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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil this Week 2014-06-09.pdfBrian Johnston, Professional Envi- ronmental Recreation Consultants Ltd., provided Council with a verbal update of his work on the Joint Lei- sure Services Model review and summarized the overall sections that the draft report would look at. Mr. Johnston talked about the moti- vation behind the original joint ser- vices agreement, and how it has stood the test of time. The agree- ment includes the benefit of equal access for all area citizens, access to technical resources, service ben- efits to community members, coordi- nated planning and cost savings. He noted that the inclusion of the School District in this agreement has also been a great idea in that the coordination of programming and facility development offers sig- nificant benefit for citizens and each of the business entities in the rela- tionship. He then spoke about the ‘stresses and strains’ of the agreement. Spe- cifically, he talked about the clarity of the agreement, the reality that there are two different communities with different operating styles, govern- ance issues, possible divergence in service levels and the communication between the partners in the agree- ment. He concluded his discussion with a summary of the report which included; the costs and benefits comparing the current model versus having no joint service agreement and the potential additions to the agreement and new ways that it could serve the communi- ty and partner agencies. Finally, Mr. Johnston spoke of the re- ality that an ‘a la carte’ system would not be the most desirable model, and his sense is that the final report might be better served exploring potential areas of common concern that require clarification. That way Council can see the economic and operational aspects of the joint services model and deter- mine how they wish to proceed. Council provided Mr. Johnston with feedback and questions and thanked him for his presentation. Joint Leisure Services Model Review Council This Week Maple Ridge 11995 Haney Place Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9 Canada Tel: 604-463-5221 Fax: 604-467-7329 Website Enquiries Email June 9, 2014 Inside This Issue:  Joint Leisure Services Model Review  Commercial & Industrial Strategy Draft Implementation Plan  Albion Amenity Program Update  Lougheed Hwy Enhancements  2014 Residential Class Property Taxation  UBCM  Downtown Neighbourhood  Emerald Pig Society Council This Week Page 2 Maple Ridge Commercial & Industrial Strategy Draft Implementation Plan Diana Hall, Planner II, provided Council with a verbal summary of a report on the Maple Ridge Com- mercial Industrial Strategy Draft Implementation Plan. The report detailed considerations for the im- plementation plan including establishing priorities and pacing and timing for items within the report. Further, Council’s input on the reporting, business planning and budget implications will be required. Ms. Hall discussed the staff complement that will be required from across District departments to move the project forward and the need to respond to the most pressing community issues early on in the implementation plan. Council had a detailed discussion about the Draft Commercial and Industrial Strategy and their goals around the implementation and the importance of generating local employment and new business growth. There were a number of questions and comments made that will be addressed at an upcom- ing Committee of the Whole meeting prior to the June 24 Council meeting. Albion Amenity Program Update Jim Charlebois, Manager of Community Planning, provided Council with a report and verbal over- view of how the Albion Amenity program is rolling out. He reported that there are eight development applications that have taken advantage of the program while a number of developments in the area have chosen not to use the program. He stressed that it is a voluntary program, and that while the application covers 188 new lots in the eight developments, the final number may vary based on the final approvals for each application. He noted that the pro- gram, if all of these applications move forward, would generate $582,800 into the amenity fund for the area. He also noted that none of this money has been collected, as the projects have not reached the final approval stages. Council discussed a number of issues related to amenity contributions and Mr. Charlebois noted that as part of the Hammond Area Planning Process the issue of amenity contributions will be explored as a tool Council can use to fund the development of the neighbourhood. Council thanked Mr. Charlebois for the report and received the item as information. Lougheed Highway Enhancements Council was given a report and presentation relating to potential improvements along Lougheed Highway from 222 Street through to Maple Meadows Way. The presentation was broken into four pieces, with the introduction by Frank Quinn, General Manager: Public Works & Development Ser- vices. Mr. Quinn explained that Lougheed Highway is operated and maintained by the provincial govern- ment with the exception of the section that runs through the town centre from Kanaka Way cont’d… Page 3 Council This Week Lougheed Highway Enhancements cont’d... to 222 Street. He noted that any work along Lougheed Highway would require a strong alignment with the Official Community Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, the Commercial and Industrial Strategy, TransLink and the Province of BC. The next portion of the presentation was done by Christine Carter, Director of Planning. Ms. Carter spoke about the planning context and history along this section of Lougheed Highway, some of the goals around density and the form and character of buildings as defined in the development permit guidelines. David Pollock, Municipal Engineer, spoke about the engineering aspects of this section of road and discussed the different treatments for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians along this section and how the form of development has impacted the existing roadway. He noted that there are capital pro- jects that will be undertaken on 203 and 207 Streets that will have an impact on the Lougheed High- way corridor, and provided some examples of ways that communities are signalling to drivers that they are entering the business core of the community. The final part of the presentation was done by Jim Rule, CAO, who provided Council with an exam- ple of how the York region in Greater Toronto is working to create a rapid bus service to connect their business and population centres with the Toronto subway network. He explained that this gen- eral concept is something that Mayor Daykin has been championing with the mayors of Pitt Mead- ows and Port Coquitlam to tie into the extension of the Evergreen Line. The key is to move citizens quickly and efficiently to these transportation hubs. Mr. Quinn concluded the presentation by explaining to Council that our community will continue to work towards the goals that are laid out in the various policies and plans, and that over time the full potential of this key roadway will be achieved. Council received the report as information. Please Note! Council This Week is an informal summary of the reports and discussion of Council’s work at Work- shop. This document will provide links to all reports and presentations that were provided to Council as part of their deliberations. The comments are not the official minutes of the meeting. These notes are intended to capture the essence of the discussion so that citizens can keep in touch with the work of Council in this public meeting. This version of Council This Week has been modified to a more accessible version that better meets the needs of our citizens with visual impairments. 2014 Residential Class Property Taxation Council was provided with a report that outlined the municipal property taxes for the Residential Class. Specifically, the report provides a comparison of the Residential Class Municipal Property Tax rates compared to other communities in the region, as well as a breakdown for various neigh- bourhoods within the community. There is also a chart that compares the taxes for an ‘Average Single-Family Dwelling’ for the com- munities in the region. This final chart looks at the total taxes and utilities for the lower mainland communities. Maple Ridge has the fourth lowest overall rate using this comparison. The report emphasizes the importance of citizens checking their annual property assessment from BC Assessment, as the tax rate is set on the value of homes. Council received the report as information. Council This Week Page 4 Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) This item was moved to a future Workshop. Downtown Neighbourhood Council had a brief discussion relating to the Downtown and the many agencies that are working to ensure that the area remains safe for all citizens and that issues relating to poverty and homeless- ness are being dealt with in a coordinated manner. There is ongoing work in this area and Council members will be briefed by the Social Planning Advi- sory Committee as to the nature of work that is underway. Emerald Pig Society Theatre Group Council would like to congratulate the Emerald Pig Theatre Society on being chosen to represent the region at the Theatre BC Mainstage Annual Provincial Community Theatre Festival which runs July 4 to July 12 in Kamloops. There was a discussion relating to the group’s need for funding to attend the provincial competition and members of the Parks & Leisure Services team are working with the Emerald Pig Society to identify possible financing sources.