district of houston 2017 annual report

2017 Annual Report District of Houston


Presented June 5, 2018 1 | P a g e

TABLE OF CONTENTS The District of Houston: Naturally Amazing! .................................................................... 2

Our Story ......................................................................................................................... 3

Message from the Mayor ................................................................................................. 4

Chief Administrative Officer’s Report............................................................................... 6

Review of 2016 Priorities ................................................................................................. 7

2016 Highlights ............................................................................................................. 13

Administration ............................................................................................................ 14

Finance ...................................................................................................................... 14

Fire Department & Emergency Services .................................................................... 15

Engineering & Operations .......................................................................................... 16

Leisure Services ........................................................................................................ 17

s. 111 Disqualifications .............................................................................................. 17

2017 Strategic Plan ....................................................................................................... 20

Reviewing the 2016 Strategic Plan ............................................................................ 20

2017 Strategic Priorities ............................................................................................. 21

Organizational Structure ................................................................................................ 13

2016 Strategic Community Investment Funds ................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Property Tax Exemptions .............................................................................................. 27

2017 – 2021 Financial Plan ........................................................................................... 28

2017 – 2021 Financial Plan ........................................................................................... 29

2016 Financial Statements ............................................................................................ 33

Naturally Amazing! 2017 Annual Report

2 | P a g e Presented June 5, 2018

THE DISTRICT OF HOUSTON:

NATURALLY AMAZING! Some know it as the world’s greatest fishing destination. Others know it for its wild

landscapes and natural beauty. Many know it for the fantastic winter sports available right

in its backyard. For us, it’s home, and it is Naturally Amazing!

An Amazing Place to Visit

Tourists and residents alike have admired the town for

its access to Steelhead rich rivers, great hiking networks

and its astounding northern BC climate. Avid and

beginner hikers need not worry about a lack of options

when visiting Houston, and are able to take advantage

of the trails throughout the forests, countryside, hills and

mountains surrounding Houston. The breathtaking

scenery ensures that you’ll stay busy during your stay.

An Amazing Place to Work

With a local business community of both small start-ups

and large corporations, Houston’s businesses work hard

to provide the services to Houston that residents and

visitors alike need, and are always looking towards new

opportunities for growth.

An Amazing Place to Live

Sporting state of the art recreation facilities, strategic

positioning along major transportation networks, and

located in the beautiful Bulkley Valley, it’s not hard to see

why so many call it home. Don’t think twice about buying

or building a home in Houston; the homeowner’s dream

is affordable whether you’re looking at buying your first

family home or looking to gear up and retire.

This is Houston – It’s Naturally Amazing!



OUR STORY It’s not surprising that our town is full of character, considering who we are named after, and where we have been! Prior to 1910, the town site of present-day Houston was known as “Pleasant Valley”, named after the valley it was located in. It wasn’t until 1910 when, after a contest among residents, the town was named Houston after the “colourful” B.C. businessman and politician John Houston, best known as a newspaperman, Mayor, and Member of the Legislative Assembly. Strangely enough, Houston never visited the town he was named for, but as with many of his time, his legacy inspired a community. For most of its existence, Houston was not incorporated as a municipality, and many community initiatives were taken on by residents with a passion for community service. As the community grew, the “Houston Community Club” formed to foster community spirit, recreation, and well-being in the village of Houston. It wasn’t until 1957 that Houston was officially incorporated as a Village Municipality. But that did not stop people from arriving here to settle, invest, and explore – Houston has always been known for its rich opportunities in agriculture, forestry, mining, and outdoor recreation. Today, the District of Houston provides a variety of services, including fire protection, public utilities, recreation services and facilities. These services are funded through property taxes, user fees and grants. The District is governed by an elected Council consisting of the Mayor and six Councillors, responsible for overseeing municipal operations under the Community Charter, Local Government Act and other provincial statutes. The District also has representation on the Northwest Regional Hospital Board, Northern Development’s Northwest Regional Advisory Committee, and the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako’s Board of Directors. Houston’s logo represents one of our community’s greatest assets – an outdoor lifestyle made richer by the abundance of naturally amazing Steelhead and river fishing opportunities – a renowned attraction to Houston!



MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR It is my pleasure to present you with the 2017 Annual Report for the District of Houston, as required by the Community Charter. Each year, municipalities across British Columbia prepare progress reports on the previous year’s accomplishments, municipal services, operations and financial information, and set measures and targets for the upcoming year. Our community is still in transition as a result of the 2014 timber swap, and has suffered hits to our community – but as a community we have bounced back. More people are looking to Houston as a location to invest and start a business. In 2017, we welcomed many businesses to our community, and welcomed Buy Low Foods into our community, providing residents with a full service grocery store. Our finances are also in a position where we can continue to provide the municipal services that are important to our community – utilities, infrastructure, and recreation programs – as a result of the District’s Transition Plan, which guided difficult decision making from 2014 onwards to ensure our financial position did not become compromised as a result of the closure of Houston Forest Products. 2017 resulted in the completion of a new $2.36 Million water reservoir which will replace the existing water reservoir, and key planning documents were developed. The District completed a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Land Use Plan, Community Wildfire Protection Plan, and several facility lifecycle maintenance plans, and saw shovels hit the ground during the first phase of upgrades to Highway 16. The Houston Leisure Facility also completed extensive renovations to ensure that the facility remains in a pristine condition and enjoyable by residents for years to come. Our community was selected as the host of Minerals North 2018, and much of 2017 was spent preparing for it. Additionally, in partnership with all of the regional districts and municipalities of the northwest, the Northwest Resource Benefits Alliance will be lobbying the Provincial Government for a to secure a share of the resource revenues generated in our region in order to ensure our the District is able to finance the replacement of its aging infrastructure, facilities, and equipment moving forward. Council’s Strategic Plan has also been updated to reflect our community’s priorities, and sets clear objectives to measure progress. This includes promoting economic diversification; the recruitment and retention of District staff; town beautification; completing amendments to the Official Community Plan; developing the District’s Asset Management Plan; developing partnerships with key stakeholders, including First



