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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-26 Council Workshop Agenda and Reports.pdfCity of Maple Ridge COUNCIL WORKSHOP AGENDA January 26, 2021 11:00 a.m. Virtual Online Meeting including Council Chambers The purpose of the Council Workshop is to review and discuss policies and other items of interest to Council. Although resolutions may be passed at this meeting, the intent is to make a consensus decision to send an item to Council for debate and vote or refer the item back to staff for more information or clarification. The meeting is live streamed and recorded by the City of Maple Ridge. REMINDER: Council Meeting -January 26, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. 1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES • January 12, 2021 Council Workshop Meeting 3. PRESENTATIONS AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL 4. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS 4.1 Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Presentation: Highway 7 Widening -266 Street to 287 Street Staff report dated January 26, 2021 providing information on the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure's Highway 7 widening project between 266 Street and 287 Street that is entering a public engagement phase for design works. Presentation by: • Sheila Hui, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 4.2 2020 Citizen Survey Results Staff report dated January 26, 2021 providing the results of the 2020 Citizen Survey. Presentation by: • Mary Bacica, Sentis Research Doc#2659401 Council Workshop Agenda January 26, 2021 Page 2 of 3 4.3 City of Maple Ridge Performance Dashboard Staff report dated January 26, 2021 providing information on the City of Maple Ridge Performance Dashboard which provides the public near real-time access to performance reporting for services and programs that align with Council's Strategic Plan. 30 MINUTE RECESS 4.4 Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Staff report dated January 26, 2021 recommending that the attachment to the report titled "Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021" be forwarded to the Council Meeting on February 9, 2021. 5. CORRESPONDENCE The following correspondence has been received and requires a response. Staff is seeking direction from Council on each item. Options that Council may consider include: a) Acknowledge receipt of correspondence and advise that no further action will be taken. b) Direct staff to prepare a report and recommendation regarding the subject matter. c) Forward the correspondence to a regular Council meeting for further discussion. d) Other Once direction is given the appropriate response will be sent. 5.1 2021 Census-Statistics Canada Correspondence received January 13, 2021 from Statistics Canada notifying Council of the upcoming census taking place in May 2021 and requesting support to increase awareness among residents. 6. BRIEFING ON OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST/ QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL 7. MATTERS DEEM ED EXPEDIENT Council Workshop Agenda January 26, 2021 Page 3 of 3 8. NOTICE OF CLOSED COUNCIL MEETING The meeting will be closed to the public pursuant to Sections 90 (1) and 90 (2) of the Community Charter as the subject matter being considered relates to the following: Section 90(1)(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agenda of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality; Section 90(1)(c) labour relations or employee negotiations; and Section 90(1)(i) the receipt of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. Any other matter that may be brought before the Council that meets the requirements for a meeting closed to the public pursuant to Sections 90 (1) and 90 (2) of the Community Charter or Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 9. ADJOURNMENT APPROVED BY: DATE: PREPARED BY DATE: CHECKED BY: ,\a,a~\/a_\ DATE: 2.0 Adoption of Minutes 2.0 City of Maple Ridge COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES January 12, 2021 The Minutes of the City Council Meeting held on January 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. held virtually and hosted in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, British Columbia for the purpose of transacting regular City business. PRESENT Elected Officials Mayor M. Morden Councillor J. Dueck Councillor K. Duncan Councillor C. Meadus Councillor G. Robson Councillor R. Svendsen Councillor A. Yousef Appointed Staff A. Horsman, Chief Administrative Officer D. Boag, General Manager Parks, Recreation & Culture C. Carter, General Manager Planning & Development Services C. Crabtree, General Manager Corporate Services S. Nichols, Corporate Officer D. Pollock, General Manager Engineering Services T. Thompson, Chief Financial Officer Other Staff as Required C. Goddard, Director of Planning C. Nolan, Corporate Controller M, McMullen, Manager of Development & Environmental Services M. Vogel, Computer Support Specialist These Minutes are posted on the City website at www.mapleridge.ca. Note: Due to COVID, Councillor Duncan, Councillor Robson, Councillor Svendsen, Councillor Yousef participated virtually. The Mayor chaired the meeting from Council Chambers. 1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA R/2021-WS-001 It was moved and seconded That the agenda of the January 12, 2021 Council Workshop Meeting be amended with the addition of Item 4.3 -Traffic Button on 123rd Avenue and that the agenda be approved as amended. CARRIED Council Workshop Minutes January 12, 2021 Page 2 of 4 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES R/2021-WS-002 It was moved and seconded That the minutes of the Special Council Workshop Meetings of November 23 and 24, 2020 and Council Workshop Meeting of December 8, 2020 be adopted as circulated. CARRIED 3. PRESENTATIONSATTHE REQUESTOFCOUNC/L-Nil 4. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUS/NESS 4.1 Advisory Design Panel Review Staff report dated January 12, 2021 recommending that Maple Ridge Advisory Design Panel Amending Bylaw No. 7696-2020 to allow Advisory Design Panel meetings to be held virtually be forwarded to a meeting of Council for consideration of first, second and third readings. M. McMullen, Manager of Development & Environment Services, provided a summary presentation and staff responded to questions. R/2021-WS-003 Moved and seconded That Advisory Design Panel Amending Bylaw No. 7696-2020 be forwarded to a meeting of Council for consideration of first, second and third readings. CARRIED Note: Councillor Robson declared a conflict of interest noting an involvement with the with the Food Bank and left the meeting at 11:31 a.m. Note: Councillor Yousef left the meeting at 11:34 a.m. At 11:36 a.m. Councillor Yousef declared a conflict of interest stating that he is a lifetime member of the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) and a Board member of the Food Bank. Council Workshop Minutes January 12, 2021 Page 3 of 4 4.2 Fee for Service Agreements Staff report dated January 12, 2021 providing information on Fee for Service Agreements with local community groups and non-profit organizations. C. Nolan, Corporate Controller, provided a summary presentation and staff responded to questions. R/2021-WS-003 Moved and seconded That the Audit and Finance Committee review the Fee for Service program and report back to Council. CARRIED Councillor Duncan -OPPOSED Note: Councillor Robson and Yousef returned to the meeting at 11:46 a.m. 4.3 Traffic Button on 123rd Avenue Councillor Dueck advised on correspondence received from residents expressing concerns with the traffic button on 123 Avenue, the speed of vehicles using the street and the impact on the safety of the area residents. The Director of Engineering provided a brief update and staff responded to questions from Council. 5. CORRESPONDENCE -Nil 6. BRIEFING ON OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST/QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL -Nil 7. MATTERS DEEMED EXPEDIENT-Nil Council Workshop Minutes January 12, 2021 Page 4 of 4 8. NOTICE OF CLOSED COUNCIL MEETING R/2021-WS-004 Moved and seconded That the meeting be closed to the public pursuant to Sections 90 (1) and 90 (2) of the Community Charter as the subject matter being considered relates to the following: Section 90(1)(c) Labour relations or employee negotiations. Section 90(2)(b) The consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between municipality and the federal government and a third party. Any other matter that may be brought before the Council that meets the requirements for a meeting closed to the public pursuant to Sections 90 (1) and 90 (2) of the Community Charter or Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. CARRIED 9. ADJOURNMENT -12:10 p.m. M. Morden, Mayor Certified Correct S. Nichols, Corporate Officer ..--------City of Maple Ridge TO: FROM: mapleridge.ca His Worship Mayor Michael Morden and Members of Council Chief Administrative Officer MEETING DATE: FILE NO: MEETING: January 26, 2021 16-8330-20 Workshop SUBJECT: Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Presentation: Highway 7 Widening -266 Street to 287 Street EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Ministry) is entering a public engagement phase for design works related to the Highway 7 Widening-266 Street to 287 Street Project. Ministry staff will provide a presentation to Council for information. The project involves the widening of Highway 7 from two to four lanes between 266 Street and 287 Street, installation of centre median barrier from west of Spilsbury Road to 266 Street and the installation of turnarounds and intersection improvements. The presentation is an opportunity for Council to provide comments to the Ministry as part of the consultation on the project. RECOMMENDATION: This report is for information only. DISCUSSION: a) Background Context: Highway 7 is a key corridor in the Lower Mainland. It is an important connector for the City of Maple Ridge used for moving people and for commercial and industrial activities. The Ministry has completed several recent improvements along Highway 7 and this particular project under consideration is the widening to four lanes from 266 Street to 287 Street; this is currently in the design and consultation stage. This project will eliminate the last section of single lane highway between Maple Ridge and Mission. Highway 7 is the jurisdiction of the Ministry and the project is being planned and implemented by the Ministry. The project scope is anticipated to include: • Widening Highway 7 from two to four lanes between 266 Street and 287 Street • Installing a new center median barrier on the existing four-lane highway from west of Spilsbury Road to 266 Street • Providing two vehicle turn-arounds to maintain safety and access to all properties along the corridor 4.1 Doc#2657459 Page 1 of 3 • Upgrading three signalized intersections: o River Road/272 Street o 280 Street o 287 Street The Ministry's stated objective is to improve the capacity, reliability, and safety for movement of people, goods and services. The project will accommodate anticipated growth and provide: • Safer and more reliable corridor • Increased capacity and efficiency as traffic congestion will be reduced • Improved River Road/272 Street connection • Improved approaches to level rail crossings Ministry staff met with Engineering Department staff on the project and process in late July 2020. It is anticipated that the City will be provided further information and opportunity to review as the design is finalized. As the project progresses to construction, the City will assign a Project Manager to liaise with the Ministry. The public consultation period for the project is from January 25th to February 19th, 2021. The Ministry presentation to Council is part of the project consultation process. Ministry staff will record Council feedback on the presentation and project for inclusion in the feedback. This project will improve the corridor for all users, reducing congestion as well as making the road safer. Access is a significant issue; balancing safety and access to a highway can be challenging. In this project, access to an estimated 15 driveways and 3 intersections will be impacted by the work and center median; improvements to 3 intersections with the addition of turnarounds will help address access challenges. The Ministry indicated they had dialogue with a variety of stakeholders including discussions with First Nations and businesses along the corridor. The Ministry noted that the project schedule is at the 50% design is stage. The public consultation is scheduled to be complete in the first quarter of 2021; the design will then be finalized. It is anticipated that with appropriate Ministry budget approvals, tender and construction will follow. Estimated dates for construction have not been provided at this time. b) Strategic Alignment: While the project as outlined is undertaken and managed by the Ministry, many aspects of the project align with priorities as outlined in Council's Strategic Plan. The Highway 7 Widening -266 Street to 287 Street project aligns with growth priorities, specifically improvements to transportation corridors providing improved infrastructure to support the local economy of this Regional City Centre. This project is also an example of inter-government relations with both agencies collaborating to achieve shared strategic objectives to improve mobility for Maple Ridge residents and the region. c) Citizen/Customer Implications: Impacts relate to driveway access and construction impacts that will occur at later phases of the project. The project should improve safety and reduce congestion. d) Business Plan/Financial Implications: At this time, there are no additional direct implications. The project will require allocation of staff time. Doc#2657 459 Page 2 of3 ---=="'.----, -CONCLUSION: The Ministry is undertaking public consultation on the Highway 7 Widening-266Street to 287 Street Project. Council may choose to provide comment and feedback to the Ministry on the project as part of the consultation process. This report is for information. Prepared by: ~ ~ PMP Manager of Transportation Reviewed bA~kleborau&nf!, ~rector 09EnpJneff ng U@J 1)tri~ Approved by: David Pollock, PEng. Gene I Manager Engineering Services man Chief Administrative Officer Doc#2657459 Page 3 of 3 TO: FROM: mapleridge.ca His Worship Mayor Michael Morden and Members of Council Chief Administrative Officer CITY OF MAPLE RIDGE MEETING DATE: January 26, 2021 FILE NO: 01-0110-2021 MEETING: Workshop SUBJECT: 2020 Citizen Survey Results EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City of Maple Ridge has conducted citizen surveys since 2003 to collect community feedback on City programs, services, and citizen quality of life. Results from the survey inform the development and management of services and are a performance measurement tool that feeds into the City's business planning process. This report introduces the results of the survey conducted by Sentis Market Research in which 6000 households were randomly selected to participate and 1187 questionnaires were completed. RECOMMENDATION: For information only. DISCUSSION: a) Background Context: The City collects feedback from the public through several channels. The Citizen Survey is a statistically representative sample of the community which informs the delivery and funding of current services while also providing an understanding of citizens' quality of life. Questions remain consistent over time to enable comparability to prior years. In April, Council provided direction to maintain continuity from the previous version of the survey and add questions regarding the City's COVID-19 response. After contracting with Sentis Research, a draft survey was developed and presented for feedback in September. Additional elements requested by Council prior to the deployment of the Survey included: more opportunities for open-ended feedback; and, to gather information on changes in employment status and commuting trends as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once Council's feedback had been integrated, invitation letters were sent at the beginning of October with submissions accepted on line and by telephone from October 6 to 28. Since the survey closed, Sentis Research has analyzed and weighted the data to complete a final report that summarizes the findings. 4.2 2656793 Page 1 of2 I I I I I ' -!:-1:-c 1:-1:: I I-I I As the survey was conducted at the mid-point of Council's term, it is recommended that the next survey be conducted in fall 2022 in conjunction with a strategic planning questionnaire to inform incoming Council. b) Strategic Alignment: The results of open-ended questions have been categorized by Council's strategic priority. Staff are using these qualitative pieces of information to support the work that is being undertaken within each priority area. c) Citizen/Customer Implications: Citizen surveys are one mechanism for understanding if and how the City is meeting the needs of its customers and citizens. Due to the unpredictability of the impact of COVID-19 on participation, a greater number of households were invited to participate. As a result, 6000 households were randomly selected and sent invitation letters. Of those, 1187 participated f_,or a participation rate of 20%. d) Interdepartmental Implications: Staff consider the results as they relate to work plans and Council direction. Adjustments are made in accordance with detailed exploration into the results. e) Business Plan/Financial Implications: The cost of the survey was $23,150 and was accounted for in the 2020 budget. CONCLUSION: The results of the 2020 Citizen Survey support staff as they implement their work plans over the next two years. Staff will leverage the detailed data to adjust the delivery of existing services while also feeding into the development of future financial plans. The next survey will be conducted in the fall of 2022. Prepared by: Dan Olivieri Q~ian Approved by: Christina Crabtree Gener I Ma Concurrence: Attachments: (A) 2020 Citizen Survey Results (B) 2020 Citizen Survey Questionnaire 2656793 Page 2 of 2 i i i i t -f ! ------·~------.~.,...,.--,------- ~sentis City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey PREPARED FOR MAPLE RIDGE Br1t1sh Columbia January 14, 2021 ITT f, 'I ~ CONTENTS e Q, Background, ~ Objectives & Approach ct Highlights e 1( Summary of Findings 8 4· Appendix 10 Satisfaction with Quality of Life in Map le Ridge 14 Importance, Satisfaction & Funding Preferences for Services 30 Preferred Communication Channels 33 Response to COVID-19 37 Comments from Residents 39 Final Summary ~sentis 42 Resident Profiles 43 Notification Letter and Questionnaire ,. ~ ,, j) 2 :~:s '1• r -----1 '.]ffii~Jii;:illf<~ +-' C QJ V) +' V') Q) > ·-.... -0 C :) 0 !i-...c u m 0 !i-0.. 0) ..::::L. 0.. u <( m co co BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES ~sentis The City of Maple Ridge has been conducting Citizen Surveys to assist in its st rategic planning since 2003. Previous Citizen Satisfaction surveys were conducted in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2014. In 2014, the survey content was refined to result in a shorter, more focused survey that provided specific service area ratings beyond just importance and satisfaction . Specifically, questions around future service level preferences and funding preferences were restructured to be asked of each specific service area. In 2020, the survey has been further refined t o align w ith the City's current service delivery areas and includes new questions on preferred communication channels and on the City's performance in meeting residents' needs during COVID-19. Since 2014, the research has been conducted using a ma iled letter-to-online methodology (prior to 2014 all surveying was completed via telephone). The mailed letter-t o-online methodology consists of mailing pre-notification letters to a random sample of Maple Ridge residents to invite them to participate in an online survey (with the option to call Sentis toll-free to complete the survey over the phone). The benefits of this methodology are : • All households have an equal chance of being included in the study, regardless if they have a listed landline or not • The online survey is more suitable and easie r to answer given t he type and length of the survey questions • Residents' unable to complete the survey on line still can participate by calling the toll-free line and completing the survey ove r the phone with an interviewer The City of Maple Ridge commissioned Sentis Research to design and conduct the aforementioned research study. This report contains the detailed findings from the 2020 Citizen Satisfaction Survey and includes comparisons back to 2003 , where applicable. Ask ,iJi ~ -.-f.1.:. ~;f.';.;\,.::i.5i ~~·,\·· !.jin: !>., '1{>~5,,1.-.:t:i:, ,,·.-' Listen ----;-~-----------~ ---·---- "' ,?I Lt ~ Plan 4 1~ I" 1' I t METHOD • • • • Approach A random sample of 6,000 Maple Ridge residents were selected from Canada Post household lists for the City of Maple Ridge and invited to the survey via a letter sent via regular mail (see Appendix for a copy of the letter) The survey was administered such that only one member per household could respond . To be eligible to complete the surv ey, residents were screened to ensure they were aged 18+, a resident of Maple Ridge (i .e. they had an FSA of V4R , V2X or V2W) and not elected officials or employees of the City. The median online survey length was 23 minutes and a total of 1,187 surveys were completed . (63 out of the total 1,187 surveys were conducted over the telephone by Sentis' telephone interviewing team .) A prize draw was offered to encourage and increase participation. Prizes offered included : 1 -$500 VISA gift card, 2 -$250 VISA gift cards, 5 -$50 Parks , Recreation & Culture gift cards, 6 -$50 supermarket gift cards, and 8 - $25 Skip the Dishes gift cards ~sentis Survey Responses Date 2020 Oct 6-28 2014 Sept 9-0ct 1 • 6,000 4,150 Total results accurate to ±2.8%, at the 95% level of confidence When comparing 2020 to 2014 results, caution should be used due to the revised weighting scheme and the span of time between waves (6 years). • 1,187* 897 Participation Rate 20% 22% Margins of Error (19 t imes out of 20) ± 2.8% ± 3.3% Results weighted by age, gender and home ownership in accordance with the population of household maintainers in the City of Maple Ridge ij, 11 1 !il ~ --~r,:,"JI '.,i,ti1,1:11i,1,U1~ V) +-' C Cl) V) +' V) +-' ...c CJ) ·-...c 0) ·-I ~--I ~ l f HIGHLIGHTS ~sentis Quality of Life in M ap le Ridge (p 10-13) The data indicates that satisfaction with the quality of life in t he City of Maple Ridge remains high. Over t hree- quarters report being very or somewhat satisfied with the quality of life in the community with only 16% reporting that they are dissatisfied. are very or somewhat satisfied with the quality of life in Maple Ridge Access to the outdoors and outdoor activities, along w ith the parks, scenery, et c. are what residents li ke best about living in Maple Ridge. Homelessness, drugs and crime are what concern residents the most, while lack of shopping, traffic congestion and better roads maintenance/improvement s are also concerns . Satisfaction with Perceived Value for Municipal Services Property Taxes Paid a Ve ry good/good Neither good no r poo r a Very poor/poor • Don't Know 2020 • . 34% Satisfaction with Municipal Services and Value (p 15-16) Satisfaction with municipal services remains, at best, moderately positive, with 49% of residents rating their satisfaction as very good or good, 31% being undecided, 7% unsure, and 13% g iving negative assessments. When it comes to the perceived value of taxes paid for the services received, as was the case in 2014, feedback is more mixed with 28% giving positive assessments, 45% being undecided (i .e. 34% be ing 'on the fence' and 11% unsure) and 27% giving negative ratings. Those who are dissatisfied with or undecided about municipal services generally or the value they receive for their taxes tend to call-out the lack of garbage collection. Add itionally, those who are dissatisfied with or undecided about the value they receive for their taxes also mention that they feel their taxes are too high and/or higher than other cities. -,.d1i1;::i::1:\1:1i~t:,,;:::1 1,:):;:;:;;;;;;;;1;1;:1~;:;,.;:;:::,,J:;~;:;;i,::;·:;:::;::d~::::~ffITf~~~0.::~~-1:i::i1;:.1::-::·;i)J:::i!JJ~m1n:rnnmmm~mmITrrn~mirrt1nttnr1nN\nrrn~n~nn11!n~rnn·ir1:rr7,·e--'"~~}~ Rt nr ,r._, ..... rL -.. , 7 ~:-,,, -,;,;:-,.1!!1 HIGHLIGHTS Service Area Priori t ies and Performance (p 17-29) Improving satisfaction with municipal services generally and improving the value residents believe they receive from their taxes can also be addressed by focusing on the municipal service areas where the importance accorded by residents outweighs how residents feel the City is performing in these areas. These areas wou ld inclu de: • Growth -specifically, attracting new businesses and employers, regulating what types of businesses can be bu ilt in specific areas of the City and bylaw services. All three of these areas are considered high ly important by residents, but they rece ive lower satisfaction scores. Focusing on these areas would also work towards addressing residents' desire for more shopping in the area and their traffic concerns. Streets and Sidewalks -is another area where performance falls below importance and further confirms the concerns residents mention they have about road maintenance and improvements. City communications and announcements -again, this is an area that is accorded a fair level of importance but residents feel performance could be better. This is li ke ly the easiest for the City to address, using a combination of website updates, ema il alerts, social media and newspaper postings (as these are the information sources residents say they want the City to use). When it comes increasing, deueasing or maintaining service levels and how to fund any increases, residents generally favour maintaining service levels and if there is to be an increase, funding it through a combination of user fees and taxes . The exceptions to this are: • Attracting new businesses and employers -68% want to see service levels increased, but cannot agree on how to fund that increase Emergency services -this is the one area where residents support increasing taxes to fund any increases in service levels Video streaming Council proceedings -44% would like this service maintained, whi le an equal proportion (40%) are unsure. -C "' t 0 0.. E -.... C "' t 0 0.. E c (l) > cf. ~sentis Higher Importance l ower Satisfactio n Higher Importance Higher Satisfaction GR • S&U I· S&U .._ ERS ~RS • •••N'-! GR pi ENV P&R,/· / .. . // . //, GR A l & . e A l &S /, ,/ , , • ,,.,,." _Ill"' ,,..,,"" P&R 0,/ £, P&}/ , P&R , /j "" ..... ,,,,,/ ,,,,,,."' l r' .,/' ----------,-,-,L"'-+ -:,;,,,,__'_' _________ _ .,," 1 ,,/' .,,.,,"' J .... ,,,.,,,,,.,, , ..... .,,,,,,,"' / / .,.e?C1~s .,,.,,.,, .... ,...,,.,, ,,,.,,"' .,,,,.,,"" .,,.,/' ,,," ,,,,,,/' . / / / lowe r Imp ortance Lower Sa tisfaction % Very Good / Good Legend ERS Emergency Services GS Growth ! P&R Pa r ks & Recrea t ion S&U Str eets & Utilities ' ENV Environmenta l Services Al&S Accessing Information & Services l ower Importance Higher Satisfaction 8 r,~ 1 11; ii ' •r:~'.~;,;:: ·.;;:1:; . , .. , -_,'1' ~~n0nr~~:-:ti' )!1i'i 1 ------~.~-::"~:.,_-·,;.-./:::rr:::,~~1:;m~DITJ~\~iv~;;:;~~~;Vipl~f,E~~fifrDDfifflDEftnWirm~uDrnn~~~i11ITij:1~0"J;:;::,-;:-~---~~---': --, ::yc-c--J!, HIGHLIGHTS ~sentis Preferred Communication Channels (p 30-31 ) [i] ~ Whether res idents are the ones reaching out for information or services or the City is commun ic ating news or developments, the preferred channe ls are t he City's website and email. Specifica ll y, just over one -h alf of residents indicate the website is the best channe l for information transfer, while emai l is preferred slightly more when residents are the ones requesting information (48% versus 42% suggesting the City use emai l to commun icate). Age definitely comes into play with commun ication channe ls with younger residents expressing a greater preference for social media, especia ll y when the City has some t hing it wants to communicate, whi le older res idents are equa ll y open to the City initiating communication via its website, email or newspapers. Response to COVID-19 (p 32 -35) Residents ' perceptions of the City 's res ponse to CO VID-19 tend to be moderately positive with a substantia l proportion unsure about the City 's performance o r unable to provide a rating. When it comes to the City 's overall response to the pandem ic, 51% think it has done a very good or good, 42% are unsure or undecided and only 7% give ratings of fair or poor. The proportion of those unsure or undecided is similar or even higher when it comes to specifics such as how the City is maintaining access to services (44% undecided/unsure), its communicat ion (50 % undecided/unsure) and providing (OVID -specific services (58% undecided/unsure). For the 60 % of residents who ha ve obtained information from the City since mid-March, the majority have done so via the City's website. In terms of how COVID-19 has impacted commuting habits, one-third report they are continuing to commute to work as per their pre-pandemic schedule, while 25% say they are working from home full or part time now (includ ing 6% who report always working from home.) How would you rate the City's performance in regard to COVID-19? Neither good nor poor/ Don't Know 4 2% Fair/Poor 7% 9 11 1 I ~ r, :::~~~~0~~~~~~~::-rr~r~------- SUMMARY OF FI NDINGS Satisfaction with Quality of Life in Maple Ridge ~se nti s 10 I ,, :!!I -·-, ,---·--.,---;-,---· ----i[,,~i~~:;~~;;)1 SATISFACTION WITH QUALITY OF LIFE Residents are highly satisfied with the quality of life in Maple Ridge with over three-quarters giving ratings of 'very' (29%) or 'somewhat' (48%) satisfied. % Satisfied 89% Satisfaction with the quality of life in Maple Ridge is slightly lower than it was in 2014 but in line with ratings from 2008 and • Very satisfied 2012. II Somewhat sat isfied Those who are especially _ Neither sa tisfied no r dissatisfied positive about the quality of • Somewhat dissatisfied -life in Maple Ridge include • Very dissatisfied I newer residents to the City, those 55 and older, those without children and 37% homeowners., 2003 Base 9ll Note: 111 2003, Hii of re sidents answered "don't know". The answer option was re rnoved from the followi ng years. QB Overall, how sotis(ied are you with the quality of life in Maple Ridge? ~sentis n t11 I i Satisfaction with Quality of Life --- Base: Total residen ts 79% 78% 80% 84% 77% 47% 58% I 48% 38% , 50% 2% 5% 7% 12% 11% 8% ~2 Ir• I 10% 8% ..... r ~W4-.l .. -.. , .. ,._ ---"""""""''"---- 2006 2008 2012 2014 2020 400 400 596 897 1,187 11 ~ij ll, 1,, 1': MOST LIKE ABOUT LIVING IN MAPLE RIDGE When asked what they like best about li ving in Maple Ridge, residents are most apt to say mention their access to the outdoors (30%), access to recreational activities or facilities (26%) and the parks (20%). Compared t o 2014, more re sidents are appreciating the access to the outdoors. 'Affordable housing ' and 'safe' are two comments mentioned by newer Maple Ridge residents (i.e. those who have lived in the City for less than one year). They are rarely or never mentioned by residents who have lived in the area for a longer period of time. Note: Only major mentions of 5% or more are shown . Access to outdoors Access to r ecreational activities, facilities The parks Smaller commun ity Scenery / beautiful Lakes / rivers Commun ity sp irit People Rural character I grew up here/ my family is here/ been here many years Quiet community The amount of green-space / surroundi ng environment (fo rests) Proximity to Vancouve r and other major centres Housing/ affordable housing "Caution: 2012 resul ts are based only arnong residents giving a comment. Q9. What do you like best about living in /vlaple Ridgf?? ~sentis ··--····-··-··-·-__ %_···· % ....... ___ Ji! .. -··-· -.• _% .. , ,~.-.'.zii..,,., " .. , ... ~·"· .. 24 3 2 37 2 17 11 30 7 2 4 37 4 2 29 11 16 30 3 2 25 3 2 26 2 18 11 28 5 5 3 3 29 18 30 25 19 14 10 24 13 11 14 11 13 11 22 16 17 17 12 6 8 12 4 11 13 6 6 30 26 20 13 11 9 9 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 12 f,,, I: .. I'· I j lu !I LEAST LIKE ABOUT LIVING IN MAPLE RIDGE What residents like leas t about li vi ng in Maple Ridge tend to cente r on homeles sness or poverty (3 5%), increasing inci d ence of drugs/ grow-ops (18%), and growing crime or lack of strict policing (18%). Concerns aro und homelessness/ poverty and drugs appear to be more prominent compared to historical waves. When it comes to homelessness, some reside nts tend to remark that it is increas ing or getting worse . Others note it is resulting in more crime and that they do not feel safe, particularly in ,the downtown area. Lack of shopping within the City (22%) is another top criticism from residents, as are traffic congestion (17%) and roads (11%). Note: Only major mentions of s·x; or more are shown. Homelessness/ poverty Lack of shopping opportunities In creasi ng incidence of drugs/ grow-ops Growing crime/ policing not strict enough Traffic congestion/ state of t ran sportation Roa ds (es p . Lougheed Hwy) not maintained or big enough/ need more roads Overdevelopment of hous ing Lack of jobs/ business Lack of community services Po or urban p la nn ing / poor long -term planning/ city government to blame Lack of socia l activities/ opportunities No garbage pic k up / high cost at t ransfer station/ garbage being dumped Taxes are too high / hous ing prices are too high Downtown core is rundown/ presence of Salvation Army Soup Kitchen ··caution: 2012 results are bas ed only among residents g iving a comment. Q70. What do you like least about living in Maple Ridge> 911 .% J 4 11 3 12 12 4 6 2 4 3 2 4 ~sentis 400 400 lL_6~~-_H ___ 8;7 __ , .. 1,:7 %, .. '"'" . ~.% 15 12 16 23 35 22 29 51 22 22 8 6 11 12 18 10 11 17 16 18 8 10 18 15 17 3 5 10 6 11 4 1 6 7 9 2 7 9 8 8 6 10 5 8 5 6 10 5 7 3 4 5 6 7 10 7 6 2 5 15 7 6 2 6 13 14 5 .. :,i.:,; ,., :,~.. .. ,)·:1 ·.1,ilrn~@:;1.•:,11.1 ~~7'~~-" ;;,i~~i,l!iIT:~~J~i~J~:~nr:;m~rr~~Ir~':~r:~~~:;~:???JPErw;:::w::rn::wi:;.:;:,'.; :;:1mm1Jimr1::Fn~1:;::;~;:~;·:1;:mm;r,:I:; :;I .! ,,(.iJ 13 l:j Ir ; 111 r.~ i1 :11 '1 fl :I ::i W: ' ~ [ij ·, l/) +-1 C Q) l/) +' V) l9 z 0 z LL LL 0 >-cc: <( 2 2 =:) V) oO C 0 ·-+-' u ro 4-l/') ·-+-' ro l/) .... a; u C ro +-' ~ 0 Q_ E ~ 0 4-l/') a; u C a; ~ a; 4-a; ~ 0.... 0) l/') a; C ·-u -0 ·-> C ~ ::J a; LL l/) SATISFACTION WITH MUNICIPAL SERVICES IN MAPLE RIDGE ~sentis Satisfaction with municipal services is highly similar to 2014 with half of residents awarding very good or good ratings. As per 2014, a considerable proportion (38%) are either neutral or cannot provide a rating '. Just over one- in-ten are not satisfied with municipal services. % Very good/ good • Very good II Good Satisfaction with Municipa l Se rvi ces _ ... _ .... - Base: Tota l res idents 53% 49% I I I 46% I 44% "D Q) ..;::: V, ·.;:::; ro • ...... x,.., V) Satisfaction increase with age - ranging from 38% very good or good among those 18 to 34 year of age, to 46% among those 35 to 54, to 54% among those 55 and older. Neither good nor poor ' I I I ="c •·-c Residents are most likely to be dissatisfied with municipal services due to the lack of garbage collection (18% are - identical to 2014). • Poor • Very poor Ill Do n 't know /hOfn 2014 Base 897 31% "D Q) ~~ 1u ' ~~ ,. 2020 1,'187 Q7a. The f,1ap!e Ridge lo cal goven1ment pro vi des a nurnber of services. In genera!, how would you rate the 1nuniciµol services you receive in ,vfaple Ridge? Q7b. Why do you rate it as {INSERT RA TING Fl?OM Q7ap Piea,e type in your reasons below. Reasons fo r Being Satisfied / Dissatisfied -·- Base : Total resi dents Showing maj or me ntions only. No compla ints / good service/ comparable t o other cities Good r ecreation (parks, trails, le isure center, libra ry) Good Speed of Response / getting things done Garbage collection Recreation (parks, tra ils, le isure cen t er, li b rary) Always room for improvement Value for tax dolla rs Roads/ road m ai ntenance Recycli ng/ green waste/ composting services Homelessness Don't know/ don't know what services are provided 15% 8% 3% 18% 2 % 5% 5% 7% 3% 4% F+t++ 1,187 13% 5% 5% 18% I h 7% 7% 7% 6% 5% 5% 6% 15 .,,.,;ifttllii!Jr.,1 . 