LGMA Exchange Winter 2015 Revised by LGMA BC

EXCHANGE EXCHANGE is is aa quarterly quarterly magazine magazine published published by by the the Local Local Government Government Management Management Association Association (LGMA) (LGMA) of of British British Columbia. Columbia. It’s It’s about about sharing sharing information, information, exchanging exchanging ideas ideas on on best best practices, practices, enhancing enhancing professional professional development development and and building building networks. networks. Reach Reach us us at at www.lgma.ca. www.lgma.ca.

Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization

WINTER 2015

DOWNTOWN TIPS & TACTICS

P15

FOCUS ON FOOD SECURITY

P17

SOCAN: MUSIC AT WORK

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Sharing information and expertise helps build strong, sustainable communities. Young Anderson is proud to support professional development opportunities for municipalities and regional districts.

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Update In this Issue President’s Report Executive Director’s Report Case of Interest Members Page Our Town

Professional Development 2 3 4 5 23 25

Tips & Tactics: Proven Approaches for Downtown Revitalization Initiatives

Programs & Events

5 Galvanizing Your Community Through the Courts

Exchange is the magazine for members of the Local Government Management Association of British Columbia. Exchange is distributed quarterly to over 900 members of the LGMA, as well as Mayors and Regional District Chairs.

This installment of Case of Interest provides advice for communities embarking on court processes that can become politicized in the media, such as Burnaby’s pipeline case.

Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization

Exchange is printed on Sappi Flo, an FSC® Certified 10% post-consumer recycled paper at Island Business Print Group.

LGMA Office: 7th Floor 620 View Street Victoria, BC V8W 1J6 Telephone: 250.383.7032 Fax: 250.383.4879 Email: office@lgma.ca Web: www.lgma.ca Contact the Editor: Email: editor@lgma.ca

Cover Illustration: JDawnInk/Getty Images

Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government

6 What does it take to revitalize a downtown? Creative and meaningful community engagement was key for the three B.C. communities that share their experiences and successes.

17 Food Security: A Growing Imperative B.C. communities are realizing the need to ensure healthy food is available locally and broadly. Learn about what local governments can do to promote local food production.

22 Music at Work in Your Organization Music is an integral part of many local government activities, from events to what callers listen to when on hold. A number of tariffs are in place to ensure music creators and publishers are compensated.

IN THIS ISSUE

think a lot of us have seen exciting initiatives for the community fizzle out. There’s a burst of enthusiasm at the start, but taking ideas and maintaining momentum to translate ideas into actions can be a major challenge. Sometimes it’s hard to get Council or Board support. Sometimes the community is either ambivalent or critical. And sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day to branch out into special projects.

Taking on projects that may not have been on the radar of local government a decade ago can also pose challenges for local government. Food security is one of those areas that is gaining interest and support at the community level. As citizens push for more measures to increase local food production, local governments are finding themselves tasked with looking at how they can facilitate these types of projects.

Gaining support from Council is clearly the first element for any project. That’s a given. But finding the other elements in a formula for successful projects isn’t always as clear. What does it take to move ahead with something like a downtown revitalization? In Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization, three communities share their experiences. The outcomes of their success in terms of significant investment and the change in their downtown core are proof that they are on the right track.

A number of communities have found that they have a valuable role to play in removing impediments to local food production and have become a key partner in promoting food security in their communities. Their advice and experiences shared in Food Security: A Growing Imperative show how making a few regulatory and zoning changes along with working with partners in the community can help support food security initiatives.

They all made ongoing community engagement a priority, and they applied some creative approaches to engage their community members rather than just using traditional tactics. They took their community’s priorities and translated those ideas into achievable actions, and they have delivered some quick wins for their community to show early success. Based on their outcomes, it would appear the second element to success is engaging the community (even after you have their support for the project), and the third element is having some quick success stories you can showcase to keep your community and your elected officials on board with the project.

There’s definitely a community appetite for food security to support being more self-reliant locally, and creating opportunities to ensure that local, healthy food is available broadly in the community seems to be a growing trend (and yes, I’m having too much fun with the puns). It’s also becoming increasingly apparent that we should not assume that we’ll always have a reliable food source from external markets. Both factors suggest that food security will continue to be something local governments need to take on for their community’s quality of life in future. In a sense, the theme in this edition is about taking care of our communities – either through creating a safe, attractive and vibrant downtown or by establishing policies and partnerships that protect and expand our capacity to produce a reliable source of healthy food locally. These are important goals for many communities, and I hope the experiences and insights shared through Exchange add value that can be applied throughout the province. Therese Mickelson, ABC

Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

We all win when we have a wealth of volunteers working together to achieve our strategic goals and bring extra value to our members.

he winter edition of Exchange is always an ideal time to reflect back on the past year with the LGMA and look ahead to the programs, events and other activities planned for the new year. I think it’s equally important to think about the roots of our success in the past and going forward, and for me that means volunteers. As a member-based organization that operates as a non-profit, we would simply not be able to deliver our successful programs and events each year without the help of volunteers.

Our dedicated and talented volunteers do more than share their expertise to support programs and services. They form the heart of the LGMA – the people who infuse energy and enthusiasm into other members, through their commitment to both local government and their professional colleagues. Without volunteers, we would only be able to achieve a fraction of the goals we have set for our organization, and it would take us 10 times as long. With their help, our organization is thriving, and we all benefit from the continuous learning and networking within the LGMA. So first, my thanks go to everyone who volunteered for us this year. Your assistance is very much appreciated by us all! Next, I’m already looking ahead to the upcoming year and my message here is: “Who else wants to be part of the best team ever?” Volunteering your time certainly adds benefits to members, but it’s also personally rewarding. It’s an excellent way to connect into the resources and network within the LGMA. You build an expanded professional skill set, and gain valuable insights into local government that you can take back and apply to support your personal career growth. It’s fun. You meet wonderful people and enhance your professional skills. The answer to my question is clear. Of course you should get more involved by volunteering with the LGMA! There are also lots of different ways you can get involved. Some of us can make more time than others, and the volunteer positions available allow you to look at the best fit for where you’re at with your time and career. I encourage you to send in your names to the LGMA office if you’re interested in getting involved as a volunteer, such as participating on one of the LGMA’s committees.

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These committees are delving into some of the hot topics circulating in our industry, like elections, compensation and Freedom of Information legislative requirements. You can also get involved in a leadership role on the Board. This year there will be positions opening up, and I encourage you to put your name forward. If you’ve submitted your name in the past, please do so again. Although there are limited spots on the Board in each election, we know that there have been great candidates in the past who would be an asset on our leadership team. Being a part of the LGMA is personally and professionally rewarding, and those experiences and rewards are multiplied when you connect as a volunteer. Join us and be part of this fantastic volunteer experience. I assure you that we all win when we have a wealth of volunteers working together to achieve our strategic goals and bring extra value to our members. With the LGMA staff and our team of volunteers working together, I’m looking forward to more amazing achievements and rewarding experiences in the new year. Kelly Ridley Acting President

Practical advice, creative options and value for local government Planning, Development & Environmental Law

Carvello Law Corporation

Lui Carvello, MCIP Lawyer & Planner 203-1005 Broad Street Victoria, BC V8W 2A1 250-686-9918 lui@carvellolaw.ca

www.carvellolaw.ca

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

The Tsilhqot’in decision is going to change resource management decision-making in B.C. and has set our province on a new path to reconciliation.

ost of you will be aware of the Supreme Court of Canada ruling this past summer in Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia. It appears to be a game-changer, shifting the perceptions about relationships with First Nations among all levels of government, business and industry and further clarifying aboriginal title. For those of us who were able to attend the UBCM plenary in Whistler on this topic in September, it’s clear the decision has significant implications for relations between local governments and First Nations.

