Report dated September 10, 2020 from the Chief Administrative Officer Re: CAO Update
A general operational update from the Town's Chief Administrative Officer.
CAO UPDATE
TO: Committee of the Whole
DATE: September 10, 2020
FROM: Kim Anema, CAO
MEETING DATE: September 15, 2020
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated September 10, 2020 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 Annual Report was adopted by Council on July 21, 2020. This report provides highlights and achievements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and is now available on the Town’s website.
The Town’s biannual newsletter is in production and will be sent out in the mail within the next month. This fall/winter newsletter will provide information to residents on happenings in the Town. As well, the Town’s monthly electronic newsletters – available through an RSS feed from the Town’s website – are another opportunity for residents to stay informed.
The September Committee of the Whole meeting marks the first since March when a decision was made to suspend these meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the introduction of live webcasting, staff look forward to proceeding for the remainder of the year with the regular meeting schedule.
It is anticipated that traffic at the front counter will start to pick up during the next couple of weeks with the property tax penalty date having shifted this year to October 1, 2020.
Archives will be replacing the View Royal industries display with a new ‘Bird’s Eye View Royal’ display featuring aerial views and descriptions of the Town.
Archive volunteers continue to stay connected through “virtual visit” emails and conference calls. An in-person meeting was held at the picnic table outside of the Archives on September 4, 2020, with hand sanitizer, physical distancing and cleaning requirements observed. The volunteers are dedicated and interested in continuing projects even though that means providing input from a distance.
The Archivist/Corporate Records Assistant successfully completed the Archives Association of British Columbia’s “Introduction to Archival Practice” distance education course at the end of August.
Finance:
In August, between Finance staff vacations and with the help of Parks Supervisor, the Council Chambers saw a technology refresh with the replacement of outdated or non-operational display devices. The new devices connect to the new webcasting equipment that enables Council meetings to be broadcast live to the public. Interested viewers can interact in real time with Council through a chat feature or by phoning into the meeting at scheduled public engagement periods on the agenda. Staff and guest presenters can participate remotely through Microsoft Teams video conferencing technology.
A “living document” created on Microsoft SharePoint ensures the sustainability of consistent webcasting delivery through a secure centralized knowledge base with diagrams, step by step instructions, links to training videos and reference documents.
Council had originally approved a $37,500 budget for this project, scheduled for 2021. By leveraging View Royal’s existing investment in Microsoft Teams, staff anticipate the final total project cost not to exceed $40,000.
Development Services:
Development Services is working on a few significant rezoning projects—9 Erskine Lane and 298 Island Highway. In addition, development permit applications for 275 Kerwood Street are on the September 15, 2020 Committee of the Whole meeting agenda. Behind the scenes, a Request for Proposals to complete the Official Community Plan review will close on September 14, 2020 and staff will bring forward recommendations regarding the proposals received to the following September 22, 2020 Council meeting. The revised View Royal Park Master Plan will be on the September 29, 2020 Parks, Recreation and Environment Advisory Committee agenda. Staff will provide that feedback and the next iteration of the Plan before Council in October. Development Services is also working through several action list items and look forward to reporting out on many of them in the coming month.
The economic analysis of selected areas in the Town is progressing. Data collection is largely complete, and the consulting team is shifting towards the analysis and forecasting phase. When the Town initiated this project, we could not have foreseen the impacts that COVID-19 would have. We look forward to understanding the tools the Town may consider using over the longer term to retain and attract desirable businesses and activities to View Royal.
The remainder of the grant for the Housing Gaps and Needs Study has been approved and the funds are in the process of being transferred to the Town. We are actively seeking grants to support other projects such as the Community Climate Action Strategy in 2021.
Engineering:
GIS
Instructional guides now exist for all the GIS applications that exist for staff. Each GIS viewer in the portal has a link that takes the user to a guide for how to use the viewer, as well as a department-specific appendix.
GIS can now be used to view tree permit applications for the Town. Information was transferred from the tracking spreadsheet to create a visual way to view application locations and statuses. The GIS layers can also be accessed from a mobile device or tablet, a benefit for those working in the field.
Over the summer, a comprehensive review of the GIS databases was undertaken. This involved evaluating what information is being stored and making changes that align with future goals of the GIS. The goal with this review was to increase consistency across the GIS platform.
Sewer & Drain
In July, we continued our program to replace the rusted out wet well lids at our smaller pump stations. These new wet well lids are easier to operate and provide better clearance for maintenance work within the wet well. Also, the new wet well lids are made of aluminum and will have a much longer working life than the previous lids. Our latest replacement lid is at our Norquay pump station.
Here are a couple pictures of the new wet well lid installed. We have installed this new wet well lid on our Stewart, Heddle and Thetis Cove pump station wet wells so far, with Glenairlie pump station scheduled to have its wet well lid replaced next year.
Streets & Roads
The Stoneridge Wetland Restoration Project has begun. Staff have been working with The Friends of the Stoneridge Wetland Group during all phases of this project from preliminary design to the construction phase.
Protective Services:
During this month the Department returned to its normal schedule, two firefighters 9:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m., from the COVID-19 schedule which saw four firefighters in the station from 6:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. Our training division introduced a new drill schedule and format with smaller groups to maintain social distancing. The Department has been encouraging all members to take vacation or take time to rejuvenate as we plan for a second wave of COVID-19, the flu season, and possible exposure issues with the reopening of schools.
Our Emergency Program is looking at what improvements can be made from our initial response to COVID-19 and how we can implement them if we see a second wave.
The Bylaw division has experienced an increase in calls which we attribute to COVID-19 as more people are home and staying in the community.
The Building Department remained quiet with a resumption of in-person inspections by the Building Inspector.
The Firefighters’ Association has been focusing on the wellbeing of the membership and encouraging members and their families, to reduce stress by way of recreation activities. The Association purchased two stand-up paddleboards for use by members as well as purchased softball equipment and arranged a “social distancing” softball game against West Shore RCMP which View Royal Fire Department won.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated September 10, 2020 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “CAO Update” be received for information.
SUBMITTED BY:
K. Anema, Chief Administrative Officer
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