SATURNA ISLAND PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

DATE HELD: Saturday, 28 May 2011

LOCATION: Saturna Island Rec Centre

Saturna, British Columbia

CALL TO ORDER: 11:06 am

Board Members Murray Rankin President

Present: Ron Monk Vice-President

Bernie Ziegler Past President

Susie Washington-Smyth

Bill Schermbrucker

Ron Hall

Regrets: Ellen Bourassa Treasurer

Susan Jamieson-McLarnon Correspondence Secretary

Bryan Dixon

1. CALL TO ORDER:

The meeting was called to order at 11:06 am. President, Murray Rankin, chaired the meeting, welcoming everyone to the Annual General Meeting of SIPOA and reviewed the agenda. A quorum of members was present.

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

MOVED (Ron Monk/Paul Brent) That the Agenda be approved as presented.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

3. PREVIOUS MINUTES:

MOVED (Susie Washington-Smyth/Ron Monk)

That the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of May 23, 2010 be approved.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

4. BUSINESS ARISING FROM MINUTES

There was no business arising from the previous minutes.

5. COMMITTEE REPORTS

5.1 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Please see Appendix One.

5.2 FINANCIAL REPORT

The Financial Report was presented by Susie Washington-Smyth in Ellen Bourassa’s absence. Please see Appendix Two.

5.3 REPORT ON PILTS:

Murray Rankin and Tom Johnstone reported on the ongoing dialogue regarding efforts by SIPOA to achieve a more equitable valuation of parklands subject to PILTS (Payment in Lieu of Taxes). Although 50% of the Saturna land base is in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Public Works Canada does the appraisal of these lands for the purpose of PILT payments. Parks Canada has been pressing Public Works Canada for a new appraisal of all Gulf Islands federal park reserve lands which suggests Parks is paying more attention to this issue. Our SIPOA representatives have been pressing this argument to provincial and federal agencies based on the principle of equity. Tom Johnstone responded to questions and provided clarification on this complex issue. Murray Rankin, SIPOA’s contact person for this file, will keep members informed of future developments.

5.4 ROADS:

Susie Washington-Smyth reported that Ministry of Transportation’s Mark Traverso (replacing Mr. Webb) is new to this portfolio. He seems more responsive to our issues and it is hoped that he will come over to Saturna in the next few weeks to actually see what we are dealing with regarding the condition of our roads. Susie also encouraged members to go to the BCAA website and cast a vote for BC’s worst roads, suggesting Harris Road as the road needing the most work on the island.

The Ministry of Transportation has given the go-ahead for a Car Stop program on Saturna. This is a joint project sponsored by SIPOA and the Saturna Community Club. They have applied for a grant from the CRD for pilot funding of 11 car stop signs. Not everyone is in support of the idea so the planning team has agreed that if it is not successful after a two-year trial, the signs will be removed. In all instances, there would be no obligation to offer a ride or to accept a ride. Pender and Mayne Islands have also printed “I give rides” signs which people may choose to put in their vehicle window, especially when travelling on the ferries.

5.5 WATER CONSERVATION:

Bill Schermbrucker reported on the full-day Groundwater Workshop held on May 7. His report is attached as Appendix 3. Full reports of the proceedings, facilitated by Ron Monk, have been posted on local bulletin boards as well as on the SIPOA website.

6. NEW BUSINESS:

6.1 WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Susie Washington –Smyth gave us a virtual tour of the new SIPOA website developed by Al Razutis. It is visually appealing, well-organized and designed to showcase Saturna Island, not just SIPOA. It does feature SIPOA membership information, minutes and reports as well as general Saturna Island information and provides many useful links. Photos were provided by Andrée Fredette and Ian Smyth Check it out at www.sipoa.ca Beautifully done!

6.2 NOMINATIONS TO THE BOARD

Nominations for directors of SIPOA closed on May 16, with no further nominees coming forward. Two new directors, approved by acclamation, will be Michael Fry of Boot Cove Road and Paul Brent of Winter Cove. Directors continuing for another term are Murray Rankin, Ellen Bourassa, Ron Monk, Ron Hall, Susie Washington-Smyth, Bill Schermbrucker, and Susan Jamieson-McLarnon. Leaving the board are Bernie Zeigler and Marilyn Sewell, with many thanks for their contributions.

6.3 MEMBERSHIP SURVEY

As noted in the President’s Report, the two main issues of concern to members relate to transportation, specifically ferry access to and from Saturna and the condition of our roads. Also of continuing concern is the PILTS issue, water conservation and access to health services through more consistent funding of the Saturna Medical Clinic. SIPOA will continue to pursue these issues on behalf of our members. A copy of the survey is attached to these minutes.

