District of West Vancouver
The hottest items on West Vancouver’s agenda Monday night are subjects typically outside the municipality’s jurisdiction.
West Vancouver Coun. Sharon Thompson is bringing two motions targeting the NDP’s real estate tax measures. The first targets the speculation tax, which Thompson argues will affect too many British Columbians. If the motion is passed, council will write to the province and Opposition parties asking them to change the tax so it excludes Canadian citizens and that the funds collected be returned to the municipality to be spent on affordable housing initiatives.
The second motion targets the escalating school tax on homes assessed at over $3 million, which Thompson is requesting be withdrawn entirely. The tax encroaches on the municipal tax base and it is not based on an equitable mill rate, the motion argues. Also, with more than 7,000 homeowners affected, West Vancouver will be disproportionately affected, the motion notes.
Also on the agenda: a budget update, a change in the liquor licence for the Capilano Golf and Country Club and an delegation from the West Vancouver Streamkeepers Society.
District of North Vancouver
DNV’s members are convening not for a regular council meeting but for a public workshop Monday at 5 p.m. The only item on the agenda is a doozy though, opening up the official community plan, which was adopted in 2011, for a review.
The high-level document guides council on the overarching goals of the municipality related to the environment, the economy, transportation and land use. But many of the new members of council got elected on the message that too much development was occurring, too fast under the OCP.
After a presentation from planning department staff, council members are being asked to give some direction on the proposed scope of the OCP review and the public process they’d like to see play out.
City of North Vancouver
City council has no meetings scheduled until February 4.
