Home Blog Page 233

Q&A with Salt Spring Islands Trust candidates

Contributed Article
-
0
Q&A with Salt Spring Islands Trust candidates

The seven candidates for two Salt Spring Islands Trust seats responded to three questions posed by the Driftwood. The questions are:

1. What skills and experience do you have that would make you a good trustee?

2. If elected, what would be your top three priority areas during your term?  

3. Do you think the Islands Trust generally needs more legislative powers, and if so, for what purposes?

Ben Corno

1. I’m a good-willed and fair facilitator of discussion. I delight in learning new things, and I’m excited by the minutiae of public policy and the impact that it has on real people. I possess a great deal of empathy for anyone I’m talking with, and love to put myself in their shoes. I am lucky to have nurtured an expansive and pliable imagination, as well as an attention to detail. I have a strong need to have those details taken care of in the planning stages of any project.

2. First, promoting a conservation mindset to all residents, as well as trying to make conservation covenants more accessible for homeowners.

Second, taking care of the responsibilities of the job in good time, with care to devote to meaningful public consultation, and consistent, detailed communications. I will consider this a full-time job.

Third, identifying the best places for multi-family development on island, and being ready to be a hard-working, optimistic and flexible steward of those projects.

3. I feel that the Trust has sufficient legislative power at the local trust committee level, and that a modernization of our official community plan, as well as the Trust Policy Statement, is needed to give our community direction with regards to our conservation goals, as well as our community care goals.

To what degree the Trust Council should have increased legislative power, I am not yet sure of. I’m still learning, and that’s a great question to spur on my further learning.

———————————————————————————————–

Gary Gagné

1. The main skill that I possess is being a problem solver and peace keeper by nature. Seeing the big picture and thinking outside the box comes quite naturally to me. I have many years of volunteer service including my current position as vice chair of NSSWD. I worked on Climate Action Plan 2.0; on the board of Island Pathways, and their two committees, and worked in Africa on permaculture installations. I also sit on the Salt Spring Housing Council. My natural tendency to look for connection leads me to find ways to bring diverse groups together. Energy and passion included!

2. I am passionate about climate action and justice for all. My first priority would be to support the continuation of work begun on Maxwell Creek Watershed with regard to forest fire mitigation and wetland and forest restoration, with the eventual goal of expanding that resilience to all of Salt Spring. Regarding affordable worker housing, I have cost-effective and simple solutions that would enhance the quality of life and food security on the island. We also need to include Salt Spring in the Speculation and Vacancy Tax system and regulate STVRs. “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” includes housing as well.

3. It seems to me that governments generally have very little capacity to effectively use the powers they already do have, let alone waste staff time on trying to get new powers. The province needs to clarify that the purpose of the trust is to protect the natural environment, not the built environment. A useful aid in connecting with that purpose and with nature more deeply can be found in guidance from our Indigenous Elders and discovering the true value of life, not dead things (money, devices). This is the path most likely to get us out of our current pickle.

——————————————————————————————–

Don Marcotte and Jamie Harris, running as a slate

1. We feel our decades of knowledge on how the Islands Trust works, along with our deep understanding of how the Islands Trust has had a negative impact on our community as a whole, will make us great trustees. Also, our business experience and established relationships would assist us greatly in our roles as trustees.

2. Addressing the ever-increasing workforce housing crisis by working as fast as we possibly can to make provisions for ownership housing for workers and their families will be our first and foremost priority.

Secondly, we would work towards reducing the Trust’s budget, by working with other elected trustees to aggressively get the Islands Trust performing efficiently and effectively to meet our communities’ objectives.

Thirdly, we would work together with other governmental agencies and associations to focus on the much-needed managing of our watersheds and conservancy lands, to improve the overall condition of these areas while reducing the growing wildfire risk.

3. We absolutely do NOT think the Islands Trust needs more legislative power. If anything, we feel the Islands Trust’s bid for more power has been a huge waste of time, money and a gross overreach, as there are already other governmental agencies in place heavily regulating the areas the Trust wishes to gain control in.

——————————————————————————————–

Jenny McClean

1. I do know people on Salt Spring Island from all walks of life, and have a vision of how to create a community that works out for many types of people. I have been following the politics on Salt Spring Island for a long time, and I know about the different groups and what people here are working to have built, and what they are concerned about protecting. I do read land use documents connected to Salt Spring as a personal hobby and I am aware of how things are run and what the issues are.

2. My top three priorities would be housing that serves families; learning about the aquifers, and their capacity and applying that knowledge to land use, and planning for the community we will have in the future.

3. I do not believe that the Islands Trust can take on more legislative powers without a lot of public outcry. I would have to see if the public overwhelmingly wishes for the Islands Trust to have more legislative power before I would even say anything like that.

——————————————————————————————

Laura Patrick

1. The issues the Trust has to deal with are complex and have interdependencies with other government bodies. As a newly elected representative it takes time to get your feet under you and understand how things work, what the policy purview of each government body is and, most importantly, how to get things done within that framework. I now have one term under my belt and can hit the ground running with all that learning AND all those relationships with other levels of government already in hand. I bring a balance of honesty and compassion to the role of trustee. I am not dogmatic. I really do care about the consequences of the decisions I make.

2. Work initiated in my first term must continue to meet the challenges of climate change, the housing crisis, and walking the talk on reconciliation with First Nations. For example, I would:

• develop a multi-agency housing strategy and action plan that ensures all future development on Salt Spring is delivering the housing our community actually needs and is built with climate change adaptation in mind.

• build respectful relationships and work in trust with the many First Nations that wish to be involved in ensuring the well-being of our island for future generations.

3. Not necessarily, although the provincial review of the Islands Trust’s mandate, governance and structure will ultimately daylight opportunities to the act. The fact is, the Trust hasn’t fully utilized the powers it already has, and I believe we need to use these powers to coordinate the various government entities that share responsibility for addressing issues on our island like housing, equitable water resource use and watershed protection.

——————————————————————————————–

Elissa Poole

1. Dedication, civility, compromise and perseverance are essential for any work that involves people, projects and problem-solving. These aren’t skills so much as character traits, but they’ve informed how I’ve approached an array of skilled professions. I’ve been a classical musician, journalist, editor and university teacher; I ran two ensembles, found the financing to produce their CDs and concert series, and am now working with conservationists to save an island forest and wetland. I’ve acquired new skills with each of these activities. So I’m not daunted by the immense work that will be required to carry out the Trust’s duties. I have great respect for other people’s expertise, I would never hesitate to ask for advice, and I finish what I start.

2. The Trust was founded with the explicit aim of preserving and protecting the environment. A priority is reviewing the draft Policy Statement to ensure that this original mandate is clarified and strengthened throughout, and that it addresses the climate crisis in a way that values the health and security of all life on the islands. All other priorities fall in line with this one: the housing crisis, transparency in the Trust’s process, protecting coastal Douglas-fir eco-systems and watersheds.

3. Maintaining a protected area in the middle of an intensely developed urban region requires funding and cooperation at all levels. The Trust Act must be tightened, along with the Trust Policy Statement, the official community plan and the bylaws, to ensure that the Islands Trust’s top priority is to protect the natural environment. That does not exclude other objectives. We need provincial and First Nations representation on Trust Council (recommended by the Governance Review Report); and the province must provide funding and legislative tools for implementing coastal Douglas-fir protection through development permit areas, for enforcement of bylaws and addressing our housing crisis.

