Meeting Focuses on CRD Plan

With a 7:45 a.m. breakfast meeting, it was an early start to the day for elected officials and staff representing municipalities and the CRD who met on May 23 at the Forum of Councils to review and provide feedback on the CRD's Draft Strategic Plan, 2009-2011. I attended the session with Mayor Alice Finall and Councillors Chandler, Commandeur, Scoones and Shaw. Hosted and facilitated by the CRD, the day opened with two keynote speakers, Dr. Dastmalchian, Dean and Chair of U-Vic's Business School and S. Angus, Economic Development Officer, Greater Victoria Development Agency. Both speakers outlined the impacts of the current global recession and its relationship to Victoria's local economy.

The following are highlights of their presentations:

> U-Vic employs 15,000, garners about $100 million per year in research grants, has 12 faculties and is a destination university with 80% of students from elsewhere.
> The Faculty of Business currently serves 120 MBA students, employs 35 faculty, works with 670 companies around the world and has a mandatory co-op program.
> Economic recovery anticipated to begin in late 2010.
> While Canada is considered more stable than many of the world's countries, our household savings rates have declined and so has home equity (more critical in the U.S.).
> Eastern Canada has been the hardest hit, especially in the manufacturing and construction sectors.
> Consumer confidence down but showing signs of slow recovery.
> Percentage of mortgage debt per household better in Canada than in the U.S.
> Because of "globalization," economies and world markets are extensively connected and interdependent.

Focused specifically on Victoria, the Greater Victoria Development Agency revealed:

> Victoria is fortunate, with a diversity of industry, entrepreneurship and youth employment.
> The 20 to 50 age group comprises the largest demographic in the region and Greater Victoria has an average median age of 43.1 years.
> Victoria's annual GDP is $11.3 billion.
> Expected market growth for Victoria in the next 1 to 2 years is estimated at 2.5%, with an estimated 1.2% in population growth.
> Second best location in Canada for job creation.
> Victoria has approximately 23,000 public sector employees, about 12,000 in hi-tech, about 5,700 in construction, almost 19,000 in tourism, about 2,500 in agricultural and food production, nearly 7,000 in arts and culture sectors and approximately 14,000 in professional scientific and technical.

Following the keynotes, there was an opportunity for audience questions. Perhaps one of the most profound in my view was a question from second term Central Saanich Councillor and local farmer, Alistair Bryson. Keeping in mind that the theme of the keynote address was titled, "The Capital Region…Building Our Economy for a Sustainable Future," Councillor Bryson asked how we, as a region, can learn to measure our progress in relation to environmental sustainability rather than based only on economics, given that conventional economies and markets have recently failed us and we continue to use non-renewable resources -- a thought-provoking question to be sure and I observed a lot of nodding heads seemingly in agreement with Councillor Bryson's sentiments.

We then broke into small groups to review and give feedback on the draft CRD Strategic Plan for 2009 to 2011, with wide-ranging discussion and very useful feedback provided by Mayors and Council members alike. Mayor Finall, as the Chair of the CRD Environment Committee, made brief remarks to the larger audience (as did all Mayors who are Committee Chairs), outlining the need for continued environmental protection, with a focus on regional food self-sufficiency. You will recall that Mayor Finall and many of us who ran and were elected in the last municipal election identified agriculture, food production and food security as vital to the future of North Saanich.

The Forum wound up at noon, was well attended, participants worked hard and results of their written feedback will be summarized by the CRD and shared with all municipalities. Once that material is forwarded to me, I will post it on the blog, for your information. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with me and/or visit the CRD website (link provided on this blog).

Peninsula Committee Task Force Holds First Meeting

I was pleased to attend with Mayor Finall the first meeting of the new Peninsula Committee Task Force, a sub-group of the Tri-Municipal Council comprised of the three Peninsula municipalities (Central Saanich, North Saanich and Town of Sidney). North Saanich Mayor and Council appointed me as Council representative on the Task Force to work with Mayor Finall and other municipal Mayors, their Council representatives and senior staff in addressing specific concerns of mutual interest, such as: the McTavish Road interchange; and, the need for affordable employee and farm-workers' housing recently identified by the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. I will keep you posted on our progress.

North Saanich Residents’ Association Has Strong Turn-out To Its Annual General Meeting

Once again, I attended the North Saanich Residents' Association (NSRA) annual general meeting held this week. Despite sharing the evening with the NHL play-offs and Vancouver Canucks, there was a strong turn-out to the meeting; one of the largest I've seen in the past few years. Mayor Alice Finall was the keynote speaker and North Saanich Fire Chief Gary Wilton made presentations on outdoor burning and emergency services in the District.

Mayor Finall gave a comprehensive summary of activities, events and priorities since her inauguration in early December 2008 and it seemed that the audience was favourably impressed. As you know, the NSRA produces the Heronwatch, a newsletter mailed to every household about two or three times a year. The Association also hosts an All Candidates' Meeting during every municipal election that always packs in the public in big numbers. The Association is also a good source of information and political comment, so good in fact that their membership has increased to approximately 200 households this year. Their Board of Directors remains the same, with Geoff Orr as President. I am a former Board Director and I can tell you that if you want to know and understand more about community issues here in North Saanich and on the Peninsula, then I recommend joining the NSRA. For more information about them, please contact Dee Bailin at 250-656-4747.

New Customer Service Questionnaire For North Saanich

Last year I talked about the possibility of conducting a customer service survey questionnaire to assess the quality of our municipal services, including customer relations. Private and public sector organizations routinely use customer or client survey feedback to evaluate level, quality and planning of services, including customer relations. I suggested putting a drop box in each of the two reception areas at the Municipal Hall where completed surveys could be dropped off by the public following their interaction with staff and services. I am pleased to tell you that as of this week, such a process is being developed and will be implemented soon. Thanks to Charlene Nash, our Executive Secretary/HR Assistant, she has already drafted a sample survey questionnaire for Council's review and feedback. Please be sure to watch for the questionnaires and drop boxes when you are next at the Municipal Hall and please take the time to fill them out. Your input will be very helpful in guiding the municipality on how to better serve you the residents and other members of the public. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me 250-656-3205 or to contact Charlene Nash at 250-656-0781.