending
ways to implement greenway initiatives on the island. It will be
expected to review and assess development proposals regarding greenways
integrity and acquisition, relying on existing policies, such as the
Islands Trust Policy Statement and the OCP, as reference documents.
Council may request the committee to pursue the securing of greenways
lands through private donations, conservation covenants and Crown Land
transfers.
As the Parks and Recreation Commission is currently on
hiatus, the new committee will also assume the parks function which was
formerly the responsibility of the commission.
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BIM Supports Local Groups
The Bowen Island Municipality
continues to support local nonprofit organizations through its
Community Grant Program. This spring, Council approved almost $291,000
in funding to aid the work of these groups. Recipients were granted the
following amounts.
BI Library: $154,000
BI Recycling Depot: $6,000
BI Arts Council:$45,900
Gallery @ Artisan Square: $7,140
BI Historians: $14,000
West Vancouver School District (Community School Program Coordinator): $10,896
Abbeyfield House: $6000
BI Chamber of Commerce (Tourist Information Services): $15,000
BI Community School and Parent Advisory Council: $6000
BI Community Housing Association: $5000
BI Family Place: $10,000
Montessori School & Creative Play Studio: $1,000
Tir-na-nOg Theatre School: $10,000
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Municipality supports Re-use It Shop
Trash to you, but perhaps a treasure for someone
else? Soon you'll be able to drop off those unwanted items still in
good condition to a re-use it shop, right here on Bowen Island. A
grass-roots group is moving forward towards opening the Knick Knack
Nook shop, a place for the exchange of goods that might otherwise end
up in landfills. And the Municipality is stepping up to help out with a
location for that shop.
Council gave its support for the establishment of such a place in
March, and later agreed that it might be well situated in the
Municipality's North Work Yard. The recycling advocates, who include
local school students, are hoping to open a second-hand store within
proximity to the Bowen Island Recycling Depot. They envision building a
1000 square-foot building where they can accept people's excess
possessions and sell to those who require more stuff in their lives.
Money raised will be channeled to local organizations.
Council has instructed staff to consult with users of the Work Yard and the Knick Knack Nook contingent to come up with an appropriate plan.
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Quick Bytes
Staff Changes at City Hall
Effective as of May 1, Brad Hawthorn has resigned from the position of
Public Works Superintendent. Wil Hilsen is now the Municipality's
Acting Public Works Manager-Engineering and Bob Robinson is the Acting
Public Works Manager-Operations. Celine Fung has joined the planning
department as well.
BIM appoints Election Officers
Council
has appointed Kathy Lalonde as Chief Election Officer and Krista Peel
as Deputy Chief Election Officer for the 2008 General Local Government
Election. The election is set for Saturday, November 15, 2008. The
deadline for nominations is Friday, October 10 and advance voting will
take place on November 5.
Bylaw Officer on the move in Smart Car
The
Municipality, embracing its own green policies, has chosen to purchase
a Smart Car to add to its fleet of vehicles. The Bylaw Services Officer
will be behind the wheel of the new diesel-powered petite car, which
cost $17,500 plus taxes. Chris Buchanan, formerly contracted as the
Bylaw Enforcement Officer, holds the new position on staff. The
Municipality decided to transfer the job of enforcement in-house as a
way of reducing costs and increasing accountability. The role includes
responsibilities of the animal control officer, wharfinger, filming
liaison as well as bylaw enforcement duties.
BIM plans ahead for winter
The Municipal Works
Yard is expanding and gearing up for next winter, even if summer hasn't
hit yet. The Municipality is purchasing new, larger salt shed for
winter operations. Last year, when inclement weather arrived and set in
for a long stay, the lower mainland experienced a server salt shortage.
As a result, suppliers are now requiring municipalities to estimate
their needs and stockpile their own material.
BIM has also purchased a second, used five-ton plow truck for winter
operations. That means the Municipality road crews have two five-ton
plow trucks and two one-ton plow trucks at their disposal. The one-ton
trucks were purchased last fall and the plows and salters can be
removed to allow for other uses. While the one-ton trucks are great for
providing support during the winter, the five-ton trucks will
drastically improve winter maintenance capabilities.
The summer parks crew staff will start in early May and will be working
to keep Bowen's beaches clean and maintain island trails until the end
of August.
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Last updated: May 30, 2008
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