Nations; and securing access to improved healthcare services in Houston. Progress will be made on several priorities in the plan this year, and we will provide a strong finish to the term moving into 2018. 2017 was a year of positive change for our community, and proved that our community will continue to weather the obstacles that are placed in its path. I am also excited about the developments of 2018, and optimistic that they are a sign of things to come.

Shane Brienen Mayor

Council of the District of Houston December 2016 – Present

Back (Left to Right): Councillor Rick Lundrigan, Councillor Tim Anderson, Councillor Jonathan Van Barneveld, Councillor Tom Stringfellow

Front (Left to Right): Councillor Dennis Tait, Mayor Shane Brienen, Councillor John Siebenga



CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S REPORT

This report was prepared by the management team and provides a record of accomplishments for 2017 and objectives for 2018. The management team is committed to achieving the goals and plans that are established by Council. The purpose of the Annual Report is to inform the community of the initiatives and achievements for the past year and to establish a base line of information that can be used to measure progress in the future. The District’s focus in the previous year was developing core planning documents to guide the redevelopment of the Official Community Plan. Experts were retained to develop a Parks & Recreation Master Plan and a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Work on the Land Use Plan and Transportation Master Plan were also advanced to bring these reports to their final stages. Once finalized, these and other plans will be consolidated into the final Official Community Plan Amendments for Council’s review. The District will be focusing on developing and implementing an Asset Management Plan as part of its Corporate Strategy moving forward. We are beginning to see the effects that prolonged wear and tear has on our assets, and to support the ongoing maintenance and replacement of aging assets, the District will be preparing condition assessments for its assets. These assessments will assist in planning for the ongoing maintenance and eventual replacement of the District’s facilities and infrastructure networks. As an organization, we will be working on ensuring that key infrastructure projects are completed, that the Official Community Plan Amendments are brought forward to Council, and working with Council to establish land use and business licensing regulations for the legalized non-medical cannabis industry. We will also be shifting gears and preparing to administer the local general elections, provide candidates and voters with key information about participating in the election, and welcoming those candidates and/or incumbents elected to office after October 20 to the world of local government. I would like to thank the staff of the District of Houston who continue to work hard to ensure that this community is and remains Naturally Amazing. I look forward to working with staff in implementing the directions of Council and serving this community.

Gerald Pinchbeck Chief Administrative Officer



REVIEW OF 2017 PRIORITIES In 2017, Council set the following strategic priorities for the District of Houston to achieve over the course of Council’s term:

Economic Diversification

The District will continue to promote economic diversity to broaden the base of primary employment in the District. The local economy is focused on forestry; diversification to other types of employment will help the District adjust to future changes to forestry.

Action Item: Attract New Investment

Options not presented.

Action Item: Pursue Economic Development Plan

The Economic Development Committee reviewed the District’s 2014 Economic Development Strategy to identify action items.

Action Item: Grocery Store

Buy Low Foods invested in a new grocery store in Houston, and is selling products to residents and visitors.

Human Resource Management

The District recognizes a fully staffed and engaged team is necessary to deliver services to citizens and achieve strategic goals. This year the District will examine ways to attract more candidates for vacant positions, and ways to ensure the current staff are engaged and retained.

Action Item: Improve attraction of candidates

Not actioned.

Action Item: Assess employee engagement

Conducted an Employee Engagement Survey

Town Beautification

The District is committed to maintaining and improving the vibrancy of Houston. The District will continue to focus on revitalizing the downtown core, improving business facades, and ensuring Houston has many attractive and enjoyable places for visitors and residents alike.



Action Item: Improve Highway 16 Corridor

• Continue to pursue third party funding from Province and other sources

• Identify sources of funds for the District’s portion

• Prepare an initial design of the highway and confirm with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Action Item: Identify a theme for Houston

• Create a theme for Houston that can be used to guide all beautification investments, which should align with the District’s brand, Naturally Amazing

Action Item: Create a downtown revitalization plan

• Establish a council steering committee for downtown revitalization. The committee is accountable to ensure decisions are made in a timely manner

• Develop a plan to be used to gather public input

• Engage with public to gather feedback about proposed options

• Propose a multi-year phased plan to revitalize with a few options for phase 1

• Explore options to encourage business ownership and partnerships in a revitalized downtown

• Review plan with Council

Action Item: Increase use of façade improvement program

• Identify options to increase use of the façade improvement program

• Identify options to increase funding available for businesses willing to improve their façade

• Identify options to help Houston business owners understand the value of investing in the façade of their business

• Identify options to raise awareness of the façade improvement program among the public

• Present options to Council as soon as possible, implement selected options.