The Tsilhqot’in judgement, like the Sparrow, Delgamuukw and Haida decisions before it, has redefined the rules governing the use of resources in Canada, specifically on non-treaty lands. These historic rulings confirm the real and substantial powers of First Nations, with the Tsilhqot’in decision going further by establishing a process for demonstrating aboriginal title in traditional territories. First Nations in areas not covered by treaties now have a benchmark to demonstrate aboriginal title to select pieces of property, and there is a higher standard set for the duty to consult. Given that much of British Columbia is still under treaty negotiations, the Tsilhqot’in decision will impact local governments, especially with respect to the processing of statutory approvals. It’s likely that for most local governments, working with First Nations will become the norm – not the exception – in the future. It’s also why the LGMA 2014-19 Strategic Plan’s focus on enhancing First Nations programming to strengthen engagement and collaboration within the local government system needs to be activated sooner rather than later. As I’ve pondered how we can support this goal, I’ve thought back on a time early in my career when I worked for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). I was part of one of the first efforts to consult with B.C. First Nations in 1990. Years later, DFO finally concluded the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy, providing First Nations with special commercial salmon licences. But there were many lessons learned throughout the process on how not to engage with First Nations. Our intentions may have been honourable, but we had so little understanding of Aboriginal cultural norms, so little appreciation for the interconnectedness across First Nations communities, little

knowledge of the history of Aboriginal peoples and our own role in their current challenges, and little tolerance for the rich language and storytelling traditions that provide deep insights on what matters most to our First Nations. In hindsight, we were lucky to have made any headway at all – we were arrogant, highly rigid in our negotiating approaches and dismissive of the history of the residential schools and their impact on First Nations communities. We made many unforgivable mistakes in the way we approached the negotiations. And yet, our First Nation negotiating partners remained humble, open-minded and patient. They demonstrated the respect and understanding that was needed to reach a solution. Many of our local governments have begun to build relationships with First Nations, and the LGMA has had First Nations participants in many of our MATI programs over the years, but we know we need to do more to help local governments better engage, communicate, and work collaboratively with their First Nations neighbours. We are very honoured to be working with Reconciliation Canada to help get us started on that journey, and they will lead a not-to-be-missed plenary session at the Annual Conference in Prince George in June. Many of you already have great experiences to share, and some of you are starting to embark on engagement strategies to reconcile past differences, find common ground, and build the trusting and respectful relationships that will benefit all our communities, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike. Your experiences will be essential to helping the LGMA design and develop new programming. Please get in touch with me to share more about what you’ve been doing, what some of your successes have been, and what you think LGMA should be doing to support our members in this area. The Tsilhqot’in decision is going to change resource management decision-making in B.C. Perhaps most importantly, it has set British Columbia, and perhaps Canada, on a new path to reconciliation. We look forward to being part of it! Executive Director

Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government

By Troy DeSouza Dominion GovLaw LLP

CASE of INTEREST

Galvanizing Your Community through the Courts ipelines in B.C. are a controversial issue. No more so than in Burnaby where protestors and the City of Burnaby (the “City”) are engaged against Kinder Morgan on Burnaby Mountain. Nothing galvanizes a community like a local government taking legal action on behalf of the public interest.

Burnaby (City) v. Trans Mountain Pipeline (Judgment Sept. 26, 2014) (“Trans Mountain”) is a good case where the City was acting in the public interest through the enforcement of its bylaws. Trans Mountain was authorized to conduct field studies required by the National Energy Board (NEB) to determine whether Burnaby Mountain would be an appropriate route for Kinder Morgan’s twinning of its pipeline. The alternative would be through public right of ways which would be costly and result in a lengthy process of expropriation. Three prime considerations when engaging a community through a Court process that can become “politicized” in the media are as follows: 1. A consensus as to what is in the public interest; 2. Support for action by a Council or Board; and 3. A legal case with a probable chance of success. When the above three “stars” align, a grateful public appreciates the quick-acting local government. The challenge on the legal issue, however, is that a losing case may deflate efforts at engaging the public by raising unrealistic expectations. The first two considerations are largely political. On the legal issue, the City alleged (with little factual dispute) that Trans Mountain’s activity, which included the removal of trees, soil, and vegetation, contravened its Parks Regulations and Streets and Traffic Bylaws. Although both parties applied to the NEB to determine the extent to which the Bylaws conflicted with the directives of the National Energy Board Act, Burnaby proceeded in Court on Sept. 11, 2014 with a civil injunction application, some two months prior to municipal elections. In typical civil injunction applications, local governments often prevail as their bylaws are automatically assumed to be in the public interest. These applications are called statutory injunctions.

Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government

However, in this case, there were two public bodies in play: the City and the NEB. The Court was left at a junction to choose which public body should prevail. Interestingly enough, the Court did not make its choice directly. The Court held that: Here we are not dealing with a private entity offending bylaws. Rather the true dispute is between competing public interests. The Act confers on the NEB, certain jurisdiction. That includes the right to determine whether it is in the public interest that the pipeline project proceed and that includes permitting certain investigations ... as such, it [Trans Mountain] is not flouting the law, rather it is proceeding as directed by the NEB. [emphasis added] Thus, the City could not rely on the statutory injunction approach. Instead, the common law, higher hurdle, balance of convenience (“BOC”) test was applied. Under the BOC test, the City could not show irreparable harm, as tree cutting and soil and vegetation depletion would be remediated by Trans Mountain. The balance of convenience did not favour the City as Trans Mountain claimed direct costs of $5.6 million for every month the project was delayed. The City’s injunction was not granted. On Nov. 27, 2014, a Justice at the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed the City’s application for leave to appeal. The City is considering its options. Local governments inevitably engage the community and enforce the public interest through legal actions that are or can become highly politicized. However, they should keep the following in mind: 1. Be cautious of taking sides in polarizing public debates. A winning political argument does not necessarily win a legal case; 2. Determine whether there is already an administrative or legal process in play through another public body i.e. NEB. There may be jurisdiction or procedural issues that would undermine your legal action; and 3. Where there are two or more public bodies with competing public interests, a strong legal case should be the primary consideration in proceeding with civil injunctive action.

By Therese Mickelson, ABC

IDEAS that

Ignite Downtown Revitalization Promoting Promoting Professional Professional Management Management && Leadership Excellence in Leadership Excellence in Local Local Government Government

Everyone wants a vibrant and thriving downtown. It can be the pulse of the business district and the heart of the community. Or not.

hen the downtown area becomes lackluster and business investment starts to shift away into suburban areas, local governments look to revitalization initiatives to breathe life back into their downtown core. Unfortunately, the spark for many of these initiatives sputters out before significant change occurs, but three communities in B.C. have kept the fire going by focusing on their community’s input and creative ideas as the fuel to ignite and sustain their revitalization projects.

