PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS REPORT YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1964 To Major-General the Honourable George Randolph Pearkes, V.C., P.C., C.B., D.S.O., M.C., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia. May it please Your Honour: I have the honour to transmit herewith the Annual Report of the Department of Municipal Affairs for the year ended December 31, 1964. r Report of the Department of Municipal Affairs Victoria, B.C., January 16, 1965. The Honourable D. R. J. Campbell, Minister of Municipal Affairs. Sir,—I have the honour to submit herewith the Annual Report of this Department for the year ended December 31, 1964. The real-property tax continues to be the main source of revenue for municipalities. It may be noted in the following table that revenues accruing to municipalities from this source in 1963 amounted to $141,020,672. On the basis of present information, total revenues from the property tax in 1964 should reach $155,000,000, which is a substantial increase over the previous year. The increase of approximately $14,000,000 in municipal revenues was offset by an increase of about $4,000,000 in the amount paid to school districts by the municipal real-property taxpayer for education, leaving the balance of approximately $10,000,000 available to the Municipal Councils for municipal purposes. The total assessed values actually taxed for school purposes in the Province in 1964 amounted to $3,802,375,467. Of this total, $2,878,206,746, or 76 per cent represented values within the municipalities. The taxable assessed values in municipal areas during 1963 represented 77 per cent of the total values in the Province. Ill^MM. appear that the percentage difference between the years 1963 and 1964 may be attriraralM'to the large industrial and other developments being located in the unorganized portions of the Province. The dollar growth in the municipal tax base over the last eight years is portrayed in the following table:— Growth n Term borrowing by municipalities in the amount of $25,231,663 was approved by the Inspector of Municipalities during 1964. This represents an increase of $10,649,748 over the previous year, reflecting the very considerable impact of financing by means of the recently introduced Municipal Development and Loan Act of the Government of Canada, for which the Department is responsible for Provincial administration. The majority of the borrowings approved were eligible for financing by this means. The full effect of this programme has not yet been felt in the issue of debentures as most of the projects are financed temporarily at a Y 6 BRITISH COLUMBIA commercial bank pending completion of the work and the calculation of the amount of the approved loan. For this reason only, a few Development Fund debenture issues were certified by the Inspector of Municipalities last year. The number of these issues will increase considerably in coming months, with a corresponding decrease in serial debenture issues, as projects commenced during the year are brought to completion. The Municipal Development and Loan Act has had a profound effect on the borrowing procedures of the municipalities and represents a major departure from the past. Prior to the introduction of this programme, the normal practice was to issue and sell debentures of the serial type on the open market. The serial debenture has been the usual security issued by the municipalities of this Province, and it is still employed for that part of a borrowing not met by participation in the Development and Loan Fund programme or the National Housing Act sewage-disposal facilities programme. Debentures issued under the Development and Loan Fund programme are payable to the Receiver-General of Canada by blended semi-annual or annual instalments of principal and interest. A similar style of debenture is issued in respect of projects financed under the National Housing Act scheme, except in this case debentures are payable to the registered holder. The Development and Loan Fund programme has proven to be of distinct benefit to the municipalities, largely because of its attractive debt-cancellation features. Provided a project is completed before March 31, 1966, the amount of the loan, which may extend to two-thirds of the cost, is reduced by 25 per cent. Similar debt-cancellation provisions apply to sewage-disposal projects financed under the National Housing Act through the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation. A number of major sewer projects are being, or have been, financed in part by participation in both programmes. As mentioned in the 1963 Annual Report of the Department, the new borrowing provisions of the Municipal Act, simplifying the issue of debentures in series to meet the requirement of these programmes, have proven to be an efficient method of processing complicated by-laws with a minimum of delay. The amount and purpose for term borrowing authorized during the year under review is summarized below. Borrowing by the City of Vancouver and by the metropolitan water and sewer boards functioning under special legislation are not subject to the approval of the Inspector of Municipalities, and, as in past years, have not been