December [PDF - 2.4 MB]

Castlegar City Hall
A qu arte rl y ne wsl etter published by the Loca l Gov e r nme nt M anage me nt A ssoc iation ( L GM A ) of B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
Inside
Executive and Committees..........2
Moving to Higher Ground in Times of Crisis
by Tanis Helliwell
President’s Report .......................3
LGMA is Moving..........................3
"I act from my heart, soul, body and mind
Associations Partner on
Local Government Surveys......4
and bring joy to others, myself and the world."
MATI 1 2006 Report....................5
Executive Director’s Report .........6
Unreasonable Expectations:
Council Can Deny Public
Hearings..................................8
Chapter Reports
Thompson Okanagan ..............9
West Kootenay ......................11
Vancouver Island...................12
Grant Anderson
Commemorative
Scholarship Award ................14
Clerks and Corporate
Officers Forum.......................14
A Better Outlook for
Infrastructure Construction
Using Industry Standards ......15
Getting to Know BC
Castlegar...............................16
CAO Forum................................17
Members’ Pages ..................18, 19
Pension Update .........................20
Lower Mainland Residents
Found in Favour of
Municipal Wage Increases.....20
When Chaos Reigns
Have you found yourself going through difficult times lately? Check the following items to see if
they apply to you.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
It seems to take longer to accomplish less
You feel sad for no reason
You feel a floating anxiety that something terrible is going to happen
Relationships are strained
You are less often in a good mood
You need more time by yourself
You wish to be nurtured or comforted in some way
Talents or strengths you once had don't seem to work anymore
You feel vulnerable and confused about what choices to make
Your concentration is shot and you feel fatigued physically, emotionally and spiritually
Examining our Personal and Collective Responsibility?
Many of these symptoms are signs of burnout and others are found during a dark night of the
soul. Although I do not want to rule out that either or both of these two things may be happening to you personally, I want to examine factors in the world at large that may be causing your
distress.
None of us live in isolation, but are connected to a web of life that includes all other life on this
planet. Therefore, whatever happens to the Earth and other beings affects us. I believe that we
are currently encountering a time of reckoning where what humans have sown in our history on
the planet is being given back to us to be transmuted. Let's examine how this works.
The renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung spoke about a collective unconscious for humanity whereby
all that we have done is recorded. Biologist Rupert Sheldrake calls this collective unconscious the
morphogenetic field and metaphysicians name it the akashic records. In this collective unconscious is recorded all the good things humans have done and all the things, which humans need
to clear. All spiritual traditions speak of each individual as having to repay any karmic debts they
create in order to become conscious creators, as Jesus said, "As you sow, so shall you reap."
cont’d on page 4
w w w. l g m a . c a
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
EXECUTIVE
LGMA OFFICE
CHAPTER 290
President: Gord Horth
1st Vice President: Elsie Lemke
2nd Vice President: Isabell Hadford
Secretary-Treasurer: Warren Waycheshen
Directors at Large: Suzanne Gresham, Tim Wood
Past President: Jim Chute
Chapter Representatives:
Kelly Ridley (LMLGMA), Phil Taylor (RMLGMA)
Victor Kumar (KBMOA), Wallace Mah (NCMOA)
Jason Johnson (TOLGMA), Joni Heinrich (VILGMA)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Tom MacDonald
FINANCIAL & PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION:
Delena Patterson
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT:
Ana Fuller
737 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2V1
Tel: (250) 383-7032 • Fax: (250) 383-4879
Email: [email protected] • Web: www.lgma.ca
Job Postings: [email protected]
EDITOR:
RICK BEAUCHAMP
220 B West 17th Street
North Vancouver, BC V7M 1V6
Tel: (604) 982-0316
Fax: (604) 982-0317
E-mail: [email protected]
COMMITTEES
SPECIAL INITIATIVES &
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Chair:
Board
Members:
Isabell Hadford
Jason Johnson
Kelly Ridley
Tim Wood
External Members
N/A
Sub-Committees
Strategic Plan Implementation
TBA
CivicInfo BC Liaison
Rick Beauchamp
2007 Conference
Wendy Au
Shana Burrows
Kim Decker
Suzanne Gresham
Paul Hancock
Linda Kreutz
Sonia Santarossa
Sheila Scholes
Anne Skipsey
Elections
Jim Bowden
Lee-Ann Crane
Jim McBride
Kelly Ridley
Pension Plan Trustee Liaison
Mark Brown (Chair)
Rick Beauchamp
Gerald Kingston
Records Manual Update Committee
Michelle Barrocca
Rick Beauchamp
Lois Enns
Stephen Fleming
Paul Hancock
Joan Harvey
Joni Heinrich
Lori Pilon
Sheila Scholes
Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal
Award for Excellence in Public Service
Isabell Hadford
Additional Areas of Responsibility
• Legislative Review • Liaison to Provincial
Government • Special Initiatives • Society
Bylaws and Constitution • Liaison to UBCM
• Chapter Liaison • Corporate Policy
Development
EDUCATION
Chair:
Board
Members:
Tim Wood
Victor Kumar (MATI 1)
Joni Heinrich
Phil Taylor
External Members
Steve Berna (MFA)
Leta Hodge (MCS)
Doug Holmes (MATI 2)
Todd Pugh (CivicInfo)
Judy Rogers (MATI 3)
James Ridge (MATI 4)
Sub-Committees
Freedom of Information & Protection
of Privacy
Michelle Barroca
Stephen Fleming
Paul Hancock
Chris Plagnol
Approving Officers Manual
Bill Bulhozer
Larry Burke
Allan Clarke
Wayne Dickinson
Lee Dodds
David Fisher
Mitch Fumale
Howard Hunter
Rachel Sansom
Lisa Tompson
Board of Examiners
Ron Poole
CAO Forum
Mark Brown
Alberto De Feo
Jason Johnson
Elsie Lemke
Tim Wood
Clerks and Corporate Officers Forum
Suzanne Gresham
Tammy McLaren
Rick Page
Don Schaffer
Brenda Warner
MATI 1 — Foundation
Trudy Coates
Gerry Kingston
Victor Kumar
Doug Leahy
Patrick Robbins
Don Schaffer
MATI 2 — Leadership
Doug Holmes (Chair)
Ron Poole (Mentor)
MATI 3 — Communications
Judy Rogers (Chair)
Tom MacDonald (Mentor)
MATI 4 — Human Resources
James Ridge (Chair)
Jerry Berry (Mentor)
Women in Local Government
Leadership
Suzanne Gresham
Darcy Lazzarin
Elsie Lemke
Debra Oakman
Additional Areas of Responsibility
• External Educators Liaison • Coordinated
Education Website • New Educational Program
Development
OPERATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES
Chair:
Board
Members:
Elsie Lemke
Suzanne Gresham
Wallace Mah
Warren Waycheshen
External Members
N/A
Sub-Committees
LGMA/GFOA Relationship
Jim Chute
Gord Horth
Elsie Lemke
Chapter 290
Rick Beauchamp
Teamworks
Gord Horth (Chair)
Steve Berna
Chapter Reps
Mike Pellant
Todd Pugh
Ted Townsend
Member Recognition
Elsie Lemke
Board Membership Nominating
Mark Brown
Jim Chute
Ron Poole
Additional Areas of Responsibility
• Office Operations • Website • Overseas
Exchange • Employee Performance Review
• Internal or Operational Matters • Membership
Development • Pension Consulting
• Compensation Toolkit • Budget Process
CHAPTER EXECUTIVES
NORTH CENTRAL
President
John Malcolm
City of Dawson Creek
Vice President
Janet Prestley
City of Fort St. John
Secretary
Alberto De Feo
City of Williams Lake
Treasurer
Sheryl Worthing
Village of Burns Lake
Directors at Large Fred Banham
Peace River RD
Janice Bell
Cariboo RD
Chapter Rep
Wallace Mah
Town of Smithers
