Council approved borrowing $8,956,100 for road reconstruction and storm sewer work, with updated debt costs expected to raise the tax impact from 1.9% to 1.99%. Members differed over whether Oak Bay’s limited revenue options and approach to growth help explain the need to borrow. Council also advanced recreation fee changes, including a 6% increase to admissions and passes, and asked staff to develop options for marine shoreline setbacks. A resident raised concerns about large-scale development near Beach Drive; the Mayor said planning for the area had not yet been completed and had no set timeline.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council approved the meeting agenda. No discussion was recorded.
Routine: approve the agenda for this meeting.
Council received minutes from the February and April Advisory Design Panel meetings and the April Heritage Commission meeting. The chair said the minutes had been approved at committee level; no issues were raised.
Routine: receive the listed Advisory Design Panel and Heritage Commission minutes.
The Mayor congratulated the Oak Bay Half Marathon organizers and promoted a home-based business open house at Municipal Hall on Wednesday and a neighbourhood climate-action program at Windsor Pavilion on Saturday. He said Council hopes to secure a qualified operator for the Oak Bay Marina for the rest of its water lease before year-end, with proponent presentations anticipated at Council on June 15. He also noted that the Tea Party parade was cancelled but the other events would go ahead.
One resident spoke about concerns over large-scale development near Beach Drive, including its effect on the area’s heritage character, traffic and safety. The resident said the community needs a clear vision and meaningful input before development of that scale proceeds, while also saying they were not opposed to housing density in general. The Mayor said the special planning area had been identified for future planning, but Council had not decided what would be appropriate there and could not offer a timeline. He encouraged the resident to engage directly with an applicant early in the process.
Council approved the next step in borrowing $3,746,300 for road reconstruction and $5,209,800 for storm sewer rehabilitation, through the Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia. The borrowing is planned for a 15-year term and must be submitted through the Capital Regional District by June 12. Staff updated the estimated annual debt-servicing cost for the two borrowing issues to $875,000 starting in 2027, raising the expected tax impact from 1.9% to 1.99%. Staff said more borrowing resolutions may follow as spending plans are updated. Councillor Appleton argued that the borrowing reflects deferred maintenance and a lack of other revenue sources, and linked that constraint to the District’s approach to growth. Councillor Paterson said Oak Bay’s borrowing remained low compared with other municipalities and called for clearer debt limits and reserve targets. The Mayor supported the borrowing plan but disagreed with Councillor Appleton’s account of how the District’s growth and revenue policies affect taxes.
Borrow $3,746,300 for road reconstruction and $5,209,800 for storm sewer rehabilitation through the Municipal Finance Authority. The Capital Regional District would be asked to approve 15-year borrowing terms and include the amounts in a security-issuing bylaw.
Council adopted the amendment to the Sign Bylaw on election signs. Councillors Appleton and Smart opposed the motion; it carried.
Make the amendments to the District’s rules for election signs official.
Staff proposed a 6% increase to recreation admissions and passes, effective September 1, as directed during the financial planning process. The changes also introduce a monthly continuous pass that can be paused, set a consistent nominal charge for storage space, and extend a 25% room-rental discount to nonprofit groups that do not book regularly. Staff said the continuous-pass model is common among other recreation providers and can reduce administrative work. The Leisure Involvement for Everyone program will continue to provide eligible residents with free drop-in access or discounts. Council approved first, second and third readings; the bylaw will return for adoption at a future meeting.
Advance the proposed 2026/2027 Parks, Recreation and Culture fees-and-charges changes through the first and second readings of the bylaw.
Advance the proposed 2026/2027 Parks, Recreation and Culture fees-and-charges changes through the third reading of the bylaw.
Staff said the amendment corrects section numbers and bylaw references in the ticketing schedules following other bylaw changes; it does not add offences, fines or substantive policy changes. Councillor Appleton asked whether the wording on cycling and crosswalks could affect newer shared-crossing designs. Staff said the amendments had been reviewed with the Engineering Department but did not provide a specific interpretation. Council approved first, second and third readings. The bylaw will return for adoption at a future meeting.
Advance the proposed changes to the District’s municipal ticket rules through the first and second readings of the bylaw.
Advance the proposed changes to the District’s municipal ticket rules through the third reading of the bylaw.
Council directed staff to report back with options for introducing marine shoreline setbacks for buildings and structures in the Zoning Bylaw. Staff said the work could fit into the ongoing modernization of the Zoning Bylaw and should consider shorelines across Oak Bay, not only the special study area. The modernization work is expected to reach Council sometime next year; the separate pre-zoning work depends on an infrastructure servicing study.
Ask staff to report on options for adding a minimum distance from the marine shoreline for buildings and other structures in the Zoning Bylaw.
Council adjourned the meeting at 7:42 PM.
Routine: end the meeting at 7:42 PM.
All 10 decisions from the minutes appear under the agenda items above.