THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WHITE ROCK BUENA VISTA AVENUE, WHITE ROCK, B.C. V4B 1Y6

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1 THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WHITE ROCK BUENA VISTA AVENUE, WHITE ROCK, B.C. V4B 1Y6 July 12, 2007 A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING of CITY COUNCIL will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers on MONDAY, July 16, 2007 at 7:00 PM immediately preceding the Regular (Committee of the Whole) meeting of City Council for the transaction of business as listed below. T. Penney Director, Corporate Services AGENDA 1. AGENDA APPROVAL RECOMMENDED THAT the Agenda for the Finance Committee Meeting scheduled for Monday, July 16, 2007 be adopted as circulated FINANCIAL PLAN SCHEDULE Report submitted by the Director, Financial Services, entitled Financial Plan Schedule, dated July 16, /602 Page 3 RECOMMENDED THAT the Finance Committee forward the report entitled Financial Plan Schedule, dated July 16, 2007, to City Council for information FUNDING UPDATE Report submitted by the Director, Financial Services, entitled 2007 Funding Update, dated July 16, /602 Page 5 RECOMMENDED THAT the Finance Committee receive this information; AND THAT it provide a recommendation to City Council regarding which requests to apply the available funding to, which ones to refer to the Financial Plan process, and which ones (if any) not to pursue at this time. Page 1

2 4. ELECTION 2008 ELECTRONIC VOTING Report submitted by the Director, Corporate Services, entitled Election 2008 Electronic Voting Systems, dated July 16, /Election 2008 file Page 9 RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL THAT the City lease 10 electronic voting machines for the City s 2008 election from Election Systems & Software at a cost not to exceed $20, CENTENNIAL PARK BATTING CAGE Report submitted by the Director, Leisure Services, entitled WR/SS Baseball Association and Centennial Park Batting Cage Completion, dated July 16, /402 Page 13 RECOMMENDED THAT the Finance Committee support the request from the White Rock South Surrey Baseball Association (WRSSBA) for the completion of the repairs and upgrade to the batting cage at Centennial Park; AND RECOMMENDED TO CITY COUNCIL THAT the City match the WRSSBA s funding to maximum amount of $4,744.84; AND THAT the City s matching contribution be funded from the 2007 available funding as reported by the Director of Financial Services in her report entitled 2007 Funding Update, dated July 16, CLOSURE The Chair declared the meeting closed at p.m. Page 2

3 CITY OF WHITE ROCK MEMORANDUM DATE: July 16, 2007 TO: FROM: Finance Committee Sandra Kurylo, Director of Financial Services SUBJECT: 2008 to 2012 Financial Plan Schedule It is recommended that Finance Committee forward this to City Council for information. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this report is to advise of the schedule staff will be following to complete the 2008 to 2012 Financial Plan. PAST PRACTICE/POLICY: The Community Charter requires that a Five Year Financial Plan be adopted annually, by bylaw, before the property tax rates bylaw is adopted. The property tax rates bylaw must be adopted prior to May 15. ANALYSIS: The schedule for completing the 2008 to 2012 Financial Plan is as follows. Staff to Begin 2008 Budget Process & 2008 to 2012 FP Update July 2007 Council Planning Session Oct 29 (5 th Mon) Finance Committee Nov 12 1 st & 2 nd Readings of Bylaw Nov 26 Public Meeting Dec 3 3 rd Reading of Bylaw Dec 10 Adoption of Bylaw Jan 14, 2008 Final figures for some significant items, such as taxes from new development, will not available until early April so the FP Bylaw will have to be amended in the spring, before the 2008 property tax rates are set: Page 3

4 Presentation of FP Amendments to Finance Committee April 14, 2008 FC Recommendations to Council and 1 st & 2 nd readings of Amended FP Bylaw April 14 Public Meeting on the FP Amendments (if required) April 21 3 rd Reading of Amended FP Bylaw April 28 Adoption of Amended FP Bylaw May 5 (Special Mtg) 1 st, 2 nd & 3 rd Readings of 2008 Tax Rates & Utility Rate Bylaws May 5 (Special Mtg) Adoption of Tax Rates & Utility Rates Bylaws May 12 OPTIONS: N/A Sandra Kurylo Director of Financial Services Page 4