Alt. Chapter Rep Warren Waycheshen
District of Mackenzie
Treasurer
Kathleen Fraser
City of Chilliwack
Directors at Large Dennis Back
District of North Vancouver
Bill Flitton
City of Abbotsford
Lynda Floyd
Village of Belcarra
Tammy McLaren
District of Hope
Kris Nichols
GVRD
Anne Skipsey
City of Burnaby
Financial
Lori Pilon
Review Panel
Village of Pemberton
Mike Phelan
Fraser Valley Regional District
Chapter Rep
Kelly Ridley
District of Mission
LOWER MAINLAND
President
Vice President
Secretary
Rick Beauchamp
District of West Vancouver
Jake Sorba
District of Maple Ridge
Kelly Ridley
District of Mission
VANCOUVER ISLAND
President
Vice President
Secretary
Joan Harvey
Sunshine Coast RD
Brenda Warner
Township of Esquimalt
Davina Sparrow
City of Port Alberni
Treasurer
Brenda Goorts
City of Port Alberni
Mark Brennan
Town of View Royal
Directors at Large Melanie Goddard
City of Parksville
Richard Kanigan
Town of Comox
Ken Watson
City of Port Alberni
Chapter Rep
Joni Heinrich
District of Sechelt
Past President
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN
President
Vice President
Sec/Treasurer
Past President
CivicInfo
Chapter Rep
KOOTENAY BOUNDARY
President
Elaine Kumar
Kootenay Boundary RD
Vice President
Carol Gordon
Village of New Denver
Sec/Treasurer
Dawn Attorp
Central Kootenay RD
Carol McGowan
Past President
Central Kootenay RD
Chapter Rep
Victor Kumar
City of Grand Forks
Alt. Chapter Rep John Maclean
Kootenay Boundary RD
Hilary Hettinga
Central Okanagan RD
Liz Cornwell
Thompson Nicola RD
Cathy Ingram
City of Penticton
Brian Reardon
North Central RD
Sukh Gill
Thompson Nicola RD
Jason Johnson
Okanagan-Similkameen RD
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Chapter Rep
Civic Info
Shawn Tomlin
East Kootenay RD
Corien Speaker
District of Elkford
Terry Melcer
City of Fernie
Wayne Staudt
City of Cranbrook
Phil Taylor
Town of Golden
Danny Dwyer
District of Sparwood
The Local Government Management Association of British Columbia (LGMA) provides general information as a service to its members on the understanding that the LGMA and the contributing writers are not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice. The LGMA does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, quality, currency, validity, completeness or suitability of the information contained from or through the LGMA for any purpose. The information contained in this publication represents the interpretation of the writers and should in no way be construed as either
official or unofficial policy of any government body.
© 2006 Local Government Management Association of British Columbia. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright
holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act.
President’s Report
by Gord Horth, President, LGMA
T
The fall always provides
some venues to receive feedback and thoughts on the
association. At this year’s
UBCM there was some animated dialogue at the annual CAO breakfast primarily
focused on retention, attraction and support for local
government staff.
The LGMA executive also
hosted during the UBCM
week, for the second time, a
reception to invite provincial
deputy ministers to a social
gathering. It provided an
excellent forum to establish
relations with a variety of
ministries and promote a
deeper understanding of
what our association does,
and ways in which we can
work more closely together
in areas of mutual interest.
I was fortunate enough to
get to a few chapter meetings this fall (Thompson
Okanagan and Vancouver
Island). As has been my
experience, the quality of
the discussion topics, the
presentations, and the social
interaction was exceptional.
Many of the same issues
raised at the CAO breakfast
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were topical at the chapter
meetings.
The LGMA
Is Moving
The board had planned to
conduct a workshop to
update to our strategic plan
but unfortunately, due to the
recent bad weather, did not
have a quorum and were
therefore unable to carry out
the workshop. It will be
resceduled for early in the
new year.
Early in January
2007, the offices of
LGMA and CivicInfo
BC will be moving
from our present
premises at 737 Fort
Street in Victoria to
our new office.
The input we have received
from all of you will be put to
good use. Our thanks go out
to the City of Richmond for
providing the facility and
facilitators for this important
work. We expect to bring this
updated document to the
membership at the annual
conference in May 2007.
On behalf of the Board, I
hope you all have an enjoyable Christmas and that you
have the opportunity to
spend some well deserved
time with family and friends
over the holidays. ■
Please make a note
of our new address
and ask your
accounts payable
department to
update their records
accordingly.
New address of
LGMA and CivicInfo
BC:
Central Building
700- 620 View Street
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 1J6
Municipal Projects by TASK:
• N. Nanaimo Community Centre
• Sechelt Aquatic Centre
• Gibsons Community Centre
• Nanaimo Ice Centre
• Houston Aquatic Centre
• Sunshine Coast RD Building
• Revelstoke Aquatic Centre
• Cranbrook Recreation Complex
• Nanaimo Aquatic Centre
• Trail Aquatic Centre
• Port Coquitlam Recreation Centre
• Whistler Pool and Rink
• Whistler Conference Centre
• Vernon & District Multi-Use Facility
• Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre
• workshops & retreats
• innovative solutions
• executive searches
• creative thinking
James R. Craven and Associates Ltd.
— Local Government Consultant —
5721 Titan Place, Sooke, BC V0S 1N0
4405 Canada Way • Burnaby, BC • Canada V5G 1J5
Tel: 604-433-8275 • Fax: 604-433-3759
Toll Free: 1-800-845-8275 • www.taskcm.com
Cell: (250) 744-9455 • Fax: (250) 642-5222
e-mail: [email protected]
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
3
Moving to Higher Ground
cont’d from page 1
I think most of us understand
this need for accountability
for our actions in our own
lives. However, presently
many people are feeling distressed even when on the
surface everything is going
well in their personal and
professional lives. Obviously,
something outside of our
individual life is causing these
feelings. I believe to find the
answer we need to look to
our collective responsibility.
Many of us subscribe to this
thought and are doing what
we can in our physical world
to help the environment,
save the whales, protect the
children, create a healthy
working environment, and be
kind to those in need. However, the healing of the planet occurs not just in the physical realm, but also in the
emotional and mental field
of humanity's collective
unconscious.
We now need to clean these
eons of debris and negative
thoughts, feelings and
actions and this is why we are
distressed. People who are
attuned to the more subtle
spiritual vibrations will likely
feel these symptoms more
keenly than their concrete,
practical friends will at first.
However, gradually over time
(and this process will be
ongoing for years, although
not at the same degree of
difficulty) everyone will be
affected.
What Can We Do?
Each of us has a responsibility
to ourselves, others and the
earth to transmute what is
unresolved or not of the
4
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
highest good in our life. This
might mean digging deeper
into ourselves than we ever
have before to find the
strength to surrender the
parts of us that need resolution. Old rules and roles are
collapsing and we are entering upon a time of creating
new ways of being. This is a
time of experimentation
where we try and fail and
refine our strategies to try
again.
