Ahead of Round 2 Budget Discussions, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) will host two virtual budget information sessions next week.

During these sessions, staff will provide an overview of projects being considered for 2024 and information on where tax dollars will be spent in the coming year. There will also be lots of time for questions.

Joining the session
Information on how to join the sessions can be found below.

Information Session #1 – Monday, January 22 at 6 p.m.
Click here to join on Zoom.

Information Session #2 – Wednesday, January 24 at 6 p.m.
Click here to join on Zoom.

Both sessions will also be streamed on the SCRD’s YouTube channel.

Let’s Talk Budget
Ask questions ahead of time and learn more about this year’s budget on our community information space at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget.

Round 2 Budget discussions take place on February 5, 2024.

Every day, staff at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) receive questions and requests about services that the SCRD is not responsible for.

We get it. It can be confusing. For example, if you live in Sechelt you receive your curbside collection service from the District of Sechelt, your water from the SCRD and if you are driving on the highway and spot an issue, you need to contact the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Equally in the rural areas, the services you receive differ based on which area you are living in.

To help the community better understand who they receive certain services such as water, solid waste and roads from, the SCRD has developed two resources.

The first is a handout that explains services the SCRD provides versus other governments on the Sunshine Coast. This handout, which includes contact information for SCRD departments can be found here. This handout will also be made available at front counter in the SCRD’s main administration office on Field Road.

The second resource is map based, and allows residents to search their address to find out who is providing services to them. The ‘Who you gonna call’ map outlines the main services provided by local governments and the Provincial Government on the Sunshine Coast. The map can be found here and linked at www.scrd.ca/contact-us. Just type in your address to find out who provides services to your home.

Both resources will constantly be finetuned as the SCRD receives more information and input.

If you search your address and spot any information that does not appear to be accurate, please reach out to the SCRD’s mapping department at mapping@scrd.ca

Later this week, the Sunshine Regional District (SCRD) Board will consider adoption of the 2024 budget. This year’s budget includes 101 new projects and 151 projects which are carried forward from prior years. Many of these projects are aligned with the SCRD Board’s two Strategic Plan focus areas of water stewardship and solid waste solutions.

This year, the SCRD’s budget process involved three public meetings.

1. Round one budget meetings. At this meeting new budget proposals were brought forward to the SCRD Board. The SCRD Board also contemplated projects that are yet to be completed from prior years (known as carry forward projects) so that they can factor workload on staff into their decision making. The SCRD Board also received presentations from community partners for service supported by the SCRD. During this meeting, budget proposals are either deferred to another year, denied or moved ahead to round two budget discussions.
2. Round two budget meetings. Budget proposals that were not fully approved at round one were brought forward and a final decision made as to whether or not they are to be incorporated into the financial plan for the upcoming year. Projected implications for taxation were again presented to the Board.
3. Adoption of financial plan. Following budget meetings, the financial plan – incorporating all projects and initiatives that have been moved through and discussed at the budget meetings is adopted by the SCRD Board. The budget adoption is due to take place on February 22, 2024.

Community consultation took place throughout the budget process with virtual information sessions, a Lets Talk Budget webpage and news releases.

Several projects are moving forward for adoption in this year’s budget. They include:

Solid Waste – SCRD staff have identified an opportunity to increase the lifespan of the Sechelt Landfill by relocating the contact water pond, which manages storm water that comes into contact with solid waste. An options analysis and conceptual design were completed in 2023, with detailed design and regulatory approvals in progress. This project is expected to extend landfill life by approximately four years until mid to late 2030 at less than half the cost of exporting waste. This project will be funded through a provincial grant, offsetting the tax impact.

Recreation – In 2024, a thorough needs assessment will be conducted for recreation in the Region. This process will include community engagement to help inform the future of recreation services on the Sunshine Coast.

Parks – To ensure the long-term health and resilience of Cliff Gilker sports field turf, in 2024, staff will engage professionals to connect a field irrigation system to an onsite well. This will ensure that irrigation is available for the field and that potable water is utilized for the community. This project will be funded through a grant.

