How about now?
>> Okay. I'd like to call this regular
council meeting of Monday, July 27th,
2026 to order. I'm the acting mayor for
the month of July. Um, Mayor Leonard may
or may not be able to join us depending
on where where he is on his vacation.
And um
so the as we open the meeting, I'd like
to acknowledge with gratitude that we
live and work on the traditional
unseated territory of the Squamish
nation whose people have been stewards
of these lands and waters surrounding
Nqualikum Bone Island. Um and be do you
want to make a few comments before we
approve the agenda?
>> Um I did if you wouldn't mind the
opportunity.
>> Yeah.
>> Thank you. I just um I'm Kristen Watson.
I'm the acting CEO for Bowen Island
Municipality. I just wanted to take this
opportunity to thank staff, thank
council. We had a very um significant
interruption in our last council
meeting. It arose from a situation where
um some nefarious players entered our
online council meeting and chose to um
expose themselves on live uh YouTube
which uh resulted in the fact that our
council meeting uh was taken down
immediately by YouTube. They canled our
account for a short time until we were
able to successfully get it back. Uh I
just wanted to thank the public for the
opport for the um understanding of our
new uh meeting registration procedures
which are requiring that people register
in advance in order to keep our future
meetings secure and not have a
reoccurrence of that event. So, I just
wanted to dispel any rumors or about
what happened there, but certainly it
was uh beyond the control of staff,
beyond the control of uh uh council, and
I just wanted to thank everybody for
their understanding going forward with
our new meeting registration procedure.
So, thank you very much.
>> So, you mean that you need to be
registered online in order to speak
online? Is that what you're trying to
say?
>> Yes, that's correct. If you want to
participate online and you want to
speak, you'll have to re uh register in
advance for the new meeting.
>> So, I think the new instructions are up
with the um council agenda when it gets
posted.
>> That's correct. Okay. All right. So, if
anybody is online and wanting to um
register to speak, they're going to have
to follow through the new processes for
this particular meeting. Thank you.
Okay. All right.
So I forgot to introduce the council
members that are sitting here at the
table. So we have councelor Su Ellen
Fast, councelor Judy Getty, our uh
acting CEO and CFO
Chris Watson, uh Sophia Inda, our
corporate officer, Tim Wake, counselor
Tim Wakeake, and counselor John
Saunders. Thank you. Okay, approval of
the agenda. Is there any late items,
Sophie?
Uh there are several on table items uh
this afternoon. First is 7.1A
correspondence from neighbors of 1639
and 1658 Mount Gardner Road. Uh in
relation to item 7.2 there is a replaced
attachment to the staff report and that
is the amended islands trust policy
checklist. Item 7.2E
new correspondence from Heather Miller.
7.2F 2F new correspondence from an
Frankfare Shalot.
Can I have a motion for approval of the
agenda, please? As amended.
Thank you. And a seconder, Judy. Um, all
in favor?
>> Oh, sorry.
>> I just We just heard from Alex. He's
wait he's in the waiting room.
Uh,
sorry I don't.
Steph, do you have um councelor
Jurgensson in the waiting room?
» He sent a text indicator and that's
where he is.
>> Oh, I wonder if he went through the
registration process.
» Uh, so just to note, our deputy
corporate officer is here. uh assisting
>> our our deputy corporate officer is here
assisting with the um with the Zoom
meeting.
>> Unfortunately, we don't have councelor
Jurgensson in the waiting room. So, I'm
not sure.
» Uh so, we'll just let um staff work on
that with councelor Jurgensson.
So, are we okay to go ahead with public
comments then?
Okay, let's uh do we have any public
comment? I think we might have one. We
do.
Uh we actually have three this
afternoon.
And the first one is uh Rob Perie, but I
don't see him online either.
Um so maybe we can skip to the people
who are here. Uh so that's an Frank
defer.
So I'm going to read the letter that I
sent and is part of your you know
whatever it was on table package. Your
worship and counselors first I would
like to apologize for being so late at
giving you my fe feedback about item 272
on today's agenda.
On May 26, I provided you with a report
titled The Future of the Riley's
Heritage Apple Orchard. It gives a
detailed description of the orchard, its
creation, history,
maintenance notes, ulticultural notes,
and the conclusion is as follow. I
quote, "It is evident that the Ry's
heritage apple orchard needs to be
preserved. Any potential solution has to
take into account the legacy that led to
the creation of this unique and
extraordinary treasure. And so a proper
perpetual conservation covenant is
needed. Such a perpetual conservation
covenant has to fulfill two
requirements.
The Riley's Heritage Apple Orchard has
to be integrated into a land trust that
will monitor the orchard twice or three
times annually and provide BIM with
assessments of the health and
maintenance of the orchard.
Two, the horicultural maintenance has to
be tailored to this particular heritage
orchard as practiced by the Whan
community orchard. The Whan community
orchard h have the expertise to give
guidance for the preservation of the
Riley's Heritage Apple Orchard. The
purpose is to allow for the production
of apples at a rate where the health of
the trees is preserved for a long time.
Espalade apple trees are known for
exceptionally long longe longevity
sometimes even exceeding
50 years. This is in complete
contradiction to Mr. Pertie's assession
of apple trees living only 30 years. The
challenge appears to be the write up of
such a perpetual conservation covenant
that will assure that the orchard will
be constantly maintained to prevent the
decline [clears throat]
to prevent the decline and well into the
future in order to preserve this unique
and extra generate born island treasure.
Thank you.
» Uh thank you. Next on the list, we have
Margaret Underh Hill.
» Thank you. This is about 620 Laura Road,
of course. Um and as we reported to
council in May when the neighbors
discussed with Rob Perie in May about
the concept of um the resoning proposal,
we were reluctantly agreed with with the
resoning proposal with restrictions on
the retail and picnic area size and a
conservation covenant to protect the
orchard. The relationship of the cery to
the heritage orchard has been emphasized
by applicants and councils for five and
a half years. The latest wrinkle, the
proposal to change the cidery definition
again after five and a half years of the
existing definition would not require
any on-site apple input. What effect
will this have on a conservation
covenant and the future of the heritage
orchard? If this proposal was in a
letter dated July 21st, as indicated in
Mr. Martin's report the same date as the
applicant's submission to the APC. Why
wasn't this proposal re revealed to the
APC? A lot of their discussion was about
the percentage of apples required from
the 620 property. The planner's
presentation at the APC meeting still
showed the original cery definition made
no mention of a new proposal. This is
disturbing at this advanced stage of the
process. Thank you very much.
Thank you. That it [clears throat]
>> uh unfortunately I don't see uh Rob
Pretty online either. So um I guess we
move on.
>> Okay, we'll move on to delegations.
And our first delegation is an electric
vehicle charger upgrade project for the
library in the community center. We have
representatives from BC Hydro. Is this
Phil Garber? Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Uh first off, thanks so much for having
us. Um my name is Philip Garber. I'm
with BC Hydro's EV charging program and
joined by Sabrina Lux Cisero, our
community relations manager for Bone
Island. Um, so we
approached um,
Kirsten Watson and staff u a few I guess
a couple months ago to pick up uh, a
development that we had well a couple of
years ago where we first explored um,
installing some charging infrastructure.
So I wonder I I did provide some pres
the presentation um if if that is
available.
>> Just um hang on a minute while we
>> Can you get that up Sophie?
>> So I can while while we pull that up um
I can speak to our program first um the
EV PC hydro public charging program.
it's its mandate, it's its mission, its
goal, and it's kind of the
>> the phase that in the development of the
program we're at right now. And then
come to to Bowen Island as well. Um what
we are essentially are offered to to the
community of Bowen Island. So BC Hydro's
been in the public EV charging space for
over a decade now. One one of the first
networks and longest standing networks
in North America. Uh it started with a
site in Animo and Cam Loops and a few
others. And over the last few years,
it's really grown and evolved to become
a real uh a backbone really to to EV
electric vehicle travelers in in the
province. So we in 2024
uh concluded construction of the
electric highway, BC's electric highway,
which essentially connected
folks in the entire province. You you
could feasibly travel from Victoria to
the Yukon border or to Alberta. um
with a charger every 150 kilometers or
so and and BC Hydro contributed to that.
We can move along a couple of slides
here um and to the next slide here. This
is just kind of an overview of where the
charger the sites are. So to date we
operate 190 sites almost a little over
900 charging ports across the province
and the electric highway the mandate was
make sure that it's doable driving
across the province. So uh a
geographically geographically connected
corridor that meant that communities
like Bowen Island were close enough to
feasibly to to let's say a charger on
the Northshore to not necessarily be
prescribed that we build a charge site
here. We didn't have that opportunity
under that buildout. Uh now just last
week the province announced a an
expanded mandate for BC Hydra's charging
program to grow this network from 900
ports to 3,500 ports. Uh a quadruple
almost quadrupling at least a tripling
um a major major investment
provincewide. And that allowed us to
revisit communities like Bowen Island
where that we had on our kind of on our
higher priority list where we say, "Hey,
it is it is a community that has
electric vehicles. It is an a sign
sizable stock. It is a community that
has a sizable um visitor traffic too.
Even even today, I was surprised how
busy that ferry was on Monday morning."
Um turns out I shouldn't be. Um, so
that's that's kind of where we're coming
to in the next evolution of our program.
So if we click click to the next slide,
um, it it should speak to or illustrate
what some of our sites look like. Our
classic branding, uh, equipment gets
better every year. If we go to the next
slide, it should tell us kind of what we
look for in a site. So we have
requirements put on us by the regulator
BC utilities commission requirements put
on us by our funding partners that's the
federal NRCAN program and the provincial
clean BC program those include 247 365
unrestricted access uh they include a
minimum number of chargers which is now
a minimum number of two chargers in our
case that's four charging stalls four
charging ports they include um
requirements for accessibility. So you
see in that picture, this is a site in
at a at a the Suriri Art Center at Berry
Creek Park. You can see an accessibility
lane and wheelchair accessible. We've
actually worked with manufacturers to
make sure the the screen is a at an
appropriate level as as a major
purchaser of this kind of equipment.
We've been able to to work with
manufacturers on that. So it is uh those
are some of the requirements. A 10-year
location commitment is also a
requirement that we have from our
funding partners and we do um all that
in mind we we come to communities saying
this is what we need to make an
investment. Um we understand the context
here that land is scars especially in
hightra areas where the amenities are.
So this is an offer we'd like to make.
Right. So we if we go to the next slide
um we
one of the benefits of working with us
is that PC hydro carries the entirety of
the capital and operational costs
related to the site to to the chargers.
So it is a sizable investment to install
the service connection, the transformer
infrastructure, the chargers themselves,
and maintain the chargers so that if
there's one of the two chargers goes
down, which happens not that often, but
it does happen, you have to plan for it.
Um, we bring crews out to to to repair
those. Now the typically the site host
partner will maintain the stalls the way
they already maintain the stalls today.
So,
it's nothing above and beyond on the
site host partner. That would be what
we're offering here is the the
municipality and we could provide some
information, some data on how many users
there's been per per month or per year
for your own reporting, your own goals.
Um, so
all that said, I think I have some
slides on the locations we looked at.
So, this is what the charges look like.
40 cents a kilowatt hour, 180 kilow. So
what that means a full like a a car will
now be able to charge in 20 30 minutes
or average charge is 30 minutes. A top
up can be 15 minutes sometimes 45
minutes depending on this how empty the
tank is and essentially and how big the
battery is the tank is. Um so that's a
significant upgrade from the flow
chargers that are currently in place at
your sites.
And if we click along do we have is it
in the same presentation? Yes. So
we looked at a few sites
um working with the municipality and
again
we absolutely know that parking is
scarce. We we understand that. So what
we came to is are looking to offer is
building the site at at the library site
property. So you currently have two
level two chargers, two stalls dedicated
to EVs. With the accessible stall, that
would unfortunately turn into five from
two to five. Um my understanding that's
probably the biggest hurdle is to to
overcome that. Um
we looked at a few other sites and I can
speak to those too. But in terms of the
our requirements to as mentioned before
with the accessibility with with the
safety with um keeping the construction
costs feasible as well is is is critical
because we we do have to stretch these
investment dollars that we have across
the entire province. So we have metrics
to hit and on a small site those are
kind of tough to hit. So, uh, this is
where we're offering and and if council
and community are supportive, we can
look to build that this winter um before
next summer.
If council and community would like to
deliberate further or say maybe let's uh come back another time, we can
come back another time, but I can't
speak to how quickly we can slot that
into the construction schedule because
again, come summer, we we can build in
the whole province. We need to build
sites elsewhere in the province when
there's no snow on the ground.
So that's
I I'll leave it with this and and
welcome uh questions and feedback and
comments.
>> Councelor Saunders,
>> thank you. Thanks for showing us. I um
you said you looked at sites or
>> what other sites did you look at? Yeah.
So, we we when we first started
screening two years ago, um we uh worked
with with the CEO at the time um to
explore different areas in the in the on
the island and quickly narrow aligned
that Snug Cove would be the place to
make sense because this is where traffic
everyone comes through here, right?
Also, when there's a power outage is
Snug Cove is usually
less affected than the rest of the
island, right? as you would know better
than I do. Um,
so sites that we looked at were
municipally owned. So this is one.
Another one is right out front of here.
Um, that at the municipal hall, we we
costed that out. Uh, significant
additional cost related to to this site
here. And my understanding and speaking
with council gate gate Getty
>> is that these stalls here are even more
um constrained or more popular than down
by the library.
>> Uh so in terms of I we also explored an
early stage two years ago the artisan
square. Um,
however,
I mean, it's it's
technically probably most sites are
doable. It's the way the layout is
there, you understand, is is less
efficient here. Here's five stalls for
four ports. There it might be seven or
eight stalls for four ports because we
have to place all the equipment and in
the parking stalls here, we have some
green space to place the equipment. Um,
>> this is this is the best option. This is the the the least
>> difficult option. Yeah. [laughter]
» Municipally owned option.
>> Anybody else got any questions?
Councelor Fast,
>> thank you. I'm um I'm wondering if we
have um data from the flow stalls and I
don't know if this is a question for mo
municipal staff or whether you know but
the um uh I'm wondering if those
existing stalls which I gather are
slower charging uh how what's the use
pattern there? Are they being used or
are people sort of squatting in them and
pretending to charge? I wonder
um through the marriage and counselor
fast. Uh certainly we can um pull the
data that's available from flow um from
the corporation themselves that's
accessible to us. can see what kind of
statistics we can get from that. And uh
we can also have a chat with bylaw to
see what kinds of tickets may have been
issued for violations of parking and not
being um an EV parking in the EV stall.
So um I can certainly request that data
from staff and get back to you at a
later council meeting in September.
>> Thank you. because I'm I'm wondering
about the need and uh what data we might
have uh about those and uh I think you
know [clears throat]
I'm just do we want to attract more
cars? I saw in your uh slide deck the words more sustainable future and um
Bowen has been heading towards that
direction as well obviously uh
partly by not trying to attract more
vehicles here. However, I'm uh I think
this is a great offer to explore. Do you
do bike charging? because we have two um
bike sheds down at the uh at the public
warf that are set up to perhaps at some
point charge bicycles.
>> At at the current point, our program
focuses on cars and larger vehicles than
that. Um
>> Okay. Thank you,
>> Councelor Saunders.
>> Thank you to the chair. Just one more
thing. when you uh in your presentation
you indicated you know there's budget
and a plan to move ahead with a bunch
you know another 2500 or whatever it was
and we'd certainly be considered and
then you said um to be done next you
know next spring or during the winter
ready for next summer
which implies to me there's a deadline
here and you didn't indicate what that
meant what do you need if we were to say
yeah this is a great plan we want to do
it What's our time frame?
>> Yeah, it's tighter than I'd like. Um,
especially considering just how involved
the community seems to be here. Um, I
would need to we would need to move this
into detail design by the end of this
month. So,
>> next week
>> I would need to come out from this
presentation and from this conversation
with you and and have strong confidence
that that there will be support to move
forward. If not, we we look our
program's going to be around. We don't
want to say this is it's this or never
going to happen, right? Our programs
around. PC Hydro is around. We don't go
anywhere. Um
we I mean the hydro just bought invested
in the community here. So it's it's
we can come back, we can have another
conversation. Um
we'll slot it in at a later time. So
strong confidence means a motion from
council or like an a past motion from
council or just listening to our
response here. You go, "No, I think
they're going to do it."
>> No, I a motion would be great. Yeah.
>> Yeah. And if that's not realistic,
that's fair. That's totally fair.
Usually timelines aren't this tight by
any means.
>> Thank you.
>> I understand that. Councelor
>> We thank you through the chair. Um,
following up on council fast question.
So, currently we have just uh level two
chargers and they take hours. Um, and a
lot of people who have EVs on Bowen have
their own level two chargers at home.