PENTICTON – TAKING IT TO THE STREETS In Penticton, downtown revitalization plans have gone through various spurts and starts over the past 20 years but never received the strategic focus necessary to move them forward. That changed in 2011 when staff put downtown revitalization forward as a strategic priority that was supported by Council. This administrative and political support gave the project the foundation it needed to get started, but from there it became a community-driven process. The City’s first step to build a collaborative process was to create a Downtown Revitalization Committee with representatives from the Downtown Penticton Association (DPA), the City of Penticton, landowners in Penticton’s downtown and citizens from the community at large. This committee – and in particular the DPA, which is Penticton’s business improvement association – became a key partner in this award-winning revitalization project. “I believe the way we engaged the community and made this a very organic process has led to our success,” says Blake Laven, Planning Manager, City of Penticton. “We didn’t start with any preconceived notions of what a downtown should be. We got the vision from the public, from businesses and others. We followed the momentum and we didn’t try to corral it into what we, as planners, thought it should be.” When Penticton decided to take this project to the community for input, they literally went out to where community members gathered rather than expecting people to come to them. Instead of using traditional methods such as hosting an open house where the same few residents attend, the majority of their community engagement involved going out to existing events or creating special activities in the community that would be fun and collaborative.

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“I believe the way we engaged the community and made this a very organic process has led to our success.” Blake Laven, City of Penticton

One of their first consultation initiatives involved setting up a tent at Penticton’s highly popular open market, talking to people directly about downtown revitalization and using a local artist to capture ideas from residents and business owners. “The open market has hundreds of vendors, live bands and upwards of 6,000 people every Saturday, making it one of B.C.’s largest outdoor community markets, and we felt this was the best place to start our community engagement,” says Laven. “Using the local artist was an amazing way to paint a picture of the ideas being generated, and this approach was so popular, we used him throughout the planning process to test ideas and help people understand what their vision would look like in reality.” Penticton also reached out to specific groups in the community who use the downtown in different ways. To connect with people who primarily experience the downtown at night, the City hosted an event in a local bar, hired a band and met with people throughout the night to gain insight into their needs and interests. As an innovative approach to help understand accessibility challenges in the downtown, the City held an event for people in wheelchairs, as well as those who get around on bikes and use strollers. They were divided into teams and given a route with a set of tasks such as buying a bus pass and trying to use it. At the City-hosted barbecue afterward, the participants shared their experiences about what worked well and what challenges they found along their route. Laven notes that another key success factor was that the planning process was led by City staff who partnered with the community. They only brought in outside expertise for specialized tasks such as streetscape and building design, as well as engineering and economic impact assessments. Continued on page 8

Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization Continued from page 7

“It was hugely taxing to have staff be the face of this project rather than handing it over to a consulting group, but it made it clear to the community that we were fully invested, engaged and committed to this project,” says Laven.

The City of Penticton hired a local artist to capture the public’s ideas about downtown revitalization as they were being generated.

Even when they had help from outside consultants, City staff were closely involved with the work and dedicated hundreds of hours to the project. One example was the five-day community charette, which was coordinated by MVM Urban Planning and Design, a consulting firm specializing in public engagement but also involved a working group with City staff, DPA, a financial accountant and engineers.

says Laven. “Stakeholders would share their comments on the concept and give us some direction on moving forward, and then the next day, we would present a refined concept and check again by asking them if we got it right.”

“We would have about 100 stakeholders who would come in for an hour or two every day, and then the working group would summarize what we heard and the architect and artist would create a visual concept that we would take back to the community to see if we got it right,”

Using the community’s input and creative ideas from the comprehensive engagement process, staff developed a revitalization plan that was adopted by Council. Their plan was set up so that it had 101 actions that they could check off when complete.

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“We wanted a bunch of small, achievable action items that we could complete and have them add up into big changes,” says Laven. “We recognized that some of our early achievements could be through policy changes and that getting shovels in the ground and new investment would stem from taking away impediments to development in the downtown.” Some of the key policy changes were to set up economic incentive zones that allowed the City to waive taxes and provide allowances for certain types of development in targeted areas of the downtown. The City also loosened up its parking requirements based on the rationale that there was daytime parking going unused at night, such as at banks and other services, that could be used for evening and nighttime parking, rather than creating additional parking for new developments. These two key changes were directly linked to the investment by Landmark Cinemas to build a new movie cinema downtown. “We were able to give them a tax break and allowed for less parking, and as a result we have a new, 1,200-seat theatre downtown that would probably have ended up in a more suburban location,” says Laven. “With the theatre downtown, the additional traffic is also benefiting our area restaurants and businesses.” These initial policy changes are also credited with allowing for a new craft brewery and pizza restaurant to be constructed downtown and another distillery is being planned. “These are traditionally defined as industrial uses but with amendments to our zoning bylaw, we were able to allow for this new brewery, and it’s been tremendously successful,” says Laven. “There were some concerns raised about noise, smell and delivery trucks, so we included some zoning restrictions on size, and since it’s been constructed, we have had positive feedback.” With key policy changes in place, the City has embarked on some infrastructure improvements that are being cost-shared with the landowners in the affected areas. The first project, which is on Martin Street and Westminster, involves beautification projects like increasing the number of street trees. It also provides for flex parking, where sidewalks are at the same level as the streets so that businesses can choose to give up parking in front of their building in exchange for more sidewalk frontage – for a patio, for example. The business owners were provided with an opportunity to vote against the project through a reverse petition process, but the support was there to move ahead, and the local businesses are paying 25 per cent of the costs towards the streetscape improvements. A reverse petition was also used for the Main Street project, which will include improvements to a City park, the addition of trees, some road surface improvements and the creation of a landmark intersection. With the support now in place to move ahead, the Main Street project will start in 2015. Keeping the community and landowners informed has been integral to each successful new initiative in the revitalization project and was particularly important for the infrastructure projects that needed the support from local business to move forward.

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The DPA has played a key role in keeping the downtown businesses informed about the planning process and identified action items. “Our job has been to take the ideas generated in the community engagement and translated into a City plan and help make it a reality,” says Kerri Milton, Executive Director, DPA. “To do this, we have met with every single landowner – and I mean multiple times – to discuss their needs and represent their interests throughout the process.”

Kerri Milton

Continued on page 10

Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization Continued from page 9

In the past year, Milton has logged 147 meetings with landowners to discuss the revitalization projects planned for Martin Street and Westminster and the one on Main Street.

success is also evident in the $12 million in private sector investment in the downtown that has stemmed from our actions. For a relatively small city, that’s a huge buy-in from the private sector and an indicator we’re on the right track.”

“One of the biggest challenges we experienced was misinformation where someone would take a piece of information that was incorrect, and write a negative letter to the editor about it,” adds Milton. “Once it was in print, it became gospel to people, and we quickly learned that engaging people affected directly by the projects was critical as it enabled us to reach them with accurate information. We pushed out the facts constantly so that misinformation wouldn’t get a chance to circulate.”

TRAIL – BACK TO BASICS In Trail, downtown revitalization had been talked about in the past and some studies had been done, but that’s where things stopped. In 2010, when staff noted an increasing number of vacant storefronts along with a decline in population, Council brought it back to the table as a priority, and this time the project went beyond studies and into action.

Looking on the project’s current success and plans for the future, Laven notes that there isn’t really an end date. They will continue to work towards their vision, tackling each new action item in the plan, with the Main Street project as the next big improvement in the works.

