Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Rocky Mountain Goat

Valemount Council discussed tax exemptions for local nonprofits, councillors’ salaries, and increased taxes to fund the fire department at their regular meeting last Tuesday.

Mayor Owen Torgerson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Council moved to amend the agenda by placing the revised draft of a snow removal policy under item 6.5, replacing the initial version of the policy. Then, Council adopted the minutes of the August 13th regular meeting.

Impact of highway closures

The Village and Tourism Valemount recently distributed a survey to business owners to determine how the closures of Highway 16 and Highway 93 due to the Jasper wildfire complex impacted local businesses. The findings of the survey – which asked for estimates of the percentage of revenue each business lost during the highway closures and included questions about what kinds of support business owners would benefit from – were presented to Council for information.

CAO Anne Yanciw said a meeting was scheduled the next day with several ministries, including the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports, and the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.

Torgerson said the situation is unique since B.C. Ministries have had to respond to an incident originating from outside the province.

Read more about the findings of the survey in this week’s issue.

Disaster risk funding

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George is preparing to apply to the Union of BC Municipalities’ Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Adaptation Fund, which will provide money for district-wide geohazard risk assessments, including floods, steep creeks, and landslides. The Regional District requested a letter of support from Valemount Council.

The motion to provide support passed.

“This will go hand-in-hand with our partnership at UNBC,” said Torgerson, referring to the University’s research on how mountain communities like Valemount can prepare for climate change and geohazards. UNBC is also providing expertise to the Regional District for the geohazard risk assessment project, along with the firm BGC Engineering.

Community Forest articles

Changes to the Valemount Community Forest’s articles of incorporation – which dictate a corporation’s name, purpose and number of directors, among other details – were presented to Council for final approval. The new amendment allows directors to set the quorum required for board meetings, but requires the quorum to always be at least half the board.

Bank signing authority

Staff requested more councillors be given bank signing authority due to delays in signing cheques. The Village requires one councillor and one staff member to sign cheques. Only two councillors – Torgerson and Hollie Blanchette – and two staff members – Director of Finance Lori McNee and Deputy Director of Finance Suzanne Bloodoff – had authority. According to the staff report, these councillors and staff members often had busy schedules, leading to delays in cheque signings.

Staff recommended that Pete Pearson and Yanciw be given bank signing authority to prevent further delays.

Council approved the recommendation.

Tax exemption

Council approved a grant for the Valemount Senior Citizen Housing Society to use towards their 2024 taxes. The Society signed the lease agreement for their senior housing project after the deadline to apply for tax exemption status this year. When the Society was issued a property tax bill earlier this year, staff requested that council include money within the 2024 budget for a grant that would offset the cost of property taxes.

“It’s in the budget, so we knew it was coming,” Torgerson said of the expense.

Council approved the grant, which totals $2,969.38.

Short-term rental requirement

Last fall, the Province introduced the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act, which includes a requirement that short-term rentals be on the same property as an owner’s principal residence. This requirement automatically applies to municipalities with a population of over 10,000, but smaller municipalities may choose to opt in to the requirement. 

Staff recommended not opting into the requirement. The Village’s zoning bylaws and regulations in the Official Community Plan already contain regulations for short-term rentals that are similar to the new provincial regulations: short-term rentals are only permitted on the same property as a principal residence. 

Pearson asked if income from short-term rentals would contribute to the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), a provincial tax on sale of accommodation such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, or cottages, among others. 

“There’s a lot of revenue out there in short-term rentals,” Pearson added. “It would be nice to see them on board with the MRDT program.”

Torgerson said he wasn’t sure if short-term rentals fall under the program, but staff could find out. The Goat followed up to see if short-term rentals are under the program, but the Village was unable to respond by presstime.

Council decided not to opt in to the act’s requirements.

Authority delegation

Certain staff members, such as the CAO and Corporate Officer, have the authority to do common administrative tasks – such as lease agreements, contracts, and licensing – on behalf of Council under the Officer Designation & Delegation of Authority Bylaw. Staff recommended amending the bylaw to expand the types of tasks that the CAO, Corporate Officer, Land Use Planner, Approving Officer and Corporate Services Clerk can complete without Council approval. For example, the amendments include allowing the Corporate Officer to approve agreements relating to grant money for approved projects, and the Land Use Planner authorizing temporary road closures.

Council voted to give the bylaw amendment first, second and third reading. Council will consider officially adopting the bylaw at their next meeting.

Tax exemption bylaw

Council approved a 25 per cent exemption on property taxes for the Legion Branch 266, Valemount Curling Club, Valemount Learning Society, Valemount Lions Club, and the Valemount Affordable Rentals Society during their August 13th meeting. According to the Community Charter, tax exemptions must be given through a bylaw, so staff wrote a bylaw following Council’s approval of the exemptions.

The bylaw includes the aforementioned organizations, as well as the Seniors Housing Project, which has a 100 per cent tax exemption. It also includes the Robson Valley Community Services property on 1451 5th Avenue, which is automatically exempt from taxes since the property is leased by the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation. BC Assessment recommended including this property so that the Village does not accidentally tax the property in the future.