CRD rolls out local active transportation survey

Driftwood Staff
-
0
CRD rolls out local active transportation survey

Input sought on pedestrian, bicycle network

If you walk or wheel on Salt Spring, the Capital Regional District (CRD) wants to hear from you.

An online survey is open until midnight Oct. 24, as part of an island-wide planning process to create a new Active Transportation Network Plan (ATNP) for Salt Spring Island. Active transportation refers to human-powered forms of travel, from walking and wheelchair travel to biking and skateboarding, fully or part-way to and from a destination or bus stop.

The ATNP will focus on both walkability in Ganges as well as active transportation connectivity island-wide, according to the CRD, in an effort to develop options to improve safety, accessibility and convenience. 

The online engagement stems from a community consultation held at an Ideas Fair during the Saturday Market in August, and seeks to identify current active transportation network, conditions and gaps. Information provided during the process will inform a list of actions, recommendations, and top priorities; a second survey will be available later this fall, according to the CRD, where islanders will be asked to provide feedback on those draft actions, recommendations and priorities.

When complete, Salt Spring Island’s ATNP will identify a small number of priority projects which will inform the budget and planning work for funding applications; the ATNP will build upon the 2013 SSI Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan, and will be informed by learnings from the Ganges Village Area Plan process.

To participate in the survey, share ideas, and provide input through an interactive map, visit the website: getinvolved.crd.bc.ca/ssi-active-transportation-network before 11:59 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24.

Local community commission referendum: a plethora of opinions

Contributed Article
-
1
Local community commission referendum: a plethora of opinions

Below are letters to the editor and longer opinion submissions to recent Driftwood publications on the topic of the Salt Spring Local Community Commission.

LCC concept supported

By DARLENE GAGE

I want to add my support for the local community commission (LCC) proposal, which Salt Springers will be able to vote on during the referendum at the upcoming October elections.

As someone who is often trying to organize community projects, I’ve seen first-hand what our siloed governance system can do to a good idea. While I don’t think any government system is perfect, I do believe that having diverse voices elected to represent a variety of viewpoints, cultures, ages, economic classes and genders produces more complex thinking and decisions. Something our community and our planet desperately need right now.

I also think an LCC gets us closer to what many of us would like to see on Salt Spring — more truly “local” decisions and priorities. Diverse representation on an LCC means we’ll have more people to talk to about our needs and concerns, which then translates to direct influence on the outcomes. Is this a perfect solution? Likely not. Is it good enough for now, and safe enough to try? I say yes.

———————————————

New governance decision should not be rushed

By CHRIS DIXON

We’re being asked to consider establishing a local community commission (LCC) for Salt Spring Island, and to vote for or against the idea in October.  There’s a hitch, of course.

In the same way that voting for a new fire hall also meant quietly giving our old fire hall to the CRD, this current question isn’t just about whether we want an LCC; it is about deciding whether we want an LCC that is managed by an unelected, unaccountable CRD in Victoria. 

For me personally, the question is whether an LCC that is administered by the CRD is something I truly want. As a former CRD commissioner, I will vote no.

A recent paper authored by Linda Adams, Richard Kerr and Brian Webster suggests that we could benefit from establishing an LCC; that four locally elected CRD commissioners could deliver an enhanced level of participation in decisions that are currently made in Victoria. 

Words like “more democratic, more accessible, more streamlined, more transparent and accountable” appear early in the document, but these theoretical benefits are conditional; the issue being one of delegated authority. Success hinges on whether the CRD will actually allow people they don’t control to make decisions for themselves. How the CRD treats its commissioners is an important question.

In response to a recent governance study of the North Salt Spring Waterworks District (NSSWD), the CRD indicates that they are not prepared to delegate authority to elected local representatives of NSSWD ratepayers. How is an elected local community commission different?

The LCC report makes the distinction that LCC commissioners will be elected rather than appointed. It casts shade on appointed commissioners, (page 12), suggesting that they might “lack the time, experience or knowledge to contribute effectively to decision-making.” Really? Would the four elected LCC commissioners be drawn from a different gene pool?

At any given time, Salt Spring Island has 30 or 40 CRD commissioners; over the years, we have likely had a few hundred citizens serve our community as commissioners. This large, diverse and committed group of individuals represents a wealth of hands-on experience in dealing with the CRD.  

Hearing their opinion of the CRD would elevate today’s LCC conversation from the hypothetical to the factual. It concerns me that their voice has not been heard.

I would like to see every current and past CRD commissioner on Salt Spring formally interviewed by an intelligent, independent local person, who would then report on the issues and concerns that our CRD commissioners face. We should all have this information before we’re asked to vote.

The CRD argues that it is too expensive to have a separate referendum on the LCC idea. Based on their $7-million annual requisition spread over 50 five-day weeks, the CRD costs us something like $28,000 per day, and establishing a CRD/LCC is a decision we’ll only make once.

If a CRD/LCC is a good idea today, it will still be a good idea in three months, or six months or a year from now. Rushing to include the LCC in this next round of voting is a mistake. 

Islanders are not well served by rushing a decision of this magnitude. The LCC question should be removed from the ballot until we have good factual information to support our decision. The urgency of the current process reflects poorly on its proponents.

The writer is a former member of the CRD’s Cedar Lane Water Service Commission and a current NSSWD trustee.

—————————————————————————————

LCC too expensive

By BOB MOFFATT

One major item missing (understandably) from the recent 2023 CRD provisional budget is the cost of a local community commission (LCC).

Costs of an LCC were also missing from the discussion paper prepared by three local authors for the CRD director. Additionally, there has been no information on costs in the numerous opinion pieces appearing frequently in the Driftwood. What has been advanced is that costs will be minimal, or close to “cost neutral.”

The LCC cost details were finally outlined in a July 13, 2022 supplementary document prepared by CRD staff for the Electoral Area Services Committee during consideration of bylaws 4507 and 4508.

The preliminary estimate for additional staffing, elections, remuneration, equipment, software and reserves is the equivalent of over $14,000 a month, not including one-time costs of $60,000 for the subsequent election (if the referendum is successful). If the preliminary amount in the staff report is followed, the total amount over the first four-year term will reach close to $750,000.

This is a shocking amount for an experimental CRD commission with marginal utility and no exclusive legislative or budgetary authority while the head office of the CRD remains in Victoria.

Instead of saving or at least neutralizing costs for hard-hit taxpayers as originally proposed, an LCC could increase them significantly. There are many reasons why an LCC should be rejected, but the excessive cost to taxpayers is certainly a key one.

—————————————————————————————

Letter overstated LCC cost

By GARY HOLMAN

Recent statements regarding the taxpayer cost of an elected CRD Local Community Commission (LCC) are greatly exaggerated. Beside the one time cost of an election in 2023 (thereafter held as part of local government elections), each of the four commissioners would receive modest stipends of $10,000/year. This is justified because these commissioners will oversee 14 local CRD services, including those now administered by four appointed CRD commissions, to be dissolved. This compares to salaries of $15-$17,000 for councillors in municipalities with similar populations as Salt Spring, but who are also responsible for land use, roads and policing.