included. Purpose CiUes Districts Towns Villases im Tota, '.w. WWII 188'0OO Hj || 260fioo = 503 832 Civic gs and projects 3,755,154 w Sprog ^x__r== 2729000 mZ Pavil ,g. road s. and sidewalks mm To $10,590,529 $11,064,131 $1,250,540 $2,326,463 — Total debenture debt as at December 31, 1964, of all municipalities, including the City of Vancouver, is shown in the following table. The debenture debt of the water and sewer boards is not included. REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 Total Authorized Debenture Debt-as at December 31, 1963 Following the trend of previous years, Provincial guarantees were again reduced in the number of issues and in total amount. This reduction has been largely due to changes in the sources of capital funds. Federal Government loan programmes do not require Provincial guarantees, and as a result of these programmes the amount of loans raised in the open market has declined markedly in the last year or so, and in consequence has reduced the requirements for the Provincial guarantee. Borrowings which were guaranteed during the year, including a number of issues which were purchased direct for Provincial accounts, are as follows:— Municipalities Assistance Act Guarantees Approved During 1964 s (excluding Vancouver) .. $652,000 int of debentures guaranteed by the Province under the Municipalities t and the Village Municipalities Assistance Act outstanding as at December 31, 1964, is summarized below:— IP- *sp T0« era ci cUmv »I3_ $I9,lS lfl\ 200 V<,nco„v^0taIS zzzzz iH l 5 g^lfrN^^e^ragSDrainage District . It is to be noted that the liability represented by guaranteed debenture ii is supported by the revenues of self-liquidating utilities or enterprises with a ca value estimated to be in excess of $180,000,000. While the debt charges are Y 8 BRITISH COLUMBIA from the revenues of the undertaking, it is nevertheless a direct liability of the issuing municipality or other authority. In addition to the guaranteed debt recorded in the above table, there is also outstanding under the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District Act debenture debt totalling $31,133,500. The Department of Finance of the Federal Government has advised that as at January 1, 1965, all semi-annual repayments have been made on loans authorized under the Municipalities Improvements Assistance Act, 1938. The outstanding obligations under this programme amount to $32,769 from an original total of $2,146,759.70. Another significant borrowing provision is the short-term capital loan authorized by the Municipal Act. This borrowing method has proven to be most helpful in financing projects of relatively small cost. Financing is normally undertaken by means of a direct bank loan. The restrictions on these borrowings are that a loan must be for a capital purpose and not exceed a term of five years. In addition, the aggregate amount outstanding is limited to $5 per capita or $100,000, whichever is the lesser. The assent of the owner-electors is not required to incur debt by this means. Borrowing under this provision has extended to the Municipal Development and Loan Act and the National Housing Act. During 1964, 17 municipalities were granted either subsisting or provisional certificates of self-liquidation in respect of 19 utility systems or sewer systems. Of these, certificates are issued in respect of new undertakings or where major borrowing with respect to an existing utility or enterprise is proposed. Provisional certificates are replaced by subsisting certificates after it has been proven by actual operation that the utility or enterprise is operating on a self-liquidating basis. One hundred and sixty-five certificates of self-liquidation have been issued to date, of which 104 are subsisting. Reserve funds of the municipalities for various purposes amounted to $16,900,000 at the close of the year in spite of expenditures for various purposes. This represents an increase of approximately 20 per cent or $2,800,000 over 1963. In September the annual shield awards of the Minister of Municipal Affairs to the municipalities having the highest percentage turnout of electors at the annual elections were presented at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention at Burnaby. The municipalities receiving the awards for the results of the December, 1963, elections in the three categories of the award were: Cities and towns— Fernie, with a turnout of 75.5 per cent; districts—Kent, with a turnout of 62.1 per cent; and villages—Stewart, with a turnout of 87.8 per cent. The Village of Stewart has won the village award for four years out of a possible five. The annual conference of the Municipal Officers' Association was again held in Victoria on May 20th, 21st, and 22nd. The Department is pleased to lend its support to the conference, which is considered to be of value as a workshop for the discussion and review of mutual problems in the field of municipal finance and administration. Members of the staff actively participate in this conference. