Staff Report: Departmental Update
Administrative update from the CAO providing highlights from various town departments including Corporate Administration, Finance, IT, and Engineering.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole FROM: S. Sommerville, CAO DATE: October 1, 2025 MEETING DATE: October 14, 2025
DEPARTMENTAL UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated October 1, 2025 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To provide Council with information from each department regarding material events and happenings at Town Hall.
BACKGROUND:
A report for the Committee of the Whole meeting to apprise Council of the highlights of significant activities of the Town.
INFORMATION:
Office of the CAO:
The CAO has been busy acting as the owner’s representative for the West Shore Detachment Expansion, which is advancing the validation report to provide to the Owner municipalities (Langford, Colwood and View Royal).
The CAO met with Destination Greater Victoria regarding attracting a hotelier to View Royal, and has upcoming meetings to identify potential locations.
The CAO attended the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Conference in Victoria from September 22nd to 26th and attended study sessions on “Healthcare: The Heart of the Community”, “Smart Governance – Leveraging AI to Serve Communities Better” and “Filling Gaps: Transportation Options for Local Governments”.
The CAO continues to participate with the Director of Engineering in the CRD’s Limiting Bear Attractants Committee. The CAO participated in a review of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society’s draft facility master plan.
Finally, the CAO reviewed 149 applications for the vacated Human Resources Coordinator/Executive Assistant position, with interviews to follow soon.
Corporate Administration:
The Deputy Corporate Officer began their position in early September and is settling into the role, providing support to Corporate Administration.
The Town has seen a notable increase in Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy requests this year, with seventy-five requests received to date – almost twice the annual average of forty. This has increased the workload for staff involved in processing and responding to these requests.
The “Fall/Winter Newsletter” has been finalized. Due to ongoing labour disruptions at Canada Post, the Town is unable to distribute the newsletter through regular mail services. Instead, it will be made available electronically, with a limited number of printed copies available at Town Hall. The publication features updates on Transportation and Safety projects, Parks projects, the FireSmart Education Program, sewer utility invoices, the upcoming lawn and garden waste curbside collection, and Resident Tree Planting Program, as well as next steps in the Official Community Plan update.
The Corporate Officer attended the Capital West Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting in September, where the Committee’s Terms of Reference were amended to include a roundtable discussion component.
The annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was held in mid-September at the Victoria Scottish Community Centre and welcomed approximately sixty volunteers and their guests. The event celebrated the dedicated individuals who generously contribute their time and energy to support community programs, events, and services.
(Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event)
The Archives team is preparing upcoming lobby displays and organizing volunteer field trips to neighbouring archives for inspiration and learning.
On the records management front, staff held their first meeting with Elantis Solutions, M365 Project Specialists, to discuss scheduling and initial steps for the Microsoft 365 Purview and SharePoint Online Implementation and Migration project.
Finance:
A report and information package was prepared for Council to present applications for permissive tax exemptions for three properties for which tax exemptions were expiring. The proposed bylaw was presented to Council at the September 16 meeting.
In July, August, and September, staff worked to collect outstanding delinquent property taxes. These are taxes that were levied in 2023 and remain outstanding. Legislation requires that a tax sale be held on September 29 at 10:00 a.m. if delinquent taxes are still unpaid. Staff are happy to report that all outstanding delinquent taxes were paid in time to avoid a tax sale this year.
The process of preparing for the Fall sewer utility billing continued, requiring thorough analysis of water consumption data provided by the CRD. An updated Sewer User Fee Bylaw to recommend reliable and supportable sewer rates, which will sufficiently recover the costs of both View Royal and CRD’s sanitary sewer systems went forward to Council, with invoices following shortly thereafter.
Work is begun on the 2026-2030 Financial Plan. At the same time, staff are preparing for the interim audit by MNP LLP, scheduled for the last week of November.
Information Technology:
The Windows 11 upgrade project is nearing completion and remains on schedule to meet the October 14, 2025 deadline. Most systems have been successfully updated, with final installations underway.
The firewall redundancy project has completed its planning and design phase. The cutover is scheduled for next month, with implementation strategies focused on minimizing service disruption.