There will be some minor annual costs for commissioner laptops and software, but these costs can be largely offset by a $5,000/yr provincial grant for LCCs, and current surpluses in the CRD Director’s budget. It is premature to speculate about any additional staff support for the LCC before it is even created, particularly given staff time savings resulting from dissolving four existing CRD commissions. Finally, it is elected officials who make such decisions, and I’ve repeatedly stated I won’t support additional admin staff for the LCC.

———————————————-

Ample time

By GARY HOLMAN

In his submission to the Driftwood last week, Chris Dixon urges delaying until next term the already organized referendum on an elected local community commission (LCC), despite additional taxpayer costs of $60,000. He complains we’re rushing voters, even though I announced the referendum in early January, and several published studies, including a detailed LCC discussion paper I commissioned, are publicly available.

I also formed an LCC Advisory Committee in March to consider community input and make recommendations to CRD (also publicly released) regarding the LCC. CRD published the LCC bylaws in early July, meaning that by Oct. 15, voters will have had three months to review the bylaws, and vote on them after nine months of studies, dozens of town halls/articles/editorials and lively social media and election debates.

Mr. Dixon won’t discuss the merits of an elected LCC, like increasing elected CRD representation and accountability, he’s just stalling. For the record, the CRD is proposing the same delegated authority to the LCC as for the North Salt Spring Waterworks District, but this time voters will actually get to decide.

————————————————-

LCC misrepresented in Moffatt letter

By BRIAN WEBSTER

Bob Moffatt’s latest anti-LCC letter (Sept. 21 Driftwood) shows that he has run short on points to criticize the proposed Salt Spring Local Community Commission.

In March, Mr. Moffatt wrote that an LCC would be another layer of government. Untrue, as the proposal calls for it to replace four existing commissions. He suggested the CRD would never delegate significant authority to an LCC. Wrong, as the bylaws call for full administrative authority over 11 local government services (plus oversight of three others) to pass from the CRD Board to the Salt Spring LCC.

Mr. Moffatt claimed that each LCC commissioner would be paid “as much as $40,000 a year.” Nope. It’s about a quarter of that.

He said this kind of delegation was untested. Oops . . . no. The CRD has long had five other commissions with similarly delegated powers.

He even expressed concern on social media that LCC commissioners would need the same qualifications to run as an electoral area director (you need to be Canadian, at least 18, a B.C. resident for six months and not prohibited due to being in prison or other reasons). Umm . . . almost all Salt Springers meet those qualifications.

Now Mr. Moffatt has “exposed” a staff report (it’s been publicly available for more than two months) estimating costs for staff support to the LCC. That report was speculative and didn’t include savings from eliminating four current commissions. More importantly, by creating a single, elected local council with the power to set budget proposals at open public meetings (that’s what an LCC is), our community will be able to make tough budget choices out in the open, potentially generating savings far in excess of the costs estimated in the staff report.

The bottom line is that fixed costs for the LCC will include the stipend for LCC commissioners (estimated at a total of $40,000 for four local commissioners) and approximately $15,000 per year set aside to cover an election in the event of a resignation. With the $5,000 per year from the province, the total annual fixed costs of an LCC will be $50,000.

Any additional costs will need to be approved in open public meetings by the elected LCC. If commissioners don’t manage taxpayer dollars frugally, they can be tossed out of office at the next election. That’s how democracy works.

Clearly, Mr. Moffatt will find fault with any proposal other than municipal incorporation and prefers to stick with our current flawed system while waiting for another incorporation referendum.

I think most Salt Springers don’t want to wait any longer. They want to act now to bring more voices to local government decision-making, improve coordination of services and enhance local control. All of which we will get if we vote yes to a Salt Spring LCC.

The writer is a Salt Spring farmer, business owner and former PARC commissioner who helped develop the LCC discussion paper.

—————————————————————-

Sensible choice

By DAVID BORROWMAN

I very much hope that voters will approve the proposed bylaw to establish a local community commission for Salt Spring when we go to the polls on Oct. 15.

When the Trust was created in 1974, a kind of bargain was struck between the province and southern Gulf Islands. Environmentally mandated local government would be established in the region and the islands would be separated from the standard form of municipal local government. The latter, for good or for ill, presumes endless development as the principal funder of local government. I have previously called this the municipal treadmill. Typically, local planning takes a poor back seat to economic development. The Trust area got a reprieve from that model in the Trust legislation.  But the bargain came at a cost: local government would be very narrow in scope and limited in powers. Hence the understandable wish for the additional authority, and risks and costs, which come with municipal government, from islanders who would not necessarily like to see runaway development, but would like to see greater local authority, and a wider range of locally elected representatives. We of course all know that the municipal model has been defeated at referendum, twice, most recently in 2017. 

The LCC, using existing legislation, is a sensible and logical addition of  local authority and elected representation, while keeping government small and proportional to the island.  In addition to the list of authorities it would manage, it would mean a five member panel of elected folks, who would earn the confidence of the voters and carry considerable heft within the CRD, by far our largest local government presence.

———————————————– 

More info wanted

By CHRIS DIXON

Gary Holman is clearly confused by my Sept. 14 opinion piece which asks for a second opinion on how a CRD/LCC might function.

I expressed no opinion on the merits of an LCC. I suggest that there is a large and experienced group of people on this island today who have insights, based on personal experience, that could clarify the relationship between CRD Victoria and commissioners on Salt Spring Island. I have asked for more information than we get from the pro-LCC cheerleaders. It would take some time and a certain integrity to collect and present this information. It might cost some money to make our LCC decision based on a broader range of facts, but it would inevitably be a better decision.

You’d think a CRD director would welcome and support a process that delivers a balanced picture of the CRD/commissioner relationship; indeed the CRD might learn as much as the electors.

———————————————-

CRD needs to answer outstanding LCC questions

By CURT FIRESTONE

Everybody believes that a democratically elected government is better than an appointed government. Equally, we all know that a government without proper resources or with overly restrictive regulations has trouble truly being democratic.

The CRD’s proposed local community commission (LCC) is a new government structure for a community of over 12,000 without a municipal government. Yet, we are missing many “nuts and bolts” as we are asked to decide if the referendum fits Salt Spring Island. The proposed LCC leaves the details concerning resources and regulations for future CRD development.

Incumbent CRD director Gary Holman on several occasions said that our community would have plenty of opportunities to discuss the CRD referendum after it was adopted by the CRD Board on July 13. Now, we are one week before the advance polls open without a CRD-hosted public forum open to all residents. Therefore I have decided to ask my 10 questions in the Driftwood and I am asking the CRD to respond in next week’s Driftwood.

Karla Campbell, Salt Spring Island CRD manager, told the CRD Board that there will be one-time costs of $70,000 and on-going expenses of $168,600/year for an LCC. The two largest costs would be $106,110 for 48 hours of staff time per week and $40,000 for paying the four commissioners.

1. Will the 48 hours of available staff time come from existing Salt Spring Island staff or will the LCC commissioners be able to hire new employees to meet its staff requirements?

2. What are the five-year projections for annual fiscal increases and contingencies?

The proposed bylaw states that “The LCC shall hold a regular meeting once per month.” If so, that means the LCC will meet less often than the current four advisory commissions.