Paradoxically at the same
time that more effort might
be needed, a deeper surrender to the will of heaven
might be called for. This
means that many of us will
need more quiet and solitude
to let the old fall away. What
truly is happening for all of
us at this time is a deeper
heart opening. We are
answering a call to serve and
to make a difference in the
world. That is what is meant
by resolving our collective
unconscious so that we can
be the guardians we were
intended to be for other life
forms on the planet.
We can start where we are
today. We don't need to go
anywhere else or do anything
else. We need only to open
to these deeper places within
ourselves to allow the resolution to occur. With this also
comes gentleness to those
around us as they too are
going, whether consciously or
not, through the same transformation. We are all in this
together. ■
Associations Partner on
Local Government Surveys
L
LGMA, CivicInfo BC, and the UBCM are joining forces to offer
a coordinated local government survey service, powered by a
common survey tool.
Presently, UBCM posts a variety of surveys at www.ubcmsurveys.com, including financial surveys and surveys related to
fees and charges. LGMA and CivicInfo BC also survey local
governments on a regular basis.
The three associations have decided that by combining
resources and coordinating efforts, a single survey service
with a one-stop shop for results would benefit everyone. The
service will begin in February 2007, with the re-launch of surveys pertaining to wages and benefits, fees and charges, and
remuneration for elected officials.
In March, survey results will be available under a new “Surveys & Statistics” section on the CivicInfo BC website
(www.civicinfo.bc.ca), and they will also be accessible
through the LGMA site (www.lgma.ca) and the UBCM site
(www.civicnet.bc.ca). The three associations are committed
to providing local governments with improved reporting
tools so practitioners can compare data between jurisdictions, and easily develop reports.
To ensure that survey data remains current and comparable
from year to year, we are encouraging local governments to
think of February as “Survey Month.” Each local government
will be asked to complete their surveys during that time, and
the end of that month the surveys will be closed. This will
provide a “snapshot in time” of all local governments, ensuring that data sets are comparable.
Over the coming months, each of the partnering agencies
will be in contact with local governments with more details
about this joint initiative. We hope that this coordinated
effort will meet the needs of all our combined memberships.
If you have any questions about the survey service, please
contact Todd Pugh (CivicInfo BC) at 250-383-4898; Errin Morrison (UBCM) at 604-270-8226 ext.115, or Tom MacDonald
(LGMA) at 250-383-7032. ■
Tanis Helliwell, M. Ed., author of the
best-selling book Take Your Soul to
Work is the founder of the International
Institute for Transformation whose mission is to assist people to live and work
with meaning and purpose. For information, please call (403) 241-0933 (Calgary) or 1-800-745-4779 or visit
www.iitransform.com.
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
MATI 1: Foundation
2006 Report
by
Wendy Caban, Chair, MATI 1 Committee
T
Thirty of the forty-one students attending the 2006
MATI 1 Foundation Program,
held at the University of Victoria from August 13 – 18, were
women, and yet the men
managed to hold their own.
With representation from the
MFA, UBCM, MFABC, Ministry
of Community Services, ten
Regional Districts, the newest
municipality (Village of Queen
Charlotte) and from Stewart
to the Peace River and south,
all areas of the Province were
represented.
Tom MacDonald, of the
LGMA, made sure that all
interested parties enjoyed a
walk or run at least once a
day, beginning at 5:45 am!
With training days that usually
ran from 8:30 am until 8:30
pm, there wasn’t time for
much else, except eating and
sleeping.
With the addition of sessions
on Public Consultation/Community Engagement, (Sandy
Webster/Jan Enns), GIS (Steve
Garner, Capital Regional District), and Strategic Planning
(Shawn Issel, City of Richmond), there was something
pertinent for everyone.
Representatives from the MFA,
CivicInfo, BC Assessment, and
the Ministry of Community
Services continue to take time
from their busy schedules to
attend an evening session to
explain their respective roles
and how they can assist local
government. Todd
Pugh, of CivicInfo BC,
was a hit with his
candy reward system;
however, Steve and Shelley,
from the MFA, were not to be
outdone, with their own special attention-getters!
From the comments received,
these foundation courses were
of tremendous benefit to wellseasoned managers and upand-coming professionals
alike. In addition, almost half
of the participants took this
opportunity to complete the
educational requirements for
a certificate of completion for
Level 1 of the Certified Municipal Clerk designation (IIMC)
with the BC Municipal Clerks’
Institute. How’s that for dedication?!!
Of course, one part of this
program that should not be
overlooked is the networking,
as each participant now has
forty diverse municipal contacts, from whom they will
continue to learn for the
remainder of their local government careers. I have no
doubt that some of these new
acquaintances will become
life-long friends or co-workers,
and it is always nice to put a
face to the voice at the end of
the line when speaking with
other government organizations.
I was honoured to double as
mentor once again, and a personal balance evening session
at Butchardt Gardens proved
to be a magical mid-week
treat. A number of students
mentioned that this outing is
what revived them and
renewed their energy to make
it through the last few, gruelling days.
Over twenty applicants had to
be turned away this year, as
the forty seats were filled
quickly (and we even squeezed
in one additional seat).
Nowhere can new local government employees receive
such varied, timely, and pertinent training, so please ensure
that you, or your employees,
register early for the 2007 session. The LGMA, and the Committee, are looking at ways in
which to increase the number
of available seats. Holding
more than one session would
mean asking for a double commitment from our already generous volunteer instructors,
and any increase would create
somewhat of a logistical nightmare, so register early and
ensure that you are included in
the first forty! ■
MATI 1 2007
August 12-17
University of Victoria
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Attendees in alphabetical order:
MARILYN ALLISON, Town of Golden, Confidential
Secretary; PAUL ARSLAN, District of Saanich, Manager of Financial Services; CAROLYN BONNICK, District of Hudson's Hope, Administrator; CIND,
BOUCHARD, City of Williams Lake, Corporte Services/Records Mgt Coordinator; SANDRA BROWN,
Village of Queen Charlotte, Financial Clerk; MEAGAN CARVER, MFABC, Accounting Assistant; EMILY
CAVERS, Village of Chase, Receptionist; GAIL
CHAPMAN, Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako,
Chief Administrative Officer; SUSAN CHENG, Sqaumish-Lillooet Regional District, Administrative Assistant; KARI COWAN, Greater Vernon Serv/RD North
Okanagan, Executive Assistant; WEND, CURR, Village of Keremeos, Clerk; MICHELLE DANN, Ministry
of Community Services, Senior Policy Analyst; JON
DAVID DURRANT, Town of Comox/Recreation Commission, Director of Recreation and Culture; LAURA
GILSON, City of Nanaimo, Accountant; DAN
GOLOB, District of Tumbler Ridge, Fire Chief/Bylaw
Enforcement Officer; KARLA GRAHAM, City of Chilliwack, Deputy Clerk; CURTIS HELGESEN, District of
Elkford, Director of Financial Services; LIZ JONES,
City of Vancouver, Financial Analyst; LEIGH KASUM,
District of Stewart, Administrative Assistant; CLAIR
LEE, Town of Smithers, Corporate Admin
Assistant/Deputy Clerk; AL LUONGO, City of Vancouver - Engineering Services, Superintendent;
CHRISTINE MAKAROWSKI, Greater Vancouver
Regional District, Division Manager of Finance,
Housing; DARCY, MOONEY, Columbia Shuswap
Regional District, Waste Management Coordinator;
NATERCIA MOYER, District of Lillooet, Accountant;
HEATHER NELSON-SMITH, Village of Port Clements,
Deputy Clerk/Treasurer; HEATHER NUNN, City of
Terrace, Executive Assistant Corp Admin/Personnel;
FERNANDO PIMENTEL, District of Oak Bay, Deputy
Treasurer/IT Manager; JANET POSTLETHWAITE, City
of Nelson, Manager Legislative and Admin Services;
BETH REES, Regional District of Comox-Strathcona,
Manager of Parks; TROY RESTELL, City of Victoria,
Financial Analyst; SARA RIBEIRO, The City of Victoria, Council Secretary; SUZANNE SAMBORSKI,
Township of Esquimalt, Parks and Recreation Director; REYNA SEABROOK, District of Lake Country,
Executive Assistant; MARIE SMITH, Islands Trust,
Executive Coordinator/Deputy Secretary; KELLY
SWETLIKOE, Regional District of Central Kootenay,
Deputy Treasurer; BRYAN TEASDALE, Village of
Montrose, Chief Administrative Officer; TARA TOMPKINS, Ministry of Community Services, Municipal
Infrastructure Resource Officer; DAVID URBAN,
Fraser Valley Regional District, Planning Technician;
GILLIAN VILLENEUVE, Town of Fort Nelson, Assistant, Planning & Dev. Services; CHRISTINA WARDS,
Peace River Regional District, Assistant Treasurer;
JARED WRIGHT, Union of British Columbia Municipalities, Policy Analyst
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
5
Executive Director’s Report
by Tom MacDonald, Executive Director, LGMA
A
As I write this, there is a visitor’s infant crying in our
reception area here at the
LGMA office. Not that the
child is needing anything of
great importance (I suspect
he’s hungry), but he is definitely indicating to Mom that
he needs attention and that
the attention should be given
right now. Most of us in our
open office environment who
are nearby listening to him
echo that sentiment and are
hopeful that the child’s issue
either gets addressed promptly or the problem removed
(i.e. get him out of here!) so
that we can get on with more
important things.
