Imperatives for the Next Term.

Complete a core review of municipal services

Senior staff are currently taking a close look and questioning what we undertake as a corporate entity. The timing of this is perfect, as we finally have permanent staff in place to do so.

Some things are mandated, such as annual budgets, an annual report, capital assets monitoring, an audit. These are the central instruments for controlling spending, ensuring transparency and communicating where all the money is coming and going. Certain functions of the Corporate Officer are also non-discretionary.

Other activities, and this includes front desk services , waste removal, water, sewers, road maintenance are basic services, and while the delivery model may change over time, and the service level vary, they are vital to the community, and would not likely ever be discontinued.

That leaves a number of other areas, from recreation to parks, to grants-in-aid, art and culture, the library which must periodically pass litmus tests as to their genuine value as measured by the public's willingness to pay.

I support an honest and open look at all our functions. It will be the job of Council to weigh the recommendations and act on them, which will not be easy nor pleasant. But it is overdue and must be done.

Achieve Fiscal Balance

If you spend more then you take in, trouble lies ahead. In the early years after incorporation, we were 'planners and savers', a moniker coined by the then Finance Officer. We had been given an establishment grant, and accumulated a surplus every year. The exception was the purchase of Crippen 'surplus lands', on approval by referendum of borrowing $2 million.

After about 2007, we started spending proportionately more money on roads, equipment, new projects. We took over the library, built the turf field, the sewer plant expansion/upgrade. We liberalized community grants-in-aid, upping the Historians, engaged the Chamber of Commerce to run a tourist information centre. Costs went up for Municipal Hall rental, as we expanded staff, and payscales rose to match those provided among the basket of comparator jurisdictions. It became increasingly difficult to hire without offering more at each turnover.

As well, we started setting more money aside for anticipated wharf and Old General Store repairs, and pledge to increase contributions to reserves by 1.5 % every year until 2017. so we were saving, and spending.

The result was that by 2010 and exacerbated in 2011, we were drawing down the capital and stabilization fund, not only for the intended capital purchases (eg a muni. hall so that we owned our building), but to pay for road reconstruction. That $1 million plus fund will scarcely have$100,000 in it by year's end. (The fund WAS scheduled to be depleted within ten years) Obviously we can't continue to operate this way.

So- what to do? I don't think any candidate would disagree on the need for fiscal discipline. The questions will be about the mix of cuts and revenue augmentations.

To me, the core review will inform the coming decisions. If we are clear about what we are going to do, and we know the costs, then it is possible to implement needed instruments.

There are a number of areas for consideration to raise revenues. Specified area charges, for sewer district expansion, or Snug Cove road/parking improvements, undergrounding of electrical services. Imposition of DCC's or development cost charges which would accrue to new development to offset tangential costs on the community (eg through increased heavy truck traffic). Re-examination of our permissive tax exemptions may yield property taxes from hitherto exempted lands and facilities.Increasing program fees, and rezoning application fees, hike the park and garbage parcel taxes.

Or increase ad valorem property tax rates. We are currently in the middle of the pack regionally for property taxes, yet we service a large area with low population. We have 3 times the road per capita as our more urban neighbours.

On the cost control side, grant-in-aid policy changes might reduce contributions to community groups. We could reduce parks/road maintenance, diminish frequency of garbage pick up. Perhaps fewer recreation programmers, and, as we saw this year reduced hours of operation at the library and in the school gym. None are pleasant options.

Whatever the final mix, I strongly support any effort to get our finances on an even keel, and will work very hard at the table to judiciously make the numbers balance.

Implement our Snug Cove planning

I think we are just about done with grand planning for Snug Cove. We have a number of derivative options in the village Design and Transportation Concepts that embody almost all the previous thought that has gone into 30 years of planning.

http://www.snugcoveconcepts.ca/

The time has come to get going. Sticking my head out, I have a preference for aspects of Scheme A in the short term, and Scheme D in the long term, but an early adoption of a preferred scheme or hybrid will clear the way for full costing analysis, negotiations with partners (Ferries and Metro Parks, to start).

There are very easy first actions to take. One is to amend our on-site residential parking requirement embedded in the LUB. If that were lifted, then the empty lots in Snug cove would not have that onerous restriction which has prevented redevelopment. Another is to modify the parking on Government road. A slight incursion into the park would allow angle parking , something that would increase parking stalls and, with marshaling changes, make them easier to access. Creating a better drop off/pick up area at the corner of Cardena would take a half day of machinery work and a bit of surfacing material. In fact, direction to staff to do just that was given by this and the previous Council, but never carried out pending completion of the concept plans.

Other easy first steps- public feedback greatly supported infill development in Snug Cove, a 'deepening' of the village to create a pedestrian enclave, including a hard surface pedestrian laneway behind the existing front row stores. Asking for some Metro Parks land on the north side of Gov't. Road got thumbs up, with considerable diversity as to just how much land. i think a maximum of about 25-30 metres is appropriate, and even that would be currently constrained by the Heron DP. Eventually, the herons will move on, and after 10 years, the DP can be lifted. In any case, I don't believe for a minute that Metro Parks would allow development to impact the herons.

Do the OCP Followups

There is a long laundry list of tasks from the 1995 OCP that didn't ever quite get done. This was compounded by the update. Now, our planners will have to sieve through the remains, and get to work to amend bylaws so that the things we as a community we said we held dear, can be realized. The list is way too long to go through here. Suffice to say, that an ordering of work, setting time aside from day-to-day tasks, is needed to conscientiously attack the logjam. Planning is never ending, but cleaning up is part of the job, and I will continue to push for action.

