On the agenda: Here’s what to expect at Burnaby’s Dec 13 city council meeting

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s also time for Burnaby’s last city council meeting of the year. Here’s what the Beacon is looking at for this Monday’s meeting before council heads on a break from meetings until January!

Planning for the future: Metro 2050 and Transport 2050 updates

The Director of Planning and Building will give council members an update of where Burnaby stands in relation to Metro Vancouver’s draft Metro 2050 plan, which sets goals and targets for the region over the next 3 decades.

Of particular importance to Burnaby are the tentative goals around major transit growth corridors (MTGC) in the region. Burnaby has already identified several corridors for potential future rapid transit routes, including Hastings St between Boundary Rd and Cliff Ave, and Willingdon Ave between Hastings St and Kingsway. Staff with Metro Vancouver have suggested simplifying the growth framework by removing the MTGC layer, tying in more seamlessly to Translink’s plan for the next 30 years, and allowing Burnaby to more easily define future areas for transit development. (Council will also hear a report on Transport 2050).

The city is also looking at ways to protect the agricultural land in the Big Bend area and develop a food systems strategy to expand opportunities for growing food, in alignment with the region’s goals.

And it’s also working on meeting a new regional target to increase tree canopy cover to 40% by 2050. “​​Achieving a regional target of 40% would increase community resiliency by reducing urban temperatures and associated heat-related morbidity and mortality; improving mental health; and intercepting rainwater,” reads the report to council. Burnaby’s forested canopy is currently at 34%, meaning the city will need to develop new strategies to support the protection and planting of trees to meet the target.

Send ‘em in

A couple weeks ago, city staff asked council to approve the use of mail-in ballots for the 2022 civic election with a phased-in approach—starting only with care homes and assisted living facilities.

Council wanted staff to investigate the feasibility of expanding that to anyone who wants a mail-in ballot instead, to make it easier for “electors with reduced mobility, immunocompromised, unable to leave their homes, as well as those who will be away and unable to vote during advance voting or on election day.”

Staff says the total cost of that, assuming that 25,000 mail-in ballots would be sent out, would likely be around $223,000 (more if council decides to provide return mail postage). It would also result in overtime wages for election staff and mean election results could be delayed.

Burnaby Eco Centre

The Burnaby Eco Centre could become a regional recycling depot and save Burnaby some cash, if the city enters into an agreement with Metro Vancouver.

Communities that host Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Draining District (GVS+DD) -owned and -operated depots get paid an annual fee, while cities like Burnaby have to fund and operate their own recycling services. If the city were to reach an agreement with GVS+DD effective Jan 1, 2022, Burnaby would be paid $336,589 next year.

But that would go up to $601,335 a year in 2024, once GVS+DD opens new depots in Surrey and Langley.

If an agreement is reached, it would have a five-year term.