Tax exemption bylaws must be adopted before October 31st of the year before they take effect. This bylaw will be in effect from 2025-2029.

Council voted to give the bylaw first and second reading.

Council salary

The annual salary of councillors and the mayor are determined by the Council Remuneration Bylaw, which Council approves annually. This year’s bylaw raises the mayor’s salary from $22,486.83 per year to $23,161.44 per year, about a $675 difference. Councillors’ salaries are increasing from $11,552.27 per year to $11,898.84 per year, about a $347 difference.

The increase is covered by the 5.5 per cent taxation increase in the Village’s Asset Management Plan, according to the staff report.

Council gave the bylaw first and second reading.

“We will be looking for a council remuneration committee [made up] of citizens next year, in time for the following election,” Torgerson said.

Yanciw said it’s not unlikely that the committee would recommend annual increases as well, in keeping with the rising cost of living.

Dog park regulations

The Valemount Dog Park, where residents are allowed to have their dogs off-leash, opened in late August. However, the Village’s Animal Bylaw does not have regulations around off-leash areas. 

Staff recommended amending the bylaw to specify where off-leash areas are. The amendments outline five rules for dog owners bringing their dogs to off-leash areas: 1) the dogs must have up-to-date vaccinations; 2) the dogs must be older than four months; 3) the dogs cannot have contagious diseases; 4) owners must have a leash readily available; and 5) owners must remove their dogs from the area if they become aggressive.

Council voted to give the bylaw first, second and third readings.The amendments do not specify what the consequences for violating the new regulations are, though the Village’s Bylaw Notice Enforcement and Dispute Adjudication System sets out fines ranging from $50 to $300 for infractions of the un-amended Animal Control Bylaw, depending on the offence.

Snow removal

Staff recommended amending the Village’s snow removal policy to allow individuals to remove snow from sidewalks and onto the street for properties on 5th Avenue between Birch and Dogwood Street. According to the staff report, the Village grader regularly removes snow from 5th Avenue, so any additional snow accumulation on the street will be cleared away.

Additionally, staff proposed removing the clause that requires the Village to clear downtown sidewalks once before business hours when the snowfall is greater than 10 centimetres. The term “handicapped ramps” is being replaced with “ramps for people with disabilities.”

The amendment also removes the requirement for reporting on snow removal activities to Council, and instead recording snow removal information in the Village’s annual report.

Council approved the bylaw amendments.

Columbia River Treaty agreement

Councillor Donnie MacLean, who sits on the Local Governments Committee for the Columbia River Treaty negotiations, noted that the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation sent information about the Agreement-in-Principle for the treaty. Negotiations on the treaty are taking place between the U.S. and Canada, and the treaty will dictate how each country manages the Columbia River system to generate hydroelectricity and reduce flood risk. The Agreement-in-Principle “provides a clear roadmap for the negotiation teams to move forward on drafting the modernized Treaty,” according to the Province’s webpage on the agreement.The Canadian negotiation delegation has produced a video explaining the Agreement-in-Principle, including a discussion of flood risk management, hydropower, and monetary compensation for building dams and generating power downstream of Canada. Additionally, the Province is hosting a public information session about the agreement online on September 17th, at 6:00 p.m. People can submit questions in advance of the session at columbiarivertreaty@gov.bc.ca, or register to attend at https://engage.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty/agreement-in-principle/.

MacLean encouraged people to watch the video and consider attending the session.

Lheidli T’enneh meeting

The BC Assembly of First Nations sent a letter to the Union of BC Municipalities calling on local governments to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Torgerson used the letter as an opportunity to remind Council of the Village’s upcoming Community-to-Community Forum with the Lheidli T’enneh Council, on October 10th and 11th. Community-to-Community Forums allow local governments and First Nations to meet and discuss agreements, joint plans, and further develop their relationships.

Fire department funding increase

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board of directors voted to increase the Valemount and District Fire Protection Service’s requisition limit by 25 per cent during their August board meeting. If implemented, the increase would translate to $39 in taxes for every $100K in assessed property value, up from the current $31.20. 

After receiving board approval, the bylaw amendment allowing the increase moved to Valemount Council for consent, as the Local Government Act requires municipal governments to consent to the bylaw as well.

“I’m wondering: is this going to be the way of the future, where every funding cycle we’ll be requesting 25 per cent?” Pearson said. “Maybe we need to re-look at this process.”

Torgerson, who is also the director representing Valemount at the Regional District level, said he raised a similar question during the August board meeting.

“It’s something that could be considered in the future,” he said. “For this round, because we have a water tender that’s about to be retired, this is what the board is requesting. And our own fire chief has advised me that he’s broke.”

Council voted to send the Regional District a resolution indicating the Village’s consent for the bylaw.

In-camera

Torgerson adjourned the open session of Council at 7:24 p.m. Council moved to a closed meeting to discuss three items under Section 90(1)(a) and 90(2)(b) of the Community Charter to discuss:

• 90(1)(a) personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality

and

• 90(2) (b)the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.

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