With Council’s endorsement, the City established a Downtown Opportunities and Action Committee to put stakeholders in the lead for determining the plan and hired MMM Group Limited to create the downtown plan.

“We want to see the downtown used more, where people feel comfortable coming downtown, where they can relax, shop and enjoy a night out, and where tourists come through and we blow their socks off with our vibrant downtown, seven days a week,” says Laven. “The

“We wanted to create energy in the downtown by bringing more people to the area to live and by improving people’s experience when they come downtown to do business or attend an event,” says David Perehudoff, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Trail.

For forty years, an important partnership between BC Assessment and local governments has formed the foundation for how our communities are funded. The annual assessment roll is the basis for local governments to raise nearly $6.7 billion in property taxes each year, making the work of BC Assessment crucial to communities.

1974-2014: Then & Now 1974

The BC Assessment Authority was created on July 2, 1974

1975

First assessment roll delivered with total value of $42.2 billion

1979

Surpassed one million properties across B.C. on the assessment roll

2010

Total assessment roll reaches over $1 trillion in value

2014

Celebrates 40th anniversary and achieves an historic low assessment roll appeal rate of only 0.91% out of a total of nearly two million properties

For more on the history of BC Assessment, visit: www.bcassessment.ca/ABOUT/Pages/History.aspx To ﬁnd out more: Phone: 1-866-valueBC or 1-866-825-8322 (local 00119) Email: bcacustomer.services@bcassessment.ca Web: www.bcassessment.ca

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As with most planning processes, the first step in the project was research, including community engagement. It quickly became apparent that there was some community frustration because there had been multiple studies done in the past but no specific actions had followed. It also became clear that a detailed design wasn’t going to be the first step. Instead, downtown revitalization would require a more comprehensive community planning approach.

When the planning process was complete, a number of principles emerged to guide the revitalization plan. The community wanted downtown Trail to be a central hub for the larger region, they needed a complete and livable downtown, and they wanted it to be attractive. There was also an identified need for a better connected and inclusive downtown and an interest in making the area more dynamic and diverse. The community also noted that they wanted the downtown to be multi-modal – not dominated by vehicles – and the area had to be safe. Continued on page 12

David Perehudoff

“We quickly recognized the need to take a step back and develop a multidisciplinary approach versus prematurely sketching colourful street designs,” says Davin Shillong, Project Manager, MMM Group Limited. “In an effort to assuage resident frustrations with a sluggish downtown, we developed a public consultation program with interactive activities that the community had fun with but enabled us to better understand their downtown and what they wanted to see within it.” The multidisciplinary approach involved community planning and urban design, but it also included an economic marketing analysis to help identify opportunities and challenges, a transportation analysis including traffic flow and parking, and an infrastructure analysis to determine whether the existing infrastructure could support identified revitalization opportunities, such as infill development.

lorne mearns lorne@islandprintgroup.com

Their interactive community engagement started with an open discussion where they asked community members to talk about what they want within the downtown – there were no limits on their ideas. “We told them that if they wanted a zip line running from one end of downtown to the other, write it down,” says Shillong. “We made it clear that we couldn’t make any promises, but that their ideas would help us better understand what they were looking for, and people had fun with it.” Another exercise involved assessing social strengths and weaknesses of the downtown, where participants were asked to put a happy face sticker on areas where they felt safe and comfortable, a neutral face sticker where they were unsure, and a sad face sticker where they did not feel comfortable. The exercise quickly revealed clustered areas where people felt uncomfortable in their downtown, and in many cases those areas were in parks. In addition to the interactive workshop with community, MMM Group Limited did a survey with high school and college students as a unique demographic in the community, and hosted a community Facebook page that was monitored daily. “Using Facebook was highly successful for us. We were able poll the community using targeted questions and receive a broad range of feedback on character downtown photos that were posted,” says Shillong. “People started posting their own photos and describing what they liked, and we encouraged it. The participation was fantastic!”

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and ht Brig s Idea

Advice, Advocacy

PH: 250.380.7744 FX: 250.380.3008 www.sms.bc.ca 2nd Floor, 837 Burdett Ave Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8W 1B3

Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization Continued from page 11

One of the City of Trail’s first major improvements involved creating an inviting gateway corridor. Above left: before the work was completed. Above right: the same area after the work was completed.

As well, the community wanted their downtown to be accessible and to encourage healthy living and for the plan to be adaptable, so they could make adjustments in the future if something wasn’t working.

diversity, and that became our foundation,” says Shillong. “Yes, this is Planning 101, but Trail’s downtown lacked these essential elements, and each of these elements was a prerequisite for success.”

To develop a plan to align with these principles, MMM Group Limited went back to basic planning strategies.

The plan to revitalize Trail’s downtown encompasses a number of big initiatives, largely to improve infrastructure, along with some smaller, short-term projects to generate excitement and keep the momentum going by showing progress.

“We recognized the need to apply the four essential elements of a successful downtown: pedestrians, streets, squares and plazas, and

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One of the first major improvements involved creating an inviting gateway corridor by improving the highway that runs through Trail and carries the majority of traffic into and through the community. “We wanted to liven up the highway corridor by adding features like wayfinding, greenery, and physical gateway structures so that when people moved through the community they would recognize that Trail had a special experience to offer,” says Shillong.

An illuminated bridge within a downtown is a public attraction that generates interest. It’s purely instinctive for people to come into downtown and explore it further.” Other design improvements recommended in the action plan include improving downtown streetscapes and enhancing building facades. There is also a lot of opportunity to increase residential housing downtown and create a hub through a mixed-use development along the riverfront. A new civic plaza downtown got its first boost with the approval to fund the new museum and library in that area. Davin Shillong

Continued on page 14

The improvements also included repaving the stretch of highway that runs through Trail, which was done in a partnership with the provincial Ministry of Transportation. “I think you experience a more modern feel as you come through the corridor thanks to the new designs of the wayfinding signs, the flowers and some of the other design improvements,” says Perehudoff. “We have people commenting that it’s night and day in terms of the impression they have of our city as compared to five years ago.” Each new improvement also increases the buy-in from residents as they see the progress being made. There is increased enthusiasm for revitalizing the area, and as a result, the City held a successful referendum to proceed with funding to invest in a new library and museum, as well as a new pedestrian suspension bridge across the Columbia River that will be one of the longest in North America and will improve connections to the downtown. To help finance the new bridge, the City is working with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and they are getting extra value from the new structure by using it to carry pipes for water and sewer as well as fibre optic cables. Trail is also leveraging an opportunity to improve virtual connectivity by adding fibre optic cable with an open access network throughout its downtown. “We’re not giving the fibre to internet service providers (ISP), but we let them use it through an agreement where we derive revenue as well as the ISP, and we improve the connections for our community at a lower cost,” says Perehudoff. “We’ve been able to add wireless hotspots throughout the downtown, and when the new bridge is in place, the east end commercial area will be able to connect to this backbone of fibre.” Some of the other big initiatives proposed in the Downtown Action Plan include giving a fresh look to existing infrastructure such as the Victoria Street Bridge. “The bridge is unsightly but provides an important connection. Many residents saw it as a weakness, so our recommendation was to enhance it with a fresh coat of paint and illuminate it,” says Shillong. “The City and Ministry of Transportation are currently collaborating on transforming this perceived weakness into an asset for the downtown.