I'm just wondering if it would make it
more sense and safe some parking stalls
if we just had fast chargers there and maybe the numbers that we're going
to get will show us how much those have
actually been utilized.
>> Yeah. So the the the proposal here would
actually free up those level two
chargers, municipally owned level two
chargers to be deployed elsewhere. There
will be only two fast charges down
there. Four that could charge four
vehicles at once.
>> Oh, I see. Okay. Thank you,
>> Council Getty.
>> So, um council was given an invitation
to meet up with Mr. Gerber and um
earlier this morning. So, um I took
advantage of that with the um the li the
chief librarian and um we talked about
uh how basically the the from BC Hydro's
point of view the the space by the and
correct me if I'm wrong on this. Okay,
summarizing but I remember um that it's
almost shovel ready so that uh we don't
have the detailed plans but we can get
into that process if if we agree on um
the library and we talked about um the
real estate being at uh and parking
spaces being so difficult in the cove
and that that's not getting any better
and we haven't been able to figure out
other spaces that we might be able to um
use as uh some sort of municipal
government leverage to get more space.
Um, and the um
I'm sorry, I'm forgetting the
librarian's name.
>> Thank you. Um, she suggested u
possibility of the lot that's below the
general store, which means a whole lot
of negotiating and contacts with other
people, but I didn't think it would be
that difficult to um have have those
conversations. that that was an area
that um we were we had a lot of good
reception from the the owners of that
property. So that's one possibility um
that is only just come onto the radar so
that there's no even preliminary um
discussions but we did a walkound and
there's potential for getting power into
it and potential space and um you know
it might it might be feasible. Um
there's the problems with the artisan
square is that the areas that are
parallel parking there's a cliff behind
it. So it's very very difficult in terms
of providing all the um requirements in
terms of what VC Hydro wants. Um,
there's the fire hall, but that's too
far away and it's not around the
amenities and it's quite isolated. And
there's other parts on the the west side
that were looked at earlier two years
ago that uh basically are are don't fit
the requirements in terms of being on
the other side of the world and not
having any of the amenities that uh we
might get in 10 years. And the other
thing is that if this if we I think the
decision today from my perspective is
are we gung-ho and we want to um push
this um amenity at the library or do we
think about things and come up with some
other plans because the the program
isn't going away. the funding is like to
stay the same or increase and um you
know
do we want more options um and not that
they're necessarily going to be
available but do we want to look at them
so um it you know it might be a
disappointment but I don't think we're
losing the opportunity so
thought I'd put all that on the table
fair enough
>> so I just had a couple for first round
and then um I I was wondering if you had
looked at the area up by um on Dorman
Road by Village Square. There's par
angle parking there and that's where the
main line comes in. Um cuz I'm the
library is already well used and
overused and not able to get into most
days, especially when the library is
open. So, um I'd be concerned about
taking away another two spots.
Um,
and do you have to have the two together
or could you do two in one one charger
in one place and one charger in another
place? And then my last question I guess
is this isn't on the agenda for
discussion today and we don't normally
pass motions with delegations. So it
would be and we're not going to meet
again until September. So if we were to
discuss it in a meeting in September, is
that too late for your time frame?
>> Yeah. So the September question is if we
want to build it this winter. September
is too late. Uh however if you don't if
I'm sure you can reach me by email too
or we can set up a call later this week
either with some folks or or or you can
debrief with the CEO with staff and and
get back to us that way too. I mean I
get that having the sprung on to you is
Yeah. No, I I get it. You want a ton to
deliberate. So that's one two. Uh the
question is one and one split them up.
Unfortunately that's not an option
because it [snorts] doubles the
construction cost which is most of the
cost of this
>> construction and design and three
village square to me is would be
something new to look at. Uh angle
parking
is from experience from an organization
that's run 190 sites. angled parking is
not great because uh EVs have their
ports, their charging ports or their fuel tanks on various sides and
they might back in an angled area which
don't back in an angle stall is there
signs exist for a reason. Um it it just
causes traffic headaches. We've done it.
We have those sites. They're not great.
They exist. You can do it, but they're
not good.
>> Okay. And um if we didn't go ahead now,
we're not saying goodbye forever to the
opportunity.
>> Absolutely.
>> Um Councelor Jurgensson, I believe, has
um some questions.
» Low audio unmuted.
>> Yes. Thank you, uh Council Morris. Um
through the chair.
Um, so if I understand correctly, the
accessibility features that you uh
mentioned on this are uh wheelchair
height. Is that correct?
>> That's right.
>> Is there any other accessibility
features that have been included uh on
these modules?
>> It's more it's more around the site
design, right? Making [clears throat]
sure every that our sites that are paved
is a big one, right? Gravel and
wheelchairs is can be challenging. Um
that's one. two is how we space the
ballards to make sure that they're a
little wider apart.
>> Name is changed to counselor Alex
Jurgensson.
the the the the charger.
>> I'd have to go back to to and look at
exactly what other specs we incorporated
or or already are incorporated, but
essentially we've worked with the
manufacturers, the the access the adv
advocacy groups and and to make sure
everything's aligned and and we meet certain features
or requirements.
>> Thank you. Um and also my second
question is
do you have um an idea of when if we
don't go forward this winter when we
might be able to uh have another
opportunity or is it just kind of
rolling opportunity?
>> It's a rolling opportunity. It's I'll
say when this pro announcement was made
last week right for the the program to
be scaled up internally we've been
working towards that for the last few
months. So we looked at various looked
at our pipeline and said which sites
could we build this winter right because
to to to make them happen and Bone
Island was on that list um going forward
it's a rolling intake. So if we align on
something in November then we look at
when probably the following winter would
be my guess. If if and if following if
all construction slots are taken then it
might be the next winter. So, it's it's
not like it's never we're here until
mandates change again, but [laughter]
we're here. BC Hydro is here.
>> Okay. Councelor Fast, you had a second
question. Yeah, thank you. Um, and this
sort of follows on uh Councelor
Jurgensson's question, but I I'm looking
at the um drawing for the hydro
proposal, and it looks like it would be
adding another pole to the multi-use
pathway.
>> That's right. in in line with the other
polls
>> with in line with the other polls. But
okay, it's another poll in the multi-use
pathway. All right. And I'm glad to hear
about um uh the program not going away
and uh hope so
>> because I think it is one of the roots
towards a sustainable future. Um I will
note that Bowen rarely has snow in the
winter. So if you have any cancellations
maybe you could um fit but I would love
to see the data and I I wouldn't uh I
think it's very complex you know the the
cove and how many multiple uses
including ferry marshalling and the uh p
passenger drop off and the um buses and
everything that's concentrated in that
uh small area. would there I'd like to
think about whether the buses could be
included in electrification, you know,
um looking further down the uh um down
the way and uh so I'm
thank you for coming with your ideas.
I'm I'm excited about the possibilities.
I'd like to think about it a bit more
and have some more information and hear
from the library board and or the
library too. Thank you.
>> Absolutely.
Any more questions? So, thank you very
much for your presentation and we'll be
adding it to an agenda item for
discussion at a council future council
meeting when we read come back to again
after our August break.
>> Okay. Thanks so much. Thanks for the
opportunity.
>> Thank you.
» Okay. Who's next?
» And we've got the Hearth delegation
next.
ready.
>> Okay. Uh, good afternoon to Mayor and
Council and thank you for welcoming us
to present today. I'm Samantha Brett.
I'm the programming and production
manager for the hearth arts and I'm
joined by Gail Lutenberg who is what are
your are your full
>> chair of the performing arts committee
um the hearth arts on Bowen through the
efforts of our performing arts committee
which we refer to as the pack is
celebrating the first full year of the
hearth arts on Bowen present series at
the Bowen theater. This work has been
done with the support of the Bone Island
Municipality and a very large group of
volunteers who have contributed their
time and resources to this inaugural
program. Our goal is to build on the
success of this first year both
programmatically and financially as we
look towards the 2627 season. We intend
to increase both earned revenue and
fundraising revenue over the next 12
months to largely offset the expense of
the programming and production manager
position while we maintain a strong
community focus and accessible
programming. Uh in accordance with the
conditional grant agreement, the hearth
arts is providing our third and final
report today. The purpose of this report
is to fulfill the reporting requirements
um in person as we are. Uh we want to
talk to you a little bit about
programming and community impact. Uh we
uh specifically the arts survey summary.
We have a brief financial overview for
you today for our 2526 fiscal year.
We've got a grant update for you today
and we have some miscellaneous updates
on technical committee and concession
plans. And of course, finally, we are
requesting continued funding for the
programming and production manager
position.
>> So, I'll take over from there and start
by talking a little bit about
programming and community impact.
Starting with the 20 2526 season um
which ended in June, the Hearth Arts on
Bowen proudly showcased a wide variety
of music and dance as the presenter and
also as a co-production partner. Over
1,200 guests attended performances and
represented a wide range of the island
community. And as an independent artist,
I created a community work entitled Come
Dance with Me in conjunction with the
first year anniversary of this center.
And it was with a pleasure to create a
collaboration between BIM and the
Heartharts and myself to bring the piece
to the community. Plus, we were the
first beneficiaries of the community
discounted rental rate for the
presentation of indigenous dancer Alex
Wells. And together, these two events
offered meaningful and joyful free
experiences for the Bowen Island
community.
Upcoming programming for the 2026 27th
season. It's always hard to decide
whether we start in July or we start in
September. So, I'll just start this one
in July from a granting perspective. We
had a show this past weekend which was a
sellout show of Asanav
um a indigenous artist but very
contemporary indigenous artist from
Ontario. It was a soldout show and it's
a new concept um part of something
called our headliner series that
Samantha with um some members of the
performing arts committee have really
are are are bringing to bear. And the
idea is to bring big name acts at a
slightly higher ticket price so that we
might be able to provide surplus
revenues to support an annual local
showcase plus partial funding for the
programming and production manager
position. Up next in September will be
Dan Mangan, also part of that headliner
series, a very big name that we can
charge a higher um higher ticket price
and the tickets sold out in three hours
to give you an idea of the scale of this
person's recognition.
In October, we'll be having a show which
is a second co-production with Comedy
Underground, a local comedy space in
Vancouver. And this is that
co-production model, co-pro model where
we take almost no financial risk and we
create a partnership to bring uh work
from Vancouver to Bowen's uh theater. We
then have Marcus Mosley, a local R&B
sensation from Vancouver. He'll be on
stage in November and that that project
has funding already secured from
Creative BC. And then we go into our
2027 year, still part of the same
season, and we're going to launch our
first January show as a family show.
Last year, we didn't find the best date
in the fall in the spring. So, we're
going to try a a third weekend in
January, which on the docks around the
national programming can be a very good
weekend for family programming. So,
we're going to give it a try with a um
cause and effect circus act for families
called Luminarium. And then we have in
March a Canadian jazz pianist of huge
renown. His name is Michael Caseammer to
play and feature our grand piano.
In April, um Company 605, a contemporary
dance company out of Vancouver, but with
roots in urban dance. And the idea here
is to try and keep growing um an
audience development strategy for youth
to attend contemporary dance. We seem to
be doing really well with youth and so
we thought this might be a way of kind
of leveraging that interest and growing
it. Um we have the Aurora Piano Trio in
May and it's just an aside for those of
you who remember Victor Chan who lived
on Bowen for many many years. It's his
daughter who is the featured pianist of
that trio and one of the reasons why we
selected that company. And finally in
June, we'll end the season with in a
collaboration with Bowen Pride Society
to present That's Gay Comedy. So comedy,
but um with a a the pride theme.
We're currently in conversation with
larger Canadian artists um to round out
that season to fill out the headliner
season and some of them hopefully will
be from a national um this sort of
national scene and I'll talk more about
why that's relevant in a in a later in
the presentation.
Um so now together we're going to move
on to discuss the Bowen Island Art
Survey. It was the first attempt our
organization has ever undertaken to get
a read on our community's preferences
and um there were 30 I'm sorry 46 unique
respondents and we felt it was a
positive experience. Um the survey's
goal was to measure the success of our
year 1 theater programming our ongoing
visual arts work and our general
promotion and marketing of all arts
efforts on Bowen. We also saw were
seeking to identify barriers for
residents to participate in the arts and
encourage programming suggestions moving
forward.
Response to the survey was
overwhelmingly positive. Nearly all
respondents report having attended a
performance at the Bowen Theater and
intend to return. Music and theater are
the most frequently cited favorites,
followed closely by visual arts, dance,
festivals, and workshops. Many
respondents took the opportunity to
praise the current programming, while
others raised specific actionable
concerns around cost, timing,
transportation, and child care. So, I'll
jump in here as well. Um, council can
read u the feedback and the detailed
feedback um at your leisure. will say
that, you know, mostly support for what
we're doing is is what we got. Um, in
terms of I'd like to talk to barriers to
attendance. So, we're always mindful of
the cost. You know, as we look at a
headliner series where we will have a
more expensive ticket to bring larger
names, a series like that, uh, to Gail's
point, will support us to do things that
are more accessible, a more accessible
price tag so that we can offset our
costs to holding things here. Timing.
We've got um uh quite a few um uh mats
happening. So that helps to address that
as well as the transportation. Um child
care, we hear that, which is why we're
doing some family programming and
accessibility. I will point out that um
uh hearing and mobility was mentioned,
but one respondent specifically pray uh
praised the improved accessible parking,
which in conjunction with Lee from the
municipality, we took care of earlier
this season. So that was great. Um we
had notable concerns and suggestions.
Two respondents independently raised
privacy concerns about the survey um at
the last council presentation uh
requiring saying that requiring name and
email uh they were concerned that this
would discourage um honest or anonymous
participation and in response we were
able to immediately create an anonymous
survey option for the last week of the
survey. So we were glad we could address
that. Um we've also um received a couple
of requests for more diverse artistic
perspectives beyond Bowen or BCbased
artists. So, we're looking at that and
we did have a call for more emotionally
challenging or risk-taking programming
rather than safe content. So, what I can
tell you is that the hearth and the
performing arts committee are working
with all of these suggestions and
concerns um to improve access and
programming for everybody. So, um
overall for a first foray into a survey,
we're pretty pleased at the response
that we got and of course it's something
that we will do again at the appropriate
time. Um I'll move on here to give you a
little bit of a financial snapshot now
of the year. Um, Hearthart's fiscal year
runs July 1 through June 30th. We're
still in the process of reconciling this
fiscal year. Um, so the the figures that
you're seeing here were provided by our
finance person to me at the time that I
submitted this proposal two weeks ago to
council. As far as I know, they haven't
changed. Um, right now, this is about as
granular as the accounting gets. I will
tell you that we are working with our
accounting folks and um finance on our
board to uh change up our chart of
accounts so it's a little bit more
granular and we can actually really take
a look at sort of in and out of expenses
uh to do with the theater. So we're
making those changes now. They have been
approved by the finance folks on our
board. But for right now, you basically
can see that, you know, we broke even.
Uh we put a couple of thousand dollars
in the bank, which is great. Uh so we're
very pleased that the first year um
ended in uh ended in a little bit of a
surplus. Um I will point out
specifically two figures I've pulled for
you. Um total rental and custodial fees
paid to the Bowen Island municipality
were just over $6,000. This is from a
report that um uh Sienna Valley kindly
provided to me um from it's a receipt
audit report she provided on July 3rd.
So I'm taking the municipalities numbers
when it comes to that reporting. And I
will just also pull out the contract
marketing expenses. So, our marketing
manager not only works with Hearth
Productions, but as you all know,
because I'm sure you all get the
newsletters and see the posters and
whatnot, um we support and promote all
arts organizations on the island that
provide us with the content to do so.
our expenditure uh to support all of
those efforts was $9,000 um over the
course of the year.
um to add uh financial um revenue to our
season, we are involved in lots of grant
writing and um we have been successful
in three out of the four grants to which
we are um we've applied and are
eligible.
uh June 15th, we apply every year before
we even opened the Bowen the new
community center. We applied for our
first year of funding from BC Live and
we were successful which is why we were
able to put um shows on the stage in the
first season starting in April 20 24.
Did I get that 2025? Okay. Um and then
we received it again in um the the
following year and we've put in an
application what we'll hear in the fall.
But I think we're well um entrenched in
that program. I think we can um likely
will see success on an annual basis.
October 1st is the deadline for Creative
BC. We were successful in our first year
of application to that which was a
surprise to all of us. Not many grant,
not many arts organizations in British
Columbia have thought to apply to that
small little program with create
creative BC. And somehow we managed to
figure that one out and we're in. And
let's hope, fingers crossed, we'll be um
it will be an annual. And on October
15th, we applied to Canadian Heritage
for the first time. It took many um it
took a lot of steps to get to
eligibility for that. We did put in a
strong application, but it was denied.
