PORT MCNEILL, B.C. – We asked the Port McNeill candidates in the municipal election to share their thoughts on issues in their respective communities.
While not every candidate has gotten back to MyTriPortNow.com yet, the responses of those that did are included in full in this article.
PORT MCNEILL MAYORAL CANDIDATE SHIRLEY ACKLAND (incumbent)
1. Where do you stand on taxes – do you think there should be changes to rates?
Property taxes are the only way municipalities can cover costs and provide services – except when the provincial or federal government opens a grant opportunity to address large cost projects. I believe property taxes need to be affordable for all of our residents – from seniors to young families with children to those who do not have large incomes. As a small community whose economy can fluctuate according to log markets, fish prices, tourism, etc., we need to always be mindful of not taking on high cost projects that have the potential to drastically increase property taxes.
Business taxes are similar. We cannot afford to overburden our small businesses with increases especially if the economy is hiccupping along. Our current tax rates reflect a small 2 percent increase to keep up with inflation and have not been onerous on our residents.
2. How will you address some of the derelict boats on the side of roads, and the crumbling infrastructure in the area?
We don’t have an issue of derelict boats on the side of the road as much as residents that park their boats and/or trailers in front of their homes for ease of access and use. This has become a problem for the last several years as people have much more recreational stuff then they have had before. The parking of these recreational vehicles is covered under our road and highway bylaw and that bylaw is set to be reviewed in the coming months. All of our bylaws and policies are reviewed and brought to council – it is a schedule we set up four years ago to ensure we keep our bylaws current and enforceable and ensure that they reflect what our community wants in its governance.
Yes, our town is 52 years old and we have ageing infrastructure. We have a building asset management plan, and have had all of the town buildings inspected (outside walls, roof, floors) to determine estimated building longevity and potential renovations or refurbishing. It is our hope to refurbish the pool and potentially create a bigger recreational space in our community but we will need to be successful in securing grant funding that is available to tackle a project of this size. The good news is that we have money in our Community Forest Reserve that has been saved for such a project and the provincial government has announced grant funding for just these types of projects – it has been more than 20 years since the provincial government has provided grant funding specifically designed to help build recreational projects.
3. What is your outlook on Beach Drive?
After the mudslide that happened in November of 2016, council committed to finding a resolution to the problem. We have had three engineering firms review, survey and complete reports as to what steps to take moving forward. The difficulty is that there isn’t a one -size fix. All engineers and hydrologists who have visited the site have said that we will need to tackle the hillside on Beach Drive in stages. To date we have three stages we are looking at.
a. Currently, we have an engineering firm working to place drain pipe behind Kaleva Gardens (which is on the hillside) to help take some of the water off the hillside to lessen the saturation of the soil.
b. Our Public Works is busy identifying fugitive water that runs down towards the hillside and they have successfully fixed some water services that were broken and draining onto Beach Drive hill.
c. We will continue with our phased approach to Beach Drive to remove some of the overburden of soil where necessary. We will add drainage pipe at the top of the hill to further prevent soil saturation, all the while monitoring the hillside for any further potential slide activity.
4. What is your view on policing, and fire resources in town – do you have any ideas on how to boost the number of volunteers to the fire department?
Our RCMP is a great crew and we are very fortunate that currently we have a full contingent of officers. The Port McNeill Volunteer fire department is another great crew and do more than their fair share of road recovery and response to many fires and calls that are outside of Port McNeill. It is not unusual for our volunteer crew to respond to Hyde Creek, Port Hardy, Telegraph Cove – they’ve even taken a water taxi and helped in a fire in Sointula. Building the ranks of volunteers is an ongoing challenge. Firefighters are now expected to conform to the “Playbook” which sets out the training and expectations of a firefighter – the training is rigorous and finding time to complete it is challenging. The Town pays for all of the training for our volunteer firefighters and all of the equipment at the firehall but perhaps we need to consider better call out pay for our volunteer firefighters.
All of our communities in the North Island have difficulty boosting the number of volunteers in the fire department, in part, as our populations age. The largest population on the North Island is that of 55 – 70 year olds.
