Alternative Approval Process (AAP) - Pemberton and District Transfer Station Loan Authorization Bylaw

Pemberton and District Transfer Station – New Facility Proposed: Alternative Approval Process now complete

At its meeting on May 23, 2018, the SLRD Board adopted Pemberton and District Transfer Station Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1567-2018, following the completion of the Alternative Approval Process detailed below. 

A Security Issuing Bylaw, which is required to authorize the SLRD to enter into the financing agreement with the Municipal Finance Authority, will be brought forward to the Board for three readings and adoption at the June 27, 2018 Board meeting. 

If the Security Issuing Bylaw is adopted, the SLRD will apply for borrowing by the July 31, 2018 deadline for fall issue. 

March 19, 2018  

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (“SLRD”) has leased the current Pemberton Transfer Station facility site (located at 1947 Carpenter Road in the Pemberton Industrial Park) since 2006, and the current facility has been operated by a contractor pursuant to an operations and maintenance agreement.

In late 2016, the SLRD purchased a 0.5 acre parcel, located at 1950 Venture Place in the Pemberton Industrial Park, as a potential future site for new transfer station.

To meet the current and future solid waste disposal needs of residents and property owners in the Pemberton Refuse Disposal Local Service Area (the “Service Area”), the SLRD is proposing to construct a new transfer station facility on the SLRD-owned site (the “New Facility”). 

The Service Area includes the Village of Pemberton and a portion of SLRD Electoral Area C as shown on the map below:

The New Facility will enable the SLRD to expand solid waste services offered and will provide the Pemberton and District community with a permanent solid waste site. The New Facility will include a scale system to assist with the assessment of tipping fees. At a minimum, the New Facility will provide the following services:

• Receive standard household garbage, recycling, and organic waste;
• Receive standard commercial garbage and organic waste as possible based on space;
• Receive and segregate bulky items such as scrap metal, as well as demolition, land clearing, construction, and dirty wood waste.

In February 2018, the SLRD Board approved moving ahead with a process to borrow funds to construct the New Facility. The Village of Pemberton Council has also provided their support for the borrowing process to proceed.  

To fund the construction of the New Facility, the SLRD is seeking the approval of eligible electors of the Service Area to borrow up to $1,375,000 over a 30-year term (the “Loan”) by way of an Alternative Approval Process (the “AAP”). The AAP is now underway - see below for details.

Loan Impact

Repayment of the Loan will be borne by the taxable properties within the Service Area at tax requisition rates, using the current 2018 tax assessment base, estimated as follows:

For the Village of Pemberton:

• $0.0471 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed value of land & improvements ($4.71 per $100,000).

For the portion of SLRD Electoral Area C within the Service Area:

• $0.0496 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed value of land & improvements ($4.96 per $100,000). Rate is higher due to a 5.25% provincial fee which is added to properties within electoral areas. 

Alternative Approval Process (AAP)

Local governments can use an AAP as a way to obtain elector approval in regard to certain types of proposed bylaws, including long-term borrowing bylaws.

AAP – Background

An AAP is less expensive than undertaking a referendum. Prior to undertaking an AAP, the Inspector of Municipalities (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) must first approve the process. On March 27, 2018, the SLRD received approval from the Inspector of Municipalities to undertake an AAP for SLRD Pemberton and District Transfer Station Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1567-2018 (the “Bylaw”).

AAP - What is Required

A local government must publish a Notice of Alternative Approval Process for two consecutive weeks in a local newspaper. The SLRD has placed the Notice of Alternative Approval Process in the Pique Newsmagazine. The Notice will be published on April 5, 2018 and April 12, 2018.  

After the second of two notices is advertised, eligible electors will have 30 days in which to register their formal opposition to the Loan. The deadline for elector responses for this AAP is 4:30 p.m. on May 14, 2018.

The method by which eligible electors express their opposition to the Loan is by signing and submitting an Elector Response Form to the SLRD (before 4:30 p.m. on May 14, 2018). 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.  

If 10% of eligible electors in the Service Area—415 people—oppose the SLRD Board's intention to adopt the Bylaw, the SLRD Board cannot proceed with the Loan without first holding a referendum. 

If the 10% threshold mentioned in the preceding paragraph is not attained, then the SLRD Board may proceed with adopting the Bylaw. 

Background Information

• Staff Report – February 2018
• AAP - Eligibility for Resident Electors & Non-Resident Property Electors
• Determination of the total number of electors in the Pemberton Refuse Disposal Local Service Area

Important Forms and Documents

• Notice of Alternative Approval Process
• Elector Response Form
• SLRD Pemberton and District Transfer Station Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1567-2018

Questions?

Please contact Kristen Clark, Director of Legislative and Corporate Services:

Telephone: (604) 894-6371 ext. 230
Email: kclark@slrd.bc.ca