UPFRONT

Sandor Gyarmati

sgyarmati@delta-optimist com

The City of Delta’s Street FUN-iture Program will be back again this summer with a few changes.

Two years ago, during the pandemic, the city started its pop-up parks in business districts and outdoor reading rooms outside Delta’s libraries

In 2022, pop-up parks were located at Bridge Street and the Elliott Street Wharf/Chisholm Street Wharf in Ladner, Sunstone Village and Sungod Recreation Centre in North Delta and Bayside Village in Tsawwassen. The popup parks were equipped with a variety of urban play infrastructure and furnished with a variety of seating

The majority of feedback received about the program to date is “very positive” as residents of all ages and abilities enjoyed having a place to visit, hangout and play, a report to council notes.

However, the city received two concerns from Ladner businesses last summer regarding the lack of curbside parking on Bridge Street.

As a result, a few changes have been made for 2023.

The FUN-iture Program will comprise four pop-up parks: an “Outdoor Arcade” at the Chisolm Street/ Seven Seas Wharf, a “Music Room” at the Elliott Street Wharf featuring a piano, a “Games Room” at Sungod Recreation Centre and a “Rec Room” at Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall.

There will also be outdoor reading rooms at the Tsawwassen and George Mackie libraries, but not at Ladner Pioneer Library due to its close proximity to Memorial Park, which the parks and recreation department notes is already activated with play infra- structure and seating.

The pop-up parks will include a variety of games including mini golf, bocce, foosball, ping pong, ladder golf, cornhole, Kan-Jam, Spikeball, Connect4 and Jenga.

The accessible parks will also be furnished with Adirondack chairs, picnic tables with umbrellas, moveable patio tables and chairs and outdoor patio lighting on timers.

All pop-up parks and outdoor reading rooms will be situated on concrete and will be overlaid with recycled synthetic turf to transform the spaces

The report also notes that, in response to feedback received by the public last year, staff will upgrade lighting at the two Ladner pop-up parks to enhance the outdoor spaces and improve safety and visibility, while the piano will be installed on a trial basis this summer

The report also notes that the city will reuse most of the urban play equipment, furniture, and materials from the 2022 program The estimated cost to purchase new equipment, install, operate and program the pop-up parks for the 2023 Street FUN-iture Program is $90,000.

The estimated cost to enhance the lighting is $30,000.

The Street FUN-iture is expected to be installed in the late spring or early summer, subject to equipment availability, negotiations with relevant private property owners and adjustments necessitated by a consultation process

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta-optimist com

Delta council has voted in favour of giving themselves a pay raise, their first renumeration adjustment in four years

The mayor ’ s base salary is to increase from $154,264 to $175,264 (13.6 percent), while councillor salaries are to each increase from $62,788 to $74,399 (18.4 percent).

A staff report explained that the city sets remuneration rates based on a comparison to Coquitlam, Richmond, Township of Langley and the District of North Vancouver, four Metro Vancouver municipalities with similar populations or localized issues.

A review found that the remuneration had fallen below the average of the comparators.

Subsequent to adoption, the mayor and councillors will receive a one-time payment based on the differential between the current and pre-existing remuneration to Nov. 7, 2022.

The report from staff once again brought up the fact Delta is the largest municipality in the province that continues to employ a mayor and six councillors It’s normal practice for municipalities with populations over 50,000 is to have eight councillors.

“The reduced number of councillors has a resultant reduction in salary costs however it also results in an increased workload amongst council members.

Remuneration levels should adequately compensate council members for the significant personal time and dedication required to serve in these roles,” the report notes

“The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) reinforced that the offsetting of changes to base remuneration levels that protect council from financial loss is reasonable and that remuneration levels left static in the face of changing circumstances, including shifts in cost-of-living, risk becoming barriers to participation.”

Council also endorsed a leave procedure policy that allows for leaves for maternity and/or parental as well as compassionate/caregiver absences.