Development of Parks and Recreation Master Plan

The District has a bounty of parks with great potential to be signature spaces for recreation and events in our community. The District will complete a Parks Master Plan to guide investment and development of the airport.

Action Item: Create and Submit a Parks and Recreation Master Plan

• Prepare a parks master plan

• Consult with the public on the focus of the plan

• Submit plan to Council for approval



Airport Development

The District’s municipal airport offers the community a potential source of economic growth. In 2017, the District will complete a land use plan for the airport that will guide future investment and development of the airport.

Action Item: Create an airport land use plan

A land use plan was completed in 2017 to inform decision making on developing the airport into a productive public asset.

Asset Management Planning

The District owns many valuable and important assets necessary to deliver services to the residents of Houston. In 2017, the District will take important steps to ensure it is managing the assets in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner for current and future generations.

Action Item: Define an Asset Management Implementation Plan

• Describe the steps to implement the asset management plan

• Identify status for each step

• Identify proposed schedule for all remaining steps

Action Item: Prepare Asset Management Policy

• Identify and describe how the District will maintain accurate assessments of asset values, stages in the lifecycle and replacement costs

Action Item: Assess District Assets (Part 1)

• Prepare an assessment of District assets including: o Community Hall o Leisure Facility o Water Treatment Plant o Water Reservoir o Public Works Equipment o Municipal Office (contingent on funding)

• Deferred priorities for future years: o Other District Buildings o Roads, Sewer, Water, Sidewalks o Arena, Parks



Partnership Development

The District works with many other local governments and organizations to deliver services to the residents of the region. In 2017, the District will continue to strengthen partnerships with local First Nations, other local government and other agencies such as the School Board.

Action Item: Pursue First Nations Partnerships

The District continued to pursue partnerships with the Wet’suwet’en, and saw staff participate in a workshop on the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions’s Calls to Action.

Action Item: Pursue Business Partnerships

• Conduct business walks in 2017

Action Item: Pursue Tourism Partnerships

• Identify shared goals that can be used to form a Tourism Group that includes input from stakeholders with an interest in local tourism such as:

o Tour groups & operators o Service providers o Tourism organizations (i.e. outdoor recreation clubs) o District of Houston o Chamber of Commerce

• Seek out participation from stakeholders in a Tourism Group

• Seek out participation from the Regional District on the Houston Tourism group

Action Item: Pursue School Board Collaboration

• Prior to UBCM, engage with school board to explore investment in schools in Houston, as wells as a better understanding of the issues or concerns the board may have

• Explore options for District tours for students, such as fire station tours or Council-for-a-day

Action Item: Fair Share Agreement

The District of Houston remains committed to working with the Northwest Resource Benefits Alliance. Council and staff will continue monitoring the progress of the RBA, and advocate for an agreement with the Provincial Government to accomplish the goal of financially and economically sustainable communities in the Northwest.



Action Item: Rural Areas

Work with the Regional District in developing partnerships to address community issues was ongoing. Electoral Area G (Houston-Granisle) Director Rob Newell continues to be engaged on community issues and is involved in the District’s Community Health, Education and Social Services Committee.

Healthcare

The District recognizes the importance of locally provided health services to its community. In 2017, the District will continue to attract medical services and promote use of local services.

Action Item: Encourage use of local healthcare services.

• Encourage local residents to use local healthcare services to ensure we develop a viable practice

• Encourage placement of medical learners in our community, e.g. 2 week rotation of family practice

• Encourage providers of other medical services, such as optometry, to locate in Houston

• Raise awareness of Houston medical services & capacity

Other Important Items

Action Item: Business Licenses

• Propose revised business licence fee schedule

• Consult with Chamber of Commerce and business community about the proposed new fees

• Prepare information that can be used to help members of the public and businesses understand the value and importance of having a business licence

Action Item: Update District Community Plans

District staff began to finalize the long overdue amendments to the Official Community Plan. This included finalizing the Land Use Plan, initially started in 2013, which was adopted by Council in March 2017. The District is also finalizing its Master Transportation Plan, which was started in 2014. Both plans will form a strong foundation for guiding the District’s planning and development decisions for the next 25 years.

• Update Official Community Plan

• Update Land Use Plan

• Update Age Friendly Plan

• Update Master Transportation Plan



• Adopt Community Energy and Emissions Plan

Action Item: Community Energy and Emissions

Potential upgrades to the District’s energy infrastructure were reviewed, but were deemed financial unfeasible to complete in 2017. District staff will continue working to identify ways to improve the District’s energy efficiency and reduce the municipality’s carbon footprint.

Action Item: Water Tower

The $2.36 Million Water Reservoir Construction project was completed in December 2017, and is now servicing the District with a stable water supply.

Action Item: Leisure Facility

The Leisure Facility 10-year maintenance shutdown was completed.

Action Item: Emergency Management

The District developed a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which was presented to Council in April 2017 for consideration.



ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

VISION 2025

Council and the District strive to ensure that by 2025, the District of Houston:

• has a diversified and energy efficient economy;

• has a highly educated/trained labour force responsive to future job opportunities;

• boasts a compact and attractive District Energy heated urban core;

• remains a healthy and caring community;

• continues to be a great indoor and outdoor recreational and cultural hub; and

• be an age-friendly community.