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities held its annual convention in Burnaby during the month of September. Senior members of the staff attended. Four new municipalities were incorporated during the year. The Villages of Sparwood and Nakusp were incorporated in the latter part of the year. The Villages of Campbell River and Squamish were dissolved, and new districts were created to encompass the former village areas as well as substantial areas outside. Local referendums on the question of the formation of a district municipality were held in these areas under the general direction of the Department, and favourable votes were secured as follows: Squamish, 78.7 per cent; Campbell River, 67.0 per cent. REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 Y 9 1 The date of incorporation, the area, and the estimated population of the four new [ municipalities is shown below:— New Incorporations, 1964 Municipal.,. Date ol Incorporation (inl^es) Population r 1,11 »• TWrnhpr 17 9m!o n I N"V"«r November 24 1 |P^°jJ ^^„ Following your recommendation to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, the \ Villages of Hope, Ladysmith, and Merritt were changed in status to town municipalities, effective January 1,1965. In all cases the population of these municipalities [ exceeded the limit fixed for villages by the Municipal Act. Similar recommendations were made in the case of the Villages of Campbell River, Castlegar, and Creston, but were not acted upon as Campbell River had since become a district municipality and Castlegar and Creston are actively studying the formation of district municipalities. The Cities of Alberni and Port Alberni voted in the fall on the question of 1 amalgamation. The referendum received overwhelming support in both municipalities. The merger is to take place in 1967, the interval being to allow time for current programmes in the respective cities to be completed before amalgamation. [ The Councils of these two municipalities are to be commended on their foresight. Currentiy there are a number of studies being carried out in various parts of the Province looking toward the amalgamation of adjoining municipalities. Throughout the Province a renewed interest has been shown in municipal 1 government. Many municipalities are looking to surrounding unorganized territory L with a view to joint participation in regional functions for the benefit of the greater community. A large number of unorganized communities have expressed interest in incorporation or in amalgamation with existing municipalities. It is clearly evident that major changes in the field of municipal organization are in the offing. Much time and thought has gone into the development of some form of regional organization whereby existing units of local government can unite to perform those 1 tasks which require a wider application or viewpoint. One regional planning board was established during the year. This was the Kamloops Regional Planning Board. The name of the Board was subsequently changed to The Thompson Valley Regional Planning Board, to reflect the larger district encompassed by this planning area. In addition to this, the jurisdiction of the South Okanagan Regional Planning Board was extended to include further areas. Four local areas were established under the provisions of the Local Services Act. The following table indicates the name, purpose, and date of establishment:— Local Areas Established, 1964 | ~ | Bst^ed Grand Forks Arena Local Area Hnm?™?"-^113'- rch£.o Huntingdon Home Nursing Care I.ocal Area Fire}_r Sber3- Y 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA A list of local areas established up to the end of 1963 was published in the Annual Report of the Department for that year. There are now 32 local areas with a wide range of functions. In addition to the above, the Sproat Lake Local Area was extended to include a further small area. During 1964, extension of boundaries was granted to the following municipalities: Cities of Kelowna, New Westminster, Penticton, and Prince George, and the Villages of Creston, Salmo, and Squamish. The extension shown for the Village of Salmo includes a minor redefinition of boundaries to correct a previous discrepancy. The extension of the City of New Westminster to include the area of the Connaught Heights Waterworks District was conducted under the provisions of a 1964 amendment to the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act. The extension was undertaken following a vote of the owners of land within the extension area, the result of which was 89.3 per cent in favour of joining the city. The following table shows the extent of the u Adjustments in Area and Population, 1964 SS _rea(inAcres) Population HI C?H 3SE S s* Ex«n5on erne ii ll':* 11 5 M The primary populations shown in the above table are the 1961 Census. The additional populations are for the extension areas only. The training programme in municipal administration offered by the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration of the University of British Columbia, under the sponsorship of the Department, continues to attract a large number of students. This four-year corresondence course has a current enrolment as follows: First year, 29; second year, 17; third year, 20; fourth year, 11. In addition, two students are enrolled in the Assessors' Course. The Municipal Administration Course is divided at the third year into separate study programmes of either municipal administration and law or municipal finance and accounting. The University granted 25 diplomas in 1964, as follows: Junior diplomas (two years of the general course), 12; Senior Administration (Law), 8; and Senior Accounting (Finance), 5. During the year the Board of Examiners granted five certificates of proficiency. The following table illustrates the classifications of the certificates issued during 1964 and indicates the number and classification of certificates issued to date:— report of department of municipal affairs, 1964 Certificates of Proficiency Issued by the Board of Examiners Totals _ _g^._. 