Powell River Regional District directors have agreed on potential strategic priorities that the board will consider when it prepares and adopts final corporate priorities.
Directors attended a workshop in July facilitated by Roycroft Consulting Services and identified six initiatives: regional transportation plan; regional water strategy; regional recreation strategy; regional planning; Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation treaty impacts; and facilities.
Directors discussed the consultant’s report and a staff recommendation during the August committee-of-the-whole meeting. Colin Palmer, board chair and Electoral Area C director, said the regional recreation strategy signals a shift and moves away from the pattern in the past of having the City of Powell River approach the regional district for a financial contribution to recreation facilities, particularly Powell River Recreation Complex. “We, as a regional board, including the city directors, are going to take the initiative to try and figure out what can be done,” he said. “This time it includes the possibility of electoral area recreation facilities as well.”
During past discussions with the city, Palmer said, rural directors were always waiting to discover “what’s in it for us, and we never heard it. I like the fact that we’ve swung this around the other way and said the regional district, which includes the city, is going to take the initiative and see if we can possibly figure something out, rather than, we’re poor, we need money, so hand some over.”
Maggie Hathaway, a city director on the board, said she couldn’t agree more with developing a fair strategy.
The regional water strategy will reflect changing requirements and examine standards and current policies. It will examine long-term supplies, distribution and prepare the regional district to face increasing demands and liabilities.
The issue of water quality and supply was identified as an issue in Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) response to the draft Area B OCP (official community plan).
Dr. Paul Martiquet, medical health officer for the coastal region, noted that both water quantity and quality problems “definitely exist” in Area B, which currently has 36 water supply systems regulated by VCH. “Just as quantities vary widely, so does quality,” he wrote. “There are issues with elevated arsenic levels in at least six wells in Area B and bacteriological concerns noted in several.”
The lack of regional water planning has resulted in the proliferation of many water supply systems, Martiquet also wrote. He recommended that the regional district undertake a water master plan or develop a strategic planning document for all of the small water systems in the area.
An aquifer study and mapping project is the key item in effective long-term planning, Martiquet noted. He also suggested the regional district should consider smaller satellite water systems, “as it may not make sense to service the entire coastal strip from end to end, but smaller satellite systems may be more suitable here.”
The transportation plan will focus primarily on rural areas and alternative forms, such as paths, trails, greenways and bikes. It will be designed to create and support linkages to key facilities and places and the regional district will work with the city, School District 47, groups and the community.
Directors have asked Mac Fraser, chief administrative officer, to draft terms of reference for each of the potential strategic priorities.
If directors approve the terms of reference, staff would then determine funding requirements that would be discussed during the 2013 budget process.
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