Here’s what’s on the agenda for Burnaby’s May 30 council meeting

Another Monday, another council night.

Although I will not be covering tonight’s council meeting because it’s my birthday and coincidentally it is also Srushti’s birthday, I do still have the council agenda for you all to enjoy. Also, big shoutouts to Dustin, who has kindly volunteered to take over council reporting tonight so the Beacon’s two resident Geminis can enjoy an evening of aging gracefully (we’ll save some cake for you, Dustin, I promise).

Here’s what’s on the agenda for Monday, May 30:

Underdeveloped forested lands and future park dedication with the Cariboo Heights community plan area

Council will be presented a report from the planning and development committee that requests them to review the land use and development objects of the Cariboo Heights community plan, which contains a residential park, public use and institutional land uses. The report focuses on the undeveloped city-owned forested lands in the Cariboo Heights community plan and how to determine the use for those lands. Based on a staff review of the lands, it is recommended that the existing lands designated for both park and public use located south of the Brunette River Conservation area should be dedicated as parkland and these areas are expected to be subject to a park dedication referendum during this fall’s municipal election.  There are also other city-owned lands that are largely forested and underdeveloped that currently have a residential designation in the Cariboo Heights community plan. The report states that it would be “appropriate” for the redesignation of these lands to take place through the official community plan update process, and this would involve community consultation.

Rental-use zoning policy review 

During their May 11 meeting, the planning development committee received and adopted a report recommending council approve the scope of work to conduct a two-year review of the rental-use zoning policy (RUZP).  The purpose of the RUZP is to preserve and provide more rental housing in Burnaby, including market and non-market units as housing options for low and moderate-income residents. When the policy was adopted in March 2020, a two-year review of it was also proposed. The review will analyze the policy’s achievements and identify areas for change. It will also identify how the RUZP can align with the tenant assistant policy. The review is expected to be complemented by fall 2022.

Burnaby childcare action plan implementation

Council will decide on endorsing the phase 1 implementation plan for the Burnaby childcare action plan (CCAP). They will also decide on approving the creation of a dedicated staff position in the city’s 2023 budget to oversee all responsibility for the childcare policy and plan. By 2030, the city’s action plan aims to create 4,412 new childcare spaces in the city, which works out to 440 new spaces a year. However, it is falling behind those targets, and in 2021, fewer than half of those new annual spaces (210) were created. In order to bolster the amount of childcare space, the phase 1 implementation includes identifying additional publicly-owned sites for new childcare spaces, updating and strengthening the Burnaby childcare policy to align with the CCAP, and establishing a childcare grant program.

Burnaby Fire Department annual report and contract award for construction of fire halls 4 and 8 

There are a few fire department-related matters on the agenda for tonight. Council will receive the Burnaby Fire Department’s 2021 Annual Report, which can be viewed here. Council will also decide on the approval of a contract award for the construction of fire halls 4 and 8.

Truth and Reconciliation crosswalk 

In Spring 2022, a Grade 6/7 class from Westridge Elementary requested to work with the city to install a Truth and Reconciliation-themed crosswalk near the school. The class has been studying the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 calls to action and focused on call 82, which calls on communities to “install a publicly accessible, highlyvisible residential schools monument … to honour survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.” The class decided on a crosswalk for the monument and was also awarded the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s Imagine Canada Grant worth $750 to pursue the project. The class is working with local Indigenous artist Atheana Picha of the Kwantlen First Nation in designing the crosswalk. City staff hope to have the crosswalk installed by the third week of June so an opening ceremony can be organized in time for the last week of school. Now, the class will seek council approval for the installation of the crosswalk.