5 192 There were a number of significant changes and additions enacted by the 1964 Session of the Legislature which affected municipalities. As the Municipal Act was not opened at the 1963 Session, numerous amendments were introduced at the 1964 Sitting, of which the majority were in the nature of housekeeping. Some of the more important changes to the Municipal Act were as follows:— (1) A requirement that a Council obtain the approval of the Inspector of Municipalities before a by-law to construct works under local improvement is adopted, if borrowing is contemplated. (2) A provision allowing a Council to include the amount remaining due from other governments when computing the total amount it may borrow temporarily in anticipation of revenue. (3) Administrative changes in the licensing of commercial vehicles and a provision allowing each participating municipality to retain $2 from the fees collected for each licence and exemption-plate issued and for each transfer. (4) Provisions enabling a Council to require the fencing of all swimming- pools and to regulate the construction of trailers and trailer courts. (5) A change in the day of the annual municipal election from Thursday to Saturday. (6) A provision allowing a municipality to provide for payment of taxes by instalments. (7) A provision abating the charges for garbage collection and disposal if a person does not use these services for any period of time of not less than two consecutive months. In addition to the foregoing, significant amendments were made to those sections affecting the licensing and taxing of businesses. The business-licence provisions of the Act were rewritten completely, and the major changes included provision for the requiring of security for any non-resident and new-resident businesses at the discretion of Council and a revision of the licensing period. The business tax was also adjusted so that a municipality may tax businesses either on the basis of the annual rental value of the property or on the taxable value of personal property. The provision allowing municipalities to tax landlord and tenant machinery and equipment was repealed. The last two items were subject to Proclamation, and were proclaimed effective the 1st day of November, 1964. Certain municipalities were affected by specific amendments to the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act. These were New Westminster, North Vancouver (City), Victoria, Burnaby, Chilliwhack, Delta, and Kent. Municipalities were also affected by amendments to other Acts. An amendment to the Milk Industry Act removed the authority for Councils to pass local regulations. The Public Utilities Act was amended to enable the Public Utilities Commission to restrict the areas outside municipalities wherein the municipality concerned must supply services. The Controlled Access Highway Act was amended to give the Minister of Highways control over municipal zoning near controlled- Y 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA access highways. Other amendments affecting municipalities were made to the Public Libraries Act and to the District of Surrey Hospital Enabling Act. This seems an appropriate place to record the fact that your predecessor, the Honourable W. D. Black, who relinquished the portfolio of Municipal Affairs on March 20,1964, served longer in this capacity than any of his predecessors, having held the appointment for 12 years. During this period, with his support and encouragement, local government underwent an active period of modernization and development. The staff have enjoyed an active and challenging year, particularly with respect to regional problems and the adapting of local government to economic regions. I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to all municipal officials, both elected and appointed, for their continued courtesy and assistance, and to all other groups and organizations working with the Department in the field of municipal government, and to all departments of government, and to you, Sir, for your leadership and encouragement. J. E. BROWN, F.C.I.S., Deputy Minister. REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER AND DEPUTY INSPECTOR OF MUNICIPALITIES Victoria, B.C., January 15, 1965. 