1!!ifou1nrr~1fi!i PERCEIVED VALUE OF SERVICES IN MAPLE RIDGE ~sentis When it comes to the perceived va lue of services for the taxes paid, res ident vie ws are mixed, as was t he case in 2014 . Perceived Value of Se r vices Specifically, 28% feel the va lue of services is very good or good, 27% feel the value is poor or very poor, leaving the balance (45%), undecided or unsure. Satisfaction w ith va lue for ta xes increases w ith age -17% o f those 18 to 34 are satisfied ve rsus 21% of those 35 to 54 and 37% of those 55 and o lder. However, while younger residents are more likely to lack an opinion on value for taxes (56% are undecided or unsure), those 35 to 54 are the most negativ e (36% rating the va lue as poor or v ery poor vers u s 18% among those 55 and older). High ta xes or poor va lue for ta xes (27%), followed by the lac k of garbage collection (17 %) are the top reasons for dissatisfaction. "Note: New question added in 2020. % Very good/ good • Very good Good Neither good nor poor • Poor • Very poor m Don't know Base Q2. And how would you rate ihE-overall value of services you receive for the property taxes paid, Q2iJ. Why do you rate if as /INSERT RA TING FROM Q2j? Please type in your reasons below. Base: Tota l re si dents 33% r--tWr.C-i I I 30% 33 % 18% 2014 897 28% 1: 2020 1;187 Reasons for Being Satisfied / Dissatisfied * Base: Total residents I< 1,187 ~ ~ Showing major mentions only. ~--" "Jil 11 No complaiots / good seNice I 7% ~ comparable to other cities ·i ,:·. ~-Taxes are rea sonable / w ell-spent in the 5% Vl I community "0 I Va lue fo r tax dollars 27% Cl) ~ V\ ·.;::; I Garbage collection 17% ro V\ V\ 0 1 General co mparison to other cities 6% Don't know/ don't know what services 6% are provided ti~': I, I 11[ I ~ 16 ,j, 11 iij -' I IMPORTANCE & PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC SERVICES ~sentis The 2020 Citizen Satisfaction Survey presented residents with a list of 17 service priorities that make up 6 broader service categories. Residents were first asked to rate the leve l of importance they place on each service and then asked to rate the City's performance. In terms of importance, consistent with 2014, residents place the greatest importance on emergency services, environmental services and streets and utilities. Accessing information and services, parks and recreation and growth services are ranked relatively lower. Also in line w ith 2014, fire protection services earn the highest satisfaction rating . This year, other services with the highest satisfaction ratings include police services, recycling , and library services. The map shown o n slide 19, plots the level importance reside nts accord t o t he various services offered by the City aga inst the corresponding satisfaction rating . The blue shaded area on the map highlights those service areas where importance and satisfaction ratings are most closely aligned . The darker blue centre line indi ca tes t ha t importance and satisfaction are matched exactly. Services falling outside of the blue shaded area, and especially those falling in to the upper left-hand quadrant, are the ones that may need greater focus or re view. Highly similar to 2014, re sidents accord high importance and high satisfaction to emergency services, recycling depot/collection, parks, playgrounds, etc. and water, se wer and storm drainage. Services where importance and satisfaction are most in sync include library services followed by cultural facilities and programs, fire protection services and video streamings of City Council (although the latte r falls into t he bottom left quadrant ind icating that this is a lower priority service; however, satisfaction is in close alignment). Services that would benefit from greater focus or review because t hey are accorded high importance but receive re latively lower performance ratings include attracting new businesses, regulating the types of businesses that can be bu ilt, bylaw services and to a lesser degree, streets and sidewalks. These services were also ide ntified in the 2014 study as needing greater focus. ,'J{:iit'. 17 li.·.1 ~) IMPORTANCE & PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC SERVICES Service Priorities Based On Mean Importance/ Performance Rating 2014 2020 l. Category Service -·-.--~-.-~ .. k · •........ · ... ,....... . .. ··, · ~-.ccu ~+c .. ,· .. -... ._ ....... -.. •''···,, ·,· ,,· •. _· •·-~..;..,;., .. ,.;.;·,·,H.· ·,.",••' ,··-,,, __ \,,, .. ·, ••. ,· •. ·,--~~-,,;•··, ·.••.•••c:;,•;,;,,.'•")"," Importance . ,Pe rt,~'.ma nce Importance · Performance Emergency Serv ices Fire protection 4.8 4.3 4.8 4.4 Emergency Serv ice s Police services 4.8 3.9 4 .7 4.0 Environmental Serv i ces Recycling depot and curbside co llectio n 4.6 3.8 4.6 4.0 Environmental Services Protecting streams, rivers and other environmentally sensitive areas 4.5 3.7 4.6 3.8 Streets and Utilities Wate r, sewer and storm drainage 4.6 3.9 4.6 3.8 Streets and Utilities Streets and sidewalks 4.5 3.4 4.6 3.3 Parks and Recreation Parks, p laygrou nds, sports fields and trails 4.4 4 .0 4.4 3.9 Community Growth Attractin g new businesses and employers 4.4 2.7 4.4 2.6 Parks and Rec reatio n Recreationa l facilities (leisure centres, pools, ice rinks, gymnasiums) N/A 4.2 3.4 Community Growth Bylaw services (response to noise complaints, neighbourhood disputes, 4.1 3.3 4.1 3.2 enforcing regulations) Community Growth Regulating what types of buildings can be built in specific areas of the City 4.1 3.2 4.1 3.1 Accessing Informati on & Services On line registrations, payments and e-se rv ices (b uilding permit enquiries, N/A 4.0 3 .7 recreation program reg is tration, report a concern service) Accessing In fo rmation & Services Communications and announcements from the City N/A 4.0 3.4 Parks and Recreation -Libra ry services 3.9 4.1 3.9 4.0 Parks and Recreation Recreation programs (a q ua tics instruction, children's camps) N/A 3.9 3.5 Parks and Recreation Cultural facilities (theatres, museums) and programs (a rts camps) 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.7 Accessing In forma tion & Services Video streaming of Council proceedings N/A 2.8 3.3 Base (Total residents): 2014 (89 7); 2020 (1,187) Q3. The foliowing is a list of services that the City current(v provides. First, please rote how important eac/J service is to you./ Q4. Ne!<!, how rntisfied o r e you with each of these services ? ~; ,-;:;(;:,;,_,.,,;;, .. ::1,H]!!ilHliltiliH.H,ii'' TI!. ;\fll'~riW.a~:lffit!'.a1lJ;;'.mi!ili1 11 .• L .. :1 i ~sentis 1B ,..,. -'"!- I ~ I!, jt 1/ ';t 1· /!l I~ IMPORTANCE & SATISFACTION OF SERVICE AREAS: MAP 100 90 80 +-' 70 C ru t 0 Q. E 60 ----+-' C ru t 0 50 Q. E c 40 (lJ > #. 30 20 10 0 Higher Importance Lower Satisfaction Higher Importance Higher Satisfa ction Water, sewer, storm Police serv ic es . /// . d . • • 5tr e protection Street s/ side walks • rainage • / , • e Rec yc~9g -1'.fepot / curb sid e colle,cJiorf • Protectin g streams, Attracting new businesses • rivers etc. Park ~-p1;yground s, sports fiel ds;/ Regulate types of buildings that • can be bui lt trafl; ,,....-·-" • ~ecreationa l facilities //' ,,. ,. // • City commu ni cations/ // // announc ~ments e Online registrations, pa yme nts, e-se ryKes I , , I ,/ ,,, • Recreati ona l prog rams" ~. Library Se f':?ires / I e Gtirtu ral faciliti es / progra rl)S-'/ ,,,,,,,,,,l,':~-,,,,,,,,,,,,,' ------------------r·~---~----,,_, __________________ _ • Bylaw services ,/ ,/ ,, _,,,/' ,,,,.,/ ,,,,' ,,,''11 , , ,,., ,,., ,,,,,,,,' ,,,,,,,,' 1· ,, , .. -V ideo stre ami ngs of City,Ci6unci l / / I ,,'/.,,, ,,,,' I ,,.,"' ,,.,,.,,.' ~---------I ,,,,."' I ,,..,.,' ,/ 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Lower lm~orta~ce % Very Good; Good L?wer lm~orta~ce 2020 Bas e: To tal residents (1,187) Lower Sat1sfact1on Higher Sat1 sfact1on Q3. The following is a list o/ services thot the City cu rrently provides. First, please rate iJow important wch service is to you./ Q4. N ext, how satisfied ore you with eoch ofthe,e services? ~sentis Legend • Emergency Services • Growth • Parks & Recreation • Streets & Utilities • Envi ro nmental Services • Accessing Information & Serv ices ·-- 19 I i i' I 1;1 ril ij ~~~n~~::1rrnr:rrmmmm~TI~~rrnnnmmntii!mttnrrrt0tt~0~~0P,~f~:~~::~~~~-;~x0i~-r:rJ~Jr,:T~T''.1I7':i'i~f:R~Tinrr:~~8:77JmmI?~:EillffiTI~u~2~~~~~~rnr~n~;n~~r~~--~~~~:::~r;~;:u1~~~~~~Jnrr~;:~~r .. :~~~~~.:~r~~~·:o~;·.~~·;;·"'.'.?'·~··,·-., iJ:::I: i,w m~,,}1 ,: ~; ·.;, ...... ·,. ·. . . . ._ .. , ::z,,r; . ---., . :1 SERVICE LEVEL PREFERENCES & HOW INCREASES SHOULD BE FUNDED ~sentis When asked whether service leve ls should be increased, main tained or decreased for each of the 17 service areas, Maple Ridge residents generally want service levels to be ma intained as is. With on ly two exceptions, no less than 55% of residents wa nt cu rrent service levels to be continued as is across all areas . The first exception is attracting new businesses and employers -68% would like to see service levels in this area increased. The second exception is video streaming of Counci l proceedings -44% want service leve ls in this area maintained, while 40% are not sure, 13% think service levels should be decreased and 4% want them increased. When it comes to attracting new businesses, support for increased service leve ls is faidy widespread, with support for increasing levels at its lowest (at 55 %) among younger residen ts 18 to 34 years of age. Residents who indicate that they would like to see an increase for a particular service were asked how the City shou ld fund that increase. While there is no general consensus, residents tend to want to see service increases funded by user fees or user fees in combination w ith a ta x increase. Consistent w ith 2014, residents tend to be most su pportive of a pure ta x increase when it comes to emergency services. However, no more than 32% advocate a pure ta x increase to increase service leve ls (this be ing the case for fire protection). Residents tend to be most supportive of a pure user fee increase for recreation programs (40% wou ld favour a user fee increase), cu ltura l facilities (39%), and regulatin g what types of bui ldings can be built in specific areas of the City (38%). A combination of taxes and user fees garners the most support for recreation facil iti es (52% wou ld favour a combination of the two), parks, p laygrounds, sports fie ld s, and trails (43%) and, again, recreation programs (41%). Fe w residents wa nt to fund an increase in any area by re ducing other services (support for this option genera ll y ranging from 2% to 18%). However; 23 % did choose thi s funding option for increasing the video streaming of Council proceedings. · A notable proportion of residents who want to see a service increase admit to not knowing the best way to fund it (12% to as high as 38%). The exception wou ld be recreation facilities -as noted above resi dents wanting to see an increase in these areas tend to favour a combination of taxes and user fees (52%) and on ly 7% la ck an opinion. For the service area whe re most residen ts wou ld like to have serv ice leve ls increased -attracting new businesses and employers -opinions tend to be mixed on how to fun d the increase w ith 36% being unsure, 28% opting for a combination of ta xes and user fees, 18% supporting a user fee increase, 12% supporting a reduction in other services and 6% a pure tax increase. ,-.,: /: . ,,, .. ::.,, .. ,.,,::·: ' 11; .. 1 r, l. j'l ij ! l 20 r,il :I 1 i:il 1t J:; i~ I" ---------' 11 'il,:ci.i;J::}! SERVICE LEVEL PREFERENCES SUMMARY Attracting new businesses and employers Streets and sidewalks Police services Recreational facilities (leisure centres, pools, ice rinks, gymnasiums) Protecting streams, rivers and other environmentally sensitive areas Parks, playgrounds, sports fields and trails Recycling depot and curbside collection Communications and announcements from the City Recreation programs (aquatics instruction, children's camps) Bylaw services 1 Regulating what types of buildings can be built in specific areas of the City -----23%~1.!' 22% ;\. ' ,22% .. 22% 55% 61% 63% 56% Water, sewer and storm drainage -76% Ill Cultural facilities (theatres, museums) and programs (arts camps) Online registrations, payments and e-services 2 Fi re protection Library services Video streaming of Council proceedings 44% 69% 69% 79% 78% 13% 2020 Base: Total residents (1,137) 1 e.g. response to noise complaints, neighbourhood .disputes, enforcing regulations • Increased l!I Maintained • Decreased Ill Don't know '· e.g. building permit enquiries, recreation program registration, report a concern ser,ice 05. For the same services, please [ndicote for each one if you think ii' need'S to be increased, decreased or mointained at the current level? ~sentis ·,,:;:Ji~~:;fr;?,i~i:1:1Ti·ii~f1l-,ilirn!!Ht11i111w,w1:oi1faiJ1111i,i1,h11k.,,, .. ;a1:t!u~Hto!i@H1t-:nillH:~ni11ii1lll/i1it1mtt@1a111,mnrn,m11fli!li1PHHium11m!irJmn1!HfITiHJBUHlii_1fnffl:1mT!i0iiiH:i!i!Llr111H;ii11i;1fJ1iH1!:i;::1:n1:Hi!1:@!il1llll!1lllUJHllii!lillWHll!IHHlWiHlHl1lllHitifr'.:;i;ii:1:;:::::.;::i:,, - 21 HOW SERVICE INCREASES SHOULD BE FUNDED SUMMARY (Base) Fire protection (194) Police serv ices (419) Streets and sidewalks (475) Protecting streams, rivers and other environmentally sens itive areas (373) Library services (91) Water, sewer and storm drainage (220) Recycling depot and cu rbside collection (253) Parks, p laygrounds, sports f ields and trails (312) Bylaw services1 (2G3) Communications and announcements from the City (253) Attracting new businesses and employers (TiGJ Recrea tiona l facilities (le isu re centres, pools, ice rinks, gymnasiums) (342) Online registratio ns, payments and e-services2 (149) Regulating what types of buildings can be bu ilt in specific areas of the City (3'12) Recreation programs (aquatics instruction, children's camps) (218) Video streaming of Council proceed ing s (35) Cul t ural facilities (theatres, museums) and programs (arts camps) (173i 202.0 Base: Among those who think funding should be increased (Base size varies) 1 e.g. response to noise complaints, neighbourhood disputes, enforcing regulations '-e.g. build ing permit enquiries, recreation program registration, report a concern service Q6. And for those services you think need to be increased, how should those increases be funded? 2% 6% 7% 9% 20% 12% 13% 14% 21% 33% 38% 40% ~:~ 39% • Tax increase • User fe es • Combination of • Reducing B Don't know taxes I user fees other services ~sentis 22 ' ·I / :U EMERGENCY SERVICES ~sentis Importance, performance, service leve ls and funding preferences for emergency services are highly similar to 2014 assessments. The exception wou ld be an increased preference for increasing service levels for police services -in 2014, 26% wanted increased service levels and this has grown to 37% in 2020. Fire protection Police services • Very important Ill Important Fire protection Police services Importance of Service 2020 Base: Total res id ents (1,187) 76% 18% Neither • Not important • Not at all important Service Should be ... - 2020 Base: Total residents (1 ,187) 79% ~~.lj 37% 57% ~~ .... • Increased • Maintai ne d • Dec reased Do n't kn ow %Very lmpt/lmpt 99% 98% Don't know % Increased 15% 37% 2014 Base : Total residents respo nding (893-897); Among those who think fund i ng should be increased (95-245) Note: Prior t o 2020, this category of services was cal led "Protective Servic es" 99% 98 % 10% 26 % Fire protection Police services • Very good City Performance 2020 Base: Total residents (1,187) . 47% . 39% 5~- 44% %Very Good/Good 86% 74% Good Neither Poor • Very poor • Don't know How Increase Should be Funded 2020 Base: Among those who t hink funding should be increased (194 -419 ) %Tax Increase Fire protection 32% Police services 29% • Combination of • Reduc ing • Don 't know • Ta x in crease • Use r fees taxes; use r fees other services 83 % 70% 36% 31% ·:/ j~'' i: ''1 \!~. b !q ii~ Q3. The foliowing is c1 list of services that the City currentlv provides. First; p/eme rate how important each Sl'rvice is to you. I Q4. Next, how rntisfied ore you with each of thl'se services? I OS. For the same services, please indicate vs. 2014 for each one if you think it needs to be increased, decreased or main tained at the current level? I 06. And. for those services you think need to be increased, !?ow should those increases be funded? 23 ~.·:;:)'.;'.;IJU';'.:;H!l;::j1;,., /\! ~mir., 11:::,,,:c;imill lhllIJ GROWTH ~sentis When it comes to services that rel ate to growth in the City of Maple Ridge, importance rema ins as hig h as it was six yea rs ago; however, satisfaction has dipped w hen it comes to attracting new businesses and employers and regulating the types of buildings that can be built in specific areas of Maple Ri dge. Compared to 2014, residents this year are more likely to want increase d service levels for attracting new businesses and employ ers and also for bylaw services. Attract new businesses and emp lo yers Regulate types of buildings can be built in specific areas of City Bylaw services • Very important m Important Attract new businesses and employers Regulate types of buildings can be built in specific areas of City Bylaw services Importance of Service 2020 Base: Total residents (1,187) 39% _47% I 47% .· 14% 4o, Neither Not important • Not at all important Service Should be ... 2020 Base: Total res i dents (1,187) J•1•.>'1'•: 56% 63% %Very lmpt/lmpt 89% 87% 82% 78% 79% 81% Don't know % Increase 68% 57% 22% 20% 22% 16% • In creased • Mai ntained • Decreased Don't know 2014 Base : Tota l res id ents resp o nding (896-897); Among those who thi n k fu nding should be increased (151 -5 33) Note: Prior to 2020, this category of services was called ''Community Growth " Attract new bus inesse s and employers Regulate types of buildings can be built in spec ifi c areas of City Bylaw services City Performance 2020 Base: Total residents (1 ,187) 29% 30% 25% 30% 31% 32% %Very Good/Good 17% 22% 33 % 38% 36% 38% • Very good • Good ·~ Neither Poor • Very poor • Don't know How Increase Shou ld be Funded ---- 2020 Base: Among those who think fund ing shou ld be increased (263-776) %Tax Increase Attract ne w bus inesse s and em ploye rs ~o , 0 .. 0 " 0 6o/c 6% 6 % Regulate types of buildings can % 3 8% 14% 12% 32% 5% 5% be built in specific areas of City Bylaw services 0 o/c ?o/c 11o/c &EL 17% 15 % • Ta x increase • Combination of • Reducing . • D o n't know • Use r fees taxes / user fees other services Q3. The following is a list of services that the City currentlv provides. Firs t; pleme rate haw important each service is to you./ 04. Next, how rntis(ied are you with each of these services? I 05. For the same se(\lices, please indicate vs. 2014 for each one if you think it needs to be increased, decreased or maintoined ot the current /eveic' I 06. And, for those services you think need to be increased, how should those increases be funded? 24 ~ 11 / !! I . " I 'ij :1 I !,\ lt ,-, ·.~' ~"T ~-rr,:, 7J ",,: 'r(;,,, ' ' '•',.: ~' '/(·; ',··: ,·i,, .. :;·'I ,,, 1--;-,'";l, ,(1 -----,-----~----. ---,a ,,,-.,,Jl '' J' • ' •;!i/jUµ ;f,l i.'1 :1 '~ )\1) PARKS AND RECREATION ~sentis Parks and recreation -in particular, parks, playgrounds, sports fields, trails and recreation facilities -continue to be considered important services by Maple Ridge residents and the proportion wanting the former (i.e. parks, etc.) to have increased service levels has inc hed up from 21% in 2014 to 29% in 2020. Since 2014, satisfaction with cultural facilities and programs and library services have dipped slightly and more residents currently would like service levels to be increased for these two areas (albeit the proportions wanting increases remains low at 16% and 9%, respectively). Parks, playgrounds, sports fields, trails Recreational facilities Recreation prog rams Cultural facilities and programs Library services • Very important Important Importance of Service 2020 Base: Total res idents (1,187) ~;~ ~C@r.! 36% ~3% 38% Neit her Not important • Not at all important Service Should be ... 2020 Base: Total res idents (1,187) %Very Impt;Impt 93% 90% 83% 69% 65% 64% 69% 71% Don't know % Increased Parks, playgrounds, sports fields, trails Recreational facilities :t!~:-: Recreation programs p$44N 61% Cul t ural facilities and programs MN 69% 6I% 5~% Library services ,W 78% f1A'il • Increase d II Maintained • Decreased Don't know 29% 35% 23% 16% 9% 2014 Base : Total residents responding (894-897); Among those who think funding should be increased (42-178} 21% 10% 5% City Performance 2020 Base: Total reside nts (1,187) %Very Good/Good Parks, playgrounds, sports fields, trails fllm I-_.---,,,=-,-----· Recreational facilities -----~ Recreation programs ffll 35% =md Cultural facilities and programs fi,j : 43% Library services !. 75% 48% 43% 52% 67% • Ve1y good II Good Neither Poor • Very poor • Don't know How Increase Should be Funded 2020 Base: Among those w ho think funding shou ld be increased (9 1-342) %Tax inc rease Parks, playgrounds, sports fields, trails 20% 14% 43% : 11% 12% 20 % Recreational facil it ies % 27% 52% 8% 7% 6% Recreation programs ~r.1.1.£, 5% Cultu ral fac ili t ies and programs 3% 39% 39% ' S0 Q 14% 3% Library services ·,· ·-~ -~ ... :!:.: 22 % 79% 61% 73 % 21% 10% 25% • Tax increase • User fees • Combination of • Reducing . • Don't know taxes/ user fees other services l'lote: In 2020, Recreational facilities and Recreat ion programs were evaluated separately and therefore, results for Recreational facilities and Recreation programs have not been t rended. vs. 2014 Q3. The following is o list of services that the City currently provides. First pleose mte how important each service is to you./ Q4. Next, how sotisfied are you with each of these services ?/ QS Far the same seNice,, µlease indiwte for each one if you tinhk it needs to be increased, decremed or mointoined ot the current level? I 06. And, ior those services you think need to be increased, how should those increases be funded? 25 JJ'}0 STREETS & UTILITIES ~sentis Streets and utilities is a highly important ,service area with satisfaction scores that are relatively positive for water, sewer and storm drainage (72%), but are more moderate for streets and sidewalks (51% satisfied). These assessments are in line 2014. An increasing proportion of residents relative to 2014 want to see increased service levels in both service areas; however, when it comes to how to fund increases, current opinions are mixed. Importance of Service -2020 Base : Total residents (1,187) %Very lmpt/lmpt Water, sewer and storm 30% drainage 96% Streets and sidewalks 5·1% ,: . · . , }I 96% • Very important • Important Neithe r • Not important • Not at all important Ill Don't know 96% 97% City Performance 2020 Base: To ta I residents (1,187) Water, sewer and storm ~ 54% drai nage 1!,-Di:l!!l:!.i..ll----------15% 5%W.., Streets and sidewalks ,... 42% %Very Good/Go od 72% 51% • Very good Good .~ Neither • Poor • Very poor • Don't know Service Should be ... How Increase Should be Funded Water, sewer and storm drainage Streets and sidewalks 2020 Base: Tota l re sidents (1,187) 76% ,.,. ·•• -v~ "'~i-':~•/siJ ~-, .• 43%~~ 55% • Increased Maintained • Decreased % Increased ,.~ 18 % 4 3% Don't know 2014 Base : Total residents responding (894-897); Among those who think funding should be increased (10/-235) 10% 31% 2020 Base : Among those who think funding should be increased (220-475) %Tax Increase Water, sewer and storm drainage 21% 12% 28% B%-21% Streets and sidewalks 25% 7% 21% ·'VB 25% • Combi nation of • Reducing . • Don't know • Ta x increase • User fees taxes; user fees other services 7 4% 55% 29% 27% Q3. Tile following is Cl list of services that the City current/,: provides . First plec1se rote how important each service is to you. / Q4. Next, how sotisfied are you wit/J each of these services ? I OS. For the some seNices:, please indicate for eoch one if you think it needs to be incre0sed, decreased or mointoined at the current levei,' I 06. And, for those services you think ne ed to be increased, /Jow should those increases be funded? vs. 2014 26 ---·-i eP~ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ~sentis The im portance of environmental services in Maple Ridge remains high. Performance on protecting streams, rivers and other environmentally sensitive areas is rated similarly as in 2014, w hile residents note a slight improvement in recycling depot and curbside collection. For both these service areas, the majority want service lev els maintained but there is a growing minority (22% in 2014 and 30% in 2020) w ho would like to see increased service levels for protecting streams, ri vers , etc. Opinions on how to f und increases for environmental services are mixed, but lean towards a combination of taxes and user fee s. Recycling depot and curbside collecti on Importance of Service 2020 Base: Total res idents (1,187) Protect streams, rivers and - other env. se nsiti ve areas 62% 4 % %Very lmpt/lmpt 95 % 9 4% • Very imp orta nt • Im portant Neither Not imp ortant • Not at all imp ortant Ill Don 't kn ow Service Should be ... 2020 Base: Total residen t s (1,187) % Increased Recycling depot and 72% [I 24% curbs ide collection Protect streams, ri ver s and other env. sensitive areas 60% .. 30 % .. • Increase d • Maintained • Decreased Don 't know 2014 Base : Tot al residents respo nding (896-897); Among those who th in k fun ding should be increased (192-245) 96% 95 % 26% 22% Recycling depot and curbside collection City Pe rformance 2020 Base: Total residents (1,18 7) 36% 41% 18% Protect streams, rivers and other en v. sensitive areas -llllmfJ 1 44% %Very Good/Good 77 % 60% • Very good • Go od Ne ither Poor • Very poor • Don 't know How Increase Should be Funded 2020 Base: A mong t hose who think funding shou ld be increased (263 -373) %Tax Increase Recy cling depot and +Y4111 curbside collection 0 0 0 0 20% Protect streams, ri vers and ~ other env. sens itive areas ' WA ~ , ...... 22% • Combination of • Reducing • Don't know • Tax in crease • User fees t axes/ user fees other services 72% 57% 18% 20 % Q3. The foliowing i5 a list of 5ervices that the City currentlv provides. First; please rote how important each service is to you. I Q4. Next, ho,V satisfied are you with each of these services ? I QS. For the some services, please indicate for each one if you think it needs to be increased, decreased or maintained at the current level?! Q6. And, for those service5 you think need to be increased, how should those increases be funded? vs. 2014 ·, :....;,._ ;_:_____ - 27 D ACCESSING INFORMATION & SERVICES ~sentis City of Maple Ridge residents consider on line registrations, payments and communications and announcement s from the City to be important. Performance in these areas range from neutral to positive and 60% to 69% would like current service lev els mai ntained. However, only 25% rate v ideo st reaming of Council proceedings as important and most have no opinion o n the service itself in terms of performance. As was noted earlier in thi s report -opinions on current service level s are mixed w hen it com es to v ideo streaming of Council proceedings -44% want current service levels maintained and 40% are unsure. Importance of Service 2020 Base: Total res idents (1,187) Online registrations, payments and e-services Communications and announcements from City Video streaming of Co u nc il :II 0 proceedings • ' 207"Q,___; ~Hi% 55 % _37% 20 % %Very lmpt/lmpt 13%4Ji~ 76% 15% 80% 25% • Very important • Im portant Ne ither • Not important • Not at all important Don 't kno w Online registrations, payments and e-services Communications and announcements from City Video streaming of Council proceedings Serv ice Should be ... 2020 Base : Total 1·esidents (1,187) • Increased B Maintained • Decreased % Increase Don't know 16% 23% 4% City Performance 2020 Base: Total residents (1,187) %Very Good/Good Online reg istrations, payments ' ;,. . and e-services l[l!'f:! 4 6% = 21% s.,. 57% Communications and -~------ announcements from City B 35% Vide o streaming of Cou ncil proceedings . _34%._ .. 36% 42% 50% 14% • Very good • Good """ Ne ither Poor • Very poor • Don 't know How Increase Should be Funded 2020 Base: Among those who th ink funding shou ld be increased (35-258) %Tax Increase Online registration s, payments and e-serv ic es Communications and announcements from City Video streamin g of Council proceedings • Tax increase 6% 8 % 4% • User fees • Combination of • Reducing . • Don 't know taxes / user fees other services Note: Prior to 2020, this category of services was called '"Getting you wh,,t you need"' and included one service area (On line registrations and payments, video streaming of Council proceedings, social media postings, newspaper announcements, website, publications). In 2020. this se,vice area was split.up into three separate se,vice areas . Therefore, 20·14 results are not directly comparable to 2020 . In 2014, 54% of residents indic ated that these se,vices collectively was very impo,tantiimportant and 49% gave the City very good/good ratings on its performance on this group of services . Q3. The foliowing is a list of services that the City currently provides. First; pll?Clse mte how important each service is to you. I Q4. Next, how rntis(ied are you with each of th!>se s!>rvices? I OS. For the same services, pieose indicate for each one if.you think it ne1?ds to be increased, decreased or maintained at the current levee I Q6. And, for those services you t/Jink need to be increC1sed. how should those increases be funded? \i(i' :nr-iiwm; 28 r: ' : ' ~ 'ii -~ L !ii l;I -';Jl,'C7w1Jtl \Hlilil,filr,~r;, SERVICE FUNDING PREFERENCES COMPARATIVE SUMMARY ~sentis SERVICE SHOULD BE (Base: Tota l residents ) • Increased D Maintained • Decreased B Don't know HOW INCREASE SHOULD BE FUNDED (Base: Among those who think funding shou ld be inc reased) • Ta x increase • User fees • Combination of taxes/ user fees • Reducing other services • Don't know EMERGENCY SERV ICES Fire protection 2020 2020 (1.187) (194) Pol ic e services 2020 2020 [1,187) (4"19) Attract new businesses and employers 2020 2020 ( 1.187) (776) STREETS & UTILITI ES Water, sewer and storm d rainage 2020 ('I, 187) (220) GROWTH Regulate what types of buildings can be built in the City 2020 2020 (1,187) (312) Streets and sidewalks 2020 2020 ('I, 187) (475) Bylaw services 2020 ('I, 187) (263) ENVIRO N MENTAL SERVICES Recycling depot and curbside collectio n 2020 2020 ('I, i87) !263) Protect streams, rivers and other env. sensitive areas 2020 2020 Cl, 187) (373) ACCESSING I NFORMAT ION & SERV ICES Online registrations , Communications and Video streaming of payments and announcem~nts Council proceedings e-services from the C 1ty 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 2020 (1.187) (149) (1;187) (258) (1.1Bii (35) PARKS AND RECREAT ION Parks, playgrounds, sports fie lds and trails 2020 2020 ("1.187) (312) Recreational facilities 2020 2020 (1.187) [342) Recreation programs 2020 2020 (1,187) (2"18) Cultural facilities and programs 2020 2020 (1,187) (173) Library services 2020 2020 ('1;187) [9"1) Q5 . For the some services. please indicate for eoch one if you think it needs to be increased, decreased or mointained at the rnrrent level?/ Q6. And finally, /or those seNices _you thin!,· need ID be increased, how should those increases be fimded? 29 I ,, i ......, . .· .·.' '. .~ . '' ' - ll ,,.,,,r..,,,r ., · 1:" ' · ··•,•·,:,:'.' · •.·,·1·/:l;i:·\;;,, 1 ,' ,l'.~~ 1 : SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Preferred Communication Channels ~sentis 30 I t 1 i'. /''! .. I'.;.; "' ,, :l ij ~/l lij ,11 PREFERRED COMMUNICATION CHANNELS Preferred Methods for Requesting Information on Services from the City 2020 Base: Tota l res id ents (1,187) ~sentis Preferred Methods for Receiving News and Developments from the City -2020 Base: Total resi d en t s (1 ,187) When residents are requesting information from the City on services, they express equal preference for visiting the webs ite as they do for using email. Residents under 55 years of age lean towards vis iting the websi te, whi le those 55 and older express equal preference fo r ema il, telephone and vis iting the websi te. Preference for social media reaches 21% among those 18 to 34. Webs ite 52% Website 52% Residents prefe r to visi t the website over other communication channe ls when it comes t o receiving news and developments from the City. Email takes a close second place followed by newspaper and social media. Prefe rence for social media grows to 39% among r esidents under 55 yea rs of age (however, the webs ite is still the number one preference), while those 55 and older are equally likely to want to receive information v ia newspapers or the web. (See following slide for age breakdowns .) Note: New que stions added in 20 20. Email Telephone Soc ial media • 11% In person • 10% Other I 2% No preference I 4% 48% 29% Email Newspaper Social media In person meetings/ open houses a 6% Telephone I 2% Other 1 4% No preference ~ 2% 42% 32% 29% Q77a. What a re your preferred methods for requesting information on municipal ,ervice, from the City of Mople Ridge' (e.g. confirming property tox deadlines, submitting a byiaw call for service, reporting o burnt out ,tree/ /1ght) Select up to two responses ./ 077b. And how would you p refer the City keep you up -lo -dote on news and developments:> Select up to two responses. 31 0 ii &,! ', l:.l PREFERRED COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BY AGE Preferred Methods for Requesting Information on Services from the City Base: 1,187 li 29 I 313 845 ···-·---· .. ·~ Website 52% 55% 63% 40% Email 48% 43% 52% 44% Telephone 29% 13% 18% 44% Social media 11% 21% 14% 6% In person 10% 11% 4% 17% Other 2% 0% 3% 2% No preference 4% 4% 3% 4% Preferred Methods fo r Receiving News and Developments from the City Base: Website 52% 55% 57% 45% Ema il 42% 49% 45 % 37% Newspapers 32% 13% 21% 46% Social media 29% 34% 40% 16% In person meetings/ 6% 3% 3% 9% open houses Telephone 2% 3% 1% 3% Other 4% 4% 3% 5% No preference 2% 0% 1% 3% Higher than othe r age group(s) Note: New q ue stio ns added in 2020. ~sentis Q77a . Wh at or e your p r eferred methods for requesting in formation on municipal services from the City ol Maple Ridge7 (e .g. confirming property tax deadlines, submitting a bylaw coll for seNice, r eporting a bumt out street light! Select up to two resp onses. I Q77b. And how would you prefer the City keep you up-to-dote on 11ews ond de,1elopments 7 Select up to two responses. 32 l!j rr: ,, I ,, ,, i! ~sentis SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Response to COVID-19 33 j n1 ii I I ,~-, ::',).:'i,i;,,,;',,; -... ...,..,.,--. ,----------------I ,' ,1!' . ----------~-------;---.............,--,, _ ----------.•• ,----.. ,,,-i c ... ,, ., .. ,,-,;;,,,---· ---] I -----·:/ l 1'1 PERFORMANCE DURING COVID -19 ~sentis One-half of residents award highly positive ratings to t he City for their overa ll response to COVID. When it comes to maintaining access to services, about the same proportion (48%) also give the City top marks. Providing (OVID-specific services and communicating how the City is responding to the pandemic earn relatively lower scores with 35% and 34%, respectively, awarding top marks. However, it should be noted that residents do not feel negatively about the City's COVID response, rather, they tend to be undecided (i.e . 'neither poor nor good' or 'unsure'), especially when it comes to providing (OVID-specific services (58% are undecid ed or unsure). Among the 31% of residents who left a comment about the City's COVID response, the top comment is that they have heard very little about what the City has done and more needs to be communicated. Performance During COVID-19 -GJ Genera l Comments About COVID-1 9 % Very good/ good • Very good • Good ""': Neither poor nor good Poor • Very poor • Don 't know 2020 Bas e: Total residen ts (1 ,187) 51% 48% 35% 34% 28% i Base: Among those leaving a comment ·_s~o."':ing m_a/o.c:;1e~~iom?2'r Heard very little about City actions around COV JD-1 9 / need more info communicated Doing a good job More follow through with regulations/ City needs to enforce safety protocols Masks/ PPE should be mandatory Ha ve not dealt with the city during COVID City office/ businesses/ recreation centers have been closed for too long Most of t he info rmation has come from provincia l / federal sources Overall response Maintaining access to Prov iding COVJD-spec ific Communicating information about how the City is respo nding Good COVJD regulations services services (e.g. paying property taxes, (e.g. expedited patio Not e: New ques tion adcJecJ in 2020. requesting building inspect ions) permit process) 012. How would you rate the pe rfo rmance of tile City of Maple Ridge wit/J regards to COV!D-79 when it comes to ... ?