3. How can the LCC do the work of the four current commissions plus all the other newly assigned requirements with only one meeting per month?

4. Will the LCC meet at a time and place when most working members of the public may participate?

5. What happens when the LCC and staff have differing positions on an issue? Will the LCC, as elected representatives, always prevail or is the matter referred to the full CRD Board for a decision?

6. If there is an LCC vacancy, what is the provision for electing a replacement?

7. Four advisory commissions will be terminated, if we create a LCC. They consist of many volunteer commissioners with valuable expertise. May the LCC have committees, CRD staffed, whose membership includes community volunteers?

9. Gary Holman has stated that if we need addendums to the LCC bylaws, we will have another referendum for that purpose. Karla Campbell has recommended $60,000 for an election expense. Is the decision to send changes by referendum to the voters made by the CRD Board in Victoria?

10. MLA Adam Olsen announced at the Sept. 2 ASK Salt Spring gathering that he has been working with the Minister of Municipal Affairs on a “process that could honestly look at what is working on Salt Spring, what is not, and what governance solutions are possible. An outcome for Adam would be a structure in which Salt Springers align on values and priorities and have the local resources to implement many of them.”

Should our community set aside the LCC until we learn what develops from Adam’s effort assisting us in finding an improved governance structure?

I hope that Gary Holman or CRD staff will reply to these 10 questions. Those answers could help voters to better understand the nuts and bolts of the LCC referendum proposal before they vote either yes or no.

———————————————————–

Reasons to vote yes for a Salt Spring Local Community Commission

By RICHARD KERR

Voting “yes” to create an elected local community commission (LCC) would open the door to significant improvements in control and delivery of local government services.

If we vote for an LCC, it will have administrative authority over almost all island-wide CRD services, including parks and recreation, transit and transportation, liquid waste disposal, economic development and grants-in-aid. The existing appointed commissions for these services are advisory only. They would be replaced by an elected LCC with real decision-making powers.

The LCC would initially have authority over services with operating costs of $4.7 million and capital expenditures of $3.8 million in 2022.

The LCC would also oversee property tax amounts for the library, search and rescue, ArtSpring, and Salt Spring Arts — more than $800,000 in 2022.

The establishment bylaw would allow our CRD director to consult the LCC on any local matters, including all undelegated services.

Some current members of existing advisory commissions may run to become elected LCC commissioners. If elected, they would bring their expertise and experience. The LCC could also use the expertise of former advisory commission members and others by creating specific advisory groups. The LCC would also get advice directly from the public at regular open meetings. Such input could be encouraged by providing timely information on forthcoming decisions. An LCC could thus provide broader, locally elected decision-making informed by continued community input.

LCC commissioners could take on “portfolios” and develop expertise in specific areas (transportation, parks and recreation etc.). The LCC could assign commissioners to liaise with other organizations whose work affects its responsibilities, e.g. Islands Trust, SSI Fire-Rescue, North Salt Spring Waterworks, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and its local roads contractor, the RCMP, etc. This knowledge would be shared with fellow commissioners to guide collective decision-making in the areas of delegated authority.

The four elected LCC commissioners would each receive an annual stipend of $10,000. This $40,000 cost would be a tiny fraction of the operating and capital budgets overseen by the LCC.

Four elected LCC commissioners and our CRD director should be able to scrutinize proposed expenditures more effectively than in the past and prune lower-priority spending. With a five-member elected LCC, budgets for our CRD services will reflect broader community perspectives than having the CRD director alone making these decisions.

Consolidation of existing island-wide advisory commissions should provide significant efficiencies. Together with potential reallocation of local CRD resources, this could help offset additional administrative expenses. The province provides LCCs with $5,000 annually toward costs. Our LCC could seek a grant increase in line with its responsibilities – which would be much greater than in the smaller communities that receive such grants.

Once the LCC has proved successful in administering the initially-delegated services, it could ask the CRD Board to delegate more responsibilities. Voter approval would be required for any new services – a degree of voter control that does not exist in municipalities.

Currently, two of our most successful CRD-funded services (library and recycling) are delivered under contract with local non-profits. Under an LCC, this approach could potentially allow fire and water improvement districts to be restructured as non-profits delivering services under contract to the LCC. This would retain on-island decision-making while providing eligibility for federal and provincial grants (for which improvement districts are not eligible). Any such changes would require voter approval.

The LCC’s delegated authority should be expanded as soon as possible to include the allocation of federal gas tax funding, $1.2 million in 2021. This allocation is now effectively decided by the Salt Spring CRD director alone.

In recent decades, Salt Spring has had two referenda on municipal incorporation and both times this option was rejected. The province is unlikely to consider this again in the foreseeable future. Regardless of our views on municipal incorporation, many Salt Springers have expressed dissatisfaction with what is seen as a confusing, fragmented and sometimes inefficient delivery of local government services, combined with a lack of accessible, democratic decision-making and local control. An LCC could help address some of the current weaknesses, while avoiding concerns about municipal incorporation: excessive roads and policing costs and potential over-development.

The demands on Salt Spring’s CRD director have grown beyond the capabilities of even the most hard-working and competent individual. By sharing this load, an LCC could help us have much more effective, representative, and electorally accountable local governance. Let’s give it a try! The risks are low and the potential benefits are great.

The writer is an economist who has served on two CRD advisory commissions and as alternate electoral area director. He was also on the 1999-2002 Salt Spring Island Local Government Restructure Study Committee and was a co-author of the 2022 LCC Options and Recommendations report.

—————————————————————

LCC proposal should be rejected

By BOB MOFFATT

The CRD director and a few colleagues have touted the benefits of an impractical device called a local community commission (LCC). Interestingly, but not surprisingly, there has been virtually no interest from the public. 

This has led to the process resulting in the CRD’s recent approval of a referendum on Oct. 15. The process has fallen short of what might be expected of a local government undertaking. Instead of engaging an experienced third-party professional to undertake an unbiased review of an LCC, for example, three local LCC supporters were ironically given the task.

The paper omitted items that would allow residents to understand the full picture. There were no details on the costs to implement and operate an LCC. There was also no explanation on the status and functionality of the handful of LCCs in existence. And, in particular, there were no details regarding the legal relationship with their respective regional districts. 

It was also disconcerting to learn that the general public would be barred from attending or observing meetings between the advisory committee and the CRD. This was egregious and undemocratic. The public were also left in the dark about the committee’s role as there were no published terms of reference or job description. 

The facts are that residents learned what an LCC actually was on July 8, two business days before it was voted on (July 13) by the CRD board. Until then, the LCC was largely a fictional creation similar to the example in the discussion paper. 

Residents were given no notice or time to consider whether the LCC warranted a referendum or not. The enabling and delegation bylaws were rammed through the CRD board in the interests of expediency rather than respect for the interests of islanders. It was neither fair nor democratic.

The LCC is an expensive structure for what it’s supposed to be and do. It’s a commission after all, with no similarity to a municipal council as proponents frequently mention. It has no regulatory or exclusive legal authority to create bylaws for example, the most common way a municipal council is able to legislate policy to get things done. 

