The Village of Pemberton’s (VOP) April 15 council meeting was uncharacteristically light on bylaw updates, focusing instead on a bevy of letters submitted to council by residents.
First up, a follow-up letter from outgoing Pemberton & District Chamber of Commerce Adam Adams on the municipality having to assume 70 per cent of policing costs once the population reaches 5,000. Council reiterated its expectation it is unlikely to reach that threshold by the 2026 census.
Still, Adams cautioned betting against Pemberton’s growth rate.
“With the rapid expansion of this community, and us being the fastest-growing community from the last census, we think erring on the side of caution is warranted and we are anticipating shorter timelines,” he wrote.
The census is the single determining factor in triggering that transition. Council has budgeted to start saving for the estimated $1.288 million needed to fund an expansion of the municipal RCMP. But arriving at 5,000 in 2026 would force a change in the Village’s budgeting process.
Adams also asked for council to share estimated tax burdens of that additional $1.288 million in spending “on $100,000 of assessment for residential and various commercial/industrial zonings.”
Mayor Mike Richman noted those exact figures aren’t yet available.
“We haven’t got all that information from the province,” he told council. “But our approach during budget was let’s just start saving and building a reserve and getting our taxation in line to be able to handle it.”
Adams echoed a concern that Richman and other councillors had articulated at previous meetings: that Pemberton’s police dispatch would be responsible for responding to calls outside of the community but not seeing funding responsibilities shared by those areas that fall under the dispatch’s purview.
To that end, Richman told council Pemberton has teamed up with the municipalities of Cumberland, Gibsons, Sparwood and Bowen Island to write to the B.C. solicitor general and attorney general on the tax burden associated with a municipal police force.
Sidewalks
With the ice long gone, we thought the sidewalks were safe again. Not quite so, according to a letter by resident and community health nurse Ana Trinkaus. Her letter flags issues with the state of “community mobility and sidewalk infrastructure” in the Village.
Those issues are: uneven and damaged sidewalks, sidewalks with a lean designed to facilitate snow and water removal but provide a hurdle for those with mobility challenges, insufficient curb ramps and crosswalks, insufficient lighting, obstructions like parked cars, overgrown vegetation and a lack of connected pathways.
“These issues not only impact the safety and convenience of pedestrians but also hinder the development of a vibrant and inclusive community,” Trinkaus wrote. “Mobility limitations have been associated with increased fall risk, hospitalization, a decreased quality of life and even mortality.”
Council motioned to forward the letter to the Village’s accessibility committee.
On public consultation
Two separate letters expressed concern about a lack of consultation on the Parkside development. That feedback involves concerns about increased congestion in the area, a lack of new parking options, and how narrower streets and walkways could lead to cramped quarters that “create congestion and even animosity between neighbours.”
Both residents were responded to by staff, according to Richman. He also noted there was “no legislative requirement to open these conversations to the public.”
“I hear the frustration, but I also feel that their points were discussed during our conversation,” he said.
Councillor Ted Craddock also reminded council that Richman offers a chance for attendees to ask questions towards the end of every council meeting, yet in-person meeting attendance remains low.
Council acknowledged those attending via Zoom can’t be seen by councillors.
They motioned to have a review of some of those public consultation processes on the books, while also noting many of the points raised in the letters were discussed at length when council was originally considering bylaw updates for the Parkside development.
“If people think they’re going to get a chance to weigh in before a decision’s made, then we have to manage that expectation,” said Richman.
Approving officers at Urdal
The last letter discussed at length by Council involved concerns over the environmental impact of a development application for a subdivision on the Willow Drive side of 7471 Urdal—notably, the flood risk associated with filling in part of the floodplain, impacts on wildlife and the impact of construction on neighbours.
The letter asked council to reconsider the development application.
Coun. Jenny Helmer singled out the environmental concerns listed in the letter.
“She brings up some very good points and concerns for somebody who lives in that neighbourhood,” said Helmer
Chief administrative officer Elizabeth Tracy noted that under the B.C. Land Title Act, a subdivision application is handled by municipal approving officers, and is therefore outside of council’s purview. The officers take into account a wide range of environmental assessments.
Helmer said that, while she had “utmost faith in the approving officer,” she had questions about how council comes into play as residents’ representatives.
“I think this is a fundamental flaw in the system,” she told council. “We live here and we represent the voice of the community and these are exactly the issues that we should be debating and conversing about.
Richman said similar conversations about bylaws and rezonings associated with development are under council’s purview, but there is an upper limit to how granular council should get on environmental assessment.
Coun. Katrina Nightingale noted that as Pemberton develops more previously undeveloped spaces, environmental review processes have to keep pace. She singled out the Valley’s unique biodiversity as needing proper balancing with housing goals.
Council motioned to have the letter, and any future letters on the Willow Drive development, forwarded to the approving officer.
