Newsletter: April 2, 2019
Budget Open House March 28th, 2019:
“FAILURE TO LAUNCH ”
Less than a handful of residents showed up for the meeting: Surprise! Surprise! Limited advertising and inadequate 2019 Budget information resulted in the small turnout. This may have been anticipated as the Open House was very late starting and lasted only a short time. A Draft Financial Plan was provided. Its 48 pages had many coulourful pictures and 12 pages of financial information. Presumably staff expected residents and Council members to analyze all the information and ask questions during the 45-minute meeting. The customary estimated tax increase was nowhere to be found.
A Staff PowerPoint presentation rhetorically described the District as:
Budget Open House March 28th, 2019:
“FAILURE TO LAUNCH ”
Less than a handful of residents showed up for the meeting: Surprise! Surprise! Limited advertising and inadequate 2019 Budget information resulted in the small turnout. This may have been anticipated as the Open House was very late starting and lasted only a short time. A Draft Financial Plan was provided. Its 48 pages had many coulourful pictures and 12 pages of financial information. Presumably staff expected residents and Council members to analyze all the information and ask questions during the 45-minute meeting. The customary estimated tax increase was nowhere to be found.
A Staff PowerPoint presentation rhetorically described the District as:
However, it was apparent to many who attended the Open House, and some Council members, that the PowerPoint presentation and the “flowery, picturesque” five-year Financial Plan were clear indications staff do not understand the serious problems facing the District. Perhaps they do not have the knowledge and skills to provide a comprehensive, overall plan to address them. In fact, some of the staff’s budget recommendations, if approved at this point, will only make what is a very fragile situation worse. For example, staff initiatives to spend more of our precious funds on consultants, to add more infill and secondary suites and to develop public engagement schemes and surveys.
It was very apparent by the lack of Council and resident response that the staff presentation was unacceptable. Staff are stuck using the agenda of the previous Council’s four-block majority, most of whom are no longer in office. The presentation basically rehashed old contentious surveys. It selected supportive or inconsequential statistics from past surveys, including some from the strongly contested, now six-year old Official Community Plan Survey, due for review under the legislation.
The Reality
Oak Bay Watch Perspective (Read on for more information)
It is not easy to know what to make of this. The new Council depend on staff to carry out what actions are required that are in the best interests of the community and to manage the District transparently and responsibility. It is disturbing that, although Staff are aware of the following points, their presentation is short of applications to address them.
The District’s main source of revenue is from property tax. It must be used wisely. In the past seven years, increases in Administrative and Planning Staff, and unimplemented Consultant report recommendations have eaten up far to much of this precious revenue. Added to this a lot of Administrative and Planning staff time has been wasted on initiatives the Community has rejected. The result of all this is the “on the ground” staff, core services and the District’s maintenance have suffered – see the holes in the ship.
It seems to us the best course of action would be to begin by addressing:
Council are aware that large numbers of residents have, on many occasions, packed Municipal Hall protesting over-building. Surveys have identified over-development as the number one resident concern. The past two Councils failed to set clear and resident-protection policy and guidelines for the Planning Department to follow which resulted in questionable zoning/development interpretation and practices.
It was apparent from the March 28th, 2019 Open House Presentation that the Planning Department have not done their homework or paid attention to the above Council directives and Resident concerns. Staff requesting $75,000 this year for yet another housing (read Infill) review is but one example. As staff are added to the Planning Department and Administration the budget requests for Consultants and more resources also increase. If staff are not able to start applying (with performance reviews) the recommendations made in the many Consultant and Task Force Reports and commitments to the BC Ombudsperson, Council will just be spinning their wheels this term.
What is missing from this equation is that the best possible resident survey as been overlooked. It was held on October 20th, 2018 and was called a Municipal Election. Almost all of the pro-development Council who neglected the above priorities are no longer on Council. This was a very strong indicator that the Community was dissatisfied with the District’s Leadership and Administration.
Appendix #1
Fact: Most new builds are much much bigger than the home they replaced and take up most of the lot. Paving and accessory buildings often take up a good deal of the rest. As these overbuilt types of development are very profitable, they are being built at a steady pace all over Oak Bay. The impact on the infrastructure and environment is significant, caused by loss of trees, soil and green space. Additional plumbing, bathrooms, impervious surfaces all impact our storm drains and sewers. Heritage and streetscapes are other impact issues. What encourages profiteering is that Oak Bay is one of the few municipalities which do not charge for these impacts.
The solution: A return to moderate development housing options, townhouses, development of duplexes on big lots and arterials (e.g. Oak Bay Avenue and Estevan Village) have already been identified. So have taxable conversions of a limited number of large heritage homes. These are the only current, sustainable, housing options that our under-funded, “end of life”, poor-condition infrastructure can absorb at this time. It is time to end the often repeated scenario of Council Chambers filled with upset residents complaining that the overbuilds are unacceptable.
