Minutes of the West Shore Parks & Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting - SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Minutes of the West Shore Parks & Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, SEPTEMBER 9th, 2021 in the WSPR Fieldhouse

PRESENT: Directors Kyara Kahakauwila (chair), Damian Kowalewich, Stewart Parkinson, Leslie Anderson, Roger Wade

ABSENT: N/A

STAFF PRESENT:

• Grant Brown, administrator
• Wade Davies, manager of operations
• Geoff Welham, manager of recreation
• Ben Currie, manager of finance and administration
• April Luchinski, manager of human resources
• Simon Miles, marketing programmer
• Beth Atkinson, marketing clerk
• Bobbi Neal, community recreation
• Teresa Janisch, recorder

STAFF ABSENT: N/A

PUBLIC PRESENT: N/A

CALL TO ORDER

1. The chair called the meeting to order at 5:30PM.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

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

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

3. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS KOWALEWICH AND PARKINSON THAT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING HELD JUNE 17TH, 2021 BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NO ERRORS, NO OMMISIONS CARRIED

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

4. N/A

CHAIR’S REMARKS

5. Chair, Kyara Kahakauwila commented on the following:

• Commended staff for a positive financial report. As well, staff in other departments are being creative, productive, and having to make some hard decisions. Thank you to everyone.

STANDING COMMITTEES

6. a) Finance Committee Stewart Parkinson, finance committee chair commented on the following:

• 2nd quarter report was approved. We are on track and expenses are down.
• Staff recommend amending the 2020/2021 budget to defer a portion of the COVID restart funds to 2022 to offset pool operating costs.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS WADE AND ANDERSON THAT THE 2ND QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

OLD BUSINESS

7. a) Strategic Plan [additional information] – Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) Grant Brown, administrator highlighted the following:

• A workshop with the administrator and board members occurred on July 7th.
• Damian Kowalewich, director, provided further information that the group discussed. This included the work that has already been done and where WSPRS is going in the future.
• IDE was in the previous strategic plan but inadvertently missed on the following update. It has now been added back in.

The board are really happy with what WSPRS has been doing and the direction it is going. The recent launch of the new website was very well received in regards to the IDE section.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS PARKINSON AND WADE THAT THE 2021-2025 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES PLAN BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF INCLUSION, DIVERSITY AND EQUITY (IDE) AS A KEY RESULT AREA WITHIN THE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS CATEGORY. CARRIED

NEW BUSINESS

8. a) Infrastructure Grant Support Geoff Welham, manager of recreation highlighted the following:

• The grant amount we are applying for is $627,151 (49%) and WSPRS would fund the remaining $652,749 (51%).
• Requesting that the board supports WSPRS funding the remainder.

There was group discussion around the funding details for the park.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS WADE AND PARKINSON THAT WEST SHORE PARKS & RECREATION SOCIETY SUPPORTS THE GRANT APPLICATION AND THAT THE WEST SHORE PARKS & RECREATION SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF THE WEST SHORE SKATEPARK AND SUPPORT IN PRINCIPLE FUNDING THE REMAINING $652,749. CARRIED

b) JDF childcare centre – art project Geoff Welham, manager of recreation highlighted the following:

• The board is being asked to support this art project in each of the upstairs childcare rooms.
• The request is for each municipality to cover a $500 honorarium for their room’s chosen artist.
• WSPRS will put together the draft terms for acquiring such artists and will work with each municipality to bring them in.
• The West Shore room is deemed the 6th room to be included in this art project and will be managed by WSPRS. It will have a First Nations theme.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND KOWALEWICH THAT THE “CHILDCARE ROOM IDENTIFICATION – ART INSTALL PROJECT” BE SUPPORTED WITHIN THE NEW JDF CHILDCARE SPACE. CARRIED

AND;