Ports: Additional funds have been committed to fund repairs and capital improvements to five of the docks that serve Gambier and Keats Island.  Most of these will be funded through grants to offset the tax burden to residents.

Transit: The SCRD Board has moved forward with increasing transit service for main routes starting in late 2024 as well as a plan which would allow for free access to transit for youth.

Water – Several water projects have been included for the North and South Pender and Regional Water Service. These projects focus on increasing supply, and ongoing maintenance of the aging water system. Projects include continued exploration of groundwater sources, work on a raw water reservoir, rehabilitation of watermains and maintenance of the Chapman Water Treatment Plant.

Staffing – Several staff positions are moving forward to budget adoption. Among these are more resources for the SCRD’s planning department which will allow for more capacity for front counter service and to work on applications.

Preliminary Property Tax Rates

After Round Two Budget, the following are the preliminary average SCRD tax rates by area per $100,000 of assessed value of homes.

The figures below are not final and only cover the SCRD portion of your tax bill. More detailed information on each of the taxation areas below will be available in the updated SCRD Financial Plan prior to adoption of the budget.

Calculating the preliminary SCRD portion of your tax bill

You can calculate the preliminary 2024 SCRD portion of your tax bill in three steps:

1. Take the assessed value of your home which can be found here at BC Assessment.
2. Divide the assessed value of your home by $100,000.
3. Multiply that figure by the 2024 preliminary amounts outlined above based off of your Electoral Area or Municipality.

For example: If your home is worth $800,000 and the preliminary 2024 SCRD tax rate is $200 then the SCRD portion of your tax bill would be 8 x $200 = $1600.

Stay up to date with the budget, watch information sessions that were held in January and ask questions at any time at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget. 

Budget adoption will be considered during the SCRD Board meeting on Thursday, February 22. The meeting agenda and information on how to join can be found at www.scrd.ca/agendas. 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is moving forward with an action plan to address deficiencies in SCRD water systems concerning fire flow standards. This follows a presentation to the SCRD’s Committee of the Whole last Thursday which provided further insight into the issue. You can view the presentation via this document or here on YouTube.

Background

For the past year, the SCRD has undertaken water modelling as part of the update to the SCRD’s Water Master Plans. Water modelling helps the SCRD gain further insight into the water systems’ performance. Water models and the associated analysis are used to inform decision making processes in areas such as planning and development. The water model can be used to assess potential impacts from population growth, changes in water use by the community and to ensure adequate water is available to fight fires.

This water modelling has shown that upgrades are necessary within some SCRD water systems to ensure adequate water is available for fire flow. Fire flow is defined as water flow (calculated in litres per second) that should be available for firefighting purposes, usually from a fire hydrant.

When defining fire flow, more extreme scenarios are used. For example, required fire flow on the Sunshine Coast would be defined as the amount of water available from a fire hydrant in a community using a large amount of water during a warm summers day, at a time when stringent water conservation regulations are not in place.

There is no immediate concern around fire flow outside of these scenarios but with warmer, drier weather being experienced on the Sunshine Coast, the SCRD must plan for such scenarios. The modelling presented during last week’s meeting provided a forecast into the mid-2040’s. This showed that without investment, increasing fire flow deficiencies will be experienced in SCRD water systems.

The plan

To address fire flow concerns, the SCRD Board has approved budget for a Fire Flow Action Plan (FFAP). The FFAP will outline strategic actions to tackle fire flow concerns. As fire flow will impact areas of potential development, the SCRD will work to align the plan with renewals currently underway of Official Community Plans for the SCRD and the District of Sechelt.

A map showing information on fire flows in the Region can be viewed in the February 8, Committee of the Whole report here.

It is important to note that there are no changes to how fire flow will be provided should there be a fire within an SCRD water service area on the Sunshine Coast. Fire departments on the Sunshine Coast have plans in place to deal with situations when lower fire flow pressure may be available.

The SCRD remains dedicated to working collaboratively with the community, development partners, other local governments, and first responders to address concerns and ensure the continued safety and well-being of our residents.