It also has no staff or employees or independent control over human resources such as hiring or firing. These and overall financial accountability rest with the CRD board through the chief administrative officer, not the members of the LCC. The island will continue to have one individual (the CRD director) who will remain our sole electoral representative on the 24 member CRD board.

The island is facing many complex, critical issues that will continue to escalate and impact island life and taxpayers’ pocket books. The LCC will have no hands-on control over most of these areas including the new firehall and fire/rescue services, North Salt Spring Waterworks District and associated water systems, housing, the Ganges village plans, the official community plan and of course roads, policing and land use, all the responsibility of other agencies. 

The CRD has offloaded many functional activities staff would typically be responsible for in a normal jurisdiction and that infrequently come to the attention of a governing council. Additionally, among other things, the CRD has thrown in miscellaneous functions like street lighting and determination of compensation for livestock injury by dogs. 

It makes no sense to elect four new commissioners along with the excessive costs to perform the same tasks that dozens of experienced volunteer commissioners are managing perfectly well at virtually no cost. An LCC will not save taxpayers a dime or deliver services more effectively than they are now. 

An LCC has very little to do with the critical features of island governance and will end up serving as a sandbox for a handful of elected officials to play at governance. It’s an amateurish, costly distraction not fit for purpose for a large electoral area with 12,000 residents. I urge residents to reject it on Oct. 15. 

______________________________________________________________________________________

An important island decision

By MARY RICHARDSON

How very fortunate I feel to have the chance to say my two cents about the upcoming Salt Spring election on Oct. 15. Many of you will have heard about the new option for governance we have: a local community commission. For what it’s worth, I think it’s the right choice for our island.

After five years as chair of the CRD Liquid Waste Commission (LWC), and a couple of years as alternate director for Gary Holman, I think an LCC could go a long way toward helping manage how we govern.

Perhaps the biggest advantage I see is the wider perspective that the five commissioners will have. As chair of the LWC, I had no idea what the other commissions were doing, or how much work the staff had on their plates related to the other commissions. This meant that I didn’t know what was fair to expect the staff to do and what sort of timeline made sense.

Most people don’t realize that LWC commissioners are trying to implement a way to save hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly by treating or dewatering our septic sludge rather than shipping it all off island. Our commission obviously thinks this should be a priority, but we aren’t aware of all the other issues that need to be dealt with. Because the LCC will be on top of ALL the projects on Salt Spring, they can view the larger picture and decide the priorities for staff to implement.

Another advantage will be the chance for more public input. For example, our LWC only meets twice a year, and rarely does the public attend. With the LCC meeting monthly and discussing lots of issues, hopefully the public will be more interested in participating. If more taxpayers attend the monthly meetings there can be greater involvement at the citizen level.

Please become informed and add your vote on Oct. 15.

The writer is alternate CRD director and chair of the SSI Liquid Waste Commission.

________________________________________________________________________________

Former CRD manager voting yes

By KEES RUURS

As a former senior employee of the Capital Regional District, I am well aware of the shortcomings of the current governance system of the CRD.

As the residents of Salt Spring Island have recently twice rejected an incorporation referendum, becoming a municipality will not be an option for years to come. I believe that a local community commission is the next best thing and certainly an improvement over the current system.

I will be voting “yes” on the LCC referendum question in the local election this week.

The writer is the former senior manager for the CRD on Salt Spring.

We can do better

By WAYNE GLOVER

From the time of the governance working group established four years ago, I have watched as the concept of a local community commission (LCC) for Salt Spring has been developed, improved and adapted for use here. This is a genuine opportunity for Salt Springers to make a significant improvement to the way that services are provided and in how we are governed.

A large portion of our tax dollars goes to the CRD for the provision of services on Salt Spring. It does not make sense to me that decisions about the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars are largely overseen by one individual — our CRD director — with many of these decisions made out of the eye of the community. A Salt Spring LCC will expand that decision-making base to five fully elected members (a CRD director and four local commissioners) where these decisions will be made in open meetings. Decisions will be made by consensus or majority vote. There is no veto power in the model that Salt Spring is being asked to support.

One thing that Salt Springers can agree on is that the current system is very flawed. There are priorities that are not within the scope of the existing volunteer commissions. Too many important projects — like the long-stalled harbour walk — simply fall through the cracks of the current siloed system. An LCC will collaboratively make island-wide action priorities in open meetings that will welcome Islanders’ input as it is overseeing expenditures.

It is time to bring decision making about local Salt Spring services into the open. It is time for all Salt Springers to have more of a say in the priorities here in our community. As I work in my volunteer capacities with various organizations on island, I will know where to go to have my issues addressed. It is a step in the right direction to fixing what is currently wrong.

If you are happy with the status quo, then a no vote is the choice you will make. If you think that we can do better in addressing our own issues, you really have to vote YES to the LCC.

——————————————————————————————-

Flaws can be fixed

By DARRYL MARTIN

During the years I served as alternate to CRD director Wayne McIntyre I gained some insight into how the current CRD system works, and saw some major flaws. I strongly support the coming referendum for a local community commission (LCC) as it would help fix those flaws.

One flaw is that the numerous separate commissions can make recommendations for action, but local CRD staff, led by someone who lives elsewhere, set priorities. That is, they make the decision on which actions will get done in a particular year and which won’t. The LCC would have the power to set priorities for the staff, a huge improvement.

Another flaw is that with only one elected position available it is impossible to have both a man and a woman making the decision; or a north-ender and a south-ender. A five-person LCC would make it possible to fix that, and elect a more diverse group.

The third flaw is that the single director is not allowed to have any help reporting to him/her directly, so when the interest of staff and the interest of islanders diverge, it is one individual up against a large well-funded bureaucracy. The LCC would make a dent in that problem by providing four elected people to help research and think through the myriad of issues that we face.

One other point: I am confident that the newly LCC commissioners would recognize the value of the expertise of our volunteers. They would quickly set up informal groups to retain their incredible knowledge without the encumbrances and costs of the current staff-supported commission system.

The writer is former alternate CRD director and past chair of the CRD economic development commission.

PERRING, Ronald Bertram

Driftwood Obituary
-
0
PERRING, Ronald Bertram

1942 – 2022.

Ronald Perring died peacefully on July 8, 2022 in Lady Minto Hospital. He was fighting cancer for two years and had suffered unbearable pain for several months. In the middle of May he was told by his oncologist there was nothing more that could be done for him. Ron went into hospital on May 25th when it became obvious that he could no longer be cared for at home. His quality of live was diminishing so he made the decision to put an end to the pain and signed up for M.A.i.D. (Medical Assistance in Dying).

Ron Perring was born in England and grew up in Acton with his sister Laraine and his brother Victor. In 1967 he came to visit Canada with a friend and decided to stay. He started in Ontario and made his way west over the next couple of years. He arrived in Vancouver at a time when things were ‘happening’ and he soon made lots of friends. Ron met Doris St Germain in 1971 and they were together for 51 years, living in Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver and the last 30 years on Salt Spring Island.

In 1992 he went to England when his mother died, and reconnected with his daughter Katherine Perring and a few years later met his granddaughter Phoebe Person.