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Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization Continued from page 13

As well, the MMM Group provided a non-traditional service by offering simple marketing strategies to retailers that would help the downtown. “We highlighted how creating window opportunities, and using tactics like sidewalk product spilling and promoting brands rather than excessive business signage demonstrated a direct correlation to increased business sales,” says Shillong. With the infrastructure enhancements already in place and policy changes such as a property tax exemption bylaw for improvements made to buildings in the downtown core, Trail has seen a number of investments from the private sector, including a major renovation to an anchor building in the area, the addition of a large Pharmasave, and several new businesses opening their doors, including an engineering firm and dental office. “We have a great plan in place and support from the community but the biggest challenge will continue to be money,” says Perehudoff. “It’s a matter of Council balancing the desire to see the downtown progress quickly while also realizing that there are other initiatives that have to be factored into the capital plan.”

CAMPBELL RIVER – A REVITALIZATION TOOLBOX In Campbell River, revitalizing its downtown emerged as a priority following a comprehensive update to the Sustainable Official Community Plan (SOCP) with a focus on developing a sustainable city. During their extensive, award-winning SOCP consultation process, the community emphasized the need to revitalize the downtown. Ron Neufeld

“What we heard time and again as a theme was the need for a healthy, vibrant, energized downtown,” says Ron Neufeld, Deputy City Manager and General Manager of Operations, Campbell River. “When this theme kept coming up during the consultation, it gained prominence in Council’s eyes and became a priority within the strategic plan. Once Council had confirmed this as a priority, staff were tasked with developing methods of making it happen.” One of the key steps for Campbell River involved developing a suite of tools that would support downtown revitalization through policy changes and a number of individual projects.

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“You need a variety of tools because the opportunities that present themselves and the City’s response to those opportunities require different approaches, expertise and solutions,” says Neufeld. “All of the initiatives that we developed are simple by themselves and can be done by any municipality. Where we have seen the most results is when we coordinate one or more of these initiatives with development interests.” The revitalization toolbox included a number of key changes that would promote development and investment in the downtown. The City reduced its development cost charges for projects in the downtown, provided tax exemptions for businesses that made improvements to buildings in the downtown area, set up a program to support building façade improvements that would create more interesting and engaging downtown streets, and committed capital dollars towards strategic infrastructure improvements. The City has also initiated changes to improve the building development process.

“We heard through the development community that they wanted to see more certainty and clarity around our requirements and processes so that when they submit a development application, they will know what to expect,” says Neufeld. In response, the City has developed targeted communication materials for the development community to guide them through the process and help them prepare their applications. In addition to coordinating development review meetings where developers can discuss their application proposals with staff before submitting them, the City also hosts quarterly developers’ forums about relevant issues of the day, such as changes to the building code. It has also created a series of booklets to guide people through the development permit process using plain language and illustrations that help explain the SOCP and the expectations of the development permit guidelines. Continued on page 16

tips & tactics Proven Approaches for Downtown Revitalization Initiatives The following tips for successful downtown revitalizations stem from the experiences in three communities who have proven their approach works. Tips from the City of Penticton: • Be positive and keep the positive attitude throughout the process. • Partner with your downtown business association if you have one. • Don’t try and channel the project in one direction or another – see where the community is going and follow their lead. • Break the project up into lots of small, achievable initiatives. • You’ve got to be bold and aggressive, and think creatively. Tips from the City of Trail • Get immediate engagement with the properties that will be affected. • Work with the Chamber. • Recognize that if the City is always dictating the plan, you won’t necessarily get the support or participation from your community. • Make sure there is no wall between City Hall and community members. • Provide opportunities for feedback at every stage of the project so you can test the market along the way to make sure people are still on side.

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• Have a structured, articulated approach with a clear vision of where you want to go. • Your plan should be far-reaching, which will be multi-year and phased in but aligned with your ultimate vision. Tips from the City of Campbell River • Do your planning and visioning ahead of time so that if there is an interest in developing a certain area, you can respond quickly to win that investment. • Remember to share your good news stories – there are amazing benefits that stem from positive messaging. • Look for how you can align your City revitalization projects with new development in the private sector. • Make sure your internal priorities are clearly established and aligned with projects. • Don’t start the project unless it’s something your community wants. • Use an incremental approach, so if one project isn’t as successful as you hoped, you have other irons in the fire to keep moving forward. • Be consistent and determined. Success is not going to happen through one project or even a couple. It’s going to happen when you’re persistent and the objective becomes integrated into your culture.

Ideas that Ignite Downtown Revitalization Continued from page 15

Developers and builders have also helped to highlight areas for process improvements, such as reducing delays caused by the typical first-come, first-served approach for building permit applications. The City now provides experienced builders with an expedited review process, as they don’t need the same level of assistance as individual property owners with one-off projects. This has resulted in significantly improved processing times for building permits. Applying these various tools in the community is already paying off. “The visual impact in the downtown has really been coming to light over the last 12 months,” says Neufeld. “We have a new office building in the downtown – the first that’s been constructed in a long time – and we also have a new hotel and new seniors-focused residential complex being constructed. That’s three major projects within the core of downtown in a year, which is significant in a community our size.” Neufeld notes that there are also a number of other new developments in the queue that will add more services and improvements downtown, including a new Healthway Natural Foods store along with a new yoga studio and offices in the building. As the development applications continue to come in, the City continues to look at how to leverage these new opportunities to further improve its downtown area. As an example, the new office building involved a project that fronted onto two streets

and also had back alleys that were described as “dumpy” by staff and the community. The City applied urban design systems expertise to the project and helped to dramatically shift these alleys into an attractive public space with plants, paving stones and a welcoming environment. “Whenever a development is proposed in the downtown, we look at how we can work with the project to integrate it with the other public space or infrastructure improvements that are planned for the area,” says Neufeld. “We’re trying to foster a culture that takes it up a notch, and we actively talk to local investors and out-of-town investors about the opportunities in Campbell River. We let them know that we may be able to coordinate what they want to do with what we have planned in a way that benefits both of us so that they understand we have more to offer than just a regulatory response.” Looking at recent changes in the downtown, Neufeld summarizes their success as being based on building relationships. Success started with comprehensive community consultation to develop their new SOCP, and the relationships and partnerships they have since established with developers has created a positive environment and is generating further opportunities for improvements that continue to reshape Campbell River’s downtown. ❖

A Legal Conference for Local Governments

Thursday/Friday, February 5th & 6th, 2015 Victoria Conference Centre, Victoria, B.C.

“Best deal for 2 days of legal advice from expert local government lawyers!” Early Bird Rate of $275* expires January 16th Regular Rate: $350* * plus GST & PST

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Book your spot at: 1 (877) 897-3630 (Toll Free) E: ofﬁce@govlaw.ca For more information visit our website: www.govlaw.ca

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By Therese Mickelson, ABC

FOOD SECURITY:

A Growing Imperative mple access to a reliable food supply is something most Canadians take for granted. Not everyone can afford the variety of foods available, but there is a bountiful supply. It’s hard to imagine a situation where the food supply would not be plentiful, but with changing global economic, social and environmental factors, a secure food source is not necessarily a sure thing. Risk factors like climate change and the impacts of competitive markets are making food security a growing imperative.

