What's Happening at Town Hall

In an earlier blog, I wrote about matters that had come up at council meetings during the year. Since we are now in a new year, it is perhaps time to report on recent happenings. The most recent council meeting was on January 22. Among matters discussed at that meeting, the following might be of interest to residents.

Seacrest Slope Stabilization Project: Seacrest Place is a road in Eaglecrest. The road is subsiding with a risk of failure and needs stabilization. Apparently, this has been occurring for some time. This item was a late addition to the meeting. It was added for the purpose of authorizing spending prior to the actual passage of the 2025 Budget so that tenders could be requested in February 2025 since (as stated in the memo to council) "this project represents risk of potential slope failure which could result in loss of infrastructure and property damage". The project was included in the 2025 Budget at a cost of $2,581,000. Of this amount, $2,341,000 was being financed by way of a government grant. At the council meeting, it was disclosed that the grant had been denied. It should be noted that this project was included in previous years budgets with the work scheduled for 2025. However, the cost of the project rose from $774,000 in the 2022 Budget to $800,000 in the 2023 Budget and finally to $2,581,000 in the 2025 budget. The reason for the increase in cost is not known, nor was it discussed at the meeting.

The Seacrest Place project emphasizes that the town cannot continue to rely on grant funding, especially for required projects. This is of particular concern now, as it seems apparent that grant funding from senior governments will be reduced given the current economic climate. The project also reinforces the need to conduct a complete inventory of town assets to determine, among other things, the age of individual assets, their remaining life. the importance of particular assets and the amounts required to properly fund asset replacement reserves to ensure that assets are replaced proactively rather than reactively.

2025 Budget: The draft 2025 Budget was presented at the January 22 meeting for first and second readings. The denial of the grant for Seacrest Place meant a $2,341,000 shortfall in funding in the 2025 Budget. Notwithstanding this, the Budget received first and second readings at the meeting. This was achieved by proposing to defer two other capital projects and reallocating funding from some other capital projects. One of the capital projects being deferred, the purchase of a generator for the airport, was considered critical for airport operations when it was proposed for inclusion in the 2025 Budget. It will be interesting to see what other projects are deferred or reduced to fund the shortfall in the Seacrest Place project.

Eaglecrest: A delegation from the Eaglecrest Residents Association ("ERA") made a presentation regarding their recent annual general meeting. It was reported that the ERA now has 273 members and that there was standing room only at the AGM. As many are aware, Eaglecrest Golf Course has been reduced to nine holes from eighteen with rumours circulating about the development of the golf course lands. This was likely the reason for the large crowd at the AGM. Understandably, the residents of Eaglecrest are concerned about the future of their community and have reached out to both the golf course owners and the town for information. The delegation reported that the lack of dialogue between the ERA and both the town and the golf course owners had created a feeling of angst and distrust. To date, it appears that all the ERA has received from the town is a letter stating that the town continues to have discussions with the golf course owners. Nothing further was provided to the delegation at the meeting.

Tree Protection Bylaw: The Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest appeared as a delegation at the December 11, 2024 council meeting to present suggested amendments to the Tree Protection Bylaw. At the January 22 meeting, Councillor Skipsey introduced a motion proposing that the December 11 presentation be referred to staff for consideration during the upcoming review of the bylaw. The motion was passed. However, Councillor Harrision opposed the motion. Councillor Harrison's position was that the views of the whole community (which presumably will be heard at a Committee of the Whole meeting during the review process) need to be considered, not just those of a particular group. The Friends of the Forest made a thoughtful and informative presentation, however, it represents just one of many opinions on the Tree Protection Bylaw. In this regard, Councillor Harrison's opposition to the motion was valid. It cannot be overemphasized that the review requires public engagement. If residents want their views, whether for or against the bylaw, to be considered, it is imperative that they prepare for the upcoming review. It is not known at this time when the review of the Tree Protection Bylaw will take place. Residents are encouraged to watch the town website for further information.

James Noel

January 24, 2025

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