Summary
The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is proposing the adoption of Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Britannia Creek Debris Flood Works Operations and Maintenance Service Establishing Bylaw No. 1601-2018 ("Bylaw").
The Bylaw intends to establish a new SLRD service, involving a portion of SLRD Electoral Area D within the community of Britannia Beach (the "Service Area"). Please see map below:
The Bylaw authorizes the SLRD to requisition up to $6,420 (or a maximum of 20% of the total costs) for the purpose of operating and maintaining debris flood works on Britannia Creek within the Service Area, and allows for service delivery contracts with external parties. Such services will include the ongoing operations and maintenance of a Geobrugg Debris Flood Net on Britannia Creek. The cost of the service is to be borne by taxable properties within the Service Area.
Background
The historic commercial district at Britannia Beach is being redeveloped by Britannia Oceanfront Development Corp. The redevelopment is being constructed on a property described as: Lot 1, Plan 19960 and Remainder DL 891, which can be reviewed here.
As the redevelopment is situated on the Britannia Creek fan, which is a geographic feature containing a relatively high level of flood risk, assessment and mitigation of creek-related food hazards has been necessary. A condition for development approval was for the developer to construct flood hazard protection works to mitigate the Britannia Creek flood hazard to a level deemed acceptable by the Province and the SLRD. These flood protection works consist primarily of a Geobrugg Debris Flood Net on Britannia Creek above Copper Drive, in addition to additional creek works on the fan (i.e. rip rap and bank stabilization), and site grading and building measures within the development area. The Geobrugg Debris Flood Net, to which this potential local government service relates, will protect both the new development and existing, vital Britannia Beach community infrastructure, such as the Britannia Beach community water and waste water facilities, the Britannia Beach Fire Hall, and road and bridge access along Copper Drive to the broader Britannia Beach community.
While the entire cost of purchasing and installing the Geobrugg Net has been borne by the developer, as well as all costs (estimated at $285,000) associated with replacing the net from a single, major debris flood event should that occur, the ongoing operations and maintenance expenses associated with the Geobrugg Net will be split on an 80/20 basis between the existing Britannia Beach community (20% share, and the subject of this service), and the new Britannia Oceanfront Development (80% share) given the level of flood protection the Geobrugg Net affords both of these segments of the Britannia Beach community. The developer’s 80% share will be recovered by a separate service, with associated costs being recovered through taxation of the development’s future residential and commercial properties.
Despite the developer bearing the cost of constructing the Geobrugg Net, the SLRD will assume ownership of it including the associated tenures and licenses required by the Province.
Staff Reports
The following staff reports have been submitted to the SLRD Board for this project:
Proposed Bylaw
Bylaw No. 1601-2018 intends to establish a new SLRD service, which Service Area includes a portion of SLRD Electoral Area D within the community of Britannia Beach. The purpose of Bylaw No. 1601-2018 is to authorize the SLRD to requisition 20% of the funds required to operate and maintain debris flood works on a segment of Britannia Creek within the community of Britannia Beach, and allows for service delivery contracts with external parties. Such services will include the ongoing operations and maintenance of a Geobrugg Debris Flood Net on a segment of Britannia Creek within Electoral Area D of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
The total sum to be requisitioned for the purpose of maintaining and operating debris flood works within the Service Area is up to $6,420, plus an additional 5.25% provincial fee totaling $6,757.05.
The cost of the service is to be borne by the taxable properties within the Service Area. If the full amount of $6,757.05 (inclusive of the 5.25% provincial fee) authorized under Bylaw No. 1601-2018 is requisitioned, the estimated tax requisition is as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
|
Total Annual Requisition + 5.25% Provincial Fee |
$6,757.05
|
| Rate Per Thousand | 0.03643 |
| Estimated Parcel Tax (Per Parcel), Parcel Tax | $33.12 |
| Estimated Impact to a $500,000 Property, Assessment Tax | $18.22 |
It is anticipated that a parcel tax would be implemented for this service, as the debris flood works primarily protect community infrastructure (e.g. the Fire Hall and Waste Water Treatment Facility) that is shared equally by all properties within the Service Area.
An Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is now underway to obtain electoral approval to proceed with Bylaw No. 1601-2018. You can read about the steps involved in this process below.
Alternative Approval Process (AAP)
Local governments can use an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) as a way to obtain elector approval in regard to certain types of proposed bylaws. An AAP has been chosen for this service establishment process at it is less expensive than undertaking a referendum, which is a process similar to the election of a local government representative. Prior to undertaking an AAP, the Inspector of Municipalities (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) must first approve the request. The SLRD received approval from the Inspector of Municipalities to undertake an AAP for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Britannia Creek Debris Flood Works Operations and Maintenance Service Establishing Bylaw No. 1601-2018 on January 23, 2019.
AAP – What’s Required
A local government must publish a Notice of Alternative Approval Process for two consecutive weeks in a local newspaper. In the case of this AAP, the SLRD is placing the notice in the Squamish Chief and the Pique Newsmagazine. The notices will be published in the February 14 and February 21 issues of both newspapers.
After the second of two notices is advertised, eligible electors will have 30 days in which to register their formal opposition to the establishment of the bylaw. This means that electors should only sign and submit a response form if they oppose the establishment of the service—not if they support it. No action is required if an elector supports the service. The deadline for elector responses for this AAP is 4:30 pm on March 25, 2019.
The method by which eligible electors may express their opposition to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Britannia Creek Debris Flood Works Operations and Maintenance Service Establishing Bylaw No. 1601-2018 is by signing and submitting an Elector Response Form to the SLRD (before 4:30 p.m. on March 25, 2019).
Eligible electors must provide their full name and residential address. Eligible non-resident property electors must also provide the address of the property that they own within the Service Area and they are only entitled to sign and submit one elector response form, regardless of how many properties they may own within the Service Area. For more information on elector eligibility, please see the Elector Eligibility document.
The estimated number of eligible electors within the area defined for the Alternative Approval Process is based on information from various sources (see the determination here). It has been determined that the number of eligible electors in the Service Area defined for the Alternative Approval Process is 309.
If 10% or more of eligible electors in the Service Area oppose the SLRD Board’s intention to adopt the proposed bylaw, the SLRD Board cannot proceed without first holding a referendum. In this case, 10% of the total number of eligible electors is estimated to be 30. If the 10% threshold is not attained, then the SLRD Board may proceed with adopting the bylaw.
The SLRD will use this page to provide regular updates on this project.
Important Forms & Documents
- Notice of Alternative Approval Process
- Elector Response Form
- Elector Eligibility
- Report for Determining the Number of Eligible Electors
- Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Britannia Creek Debris Flood Works Operations and Maintenance Service Establishing Bylaw No. 1601-2018
For more information:
Graham Haywood
Senior Project Coordinator
Telephone: (604) 894-6371 ext. 229
Email: ghaywood@slrd.bc.ca
Kristen Clark
Director of Legislative and Corporate Services
Telephone: (604) 894-6371 ext. 230
Email: kclark@slrd.bc.ca