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City of Powell River action list exceeds staff resources

Staff has a lot on their plate, says councillor
City of Powell River committee of the whole
TAKING ACTION: City of Powell River committee of the whole currently has approximately 53 action items in various stages of development at city hall. David Brindle photo

With about 70 days remaining before the municipal election on Saturday, October 22, City of Powell River mayor, council and staff have a lot on their to-do lists, and not enough people to do it all.

City council has many items it wants to complete but no one at city hall or on council is under the illusion that all of the items on the city’s action list will be completed, according to councillor Karen Skadsheim.

“Staff has a lot on their plate,” she said.

City clerk Chris Jackson said the public document is a record showing active files and that there has not been much movement on some because the city lacks the resources to get to them.

“Some of the items on the list have more urgency for whatever reason, maybe it's political, technical,” said Jackson. “We need to jump on it quicker.”

Currently, two items are considered priorities: rezoning the Penticton trails area to parks use and the affordable housing reserve fund. Penticton Trails will be on committee of the whole agenda for August 14.

The long list illustrates the pressure on an understaffed city hall and, according to councillor Russell Brewer, everything on it is a priority.

“It’s a question of resources,” said Brewer. “You look at an action list and might think nothing is being done but, in effect, it is impressive to see how much has been done.”

Some of the items are mere formalities, such as responding to correspondence, while others have been active for a long time. A report into bylaw regulations for mobile food trucks and mobile vendors was one that moved quickly.

Skadsheim said the city could use similar bylaws to what other jurisdictions have implemented on that issue and simply copy and paste.

“Lots of jurisdictions have mobile vendors,” said Skadsheim. “We're not the first jurisdiction to invent a food cart.”

Other outstanding tasks include remediation of the former Inn at Westview; a report on proposed beach volleyball courts, which is due in August; a bylaw to expand short-term rentals or Airbnbs is outstanding; as well as zero-waste strategies, bylaws, variances, subdivisions and bylaws pertaining to real estate development.

When the new council is elected in the fall, it will inherit the action list.

“One of the benefits is that it shows all of the issues that have been identified so when the new council comes in, they'll see it and make it their own,” said Jackson. He added that he expects the new council to carry many of the items into its four-year term in office.