And we spoke with the program officer
who told us that it is very rare for a
firsttime applicant to be accepted. They
were happy with the application except
that their only caveat was that they
felt we didn't have very much national
um um representation of artists. And so
that's something that's going to have to
go back to the performing arts committee
and to see how far we want to stray in
our programming. Not just not from
Bowen, but not from British Columbia. Do
we want to get into more national recog
um um more nationally recognized
artists, but it is a grant that could
bring a considerable revenue stream of
18,000 is what we applied for in our
first year. Um
we uh did receive our first um we
received just in this year alone in the
2526 season we received $19,000 as well
from the BC Arts Council and that was an
infrastructure grant the exact same
grant that bought the retractable
seating for the theater and it is a
grant um it was it was um infrastructure
purchased through a grant but became an
asset of the municipality. So that was
the um retractable seating and in this
year it was 19,000 for theater lighting
inventory that again is now um a
municipally owned asset.
Um I think that's all I need to present.
>> Yeah. Um I'll jump into miscellaneous
updates. So, uh, a couple of the other
things that we've worked on over the
course of the last year is we have a
technical committee and this is a group
of volunteers once again made up of some
BIM representatives. We have, um, Lee
Vincent and Doug Woods from the
municipality and then community members
who have technical expertise and
background. Um, they've formed uh they
formed a technical committee and so they
work on purchasing together, organizing
equipment, maintaining equipment, um,
running the equipment for the shows.
That is a paid thing, just so you're
aware. When we bring in the technicians,
they get paid for their time to work the
shows, which is great because they're
all Bowen based. So, um that's a revenue
generating thing for those folks. Um
they they've been working sort of
steadily as volunteers on um various um user manuals for the different
equipment that's in the theater. It's
quite complicated. I mean, the theater's
technical. There's a full lighting
system. There's a full sound system. So,
slowly but surely, they've been putting
it together. Um we have I have a
commitment from the committee that we're
going to meet as a group in late
September to complete that work on the
various so we've got a lighting manual
started we have sound manuals started
and we just have basic sort of user
manuals so someone coming into the
theater for the first time for example
we're developing the manuals that they
would use to be able to do basic
operations. Um so this is a resource
we're creating um alongside BIM but for
BIM and for the community that uses the
theater. So, I'm pleased to report that
we've got a date to get that work done.
Um, theater concession planning, this
has been the toughest nut to crack over
the last year. So, there's quite a bit
of challenges when it comes to
concession, but just to sum it up for
you, there just not a lot of money in
the concessions. Um, you know, by the
time you get if you're serving alcohol,
by the time you get a legal liquor
license, you get the insurance, etc., we've only made over the course of
the whole year about $500 in revenue,
and that's from multiple concessions.
So, um, staffing is a challenge.
Technology with, uh, because people
don't always bring cash, of course, they
want an e payment option. Um, lack of
ample storage to be able to to do stuff.
So, all of that said, that sounds very
negative, but it's a nut I'm still
working to crack. Um, and I do think
that there's some things that we can do
from maybe, you know, securing some more
permanent storage to coming up with some
things with local folks, but at very
least to break even because I think a
concession really adds to all the things
that happen in the theater, regardless
of who the organization is that's using
the theater, we'd like to be able to
come up with something so that at very
least uh they can break even and provide
a better experience, guest experience
for their guests. So, that's sort of a
stand stand by and know that we're still
working on all of that.
Um conclusions uh theater programming
has demonstrated strong attendance,
community support and financial
performance. Um the hearth uh is very
happy to contribute to municipal revenue
through rentals fees and external grant
funding. Uh my role, the programming and
production manager role has really been
essential in achieving operational and
programming goals to date. and we're
really hoping for continued investment
to support the further growth and
long-term financial um sustainability. I
would just like to add some personal
thoughts. Um I've been with you guys
over the last year and I've really
enjoyed my time with the hearth. Um
thanks to our amazing volunteers. It's
been a great year of learning and growth
and ultimately success. I think everyone
can sort of give themselves a pat on the
back. Uh I believe we're now in an
excellent position to significantly grow
programming and revenue into the future.
And I want to just finally thank
everyone who supported me with all my
work. I mean, I've run around the
island. I've met with dozens of people.
I've uh yeah, it's it's been quite a an
immersive experience, but it's been a
good one, and I feel like um yeah, I
feel like our efforts have really
benefited the community here. So, thank
you so much for all your support and uh
recommendations. Uh hoping you'll
approve the funding for this position.
We would also like to um have mayor and
council direct the appropriate uh
municipal staff to work with us to
refine uh this role and the
responsibilities and performance
measures for the position. I think
that's important as we go into year two.
And finally, um thank you for receiving
this report for information.
>> Thank you. Does anybody have any
questions for the presentation? And
thank you for an excellent presentation,
Council Getty.
>> Okay. Um, thank you and uh through the
mayor or the delegate. Um,
so I think that it's uh I'm a little bit
worried in terms of the sustainability
of the position. Okay. So that it's
grantheavy in terms of this budget. I'd
be very very interested in all of the
granular details in terms of you know
where we can uh try and help sort things
out so that it uh without raising ticket
prices beyond um what our audience is
used to and what they are you know
willing to pay um and if they you know
this whole thing in terms of wanting
something that's a little edgier whether
or not we can afford it to have it in
this theater. Um yeah, it was our
problem with you know the open house um
>> theater production that we that was
touchandgo in terms of whether or not we
were going to break even in terms of
it's a big space for um a I think that
was an edgy production that uh you know
some people were um it wasn't the
typical audience comedy light you know
costumeheavy kind of thing that our um
our audience seems to enjoy the most.
So, um, in terms of, uh, figuring out,
um, first of all, my question is the
theater expenses, does that in that's
about 38,000. Does that include the
payments to the performers?
>> Yes, that's the majority of that is
artist fees.
>> Yeah. Okay. And then the um the payroll
would be whatever you're paid and the um
the 9,000 for the um
>> Correct. Yeah. Because that is just the
portion of work she does related to the
theater.
>> Yeah. and not to the the gallery.
>> Okay. So then the um in terms of
figuring out without it uh the theater
revenue that would be mostly ticket
sales, a little bit of concession, any
merchandise that's sold and um things
like that. So uh in terms of increasing
that so that that would cover
>> um your position.
>> Yes. Yeah. Exactly.
>> That would be the ideal.
>> Correct. And so if I could just speak a
little bit further to that and give you
some granular information. So, you know,
it's really important to us uh to as the
pack to ensure that there's programming
for everybody and that there's ticket
prices that are accessible. So, that was
sort of this one year that we've just
done. We are programming the same level
into next year. However, the the concept
of this headliner, these headliner
shows, just to give you an idea, if we
could hold four or five Dan Mangan level
shows a year, that will offset almost
the full cost of the grant for the
position. So
Boweners will always have full. So for
example, when Dan Mangan tickets were
released, they were released on Bowen
Island first. They sold out on Bowen
Island. We did not release them to the
mainland. We release them to Boweners
first. So the idea with this headlining
group, these headlining acts, is we do
that first. It's a benefit to the
community. If the community, if the
ticket price is something the community
won't bear, a 6070 $80 ticket for for
quite a well-known name performer, these
performers will be able to draw from the
mainland. There's no question in our
mind that this programming will sell
out. And as long as it sells out, we
know we're in a revenue position.
Thankfully, I've had a year to track
finances. I didn't have anything to go
on because we didn't have programming.
So, I've granularly tracked every
expense related to every show. And we
feel really confident with this approach
moving forward. We hope that it will
offset at least the majority of the
position. Um, you know, we would like to
ensure that we can we're self-
sustaining. So, you know, we just need
another year to to be able to work
towards that. So, so yeah, to your
point, we are focused exactly where you
are, Judy, in making sure that this
position can pay for itself.
>> Great. And with respect to the grants,
the other grants. So if if BIM is
included in your grant revenue line, the
whatever 4040 I think it was, then um
the other grants from BC Arts and and um
I can't remember the you had two or
three that you were
>> those are regular and you've been the
hearth has been getting those maybe not
for performing arts, but the I mean
that's fairly secure right now as far as
grants go.
>> I didn't mention the BC Arts Council. Um
that one is secure. That's an operating
grant. That's correct. I didn't mention
it because it's an operating grant. So
BC Live, Creative BC, and Canadian Arts
Presentation Fund are not operational
grants and so they are performing arts
specific and only began with the
initiation of the Bowen Theater.
>> Right. But in terms of their
availability and our um ability to to
get those, that's fairly steady and
secure.
[laughter]
Is that possible to say with grants
>> to the two that we um I think BC live I
feel I mean I I don't want to give us a
you know a negative um omen thing but um
I think BC Live we have a secure
position and we keep delivering what we
say we will creative BC it's our first
year and we've offered them free tickets
to the Dan Mangan show to help uh
nourish nurture that relationship and
the Canadian Arts Presentation Fund with
Canadian Heritage. We have not cracked
it yet. We had a positive response. It's
the one that they want to see more
national representation to think that
we're part of the national conversation.
That's because it's a Canadian heritage
federal organization.
>> And just to be clear, none of these
grants pay for the programming and
production manager position, right?
>> They're all related to artists artist
fees.
>> Um Yeah.
>> Which is the big theater expense. Okay.
So in terms of sustainability of the
position which has been fabulous and
it's you know very very essential in
terms of getting this kind of program um
both with respect to all of the work
that the performing arts committee is
doing to support that but all of the
work that you've been doing in in terms
of making that sustainable it seems to
me that we can't necessarily rely on the
grants although they help pay for
farmers but we do have to figure out how
to get the revenues is up.
>> Yeah. And it's and it's the head it's
this headlining approach that we're
taking. And we're in conversations right
now because of the fact that none of
them are contracted. I can't share the
names with you, but they were all Dan
Bangan level. And for those that
attended the show on Saturday night, you
know, Asabi is a four-time Juno Award
winner who headlined the Folk Fest in
Vancouver and here he is performing for
179 people on Bowen Island a week later.
So, you know, we feel the other thing
that we're we're really doing is um you
know, we care about artists a great
deal. Uh most of our organizations
volunteers are artists themselves in
their own right. And I think that the um
artistic community in Canada is getting
to know us. We're dealing with agents,
major agents across the country. And I
think people are really starting to twig
that this is a very cool place to to
come and perform and that the support is
really here. So I feel like the momentum
is on our side, Judy, when it comes to
programming in a way that will be
financially remunerative.
>> Yeah, we're going to have to start maybe
not this council, but we're going to
have to start talking about budget. So,
you know, if there's if it's not
sustainable and keep in terms of keeping
$35,000 in our budget for that position,
then the $2,000 profit has to increase
considerably and that's absolutely
that's going to be ticket sales.
>> Absolutely.
a realistic discussion in terms of, you
know, whether or not this is going to be
limited to a two two-year term or
whether or not council, the future
council is going to have to consider,
you know, do we want to support this
program and if so, why?
>> Yeah. And I will tell you that our hope
is that we greatly offset it. Yeah.
>> That if we come back to council for year
three, it would be for a significantly
lower amount
>> um just to support the the growth of the
program. So that is where our focus is
and uh again after a year of finance we
now have we now have data financial data
which really really helps us when it
comes to to programming and planning.
>> And councelor Jurgensson has his hand
up.
>> Press the Andy.
>> Hi. Uh this is not a question councelor
Morris but uh I just wanted to let you
know uh I've been here since the
beginning of the meeting but not been uh
doing well and I'm going to have to step
away from the meeting. [gasps and sighs]
>> [clears throat]
>> Thank you.
>> And lower.
» Any more questions? Well, thank you for
your presentation. That was very, very
interesting. And the agenda item on uh
renewing the contract is uh coming up
under the consent agenda.
>> Wonderful. Thank you so much for your
time.
>> Thank you all.
» Okay.
» Given that we're now on to the consent
agenda. Is there anything anybody wants
to pull? Councelor Getty.
>> Um 12.3 and 12.5, please.
Anybody else?
Give you a minute to shuffle the pages.
All right, that's it.
Okay.
» I didn't pull anything. Um okay so um we
will deal with 12.3 then
>> 12.3 is a letter from the islands trust
to the minister of uh jobs and economic
growth rather kalan and uh it's
supporting an upgrade of the um
oh what is it the islands trust no
island's coastal economic trust IC tea
and um I we're part of the islands
trust. So, we're signitories to this
underneath the chairman or the chair and
but I would I was wondering whether or
not because the map for ICE tea
specifically goes around Bowen and we're
part of the trust but we're not um we're
carved out of this ic tea whether or not
we want to renew and emphasize that it
would be extremely wonderful for us if
we could be part of this um economic
trust. um they do have excellent funding
and um they do have excellent programs
that we could um quite happily
participate in. So I'm wondering if we
want to supplement and augment this in
terms of asking the minister again to
consider um a slight amendment to their
map to include Bowen Island.
Um we have had grants from ICT
>> and we have had we've had to get
permission to apply but we've not had a
problem but um it's an ongoing thing.
So, I guess if you want to make a motion
that we
>> All right. Then I would move that um
staff draft a letter to Minister Kalan
uh or the Minister of Jobs and Economic
Growth um to uh
supplement the letter from Islands Trust
dated July the 9th, 2026 to um request
that the uh map of the Island Coastal
Economic Trust be
amended to include Bowen island. So, we
have many of the same needs and features
and uh interests as all of the other
islands in the west. And
>> are you wanting all of that last bit in
the motion?
>> Sorry. Okay.
>> Okay.
Um seconder.
Is there any further discussion?
All in favor?
>> I
» And Alex Councelor Jurgensson left the
meeting, right? So, yeah.
>> Okay. Thank you. Okay. 12.4.
>> 12.5.
>> 12.
>> Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you said 12.
Oh, sorry. 12.
>> This is a letter from um
Sue Rickett uh to um mayor and council
asking for reconsideration of the uh
fires smart bin that was uh out of the
um
>> fire hall number two. hall and um how
useful it was to uh lots of members of
the community. Um, and I think what's
happened is that it may be more
complicated than just having people put
um
un well there was garbage that was put
in with the green waste and u the I
think the excuse that was made public
was that that had contaminated it so
that um it was not accepted by the um
recycling. But I think it might be a
little bit more complicated in terms of
funding sources and um the amount of
time and energy that it took. So, I
would like staff to investigate um and I
um I meant to mention this, ask Carla
whether or not this was possible in
terms of our um environmental um
planning to see what the barriers would
be and then the feasibility of us um
somehow working with funding sources and
um other people in the community to
reinstate this because it is a really
good service. So, um, I've being living
out in that side of the island, I
actually did inquire and the problem was
people were contaminating the container.
And I know from our strata, having
gotten a container once, they will not
accept it at the recycling at the um,
transfer station if it's got anything
other than green waste in it.
>> Y,
>> so that was the problem that it was
being contaminated. So,
>> well, I had a very brief conversation on
the street with um Steven and he sort of
said that there were other problems as
well, but I didn't get into what those
were.
>> So, um it would be interesting to follow
up and see whether or not we
>> what the barriers would be to reinstate
this.
>> Okay. So,
can you
>> um I'd also just like to add to that the
funding source for this is of limited
time. It's coming from the fires smart
grant which should provide funding
through till about the month of March
next year. So um the fact that it was
pulled back was um yeah dumping of a lot
of construction waste drywall and things
which is absolutely uh rejected by the
land transfer station not from only the
green waste but from the garbage itself.
So, unfortunately, it's an unmonitored
bin and um it was uh not respected by
certain people in the community and
we're just not able to put a bin out
there that's not monitored and and we've
had to pull it back. Um, additionally,
as I said, the funding for this service
would have run out by the end of March.
» So, do you want to move receipt of the
letter?
>> No. I'd like staff to to investigate
whether or not there's another place for
it or there's some way of you know to
get it monitored or to uh figure out if
there's other funding sources so that uh
and if it's not a huge uh
amount that whether or not we include it
in the tax base
it's you know instead of our recycling
or the green waste recycling we've got a
bin so drop in the
>> a motion along the lines of um council
request staff to look into providing a
green bin in a more secure location.
>> Okay, thank you. I'll move that
sec. Anybody want to second that?
All in favor?
Okay.
Um,
so back to the motion to approve the
consent agenda. Council
fast.
>> Uh, I thought Judy had her hand up
first. I was going to second.
>> Oh, okay.
>> Others.
>> Okay. So, the motion is that council
approve the items as outlined in the
July 27th, 276 regular council meeting
agenda.
>> Consent agenda. Yes.
>> Consent agenda. Yeah. Okay. So if Judy
moves it. Okay. Moved by councelor
Getty, seconded by councelor Fast. All
in favor? I.
>> Okay. So that skips us right through to
Is the hearth still here? Because their
programming funding just got approved.
Okay, we are down to new bits. Where are
we? Too many pages.
Bylaws 7.1
» 1639 Mount Gardener Road.
