Jon Lavoie - Memorial Park overlooking the museum and train in the am.jpg

PLATFORM

Residents of White Rock deserve and want a high quality of life and assurance that the city is moving and working for them. Promises made – promises kept.

Municipal Governance

Good governance is guided by the principles of integrity, accountability, transparency, stewardship, and leadership.

Current Situation:

Lack of cooperation and information flow between City Council and city staff.
Council’s ability to guide our city’s direction is diminished by a lack of information.

My Plan as Mayor:

Implement and publish department-level Annual Work Plans requiring approval by City Council.
Increase City Council oversight by amending existing bylaws.
Review and optimize business processes to improve city services.
Create a volunteer program for our knowledgeable and experienced seniors to assist overworked city staff.

Fiscal Responsibility

I believe municipal financial planning must include fiscal sustainability, long-term planning, asset management, service levels, revenue tools, and public engagement.

Current Situation:

The Annual Budget and Five-Year Financial Plans are not available for Council’s review and approval until well into the fiscal year.
Departmental budget details are not available.
Lack of transparency and subsequent Council involvement results in a reliance on city staff to suggest budget priorities and cuts.
Carry-over from year to year is consistently $30-$60 million.
Council and the public have no insight into where $30 million of our $40 million budget is being spent.

My Plan as Mayor:

Review and vote on the budget before the beginning of the upcoming fiscal year.
Include details of the previous year’s income and expenditures as well the current year’s projections in the budget.
Implement comprehensive departmental budgets including planning and tracking for all projects.
Review the need for legacy projects, i.e. on the books for some time but not started.
Incorporate risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses before spending public money.

Communications & Improved Efficiency at City Hall

I believe that good communication improves trust between citizens and government and moves us forward to a broader and more inclusive sense of community.

Current Situation:

The City of White Rock website has broken links, and outdated information and is difficult to navigate.
The mayor’s annual ‘State of the City’ to the business community (entry fee) differs from the free public address.
Council members have very limited access to city staff. Residents know more about how the city staff is meeting their needs than Council does.

My Plan as Mayor:

Design and implement an improved website.
Make the mayor’s annual ‘State of the City’ address free and open to businesses and the public at the same time.
Implement a monthly meeting with Council members and senior city staff to discuss challenges and improvements.
Assign each Councillor a portfolio to work on with appropriate city staff members.
Provide timely and transparent information/communications internally and externally.
Review and optimize business processes to improve city services.

Housing and Development

I believe people are drawn to White Rock for its unique, beautiful landscape and casual lifestyle. We must endeavour to preserve its rarity.

Current Situation:

White Rock is one of the top 10 highest population densities among municipalities with 5,000+ residents in Canada.
Land-to-build ratio is high and diminishes permeable land surfaces.
White Rock lacks affordable housing (“affordable” as identified in the Official Community Plan).
Long-term rentals are being displaced by high-end new builds. The Tenant Relocation Policy has proved to be ineffective.
Lack of purpose-built rentals.
The notion of building more to reduce the cost of housing has not worked.
Public Hearings are no longer mandatory.

My Plan as Mayor:

Curb development of high-density structures.
Update the land-to-build ratio in the Zoning Bylaw to curb the development of monster homes.
Apply the made-in-White-Rock definition of affordable housing (as per the Official Community Plan)
Leverage CMHC grants to renovate existing rental housing (the most affordable housing is existing housing).
Eliminate spot zoning.
Maintain Public Hearings requirements.

Environmental Protection

I believe better management of our stormwater is key to managing water resources and protecting our environment. It is critical green infrastructure.

Current Situation:

Stormwater systems are designed to accommodate peak flows.
Most stormwater discharges are not treated and flow directly into the bay.
Increasing upstream development increases pollutants, such as tire dust, that are washed away as stormwater.
Funding level for addressing environmental issues is not known.

My Plan as Mayor:

Support the Semiahmoo First Nation in their desire to clean the bay and restore their traditional clamming activities.
Reduce the discharge into the bay.
Approve a pilot project to build a biotrap at the end of a storm pipe as a proof-of-concept.
Add a budget line to address environmental issues.
Increase permeable surfaces by updating the Zoning Bylaw (no more “monster homes”).
Make it easier to add a second storey or add extra space to an existing home. This will save a few trees and put less garbage into landfills.

The Business Community

Local businesses create an atmosphere in a city. White Rock is fortunate to have a thriving business community with many professional offices, charming shops, exceptional restaurants, and entertainment.

Current Situation:

Difficult to do business in White Rock.
No metrics on how well businesses are doing; what the challenges are.

My Plan as Mayor:

Identify issues at City Hall and work to create a more business-friendly experience.
Develop metrics to measure the impact on local businesses of the Business Improvement Association (BIA) initiatives and undertakings.
Evaluate the current Tourism Service and Funding model to determine if it is the most effective model for supporting the development of tourism infrastructure, visitor experience, and market awareness.
Collaborate with the Semiahmoo First Nation to develop an authentic indigenous cultural visitor experience.
Update the community profile and enhance economic information on the City’s website.