5 CITY OF WHITE ROCK MEMORANDUM DATE: July 16, 2007 TO: FROM: Finance Committee Sandra Kurylo, Director of Financial Services SUBJECT: 2007 Funding Update It is recommended that Finance Committee receive this information and that it provide a recommendation to City Council on which requests to apply the available funding to, which ones to refer to the 2008 to 2012 Financial Plan process, and which ones (if any) not to pursue at this time. INTRODUCTION: This report has two purposes. The first is to update Finance Committee on 2007 unallocated funding and one-time funding requests that are currently outstanding. The second is to request, through the recommendations of Finance Committee, City Council s direction on which of these requests to apply the available funding to, which ones to refer to the 2008 to 2012 Financial Plan process and which ones (if any) not to pursue. PAST PRACTICE/POLICY: N/A ANALYSIS: Funding Available There is currently $193,134 in funding that is available to be applied to one-time costs for Sources of these funds are as follows: $100,000 that was set aside in the spring in an undesignated capital reserve. The intent at that time was to decide later in 2007 what capital projects this money should be used for. $28,904 in sinking fund earnings received from the Municipal Finance Authority resulting from the retirement of long term debt. Page 5

6 a $25,876 cash deposit (plus interest) received from the Municipal Finance Authority due to the retirement of the same long term debt. $38,354 higher than budgeted Traffic Fine Revenue. This money should be used for public safety purposes. Outstanding Funding Requests There are several one-time funding requests from various sources that are outstanding. Some were requested during the last Financial Plan process and are to be funded in future years, some were referred to Finance Committee over the last few months and some were requested by members of Council to be considered in the upcoming 2008 to 2012 Financial Plan process. Staff are seeking Finance Committee s recommendation and City Council s direction on which of these requests to fund with the available $193,134, which ones to refer to the upcoming Financial Plan process and which ones (if any) not to pursue at this time. Details are attached along with staff comments and City Council s goals for All of these requests can be viewed as either directly or indirectly in keeping with City Council s goals. OPTIONS: As attached. Sandra Kurylo Director of Financial Services Page 6

7 One-Time Funding Requests (Excludes Utility Funds) as of July 16, 2007 Decription Amount Comments 1. Roadworks and Other Traffic Safety a. Strategic Transportation Plan - Pedestrian Improvements $ 655,000 Of the $1,675,000 requested for this portion of the STP, $1,020,000 is funded. Other portions of the STP have been funded. $ Requested during last FP process. $ Program funded over 5 years beginning in This is the portion b.thrift Ave - Traffic Safety Review 20,000 c. Parking Lot Paving Overlays 55,000 expected to be funded in 2012 which is in the next FP. d Prospect Area Paving pending Referred to 2008 FP process. e. Money to Traffic Calming Reserve?? Referred to 2008 FP process. Could be one-time and/or ongoing. f. Marine - Bishop to High $ 640,000 To be designed in Contruction to follow in subsequent years. g. Columbia - Centre to Maple $ 725,000 To be designed in Contruction to follow in subsequent years. h. Victoria - Fir to Cypress $ 920,000 To be done in future years. i. Lane Paving?? Establishment of a lane paving program. 2. Waterfront Improvements a. East Beach Landscaping $ 25,000 Requested during last FP process & again recently. b. East Beach Waterpark $ 155,000 Requested during last FP process c. East Beach Banner Poles - Marine & $ 10,000 Requested during last FP process & again recently. Johnston d. Promenade Revitalization $ 1,500,000 Subject to planning study underway. e. Replace Railings & Light Standards?? Request to replace with low maintenance materials. 3. Other Parks & Recreation Improvements a. WR Lawn Bowling Club $ 10,000 Contribution supporting grant application for green replacement referred to Finance Committee b. WR/SS Baseball Association $ 5,000 50% funding request for Batting Cage referred to Finance Committee c. Replace Pacific Ave Planters $ 55,000 Scope includes removal of planters & installation of brick sidewalk. Requested during last FP process & again recently. d. Recycling Container Uptown $ 13,000 Approximate cost for 10 containers like on waterfront. If scope is larger (ie. similar to Centennial Park drop off) this would require further discussion & research. e. Accessibility Playground Equipment $ 50,000 For City Parks f. Five Corners Community Space $ 75,000 Requested during last FP process. g. Central Irrigation System $ 45,300 Project phased over 3 years beginning in This is the portion expected to be funded in 2012 which is in the next FP. 4. City Facility Improvements a. City Hall Sprinkler System $ 100,000 Recommend deferral until completion of Facilities Masterplan. b. Council Chambers, Council Space & $ 580,000 Recommend deferral until completion of Facilities Masterplan. Administration Office Renovations c. City Hall Roof Replacement $ 150,000 Recommend deferral until completion of Facilities Masterplan. d. City Hall Elevator?? Recommend deferral until completion of Facilities Masterplan. e. Uptown Public Washroom?? More research required. f. Centennial Park Washroom?? Install shower heads in showers. Would involve major upgrade. g. Police Station Interior Painting $ 10,000 To be funded in future year. 5. Other Miscellaneous a. Semiahmoo Planning Group $ 1,000 Contribution requested for WR/SS Peninsula Homeless Round Table b. Complete Sign Bylaw Review $ 15,000 Requested last year but not fully funded. c. Residential Parking Standards $10,000 Estimated cost if completed by a consultant. d. Purchase Additional Snow Removal?? Equipment e. Retaining Wall Replacements?? Establish ongoing funding. f. Green Waste Recycling Program?? Would likely require capital and operating budget funding. g. Camcorder on Beach $ 10,000 To display weather information over internet. Would require operating budget funding as well. h. Increase Parks Department Budget $ 32,000 Estimate for 2 more summer students. This is an operating budget item. Page 7