» Thank you, council. Um, sorry, a quick
technical issue. Uh, didn't realize what
presenting in person that be affected by
the new Zoom rules. So, if I can be led
into the meeting, I'll be able to screen
share. If not, I got the presentation
saved in uh council for if you could
open that up.
>> Oh, you've got a PowerPoint you want to
present? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I can run the
presentation.
>> Okay. Thanks so much. Doesn't matter
what uh speed up until you get to
propose conservation areas. Then just
sit there and I'll let you know.
» I'm just getting it up here.
>> Sorry about that.
>> You just have to remember to remind for
[clears throat] prompting turning pages.
>> Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
Perfect.
So, like I said, it doesn't matter how
fast it go till the proposed
conservation area.
So, thank you. Uh, so this report is to
present the amending bylaw for first
reading to amend the zoning of 1658
Mount Gardner Road for the purpose of
establishing a smaller lot size and
allowing this land to be subdivided from
1639 Mount Gardner Road. So the bylaw is
attached as by number 723 20226 and it
will reszone the property to a new zone
variation called SR2F.
So a new item that's committed to
support this application u is a plan of
proposed conservation areas prepared by
Michael Florendo uh to satisfy the
nature needs half requirement of the
conservation development policy. So
there are two conservation areas that
are proposed u that are they're the most
densest and most undisturbed areas of
forest in the property. Um there's
they're only separated by an access
easement that also prohibits
development. So essentially it is one
big no development area. Uh the largest
pond on the property as well as multiple
water courses will be captured uh within
that conservation area.
Um the total area proposed for
conservation is 25,400 m. That's
equivalent to 47% of the property. Uh
but combined with the that access
easement I mentioned uh which already
prohibits development. So the amount of
the property under protection from
further development will be 50%. So
meeting the nature needs half.
Um of note the conservation area will
include a rock cliff/outcrop in the
southwest area of the the lot. Um
uh sorry if you can flip forward uh one
or two. One more. Perfect. Thanks much.
Um, so those areas are considered
important as nesting sites for bats as
well as snakes and lizards to shelter
over winter. And then combined with the
nearby pond, uh, that which attracts
insects that bats and birds then feed
on. This means that the conservation
area will provide habitat, feeding
grounds, and more for a variety of
species. Um, next slide.
And there's one more finding since
writing this report that I need to share
with council, which is to confirm the
status of the roadway, which bisects
lease Kummenuk's property. Uh so what's
shown on bow maps is not correct and the
legal plan is not saved with the land
titles authority but now that I've
managed to find that plan and it
confirms that this roadway is in fact
private property. It belongs to the
adjacent property to the west. Uh if you
want to go to the next slide uh you can
there you can see the the large property
on the west. So that's what it belongs
to. Um
so then yeah then there are municipal
eastments that provide access to lease's
property as well as to the adjacent
neighbors. Um so my apologies to bring
us up now. uh this but this will not
affect the main staff recommendation.
Instead, it does affect the first of the
alternative recommendations. Um go go to
the next slide there. Uh so the um in
the report that that alternative stated
the council will seek a public beach
access as well as a public trail right
away for access to the crownlands as
well as a rightaway for the water line
crossing Mount Carter Road. So instead
with that that strip being private
property, that last item about the water
line is no longer necessary. However,
there would be an additional easement
needed for the public beach access. Uh
so that's alternative number one would
now read um that council directs staff
to seek a public beach access as well as
a public right of way leading to it. Uh
in addition to a public trail right
ofway for access south to the crown
lands and a new right ofway access to
1658 mountainer road the proposed lot as
a condition of approval.
Um and go to the next slide. So
ultimately staff feel that this resoning
request is low impact but that the
municipality stands to gain valuable
environmental protections and a possible
trail connection. Uh staff recommend
that bylaw number 723 20226 is read a
first time and that the bylaw and policy
checklist are referred to the islands
trust. Thank you.
>> Do we have any questions for the planner
councelor Fast and Councelor Getty?
>> Um thank you. That's really interesting
to know about the that it's a private
road uh there. So if uh public beach
access was to be proposed
uh would it
would the municipality need to arrange
that through another property owner?
>> It looks that way. That's that's
correct. Yeah.
>> Okay. Uh thank you. And then um uh just
confirming that that's all
uh shoreline is public below the high
tide line.
>> That's correct.
>> Okay. There's no crown strips or
anything around there?
>> No.
>> Okay. Thank you,
Council Getty.
>> So the public access um or sorry the
trail that is marked in the in between
the two um proposed
um ecological
protected areas. Is there any way that
the municipality can put a covenant on
that trail so that it is not I mean it
may become part of the public trail
system but can we do anything in terms
of motorized vehicles at this point so
that it if it's between two protected
areas that it not have that kind of
traffic through it. Is there any way we
can
>> Good question. Um I would want to reread
that easement. Uh I can't recall off the
top of my head if it was if if so so
basically what that easement uh allows
access to is some further further lots
down to the southwest and I can't recall
off the top of my head if it was
motorized access or by foot probably
motorized because that's a long ways to
go. Um so yeah I would have to review
that the the implications of that if if
we can stack something on top of that would kind of supersede that in
terms of it preventing motorized
vehicles. Yeah, I'll have to look into
that further. So that's an access
easement between
the property owner on and another
property to the other side.
>> That's correct.
>> Okay. So it's a different access
counselor fast.
>> Uh is that the [clears throat] same
property beyond that also owns the road?
>> No. Uh though the one the one that this
roadway is part of is directly to the
west whereas this trail leads to the one
to the southwest.
>> Yes.
Thank you. I have um um I have comments
about alternative number one which I
would like to move. So, thank you for
adjusting the wording, but when you get
when you're ready
>> when you're ready.
>> Um did were you able to put up the um to
get the um map the b the bow map ortho
map up?
>> I have it up on my computer and then
sorry I didn't put it on the slide. I
didn't didn't uh foresee this issue with
me not connecting. Um
is there any way we can go and bow map
and zoom in there? Sorry about that,
guys.
>> So, you'd like me to pull up the bow
map? Um
>> yeah, maybe if if um corporate officer
could pull up bow map and type in the uh
address. It's 1639, right?
>> 1658.
Okay.
>> Working on it.
We'll give the
members of the public a demonstration of
bow map that for those that haven't used
it. Okay. And then when you go on the
layers, click on or
now. Click on oro
» and then if you just turn on the Oh, you
got it.
>> There we go. So, um I'm asked to have
this put up because there is already a
public beach access on the um I guess
it's on everybody's left um beside the
public dock that we already can use at
Mount Gardener. And you can see that
there is a fair amount of sand and nice
little access on that beach. So, um, and
given the planner's comments about the,
um, if we turned on the contours layer,
you would see how steep and difficult
any sort of beach access would be there
and very expensive to build. And the
other is because there is no um, parking
or anything around there, that's an
impossibility as well. It's not
something that would be a destination
beach and all the local neighbors can
walk to and get to a beach right now.
So, I'm certainly not in favor of the
option number one.
Councor Fast, thank you. Um, if I can
speak to option number one. Um, and if
maybe if you could u bring that up on
the screen. um Sophie from the planner's
presentation,
he had revised wording for alternative
number one. And [clears throat] uh so
I'm going to speak to why I still think
it's worth uh creating a safer uh public
access to the beach. Um, right now, as
uh, councelor Morris has pointed out,
there is public access. If you go down
beside the Mount Gardener dock, uh,
where the boats are stored and, um, uh,
and across the rocks, you can get out to
the, um, beach. Um, and, uh, it's
slippery rocks. It's not the safest. I
have to confess I haven't swam there so
I can't remember uh exactly but I'm
pointing I'm looking at um the islands
trust uh directives checklist and number
5.5
which I see on I I believe in your uh
checklist doesn't have a check mark
there it says um local trust committees
and island municipalities shall in their
official committed plans and regulatory
bylaws which this would be as a resoning
it's changing in our land use bylaw.
Right. Okay. Um address the uh
identification of sites providing safe
public access to beaches, the
identification and designation of areas
of regional significance da and um
locations for community and public boat
launches, docks and anchorages as well.
So mostly I think the Mount Gardner dock
public access is used for uh boats and
people to go out on the docks and um I'm
not sure and and to store their private
uh little boats under the docks and uh
access the water that people do, but I'm
not sure that I've ever seen swimmers
there. And uh I'm not sure how much it's
used and I'd like to uh investigate
that. I note in the parks plan uh which
is also not referred to in the planners
uh comments. Maybe it was in your
earlier uh report. I don't know. Um but
it speaks to the official community plan
includes recommendations to guide the
development of municipal parks, trails,
and beach areas on Bowen. Parks plan
expands on this. And I won't go into
huge detail, but just to um mention that
some of the goals on the park's plan are
uh promote walking, hiking, cycling,
horseback riding, and trail. We're
talking about trails. Um and this is a
publicly maintained, taxpayermaintained
road up until this lot. I thought it was
all the way along, but apparently not.
Uh up to the edge of uh this resoning.
Correct. Yeah. Okay. And um so uh across
the island to facilitate commuting uh
access and um uh recreation. Uh number
three goal is beaches and uh so there's
three goals there about all ages and
opportunities to experience the islands
beaches protect shoreline da da da da um
support non-motorized water-based
recreational opportunities. And then um
goal f four is to acquire beach
accesses. And uh this one I wanted to uh
point out doesn't come often this
opportunity to acquire a beach access.
And um [clears throat] I think that um
some homeowners in this uh area,
including the prospective uh private lot
uphill,
um might like to walk down to the beach
and uh swim at some point in the future.
Um people on Bowen enjoy swimming. I
think it's worth exploring um these
ideas that are in our uh major guiding
documents and um uh and the idea of
safer public access to beaches. I think
people swim from the Mount Gardener
dock, which I don't know how safe that
is, and those slippery um rocks going
down to the water um below the Mount
Gardener dock. Um,
having watched my uh some family members
sort of teetering on the top of them,
um,
I'm I think a safer uh public beach
access um at a lower uh that's easier to
get down to the water uh might be
worthwhile. And uh so I just wanted to
um suggest that it might add uh be
something that other property owners
around in the neighborhood might enjoy,
particularly if they've got um dock
that's going to take several years to
replace or something like that. They
want to get down to the water. Uh of
course there's the Mount Gardner dock um
beach access, but it's my
feeling that that's getting busier with
smaller boats and people coming and
going. So, I um I just uh would like to
move the motion that's on um
the screen as the alternate one. I move
that council direct staff to seek seek a
public beach access as well as public
right ofway leading to it from Mount
Gardner Road in addition to a public
trail right ofway for access south to
the crownlands and a new right ofway
access to 1658 Mount Gardner Road as a
condition of approval.
>> Have a question.
Council Getty
>> um before this gets um seconded and we
have a discussion on that motion. The
recommendation that was in the agenda
was to have first reading and refer that
to the trust with the checklist. So does
this motion to have staff explore
um some other beach access and rights
away delay that process? It it would um
it could uh it could be worded that like
that could be stuck in at the end of all
those other processes so we can move
ahead with um referring the bylaw and
checklist to the island trust but also
continue working on setting up these
rightways.
[clears throat]
>> Question two,
>> um just because I'm first it's my first
time seeing this alternative text. Uh we
didn't have it before. Um,
regarding the island's trust checklist,
uh, you've got a not applicable beside
5.5 and that's because the beach access
wasn't included in the proposal that's
recommended.
>> Exactly. So, council motions on that,
then I can check because it'll now be
part of the application.
>> Thank you. Yeah. So, just so people
understand, this is just so that this
step could take place before. I just um
I had a clarifi clarification question
on the motion um and then we'll look to
see if anybody wants to second it. Um it
says in addition to a public trail right
away for access. That's already in the
proposal, isn't it?
>> Correct.
>> Okay. So basically what this motion
wants to do is is just the first um two
lines up to the comma
because the other is already covered off
in your package.
>> True.
>> Yeah. Thank you.
So, is there a second for the motion?
>> There's three. There's beach access.
There's um rightway access to 1658 Mount
Garner, and there's access south to
Crown Labs, right?
>> But those, from what I'm understanding
from the planner, are already covered
off in in the in the
>> package. Sorry, I guess only the middle
one.
>> Only only the middle one,
>> the public trail right away for access
south to crown lands. that that's
included in the applicants amenity
package. But I guess so sorry. So So
yeah, the first and third of the
uh lines there would be the ones to add.
>> Okay. So there's no access to 1658 Mount
Gardner Road in the package.
>> Uh no.
» Sorry. And but is that needed because of
the fact that the road isn't a public
road all the way along?
>> Exactly. Yeah. So they already do have
easement to uh can't remember the six
sorry can't remember the name of the
address the large portion of the south.
So at the moment this is one one legal
parcel. So they they had their legal
access but now now they'll be se severed
um and that that will be a private
roadway separating them. Yeah. Will need
public access to sorry um to get to that new northern portion 1658. So you
really have three things. So in which
case I might want to ask to have it
severed into three separate motions.
So is there a seconder for the motion?
Okay. Then I'm going to ask to have it
separate into three separate motions.
You
>> do that after it's seconded or is that
before?
>> No, you do it after.
So, we've got a motion that's moved and
seconded and separate into three parts,
which corporate officer might have a
little fun trying to do.
Okay. So, on the first clause, the
council directs staff to seek a public
beach access as well as a public right
ofway leading to it from Mount Gardner
Road.
All in favor?
Opposed?
Councelor Getty, you
>> um I'm not keeping up. So, um I've
abstained which counts as a positive.
>> You can't. Yeah. Okay.
» Okay. Um in the second one, in addition
to a public trail right away for access
south to Crown Lands,
and is that already covered in the
package now? No. Okay. So, um maybe that
so
um a public do we leave the word
addition in there if we severed it or
does it matter?
>> Um
you severed it. Okay. You're going to
put council direct staff in front of
each one. Okay.
All right. So, the council directs staff
to seek a public trail right of way for
access south to the crown lands.
All in favor?
Opposed? Nobody's here. And a new right
of way across access.
And that one you've got in your report,
right? This last one.
>> No, sorry, this is this is new. um
because we just found that uh that's a private roadway. So a need that
was identified.
>> So you need this one. The council direct
staff to seek a new rightway access to
1658 Mount Gardner Road as a condition
of approval.
>> All in favor?
>> Favor
opposed. Nobody's else is here. Okay.
All right.
So
now your main one is first reading.
>> Okay.
So would somebody like to move that
bylaw number 723 cited as mun bone
municipality land use bylaw number 57
2002 amendment bylaw number 723 2026 be
read a first time.
Second. Thank you. All in favor?
I
okay
» okay or carried you
>> if the staff investigate the other
rights away and it's attached to this
then does this come back with those
amendments those if they are organized
then come back as an amendment or
something
>> they go back to trust after that
>> so we'd be referring these bylaws and
checklisted on as trust and then
ultimately those those would be those
ements rightways would be a condition of
approval. So, we'd have have them set up
before this bile is ultimately adopted.
That it' only be this bio at the end of
the process would only be adopted if
those things have been secured.
>> Would that have to go back to trust?
>> No.
>> At the end of the process, um yeah,
after after uh final reading, but before
adoption, this goes back to that trust.
Yeah.
» Okay. We on to seven. We're on to 7.2
now.
>> Oh, sorry. I believe uh the the second
and third part of the motion on the
agenda uh needs to be voted on.
>> Oh,
>> so it's that that council refer by
number 7.
>> I'm sorry I didn't flip the page and
read that.
>> Did we vote on the first one?
>> Yeah, we did. And I didn't flip the page
to add um
>> the it be referred. Um, so we need to
move that council refer bylaw number 723
20226 and the attached islands trust
policy statement checklist to the
islands trust and the council direct
staff to return with the results of that
referral.
>> Can I ask a question?
>> Yeah. Um, since we've
passed this uh motion about the public
beach access be explored um number 5.5
on the trust uh directives checklist.
Would you put that in a note on there or
how does will that be included in the
referral to the islands trust?
>> I'll include it and I'll tweak the like
specifically the 5.55.5 section. I'll confirm that one when I send it to
>> Thank you.
All in favor
or do we have a mover in a second or
we it was moved and seconded.
>> It was moved and seconded. Okay. All in
favor?
>> I
thank you.
>> Okay. Now we're on to 7.2.
Eat this thing.
Are you ready?
>> Yes. Thank you, Council Mor. So, I'm
here today um to bring you um a resoning
application at 620 Laura Road and a
bylaw for consideration of first
reading. Um so, by way of background,
this is an application at 620 Laura
Road. It's at the intersection of
Westside Road and Laura Road on the west
side of Bowen Island. And the
application that is before you is to
seek the cider use at 620 Laura Road.
By way of background, this was last
before you May 25th. Um, and at that
point, we brought a revised application
to you that council referred to two
advisory committees. Um, and directed
staff to prepare bylaws to amend the
land use bylaw to allow the development
proposal and directed staff to provide
notice of first reading of the land use
um bylaw amendment bylaw as required
under section 467 of the local
government act. And that's the section
that is to provide notice in lie of to
provide notice of first reading when a
public hearing is not being held.
