DEPARTMENTAL UPDATE
Chief Administrative Officer report providing progress updates across various municipal departments.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: May 21, 2026 FROM: S. Sommerville, CAO MEETING DATE: June 9, 2026
DEPARTMENTAL UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated June 9, 2026 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 two of us in the department have been busy recruiting and promoting from within to fill absences in the Fire department and Sewer Collection department resulting from retirements. A review of benefit providers is underway, ensuring that the Town’s current benefits provider is providing competitive pricing.
The CAO’s secondment to the RCMP Expansion Project is expected to end soon, as candidates for the Owner’s Representative on the Project Management team (PMT) have been shortlisted and interviewed by City of Colwood, City of Langford, and the Town. Until replaced as the Owner’s Representative on the PMT, the CAO continues to participate in PMT meetings to keep the project moving forward.
Corporate Administration:
Front counter staff saw an increase in residents attending Town Hall following the mailing of property tax notices during the third week of May.
Staff continued advancing the 2026 Community Satisfaction Survey in preparation for a June launch. Ongoing communications support was also provided for the Master Transportation Plan, including promotion of the second phase of the public survey. Support was provided to the Development Services Department for the launch of the Volunteer Community Improvement Grant Program, including development of the program webpage, online application form, and promotional communications materials. Additional support included the design of the Pride banners for the Engineering Department, initial planning for the Volunteer Appreciation Lunch scheduled for September, and the design of the 2026 tax notice for the Finance Department.
The annual Best in Bloom contest concluded, with the contest winner announced through Town's communication channels.
The Town Hall Occupational Health and Safety Committee organized a well-attended “NAOSH Week” (North American Occupational Safety and Health Week), featuring safety-related events and activities for staff.
The Town is preparing to co-host the annual Canada Day celebration at Craigflower Manor. Community volunteers, Administration and Parks staff, along with co-host the Victoria Highland Games Society, are in the final planning stages. The event will feature traditional Highland games, dance performances and live music. Additional activities will include face painting, a clown making balloon animals, community tents, a beer garden, and a food concession. Volunteers will distribute Canada Day mini flags, temporary tattoos, stickers, buttons and pins, and there will be a draw for two large Canada flags.
(Canada Day promotional giveaway items, along with a large Canada Day flag for the event draw)
Preparations for the upcoming election continue to ramp up across the department. Staff are actively participating in training sessions, organizing election materials and supplies, and becoming familiar with the new vote tabulating equipment and procedures. Work is also underway to ensure all logistical and operational requirements are in place to support a smooth and efficient election process.
The Corporate Officer attended her first meeting as the View Royal representative to the Capital West Accessibility Advisory Committee. Recruitment for a community representative for the 2027-2029 term will begin in the fall.
Phase 2 of the office furniture for the main upper office area has been ordered, with installation scheduled for August.
Corporate records boxes are being reviewed and will be removed from storage in the Archives as part of ongoing records management activities.
The RIM365 project is in the final steps of completing two databases that will provide the structure for SharePoint workspaces and data linking. Training resources are also being prepared.
Finance:
The audit team from MNP conducted the 2025 year-end financial audit in April. The audit was completed virtually and resulted in an unqualified (clean) audit opinion of the 2025 Consolidated Financial Statements.
Council also considered the 2026-2030 Financial Plan and 2026 tax rates in April, directing staff to prepare bylaws for adoption in May.
In May, the final 2025 audited consolidated financial statements were presented to Council along with an unmodified (clean) opinion provided by the Town’s auditor, MNP. Also in May, Council adopted the 2026 tax rates bylaw and 2026-2030 financial plan bylaw ahead of the legislated May 15 deadline. Staff also submitted the required statutory financial reports and documents to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs on time for May 15.
The Town produced a total of 4,523 (2025 – 4,373) property tax notices, with 411 (2025 – 338) sent electronically on May 15 to those who opted for electronic property tax notices. The remaining notices were mailed via Canada Post during the week of May 18. As in previous years, eligible residents now claim their homeowner grant and defer their property taxes directly through the province. Comprehensive online and print messaging regarding these programs has resulted in a manageable flow of inquiries to staff.
During the property tax season, the front counter staffing schedule is augmented by auxiliary help. Finance staff have maintained an online knowledge base available to all front counter staff to assist in answering questions and providing consistent service to constituents.
Development Services:
In May, the Development Services team received a considerable increase in planning and building enquiries, related to land use, zoning, parking, etc. The department received 12 new applications, which are summarized in the following table:
| Application Type | Number of Applications |
|---|---|
| Rezoning | - |
| Development Permit | 2 |
| Development Variance Permit | - |
| Temporary Use Permit | - |
| Subdivision | - |
| Sign Permit | 1 |
| Board of Variance | - |
| Building Permit | 6 |
| Plumbing Permit | 3 |
The final draft of the Official Community Plan (OCP) was submitted to the Town following substantial public engagement, consultation with Songhees and Kosapsum First Nations and Council, and a comprehensive review by all departments. Staff are undertaking a final review if the document prior to the OCP being presented to the Committee of the Whole in June.
