Council Roundup from Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Looking to get caught up on the Tuesday, November 5 Council Meetings? We’ve pulled together some key stories from Committee of the Whole and the Regular Council Meeting, including:
- Council considers update to Whistler’s Building Bylaw
- Invictus Games 2025 update
- Funding proposed to reduce GHG emissions at MPSC
For all the details, check out the recording of the full meeting on whistler.ca.
Council considers update to Whistler’s building bylaw
A review to streamline the RMOW’s building bylaw and processes is underway, Council learned at Committee of the Whole recently.
“Essentially, we have an outdated, complex building code bylaw,” said CAO Ginny Cullen. “And we’re looking to improve its clarity and its simplicity, so that it’s easier for everyone to use and refer to.”
The overhaul paves the way for digital opportunities at intake and review, according to the General Manager overseeing the project, Dale Mikkelsen, who stressed a dedicated breakdown of baseline process still precedes layering in technology.
Mikkelsen said that there remains confusion in the requirements when navigating the permitting process, whether it be a small renovation or a complex project. The target is a transparent approach with an eye to making the process simpler for ease and efficiency.
“By getting the bylaw clarified and streamlined and, sort of, optimized—in many ways simplified—it will then allow us to look at digital opportunities for the intake component and the review component,” he said.
The municipality will reach out to the Construction community in January to consult on the proposed changes with the goal of having a draft bylaw before Council in March. The best way to engage with the community is being considered, after questions from Council resulted in analysis of the merits a working group might offer versus a staff-led engagement strategy to elicit public input.
Photo: Invictus Games/Jeremy Allen
Getting ready for the Invictus Games
With three months to go until Opening Ceremonies, the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 organizers stopped in to give Council an update.
From February 8-16, wounded, injured and sick soldiers from 25 nations will be in town.
“Five hundred and thirty-five athletes and 11 sports – that’s the ‘what,’” said Scott Moore, CEO of the Vancouver Whistler Games. “The ‘why’ is we save lives. We change lives.”
The Invictus Games was founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who held the first event in London, England in 2014 to support the recovery and rehabilitation of those injured in service to their country. The RMOW is supporting some of the logistics and funding Village animation through MRDT funds.
Invictus Village will include demos, an expo hosted by the Canadian Armed Forces, DJs and live music in Village Square with face painting, arts and crafts, and hot chocolate for kids.
“One of the things we’d like to highlight is the legacy we’ll be leaving,” said Robyn McVicker, Chief Operating Officer for the 2025 Invictus Games. Accessibility improvements around venues, a new venue tent for 2010 Whistler Sport Legacies, and a donation of adaptive alpine and Nordic ski equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars will remain.
A call for 1,600 volunteers went out last February with over 5,000 applications received.
Whistler will host Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Biathlon, Nodic Skiing and Skeleton events, while indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair curling and wheelchair rugby take place in Vancouver.
Funding proposed to reduce GHG emissions at MPSC
Meadow Park Sports Centre needs energy and building envelope upgrades, if the municipality is going to reduce corporate Greenhouse Gas emissions by some 50 per cent by 2030, per the Big Moves goals.
Staff asked for Council’s support to apply for two grants, to fund work that would result in a 69 per cent reduction in GHGs, if successful.
The funds would be invested in heat recovery and building interconnection, an electric boiler to replace gas and building envelope upgrades.
The grants in question come from the Federation of Canadian Municipality’s Clean Communities Fund (CCF) and the Green and Inclusive Communities Fund (GICF), offering a cost-sharing scheme which would see Whistler pay $960,000 from capital reserves, plus another $2.9 million in loans and interest payments, to leverage $8.1 million in funding.
Some $10 million in building window and envelope repairs will be necessary within the next five years, whether the grants are received or not, minus the optional cost of the heat recovery and interconnection system.
Mayor Jack Crompton supported the grant application, noting that the $10 million in required repairs is also included in the municipality’s five-year capital plan.
“This would be a huge win or our continued efforts to have healthy reserves and would also be a huge win in our efforts to take climate action,” he said.
Council voted in favour of the staff recommendation.
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