Um just some background on the property.
is zoned rural residential
2. Um and that allows the uses that are
allowed in all of our rural residential
zones. So that includes dwelling,
agriculture, stable, kennel. It allows a
list of accessory uses. It includes
residential guest accommodation and home
occupation.
Um and then agriculture definition is
here. It means the use of land buildings
or structures for the growing, rearing,
producing, harvesting of crops, plants,
livestock and other animals. It includes
the processing and sale of products
harvested, reared or produced on that
lot as well. Um and then in our current
OCP, this property is designated R1
rural is the designation. So this is um
this this designation is described as
including large lots that provide rural
resource value such as agriculture and
forestry and properties that have been
maintained for purposes of a rural
lifestyle.
Um and then on this page I just have a
number of objectives that are identified
in our current OCP regarding
agriculture.
Um so supporting commercial and domestic
agriculture in suitable locations and to
encourage local food production to
preserve lands that are used or or are
suitable for agriculture activity and
there's a number here. So 88 to provide
for supporting infrastructure necessary
to maintain and strengthen the
agriculture economy or encourage land
uses that are compatible with farming to
be established in conjunction with
agriculture activity. Um and so the
report um that you have goes over the
OCP our current OCP designations
concludes that this application is
consistent with the official community
plan. Um, just for context, I've
included a couple slides just on our
draft 2026 OCP, knowing we're at the
sort of in between stage where we have a
circulated draft of an updated OCP, but
not a obviously a bylaw to enact that
OCP yet. Um, but for context, that draft
um that draft would place this land
designation in the rural residential
transition designation,
um, which has roughly the same the same
densities. Um and our 2026 OCP has um
some additional policies around
agriculture. So 2.6.67
is to protect and expand existing farms
and orchards, especially heritage fruit
trees to enhance historical as historic
aspects of the island's food production.
Um okay, final one on context for this
site. Um there is a temporary use permit
on this site that was issued initially
in 2021 and then renewed in 2023. and
that is to permit cider use on the
property um with some restrictions.
[gasps]
Where we are in the overall process,
this was this application was introduced
to council in May. It was referred to
committees and I'll I'll talk about them
later and then we are here at the
presentation for first reading. Um as
currently um slated, this would get
referred to the islands trust and come
back for presentation for second and
third reading and then considered for
adoption.
All right. The parks environment climate
action committee met to do it meant to
consider this application. So they
recommended that the proponent meet
BIM's conservation development policy.
So protecting 50% or greater of the
property for conservation purposes
including using conservation covenants
to include the heritage orchard Murray
Creek riparian areas
um indicating on the map where it is.
They were seeking an assessment from a
professional hydrogeeologist
um and a registered on-site wastewater
practitioner and looking for
clarification on quantity and
composition of solid and liquid waste.
Uh and consider restriction on or a
limit on cery output
if um if dilitterious effects are
anticipated with a significant increase
in cery production. Um and then the
advisory planning commission met last
week to discuss and they provided
recommendations regarding envir
environmental waste management
assessment be required. Um they
recommended consideration of the
reasoning be deferred pending completion
of the graft and lake watershed
management plan. They wanted
consideration to
um through the conservation development
policy preserve the diversity of the
existing heritage orchard and they
recommended council should still
consider having a public hearing for
this application.
Um so then as directed by council staff
have prepared a bylaw to amend the land
use bylaw to enable this development
proposal. So it would reszone 620 Laura
Road to be in a zone variation. So R R2A
um so zone variation works by
um varying the zone in certain ways but
leaving the rest of the zoning the same.
So um this zone variation would allow
cidery as a permitted use. It would say
the cidery may not have a lounge
endorsement which is a um a thing that's
open for ceries in BC. Essentially it
functions like a restaurant would be a
lounge endorsement. M you would set
maximum floor area of the retail space
at 25 square meters which is about the
actual size of the retail area and the
maximum area of the exterior patio space
at 80 square meters which again matches
what's there on site and it would set
the same hours as as in the temporary
use permit 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
daily.
Um and then the the bylaw itself would
include these two definitions. So the
cidery is the same definition that's in
the temporary use permit. um with the
difference being I think the temporary
use permit just says lounge area and
then we felt like if we were calling it
out as something that's not allowed we
wanted a definition so we've included a
definition of lounge endorsement as well
that matches what's from the um I think
the LCB
says um this notice was given at first
reading so within properties of 300
meters of the property it was included
in the undercurrent and on our municipal
website and so you've heard from two of
the neighbors today and we have letters
in the the package from those neighbors.
We also have letters from um people
outside of the the notice area as well
or from any person outside of the notice
area.
Um some additional staff discussions. So
water. So you'll see in your package the
Riley Cider provided a hydrogeeologist
report that was completed in 2021 as
part of the application for a permit
from Vancouver Coastal Health. And this
report um gives details on water supply
for the property. Um noting um water
coming from a surface water license for
irrigation of the orchard and an
existing well for wash water in its
commercial operations. And just noting
water is not used in the production of
the cider itself.
Um and secondly for septic. So in my
initial staff report in April, I brought
comment from Vancouver Coastal Health
and at that point the application was
for cery and guest house use and
Vancouver Coastal Health were
recommending that we seek a registered
on-site wastewater practitioner letter
of assurance for that application. So
when the applicant revised their
application, I re-referred it to Coastal
Health and asked specifically about the
recommendation and said um if this is
just for the side is that does that
recommendation still hold? So this was
the reply from Vancouver Coastal Health
saying no, they don't think a letter of
assurance from a registered on-site
wastewater practitioner is required for
this revised application and partly
noting the original um the sewage system
filing for the septic system for the
cery and that's included in your
application as well.
Uh and then finally discussion on the
conservation development policy. So
council's familiar with this policy. The
goal of the policy is a minimum of 50%
of the total land subject to the
resoning application is protected from
further development priority to be given
to protection of any identified
environmentally sensitive areas and
green space. So staff note areas of the
property suitable for protection include
riparian areas of Murray Creek and
existing farmland.
Um
yeah and I'll just say I think through
discussion with the applicant the
applicant is hesitant to encumber the
property with with covenants that would
place further restrictions on their
operations. And so one of the things
staff is looking for is direction from
council in terms of um council's desire
to seek protective covenants of riparian
area and um and the orchards.
Uh and the staff report itself lists
alternatives. So one you would see a um
a cery definition that was provided by
the applicant to better align with the
liquor distribution branch. And so that
definition um ties the cery definition
to a minimum size of orchard but not to
production from the lot. Um, so part of
the discussion from the applicant is
that this would is that the current
definition may provide incentives for a
future owner to, you know, maximize
apple production in the orchard rather
than the diversity of of apple species
in the orchard. Um,
but the flip is that the current
definition limits production to that
produced on the lot. So that may, you
know, seem like that's the goal, the
goal of it is you're you're tying it to
specific production on the lot.
Um, second alternative is, um, so
council in May directed staff to bring
this for first reading and not to a
future public hearing. So just noting as
an alternative, council can still, as we
discussed at that meeting, council could
still at this point say we want to refer
to a future public hearing following a
second reading. Um, the third
alternative is the one brought forward
by the APC. So, council could direct
staff to not pursue the proposal any
further until the Grafton Lake watershed
management plan is complete. Um, so I
think I have another report on this
agenda that notes that that's likely to
be the end of this year. And so that
just with that alternative just noting
for council um that that would mean that
TUP has expired before the graft and
lake management plan is ant anticipated
to be complete.
Um, so with all that in mind, the
recommendation from staff is to grant
first reading to the amendment bylaw to
refer the bylaw and the islands trust
policy statement checklist to the
islands trust and direct staff to return
with the results of that referral. Thank
you.
>> Any questions? Council fast, counselor
wait um just uh to confirm that the
referral to the islands trust is the one
that's in our ontable that's correct
>> package. Okay.
Thank you. Because I was going to ask
about the um agricultural uh directive
policies and uh so they're in this other one. Thank you.
>> And uh so would the wording for that be
instead of the attached
islands trust policy statement would
just say [clears throat] the island's
trust policy statement checklist in the
on table agenda or something like that.
Anyway, I'll let Sophie think about that. She's probably the one to do
that. Okay, never mind. Thank you.
>> Okay, now you've confused me. Do you
have a revised island stress checklist
in our package?
>> It's in the on table. Um,
>> okay. Cuz that that wasn't clear, I
guess.
>> The one Yeah, the one in the published
agenda was the duplicate of Mount
Gardner Road.
Sorry.
>> Um
and the other I guess is
the um definition that the applicant
wants
versus the definition you've got in the
bylaw.
Is there a comparison of those?
What's the difference? Just going back
again.
>> Yeah, I believe it's in my report. I
didn't bring here.
I'm having trouble flipping between
documents.
» Okay.
I guess I'm thinking that the liquor
distribution branch might be a better
definition just so we don't they don't
end up running a follow of them.
» This is legible. Okay. So with the
liquor distribution branch for landbased
winery requirements say 100% of the
product must be made from fruit grown or
produced in British Columbia which is in
our definition. They talk about at least
25% of the fruit used in production must
come from acreage owned or leased by the
license whereas we seek it to be on the
lot.
>> Okay.
>> And at least 2 acres of fruit orchard
must be maintained. So the difference
being that currently we would say 25% of
the fruit is produced on the lot. Um
they would not have that requirement.
Instead they would have a requirement
that they maintain 2 acres of orchard.
» Okay. Councelor Wake, I think you had
>> uh Yes. Thank you. Um so both the parks
environment and climate action advisory
committee and advisory planning
commission have uh stipulated that there
should be protective covenants on the
orchard
uh portion and they there's a I'm not
sure if it if it's a heritage covenant
or just a protective covenant but um
are are that was part of your
recommendation. I don't I don't see
>> um I I think I would seek council
direction if that's desired to be
included. I think in terms of you know
the riparian area covenant is is fairly
straightforward. It's a small portion of
the lot that's outside the agriculture
area that is riparian. Um and then in
terms of agriculture covenant
um I guess there's different ways
council could want to go. So one is to
say that we protect this area as
agricultural land is fairly
straightforward, right? You you draw it
on a map, you say this is agriculture.
It has to be agriculture can't be used
for residential purposes or whatever
else it could be. Um
and that would protect it as you know
orchard or other farmland something. And
then if you want to go the step of you
know protecting the heritage orchard
that's a more involved process. I think
you heard from the public comment, you
know, somebody proposing it it being a a
land trust, you would need some way to
regulate it. If the covenant is supposed
to say we want to protect the heritage
trees that they are maintained, that the
biodiversity is maintained, then you
then you're looking at okay, who's who's
monitoring that on a regular basis and
ensuring follow-up and that's a much
more comp complicated covenant
um and more involved.
Well, it may be much more complicated,
but I think
what I'm understanding is that's what we
should be doing. We should be protecting
the diversity and um the the specific uh
heritage of that orchard. Um then the
question came up, well so if we if we
don't do that, what's to pre prevent a a
future owner from basically just keeping
his agriculture land but letting the
orchard fail?
And so I mean my thought would be we
should be protect
» through the chair. Thanks.
[clears throat]
I I understand the arguments about
protecting the orchard and the heritage
of the orchard, but it's also private
property and telling people what to do
with private property. I I realize
there's there certain things we must
tell them what to do, but telling the
owner or a potential future owner, you
must grow apples. You must maintain this
orchard here.
We're basically,
well, not basically, we are telling them
this is the use of your property, like
it or not. And and I'm I'm troubled by
that approach to private property.
That's my comment.
>> Councelor Fast. Um, thank you and I
appreciate the comments. I too um like
uh councelor wake am interested in a
conservation covenant for the heritage
orchard apple trees and uh that's
because I see them their value more as a
gene bank and uh as a uh heritage
um value uh to Canada and beyond. Some
of that um uh genetic material was
collected from down in the United
States. As I understand it, this is a
international kind of uh gene bank uh
for our changing climate uh future. Um
and I would look at in terms of the
private property part, um I would look
at it as a uh like a heritage building.
Um this is a heritage uh property or an
heritage part of the property that's
been uh developed and uh by planting
these her collecting and planting these
heritage trees and maintaining them uh
so that they can share the um cutings uh
the the the twigs with other um people
because you can't reproduce these
heritage varieties from seeds. Um and um
I appreciate the um uh
conversations that have happened with
the neighborhood and with the uh ideas
coming forward from uh people including
the uh Wellland Community Orchard and
any others that uh people come up with
as examples for how such a covenant uh
or uh arrangement could happen.
As I recall earlier in the process,
there was uh interest from prospective
land owners at the time to working with
the community to find way um to uh
involve the community to to care for the
trees, that kind of thing. And uh so I'm
in favor of a conservation covenant on
the heritage apple tree um varieties
that orchard. Yeah. Thank you
» councelor Sonnage here.
>> Um I I want to make sure that my
positions on this is clear is I I fully
understand the concept of heritage and I
and um
councelor F comments about the genetic
seedlings. I I get that and and I agree
with you on that. I I think there's real
value in that. Um, my concern about it,
I'm if we're particularly that
interested in maintaining this, maybe we
should own it if we're going to have to
if we're going to tell other people what
to do with that specific area of the
property. It just sounds like it sounds
like an imposition from government that
isn't warranted um without what without us supporting it in
uh in some way. Um I I just I struggle
with the private property part of it
understanding the uh the comments that
have been raised already and and
appreciating them and agreeing with many
of them. But I I think at its core I
struggle with the telling people
more about what to do with their
property than we already do in many
cases. I I know I understand the need
for it. You can't um you know like in a
lot of cases don't be building your
building right up against the sea coast
and things. I understand that. I think
this one is possibly going beyond that.
Just my thoughts. Thank you,
>> Cathery.
Um, okay. Two or three points. Um, I
think that the, um, if what we're doing
is trying to send this off to trust and
to get through their checklist, then
that's that's one part of the process.
And I understand that the um in terms of
um the timeline and that the um that
this is being rushed to a certain extent
um to accommodate the um the owners in
terms of the continuation of the side
can't renew the temporary use program.
They have to have had it uh reszoned. um
and that they've left that application
late in the process so that they were
now trying to push up against that
timeline. Um so what um the material
that I've been reading um that was
attached to this item in the agenda uh
from Heather Miller in particular but
also um Margaret Underh Hill and she
spoke uh Margaret spoke earlier in the
public thing um uh public statements um
raise issues and I'm not sure that the
referral to the island's trust and
getting it through first reading
is um
uh
necessarily going to interfere with the
questions that are raised. But I would
like to put it on record that having
read this material, I think that it's
rational and reasonable and sounds fair
and it's something that I need more time
on. Um so I'm not prepared to go um I'll
put the proponents on notice. I'm
certainly nowhere close to prepared to
go to second or third reading uh unless
a whole lot of those questions are
answered. Um and the question that was
raised at the APC in terms of and in
this correspondence with respect to the
definition of cery and the amount of
juice that can be brought in. Whether
that protects the heritage orchard or
whether that um you know turns it into
manufacturing instead of agriculture is
a question that I think needs much
deeper um conversation. And I think that
actually that for me opens up the whole
issue of there being an open house on
this um and whether or not we should
resend that decision that we made in May
before we had a lot of this other
information on the table. So I think
that's up in the air as well.
um the the business of the heritage and
protecting a heritage asset. Um that's
the what uh councelor Saunders is
talking about. That's the struggle that
goes on with every heritage property.
It's an interference by the community in
the private property interests of
somebody that wants to change things. So
that's the whole point of heritage
protection. And um you know, yes, it the
legislation clearly allows for that kind
of interference. And it is unusual and
it's unique and it's a special section
of the local government act, but it's it
is allowed and it's a a public community
definition or decision in terms of yes,
that's an asset that we think needs to
be without having to buy it. Um that you
can put certain conditions on it in
terms of you know it's something that a
whole lot of effort was put into
creating it in the beginning or however
long ago that was. So um I would say
that if we move to u a referral to
islands trust that's one thing in terms
of this checklist but it's quite an a a
much more difficult process I think once
it comes back from trust and we have to
deal with second and third reading I'm
nowhere close to being and I'm changing
my position from when was this last year
May
>> May
>> um so you know I at that point. I
thought that the problem was that the um
the neighbors had reconciled to the
operation of a commercial cery and
without the bed and breakfast and that major issue had been resolved. And
now at the you know the 11 11 and a half
hours there's a whole bunch of other
material that comes in with respect to
water in particular and um uh septic and
um green waste and uh whether or not all
of that has been put to um Vancouver
Coastal Health. if I had them here
today, I'd be asking them some questions
in terms of whether or not they had
taken some of these other things into
consideration and I would certainly hope
that um staff would take the
correspondence seriously and maybe ask
those questions on our behalf of
Vancouver Coastal Health, but um we
don't have that material in front of us
today. So, um
I'm I don't think that our decision
today to refer it to trust would
necessarily change in terms of it having
going back to trust. So, you know, if we
can have some of our concerns
alleviated, that's fine. But, um I agree
with the very detailed uh conservation
covenant and protection of a heritage
value asset in the community. And I'm
very concerned about the definition of
the cidery and
um yeah some of these other water
concerns that are raised in the the
correspondence.