If you are out for a walk in a park or attending an event at a community hall, you may see one of the new food waste containers pictured below.

To encourage waste reduction and diversion and in support of the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) Organics Diversion Strategy, which includes a disposal ban for food waste, the SCRD is installing food waste containers at several parks and community halls.

Food waste accounts for approximately 35% of household garbage found in the Sechelt Landfill. Diverting food from the landfill will help extend the life of the landfill which at our current rate of disposal, is scheduled to close in 2026.

Food waste and food soiled paper collected from park and community hall containers will be processed by our region’s food waste processor into compost, a beneficial resource.

SCRD park visitors are asked to “leave no trace” and not throw food waste in the garbage bins or on the ground. ‘Natural’ food items will not decompose quickly.

When visiting SCRD parks and trails that do not have a bear-proof food waste containers, the SCRD asks that visitors pack out food waste.

Looking for tips on how to reduce food waste? Visit: www.scrd.ca/reduce-food-waste.

The SCRD manages and maintains a variety of parks, trails, beach accesses, playgrounds, sports fields and bicycle/walking paths, find out more at www.scrd.ca/parks.

After a very successful first few months of installations, the water meter program for the District of Sechelt will continue later this month.

Staff from the contractor installing the meters, Neptune, have been in the Region since October focusing on a retrofit and replacement program for existing meters. Over 660 meters were part of this program.

Later this month, Neptune, with support from SCRD utility services staff will begin work on installing over 4,100 meters in the District of Sechelt.

Where will residential installations begin?

At this time, the plan is to move from West to East, beginning with meter installations in West Sechelt, up the west side of Porpoise Bay, through to Downtown Sechelt, up the east side of Porpoise Bay and ending in the Davis Bay / Wilson Creek area.

The entire project is anticipated to be completed by 2026.

 SCRD utility crews are currently working in neighbourhoods in the District of Sechelt, locating water services for homes to help expedite installations. If you know the location of your water service, please let crews know if you see them working in your area.

Meter installation

Prior to installations taking place, residents will receive a letter which will provide information on the water meter program. This will be followed by a door tag which will be left at your home three days before Neptune technicians arrive to complete the meter installation.

Most meter installs only take one-hour and are done with little disruption to the homeowner and areas around your home.

More information

Further information on the water meter program will be provided as installations take place.

You can learn more about the water meter program and ask questions at any time at https://letstalk.scrd.ca/water-metering.

The snowpack that feeds Chapman and Edwards lakes remains at record lows. A snow survey conducted by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) earlier this month has shown that the snowpack at Edwards Lake is 49% below average and Chapman Lake is 40% below average. This data and extremely low snowpack is consistent with what is being experienced in other parts of the Province.

On May 1 each year, the SCRD implements Stage 1 Water Conservation Regulations on the Sunshine Coast. The SCRD is asking that the community conducts work that requires a lot of water such as pressure washing and garden projects in the coming weeks, if possible, prior to the implementation of Stage 1.

Chapman Lake, early April 2024

“With such a low snowpack, there is potential that we could see Stage 2 water conservation regulations implemented earlier than in previous years,” says General Manager of Infrastructure Services Remko Rosenboom. “The melting of the snowpack in early summer plays a huge role in the recharge of our water systems so SCRD staff are doing all they can to prepare for drought conditions through the summer months.”

The Church Road Well Field is operational and will be utilized through the summer to provide more than 4.5 million litres per day to users on the Chapman System. Additionally, the SCRD is actively pursuing the provincial approvals necessary to reduce Chapman Creek Environmental Flow Needs requirements for early this summer.

In the coming weeks, each household on the Sunshine Coast will receive this chart in the mail detailing water conservation regulations. There is also information in the mailout on how the community can conserve water through the summer months to help secure supply through the anticipated drought conditions. This mailout includes information on water use inside of the home, along with a community target of 200 litres of water use per person per day when the weather is hot and dry. Residents with water meters can sign up for their monthly water use update to see how close they are to achieving the target.