/ Q72e. Please use the space below to share any comments . /,:,:::;·i:1:i:;J~}:::-,. · , ,:,:· !\ .. · · · · i,.:.u·1;r'i:,n1: . -•.• .•, '. I , ''' .. ', 7;·,,·. , . I '•, ,, ,: .. ',1,,: 'f/:;i1;!1,:!(fjj:1:/'.::·:i}~:;;;::·) (}'I:; ; 15% 10% 10% 7% 7% 7% 3% 3% 34 r,;r: li:,I ~ µ, jf ;:a i :11· .rl m :~ 1j·1~ A 11' ','i:-1·,~ri-'1·1~0(>/jl t(!i,r11 •/.,•'·il1 COMMUNICATION CHANN ELS USED SINCE ONSET OF COVID -19 Since the onset of COVID-19 in mid-March, 60% of residents report obtaining municipal services or information from the City. Most commonly, residents did this by visiting the website (38%), while fewer visited a social media site (15%), emailed (13%) or called (11%). Relative to their counterparts, homeowners, families with kids and resi dents aged 35 to 54 are more likely to have had contact with the City since COVI D-19 hit. These resident groups most commonly interacted with the City by visiting the website. Note: New qu es ti o n ad cJecJ in 2020. Channels Used for Obtaining Services and Information from the City Since Mid -March -2020 Base: Total residents (1,187) Website 38% Social media 15% Email 13% Telephone 11% Haven't obtained services or informationfrom the L ..... ·. . . ... ·.·· .. ··· ... j 0 City since mid-March • ... ·~~"~j 40Yo 073. And since tile onset of COV/0-19 in mid-March how, if at all, have you obtained municipal services and information from the City? Select all that apply. ,,1;r{' ::;,;i:!;·,I;:~!·,,.· :,i,I, ~ ~sentis 35 t:rl 1·1 :j; ~ 1 ·1 ,, i!f IM PACT OF COVID -19 ON COMMUTING/ EMPLOYMENT ~sentis 62% of Maple Ridge residents report being employed either full time or part time. Reported Employment Status Following the introduction of COVID-19 measures in March, a substantial portion (32%) report that they are still commuting into work. Another 11% report working partly from .home and partly at their place of work, while 8% report transitioning to solelyworking from home. Another 6% report that t hey were already working from home prior to CbVID-19. The majority of those who are not working are retired (19%). Another 4% were not employed before the pandemic and 3% report having have lost their employment due to COVID. Note: New q uestions added in 2020. QD5. Are you currently employed'/ 005/J. Which best describes you: - 2020 Base: Total residents (1,187) • Employed full time Employed part time D Not employed Pre fer not to say Impact of COVID-19 on Commuting/ Employment Status 2020 Base: Tota l residents (1,187) Used to commute into work and I am still commuting in , Used to commute into work, but now I partly -· 11 o/c work from home and partly commute in ° Used to commute into work, but now I only ·• So/c wo~fromhome 0 I have always worked from home and still do • 6% Retired 19% I was not working full/ part time prior to COVID 1 , 4 o/c and I am still not 1 1 0 I lost my employment due to COVID • I 3% I Other ·11111 11% Prefer not to say • 6% 32% >i11.·oi·i,. 36 l··.' :1 ,, I,; I: i,: j,/ i~ .... .,J ~sentis SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Comments from Residents 37 itt ~11 ii~ :Ii ~ :: :; ' lr COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS ~sentis Residents were given the opportunity to provide comments about the topics covered in the survey. 47% of residents decided to provide feedback. The majority of comments are related to growth (34%) -most commonly, planning, zoning and develo pment or the need to attract more businesses to the City. One-in-ten leave comments related to community safety such as homelessness, drug use or crime. 2% share their thoughts about the na t ural environment and 1% touch on inter- governmental relations. Note: New qu estion added in 2020. Comments -- 2020 Base: Total Residents (1,187) Growth .-- Planning /development / zoning • 6% Need more business/ improve tax base/ create jobs tJ 5% Value for taxes i:J 4% Rec reation 2 4% Roads/ road maintenance/ traffic ::J 4% General comments about service/ living in Maple Ridge • 4 o/c / comparisons to other cities 0 Community Safety -10% Homelessness 6% Drug use/ crime Natural Environment I 2% Recycling/ green waste/ composting services I 1% Maintenance of City property/ green space ) 1% Green space/ farmland I 1% Inter-governmental Relations J 1% Teachers / schools/ school bus routes I 1 % Hosp ital / hea lt h ca re I 1% . No comments 34% 53% Note: Comments were grouped based on the City's priorities. Showing major mentions within each category of comments. < 1% of comments relate to Community Pride & Spirit and therefore, have not been included in the cha1t. Q74. Please use the space below for any other thoughts or comments you mav have on the topics covered in this sur,ev and/or about anything else you want to shore with the City. Please type in your comments below. ,,.,.;,:'.:1:;:;f1(~~Ji~J';:l,;: · .',' ,, -;· .. ,. . --'·i•!t'''·~---1 T------,- l,1;, 38 :1 l fl Ji! '' ·1;~ I, ,ill I J;!l I~ ---:i :,,\,rit ~sentis SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Final Summary 39 -------------:-;~--------------~ ------------------- S UM MARY ~sentis 1 2 QUALITY OF LIFE The data indicates that satisfaction with the qual ity of life in the City of Maple Ridge remains high. Access to the outdoors and outdoor ac ti vities, parks, scenery, are what residents like most. Homelessness, crime and lack of shopping opportunities are the top concerns . SATISFACTION WITH MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND VALUE Satisfaction w ith municipal services remains moderately positive with 49% giving ratings of very good or good . Perceived value for taxes ra tings are more mixed -28% respond positively, 45 % are uncertain or unsure and 27% give negative ratings. _.__..._.. -·-·.--k·..........-.-·~-.. _.. __ ·.-.,...,.......,......,._.... ____ ...._.,.,.. .......... .,.,.......,.,...k. ~-_.. . ._ ... ,.. .. _... _ _.._... __ .-,,, . .....___ ..... ._._,.._._..., .. .,..,...,. __ ..,.,., ...... _ .......,_ ... , . .,......,._.._...._....,.. .... -.... ,. .... ,...,.~·~··•··•'"-···.•v .... ~ ,.. .... ~. ,..~ . ....._...., . .,.. .......... , . .._..~ .. k . .,..., .. ,.,.._"'..,,.._.,....,._""-"'-" . ....__.,•,.,.., . ._.., ... ,,.._.~. -- 3 4 5 SERVICE AREAS PRIORITIES AND PERFORMANCE Service area performance and priorities are highly similar to 2014: residents prioritize emergency services, environmental services and streets and util ities. Performance on growth, streets and sidewalks and City communications and announcements are highlighted as areas of improvement. Generally, residents favour maintaining current se rvice levels, and if there is to be an increase, funding it through a combination of user fees and taxes. PREFERRED COMMUNICATION CHANNELS The City's website and email are the most p refe rred communication channels -whether residents are reaching out for information or the City is communicati ng ne ws or developments. RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Residents give the Cit y moderately positive ratings for its response to COVID-19. Those who do not assess the City positively tend to be unsure or give a neutral rating, rather than give a negative assessment. Those who have obtained information from the City since mid-March have primarily done so by visiting the City's website. '~?·' i,;,'.)I· ·;;·,;:p;;:,·:T::ij:::,:. ~ t i ,' ii 40 ~ ~ +-' C Q) ~ i ~ r >< ·--0 C (1) 0.. 0.. <( ! ! r: RESIDENT PROFILES Gender (base) I Male Female Other 18 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55+ Years Lived in Maple Ridge Less than 1 year 1 to 5 years 6 to 10 yea rs 11 to 20 years More than 20 years Home Tenure Own Rent Prefer not to answer 2020 1,187 48% 48% 0% 8% 22% 25% 45% 3% 7% 13 % 30% 48% 86% 8% 6% Household Composition (base) Single with no children Single with children Couple with no children Couple with children Other Prefer not to answer Annual Household Income ·- Less than $20,000 $20,000 to less than $35,000 $35,000 to less than $50,000 $50,000 to less than $65,000 $65,000 to less than $80,000 $80,000 to less than $100,000 $100,000 to less than $150,000 $150,000 to less than $200,000 $200,000 or more Prefer not to answer/ don't know I,,, ~sentis if!',:! .. !·ij j/ ' 2020 1,187 10% 7% 26% 44% 8% 6% 1% 3% 4% 6% 8% 9% \I 19% 13% Ii:~ 6% 30% ~11 { H !ll 42 MAPLE RIDGE ------British Columbia October 6, 2020 Current Resident [ADDRESS] [CITY], BC, [POST AL CODE] Dear Resident: Help Shape the Services the City of Maple Ridge Provides The City of Maple Ridge invites you to participate in an important survey. The goal of the survey is to understand the views and preferences of residents. The information will allow the City to make informed decisions about the services we provide to citizens. Your household has been randomly selected to participate in this survey. Council realizes your time is valuable and respectfully asks that you invest about 12 minutes to complete the survey. It is open for completion to anyone in your household who is 18 years or older. One response per household only. As a token of appreciation for completing the survey, you will be entered into a prize draw to win one of the following prizes offered by our survey host: • 1-$500 VISA gift card • 1 -$250 VISA gift card • 5 -Parks, Recreation & Culture gift cards of $50 each • 6 -Supermarket gift cards of $50 each • 8 -Skip the Dishes gift cards of $25 each Sentis Market Research has been enlisted to conduct this survey on behalf of the City of Maple Ridge. Please be assured that your responses will be kept completely confidential and anonymous. To complete the survey, please go to: https://snts.ca/mrsurvey and enter passcode: [TOKEN] The deadline to complete this survey is October 28, 2020 Helpline: 7-855-958-3985 or citizensurvey@sentis.ca Don't have internet or prefer phone? Call Sentis Market Research toll-free at 1-855-958-3985 (Mon-Fri: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, Sat: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm) and an interviewer would be pleased to take you through the survey. All of Council wishes to thank you personally for taking part in this survey. With appreciation, Michael Morden, Mayor if you wish to verify the survey, please call Maple Ridge City Hall at 604-463-5227. City of Maple Ridge 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9 Canada• Tel: 604-463-5221 • Fax: 604-467-7329 enquiries@mapleridge.ca • www.mapleridge.ca '4' sentis® ~Senti 5® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 / I City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 Landing Page MAPLE RIDGE British Columbia Welcome to the City of Maple Ridge 2020 Citizen Survey. The goal of the survey is to understand the views and preferences of residents. The information will allow the City to make informed decisions about the services we provide to citizens. As a token of appreciation, eligible respondents who participate in the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win one of the following prizes provided by our survey host • 1 -$500 VISA gift card • 1 -$250 VISA gift card • 5 -Parks, Recreation & Culture gift cards of $50 each • 6 -Supermarket gift cards of $50 each • 8 -Skip the Dishes gift cards of $25 each To access the survey, please enter the survey passcode that was mailed to you in the letter invitation. [ __ Start Survey (Your passcode will be in the letter we mailed, in the centre, gray-shaded box. It is 2 letters followed by 5 numbers.) The survey takes about 12 minutes to complete and all your responses will remain confidential and anonymous. If you would like to verify the survey, you can contact main reception at 604.463.5221 or dolivieri@mapleridge.ca. Privacy Policy Contest Rules For help with the survey or technical support, call Sentis toll-free at 1-855-958-3985 or email citizensurvey@sentis.ca I > • sen11c.: -s F f -!- -~ Al -; :·. ;~~ ----~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 Screener QSl Is anyone in your household an elected official of the City of Maple Ridge or an employee of the City of Maple Ridge? 1. I or someone in my household is a City elected official or works for the City 2. No one in my household (including myself) is a City elected official or works for the City [IF NO, CONTINUE. IF ANYONE WORKS FOR MAPLE RIDGE TERMINATE AND DISPLAY THIS MESSAGE:] The survey and prize draw are not open to employees (or their families) or elected officials of the City of Maple Ridge. Thank you for your interest. QS3. Please indicate into which of the following categories your age falls. 1. Under 18 years [TERMINATE] 2. 18-24 3. 25-34 4. 35-44 5. 45-54 6. 55-64 7. 65 years or more QS4. Do you reside in Maple Ridge? 1. Yes 2.No 98. Don't know [TERMINATE] QS5. What are the first three letters of your postal code? 1. V2W 2. V2X 3. V4R 4. Other 98. Don't know [TERMINATE] [TERMINATE] [TERMINATE IF UNDER 18 YEARS OLD/NOT MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT/DO NOT RESIDE IN MAPLE RIDGE FSAs AND DISPLAY THIS MESSAGE:] We are looking to survey people aged 18 years of age or older, living in the City of Maple Ridge, so this will be our last question. Thank you for your interest. 2 ~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 Main Survey Q1a. The Maple Ridge local government provides a number of services. In general, how would you rate the municipal services you receive in Maple Ridge? 5. Very good 4. Good 3. Neither poor nor good 2. Poor 1. Very poor 98. Don't know DO NOT ASK Q1B IF Q1A IS DON'T KNOW [Q1A = 98] Q1b. Why do you rate it as [INSERT RATING FROM Q1a]? Please type in your reasons below Q2. And how would you rate the overall value of services you receive for the property taxes paid7 (The municipal share of your property taxes is approximately 70% of your tax bill, with the remainder going to the School Levy, Metro Vancouver Regional District and other authorities) 5. Very good value 4. Good value 3. Neither poor nor good value 2. Poor value 1. Very poor value 98. Don't know DO NOT ASK Q2B IF Q2 IS DON'T KNOW [Q2 = 98] Q2b. Why do you rate it as [INSERT RATING FROM Q2]? Please type in your reasons below 3 L ---------~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 Q3. The following is a list of services that the City currently provides. First, please rate how important each service is to you. Q4. Next, how satisfied are you with each of these services? [RANDOMIZE ORDER OF SECTIONS AND RANDOMIZE SERVICES WITHIN EACH SECTION] How important is this Rate the current level of service to you? service the City provides Neither Unim-Neither Very lmpor-portant Not Not at Don't Very Poor Very Don't Important Nor Important All Know Good Poor tant Important Good Nor Poor Know Import Good ant Emergency Services Fi re Protection Police Services Growth Attracting new businesses and employers Regulating what types of buildings can be built in specific areas of the City Bylaw services (response to noise complaints, neighbourhood disputes, enforcing regulations) Parks and Recreation Parks, playgrounds, sports fields and trails Recreational facilities (leisure centres, pools, ice rinks, qymnasiums) Recreation programs (aquatics instruction, children's camps) Cultural facilities (theatres, museums) and programs (arts camps) Library services Streets and Utilities Water, sewer and storm drainage Streets and sidewalks 4 !-·:: ~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 Environmental Services Recycling depot and curbside collection Protecting streams, rivers and other environmentally sensitive areas -Accessing Information & Services Online registrations, payments and e-services (building permit enquiries, recreation program registration, report a concern service) Communications and announcements from the City Video streaming of Council proceedinqs OS. For the same services, please indicate for each one if you think it needs to be increased, decreased or maintained at the current level? [06 ONLY APPEARS FOR THOSE SERVICES RESPONDENT WANT TO BE 'INCREASED' IN 05] 06. And for those services you think need to be increased, how should those increases be funded? The service should be ... Fund the increase through ... Combin-Reducing Increased Maintained Decreased Don't Tax User ation of Other Don't Know Increase Fees Taxes and Services know User Fees (specify) I Sam~ list as previous 07 SERIES FROM 2014 DELETED (N)011a.What are your preferred methods for requesting information on municipal services from the City of Maple Ridge? (e.g. confirming property tax deadlines, submitting a bylaw call for service, reporting a burnt out street light)? Select up to two responses. RANDOMIZE 1. Email 2. Telephone 3. Website 4. Social media S. In person 96. Other _____ _ 97. No preference s --==== l r ~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 (N)Q11b.And how would you prefer the City keep you up-to-date on news and developments? Select up to two responses. RANDOMIZE 1. Email 2. Telephone 3. Website 4. Social media 5. In person meetings/open houses 6. Newspaper 96. Other ______ _ 97. No preference Now just a few questions specifically about COVID-19. (N)Q12. How would you rate the performance of the City of Maple Ridge with regards to COVID-19 when it comes to ... ? ALWAYS ASK Q12A FIRST AND RANDOMIZE THE REST OF THE LIST (Q12B-D). SHOW IN BUILDING GRID SCALE: 5. Very good, 4. Good, 3. Neither poor nor good, 2. Poor, 1. Very poor, 6. Don't know a. Overall response b. Communicating information about how the City is responding c. Maintaining access to services (paying property taxes, requesting building inspections) d. Providing (OVID-specific services (e.g. expedited patio permit process) e. OPEN-ENDED COMMENT BOX [OPTIONAL]: Please use the space below to share any comments (N)Q13. And since the onset of COVID-19 in mid-March, how, if at all, have you obtained municipal services and information from the City? Select all that apply. 1. Email 2. Telephone 3. Website 4. Social media 96. Other ______ _ 97. I have not obtained services or information from the City since mid-March EXCLUSIVE And now just a few final questions. Q8. Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of life in Maple Ridge? 5.. Very satisfied 4. Somewhat satisfied 3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 2. Somewhat dissatisfied 1. Very dissatisfied 6 I ~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 Q9. What do you like best about living in Maple Ridge? Please type in your responses below Q10. What do you like least about living in Maple Ridge? Please type in your responses below (N)Q14. Please use the space below for any other thoughts or comments you may have on the topics covered in this survey and/or about anything else you want to share with the City. Please type in your comments below [OPTIONAL] Demographics Lastly here are some basic questions to make sure all types of residents are represented. Please be assured that all the information you provide will remain completely confidential and will only be used for classification purposes. QS2. With what gender do you identify? 1. Male 2. Female 96. Other ______ _ 97. Prefer not to answer (N)QD1. How long have you lived in Maple Ridge? [RANGE=O TO 99] Enter number of years. Enter O for Less than 1 year. D Can't recall or prefer not to say (N)QDS. Are you currently employed? 1. Yes-full time 2. Yes-part time 3. No 97. Prefer notto say (N)QD5b. Which best describes you: 1. Prior to the introduction of COVID measures in March, I used to commute into work, but now I only work from home 2. Prior to the introduction of COVID measures in March, I used to commute into work, but now I partly work from home and partly commute in 3. Prior to the introduction of COVID measures in March, I used to commute into work and I am still commuting in 4. I have always worked from home and still do 5. I was not working full/ part time prior to COVID and I am still not 6. I lost my employment due to COVID 7. Retired 96. Other ______ _ 97. Prefer not to say 7 ~sentis® City of Maple Ridge Citizen Survey 2020 QD2. Do you own or rent your home? 1. Own 2. Rent 97. Prefer not to answer QD3. Which of the following best describes your current living situation? 1. Single with no children 2. Single with children 3. Couple with no children 4. Couple with children 96. Other ______ _ 97. Prefer not to answer QD4. Which of the following categories best describes your total annual household income before taxes? 1. Less than $20,000 2. $20,000 to less than $35,000 3. $35,000 to less than $50,000 4. $50,000 to less than $65,000 5. $65,000 to less than $80,000 6. $80,000 to less than $100,000 7. $100,000 to less than $150,000 8. $150,000 to less than $200,000 9. $200,000 or more 98. Don't know 97. Prefer not to answer QF1. Thank you for your input' If you would like to be entered into the prize draw, please provide the following information: [OPTIONAL] Name: __________ _ Email or Phone: __________ _ Enter your phone number without spaces or dashes Thank-you. You are now entered into the prize draw. [IF EMAIL PROVIDED IN QF1, ASK QF2] QF2. May the City of Maple Ridge also use your email to communicate with you regarding the results of this survey? 1. Yes 2. No Thank you very much for your cooperation. We appreciate your participation in this survey. If you would like to sign up for more information from the City, you can find more information here [https:Uwww.mapleridge.ca/list.aspx) 8 1.: 1.· 1-f ~.-~ .... City of Maple Ridge TO: FROM: mapleridge.ca His Worship Mayor Michael Morden and Members of Council Chief Administrative Officer MEETING DATE: FILE NO: MEETING: January 26, 2021 01-0640-20 Council Workshop SUBJECT: City of Maple Ridge Performance Dashboard EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City of Maple Ridge has been monitoring and reporting on municipal performance for nearly two decades. With advancements in data visualization and reporting technology, the City is transitioning to near real-time performance reporting for 29 organizational metrics. New measures have been developed with leaders throughout the organization based on department objectives, industry best practices, and review of municipal benchmarking initiatives to align performance monitoring with Council's strategic priorities. Each metric included on the dashboard is grouped by strategic priority in Attachment A with a rationale for why it is important to measure, applicable target, and a summary of status and actions that pertain to the measure. RECOMMENDATION: For information only. DISCUSSION: a) Background Context: The City of Maple Ridge Performance Dashboard merges innovative technology with the robust measurement tools for which the City has become known, to provide the public access to near real-time data regarding municipal performance for services and programs that align with Council's Strategic Plan. Requirements to measure and report on municipal performance date back to the adoption of the British Columbia Community Charter in 2004. Through the Charter, local governments were mandated to integrate performance measurement relative to established objectives in public-facing documents, specifically the Annual Report. The objective of the exercise was to provide public accountability and transparency while engaging municipalities to focus on activities and services that drive medium-and long-term goals. The City of Maple Ridge adopted performance measurement as a feedback mechanism within the business and financial planning process early on. As a result, the City has been recognized on numerous occasions for outstanding achievement in performance reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). As technology has evolved, performance management has developed into a practice of leveraging real-time insights to assist in operational decision-making. At the same time, tracking progress on long-term objectives remains vital to public transparency. The Maple 2653349 Page 1 of3 4.3 Ridge Open Government Portal is a significant project from technological and government transparency perspectives. The Performance Dashboard is built on the same cutting edge platform as the Maple Ridge Open Government Portal and BC Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 Dashboard to provide residents with up to date insights on municipal performance as it relates to Council's Strategic Plan. Metrics that are featured on the dashboard were identified during an extensive development process with directors and managers from each internal business unit and subject matter experts. The process included a review of existing metrics and available data, the identification of operational and strategic objectives for the service areas, analysis of strategic documents for key performance measures, and comparison to municipal benchmarking initiatives. Potential metrics were assessed for applicability based on their relevance to Council's Strategic Plan and items listed in the Work Plan Matrix. Measures were developed based on subject-matter best practice, as established by local or national agencies such as Statistics Canada or Public Safety Canada, or, where measurement guidelines were unavailable, adapted from other subject areas. With the intent to monitor strategic progress, measures are categorized in alignment with Council's Strategic Plan with each priority featuring its own dashboard. A breakdown of each measure with its strategic alignment, rationale for why it is important, applicable target, and a summary of status and actions that pertain to the measure is provided in Attachment A. Although the Dashboard serves primarily to monitor implementation and progress on actions at a strategic level, some operational metrics are included as they pertain to Council focus areas or aspects of good governance. Given the flexibility of the platform, the Dashboard will evolve as new priorities and projects are identified. Over time, the organizational dashboard will be supplemented by program-specific dashboards, such as for Community Social Safety, which provide operational snapshots of data. b) Desired Outcome: To provide Council and the public with an agile, interactive reporting tool that leverages near real-time data to provide insights on municipal performance related to Council's Strategic Plan. c) Strategic Alignment: Measures have been organized by Council strategic priority with an emphasis on metrics that relate to major work plan items or strategic objectives for services within the categories. Each metric included on the dashboard is grouped by strategic priority in Attachment A with a rationale for why it is important to measure, applicable target, and a summary of status and actions that pertain to the measure. d) Citizen/Customer Implications: With the transition to an on line platform for presenting the data, citizens have access to up to-date information on City performance. The dashboard provides another layer of transparency that provides meaning and context to the data housed on the Open Government Portal. These same measures will be used for progress reporting in the Annual Report and during business planning. 2653349 Page 2 of3 _, -~-e) Business Plan/Financial Implications: To support the growth of the Dashboard and ensure that both operational and strategic progress monitoring occurs, annual work plans developed through the business and financial planning process identify new measurement opportunities. The identified measures will ensure that the work of the City delivers on intended project outcomes, performance is managed on an active basis, and staff are empowered to make real-time business decisions. CONCLUSION: The Maple Ridge Performance Dashboard embodies the next generation of progress reporting tools that connect staff, Council, and the public with near real-time data on municipal performance. Prepared by: ~nOllvieri ~Technician Approved by: Attachment: (A) Performance Dashboard Summary 2653349 Page 3 of 3 Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Community StatCan's Maple The Crime Severity Index is Monitoring The Crime Severity Index (CSI} measures changes in the level of Safety Ridge Crime a measure produced by severity of crime in the municipality from year to year. In the index, Severity Index Statistics Canada and each type of crime is assigned a weight based on its seriousness. The includes all Criminal Code level of seriousness is based on actual sentences handed down by the violations, both violent and Courts in all provinces and territories. More serious crimes are non-violent. assigned higher weights, less serious crimes lower weights . The reporting period for this measure is January to December of the prior year. .. Community Average RCMP Average response time for 8 minutes Police responsiveness to Priority 1 calls for service is key to supporting Safety Response Time to Priority _1 calls . Identifies a resident's sense of safety. A Priority 1 call is a major incident in Priority 1 Calls the length of time from progress that requires immediate police presence, assistance or when a call is received by service. Categories include incidents_ of domestic violence, suicide, ECOMM to when an officer reports under the Mental Health Act, weapons infractions, and arrives on scene. assaults. The reporting period for this measure is January to December of the prior year. Community Community Social The percentage of 75% As one of the first lines of response, Community Safety Officers work Safety Safety Bylaw Files community safety files with RCMP and Town Centre Security services to ensure that the (Average Closure (Homelessness and Safer community remains clean of unsightly debris, free of unauthorized Rate) Streets Bylaw calls for structures, and safe for residents. Resolving calls for service in a timely -service) closed within 48 manner is critical to increasing residents' sense of safety in the hours. community and resolving concerns before they escalate. The reporting period for It was determined that calls for service to Bylaws regarding this measure is a rolling homelessness and Safer Streets Bylaw concerns would be measured as average of the last 12 they relate directly to the work of Community Social Safety Officers. months. The files listed in this measure do not represent the entirety of the work of the Officers but focus on connecting vulnerable individuals with services an _d addressing complaints from the public. 1 Status/ Actions Ridge Meadows RCMP is undertaking a strategic planning process to develop a medium-term plan for strategies and actions for 2021-2024. Public consultation is being conducted through to the end of 2020. A new strategic plan will be finalized in 2021. Ridge Meadows RCMP responds to calls as quickly as possible. The target for Priority 1 calls is 8 minutes. There is some variability in reporting this _ metric as there can be delays from the time ECOMM receives a call and when the call is dispatched to the local detachment. The reporting of this measure is captured from the time ECOMM receives the call. ·- After a successful pilot project in 2019, a Community Safety Officer (CSO} program was funded in 2020. Significant work wa s completed to coord inate response efforts between CSOs, RCMP and Town Centre security guards. This coordinated effort streamlines operations and improves efficiency by having the appropriate resource respond to various safety and security incidents. The City is currently reviewing the CSO program to ensure an adequate service level for the community is provided. ;:;.i1Jmm:~:. l!·1 l!i fl Yi:!! ,J•,;;,!!J]Muii f'l ·~ 'j'' !I Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary :I Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions .. Community Urban Area Percentage of urban 7 minutes Studies indicate that shorter r es ponse times are a key element to The City is currently conducting a review and Safety Structure Fire 7 structure fires re sponded con sider in controlling a fire in structures. We as sign se v en minutes for update of the Fire Department Master Plan . Over min. Response Rate to by four Fire Services the urban response zone due to primarily older housing stock in this the course of 2021, public consultation will be personnel in 7 minutes or zone where there is no sprinkler protection. completed and the new plan adopted. In addition, less. A structure is any built Fire Hall No. 4 has been opened and staffed, which object by building code A strategy to move toward a composite fire service delivery model, should impact the response time metric. Hall 4 is in I. standards. made up of paid on-call and full -time career firefighters, was the protected growth zone and will shorten the developed as part of the 2003 Fire Master Plan. Because of the Paid-On-Call (POC) response time to that area . The The reporting period for significant cost to the community, the plan is being implemented career staffing is temporary due to COVID. this measure is a rolling gradually and the results are being closely monitored . The hiring of average of the past 12 full-time career fire fighters is intended to reduce the time it takes to months. respond to emergency calls in the urban response area . Seven minutes is a key time after which fire extends exponentially throughout a building. Community ESS & EOC Number of activation and Monitoring Emergency preparedness in our community i s enhanced by providing Emergency Services staff continue to provide Safety Activations and training hours for opportunities for City of Maple Ridge staff, volunteers and agency supplementary training to augment the experience Training Hours Emergency Operations designates to develop their skills through training and real or that volunteers gain during activations. As the Centre and Emergency simulated response situations. With a focus on training provided to number of activations can vary year to year, staff Support Services. staff and volunteers directly engaged in the Emergency Operations will ensure that a baseline of training is provided . Centre (EOC) and Emergency Support Services (ESS), training is The reporting period for provided in consultation with other public sector agencies, community this measure is a y e ar-to-groups, and relevant stakeholders. date total, updated quarterly. ------·---------------Community Crime Prevention Number of Crime Monitoring Crime Prevention Through Environmental De sign (CPTED) is a proven The City adopted a one-year funding extension to Safety Through Prevention Through method both to reduce crime and fe ar of crime by changing a the Lock Out Crime Through Environmental Design Environmental Environmental Design property's physical environment. By provid i ng CPTED assessments, (LOCTED) grant program that is being piloted in Design Inspections inspections conducted by Community Safety Officers (CSOs) are able to educate individuals on partnership with the Downtown Maple Ridge Community Safety Officers. what changes they can make to their prope rties in order to deter Business Improvement Association (DMRBIA). crime. Through the network of local businesses, the The reporting· period for DMRBIA advertises the program and facilitates this measure is a rolling Commercial and residential property occupants can access CPTED access to assessments performed by Community total since Community assessments provided by CSOs free of charge. The Downtown Maple Safety Officers. Safety Officers began Ridge Business Improvement Association (DMRBIA) members can providing the service . access grants for 50% of project costs, up to $2,000, to carry out recommendations _based on CPTED inspection reports provided through the Lock Out Crime Through Environmental Design program (LOCTED). 2 ,i·,,,1-;f;T,;-;:-,.-,72;:,-\1;r;(;r.