gvrd workshop minutes - october 21, 2015 · 10/21/2015 · the board concluded its workshop of...

GREATER VANCOUVER REGIONAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Minutes of the Workshop of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Board of Directors held at 9:05 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 in the 2nd Floor Boardroom, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, British Columbia to consider the 2016 Draft Budget - Metro Vancouver Districts and Housing Corporation.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair, Director Greg Moore, Port Coquitlam Vice Chair, Director Raymond Louie, Vancouver Director Wayne Baldwin, White Rock (arrived at 9:10 a.m.) Director John Becker, Pitt Meadows Director Malcolm Brodie, Richmond Director Karl Buhr, Lions Bay Alternate Director Adriane Carr, Vancouver for Kerry Jang (departed at 12:03 p.m.) Director Mike Clay, Port Moody (arrived at 9:19 a.m.) Director Jonathan Cote, New Westminster Director Heather Deal, Vancouver Director Sav Dhaliwal, Burnaby Director Ralph Drew, Belcarra Alternate Director Jack Froese, Langley Township for Charlie Fox (arrived at 9:08 a.m; departed

at 12:05 p.m.)

Director Moe Gill, Abbotsford* Director Bruce Hayne, Surrey Director Craig Hodge, Coquitlam Alternate Director Bill Holmes, Electoral Area A for Maria Harris Director Lois Jackson, Delta Director Colleen Jordan, Burnaby Director Bob Long, Langley Township Director John McEwen, Anmore Director Geoff Meggs, Vancouver (departed at 12:03 p.m.) Director Darrell Mussatto, North Vancouver City Director Maureen Nicholson, Bowen Island Director Andrea Reimer, Vancouver (departed at 12:00 p.m.) Director Barbara Steele, Surrey Director Tim Stevenson, Vancouver (departed at 12:03 p.m.) Director Harold Steves, Richmond Director Richard Stewart, Coquitlam (arrived at 9:13 a.m.) Director Rudy Storteboom, Langley City Director Judy Villeneuve, Surrey (arrived at 9:22 a.m.) Director Richard Walton, North Vancouver District Director Bryce Williams, Tsawwassen (arrived at 9:10 a.m.)

• Participating for Parks purposes only

Minutes of the Workshop of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Board of Directors held on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 of 7

MEMBERS ABSENT:

Director Henry Braun, Abbosford* Director Derek Corrigan, Burnaby Director Linda Hepner, Surrey Director Mary Martin, Surrey Director Nicole Read, Maple Ridge Director Gregor Robertson, Vancouver Director Michael Smith, West Vancouver

STAFF PRESENT:

Carol Mason, Commissioner/Chief Administrative Officer Janis Knaupp, Assistant to Regional Committees, Board and Information Services, Legal and

Legislative Services Klara Kutakova, Division Manager, Board and Information Services/Deputy Corporate Officer,

Legal and Legislative Services

It was MOVED and SECONDED

That the GVRD Board adopt the agenda for its Workshop scheduled for October 21, 2015 as circulated.

CARRIED

9:08 a.m. Director Froese arrived at the meeting.

1. PRESENTATION

1.1 Proposed 2016 Budget - Metro Vancouver Districts and Housing Corporation

Carol Mason, Chief Administrative Officer, provided members with an overview of the 2016 budget development and review, new budget software implemented in 2015, and commenced preparation of five-year financial plans.

9:10 a.m. Directors Baldwin and Williams arrived at the meeting.

Phil Trotzuk, Chief Financial Officer/General Manager, Financial Services, provided members with an overview of the 2016 Metro Vancouver Districts and Housing Corporation budget highlighting expenditures, revenue sources, household impact, capital expenditures, debt management for 2016 and from 2008 to 2014, net debt, and total expenditures.

9:13 a.m. Director Stewart arrived at the meeting. 9:19 a.m. Director Clay arrived at the meeting.

• Participating for Parks purposes only


Comments were offered about the need for assessment of the condition of Metro Vancouver capital assets as part of the budget planning process and about the benefits of including actuals and five-year projections.

9:22 a.m. Director Villeneuve arrived at the meeting.

In response to a question, members were informed that the latest growth statistics are taken into consideration in calculating the projected overall average household impact.

Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) Tim Jervis, General Manager, Water Services, provided members with an overview of the GVWD system and presented on the 2016 proposed budget for Water Services highlighting expenditures, operations, key drivers, key actions, proposed staffing changes, capital program and household impact.

Comments were offered about consideration being given to: • differentiating between upgrade and replacement expenditures in terms of

contributions to capital as part of overall capital planning efforts • how water conservation habits changed after restrictions were lifted • exploring opportunities to reduce impacts to businesses from future water

restrictions

In response to questions, members were informed about: • multiple drivers for capital projects • Metro Vancouver's alpine lake system • efforts planned to explore strategies to mitigate impacts of climate change

on regional utilities • research and communications contemplated in the 2016 Water

Conservation Campaign • 2015 water conservation actions as part of the Water Shortage Response

Plan and actions planned for 2016 • current efforts by the REAC Water Sub-Committee to explore water demand

by sector

• household impact calculations for water, liquid waste, solid waste and regional district functions

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) Simon So, General Manager, Liquid Waste Services, provided members with an overview of liquid waste services as part of the GVS&DD and presented on the 2016 proposed budget for Liquid Waste Services highlighting expenditures, operations, key drivers, key actions, proposed staffing changes, capital program, household impact and sewer levy.