7. E. Brown, Esq., Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs. Sir,—Municipalities throughout the Province continued their programmes of accelerated development of services during 1964 to meet the demands of property- owners. Total revenues, including those of utilities, of all municipalities in 1963 increased by $15,000,000 over 1962 to $235,000,000. Over the same period the amount expended on capital works amounted to $54,000,000, an increase of $6,000,000 over the previous year. Part of this capital expenditure was financed by debenture loan, part from reserves, and the balance out of current revenue. The lower interest rate offered under the Municipal Development and Loan Act, as well as the forgiveness feature included in the Act, can be credited to some extent for the increase in capital projects being undertaken at this time. Of a total of $35,728,900 made available to municipalities in British Columbia, 130 loans for capital works, totalling $31,771,100, were approved at the Provincial level by January 15, 1965. A summary of the approved loans is set out below:— Waterworks— ,^-OEities . $1,369,286 Districts 2,08 8,952 Towns 169,046 Villages _JE|i 541,432 Other 3,560,442 Districts j=se fe-g 9,201,068 Towns ^iZLZLl. 169,720 Villages 971,149 Other 708,439 . $5,614,215 . 2,430,632 476,666 . Cities^_^ _ .._ $1,716,874 Districts 388,667 Towns __ «. 322,333 Villages— [ZZZfZZjs^. 366,250 Other 25,167 Y 14 BRITISH COLUMBIA Coupled with this is the continued urgent demand by the residents of the municipalities for the improvement of streets, sidewalks, and other services. While these are among the basic reasons for incorporation of municipalities, nevertheless the Department must ensure that the desire for improvements does not exceed the ability of the property-owner to pay the annual charges. In spite of the pressure of additional work brought about by the rapid development in the municipalities, as well as the incorporation of new municipalities, we were able to adhere more closely this past year to our policy of having a senior member of the Department visit each municipality at least once during the year. Due to the importance attached to this phase of our work both from the Departmental and the municipal point of view where personal contacts are considered to be invaluable, a concerted effort will be made to see that this problem is also satisfactorily met in future years. A record of major activities of the Department during 1964 would include the following:— (1) One hundred and eighty-two visits were made to municipalities. The number of municipalities actually visited was 126, some receiving more (2) Two hundred and seventy-six Minutes of Council were prepared and subsequently approved by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. (3) One hundred and twenty-one certificates of approval for municipal loan by-laws were issued. (4) Seventy-eight debenture issues were examined and subsequently certified by the Inspector of Municipalities, consisting of 10,362 debentures of a total par value of $11,172,594.21. (5) Seven hundred and fifty by-laws were examined and registered. Of these, 110 were town by-laws, 636 were village by-laws, and 4 were local district by-laws. Many of the by-laws required advice and correspondence, resulting in resubmission in revised form. (6) Many draft by-laws and similar documents were submitted for review and comment, involving a considerable amount of correspondence. (7) Publication of the Annual Report of Municipal Statistics, which includes some 30 different schedules. (8) Editing the financial and statistical returns of the municipalities to ensure conformity with statutory and other requirements. This phase of administration involves a great deal of correspondence with municipal officials and auditors. (9) Administration of the Municipal Winter Works Incentive Programme, i (10) Administration of the Municipal Commercial Vehicle Licensing Pro- (11) Administration of the Municipal Development and Loan Act. (12) By correspondence and by visits to the various municipalities, encouraging the adoption of good financial, accounting, and administrative procedures. Municipal officials and others have continued to co-operate with the Department in supplying financial and other statistical information which is required for the publication of the annual edition of Municipal Statistics. We are continuing in our efforts to ensure that this publication is made available at the earliest possible date, and that the information is accurate and on a comparable basis with prior years. I would like to acknowledge the co-operation which we have received from the various municipal officials and auditors in submitting the information requested promptly and in the required form. REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 Y 15 The Municipal Commercial Vehicle Licensing Programme, which commenced last year, is now considered to be operating with a fair degree of efficiency, although we still continue to handle a sizeable volume of correspondence in the form of inquiries both from municipal officials and from the public. The sum of $601,595 was received in the Department from the sale of these licences during the 1963/64 licence-year and distributed to the participating municipalities on a per capita basis. In all, 46,288 municipal commercial licence-plates and 31,893 exemption-plates were issued. Following changes in the relevant sections of the Municipal Act during the last session of the Legislature, the issuing municipality now retains $2 from the proceeds of the sale of a licence, and a fee of $2 is charged for permits for exemption-plates, which