Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, March 14th, 2024, in the Westshore Room

PRESENT: Directors Damian Kowalewich, Leslie Anderson, Shelly Donaldson, Kimberley Guiry, and Misty Olsen (alternate)

ABSENT: Director Dean Jantzen

STAFF PRESENT: Grant Brown, administrator Ron Dietrich, manager of operations Geoff Welham, manager of recreation Wei Wu, manager of finance and administration April Luchinski, manager of human resources Tiffany Moore, recorder

STAFF ABSENT:

PUBLIC PRESENT:

CALL TO ORDER

1. The chair called the meeting to order at 5:32pm.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

2. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND DONALDSON THAT THE AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

3. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS SHELLY AND GUIRY THAT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 8th, 2024, BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NO ERRORS, NO OMMISIONS. CARRIED

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

4. N/A

CHAIR’S REMARKS

5. Damian Kowalewich, chair, commented that he emailed the top 10 tenants to thank them for providing sport opportunities for youth. The email was well-received by the several groups who responded and some planned to attend the board meeting. The soccer organization would like to see artificial turf, and the hockey organization hopes to see ice time for people from all walks of life.

STANDING COMMITTEES

6. N/A

OLD BUSINESS

7. Tennis Club of Canada update: Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

• The Tennis Club of Canada (TCC) is seeking to add an air structure over the tennis courts for the winter months. A full report has been provided to the board.
• WSPR proposed a five-month season for the air structure from October 15-March 15 each year; TCC responded with a request for a six-month season to make their investment financially viable. Staff is seeking direction regarding how to proceed as there may be concerns from the public.
• Construction of the tennis bubble would coincide with the construction of the new pickleball courts in 2025.
• Implications of a six-month season are that patrons would be required to purchase access to the tennis facility for the additional month. The air structure would allow for the courts to be playable at all times, and would increase the life of the courts.

The board discussed the potential of requesting public comment; the potential involvement of Langford Tennis Club; WSPR and TCC’s roles and responsibilities; the impact of fee-for-service on the public; and, the potential for increased programming in the facility.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND GUIRY THAT the board of directors direct staff to seek comment from the West Shore tennis community regarding a potential 6-month seasonal air structure and report back, with the amendment of including Langford Tennis Club members as part of the Westshore community who will be solicited for comment. CARRIED

NEW BUSINESS

8. a) Parks staff presentation: Bryan Wood, parks supervisor, gave a visual presentation on the following:

• GIS Asset Management:
  • An asset management plan was created two years ago.
  • Hard copy maps are available to refer to, but maps become outdated quickly.
  • GIS plots everything i.e./ Colwood trees have been GPS plotted and mapped in the software. Clicking on the mapped objects displays all the specific details of that object.
  • GIS can identify an underground line/pipe using ground penetrating radar and saves all details in the software.
  • Cities use GIS to manage and access information about all physical features in an area; layers of information can be toggled on or off.
  • Staff received bids last week and will be discussing with management to create a plan.
• Urban Tree Management:
  • A large Garry Oak tree recently fell overnight; cause unknown. Several fir trees have also been removed from the property. Firs near the library have been removed and replaced with fruit trees.
  • In the current changing environment, many trees on site are starting to be flagged.
  • The property contains many forest trees; most are unmanaged. Willows near the golf course are maintained.
  • Staff are building capacity through alignment with Colwood’s tree bylaw and training in dangerous tree assessment.
• Integrated Pest Management:
  • To align with a new Colwood bylaw, staff are reducing the use of pesticides.
  • Invasive species require treatment to protect public safety and park health; dollar spot, microdochium patch, and poison hemlock are found on site and treated with small use of pesticides.
  • Staff attend the CRD regional invasive species group, which meets every few months.
  • The Integrated Pest Management for Turf Managers in British Columbia publication is used as a guide for using pesticides in an appropriate way.
  • Records of use are maintained.

The board thanked Brian for the presentation. The board discussed the possibility of partnering with Colwood/Langford on the GIS project and urban forest management plan; the importance and timeline of conducting a tree assessment with an arborist; the potential for education on site; and the need to budget for replacement trees.

b) Governance agreements Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

• Current strategic priorities are to be reviewed in 2024 and make recommendations to ownership.
• Overall, WSPR is operating very well.
• Last review addressed prior challenges such as removing the individual owner ability to veto project and allowed flexibility for how the smaller municipalities participate in large capital projects.
• The current funding model is based on current assessment statistics; consider the library’s model of 50% population share and 50% assessments.
• The Westshore continues to grow and there will be need for increased services in the future.
• There is currently no provision for how other facilities can become part of the Society.
• An update is needed for how staff and ownership are referred to within the agreements.
• Staff is seeking direction for how the board would like to proceed with the review, and how and when to start discussions.