2017 HIGHLIGHTS Administration

Administration serves as the core function of Municipal Government by providing support to Council, the various departments, and the public. Overseen by the Chief Administrative Officer, Administration is responsible for:

• Bylaws, Policies and Procedures

• Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes

• Human Resource Management

• Records & Information Management

• Land Use Planning & Development

• Legal Services

• Public Relations

Administration will be working closely with the other departments to carry out the strategic priorities of Council, ensure the District’s bylaws, policies and procedures are followed, modernize the District’s records management procedures, and continue to advise Council on corporate and community matters. Administration will also be working to ensure that the bylaws and policies of the District reflect current trends and frameworks, as well as being straightforward to achieve compliance. The primary initiative of administration will be the preparation and implementation of an Asset Management Plan to ensure that the District makes investments according to the greatest priority. We will also be providing Council with advise and assistance in establishing a regulatory framework for the soon to be legalized non-medical cannabis industry. We will also be preparing to administer the 2018 General Local Elections. During this election, all positions on the District of Houston’s Council will be up for election. Candidate nomination packages will be available in August, and can be dropped off during the nomination period between September 4 and 14.

Finance

The Finance Department administers the public financial resources of the District of Houston. Department personnel process daily financial and accounting transactions, implement and monitor internal control procedures, maintain property tax, utility, licence/permit, leisure services and grant revenue systems; they also administer payroll



and benefits, goods and services procurement, and fulfil the customer service function – often as the first point of personal contact and service delivery for the public. Under the Community Charter, the District is required to adopt a Five Year Financial Plan annually. This longer term approach to financial planning enables Council and the community to consider the impact that current decisions will have on future District choices. The Plan is updated each spring, prior to setting the tax rates and after a six month public process, to reflect any changes that have occurred since the last Plan was adopted. The Department concludes this process by preparing the Five Year Financial Plan and annual Property Tax bylaws for Council’s consideration. Moving forward, the Finance Department will continue to support the District’s operations through careful monitoring of its finances, and will review ways to save funds for the future.

Fire Department & Emergency Services

The Houston Volunteer Fire Department has a capacity for a volunteer force of 30 members. The dedication to the wellbeing and safety of Houston by this team of volunteers is evident by the countless hours of training and service provided by these men and women. Fire fighters provide services well beyond structure firefighting such as First Responder, Highway Rescue, Fire Prevention, and Public Fire Safety Education. The Fire Department responded to a total of 233 incidents in 2017 an increase of 66% over the 2016 call volume. Of these calls, 73 were fire related calls (31% of call volume), 138 were first responder calls (59.5% of call volume) and 22 were rescue (MVA) calls (9.5% of call volume). In 2017, 1370 hours were logged between emergency calls and firefighter training. The training ranged from First Responder training for medical calls supporting the BCAS, Fire fighter training to an exterior fire fighter level, and live fire training. The members of the Fire Department are dedicated to their firefighting job and the response for these calls are greatly appreciated. The Houston Fire Department holds weekly training schedules, every Thursday morning practice from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and evening training from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. In 2017 one of our fire fighters Hank Buursema celebrated 40 years of dedicated service with the fire department is the longest serving member in the history of the department a



great achievement. We continued with training of fire officers and fire fighters to fill officer positions when required. Fire fighter training is continuously ongoing many fire fighters have completed the exterior training level and are progressing onto the interior level. We applied for gaming grant funding through the BC Gaming Grant Program. The application was submitted and approved for $22,000.00. This will be spent on safety equipment (turn out gear, helmets, and other personnel protection items), also on fire fighter training. Moving into 2018, we will continue with training of fire officers and fire fighters to fill officer positions when required. Fire fighter training is continuously ongoing to exterior fire fighter level, we will be working at getting as many fire fighters as possible through their Fire Fighter interior training as well.

Engineering & Operations

Engineering & Operations is responsible for the maintenance and construction of all infrastructure and capital assets for the District. This includes:

• Water Distribution

• Sanitary & Storm Sewer Collection

• Garbage/Solid Waste Collection

• Paved & Gravel Roads

• Dikes, culverts, ditches

• Major infrastructure projects

The summer students and Parks staff worked hard to bring the parks and boulevards into awesome shape and received many compliments about the care and neatness of the green spaces in the town. 2017 will see the installation of new picnic tables, new concrete outhouses, and bear-proof garbage cans in various parks. The new water tower was constructed over the course of 2017, and was completed in December, on time and under budget. Site reclamation will be undertaken over the course of 2018. The District also worked to complete engineered designs and consult with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en in completing upgrades to the Sewage Lagoon Outfall. We anticipate completion in 2018. Together, the parks crew had a busy and successful season. Wet conditions in May delayed the opening of the ball and soccer fields. A few of the parks and walking trails had new bear proof garbage cans, concrete outhouses and new picnic tables installed.



Staff will be working to improve in-house knowledge to identify ways to improve our operations and maintenance of our parks. The District also secured a commitment from the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure to install a sidewalk along the northside of Highway 16 between Buck Creek and Butler Avenue. Residents are already benefitting from the sidewalk, which has made it easier to access and traverse the highway corridor on foot. Moving forward, we will be working to identify the means of accomplishing the District’s vision for sidewalk improvements along the southside of the highway. Moving forward, Engineering & Operations will be working to assess methods to implement the recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, completing a sidewalk inventory to better understand the conditions of the District’s sidewalks, installing new parks infrastructure, roadway repairs, electrical system upgrades at the Arena and Leisure Facility, and overseeing the preparation of facility lifecycle maintenance plans.