-:;r,.,11\111,l,m1,,l11i11,,1il11i.u,,i.111J1.,.1,1.,.,.i,1 1.u,i:,:i11i1rntiiaWtftiUii)1,1111mHill1iwmfiliH1iUiiH!ifHll:tw1nrHrffl~:1:mm1(;1f:Tii1©r1r;::i!.i1:{f:r1~ii:!1i:f;(:tilrii::1:i:i;i;1::1:i(fiiii•.lihfdilill!!l!Hlt:iW!!i/lilH:i;ur,111u:1:1::twlfi1i:i1\ii·:i1i:~i·i·.·i!11,·i··· Attachment A~ Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions Growth Percentage of Percentage of all new Monitoring Our goal is to .ensure that growth and redevelopment in ·the Town Th e City embarked on a visioning proce ss that Growth in the Occupancy Permits issl)ed Centre leads to greater economic activity and vibrancy. One of the key supports an evolution of the Town Centre that is Town Centre within the Town Centre measures is the increase in residential units and density that include a po sitive and leads to greater vi br ancy in this core area. wide range of housing forms and affordable housing choices. People area of the community. Community consultation who visit and live in the Town Centre are able to walk or bicycle to on the visioning process will be presented to City The reporting period for nearby shops, services; entertainment, and recreation activities. Council on February 23 and outcomes will be this measure is a rolling Higher residential densities and a growing population within in the implemented through 2021. average of the past 12 Town Centre will create greater demand for a range of businesses and months. improved public transportation, thereby reducing reliance on cars and roads . This measure is closely tied to the Town Centre visioning . process being undertaken through 2021. ---~-Growth Commercial and Average time to process 12 weeks One way in which the City can support increased residential density Additional resources are being implemented 2021, Multi-Res i dential commercial and multi-and the business community is through the efficient processing of in the form of a Permits Coordinator, to support Building Permit residential building permits building permits. The creation of new residential and commercial the increasing demands on the Bu i lding Processing Time from submission of plans space requires collaboration from internal City departments to ensure Department and to better support permit to first review . compliance with both zoning and permit requirements as well as applicants with the goal of reducing the processing adequate onsite servicing. time required for building permits. ii J I The reporting period for this measure is a rolling The City has identified that as Maple Ridge continues to grow, mixed- average forthe past 12 use Development Applications have become more complex in order to months. meet regulatory requirements and the diverse needs of the ij~ !:;! -·-·--·--------community. -------------------Growth Rezoning Average time from Monitoring The rezoning process is a pre-cursor to the application for building Additional resources, in the form of a Planner 3, Application application to First Reading permit(s). Ensuring that the City supports applicants in getting to First has been created to support the increasing Processing Time for all Development Reading at Council in an efficient manner supports the development of demands o n the Planning Department, w ith the Applications. new housing, as well as commercial and industrial space . goal of reducing the proces sing time of Re zoning Applications . The reporting period for The City has identified that as Maple Ridge continues to grow, mixed - this measure is a rolling use Development Applications have become more complex in order to average for the past 12 meet regulatory requirements and the diverse needs of the months. community. 3 Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Growth Infrastructure Actual net capital 100% Renewal Capital expenditures on renewal Expenditure to and replacement of Target Ratio existing assets as a percentage of the $30 million long-term target. The reporting period for this measure is January to . December of the prior year. -· Growth Engineering Average time to process Monitoring Referral Process i ng rezoning application Time referrals to the Engineering Department. The reporting period for this measure is a rolling average for the past 12 months. Why it is important to measure Maple Ridge has infrastructure and other assets (excluding land} with an estimated replacement cost of approximately $2.2 billion. These assets will eventually need to be replaced. Adequately funding the replacement of these assets will likely take several decades . Fortunately, many of the assets in Maple Ridge are relatively new and Council has had a funding model in place, identified as Infrastructure Renewal, since 2008. The .Infrastructure Renewal funding model provides dedicated funding each year which aims to bridge the gap between what we currently spend on infrastructure renewal and what we should be spending, in order to most efficiently manage these assets. Applications or permits submitted to the Planning or Building departments are referred to the Engineering development group for comments on municipal servicing. Based on bylaw requirements, existing service deficiencies and required studies related to transportation, water distribution, sanitary sewer and storm water management are identified. The timely completion of this process enables development applicants to begin the design stage ofthe development process earlier. 4 Status/ Actions In 2019, the measure increased at a much greater rate than prior years . This fluctuation occurred due to significant investments on major infrastructure projects including : two pump stations; extensive road rehabilitation 232 St; and a new Fire Tower truck. It is expected that this measure in 2021 will be closer to that of 2018 values before continuing to i ncrease over the long-term. The Financial Sustainability Plan Policy identifies dedicated annual funding increases to support the long-term viability of the City 's assets. This Policy will be reviewed to ensure that it reflects the current business environment and pressures the City faces . In addition, a dedicated property tax increase which aims to bridge the gap between what we currently spend on infrastructure renewal and what we should be spending, will increase from 0 .7% in 2021 to 1% by 2024. An additional dedicated resource, a Senior Project Engineer, is proposed for 2021 to support the increasing demands on the Engineering Department and to better support applicants, with a goal to reduce the referral and review processing times. In addition, the department is undertaking a review of both the review and referral processes to identify efficiencies and benchmark performance against other local governments. I, 1!r ~ It \1 1/1 __ -~,,r-w,--c-,IJ!--=-l; Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions Growth Business Licences Number of Business Monitoring The percentage of Business Licences that are renewed indicates the The City will be monitoring trends in issued Issued Licences issued . health of the business environment over time. If renewals decrease Business Licences to gain a depth of understanding year to year it can be an indication that existing businesses are of the buoyan ce of our business community and The reporting period for struggling as a result of several factors. trends in sector growth. this measure is a total for the current year. During 2021, the City will be undertaking the development of an Economic Development Strategy to identify key deliverables and performance indicators to measure our progress towards activating economic transformation in the community. In addition, an update to the Hotel Feasibility Study will be completed to support the attraction of accommodations including banquet and event hosting amenities. ----·-Inter-Competitive Grant Dollar value of competitive, Monitoring Municipalities leverage funding from other levels of government and The City continues to identify and apply for grant Government Funding Received capital and operating grant local government agencies to undertake projects in the community. funding independently and, where beneficial, in Relations funding received. Exte_rnal funding supports the City to anticipate, increase the scope of collaboration with local partners. and deliver community projects that increase residents' access to The re porting period far services and amenities. t _his measure is a _year-to- date total, updated . ---·------. quarterly . ·-·--------··------·-· ·-·· ---------Inter-Hectares of Hectares of Metro Maintain Regional agencies operate multiple park spaces in the community. The City will continue to monitor how much Government Regional Parkland Vancouver parkland in These locations supplement the existing inventory of municipal sites, regionally owned and maintained park space is in Relations Maple Ridge. providing additional recreation opportunities for residents and Maple Ridge. Staff will also collaborate with attracting visitors from across the region . partner agencies on the implementation of joint l·ri:l '~ ii This measure represents a projects. I rolling total. 5 : ... _iJ;:;.,:,iili:(, ,,;1;:;·,,,: i ;:ji;'i',,;i,,J Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Inter-Community Safety Number of persons Government Officer Referrals to referred to social supports . Relations Social Supports in the community. The reporting period for this measure is a year-to- date total. Inter-Fire Service Mutual Number of mutual aid Government Aid Responses callouts responded to by Relations the City's Fire Services . The reporting period for this measure is a rolling total for the prior 12 months. Inter· Inter-municipal Number of Inter-Municipal Government Business Licences Business Licences issued. Relations The reporting period for this measure is a year-to- date total. :~r~·:~i:r;r·~~~::i: Target Why it is important to measure Monitoring The City relies on social service agencies to connect vulnerable populations with services that support them in re-establishing themselves in the community. Community Safety Officers (CSO) can be a primary point of contact and critical link in referring individuals to service agencies . Monitoring Maple Ridge Fire Services has committed to resp.anding to calls for support from ot_her jurisdictions and in areas of mutual interest, such as the Golden Ears Bridge . These agreements ensure that all jurisdictions have the resources required to respond to major events. Monitoring Inter-municipal Licences allow businesses to operate in more than one municipality through joint agreements between jurisdictions. The City of Maple Ridge participates in the Fraser Valley Inter-municipal Business Licence program for the benefit of local businesses . 6 Status/ Actions Community Safety Officers (CSO) connect those seeking supports with community service agencies as a part of attending any call or during regular patrols. CSOs actively participate in a number of agency groups and committees to foster relationships and increase the effectiveness of referrals . The CSOs will continue to strengthen relationships with partner organizations to facilitate access to services for the community at- large. Fire Services will continue to respond to calls for support as identified in Mutual Aid Agreements. The commitments made in the Agreements ensures that responses are timely and well- resourced to keep residents and visitors of all communities safe. Maple Ridge will continue to take part in and promote the Inter-Municipal Business Licence Program in conjunction with other local governments. We will be monitoring trends in issued Business Licences to gain a depth of understanding of the buoyance of our business community and trends in sector growth. I d ii -----i~~/lt. 11 1 ;;-0J~i1,i, ,l,j, ,11!{1! Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Environment Hectares of land Hectares of land protected Monitoring protected and and restored through restored through covenants and through covenants and dedication to the City as through dedication park conservation lands. to the City as park conservation lands . The reporting period for this measure is a rolling The reporting total. period for this measure is a rolling total. Environment Area of Maple Tree canopy cover as a >40% Ridge Covered by percentage of total land Tree Canopy area . The reporting period for this measure is January to December of the reporting year. Why it is important to measure By working with integrated and innovative sustainable design solutions, a balance between development and conservation can be achieved. The City se.eks to provide safe, attractive, and affordable development, along with recreational opportunities and protection of highly sensitive fish and wildlife habitat. Maple Ridge is in the advantageous position of having an abundance of green infrastructure. However, long-term preservation of natural assets involves continued management. The City's Environmental Management Strategy identifies targeted actions that support the enduring viability of community health, environmental, and energy benefits realized from urban forestry. Success of tree cover% for the City w ill be dependent on tree retention and replacement on both public and private lands . 7 Status/ Actions The City supports the enhancement, restoration and protection of sensitive lands and features for environmental purposes through three permit mechanisms: Environmental Development; Soil Deposit; and Tree Cutting Permits. The amount of land dedicated as Park Conservation land or placed into a restrictive environmental covenant varies from year to year depending on the type, size, and locational characteristics of the proposed development. The City regulates the retention and replacement of trees on new developable lands through the Tree Protection and Management Bylaw, endorsed as part of the Environmental Management Strategy. In coordination with the Environmental Advisory Committee of Council, the City is also currently undertaking a review of the community green infrastructure assets . This review includes the inventory and evaluation of natural assets such as trees to determine the numerous benefits, services, and cost savings they provide to the community on an annual basis and over longer periods. II 1j 1 !1 ,1: l'.' Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Environment Corporate GHG Tonnes of Co2E produced 1,549 Emissions annually through municipal operations . The reporting period for this measure is January to December of the prior year. Environment Community GHG Tonnes of Co2E produced 245,392 Emissions annually through community transportation, waste and building operations . The reporting period for this measure is January to December of the reporting year. Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions The City is responsible for many of the regulations and guidelines for Due to COVID-19, local governments were not managing land use, water, waste and other municipal services as well required to report corporate greenhouse gas as the infrastructure required to provide these services. As a result, emissions in 2019. Maple Ridge, however, the City recognizes the large role it plays in our community's impact on continued to report updated emissions data for its the environment. City operations, which did met the annual targeted reduction. This reduction was achieved, in part, by Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs) are produced through the utilizing carbon credits allocated by the region for operation of vehicles, equipment, amenities and facilities. Every year diverting green materials from the landfill. the City engages in different activities to reduce its carbon footprint, from converting to zero emissions vehicles to installing LED street In 2021, the City will complete Phase 2 of the LED lighting. Tracking the impact of these efforts on GHG creation is street lighting conversion project which aims to valuable for identifying the City's contribution and efforts in reducing reduce the energy consumption of street lights . community greenhouse gas production . Additional actions will be identified as part of the recommendatiO!JS of the GHG reduction report. The Official Community Plan targets a reduction of 33% of community-Tracking community greenhouse gas emissions wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Tracking the amount of continues to be challenging due to the lack of community GHGs indicates where we are on the path to achieving the available data. The City has historically relied on reduction . the Province's publication ofthe·community Energy and Emissions Inventory. However, the Reporting on this metric is complicated due to a gap in community most recent inventory was reported in 2012 . Staff reporting by the Province of BC. City staff are currently using the have sourced community energy and building data available data to estimate the annual GHG production for buildings, up to 2017, yet that is only two-thirds of the data transportation and waste since 2012. required to complete the picture of community greenhouse gas emissions . Efforts continue to be made to source the outstanding data . In 2020, Metro Vancouver adopted new GHG targets for the region. The City is undertaking a consultation process on the adoption of updated targets that align with those of the region. Coinciding with this work, staff will be bringing forward a report featuring recommended actions that the City can take to reduce the community generation of greenhouse gas emissions . 8 -.. --.-. -~: :~-~-~~f~~E?;::;·7~~~0:f~ii--~?/i ti'·i i'., 'P ,,.111:_;1, ·ii _:!r::t:n,: '1ij ,,, i .. N H'. :_,. :'Ii 11 Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions Environment Carbon Emissions Tonnes of vehicle Co2E 30 A byproduct of the use of fos sil fuel s is the creation of Greenhouse Ga s The City's electric vehicle infrastructure Avoided by EV avoided through EV emissi ons, which have a negative environmental impact. Electricity experienced increased usage over prior years ' Charging charging station usage . generation in British Columbia has a much lo w er GHG impact than fuel levels in 2020. To further support the adoption of use. Therefore, replacing fuel consumption with electricity use has a zero and low-emissions vehicles, the City is The reporting period for much smaller environmental impact. Supporting the adoption of exploring opportunities to expand the charging this measure is a year-to-electric and hybrid vehicles supports a reduction in community network in partnership with BC Hydro and other date total, updated greenhouse gas emissions. funding sources . quarterly. -Environment Diverted Average kilograms of 450 kg Priority must be given to the first two R's (reduce and reuse) as the Educating the public remains the most effective Household Waste household waste per home best long-term method to achieve our goal. Together with recycling method of increasing waste diversion. In-school diverted from land fill. efforts, a reduction in tonnage will reflect a change in behaviour as and outreach programs have continued through !~~ ' residents make choices that are better for the environment. 36% of 2020 and will be undertaken in 2021 The reporting period for the waste stream is organics (yard and garden waste, wood and food this measure is January to waste). The Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan In addition to regular programs, a Hazardous December of the prior includes goals such as reducing the waste we each generate and Household Waste roundup day was hosted for the year. aspiring to recycle 80% of the region's waste by 2020. Currently about first time. This very successful event had 600 61% of our garbage is recycled. vehicles pre-register to drop off hazardous 1----·--· . m~terials. ~nother everit is planned for 2021. Pride Community Number of community Monitoring The City i'lnd its partners offer many opportunities for citizens to COVID-19 has reduced the City's ability to provide Volunteers volunteers for Aquatics, engage in positive activities with their community. Volunteers are opportunities for community members to engage Culture, Youth Mentorship, rel i ed upon to operate key social and recreational services to the in volunteer activities in 2020. In particular, the Emeq~ency Program residents of Maple Ridge . Ambassador Program that was planned as part of and Police Services. the Community Social Safety Initiative was put on hold until such time that protocols could be put in The reporting period for place to mitigate the exposure risks for volunteers. this measure is a year-to-Following the direction of the Public Health Officer, date total, updated the new program will be introduced in 2021 in quarterly. addition to the resumption of existing opportunities. 9 -; :::~llfliffi Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions Pride Public Engagement Number of people who Monitoring Public consultation is a cornerstone for an engaged community. In 2019, the City reverted to various forms of on Municipal and provide public consultation Tracking the number of participants in consultation processes over the virtual and digital engagement to ensure that Public feedback and number of course of a year is a broad indicator of citizen engagement in public consultation opportunities remained Development comments for public municipal initiatives. available despite the COVID -19 pandemic. In Projects hearings, open houses and person engagement will resume when safe to do broad consultation Participation in the Citizen Survey that is conducted every four years is so. Having said that, given the success and broad projects. not included in this metric. By excluding this data we are able to better reach of virtual and digital participation, the City track trends over time by not considering the significant increases in will continue with a hybrid approach going The reporting period for participation numbers that result from the survey. fo rward. this measure is a year-to- da_te total, updated quarterly. - Pride City-Supported Number of City-supported Monitoring Tracking the number of events held in the community is an indicator The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant Community Events community events. of the vibrancy of the community. The City supports many events in impact on the number of events hosted by and in and around the community on an annual basis. partnership with the City due to limitations set by The reporting period for the Provincial Health Order (PHO) on gatherings this measure is a year-to-and special events. While some events shifted date total, updated , online and others with reduced numbers, there quarterly. were fewer total celebrations in 2020. A positive impact of the on line content is the increased access to these events by thousands of viewers in Maple Ridge and around the country. As we look forward to 2021, the City will continue -to support on line and COVID -safe festivals and special events in Maple Ridge . 10 1iifiiiirfiti:i:iii!:!Hl11::,0ii;:;r:iili!fiii;HhI:Hl!!lli!~@amiBHl!HHWdillHHHITilihT1fiP@HIT1i/!:iitdii ;i:iit11:.:•' r•'I I :u Attachment A -Performance Dashboard Summary Priority Measure Name What we measure Target Why it is important to measure Status/ Actions Pride Arts, Heritage and Number of unique 70 Community groups rely on external funding to deliver cu ltural A significant decrease in awarded community Festival Grants organizations supported by programming to the residents of Maple Ridge . Programs that are grants occurred in 2020, mostly due to the culture grants. aligned with the City's Cultura l Plan are supported to deliver restrictions around COVID-19. While the pandemic municipa ll y-a li gned services . Increasing the nl!mber of groups will remain a challenge in 2021 , local organization s The reporting period for supported t rans lates to more diverse opportunities for artistic will continue to be able to access funding and this measure is a year-to-expression offered in the community. support within PHO parameters to enhance the date total, updated vibrancy of the community. quarterly. Staff are researching best practices and reviewing potentia l updates to the grant program streams to respond to Public Health Order (PHO) >--· requirements. Pride Maintained Park Hectares of Maint ained Monitoring As Mapl e Ridge continues to grow, it is important to ensure that In 2020, Beckett Park was constructed and opened Land per 1,000 Park Land per 1,000 adequate parkland is available to the increasing population for active for public use . Population Population. and passive use, to bo lster healthy living, connection with nature and outdoor recreation opportunities . For this reason, the measure is Looking to 2021, additional greenbelt areas will be This measure is a ro ll ing valued on a pe r capita basis . acquired and construction will begin on the Silver ·1·1 j' t ot al. Valley Gathering Place and Youth Action amenities From an environmental perspective, parkland helps control air as well as a new neighbourhood park in the Albion po ll ution, returns oxygen to the atmosphere, helps cool the city area at 241 A Street and 112 Avenue . The public (shade), controls storm water runoff, provides habitat for wildlife, and consultation results from the Thornhill Trails Study !, I ' aids biodiversity. will be used to determine ne xt steps for the trail syste !:!!_ and recreational opportunities at T~C?..':_nhill. Pride Public Art Number of public art Monitoring Public art beautifies t he community and increases points of pride at Five new art installations were completed i n 2020 Installations ins t all ations. key locations within the city. Public art also serves to honour local for a total of 25 works in the public art collection . heritage, history and pl aces of interest. Four new installations are planned for 2021 . The This measure is a rolling Public Art Steering Committee will continue to t ot al. support the Public Art Program, which aims to strengthen community identity and culture by developing "spirit of place" t hrough the commiss i oning, collecting, and incorporation of unique works of art. 11 -._,;~~--City of Maple Ridge TO: FROM: mapleridge.ca His Worship Mayor Michael Morden and Members of Council Chief Administrative Officer MEETING DATE: FILE NO: MEETING: SUBJECT: Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: January 26, 2021 0530-01 Council Workshop The attached report is scheduled to be on the February 9, 2021 Council Meeting agenda for discussion and consideration of the recommendation. The Council Workshop forum provides an extended opportunity for Council to seek additional information if required, prior to decision-making. RECOMMENDATION: That the attachment to the January 26, 2021 Council Workshop report titled "Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021" be forwarded to the Council Meeting on February 9, 2021. Approve~e Officer Attachment: • Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 -Staff report dated January 26, 2021 Doc # 2660388 4.4 Page 1 of 1 ~·-TO: FROM: •.,;:"ceirt:"2--.t!s--""'--~~ -__ [ City of Maple Ridge His Worship Mayor Michael Morden and Members of Council Chief Administrative Officer MEETING DATE: FILE NO: MEETING: February 9, 2021 0530-01 Council SUBJECT: Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The current consolidated version of the Council Procedure Bylaw was reviewed by this Council in November 2018. From time to time procedural Bylaws need to be reviewed in order to comply with changes in legislation, City practices and to consider provisions that emanate from other jurisdictions, which may be relevant to the City. RECOMMENDATION: That staff be directed to provide notice in accordance with the Community Charter; That Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 be read a first, second and third time. DISCUSSION: a) Background Context: Since the adoption of the City's current Council Procedure Bylaw no amendments have been made. Through discussions with City staff, and staff in other jurisdictions, it was deemed a review of the Bylaw and possible updates were necessary. There are a few substantive changes which are addressed in this report. For simplification purposes staff have developed a new Bylaw in place of the current consolidated bylaw which has been in existence since 2007. Key changes, other than minor housekeeping amendments, incorporated into the new Council Procedure Bylaw include: 1. New template as per the Province of BC; 2. Included new definitions: a. "Acting Mayor"; b. "Chair"; c. "City Hall"; d. "Councillor"; Doc#2652511 Page 1 of 3 I I I e. "Inaugural meeting"; f. g. h. i. "Motion"; "Point of information"; "Point of order"; "Question"; j. "Quorum"; k. "Resolution"; I. "Tabled". 3. New subsections (2) and (3) added under "Application of Rules of Procedure"; 4. New section "Public Notice Posting Place" added; 5. New subsection (2) added under "Inaugural Meeting"; 6. New section "Time and Location of Meetings" -previously under Part 2, section 8; 7. New section "Other meetings of Council" added; 8. Expanded "Electronic Meetings" to meet current standards; 9. New section "Public Hearings" added; 10. Expanded Part 3 "Designation of Member to Act in Place of Mayor"; 11. New section "Application of Rules in this Part to Other Bodies" added; 12. New section "Attendance of Public at Meetings" added; 13. Updated "Meeting Minutes" -previously Minutes of Council Meetings -and expanded; 14. Updated "Order of Proceedings and Business"; 15. New section "Consent Agenda Items"; 16. Expanded "Public Question Period"; 17. New section "Late Items" added; 18. New section "Delegations" added; 19. New section "Petitions" added; 20. Expanded "Points of Order"; 21. Combined and expanded "Conduct and Debate"; 22. Expanded "Motions Generally"; 23. New section "Notice of Motion Process" added; 24. New section "Motion to Commit" added; 25. New section "Motion for the Main Question" added; 26. Expanded "Amendments Generally"; 27. Expanded "Reconsideration by Council Member"; 28. New section "Privilege" added; 29. New section "Reports from Committees"; 30. New section "Adjournment" added; 31. Expanded "Part 5 -Bylaws"; 32. New part "Part 6 -Resolutions" added; 33. Expanded "Part 7 -Committee of the Whole"; 34. Expanded "Part 8 -Committees". Doc#2652511 Page 2 of 3 CONCLUSION: From time to time Bylaws require review and updated to reflect legislative changes, City Practices and reflect required changes based on circumstances in local government. The proposed Council Procedure bylaw reflects these changes. Staff recommend that Council approve the proposed Council Procedure Bylaw. Prepared by: ~. Corporate Officer Concurrence: Al Horsman Chief Administrative Officer Attachments: (A) Proposed Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 (B) Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 6472-2007 (consolidated) (C) Procedure Bylaw Guide: For B.C's Local Governments (LGMA / Ministry of Municipal Affairs) Doc#2652511 Page3 of 3 Attachment A The City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Table of Contents Page PART 1 -INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 3 1. Title ................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Repeal ............................................................................................................................ 3 3. Definitions ...................................................................................................................... 3 4. Incorporation of Definitions .......................................................................................... 5 5. Application of Rules of Procedure ................................................................................ 5 6. Public Notice Posting Place .......................................................................................... 5 PART 2 -COUNCIL MEETINGS ................................................................................................. 5 7. Inaugural Meeting ......................................................................................................... 5 8. Time and Location of Meetings .................................................................................... 6 9. Notice of Council Meetings ........................................................................................... 6 10. Calling and Notice of Special Council Meetings ................................................•..... 7 11. Electronic Meeting Participation by Council Members ........................................... 7 12. Public Hearings ......................................................................................................... 8 PART 3 -DESIGNATION OF MEMBER TO ACT IN PLACE OF MAYOR ...................................... 9 13. Acting Mayor .............................................................................................................. 9 PART 4 -COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS .......................................................................................... 9 14. Community Charter Provisions ................................................................................. 9 15. Application of Rules in This Part to Other Bodies ................................................... 9 16. Attendance of Public at Meetings ............................................................................ 9 17. Attendance at Closed Meetings ............................................................................. 10 18. Resolution Required Before Closed Meeting ........................................................ 10 19. Closed Meetings and Bylaws .................................................................................. 10 20. Confidentiality .......................................................................................................... 10 21. Meeting Minutes ..................................................................................................... 10 22. Calling Meeting to Order ......................................................................................... 11 23. Adjourning Meeting Where No Quorum ................................................................. 11 24. Agenda ..................................................................................................................... 11 25. Order of Proceedings and Business ....................................................................... 12 26. Consent Agenda ltems ............................................................................................ 12 27. Public Question Period ............................................................................................ 13 28. Late Items ................................................................................................................ 13 29. Voting at Meetings .................................................................................................. 13 30. Delegations .............................................................................................................. 14 31. Petitions ................................................................................................................... 14 32. Points of Order ......................................................................................................... 14 33. Conduct and Debate ............................................................................................... 15 34. Motions Generally ................................................................................................... 16 35. Notice of Motion Process ........................................................................................ 17 36. Motion to Commit .................................................................................................... 17 37. Motion for the Main Question ................................................................................ 17 38. Amendments Generally .......................................................................................... 17 39. Reconsideration by Council Member ..................................................................... 18 40. Privilege ................................................................................................................... 19 City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 1of 25 41. Reports from Committees ...................................................................................... 