Starting next week, masks will be mandatory in all Whistler municipal facilities after council voted to approve the new policy on Oct. 20.
The policy, which begins Monday, Oct. 26, applies to all employees, visitors and contractors to all facilities operated by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), with a few exceptions: children under two, or under five if they refuse to wear a mask; those with medical conditions, or who can’t remove a mask without assistance; staff in non-publicly accessible areas with proper distance or barriers; people actively engaging in an athletic or fitness activity; people eating or drinking; or for any emergency or medical purpose.
Councillor Ralph Forsyth was the lone dissenting vote, saying that, while he supports mask-wearing, he’s concerned about the lack of hard data to support the practice, the potential for legal challenges, and even the potential for abuse of municipal staff.
“I know we like to think that Whistler isn’t going to have any problems, people like that aren’t here … We’re not immune to it, to someone going in and harassing staff,” he said.
“I don’t wish to further put staff in harm’s way if we do have an incident like that.”
The RMOW’s health and safety team has already developed speaking notes and training procedures for frontline staff, noted general manager of corporate and community services Ted Battiston.
And while the policy isn’t a bylaw and won’t result in fines, RCMP officers do have powers during B.C.’s state of emergency to respond to people who aren’t in compliance with COVID regulations, added chief administrative officer Virginia Cullen.
As for a potential legal challenge, “I’ve heard discussion of some [in other jurisdictions], but there is nothing that I’m aware of that has gone forward into the courts,” Battiston said.
Coun. John Grills referred back to his long career in food and beverage, and the age-old adage of “no shirt, no shoes, no service,” noting that he can’t recall anyone ever taking that rule to court, either.
“If you did sue a community … you would probably have to wear a mask to appear in front of the judge,” Grills said.
“So I think it’s becoming the practice.”
The new policy was discussed amongst the RMOW’s recovery working group, Cullen said, which felt it would help create consistency in the resort.
“This policy is basically bringing us in line with the higher safety practices of many of the businesses,” she said.
“This is about walking the talk and providing leadership that’s required.”
BUDGET BYLAW AIMS TO CORRECT COST OVERRUNS
Aiming to correct cost overruns related to several projects, Whistler council gave first three readings to a bylaw amending the five-year financial plan on Oct. 20.
The bylaw addresses overruns on six different projects.
A project to install 28 new electric vehicle stations exceeded its intended budget by $60,000 due to additional landscaping requirements, protection bollards, additional paving, torch-on decals and a ribbon-cutting event.
The amendment will add $60,000 to the Day Lot Operating Committee Capital Project Fund (original 2020 budget $217,000) from the General Capital Reserve.
The extra $60,000 was actually accounted for in the original project budget, but was removed during COVID revisions, said general manager of infrastructure James Hallisey.
“The change that we made for COVID was overly optimistic,” he said.
A project to install a new air conditioning unit at municipal hall is also overspent by $25,000 (original budget $80,000), due to unforeseen costs related to carpentry, overtime hours and electrical upgrades.
While total costs for a project to upgrade water mains in Alta Vista are not expected to increase, according to director of finance Carlee Price, the 2020 spend exceeded its annual budget by $500,000, necessitating another amendment.
The overspend is attributed to extra landscaping and tree removal required due to damage during the water main work; rock removal that far exceeded the anticipated amount; and the decision to pave Tyrol Crescent in 2020 rather than 2021 after the road was damaged during the water main upgrade.
Shifting the $500,000 to 2020 from 2021 will result in no net change at the end of 2021, Price noted.
Further, the amendment also increases the allocation to the RMOW’s Energy and Climate Program by $84,600 (to help cover costs associated with the recently-revealed Big Moves Strategy), with all funds coming from existing provincial Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program contributions.
The RMOW also had an unexpected deficit in the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operating Budget as a result of COVID-19, as drastically declining visitation led to flowrates that were 40 per cent lower than design criteria.
The low flowrates caused a “significant decrease in carbon and nutrient load entering the bioreactors,” according to a report to council, and acetic acid was used to ensure the effluent discharge met provincial regulations.
Pending a planned upgrade to the plant’s fermenter, the RMOW will keep using acetic acid to ensure a “stable and predictable operation.”
The budget amendment shifts $130,000 in unused funds from a different budget item associated with the plant to help cover the operating costs, and the change has no effect on forecasted utility reserves in 2020 or beyond, according to Price’s report.
Lastly, a project including the liquid waste management report, Cheakamus River Monitoring Report, WWTP Asset Management Planning, Confined Space Entry Program Update and DES Planning is also expected to exceed its $97,000 budget by about $10,000 (due to an ongoing leak investigation and the associated reporting).
The total change of all the amendments taken together is $654,400.
RECOVERY UPDATE
With the COVID-19 pandemic now closing in on eight months with no end in sight, Whistler council heard an update from the RMOW’s recovery working group at the Oct. 20 council meeting.
The working group consists of representatives from tourism, business, retail, arts and culture, social services, environment, health, housing, accommodation, pubs and clubs and human resources, said chief administrative officer Virginia Cullen.
“This was by design,” Cullen said. 'The aim was to have broad representation from the community, such that the solutions that are found benefit the greatest number of people.”
The group has had three meetings in recent months, spending time reviewing lessons learned from the summer, as well as key findings from the four community conversations held in July, Cullen said.
“The task was to find what areas need the most urgent help, and what are the most urgent areas of concern within the community,” she said, adding that in its work so far, the group has identified four main focus areas: community well-being, local business survival, the labour market and tourism sustainability.
“I’d say as a group we’re building muscle and gathering input and feedback from stakeholders and doing this in an effective way, and also having working meetings where we’re actually making measurable progress,” Cullen said, adding that the goal is to take a “measured and adaptive” approach.
“This means we make a change, we try something out … We reflect on what was learned and we move forward,” she said.
“So that makes the whole idea of recovery a little bit less daunting. We’re working on one small step at a time and learning as we go, because right now it’s much more difficult to see into the future than normal.”
The working group has also broken off into subgroups representing each of the four focus areas, with plans for things like increased mental health resources, information sharing for businesses, and campaigns encouraging people to shop local, or to find employment in Whistler this fall.
The group is also discussing lobbying the federal government with regard to increased access to the Working Holiday Visa Program, as well as specific employment and training sessions for First Nations people, Cullen said.
The working group will continue monthly meetings and smaller team meetings into the fall, with plans to provide another update to council in December, she said.
“I would say this is a true working group,” she said.
“Everyone has homework and everyone has a role in the monthly meetings, as well as in advancing the smaller working groups in between the monthly meetings.”