also is retained by the issuing municipality. The balance received from the sale of licences is remitted to the Inspector of Municipalities and is later distributed to the participating municipalities on a per capita basis. For the seventh consecutive winter the Government of Canada has provided an incentive for municipalities to undertake winter works for the relief of unemployment. The incentive is the offer to pay one-half of the direct labour cost of approved capital works projects. The programme period this year is November 1st to April 30th. There are no basic changes in the regulations or in the type of project which may be undertaken during the current programme. In addition to the incentive offered by the Government of Canada, the Government of this Province has offered to pay to municipalities 50 per cent of the approved direct payroll costs of those persons employed on an accepted project who had been continuously in receipt of welfare assistance for a period of three months prior to the date of being engaged on the project. Further, the Province has undertaken under certain conditions to contribute 25 per cent of the direct payroll costs of other employable welfare recipients and also 25 per cent of the direct payroll costs of unemployed persons who are not qualified to receive unemployment insurance benefits. An indication of the growth of the programme may be gained from the following:— CostotProiects Man-daysWo* [ Payroll 1960/61 as at Iii |S These are estimated figures of the municipalities for the programme period. As of January 15, 1964, approvals had been given to 451 projects, whereas at this time the number for the present programme is 330 projects. It is anticipated that additional applications will be received this year following the consideration of municipal budgets by the Councils in 1965. The following tabulation gives a summary of the British Columbia municipalities participating in the Winter Works Programme as at January 15, 1965, according to the records of this office:— Number of men 1___|^^^^MLl1 5,578 Man-days work 1 .^liW^tejBw._a____J_B_i 429,192 Total cost of projects?2_§____ . $24,786,739 Federal share (payroll cost) .... .... $4,469,650 Provincial share (payroll cost) $802,072 Municipal share (payroll cost) __■____: $3,620,500 Total payroll under offer L < $8,892,222 COLUMBIA Nature and Total Cost of Projects Waterworks $4,182,024 Sewers 9,455,202 Drainage 319,494 Roads._.__, ....—__ 1,773,077 Sidewalks ._ 522,519 Buildings 6,135,652 Parks 976,547 Other 1,422,224 Municipalities Participating Number of Accepted Projects Cities 26 Cities 129 Districts : 24 Districts 126 Towns 3 Towns i 6 Vffiages_J-____________ 24 Villages 41 Other — _L6 Other 28 Total.. 93 Total L^_ 330 Table 1 shows the final summary of the Municipal Winter Works Incentive Programme for the year 1963/64 as issued by the Department of Labour of the Government of Canada, and Table 2 indicates the same information for the current programme as at January 8, 1965. All classes of municipalities continued to maintain a high rate of collection of taxes. The city, district, and village municipalities collected in excess of 95 per cent of the current levy, and the towns collected slightly less than 91 per cent of the current levy. In view of the importance placed on this aspect of municipal administration, we will continue to keep a very close watch on the tax-collection picture in the municipalities. In this regard, correspondence has been directed to any municipality where the arrears of taxes were in excess of 10 per cent of the current levy in an effort to determine whether appropriate steps were being taken to improve the position. It is felt that impovements could be made in administrative procedures, particularly in some of the smaller municipalities, and this matter will receive our attention during the coming year. A review of the municipal tax-collection picture across Canada reveals that the percentage collection of current taxes of British Columbia municipalities continues to be among the highest in Canada, while the percentage of arrears of taxes is among the lowest. Municipal treasurers and collectors are to be congratulated for their efforts and ingenuity in developing techniques which are proving to be successful in effecting and maintaining a high rate of tax collection. Chart 1 shows the percentage tax collections for municipalities for the period 1953 to 1963, inclusive. The result in the case of villages is very noticeable, principally because of the general lack of effort in earlier years on the part of village officials. As will be noted, the collection picture in towns, a class of municipality established in 1958, is not as favourable as in other classes of municipalities. This matter is receiving our particular attention, and it is hoped that an improvement will be shown in future years. The continued improvement in, the case of outstanding: taxes as a percentage of current levy should also be noted. However, the same comment does not apply in the case of towns. Chart 2 indicates the trends in various financial aspects of municipal government compared to population and income. J. D. Baird, F.C.I.S., Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Inspector of Municipalities. REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 Y 1 I 1 1 j£ i I S I 3 1 = ~ g - | - s g- 1 1 l M || S 2 S | |« 1 i —§ nus 3 1 z pjg| I g § S 1 | _ i | li * a m !