STAFF REPORT: Parks Master Plan Terms of Reference

Parks Master Plan Terms of Reference

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT this report be received for information.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER'S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation.

DEPARTMENT COMMENTS:

DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING COMMENTS

I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To introduce the project terms of reference for the Parks Master Plan project. It is anticipated that work will begin on this project in early September with the start of the university academic year.

TIME CRITICAL:

Moderate. The terms of reference must be approved soon in order to provide Vancouver Island University with the necessary lead time to include this project in the curriculum.

BACKGROUND:

In 2007 a draft Parks and Trails Master Plan was presented to Council. The plan was never adopted due to concerns about the project list associated with the plan and the financial feasibility of implementation of the plan.

Staff understand that certain elements of the plan did garner support and have proved to be useful over the years. Information about each park asset, the facilities in each park and an attempt to classify various typologies of park space have allowed a variety of projects to move forward over the years and are proposed to be retained in an update. A "community wish list" of park improvements is not proposed to be included. In an effort to address tangible capital asset requirements the new plan will explore replacement timelines for various types of park infrastructure such as playground equipment.

PROJECT INFORMATION:

Over the past few years staff have worked to develop a relationship with faculty at Vancouver Island University in anticipation that a new Master's of Community Planning program would be approved. The new program was approved early this year, and 20 graduate students from around the world will be starting their 2 year professional graduate degree program in September of 2015.

A significant component of the program is a studio course in each semester that focuses on a "real world planning problem or project" that requires resolution. The municipality is the client and the students act as a consulting group and attempt to deliver a final project that assists them in developing the competencies required of a planner and assists the municipality by providing a cost efficient completed project. An update of the 2007 Draft Parks Master Plan has been identified as a suitable project and will comprise studio course work over two semesters (September 2015-April 2016).

To ensure that the proposed project meets the needs of the Town and the expectations of Council, draft terms of reference/project deliverables have been prepared for review and approval by Council. The terms of reference are attached for review and comment. Approval of the Terms of Reference for this project will be requested at the next Council meeting.

Previous workshops with Council regarding the draft plan have suggested that Council is generally satisfied with the format and classification system and that updates to these components and an asset inventory are needed. The challenge with the existing plan is the "wish list" of possible amenities to be added to various parks is not consistent with the Towns fiscal abilities. The underlying philosophy of the terms of reference for a new plan is not to create a "failure" situation where expectations are out of alignment with budgets (both capital and operating). Instead, the new plan is intended to identify major gaps and identify strategies to address these gaps. The terms of reference also include a major emphasis on understanding the capital replacement costs and operating costs associated with our parks system so that the community and Council will have better information for short and long term decision making.

One of the first tasks for the students will be to develop a consultation plan for approval by Council. Strong direction about the future of parks within the Town is already provided in the Official Community Plan. As a result, consultation is likely to be quite targeted and topic focused. This also takes into consideration that there are limited student hours available for this project. The project will be led by the Director of Development Services and faculty from Vancouver Island University.

BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:

As part of the 2015 Budget, Council approved $15,000 for this project. These funds will be used to support the students in completing the necessary work. Honorariums and per diems are not required as part of the arrangement with VIU. The majority of the budget will be used to transport students to and from Nanaimo and View Royal and for any document production costs.

It is expected that the Town will enter into an agreement with Vancouver Island University, and the University will provide accounting details of the project upon completion.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS:

The Official Community Plan (2011) identifies an updated Parks and Trails Master Plan as a priority project to support the implementation of the OCP. Council's Strategic Plan for 2015-2018 also identifies this project, and its completion is necessary to support other policy work such as a new Development Cost Charge Bylaw.

ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

At this point, feedback from Council on the draft terms of reference is appreciated. The recommendation that will come forward to the Council meeting is likely to be:

THAT the Parks Master Plan Project Terms of Reference dated June 4, 2015 be approved;

AND THAT the Chief Administrative Officer be authorized to enter into an agreement with Vancouver Island University for the completion of the work.

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT this report be received for information.

SUBMITTED BY: Lindsay Chase, Director of Development Services REVIEWED BY: Kim Anema, Chief Administrative Officer

Attachments

1. Draft Terms of Reference Parks Master Plan Project
2. Appendix 1—Excerpt from OCP