I don't appreciate getting 14 pages of
detailed um argument on the day of a
meeting. It's really hard to digest it.
But that's beside the point.
So, um, myself and the speakers list,
too. Um, as a point of information, um,
all of those detailed letters have come
from somebody who no longer, as far as
we can tell, resides on Bowen Island or
owns property on Bowen Island. Um, and
those were all sent to us
directly earlier.
I mean, my my inbox has been inundated
with them, so I'm assuming yours has,
but the other is um is there a way to
with the definition of apples on the
lot? Um
I mean, I'm everybody wants to protect
the existing trees, but if we had a huge
awful winter storm and they all died,
well, they all died and then what do you
do? Um you can't build something else.
But could could we put in the word um
something along the lines in the
definition of cery that the production
comes from uh the existing trees from
fruit grown on the existing trees on the
lot unless those trees die.
Um you know so that they could be
replaced with I mean what happens if
those trees did get wiped out?
I mean
>> they had to replant if there was a
covenant saying you had to keep those
trees.
>> Yeah. To the chair. I mean I think
that's a question more for the the
covenant than the cidery definition
which is more supposed to be like an an
islandwide definition for the the cidery
land use.
>> Okay. So my other question is if we gave
it first reading today
and referred it to the trust,
could the covenant be explored
um after and be a condition of going you
know ask staff to explore the covenant
and then
at second reading we make it a condition
of second or third or final reading.
>> Um I mean yes it can be. So I me and the
corporate officer had drafted some
wording of of council wanting to move
that forward. Um I think the one piece I
guess would be if if the island trust
comes back and says well our approval
would be you know conditional on there
being a covenant which they've done for
some reasoning applications then we
would be saying okay well then clearly
you know the trust's expectations this
is this is included as well. Um, but
definitely, you know, council can amend
the application at second reading.
>> Council passed. Thank you. I'd be
interested in seeing the draft wording
that uh you and the corporate officer
have uh talked about.
Okay. So you've just called it ongoing
protection of
>> yeah we written yeah in terms of ongoing
protection of the biodiversity of the
heritage orchard. So it's not about
protection of the agriculture land but
about but the the idea of ongoing
protection is saying it's beyond just
saying you know you can't you can't
build a house here but there needs some
provision for ongoing protection.
>> Well I like that because it doesn't mean
that it has to be a conservation
covenant. There could there's other
tools
>> uh potentially. Um
but if that's the wording from staff, if
I move that now, can we still move on to
the um uh giving it first reading and um
>> I I would see those two as sort of
happening and then and then the
recommendation if council wishes. So
yes.
>> Okay. Then I move that council direct
staff to seek protection of the riparian
areas as a condition of reasonzoning
approval and that council direct staff
to seek ongoing protection of the
biodiversity of the heritage orchard as
a condition of reasonzoning approval.
» Second.
» All in favor?
All right.
>> Okay.
>> Um and then
are you going to move the second part of
the motion?
>> I would be delighted to. Um
this is the same as it's in our package,
I think. Okay. um that bylaw number 726
cited as Bowen Island Municipality Land
Use bylaw number 57, 2002, amendment
bump number 726,2026
be read a first time and that council
refer uh bylaw number 726206
and the wording from Sophie about the on
the um islands trust policy statement
checklist. list.
Uh,
>> sorry, just go. It's on the It's on the
screen.
>> Oh, thank you. Uh, checklist included in
the on table items package of the July
27 regular council meeting to the
island's trust and that council uh
direct staff to return with the results
of the referral.
>> Do we have a seconder? Council Saunders.
All in favor?
I [clears throat]
Good. I have a quick question.
Do you have a question?
>> Yeah. Okay. Um Daniel, don't disappear.
>> U just a quick question for the planner.
Um and do any of these um resolutions
preclude council from moving to public
hearing at a later date um as this
application proceeds.
>> Thank you. That's a great great
question. I was going to raising it for
council Getty. Um so typically when when
there's no public hearing required and
where council's given the notice, we
would come back as staff um for the
bylaw for consideration of second and
third reading. We would bring an
alternative which would be council would
give second reading and refer to a
public hearing at that time.
>> Okay,
>> if that's clear.
>> So if we want to proceed to public
hearing, we do it after second.
>> Correct.
>> Okay.
>> Thank you.
Okay.
Oops. Have we lost everybody here? Uh,
staff report solid waste service
agreement. Christina Cali.
Thank you, council. I haven't prepared a
presentation, but I can walk you through
the staff report.
Okay. So staff are seeking council
direction to issue a notice of intent
for a proposed 2-year solid waste
services agreement with Bowen Waste
Solutions. This is for the period of
January 1st, 2027 to December 31st,
2028.
Bowen Waste Solutions is is the
municipality's current contractor and
has provided continuous solid waste
services on Bowen Island since 1994.
Their proposed agreement would maintain
existing service levels for garbage,
organics, recycling, collection, as well
as operation of the bird facility,
ensuring uninterrupted service while the
municipality completes a comprehensive
review of its long-term solid waste
system.
In addition to maintaining current
services, the negotiated agreement
includes a commitment from Bow and Waste
Solutions to work collaboratively with
the municipality, Recycle BC, and
potentially other extended uh producer
responsibility recycling programs in
order to inform the development of an
updated solid waste strategy for Bowen
Island. This work will support
evaluation of future opportunities which
could include potential participation in
recycle BC assessment of depot versus
curbside recycling models analysis of
recycling revenues and costs possible on
island solid waste or composting
solutions as well as the identification
of long-term service delivery options
that maximize both environmental and
financial benefits.
The negotiated contract value is 1.434
434 million annually. This is
representing a 14.5% increase over the
current agreement. This increase
reflects higher labor, fuel,
transportation, equipment, maintenance,
and regulatory costs experienced by
Bowen Waste over the term of the
existing contract.
The two-year term was intentionally
selected to provide a short-term cost
certainty while preserving flexibility
to implement recommendations from the
forthcoming solid waste strategy.
Uh preliminary analysis indicates that
participation in recycle BC could
provide significant financial benefits
as well as enhance recycling performance
which would make it important that the
municipality retain flexibility while
these opportunities are fully evaluated
over the next two years.
Issuing a notice of intent would support
the transparency and compliance with
procurement uh requirements by providing
an opportunity for other qualified
suppliers to demonstrate their ability
to deliver comparable services. If no
valid changes or challenge is received,
staff will proceed with finalizing the
agreement and return to council for
approval. If a valid challenge is
received, staff will undertake
competitive procurement process.
>> Thank you.
>> Would somebody like to move the motion
or has questions?
>> I'll move the motion.
» Want me to read it?
>> Yeah. [laughter]
Uh the council directs staff to post a
notice of intent to proceed with a
direct award to Bowen Waste Solutions,
Inc. for a solid waste services
agreement and that upon expiry of the
notice period without receipt of a valid
challenge that staff will be authorized
to enter a 2-year contract beginning
January 1st, 2027 with Bowen Waste
Solutions, Inc. for1,443
434,112
per year and further that should the
notice be successfully challenged staff
will be directed to undertake a
competitive procurement process
including a request for proposals in
accordance with the applicable
procurement policies and legal
requirements. Seconder council Getty.
Any questions, discussion? All those in
favor?
» Thank you.
>> Can I take a two-minut break or I'm
going to disappear for
>> couple minutes?
» Have we still got?
>> Yeah, we've got four. Well, I don't
know. We've lost two two members right
now. I think just roll everybody.
>> I think we're taking a twominut break.
Everyone, my name is Mer Bornia. I'm the
new manager of infrastructure with Roy
Municipality.
Today I will provide an update on the
emergency repairs at the Snove North and
South WS. This is an information update
only and I'm not asking council for any
direction or approval. I will just
explain what we have found, what we have
done so far and what happens next.
This is the agenda [clears throat] of my
today's presentation. I will begin with
some background on why why these warves
are important. I will then explain what
the structural assessment have found the
immediate the immediate safety measures
that you have taken the periscope
how the work will be completed approval
costs schedule and risk and last but not
least the long-term plan for these
warfs.
Um the area photo that you see on this
slide u has been taken by my drone. It
shows north and south bars um are next
to BC Ferris terminal. These barves
support public access, vessel morage,
municipal operations and the ambulance
and emergency vehicle access.
The warves are supported on timber piles
in salt water and are exposed to tides
and marine borers which damage the
timber from the inside.
When the concerns were identified, we
have acted quickly and emergency
inspection was completed on June 12th
followed by a detailed assessment on
June 16.
So what did the assessment found in
summary? Widespread marine border damage
and localized advanced deterioration.
The photos on this slide show the main
concern better than I can explain. Some
piles might appear reasonably solid from
the outside but contain large internal
cavities. The assessment also found
timber decay, splitting, the
deterioration of the pile caps and the
stringers. In total, 12 structure
components were identified for immediate
repair or replacement.
Other components identified will need
require will require near-term
rehabilitation and ongoing monitoring
immediate safety measures. So we did not
wait for the perimeter repair design
before taking action.
Temporary full height timber support
post were installed beside the two most
deteriorated part. This is what you see
in this photo here. We also introduced
operating restrictions.
Only essential municipal emergency
vehicles are permitted with a maximum
speed of 5 kilometer per hour and only
one vehicle at a time. We train access
remains available and emergency and
ambulance access is maintained.
So in this slide I have briefly shown
the the repaircope.
The repair scope includes replacement of
severely deteriorated timber piles,
replacement of deteriorated timber uh
timber pile caps, localized stringer and structural connection repairs, rehab
rehabilitation of piles with large
cavities with grafted steel jacket to
restore part capacity in locations where
pile placement is not feasible. So if
contractor cannot get access to fully
replace a pile, what they do is that
they're going to fill the cavity with
grout and then protect it with steel
jacket. This is what this detail is
showing here. Um removal of deteriorated
or marine infested timber from site and
reinstatement of decking and other
temporary removed components.
A common question that might be asked is
how the construction will be done.
Um most of the answer to that question
is that the most of the work will be
completed from the water side. The dark
areas on these slide show the
approximate barge positioning.
Um the red area is pile driving
equipment on top of the barge. We have
retained a specialized marine contractor
who is equipped with a specialized wars.
that uh have pile driving equipment
and they also have boats that can go in
between the piles that are underneath
the the the pier structure.
What one thing that is um important to
note on this slide is that during the
active construction we plan to install
operable gates. The operable gates will
keep public out of the active
construction zone but it will let the
emergency vehicle and ambulance to go
through the gate. Um that also includes
the owners of these um boats that are
parked here. So it's going to be closed
to public but it will allow the
necessary people to pass through. The
other thing that's important to mention
is that and this is going to be a phased
operation. Phase one would be the
southwarf and that's where the
contractor is is planning to position
their barge to do the repair from the
water side. Phase two is going to be the
north pier and that's where the
contractor is planning to position their
barge to do the repairs. So these gates
will be installed when there's going to
be active construction on each of these
wars
where we stand with approvals and a
stakeholder coordination. We have
submitted an application to DFO because
we are doing work over over and inside
the water. The application is currently
in review pending approval. We have
submitted the documentation to our own
building department. We have coordinated
with transport Canada. They have
confirmed that this work doesn't require
navigation program approval mainly
because it meets the requirement
uh mainly because it meets the
definition of repair as opposed to
rebuild. We have also had a meeting with
BC fairies on last Friday. They have
raised some concern about the size and
dimension of the barge. Therefore, they
has asked the contractor to submit a
drawing that shows exactly where they're
going to um position their equipment in in respect to BC Fair's operational
envelope.
Uh the total cost of the project at this
point is estimated at $260,000.
The cost includes the the contractor's
fee as well as consulting cost which
includes a structural and environmental.
We have used emergency procurement to
procure the contractor and consultant
mainly because when the concerns were
identified the the time of failure could
not be reliably predicted. So that's why
we went ahead and um and hired both the
consultant and contractor.
In terms of project timeline, uh as you
can see on this slide, things have moved
pretty quickly since we since the
concerns were identified. Uh we are
currently here. We had our meeting with
BC Fairies. We will submit the
documentation that they have um asked us
to provide. The construction is
anticipated to begin mid August pending
receiving approvals from DFO and
approval of BC fairies to move forward
with the work. The target completion
date is September 15. However, if we can
start earlier in August, uh we are
aiming to complete everything before the
month of September.
Risks and mitigation. So like every
construction project, this project has
its own risks. It's important to
identify them and have appropriate
response for each identified risk. I'm
not going to go over all the risk that
we have identified. But to give you just
one example, an example of the risk that
was identified was a risk of internal
damage not visible from surface. And the
proper risk respond for that was
resistorraph testing by the structural
consultant before the construction
begins. And then field verification and
engineering review during construction.
So if contractor comes across piles that
he seems suspicious of needing to be
replaced, you're going to bring us bring
us to our attention and we will move
forward with replacing those as well.
Long-term wolf management. I want to be
very clear about what these repels will
and will not achieve. The project
addresses the highest priority
deficiencies.
However, marine border activity is
present at several location across both
WS and will continue.
Because of this, we need a long-term
asset management program. Their
recommended future measures are regular
tide structural inspection, targeted
resistorraph testing for piles that are
suspicious of having cavities inside
them, monitoring of the repaired and
previously identified piles, removal of
infested timber debris from site, pile
encapsulation or jacket system at
priority locations. a phase
rehabilitation and renewal strategy and
future capital planning um for these
bars to make sure every year there's
budget to do the proper measures for for
these barbs.
With this I conclude uh my presentation
and I am open to questions from council
and the public. Thank you.
>> Any questions councelor Getty? Um so
somewhere in your report you talk about
uh trying to find measures to prevent
the marine borers.
>> That's correct. Um, and my
vague knowledge is that they used to use
creassote on the pilings, but that was
um considered to um put unnecessary
chemicals into the water, which um was
part of the cleanup of house sound in
terms of wrapping the piles with I think
it was something as simple as netting to
keep the maybe it was the muscles, not
the bores. But um in in terms of
whatever preventative measures um are
going to be considered um then I think
we have to talk about the environmental
protection at the same time. Um, so I'd
like you to keep that in mind. And I'm
wondering if there's any alternatives in
terms of the materials that are can be
used for ponds like possibly cement or
um some metal although it's salt water
but
through the chair. Um in terms of
protection um the protection methodology
that BCeries has also lose on their
piles is the use of I think HTTP
membrane to cover this piles to protect
them against marine activity. However,
we need to compare the cost of that with
full replacement of the pile because it
could be that the cost associated with
that repair is higher than the full
replacement of the P. We have the cost
associated with full replacement as a
result of the work that we are doing
now. But that's a good um subject to
discuss with the structural engineer and
contractor to find out what's the best
solution for our situation.
>> And um I've got two other questions. Is
there going to be a fairly complete
assessment done before construction
starts so that we have while we've got
the equipment on site um if we if it's
within budget that we can do as much
protection as possible.
>> So a full assessment was completed
>> but the scope of assessment was to
identify the immediate concerns which
were safety issue. the ones the what
cons um consultant has recommended
they are basically safety issues and we
need to take care of them immediately.
However, we can I I will discuss with
the consultant whether um there are
protection measures that we can take
during the construction if that is if
that is considered feasible.
And lastly on the um south dock um the
float that's attached to it that's
heavily used by visitors.
>> Yes,
>> boat visitors. So how do we keep them
off?
>> And second part of that is that that's
notifying the public. How do we notify
and and is there a plan to notify the
bed and breakfast operators that are in
the area that are going to be disturbed
by the pile driving?
My understanding is that um
the communication will be done through staff to public and they will be
informed of these upcoming operations.
In terms of visitors going over the um
dock, we are going to put operable gates
there and we're going to put signage
there that the public are not allowed
and people who are allowed are basically
the ambulance and the owners of the
boats who are park on that dock. It's a
risk measurement. It's a riskmanagement
um effort to limit public access to make
sure during active construction we don't
have public wandering around those
ducks. So that's why we're going to put
a upper gate with proper signage that
can be accessed by um by um authorized
personnel.
>> So we don't really have any we're not
closing down the float for tourists
coming in.
I would say for tourists we have to
close it down. Only the people who have
u boats parked there
>> should go through because if you think
about it this is going to be an active
construction zone. The contractor knows
that once they leave the site they have
to um put the condition of the site in a in a condition that the ambulance
can go through. But I would not
recommend giving general public access
to these docks during the construction
especially that the construction
duration is not that long.