Complete Our Regulatory bylaws

I have already spoken to this, and won't repeat the details. Our noise bylaw did not ever get updated, which is a shame because Chris Buchanan did 99% of the work needed, but justifiable public backlash against some egregious clauses stopped it dead. It should be revivified and passed, after dropping the 'no lawn cutting on Sundays' bits. Ditto our wharf bylaw, fire bylaw, open burning regulation. The night sky bylaw should be extended to commercial buildings, but on an 'as time permits' basis.

The Steep Slope and ESA DP's , as previously stated, should be toned down and passed. These done, we'd be pretty close to having a suite of defensible bylaws, which, couple with the North Shore Bylaw dispute resolution process, should make enforcement a lot easier and more fair.

Advance our Infrastructure Projects

Money considerations are always the biggest obstacle to infrastructure expnsion and renewal. Road, sewer, water, undergrounding electrical are all hideously expensive undertakings. Yet we know that they are fundamentally important, and a prerequisite to many projects. While Abbeyfield and Belterra may have contingency plans for on-site sewer and water, and Artisan Square is a shining example of ground disposal septic, that route will not work for a complete village revitalization plan.

There is a chicken and egg conundrum here. Can't build 'till there are services, don't have the money for the services without sales. The usual solution is to simply sell land/development rights to private interests. This is not a bad solution per se, but the trick is to ensure that the permitted mix of uses and building types is in the general public interests.

A couple of other approaches have been suggested. The first of these is to pre-zone lands, with very specific conditions, to provide certainty to any developer as to what the entitlements are. This was partially done by Michael Rosen for lot #3- north of the RCMP station, but at the time the OCP did not allow the intended housing forms. That is now corrected. A second approach is to send out a request for proposals, debate the incoming responses, and either endorse one directly, or do a supporting rezoning as per the first approach. A final thought is to actually have a design competition, with a prize, to see just what creative ideas are out there. The prize could include the right to proceed.

In any case, we will need partners as BIM cannot go it alone.

Pursue Our Dreams

No matter what the background considerations might be, we should never lose track of who we are as a community, and where we are going. Any time there is a survey, or a 'visioning session', as was done at the outset of the OCP update, the same things are said. We love the ambience on Bowen- the natural setting and beauty, the quiet and privacy, safety for us and our children.

We revel in our eclectic mix of personalities, the number of artists, the fact that we are attracting young families with children at a time when demographics are shifting the other way. We worry about too much development, we don't seem to like intrusions, whether imposed locally or nationally.

We rely on the ferry, think it is too expensive, and the hours are insufficient, but know that later sailings and lower prices would inevitably attract more people than we can handle. We support Snug Cove revitalization, but generally, prefer to live on larger lots in single family dwellings. And we drive a lot.

So what are our dreams? I'd say number one is to retain our community character. We don't want to see our way of life eroded. Number two, we want to be able to continue living here as we age, and are looking for housing forms and services to enable that desire. Three, we want to balance our expectations with reality, which means different things for many people, but implies realistic limits, and a sensible approach to taxation.

Here are my top action items to reconcile these often competing elements:

• Build new seniors' and affordable housing. I have worked hard to spearhead the expansion of the precinct around Bowen Court/Abbeyfield. All on Council want to figure out how to finance the needed sewer line extension along miller Road. Elsewhere on the island, I have always supported bonus density for additional rent/capital controlled housing.
• Keep plugging away on our community centre. It will become the nexus of community life. A health centre should be nearby or attached. A multipurpose hall that accommodates about 200 people.
• Reduce the stress on families that need to commute. Hard to do, but people tell me the toughest thing is to work hard all week, battle traffic and ferry lineups, pay a premium for on-island services, and not have enough time and money for the their families and interests. Every little thing we can do to make pick up/drop off safer and easier, improve ferry/bus connections, expand access to facilities, plow the snow. If every decision made has as its heart the benefit of people who are affected, we will be better for it.
• Support our community organizations. They are the heart of our community. From SKY to the Knick Knack Nook, BIHPA and the Historians, Zero Waste Bowen, Family Place, the Football Club, Gymnastics Association, BIGA (golf), and myriad others.
• Support and honour our committee members. We have at times overworked, yet underutilized our APC, Ferry , CCAC, Greenways, Board of Variance, and literally dozens of other advisory groups who have provided valuable input for countless years. Very specifically, I want to institute a process whereby all work of committees is presented to Council and acted upon, within reasonable boundaries. No more "Thank you for your opinion. Next!"
• Capitalize on our key strengths as a community. Build an economic development plan around those things that are known to resonate well. CNIB did well, the Orchard does well, B&B's and retreats are desired. Small artisanal works- eg furniture, are prized. Artists need outlets and traffic, so selling our island a s a place to come for a walk, have lunch and browse our galleries/shops makes sense. Our educational facilities attract homestay students. Tir-na-nog is nearly unique in all North America. Those are the things we should foster.
• Counter acrimony with genuine opportunities for public involvement. This sounds glib, but there are genuine means of involving people other than large public meetings or attending Council, filling out petitions. We should be transitioning to a much more direct participatory democracy- instant voting, receiving Tweets during meetings, Survey Monkey type immediate polls.
• Finally, and this is an attitude, not an action- accept our differences and celebrate our good fortune. We live in one of the best regions of the world, and one of the best parts of that region. We are so fortunate. So, as we debate issues and make choices, it should be done in an atmosphere of respect and recognition that we are privileged not to be worrying locally about many of the ills that pervade the world. I make that pledge, and renew it mentally at the beginning of every Council meeting, at the cenotaph at Remembrance Day, on Canada Day and BowFest parade.