Development Services:
In September, the Development Services team (Planning, Building, and Business Licensing) continued to respond to a variety of inquiries by phone, email, and at the front counter related to zoning, land use, and building. A total of twenty-two new applications were received, which are outlined as follows:
| Application Type | Number of Applications |
|---|---|
| Rezoning | 0 |
| Official Community Plan Amendment | 0 |
| Development Permit | 0 |
| Development Variance Permit | 0 |
| Temporary Use Permit | 0 |
| Subdivision | 1 |
| Sign Permit | 1 |
| Board of Variance | 0 |
| Building Permit | 11 |
| Plumbing Permit | 3 |
| Business License | 6 |
| Soil Permit | 0 |
The project team working on the Official Community Plan (OCP) review and update continued to be busy throughout the month of September, preparing Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 811, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 1156, 2025 for first and second reading.
The OCP project team has also been hard at work preparing material for upcoming engagement on the Western Gateway Community Corridor. The scope of engagement includes an online survey, as well as in-person workshops and open-houses which are scheduled to take place throughout the month of October and early November. Further engagement is planned in November for the OCP and will focus primarily on the review of general policies.
On September 7, the Town closed the Vision Survey, which was open over the course of July and August. A total of eight-five surveys were submitted. Feedback provided through the survey will be used to inform a preferred vision statement and goals for the updated OCP. The Town will prepare a What We Heard Report on the survey results later this fall and report back to Council.
In late September, Councillor Norman Garry Sam of the Songhees Nation opened the initial community workshop at the Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion for the Gorge Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy. Over seventy stakeholders and members of the public gathered to share values and priorities for the Gorge Waterway and Portage Inlet, supplementing a wider community survey to help inform potential strategies to address sea level rise. Analysis of the feedback and technical studies are now underway, and a draft report is expected in the latter half of 2026 for additional public engagement and feedback. The Town is collaborating on this project with the City of Victoria, Township of Esquimalt, and District of Saanich, with support from the Capital Regional District. More information can be found at https://engage.viewroyal.ca/.
(Gorge Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy community workshop)
Engineering:
Repairs and replacement to the front entrance roof have now been completed.
Sewer & Drain:
Annual inspections on the Town’s pump stations continue to take place.
The Glenairlie Pumpstation Upgrades project is currently out for bids. A recommendation for award will be forthcoming.
Streets & Roads:
Various crosswalk and stop bar pavement markings were renewed throughout the Town.
Pedestrian accessibility was improved on the Watkiss Way approach to Erskine Lane by paving an asphalt sidewalk extension.
Staff are prioritizing time to place several construction projects to competitive bid (Atkins Road Sidewalks, Traffic Signal Cabinet Replacements, Six Mile Road Street Lighting).
Development Servicing:
7 Erskine Lane: Off-site Curb and gutter installation around the frontage has been installed.
81 High Street (two lot): Off-site work being installed. Sewer service crossing complete, installing IC and working on the drain main fronting the development.
Parks:
Staff are prioritizing time to commence the competitive bid process on the Chancellor Park Playground Upgrades and Watkiss Park Quiet Park installation. Recommendation of awards will be forthcoming.
Fencing has been added at the Knollwood Park playground.
GIS:
GIS has aided Engineering in developing the speed limit map, a map that is critical to the Town’s proposed changes to speed limits on residential roadways. A report to Council will be forthcoming on the bylaw amendment necessary to make this change.
Protective Services:
Calls for service continue to rise, reaching historical levels. This upward trend is consistent across the Westshore region and shows no indication of slowing. The department is currently staffed with twenty-one paid-on-call firefighters, eight career IAFF firefighters, and three Chiefs.
As we approach the 2026 budget year, staffing levels will need to be reviewed. Several neighbouring departments are actively recruiting, which may result in the loss of trained and experienced members from our organization.
Policy and operational guideline development continues at the administrative level to provide clarity on existing procedures and to introduce new requirements. Recent legislative changes will place greater responsibility on the paid-on-call ranks, particularly as new training and skill maintenance standards are implemented. A soft launch of the new Job Performance Requirements occurred in September 2025, with full implementation planned for January 2026.
The initiative has been met with enthusiasm among members, and a quarterly evaluation of progress will take place during Q1 and Q2 of 2026. However, these new requirements will demand additional time and commitment from our paid-on-call firefighters.
Homelessness-related issues continue to increase within the Town. The first weeks of October have seen a notable rise in calls for overdoses and fatalities.
In collaboration with the Bylaw Office, the department is currently assessing and securing several abandoned properties to mitigate incidents of break and enter, squatting and subsequent fires.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated October 1, 2025 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.
SUBMITTED BY:
S. Sommerville, Chief Administrative Officer
