If you like your municipal policies well-deliberated, Monday night is for you as all three councils are bound for their respective chambers. We’ve got big money and little money in the district and a possible debate on divvying up the great provincial dimebag in the city, but nothing is expected to make as big a splash on Monday as Marine Drive.
West Vancouver
The future of Marine Drive might be decided Monday.
The public and council are scheduled to weigh in on the proposal to add two buildings, 203 units and nearly 30,000 square feet of commercial space to the 700-block of Marine Drive.
Mayor Michael Smith reached out to what he called the “silent majority” to support what proponents and detractors alike describe as a transformative project.
The meeting is set to be rounded out by the adoption of the new property tax rates and a public hearing on a proposed Bay Street duplex.
If Monday’s meeting leaves you wanting to rewrite West Vancouver’s official community plan, you’ll have your chance to voice your concerns during a meeting on the district’s draft OCP Thursday at 6 p.m. at Sentinel Secondary gym on Chartwell Drive.
District of North Vancouver
Money is all over Monday’s agenda as council is slated to release their pay and expenses for 2017. All told, mayor and council cost district taxpayers $389,211 in 2017, a relative pittance compared to the $35.6 million paid to 333 staff municipal hall staffers who earned $75,000 or more in 2017. The chief administrative officer earned $288,878 in 2017, highest among district staff.
In terms of smaller numbers, council is set to give final approval to their new parks bylaw, which allows for $200 fines for Deep Cove wharf jumping and a $100 fine for improper field use. Also up for adoption Monday is a three per cent boost to property taxes.
Council is also set to deliberate on a proposed change to Bosa’s project on the old library site on East 27th Street. In 2014, council approved a pair of 12-storey towers that included six one-bedroom units intended to provide affordable housing for people with disabilities. However, Bosa is proposing to offer three three-bedroom units instead, a switch supported by the North Shore Disability Resource Centre. The three-bedroom units would be listed for $419,000 each while the one-bedroom units were slated to sell for between $172,355 and $249,900, according to Bosa.
City of North Vancouver
Should the city gamble on rolled up aces and rolled up joints?
That’s the burning issue Monday as council is set to hear a staff presentation on the role gaming could play in city revenues and to advocate for a piece of the profits expected to arrive alongside marijuana legalization.
Perhaps in a bid to avoid some of the dust-ups of the 2014 municipal election, council is also set to vote on a new election sign bylaw.
And finally, council may discuss the prospect of asking city staff to determine what sites might be appropriate for rental zoning in order to aid affordability.