Further information about water conservation regulations will be provided prior to May 1. The next water supply update will be provided to the public during the SCRD’s Committee of the Whole meeting on May 9.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and BC Transit have launched a review of the handyDART service.

handyDART, is an accessible, door-to-door shared transit service for people with permanent or temporary disabilities that prevent them from using fixed-route transit without assistance from another person.

The focus of the review is to gather insights and experiences from residents. This feedback will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of handyDART transit services in our community.

The handyDART review includes two surveys and focus groups which will take place in the coming weeks. One survey is focused on handyDART users and BC Transit is reaching out directly to users of the service to hear from them. Users of handyDART can also get copies of this survey from handyDART drivers.

The second survey is open for submissions until December 15 and is available online by clicking here. This survey is looking for responses from those in the community who are not users of the handyDART service but may be involved in the care of a handyDART client or be a representative of a community group that cares for, or advocates for, handyDART clients. This survey is also open to community members who would like to provide their input on the handyDART service.

Participation will directly contribute to a forthcoming handyDART Services Report, which will outline potential improvements and enhancements to benefit handyDART riders and caregivers in the region.

Paper copies of surveys are available at the following locations.

• Gibsons and District Public Library, 470 South Fletcher Road, Gibsons
• Gibsons and Area Community Centre, 700 Park Road, Gibsons
• Gibsons and District Aquatic Facility, 953 Gibsons Way
• Gibsons Seniors Society, 686 Harmony Lane, Gibsons
• Sechelt Public Library, 5797 Cowrie Street, Sechelt
• Sechelt Aquatic Centre, 5500 Shorncliffe Avenue, Sechelt
• SCRD Field Road Administration Offices, 1975 Field Road, Sechelt
• Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre, 5604 Trail Avenue, Sechelt

Focus groups will take place in late November and we need members of the community to take part. If you are interested in contributing to this review, you can register your interest at letstalk.scrd.ca/handydart or by clicking here.

Your input is key to unlocking a more accessible, efficient, and reliable transit future for the Sunshine Coast.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District and Unifor Local 466 are pleased to jointly announce that the parties arrived at a new tentative Collective Agreement on Friday, November 3, 2023, and will be recommending ratification in the coming days.

The parties exchanged draft proposals on October 19, 2023, and arrived at the table on October 30 to begin negotiating in earnest.

“The new Agreement paves the way for years of stability, addresses concerns about inflation, and serves to reflect the culture of the SCRD, promoting its objective of attracting and retaining top talent in a challenging market,” says SCRD Board Chair, Leonard Lee.

A detailed review of the revised terms and conditions will be occurring with members of Unifor Local 466 and with the SCRD Board as they consider the joint recommendation from both negotiating committees to ratify the new agreement.

“We had a productive bargain and made good gains for our members, including some real positive changes for our Transit operators,” says Unifor Local 466 President Gary Grohs.

Bryce Viitanen, spokesperson for the union, adds, “I want to thank the SCRD bargaining team for coming to the table ready to make a deal that recognizes the difficult economy and challenges facing workers on the Sunshine Coast.”

“I personally want to thank Bryce Viitanen, Chief Spokesperson for Unifor Local 466, and to all that were involved.  I’m also very appreciative of the efforts from the management team and for the support from the SCRD Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Directors,” says Gerry Parker, Senior Manager, Human Resources, and the Chief Spokesperson for the SCRD. “There were many complex issues to address, and it truly took the whole team on both sides to work towards an outcome that we think is beneficial for all involved.”

The collective agreement will be addressed by the SCRD Board on November 23, 2023.

Media contacts:
Bryce Viitanen,
Chief Spokesperson, Unifor Local 466
brycev@unifor466.ca
604-740-2448

Gerry Parker,
Senior Manager, Human Resources, and the Chief Spokesperson for the SCRD
gerry.parker@scrd.ca

At tomorrow’s (November 10) Special Committee of the Whole, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Board will discuss utility rates for 2024.

At the meeting, recommendations will be outlined for utility rates including water, garbage, and wastewater for the coming year. The agenda package for this meeting can found by clicking here.

Final decisions on utility rates for 2024 will be made by the SCRD Board on December 14.

