District of Squamish staff will have to come up with a few more answers before getting approval for $2.1 million from the 2010 budget for landfill expansion, as recommended to council during the Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday (Oct. 13).
It was not what manager of operations Gord Prescott had hoped for.
"I'm hoping this is the last time we come forward with this," he said before giving the platform to consultant Tony Sperling of Sperling Hansen Associates.
Sperling provided council with four landfill expansion options - each with associated cost, tipping fees and lifespan - before recommending a vertical expansion, which would result in capacity at 2018 or 2025, depending on whether the facility remains local only or goes regional.
"The District of Squamish must authorize this work quickly and budget for this project in 2010 if it is to realize the benefits of a secure long term waste disposal site," stated Sperling's report.
All agreed expanding vertically would be the best solution.
Coun. Patricia Heintzman moved to approve the recommendation, acknowledging that although the project is "just a band aid solution," but the leachate currently contaminating the site must be stopped.
Coun. Rob Kirkham agreed the environmental impact of leaching must be addressed quickly, and said with the numerous ways to reduce landfill intake, such as recycling, once 2025 arrives, the landfill's lifespan could easily continue.
However questions over funding sources stalled approval.
Coun. Paul Lalli suggested landfill closure reserve funds could partially pay for the work - a thought that had not occurred to Sperling.
"That's thinking outside the box," he said. "It could be argued that the work has something to do with closures. It bears explanation."
Kirkham questioned the request for $2.1 million in the 2010 budget since as much as $975,000 was allotted to the project in the 2009 budget, but was never used.
Last week, $775,000 was handed to the Kingswood highway overpass project, further obscuring the 2009 sum.
Kirkham also pointed out that the 2009 budget showed the project needed $1.95 million for 2010 and 400,000 for 2011, totalling $3.3 million for the project.
"I'm very confused," he said, a sentiment echoed by Coun. Corinne Lonsdale.
Sperling explained the $2.1 million was simply for the first phase of the project, sending more confusion through the room.
Financial director Ralph Hughes was asked to approach with some guidance, and agreed further clarification on how to fund the project, how much is needed from the 2010 budget, and the entire cost of the capital projected was warranted.
Council unanimously agreed to direct staff for further information.
Bear Aware funding on the rocks
Council for the District of Squamish unanimously agreed they want to support an initiative to become a Bear Smart community, but they stopped short at committing to pay for the local Bear Aware co-ordinator's salary.
Bear Aware co-ordinator Meg Toom provided council with a bear hazard assessment and conflict prevention plan for approval Tuesday (Oct. 13) with recommendation for the last few steps to becoming a Bear Smart community.
"I'd like for us to be the first Bear Smart community in the province," she said. "It would be a great feather in our cap."
The dense document detailed plans that began in 2006, many of have been completed, said Toom, adding most of the rest "don't require a huge amount of budgeting."
However Lonsdale pointed to one among the extensive list of recommendations that concerned her.
"The current level of community public education should be continued, particularly through extending the Bear Aware Program and its co-ordinator position," it stated.
Lonsdale said with recent provincial cuts to Bear Aware programs, and that could mean taking on the entire cost of the co-ordinator's salary.
"That's major funding," said Lonsdale.
Toom said funding is still in place through the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF), her provincial supervisor was looking into additional funding, and she herself was seeking funding from organizations such as VANOC and the Squamish Nation, among others.
Toom said Bear Aware efforts have been extremely successful in Squamish, comparing last year's September bear call count of 107 versus this year's count of 21.
Bear proof bins were among the measures that have improved bear human conflict.
She said eight bears were destroyed this year compared to 11 last year. Four of this year's bear deaths can be attributed to impacts by vehicles, she said.
And despite imploring the highway improvement project to do so, "we don't even have signage that there's wildlife on the road," she said. "We have fish, we have fruit trees. They're always going to be here."
Council unanimously approved a motion to support the document and recommendations "subject to funding."
"I guess I'll dust off my resume," said Toom.
RGS still debated
A new Regional Growth Strategy document reflecting Squamish council's own careful wording still got lukewarm reception from at least on member of council, creating frustration among others, such as Gardner who had viewed the approval process as "redundant."
Kirkham echoed the frustration.
"We've gone all the way down the road, now it's just a matter of saying 'yes' to what we said we wanted."
The document would legislate a consistency with land use among all municipalities in the Squamish Lilloeet Regional District (SLRD). However Lonsdale was not keen on the use of "municipalities" since that does not apply to electoral districts.
She said she knew electoral area directors have concerns with the document and were meeting the same day (Tuesday, Oct. 13) to discuss it.
Lonsdale was also concerned about the powers the RGS would put in the hands of the SLRD when it comes to Squamish land use decisions, pointing to the proposed Paradise Valley Trails stables and residential project.
Planning director Cameron Chalmers said the SLRD input would be part of a package that would also include consultation with all other stakeholders.
Lalli said his concerns over loss of power over land use autonomy have been answered, but down the road, conflict could occur since the RGS could have "big time" impact on local First Nations.
"We want to keep good relations with them," he said.
Gardner said the vote was simply endorsing what council had already agreed to, and requested a motion to support the staff recommendation. Council supported it unanimously.