Leisure Services

Leisure Services is responsible for the operation of the District’s recreation facilities and programs. This includes:

• Houston Leisure Facility

• Claude A. Parish Memorial Arena

• Parks & Playgrounds

• Houston Community Hall

The Leisure Services department had a busy year with Canada Day 150, the Leisure Facility 10 Year Refurbishment Project, development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and media upgrades at the Community Hall. In February, the Community Hall suffered a water line break, which unfortunately damaged the main hall flooring, north wall and ceiling. Contractors worked to remove the affected insulation, wall and flooring. Replacement flooring and walls were installed; the community hall reopened in May. The media upgrade was completed in the main hall as well. A new built in projector with HDMI capabilities, high quality speakers, wireless microphone set up and 203” ceiling mounted projection screen were installed and ready for use in late August.



Staff commenced work on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Urban Systems located in Vancouver were contracted to facilitate the plan. In May, Urban Systems visited Houston for site tours and facilitate focus groups. A public survey was made available as well. In early December, Urban Systems visited Houston once again to present the first draft of the plan to Council and receive their feedback. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be finalized and presented to Council for adoption in early 2018. Programming continued to be successful and there was an overwhelming demand to offer t-ball programming once again. The department was successful in offering a t-ball program (3-5 years) and a baseball program (6-7 years) over the course of 5 weeks. T-ball had a resounding 30 registered and 8 registered in baseball. The program was led by a district employee, but relied on the assistance of parent volunteers for so many children. In September, the Leisure Facility temporarily closed their doors to begin the overdue 10 year pool refurbishment project. A few of the projects included installing a Direct Digital Control system, painting the interior and epoxy painting the natatorium, new exterior windows and natatorium doors, and replacing the sand in the sand filters. Several equipment upgrades were also made to help modernize the facility. A new climbing wall was also installed along the deep end of the main pool. Under lifeguard supervision, patrons are invited to climb as high as they can before dropping into the pool. The Claude Parish Memorial Arena had the exterior of it painted to match the leisure facility. Other work included tying in with the leisure facility DDC system, and an electrical replacement project in the Zamboni room. Arena usage stabilized and only saw the loss of one user group in 2017. Public skating continued to be a sponsored free event by local business, hosting 3 free sessions weekly. Canada Day 150 Celebrations took place on Canada Day at Jamie Baxter Park. The event was well attended by over 500 people. In celebration of the event, festivities were ramped up. A live musician and a magician performed, flag raising ceremony took place with the RCMP and Royal Canadian Cadets, Council hosted a free BBQ, free inflatable’s and face painting, as well as, a children’s activity table. A few home based businesses and not-for-profit groups set up tables for the public to browse.

s. 111 Disqualifications

In addition to the Department Highlights, the District is required by the Community Charter to report any disqualification of Council Members made pursuant to section 111 of the



Community Charter within the Annual Report. As of January 1, 2017, no disqualifications under section 111 were made.



2018 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Reviewing the 2017 Strategic Plan

Through an engaging and creative process, Council met with Senior Staff in a facilitated review and discussion of progress on the goals set out by the 2016 Strategic Plan, to reassess the priorities of Council, and to evaluate the priorities for the coming years. As part of the strategic planning meeting, Council assessed what it had done well, where there was room for improvements, the major accomplishments for 2016 and the vision for the District moving forward. Through it all, Council identified eight strategic priorities and assigned responsibilities to District senior staff to accomplish the priorities. In order to assess progress and accomplishment of these goals, regular reviews will be conducted at Committee of the Whole Meetings to assess the status of strategic plan items.

Only one example of how strategic planning plays a role in municipal government.



2018 Strategic Priorities

Economic Diversification

The District will continue to promote economic diversity to broaden the base of primary employment in the District. The local economy is focused on forestry; diversification to other types of employment will help the District adjust to future changes to forestry.

Action Item: Attract New Investment

• Identify options to attract new investment to Houston

• Present options to Council

• Select and implement option to attract new investment – this is conditional upon Council approval

Action Item: Pursue Economic Development Plan

• Identify options to refocus the economic development committee as an advisory committee. Present options to Council.

• Council to implement selected option.

• Council to select elements of the economic development plan that can be implemented without the need to review and approve through the advisory committee.

Action Item: Prepare for Minerals North Conference

• Organize and prepare for Minerals North Conference in 2018.

Action Item: Grocery Store

• Meet with new business owner (once final investment decision has been made) to discuss the importance of a grocery store to Houston, and to share perspectives on services that the community would benefit from (e.g. bakery, deli, etc.)

• Apply development permit standards for signage, façade, trees, etc.



Human Resource Management

The District recognizes a fully staffed and engaged team is necessary to deliver services to citizens and achieve strategic goals. This year the District will examine ways to attract more candidates for vacant positions, and ways to ensure the current staff are engaged and retained.

