News Release
Next Stage of Water Meter Installation Program to Begin
March 13, 2024
After a very successful first few months of installations, the water meter program for the District of Sechelt will continue later this month.
Staff from the contractor installing the meters, Neptune, have been in the Region since October focusing on a retrofit and replacement program for existing meters. Over 660 meters were part of this program.
Later this month, Neptune, with support from SCRD utility services staff will begin work on installing over 4,100 meters in the District of Sechelt.
Where will residential installations begin?
At this time, the plan is to move from West to East, beginning with meter installations in West Sechelt, up the west side of Porpoise Bay, through to Downtown Sechelt, up the east side of Porpoise Bay and ending in the Davis Bay / Wilson Creek area.
The entire project is anticipated to be completed by 2026.
SCRD utility crews are currently working in neighbourhoods in the District of Sechelt, locating water services for homes to help expedite installations. If you know the location of your water service, please let crews know if you see them working in your area.
Meter installation
Prior to installations taking place, residents will receive a letter which will provide information on the water meter program. This will be followed by a door tag which will be left at your home three days before Neptune technicians arrive to complete the meter installation.
Most meter installs only take one-hour and are done with little disruption to the homeowner and areas around your home.
More information
Further information on the water meter program will be provided as installations take place.
You can learn more about the water meter program and ask questions at any time at https://letstalk.scrd.ca/water-metering.
Disposing of Food Waste in SCRD Parks is Now Much Easier
March 5, 2024
If you are out for a walk in a park or attending an event at a community hall, you may see one of the new food waste containers pictured below.
To encourage waste reduction and diversion and in support of the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) Organics Diversion Strategy, which includes a disposal ban for food waste, the SCRD is installing food waste containers at several parks and community halls.
Food waste accounts for approximately 35% of household garbage found in the Sechelt Landfill. Diverting food from the landfill will help extend the life of the landfill which at our current rate of disposal, is scheduled to close in 2026.
Food waste and food soiled paper collected from park and community hall containers will be processed by our region’s food waste processor into compost, a beneficial resource.
SCRD park visitors are asked to “leave no trace” and not throw food waste in the garbage bins or on the ground. ‘Natural’ food items will not decompose quickly.
When visiting SCRD parks and trails that do not have a bear-proof food waste containers, the SCRD asks that visitors pack out food waste.
Looking for tips on how to reduce food waste? Visit: www.scrd.ca/reduce-food-waste.
The SCRD manages and maintains a variety of parks, trails, beach accesses, playgrounds, sports fields and bicycle/walking paths, find out more at www.scrd.ca/parks.
SCRD to Address Fire Flow Issue in Water Systems
February 27, 2024
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is moving forward with an action plan to address deficiencies in SCRD water systems concerning fire flow standards. This follows a presentation to the SCRD’s Committee of the Whole last Thursday which provided further insight into the issue. You can view the presentation via this document or here on YouTube.
Background
For the past year, the SCRD has undertaken water modelling as part of the update to the SCRD’s Water Master Plans. Water modelling helps the SCRD gain further insight into the water systems’ performance. Water models and the associated analysis are used to inform decision making processes in areas such as planning and development. The water model can be used to assess potential impacts from population growth, changes in water use by the community and to ensure adequate water is available to fight fires.
This water modelling has shown that upgrades are necessary within some SCRD water systems to ensure adequate water is available for fire flow. Fire flow is defined as water flow (calculated in litres per second) that should be available for firefighting purposes, usually from a fire hydrant.
When defining fire flow, more extreme scenarios are used. For example, required fire flow on the Sunshine Coast would be defined as the amount of water available from a fire hydrant in a community using a large amount of water during a warm summers day, at a time when stringent water conservation regulations are not in place.
There is no immediate concern around fire flow outside of these scenarios but with warmer, drier weather being experienced on the Sunshine Coast, the SCRD must plan for such scenarios. The modelling presented during last week’s meeting provided a forecast into the mid-2040’s. This showed that without investment, increasing fire flow deficiencies will be experienced in SCRD water systems.
The plan
To address fire flow concerns, the SCRD Board has approved budget for a Fire Flow Action Plan (FFAP). The FFAP will outline strategic actions to tackle fire flow concerns. As fire flow will impact areas of potential development, the SCRD will work to align the plan with renewals currently underway of Official Community Plans for the SCRD and the District of Sechelt.
A map showing information on fire flows in the Region can be viewed in the February 8, Committee of the Whole report here.
It is important to note that there are no changes to how fire flow will be provided should there be a fire within an SCRD water service area on the Sunshine Coast. Fire departments on the Sunshine Coast have plans in place to deal with situations when lower fire flow pressure may be available.
The SCRD remains dedicated to working collaboratively with the community, development partners, other local governments, and first responders to address concerns and ensure the continued safety and well-being of our residents.
