Staff Report: Departmental Update
A monthly update from the Chief Administrative Officer providing highlights on significant activities across various municipal departments.
DEPARTMENTAL UPDATE
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: December 23, 2025 FROM: S. Sommerville, CAO MEETING DATE: January 13, 2026
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated December 23, 2025 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.
PURPOSE:
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 continues to serve as the Owner’s Representative on the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Team for the West Shore RCMP Facility Expansion project. The Validation Report for the project was delivered to View Royal, Langford and Colwood on December 19th.
The CAO and the Director of Development Services attended the Greater Victoria Hotel Development Working Group hosted by Destination Victoria, with the intent of putting together a prospectus to present to hoteliers interested in building in View Royal.
The search for the Town’s new Executive Assistant continues.
Corporate Administration:
Front counter staff continue to manage a high volume of inquiries and transactions, including business licence, dog tag, and secondary suite renewals.
On December 17, 2025, Town Hall welcomed two Kindergarten classes from View Royal Elementary School for their annual Christmas visit. Students presented handmade cards expressing their appreciation for the many ways the Town helps make the municipality an enjoyable place to live. The children sang festive songs and shared words of thanks, highlighting safe streets, the school crossing guard, Christmas lights, and the bike pump track at View Royal Park. The classes returned to school with mandarin oranges and candy canes provided by the Town to enjoy along the way.
(annual visit from View Royal Elementary School students)
Staff participated in a “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” earthquake drill at Town Hall. Following the drill, staff gathered in Council Chambers for an interactive session led by C. Pacholik from Logic League Consulting Ltd., focused on developing and determining incident action plans for the Emergency Operations Centre.
(Emergency Operations Centre planning)
Staff also supported Council in delivering the festive “Light Up View Royal” contest. A total of 9 nominations were received, and prizes were awarded in both the Council’s Choice and People’s Choice categories, recognizing outstanding holiday light displays throughout the Town.
Select archival material is being digitized, described, and prepared for upload to the Archives website in the new year. Current projects include scanned images from a 1938 View Royal Ratepayers’ Association Minute Book, a sampling of local business receipts, and an Eagle View Elementary student project completed in collaboration with the Archives.
The M365 project is now more than half-way through the discovery and workshop phase. Survey forms are being prepared to reduce the number of scheduled staff sessions. The project team is developing the information architecture and system rules that will govern information flow within the M365 environment. A review and inventory of the existing electronic workspace is also underway in preparation for the migration.
In addition, staff are supporting the coordination of a recruitment process to fill the vacant Executive Assistant position.
Finance:
MNP completed their 2025 interim audit remotely in late November. Leveraging existing collaboration tools including SharePoint, staff were able to track and respond to audit requests in a timely manner. Staff’s focus is working toward closure of the 2025 fiscal year end and preparation of the 2025 financial statements and year-end audit, scheduled for early April 2026. The 2026-2030 financial planning process continues with senior management budget meetings.
Information Technology:
In December, Information Technology completed a major project: upgrading the internet firewall to an automatic failover system, enhancing network reliability and resiliency. IT also completed desk moves and reconfigurations at the Town Hall. The Information Technology Manager continues to support the SharePoint (RIM) Project by providing technical guidance and assistance.
Development Services:
The Development Services team responded to a consistent number of zoning, land use, and building enquiries, and reviewed and processed applications. In December, Development Services (Planning and Building) only received two Building Permit applications, as summarized in the table below.
| Application Type | Number of Applications |
|---|---|
| Rezoning | 0 |
| Development Permit | 0 |
| Development Variance Permit | 0 |
| Temporary Use Permit | 0 |
| Subdivision | 0 |
| Sign Permit | 0 |
| Board of Variance | 0 |
| Building Permit | 2 |
| Plumbing Permit | 0 |
The last phase of engagement on the Official Community Plan (OCP) Review and Update, prior to the consultants and staff commencing work on the final first draft of the OCP, was completed in November. In December, staff has been focussed on reviewing the survey results and feedback received during engagement from July to November, 2025. Staff is preparing “What We Heard” reports on the Vision, Western Gateway Community Corridor, and Policy surveys and the feedback received at the various open houses and workshops. These reports will be presented at Committee of the Whole, shared with the OCP Review Advisory Committee and posted on the ViewRoyal2050 project webpage in the new year.
The building and housing monthly reports for November and December are attached to this report.
Engineering:
Staff are providing basic asset management training to key personnel throughout the organization.
Sewer & Drain:
View Royal and the surrounding region experienced two significant atmospheric rain events in December. The first occurred on December 10, 2025, and was estimated to be a 10-year rainfall event. The second rain event occurred on December 16, 2025.
The first rain event was significant due to the high volume of rainfall occurring over a short duration. As a result, stormwater runoff intensity was rapid and required an immediate operational response. All available Engineering and Parks staff were deployed to identify, address, and prioritize both potential and active issues, with Parks staff providing critical on-the-ground support. Several road and trail closures were implemented to mitigate public safety risks. Despite these challenges, the Town was successfully managed and weathered both rain events.
(Surcharging Flows and Road Closure at Little Road (Entrance to Eagle Creek Park)
(coordination required with the District of Saanich on closures (Little Road))
(examples of surcharging ditches that required attention: Top Photos: before and after of debris cleanout at a culvert on Highland Road Bottom Photo: bank protection and debris cleanout at a culvert on Burnside Road West)
Streets & Roads:
Annual inspections and maintenance of street lighting and traffic signal were completed, and pavement repairs were carried out on Atkins Road and Island Highway:
As well, lighting repairs were completed at both “Welcome to View Royal” signs at Admirals Road and on Island Highway:
The Atkins Road Sidewalk project signage was installed in anticipation for the start of construction in January 2026:
Development Servicing:
Off-site construction at 3 Helmcken Road continues along Helmcken Road, with rock shearing required to both properly install the new sidewalk and preserve the rock outcrop as much as possible.
(careful removal of encroaching bedrock is in progress)
Parks:
The Engineering Department extends special thanks to the Parks Department for their support as the “boots on the ground” during the two atmospheric river events. Parks staff are now focused on catching up with regular seasonal work, including park facility clean-up, fleet and equipment maintenance, and coordination with volunteer groups, in preparation for the busy spring season.
Protective Services:
The Fire Department ended 2025 with a record number of emergency responses, receiving 1,340 calls for service. Of these, 146 calls for assistance in View Royal were attended by Colwood, Langford and Esquimalt Fire Departments. A detailed breakdown by incident type will be provided in the near future.
December saw a significant increase in structural fires, with five building fires recorded between December 24 and January 1. In all cases, families and occupants were displaced and supported by the Emergency Social Services team.
The department continues to evaluate and adjust response logics with neighbouring Westshore departments to maximize coverage. Gaps have been identified between 06:60 and 07:30 daily due to a shortage of one staff position. A total of fifty-five calls in 2025 were responded to by a three-person engine, compared to the regular four-person minimum. An updated staffing plan will be presented in early 2026 as part of budget discussions. Paid-on-call staffing remains a challenge, as many members are working above the departmental minimums.
The Bylaw Department welcomed a new Bylaw Enforcement Officer this year. Parking and noise complaints remain the most common, followed by management of homeless encampments on View Royal, Island Corridor Foundation, Capital Regional District, and E&N properties.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated December 23, 2025 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.
SUBMITTED BY:
S. Sommerville, Chief Administrative Officer
Document Images
(2)