19 42. Adjournment ............................................................................................................ 19 PART 5 -BYLAWS ................................................................................................................... 20 43. Copies of Proposed Bylaws to Council Members .................................................. 20 44. Form of Bylaws ........................................................................................................ 20 45. Bylaws to be Considered Separately or Jointly ...................................................... 20 46. Reading and Adopting Bylaws ................................................................................ 20 47. Bylaws Must be Signed ........................................................................................... 21 PART 6 -RESOLUTIONS .......................................................................................................... 21 48. Form of Resolution .................................................................................................. 21 49. Introducing Resolutions .......................................................................................... 21 PART 7 -COMMITIEE OF THE WHOLE (CoW) ........................................................................ 21 50. Meeting Date and Time .......................................................................................... 21 51. Minutes of CoW Meeting to be Maintained and Available to Public .................... 22 52. Presiding Members at CoW Meetings and Quorum .............................................. 22 PART 8 -COMMITIEES .......................................................................................................... 22 53. Committees of Council ............................................................................................ 22 54. Duties and Authority of Standing Committees ...................................................... 23 55. Duties and Authority of Select Committees .......................................................... 23 56. Schedule of Committee Meetings .......................................................................... 23 57. Notice of Committee Meetings ............................................................................... 23 58. Attendance at Committee Meetings ...................................................................... 23 59. Quorum .................................................................................................................... 24 60. Conduct and Debate ............................................................................................... 24 61. Minutes of Committee Meetings to be Maintained and Available to Public ....... 24 PART 9 -GENERAL ................................................................................................................. 25 62. Severance ................................................................................................................ 25 City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 2 of 25 The Corporation of the City of Maple Ridge Bylaw No. 7700-2021 A Bylaw to regulate the proceedings of Council, Council Meetings and other Council reporting bodies WHEREAS pursuant to the Community Charter, Council must, by bylaw, establish general procedures to be followed by Council and committees in conducting their business; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Municipal Council of the City of Maple Ridge, in open meeting assembled ENACTS AS FOLLOWS: PART 1 -INTRODUCTION 1. Title (1) This Bylaw may be cited as the "Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021". 2. Repeal (1) Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 6472-2007 and all amendments thereto are hereby repealed upon adoption of this bylaw. 3. Definitions (1) In this Bylaw, "Acting Mayor" the Council member responsible for acting in the place of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act or when the office of the Mayor is vacant; "Agenda" is the list of items and order of business for any meeting of Council or its Committees; "Chair" means the Mayor, Acting Mayor or presiding officer appointed under the Community Charter or this Bylaw, who is chairing a meeting; "City" means the Corporation of the City of Maple Ridge; "City Hall" means Maple Ridge City Hall located at 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, British Columbia; "City Website" means the information resource found at an internet address provided by the City, the current home landing page located at www.mapleridge.ca; "Commission" means a municipal commission established under s.143 of the Community Charter; "Committee" means a Select or Standing committee of Council, a Commission, an Authority, an Advisory committee, a Board and any other committee established by Council or authorized by statute and includes the Committee of the Whole, whether or not the word is capitalized; City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 3 of 25 "Committee of the Whole" [CoW] is a committee of all members of Council established to consider but not to decide on matters of the City's business with its primary purpose being the initial review of information to ensure Council can debate and vote on issues at a future Council Meeting; "Corporate Officer" [City Clerk] means the municipal employee appointed as Corporate Officer to carry out duties as defined in section 148 of the Community Charter or a designate; "Council" means the Council of the City of Maple Ridge; "Council Meeting" means any gathering to which members of Council have been invited, whereby quorum is obtained, at which discussion could be seen to be making decisions or moving towards making decisions, and is a material part of council's decision-making process. "Councillor" means a member of Council other than the Mayor; "Council Workshop" means a Council meeting which primary purpose is the review and discussion of policies and other matters of interest to Council; "Inaugural Meeting" means the meeting at which members elected at the most recent general local election are sworn in; "Mayor" means the duly elected Mayor of the City of Maple Ridge; "Member" means the Mayor or a Councillor in relation to Council, or an appointed individual of a committee or commission, in relation to a committee or commission; "Motion" means a formal proposal made by a Member at a meeting of Council or committee that directs an approval or a specified course of action (see also Resolution); "Point of information" means the procedure pursuant to which a member may raise their hand and ask the Chair to require further information on the subject being debated; "Point of order" means a procedure by which a member interrupts another speaker to ask the Chair to rule on a procedural matter immediately; "Public Notice Posting Place" for the purpose of giving notices under section 94 of the Community Charter, means: (1) the public notice posting place is the window in the west entrance to the lobby of the City Hall; and (2) the City Website, in so far as no disruption of electronic access occurs. "Question" means the subject matter of a motion except where referring to public question period; "Quorum" means: (1) In the case of Council members, a majority of the number of members of which the council consists under the Community Charter; and (2) In the case of a committee or other body, a majority of the voting members appointed. "Resolution" means a formal determination made by Council or Committee that approves or orders a specified course of action (see also Motion); City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 4 of 25 "Tabled" means to lay on the table whereby an item will be dealt with within the current meeting or on next meeting agenda as unfinished business. 4. Incorporation of Definitions (1) Unless otherwise defined in this Bylaw, the definitions used in the Community Charter and the Local Government Act and the Interpretation Act apply to this Bylaw. 5. Application of Rules of Procedure (1) The provisions of this Bylaw govern the proceedings of Council Workshop, Regular Council, Committee of the Whole, Closed Council, and all standing and select committees of Council, as applicable. (2) In cases not provided for under this Bylaw, the then most current version of Robert's Rules of Order applies to the proceedings of Council, Committee of the Whole, and Council committees to the extent that those Rules are: (a) applicable in the circumstances; and (b) not inconsistent with provisions of this Bylaw or the Community Charter. (3) The rules of procedure contained in this bylaw except those that are governed by statutory provisions may be temporarily suspended by two-thirds vote of all members present. 6. Public Notice Posting Place (1) For the purpose of giving notices under section 94 of the Community Charter, the public notice posting place is the window in the west entrance to the lobby of the City Hall and on the City's website. PART 2 -COUNCIL MEETINGS 7. Inaugural Meeting (1) Following a general local election, the first meeting of Council must be held within the first ten (10) days of November in accordance with section 124(2)(g) of the Community Charter in the year of the general local election. (2) If a quorum of council members elected at the general local election has not taken office by the date of the meeting referred to in subsection (1), the first Council meeting must be called by the Corporate Officer and held as soon as reasonably possible after a quorum has taken office. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 5 of 25 8. Time and Location of Meetings (1) All Council meetings must take place within City Hall except when Council resolves to hold meetings elsewhere. Except in the case of a meeting outside of City boundaries, Council may pass the resolution to hold a meeting outside of City Hall at the commencement of that meeting. (2) Council must establish prior to December 31, by resolution, a schedule of Regular Meetings. The Regular Council meetings will typically: (a) be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month unless otherwise scheduled by Council resolution; and, (b) begin at 7:00 pm. (3) Other Meetings of Council: (a) Committee of the Whole will be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month and will begin at 1:30 pm; and (b) Council Workshop will be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and will begin at 11:00 am. (4) Rescheduling/Changing Meetings of Council: Council may by resolution: (a) reschedule or cancel meetings; (b) change the time or location for holding meetings; (c) recess for a short period with a statement of approximate time a meeting will be reconvened; and, (d) call an additional meeting(s) at the time and place stipulated in the Council resolution. The Corporate Officer may, in accordance with the Mayor and the Chief Administrative Officer or by a resolution of Council, cancel, postpone, or reschedule any meeting of Council, and establish a different day, time or place for that meeting. 9. Notice of Council Meetings (1) In accordance with section 127 of the Community Charter [notice of council meetings], Council must make available, annually on or before December 31 a schedule of the dates, times and places of regular Council meetings and must make the schedule available to the public in accordance with section 94 of the Community Charter, and by posting it at the Public Notice Posting Places. (2) Where revisions are necessary to the annual schedule of regular Council meetings, the Corporate Officer must, as soon as possible, post a notice at the Public Notice Posting Places which indicates any revisions to the date, time and place or cancellation of a regular Council meeting. (3) The Corporate Officer must give public notice of a cancelled or rescheduled meeting in respect of which Council has resolved to exclude the public. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 6 of 25 10. Calling and Notice of Special Council Meetings (1) The Mayor may call a special Council Meeting at any time by sending a written notice of the date, time, place and nature of the meeting to all Council members and to the Corporate Officer. (2) Two or more Council Members may, in writing, request that the Mayor call a Special Council Meeting. (3) Two or more Council Members may call a Special Council Meeting by sending a Special Council Meeting Notice to all Council Members and to the Corporate Officer if: (a) within 24 hours after receiving a request pursuant to Section 10(2), the Mayor has not made arrangements for a Special Council Meeting to be held within the next 7 days; or (b) the Mayor and the Acting Mayor are absent or otherwise unable to call a Special Council Meeting. (4) Except where notice of a special meeting is waived by unanimous vote of all council members under section 127(4) of the Community Charter, a notice of the date, hour, and place of a special Council meeting must be given at least 24 hours before the time of meeting, by: (a) posting a copy of the notice at the Public Notice Posting Places and on the City's website; and (b) leaving one copy of the notice for each Council member in the Council member's mailbox at City Hall or providing an electronic copy for each member. (5) The notice under subsection (4) must describe in general terms the purpose of the meeting and be signed by the Corporate Officer or designate. (6) Before the time of a special Council meeting, the person or persons calling the meeting may by notice: (a) cancel the meeting; or (b) postpone the meeting and reschedule it to a different day and time. 11. Electronic Meeting Participation by Council Members (1) A Council member who is unable to attend a meeting of Council in person may participate in the meeting by electronic or other communication facilities if: (a) the facilities enable the other members of Council to hear and be heard by the Council Members; and (b) except for any part of the Council meeting that is closed to the public, the facilities enable the public to hear, or watch and hear, the Council member. (2) The member presiding as Chair at a meeting must not participate electronically and must be present in person at the place where the public may attend to hear, or watch and hear the meeting. The Corporate Officer must also be present in person. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 7 of 25 (3) If a member of Council participates in a meeting of Council by electronic or other communication facilities: (a) the Chair shall advise Council when members join the meeting; (b) the Member shall advise when they leave the meeting and shall state the reason why if associated with an item up for discussion; and (c) the Chair shall repeat the results of each vote, including the names of Council members voting in favour and opposition, immediately following each vote. (4) Members participating in a Closed Council meeting electronically are required to verbally acknowledge that they are in a secure area where no one else can hear them and that they will maintain that confidentiality for the duration ofthe meeting; (a) the verbal acknowledgement will be recorded in the minutes of the Closed Council meeting. (5) In the case of an interruption in the communication link to the member(s) participating electronically, Council will recess to a maximum of 15 minutes until it is determined whether or not the link can be re-established. If communications are not re-established, the meeting will resume without the electronic participant(s) as long as there is quorum present. 12. Public Hearings (1) Public Hearing will be held on the third Tuesday of each month (unless stated in the current Council Meeting Schedule published before December 31 each year) and will begin at 7:00 pm. (2) Public Hearings are to be held in Council Chambers except when the scope of a Public Hearing may warrant holding it in a larger location. (3) Public Hearings must be held after the after second reading of a bylaw and before third reading. (4) More than one bylaw may be included in a Notice of Public Hearing and more than one bylaw may be considered at a Public Hearing. (5) A written report of each Public Hearing item containing a summary of the nature of the representations respecting the bylaw that were made at the Public Hearing, must be prepared and maintained as a public record. (6) A report must be signed by the Mayor, or designate, and be certified as being fair and accurate by the Corporate Officer or delegate. (7) A Public Hearing may be adjourned and no further notice of the hearing is necessary if a time and place for the resumption of the hearing is stated to those present at the time that the hearing is adjourned. (8) Despite Section 135(3) of the Community Charter [at least one day between third reading and adoption] a Council may adopt an official community plan or zoning bylaw at the same meeting at which the bylaw(s) passed third reading. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 8 of 25 PART 3 -DESIGNATION OF MEMBER TO ACT IN PLACE OF MAYOR 13. Acting Mayor (1) Annually, in November, Council must from amongst all its members designate Councillors to serve on a rotating basis as the member responsible for acting in the place of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act or when the office of the Mayor is vacant. (2) The Acting Mayor shall chair the Committee of the Whole meeting. (3) Should the Acting Mayor be absent or 15 minutes late at the start of the meeting the next member in line for Acting Mayor will preside. (4) Each Councillor designated under this section must fulfill the responsibilities of the Mayor in his or her absence. (5) The member designated under this section has the same powers and duties as the Mayor in relation to the applicable matter. PART 4 -COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS 14. Community Charter Provisions (1) Matters pertaining to Council proceedings are governed by the Community Charter. 15. Application of Rules in This Part to Other Bodies (1) In addition to applying to Council meetings, this Part also applies to meetings of the following (note: other Parts of this Bylaw may also apply to these bodies as applicable): (a) Committee of the Whole (CoW); (b) Standing committees; (c) Select committees; (d) An advisory body established by Council; (e) A municipal commission; (f) A body that under the Community Charter or other Act may exercise the powers of the City or Council; (g) The Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel; and (h) A body prescribed by Provincial Regulation. 16. Attendance of Public at Meetings (1) Except where the provisions of section 90 of the Community Charter [meetings that may or must be closed to the public] apply, all Council meetings must be open to the public. (2) Before closing a Council meeting or part of a Council meeting to the public, Council must pass a resolution in a public meeting in accordance with section 92 of the Community Charter [requirements before Council meeting is closed], which includes the reason for the closed meeting as described in section 90 of the Community Charter. (3) The Mayor or the Councillor designated as the member responsible for acting in the place of the Mayor under section 13 may expel or exclude from a Council meeting a person in accordance with section 33. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 9 of 25 17. Attendance at Closed Meetings (1) Council may allow City staff to attend, or may choose to exclude them from attending closed meetings, as it considers appropriate. (2) Council may allow a person other than a City staff to attend closed meetings, if Council considers it necessary and if the person already has knowledge of confidential information or is a lawyer attending to provide legal advice in relation to the matter. (3) The minutes of closed meetings must record the names of all persons in attendance and when they entered and left the meeting. 18. Resolution Required Before Closed Meeting (1) Before a closed meeting is held, Council must state by resolution passed in a public meeting, the fact that the meeting or part thereof is to be closed, and the basis under the applicable sections of the Community Charter under which the meeting or part thereof is to be closed. (2) Notice of a special Council meeting may be waived by unanimous vote of all council members. 19. Closed Meetings and Bylaws (1) Council must not vote on the reading or adoption of a bylaw at a closed meeting. 20. Confidentiality (1) All Members must keep in confidence information that was considered, or is scheduled to be considered, at any closed meeting, until and unless Council by resolution agrees to make the confidential information available to the public. 21. Meeting Minutes (1) Minutes of the proceedings of Council must be: (a) legibly recorded; (b) certified as correct by the Corporate Officer; and (c) signed by the Mayor or other member presiding at the meeting. (2) The minutes of previous meetings, by resolution of Council, shall be adopted. (3) Subject to subsection 19(3), and in accordance with section 97(1)(b) of the Community Charter [other records to which public access must be provided] minutes of the proceedings of Council must be open for public inspection at City Hall during its regular office hours. (4) Subsection 21(4) does not apply to minutes of a Council meeting or that part of a Council meeting from which persons were excluded under section 90 of the Community Charter [meetings that may be closed to the public]. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 10 of 25 22. Calling Meeting to Order (1) As soon as possible after the time specified for the commencement of a Council meeting, if there is a quorum present: (a) The Mayor, if present, must take the Chair and call the meeting to order; or (b) If the Mayor is absent, the Acting Mayor must be the Chair and call the meeting to order. (2) If a quorum of Council is present but neither the Mayor nor the Acting Mayor are present at the time at which the meeting is scheduled to begin: (a) the Corporate Officer must call to order the members present, and (b) by resolution the Council members present must choose a member to preside for that meeting until the Mayor or Acting Mayor arrives. 23. Adjourning Meeting Where No Quorum (1) If there is no quorum of Council present within 15 minutes of the scheduled time for a Council meeting, the Corporate Officer must: (a) record the names of the members present, and those absent; and (b) adjourn the meeting until the next scheduled meeting. (2) If a quorum of Council is lost during a meeting the Clerk must record the names of the Members present and those absent, and temporarily adjourn the meeting until a quorum is present. If a quorum does not reconvene within 15 minutes, the Clerk must proceed in accordance with section 23(1). 24.Agenda (1) Prior to each Council meeting, the Corporate Officer must prepare an agenda setting out all the items for consideration at that meeting, noting in short form a summary for each item on the agenda. (2) Business at a Council meeting must in all cases be taken up in the order in which it is listed in section 25, unless otherwise resolved by Council. (3) The deadline for complete submissions to the Corporate Officer of items for inclusion on the Council meeting agenda must be received in accordance with the "Council Meeting Deadlines" as published by the Corporate Officer annually. (4) Late items will only be added to the agenda with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer. (5) The Corporate Officer must make the agenda available to the members of Council and the public on the Friday prior to the meeting. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 11 of 25 25. Order of Proceedings and Business (1) The agenda for all regular Council meetings contains the following matters in the order in which they are listed below, however, where appropriate for timing or other reasons, Council may by resolution, determine an alternative order or variation in the agenda: a. Call to Order; b. Amendments to the Agenda; c. Approval of Agenda; d. Adoption of Minutes; e. Presentations at the Request of Council; f. Delegations; g. Items on Consent; h. Unfinished Business; i. Bylaws; j. Committee Reports and Recommendations; k. Staff Reports; I. Other Matters Deemed Expedient; m. Public Question Period; n. Mayor and Councillor Reports 1; o. Notices of Motions and Matters for Introduction at Future Meetings; p. Adjournment. 26. Consent Agenda Items (1) Items listed under "Items on Consent" are considered for approval in one motion, unless a Member of Council wishes to debate an item and requests that it be excluded. The rule of order establishing a consent agenda provides that consent agenda items may be considered in total and without debate or amendment. (2) Once moved and seconded, if any member may request that an item be removed from the consent agenda and discussed and decided separately, the balance of the items would be voted on together for approval. (3) If an item is excluded from the "Items on Consent", the item will be considered as an agenda item under the appropriate section at the discretion of the Corporate Officer and without resolution, to discuss such items in more detail or to provide motion on the item(s) excluded. Each item removed from the Consent Agenda will be debated and voted on by Council separately. (4) Items will be listed in the Consent Agenda section that, in the opinion of the Chief Administrative Officer and/or Corporate Officer, require little or no discussion. 1 Mayor and Councillor reports will not be recorded into the Minutes. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 12 of 25 27. Public Question Period (1) At the end of Council business, the public will be afforded an opportunity to address Council. (2) The format must be restricted to questions with respect to items that are on the current agenda. (3) Each question must be limited to two (2) minutes, with a total of 15 minutes per Public Question Period. Public Question Period may be extended with approval of Council through an affirmative vote. 28. Late Items (1) An item of business not included on the Agenda must not be considered at a Council meeting unless introduction of the late item is approved by Council resolution at the time allocated on the Agenda for such matters [see Notice of Motion Process]. (2) The member must, when making the request, inform the Council of the general nature of the business and the reason for urgent consideration. (3) If the Council makes a resolution under section 29(1), information pertaining to late items must be distributed to the members and to the public as soon as possible. 29. Voting at Meetings (1) The following procedures apply to voting at Council meetings: (a) When debate on a matter is closed the presiding member must put the matter to a vote of Council members; (b) when the Council is ready to vote, the presiding member must put the matter to a vote by stating something similar to: "All those in favour raise your hands." and then "All those opposed raise your hands." (c) when the presiding member is putting the matter to a vote under paragraphs (a) and (b) a member must not: (i) cross or leave the room, unless excused as a result of not being entitled to vote under the Community Charter or if excused by Council; (ii) make a noise or other disturbance; or (iii) interrupt the voting procedure under paragraph (b) unless the interrupting member is raising a point of order. (d) if requested by a member, Council must vote separately on each distinct part of a motion that is under consideration; (e) after the presiding member finally puts the question to a vote under paragraph (b), a member must not speak to the question or make a motion concerning it, except to move to postpone to a certain time or postpone indefinitely, or to refer the item back to staff which will supersede the main motion and must be voted on first; City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 · Doc#2577386 Page 13 of 25 (f) the presiding member's decision about whether a question has been finally put is conclusive; (g) whenever a vote of Council on a matter is taken, each member present must signify their vote by raising their hand. Failure for a member to raise their hand in favour or opposed, abstaining from voting, is considered to be a vote in favour (affirmative); (h) if the votes of the members present at a council meeting at the time of the vote are equal for and against a motion, the motion is defeated; (i) the presiding member must declare the result of the voting by stating that the question is decided in either the affirmative or the negative and the result will be recorded in the Minutes as "CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY", "CARRIED" or "DEFEATED" as circumstances dictate; U) the names of those who vote negative, against a question, shall be entered into the Minutes; (k) the names of those who are in attendance at the meeting but absent at the time of the vote on a matter shall be entered into the Minutes. 30. Delegations (1) Delegations or persons wishing to appear before Council shall adhere to the most current "Council Meetings Delegation Policy No. 3.14". 31. Petitions (1) Petition requests must adhere to the most current version of the "Petitions to Council Policy No. 3.13". 32. Points of Order (1) Without limiting the Chair's duty under the Community Charter, a Member may raise a Point of Order at any time. (2) When a Point of Order is raised, the Chair must: (a) interrupt a matter of consideration on the agenda; (b) interrupt a Member who had been speaking, until the Point of Order is ruled upon; (c) ask the Member raising the Point of Order to state the substance of and the basis for the Point of Order; and (d) rule on the Point of Order without debate. (3) The Member who raised the Point of Order: (a) must, upon request by the Chair, state the substance of and the basis for the Point of Order; and (b) may, once the Chair has ruled on the Point of Order, appeal the Chair's ruling. If the ruling of the Chair is appealed, the Chair must put the appeal to a vote, pursuant to the Community Charter. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 14 of 25 (4) If a Member puts a question to the Chair regarding any matter connected to the affairs of Council or the City, the Chair may respond, or may: (a) require the Member to put the question in writing; and (b) take the question on notice and respond during the next regular meeting. 33. Conduct and Debate (1) Each member of Council is required to adhere to the most recent version of the Council Conduct Bylaw. (2) Members wishing to speak shall be recognized by the presiding member in the order in which the members indicate their request, preference being given to the mover and to the seconder should either or both wish to speak. If more than one member speaks the presiding member must call on the member who, in the presiding member's opinion, first spoke. (3) Members are addressed, as appropriate, in the following manner: the Mayor as Your Worship; a presiding member who is not the Mayor as Chair; and a Councillor as Councillor (here use the surname). (4) A member wishing to speak for the purpose of speaking directly and concisely on the matter under debate, may do so after being recognized by the presiding member: (a) the first time on the matter for up to 5 minutes; (b) for up to 3 minutes the second time; and (c) for up to an additional 2 minutes to speak to any amendment; however, the presiding member may extend the speaking time where deemed necessary, or Council may do so by motion. (5) No member must interrupt a member who is speaking except to raise a point of order. (6) Members who are called to order by the presiding member (a) must immediately stop speaking; (b) may explain their position on the point of order; and (c) may appeal to Council for its decision on the point of order in accordance with section 132 of the Community Charter [authority of presiding member]. (d) If a member appeals the decision of the presiding member [appeal the decision of the chair], the question of whether the presiding members' decision will stand must be asked by the presiding member and voted on without debate and without the presiding member voting. A tie vote in this situation passes in the affirmative. (7) Members speaking at a Council meeting (a) must use respectful language; (b) must not use offensive gestures or signs; City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 15 of 25 (c) must speak only in connection with the matter being debated; (d) may speak about a vote of Council only for the purpose of making a motion that the vote be rescinded or reconsidered; and (e) must adhere to the rules of procedure established under this Bylaw and to the decisions of the presiding member and Council in connection with the rules and points of order. (8) If a member does not adhere to subsections (6) and (7), the presiding member may order the member to leave the member's seat, and (a) if the member refuses to leave, the presiding member may cause the member to be removed by a peace officer from the member's seat, and (b) if the member apologizes to the Council, Council may, by resolution, allow the member to retake the member's seat. (9) A member may require the question being debated at a Council meeting to be read at any time during the debate if that does not interrupt another member who is speaking. 34. Motions Generally (1) Council may debate and vote on a motion only if it is first made by one Council member and then seconded by another. (2) A member wishing to make a motion may do so after being recognized by the presiding member and shall immediately state the motion in the form "I move that". (3) A motion that deals with a matter that is not on the agenda of the Council meeting at which the motion is introduced may be introduced with Council's approval through the notice of motion process per section 36 below. (4) A Council member may make only the following motions, when the Council is considering a question: (a) to refer (to committee or back to staff); (b) to amend; (c) to lay on the table; (d) to postpone indefinitely; (e) to postpone to a certain time (date); (f) to move the previous question; (g) to adjourn. (5) A motion may be withdrawn by the mover if done so before the presiding member states the question. A motion may be withdrawn by the mover and seconder of a motion only with consent of all members present. (6) A motion made under subsections (4)(c) to (g) is not amendable or debatable. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 16 of 25 (7) Council must vote separately on each distinct part of a question that is under consideration at a Council meeting if requested by a Council member. 35. Notice of Motion Process (1) A Notice of Motion resulting from an item of business that is not listed as being for Council action on the Council Meeting agenda must be provided to the Corporate Officer prior to the meeting. The Corporate Officer will circulate the Notice of Motion to the rest of Council, if time permits, prior to the meeting. (2) A copy of the motion will appear in the minutes of meeting referred to in Section 26(1)( o) above as a Notice of Motion. (3) Upon the member being acknowledged by the Chair the member will read aloud the motion. (4) The Corporate Officer shall place the motion and any supporting materials, which the member presenting the motion should provide, on the agenda of the next Council meeting for consideration. 36. Motion to Commit (1) Until it is decided, a motion made at a Council meeting to refer to committee precludes an amendment of the main question. 37. Motion for the Main Question (1) In this section, "main question", in relation to a matter, means the motion that first brings the matter before the Council. (2) At a Council meeting, the following rules apply to a motion for the main question, or for the main question as amended: (a) if a member of Council moves to put the main question, or the main question as amended, to a vote, that motion must be dealt with before any other amendments are made to the motion on the main question; and (b) if the motion for the main question, or for the main question as amended, is decided in the negative, the Council may again debate the question, or proceed to other business. 