FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION REPORT: CAO UPDATE

CAO UPDATE

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated February 3, 2021 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “CAO Update” be received for information.

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To provide Council with information from the Office of the CAO regarding material events and happenings at Town Hall.

BACKGROUND:

An Administrator’s report for the Committee of the Whole meeting to apprise Council of the highlights of significant activities of the Town.

INFORMATION:

Administration:

The deadline for business licence and secondary suite renewals was January 31 which generated significant traffic at the front counter during the month.

Advertisements for the Town’s two advisory committees ran in January with appointments and reappointments to be considered by Council shortly.

With spring – and warmer weather – just around the corner, Administration staff have been working on a poster for distribution to schools in View Royal regarding the Town’s Streets Bylaw, No. 980. The poster focuses on alternate modes of transportation and where these types of equipment are permitted to be used – sidewalk, road, or cycle lane.

The annual file rollover to 2021 is well underway. Older file records are being boxed and moved to on-site storage while those at the end of their lifecycle are being prepared for secure destruction. Work continues on the computer drive and server retirement project.

Archives volunteers continue to participate in phone calls and email exchanges. Some projects that are being undertaken through independent or online research are COVID documentation including photos in the community, oral histories and interviews, Archives anecdotes and the development of a reference binder. The current photo display in the Town Hall foyer is ‘A Walk in the Park’, highlighting outdoor areas that people can enjoy in View Royal.

Finance:

Staff have been focusing their efforts on finalizing the 2020 financial statements while drafting the proposed 2021-2025 Financial Plan to be considered by Council during budget discussions that begin in mid-February. Each year this large undertaking requires input and cooperation from all departments, so the entire team’s effort is much appreciated.

Grant-in-aid applications are currently being accepted for consideration in the Town’s 2021 Financial Plan. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2021 and advertising via the Town’s website and social media has begun.

The provincial government is transitioning to a centralized homeowner grant program, effective mid-February. This means all homeowner grant applications will be submitted directly to the Province and residents will no longer apply through their municipal office, whether online or in person. Messaging about this shift has been prepared and posted on the Town’s website.

Development Services:

Development Services is seeing a slight increase in inquiries for rezoning. Development Permit applications have been submitted for 7 and 9 Erskine Lane and will be coming forward to a future Committee of the Whole meeting.

A survey of Council members about the current Official Community Plan is being finalized and will be forwarded to Council soon. As the 2011 Official Community Plan has served View Royal well for the past ten years and is a solid foundation upon which to build the next plan. The survey is intended to help staff better scope the request for proposals by understanding the topics that need in depth or specialized consultant expertise.

Staff have been advised of a Winter Go By Bike Day on February 12 and given the dedicated number of year-round cyclist commuters on staff, it is expected there will be several participants.

Engineering:

During the month of January, staff worked to stay ahead of reports of debris and downed trees.

(Downed trees and debris along Highland Road)

As well, one emergency tree removal permit was submitted for a property on Bessborough Avenue:

Off-site road works fronting 1450 Glentana Road continue with concrete curb placed during the third week of January.

The developers for the Scottish Cultural Centre at 1801 Admirals Road (Craigflower Manor) are working with the Capital Regional District to determine whether on-site sewage attenuation is required to keep the Town’s rate of discharge into the Shoreline Trunk Sewer below the allowable rate. Once determined, a final site servicing design will be submitted for approval.

The off-site design for 242/244 Island Highway is nearing approval and construction on the site is tentatively scheduled to begin in March 2021.

An application was submitted to Canada Summer Jobs to fund a Parks Labourer and an Engineering/GIS student for this summer.

The Parks Department is currently working on trail maintenance within parks. While completing this work, staff have received many positive comments from trail users. Work includes pruning and trimming of plant material, pathway resurfacing, drainage clearing, and alterations.

Portage Park, Garry Oak Meadow Park, Nursery Hill Park, View Royal Park, Knockan Hill Park, Burnside Watkiss, Centennial Park have had a portion or the entire trail resurfaced. More trail resurfacing areas are in the planning phases due to terrain challenges. These parks include Robin Hill Park and Edwards Park.

(before (L) and after (R) resurfacing on a trail section in Nursery Hill Park)

This month, most of the CCTV stormwater videos were added to GIS and work has now begun on the sanitary sewer videos. These videos and PDF files of the reports can be accessed in the internal Engineering viewer.

Additionally, an inventory of parcels that have more than ten parking spaces was collected and added to GIS to assist with a Storm Water Regulation Bylaw No. 902 registry. This information will help identify which properties need to be registered under this Bylaw and can be used to track registration status in the future.

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated February 3, 2021 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “CAO Update” be received for information.

SUBMITTED BY:

K. Anema, Chief Administrative Officer