8 Looking Ahead: Council s Goals for 2007 Develop and promote unique community character Adopt the updated Official Community Plan to guide community development Consider neighbourhood planning/impact in Single Family Zones Amend the population projections in the OCP Maintain no call is too small policy for emergency services Foster partnerships for the beautification of the community Sustain and support economic diversity Maintain and attract a dynamic mix of businesses Establish baseline data to monitor trends over time Finalize Economic Strategic Plan and Tourism Plan working in partnership with Chamber of Commerce and BIA Identify parking options for city centre and Marine Drive in consultation with the BIA Create a community of excellence for health and wellness Provide diverse leisure and life-long learning opportunities Encourage active living for all ages Promote volunteerism Provide support for the Mel Edwards Wellness Centre Project Enhance environmental sustainability in both land and sea Encourage the establishment of environmental benchmarks to monitor Semiahmoo Bay Adopt and begin implementing the Environmental Strategic Plan and the Parks Master Plan Encourage feasibility studies on the use of emerging energy technologies in the community Reinforce sustainability of the community s seaside character Improve and increase transportation and mobility options Improve effectiveness of transportation to and from the waterfront Provide mobility options for the movement of people and goods to meet the needs of citizens, businesses, and tourists Address residential and multi-family parking problems examining options for improvements Promote and provide for a demographically balanced population Identify all present arts, cultural and heritage attributes and activities in the community Plan for future space requirements to meet the needs of the population Increase diverse housing opportunities Facilitate the provision of diverse housing options to meet the needs of citizens Encourage property owners to meet and maintain standards for properties Support local preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics Participate in the Adopt-a-Country program Encourage the Bed & Breakfast program through B & B licensing and promotion Promote partnerships and projects that will leave a legacy for the community Demonstrate excellence and accountability in governance Develop a communication strategy Increase communication with the public through various means including meetings, print and electronic media Integrate all strategic plans into a corporate strategic plan for the City Maintain a positive fiscal status for the City and develop a financial plan in line with strategic priorities Foster a positive working environment for employees Page Annual Report 13