>> I think the one to two weeks
>> CAO had a comment.
>> Uh thank you through the mayor to
counselor Getty I can add to that too.
We have had a coordinating meeting with
um a large number of staff to try and
identify all of the different um
interest holders who would need to be
notified ahead of time. um talking about
notification of the the those residents
right in Snug Cove was part of that
conversation. Um the manager of
infrastructure did indicate that it was
his understanding that all of the
construction activity would be taking
place during daylight hours. However, he
is going to follow up with that because
of course it's working in the water with
tides and if there is to be nighttime
construction then absolutely members of
the community need advanced and
significant knowledge about that
potential. We are planning on closing
the float to um to tourists. So, we are
going to be contacting two of the
marinas in Horseshoe Bay and in West
Vancouver that often send their tourists
to say, "Hey, it's a great trip to come
on over to Bowen for the day." We are
going to do a very big advanced
communication plan ahead of time to make
sure that all of the relevant parties
that we can identify ahead of time have
advanced knowledge of this um activity
going on.
>> Okay. Councelor Saunders.
>> Thank you to the chair. Um, you may have
addressed this in your presentation and
I missed it. Is there any reason to
expect that ferry schedules might be
impacted during operations or should be
non-issue
>> to the chair? Um, no. No impact on ferry
schedule is expected unless something
unforeseen happens that is beyond
everybody's control. [laughter] But the
contractor has confirmed that they can
work from the water side and they will
stay out of F's operational envelope and
we had a coordination meeting on Friday
with them and uh also BC fairies did not
mention anything about any disruptions
in their operation as a result of our
voters.
>> Thank you.
>> Anybody else? Councelor Wake
>> through the chair. Uh thank you for a a
very thorough report. This this gives me
confidence. Um just following up on the
question about materials. Um where were
replacing piles? Is there any option for
steel or something that uh wouldn't rot?
>> To the chair. Um the plan is like for
leg replacement, but that's a good
question. I can uh ask that question
from the structural engineer and provide
reasoning about why we can move forward
with the steel.
>> Thank you.
>> And I had a question sort of along the
same lines I guess. um if all of the
piles are in say one side or one corner
or something like that. I mean has
anybody thought about just making the
war smaller on the north dock, not uh
you know not replacing the whole thing
if the piles are all in one particular
area. And I I know the dock dance for
the fire chief would be
impacted, but other than that, you know,
I mean, do we need that big a north dock
>> through the chair? um on the north or
even south dock. We don't plan to
replace all piles. It's only 12 members
that are identified for emergency
replacement
>> and they're interspersed throughout the
they're not all along the one side or
something like that.
>> They're they're scattered to some
extent, but on the south dock luckily
most of them are on one end of the pier
which allows the contractor to to do
their repair work from the water side.
they're not in kind of in the middle
that requires basically taking out the
deck and do the work. There one or two
piles that are in the middle and for
those
what the contractor will do is that
they're going to temporarily support
everything from the bottom and they do
the replacement from the steel from
below.
>> Yeah. No, I was more thinking of you
know the north dock cert.
So I was just thinking if all the piles
were the one end of the north dock then
make it smaller
>> through through the mayor to your
question. Uh there's actually not a
significant amount of work that has to
take place on the north dock. There's I
think two piles is
>> there's much limited the extent of
damage to the north pier is much smaller
than the
>> than the south than the south beer.
>> Okay. So, it's only a pile cap and I
think maybe one or two columns that need
to be replaced.
>> Yeah. Okay, great. Any more questions?
» Um, sure. Since you're looking at me, I
just uh thank you. I'm really happy to
see the safety of that uh do of the
docks addressed and uh I always wondered
about the dock dance and all the people
jumping up and down at the same time and
uh would like to be sure that we've been
as careful as possible. So, thank you
very much.
>> Okay, thank you for your presentation.
It was great.
» Okay, who's up next? Oh, Daniel's back.
Thank you. Yes, I'm back again. I don't
have a presentation with this. This is
an update on the septic um septic
maintenance bylaw implementation plan.
And so what is in the report is just um
essentially status update on where we
are in providing more information that
would form the basis of that
implementation plan. Um specifically the
Grafton Lake management plan and our
work with Vancouver Coastal Health to
get data on existing septic fields on
Bowen Island. Um so the recommendation
is that council receive this report for
information and then I'm open for any
questions you might have.
>> Does anybody have any questions on the
report?
Can we have a motion to receive?
» Okay, you're going to make the motion to
receive. Motion
>> to receive.
>> Thank you. A seconder. Thank you. Um,
all in favor?
>> I.
>> Well done. [laughter]
>> Sophie, can you bring up the key?
>> Okay. Um, the next one is uh 8.4, 4
which is our quarterly um municipal
report and then 8.5 and 8.6
our acting CEO and CFO have those three.
>> Uh thank you mayor through the mayor to
the rest of council. I just wanted to
take the opportunity to thank staff for
putting together the Q2 spring update to
council. Um this report it covers a very
uh busy time for staff. These are
activities reported from the month of
April through the month of June. It's
typically a busy time for all of our
staff. Uh in the corporate services
department, uh the ongoing work to
review and update bylaws, policies, and
procedures is ongoing. The big project
for this reporting period of course
includes managing the procurement and
installation of the new audiovisisual
equipment in this the conference room.
Uh this was also supported um with an
accessibility component that was funded
with a $25,000 uh spark grant. Ongoing
support is provided by the corporate
services department to municipal
projects such as the OCP review um and
all of that work that is undertaken by
the communications and the deputy
corporate officers work following up
with our finance department. Uh work on
the 2025 audit was wrapped up during
this period. Um, we had acceptance of
council's acceptance of the 2025 audited
financial statements as well as
submission of all required government
reports to the province which were
submitted and approved. Uh, this period
also marked the approval of the 2026
5-year financial plan and setting of the
annual tax rates and sending out of all
the tax notices and collection of the
annual property taxes. So Q2 marks a
very busy period in the financial
services department. The engineering and
public works department has been busy
with a new project that's begun. As you
just learned, the um the docks located
in Snug Cove as well. A large culvert
replacement on Dorman Road has been
started at Davies Creek and that will
move um forward as well as work that was
undertaken um up on Taylor Road at
Dallas at Dallas Drive was completed
which resulted in improved drainage and
road structure there. Um work on the
wastewater treatment plant. So within
the sewer system uh currently there has
been a technical review of the sewer
inflow and infiltration project. So
council can expect an update uh results
from that project next quarter as that
review is taking place over the summer.
Um a lot of uh work was undertaken in
quarter 2 on a new bylaw to update the
sewer regulations addressing the fog,
the fats, oil and grease going into the
wastewater treatment plant. And work on
the sewer outfall um I'm happy to report
is still progressing albeit at a snail's
pace. A lot of the um the hold up in
that project moving that forward has to
do um beyond factors of our control.
It's around permitting approvals and
things that are done at the provincial
level. Uh staff have completed
significant program of ongoing flushing
and PRV pressure reducing valve uh
maintenance throughout all seven of our
water systems. And um as we move into
the summer and implementation of our uh
water conservation and restriction uh
requirements though we are monitoring
those and making sure that uh that
people are abiding by those uh water
conservation regulations.
Routine maintenance is going on at the
wells and pump stations and um lots of
work going on around installation of
backflow prevention devices in several
of the systems. Parks and trail work is
going on underway during this period,
especially when the spring when we have
the combination of sun and warm
temperatures and rain. Um, a lot of
really kickstarted vegetation growth.
So, you see a lot of activity around the
island on brushing maintenance programs.
Significant progress made as well in the
public works department on the
implementation of their software, new
asset management systems software which
was acquired and is being implemented.
And I hopefully you've all seen the new
citizen request portal that's up and
operational. And that's an opportunity
for citizens to um directly enter their
own service requests. You know, if they
see a pothole, they can notify the
public works department. And we'll get
that into our worklist and a work order
created for that. Um this report, it
also contains some nice looking graphs
there that report publicly on the
numbers and the types of uh service
requests that have been logged during
the period. and the team has been busy
managing and prioritizing those
requests. Uh moving on to fire and
emergency department. They've been busy
with ongoing firefighter training
opportunities uh including a lot of
wildland firefighting rural water
supply. You may have noticed a recent um
notification that the department has
achieved water shuttle accreditation uh
through the fire underwriters surve uh
fire underwriters survey recently. So,
this is great news for our residents as
it provides the opportunity to
potentially review their home insurance
policies and perhaps uh receive some
discounts to their premiums as the new
um underwriter survey accredititation uh
the benefits of achieving that kick in.
Um I should note too that firefighter
volunteers responded to 54 callouts and
attended a whopping 555 hours of
training during the second quarter of
2026. Our emergency program has hosted a
successful um emergency preparedness
week speaker event. Um they've
undertaken a do-it-yourself fresh air
filter construction project and this is
particularly meaningful at this time of
the year where residents can learn how
to improve their own indoor air quality
through a a cheap and fun project. Um
it's a necessary way to make
improvements to our air quality and we
should all be mindful and cognizant of
the wildfire risk um at this time
especially in um many of areas of our
province at the at this time. Uh the
recreation department has reported
hosting over 6,000 v uh visitors to the
community center this quarter. Um our
fitness center visits are up 31%. They
have an average of about 18 to 20 users
per day in the weight room. We had 915
program registrants along with 321
drop-in participants and 1659
fitness center visits this quarter
alone. So the usage by the community of
this facility is strong and it speaks to
the support that the community has um of
this facility. Events that were held
included the moonflower screening of the
Bowen Island filmmaker in support of
World Oceans Day. Skate days are
continuing for the youth programming um
in partnership with IPS down at the
fieldhouse and um completion has uh the sorry the bike barn mural has been
completed down um at the cove with the
work going on at the dock. We're going
to hold off on any kind of unveiling of
that mural until the fall when the
work's completed down there in the
theater. Uh the report you'll see in
there that it sets out the events that
have taken place. It's also um been
noted that staff have arranged for
installation of the handrails in the
theater which have been which have
proven to be a real important and
necessary safety upgrade. Uh
installation of a new donated orac
broadcast system um from Sky. This is a
system that was donated from Sky and it
will um assist in a new hearing um uh
system that's more robust and easier to
use. Lastly, uh I'm proud to announce
that BIM received a KMA award for
innovation for design of this facility
and uh this award took place in May and
we won it in the category for small
municipalities under 20,000 for this
building. In the parks department,
there's been new signage for indigenous
names um that have been gifted to the
beaches on the west side of the island.
It's been ordered and the province has
recently approved those proposed name
changes. Swimmer safety upgrades uh were
undertaken by the installation of a life
boy that was uh installed at Sandy Beach
and new uh handles to assist swimmers
from getting out of the water have been
installed on the Mount Gardener dock.
We've been um exploring options of
community forest models to expand
stewardship over crown lands. And the
big event in June, of course, um if you
missed it, you can still uh go online
and and view it. It was a wildlife
safety education event with wildlife
experts and the Metro Vancouver parks,
the RCMP conservation officers all
taking part. And I recommend everybody
go online and and watch that event. Um
it was a a busy time for our planning
department. Of course, they're still
working on several initiatives. Most
importantly, of course, is the OCP
review. just that has just recently
closed the round two engagement process
and those results will be delivered to
council in the fall. The ongoing
initiative to reszone municipal lands as
parks um is wrapping up and that will
help to ensure that public lands are
held and protected for recreational,
environmental and community purposes in
perpetuity. the work of the septic
maintenance program review as um planner
Martin [clears throat] has just
indicated it is uh just kind of on hold
while we uh work through this OCP
process but uh we're going to pick this
one up again um in the new year once the
OCP review has concluded um bylaw has
been very busy supervising and
overseeing the fairy marshalling program
um we're halfway through the summer the
program has proven to be very successful
uh adding to the safe and orderly
marshalling of vehicles and pedestrians
in Snugo. The work um again I'd like to
commend their work publicly. It's very
important to assist keeping that ferry
loading on time, hassle-free, and
contributing to on-time operations of
the ferry. Um other work within the
bylaw department has been to support the
uh development of the new um fog, fat,
oil, and grease regulation in the sewer.
So, uh, Doug has been out taking many,
um, samples of, uh, water from grease
traps throughout all of the food service
establishments, and we'll be working
with those businesses quite closely in
order to implement those recommendations
beginning um, you know, beginning this
month. there there's going to be ongoing
checking and compliance and requirements
for making sure that that um that the
fog going into our wastewater treatment
system is kept to a minimum which we
anticipate is going to help to address
the smell.
Uh lastly in bylaw they've got a new
violation ticket maintenance module that
has been implemented. So that software
has been acquired. It's going to
streamline the violation ticket tracking
and monitoring process going forward. HR
is busy uh new hires for the manager of
infrastructure role. So uh we welcome
our new manager of infrastructure. Of
course there's ongoing recruitment
opportunities for ferry marshallers um
ongoing opportunities for auxiliary
custodial staff as well as um new meter
readers in the public works department.
We're supplementing their staff capacity
by hiring casual meter readers. And
there's always ongoing uh recruitment,
interviewing and and posting and filling
work going on there. Um
should be noted uh when we look at the
section of the report on the library, uh
the library bid a bond farewell to our
30 plus year chief librarian, Tina
Nielsen. Staff and council wish Tina a
happy and fulfilling retirement after
years of dedicated service in that role.
And I would like to take the opportunity
to welcome Jennifer Strechman to the
role as Bowen's new chief librarian.
She's working hard to develop new
programming and services to fill those
big shoes left behind by Tina and
Jennifer's here in attendance today. So,
thank you. Um, lastly, the work of the
strategic initiatives officer is
ongoing. Projects worked on and advanced
this quarter include the drafting of the
new purchasing policy, uh development of
a systemic ferry traffic data collection
process which is being used to gather
information uh about uh numbers of cars,
numbers of overloads that are left
behind. All pieces of data that we um we
can only really collect from this side
and that BC fairies I'm sure will be
keen to share um as we move forward.
There's initiation of a new solid waste
contract that will be kicking off the
two-year period where the municipality
will investigate the potential to join
with recycle BC in managing our
recycling streams. Discussions have been
taking place and are ongoing with Circle
Fairies to explore the feasibility of
new passenger onlyly ferry service in
the Cove. very high level discussions at
this point, but um they certainly have
indicated a keen interest to include
Bowen um as a stop off for their new
service.
Um and lastly, the library included a
summary of the programming and events
that have been taking place um at the
library, including very successful
summer reading club, implementation of
accessibility improvements to assisted
technology, including some new
computers, uh dedication of new spaces
for large print books, and it was
interesting, they provided comparative
statistics on business um on sorry, on
visits on the lending of books and the
man material. sales and electronic
lending, as well as the new items added
to the collection, which showed an
impressive year-over-year increase. So,
this report is included in the agenda.
It's comprehensive, it's easy, it's fun
to read, and I recommend taking a look
at it to learn about what is happening
and the work taking place by both
municipal staff, uh, department
managers, and our communications staff.
I thank them all for their work in
putting the report together and I would
like to give council the opportunity to
ask any questions of the senior managers
here today should you seek clarity or in
addition to the information on any of
the items included in that report.
>> Anybody got questions? Council for
Getty.
>> Um sorry with respect to the report on
recreation and in particular the bike
barn mural. Um, I want to give a shout
out to uh Jamie Schffer because this
young artist um Simeon Deutsch
Deutschinov
um came to the hearth and uh wanted to
replace a wall full of graffiti with uh
some of his art and um you may not it's
on page 12 of this report and the what
the mural it actually says the word
Bowen so it's it's contemporary art that
you might need a little help with but
it's one of our little symbols, the
deer, right in the middle of it. So, um,
both Jamie and Simeon figured out how to
go through the process. Um, this was
when the public art advisory committee
was was up and running. And, uh, it's it
was almost exciting to see it in the
report. It had been finished. So, shout
out to the artist and to, um, Jamie in
terms of getting this one completed.
» Whoops. Counselor F. Um, thank you. I
um, this is a question for the CEO. I
think did I hear you mention that the
electric circle ferry exploring circle
ferry in the cove or did you mean?
>> Uh, no. I I meant the cove. They
initially had a plan to head out to
Seymour Bay. I think with um the timing
of that development probably doesn't
align with their wish to um get some
kind of service going. So in the
interimm they're keen to look at Snug
Cove as a drop off point for foot
passenger air um service only. Thank
you.
>> Anybody else?
So, I can't resist
um asking the manager of environment,
[laughter]
has she had any confirmation on the
cougar?
[laughter]
» Thank you, chair, for the question. No,
we have not received any confirmation
about the um cougar's presence on the
island. Um currently, the last update we
gave was on July 8th. there is a um news
release that everyone can read to uh
that's that's the last update we've
received from conservation and um
nothing further on that.
>> Thank you.