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND KOWALEWICH THAT EACH MUNICIPAL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE SELECTS OR APPOINTS 1 MUNICIPAL STAFF MEMBER TO JOIN EACH BOARD REPRESENTATIVE, THE WSPRS ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMER, AND THE MANAGER OF RECREATION TO CREATE A SELECTION COMMITTEE TO REVIEW AND SELECT THEIR OWN MUNICIPAL ART DESIGN. CARRIED

AND;

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND KOWALEWICH THAT SUPPORT FOR A REQUEST OF $500 BE CONSIDERED BY EACH MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AND PAID TO THE SUCCESSFULLY SELECTED ARTIST TO COVER TIME AND MATERIAL FOR THE PIECE OF ART CREATED. CARRIED

c) EV Chargers Ben Currie, manager of finance and administration highlighted the following:

• The City of Colwood would like to install two EV charging stations located beside the JDF Library and there is funding reserved.
• We recommend accepting the new installation of the EV charging stations and implement a charging fee.

There was some discussion around what other municipalities are charging, what the replacement costs would be and what the future will potentially look like for these charging stations.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS PARKINSON AND KOWALEWICH THAT THE REPLACEMENT OF TWO FAST CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLE STATIONS PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF COLWOOD BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

d) Inclusion of West Shore First Nations in the LIFE program Grant Brown, administrator highlighted the following:

• This program topic came up in conversation at the July 7th workshop in regards to Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.
• There has always been a LIFE program but the First Nations people have not been able to apply.

Board chair Kahakauwila asked to have more information so it could be shared with their First Nations groups in Metchosin.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND WADE THAT STAFF AMEND THE LEISURE INVOLVEMENT FOR EVERYONE (LIFE) PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY TO INCLUDE THOSE LIVING ON FIRST NATION RESERVE LANDS WITHIN THE WEST SHORE PARKS & RECREATION SOCIETY SERVICE AREA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

FOR INFORMATION

9. a) Marketing – new WSPRS website The marketing team presented a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the new WSPRS website that was launched at the beginning of August, as well as what their current focus has been on.

• Marketing platforms currently being used include: website; social media; direct e-newsletter; print media; radio and tv; and signage & wayfinding.
• We will be launching a WSPR “mascot” in the near future. It will help to focus on the community and strengthen the relationships and showcase where we live.

Board thanked the entire marketing team for the presentation and showed their appreciation.

b) JDF Arena Improvement Project Wade Davies, manager of operations highlighted the following:

• The boards arrived and installation is currently being completed. There’s still some work to be done on the players’ benches.
• The plant will be turned on and the ice will be going in.
• The West Shore Wolves logo will be going in on centre ice.
• A new ice pit will be built for the Zamboni. It was not originally in the project but has been added.

SIMON MILES AND BETH ATKINSON LEFT THE MEETING @ 6:47PM

c) JDF Childcare Centre Project Geoff Welham, manager of recreation highlighted the following:

• We opened the spaces up for summer camps and all the rooms were licensed.
• We opened the 24-space daycare on September 1st.
• The interior for the outdoor playpark is now complete and we are currently waiting for the fenceline to go in around the exterior. Once complete, we will be able to open it up for use.
• A grand opening is being planned and will happen when all the projects are complete. It will be opened up to the media and to the public.

d) Administrator’s Report Grant Brown, administrator highlighted the following:

Administration/Human Resources

The new WSPRS website created by UpanUp with support from our marketing team launched on August 3rd. Reviews from staff and the public to date have been great. The site is very intuitive, easy to navigate and makes searching for programs, services and schedules very easy. The HR component also makes job postings more accessible and easier for HR staff to update. The ability to apply online will make the job recruitment process for the community quick and seamless. Staff have also purchased the URL www.wspr.ca and with support from Langford IT will be moving the web address over to this URL. This will also enable staff to change our email addresses from @westshorerecreation.ca to @wspr.ca later this fall.