The board discussed the need for space to discuss complexities and mandates; protecting constituent’s access to existing services and programs; the involvement of CAOs and mayors in discussions; and the board’s approach to making recommendations to ownership.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS OLSEN AND GUIRY THAT THE BOARD REVIEWS THE AGREEMENTS AND RETURN TO DISCUSSIONS IN CAMERA IN ONE MONTH. CARRIED

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS OLSEN AND GUIRY THAT THE REPORTS BE RECEIVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

FOR INFORMATION

9. a) Administrator’s report Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

Administration/Human Resources

The annual financial audit is taking place one week earlier this year and will see KPMG staff onsite March 4–8th. Payroll has issued T4 slips to all staff and preparations for the renewal of various insurance coverages is underway. On February 28th, the replacement of the phone system took place and was very successful. The new network-based system includes voicemail to email, minimum system maintenance and the flexibility to be paired with cell phones and workstations. The support and direction provided by the IT department from the City of Langford throughout the process was excellent.

The new HR generalist position has been filled, with a start date of March 28th. Their training will start immediately and soon to follow will be the expanded services of the HR department. The annual audit of auxiliary staff’s hours worked to determine those eligible for conversion to regular status or qualification for the municipal pension plan has been completed and eligible staff have been contacted. Updates to the annual vacation booking and accrual policy have been completed to match changes within the new collective agreement.

Annually, staff receive the opportunity to put their names forward and request attendance at one of the two feature conferences of the recreation industry in BC. WSPR will be sending a group of 4 staff to the 2024 Recreation Facilities Association of BC Conference in April and 4 staff to the 2024 British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association Symposium in May. Those staff attending gain the opportunity to increase skills and knowledge in the recreation field, while also representing WSPR amongst their provincial peers.

Operations

Maintenance Annual backflow prevention wrapped up in February. Multiple air handling units underwent annual maintenance, including the units located at Centennial Centre, JDF Arena, Q Centre Arena and the Kids Cottage.

The annual fieldhouse shutdown is underway and includes a deep cleaning and waxing of the floors, sanding and re-staining of the bar, painting of the servery and repairs to the dishwasher. The acrylic surround at reception will be installed shortly, providing a safety barrier and is the final piece of the reception renovation. The benches, tables and chairs have all been replaced in the reception lobby, as well as the relocation of vending machines to create a more welcoming space for those waiting for programs.

With the warmer start to February a significant ant problem took place in various areas of the centre, most notably in the youth room, administration and the pool deck. Affected areas were sealed by staff and pest services contracted.

Dean Brown was hired as the new FMW4 utility lead hand. Dean worked at WSPR in the past and all are happy to have him back on the crew. One FMW3 position remains vacant and the auxiliary pool is in good shape.

Parks Scheduled fleet vehicle replacement is underway for 2024. Requests for quotation have gone out for those units scheduled for replacement. Diamond 3 infield has been skinned and the infill mix will be replaced.

Staff are getting ready for the tennis courts to be resurfaced as soon as the weather warms. This project is a carryover from 2023, as the contractor was unable to fit the work in due to delays in other projects caused by the very warm summer. Multiple water valves have been replaced in preparation for the upcoming irrigation season and the lacrosse box will have its new score board installed shortly.

Programs

Community Recreation The popularity of youth nights continued into February, including one night where 153 youth were in attendance. 2,250 have attended in 2024 so far. There were also 72 basketball drop-ins in February, mostly comprised of youth. The new pickleball court reservations have been popular, filling up many Thursdays. Logistics are currently being assessed to increase offerings and expand access.

Childcare staff celebrated Valentines Day, Groundhog Day and pink shirt day in February, and the last French lesson took place. Active Start drop-in numbers have increased and a second staff has been added to support the program.

Valentine’s themed art classes were offered at Centennial Centre in February for children aged 4-12 as well youth drop-in art and dance which grew to 21 youth in attending on February 22nd. Youth are enjoying the pizza, snacks and games in the Arbutus room between the art and dance programs.

Planning is underway for summer camps. Staff have added 3 weeks of Science Camp at Centennial Centre and expanded Roving Play Parks to accommodate more participants.

