CAO UPDATE

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report dated January 5, 2022 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:

On December 8, two classes from View Royal Elementary School visited Town Hall to present the Mayor with their handmade Christmas cards and express thanks for all the work that the Town has done in making View Royal a wonderful place to live. The children sang two seasonal songs and left Town Hall with candy canes and oranges to enjoy on their walk back to school.

Staff assisted members of Council with a festive contest, ‘Light Up View Royal’, in December. A total of sixteen nominations were received and five addresses were selected by Council to receive prizes for best Christmas light displays in Town.

December saw long-service recognition for seven employees – five with ten years and two at fifteen years of service to the Town.

December was also a time to recognize volunteers who contribute so many hours to the betterment of the community – a letter on behalf of Council along with some chocolates were sent to approximately 100 volunteers who help to make View Royal “simply the best place to call home”.

In December, outreach material was prepared and distribution began for the Council size open house set for January 17, 2022. The open house reader boards are already available on the Town’s website, households will receive a double-sided FAQ sheet/invitation, and there is also an engagement opportunity listed in the materials during “Public Participation” at the January 18, 2022 Council meeting.

The Archives foyer display installed in December is a 3-D portrayal of a winter-themed photo from the Town’s collection – a 1969 scene of people skating on Esquimalt Harbour:

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 2022. This work allows the municipality to stay up-to-date with the Records Management Bylaw and associated policy.

Front counter staff continue to be busy with business licence, dog tag, and secondary suite renewals.

Finance:

During the first week of December, the Town’s auditor, MNP, completed their interim audit, 100% remotely. The Finance team successfully leveraged Microsoft 365 capabilities, collaborating with the audit team via Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. The 2021 year-end audit is scheduled for April 2022. Staff are working diligently toward closure of the 2021 fiscal year and preparation of the 2021 financial statements.

The 2022-2026 financial plan process continues with senior management budget meetings as well as staff investigating Council initiatives. Draft financial plan workshops are scheduled for February 2022 as follows:

At December 31, 2021 of the 2,470 sewer utility invoices issued, 532 (21%) were outstanding and transferred to arrears taxes for collection, compared to 440 (20%) outstanding in 2020.

A total of 414 business licence renewals were issued to business owners, an increase from 400 in 2020 with 149 payments made before December 31. Of the 149 payments, 71 (or 48%) were transacted online via the Town’s Business Licence online service, compared to 52% in 2020.

Development Services:

The consultant for the Community Climate Action Strategy conducted community consultation in the fall. In consideration of the community’s input, the Committee of the Whole has recommended to Council that greenhouse gas reduction targets be endorsed to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2007 levels by 2030, with a longer-term goal of a 100% reduction from 2007 levels by 2050.

These targets would place the Town on the forefront within the Capital region for reducing community greenhouse emissions. Currently, four other municipalities have the same or better target for 2030, and two other Capital Regional District municipalities have the same 2050 target. The initial draft of the Community Climate Action Strategy is being prepared over the next month to outline potential actions for achieving those targets.

In December, planning work on the next phase of community engagement for the Official Community Plan review was undertaken.

Engineering:

The highest tides of the year are currently underway. Centennial Park is one of the low-lying locations in View Royal that this event impacts. This event combined with heavy rains and melting snow results in temporary flooding of the area. The storm drain line that runs along the west side of the parking lot cannot allow water to flow because the tide floods in and fills the pipe causing the water to discharge out of the manhole/catch basin at the entrance to the park.

BC Hydro has recently converted all wooden pole lights from high pressure sodium (HPS) to light-emitting diode (LED). These new streetlights will help improve public safety by increasing the visibility of sidewalks and roads at night, as well as help reduce light pollution. LEDs also last longer and require less maintenance.

Arrival of our latest piece of equipment for the Parks Department is outfitted and is already in use. The new, smaller, 2021 John Deere tractor is a replacement for the 2006 John Deere tractor. This was done through the Town’s Vehicle Equipment Replacement Plan. Tractors are in use all year long for snow removal, mowing, pathway maintenance, playground upgrades, fertilizer spreading, ball diamond maintenance and more. In staying with the John Deere brand, existing John Deere attachments can be used.