Appendix #2
See October Newsletter: Ombudsperson Report; “BC OMBUDSPERSON INVESTIGATION"
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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 newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item
It is not easy to know what to make of this. The new Council depend on staff to carry out what actions are required that are in the best interests of the community and to manage the District transparently and responsibility. It is disturbing that, although Staff are aware of the following points, their presentation is short of applications to address them.
- Council have identified important Priority Reforms: Infrastructure, Financial Management and Disclosure, Zoning, Urban Forest, and Transparency.
- The Provincial Government has legislated a “Housing Needs Study” to be completed in three years, and have indicated this can be part of a Comprehensive Housing Strategy or Plan.
- Currently our “end of life”, "underfunded" infrastructure dictates only moderate housing can be added to the existing load for some time.
The District’s main source of revenue is from property tax. It must be used wisely. In the past seven years, increases in Administrative and Planning Staff, and unimplemented Consultant report recommendations have eaten up far to much of this precious revenue. Added to this a lot of Administrative and Planning staff time has been wasted on initiatives the Community has rejected. The result of all this is the “on the ground” staff, core services and the District’s maintenance have suffered – see the holes in the ship.
It seems to us the best course of action would be to begin by addressing:
- Housing: Develop the “Comprehensive Housing Plan incorporating an Official Community Plan Review with amendments that balance existing resident interests with those of developers. Returning to moderate development tailored to Oak Bay’s housing needs (see Appendix #1).
- Infrastructure: Fund infrastructure adequately by starting the low rate borrowing process provided and recommended at Council, by the Municipal Finance Authority. Borrowing would help keep property taxes somewhat in check and allow new owners to contribute to the ongoing impacts of their new-builds.
- Finance: Instruct the Finance Department to liaise with Central Saanich and Colwood to adopt their award winning financial reporting. Both Districts have indicated they would be more than willing to assist. In the past 7 years the previous Council failed to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars most communities charge for development impacts. A Development Cost Charge policy and schedule must be introduced ASAP.
- Zoning: Fix the Zoning Bylaw that obviously allows far too much lot density. This is visibly noticeable and the extent and depth of this problem was reported to the Advisory Planning Commission some time ago.
- Urban Forest: It was unfortunate that the Tree Symposium held in late 2018 was scheduled when it was not possible for Council to attend. It was obvious from the excellent presentations that the Urban Forest Strategy recommendations must be implemented ASAP. We are not sure what the “holdup” is. We are losing trees and green space at an alarming rate. It is also obvious that the alluded-to Parks/ Engineering/Planning Departments reporting process and communication is dysfunctional.
- Transparency: The BC Ombudsperson made it very clear that just providing “bare bones” transparency is not good enough and holding unsanctioned “out of public view” Council Meetings is forbidden. Subsequently Staff committed to: obey the sprit of the law, the closed meeting legislation and the Ombudsperson’s transparency guidelines. (See Ombudsperson Report provided to oakbaywatch.com Appendix #2) There has been some transparency improvement but real change to meet these commitments has been minimal.
Council are aware that large numbers of residents have, on many occasions, packed Municipal Hall protesting over-building. Surveys have identified over-development as the number one resident concern. The past two Councils failed to set clear and resident-protection policy and guidelines for the Planning Department to follow which resulted in questionable zoning/development interpretation and practices.
It was apparent from the March 28th, 2019 Open House Presentation that the Planning Department have not done their homework or paid attention to the above Council directives and Resident concerns. Staff requesting $75,000 this year for yet another housing (read Infill) review is but one example. As staff are added to the Planning Department and Administration the budget requests for Consultants and more resources also increase. If staff are not able to start applying (with performance reviews) the recommendations made in the many Consultant and Task Force Reports and commitments to the BC Ombudsperson, Council will just be spinning their wheels this term.
What is missing from this equation is that the best possible resident survey as been overlooked. It was held on October 20th, 2018 and was called a Municipal Election. Almost all of the pro-development Council who neglected the above priorities are no longer on Council. This was a very strong indicator that the Community was dissatisfied with the District’s Leadership and Administration.
Appendix #1
Fact: Most new builds are much much bigger than the home they replaced and take up most of the lot. Paving and accessory buildings often take up a good deal of the rest. As these overbuilt types of development are very profitable, they are being built at a steady pace all over Oak Bay. The impact on the infrastructure and environment is significant, caused by loss of trees, soil and green space. Additional plumbing, bathrooms, impervious surfaces all impact our storm drains and sewers. Heritage and streetscapes are other impact issues. What encourages profiteering is that Oak Bay is one of the few municipalities which do not charge for these impacts.
The solution: A return to moderate development housing options, townhouses, development of duplexes on big lots and arterials (e.g. Oak Bay Avenue and Estevan Village) have already been identified. So have taxable conversions of a limited number of large heritage homes. These are the only current, sustainable, housing options that our under-funded, “end of life”, poor-condition infrastructure can absorb at this time. It is time to end the often repeated scenario of Council Chambers filled with upset residents complaining that the overbuilds are unacceptable.
Appendix #2
See October Newsletter: Ombudsperson Report; “BC OMBUDSPERSON INVESTIGATION"
-------------------------------------------------------
*******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 newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item