The 2022 budget preparation started in July and department heads began planning and building their 2021 projections and 2022 financial outlook. The Intelligenz recreation software project went live for childcare registration and required support from the reception and finance teams. Going live with childcare has afforded a “soft launch” of the program to allow staff to gain familiarity and work out challenges prior to the full system being implemented. The competition for the Asset Management Plan has been awarded to RothIAMS out of Ontario. The consultant flew out and met with staff to launch the project and work continues on the development of a plan that will be shared with the Board and ownership.

Supervisor health and safety training has been conducted. Human Resources, along with the health and safety committee, have identified safety team leads to organize key tasks such as inspections, crew talks and work procedures. The temporary reassignments of staff have been renewed for a further 3 months and will be reviewed for the start of 2022. With the launch of the new website, a staff portal will be introduced that will give all levels of staff access to important employment information. WSPRS is experiencing many hiring challenges along with our counterparts within the region. Department heads and supervisors are strategizing how they will handle potential staffing shortages. 7 new regular staff have been hired in maintenance and programs to support the new childcare centre, re-opening of the JDF Arena and the reintroduction of concession services at the Q Centre Arena.

The announcement by the province of the upcoming vaccination card requirement for indoor activities has once again put the parks and recreation industry in a challenging position. We are discussing potential courses of action in our regional and provincial counterparts in order to ensure consistent practices.

Operations

Maintenance

As in many areas, the maintenance department has begun recruiting for the positions that remain vacant as a result of the reduced services being offered due to COVID-19. To date, we have hired 4 new auxiliary and 2 new fulltime staff members. There are 4 more fulltime positions to fill before the end of the year and 2 more for the start of 2022 and the anticipation of the senior’s centre re-opening.

Work on the replacement of the JDF elevator as part of the Childcare Centre project has begun. Richmond Elevator’s proposal was selected as the winning bid. The painting of the JDF Library exterior has begun and will continue into the fall.

A number of mechanical equipment repairs were completed including the Q Centre Arena cooling tower water pump, the fan in the JDF arena dehumidifier, the kids’ cottage hot water tank, and the boiler tank for the sauna. Annual maintenance shutdowns for the Kids Cottage and Kids Cove were completed.

Parks

The 3 summer students that were made possible due to receiving the federal summer employment grant and the COVID-19 Restart funds have made a positive impact to the park over the summer. Looking after areas in our green spaces that require extra care over the busy summer months. To accommodate the exterior painting of the library, many overgrown plantings were removed. Beautification of these areas will take place once the painting has been completed.

West Shore Rugby has finished welding the posts for field 1 and staff will be reinstalling them thereafter. The beach volleyball courts will be roto-tilled to loosen the packed sand and the tilling schedule will be increased for 2022.

Programs

Community Recreation

All 24 spots for the daycare are now filled. Staff recruitment for early childhood educators took place over the summer with 2 ECE's and 2 ECEA's being hired. All staff come with great experience and will be a fabulous team. Staff took part in 2 days of training which included policies and procedures, physical literacy and team building. Two open houses were held for the new families to check out the space, orient their children and meet the teachers on Aug 26th and 27th. It was a great way to showcase the new facility and see all the new faces who will be joining us the start of September.

Summer 2021 was another great success with camps at 95% capacity and over 2,700 children joining a variety of action-packed camps over the 9 weeks. Camps offered included general camps, technology, arts, dance, outdoor adventures, sports and so much more. 23 camp staff, 12 inclusion support workers and 9 subs provided excellent care for the summer. We were also able to accommodate 13 children requiring extra support into our camps this summer.

Roving Play Park took place at 7 different parks throughout the 5 West Shore municipalities offering a low-cost camp opportunity to local families. This year, due to COVID-19, the format was slightly different with families required to pre-register for the full week. 25 families per week registered and was 100% full each week.

Aquatics, Fitness and Weights

As of Wednesday, August 25th, an order from the Provincial Health Officer required people 12 and older to wear masks in all indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status except during exercise. Patrons may remove their mask when they are actively exercising.

