Committee of the Whole Meeting July 15, 2019 – Another Jam-Packed Agenda.
Agenda Item #1 - Strategic Energy Management Plan (July 5, 2019)
Presentation - Energy Conservation in Oak Bay
The Energy Management Plan and Presentation provided a comprehensive overview and a 25-page report that outlined the Plan for a more sustainable future. It was in effect a business plan that included: sections such as “Understanding our situation”, “Previous 2016/2017/2018” actions” and “Looking to the future”.
The Parks Board and Energy Manager Ken Olson are to be congratulated for the work they have done to ensure the District is efficiently and effectively managed regarding our energy needs and conservation. The question that must be asked however is, why can’t a comparable business plan be applied to the District’s overall Strategic Plan?
Currently the Strategic Plan is vague at best and fails badly in identifying what goals must be accomplished first, and a clear focus on how to achieve them (See 2019 Strategic Plan - Appendix #1). Our Planning is currently all over the map: with Heritage Privatization Agreements used to ignore zoning and approve subdivisions, triplexes and split lots, in addition to spot-zoning duplexes, and secondary suite and Infill promotions.
The two most important priorities: an Infrastructure improvement and replacement deficit has been identified, as has the District’s poor financial situation. Neither however, shows up as priorities to address in the 2019 Strategic Plan. In both of these deficit situations finding new revenue streams must be prioritized now or run the risk of ending up with a similar or higher property tax increase in 2020. This will be compounded by an 8% - 10% increase on last years 8% tax jump plus CRD sewer costs.
Instead the Planning Department is busy pressing ahead with development initiatives that will inevitably make the financial and infrastructure picture much much worse. The Official Community Plan (OCP) and Regional Growth Strategy is being used to justify this over-development push the Community has made it very clear, on many occasions, it does not want. The number one goal of the “Housing objectives of the OCP” sums up where the District should be headed:
“Support a modest expansion of housing within Oak Bay while addressing concerns such as tree protection, parking, traffic, noise, effects on other properties and neighbourhood character”.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
The latest Tree Symposium exposed the sapling tree 2-for-one tree replacement District policy as being a ineffective way to maintain the present urban forest 33% tree canopy. District staff has indicated parking woes are a problem. The traffic situation is steadily getting worse and effects on other properties and neighbourhood character preservation are also big concerns. The auditor explained the District financial position is not good and certainly the year-after-year property tax increases confirm this.
We therefore recommend we adopt the Energy Management business plan approach: Strive for efficiencies, “Understanding our situation” and place “the 1800 residents of Oak Bay as the #1 Stakeholders”. We must also start putting words into actions and prioritize what’s urgent and must be accomplished sequentially. Let’s hope the newly appointed Director of Strategic Initiatives is up to the task.
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*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed please sign up for our “based on facts” newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1
We cannot but wonder what happened to all the specific priorities identified by Council members in the 2019 Priority Sessions – some were urgent, many were important. The standard planning practice would be to identify the urgent priorities that require immediate attention and prioritize them.
Agenda Item #1 - Strategic Energy Management Plan (July 5, 2019)
Presentation - Energy Conservation in Oak Bay
The Energy Management Plan and Presentation provided a comprehensive overview and a 25-page report that outlined the Plan for a more sustainable future. It was in effect a business plan that included: sections such as “Understanding our situation”, “Previous 2016/2017/2018” actions” and “Looking to the future”.
The Parks Board and Energy Manager Ken Olson are to be congratulated for the work they have done to ensure the District is efficiently and effectively managed regarding our energy needs and conservation. The question that must be asked however is, why can’t a comparable business plan be applied to the District’s overall Strategic Plan?
Currently the Strategic Plan is vague at best and fails badly in identifying what goals must be accomplished first, and a clear focus on how to achieve them (See 2019 Strategic Plan - Appendix #1). Our Planning is currently all over the map: with Heritage Privatization Agreements used to ignore zoning and approve subdivisions, triplexes and split lots, in addition to spot-zoning duplexes, and secondary suite and Infill promotions.
The two most important priorities: an Infrastructure improvement and replacement deficit has been identified, as has the District’s poor financial situation. Neither however, shows up as priorities to address in the 2019 Strategic Plan. In both of these deficit situations finding new revenue streams must be prioritized now or run the risk of ending up with a similar or higher property tax increase in 2020. This will be compounded by an 8% - 10% increase on last years 8% tax jump plus CRD sewer costs.
Instead the Planning Department is busy pressing ahead with development initiatives that will inevitably make the financial and infrastructure picture much much worse. The Official Community Plan (OCP) and Regional Growth Strategy is being used to justify this over-development push the Community has made it very clear, on many occasions, it does not want. The number one goal of the “Housing objectives of the OCP” sums up where the District should be headed:
“Support a modest expansion of housing within Oak Bay while addressing concerns such as tree protection, parking, traffic, noise, effects on other properties and neighbourhood character”.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
The latest Tree Symposium exposed the sapling tree 2-for-one tree replacement District policy as being a ineffective way to maintain the present urban forest 33% tree canopy. District staff has indicated parking woes are a problem. The traffic situation is steadily getting worse and effects on other properties and neighbourhood character preservation are also big concerns. The auditor explained the District financial position is not good and certainly the year-after-year property tax increases confirm this.
We therefore recommend we adopt the Energy Management business plan approach: Strive for efficiencies, “Understanding our situation” and place “the 1800 residents of Oak Bay as the #1 Stakeholders”. We must also start putting words into actions and prioritize what’s urgent and must be accomplished sequentially. Let’s hope the newly appointed Director of Strategic Initiatives is up to the task.
----------------------------------------------------------------
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed please sign up for our “based on facts” newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1
We cannot but wonder what happened to all the specific priorities identified by Council members in the 2019 Priority Sessions – some were urgent, many were important. The standard planning practice would be to identify the urgent priorities that require immediate attention and prioritize them.