Staff Report: Review of 2026 Capital Project & Non-Core Project Summaries

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT

TO: Council DATE: October 8, 2025 FROM: S. Vella, Director of Finance MEETING DATE: October 14, 2025

Review of 2026 Capital Project & Non-Core Project Summaries

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated October 8, 2025, from the Director of Finance titled “Review of 2026 Capital Project and Non-Core Project Summaries” be received for information.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide Council with an opportunity to debate the remaining 2026 projects that were not fully reviewed as part of 2025-2029 budget deliberations, due to time pressures.

If there are projects that are deemed to be unworthy of moving forward in 2026, a resolution of Council could be passed to delay a project until further 2026 budget deliberations or to remove a project altogether.

BACKGROUND:

Given the amount of turnover in the Finance department over the first 6 months of the year, an expedited budget process was conducted in early 2025.

The multi-day review of project summaries that had historically been performed in prior years was shortened, with a focus on 2025 and 2026 projects that had not yet been reviewed during the 2025-2029 Financial Plan process.

However, the tradition of waiting until mid-May for approval to start current-year projects has resulted in a multitude of project carry-overs to subsequent years and a low project completion rate. Until a new financial plan is adopted, the municipality is authorized to make expenditures in the current and subsequent year. However, expenditures carried over to a future year are not necessarily authorized.

This adjustment to current practice is outlined in the Community Charter section 174 (2): A municipality may make an expenditure that is included for that year in its financial plan, so long as the expenditure is not expressly prohibited under this or another Act.

Staff note that on June 17, 2025 Council resolved that projects C-114 (Development of Road Ends), C-117 (Curb and Sidewalks – Burnside Road West - Helmcken Road to the Saanich Border), and C-020 (Island Highway Upgrades – Four Mile Trestle to Shoreline Drive) be tabled to the 2026 budget deliberations.

Staff are suggesting that 2026 Non-Core Projects N-064 (Helmcken Centennial Plan) and N-087 (Little Road Park Plan) could be deferred until the Parks Master Plan scheduled for completion in 2027 is completed, to better inform these projects.

Staff also suggest the following 2026 Capital Projects be deferred or deleted:

1. C-129 (North Burnside Drainage Improvements) be deferred until the Drainage Master Plan is completed, to better inform this project;
2. C-017 (View Royal Avenue Drainage – Beaumont to Stewart / Beaumont to Plowright) could be deferred until the Drainage Master Plan is completed, and possibly deleted depending on the results of the Master Plan. The drainage design was completed in 2017 and staff have not observed significant road drainage issues in this area for several years.
3. C-032 (Playground replacement Program, specifically Chalmers Playground) could be deferred until 2026 budget discussions.
4. C-175 (Island Hwy and Prince Robert Drive Realignment) could be deferred or deleted as development at the 339-345 Island Hwy Development has not progressed nor has there been any movement on the site.
5. C-035 (View Royal Park Development, specifically the riparian improvements) is recommended to be deferred as administrative and parks staff require additional resources to accommodate the higher level of service caused by the asset. Furthermore, the Phase 1 and 2 works previously done provide significant improvement of stormwater treatment before direct discharge into Craigflower Creek.

ANALYSIS:

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:

The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:

☐ Inform ☒ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower ☐ N/A

TIME CRITICAL:

The financial plan bylaw and annual property tax bylaw were adopted on May 13th, 2025.

CONCURRENCE:

REVIEWED BY:

Attachments:

1. 2026 Non-Core and Capital Projects (yet to be reviewed by council in detail)