The following are briefs from the Oct. 15 regular council meeting.
Council change: Council is one step closer to declaring a climate emergency.
At a committee of the whole meeting (so all of council was there but its resolutions need to be ratified in a council meeting) councillor David Hocking presented a draft climate change strategy for Bowen Island.
The four-page document outlines eight strategies to reduce emissions, make the island more resilient to coming changes and engage islanders in all these actions.
Individual strategies for reducing emissions include facilitating the shift from single occupancy vehicles, reducing the need for transportation on and off island and facilitating move to low or no emission transportation and buildings. Hocking noted that the focus on transportation (off-island, ferry and on-island) is because the largest portion of the island’s carbon footprint comes from that sector. Resilience strategies include ways to build up protections for infrastructure and natural systems and against drought and wildfire.
Mayor and councillors met the draft policy with general approval while acknowledging that there’s no easy path ahead.
“I was at the climate march and I find it a bit tough to march in those things, because I did it 25 years ago and we haven’t gone in a great direction,” said councillor Rob Wynen. “But I hope that we as a council can really take this kind of information and every single time we make a decision, we start questioning, why are we doing this when really we’re trying to get to there?”
“I think that’ll be the challenge, when we start implementing stuff instead of just big level conversations,” said Wynen.
“There’s no question it’ll be a difficult challenge,” said Hocking. “For example, look at our community centre. We’re already worried about how much it’s going to cost, but we’re building something that’ll last more than 30 years, and 30 years it’s supposed to be zero emissions.”
Mayor Gary Ander suggested there’s some low hanging fruit in the draft policy, including requiring that new buildings have rain catchment systems.
Ander called declaring a climate emergency an “absolute no-brainer.”
“The more that we are enthusiastic about doing something about climate change, the more enthusiastic the public’s going to be,” he said.
Councillor Maureen Nicholson gave a shout-out to Bowen’s youth.
“One of the things that sparked [this policy] was a whole lot of kids coming to Municipal Hall in March and talking to the mayor and asking the mayor to declare a climate emergency,” she said. “So the kids of Bowen Island are very much contributors to this document.”
The committee of the whole unanimously recommended that council, “Recognize that climate change represents an emergency for Bowen Island, and commits to developing a strategy to reducing emissions in alignment with the targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
The strategy itself is to be referred to BIM committees.
Parking vs. housing: Council will consider a variance permit for Area 1 of Lot 2 (currently the parking lot across from Bowen Island Museum and Archives) to reduce the number of parking spaces required on the lot by eight. In exchange, the applicant will build six off-site parking spots and a sidewalk along the Seniors Lane portion of the property. The applicant intends to build 27 rental residential units and a small commercial space on the property. BIM announced back in August it was intending to sell the portion of the Community Lands to D.K. Harris Properties Ltd. for $875,000. Councillors Rob Wynen and Sue Ellen Fast noted that the reduction in parking spaces aligned with the draft climate strategy (shifting away from single-use vehicles).
In other news from the fire department: Bids for construction of the new fire hall have come in “significantly over” the $3 million approved budget according to a municipal report. Though discussion was differed to a future meeting, council had been set to consider hiring a quantity surveyor to “determine the feasibility of proceeding with the current project design and scope” among other things. The Lot 3 location of the new fire hall and emergency operations centre has been controversial but the 2017 referendum authorizing BIM to borrow up to $3 million passed with 81 per cent of ballots cast in favour.
What else is happening Oct 21?: A rate increase could be coming for Cove Bay Water System users. With the deadline for the alternative approval process (AAP) for the Cove Bay Water Treatment Plant borrowing looming (Oct. 21) council directed staff to investigate raising user rates. Chief Financial Officer Raj Hayre clarified that this is intended to phase in the $213 per water connection per year that would be required to pay back to the up to $2,533,000 BIM plans to borrow if the AAP passes (so user rates wouldn’t jump by $213 all at once).
However, nothing’s settled yet, electors (folks in the Cove Bay Water System Local Service Area) still have until 4:30 p.m. Oct. 21 to sign an elector response form opposing the AAP. If 10 per cent of the electors oppose the borrowing (119 people), it passes to referendum.
