June 2018 Newsletter

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us. In that time Positively Forward has been meeting regularly, our working groups have been working away, and we’ve engaged in a number of outreach activities.

We’ve also adopted a new mission statement:
To undertake research and advocacy that advance improved governance on Salt Spring Island and uphold the separation of land use planning authority of the Islands Trust from the delivery of other services.

Summary of Positively Forward Activity

Several Positively Forward representatives spoke at the Trust Planning Committee meeting and Town Hall in Ganges on April 16. We made three key requests of the Committee and were encouraged to hear their support for all items:

1. The Committee agreed to defer any report to Trust Council until after public input from Salt Spring has been fully considered.
2. The object of the Trust will always be respected and the fundamental separation of authority between land-use planning by the Trust and other community services provided by the Regional District will continue to be maintained.
3. There is need for clear definitions to determine the scope and nature of the services to be considered.

We sent a letter of appreciation to the Committee on April 23

Since raising the option of having four trustees from Salt Spring at Trust Council, Positively Forward has decided that this would be more productively examined within the broader context of Salt Spring governance. Should it become an election issue, PF will continue to pursue the initiative post-election. In any case, the provincial government is on record as saying that Trust Act amendments will not be a priority this term.

Positively Forward also sent a letter to CRD Director McIntyre on April 22 emphasizing the importance of community engagement as part of the process of considering basic changes to CRD service delivery on Salt Spring Island.

Trust Council: Proposed Amendments to Islands Trust Act

Trust Council initiated a process for considering potential amendments to the Islands Trust Act in December, 2016.  In December, 2017 Council was provided with a long list for review, including administrative as well as substantial topics.

Following a Trustee workshop session at the March, 2018 Trust Council meeting, it was agreed:

1. That staff prepare a short list of legislative amendments for the June 2018 Trust Council meeting and that a working session be scheduled to develop a prioritized list of potential amendments;
2. That a public engagement plan regarding legislative change be developed and presented to Trust Council.

There is no information yet on the “short list” or the “public engagement plan”.

After many years of trying to change the name of the Islands Trust Fund to the Islands Trust Conservancy, success is imminent. On April 23, legislation that included this change received approval and awaits final consent to bring it into effect.

A recent staff analysis recommended support for only nine other amendments, under the three themes of  Enforcement and Administration, Modernization, and Advancing the Mission of the Trust.

Authority for any provincial legislative amendments clearly rests with the BC Government and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has been consulted by the Trust. As a result, significant changes to the Act are considered unlikely for some time but the Trust appears to have support for developing a prioritized list of amendments with Ministry staff.

Currently, the Trust is also reviewing its key policy document, the Trust Policy Statement, and there might be some additional legislative amendments arising from that review.

Positively Forward will continue to monitor progress by the Trust and provide comments when appropriate.

CRD Service Delivery Working Group Report

Work is continuing on a report about problems with CRD service delivery on Salt Spring Island, what has worked, and strategies for improvement. The report is based on interviews with over 30 persons including selected past and present CRD commissioners, past and present CRD directors, past and present CRD Staff and others. A draft is now undergoing internal review.

Candidate Search Committee Report

The three-member Search Committee has been busy for the past six months talking to dozens of islanders about key governance issues within the context of our next local elections which take place in October. These conversations have revealed a strong revival of interest in local governance as a consequence of last year’s referendum on incorporation.

A big part of the committee’s remit was to identify potential candidates for the Islands Trust and CRD.  So far, what has been demonstrated is that while there are many passionate people committed to the vision of the Islands Trust and to enhancing  local governance, very few are able to take on the commitment of an election campaign, or serve as elected officials.

Positively Forward has no plans to publicly endorse specific candidates. It may, however, offer help and support  to those candidates whose platforms align with the values and objectives of Positively Forward.

Website

A Positively Forward website is in the works. We will let you know as soon as it is up and running.