Food security is defined as having sufficient access to safe, healthy food in your community. When droughts in California cause crop failures, the U.S. domestic market is served first from the remaining supply. When the international market bids on food products, countries with the biggest buying power can outbid Canada. When there is a natural disaster, communities in remote areas or those dependent on ferries for food transportation may be cut off from outside suppliers. With these risks becoming an increasing reality, communities across the province are recognizing the need to take steps to help ensure food is readily available without having to rely entirely on outside sources. A big part of their role is to make sure agricultural land is available to support food production, along with policies to facilitate everything from residential hens and small hobby farms to large farming operations. Colin Dring In British Columbia, a mix of factors affect local food production and supply. In the Lower Mainland, extensive development in the 1980s and 90s resulted in a push to sell farmland for residential projects. In some cases, the sale of farmland is necessary to support a farmer’s retirement. As well, some social support agencies have begun working to ensure people in lower income groups have access to healthy food. “For years, as urban centres grew there was a corresponding pattern to outsource food in favour of those growing cities,” says Colin Dring, Executive Director, Richmond Food Security Society. “Now the shift is going back to protecting farmland as once it is paved over, you can’t get it back.” In other communities, a shift from farming to industries like mining and forestry dominated their market, and now the shift is running full circle to reinstate historic farmland and encourage local food production. Whatever the challenge may be, there is growing awareness that communities need a reliable food source, and a number of B.C. local governments are making changes to address the issue.

PHOTO BY COLIN DRING

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Continued on page 18

Food Security: A Growing Imperative Continued from page 17

“It would be great to see the creation of a staff person in local government who is responsible for food security and local agriculture protection and development,” says Dring. “Some cities have also created an agricultural development fund.”

Eliminating Impediments For communities in the Island Trust, strategies include eliminating barriers through zoning and bylaw changes, and applying innovative solutions to find new ways to generate more local food production. When your communities are isolated on islands, the ability to be more self-reliant through food security measures is particularly important.

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For local governments, land use planning and policy development are two primary methods Sonja Zupanec for protecting agriculture. Zupanec says “edge planning” – protecting the interface between agriculture land and non-agriculture lands, such as residential – is critical to protect farming. Property setbacks and permanent vegetated buffers can help deter edgeconflict issues such as complaints about noise from farm practices on one side and vandalism or crop theft on the other.

2015

Dring notes that local governments can also help by improving coordination between departments such as social planning, parks and recreation and engineering. They can also serve as a catalyst to bring together various groups to promote food security.

“Throughout the Gulf Islands, the Local Trust Committees have been working to make sure that agricultural land is protected and used for food production by lifting roadblocks for people to grow and sell products locally and to off-island markets,” says Sonja Zupanec, a land use planner with the Island Trust currently working on a temporary assignment with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Strengthening Farming Program. “There’s no such thing as a single solution that works for every island community, and planning issues that don’t seem to relate to food still relate to food security, so we provide a range of land use recommendations and examples of how Local Trust Committees in the Islands Trust can remove barriers to food production in their community.”

KAMLOOPS

“Many municipalities are taking massive strides to support food supply,” says Dring. “They are making regulatory changes, providing opportunities for community farms, including opening up city-owned farmlands to farmers and farming research, and they are supportive of farmers’ markets.”

• Thompson Rivers University • Real Estate Foundation of BC • City of Kamloops • BC Sustainable Energy Association

• Urban Matters

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Policy and regulation changes can also help. Gabriola Island is introducing zoning changes that allow for enhanced land uses on agricultural land, such as agritourism, secondary suites and options for secondary housing for farm workers or family members. Regulation changes are also allowing for smaller setbacks for greenhouses and enabling small farming operations to sell produce on their property. All of these initiatives make it more appealing to operate farms of all sizes. “Farmers won’t buy agricultural land if there is a lot of local government red tape restricting them from using the land for what it was intended,” says Zupanec. “Island Trust has some good examples of planning for agriculture, but there’s still more we can do, including encouraging each island local trust committee to do an agricultural land use inventory and implement progressive edge planning to protect farmland.” Partnerships in the region are also bringing some positive changes. The Southern Gulf Islands Agriculture Strategy involves partners from local organizations as well as the island communities of South Pender, North Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna, which all have agricultural land and farms of varying capacity and share many interests, issues and goals for their agricultural land base. By working together, they are addressing common issues while creating a strategy for island-specific challenges. “The partnership approach in the Southern Gulf Islands was spearheaded as an economic development initiative, and now involves farmers, local government planners, regional agrologists, community members, and the regional district,” says Zupanec. “Although it’s important to have a strategy, at the end of the day, we need every local government to follow through and implement the recommendations. If the elected officials can commit to doing that, the work being done in the islands has the potential to showcase innovative ideas to inspire other jurisdictions to grow the potential of their agriculture land base.”

Growing Awareness through Education and Marketing Campbell River is another island community that has recognized the risks and opportunities related to local food production. “In Campbell River, we produce less than one per cent of our food locally, so when you think about being on an island, if there is a natural disaster like an earthquake, we could be cut off from our food sources,” says Amber Zirnhelt, Manager of Long Range Planning & Sustainability,

“Farmers won’t buy agricultural land if there is a lot of local government red tape restricting them from using the land for what it was intended.” City of Campbell River. “During the development of our Sustainable Official Community Plan we heard from residents that they want us to look into ways we can support local economic development related to food growing as well as ensuring our community can access food in an emergency.” The City’s target is to have the capacity to produce 10 per cent of its food locally by 2031. To achieve this, its Agriculture Plan highlights opportunities that include value-added, artisan, and niche products such as berries, specialty cheese, dried fruit, juices or wine. Local farming would serve primarily local and regional needs and provide livelihoods for a new generation of farmers and food entrepreneurs. Farming would also provide hands-on and classroom learning opportunities. Campbell River is already making changes to facilitate increased food growth in new ways, without always relying on farming operations. One example is a bylaw update to allow homeowners to keep up to six hens for eggs in residential areas. There are strict coop building guidelines and maintenance requirements to ensure they fit in an urban setting. “We have 27 owners with hens now, and we seldom receive complaints,” says Zirnhelt. “We also provide workshops on keeping urban hens to make sure residents have the information they need to make sure they’re doing things in a way that will be successful, and we get about 50 people in those workshops.” There’s also a community garden policy that has the City working with local groups to make land available in parks that have space or assist community groups that are establishing new community gardens. Continued on page 20

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Food Security: A Growing Imperative Continued from page 19

“The policy doesn’t commit us to funding, but it does commit us to promoting community gardens,” says Zirnhelt. The City has taken its commitment to promoting local food production to a new level by taking an active role in marketing local foods through tools like its online Food Map and its “Think local. Eat local.” campaign. Campbell River’s Food Map provides community members and visitors with an easy search tool to find different types of local products. Listing retailers, restaurants and farms along with their products, the map covers Campbell River, the surrounding area and neighbouring islands. This allows people to search for restaurants that source local items for their menu as well as places they can buy local foods. The City also provides a list of properties that can potentially be used for a community garden, along with an application form so community groups have a starting point for identifying opportunities. Citizens and businesses can also list their properties if they have extra space they are willing to make available for food growing. “Part of the reason we added private property owners to the list of available land for farming and urban agriculture is that we would have owners call and say they had land available and did we know of anyone who would be interested in farming it,” says Zirnhelt.