Action Item: Improve attraction of candidates

• Identify what factors influence a candidate’s choice to accept a job and live in Houston; this could include exit interviews of applicants who decline offers or reviews of publicly available research

• Identify options to improve the attractiveness of Houston to prospective candidates, and potential funding sources for each option

• Prioritize options to improve the attractiveness of Houston to prospective candidates

• Design a positive ad campaign for visitors, new residents, new prospective residents and current residents

• Begin to implement the positive ad campaign

Action Item: Assess employee engagement

• Conduct a survey of current employees to gather information on the engagement of employees and the health of the workplace

Town Beautification

The District is committed to maintaining and improving the vibrancy of Houston. The District will continue to focus on revitalizing the downtown core, improving business facades, and ensuring Houston has many attractive and enjoyable places for visitors and residents alike.

Action Item: Improve Highway 16 Corridor

• Continue to pursue third party funding from Province and other sources

• Identify sources of funds for the District’s portion

• Prepare an initial design of the highway and confirm with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

• Identify options to phase the south side improvements & develop design plans.



Action Item: Create a downtown revitalization plan & Identify a theme for Houston

• Develop a plan to be used to gather public input.

• Engage with public to gather feedback about proposed options

• Propose a multi-year phased plan to revitalize with a few options for phase 1

• Explore options to encourage business ownership and partnerships in a revitalized downtown

• Create a theme for Houston that can be used to guide all beautification investments, which should align with the District’s brand, Naturally Amazing.

• Present options to Council as soon as possible and implement selected options

Official Community Plan Amendments

The District has a bounty of parks with great potential to be signature spaces for recreation and events in our community. The District will complete a Parks Master Plan to guide investment and development of the airport.

Action Item: Finalize the amendments to the 2010 Official Community Plan

• Finalize the Land Use Plan

• Finalize the Parks & Recreation Master Plan

• Finalize the Transportation Master Plan

• Incorporate Recommendations from plans into a new Official Community Plan amending bylaw



• Present Bylaw to Council for introduction, first and second readings (Not Started)

• Engage the Community to confirm priorities prior to adopting the Official Community Plan

Asset Management Planning

The District owns many valuable and important assets necessary to deliver services to the residents of Houston. In 2017, the District will take important steps to ensure it is managing the assets in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner for current and future generations.

Action Item: Define an Asset Management Implementation Plan

• Describe the steps to implement the asset management plan

• Identify status for each step

• Identify proposed schedule for all remaining steps

Action Item: Prepare Asset Management Policy

• Identify and describe how the District will maintain accurate assessments of asset values, stages in the lifecycle and replacement costs

Action Item: Assess District Assets

• Finalize facility lifecycle maintenance plans and incorporate into a Master Facilities Maintenance Plan

• Deferred Priorities – for 2019 and Future Years o Library o Roads & Sidewalks o Sewer, Water, Storm o Parks & Playgrounds o Vehicles & Equipment



Healthcare

The District recognizes the importance of locally provided health services to its community. In 2018, the District will continue to attract medical services and promote use of local services.

Action Item: Encourage use of local healthcare services.

• Encourage local residents to use local healthcare services to ensure we develop a viable practice

• Encourage placement of medical learners in our community, e.g. 2 week rotation of family practice

• Encourage providers of other medical services, such as optometry, to locate in Houston

• Raise awareness of Houston medical services & capacity

Partnership Development

The District works with many other local governments and organizations to deliver services to the residents of the region. In 2017, the District will continue to strengthen partnerships with local First Nations, other local government and other agencies such as the School Board.

Action Item: Pursue First Nations Partnerships

• Wet’suwet’en Introduction Training o Council and senior staff to attend training o The Wet’suwet’en is an intergral part of our Minerals North conference, our

local community and economy. o Consider incorporating this training into Council Orientation after the

election.

• Complete a joint investment / activity with First Nations o Identify a joint activity or project that we can complete together to

demonstrate how we can work together o Explore how to include a joint activity as part of our parks and recreation

Action Item: Pursue Business Partnerships

• Conduct business walks in 2018



Action Item: Pursue Tourism Partnerships

• Identify shared goals that can be used to form a Tourism Group that includes input from stakeholders with an interest in local tourism such as:

o Tour groups & operators o Service providers o Tourism organizations (i.e. outdoor recreation clubs) o District of Houston o Chamber of Commerce

• Seek out participation from stakeholders in a Tourism Group

• Seek out participation from the Regional District on the Houston Tourism group

Action Item: Pursue School Board Collaboration

• Prior to UBCM, engage with school board to explore investment in schools in Houston, as wells as a better understanding of the issues or concerns the board may have

• Explore options for District tours for students, such as fire station tours or Council-for-a-day

• Elementary School Investment Opportunities: o Collaborate with SD54 to encourage investment in education facilities o Encourage user friendly school options

Action Item: Fair Share Agreement

• Continue to pursue a fair share agreement with the Province

Action Item: Rural Areas

• Identify ways we can work with rural areas on District issues: o Collaborate with Area “G” Director to promote rural development o Explore Cost-Sharing for recreation facilities



PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS Permissive Property Tax Exemptions

Organization Name Roll

Number Community Charter

Section 2017 Municipal

Taxes ($)

Anglican Synod Diocese of Caledonia 0300.000 Section 224(2)(f) 181.67

Canadian Reformed Church 0270.025 Section 224(2)(f) 73.74

Christian School Society of Houston 0048.100 Section 224(2)(f) 0.00

Fellowship Baptist Church of Houston 0530.000 Section 224(2)(f) 0.00

First United Church 0236.000 Section 224(2)(f) 92.51

Guru Nanak sikh Temple Association 0022.332 Section 224(2)(f) 173.63

Houston and District Curling Club 0471.050 Section 224(2)(i) 2,903.69

Houston Christian Reformed Church 0155.020 Section 224(2)(f) 68.38 Houston Congregation of Jehovah's Witness 0297.790 Section 224(2)(f) 133.40