38. Amendments Generally (1) A Council member may, without notice, move to amend a motion that is being considered at a Council meeting. (2) An amendment may propose removing, substituting for, or adding to the words of an original motion. (3) A proposed amendment must be reproduced in writing by the mover if requested by the presiding member. (4) A proposed amendment must be decided or withdrawn before the motion being considered is put to a vote unless there is a call for the main question. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 17 of 25 (5) An amendment may be amended once only. (6) An amendment that has been defeated by a (negative) vote of Council cannot be proposed again. (7) A Council member may propose an amendment to an adopted amendment. (8) The presiding member must put the main question and its amendments in the following order for the vote of Council: (a) a motion to amend a motion amending the main question; (b) a motion to amend the main question, or an amended motion amending the main question if the vote under subparagraph (a) is positive; (c) the main question. 39. Reconsideration by Council Member (1) Subject to subsection (5), a Council member who voted with the majority either for or against a motion may, at the next Council meeting: (a) move to reconsider a matter on which a vote, other than to postpone indefinitely, has been taken; and (b) move to reconsider an adopted bylaw after an interval of at least 24 hours following its adoption; and (c) Council must not discuss the main matter referred to in subsection (1) unless a motion to reconsider that matter is adopted in the affirmative. (2) Council has the same authority it had in its original consideration of the matter, subject to the same conditions that applied to the original consideration. (3) A vote to reconsider can be debated but must not be reconsidered. (4) Council may only reconsider a matter that has not (a) had the approval or assent of the electors and been adopted; (b) been reconsidered under subsection (1) or section 131 of the Community Charter [mayor may require Council reconsideration of a matter]; or (c) been acted on irreversibly by an officer, employee, or agent of the City. (5) If a motion to reconsider is defeated, the subject matter of the resolution or proceeding may not be open for consideration by the Council within six months except by way of a new and substantially different motion. (6) Subject to applicable enactments, the Council may by resolution, rescind the most recent reading of a proposed bylaw, other than first reading, and then give the proposed bylaw that reading with or without amendment. (7) The conditions that applied to the adoption of the original bylaw, resolution, or proceeding apply to its rejection under this section. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 18 of 25 (8) A bylaw, resolution, or proceeding that is reaffirmed under subsection (1) or section 131 of the Community Charter [Mayor may require Council reconsideration of a matter] is as valid and has the same effect as it had before reconsideration. 40. Privilege (1) In this section, a matter of privilege refers to any of the following motions: (a) fix the time to adjourn; (b) adjourn; (c) recess; (d) raise a question of privilege of the Council; and, (e) raise a question of privilege of a member of Council. (2) A matter of privilege must be immediately considered when it arises at a Council meeting. (3) For the purposes of subsection (2), a matter of privilege listed in subsection (1) has precedence over those matters listed after it. 41. Reports from Committees (1) Council may take any of the following actions in connection with a resolution it receives from any committee or other body appointed by Council: (a) agree or disagree with the resolution, support or deny support; (b) amend the resolution; (c) refer the resolution back to committee, etc.; (d) postpone its consideration of the resolution. 42. Adjournment (1) A Council may continue a Council meeting (a) after 10:30 pm only by an affirmative vote of the members present; and (b) after 11:00 pm only by a unanimous vote of the members present. (2) A motion to adjourn either a Council meeting or the debate at a Council meeting is always in order if that motion has not been preceded at that meeting by the same motion. (3) Subsection (2) does not apply to either of the following motions: (a) a motion to adjourn to a specific day; or (b) a motion that adds an opinion or qualification to a preceding motion to adjourn. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 19 of 25 PART 5 -BYLAWS 43. Copies of Proposed Bylaws to Council Members (1) A proposed bylaw may be introduced at a Council meeting only if a copy of it has been delivered to each Council member at least 24 hours before the Council meeting, or all Council members unanimously agree to waive this requirement. 44. Form of Bylaws (1) A bylaw introduced at a Council meeting must: (a) be printed; (b) have a distinguishing name; (c) have a distinguishing number; (d) contain an introductory statement of purpose; and (e) be divided into sections if applicable. 45. Bylaws to be Considered Separately or Jointly (1) Council must consider a proposed bylaw at a Council meeting either: (a) separately when directed by the presiding member or requested by another Council member; or (b) jointly with other proposed bylaws in the sequence determined by the presiding member. 46. Reading and Adopting Bylaws (1) The presiding member of a Council meeting may (a) have the Corporate Officer read a synopsis of each proposed bylaw or group of proposed bylaws; and then (b) request a motion that the proposed bylaw or group of bylaws be read. (2) The only motion required for the reading of a bylaw shall be: "That (short title of bylaw) be given first reading ( or first and second readings, or first, second and third readings)." (3) The only motion required for the adoption of a bylaw shall be: "That (short title of bylaw) be adopted." (4) A proposed bylaw may be debated and amended at any time during the first three readings unless prohibited by the Community Charter and, if amended, a motion at third reading shall be "to give the bylaw third reading as amended". (5) Subject to section 882 of the Local Government Act [OCP adoption procedures], each reading of a proposed bylaw must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council members present. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 20 of 25 (6) In accordance with section 135 of the Community Charter [requirements for passing bylaws], Council may give two or three readings to a proposed bylaw at the same Council meeting. (7) Despite section 135(3) of the Community Charter [requirements for passing bylaws], and in accordance with section 890(9) of the Local Government Act [public hearings], Council may adopt a proposed official community plan or zoning bylaw at the same meeting at which the plan or bylaw passed third reading. (8) All bylaws which have not completed the requirements to be adopted after a 2-year period may be deemed stale dated and closed. (9) The Corporate Officer is hereby authorized to consolidate one or more of the bylaws of the municipality pursuant to Section 139 [consolidation of bylaws] of the Community Charter. 4 7. Bylaws Must be Signed (1) After a bylaw is adopted, and signed by the Corporate Officer and the presiding member of the Council meeting at which it was adopted, the Corporate Officer must have it placed in the City's records for safekeeping and endorse upon it: (a) the City's corporate seal, the dates of its readings and adoption; and (b) the date of Ministerial approval or approval of the electorate if applicable. PART 6 -RESOLUTIONS 48. Form of Resolution (1) A resolution shall be dealt with on a motion put by a member and seconded by another member. 49. Introducing Resolutions (1) The presiding member of a meeting may: (a) have the corporate officer read the resolution; and (b) request a motion that the resolution be introduced. PART 7 -COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE (CoW) 50. Meeting Date and Time (1) The Committee of the Whole meetings will commence at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the first and third Tuesday of each month, except August, unless otherwise resolved by Council. (2) Annually Council must make available to the public a schedule of the dates, times, and places of regular Committee of the Whole meetings in the same manner as is required for regular council meetings. The Committee of the Whole meeting schedule may be combined and made available with the annual notice of regular Council meetings. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 21 of 25 (3) A special meeting of the Committee of the Whole may be called in the same manner as for a special council meeting as provided for in the Community Charter and notice for this special committee meeting must be given in the same manner as for a special council meeting. (4) At any time during a regular or special Council meeting for which proper notice has been given Council may resolve to go into Committee of the Whole without further notice. Upon the Committee of the Whole rising and reporting, the regular or special Council meeting resumes with the first order of business thereafter being Council considering the report of the Committee of the Whole. 51. Minutes of CoW Meeting to be Maintained and Available to Public (1) Minutes of the proceedings of COW must be (a) legibly recorded; (b) certified by the Corporate Officer; and (c) open for public inspection in accordance with section 97(1)(c) of the Community Charter [other records to which public access must be provided]. 52. Presiding Members at CoW Meetings and Quorum (1) The Mayor or Acting Mayor shall preside in CoW. (2) The quorum of CoW is the majority of Council members. PART 8 -COMMITIEES 53. Committees of Council (1) Council shall appoint all representatives on committees and all boards, commissions, or other bodies to which the City is entitled to appoint representatives except standing committees. (2) Council may establish and appoint a select committee to consider or inquire into any matter and to report its findings and opinion to Council. At least one member of a select committee must be a Council member and persons who are not council members may be appointed. Council may dissolve a select committee at any time. (3) The Mayor must establish standing committees for matters the Mayor considers would be better dealt with by committee and must appoint persons to those committees. At least half of the members of a standing committee must be Council members and persons who are not council members may be appointed. (4) The Mayor may dissolve a standing committee at any time. (5) The authority to appoint persons to committee includes the authority to rescind the appointment at any time. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 22 of 25 54. Duties and Authority of Standing Committees (1) Standing committees must consider, inquire into, report, and make recommendations to Council about matters that are referred by the Mayor or Council or on matters set out on the committee's terms of reference. (2) Standing committees should report their finds and opinions to Council as required or at the next Council meeting if a time is not specified. (3) Standing committees are advisory in nature unless enabled by bylaw. 55. Duties and Authority of Select Committees (1) Select committees must consider, inquire into, report, and make recommendations to Council about matters that are referred by Council or on matters set out on the committee's terms of reference. (2) Select committees should report their finds and opinions to Council as required or at the next Council meeting if a time is not specified. (3) Select committees are advisory in nature unless enabled by bylaw. 56. Schedule of Committee Meetings (1) At its first meeting after its establishment or the first meeting of the year, a committee must establish an annual schedule of meetings to be held at City Hall unless otherwise stated in the terms of reference for the committee. (2) Standing and select committees should meet at minimum on a quarterly basis. (3) The chair of a committee may call a meeting of the committee in addition to the scheduled meetings or may cancel a meeting. 57. Notice of Committee Meetings (1) Subject to subsection (2), after the committee has established the annual schedule of committee meetings, including the times, dates and places of the committee meetings, notice of the schedule must be given by: (a) posting the meeting dates, time and places on the City's website; and (b) providing a copy of the schedule to each member of the committee. (2) Where revisions are necessary to the annual schedule of committee meetings, the Corporate Officer must, as soon as possible, update the City's website with any revisions to the date, time and place or cancellation of a committee meeting. 58. Attendance at Committee Meetings (1) Except where the provisions of section 90 of the Community Charter [meetings that may or must be closed to the public] apply, all committee meetings are open to the public. (2) Before closing a committee meeting or part of a committee meeting to the public, the committee must pass a resolution in a public meeting in accordance with section 92 of City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 23 of 25 the Community Charter, which includes the reason for the closed meeting as described in section 90 of the Community Charter. (3) Individuals that are not members of the committee are not permitted to participate in discussion during committee meetings unless called upon by the Chair. If a member alternate is in attendance in addition to the primary member the member alternate is not permitted to participate in discussion unless called upon by the Chair. (4) Only voting members as identified in the committee terms of reference may vote on committee matters. If a member alternate is in attendance in addition to the primary member the member alternate is not permitted to vote. 59. Quorum (1) The quorum for a committee is a majority of all of its members unless otherwise noted in the terms of reference for that committee. 60. Conduct and Debate (1) The rules and procedures of Council defined in this bylaw must be observed during committee meetings, so far as is possible and unless as otherwise provided in this Bylaw. 61. Minutes of Committee Meetings to be Maintained and Available to Public (1) Minutes of the proceedings of a committee must be (a) legibly recorded; (b) certified as correct and signed by the Chair once approved by the committee; and (c) available for public inspection at City Hall and on the website, other than a meeting or part of a meeting that is closed to the public. (2) Sections (a), (b) and (c) shall only apply to meetings of the following, unless this bylaw provides for other procedures for taking of minutes by one or more bodies referred to in this subsection, the body is exempted by regulation, or to the extent they are modified by regulations: (a) a standing or select committee established by Council; (b) a municipal commission established under section 143 of the Community Charter; (c) a body that under the Community Charter or any other Act may exercise the powers of Council; (d) a parcel tax review panel established under section 204 of the Community Charter; and, (e) a body prescribed by regulation. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Page 24 of 25 PART 9 -GENERAL 62. Severance (1) If any section, subsection or clause of this bylaw is for any reason held to be invalid by the decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this bylaw. (2) This bylaw may not be amended or repealed and substituted unless Council first gives notice in accordance with section 94 of the Community Charter [public notice]. READ A FIRST time this READ A SECOND time this READ A THIRD time this ADOPTED this day of day of day of day of ,2021 ,2021 ,2021 ,2021 Notice of intention to proceed with this bylaw was published on the day of _____ , 2021 and the day of , 2021 in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News, pursuant to Section 94 of the Community Charter. City of Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7700-2021 Doc#2577386 Mayor Corporate Officer Page 25 of 25 7263-2016 Attachment B THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY, and is a consolidation of the following: 1. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 6472-2007 2. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 6514-2007 3. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 6777-2010 4. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 7149-2015 5. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 717 4-2015 6. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 7263-2016 7. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 7301-2016 8. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 7 411-2017 9. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Amending Bylaw No. 7521-2018 Individual copies of any of the above bylaws can be obtained by contacting the Clerk's Department. CITY OF MAPLE RIDGE BYLAW NO. 6472-2007 A Bylaw to Govern the Meetings of the Council and Committees of Council of the City of Maple Ridge WHEREAS section 124(1) of the Community Charter requires Council, by bylaw, to establish the general procedures to be followed by Council and Council committees in conducting their business; AND WHEREAS Council has given notice of this Bylaw, pursuant to section 124(3) of the Community Charter; 7263-2016 NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to the above-recited and other authority, the Council of the City of Maple Ridge, in open meeting assembled, enacts as follows: !PART 1-INTRODUCTION! Name of Bylaw 1. This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 6472-200?8. Repeal 2. Maple Ridge Council Procedure Bylaw No. 5871 -1999, as amended, is hereby repealed in its entirety and Council policy number 3.07 (Delegation Policy) is hereby repealed. Page 1 ofl5 7521-2018 7263-2016 7521-2018 7521-2018 7521-2018 7263-2016 7521-2018 7263-2016 7521-2018 7521-2018 Definitions 3. In th is Bylaw: "Agenda" is the list of items and order of business for any meeting of Council or its Committees; "City" means the Corporation of the City of Maple Ridge; "City Web Site" means the information resource found at an internet address provided by the City, the current home landing page located at www.mapleridge.ca; "Commission" means a municipal commission established under s.143 of the Community Charter; "Committee" means a standing, select or other committee of Council, and includes the Committee of the Whole, whether or not the word is capitalized; "Committee of the Whole" means a committee meeting which has a membership of all Council members, and has as its primary purpose the review of information to ensure Council has enough information to debate and vote on issues at a future Council Meeting; "Corporate Officer" means the municipal employee appointed as the Corporate Officer under section 148 of the Community Charter" "Council" means the Council of the City of Maple Ridge; "Council Workshop" means a Council meeting which has as its primary purpose the review and discussion of policies and other matters of interest to Council; "Mayor" means the Mayor of the City of Maple Ridge. "Member" means the Mayor or a Councillor in relation to Council, or an appointed individual of a committee or commission, in relation to a committee or commission; and "Public Notice Posting Place" for the purpose of giving notices under s. 94 of the Community Charter, means: • the public notice posting place is the window in the west entrance to the lobby of the City Hall, and • the City Website, in so far as no disruption of electronic access occurs. Incorporation of Definitions 4. Unless otherwise defined in this Bylaw, the definitions used in the Community Charter and the Local Government Act and the Interpretation Act apply to this Bylaw. Page 2 oflS 7263-2016 7411-2017 Application of Bylaw 5. The provisions of this Bylaw govern the proceedings of Council and each Committee, as applicable. Robert's Rules of Order 6. In cases not provided for under this Bylaw, the then most-current edition of Robert's Rules of Order applies to the proceedings of Council and each Committee, to the extent that those Rules are: (a) applicable in the circumstances; and (b) not inconsistent with provisions of this Bylaw or the Community Charter. !PART 2 -REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING~ First Regular Council Meeting 7. Following a general local election, the first regular Council meeting must be held within the first ten (10) days in November in the year of the election. 8. Regular Council meetings for each year must be held in accordance with the schedule of dates and times adopted by Council prior to December 31st of the preceding year. Cancellation. Rescheduling and Postponement of Regular Council Meetings 9. Before the time of a regular Council meeting, Council may: (a) cancel the meeting, or (b) postpone the meeting and reschedule it to a different day and time. !PART 3 -SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETINGaj Cancellation of Special Council Meeting 10. Before the time of a special Council meeting, the person or persons calling the meeting may by notice: (a) cancel the meeting, or (b) postpone the meeting and reschedule it to a different day and time. Page3 of 15 7263-2016 7263-2016 7521-2018 !PART 4 -ELECTRONIC COUNCIL MEETING~ Electronic Special Council Meetings 11. A special Council meeting may be conducted by means of electronic or other communication facilities in compliance with the statutory requirements for that meeting and notice of that meeting. Member Participation by Electronic Communication 12. a) One or more members of Council who are unable to attend a Council meeting may participate in the meeting by means of electronic or other communication facilities in compliance with the statutory requirements for that meeting, but the member presiding at that Council meeting must not participate electronically; b) The Presiding member must verbally confirm the attendance of the member before stating and calling the question on the recommendation; c) In the case of an interruption in the communication link to the member(s) participating electronically, Council will recess to a maximum of 5 minutes until it is determined whether or not the link can be reestablished. If communications are not reestablished, the meeting will resume without the electronic participant(s) as long as there is quorum present. !PART 5 -LOCATION OF COUNCIL MEETING~ Council Meetings at Municipal Hall 13. All Council meetings must take place within Municipal Hall except when Council resolves to hold a meeting elsewhere within the City. Council Meetings Within Boundaries 14. (a) All Council meetings must take place within the boundaries of the City except when Council resolves to hold a Council meeting outside the boundaries; (b) The Presiding member must verbally confirm the attendance of the member before stating and calling the question on the recommendation; (c) In the case of an interruption in the communication link to the member(s) participating electronically, Council will recess to a maximum of 5 minutes until it is determined whether or not the link can be re-established. If communications are not re-established, the meeting will resume without the electronic participant(s) as long as there is quorum present. Page 4 of 15 !PART 6 -PUBLIC NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEETINGaj Public Notice of Regular Council Meetings 15. The schedule of dates, times and places of regular Council meetings for each calendar year shall be posted on the Public Notice Posting Place and published prior to December 31st of the preceding year. Council Waiver of Public Notice of Special Council Meeting 16. Public notice of a special Council meeting may be waived by unanimous vote of all Council members. Public Notice of Changes to Council Meetings 17. Where a regular Council meeting or a special Council meeting is cancelled or rescheduled, the Corporate Officer must, as soon as possible, whether before or after the time of the planned meeting, post a notice of such at the Public Notice Posting Place. !PART 7 -COUNCIL NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEETINGaj Council Notice of Changes to Council Meetings 18. Where a regular Council meeting or special Council meeting is cancelled or rescheduled, the Corporate Officer must, as soon as possible, whether before or after the time of the planned meeting, post a notice of such at the regular Council meeting place, and leave a notice of such for each Council member at the place to which the member has directed notices be sent. !PART 8 -MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGaj Minutes of Council Meetings 19. Minutes of the proceedings of Council must be (a) legibly recorded, (b) certified as correct by the Corporate Officer, and (c) signed by the Mayor or other member who presided at the meeting. Minutes of Electronic Meetings 20. The Corporate Officer shall record in the minutes the members present including those participating electronically. Page 5 of 15 7174-2015 7263-2016 Minutes Available to the Public 21. Minutes or portions of minutes of Council meetings that are available to the public must be open for public inspection at Municipal Hall during its regular office hours. !PART 9 -DESIGNATION OF MEMBER TO ACT IN PLACE OF MAYOR! Annual Designation of Member to Act in Place of Mayor 22. Council must, from amongst its members, designate for defined periods of each year, members to serve on a rotating basis as the member responsible for acting in the place of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act or when the office of the Mayor is vacant. 23. Each Councillor designated under section 24 must fulfill the responsibilities of the Mayor in the Mayor's absence. Absence of Mayor 24. The Mayor shall preside at Council meetings and if the Mayor is absent, the member designated to act in place of the Mayor shall preside at the meeting and if that member should be absent, the meeting shall be presided over by the next member, following the rotation established in section 24, who is present at the meeting. !PART 10 -CALLING MEETING TO ORDER! Calling Meeting to Order 25. As soon after the time specified for a Council meeting a quorum is present, the Mayor, or other member presiding at the meeting under section 26, shall call the Council meeting to order. !PART 11 -QUORUM! Continued Meeting where No Quorum 26. If there is no quorum of Council present within fifteen minutes of the scheduled time for a Council meeting, or a quorum is lost during a meeting, the Corporate Officer must record the names of the members present, and those absent, and all business on the agenda for that meeting not dealt with at that meeting is incorporated in the agenda for the next meeting. Page 6 of 15 7149-2015 6777-2010 7263-2016 7411-2017 7521-2018 7521-2018 !PART 12 -AGENDA AND ORDER OF BUSINEss! Preparation of Agenda 27. Prior to each Council meeting, the Corporate Officer must prepare an agenda setting out the items for consideration at that meeting. Distribution of Agenda 28. The Corporate Officer must make the agenda available to the members of Council at least twenty-four hours prior to a regular Council meeting. Order of Proceedings and Business 29. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) U) (k) (I) (m) (n) (o) (p) Call to order Amendments to the agenda Approval of the agenda Adoption of minutes Presentations at the request of Council Delegations Items on consent Unfinished business Bylaws Committee reports and recommendations Staff reports Other matters deemed expedient Public Question Period Mayor and Councillor Reports Notices of motions and matters for introduction at future meetings Adjournment Page 7 of 15 7301-2016 7521-2018 7521-2018 (Entire Section) !PART 13 -VOTING AT COUNCIL MEETINGij Voting at Closure of Debate 30. When debate on a matter is closed, the presiding member must put the matter to a vote of Council members. Voting By Show of Hands 31. When the Council is ready to vote, the presiding member must ask for a show of hands of Council members, indicating those in favour and those opposed. Prohibited Actions During Voting 32. After the presiding member finally puts the question to a vote, a member must not speak to the question or make a motion concerning it. 33. The presiding member's decision about whether a question has been finally put is conclusive. Results of Voting 34. The presiding member must declare the result of the voting by stating that the question is decided in either the affirmative or the negative will be released. Recording of Votes 35. The Corporate Officer must record in the minutes of a meeting the name of any member who voted in the negative on any question. 36. When a resolution is released by Council from Closed status, and unless otherwise resolved by Council, the names of any members who voted in the negative will be released. 37. 38. !PART 14 -CONDUCTI During a Council meeting, a person must address a Council Member by their title of Mayor, Acting Mayor or Councillor; During a Council meeting, a person must not engage in bullying or harassing behaviour in respect of a Council Member, Government Official or a City employee, which includes but is not limited to: a) expressing a negative opinion about the personality or character of a Council Member, Government Official or City employee; Page 8 of 15 b) speaking disrespectfully about a Council Member, a Government Official or a City employee; c) speaking or acting aggressively towards a Council Member, a Government Official or a City employee; d) using offensive gestures or signs; e) questioning the motives of a Council Member, Government Official or City employee; f) using rude or offensive language or engaging in rude or offensive conduct; or g) disrupting or unnecessarily delaying the conduct of business at the Council Meeting. 39. During a Council meeting, a person must: Paragraphs renumbered for Convenience a) not speak on electronic communication devices when a person or Council Member is speaking, except in the case of emergencies; b) cease speaking, if called to order by the person presiding over the meeting; c) adhere to the provisions of this Bylaw; and d) adhere to any rulings or decisions made pursuant to this Bylaw. 40. Expulsion from Council Meetings a) A person who contravenes the general rules of conduct may be ordered expelled from the meeting; b) If a member is of the opinion that a person has contravened the general rules of conduct, the member must state on the record how the general rules of conduct were contravened. c) If the presiding member is of the opinion that the named person did not contravene the general rules of conduct, the presiding member must state on the record why they believe the rules of conduct were not contravened. d) If a member alleges a contravention of the general rules of conduct and the presiding member is of the opinion that the named person contravened the general rules of conduct, the presiding member shall: (a) permit the person to apologize immediately to the governing body for the conduct that contravened the Bylaw; or (b) order the person to leave the Council Meeting immediately. e) If a person who has contravened the general rules of conduct is permitted to apologize and does so apologize, the person presiding shall: Page 9 of 15 (a) permit the person to remain in the meeting; or (b) order the person to leave the meeting immediately if the presiding member is of the opinion that the apology was inadequate. f) If a person does not voluntarily comply with an order to leave the meeting, that person may be removed from the meeting by a peace officer, pursuant to s.133 (2) of the Community Charter. g) If a person repeatedly contravenes the General Rules of Conduct set out in this bylaw, Council may adopt a resolution authorizing legal counsel to pursue legal remedies against the person. !PART 15 -DEBATE! Reading of Question 41. A member may require the question being debated at a Council meeting to be read at any time during the debate if that does not interrupt another member who is speaking. Motions Generally 42. Council may debate and vote on a motion only if it is first made by one Council member and then seconded by another. Motions During Consideration of a Question 43. A Council member may make only the following motions, when the Council is considering a question: a) to defer consideration; b) to refer to committee; c) to amend; d) to withdraw; or e) to adjourn 44. A motion made under clause a) is not amendable and debate is limited to setting the meeting at which the motion will be considered. Separate Votes 45. Council must vote separately on each distinct part of a question that is under consideration at a Council meeting if requested by a Council member and agreed to by the majority of members present. Page 10 of 15 7263-2016 6514-2007 7521-2018 Amendments 46. A proposed amendment must be decided or withdrawn before the main motion being considered is put to a vote. !PART 16 -POINTS OF ORDER! Raising Points of Order 47. A member may raise a point of order at any time, whereupon the presiding member must: a) interrupt the matter under consideration; b) interrupt a member who had been speaking; c) ask the member raising the point of order to state the substance of and the basis for the point of order; and d) rule as to whether or not the Point of Order is valid. !PART 17 -RECONSIDERATION OF A MOTION! Council Member Reguest for Reconsideration 48. 49. (a) A member who voted with the prevailing side may, at anytime within one month of the vote, introduce a motion to reconsider the resolution, motion or proceeding, including the defeat of a motion, if the resolution, motion or proceeding has not been acted upon irreversibly by an officer, employee or agent of the municipality. (b) If a motion to reconsider is defeated, the subject matter of the resolution or proceeding may not be open for consideration by the Council within 6 months except by way of a new and substantially different motion. (a) !PART 18 -DELEGATIONS AND PUBLIC QUESTION PERIOD! The order of business titled "Delegations" will be regulated by the Council Meeting Delegations Policy as approved by Council and amended from time to time by Council resolution. (b) The order of business titled "Public Question Period" will be regulated by the Council Meeting Public Question Period Policy as approved by Council and amended from time to time by Council resolution. Page 11 of 15 7149-2015 6777-2010 7263-2016 7174-2015 !PART 19 -BYLAWS! Form of Bylaws 50. Every bylaw must be presented in written form before it is introduced for consideration by Council. Three Readings 51. Unless there is a statutory requirement for an approval or other act to be completed before a reading of a bylaw, a bylaw may be given up to 3 readings at one meeting of Council. Form of Bylaw Readings 52. The only motion required for the reading of a bylaw shall be: 'THAT (short title of bylaw) be given first reading (or first and second readings, or first, second and third readings)." 