9 CITY OF WHITE ROCK MEMORANDUM DATE: July 16, 2007 TO: FROM: Finance Committee Tina Penney, Director, Corporate Services SUBJECT: Election 2008 Electronic Voting Systems RECOMMENDED TO CITY COUNCIL THAT the City lease 10 electronic voting machines for the City s 2008 election from Election Systems & Software at a cost not to exceed $20,000. INTRODUCTION: Electronic voting systems have become increasingly common in the past ten years, and currently most municipalities in the GVRD employ them. Anmore, Belcarra, Lions Bay and White Rock are now the only municipalities in the Lower Mainland still using a manual voting system. Given that the populations of these other three municipalities are far lower than White Rock s (between 700 and 1400 people approximately), staff have been considering several options for electronic voting, and how to make the City s election process more efficient and accurate. PAST PRACTICE/POLICY: Historically, municipal elections have been counted manually in the City of White Rock. This count has generally involved 10 to 15 persons running for Councillor and 2 to 3 persons for Mayor. The City also manages the election for the School Board and this generally involves a count of between 2 to 5 candidates. ANALYSIS: One of the most compelling reasons for the use of automated voting machines in an election remains the high degree of accuracy that can be obtained with the machines. This is a valuable source of security for voters. Accuracy both in the timeliness of the count and the count itself and accuracy in assessing the ballot at the time of submission to ensure that the voter has correctly marked the ballot (in terms of selection) can be reduced. For example, in the 2005 election there were 6,000 voters and approximately 1000 votes rejected or spoiled (this number combines the ballots for Mayor, Councillor, and School Trustee). Automated voting machines are able to detect the irregularity on the rejected/spoiled ballot and the voter is afforded the opportunity to recast the ballot. Page 9

10 Automated voting would also enable White Rock to communicate its results much more quickly to the public. In previous years, on election day City staff have had to respond to frequent and repeated calls from the media requesting our election results. A manual count results in a much longer delay in publishing the outcome of the election, usually resulting in the final count not being complete until midnight or later. Logistics of Implementing Electronic Voting White Rock s anticipated number of voters, its poll locations, and election funding all have to be taken into account when considering how and if electronic voting should be implemented. Key points to consider are listed below, including price estimates on machine rentals. (a) Number of Polling Stations & Required Number of Voting Machines In the past municipal election, there were six poll locations and one mobile poll. A total of 17,501 acceptable ballots were cast for the positions of Mayor, Councillor, and School Trustee. The division of votes among poll locations was as follows: Star of the Sea 5462 Town Center 3184 Centennial Arena 2643 Kent Street 2477 Museum 1732 Advance 1857 Mobile 146 Dependent upon the system chosen, it is proposed that ten voting machines would be required. This would provide two machines for each of the three high-traffic voting places, and one for all of the other voting places. Although it is possible that there may be lineups to submit ballots at peak periods during election day, the extra machine at the larger locations should mitigate this inconvenience. (c) Automated Voting Machines Lease or Purchase In reviewing the information provided by automated voting machine companies, one of the first questions to resolve was whether to buy or lease. Local government appears to be equally split on this between those jurisdictions that rent and those that own. Costs per machine to purchase range from $4,500 US and up. These costs do not reflect additional memory cards, other related technology appliances necessary to support the automated voting machine, and on-site technical support for election day. The difficulty with purchasing lies in the fact that elections are held every three years and for the remainder of the time that the machines are not in use, an expensive asset lies underutilized. The other major difficulty lies in the technology; within six years, the machines will have been used twice and yet it is entirely possible that they could be technologically obsolete. The option of leasing would best suit White Rock since this would be first election that citizens will have encountered the voting machines and thus will allow staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the particular machine used. Therefore it is recommended that White Rock lease automated voting machines for the 2008 election. Page 10