6
though it may not be the
most important thing on your
desk (It rarely is.). At the end
of the day you go home feeling exhausted and somewhat
defeated wondering if you
actually did anything that
day. If you are like me, the
end result is that you might
lie awake at night worrying
about what didn’t get done
and setting yourself behind
the eight-ball for getting off
on the right foot the following day. How productive is
that?
dent that many of you are
sharing the same challenges
and that if you just knew
some of the other people
who were in the same position, you’d be able to talk it
through and perhaps things
might be a bit easier. Maybe
the baby can cry for a bit
(Good for its lungs!).
While not a panacea for work
stress, it never ceases to
amaze me how just talking
through a challenge can help
you manage it and leaving
yourself feeling like you’ve
made some headway.
That’s where the LGMA can help.
Through various programs we
provide you with opportunities to discuss
issues of common interest and to develop
relationships that will endure over time.
What if the words “busy
work” are substituted for crying infant? How many of you
reading this are so preoccupied with dealing with “busy
work” that you just never
seem to have any time to get
on with those things that
stimulate you or are really
important to your organization. Or, perhaps more commonly, you come into the
office ready to make inroads
into a large project or task,
and the crying baby erupts,
be that in the form of a
phone call that needs immediate attention, a elected
official who drops in to chat
and stays an hour, or a deadline that has suddenly been
externally imposed upon you.
Where am I going with all
this? Well, one of the things
I’ve noticed as I’ve talked to
many of you as I travel to
LGMA chapter meetings and
workshops around the
province is that this “crying
baby” syndrome is plaguing
many of you – in fact it seems
a common refrain that everyone is so darn busy dealing
with the day to day pressures
of work that they rarely get a
chance to stop and think
about the really important
things.
So then what happens? You
drop everything and deal
with the urgent issue even
Is there a cure for this? In a
perfect world you would
have lots of staff and assis-
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
tants to help you get the job
done while you thought
strategically about the
months ahead. But the reality
is that this will never happen
for most of us. There are lots
of great articles out there on
the subject of setting priorities (If you Google “important” versus “urgent”, you’ll
get 2,020,000 hits) that will
help you set your own personal priorities. Have fun
reading them – some are
quite inspirational.
But there is also something
else you can do. This became
very apparent to me both
when I attended the recent
Clerks and Corporate Officers
Forum in Parksville and when
I sat and listened to the discussion going back and forth
between attendees at the
CAO breakfast held during
the UBCM convention in Victoria. Ok…here it comes…the
great pearl of wisdom….
“Talk to each other.” There it
is. How insightful! But guess
what? When you have the
kind of job that I do which
involves traveling around the
province talking to people all
the time, it becomes so evi-
That’s where the LGMA can
help. Through the various
workshops, forums, and educational programs such as
MATI, we try to provide you
with a variety of opportunities to network with your colleagues and discuss issues of
common interest and also to
develop those relationships
that will endure over time. As
time goes by, it seems more
and more apparent to me
that the networking component of professional development opportunities is just as
important as the content of
the workshops. Do take
advantage of them if you
can.
But what if you’re the new
kid on the block and you
haven’t yet had the opportunity to participate in a forum
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
cont’d on page 8
Executive Director’s
Report
them a call and see how
they’re doing. It’s amazing
how your expression of interest will make their day better.
Go ahead….do it now.
cont’d from page 6
or workshop? Perhaps you’ve
only been in your current
position for a short time and
are feeling overwhelmed
with the pressure and are
wondering how you ever got
yourself into this situation.
Again, I would encourage
you to give us a call here at
the LGMA office. Through
our network of almost 800
members, I can pretty well
assure you we will know
someone in another community who has dealt with similar issues and who would be
willing to talk to you about
it. I’ve seen it time and time
again and it’s one of the
things that makes being part
of this organization so meaningful – the spirit of mutual
support that members share
for each other.
If you’re reading this today
and you know a colleague
who is under a great deal of
pressure at work dealing with
those crying babies, take five
minutes right now and give
As we wind down another
year, I would like to take this
opportunity to recognize the
efforts of Delena Patterson
and Ana Fuller, my two colleagues who keep everything
running so smoothly at the
LGMA office here in Victoria.
We regularly receive compliments about how the Association operates and about the
positive interactions with the
membership. The success we
enjoy at the day to day level
is largely attributable to the
work of those two individuals. Both Delena and Ana
continually demonstrate
incredible commitment to the
organization and to me personally, for which I am eternally grateful. We are a team
in every sense of the word.
Also, special thanks to the
LGMA Board for its continued
support and encouragement
and to you, the membership,
for your active participation
in the affairs of the Association. ■
Best wishes
for the
holiday
season.
from the executive and staff of the LGMA
8
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
Unreasonable Expectations:
Council Can Deny Public
Hearings
by
Alyssa Bradley, Barrister and Solicitor,
Lidstone Young Anderson
The BC Supreme Court has decided that the
doctrine of legitimate expectations does not
compel a municipality to hold a public hearing.
In Vancouver Island Entertainment Inc. v. The
City of Victoria the court ruled that the petitioner, which was seeking to require the City of
Victoria to proceed with a public hearing, did
not have a legitimate expectation of a hearing.
T
The petitioner had applied to
the city to rezone land on
which it wanted to build a
casino. The city adopted a
resolution saying it would
proceed with a public hearing
in connection with the rezoning process. The resolution,
however, also stated that
prior to the public hearing,
input from the BC Lottery
Corporation (BCLC) would be
obtained.
In response to a request from
the petitioner for clarification
of the resolution, the city’s
solicitors wrote to the petitioner that BCLC’s input was
not a condition precedent to
the holding of the public
hearing, but was important
for land use considerations in
zoning applications.