53. The only motion required for the adoption of a bylaw shall be: "THAT (short title of bylaw) be adopted." Storage of Bylaws 54. After a Bylaw is signed, the Corporate Officer must have it placed in the City's records for safekeeping. !PART 20 -COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, STANDING & SELECT COMMITTEEaj Appointments to Standing Committees 55. The Mayor shall appoint the members of each standing committee that the Mayor establishes. Committee of the Whole 56. All members of the Committee of the Whole must be Council members and all members of Council are members of the Committee of the Whole. Presiding Member of Committee of the Whole Meetings 57. The Mayor is the presiding member of the Committee of the Whole. On or before January 1 of the year, the Mayor will from amongst its members, designate for defined periods of that year, members to serve on a rotating basis as the member responsible for acting as the presiding member. Page 12 of15 7263-2016 Chairperson of Standing Committees 58. The members of each standing committee shall appoint a chairperson and vice-chairperson to preside at meetings in the absence of the chairperson and in the event of the absence of both the chairperson and vice-chairperson, the committee members in attendance shall choose one of their members to preside at that meeting. Calling Committee Meetings 59. Committee of the Whole meetings for each year must be held in accordance with the schedule of dates and times adopted by the Committee prior to January 1st of each year. 60. A meeting of a standing and select committee may be called by the chairperson, or in the absence of the chairperson, by the vice-chairperson, or by a majority of the members of the committee. Committee Member Notice of Committee Meetings 61. If a standing or select committee has established a regular schedule of committee meetings, a copy of that schedule must be provided to each member of the committee, by email or other manner that the member has directed that notices be sent. 62. If a special meeting of a standing or select committee has been called or if there is a change to a regular meeting, the meeting may not be held unless at least 24 hours advance notice of that meeting has been sent to each committee member, by email or other manner that the member has directed that notices be sent. 63. Notice of a committee meeting may be waived by unanimous consent of all the members of that committee. Public Notice of Committee Meetings 64. For Committee of the Whole and any other committee that has established a regular schedule of committee meetings, the chairperson of the committee must give public notice of the schedule, including the times, dates and places of the committee meetings, by posting a copy of the schedule at the Public Notice Posting Place. 65. If a special meeting of a committee has been called or if there is a change to a regularly scheduled committee meeting, the chairperson is responsible to give at least 24 hours advance public notice, including the time, date, place and general purpose in the case of a special meeting by posting at the Public Notice Posting Place. 66. Public notice of a committee meeting may be waived by unanimous consent of all the members of that committee. Committee Meetings Within Boundaries 67. Committee meetings may take place outside the boundaries of the City. Page 13 oflS Electronic Attendance at Committee Meetings 68. Sections 13 and 14 of this Bylaw apply to committee meetings. Voting Rules for Committee Meetings 69. A motion on a resolution, or on any other question before a committee, is decided by a majority of the committee members present at the meeting. 70. Each committee member has one vote on any question. 71 Each committee member present at the time of a vote must vote on the matter. 72. If a committee member does not indicate how he or she votes, the member is deemed to have voted in the affirmative. 73. If the votes of the members present at a committee meeting at the time of the vote are equal for and against a motion, the motion is defeated. 7 4. Council members attending a meeting of a committee of which they are not a member must not vote on a question unless the Council member is an alternate to a committee member. Reconsideration 75. Committees are not limited in their ability to reconsider resolutions or other proceedings. Minutes of Committee Meetings to be Maintained and Available to Public 76. The provisions of this Bylaw respecting minutes of a Council meeting apply to minutes of the proceedings of a Committee, except that minutes of a Committee meeting must be certified and signed by the person who chaired that meeting. Quorum 77. The quorum for a committee is a majority of all of its members unless otherwise stated in the bylaw establishing the committee. Conduct and Debate 78. The rules of the Council procedure must be observed during committee meetings, so far as is possible and unless as otherwise provided in this Bylaw or in the bylaw establishing the committee. Page 14 of 15 !PART 21 -GENERAQ Severance 79. If any section, subsection, clause or other part of this Bylaw is for any reason held to be invalid by the decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Bylaw. MAYOR READ A FIRST TIME this 8th day of May, 2007. READ A SECOND TIME this 8th day of May, 2007. READ A THIRD TIME this 8th day of May, 2007. ADOPTED this 22nd day of May, 2007. CORPORATE OFFICER Page 15 of 15 Procedure Bylaw Guide: For B.C.1s Local Governments DISCLAIMER The Procedure Bylaw Guide: For B.C's Local Governments is a tool created to support the efforts of the Working Group on Responsible Conduct. The guide is a product of collaboration between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and an advisory group from the Local Government Management Association. The Working Group on Responsible Conduct (Group) is a joint initiative between the Union of BC Municipalities, the Local Government Management Association, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The Group was formed to undertake collaborative research and policy work around issues of responsible conduct of local government elected officials. The information contained in the Procedure Bylaw Guide: For B.C's Local Governments is provided as general reference and while all attempts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the material -the guide is not a substitute for provincial legislation. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1 -INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 4 What is the Purpose of This Guide? ..................................................................................................................... 4 What is a Procedure Bylaw? ................................................................................................................................. 4 Why is a Procedure Bylaw Important? ................................................................................................................. 4 Considerations in Developing a Procedure Bylaw .............................................................................................. .5 PART 2 -TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE PROCEDURE BYLAW ........................................................................... 6 Understanding the Procedure Bylaw ................................................................................................................... 6 Thinking of Changing the Procedure Bylaw? ........................................................................................................ 6 Process for Amending the Procedure Bylaw ........................................................................................................ 7 PART 3 -SECTIONS OF A PROCEDURE BYLAW ............................................................................................... 8 Legislative Requirements for Procedure Bylaws .................................................................................................. 8 Role of Council or Board in Conduct and Debate ................................................................................................. 8 Designating a Member to Act in Place of the Mayor ........................................................................................ 10 Election of Chair and Vice Chair of the Regional District Board ........................................................................ 10 Application of Procedural Rules ........................................................................................................................ 11 Application of the Procedure Bylaw to Other Bodies ....................................................................................... 11 Open Meetings .................................................................................................................................................. 12 Closed Meetings ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Notice ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Regular and Committee Meeting Notice ....................................................................................................... 14 Special Meeting Notice .................................................................................................................................. 15 Committee of the Whole Meeting Notice ..................................................................................................... 17 Technology ........................................................................................................................................................ 17 Minutes .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 Agendas ............................................................................................................................................................. 19 Bylaws and Resolutions ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Reconsideration of a Council or Board Decision ............................................................................................... 22 Electronic Meetings ........................................................................................................................................... 23 Electronic Participation ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Addressing Council or the Board at Meetings ................................................................................................... 25 Committee of the Whole Meetings ................................................................................................................... 27 Reconsideration of Decision Made by Delegate ............................................................................................... 27 Quorum ............................................................................................................................................................. 28 Correspondence ................................................................................................................................................ 29 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 30 I PART 1 -INTRODUCTION What is the Purpose of This Guide? The intent of this guide is to help local governments proactively consider an·d change their procedure bylaw so clear processes are in place to help address challenging situations and support positive interactions. This guide provides information that local governments, the public and stakeholders can use to better understand the purpose and importance of a local government's procedure bylaw. Local government staff can use this guide to foster collaborative council and board discussions to customize the procedure bylaw to meet the needs of their community. This guide highlights the legislative requirements for procedure bylaws, best practices and other resources to facilitate council or board procedure bylaw conversations. The applicability of the best practices in this guide may vary by local government depending on population size and needs of the council or board and staff. What is a Procedure Bylaw? Municipal councils and regional district boards are legislatively required to have an adopted procedure bylaw that establishes procedures for council or board meetings. Procedure bylaws are one tool used to set shared expectations for process, procedure and conduct at council and board meetings. Procedure bylaws include rules for how meetings are conducted, how decisions are made and recorded, how participants (including the public) are involved in meetings, and how other meeting matters, such as meeting schedules and notice requirements are handled. When used effectively a procedure bylaw provides for efficient meetings and transparent decision-making. Some elements of procedure bylaws are legislatively required, while others are council or board choice and based on best or common practice provided in rules of procedure. Procedure bylaws apply to meetings of council or board and select or standing committees of council or board. Why is a Procedure Bylaw Important? Local government meetings are gatherings where council and board members collectively move towards or make decisions. Most meetings of council or board are open to the public to facilitate public transparency and accountability. In order to be effective as collective decision-makers, each council or board member must understand and follow a shared set of rules. Robust procedure bylaws may help councils and boards proactively set a positive tone for meetings. Clear procedure bylaws allow councils or boards and staff to encourage a collaborative approach that fosters respectful conduct and open debate at meetings. Understanding meeting processes and procedural rules enables council members and regional district directors to know what is expected and act accordingly. Procedure bylaws support the governance process so that the public, council, board members and local government staff understand how decisions are made and what to expect at meetings. The conduct of meetings may reflect how residents perceive local government operations. Considerations in Developing a Procedure Bylaw Procedure bylaws set the stage for how council and board members, staff and the public interact with each other at meetings. Within procedure bylaws there is an opportunity to incorporate the four foundational principles of responsible conduct developed by the Working Group on Responsible Conduct to help guide council and board interactions and decision-making. The foundational principles are: • Integrity; • Accountability; • Respect; and, • Leadership and collaboration. Integrating these principles throughout a procedure bylaw helps set clear expectations of engagement and process. Many of the best practices provided in this guide incorporate the foundational principles of responsible conduct. A council or board may also have a range of policies that support good governance that they may choose to cross-reference or connect to in the procedure bylaw such as a code of conduct, bullying and harassment policy, social media policy, meeting technology policy, administrative corrections or correspondence policy. I :o::: ::::~:~y~e:::::~n:::i~~o::~e ~y::~nE:~::g:~s: :sure it addresses local government and community needs. Councils and boards that proactively set behavioural expectations by incorporating the foundational principles of responsible conduct increase the likelihood of effective meetings. Part two of this guide provides information on the legislative requirements to have in mind when amending procedure bylaws and things to consider before making changes to the bylaw. Understanding the Procedure Bylaw It is important that local government staff, councils and boards, and the public are aware of and understand the procedure bylaw and related policies before changes are made. After council or board members have attended several meetings using the procedure bylaw, they will be in a better position to determine if changes to the bylaw are needed to better suit local circumstances. Local government staff may also identify sections that need to be updated as they use the procedure bylaw. To foster understanding of a procedure bylaw, consider the following: • an annotated (provides commentary on why a particular section may be important) version of the procedure bylaw may be useful for training and reference purposes; • prior to an election, include a copy of the procedure bylaw in the nomination package; • after an election, introduce council or board members to the procedure bylaw through one or more orientation sessions; • have staff, contractor or solicitor support elected officials (especially the presiding official) on how to conduct meetings in accordance with the procedure bylaw; and, • provide time for the council or board to become familiar with and use meeting procedures before changes are made. Thinking of Changing the Procedure Bylaw? Local government staff and elected officials both have a role in considering changes to the procedure bylaw. Staff or elected officials may bring forward sections of the procedure bylaw for review -for example if new technology is introduced for minutes or agendas. It is best practice to proactively make changes to the procedure bylaw; however, in some cases staff or elected officials may determine that a section of the procedure bylaw needs to be updated based on an issue that has arisen (for example, how to conduct electronic meetings). The procedure bylaw can be regarded as a living document that will need to be amended from time to time. When thinking of changing the procedure bylaw consider the following: • when new meeting technologies are introduced, consider whether changes need to be made in the procedure bylaw, for example electronic meeting agendas; • consider an appropriate time when a council or board may work together to discuss ways to improve the procedure bylaw. For example: at a workshop or strategic planning session; and, • provide on-going training through regular review of specific sections of the procedure bylaw to help council or board members stay current, better understand and determine if each section is still effective. Set a timeline for an in-depth review of sections (for example, quarterly). to • Do council or board members and staff understand the purpose of the procedure bylaw? • Why is amending the procedure bylaw necessary? • What are the key objectives in amending the procedure bylaw? • What process do we want to undertake to consider and decide on amendments? • What will be our regular process for reviewing the bylaw? Process for Amending the Procedure Bylaw Before the procedure bylaw is amended provide the public with information on the importance of the procedure bylaw and why they may be interested in proposed changes, such as how delegations are heard at meetings and how items may be added to the agenda. In addition to the legislative notice requirements for amendment of a procedure bylaw, a council or board may want to include information about procedure bylaws to educate the public around the purpose and importance of a procedure bylaw. Legislative Requirements • Before amending or repealing and substituting the procedure bylaw, a council must publish notice describing the proposed changes. Best Practices Municipalities Community Charter Section 124 Procedure bylaws • Provide written notice of proposed amendment(s) to each council member before the meeting where the amendment(s) is to be introduced; and, • Provide notice on the website and social media in addition to the newspaper to reach a wider audience and to help educate the public on the importance of a procedure bylaw. Legislative Requirements • Before amending the procedure bylaw, a board must mail notice Regional Districts Local Government Act Section 225 Procedure bylaws of the proposed amendment(s) to each director at least five days before the meeting where the amendment is to be introduced. Best Practice • Provide public notice in a newspaper, website and social media to notify and help educate the public on the importance of a procedure bylaw. I PART 3 -SECTIONS OF A PROCEDURE BYLAW Part 3 of this guide outlines the legislative requirements (if applicable) that must be included in a procedure bylaw and best practices that may be included in procedure bylaws. Part 3 of this guide covers the topics typically included in procedure bylaws, starting with a list of the legislative requirements and then exploring many of those requirements and best practices in more detail. Most of the legislative requirements for procedure bylaws apply to both regional districts and municipalities; however, in some sections municipalities and regional districts have been separated when there are differences in the legislative requirements. While there are fewer legislative requirements for regional districts regarding what must be in the procedure bylaw, regional districts are still subject to the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance so most regional districts include similar content to that of a municipal procedure bylaw. Legislative Requirements for Procedure Bylaws • Establish rules for council meetings and council committee meetings, including how bylaws are adopted and how resolutions are passed; • Provide for the taking and certifying of minutes at council meetings and council committee meetings; • Provide for advance public notice of the date, time and place of council and council committee meetings; • Identify places as the public notice posting places; • Establish the procedure for designating a council member as the acting mayor when the mayor is absent; • Establish the method for the members present to choose the presiding member if the mayor and designate are absent; • Set the first council meeting date after a general election; and, • Regular meetings must be held in accordance with the procedure bylaw. Districts • Establish rules for board meetings and board committee meetings, including how bylaws are adopted and how resolutions are passed; • Provide for advance public notice of the date, time and place of board and board committee meetings; and, • Identify places as the public notice posting places. Role of Council or Board in Conduct and Debate The local government legislation sets out the roles of council members and regional district directors including: • accountability of councils and boards through meetings and procedures; • public engagement processes; and, • rules to guide the deliberations of elected officials. The mayor of a municipality or the chair of a regional district board (presiding member) typically preside at meetings, which means they are responsible for conducting the meeting and maintaining order. The responsibilities of the presiding member include leading deliberations and the collective decision-making process by chairing the meeting, maintaining the order and conduct of debate, ensuring meeting rules are followed and the differing viewpoints are heard. The presiding member may vote and make motions at meetings. Clear rules of conduct and debate fosters respectful and collaborative meeting process. • The presiding member must preserve order and decide on points of order; • If a member appeals the decision of the presiding member, the question of whether the presiding members' decision will stand must be asked by the presiding member and voted on without debate and without the presiding member voting. In this situation, if votes are tied the motion passes (details in Tie Votes box, page 22); • If the presiding member refuses to ask the question appealing the presiding members' decision the council or board must appoint another member to act as presiding member temporarily; • If the presiding member considers another person to be acting improperly, they may order that person be expelled from the meeting -that could include a member of the public or another council or board member; and, • If the expelled person does not leave a peace officer may enforce the order. Best Prn,ct1,ces • Discuss and decide what "acting improperly" means for the council or board, staff and public and how it will be captured in the procedure bylaw; • Provide expectations for council or board member behavior in the conduct and debate section of the procedure bylaw: o respectful language and conduct; o a reasonable length of time a council or board member can speak on a matter; o use of electronic devices in meetings; o restrict debate to the motion on the floor; • Connect existing policies that are related to the responsibilities of council or board members, such as social media policies and codes of conduct into the procedure bylaw; • make provision for a member who has been expelled to apologize and, by resolution of council or board members, provide for them to retake their seat at the meeting; and, • outline how the conduct and debate section applies to public delegations and invited presenters. Designating a Member to Act in Place of the Mayor The role of mayor requires additional responsibilities that the legislation only contemplates one person being responsible for at one time. The process for designating a councillor to act in place of the mayor may be different for a short-term leave (for example, a vacation) and a long-term leave (for example, an illness). • Establish the procedure for designating a council member as the acting mayor; and • Establish the method for the members present to choose the presiding member if the mayor and designate are absent. Best • Adopt a resolution at the inaugural council meeting or annually to designate council member(s) as the acting mayor; • For a short-term leave of absence designate the position of acting mayor on a rotating basis or for a set time period until the next general local election when the mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act; • For a long-term leave of absence designate the position of acting mayor through election by the members; o Outline the process to elect the acting mayor, which may include: • how nominations are made; • how a nomination can be made if the candidate is not present at the meeting; • a process to conduct the vote by secret ballot using a ballot box; • whether time (and how much) is provided for candidates to address council; • a procedure for ballot counting; and, • a process for a tie. • Cross-reference or connect to the municipality's elected official leave of absence policy; • Provide that the acting mayor will fulfill the responsibilities of mayor during his or her absence; • Provide that the member designated as the acting mayor has the same powers and duties as the mayor in relation to the applicable matter; • If both the mayor and acting mayor are absent from the council meeting provide that the next council member in the rotation will act as presiding member at the meeting or that if after a set time period both the mayor and acting mayor are absent the council members present will choose a member to chair the meeting; and, • Provide that where possible the mayor notify the corporate officer if the acting mayor will be requested to act as chair. Election of Chair and Vice Chair of the Regional District Board • At the first meeting held after November 1 each year, the board must elect a chair and vice chair; • The same rules and powers apply to the vice chair in the absence of the chair; • If the chair and vice chair are not present the directors present must elect an acting chair; and, • Each director present at the meeting has one vote in each election for an office. • Outline the process to elect the chair and vice chair in the procedure bylaw, which may include: o how nominations are made; o if the candidate is not present at the meeting how their nomination can be provided; o conducting the vote by secret ballot using a ballot box; o whether time (and how much) is provided for candidates to address the board; o procedure for ballot counting; and, o process for a tie. Application of Procedural Rules Procedure bylaws typically defer to a more comprehensive resource, such as Robert's Rules of Order, to guide situations that arise less frequently or are not explicitly set out in the procedure bylaw itself. For example, Robert's Rules of Order may be consulted when a point of order (a question whether correct procedure is being followed) is raised and it is not covered in the procedure bylaw. Procedural rules differ from the meeting procedure requirements in the procedure bylaw because these rules are not legislated, but rather commonly agreed upon rules and customs for deliberation and debate. Using these rules encourages all council and board members to use the same language and participate in deliberation and debate in the same manner, which helps to keep orderly, consistent and efficient meetings. • Determine which resource will be used to address cases not provided for under the procedure bylaw, for example: o Robert's Rules of Order; o The Rules of Parliamentary Procedure of the Canadian House of Commons; o The Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (PDF); or, o Bourinot's Rules of Order; • Describe the resource as the "most current version," rather than specific edition, because the edition may become outdated. For example, "the most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order", rather than "the 11th edition of Robert's Rules of Order"; and, • When creating a commission or other body, determine whether to apply existing council or board meeting procedures from the procedure bylaw or to design specific procedures for those bodies Application of the Procedure Bylaw to Other Bodies Regional Districts Local Government Act • P,:irt 6: Division 3 -Voting and voting right$ • Sections 226(3).Board prQceedings: application .of Community Charter When a council or board creates a commission or other body, it may determine whether to apply meeting procedures from the procedure bylaw, or to design specific procedures for those bodies. • Open and closed meeting rules and the rules around expulsion from meetings apply to other bodies; • The rules established by procedure bylaw for taking minutes apply to meetings of commissions or other bodies, unless the procedure bylaw provides other procedures for minutes of other bodies (details under Minutes, page 18); and, • The record of minutes for other bodies must be available for public inspection unless the meeting has been closed to the public. In addition to the legislative requirements, a council or board may choose to establish the procedural rules for commissions and other bodies. Best Practices • In most cases, applying existing council or board meeting procedures will be the simplest approach. There may be reasons for council or board to establish customized rules of procedure for commissions and other bodies, either within the procedure bylaw or in a separate bylaw, for example: o in some communities there may be advantages to establishing rules for a staff member other than the municipal or regional district corporate officer to have overall responsibility for commission meeting minutes; or, o it may be appropriate to establish procedures that allow any member of council or board to participate in discussions and debates (but not vote) in a commission meeting. Open Meetings All meetings of local government elected (councils and boards) and appointed bodies (such as committees, commissions and other subsidiary bodies) must be open to the public, unless the subject matter falls under the closed meetings provisions in the legislation. The requirement for open meetings is intended to be applied broadly, in keeping with the principle of openness, transparency and accountability. All discussion and decisions must occur in properly called meetings, where the public can review the agenda and listen to the debate. Open meetings allow residents to understand how and why a council or board made a decision or approved or adopted a resolution or bylaw. Requirements • Meetings must be open to the public unless the subject matter relates to one of the items listed in the closed meetings section of the legislation • Bylaws must only be read and voted on in open meetings; • A resolution to close a meeting must be passed in the open part of a meeting and include the basis for that closure; and, • Councils and boards may by bylaw allow for meetings or other proceedings to be held outside of their boundaries. Closed Meetings There are certain circumstances where a council or board meeting or part of a meeting must or may be closed to the public by resolution. Meetings may only be closed for a purpose specified in the legislation. Procedure bylaw requirements, codes of conduct and rules of procedure continue to apply to councils or boards during closed meetings. Prior to adjourning a closed meeting, it is best practice to determine if any of the decisions made during the meeting could be made public by agreeing to "rise and report" at the next regular meeting. Providing a regular report about decisions made in closed meetings provides council an opportunity to regularly consider whether a decision can be made public, subject to the legislation or privacy rules. Provide education about closed meeting processes and rules at an orientc)tion and consider providing refresher sessions throughout the term of office to assist council or board members with understanding the closed meetings processes. At the start of a closed meeting, the corporate officer may remind members about the specific subject matter that is authorized for discussion during the closed meeting and explain the legislative reason for closing the meeting. • A resolution to close a meeting must be passed in an open meeting; • The resolution must outline the applicable subsection of section 90 the Community Charter for which the meeting is to be closed; • Minutes of closed meetings must include the names of all attendees (councils and boards have some limited discretion as to who may attend a closed meeting); • Bylaws must not be read or voted on in closed meetings; and, • Council and board members must keep information from closed meetings confidential until such a time the council or board decides the information can be released or discussed at an open meeting. Best Ult'e>rir,ro • Provide that when an item arises during a closed meeting, which in the opinion of council or board, do not meet the criteria to be held in a closed meeting, it be referred to an open meeting or to staff; • Provide public notice of closed meetings; Regional Districts Local Government Act • Section 226(1)(a) Board profeedings: application of ComrnunitYCharter • •• -• Section 205(1)(d) Regional District .Directors: application of Community Charter • In the agenda, include the applicable subsection of the Community Charter under which the meeting or part of the meeting is being closed and a general description of the item to be discussed without compromising the reason for closing the meeting; and, • Provide a provision that states the conduct expectations set out in the procedure bylaw for council or board members continue to apply during closed meetings. Notice Notice of regular council or board meetings is part of public engagement and local government openness, transparency and accountability. The notice section of a procedure bylaw provides consistency around when and where information is posted giving the date, time and place of meetings. This provides adequate time for elected officials and local government staff to become aware of meetings and understand and prepare for the issues to be discussed. Public notice also allows the public the opportunity to become aware of the topics for discussion and to make an informed decision as to whether to attend a meeting. Council and boards may wish to consider public notice options beyond the legislative notice requirements. This may include providing meeting information on the local government website, in recreation facilities, on social media and providing an option for the public to subscribe to an email service to receive automatic notice of meetings, minutes and/or agendas. Regular and Committee Meeting Notice Procedure bylaws must establish public notice requirements for regular or committee meetings of council or board. Notice of Regular and Legislative Requirements • Identify places to be public notice posting places; • Make publicly available the schedule of the date, time and place of regular council meetings; • Provide public notice of the availability of the schedule for regular council meetings at least once a year in accordance with Community Charter public notice requirements; • Provide advance public notice of the date, time and place of council committee meetings and establish the procedures for giving notice; and, • Provide advance public notice of the time, place and date for council committee meetings and establish a procedure for giving that notice in the procedure bylaw. Legislative Requirements • Provide advance public notice of the date, time and place of board and board committee meetings and establish the procedures for giving notice; and, • Identify places to be public notice posting places. Best Practices for Municipalities and Regional Districts • Regional districts may provide notice in accordance with