Newsletter April 17, 2021: Please Read This: Community Priorities Ignored.
Council “Missing in (real) Action” Part ll
Every one of the following Community priorities was recognized by the public and candidates in the run-up to the 2018 Civic Election. As indicated previously the present Council is two and a half years into its 4-year term yet they have not even started to try to get a handle on the major issues / crises facing the District.
This strongly resembles how the last Council addressed these crises: this council is also ignoring them and pretty much is following the same agenda as the last. For example, their non-priority annual budgeting $179,000 for a “Strategic Initiatives staffing and format” has proven to be tax dollars “Not Well Spent”. This indicates Council continues to overspend and apply resources to non-priority issues; pursue over-densification infill initiatives and approve the hiring of more and more expensive administrative staff - yet they have either not noticed or have been reluctant to address the leadership’s failure to coordinate staff operations. This inevitably led to staff shooting off in all directions.
Oak Bay’s Recent Council’s “Signpost”
Council “Missing in (real) Action” Part ll
Every one of the following Community priorities was recognized by the public and candidates in the run-up to the 2018 Civic Election. As indicated previously the present Council is two and a half years into its 4-year term yet they have not even started to try to get a handle on the major issues / crises facing the District.
This strongly resembles how the last Council addressed these crises: this council is also ignoring them and pretty much is following the same agenda as the last. For example, their non-priority annual budgeting $179,000 for a “Strategic Initiatives staffing and format” has proven to be tax dollars “Not Well Spent”. This indicates Council continues to overspend and apply resources to non-priority issues; pursue over-densification infill initiatives and approve the hiring of more and more expensive administrative staff - yet they have either not noticed or have been reluctant to address the leadership’s failure to coordinate staff operations. This inevitably led to staff shooting off in all directions.
Oak Bay’s Recent Council’s “Signpost”
The facts to support this “confused state” can be found in many previous staff Strategic Priority reports and certainly in this Council’s approved very expensive Corporate Plan and Updates.
Community - Identified Priorities
1. Infrastructure Upgrading
Efforts to upgrade and maintain the infrastructure has been derailed by the continuing pressure that over-builds and natural asset (urban forest) destruction have imposed on the existing infrastructure pipes. In all probability much more is on the way. The other substantial “treading water result” is the District is spending 30% of its infrastructure budget on pipe breaks and leaks.
The infrastructure upgrading issue was summed up by the Director of Engineering’s recent statement to Council, when addressing the December 2020/ January 2021 infrastructure pipes capacity deficiency, “If Council and residents need to see more happening, or accelerated rehabilitation happening, then that implies not only an increase in funding but an increase in staff.” However, hasn’t infrastructure spending been Council’s justification for the excessive 2015-2021 property tax increases?
2. Stop Over-Building
This is clearly explained by the following: a letter to the editor in the April 15, 2021 Oak Bay News letter which in part states “We are replacing them (little houses) with out of character behemoths”; and also, the much-needed zoning bylaw review to correct the inconsistencies, that is now delayed until 2022.
3. Property Tax Control
It is apparent the seven years of Oak Bay’s excessive tax increases is not recognized as a serious problem. This is confirmed by the fact that very few, if any, efficiencies have been made, recommended or suggested by the leadership. It can’t even be said that Council have thrown money around like drunken sailors because drunken sailors spend their own money.
So many tax dollars have been spent since 2015 on non-priority redundant initiatives and issues and reports that have not been acted upon that residents have lost count. There has not been any evidence or performance indicators that show how the $1,000,000 new administrative staff has lowered or is going to lower taxes or improve services. In fact, the opposite may be true, services may need to be cut to pay for these large salaries. No doubt the 2020 Covid-19 one-year pandemic will be used to justify the excessive past 7-year property tax increase pandemic, and perhaps next year’s significant tax increase.
4. Public engagement (to include decision-making collaboration)
It is obvious residents are have given up addressing Council on important issues. It is likely this is because their input is persistently ignored. Or perhaps they have been only been provided with limited information and/ or reports have been withheld.
It also could be even when residents have made it crystal clear what they do not want, this has not stopped Councils from excluding them in decision-making and pursuing their own, staff or non-resident stakeholder over-development objectives.