Prior to final adoption of the rates, the SCRD will host two virtual water rates information sessions at the end of November. Further information about these sessions is below and links to join the meetings will be posted to www.scrd.ca prior to the meetings taking place.

Water Rates Information Sessions

Focus on North and South Pender Water
Date and time: Monday, November 27, 6 p.m.

Focus on Chapman Water System
Date and time: Wednesday, November 29, 6 p.m

During these sessions, SCRD staff will provide an overview of the systems, ongoing challenges, and funding requirements for 2024.

Wastewater

Community information spaces for all wastewater systems can be found at https://letstalk.scrd.ca/wastewater. In the coming weeks, these pages will be updated with information on proposed rates for 2024. Community members can ask questions directly to SCRD staff at any time on these pages.

Let’s Talk Budget

Round 1 budget for the SCRD will take place from December 4 to 6. Again, this year, the SCRD has developed a community information space for residents who want to learn more about the budget and to ask questions. This can be found at https://letstalk.scrd.ca/budget.

Sechelt, BC—November 14, 2023—The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has awarded a total of $4,400 to fund six waste reduction projects through the SCRD’s Waste Reduction Initiatives Program (WRIP).

The SCRD launched WRIP in the fall of 2015. The program is funded annually through taxation in the amount of $7,500.

The goal of the program is to provide funding to community groups, non-profit societies, charitable organizations and school groups to implement projects that contribute to waste reduction or diversion from the landfill. The WRIP is open to eligible organizations within the SCRD, including District of Sechelt, shíshálh Nation Government District and Town of Gibsons.

The following projects are selected to receive funding this year:

• Roberts Creek Community Association: $1,375 to improve recycling at the community hall through improving diversion of bottles, cans and cigarette receptacles.
• Sunshine Coast Resources Centre: $500 to support their program to re-purpose and distribute donated electronics in the community instead of sending them for electronic waste recycling.
• Gibsons Public Art Gallery: $1,300 to implement reusable dishware and improve food waste diversion in order to reduce single use item use.
• Davis Bay Elementary Parent Advisory Committee: $575 to eliminate the need for single use items by purchasing reusable cutlery and bowls for use during school hot lunches, gatherings and celebrations.
• Davis Bay – Wilson Creek – Selma Park Community Association: $650 to reduce single use items used at hall events by improving access to reusable dishware.

Project recipients have until June 30, 2024 to complete their projects and provide a final report.

Since 2015, the SCRD has provided over $27,000 to waste reduction projects.

For information about the program, visit https://letstalk.scrd.ca/wrip.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is pleased to announce that it has received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2023.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award. This has been presented to the SCRD’s Corporate Services Department.

“Achievement of this award demonstrates the SCRD’s commitment to high-quality financial reporting and transparency,” says Tina Perreault, General Manager, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer. “A special thank you to our staff who have shown their commitment in making sure that our residents are informed with quality financial documents.”

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 22,500 members and the communities they serve.

To view the document, visit www.scrd.ca/Budget

Parks services staff from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) have closed public access to the South Kleindale Bridge on the Suncoaster trail effective immediately due to user safety and a deteriorating bridge structure.

The South Kleindale Bridge is a part of the Suncoaster Phase 1 trail network and is located off the North end of McKay Road in Pender Harbour, as shown on map below.

“This closure is being implemented immediately for the safety of the public,” says Jessica Huntington, Interim, SCRD Parks Services Manager. “The next step will be to have a qualified individual perform an assessment and determine options for the Kleindale Creek crossing. A timeline for completion of the assessment is early Spring 2024.”

Parks operations staff have identified that a support structure on the downstream side of the south Kleindale Bridge has a major crack in it which compromises the safety of the entire bridge.

The closure will impact access to the Suncoaster Trail between McKay road and Lions Park (approximately one kilometre of trail). The next available access point is a logging road 300 metres up the Sunshine Coast Highway from McKay Road or from trails through Lions Parks located 800 metres up the highway from McKay road.

The SCRD will continue to provide updates on the work and the status of the bridge closure to residents via social media and on the SCRD website.