Community Charter section 94 public notice requirements of the availability of the schedule of regular meetings at least once a year in the public notice posting places (required of Municipalities); • Outline a process to give notice of postponed/cancelled meetings or revised meeting schedules; • Identify whose role it is to post notice to the public notice posting places; • Provide enough notice time for the public to be aware of committee meetings; • Provide written notice of committee meetings to each committee member; • Post regularly scheduled committee meeting dates, times and locations in the public notice posting places; and, • Provide how the public may access the meeting remotely, if available. Special Meeting Notice A special meeting is a council or board meeting other than a regular or statutory meeting. Special meetings are held to address specific items outside of the regular meeting schedule, for example review of the proposed financial plan or to debate a major project or event. Local government legislation has public notice requirements for special council and special board meetings. If there is an emergency the legislation provides flexibility for a council or board to do what is necessary when proper notice of a special meeting can not be given. Best practice is for councils and boards to use this authority thoughtfully and sparingly for example -illness of the majority of members, sudden economic crisis or some other sudden event, such as a natural disaster or pandemic, that requires immediate decision or debate. Notice of special meetings may be waived by a unanimous vote of all council or board members; however, it is best practice to use the authority to waive notice of special meetings sparingly. Legislative Requirements • The mayor may call a special council meeting at their discretion; • Two or more council members may, in writing, request that the mayor all a special meeting; • Two or more council members may themselves call a special council meeting, if: o within 24 hours after receiving a request the mayor has not arrange a special council meeting to be held in the next seven days; or, o both the mayor and the person designed to act in place of the mayor are absent or otherwise unable to act. • Provide notice at least 24 hours before the special meeting by posting a copy of the notice in the regular council meeting place and the public notice posting places, and leave one copy for each council member at the place to which the member has directed notices be sent; • Notice must include the date, time and place of the meeting, describe the purpose of the meeting and be signed by the mayor or the corporate officer; • Notice of a special council meeting may be waived by unanimous vote of all council members; and, • If the procedure bylaw allows for electronic meetings, and the special meeting is to be held electronically the notice must include how the meeting is to be conducted and where the public may attend to hear, the proceedings that are open to the public. Best Practices • If possible, provide more than the minimum 24 hours' notice; • If the special meeting notice requirements are waived by council, clearly document the reasons why in the minutes and try to provide some notice to the public; • Provide notice of postponed special meetings on the website and social media; and, • If notice is provided for a special meeting, include in the notice how the public may access the special meeting if it is held electronically. Legislative Requirements • On request of the chair or two directors, the corporate officer must call a special meeting; • The corporate officer must provide notice of the special meeting to each director by mail at least five days before the meeting date; • Notice must state the general purpose, date, time and place of the meeting; • Notice of a special meeting may be waived by a unanimous vote of all directors; and, • In the case of an emergency, with consent ofthe chair and two directors, notice of a special meeting may be given less than five days before the date of the meeting and does not have to be written. Best Practices • Outline a process to provide public notice of special meetings; and, • If the special meeting notice requirements are waived by the board, clearly document the reasons why in the minutes and try to provide some notice to board members and the public. Committee of the Whole Meeting Notice If a council or board holds Committee of the Whole (COTW) meetings then a procedure to give advance public notice must be established (details under Committee of the Whole Meetings, page 27). • Provide advance public notice of the date, time and place of COTW meetings and establish the procedures to give notice. Best • Provide notice of the annual schedule of regular COTW meetings at least once a year in the public notice posting places; • Provide enough notice time for the public to be aware of COTW meetings; • In the notice of an upcoming COTW meeting, include some information about the topics to be discussed so the public can understand the purpose of the meeting; and, • Provide public notice of any revised or cancelled COTW meetings. Technology The use of technology during meetings and in preparation for meetings may be considered in the procedure bylaw and as new technologies are introduced. A balance between transparency and privacy needs to be carefully considered when technology is being used at meetings. The use of technology must adhere to the requirements under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Councils and boards may establish a technology policy that considers the use of technology in meetings for issues that may arise when technology is used for meeting minutes, agendas and the video recording or livestreaming of meetings. Best Practices • Provide that the presiding member may require video recording devices be placed in a designated location; • For regional districts where the Special Voting Regulation (B.C. Reg. 17 /98) applies outline how voting will be conducted at meetings if electronic voting is available (details in Tie Votes box, page 22); and, • Include what to do in the event of a loss of quorum due to loss of electronic communication links. For example, adjourn the meeting and reconvene as soon possible once quorum can be achieved and public notice requirements met or at the next meeting. Minutes Providing council or board members and the public with meeting minutes supports local government transparency and accountability. Clear processes around minutes in procedure bylaws provides guidance and expectations to council or board members, local government staff and the public. The requirement to take minutes applies to open and closed meetings. The corporate officer must ensure that minutes are accurate, including minutes of closed meetings. Minutes of closed meetings must record the names of all persons in attendance. The legislation permits the council or board to allow one or more municipal officers and employees to attend or exclude them from a closed meeting. Elected officials may want to limit the circumstances in which the corporate officer or another staff person able to take minutes is excluded from closed meetings. Allow adequate time between meetings to publicly post the draft minutes so elected officials and the public have an opportunity to review and provide feedback to the corporate officer before they are considered for adoption. This may lead to fewer last-minute changes or challenges to the record of minutes. Mark draft minutes as "DRAFT" and include a statement outlining how they become official. Legislative Requirements • Municipal procedure bylaws must provide for the taking of minutes of municipal council and committee meetings, including certification of those minutes; • Rules for taking minutes at council committee meetings applies to meetings of other bodies, unless the procedure bylaw provides for other procedures for taking of minutes by a body established by council; and, • Copies of council minutes must be made available to the public. Districts Legislative Requirements • Regional district board meeting minutes must be legibly recorded, certified as correct by the designated regional district officer and signed by the chair or acting chair at the meeting or at the next meeting at which they are adopted; and, • Copies of board minutes must be made available to the public. Best Practices for Municipalities and Regional Districts • Outline where the minutes of all open meetings are posted for the public (for example, public notice posting places and municipal or district website); • In the procedure bylaw, provide a reasonable time frame or refer to a policy for when the draft minutes are available to council or board, staff and the public before the next regular meeting; • Provide a reasonable time frame for provision of the certified minutes to council or board and the public; • If appropriate establish alternate procedures for minute taking for commissions and other bodies. For example, allow for less formal methods of record-keeping that may be more cultural appropriate; and, • Refer to the applicable policy for administrative fixes to allow the corporate officer to make minor corrections to the certified minutes, such as minor typos and sequential numbering errors. Agendas The legislation does not set out requirements for meeting agendas; however, procedural rules (for example, Robert's Rules of Order) provide guidance for managing meeting agendas. Including the process for accepting agenda items in the procedure bylaw assists elected officials and local government staff clearly understand how to add items and manage the agenda. The public may bring items forward to a council or board for consideration (details under Addressing Council or Board, page 25). Local governments with extensive agendas may have a process for putting items on a consent agenda for efficiency. Consent agenda items usually include non-controversial items where no further debate is required. A consent agenda is not a separate agenda, but rather a separate item on the meeting agenda. Items may be separated out from the consent agenda at the meeting if there are objections from members. Councils and boards may wish to develop an internal policy for closed meeting agendas to ensure they are kept confidential until a decision to disclose the information has been made. For example, only provide agendas in hard copy on coloured paper, distribute the agenda at the start of the closed meeting and collect all agendas at the end of the closed meeting. Best • Include a standard order of business for regular, closed and special meetings; • Provide a time frame and method for acceptance of agenda items and whether/how late items may be added; • Provide a reasonable time frame for how far in advance agendas are provided to council or board, staff and the public; • Indicate whether members will receive a hardcopy or electronic versions of the agenda; • Outline where regularly scheduled meeting agendas are available to the public (for example, public notice posting places and municipal or regional district website); • Provide a procedure for how a council or board member can bring forward an item of business that is not on the agenda and how it is dealt with-commonly referred to as a "Notice of Motion" (details in Understanding Motion and Notice of Motion box, page 20): o notice of motion may be made in writing to the corporate officer; o whether the motion needs to be seconded by another member of the council or board; o provided to the corporate officer in advance of the meeting by a certain timeline; o if the notice of motion is made during a meeting it is added to the agenda of the next regular board meeting, or to the agenda of a special board meeting for that purpose; o inclusion of background materials; and, o whether consideration of the Notice of Motion is postponed if the member who introduced it is not present at the meeting and it is on the agenda, unless they have provided written consent. • Provide that council or board can proceed with a notice of motion on the agenda if the member adding the item is not present if the majority of the council or board resolves to proceed. Bylaws and Resolutions Councils and boards may only make decisions by bylaw or resolution. In some cases, provincial legislation requires that a local government power be exercised by bylaw only-if the legislation does not specify a bylaw is required, local governments have the choice to either pass a bylaw or a resolution. Bylaws may be used for a variety of purposes -to establish meeting procedures, regulate services, for long-term borrowing, prohibit an activity, or require certain actions. Local governments may exercise certain statutory authority through resolution, which is a formal record of decision by a council or board. Local government legislation provides the general requirements for councils or boards to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws. The procedure bylaw may outline additional process requirements established by the council or board that are specific to that local government. • Before a bylaw is adopted, it must be given three readings; • A bylaw may be given up to three readings at one meeting; • There must be at least one full day between the third reading and the adoption of a bylaw (some exceptions apply); • Bylaws that require the approval of Cabinet, a Minister, the Inspector of Municipalities or the electors must receive Provincial approval between third reading and adoption in a specified sequence; • If a public hearing is required for a land use bylaw (for example, official community plan amendments) the hearing must be held after first reading and before third reading; and, • Once the bylaw is adopted, the chair at the meeting where the bylaw was adopted, and the corporate officer must sign the bylaw. • Municipal and regional district official community plan and zoning bylaws may be adopted at the same meeting as third reading provided the bylaw does not require Provincial approval; and, • Regional district bylaws that do not require approval, consent or assent before they are adopted may be adopted at the same meeting as third reading, if the motion for adoption receives at least 2/3 of the votes cast. Best • Outline how a resolution or bylaw may be introduced at a meeting; • Provide the corporate officer with a written copy of a notice of motion bringing forward a bylaw or resolution before a meeting; • Provide a copy of the proposed bylaw or resolution being introduced to each member at least 24 hours before the meeting; • Provide that a motion to waive the 24 hours requirement may be passed by unanimous vote of all council or board members; • Allow for the corporate officer to consolidate one or more of the municipal or regional district bylaws for official use; • Refer to an administrative fix policy to allow the corporate officer to make minor corrections to bylaws at third reading and adopted bylaws, such as spelling mistakes and sequential numbering errors; and, • Provide that an adopted and signed copy of a bylaw be kept on record. Reconsideration of a Council or Board Decision Occasionally, a council or board may wish to bring back a decision for reconsideration due to new information that has been brought forward following the motion or resolution being defeated. Local government legislation provides the authority for the mayor or chair to bring a decision back for reconsideration -subject to specific legislative restrictions. Reconsideration of council or board decisions is a complex issue that may require consideration of case law in addition to any procedures provided in the procedure bylaw. Council or board members may also bring back a decision for reconsideration following the procedural rules referenced in the procedure bylaw (for example, Robert's Rules of Order). The procedural rules for reconsideration may differ for committee or other meetings outside of regular council or board meetings. Municipalities Legislative Requirements • A mayor may require the council to reconsider and vote again on a matter that was the subject of a vote; • Reconsideration is restricted to the same council meeting as the vote took place or within 30 days following that meeting; • A matter may not be reconsidered if it has received the approval or assent of the electors and subsequently been adopted or it has already been reconsidered by council; • The matter under reconsideration must be dealt with as soon as convenient, and council has the same authority it had in its original consideration of the matter; and, • If the original decision to adopt a bylaw or resolution is rejected on reconsideration, the bylaw or resolution is of no effect and is deemed to be repealed. Legislative Requirements • A chair may require the board to reconsider and vote again on a matter that was the subject of a vote; • A matter may not be reconsidered if it has received the approval or assent of the electors and subsequently been adopted or it has already been reconsidered by the board; • The matter under reconsideration must be dealt with as soon as convenient, and the board has the same authority it had in its original consideration of the matter; • If the original decision to adopt a bylaw or resolution is rejected on reconsideration, the bylaw or resolution is of no effect and is deemed to be repealed; and, • The chair may return the matter for reconsideration at the meeting of the board following the original vote, whether or not this is within the 30-day period. Best Practices for Municipalities and Regional Districts • Following procedural rules (for example, Robert's Rules of Order) referenced in the procedure bylaw provide that a councillor or director who voted with the majority either for or against to put forward a motion for reconsideration (Note: this rule may differ for committee meetings); • Include the process and circumstances under which reconsideration would be permitted by other council or board members, similar to those required of the mayor or chair (using the procedural rules resource referenced in the procedure bylaw as a guide); • Provide a specific time frame for when a motion could be reconsidered, typically at the same meeting as the vote took place (restricted to 30 days for municipalities); • Notice of motion be required and seconded by another member; • Number of times the item can be reconsidered within a specific time period, typically once; and, • Matters may not be reconsidered if they have been acted on irreversibly by an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or regional district (for example, if a contract is signed). Electronic Meetings Special meetings held electronically can be a useful tool for councils and boards, however they should not be a substitute for in-person meetings. If a council or board chooses to have the option to hold special meetings electronically, the procedure bylaw must authorize it and include information on the electronic meeting process and electronic participation by members. Before the authority to conduct special meetings electronically is included in the procedure bylaw, a council or board needs to consider whether it has adequate technology and may wish to establish a technology policy to support electronic meetings. A council or board may wish to allow for electronic special meetings in the procedure bylaw in case of an emergency such as a natural disaster or a pandemic. • Authorized in the procedure bylaw; • Provide notice of the way in which the meeting is to be conducted and the place where the public may attend the electronic special meeting; • Provide a location for the public to attend; • Facilities that enable the meeting's participants and the public to hear, or watch and hear, each other; • Attendance of a designated officer at the meeting; and, • The meeting must be conducted in accordance with the procedure bylaw. Best !-'T21ct1ces • Develop guidelines to assist with electronic meeting process: o the presiding member will ask each member by name to indicate 'yeah' or 'nay' on any vote; • Allow for electronic special meetings in the event meeting in person is impractical or impossible or in the event of an emergency; • Outline a process to follow if there is equipment failure or loss of quorum during an electronic meeting; and, • Consider how to deal with declarations of conflict of interest or closed meeting issues. Electronic Participation Electronic participation at council or board meetings may occur if such participation is authorized in the procedure bylaw. Electronic participation at meetings enables elected officials to participate under circumstances where they are unable to be physically present. A potential challenge local governments may wish to consider is the implications if a presiding member were to attend electronically. For example, a presiding member may have difficulty observing and deciding on points of order that may arise during the meeting if they attending electronically. It is important for local governments to carefully consider the practical challenges that may arise as they establish electronic meeting procedures. While the legislation does not preclude the presiding member from attending electronically this situation could pose challenges for those attending the meeting and may make it difficult for the presiding member to fulfill their duties. legislative • If electronic meetings are authorized in the procedure bylaw a member who is unable to attend a council or board meeting in-person may participate electronically; • Members participating electronically are deemed to be present at the meeting; and, • Except for closed parts of the meeting, the public must be able to hear the member(s} participating electronically. Best • Develop guidelines for electronic attendance at meetings so consistent practices are clear to all members: o identify a process for members to follow to notify the corporate officer, mayor or chair that they wish to attend electronically; o include a maximum number of members that may attend the same meeting electronically; o set out a process for the corporate officer to follow if more than the maximum number of members request to attend electronically; o include how agendas will be provided to those attending electronically; o identify maximum number of consecutive meetings which a member may attend electronically and provide that in the event of an emergency maximums do not apply; o identify maximum number of times per year or how often a member may attend electronically and provide that in the event of an emergency maximums do not apply; o ask that members identify others who are in the room with them if attending electronically; o ask that members eliminate background noise as much as possible if attending electronically; o include that members attending a closed meeting electronically must ensure that no other person is in the same room as the member during the meeting and that no other person can observe or hear the meeting; and, o outline the process for how members attending electronically can vote on a motion or participate in the debate. • For accurate minutes and attendance, require that a member attending electronically inform the presiding member when they join and leave the meeting; and, • Allow for electronic attendance at other kinds of meetings (for example, special or committee meetings}. Addressing Council or the Board at Meetings Councils and boards may establish rules in their procedure bylaw to allow speakers to present on a topic and allow for requests from the public (also known as public delegations} to appear at meetings. Local government legislation does not include specific requirements for public delegations at council or board meetings. A clear process for the public to engage with the council or board speaks to the principles of respect, accountability Local Government Act and collaboration. Established rules provide consistency and assist with meeting management. • Section 465(2) Public -hearing procedures The rules for the public to be heard at public hearings are different from council or board meetings. All people who believe their interest in property is affected by the proposed bylaw must be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard or present a written submission on the information provided in the bylaw that is the subject of the hearing. There are other circumstances where the public has a right to be heard by council or board as a result of a decision made by council or board. For example, refusal of business licences or a person required to take remedial actions on their property. A council or board may wish to include in their meeting notice alternate ways for the public to provide input about local government issues in the event they are unable to be present at a meeting or in the event of an emergency. To help the public understand how to address the council or board, the local government may provide an outline of the process on its website. Best • Outline in the procedure bylaw how the conduct provisions of the procedure bylaw applies to public delegations and presentations; • Establish the section of a meeting when the public will be permitted to address council or the board; • Communicate a process to the public for how to address council or board at meetings and include: o the process for a member of the public to request to speak at a meeting; o information required from the public in advance of the meeting (if any); o time frame for submissions for inclusion on the agenda; o limits on the frequency and length of presentations by delegations; o how requests to address council or board are handled by the corporate officer; o how many presentations or delegations may be heard per meeting and whether or not more may be added by resolution during the meeting; o whether someone may replace the person or delegation who requested to speak; o how the speaking order of presentations or delegations is determined. For example, formal delegations speaking on a particular issue may be given priority; o expectations around respectful conduct; and, o how disrespectful conduct is managed. • Outline what the public may speak to and restrictions on certain topics at meetings (details in Restrictions box, page 27); • If a topic comes before council or board that might affect the financial or operational plan allow for it to be referred to staff for a report before it is considered by council or board; • If a new request to address a council or board is received at a meeting, provide an option for the presenter to address the council or board if approved by the unanimous vote of the members present; • Provide an option for written submissions for those who are unable or do not want to speak at a meeting; • Ask delegations to specify what they are seeking from council or board; • Clearly state that items of a time sensitive nature may be heard first by a council or board; and, • Provide alternate ways for the public to provide input on agenda topics. Alternate ways may include, by: email; phone; online submission form; or, virtual real-time question and answer period. Committee of the Whole Meetings Committee of the Whole (COTW) meetings are a non-binding committee made up of all council or board members that meets regularly throughout the year. COTW meetings are held to discuss or debate a topic less formally, develop common understanding, help reach consensus and develop recommendations to report back to the council or board. COTW meeting procedures are the same as regular meetings unless specific procedures are outlined in the procedure bylaw. It is best practice to refer regular meeting topics that need further discussion to a COTW meeting. Once the COTW has reviewed all matters on the agenda a motion may be made to refer recommendations of the COTW to the council or board for consideration. • If a local government chooses to have COTW meetings they must establish rules of procedure for them in their procedure bylaw. • Establish whether the procedure bylaw applies to COTW or set out separate COTW meeting procedures, including quorum; • Provide public notice of COTW meetings; • Post schedules of COTW meetings at the public notice posting places and on the local government website; • Rotate the chair to provide opportunity for skill development and succession planning; • After consideration and approval of COTW agenda items, the COTW refers those items back to the full council or board for approval; and, • Prepare terms of reference for COTW. Reconsideration of Decision Made by Delegate Local government legislation allows for a council or board to delegate its powers to a committee, an officer or employee of the municipality or regional district, or another body established by the council or board. For example, a council or board may delegate authority to the Chief Administrative Officer or Corporate Officer to enter into contracts up to a maximum amount. Procedures for the delegated authority are included in a separate "delegation bylaw"; however, a procedure bylaw includes the process to appeal a decision (reconsider) where a council or board has delegated authority to an officer or employee, or another body established by the council or board. Legislative Requirements • A council may by bylaw establish a right to have decisions made by a delegated authority reconsidered by council. (Note: There are some powers a council may not delegate, for example, the power to adopt a bylaw); • There are also some matters where the legislation establishes a right of reconsideration by council (for example for refusal of a business licence or required remedial actions); • If a council delegates its decision-making power it must, by bylaw, establish procedures for reconsideration, including how an application for reconsideration can be made; • In undertaking a reconsideration, council has the same authority as conferred upon the delegate; and, • If there is a right to seek reconsideration, the person subject to the decision must be advised. Legislative Requirements • A board may delegate a power, duty or function only by bylaw adopted by an affirmative vote of at least 2/3 of the votes cast; • If a board delegates its decision-making power and in relation to that delegation, an enactment establishes a right to have a delegated decision reconsidered by the board; the board must, by bylaw, establish procedures for reconsideration, including how an application for reconsideration can be made; • In undertaking a reconsideration, the board has the same authority as conferred upon the delegate; and, • If there is a right to seek reconsideration, the person subject to the decision must be advised. Best Practices for Municipalities and Regional Districts • Include how a council or board may reconsider a delegate's decision in the delegation bylaw and include a cross reference to it in the procedure bylaw; and, • Outline the process if a person wants to appeal a delegated decision, for example: o submit a written request, that includes the reasons why the person wishes to have the decision reconsidered, to the corporate officer prior to the meeting where the appeal is to take place; and, o a person may appear before council or board as a delegation at the meeting which the appeal is taking place in order to present their position. Quorum Quorum is the minimum number of members that must be present to make the considerations at a meeting valid. Quorum is required at council and board meetings to ensure agenda items are properly considered by elected officials. Members attending electronically are deemed to be present if electronic participation is provided in the procedure bylaw. Procedure bylaws may include what steps can be taken in the event there is not quorum. This ensures a process is in place to adjourn the meeting in the event there is no quorum. • Provide a specific time period to wait for council or board members to arrive; • Corporate officer records the names of those members present; • Include a procedure for adjourning the meeting until the next meeting date or until another meeting is held if quorum is not met for the current meeting or if quorum is lost due to means of electronic communication or technology issues; and, • Include a clause that sets out the quorum requirements for committees. Correspondence Local governments may have a policy in place that outlines how correspondence that is addressed to council or board is managed. The procedure bylaw may refer to the policy or state the procedures to handle correspondence that is addressed to council or board. Best • Outline what kind of correspondence is accepted and how it is received; • Provide a process for how council or board is provided with correspondence (for example, on a secure website) and how it may be added to the agenda of an appropriate council or board meeting; and, • Outline the process for the corporate officer to take if correspondence does not meet the criteria for which correspondence is accepted. I ADDITIONAL RESOURCES See below for examples of procedure bylaws that may be useful if a council or board is amending a procedure bylaw. These examples are not an exhaustive list and are provided as a starting place. Any questions about the content of the bylaw, the process in developing it or whether it has been subject to legal review should be directed to the local government. Examples of Procedure Bylaws • Capital Regional District (PDF) • Cariboo Regional District (PDF) • City of North Vancouver (PDF) • District of Sparwood (PDF) • Village of Lumby Code of Conduct Resources • Conduct of Locally Elected Officials webpages • Foundational Principles of Responsible Conduct (PDF) • Getting Started on a Code of Conduct for your Council/Board (PDF) • Model Code of Conduct (PDF) Delegation Resources • Municipal Delegation of Powers or Duties • Regional District Delegation of Powers or Duties • A Guide to Regional District Board Delegation to Committees and Commissions (PDF) Local Government Meetings • "Other Procedures" Section for Regional District Boards • Ombudsperson Guide -Open Meetings: Best Practices for Local Governments (PDF) • Regional District Voting • UBCM Fact Sheet-Regional Districts (PDF) Dear Mayor, RECEIVEDiN CLERK'S DEPT, JAN 1 3 2021 I am pleased to inform you that the next census will take place in May 2021. I am writing today to seek your support to increase awareness of the census among residents of your community. For over a century, Canadians have relied on census data to tell them about how their country is changing and what matters to them. We all depend on key socioeconomic trends and census analysis to make important decisions that have a direct impact on our families, neighbourhoods and businesses. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada has adapted to ensure that the 2021 Census is conducted throughout the country in the best possible way, using a safe and secure approach. Statistics Canada will be hiring approximately 32,000 people across the country to assist with census collection. We would like to work with you and your municipality to ensure that your residents are aware and informed of these job opportunities. Furthermore, your support in encouraging your residents to complete the census will have a direct impact on gathering the data needed to plan, develop and evaluate programs and services such as schools, daycare, family services, housing, emergency services, roads, public transportation and skills training for employment. If you would like to express your municipality's support for the census, please share the municipal council resolution text below with your residents: Be it resolved that: The Council of the Corporation of {NAME OF CITY/TOWN/MUNICIPALITY) supports the 2021 Census, and encourages all residents to complete their census questionnaire online at www.census.gc.ca. Accurate and complete census data support programs and services that benefit our community. In the coming weeks, a member of our communications team may contact you to discuss ways in which we can work together. Should you have any questions, please contact us at statcan.censusoutreach.west-rayonnementdurec.ouest.statcan@canada.ca. Thank you in advance for supporting the 2021 Census. Yours sincerely, Geoff Bowlby Director General, Census Management Office Statistics Canada/ Government of Canada 5.1