6.4 OTHER BUSINESS

a) When there is a prolonged power outage on the island, the Telus back-up battery system goes down at East Point This leaves many island residents without power or a means to communicate their needs for assistance. SIPOA wrote to Telus requesting this matter be addressed before next winter. Telus has offered to work together with SIPOA to lobby BC Hydro for enhanced service to our remote island. The letter is attached to these minutes.

b) The Health Services Committee, a subcommittee of the Community Club, struggles to maintain funding for this service on our island. SIPOA wrote to VIHA to request assistance in funding the clinic. We have recently received a letter suggesting VIHA may consider proving funding for rent of the clinic. Murray Rankin and Dawn Wood who is the Chair of the Health Committee will explore this issue with VIHA staff to try and identify additional funding options. The letter from VIHA is attached to these minutes.

c) Susan Jamieson-McLarnon has requested that all members be encouraged to write to BC Ferries regarding proposed fare increases. SIPOA will also send a strongly worded letter regarding the impact of fare increases and scheduling changes. Michel Bourassa is collecting specific personal anecdotes relating to specific effect of ferry cost increases. As one of our Ferry Liaison representatives, he will take these to the next meeting so members are encouraged to send him personal stories.

7. GUEST SPEAKER: SHEILA MALCOLMSON

Murray Rankin introduced Sheila Malcolmson, Islands Trust Council Chair, as our guest speaker. . Ms Malcolmson presented a brief history of land use from the time of the First Peoples through to more recent times. In the mid-1960’s land use planning was under the authority of Regional Districts, although at that time there was no plan specifically for the Gulf Islands. In 1977 land use planning for the islands was transferred to the Islands Trust. Since 1989 the Island Trust Act has had many updates. Our Local Trust Committees have the power and authority to plan and regulate land use through Official Community Plans, which the regional district (in our case CRD) then carries out. The goals of the islands Trust, adopted in 1994, are to preserve and protect ecosystems, stewardship of resources and developing/supporting healthy sustainable communities.

This is a very abridged summary. Ms Malcolmson indicated that she would send her Powerpoint presentation notes to SIPOA so they could be posted on the new website. Her closing quote was “In the end our society will be defined not only by what we create but what we refuse to destroy.” Lively discussion, with questions and answers, followed. This included opportunities for comments and responses from our Island Trust Committee representatives, Beverley Neff and Dian Johnstone.

8. ADJOURNMENT

MOVED (Carol Money)

There being no further business the meeting be adjourned at 1:15 p.m.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

 

___________________________ ___________________________

Murray Rankin Bev Lowsley

President Recording Secretary

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APPENDIX ONE

 

President’s Report

May 28, 2011 AGM

The last year has been another exceptionally productive one for SIPOA. We've been fortunate to continue to have a very talented Board of Directors, drawn from most corners of Saturna. We are also pleased that we will have an orderly transition at this Annual General Meeting, in keeping with our strong tradition in this regard.

Once again we have conducted a survey of our members, details of which will be discussed at this meeting. However based on the survey, we can confidently report that we continue to pursue the priorities identified by our members.

Addressing certain issues such as the state of our roads, continues to take a great deal of our time. On May 24, Susie Washington-Smyth, Marles Petura (president of the Saturna Beach Strata Corporation) and I met in Victoria with key representatives of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. We emphasized the pressing need for the Ministry to insist on compliance by the local contractor, Mainroads, with its agreement with the Ministry. We are somewhat hopeful that we might finally be able to claim victory in this protracted exercise, given the recent appointment of a new operations manager, Mr. Mark Traverso. As someone who is new to the file, he may be able to bring a fresh perspective. At our meeting, he agreed to come over to Saturna and see firsthand the problems with our roads, particularly portions of East Point Rd. and Harris Road.

Speaking of roads, along with the Saturna Community Club and the Lions Club, SIPOA has made some efforts over the past year to provide Saturna with a version of the "Car Stop" program that has been so successfully implemented on other Gulf Islands. We have applied for a very small grant from the Capital Regional District ($1500) for us to experiment with this idea for a two-year period and believe that the Ministry of Transportation will endorse the proposed locations. If the Car Stop program does not prove successful within a two-year trial period, then it will not be continued. If it does, we will seek to expand it with two additional stops, budget permitting.

The issue of Payments in lieu of Taxes (PILT) continues to be a complex one. Thanks to the assistance of Tom Johnstone, we have continued to press for the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve to pay its fair share of taxes on this island. If our arguments are successful and the BC Surveyor of Taxes prevails, then the amount of money that would be paid to the Province for property taxes should be decreased. While this may not have an immediate or huge effect on the property taxes that Saturna property owners must pay, it will certainly have some such effect and, perhaps of equal importance, we will have established the principle that the National Park Reserve should pay its fair share.

