On Monday Feb 27th, NWP Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas – along with their Community First colleagues – participated in a workshop to discuss the City of New Westminster’s 2023 capital budget. These workshops are a more informal opportunity for Council to have discussions and bring forward ideas, concepts and directives for city staff.
During the workshop Fontaine and Minhas brought forward a motion to re-allocate funding from within the existing draft capital budget. They also provided direction to staff regarding how we should be investing what may be up to $15M in new funds we will be receiving from the Province of BC in the coming weeks through the Growing Communities Fund.
Summary of the NWP motion:
- $2.5M in long overdue funding to repave roads in disrepair and to construct new and fix existing broken sidewalks
- $2M to build a new turf field at Ryall Park in Queensborough
- $85K for new signage to help promote our local artists and art/cultural gathering places
- $125K for new digital signage for Anvil Center to help market and promote the various events that take place
- $250K to conduct a thorough analysis of the New Westminster Utility
- $25K to begin the planning process to re-establish a permanent recycling depot within our boundaries
- $500K to install new electrical outlets near the River Market, on Columbia Street and at the Hyack Square stage
- $50K for new bus shelters in green canopy deficient and high transit use neighbourhoods
- $50K for the Fraser River Discovery Center to undertake a community consultation regarding establishing new moorage on our waterfront for recreational boaters and tourists
- Invest $2.5M in 2023 to stop train whistle noise Sapperton and Queensborough (current capital plan has only a portion of those funds allocated in 2027 – the year after the next civic election)
“We felt it was important for Council to send a clear direction to staff as to what citizens and local business owners are telling us they’d like to include in the final budget before it is approved this spring,” says Fontaine. “It was disappointing that my motion was barely on the table for debate before it was quickly shut down.”
Fontaine introduced the motion and was anticipating feedback from his colleagues regarding the merits of the proposed expenditures. Only two Community First councillors were allowed to speak before Community First Councillor Ruby Campbell said “call the question”.
Calling the question is an administrative procedure commonly used to limit and/or end debate – but it is best practice to only allow this AFTER there has been ample time for elected officials to weigh in on the matter. The motion to ‘call the question” was supported by a majority of Community First councillors – therefore debate was shut down without all of the city councillors being allowed to speak even once.
Once the debate on the budget motion had been abruptly shut down, Community First quickly voted 5-2 to defeat the budget motion which included all of the spending items listed above.
“I can’t express in words how concerning it was to bring up ideas in a workshop only to be unceremoniously shut down without even having an opportunity to speak,” says Minhas. “Community First talks a good talk about wanting to be collaborative, but they have an interesting way of showing it.”
Both the operating and capital budgets will receive final approval later this year and all members of Council will have one additional opportunity to amend those documents.
As for the new $15M Growing Communities Fund, it is yet to be determined what Community First representatives have in mind for those funds. If you want to watch the debate online, you can click on this link and go to minute 1:41:10.
If you want to read a story about this in the Record newspaper, click here. Or you can read all about the recent council meeting in the Anchor here.
COMING SOON…we’ll be posting a more in-depth look at what’s being proposed in the draft 2023 capital budget which includes $500,000+ dollars to hire consultants and replace the popular Queen’s Park Petting Zoo. Stay tuned.
Copy of NWP Budget Motion:
BE IT RESOLVED that subject to the City receiving its estimated per capita share of the new Growing Communities Fund which can be reflected in the final 2023-2027 Capital Budget, staff be directed to integrate the following investments:
“Discover the Fraser” Initiative: Allocate up to $50,000 from the 2023 capital plan to the Fraser River Discovery Center to lead a stakeholder engagement process with the Vancouver Port Authority, Indigenous people, residents, local businesses, Tourism New Westminster and other key stakeholders to assess the true potential and possible access points for new pleasure craft moorage within the City of New Westminster. The FRDC will be requested to draft and submit a final report on their findings to the City of New Westminster for consideration by no later than the spring 2024.
Turf Field: Allocate up to $2M to add one additional turf field installation into the 2023-27 capital plan which will then provide for the installation of two new turf fields within the next four years.
Road Paving and Sidewalk Repair: Allocate up to $2.5M for identified and long-overdue street re-paving and sidewalk repair/enhancement projects. A particular focus will be given to projects which will immediately increase pedestrian safety in identified high risk areas.
Local Artists Wayfinding: Allocate up to $85K to support the installation of new wayfinding signage directing citizens and tourists to our key public and privately-owned arts facilities/galleries such as the Anvil Center, Massey Theater and Bernie Legge Theatre.
City-owned Recycling Depot: Allocate up to $25K to conduct a feasibility study to re-establish a permanent recycling depot within the boundaries of our city by 2026.
Anvil Center Outdoor Digital Signage: Allocate up to $125,000 for the purchase and installation of new outdoor digital signage either on and/or directly adjacent to the Anvil Center to help promote and market current and future scheduled activities.
New West Utilities Infrastructure 25 Year Current and Future Needs Assessment: Allocate up to $250,000 to conduct a thorough assessment of our current and future needs as they pertain to our New West Electrical Utility. The study will mirror a similar 25-year analysis conducted by the Penticton Electrical Utility.
Electrification of Hyack Square, Columbia Street (downtown) and Quayside Boardwalk to support festivals and street activation: Allocate up to $500,000 to install new electrical outlets in key areas along Columbia Street (downtown), Hyack Square stage and Quayside | River Market area. These outlets will reduce the need for fossil-fuel generators required during various festivals and street, boardwalk activities. They will also support more eco-friendly street food carts and activities.
Bus Shelter Installation in Green Canopy Deficient and Transit Oriented Neighbourhoods: Allocate up to $50,000 for the installation of new bus shelters to provide shade and protection from the elements for transit users. A focus will be placed on using these funds to install shelters in neighbourhoods that have an identified deficiency in green canopy and are higher than average transit users