* 1 1 Er! 1 * 1111 1 1 1 IIs! | s | | J 2 1 £ i 1 1 i lrl s- § 111 1 1 i 111-11 l i | z I i 1 5 JS 8 2 5 S |2 1 i srs PH|5 o ||s| | | | | || 1 j J|| h|2 § Ills ! 8 J 1 1 1 1 ! 1 2 BRITISH COLUMBIA 11 ss *» 1 i s 1 I I I i "^ .8 a 8 S 8 |* 1 i s 9-iMr i i ii I ||| S2II | 1 i I il s *«§ | 1 u Ha s »: IWWWI 1 i IPIIHII! i PS mii g> I! i n 1J 1J s i SS«||3|E. « (ii * i n i l 55-8 | 5 | | « 3 i!sI I 3 I § 1 1 I 1 « I ! I I : REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 BRITISH COLUMBIA PERCENTAGE TAX COLLECTIONS PERCENTAGE OF CURRENT LEVY COLLECTED W^. a^- §P ^^ -—*£ m |g :'J""\ y M OUTSTANDING TAXES AS A PERCENTAGE OF CURRENT LEVY iji \ m K| '" \ If ^ gg s =j==i __________ 1 I"---1 1---T l'--'l 1 1 1 1 REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 Y _ TRENDS IN FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT COMPARED TO POPULATION AND INCOME ■ gSfil m --- — BRITISH COLUMBIA REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR, REGIONAL PLANNING DIVISION Victoria, B.C., January 14, 1965. /. E. Brown, Esq., Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs. Sir,—I am glad to say that interest in the planning process has not diminished in the Province, and that the prevailing attitude has changed gradually from " Should we plan? " to " How do we plan? " This activity exists at all levels of local government. The regional plans for the two metropolitan areas served by the Lower Mainland and Capital Region Planning Boards are continuously reviewed and are being expanded in depth. Three similar agencies have been established in the Interior of the Province, where the Thompson Valley, the Central Okanagan, and the South Okanagan Regional Planning Boards are now in operation. This means that about 70 per cent of the population of the Province is presently contained in regional planning areas. As for the rest of the Province, there are now only a very few settled places, which do not at least have the benefit of a planning report to guide the orderly development of their communities. This changed attitude to planning is clear also in a number of areas where large-scale resource development is responsible for the rapid growth of rather sizeable communities. Interest is strongly in favour of developing good communities from the start. Past experience has shown us that to depend solely upon the haphazard evolution of a community can be expensive and at the same time fail to create a good environment or to establish a well-ordered layout. The Division has been consulted many times in the past year about these new communities, and it is engaged in a long-range study to help improve the environment of older communities on the northern part of Vancouver Island. Community planning areas were established around Revelstoke in response to the increased activity generated by the power and water-storage projects on the Columbia River, and at Shawnigan Lake, where building, plumbing, and subdivision regulations have been adopted to help prevent pollution of the lake. Community Planning Area Number 10 (Connaught Heights) became part of of the City of New Westminster, and we feel our function was fulfilled in maintaining a reasonable minimum standard of development until such time as some form of local government could administer the area. In co-operation with Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Division is investigating the use of urban renewal funds to create a new planned community at Sparwood in the Elk River valley some 20 miles north of Fernie. The street plan and disposition of facilities in the new community will be as convenient, efficient, orderly, safe, and attractive as possible. The new Sparwood will replace the residential and commercial parts of Michel, Middletown, and the Village of Natal, which have grown since the turn of the century near the mine and now find themselves inextricably mixed in the various operations of the now expanding Crow's Nest Pass Coal Company. To achieve this most desired end, the Federal and Provincial Governments will require a local government partner, and the best solution would be to form a large inclusive district municipality. Needless to say, the Division is seeking and has received full co-operation of other departments of the Government of British Columbia in expediting the scheme. Planning reports are being prepared for three villages which have not received our services before, and we are giving continuing advice as something new REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 Y 23 or unpredicted occurs in communities we have dealt with previously when some point in one of our reports needs expansion or development. We continue to be very active in unorganized territory in all phases of planning. Community Planning Area Number 7, around Prince George, now has an approved official community plan. This instrument is a basic and flexible document that has started to mould die community around the City of Prince George into more orderly development, and so far there has been no need to amend the plan. Applications to change zoning in all