Another important priority that was identified by our members is water. One of our directors, Ron Monk, facilitated a highly successful workshop on groundwater held on May 7, which was sponsored by the Islands Trust. We will continue to work with our partners to assist in securing a sustainable supply of water, particularly for East Point.

We are pleased that Sheila Malcolmson, Chair of the Islands Trust Council will be addressing our Annual General Meeting this year. As members will be aware, over this past year, we have examined levels of taxation and related financial issues involving the Islands Trust.

This year marks the introduction of a new SIPOA website: www.sipoa.ca.

An enormous debt of gratitude is owed to Al Razutis! He has done an enormous amount of work in producing a first class website. We are very grateful to all who participated but particularly to Al for his leadership. SIPOA has truly arrived now that we have a website!

As I mentioned at the outset, Board renewal is also a matter of some pride. This year, nominations for directors closed on May 16; no additional nominees emerged from cyberspace, telephone or mail. Therefore we can identify the following two directors who have been acclaimed: Michael Fry who lives on Boot Cove Road and Paul Brent of Winter Cove. With the able assistance of our directors, I look forward to another productive year!

Murray Rankin
 

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APPENDIX TWO

SIPOA AGM

May 28, 2011

Treasurer’s Report

A. Financial Report

Date	Balance Fwd.	Expenditures	Revenue (membership dues)	Revenue (bank Interest)	Balance
30-Apr-11	6,751.36
28-May-11		2408.36	1,410.27	6.93	5,760.20

Expenditures Details

Expenditure Category	Amount
Postage/advertising	171.67
Stationary/copying	95.69
Secretarial services	269.80
Meeting expenses	81.44
Filing Annual Report	56.26
Website development	1,433.50
Low-flow toilet rebates	300.00
Total Expenditures	2408.36

B. Membership Report

Membership Total: 209

Members in Arrears on dues: 27

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APPENDIX THREE

Saturna Island Property Owners’ Association

Report to the AGM on the Islands Trust’s Groundwater Workshop

On 7 May 2011, the Islands Trust, through the good offices of our local Trustees Beverley Neff and Dian Johnstone, Chair Peter Luckham and Planner Gary Richardson, held a day-long workshop on groundwater issues, with a focus on East Point including a panel of specialist hydro-geological guest speakers Diana Allen, Pat Lapcevic and Michael Payne, government officials, and the chair of the Saturna Water Conservation Committee, Janet Land. Mary Cooper of Mayne Island Integrated Water Systems Society was ill and couldn’t attend, but sent detailed notes which are appended to Ron Monk’s report. Ron Monk was hired to facilitate the event, and his informal professional report is available on the Trust’s website as well as on the SIPOA group forum; so is secretary Jenna Foster’s report of the proceedings. I urge you to read these reports.

The workshop was well attended by some 70 members of the public, one and a half times what the planners had expected. So lunch became a problem, which was solved in typical Saturna fashion by people taking less and Hubertus and his crew hustling to make more egg sandwiches.

The morning session consisted of individual and panel presentations by the experts, followed by questions and answers from the public. The purpose of the workshop was to arrive at a clear common definition of the problem we face, and to identify the next steps towards a solution.

The afternoon session saw the attendees breaking into five smaller groups to discuss the same focal questions: 1) What is the problem? 2) What are the next steps to address the problem (or problems)? Each group then reported back to the whole, and these reports are summarised in both of the reports mentioned earlier.

Simply put, the problem is defined: Too many wells are pumping too much out of the lens of fresh water available, especially at East Point, causing salt water intrusion. The situation will only get worse as the 53 undeveloped sites in the area are built on.

The solution is the same as that faced by the shortage of lunch at the workshop: take less and get Hubertus to make more. Translating the metaphor, that means pump less groundwater and supply more fresh water by other means. How to accomplish that in practical terms it is premature to say, but this is clear: the solution must come from the bottom up, not the top down. If the residents of East Point particularly are able to take the advice of the facilitator and act now in a collective manner to solve the problem, the Islands Trust will assist and/or step aside and let them implement their solutions. Ken Hancock of the CRD also said it will continue in a regulatory role. To quote Ron Monk: “Now is the time. Solutions will likely be multi-pronged, and endeavours such as Jude White’s e-mail regarding the Rainwater Catchment Collective is the type of initiative that could form a part of a larger plan” (See June 2011 Scribbler p.19). What that larger plan might consist of, we don’t yet know, but several people have ideas, and further discussions are needed.

The atmosphere of the workshop was friendly and cooperative throughout the day, which is a hopeful sign for the future. Instruments of communication and sharing of information including the Scribbler and the SIPOA group forum and new website were identified as having important parts to play in this collective process.

Bill Schermbrucker. SIPOA Board Member, 28 May 2011