>> Anybody else? So um we need um a motion
that uh council I I'll move that council
receive the 2026 quarter 2 quarterly
report as presented at its July 27th
2026 meeting for information.
>> Second.
>> Thank you. All in favor?
>> I.
» Okay.
>> Budget update.
>> Uh, thank you. Item 8.5 is a quarter 2
budget update. Um, I will like to start
this presentation off just with a quick
review of property tax collection
statistics. Um, in 2026, the total taxes
levied were just over $18.2 million. And
as of uh July 2nd, the due date, we had
collected um about 17.1 million. So
that's a collection rate of about 94%
which is um in line with previous years.
We range about 93% um of our taxes
collected by the due date. So that's
really good news. It shows that people
are um not not paying their taxes in
favor of paying other bills. they are
maintaining their um priority on paying
those property taxes of course because
it is a significant penalty for late
payments. So um I'm happy to see that is uh staying high. Um kind of
handinhand in that is the property tax
deferment statistics. Um it was very
interesting this year with the changes
to the provincial government's interest
rate on the deferment program. Um, last
year we had 293
uh applicants for the property tax
deferment program. This year it was
dropped way down by 43%. We had only 168
um applicants for the program this year.
Uh last year the amount deferred was
just over almost $1.9 million in
property taxes and this year it's with
the fewer number of applicants it's
dropped down to 1.1 million. So that's a
decline of as I said 43%.
um residents participating in the
program. And you can only chalk that up
to the change in the um very favorable
interest rate that until now the
provincial government had um had applied
to that program. Uh average deferral is
about $6,987.
Um so looking at our uh financial
results up till second quarter um we
have our taxation revenue taxation
revenue is very much in line with
budget. Um there was a change in the
number of folios between the preliminary
budget and the final budget. So there
was an overestimation of a few folios.
So, our our solid waste parcel tax
revenue is down by about $7,700
than what we had budgeted for. Um, there
are no other um property tax appeals
that are underway at the moment that um
that would indicate that we should be
concerned in any way about the property
tax revenue figure that we will um that
we will uh receive for this year. Other
fees and charges of course are
categories such as development fees and
business licenses, recreation revenue
and warf fees. Um I do believe that that
possibly could be a little bit lower
than budget. A couple of things um that
are driving that of course with this big
warf project that's going on and the
closure of the dock. I'm assuming that
we're going to have reduced um warf
revenue this year. So I put a provision
in for that as well as um we do have we
are noticing again a slowdown in b in
building activities. So I do believe
there's a possibility that we will not
meet our um our building permit revenue
target for this year but uh I do believe
that we should be close maybe about
$10,000 under. So uh all in all we'll be
very close on that line item. Our
federal grant revenue is typically tied
to specific projects. Um I do believe
that the OCP review process, we may need
to access some potential uh housing
potentially if we can access the housing
accelerator funds to fund any overages.
Um I do believe that we could uh require
use of almost up to $20,000 of that
funds in order to complete the OCP
review project. Other um uses of the
housing accelerator funds this year will
be 120,000 to complete the wastewater
treatment plant inflow and infiltration
program. We are um committed to
providing birch with $150,000 of funding
and as well uh they we do have set aside
$20,000 to complete the sewer DCC bylaw
project. Um fed provincial grants that
we'll be receiving this year. There's
about $132,000 left of Fires Smart
funding to support the coordinator
position as well as the assessments and
the rebates and the community events
that take place under that program.
$230,000 of funding approximately is
remaining towards the Eagle Cliff water
main portion of the project. Uh there's
about $50,000 funds remaining in the OCP
development approvals grant project.
About 25,000 of Spark grant funding was
received and used to finance the
accessibility component of this room and
$150,000 of Translink funding has been
included in the budget in order to
undertake the upcoming project to
improve trunk road.
Um I'll talk a little bit about our
other revenues. They include things like
late pay late payment penalties or
interest on unpaid taxes. Uh we do
believe that that should come in at
approximately 144,000 this year. Last
year it came in at 153,000. So not a
significant amount of variance
year-over-year.
And as well we do have um a couple of
other items in this revenue category
where there we we anticipate that we'll
have variances. One of them of course is
the fact that we are collecting money
and setting aside for the Knickknack
Nook building project. We've received
approximately $31,000 there, which we
are holding aside for the new building
replacement at the Knickknack Nook. And
we have approximately 16,000 of new
revenue that came through the public
works department as we are um
undertaking agreements with homeowners
who are encroaching on public property
to um um collect annual fees for the for
the right to continue that encroachment.
So that's um unbudgeted revenue and it's
a new program started this year. Our
investment revenue uh potentially could
be down. Um interest rates have stayed
lower than maybe um anybody anticipated
this year given the fact that there is
ongoing turmoil uh with tariffs with war
in Iran. um interest rates are likely to
increase for the second half of the
year, but so far they have managed to
stay quite low um for the first half of
the year. So I am putting a provision in
there that it is possible that we could
um not reach our investment income
target of 250 this year for the general
fund and and I've uh projected that to
perhaps be as low as 200. So um putting
those um you know those conservative
estimates in there means that we are
probably going to come in quite close on
our revenue targets
and nothing certainly that is going to
put us in any kind of financial um cons
concern if we um if we
nothing that's expected to put us in any
kind of financial concern. Our
operations expenses are um uh quite
close to budget uh for the most part our
fire and emergency which has a
significant potential budget variance
there. It's mostly related to the fact
that we have not received the grant
funding for the EOC program this year
nor the grant funding for the ESS
program this year. So um we're planning
uh to be under budget because we're not
going to be incurring the expenses
related to those grant-f funded programs
as well. So, we are taking a hit on the
revenue side, but we're taking an
offsetting hit on the um expense side as
well. Um public works has uh a little
bit of a delay in hiring. It's got some
other savings that we've um managed to
achieve from um like for example the ice
and snow purchases. Our we had a very
mild winter where we didn't do very much
plowing or sanding and we managed to
save some money there. there's potential
that we are not going to be spending all
of our arborous budget these years. I've
just estimated some some savings in some
of those line items and and all in all
adding all of those up, we could
possibly come in at about $100,000
savings in that budget line item this
year. Um
what else is a significant variance
there?
uh strategic planning is under that of
course has our contingency of
approximately $80,000
um included within that budget line item
and we have not um currently identified
a need for that contingency. So um if
all goes well to the end of the year, we would expect to be under budget in
that line item. Um as well in our
community and facility management
program uh we do budget for uh provision
for backfilling of the community center
manager. We um estimate that that all
sickness or vacation leaves will be will
be backfilled and um we've just managed
to kind of um do a minimum amount of
backfilling for those. So, we we do
potentially uh will see some savings in
that line item as well. Contributions to
reserves, they've all been posted as
budgeted. Um at the end of the year, any
unspent um any unspent operations will
also get posted to uh contribution to
accumulated surplus. I'll talk a little
bit about our capital expenditures. You
know, we spend the first three months
kind of developing our budget still. We
spend the next three months approving
the budget and we really get into the
bulk of the capital work in this period
right now. So, um I will have a much
more comprehensive expenditure report to
provide you at the end of Q3 when the
summer work um starts taking out.
There's a lot of RFPs that have recently
gone out are right in the process of
being awarded and we're going to be
undertaking significant portion of our
capital spending um at that time. So
next quarterly variance you will see um
the roll out of our capital program. Um
so I don't have anything else. I'm happy
to take questions about the report or um
provide any other information.
you commented on one thing in there that
we hadn't received the grants both for
um emergency ESS and
>> but they were both related to the
emergency program.
>> That's right. [clears throat] So every
year we apply for um an EOC an emergency
operations center grant of about between
30 and $40,000.
that was not um approved this year and
nor was the $30,000 grant that we
applied for to support our emergency
social support uh volunteer.
>> But none of that has any impact on um
>> bottom line
>> on on the um staffing or positions that
are in that emergency operations
section. No, we fund all of the staffing
um out of the municipal taxation budget
and the grants are extra events,
workshops, tabletop exercises, those
sorts of things that we would normally
undertake.
>> Anybody else got any questions?
So, I will move that um council receive
the 2026 quarter 2 quarterly report. Am
I getting the right one? At its as
presented at its July 27 No, just a
minute. Am I in the right one? No, I'm
not. Um, I would move that council
receive the 2026 quarterly 2 budget
update as provided at its July 27, 2026
meeting for information.
>> Yeah, second.
>> Second. Okay, we'll give councelor wake
that one. All in favor?
>> I
so 8.6. Lastly, uh the last update
report for council. Uh I just wanted to
give you uh a bit of an oversight of
where you're at with your strategic plan
objectives uh for this point in your
council term. Um
looking at the first uh area of
priority, those objectives related to
diverse and resilient community. Um
several of the objectives are going to
be complete are complete now or will
reasonably be complete um by the end of
the council term in the fall. Um for
example, the MRDT bylaw, you'll be
looking at a recommendation from the
planner coming forth at your first
meeting back in September as to whether
or not to move forward with that uh
municipal regional district taxation
bylaw.
um the wastewater DCC bylaw will be uh
we'll be looking at getting that done by
the fall. There is a developer meeting
uh a meeting with the development
community scheduled for September 21st
and that of course is um a bylaw that is
set to collect uh funds from new people
joining the wastewater system. So that's
been in the works for quite a long time
and that developer meeting is a key part
of that bylaw. Um ongoing and updating
things. Um we will be looking uh
probably in the new council term to
update uh the agreement with the hearth.
Um do a new agreement with family place
and as well as tourism bowen. That of
course is um dependent on the results of
the MRDT bylaw process. [clears throat]
So at the same time we are hoping to um
continue to work with BC fairies uh
moving towards um uh we do have of
course we do have a bylaw that has been
uh moved by council to three readings.
Um that is uh just on the on the council
agenda be looking at uh what council
wants to do with that bylaw in the fall.
But again, we are hoping to work with BC
fairies as our partner to improve safe
and orderly ferry marshalling in the
cove. Um, moving to the next area
priorities are the strong and
infrastructure asset management. A lot
of policy work um is going on there.
I have uh quite a few policies that are
um on my work plan. Most importantly,
redoing the planning and budgeting
decision-making policy. Um I expect that work will begin over the summer. Um
may not likely be uh complete by um
September. Um but that will be a new one
for council consideration in the new
term. Um work to roll out those asset
report cards. Um a significant amount of
work has been included um in that
project and we do believe that the uh
the road condition assessment will be
complete by the end of October 2026. So
having that report um will be um
instrumental in informing the director
of engineering's uh road plan for 2027.
Uh water master plan, the RFP is being
finalized. that will be going out um and
posted uh looking for submissions on
that um in the fall. and as will the um the report for
uh the
asset management plan. The overall asset
management plan RFP is also currently in
review and that will be posted very soon
in the next couple of weeks and um we'll
be looking to award that um in the fall
and work be um be underway on that
initiative.
Um
I think the new term can look forward to
development of the new solid waste
management strategy. The sewer outfall
project as I mentioned is underway
waiting for a permitting process but
that is probably one that that capital
project will be undertaken and and well
underway into the new council term in
the fall. And as well uh something that
is really um great to for me to be
reporting on is the work that's been
done on Cove Bay. So everything that we
can do internally given the plant as its
existing um capacity is working as
optimally as we can get it to get it to
operate. Um the work on the intake flush
has been completed which is creating a
much cleaner source of water going in
which produces a cleaner source of water
going out. Um work that needs to be
undertaken now is to develop some uh
potential technology for pre-treatment
and that um amount of work is what will
be going on and starting with the next
council in the new term. So, um looking
at improvements and upgrades to um to
address the quality of the water that
goes into the plant will, um we'll be
looking at ways to fund that, ways to uh
come up with options and will be part of
the budget process for the director of
engineering um come the fall. And
lastly, engaged community and infect and
effective government. Um these are items
that are really ongoing things. Um we
can always uh undertake programs and
practices that continuously uh you know
for continuous improvement to ensure
that the um community is engaged in our
government are more effective. So, one
of the things that has recently been um
adopted just today by council was
adoption of the new procurement
purchasing policy um as well as the
projects to install the interpretive
signage um on the westside beaches.
These are things that are complete tick
we can mark those off and then the
ongoing work of course cons um continues
to do the relationship building with
Squamish Nation. Uh we're looking at
moving the project forward to um
construct the welcome figure outside the
front of the um community center and as
well um implementation of accessibility
um uh implementation of the
accessibility plan is always going to be
an ongoing um project. Building
accessibility features into every new
project that we that we take on is just
going to be a new filter, a new lens
through which every project is is looked
at. Um
and for the last point, your responsible
ecosystem protection objectives. Um if
you want to mark off in the complete
box, we've got the um the MRDT tax which
will drive that tourism sector um to
develop new modes of of um
sorry uh finalizing the municipal land
zoning designation is the second point
that um council could put a check mark
box in complete and as well as
completion of the builder's workshop.
Then the ongoing things that will
probably carry forward into the new
council includes as I said ongoing
engagement with Squamish Nation
regarding the OCP um the septic the new
septic management bylaw and as well
looking at options to manage graywater
reuse. All of those uh little projects,
not little, but um all of those projects
will uh be ongoing things that the new
council will uh continue to work on in
the new term starting in 2026.
>> Any questions?
Councelor Gettys
>> on the last page under forest landscape
management um this is uh there's a word
at the very last under status of July 26
it says complete um but staff will
continue to explore alternative options
for stewardship of crownlands. I was at
one meeting and it was very interesting
and productive and um but there was a
lot of uh followup and homework. So I
would ask that you remove the word
complete
in that
>> one point.
>> I think it said complete because the
staff report had come back to council um
to uh provide the information about the
community for us. Um that's not to say
that that there aren't more.
>> I thought that was the start. [laughter]
>> Does the manager of parks and
environment have anything to add to that
one?
Um, thanks for asking. I think we just
put complete because we thought that uh
in terms of the council direction to
look into forest landscape plans that portion of the research was done
and that council had decided not to move
forward with the forest landscape plan
or a community forest and that the um
direction from council was then to kind
of shift into looking at different uh
methods for community uh stewardship of
properties.
Um I [clears throat]
though that the other that um the
meeting that we did have moved back a
little bit into community forest but I
think uh in terms of the council
direction that's not um what I have
currently
um so I would I would say for this
strategic plan that that item is
>> that's my recollection.
Anybody [clears throat]
else? Okay. So, I will move that council
receive the strategic plan status update
as presented at its July 27th, 2026
regular council meeting for information.
Second. All in favor? I.
>> Okay. All right. We're on new business.
Um Mayor Leonard isn't here on the Metro
Vancouver board meeting. Um but
interestingly there was a press release
that came out right after that and they
are going forward to the province for
the reduction of the size of the board
not the number of votes each
municipality has and I very quickly
looked at it. The board size will go
from 41 to 34 which means the city of
Vancouver is losing four representatives
but no no loss of votes and Siri is
losing three. So it it we and I think we
all saw the mayor of Suriri was on the
news I think not happy with that. Um so
that's all I know about that and anybody
know anything about Translink meeting?
No. Okay. Um islands trust update.
>> Nothing new for me. and the um the link
that was in the agenda of all of the
different little meetings of the um
local trust committees and um there
really isn't a whole lot of activity
going on with um with the trust um
for July and and parts of August.
There's some meetings coming up in terms
of planning things, but um it's a
summer. So,
>> I have a couple of things I can add.
[clears throat]
um uh trust council tried to hold a
committee the whole uh meeting last week
uh but we were short one of a quorum. So
that uh it was sort of um reviewing the
input received from agencies from the
formal referrals about the um update of
the trust policy statement. So that
meeting didn't happen. Uh we did have a
trust programs committee that um meeting
that I was in on um the Thursday and of
interest might be that uh islands trust
put together a webinar for realtors
about what is the island's trust so that
they can communicate that with people
wishing to purchase property and uh so
to reduce surprises and um uh and then
um I haven't looked at it yet. I've just
found out about it and uh financial
planning committee um is having a
meeting in mid August and uh I'll be
chairing that but I don't have any
information yet.
» Nobody else. All right.
>> I could just add to update council that
the work between the islands trust CFO
and myself is ongoing. We meet um
usually every Friday for an hour or two
and we're going over the Islands Trust
requisition allocation formula. So that
is um a very detailed process. It's a
good learning opportunity for the
Islands Trust CFO because they are new
in their role this year. So really
taking uh an opportunity to review all
of those budget line items and really
understand what's in them and help to
decide if that is something that should
appropriately be allocated to the
municipal pool or not. And um I just I
think that's very positive work that's
going on there.
>> Thank you. All right, I think we're down
to question period. I don't think
there's anybody in the audience. Nobody
online.
>> No.
>> Um motion to adjourn. John, Councelor
Saunders, Councelor Wake. Okay, the
meeting is adjourned. We've got a closed
meeting. Um, so 4:30