The Regional District has talked about perhaps creating a “Regional Fire Department” so that the paperwork and administration lessens and so does the need to keep a fully staffed department in each community. Currently, in Port McNeill the Chief and Deputy Chief receive a $5 000 per year stipend – to help offset the extra work these officers take on as volunteers.
PORT MCNEILL MAYORAL CANDIDATE GABY WICKSTROM
1. Where do you stand on taxes – do you think there should be changes to rates?
I believe taxes should have regular modest increases to keep up with the rate of inflation. I also believe in diversifying our economy so the tax burden can be decreased to residents. By strengthening our relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and working together to attract new business, we can achieve this goal. The Mount Waddington Recruitment and Retention strategy is a great start, now we need to go out of our region to attract investment.
2. How will you address some of the derelict boats on the side of roads, and the crumbling infrastructure in the area?
Boats and RV’s on the side of the road are an issue and some do cause safety concerns. We can’t arbitrarily enforce the bylaw if people don’t have anywhere to go. I would start by determining where a storage business could be located and work with an entrepreneur to see it come to fruition. Working with people to brainstorm a solution is far better than a hard-nosed enforcement approach. I think most people are reasonable and if we work together, we can clean up the community and make it safer for road users.
3. What is your outlook on Beach Drive?
I believe we finally have the quality information needed to repair the hillside and make Beach Drive safer for residents both above and below. Council will continue with a mitigation plan, make sure those affected are notified each step of the way and information for each phase will be made public.
4. What is your view on policing, and fire resources in town – do you have any ideas on how to boost the number of volunteers to the fire department?
I am unaware of any policing issues in Port McNeill and have actually heard the Staff Sergeant say we are a sought after posting. It is quite evident by the numbers on the volunteer Fire Department that there seems to be an issue. I understand new training standards are putting a strain on those who are currently serving. There also seems to be a moral issue, so I would make sure the fire department is supported by recognizing members for years of service, look at increasing call out pay and working together to see if we can organize activities for members and their families to take part in. If members feel supported, I am confident we will see the numbers grow.
PORT MCNEILL COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES DEREK KOEL, FALYN LYNCH AND MATTHEW MARTIN
Note from Matthew Martin: “This is a combined response from three Port McNeill Municipal Council Candidates all running as a team with the same platform, known as KLM: Derek KOEL – Falyn LYNCH – Matt MARTIN”
1. Where do you stand on taxes – do you think there should be changes to rates?
KOEL-LYNCH-MARTIN’S goal is to increase the tax base (via proactive economic development) so that we can maintain or even lower taxes. Port McNeill residents have one of the highest municipal tax rates (“mill rate”) on the island. The reason our average tax bill is one of the lowest on the island is because we have much lower property values relative to the rest of the island. Put simply, apples-to-apples people actually pay more taxes for fewer services and amenities compared to people down island.
While we grow the tax base, we believe that many people don’t mind paying taxes so long as they feel they are getting good value for money. Not only will we review whether people are currently getting good value for money (e.g., by exploring whether cost efficiencies can be realized), we will ensure any decisions which could result in significant tax increases above the rate of inflation have proper community consultation up to and including referendums.
2. How will you address some of the derelict boats on the side of roads, and the crumbling infrastructure in the area?
KOEL-LYNCH-MARTIN understand that RV‘s and boats are part of the North Island way of life, and therefore we need to work together to find a solution. KLM is proposing a municipally owned boat and recreational vehicle storage yard, with an accessible sani-dump.
Regarding our infrastructure, in general, we need to plan for growth and ensure it doesn’t come at the expense of maintaining or renewing the existing infrastructure we want to keep. The Provincial Government mandates Municipal Capital Reserve Funds be set up for things like water and sewer services. It is not mandatory for crumbling streets and sidewalks, and thus has been ignored by the current Mayor and Council, no such fund exists. KLM will establish such a fund to begin to address the problem of poor road and sidewalk conditions. Also we will establish better walking routes and trails in our Town.
