Past issues BIM newsletter

Bowen Island Municipality 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0

Phone: (604) 947-4255 Email: bim@bimbc.ca

Summer, 2009
BIM LINK

A publication of the Bowen Island Municipality

Volume 3, Issue 2

Municipality welcomes new CAO

"An administrator, leader, problem solver … who backs up his staff and has a great passion for local government.” These were the words spoken by Mayor Bob Turner to introduce the new Chief Administrator Officer to the public at the swearing-in earlier this month. Hendrik Slegtenhorst, formerly of Nova Scotia, commenced work at the Bowen Island Municipality on July 13. Slegtenhorst, a seasoned administrator who was selected following a nationwide executive search, has also assumed the role of Approving Officer for BIM.

Hiring Slegtenhorst, said Mayor Turner, was the “single most important decision” Council will make this term. He welcomed the chief of staff, who he described as having a track record as a “very visible and engaged public administrator.” [Read more]

Public responds to proposed Greenways Strategy

Greenways were the subject of a public hearing in July, attended by all members of Council, municipal staff and approximately 30 members of the community. Jason Smith, Community Planner, introduced the proposed Greenways Strategy, an initiative that has been underway for approximately three years.

Smith explained that the proposed bylaw, also the subject of a public meeting earlier this year, was an attempt to formalize what has been an ad-hoc policy in place for many years. The strategy speaks to preservation of green space, recreation values and eco-tourism and the opportunity for shared stewardship of Bowen’s natural landscape, said Smith. Establishing greenways promotes community health and wellness, he added.

Smith noted that the proposed bylaw had been vetted by the Islands Trust, as well as the municipality’s solicitor, who “found no problem with it.” [Read more]

OCP Update underway

The municipality launched the update of the Official Community Plan earlier this summer, hosting an open house at council chambers that attracted approximately 50 people. Members of the OCP Update Steering Committee welcomed the public, explaining the process and inviting questions.

Dave Witty, chair, said that it was important for people to understand that the work underway will build on the core values of the existing plan. The intent is to complete an update, rather than a review of the 15 year-old document, said Witty. “We won’t be starting from zero and rewriting” the policy framework. Rather, the job of the steering committee, with assistance from municipal staff and Bowen residents, will be to identify what needs to be preserved, removed or added. The result, said Witty will be a “user-friendly accessible plan.” [Read more]

Visit the OCP Update website for more information.

Approving Officer reviews CRC Subdivision application

The Approving Officer of the Bowen Island Municipality continues to review the subdivision application SUB 2004 – 15 for the development of 59 ten-acre lots at Cape Roger Curtis. The municipality received a revised application on 4 June from the Cape on Bowen Community Development Ltd.

According to the Land Title Act, once a subdivision application has been submitted, the Approving Officer has 60 days to either approve or reject the proposal. However, Bryan Kirk, who was the Approving Officer when BIM received the application, deemed that more time was needed to conduct due diligence because of the fact that the municipality was in the process of hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer, who would also take on the role of the Approving Officer.

Hendrik Slegtenhorst accepted that position as of 13 July and is now reviewing the various documents submitted. In the meantime, the developers have received appropriate notice of the need for additional time for a thorough examination of the application. [Read more]

CAO granted authority to issue Development Permits

Council has amended a bylaw that delegates the power of issuing development permits. Since 2003, the Island Community Planner held that authority. It has now been transferred to the Chief Administrative Officer, Hendrik Slegtenhorst.

Council took this step after passing a resolution in June that endorsed repealing the existing bylaw and asking staff to report on options for new regulations that would limit the delegation of development permits to minor proposals. Staff returned to Council with two proposed bylaws. One was set to rescind the existing bylaw. The second outlined the circumstances when a development permit would come to Council for a decision and when the power to issue a development permit would remain delegated to staff. [Read more]

Library status to change

It’s now just a matter of an Order in Council of the provincial government before Bowen’s community library officially becomes the Bowen Island Municipal Library.

Council has passed a bylaw endorsing the proposed status change. But first, the Ministry of Education will need to legally dissolve the Public Library Association before the new entity is borne. The Municipality expects that will happen before the end of the year.

Tina Nielsen, the chief librarian, commented on the impending changeover. “I am very happy to be realizing a dream begun by our former Board Chair Ross Carter. Bowen Island Library has expanded physically and in service capacity over 20 years and the move to municipal library status was the next logical step to continue our growth. We are all looking forward to working collaboratively and more closely with the municipality to ensure the development and success of our community library." [Read more]

Islands Trust Fund seeks to preserve Bowen's natural areas

Representatives of the Islands Trust Fund visited Bowen recently to talk about their work as a regional conservation land trust. Board members Louise Bell and Nerys Poole, who is also a councillor of the Bowen Island
Above photo: Singing Woods Nature Reserve
(Courtesy: Whitehead Consulting Ltd.)

Municipality, presented Council with an overview of how the Trust Fund is carrying out its mandate locally to preserve and protect lands of ecological significance and sensitivity. [Read more]

Council increases capital for upgrading roads

Navigating Bowen’s roadways may get easier now that the municipality has increased the capital upgrade program budget. Council recently passed a resolution in June adding $200,000 to the amount to be spent on annual expenditures for roadwork, bringing the annual total to $500,000. [Read more]

How to build an "Age-Friendly" community on Bowen

Council received an “Age Friendly Community Report” in June, presented by Faye White, outlining steps to take to make Bowen a better home for all. The Bowen Island Municipality received a grant from the Union of BC Municipalities to embark upon an assessment of how the island community fared in being aware and taking care of the needs of seniors, who represent approximately 13.6 % of the Bowen Island population. [Read more, or to download a copy of the report.]

Council and Islands Trust reps meet

Pictured above: From left Louise Bell, Denman Island, Peter Luckham, Thetis Island Gary Steeves, Alison Morse, Bob Turner, Nerys Poole, Doug Hooper, Sheila Malcolmson, Gabriola Island, Peter Frinton & David Wrinch.

Council and members of the Islands Trust Executive Committee held a joint meeting recently to talk about the relationship between Bowen and the provincial government body whose mandate to “preserve and protect” extends to the island municipality.

Linda Adams, Chief Administrative Officer gave Council a quick review of the process detailed in the Protocol Agreement linking the two jurisdictions under the Islands Trust Act. She noted that the Islands Trust has the authority to refuse approval of proposed amendments to the Official Community Plan submitted by BIM, if reasons are given, and only if there is belief that the provisions of the bylaw are contrary to or at variance with the IT Policy Statement. The municipality can also refer non-OCP bylaws to the Islands Trust for review and comment.

Mayor Bob Turner commented that in “pioneering a new governance model” Bowen has something to offer to the Trust. “We are struggling with issues that are germane and relevant to the Trust. We have produced some innovations here that are laudable."

The Mayor the executive committee members for visiting Bowen and reassured the guests that “Bowen Island takes very seriously its responsibilities within the Islands Trust. It’s a pleasure to meet more of the family.”