He was an amazing man that could turn his hand to whatever was needed. He was never bored and was always working on some project. He learned welding in England, but took up roofing in Vancouver with his very good friend John Warren. In the 80’s Ron was the president of the BC Dart Association, so he decided to make darts and obtained a metal lathe, then taught himself how to operate it. After moving to Salt Spring in 1992, he wanted to build a shop and studied everything about timber framing, which lead to building three others on the island. He became a sawyer and operated a portable sawmill, cutting lumber for many island folk. Ron loved all kinds of wood and received many calls from friends who needed fallen trees cut up or removed – many pieces of which ended up in his shop for some future project. He recently took an interest in bee keeping, which lead him to building bee boxes.

Playing guitar was one of his hobbies, so of course Ron had to make them. He made acoustic guitars, electric guitars, cigar box guitars and banjos. For many years he enjoyed playing music and singing with his friends Avril Kirby and Ron Miville. They were the Backyard Band and played for tennis club parties, friend’s events, and just together as music lovers. Ron was a member of the Salt Spring Tennis Association for years and played every Monday morning with his friends, as well as whenever a spare was needed.

One of his projects was the restoration of a sports car that he could not finish, despite trying for 28 years. He joined a group of other car enthusiasts hoping for help to get it done, but his health did not allow it and he sold it to one of the group. Ron had a special event on June 30th when his car group, the Crank Cases, along with the Salt Spring Cruisers, did a drive by for him around the hospital. The nurses rolled his hospital bed outside and parked it in the ambulance bay. He was happy to see his bright red 1959 MGA fully restored – he was smiling and enjoying the parade.

Ron felt he was extremely lucky to live on Salt Spring Island where he was so well looked after by the staff of Lady Minto Hospital and by the Community Health Services Nurses. On his appointed day, just before the doctor started the infusion, he asked if he could sing a little ditty. Then he started singing the first few lines of Into the Mystic. His passing was peaceful and we had to let him go just as he wanted. He is sadly missed by everyone who knew and loved him.

‘Let your soul and spirit fly ..… Into the mystic’

Horoscope for Oct. 8 – 14 by Michael O’Connor

Contributed Article
-
0
Horoscope for Oct. 8 – 14 by Michael O’Connor

TIP OF THE WEEK: The Sun in mid-stride through Libra will largely manifest as a harmonious time, thanks in part to Venus also in Libra. When a planet is in its own sign, it is optimal in terms of the synchronicities it contributes to. This is especially true if it is the only planet in its own sign. Yet Mercury in Virgo, which is its own ruling sign (along with Gemini), now direct as of October 2 after its 3-week retrograde cycle, is competing for the spotlight. Although subtle, this will produce an element of critical thinking into the otherwise beauty and harmony-oriented Venus. Saturn in Aquarius and Neptune in Pisces are also in their own signs, further disrupting the emphasis. Lovely autumn colors and harvest abundance vying with the ravages of the recent record breaking storms on the shores of the Atlantic is an apt expression of this ironic disruption of planetary influences, with each pulling attention from the center to their own respective corner, as it were.

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Love is in the air and your energy levels are running high as well. You might almost think it is spring… Casting a critical eye upon matters meanwhile, could have an intercepting effect, unless you direct it towards strategies that include all the trimmings and finer touches.

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20)

While some are swooning in romantic reverie, your focus is directed towards more practical projects. Tending to repairs, preparing for winter and making improvements are all likely activities. At deeper levels, you are pushing to make moves that matter to remain a step ahead of looming uncertainties.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 21)

An animated and playful mood is lingering. Some of your focus has likely been towards home improvements, but that will end this week. Romantic interests will also rise noticeably. If fun and games is not your style, perhaps artistic activity is. But you can have it all as with having a party and inviting special guests.

Cancer (Jun 22 – Jul 22)

Home sweet home is the sentiment on your mind. On the other hand, the theme may be more about sweat than the sweetness of idle leisure. Getting things done implies a busy time behind the scenes, which is quite likely. Use this week to strategize and measure twice to cut once, since you will get right into it soon.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 23)

Changes in your public and professional life and status are influencing your perspectives, and the opposite is also true. Despite a somewhat rebellious impulse of late, you have also been inclined towards deeper reflection and casting a constructively critical eye upon both external affairs and internal interpretations.

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 22)

Building upon dreams continues. This has and continues to include practical considerations. A careful review of what is both desired and required for the sake of good home economics is featured. Although certain indulgences would tickle your fancy, attending to the real work will light your fire.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

The time has come to take new leads and strides. In the very short term, this may be more a matter of thinking and planning as you exchange thoughts and ideas with significant others. This will also allow you to rest and you will be happy you did because you will take more deliberate action soon.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

The emphasis on rest and retreat not only continues, it will deepen this week. Focus to take a break from outer business, as well as being busy in your mind along with all the emotional triggers it includes. Perhaps it is best to step back for a while. Simply allow yourself to be. If you do anything, just count your blessings.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Getting in touch with why you are you, and why you think, feel and act as you do is extra important now. This can be described as getting in touch with your truth. Summoning the courage to think and act accordingly while making every effort not to cave to inauthentic outer social pressures will bring rewards and blessings.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Getting a new kind of attention is important now. This will likely include new strategies of approach. If what you have been doing has not produced desired results, simply try another approach. Flexibility is a cornerstone of personal power and the more you can authentically adapt, the better.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 19)

Seeing a bigger picture is important now. This will likely include changes in your habitual perspectives, which has been underway for several weeks already. Recognize that much of what we believe and perceive is linked to feeling secure. There is nothing objective about such subjective feelings.

Pisces (Feb 20 – Mar 20) 

The changes underway for you now can be described as shedding old skins. The results of this process can prove restorative and rejuvenating, despite the efforts required. Yet, even the effort simply includes patiently letting go of the illusion of control because resistance is futile, after all.

SPENCER, Margaret

Driftwood Obituary
-
0
SPENCER, Margaret

Peacefully, on October 14, 2022 in Vancouver, aged 90 with family at her side. Predeceased by her husband David Spencer, Margaret will be deeply missed by her children Jonathan (Julie), Mary, Michael (Connie), and Christopher (Carolina), her grandchildren Caitlin, Emily, Mika, Cole, Elizabeth and Madeline, her great granddaughter Noah, her companion Steuart Beattie and by the many, many friends she made on her journey through life.

Born in England, youngest of three children, she was sent to boarding school during the war. She moved to Vancouver where she met David and settled in Montreal where they raised a family with love and homemade bread. They retired to Salt Spring Island, her home for the past 30 years.

Mother, Girl Guide leader, kayaker, walker, traveller, Margaret made friends in all spheres of life, at all ages. She was a loving mother and Grandy. She defined “intrepid”, travelling the world, walking and backpacking all over Britain, Europe, and Asia, often shocking her children with accounts of sleeping on train station floors, and hitching rides with strangers. A true pilgrim, she completed the Camino de Santiago several times, walked the Thames Path as a relay with her four children, and visited both the Arctic and Antarctic. As a mature student, she excelled in classics and took her grandchildren on memorable trips to Greece and Italy.

Following the example of her mother, one of the founders of the Girl Guides, Margaret was a deeply committed Girl Guide leader, District Commissioner and proud member of the Trefoil Guild. She sang in church choirs all her life, was a founding member of St. Lawrence Choir, and she and David hosted some legendary choir parties in Montreal. In Montreal and on Saltspring Island she volunteered in many community organizations.