The letter also stated that the
city was not prepared to speculate on what BCLC’s
response might be, and how
the city might respond to
that information.
BCLC later wrote the city stating that it did not support
another casino in the southern Vancouver Island region.
As a result, city council passed
a resolution rescinding its
previous resolution to proceed with a public hearing.
The petitioner then commenced a proceeding against
the city arguing, in part, that
the city had offended the
doctrine of legitimate expectation, a component of the
duty of procedural fairness.
Vancouver Island Entertainment argued that council was
obliged to proceed with the
public hearing, regardless of
the position of BCLC. It also
argued that the first council
resolution and correspondence from the city’s solicitors
constituted an unequivocal
promise that the public hearing would be held.
The doctrine of legitimate
expectations is subject to four
requirements:
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Despite this finding, the court
went on to consider the other
limitations on the doctrine of
legitimate expectations and
found that the application
should fail because:
1. the representation or
undertaking must be clear,
unambiguous, and unqualified;
2. the doctrine does not apply
to the exercise of legislative
powers;
3. the undertaking or representation must not conflict
with a statutory duty; and
4. the doctrine is confined to
procedural rather than substantive rights.
• the city was exercising a legislative power;
• an undertaking to proceed
with a public hearing would
fetter council’s statutory
duty to exercise their legislative discretion; and
• the requirement for a public
hearing under the Local
Government Act is a substantive and not a procedural matter.
The court dismissed the case
on the basis that the first resolution and subsequent correspondence from the city’s
solicitors did not represent a
clear, unambiguous and
unqualified undertaking to
proceed with a public hearing. The court found that in
the context of the surrounding circumstances, the representation that a public hearing would take place was
qualified by BCLC’s input.
The petitioner thus failed on
all aspects of the test, so the
case appears to lay to rest any
concerns local governments
may have had about creating
a legitimate expectation to a
public hearing concerning a
zoning application. ■
Dedicated to providing
comprehensive legal
services for
municipalities and
regional districts
throughout
British Columbia
LIDSTONE
YOUNG
ANDERSON
BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
VANCOUVER
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1616-808 Nelson Street
Box 12147, Nelson Square
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H2
207-1441 Ellis Street
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Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A3
Tel: (604) 689-7400
Fax: (604) 689-3444
Toll Free: 1-800-665-3540
Tel: (250) 712-1130
Fax: (250) 712-1180
Chapter Reports
Thompson Okanagan
by
Jason Johnson, Chapter Rep., TOLGMA
I
In mid October members of
the Thompson Okanagan
Chapter gathered for our
annual chapter event, held
at the South Thompson Inn
in Kamloops. A full program
of events, including professional development, networking and our AGM was
well attended. The following
highlights offer a snapshot
of this well organized multiday affair.
Before participating in carefully planned workshop sessions and professional development events, chapter
members had the opportunity to partake in a “Best Ball”
golf tournament at the
Rivershore Golf Course. That
evening, “golfers” and
incoming chapter members
were welcomed with cocktails, dinner sponsored by
our host local government
communities, and a LGMA
update provided by Tom
MacDonald.
The event’s first full-day of
professional development
included a variety of sessions, a summary of which
included: an informative
public health update on
water systems, food inspection and the West Nile Virus
presented by the Interior
Health Authority’s Director
of Health Protection, Ken
Christian; Chris Molineux’s
entertaining and practical
session titled “Refining Your
Presentations Skills”; Jay
Sharun’s (Western Industrial
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Relations Ltd.) timely presentation that outlined various strategies used by the
private sector to assist local
governments in recruiting
employees; and finally an
update on recent case law
by Veronica Ukrainetz of the
law firm of Nixon Wenger
on employment contracts.
The day’s activities concluded with this year’s CAO’s
panel, comprised of Don De
Gagne, CAO, District of Summerland; Ron Mattiussi, City
Manager, City of Kelowna
and Jason Johnson, CAO,
Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. This is a
LGMA tradition where common trends in the local government industry are
explored and attendees have
the opportunity to ask questions of the panel and
receive advice from the
entire group.
After an action packed day
of professional development
chapter members were
treated to a little comedic
relief over dinner, followed
by an impromptu bon fire
and sing along session led
by the accomplished guitar
strummer, Don De Gagne.
Following a hearty final
morning breakfast, Ken
Dobell, 2010 Board of Directors, Special Advisor to the
Premier engaged partici-
cont’d on page 11
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
9
Come as you are.
Distance Education
Diploma and Certificate Programs in the
School of Public Administration
The School of Public Administration offers
distance professional programs leading to
these credentials:
• Diploma in Local Government
Management
• Diploma in Public Sector Management
• Certificate in Public Management
Offered in partnership with Business/Management
Programs of the Division of Continuing Studies
• Professional Specialization Certificates in:
- Cultural Sector Leadership
- Local Government Management
- Public Sector Management
- Performance Management
- Public Policy and Governance
- Voluntary and Non profit Sector
Management
Phone: 721-8074 • Email: [email protected]
Website: http://publicadmin.uvic.ca
Chapter Reports
TOLGMA Report
cont’d from page 9
pants in a captivating session, offering sage advice to
members on how to lobby
the province from a local
government perspective.
Keeping with tradition, this
Thompson-Okanagan event
concluded with the chapter’s
Annual General Meeting,
which involved taking care
of official “house-keeping”
business, followed by an
election which produced the
following 2007 executive:
President
Hilary Hettinga
CORD
Vice-President
Liz Cornwell
TNRD
Secretary-Treasurer
Cathy Ingram
City of Penticton
Chapter Representative
Jason Johnson
OSRD
CivicInfo Representative
Sukh Gill
TNRD.
West Kootenay
by
Victor Kumar, Chapter Rep., WKLGMA
T
The chapter also recognizes
the contribution and sponsorship of our event by:
BC Assessment Authority
BC Hydro
Civicinfo
Fulton & Company
I-Compass
Municipal Finance
Authority
TNRD/City of Kamloops
Urban Systems Ltd.
Western Industrial
Relations
The chapter is already looking
ahead to our 2007 event! ■
The fall chapter meeting was
held in the beautiful community of New Denver on October 12 and 13, 2006. Villages
of New Denver and Silverton
jointly hosted the meeting.
The attendance was reasonable. One or two senior
members from just about all
local governments of the
chapter were in attendance.
The goal is to have all local
governments present at the
spring and fall chapter meetings.
The chapter meeting had
business and educational
component.
The chapter’s business included the following:
• appointment of John
Maclean, CAO of RDKB as
the chapter’s alternate representative to the LGMA
board
• increase in dues by $5 per
member
• spring joint session of West
and East Kootenay LGMA
to be held in Nelson on
April 12 and 13, 2007.
• jackets to be presented to
members with term-service
and retiring members of
the chapter.
President Elaine Kumar recognized the following new
members moving to West
Kootenay Chapter’s local
governments: Bob LaFluer,
CAO, Village of Nakusp; Ron
Campbell, CAO, City of Rossland; Bryan Teasdale, CAO,
Village of Montrose; Jack
Richardson, CAO, Village of
Warfield.
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
The educational component
included the following topics:
Role of the Chamber of
Commerce in economic
development
This was the case study summary of Nelson Chamber of
Commerce and the City of
Nelson. After years of discussion and conflict the city
formed a partnership with
the chamber, Community
Futures and other stakeholders to manage economic
development.
They have focused on
InvestKootenay.com. The
communities that have joined
InvestKootenay.com are Nelson, Castlegar and Electoral
Areas E & F of CKRD.