Houston Friendship Centre Society 0427.021 Section 224(2)(d) 3,118.93

Houston Retirement Housing Society 1012.100 Section 224(2)(d) 6,781.73

Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada 0251.000 Section 224(2)(f) 181.70 Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp of Prince Rupert 0281.025 Section 224(2)(f) 189.71

Royal Canadian Legion, Pacific #249 0432.012 Section 224(2)(d)(e) 769.58

Senior Citizens' Association of B.C. 0464.030 Section 224(2)(h) 2,905.76 Smithers Community Services Association 0501.060 Section 224(2)(k) 4,571.16

Revitalization Tax Exemptions

Organization Name Roll

Number Community Charter

Section 2017 Municipal

Taxes ($)

Pacific Truck and Equipment Ltd. 0020.050 Section 225 4,656.67

Pleasant Valley Properties Ltd. 0299.000 Section 226 310.44

Sunshine Inn Estates (Houston) Ltd. 0426.025 Section 226 5,650.09

Monster Industries Ltd. 0061.100 Section 226 964.45

Canadian Forest Products Ltd. 0700.000 Section 226 33,942.52



2018 – 2022 FINANCIAL PLAN Purpose

Under the Community Charter, municipalities are required to prepare a financial plan annually. Financial planning must be for a five year period, and plan for operational and capital expenses, revenue sources, and the use of reserve funds in order to ensure that the District’s financial commitments remain sustainable over the mid-term. Every year, the Five Year Financial Plan is reviewed, updated, and adopted to reflect current trends and conditions, as well as to ensure that the planned expenses and revenue sources remain viable for project funding. In order to provide the effect of law, this plan is adopted annually by bylaw, binding the District of Houston to its planned expenses and limiting the overall amount of funds which may be sourced from and to various areas.

Community Charter Requirements

The Community Charter requires at a bare minimum that a financial plan set out the proposed expenditures by the municipality (i.e. expenses on operational, capital and infrastructure items), the proposed funding sources (including taxation, grants from other organizations, user fees, and other sources) and the proposed transfers to or between funds (such as transfers to various reserves). The plan must be balanced; revenue cannot exceed expenses and transfers between funds, and vice-versa. In addition, the plan must list expenses under the following categories separately:

• The amount required to pay interest and principle on municipal debt;

• The amount required for capital purposes;

• The amount required for an actual net loss recorded in the previous year; and

• The amount required for other municipal purposes.

The proposed funding sources must also be set out separately for each of the following:

• Revenue from property taxation;

• Revenue from parcel taxes;

• Revenue from fees;

• Revenue from other sources; and

• Proceeds from borrowing, other than borrowing in anticipation of revenue.

Finally, the proposed transfers to or between funds must set out separate amounts for each reserve fund and the accumulated surplus. Once all these factors have been accounted for, Council may begin the process for adoption, including a public consultation process prior to the Financial Plan Bylaw being adopted.



2018 – 2022 FINANCIAL PLAN (Excerpt)

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

REVENUES

Taxation

General Fund (4,218,654) (4,303,027) (4,389,088) (4,476,869) (4,566,407)

Water Fund (250,000) (255,000) (260,100) (265,302) (270,608)

Sewer fund (105,000) (107,100) (109,242) (111,427) (113,655)

Fees and Charges

General Fund (598,822) (610,798) (623,014) (635,475) (648,184)

Water Fund (523,606) (518,160) (528,523) (539,094) (549,875)

Sewer fund (276,500) (282,030) (287,671) (293,424) (299,292)

Grants and Contributions from Others

General Fund (1,753,271) (558,613) (558,613) (558,613) (558,613)

Water Fund (100,000)

Sewer fund (277,592)

Investments

General Fund (437,960) (446,719) (455,653) (464,766) (474,062)

Transfer from Surplus/Reserve

General Fund (1,622,564)

Water Fund (50,000)

Sewer fund (85,784)

Amortization

General Fund (1,144,629) (1,144,629) (1,144,629) (1,144,629) (1,144,629)

Water Fund (226,483) (226,483) (226,483) (226,483) (226,483)

Sewer fund (101,078) (101,078) (101,078) (101,078) (101,078)

TOTAL REVENUES (11,771,943) (8,553,638) (8,684,093) (8,817,160) (8,952,887)

EXPENDITURES

Debt

General Fund 188,200 188,200 188,200 188,200 188,200

Capital

General Fund 1,598,805 533,998 526,775 513,098 499,147

Water Fund 150,000 - - - -

Sewer fund 363,375 - - - -

Operating

General Fund 6,105,566 4,897,794 5,012,245 5,135,294 5,260,804

Water Fund 442,110 450,952 459,971 469,171 478,554

Sewer Fund 307,850 310,182 316,385 322,713 329,167

Amortization

General Fund 1,144,629 1,144,629 1,144,629 1,144,629 1,144,629

Water Fund 226,483 226,483 226,483 226,483 226,483

Sewer Fund 101,078 101,078 101,078 101,078 101,078

Transfer to Surplus/reserve

General Fund 738,700 299,166 299,149 299,132 299,114

Water Fund 331,496 322,208 328,652 335,225 341,929

Sewer Fund 73,651 78,948 80,527 82,137 83,781

TOTAL EXPENDITURES 11,771,943 8,553,638 8,684,094 8,817,160 8,952,886

Balanced Financial Plan - 0 0 0 (0)