3. What is your outlook on Beach Drive?
KOEL – LYNCH – MARTIN is following this issue closely and are happy to see that work has finally started, however this work (with a $300,000 budget) only addresses one medium risk area and represents under 10% of the total slide area. The total cost of mitigation is significant and so we will explore Provincial and Federal grants (such as the Investing in Canadian Infrastructure Program – Green Infrastructure stream which is geared towards Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Mitigation) to help cover the costs of slide mitigation.
We won’t wait to receive grants however before taking action– this problem has been around for decades. KLM will budget annual funds to address the Beach Drive slide area, wherever possible utilizing local contractors and made in the North Island solutions in conjunction with expert advice from the professionals.
4. What is your view on policing, and fire resources in town – do you have any ideas on how to boost the number of volunteers to the fire department?
KOEL-LYNCH-MARTIN recognize that First Responders have incredibly difficult, dangerous, and important jobs. Volunteer Fire Fighters and RCMP deserve the upmost in respect and support as they work to keep our community safe.
There was a recent letter to the Gazette editor raising the idea that it may be time to increase the number of salaried fire fighters. We recognize that while our small town depends on the efforts of volunteers, it would be worthwhile to at least explore the idea of increasing the number of salaried fire fighters. We also recognize the important role the Town has for maintaining productive working relationships with its partners. Beyond that, the KLM plan is to attract and retain more Port McNeill residents with better facilities, opportunities and services. With a growing, vibrant town comes a growing tax base which will ensure more tax revenue to fund firefighting (stipends or otherwise) and police endeavours. If more families call Port McNeill home we will have a greater pool from which to draw volunteers.
PORT MCNEILL COUNCILLOR CANDIDATE RYAN MITCHELL
1. Where do you stand on taxes – do you think there should be changes to rates?
The amount of taxes collected is based on what is needed to meet budgeted expenses. Port McNeill has a limited tax base. We do not have a pulp mill, mine or fish plant to support our community. That being said, we are in pretty good financial condition. Wise planning, cautious spending and strategic growth should allow us to keep tax increases between zero and the increase in the consumer price index. This is do-able and allows for inflation.
2. How will you address some of the derelict boats on the side of roads, and the crumbling infrastructure in the area?
Derelict boats? We currently have laws regarding unlicenced vehicles on public roads. That is a law enforcement issue. Derelict would imply a saftey issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Crumbling infrastructure. Our infrastructure includes such things as roads, sidewalks, sewer collection and disposal, water, fire hydrants, and services such as Hydro and Internet. Our water system has just been upgraded and will be sufficient for 50 years or so. The water tower was given a clean bill of health and a paint job last year. The Sewer system likewise is up to date as far as I am aware Sidewalks and roads are dated and worn. This needs to be addressed by the new council.
3. What is your outlook on Beach Drive?
My outlook is that I am confident the slide issues can be remediated. We have within our local logging community, decades of experience building roads and protecting them from slides. I am confident we can come up with a solution.
4. What is your view on policing, and fire resources in town – do you have any ideas on how to boost the number of volunteers to the fire department?
I am unaware of any problems with policing. I think you meant to say fire-fighting resources. We have hydrants and fire trucks. Volunteer firefighters are in short supply. I have a few ideas, I am sure there are many more out there. Advertise, hang a big sign on the side of the fire hall. VOLUNTEER FIRE-FIGHTERS WANTED. APPLY WITHIN. Promote the benefits of being a trained firefighter. If there is no training plan for new recruits, then make one. Supply quality training material and fire-fighting tools. Provide some perks, perhaps a uniform, a jacket that sets the Firefighters up as worth belonging to. Pride in the organization will go a long way to making it successful. Perhaps start a junior fire fighters brigade and get our youth interested in the craft.
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We’re waiting on responses from the following candidates. This article will be updated as that new information is received.
• PORT MCNEILL MAYORAL CANDIDATE GRAHAM MACDONALD
• PORT MCNEILL COUNCILLOR CANDIDATE SHELLEY DOWNEY
• PORT MCNEILL COUNCILLOR CANDIDATE DOUG DYMENT
• PORT MCNEILL COUNCILLOR CANDIDATE ANN-MARIE BARON