For example, promoting or spending well over $200,000 on a zoning change to allow multi-tenant suites or impossible-to-control single-family neighbourhood infill. Over the years the need for action to apply resident-requested development cost charges, that have been on the priority list for a decade, has been blocked. So much revenue could have been collected to help to relieve the tax property tax burden. Unfortunately, development cost charges have been treated as if they were dirty words, and developer benefits and interests have therefore trumped community interests.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
How often can we say that the need is for well-constructed, proportionate development; responsible spending e.g. stop funding consultants who favor over-densification and uncontrollable infill initiatives; stop degrading the environment and that public engagement must include public collaboration?
How often do politicians say one thing before getting elected and do the opposite or nothing when elected? The latter might be the better option given where the District’s leadership is heading.
We would have thought that by now, in light of the failed attempts to fix the District’s zoning inconsistencies, Council would have learned that: “A persistent or many-sided, often perceived problem, presents many new obstacles as soon as one aspect is solved (anon).”
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Please share this newsletter with your family, friends and neighbours.
*******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)
Community - Identified Priorities
1. Infrastructure Upgrading
Efforts to upgrade and maintain the infrastructure has been derailed by the continuing pressure that over-builds and natural asset (urban forest) destruction have imposed on the existing infrastructure pipes. In all probability much more is on the way. The other substantial “treading water result” is the District is spending 30% of its infrastructure budget on pipe breaks and leaks.
The infrastructure upgrading issue was summed up by the Director of Engineering’s recent statement to Council, when addressing the December 2020/ January 2021 infrastructure pipes capacity deficiency, “If Council and residents need to see more happening, or accelerated rehabilitation happening, then that implies not only an increase in funding but an increase in staff.” However, hasn’t infrastructure spending been Council’s justification for the excessive 2015-2021 property tax increases?
2. Stop Over-Building
This is clearly explained by the following: a letter to the editor in the April 15, 2021 Oak Bay News letter which in part states “We are replacing them (little houses) with out of character behemoths”; and also, the much-needed zoning bylaw review to correct the inconsistencies, that is now delayed until 2022.
3. Property Tax Control
It is apparent the seven years of Oak Bay’s excessive tax increases is not recognized as a serious problem. This is confirmed by the fact that very few, if any, efficiencies have been made, recommended or suggested by the leadership. It can’t even be said that Council have thrown money around like drunken sailors because drunken sailors spend their own money.
So many tax dollars have been spent since 2015 on non-priority redundant initiatives and issues and reports that have not been acted upon that residents have lost count. There has not been any evidence or performance indicators that show how the $1,000,000 new administrative staff has lowered or is going to lower taxes or improve services. In fact, the opposite may be true, services may need to be cut to pay for these large salaries. No doubt the 2020 Covid-19 one-year pandemic will be used to justify the excessive past 7-year property tax increase pandemic, and perhaps next year’s significant tax increase.
4. Public engagement (to include decision-making collaboration)
It is obvious residents are have given up addressing Council on important issues. It is likely this is because their input is persistently ignored. Or perhaps they have been only been provided with limited information and/ or reports have been withheld.
It also could be even when residents have made it crystal clear what they do not want, this has not stopped Councils from excluding them in decision-making and pursuing their own, staff or non-resident stakeholder over-development objectives.
For example, promoting or spending well over $200,000 on a zoning change to allow multi-tenant suites or impossible-to-control single-family neighbourhood infill. Over the years the need for action to apply resident-requested development cost charges, that have been on the priority list for a decade, has been blocked. So much revenue could have been collected to help to relieve the tax property tax burden. Unfortunately, development cost charges have been treated as if they were dirty words, and developer benefits and interests have therefore trumped community interests.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
How often can we say that the need is for well-constructed, proportionate development; responsible spending e.g. stop funding consultants who favor over-densification and uncontrollable infill initiatives; stop degrading the environment and that public engagement must include public collaboration?
How often do politicians say one thing before getting elected and do the opposite or nothing when elected? The latter might be the better option given where the District’s leadership is heading.
We would have thought that by now, in light of the failed attempts to fix the District’s zoning inconsistencies, Council would have learned that: “A persistent or many-sided, often perceived problem, presents many new obstacles as soon as one aspect is solved (anon).”
--------------------------------------------------------
Please share this newsletter with your family, friends and neighbours.
*******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)