FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION REPORT - CAO UPDATE
A report from the CAO summarizing recent administrative, financial, development, engineering, and protective services activities.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole FROM: Kim Anema, CAO DATE: January 9, 2020 MEETING DATE: January 14, 2020
CAO UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated January 9, 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:
In December, several staff members were recognized for long service – one staff member for over thirty years of service and three staff members for fifteen years of service each.
At the beginning of December, three staff members attended a webinar regarding amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act which were recently passed in British Columbia.
On December 13th, staff and members of the public in attendance welcomed a visit from View Royal Elementary School Kindergarten students who dropped off their gingerbread decorations for the Christmas tree at Town Hall. This annual visit is the students’ way to say thank you for making the Town a wonderful place to live. Their delighted faces and stories of thanks were appreciated. They left happily with candy canes and oranges to enjoy on their walk back to school.
Front counter staff have been increasingly busy with secondary suite, dog license and business license renewals as year-end approached.
The end of every year requires a major roll-over of files across the organization with Administration staff working closely with all departments for the transition into 2020. This work allows the municipality to stay up-to-date with our Records Management Bylaw and associated policy.
View Royal staff sponsor a View Royal family and attempt to fulfill each of the family members’ Christmas wish list. This year, View Royal staff were given a family of four – father, mother, eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. Their Christmas hamper was dropped off just before December 25th by staff and was received with sincere appreciation and thanks.
Staff have been working with BC Transit to establish an understanding of how BC Transit intends to address the conditions listed by Council with respect to the installation of the handyDART facility announced by the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. A Memorandum of Understanding is under development and is expected to be concluded in January.
West Shore Parks and Recreation have posted the position of Chief Administrative Officer. The posting has closed with a significant response. A short list was developed and interviews are scheduled for mid-January.
Finance:
During the first week of December the Town’s auditors, MNP, spent a day at Town Hall completing their interim audit in less time and with less disruption than anticipated.
The 2019 year-end audit is scheduled for April 6-9, 2019. Staff are working diligently toward closure of the 2019 fiscal year and creation of the 2019 financial statements.
The 2020-2024 financial plan process continues with senior management budget meetings as well as staff investigating Council initiatives. Draft financial plan workshops are scheduled for February.
In December, the Accountant/IT Coordinator worked with Building Department and front counter staff to configure and test the integration between the building permit and cash receipting systems in the Town’s financial software (Vadim/iCity). Previously there was a disconnect between the two modules, requiring duplication of work. The new process starting January 1, 2020, will result in increased efficiencies at the front counter, increased levels of customer service and reduced risk of human error.
Development Services:
Development Services continues to work with the proponent of Eagle’s Nest on refinements to their forthcoming application. The applicant is busy working on community engagement and it is anticipated that a new application for rezoning will be submitted in February.
On the policy side, work is continuing on the housing Gaps and Needs Study. Draft reports should be available in February. We also continued working on the View Royal Park Master Plan review over the holidays with a mail drop and social media campaign right after the holidays. The campaign has been very successful to date with over 230 surveys completed. The deadline for surveys to be completed is January 14 and there will be a few more social media pushes over the coming week. After this stage is complete, a draft plan will be prepared and shared with Council before going back to the community for input on the draft plan.
The department has been active in the budgeting process and we are looking forward to a good discussion about key projects for the next five years when the budget comes forward.
Engineering:
As the Town continues to grow, so do calls for service:
| Year | Public Inquiries | Tree Permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 970 | 122 |
| 2018 | 964 | 114 |
| 2017 | 924 | 90 |
| 2016 | 877 | 112 |
| 2015 | 943 | 108 |
| 2014 | 626 | 98 |
| 2013 | 519 | 90 |
An on-going program with our gravity sewer pipe system is the location, excavation and raising of buried sewer manholes. In 2019 we uncovered and raised 5 sewer manholes so that we can ensure proper inspection and maintenance for the future.
Blasting and excavation has begun at 1950 West Park Lane. Keeping the West Park Lane and Six Mile Road clean was a problem at the start but the developer has implemented a plan for street cleaning which has resulted in the streets being kept clean.
Marler Park
Marler Park playground is now open for fun times! The replacement equipment has been installed, as well as two large Liquidambar/Sweetgum trees, surrounding fence, drainage system and protective surfacing material. The curved bench, paving, irrigation and landscaping (small shrub bed and turf) should be completed in the next month, weather permitting. We have had rave reviews from the kids, parents and neighbourhood residents.
The Town Hall generally closes during the festive season until after new year’s day. We take advantage of this closure by doing maintenance to the building that would not take place during the course of the year.
Protective Services:
Although we hope for a quiet December for the Fire Department and residents, the Christmas season proved very busy for Fire Rescue. Thirty-five emergency calls were responded to between December 24 - January 1, 2020. Two difficult rescues at Thetis Lake requiring the marine unit and two structural fires were among the emergencies. A detailed breakdown of annual calls for service will be made available to Council at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.
The View Royal Firefighters Association held several charity events over the month of December, these included the annual Santa Food Drive, Truck Light Parade and Christmas hampers for View Royal residents.
The Fire Department currently has seven volunteer vacancies, however a successful recruiting campaign in November and December was undertaken to fill these positions. Training and certification of the recruits will begin in February 2020.
Our 1992 E-One Fire Engine (in 2021 budget for replacement) failed its annual CVI Safety inspection. Wilson and Proctor expect a repair cost close to $5000 to repair. The steering column has failed and this is a mandatory repair. We have considered taking the vehicle out of service permanently, however this is not an option as we do not have a spare Engine to maintain response requirements for the next 18 months.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated January 9, 2020 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “CAO Update” be received for information.
SUBMITTED BY:
K. Anema, Chief Administrative Officer
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