9:51 a.m. Chair Moore left the meeting and Vice Chair Louie assumed the Chair.


9:59 a.m. Chair Moore returned to the meeting and reassumed the Chair.

In response to questions, members were informed about: • the main driver for the sewer levy increase in the Vancouver Sewerage Area

being Iona biosolids • improving information on individual municipal sewer levies as part of 5-year

budget projections in the Spring of 2016 • exploring opportunities to manage annual sewer levy spikes in sewerage

areas • seismic assessment of liquid waste and water infrastructure • ongoing efforts to secure senior government funding for the Lions Gate

Wastewater Treatment Plant (LGWWTP) Secondary Upgrade; federal and provincial grant funding for LGWWTP not reflected in the 2016 proposed budget as it is not yet confirmed

• staffing resources and timing for procurement and awarding of a contract for the LGWWTP Upgrade Project

• projected long-term expenditures for the North Shore Sewerage Area • ongoing energy recovery efforts in Liquid Waste Services • staff efforts to identify continuous improvement opportunities within the

water and liquid waste utilities

Paul Henderson, General Manager, Solid Waste Services, provided members with an overview of solid waste services and presented on the 2016 proposed budget for Solid Waste Services highlighting expenditures, operations, key drivers, key actions, proposed staffing changes, planning and public involvement, key work areas, capital program, and household impact.

Comments were offered about: • revisiting 2016 waste diversion targets identified in the Solid Waste Services

Business Plan and 2016 Zero Waste Committee Work Plan • concerns related to residential and commercial tipping fee rates

In response to questions, members were informed about: • staff plans to present the Zero Waste Committee with its 2016 Work Plan in

terms of waste diversion targets, and to work with member municipalities in terms of achieving targets

• City of Vancouver, Corporation of Delta and Metro Vancouver responsibilities related to closure costs for the Vancouver Landfill closure

• funding mechanisms in place to account for future landfill liability • proposed 2016 tipping fee rates compared to other North American

jurisdictions

Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation (MVHC} Allan Neilson, General Manager, Planning, Policy and Environment, provided members with an overview of MVHC services and presented on the 2016


proposed budget for Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation Housing Services highlighting expenditures, key drivers, key actions, capital program and revenues.

In response to questions, members were informed about decreased debt servicing costs from mortgage maturities resulting in net savings over 2015.

Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Allan Neilson, General Manager, Planning, Policy and Environment, presented on the 2016 proposed budget for the Air Quality Program as part of Regional Services highlighting expenditures, key drivers, key actions and proposed staffing changes.

In response to questions, members were informed about: • air quality monitoring efforts in the Fraser Valley Airshed • the FVRD embarking on the development of an air quality management plan • Metro Vancouver's authority to regulate air quality within the region • collaborative efforts with neighbouring regional district staff on matters of

air quality

Further presented was the 2016 proposed budget for Regional Parks highlighting key drivers, key actions, proposed staffing changes and capital program.

In response to questions, members were informed about park use data collection methods.

Also highlighted was the Regional Planning budget including key drivers, key actions, and proposed staffing changes.

In response to questions, members were informed about: • Transportation Planning and Governance Task Force efforts which will

inform whether transportation planning staffing capacity is required • open data available on the Metro Vancouver website and efforts to expand

data availability in other areas

Comments were offered about:

• the review of Metro 2040 in terms of implementation status and setting clear expectations on the review process

• the value of open data to the public • the Board considering the scope of the Metro 2040 review, and how efforts

to secure transportation funding may impact the regional growth strategy in the future

Members were further informed about the Electoral Area Services budget highlighting key drivers, key actions, and proposed staffing changes.


Phil Trotzuk, Chief Financial Officer/General Manager, Financial Services, provided members with a presentation on the 2016 proposed budget highlighting: other GVRD budgets; other Regional Services budgets; Centralized Support in terms of total expenditures, key drivers, key actions and proposed staffing changes; proposed reserve application; projected reserves; overall expenditures; and overall average household impact.

12:00 p.m. Director Reimer departed the meeting. 12:03 p.m. Directors Carr, Meggs and Stevenson departed the meeting.

In response to questions, members were informed about total proposed staffing increases contemplated in the overall budget, and guiding principles related to the budget process.

12:05 p.m. Director Froese departed the meeting.

A comment was offered about reflecting revenue sources which are not part of the GVRD tax requisition separately from overall revenues.

In response to questions, members were further informed about: • staff efforts to find efficiencies within the budget and functions arising from

the corporate reorganization • calculations driving the GVRD requisition for the Labour Relations function

which differs by municipality based on participation in a particular service • the current Labour relations requisition being lower than historical increases

under the former Labour Relations Bureau model

Presentation material titled "Proposed 2016 Budget" is retained with the October 21, 2015 Greater Vancouver Regional District Board agenda.

2. REFERENCE MATERIAL

2.1 Proposed 2016 Budget - Metro Vancouver Districts and Housing Corporation

2.2 Proposed 2016 Budget-in-Brief

2.3 2016 Standing Committee Budget Reports

3. Q&A/COMMENTS FROM PUBLIC The Chair asked if there were any members in the public gallery wishing to ask questions about the budget. No persons stepped forward.


The Board concluded its workshop of October 21, 2015 at 12:14 p.m.

CERTIFIED CORRECT

Klara Kutakova, Deputy Corporate Officer reg Moore, Chair

12107074 FINAL


gvrd workshop minutes - october 21, 2015 · 10/21/2015 · the board concluded its workshop of...

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