We are immensely grateful to the staff at Sunrise Seniors Residence for their compassionate and attentive care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Saltspring Island Foundation or the Girl Guides of Canada.

Join us on Saturday November 12, 2022, at 2:00PM for a Celebration of Margaret’s Life at All Saints-by-the Sea Anglican Church on Saltspring Island.

FRASER, Ian Bruce

Driftwood Obituary
-
0
FRASER, Ian Bruce


December 1, 1933 ~ September 2, 2022

It is with great sadness that the family of Ian Bruce Fraser, 88, announces his peaceful passing at Lady Minto hospital on Salt Spring Island on September 2, 2022. He is survived by Mary Adele, his loving wife of 63 years; his brother Malcolm (Susan); his daughter Laurena (Thomas); his sons James (Tracy) and Daniel (Sylvie); and his seven grandchildren Matthew, Jessica, Thomas, Andrew, Joelle, Nicole, and Laetitia.

Ian was born in Sudbury, Ontario to Catherine C. Fraser and Horace J. Fraser. As a child, he moved to Pasadena, California and then to Washington DC and on to Sudbury, Ontario and finally Palgrave, Ontario. He attended Upper Canada College up to grade 12 and completed high school in Orangeville, Ontario. Ian graduated from Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, Ontario in 1959 with a BSc in Animal Husbandry and a Physics minor. There he met his future bride Mary Adele Armstrong and they married in 1959. During summers at university, he worked in remote areas of Ontario and Newfoundland doing geological surveys. Ian completed his teaching certificate and began his high school teaching career in Orangeville, Ontario. After two years he moved to Kenora, Ontario where he taught at Lakewood and then Beaver Brae high schools. Students referred to him as Mr. Physics. In 1969, he returned to Orangeville high school. In 1971, he moved to Easton’s Corners, Ontario where he became a gentleman farmer while continuing to teach high school physics and math in Perth and Smiths Falls. He and Mary were always drawn to the west coast and, after four summers of trekking across Canada to Salt Spring Island, they decided to stay. He purchased Ganges Marina and Gulf Bulk station which he managed for five years. He owned a scuba shop and a private scuba charter boat. Ian worked for the Gulf Island school board and for the ambulance service.

Ian was very supportive of the community. During his spare time he volunteered for the Coast Guard, was president of the Trail and Nature Club where he organized trips and built hiking trails and benches, sat on the Parks and Recreation board, and was a gun range safety warden. He was an avid supporter of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. At a very early age, Ian grew to love and value wildlife and wild spaces. He had many talents and curiosities: hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, boat building, archery, photography, flying, gardening, and travel to name a few. Ian was a prolific reader and an enthusiastic teacher. His children and grandchildren benefitted greatly from his wealth of knowledge. Ian loved to explore, on foot, by car, by motorcycle or by canoe, the back country of Canada.

Ian was a very gracious and humble man and kind friend to all who knew him, and he will be deeply missed by his family and friends. The family would like to thank the doctors and staff of both Royal Jubilee and Lady Minto for their loving care. A celebration of life will be held on November 5, 2022 at 2:00 pm at Salt Spring Island United Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Salt Spring Island United Church, Salt Spring Island Conservancy, or Lady Minto Hospital Foundation.

Q&A with the CRD Director candidates

Driftwood Staff
-
0
Q&A with the CRD Director candidates

Jesse Brown

What skills and experiences do you have that would make you a good CRD Director?

I have 10-plus years of executive director experience leading not-for-profits and charities and know how to make great work happen on a tight budget. I have an immense appreciation for volunteers and the service they provide our community and will bring this respect with me to the role. I care about our kids’ future and have campaigned for environmental causes and believe in balanced government spending. Visit www.saltspringtogether.ca for more info.

What would be your top three priority areas during your term?

Financial, community, and environmental sustainability. First, we can’t have huge budget increases year after year. If elected I will review program budgets and contribution agreements that currently have little evaluation or oversight. Second, the environmental services that the CRD provides must be at the highest quality. I promise to address sewage spills and boil water advisories with the gravity they deserve. Third, the CRD must improve its relationship with the public. I hear too many negative comments about CRD which isn’t healthy for our community. I want to work with Salt Springers to resolve this conflict with our government.

What is your position on the local community commission proposal and why?

Please vote NO to the LCC bylaw as it’s expensive, divisive, and won’t improve service delivery or culture at the CRD. I speak with knowledge having worked for the CRD supporting its Economic Development Commission and having studied comparative political systems (UBC ‘09). We will never replace the skill set of the expert appointed commissioners with four elected randoms. The reason we haven’t heard of an LCC before is that they’re not meant for communities like ours. Begs the questions, why are Gary Holman and his friends so keen on this expensive experiment and why didn’t they properly consult the public before putting it to referendum? I promise to support our expert commissioners and save the public this expensive layer of red tape. 

Kylie Coates

What skills and experiences do you have that would make you a good CRD Director?

For over ten years I have worked for the Federal Government in national security and was responsible for the safety and security of Canadians. I had responsibilities of leadership and command of an organization six times the size of the CRD. If I was faced with a problem, it was my job to fix it. I have worked by myself, as well as with large groups. Some of the skills acquired were working not only with inter-agencies in Canada, but with international agencies as well, and I feel confident that I can work with the 12,000 residents of Salt Spring in addressing and overcoming the hurdles and gridlock we are experiencing here. I have rarely met a problem that cannot be solved through determination, hard work and proper leadership. I believe that I have the skills needed to get the job done.

In 2006 I was invited to a diplomatic reception by the vice-president of North Korea and four of his ministers. For six hours we talked and took a tour throughout the Kremlin in Moscow.

What would be your top three priority areas during your term?

Saving Lady Minto Hospital from closing, getting housing built, and have the CRD in Victoria recognize we are an agricultural and rural area, and the #1 tourism destination in the Capital Regional District, as well as the third highest taxed area in the CRD, and these tax dollars should be reflected accordingly in our budget.

What is your position on the local community commission proposal and why?

There are five LCCs in BC currently, and the largest is a population of 900. The LCC is not working there. Out of the five, two of these LCC’s (population 300 each) are working well, but I don’t think it will work well with 12,000 people. We need governance, and sadly, this isn’t it.

Gary Holman (incumbent)

What skills and experiences do you have that would make you a good CRD Director?

I was a consulting economist for 25 years and have worked on Salt Spring issues for over 30 years as a community activist, MLA, and CRD Director. Except for my four year term as MLA, I’ve lived full time on SSI since 1989. I’ve been involved in, and helped secure funding for many of Salt Spring’s successes, such as the protection of Burgoyne Bay, Ford Lake and Grace Islet, building affordable housing, and establishing our successful Transportation Commission and public transit system.

What would be your top three priority areas during your term?