The key role of the chamber
in the community economic
development is to provide
timely information and facilitate with prospective
investors and others in the
community.
Use of property tax and
other incentives to foster
economic development
Under the Community Charter there are property tax
incentive provisions available
to encourage economic
development in the City.
• Property Tax Incentives:
Revitalization section 226;
Heritage revitalization, golf
course tax exemption, partnering agreements, joint
cont’d on page 12
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
11
Chapter Reports
Vancouver Island
WKLGMA Report
cont’d from page 11
development ventures,
direct investments.
• Rates, fees and charges:
Flexibility to establish property values and parcel taxes,
development cost charges
and fees, rates and charges
by any factor.
• Zoning and servicing: prezoning eliminates developer
uncertainty; pre-servicing
adds value and local government property disposition.
• Partnering agreements: Any
“service”; work facility or
undertaking can be considered a partnership. Rule
against financial assistance
is varied.
Environmental and economic
development
Economic development has to
operate within the regulatory
context of federal, provincial
and local government environmental authority. Overlap,
duplication, inconsistency and
uncertainty can cause delays
in projects. Environmental
impact to be considered are is
follows:
• Alteration of habitat: Environmental Management Act
– waste discharge permits,
site profiles, Contaminates
Sites Regulation; delays in
processing approvals.
• Significant Projects Environmental Assessment: Canadian Environmental Act-
applies to projects requiring
federal actions or decisions;
BC Environmental Assessment Act: applies to
“reviewable” projects. These
two levels are not harmonized.
• Water, Fish and Species at
Risk: Water Act; Ground
Water protection regulation
and Drinking water Protection Act and Regulations:
prohibits and rights
acquired under licences.
• Fisheries Act: alteration to
fish habitat; Fish Protection
Act: riparian areas and regulations.
• Species at Risk Act; BC
Wildlife Act and Migratory
Birds Convention Act.
Technology and impact on
economic development
The role of community is to
demonstrate that being an
“Intelligent Community”
takes more than “being
wired.” It takes a combination of significant deployment
of broadband communication; education, training and
work force development; programs to promote digital proliferation to all sectors in the
economy; innovation to create economic development
funds (risk capital, venture
funds etc.) and effective marketing to leverage the community’s broadband, labour
and other assets to attract
employers. ■
Attention Wanna Be Retirees!
Question: When is a retiree’s bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.
12
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
by
Joni Heinrich, Chapter Rep., VILGMA
F
First Nations Relations and
Emergency Planning were
highlighted at the VILGMA
Fall Conference in Port
Alberni, October 12 and 13,
2006. Delegates enjoyed the
waterfront Maritime Discovery
Centre on the evening of
October 11, 2006, with a welcoming address from Mayor
Ken McRae and Elder, Tat
Tatoosh, representing the
Hupacasath and Tseshaht First
Nations on the first morning
of the conference.
Ken Watson, City Manager,
City of Port Alberni and Trevor
Jones, Executive Director,
Hupacasath First Nation provided a joint session entitled,
“Moving from Dialogue to
Partnerships,” where they discussed the relationships and
partnerships that have developed between the
Hupacasath First Nation and
the City of Port Alberni. They
discussed some examples of
mutual cooperation, noting
the benefits to both communities.
Jerry Berry, City Manager, City
of Nanaimo discussed First
Nations Servicing Agreements,
highlighting Nanaimo’s relationship with the Snuneymuxw First Nation (SFN) and
the protocol agreement
between the two, which has
the goal of establishing a government-to-government relationship of mutual respect
and cooperation.
On Thursday afternoon, Bob
Harper, Emergency Planning
Coordinator and Tim Pley,
Deputy Fire Chief, City of Port
Alberni spoke about “Emergency Planning in the Alberni
Valley.” An earthquake in
Anchorage Alaska in 1964
resulted in a tsunami striking
the Alberni Valley. After this
significant event, the cities of
Alberni and Port Alberni
amalgamated, and a valleywide emergency planning initiative was implemented. In
1993 Port Alberni’s Tsunami
Warning System was installed.
Two control units operated by
the fire department can activate four broadcast towers
located strategically throughout the community. A long
siren and voice message are
used to alert residents and visitors of an impending tsunami. We are all certainly more
aware now of the need for
emergency planning and
warning systems.
Ken Watson, City Manager,
City of Port Alberni provided
an overview of his participation in the FCM Technical Mission to Sri Lanka on two separate occasions. Ken was selected by FCM in 2005 to lead a
technical mission to Sri Lanka,
to provide assistance to the
community of Batticaloa
which was devastated by the
2004 South Asia tsunami.
On Thursday afternoon delegates boarded the steam train
at Alberni Harbour Quay for a
trip to the McLean Mill
National Historic Site. After
being “held up” by the notorious Beaufort Gang, the train
took in a stop at the Warren
Chase Winery.
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
On Friday October 13, elections were held with the following declared elected by
acclamation:
President
Joan Harvey,
SCRD
Vice-President
Brenda Warner
Township of Esquimalt
Secretary
Davina Sparrow
City of Port Alberni
Treasurer
Brenda Goorts
City of Port Alberni
Directors at Large
Richard Kanigan
Town of Comox
Melanie Goddard
City of Parksville
Ken Watson
City of Port Alberni
Outgoing President, Mark
Brennan (Town of View
Royal), presented Karen Burley (City of Nanaimo) with a
certificate acknowledging the
six years she has served on the
Executive and thanked her for
her input over the years. Debbie Carter (District of Sooke)
also received a certificate
acknowledging her service
over the past year.
Michael Quattrocchi of Lidstone Young Anderson gave
an overview of recent court
decisions involving local government issues, and Pauline
Harding from the Ministry of
Community Services presented
information on the Tangible
Capital Assets initiative. The
morning wrapped up with a
presentation from Russell
Dyson and Ron Paulson on
“Port Alberni’s Hockeyville
Story.”
The City of Nanaimo has graciously agreed to host the
2007 Spring Conference.
Many thanks to VILGMA Secretary Davina Sparrow (City of
Port Alberni) for assistance
with this submission! ■
Overseas Exchange
Candidate Chosen
R
Ruth Malli, the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town
of Ladysmith has been chosen as the first LGMA participant in the British Columbia/New Zealand overseas
exchange program. This new program was established as
a partnership between the LGMA and its corresponding
association in New Zealand, the Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) and provides local government
managers an opportunity to provides an ideal opportunity for managers in local government to develop their own
skills, competencies and knowledge so as to add value to
future performance. As part of the exchange, Ruth will
host a manager from a New Zealand local government
for two weeks in May and will herself travel to New
Zealand to attend the SOLGM Conference in September
of 2007.
The LGMA gratefully acknowledges the financial support
of the Municipal Finance Authority for this initiative.
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
13
Grant Anderson
Commemorative
Scholarship Awarded
Sarah-Dawn Schenk
T
The 2006 Grant Anderson Commemorative Scholarship was recently awarded to Sarah-Dawn Schenk, a
combined Masters of Public Administration-Law Student at the University of Victoria. A judging panel
consisting of LGMA board members reviewed 12
applications and unanimously endorsed Sarah as the
scholarship winner for this year. Ms. Schenk met or
Clerks and Corporate
Officers Forum
T
The inaugural Clerks and Corporate Officers Forum was held in
Parksville from October 18-20 with 55 statutory officials from
throughout the province attending. Based on feedback
received afterwards, this professional development opportunity
was a much needed addition to LGMA's annual program offerings. Educational opportunities included the roll-out of the 3rd
Edition of the LGMA Records Manual as well as sessions on
Information and Privacy, Regional Districts and effective meeting procedures, to mention just a few.