For the month of August 2021, to accommodate the demand, the weight room operating hours were extended from 8:00AM to 4:00PM, and 8:00AM to 5:00PM on the weekends. Operating hours will continue to extend as we approach the Fall and we will be open from 6:00AM to 10:00PM Monday-Friday, and 7:00AM to 8:30PM Saturdays and Sundays. We are also planning to increase our number of fitness programs from 20 to 30 classes per week. These include parent and tot spin express, boot camp, work it circuit it, TRX, easy yoga, and strength and stretch.

Private and group swimming lessons saw incredible registration numbers for the fall with extraordinary waitlists. Like other departments, the aquatics staffing shortage poses a real challenge in meeting the demand for swimming lessons. In time, we hope to meet this demand as we are able to recruit and train new staff.

Starting in September, we are excited to appoint Hamish Babin as the new Aquatic Program Assistant. Hamish is a seasoned Juan de Fuca lifeguard/swim instructor and has worked casually in our maintenance department and in the weightroom. For many years, Hamish has also trained as an international-level triathlete.

Sports

The Netflix shoot for Rescued by Ruby at the library went very smoothly. The library stayed open during the shoot and the patrons were very curious and excited to see the JDF Library being used for a Netflix series.

Summer ice at The Q Centre Arena has been very busy. The WHL Combine has returned to the Island and took place August 21st and 22nd at The Q Centre Arena and in the ISC for dry land training. PowerWest Athletics programs have exploded this summer: July 2021 - $18,543 vs. July 2020 - $9,526 and $83,143 YTD. The public sessions have been full or near full every weekend, including 20 people per session for duffer hockey, 6 families in stick and puck and 30 per session for public skates. Sports summer camps have been at capacity with waitlists, a 100% increase in registrations vs. 2020. Fall registration has had a great start with 1/3 of available spaces filled on the first day.

The golf course continues to see a lot of visits, net revenue expectations for the 2021 budget were surpassed at the end of July.

Booking requests are constantly coming in for the schools and potential new events. We will be hosting a small home show in October in the ISC and Elections Canada is interested in space for the upcoming federal election. We continue to receive many movie shoot requests.

Food & Beverage

As mentioned previously, food services have been suspended for the remainder of 2021, with the staff being reassigned to other departments.

Inclusion, Diversity and Equity

With the launch of the new website in August, WSPRS’ work in Inclusion, Diversity and Equity has received greater exposure. A section of the site has been dedicated to providing information to the West Shore community on services available to assist in accessing all we have to offer.

Over this past summer, 14 children requiring inclusion support attended camp over 9 weeks. The Indigenous Sport Physical Activity & Recreation Council used WSPRS soccer fields and green space for the filming of training videos. During safari week in summer camps, small plastic animals were placed along the chip trail with fun fact information and how to say the animal’s name in Swahili.

We have partnered with the Indigenous Cultural Association, the Community Partnership Network and Sport for LIFE to present the Zoominar “Engaging Newcomer Families in Physical Activity and Sport.” During this fall presentation, each presenter will speak about key strategies, barriers and successes they have encountered in reaching out and engaging newcomers in sport and recreation. The presentation is expected to be held in late September or early October.

Grant Brown, administrator verbally added to the report:

• We are working with RothIAMS on the asset management plan.
• There has been a lot of discussion on the upcoming proof of vaccination cards. We are gathering information that can be sent out to our patrons. It will definitely affect the weightroom and fitness classes.

There was a question regarding food services and the upcoming hockey games. WSPRS has hired a food services team leader to oversee all of the concession and bar services.

An inquiry was made as to the status of the 2022 BC 55+ Games. WSPRS has not heard anything.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS WADE AND PARKINSON THAT THE REPORTS FOR 9.A), 9.B), 9.C) AND 9.D) ARE RECEIVED AS PRESENTED. CARRIED

IN CAMERA

10. N/A

ADJOURNMENT

11. MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS WADE AND ANDERSON THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED AT 6:55PM. CARRIED