Fitness and Weights February has remained strong with 93% of registered fitness, weights and wellness programs running successfully. The weightroom has continued to see record high attendance with over 80 patrons during peak times.

The Thursday 9am Deep and 10:15am Shallow Aquafit classes were able to resume on February 15th after being removed from the schedule for a couple months due to staffing challenges. A new hire, Alison Marovskis, has taken on teaching the two classes. Personal training services including single session, 3 session, 6 session, semi-private sessions and orientations have seen a significant increase in January/February of 2024 ($4,445) compared to 2023 ($2,643). Private rehabilitation sessions have also seen a significant increase with 39 sessions in 2024 compared to 13 sessions in 2023.

Aquatics February brought more fun in the pool! Between swim lessons, youth nights, user groups and public swims the pool continues to be a busy and happening place. A few extra swims were added in February including the Peninsula Co-op sponsored free swim on February 17th where 262 participants attended. The fun was continued on Family Day with an extra fun swim and staff-led family challenges. Staff permitted an after-hours youth birthday party rental which was a big success.

The staff team grew again in February with the hiring of an additional 4 staff. The recently added swim lessons for the licensed day care children has been a great success and staff are thrilled about enhancing programs in partnership with the community recreation team to offer more opportunities directed at the families already participating in programs. The aquafit fun continues to grow as staffer Glenda now has her groups singing along and providing musical entertainment in the pool while they workout, as well as the addition of another instructor into the aquafit mix!

Arena, Events, and Golf January was a cold and snowy month for the golf course. The course was closed from January 11th-25th. Despite the closure the course still managed to see 1,118 rounds played. February started off much better and experienced 2,270 rounds played for the month.

The Wolves and Grizzlies have started to make their playoff pushes in January and into February. VIJHL playoffs will start at the end of February and the BCHL playoffs will start at the end of March. January was a slow month with the Wolves having 4 home games and the Grizzlies only having 3.

Bookings sent out the request for use letter in January for the spring and summer sports facilities. Food and beverage is considering the addition of a few new items to the menu in the Q Centre arena.

Top selling food items in the Q Centre concessions for January were:

1. Fries – 233 sold
2. Popcorn – 221 sold

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion WSPR staff attended the Community of Practice networking event with other youth service agencies on the Westshore, promoting the LIFE program and youth activities at WSPR. Three staff from WSPR attended the From Diversity to Prosperity: Employing Newcomers in the Capital Region workshop presented by the Greater Victoria Local Immigration partnership.

Uneet Kaur started as the new youth team lead in February, attending the WSPR youth drop-in sessions and getting to know the youth and leaders. Meetings took place with staff from Pacific Family Services, Safe Schools program and the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society regarding potential services/partnerships that could be offered through the Building Safer Communities grant.

The new “Chefs on the Shore” program in partnership with Thrive Victoria started in February on Friday nights in the Childcare Centre kitchen. The program filled quickly with 8 participants who have been learning kitchen skills, food prep and health and safety. Youth have access to snacks during the program, get to make different meals each week and take their food home along with any leftover supplies. The program is a targeted program and only advertised through Thrive Victoria and school vice principals and counsellors. The program will pause for spring break, with 2 new sessions offered afterwards. Planning is underway for the Gang Education seminar on March 11th; currently 65 people are registered.

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Grant Brown, Administrator

b) Annual user group analysis Grant Brown, administrator, commented on the following:

• User group stats show both dollar value and rental time of tenants.
• Swim groups are moving up the ranks due to the pool and programming reopening after Covid closures.
• Drop-in participants remain the largest user group.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND DONALDSON THAT THE REPORTS BE RECEIVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

IN CAMERA

10. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND DONALDSON THAT THE MEETING MOVE IN CAMERA. CARRIED

11. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND ANDERSON THAT WSPRS STAFF APRIL AND GRANT ATTEND THE IN CAMERA MEETING. CARRIED

THAT there is a need to have a meeting closed to the public and persons other than the West Shore Parks & Recreation Board of Directors and staff, and those identified under Part III, Section B of the Board policy manual shall be excluded on the basis of section 1.(1)(c) employee relations; AND section 1.(1)(a) personal information about an identifiable individual.

GEOFF, RON, AND WEI LEFT THE MEETING AT 6:28PM.

ADJOURNMENT

12. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND ANDERSON THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED AT 7:02PM. CARRIED