“We were already acting informally to connect them with people, so this online approach makes it even easier.” The “Think Local. Eat Local.” campaign was developed jointly with the Chamber of Commerce, whose existing “Think Local. Buy Local.” initiative worked well from a food security and sustainability perspective.

Amber Zirnhelt

“The support for these local promotions has been quite amazing,” says Zirnhelt. “We expected a couple of retailers might sign up on the list, but there’s been a surprising appetite locally to access local food products. We also have a lot of retailers using the ‘Eat Local’ sticker, which visually demonstrates the partnership and it’s working really well.” Recognizing the value of partnerships, Campbell River is working with North Island College to offer food-growing workshops. The college also offers classes ranging from how to start plants from seeds to understanding different types of soils. The City has also partnered with Vancouver Island Health Authority, the college and a number of social service providers to develop a Strathcona Region food security network.

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“It’s a regional function called the Strathcona Food Security Initiative and the concept is that we can work together to encourage growing foods locally and ensure that there is equitable access to healthy food options,” says Zirnhelt. “The initiative is looking at the social service food suppliers and how we can support programs that help ensure people from all soci-economic backgrounds have access to healthy food.” Looking to the future, Zirnhelt notes there is tremendous opportunity for local food production in Campbell River. There is excellent soil, a temperate climate and opportunities stemming from education programs to help young farmers get started. As well, Campbell River has several small farms specializing in berries, garlic, and a range of produce. There’s a nearby winery and a distillery, and the community is also the northern Vancouver Island hub for the province’s aquaculture industry, which includes salmon farming, shellfish, oysters and scallops. “The community as a whole benefits when they have access to freshly harvested food from the local food producers in Campbell River and the surrounding region,” adds Zirnhelt. “Plus there are economic benefits and environmental benefits to having food closer to home.”

Building on a Community Culture Having food close to home has long been a priority in Nelson, where citizens have made it clear they are interested in high quality, locallyproduced food. Community programs and local restaurants and markets have been in place for some time, and now the City of Nelson is getting more closely involved in these community initiatives. “Councillors are hearing from their constituents that they want more done for food security,” says Megan Squires, Senior Planner, Development Services and Engineering, City of Nelson. “It’s a groundswell coming from the grassroots of our community and we’re responding to that demand.” As the City worked on its sustainability plan, Path to 2040, food security fell into the social, economic and environmental goals. To support these goals, the City updated its Official Community Plan in 2013 to include language around food security and the need to facilitate a food system on the local and regional level. The City has also made zoning changes, such as allowing for community gardens in all land use zones, and has added a light industrial use that allows for the storage and processing of goods, including food. “A lot of our producers are coming in from out of town, so if they can store and prepare food in town, it facilitates their process and we become a more attractive place to do business,” says Squires. The City also provides space for farmers’ markets and is looking at its public spaces for opportunities for local vendors to sell their produce. “A big thrust here is for us to help make it possible for people to have access to good food,” says Squires. “We have a number of small producers who are doing this to generate an income, but they are also trying to provide lower cost organic food to a broader population.”

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While Nelson is in the early stages of food security regulatory changes, it stands out for its community values in the area of social justice. There is a strong community-based push to ensure everyone has access to healthy food – regardless of income. Community groups are rallying together to identify barriers and develop workable solutions, and the City is attending the local grassroots planning sessions to see how it can provide support. A recent workshop hosted by Nelson’s Food Cupboard involved local food producers and farmers from outside of town, government representatives, food banks and social services organizations like the Salvation Army and school lunch programs. Together, they developed a list of gaps that hinder people’s ability to access healthy food. “I think this workshop was the first collaborative attempt to address food security where the City is now involved,” says Squires. “Nelson residents share a strong community value around access to food and social justice where people are treated well and with compassion in our community. We’re looking for ways that we can play an active role to respond to and support these community values.” Whether food security initiatives stem from community actions or local government initiatives, it is evident this growing trend will result in expanded local food production and community resiliency across the province. With food being essential to quality of life and sustainable communities, a reliable access to healthy food is definitely a growing imperative that benefits everyone. ❖

SAVE THE DATE! BC Municipal Occupational Health & Safety Conference Whistler, BC - June 14-16, 2015

HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING a wide variety of courses offered onsite and online Benefits of onsite courses include: we send our instructors to you; face to face interaction; hands on demonstrations and activities; scheduled to fit your organization's needs; content can be tailored to fit your organization's existing materials Benefits of online training include: convenient • relevant • immediate • affordable

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION (COR) PROGRAM CONTACT US Cathy Cook, Executive Director P: 778-278-3486 F: 778-278-0029 E: ccook@bcmsa.ca www.bcmsa.ca

Music At Work In Your Organization The most immediate way to sense the value of music to your business is to imagine your business without it. And SOCAN customers, tens of thousands across Canada, consider music so integral to their business that it’s part of their brand – as important as décor.

There are currently 24 different SOCAN tariffs to accommodate the many different uses of music. Some of the most common ones for recreational facilities are:

Here is a brief explanation of why you, as an owner or operator, require a performing rights licence when you use copyrightprotected music in your facility. That’s where SOCAN comes in.

Skating Rinks – Tariff 7

SOCAN stands for Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. We ensure that music creators and their publishers get paid for the communication to the public and public performance of their music. SOCAN does this by granting performing rights licences to businesses and individuals publicly playing or broadcasting live or recorded music. SOCAN will grant such a licence, allowing you access to virtually the world’s entire repertoire of copyright-protected music, when the applicable licence fees are paid. These fees are based on tariff rates set by the Copyright Board of Canada.

Where admission is charged annual fee is 1.2% of gross receipts. Where no admission is charged annual fee is $104.31.

Rental Functions Where Either Live or Recorded Music is Used – Tariff 8 This tariff pertains to banquet facilities, meeting rooms, reception areas, etc. This is NOT an annual fee tariff, but rather is charged per event, and the fee is calculated based on the capacity of the room and whether or not dancing is part of the function.

Sports Events – Tariff 9 Fee per event is .1% of gross receipts from ticket sales or, where no admission is charged, $5 per event.

Recorded Background Music (not for dancing) – Tariff 15.A

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• Media relations & interviews

If you use recorded music in your dining area(s), bar(s), or lobby area, the annual fee is 11.46 cents per square foot of the public area (customer-used, not kitchen or storage).

• Presentation skills

Music on Hold over Your Telephone System – Tariff 15.B

• Communication & consultation planning

The annual fee is $94.51 for your initial trunk line and $2.09 for each additional trunk line. A trunk line is a line that connects to the public/outside phone system.

Training to help your team become confident communicators!

• Communication policy development

For Tariffs 15.A and 15.B, if you contract with a music supplier that is licensed by SOCAN, the licence fee for that use is covered in what you pay for the service.

Fitness Activities – Tariff 19 The annual fee is based on the average number of participants per week per room multiplied by $2.14 (minimum fee of $64.00 per room).