our areas increased by over 25 per cent to 127 for the year. We have recognized that one of the bigger problems in the planning process is a public fear of the unknown, and are now making sure that all hearings are advertised to the utmost of our resources. This increased advertising has improved public knowledge of proposals, and consequently hearings have been more directed to bona fide comment rather than information-seeking. Some municipalities have followed our lead now and are placing their public-hearing advertisements in the main part of the local newspaper rather than tucking them away in the legal notices at the back end of the classified section. We have also improved our handling of zoning applications in some of our areas by having them considered quarterly rather than as they come in at any time. This gives the public a better chance to consider a group of applications at a hearing in a batch and helps us in finding out where there are pressures for particular classes of land or weak points in our zoning. In co-operation with the Department of Highways, we made an intensive investigation into subdivision approval in Community Planning Area Number 6, around Nanaimo. We felt we should know everything possible about the process of subdivision approval in other departments, as well as exercise our own function in considering shape and layout of parcels of land. It is not generally realized, but in many ways subdivision of land is one of the more critical parts of the planning process in a transitional area. Land use can change, but the pattern into which land is subdivided is most difficult to change, and a community can have as a legacy a highly inefficient, expensive, and, in some cases, dangerous pattern of roads, which mistakes could have been prevented if individual subdivision proposals had been considered in relation to an emerging over-all pattern. Such benefits would accrue in almost every case, at no cost or sacrifice to the subdivider of the land. The Department strives in many ways to keep in touch with municipal officials throughout the Province, and in this endeavour the Division, in co-operation with the Planning Institute of British Columbia, held a two-day meeting at Parksville. About 40 planning officials attended, and many planning problems and achievements were discussed. The Division is also involved in helping in the Planning School at the University of British Columbia with the Regional Development Seminar for the second-year class. Along with the Planning Institute of British Columbia, we are supervising and advising the students on their term project. The National Building Code, which is in use as a building standard in all community planning areas, is gaining recognition as a uniform Canadian standard and is being increasingly widely used by other local agencies throughout the Province. The Division is represented on the National Building Code Committee, and this has meant that problems peculiar to the Province have had consideration in code revisions. In accordance with the policy of providing for improved standards of public service, a two-week course on the National Plumbing Code was conducted by the Department at the Burnaby Vocational School in January. Approximately 20 Provincial and municipal inspectors attended. The value of construction in the community planning areas in 1964 totalled $34,292,366. This represents an increase of 55 per cent of the value of a tion from the previous year. Details are shown on the following table. Y 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA gjj§|| "ST l€l_S Con|rucL_. j 1 l 1:1 ■ Communis PlannSS Area Number 2 (woond Vernon) Community Planning Area Number 10 (Connaught Heights, 1 L 172, next Smmm..y p!Z^8 Ar" wZlVr P HM p*~,Tn}rr^7 SSSS^^^^^ £ZZSf! ££S^rJ«',"■";,"""'•" ''hn'-—■ ?°™™"ni.y EHS" ArP. NnShS Ifl ESJ' ^ PCnUCt°n) ^Tri^r,'^8 Area NUmbM ^ (Crooked Rlver' 60 mUes north of SSSSsEe 1,426 9,002 $34,292,366 Don South, M.T.P.I.C. Director, Regional Planning Division. 1060-165-2258
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DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS REPORT for the YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1964 British Columbia. Legislative Assembly 1965
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Title | DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS REPORT for the YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1964 |
Alternate Title | REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, 1964 |
Creator |
British Columbia. Legislative Assembly |
Publisher | Victoria, BC : Government Printer |
Date Issued | 1965 |
Genre |
Legislative proceedings |
Type |
Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Identifier | J110.L5 S7 1965_V02_18_Y1_Y24 |
Collection |
Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia |
Source | Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia |
Date Available | 2018-08-16 |
Provider | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia |
CatalogueRecord | http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198 |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0371074 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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