District of Houston

Five Year Financial Plan (2018 - 2022) Bylaw No. 1099, 2018

SCHEDULE "A"



District of Houston Five Year Financial Plan (2018 to 2022) Bylaw No. 1099, 2018

____________________________________________________________________________

Statement of Objectives and Policies In accordance with section 165(3.1) of the Community Charter, municipalities are required to include in the Five Year Financial Plan, objectives and policies regarding each of the following:

a) For each of the funding sources described in Section 165(7) of the Community Charter, the proportion of total revenue that is proposed to come from that funding source;

b) The distribution of property value taxes among the property classes that may be subject to taxes; and

c) The use of permissive tax exemptions. Over the five-year period of the financial plan, the taxation requirement is estimated to increase annually by a growth factor of (2.7%) which includes an increase in cost of living. The District has various objectives or policies that govern and affect the budget process and include:

➢ Maximize user fees, grants and other revenue streams; ➢ Where feasible, distribute the property tax burden across property classes based on use

of municipal services, and consider potential reliance on the forest industry; ➢ Grant tax exemptions based on social benefits provided to the community as a whole.

POLICIES A. Revenue

➢ Maximize grant contributions towards infrastructure, programs and services, driven on a

needs basis and not influenced solely by funders’ current mandates; ➢ Utility fees (water, sewer and garbage) on the equity basis of user pay, with fees reviewed

annually based on estimated inflation / deflation and other impacts on costs; ➢ Leisure Services fees based on 30% user pay, with fees reviewed annually based on

estimated inflation / deflation and other impacts on costs; ➢ Other user fees based on cost recovery, and reviewed annually for reasonability; ➢ General municipal taxation rates to change annually based on estimated inflation /

deflation and other impacts on costs; ➢ Maximize return on investment from cash assets, subject to the constraint of only investing

in low-risk financial instruments; ➢ Active collection of revenue stream accounts; ➢ Infrastructure and Equipment Reserves to provide revenue stabilization based on long-

term needs as defined by an Asset Management Plan; ➢ Borrowing is considered only for capital projects and only after all reasonable alternative

funding options have been fully reviewed; ➢ Economic Development activities to be a catalyst for new property development that

results in new taxation revenues.




_____________________________________________________________________ Revenue Sources

B. Property Taxation

➢ Where feasible, use taxation from new investment by industry (non-market assessment)

to reduce tax levies to the two industrial classes, this applies to both Major and Light Industry Property Classes;

➢ Property Class taxation multipliers, relative to residential properties, are approximately: o Residential 1.0000 o Utility 5.3155 o Supportive Housing 1.0000 o Major Industry 11.2257 o Light Industry 9.5179 o Commercial 2.9411 o Managed Forest Lands 3.1696 o Recreational .8551 o Farm .9053

C. Surplus Funds

The Community Charter does not allow municipalities to plan an operating deficit (i.e. where expenditures exceed revenues). To ensure this situation does not occur, revenue projections are conservative and authorized expenditures are closely monitored. The combination of conservative revenue projections and controlled expenditures should produce a modest annual operating surplus.

Revenues 2018 % of Total

Property Taxes/Payment in Lieu (4,218,654) 40.96%

Parcel Taxes (355,000) 3.45%

Grants (2,130,863) 20.69%

Fees, Licenses, Permits (1,398,928) 13.58%

Borrowing 0.00%

Penalties, Interest, ROI (437,960) 4.25%

Internal Transfers from Surplus/Reserves (1,758,348) 17.07%

TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE (Less amortisation) (10,299,753)




_____________________________________________________________________

D. Reserve Funds

Reserve funds shall be set aside to:

1) Provide sources of funds for future capital expenditures; 2) Provide a source of funding for areas of expenditure that fluctuate significantly from

year to year (equipment replacement, special building maintenance, etc.); 3) Protect the District from uncontrollable or unexpected increases in expenditures or

unforeseen reductions in revenues, or a combination of the two; and 4) Provide for working capital to ensure sufficient cash flow to meet the District’s needs

throughout the year. E. Permissive Tax Exemptions

Permissive Tax Exemptions under local government law in British Columbia, currently include public worship facilities, senior care housing facilities, hospitals, and private schools. These exemptions supplement their statutory assessment exemptions available under other laws of British Columbia. Permissive Tax Exemptions are also considered by the District of Houston at its discretion annually, for properties used exclusively for non-profit activities that provide the general community with a social benefit in accordance with the Permissive Tax Exemption Policy.

F. Revitalization Tax Exemptions

The District of Houston has developed a Revitalization Tax Exemption program, in compliance with Section 226 of the Community Charter, which provides Revitalization Tax Exemptions for certain types of construction completed by October 31, 2016. The program offered incentives over a five year period, to Commercial and Industrial zoned properties meeting the criteria of the program, in the form of temporarily reduced property taxation.



2017 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending December 31, 2017

(See next page)

district of houston 2017 annual report

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