Brian Webster

Opinion: CRD Bylaw Changes Could Protect Agriculture

September 3, 2024, NOTE: This article represents the personal opinions of Brian Webster and not those of Salt Spring Island’s Local Community Commission (of which he is a member) or the Capital Regional District. By BRIAN WEBSTER It’s not new to see conflict between agriculture and neighbours who want a rural lifestyle without the sounds and smells of farming. It’s happened on Salt Spring Island before and in other B.C. communities. It seems everyone wants farmers to farm, but some want it to happen only if it doesn’t disturb their peace and quiet. Salt Spring is a rural community with a long history of farming. This is reflected in our official community plan, which recognizes “agriculture’s contribution to the island’s social, economic and environmental nature and appeal.” That plan’s objectives include retaining and building on the island’s agricultural base and supporting “farming as a social, cultural and economic priority.” Our OCP sets out a policy that “…

LCC Commissioner Report on Harbour Issues

In my role as Local Community Commissioner, I have prepared the following report to our LCC, which I will be presenting at our meeting on August 15: August 2024 Commissioner Report THE SALT SPRING ISLAND LCC AND BOAT-RELATED ISSUES NOTE This report reflects the views of its author, Brian Webster. Others who have participated in discussions of these issues, including the Electoral Area Director and the Salt Spring Island Senior Manager, may or may not share them. RELEVANCE OF THIS TOPIC TO THE LCC The LCC has authority over the Salt Spring Island Small Craft Harbour Facilities Service, which has a mandate of “establishing, acquiring and operating small craft harbour facilities to serve the residents of the Salt Spring Island electoral area.” Additionally, the LCC has authority over community parks on Salt Spring Island, including Centennial Park, Rotary Park and Ganges Harbour Community Park, all three of which are located on the Ganges waterfront and two o…

Lots to discuss at the next Local Community Commission Town Hall

On Thursday, October 12, Salt Spring’s Local Community Commissioners are welcoming island residents to another Local Community Commission (LCC) Town Hall. This time, it’s happening in the SIMS (former middle school) foyer from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. We’re hoping lots of Salt Springers will join us for an important discussion of our budgets and other matters within our areas of responsibility. At the meeting, Salt Spring’s five elected LCC members will report on work to date on our very challenging preliminary 2024 budget for LCC services and – most importantly – are hoping to hear your input. The LCC has already made some difficult budget decisions, such as putting off improvements to transit service and delaying a planned move back to seven-day-a-week Rainbow Pool operation. Both changes were to save money and reduce the property tax increase for Salt Spring. The LCC has also indicated that funded arts and library non-profits will receive a significantly lower funding increas…

Local Community Commission town hall an important community opportunity

On August 31, Salt Spring residents have a chance to help shape the future of the local government services that are the responsibility of our new Local Community Commission (LCC). That day, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lion’s Hall (103 Bonnet Ave.), Salt Spring’s five elected LCC members will gather with community members to hear residents’ priorities for the coming year. With 2024 budget decision-making about to begin, this is a chance to make your priorities known. The LCC is responsible for funding and/or directly delivering a wide range of local government services on Salt Spring. These include: Active transportation (including sidewalks and bike lanes) Advocacy (on everything from road speed limits to BC Ferry service and more) ArtSpring Community Arts Centre (funding of the Island Arts Centre Society) Bus shelters Centennial Park Economic sustainability (including climate change, local food security/accessibility and more) Grants-in-aid fu…

Opinion: Local Community Commission campaign culmination

I began writing about this campaign back in February, when our local newspaper ran an opinion piece that I wrote about the task ahead for the Local Community Commission (LCC). And I’ve kept doing so as I decided to put my name forward for one of the four commissioner spots due to be filled on May 27. I’ve been writing about the LCC because I really care about it. I started working toward this election back in 2017, when islanders voted again to remain an unincorporated community. I said many times during conversations about the referendum that – regardless of the outcome of that vote – there were ways we could significantly improve decision-making about local government services here on Salt Spring. For an unincorporated area, that’s what an LCC can provide. And in a few days, we will know who will be sitting in those commissioner chairs to start making that happen. Regardless of who gets elected on May 27, we will broaden elected representation, with our local government…

Opinion: How our new LCC could enhance Ganges

During the campaign to elect four new Local Community Commissioners for Salt Spring, a frequent topic of discussion has been the current condition of downtown Ganges. Some candidates have raised this as an issue without offering much in terms of solutions. And there’s barely been a mention of the positive things that have happened over the years, from the construction of sidewalks and pathways to Peace Park improvements and from the addition of transit to the construction of the library. Ganges is not all bad news, for sure. But, still, it’s understandable that candidates are focusing on what needs to be done, not just celebrating past successes. Are there things our LCC can do to help make Ganges a healthier ‘urban’ core? Definitely yes. But before we talk solutions, let’s get clear on the problems. The Challenges In my view, many of the challenges Ganges currently faces fall into five interconnected categories: incomplete or failing public facilities, lack of downtow…

Opinion: Top priorities for the Salt Spring Local Community Commission

Last week, I wrote about the pressing issue of housing for working people on Salt Spring. I suggested that this is a major issue in our community and requires attention by our new Local Community Commission (LCC) on a priority basis. However, housing isn’t the only important issue in our community, so this week, I want to cover some of the other topics that I believe will need LCC attention early on. Make Smart Decisions on Existing LCC Services The LCC has been delegated authority over 14 of the current CRD services on Salt Spring. This incudes 11 services where the LCC will make all administrative decisions – right up to, but not including final approval of regional district bylaws -- and another three ‘contributory services’ where the LCC will approve each annual budget subject to final sign-off by the CRD board. There are plenty of issues to consider with these services. Some of these issues cross many services and others are super-specific. Here are some of the is…

Opinion: Housing and Salt Spring's new Local Community Commission

As you consider your options in the upcoming Local Community Commission (LCC) election, you may be wondering why some of us are even talking about housing. After all, the 14 services over which the CRD has delegated responsibilities to the LCC do not include a housing service. But wait a minute: Salt Spring doesn’t even have its own local government housing service. Sure, there’s the Capital Region Housing Corporation, which has done some good work on Salt Spring. But it’s based in Victoria, manages a huge inventory of housing region-wide and simply isn’t equipped to focus a lot of attention on the specific challenges here on Salt Spring. The Housing Challenge What are those challenges? The recent Salt Spring Solutions report on housing describes these quite well. Simply put, there is (very) limited housing available on our island and even less that’s within the reach of non-wealthy working people. Many housing issues extend far beyond Salt Spring, but whether the prob…

Opinion: Getting Salt Spring’s new Local Community Commission off to a strong start

Salt Spring residents will have a new experience on May 27: electing four commissioners to service on our Local Community Commissioner. There are two big questions you might want to consider as you think about how (or even if) you are going to vote. Why Does It Matter? Even if you voted last October to create the LCC, you might be wondering how much it really matters who we elect. I often hear cynical Salt Springers say that things really don’t change no matter what we do. I’d like to suggest that it does matter and that things really can change. We just haven’t had the tools to bring about positive change until now. Our community has seen plenty of debate over how we should govern ourselves, but a lot less action to actually improve things. Enter the LCC. It isn’t going to be a super-charged fix-all for our community, but it is going to give us tools to respond better to the challenges we face. Whether you’re mostly concerned about the lack of affordable housing…

Brian Webster

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