Recreational Facilities – Tariff 21 The licence fee is $185.07 as long as the gross revenues from events covered by this tariff do not exceed $15, 422.88 in the year covered by the licence. For full details on SOCAN and its tariffs, visit www.socan.ca. If you have further questions, please contact 1-866-944-6223 or servicelicence@socan.ca. – Provided by Vic Gailiunas, Industry Relations Executive

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Our Members in the Spotlight

Jeff Mitton Deputy Approving Officer and Supervisor of Land Development, City of Victoria Dedicated local government professional with extensive experience in engineering, transportation and land development over his 35 years with the City of Victoria. Member and Chair of the Approving Officer Committee since 2007, he has led the annual Approving Officer workshop and supported the development and updating of the Guide for Approving Officers. LGMA legacy as a creator, mentor and presenter for the MATI School for Statutory Approving Officers benefitting more than 200 of his peers (so far). Coffee aficionado, eclectic music lover, and intrepid traveller and co-gardener with his partner (Cindy). Self-taught artist who amazes people with his drawings, paintings and even needlework! Loving father, described by his daughter (Sinead) as gentle and hilarious, with an incredibly generous heart, who wants everyone to have a chance to make their own choices.

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MEMBER MOVEMENT Stephen Banmen, General Manager, Finance, Regional District of North Okanagan (Formerly Chief Financial Officer & Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, District of Lake Country) Heather Bradfield, Director, Legal & Bylaw Services, City of Coquitlam (Formerly City Solicitor, City of Coquitlam) Sheena Fraser, Manager of Corporate & Legislative Services, Village of Pemberton (Formerly Manager of Administration, Village of Pemberton) Nikki Gilmore, Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Pemberton (Formerly Chief Financial Officer, Village of Pemberton) Mandy Koonts, Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Lions Bay (Formerly Office Coordinator, Village of Lions Bay) Paige MacWilliam, Legislative Assistant, Village of Pemberton (Formerly Research & Information Officer, CivicInfo BC) Melisa Miles, Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Silverton (Formerly Administrative Assistant, Village of Silverton) Charlene Pawluk, Manager of Legislative Services, District of Squamish (Formerly Deputy Clerk, District of Squamish) Bob Payette, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Port Edward (Formerly Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Irricana AB)

Briana Pellegrino, Human Resources Advisor, City of Terrace (Formerly Executive Assistant Human Resources Advisor, City of Terrace)

April 15-17, 2015 Administrative Professionals Conference Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa, Victoria

Peter Weeber, Chief Administrative Officer, District of MacKenzie (Formerly Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Queen Charlotte)

April 26-May 1, 2015 MATI Advanced Communication Skills (CAPU/LGMA) Bowen Island

Andrew Young, Corporate Officer & Planner, Village of Valemount (Formerly Manager of Community Planning, UBC)

RETIREMENTS Ron Bedard, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Port Edward Tom Day, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Summerland

LGMA PROGRAMS & EVENTS January 27, 2015 Showing Accountability & Results (LGMA/GFOA) Coast Bastion, Nanaimo January 29 , 2015 Showing Accountability & Results (LGMA/GFOA) Delta Grand Hotel, Kelowna February 24, 26, March 3, 5, 2015 Webinar* - Financial webinar with Nancy Gomerich

May 24-29, 2015 MATI Managing People (CAPU/LGMA) Bowen Island June 15, 2015 Pre-conference workshops - Annual Conference Civic Centre, Prince George June 16-18, 2015 Annual Conference Civic Centre, Prince George

March 2016 MATI Community Planning in Local Government Organizations Lake Okanagan Resort

RELATED ORGANIZATIONS PROGRAMS & EVENTS March 4-6, 2015 Local Government Administration Association of Alberta Annual Conference & Tradeshow Red Deer, AB April 7-9, 2015 NCLGMA Annual General Meeting and Conference Ramada Hotel, Prince George

June 21-26, 2015 MATI Leadership (CAPU/LGMA) Bowen Island

September 9-11, 2015 Alberta Rural Municipal Administratorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (ARMAA) Annual Conference Wetaskiwin, AB

August 9-14, 2015 MATI Foundations University of Victoria, Victoria

September 16-18, 2015 TOLGMA Annual Conference Vernon

September 11-13, 2015 Fire Services Pilot Program Vancouver Island Location TBC

September 27-30, 2015 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference Seattle, WA

October 4-9, 2015 MATI The Successful CAO (CAPU/ LGMA) Lake Okanagan Resort, Kelowna

September 21-25, 2015 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Annual Convention Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver

February 25-27, 2015 CAO Forum River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond

October 14-16, 2015 Clerks and Corporate Officers Forum Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport, Richmond

April 10-12, 2015 Fire Services Pilot Program Kootenays Location TBC

October 18-23, 2015 MATI School for Statutory Approving Officers South Thompson Inn, Kamloops

* Available at: www.lgma.ca > Programs & Events > Programs > Workshops and Webinars

Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government

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OUR TOWN: BOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPALITY Picture this: A magical moment of hundreds of people of all ages, on a dark December night, parading down their main street carrying homemade lanterns that they made in a community workshop the weekend before. As they make their way down towards the cove, the buildings are lit up with colourful lights, the community choir is singing festive carols, and local community groups are serving up warm hot chocolate and mulled wine while the children wait for Santa to arrive on his fully decorated water taxi. Light Up Bowen is just one of the many local events that occur on Bowen Island every year bringing the community together to celebrate where we live. Back in the early 1900s, Bowen Island established itself as “Vancouver’s playground.” With its close proximity to the mainland, it was a quick and easy getaway by boat for a day full of adventures. The Union Steamship Company would bring people over from the mainland for a day of picnicking, hiking or camping. Gradually, instead of coming over for the day, people decided to stay and make Bowen Island their home. With a permanent population of approximately 3,500, Bowen Island has become an incredible locale for the active and artistic at heart. The community is provided with opportunities that embrace the natural outdoors and showcase the wealth of creativity that exists. Canada Day, Steamship Days, Bowfest and many other community events offer children, youth, adults and seniors occasions to come together to appreciate all that Bowen has to offer. There is no shortage of things to do on the island throughout the year. With fantastic restaurants to frequent, unique shops, a huge array of recreation and cultural programs and activities, and the many volunteer opportunities that exist, our community is one that is truly engaged. When I arrived here 12 years ago with my young family in tow, I knew that we had arrived at somewhere special. Having grown up just across the water in North Vancouver, our move to Bowen allowed me to still feel connected to the bustle of the city, but we could be just far enough away to escape and slow down the pace.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION Board of Examiners The following local government employee has been recognized for his education and work experience in the local government field, and is being awarded the following Certificate by the Board of Examiners: Certificate in Local Government Executive Management: • Paul Thorkelsson, CAO, Regional District of Nanaimo

Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government

Bowen Island established itself as “Vancouver’s playground” in the early 1900s.

Working in the public recreation field my whole life, moving to Bowen was a dream. The fantastic trail systems through Crippen Park and around Killarney Lake provided that strong connection to nature, while the opportunity to sit and have coffee, shop and connect with people at Artisan Square allowed me to become a part of the community. Fortunately, having the opportunity to work for the Municipality on Bowen Island has helped me connect and appreciate on a much deeper level all that Bowen Christine Walker has to offer. Not just in the way of environment and activities, but also in the wealth of knowledge and passion people are willing to share and contribute to our island community. The history of “The Happy Isle” remains an important part of how the community functions today and will continue to play an important role in our future. – Christine Walker, Manager of Recreation and Community Services, Bowen Island Municipality

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LIDSTONE & COMPANY Local Government Lawyers Lidstone & Company: part of your team, your creative solution, your security and your effectiveness in every area of local government law. Contact us at lidstone@lidstone.info

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