I want to build on the progress Salt Spring has made this past term. My top priorities are: affordable housing of all kinds, with a focus on properties already designated for affordable housing — CRD’s Drake Road, Dragonfly, and SSI Land Bank properties. Renew CRD affordable housing funding, including incentives for affordable accessory dwellings, and secure permanent funding for our local homeless shelter; include SSI in Speculation and Vacancy Tax; and fund conservation measures for affordable housing in the water moratorium area. Climate resiliency, including continued investments in active transportation and public transit; food security; on-island composting and liquid waste disposal; and park land acquisition. Revitalize Ganges by building pedestrian/cycling infrastructure; re-purposing the Ganges fire hall property; securing funding for Harbourwalk; upgrading Centennial Park and Mahon Hall; partnering with the RCMP on community safety, and the Chamber on village beautification. (See gary4director.org).

What is your position on the local community commission proposal and why?

I promised in the 2018 election to present an elected CRD Local Community Commission (LCC) to voters. An LCC, comprised of four elected at large Commissioners and the CRD Director, would assume authority over all services now administered by four separate, appointed commissions, which would be dissolved. An LCC will broaden elected CRD representation, make decision-making more transparent and accountable, and consolidate fragmented service delivery. 

Fire department tax hike coming

Robb Magley
-
0
Fire department tax hike coming

Budget met, board expects future increases to be smaller 

Taxes for fire protection will increase for 2023, although not by as much as last year — a trend officials expect will continue.

Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD)’s budget will grow to require a taxation increase of 7.87 per cent in the coming year, down from last year’s 11 per cent increase but still “a large number,” according to board chair Rollie Cook.

The new budget is set at $4.6 million. District officials said 2023 is expected to be the final year of larger-than-normal increases, after which they anticipate returns to pre-2018-sized growth each year, around 2 per cent.

A big concern for the board, according to Cook, has been the rise in prices in the current inflation environment — costs for things like insurance, vehicle fuel and heating have all risen. And while those costs are concerning, SSIFPD’s chief administrative officer Rodney Dieleman pointed out that the budget was mostly dominated by the costs of wages and equipment.

“If you look at the pie chart, there’s really only two big pieces of pie here,” said Dieleman. “There’s a thin little piece for gasoline and utilities, but wages and equipment are the driving costs of the organization.”

Those wage costs are generally up, he added, in large part because of the department’s shift from a mostly volunteer force to a partially unionized, 24-7 protection program — increasing the number of paid positions on staff, as well as the hours they work. But going forward, he said, those changes are “baked in” for future budgeting.

“The news is kind of good,” said Dieleman. “That was the ‘hump’ we had to get past. That’s all built in now, so we don’t expect those kinds of big increases moving forward, only small annual increases.”

Fire chief Jamie Holmes agreed the financial picture was encouraging.

“We’re finally off our old ways of borrowing for an apparatus, and then having to pay it off over the next 20 years,” said Holmes. “We are now funding all of our apparatus purchases out of the reserve funds, rather than having to go back to the public again and ask for an additional bylaw for borrowing.”

The budget for the previous year was largely balanced and as expected, with only a modest surplus of roughly $43,000. 

“It wasn’t a big deviation from what we predicted,” said Dieleman. “It showed a good understanding of the market and environment.” 

The 2023 budget predicts wage increases in anticipation of a new contract with unionized members, and continues to set aside reserve funds for upcoming expenses, such as a new fire engine. Fire apparatus needs to be replaced on a 20-year schedule to maintain the department’s rating with Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS). 

In 2015, Salt Spring’s fire protection district was given two grading classifications: a Public Fire Protection Classification (PFPC) of 6 (out of 10, with Class 1 being the best grading possible) and a Dwelling Protection Grade (DPG) of 3 (out of 5, again with 1 being the highest grade). The PFPC rating is meant to reflect a program’s ability to prevent and control major fires, such as those that typically occur in multi-family or commercial/industrial settings. The DPG is an indication of the underwriters’ confidence in the program’s ability to handle fires in smaller buildings, such as single-family homes.

Better PFPC and DPG ratings suggest less risk for insurers — and, subsequently, lower insurance costs for property owners.

While much of the checklist of suggestions from that 2015 assessment has appeared in SSIFPD’s activities, including apparatus and fire hall replacement, there are some realities of living on an island that are difficult to overcome. Part of that, said Holmes, is maintaining a seemingly large fleet of vehicles. 

“Every other community that has mutual aid available can utilize neighbouring communities’ apparatus in their grading, if they can respond in X amount of time,” said Holmes. 

“For us to say that we have mutual aid with Pender doesn’t really count, because by the time they get on a ferry and come over here, the response time isn’t so great.”

Holmes said some apparatus older than the 20-year mark have been well-maintained, and are kept on reserve and made available to the province for wildfires — which brings revenue to Salt Spring if they are deployed. 

The department was scheduled for a FUS review in 2020, but that was postponed by the pandemic. A new review is expected within the next year. Holmes said funding has been set aside for additional water storage downtown, which is expected to help the FUS rating. 

In addition, he said the Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC is petitioning FUS to change apparatus certification to 25 years instead of 20, which would help the department’s funding models.

At its annual general meeting on Sept. 19, SSIFPD officially accepted its 2021 audited financial report. Cook pointed out that the auditor’s statement had no issues with the district’s financial statements.

“It’s a clean audit, about as good as it gets in this process,” he said. “We delivered a program on budget, with no major surprises, and the auditor was satisfied.”

During the annual general meeting, a member of the public responded to a call for a motion to fix monthly remuneration of the trustees. The motion as passed set that at $200 per trustee and $250 for the chair.

Community park fundraising nears finish line

Robb Magley
-
0
Community park fundraising nears finish line

A deadline is fast approaching to raise money to secure a new park, and for anyone on the fence about donating, the coalition of community groups involved says the time is now.

A thus-far successful fundraising effort has gathered all but the last $150,000 needed to purchase land at Hwmet’utsum (Mt. Maxwell) to establish the 75-acre Salt Spring Community Park. A sold-out dinner event at Foxglove Farm on Sept. 19 brought more than $150,000 for the acquisition. Elizabeth FitzZaland of Salt Spring Solutions, one of the community groups involved, said perfect weather and company made for a great night of food and music.

“It was a wonderful evening, and Foxglove Farm is such a beautiful place, so graciously offered to us by Jeanne-Marie Herman and Michael Ableman,” said FitzZaland. “We’re feeling acutely grateful for all the community support, and it came from all different types of folks who have different reasons why they’re excited for this project.”

The fundraising event was exactly what the park project has always been about, added FitzZaland: bringing together different interests to protect the forest. Plans for the property include the establishment of a multi-use trail network for horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. Managed and shared use of the park will secure conservation of the area while encouraging outdoor recreation.

But that remaining money needs to be raised by Oct. 31 for the coalition of community groups to finalize the purchase agreement between the CRD and the landowner. The purchase price of $850,000 has already been discounted by the landowner from its $1.7 million appraised value.

“The goal is to protect the forest and the mountain, as well as public access,” said FitzZaland. “Now we’re asking anyone who has been considering donating, or thinking they should mention it to a friend — we have less than 40 days, and now is the time for those folks to step up and help us over the finish line.”

FitzZaland said organizers are also looking for groups or individuals interested in coming forward as matching donors. As the coalition’s charitable partner, the Salt Spring Island Foundation will issue tax receipts for eligible donations. 

Another fundraising and informational event for the Salt Spring Community Park is on the calendar, at the Mateada on Oct. 15. For more information on that event, or to donate, visit the website: communitypark.ca.

1...232233234...609Page 233 of 609