In May, the Town’s Coastal Hazard Mapping and Risk Assessment Report was submitted by Associated Engineering. The project’s objective is to build upon previous floodplain mapping work carried out by the Capital Regional District with a targeted focus on the unique shoreline and flood hazard context of the Town. It is a technical analysis to inform policies, development permit areas, asset management decision-making and future development along the Town’s shoreline.
The Monthly Building and Housing Reports are attached to this report.
Engineering:
Engineering has successfully retained a new Engineering Technologist staff member to replace the existing staff member (starting mid June). Engineering will be grateful to be fully staffed and to help bring sanitary sewer operations back to original levels of service.
Sewer & Drain
Preventative maintenance inspections have been carried out for the sanitary sewer pumps and standby power generators. Some pumps within the Town’s major pump stations are being repaired.
Repairs for a critical failure at one of the Town’s pump stations is still being scheduled. Most of the repair parts have been secured and the contracted service is expected to conduct the investigation, and repair works once they receive their requisite WorksafeBC confined space approvals.
The Glenairlie Drive pump station upgrades are well underway. The mechanical components have been installed, and the next steps involve upgrading the electrical components.
Streets & Roads
Annual programs to maintain the public boulevard, including street tree watering, graffiti removal, and invasive species monitoring and treatment are underway. Additional administration time has been required by staff to onboard and manage expectations of the contracted service. The contracted service has been generally compliant with the performance standards, and it is typical with all past years that comments regarding boulevard maintenance sees an increase during the growing season.
The Transportation Master Plan’s Survey #2 has closed, and staff will present results to Council soon. The findings of the survey are critical in creating the plan’s mission statement, hence providing clear direction on what the future transportation network may look like.
Developments
3 Helmcken – Aspire: Change over to the new Traffic signal by Raylec has been completed. Off-site work continues with the installation of pavers for the separate sidewalk on Helmcken.
Offsite works at 7 Erskine are nearly complete. The cul-de-sac has been paved and traffic island installed. Additional finishing touches are still required including signage, cycle pavement markings, and road shoulder works.
181 Island Hwy – Grand & Fir: All underground serving has now been installed. While frontage (surface) works are still outstanding, staff believe that traffic disruptions should subside.
Parks
As part of the EV Fleet electrification capital project, additional EV Chargers have been installed in the parks yard, solely to charge the Town’s electric fleet. The premises does not have the electrical capacity to operate the chargers at 100%, and therefore charging capacity at each station had to be throttled down. To support more EV chargers, or to support the EV conversion of the Town’s next vehicles to be replaced (Ford F350 Dually Dump, Mitsubish Fuso), substantial investment will be required to upgrade the electrical service to the Town Hall property.
Information Technology:
In May, IT focused on security patching and keeping systems stable ahead of the tax notice period, with no non-essential changes made to core infrastructure. The team also worked on reviewing and evaluating the RFP proposals for the managed IT services contract.
Protective Services:
View Royal Fire Rescue completed the draft Fire Protection and Life Safety Bylaw, which is now ready for presentation to Council at the June 16 meeting. The draft bylaw has been placed in Teams for the CAO's review and approval.
Several significant staffing changes occurred within the department during May. Assistant Chief Heath Bevan retired on May 31 and will remain with the department as a Paid On-Call firefighter. Captain Geoff Pitre was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief, and Firefighter Joey Drolet was promoted to Captain. In addition, Paid On-Call firefighter Paul Hayes transitioned into a career firefighter position.
Administrative Coordinator Kathy Leatham retired on May 31 following 34 years of service with the Town of View Royal, including the past 19 years with the Fire Department. Jennifer Smith has been hired as her replacement and will begin her role on June 8.
The department continues preparations for what is anticipated to be a hot and dry summer season. Training and operational readiness efforts remain focused on wildfire response and preparedness.
View Royal Fire Rescue will host its annual Open House on Saturday, June 6. The event provides an opportunity for residents to meet department members, learn about fire safety, and engage with emergency services personnel.
The Bylaw Department continues to focus mainly on parking concerns for the month of May and anticipates an increase in people experiencing homelessness and property maintenance files as the transition from Spring to Summer begins. The Animal Control Bylaw Amendment was also presented to Council and adopted this month, allowing the CRD to effectively enforce the bylaw.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated June 9, 2026 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled “Departmental Update” be received for information.
SUBMITTED BY:
S. Sommerville, Chief Administrative Officer
Document Images
(2)