11 (d) Lease Estimates Quotes were obtained from 4 automated voting machine equipment companies.the automated voting machine equipment field is somewhat limited and estimates were recently obtained from four of the major vendors. All estimates are all-inclusive, meaning they include peripheral expenses such as shipping, staff training, and technical support. Please note, however, that these estimates are approximate, and do not necessarily entail an official quote. Votex Electronic Voting Systems $23,000 No need for ballots voters simply key in their choice Touch screen includes photographs and information regarding candidates Advises voters of spoiled/rejected votes, and ensures that voters are given a chance to correct their vote if they wish Very user-friendly and accessible Election Systems & Software - $13,950 Includes 10 machines (at a rental cost of $645 each) Voters insert completed ballot into machine, where it is scanned into the machine s public count and then securely stored. Voters are advised of a spoiled/rejected ballot and given the opportunity to correct it if they wish. The machine changes the way in which ballots are tabulated, not the way in which voters vote, which maintains voter familiarity with the voting process while making the count more accurate and efficient. Paper ballots are kept as a record should there be a need to check them. Dominion Elector Management Systems - $25,000 Includes 8 machines Voters insert completed ballot into tabulator, where it is scanned and recorded. Image of the watermarked ballot is electronically stored for audit purposes. Voters are advised of a spoiled/rejected ballot and given the opportunity to correct it if they wish. Optional audio-vote feature for voters with disabilities Event management software for election officials Well-known and respected business, with many positive references Big Pulse Opinion Markets - $4,680 Voting done via computer in the voting booth Voters would be issued a private PIN number at the voting place This company has not yet run a municipal election (they have facilitated school district elections, etc) but they would tailor their system to a municipal election at no extra cost. (f) Budget There is $20,000 set aside for election machines in the current Five Year Financial Plan. Page 11

12 OPTIONS: 1. Lease automated voting machines and associated technical support from Election Systems & Software at a cost not exceeding $20, Lease an automated voting system from an alternate company. 3. Do not use automated voting machines and undertake a manual election count as in past years, and dedicate the associated budget monies to other areas. Respectfully submitted, Tina Penney Director, Corporate Services Page 12

13 CITY OF WHITE ROCK MEMORANDUM DATE: July 16, 2007 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Finance Committee Rita Clarkson, Director of Leisure Services WR/SS Baseball Association and Centennial Park Batting Cage Completion RECOMMENDED THAT the Finance Committee support the request from the White Rock South Surrey Baseball Association (WRSSBA) for the completion of the repairs and upgrade to the batting cage at Centennial Park; AND RECOMMENDED TO CITY COUNCIL THAT City match the WRSSBA s funding to a maximum amount of $4,744.84; AND THAT the City s contribution be funded from the 2007 available funding as reported by the Director of Financial Services in her report entitled 2007 Funding, dated July 16, INTRODUCTION: On May 14, 2007 the WR/SS Baseball Association requested financial support for the reconstruction of the batting cage at Centennial Park. The WRSSBA is seeking a fifty percent contribution from the City. The Association has completed the reconstruction of the fencing for the batting cage and has spent $4, They are requesting that the City complete the work and put a solid tin roof over the batting cage. This will ensure that the fencing does not collapse in the future. Page 13

14 PAST PRACTICE/POLICY: As this facility will be owned and maintained by the City, the City will be responsible for the construction of the roofing over the batting cage. ANALYSIS: The funds for this project are not in the 2007 capital, but the WRSSBA has already paid for 50 percent of the costs. The work needs to be done this fall, before there is another snowfall as it was the weight of the snow last year that caused the damage. The batting cage is for children ages 8 to 12 years old who play at Centennial Park. The players use the batting cage when they are warming up for a game. A similar facility is proposed to be built in South Surrey in proximity to the baseball diamonds in South Surrey Athletic Park for the older players. The association will request a similar partnership with Surrey for the South Surrey batting cage. The WRSSBA will be required to submit engineered drawings of the work and these will be reviewed by Development Services before the contract is awarded. SOURCE OF FUNDING: It is recommended that the City portion of $4, come from the 2007 available funding as identified in the report by the Director of Financial Services. OPTIONS: 1. It is recommended that Finance Committee recommend supporting the request from the White Rock South Surrey Baseball Association for the completion of the repairs and upgrade to the batting cage at Centennial Park with matching funding to a maximum of $4, That Finance Committee not recommend supporting the request by the White Rock South Surrey Baseball Association to match the costs for the completion of the repairs and upgrade to the batting cage at Centennial Park. Respectfully submitted, Rita Clarkson Director Leisure Services Page 14