SCRD Budget Adoption this Week
February 21, 2024
Later this week, the Sunshine Regional District (SCRD) Board will consider adoption of the 2024 budget. This year’s budget includes 101 new projects and 151 projects which are carried forward from prior years. Many of these projects are aligned with the SCRD Board’s two Strategic Plan focus areas of water stewardship and solid waste solutions.
This year, the SCRD’s budget process involved three public meetings.
- Round one budget meetings. At this meeting new budget proposals were brought forward to the SCRD Board. The SCRD Board also contemplated projects that are yet to be completed from prior years (known as carry forward projects) so that they can factor workload on staff into their decision making. The SCRD Board also received presentations from community partners for service supported by the SCRD. During this meeting, budget proposals are either deferred to another year, denied or moved ahead to round two budget discussions.
- Round two budget meetings. Budget proposals that were not fully approved at round one were brought forward and a final decision made as to whether or not they are to be incorporated into the financial plan for the upcoming year. Projected implications for taxation were again presented to the Board.
- Adoption of financial plan. Following budget meetings, the financial plan – incorporating all projects and initiatives that have been moved through and discussed at the budget meetings is adopted by the SCRD Board. The budget adoption is due to take place on February 22, 2024.
Community consultation took place throughout the budget process with virtual information sessions, a Lets Talk Budget webpage and news releases.
Several projects are moving forward for adoption in this year’s budget. They include:
Solid Waste – SCRD staff have identified an opportunity to increase the lifespan of the Sechelt Landfill by relocating the contact water pond, which manages storm water that comes into contact with solid waste. An options analysis and conceptual design were completed in 2023, with detailed design and regulatory approvals in progress. This project is expected to extend landfill life by approximately four years until mid to late 2030 at less than half the cost of exporting waste. This project will be funded through a provincial grant, offsetting the tax impact.
Recreation – In 2024, a thorough needs assessment will be conducted for recreation in the Region. This process will include community engagement to help inform the future of recreation services on the Sunshine Coast.
Parks – To ensure the long-term health and resilience of Cliff Gilker sports field turf, in 2024, staff will engage professionals to connect a field irrigation system to an onsite well. This will ensure that irrigation is available for the field and that potable water is utilized for the community. This project will be funded through a grant.
Ports: Additional funds have been committed to fund repairs and capital improvements to five of the docks that serve Gambier and Keats Island. Most of these will be funded through grants to offset the tax burden to residents.
Transit: The SCRD Board has moved forward with increasing transit service for main routes starting in late 2024 as well as a plan which would allow for free access to transit for youth.
Water – Several water projects have been included for the North and South Pender and Regional Water Service. These projects focus on increasing supply, and ongoing maintenance of the aging water system. Projects include continued exploration of groundwater sources, work on a raw water reservoir, rehabilitation of watermains and maintenance of the Chapman Water Treatment Plant.
Staffing – Several staff positions are moving forward to budget adoption. Among these are more resources for the SCRD’s planning department which will allow for more capacity for front counter service and to work on applications.
Preliminary Property Tax Rates
After Round Two Budget, the following are the preliminary average SCRD tax rates by area per $100,000 of assessed value of homes.
The figures below are not final and only cover the SCRD portion of your tax bill. More detailed information on each of the taxation areas below will be available in the updated SCRD Financial Plan prior to adoption of the budget.
Calculating the preliminary SCRD portion of your tax bill
You can calculate the preliminary 2024 SCRD portion of your tax bill in three steps:
- Take the assessed value of your home which can be found here at BC Assessment.
- Divide the assessed value of your home by $100,000.
- Multiply that figure by the 2024 preliminary amounts outlined above based off of your Electoral Area or Municipality.
For example: If your home is worth $800,000 and the preliminary 2024 SCRD tax rate is $200 then the SCRD portion of your tax bill would be 8 x $200 = $1600.
Stay up to date with the budget, watch information sessions that were held in January and ask questions at any time at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget.
Budget adoption will be considered during the SCRD Board meeting on Thursday, February 22. The meeting agenda and information on how to join can be found at www.scrd.ca/agendas.
Who does what on the Sunshine Coast?
January 25, 2024
Every day, staff at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) receive questions and requests about services that the SCRD is not responsible for.
We get it. It can be confusing. For example, if you live in Sechelt you receive your curbside collection service from the District of Sechelt, your water from the SCRD and if you are driving on the highway and spot an issue, you need to contact the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Equally in the rural areas, the services you receive differ based on which area you are living in.
To help the community better understand who they receive certain services such as water, solid waste and roads from, the SCRD has developed two resources.