Perhaps the most significant thing coming out of the Forum
was the clear support for training of this nature and the need
to expand the number of seats offered each year. Unlike the
various MATI programs, which are each typically attended by
members only one time during their career, delegates to the
Clerks and Corporate Officers Forum have indicated that they
would like to attend the annual forum each year. In this regard
an increased block of rooms and a larger meeting space has
been booked for next year. Next year's Clerks and Corporate
Officers Forum will be held at the Tigh na Mara Resort in
Parksville from October 17-19. Registration will begin July 3,
2007 on a first-come first served basis. ■
exceeded all of the criteria for the scholarship.
The Scholarship was established in recognition of the
significant contributions of the late Grant Anderson
to local government administration in British Columbia and is available to assist students who have
shown an interest in local government during their
undergraduate career and are registered in a graduate or professional degree programs related to local
government, planning or law. ■
GEORGE B. CUFF
& ASSOCIATES LTD.
Management Consultants
58 Winchester Avenue
Spruce Grove, Alberta T7X 1L8
Tel: (780) 960-3637
Fax: (780) 962-5899
email: [email protected]
• Corporate
Reviews
• Executive
Recruitment
• Elected Official/
Management
Training
GEORGE B. CUFF, CMC
14
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
A Better Outlook for Infrastructure
Construction Using Industry Standards
R
Recently the Major Projects
Inventory (www.gov.bc.
ca/ecdev) for British Columbia surpassed the $100 billion mark. According to the
Canadian Construction Sector Council this will require
the construction work force
in BC to grow by an additional 35,000 workers. Add
to this a work force that
demographically will have
large numbers of retirements during the next
decade, and the forecast
grows to a requirement for a
total of 55,000 workers.
What does this mean for the
future of the building of
infrastructure in BC? What it
means is increased competition for the resources of the
industry and competition
amongst sectors for the
available manpower. Hence,
attracting contractors to bid
and making the construction
industry an attractive career
choice become paramount in
infrastructure development.
As the provincial voice of
construction for the industrial, commercial and institutional sector, the BC Construction Association is vitally concerned with the tendering practices used for
public construction. On
behalf of their 1800 corporate members, the BCCA has
actively participated in the
development of industry
standards and public construction policies over the
years and have worked hard
in concert with public agencies to promote transparent
and fair tendering procedures.
Standard practices and procedures mean good business.
They provide equity for all
parties by appropriately
apportioning liability and
ensure the most transparent
and accountable use of the
public purse. This is sound
policy. While construction
tendering is not reinventing
the atomic bomb, it is a complex contractual process.
Over the years, many of the
stakeholders working
together have developed a
plethora of material on how
to proceed on publicly fund-
ed construction projects. This
material has never been
more important or relevant
than it is today. It can be
conceded that it may be difficult to attract bidders in
today's environment, but the
truth is bad documents, bad
schedules, and difficult buyers along with bad business
practices, are the main reasons contractors choose not
to bid a project.
Strong construction growth
generates employment, positive economic activity and a
vibrancy in every community.
For more information on
industry standards contact the
BC Construction Association
at (250) 475-1077 or the website at www.bccassn.com. ■
Helping the Public Sector Achieve
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Toll Free: (877) 311-6522
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Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
15
Get to Know BC
This Issue… Castlegar
C
Castlegar was incorporated
into a Village, then in 1966
incorporated into a Town. An
abutting community, Kinnaird was incorporated into a
Village in 1948, then in 1967
into a Town. The Town of
Castlegar and the Town of
Kinnaird amalgamated January 1, 1974 and incorporated
as the City of Castlegar. On
May 20, 2004, the City's
boundary was extended to
include the Blueberry Creek
Irrigation District.
The City of Castlegar is centrally located in the Southern
Interior of British Columbia.
The City is 600 kilometers
from both Vancouver and
16
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
Calgary and 233 kilometres
north of Spokane, Washington. Castlegar is the focal
point of three major highways - Highway 3 (Crowsnest
Highway), Highway 3A and
Highway 22. It is also situated
at the confluence of the
Kootenay and Columbia
Rivers at the southern end of
the Arrow Lakes.
The three industries employing the most people are manufacturing, retail trade and
educational services. Approximately 7,600 people reside
within the City of Castlegar.
Some 16,000+ residents in the
Greater Castlegar area
(including Brilliant, Genelle,
Ootischenia,
Pass Creek,
Robson, Shoreacres, Tarrys
and Thrums)
enjoy an
affordable,
healthy lifestyle
enriched with
many of the urban amenities
found in larger cities.
Castlegar enters the 21st century as a vibrant, charming
and caring community. It is
quickly evolving into the
regional commercial center
for the West Kootenays and
is considered a highly desireable place to live.
The West Kootenay area is
known for its exceptional
outdoor recreation activities.
Skiing, golf, mountain biking,
and a host of recreational
activities are available for
those for all ages.
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Experience the community
and lifestyle in Castlegar’s
superb natural setting and
distinctive ethnic and cultural
base. Enjoy cultural activities
such as fine art, music, and
dancing. After that, visit a
Doukhobor Village museum
and walk a suspension bridge
built in 1913.
From culture to commerce,
the Castlegar community is
exciting and alive! ■
CAO Forum
T
The Local Government Management Association of British
Columbia is pleased to announce the staging of the 2007
annual CAO Forum to be held at the Westin Bear Mountain
Golf Resort and Spa in Langford from February 21 to 23,
2007.
The CAO Forum is an annual opportunity for local government chief administrative officers to meet with their colleagues to discuss issues of mutual concern in a congenial
atmosphere.
Communication Breakdown
A
About two-thirds of employees do not know or understand
their employer’s business strategy and are not engaged in
their jobs, according to a survey by Right Management Consultants, a Philadelphia-based firm. The negative fallout includes
diminished productivity, a rise in customer complaints, lower
quality and higher turnover. The survey collected results from
336 organizations. Failure to communicate is cited as the chief
cause, especially regarding business strategies. Of the surveyed
organizations, 28% limit communication of business strategies
to leadership teams. Another 24% have not communicated
these initiatives to employees, while 15% claim they don’t
know where to begin. ■
Source: Management Update
The theme of this year's program is “The View from the Outside” which will feature a series of interactive dialogues
with representatives of organizations that frequently deal
with local government CAOs in relationships that are periodically characterized by challenges. The forum will provide an
excellent opportunity for frank and open dialogue between
CAOs and leaders of these organizations.
Regular CAO Forum activities will include the popular “nuts
and bolts” session where CAOs can informally discuss common problems and the solutions that are working for others.
Watch for further details and registration information in
December at the LGMA website www.lgma.ca. ■
BARRY
LAMBERT
Consulting
Ltd.
Subdivision
Approval
Process
& Review
• advice on and setting up
subdivision approval
procedures
• preparation of Subdivision
Servicing Bylaws
• guidance in processing
individual applications
• Approving Officer
under contract
BARRY
LAMBERT
P.Eng
ph (604) 970 2942
fax (604) 921 5936
[email protected]
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
17
Members’ Page
George Paul Retires
appointed City Administrator
in 1982. He was appointed
City Manager of Prince
George in 1989.
C
George Paul recently retired
from his position as the City
Manager of the City of Prince
George.
After taking his advanced
education at the University of
Victoria, George moved to
Penticton in 1976 holding a
variety of positions in the City
administration before being
18
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
He is a Past President and Life
Member of the “Local Government Management Association of BC.” As well, George
was a founding Director (and
Past President) of the “Quality
Council of Prince George” and
a founding Director of the
“Prince George Community
Foundation.” As well he holds
a diploma in “Public Sector
Management” from the University of Victoria, the “Professional Manager” designation issued by the Canadian
Institute of Management and
the “Professional Administrator” designation issued by the
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in
Canada.
He has lectured at the University of Northern British Columbia on Municipal Service
Delivery and Administration.
He has also been involved in
international initiatives sponsored by the Government of
Canada to train local government administrators in the
Siberian Federated District of
Russia as well as being the
Coordinator of the Circumpolar Municipalities Association.
George was the 2004 recipient
of the British Columbia Lieutenant-Governor’s Silver
Medal for Career Excellence in
Public Service sponsored by
the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
A celebration to show appreication for George’s contribution to the City of Prince
George was held at the Prince
George Civic Centre on October 27, 2006.
Our best wishes for a long
and healthy retirement go out
to George and his wife, Patricia. ■
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Members’ Page
Moving
On
Fred Banham, CAO, Peace River
Regional District (formerly Deputy
Administrator, Peace River Regional
District)
Isabel Gordon, Director of Finance,
City of North Vancouver (formerly
Deputy Director of Finance, City of
North Vancouver)
Derek Bates, City Manager, City of
Prince George (formerly CAO, FraserFort George Regional District)
Pat Leitch, Director of Financial Services, Town of Ladysmith (formerly
CFO, Town of Golden)
Francis Cheung, CAO, City of Langley
(formerly Director of Engineering and
Operations, City of Port Coquitlam)
Joe Martignago, Acting CAO, District
of Metchosin (formerly City Manager,
City of Victoria)
Bill Flitton, City Clerk, City of Abbotsford (formerly Manager, Corporate
Planning, City of Abbotsford)
Kelly Mattson, CAO, Village of Hazelton (formerly CAO Assistant, Town of
Smithers)
Local Government Management
Association of British Columbia
(LGMA)
• MATI 4: Managing People,
June 3-8, 2007, Bowen Island Lodge,
Bowen Island
• CAO Forum, February 21-23, 2007,
Victoria
• MATI 2: Leadership, June 17-22,
2007, Bowen Island Lodge, Bowen
Island
• RMLGMA and WKLGMA spring
conference, April 12 & 13, 2007,
Nelson
Upcoming
Events
Sara Ribeiro, Municipal Clerk, District
of Central Saanich (formerly Council
Secretary, City of Victoria)
Evelyn Storrier, Manager, Records
and Freedom of Information City of
Abbotsford (formerly Manager, Administsration, City of Abbotsford)
• MATI 1: Foundation, August 12-17,
2007, University of Victoria
Sue-Lin Tarnowski, Deputy Director
of Financial Services, Township of
Esquimalt (formerly Deputy Treasurer,
District of Sooke)
Laurie Taylor, Director of Administrative Services, City of Parksville (formerly CAO, Village of Sayward)
Government Finance Officers
Association of BC (GFOA) annual
conference, May 30-June 1, 2007,
Penticton
Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM)
annual conference, June 1-4, 2007,
Calgary, AB
Union of British Columbia
Municipalities (UBCM) annual
conference, September 24-28, 2007,
Vancouver
• LMLGMA spring conference, April
19, 20076, Shadbolt Centre for the
Arts, Burnaby
• Clerks and Corporate Officers
Forum, October 17-19, 2007,
Tigh Na Mara Resort, Parksville
• MATI 3: Communication, April 2227, 2007, Bowen Island Lodge,
Bowen Island
Municipal Finance Authority of BC
(MFABC) Financial Forum and AGM,
March 14-15, 2007, Vancouver
• LGMA annual conference,
May 15-17, 2007, Vancouver
International Institute of Municipal
Clerks (IIMC) annual conference,
May 22-26, 2007, New Orleans, LA
International City Management
Association (ICMA) annual
conference, October 7-10, 2007,
Pittsburg, PA
Murdy McAllister
B
A
R
R
I
S
T
E
R
S
&
S
O
L
I
C
I
T
O
R
S
S
ince 1980, our firm has restricted its practice to acting for local government and providing
advice concerning municipal law to other clients, being primarily other lawyers.
11th Floor, Two Bentall Centre, 1155 Burrard Street, P.O. Box 49059, Vancouver, Canada
V7X 1C4
Telephone: (604) 689-5263
Fax: (604) 689-9029
Promoting professional management and leadership excellence in local government
Chapter 290
Vol. 24, Issue 4
December, 2006
19
Pension Update
I
In the last issue of Chapter 290, readers' attention
was drawn to the position the LGMA and GFOA
had taken in respect to the funding of post-retirement pension benefits and inflation protection
for participants of the Municipal Pension Plan.
The position taken by the two associations was
that full inflation protection for current and
future retirees should be the single most priority.
At its September 18 meeting, the Municipal Pension Board of Trustees made the following decisions:
Local Government Management Association
737 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2V1
by Ipsos Reid
A
• Medical Services Plan subsidies will be maintained for both retirees and spouses/dependants;
• There is no change to extended health coverage.
• There is no change to dental coverage; however, there will be an annual cap of $2,000
per person per year for dental claims beginning January 1, 2007. This limit will be
reviewed in three years.
• The plan will provide extended health and
dental benefit subsidies for retirees only. Coverage for spouses and dependants will be
available at full premium cost effective
August 1, 2007.
• Subsidies will be determined each year, based
on the money projected to be available (up
to 0.8% of active members' salaries). The balance of employer Inflation Adjustment
Account (IAA) contributions will go to help
fund future inflation adjustments for retired
members.
Further information on these decisions may be
found at the Pension Corporation website at
www.pensionsbc.ca and following the links to the
Municipal Pension Plan. ■
Return Requested
Lower Mainland Residents
Found in Favour of Municipal
Wage Increases
A series of questions regarding benefits for municipal
workers in British Columbia
was added to the BC Reid
Express telephone omnibus in
late October 2006.
According to the survey,
three-quarters (75%) of
Lower Mainland residents
support a substantial wage
increase as one measure to
ensure that municipalities can
get the employees needed to
provide quality service to residents.
Prior to responding, municipal employee attraction and
retention challenges, including vacant positions due to a
lack of qualified or interested
applicants, were outlined for
participants.
The survey also showed that
two-thirds (67%) of Lower
Mainland residents feel their
local government should
restore and protect health
benefits for retired municipal
workers – who, participants
were told, pay more now for
medicine and other health
and dental services and
receive only half of the promised support for basic medical
coverage.
These results are based on
500 telephone interviews
with Lower Mainland residents, 18 years of age and
older from the BC Reid
Express omnibus survey. Interviews were conducted
between October 10 and
October 15, 2006 with residents from throughout the
Lower Mainland. The final
data are statistically weighted to reflect the actual age
and gender of the Lower
Mainland population.
With a provincial sample of
500, one can say with 95%
certainty that the overall
results are within ±4.4 percentage points of what they
would have been had the
entire population of the
Lower Mainland been surveyed. The margin of error
will be larger for sub-groupings of the survey population.
The survey was conducted on
behalf of the Canadian Union
of Public Employees.
For more information on this
survey, please contact Rhys
Gibb, Senior Research Manager at Ipsos Reid. Phone
604-257-3200 or e-mail
[email protected]. ■
lgma.ca