The first is a handout that explains services the SCRD provides versus other governments on the Sunshine Coast. This handout, which includes contact information for SCRD departments can be found here. This handout will also be made available at front counter in the SCRD’s main administration office on Field Road.
The second resource is map based, and allows residents to search their address to find out who is providing services to them. The ‘Who you gonna call’ map outlines the main services provided by local governments and the Provincial Government on the Sunshine Coast. The map can be found here and linked at www.scrd.ca/contact-us. Just type in your address to find out who provides services to your home.
Both resources will constantly be finetuned as the SCRD receives more information and input.
If you search your address and spot any information that does not appear to be accurate, please reach out to the SCRD’s mapping department at mapping@scrd.ca
Join a Budget Information Session Next Week
January 18, 2024
Ahead of Round 2 Budget Discussions, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) will host two virtual budget information sessions next week.
During these sessions, staff will provide an overview of projects being considered for 2024 and information on where tax dollars will be spent in the coming year. There will also be lots of time for questions.
Joining the session
Information on how to join the sessions can be found below.
Information Session #1 – Monday, January 22 at 6 p.m.
Click here to join on Zoom.
Information Session #2 – Wednesday, January 24 at 6 p.m.
Click here to join on Zoom.
Both sessions will also be streamed on the SCRD’s YouTube channel.
Let’s Talk Budget
Ask questions ahead of time and learn more about this year’s budget on our community information space at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget.
Round 2 Budget discussions take place on February 5, 2024.
Weather Impacted SCRD Services – Afternoon Update
January 17, 2024
Snowfall in the region is continuing to cause disruption to SCRD services. An updated list of affected services can be found below.
Closed
Field Road Main Administration Building
Sechelt Landfill
Pender Harbour Transfer Station
All SCRD recreation facilities (Gibsons and Area Community Centre, Gibsons Pool, Sechelt Pool, Sunshine Coast Arena, Pender Harbour Pool)
Cancelled
There is no Cursbide Collection service today for the Halfmoon Bay (green and pink) service area. All bins not collected this week will be collected next week along with what is already scheduled for next week. Stay up to date with curbside service alerts. Sign up today at www.scrd.ca/curbside-schedule.
Disrupted
Due to snow accumulation, there are disruptions to Transit service. BC Transit’s Alert platform has been experiencing technical issues through the day. The SCRD is working to update the SCRD Facebook Page with the latest Transit information.
Roads
For questions about snow removal, please contact Capilano Highways at 604-983-2411 or email info@capilanohighways.ca
Parks
There are several updates on parks, sports fields and Dakota Ridge. These will be updated at www.scrd.ca/service-alerts.
Stay tuned to the SCRD on Facebook and the SCRD website for further updates for the rest of today and tomorrow morning.
Weather Impacted SCRD Services – Morning Update
January 17, 2024
Snowfall in the region has caused disruption to several SCRD services today. These service alerts have been shared on the SCRD’s Facebook Page and website through the morning. A list of affected services can be found below.
Closed
Field Road Main Administration Building
Sechelt Landfill
Pender Harbour Transfer Station
Closed for now
All SCRD recreation facilities. An update on whether these facilities may open later today will be provided by 3 p.m.
Cancelled
There is no Cursbide Collection service today for the Halfmoon Bay (green and pink) service area. All bins not collected this week will be collected next week along with what is already scheduled for next week. Stay up to date with curbside service alerts. Sign up today at www.scrd.ca/curbside-schedule.
Rescheduled
Tomorrow’s Regional Hospital District Meeting has been rescheduled to January 25th, 2024 at 9 a.m. The Electoral Area Services committee meeting will proceed as scheduled.
Disrupted
Due to snow accumulation, there are disruptions to Transit service. The best way to stay up to date on these disruptions is by signing up for Transit alerts or checking the Transit alerts page that can be found linked here.
Roads
For questions about snow removal, please contact Capilano Highways at 604-983-2411 or email info@capilanohighways.ca
Parks
There are several updates on parks, sports fields and Dakota Ridge. These are being updated at www.scrd.ca/service-alerts.
Stay tuned to the SCRD on Facebook and the SCRD website for further updates through the day.
Delayed Opening for SCRD Facilities Due to Expected Snow
January 16, 2024
A special weather statement for the Sunshine Coast is calling for snow, potentially up 20 cm in the region tomorrow, Wednesday January 17.
As a result of this information, there will be delayed openings for all SCRD recreation facilities, the Sechelt Landfill and the Pender Harbour Transfer Station. An update on potential opening times for these facilities will be provided before 10 a.m.
There may also be delays to curbside collection through the day so please stay tuned to the SCRD website and Facebook for updates.
Contact Us
Aidan Buckley
Manager, Communications and Engagement
Phone: 604-885-6800 Ext. 6123
Cellular: 604-885-8052
Email: aidan.buckley@scrd.ca