HERE'S A QUICK LOOK at what to expect at Tuesday's council meeting, kicking off at 5:30 p.m. at the Maury Young Arts Centre.
WB STAFF HOUSING
Council will consider first two readings of a zoning amendment bylaw for a new 200-plus-bed Whistler Blackcomb (WB) staff housing building at the Nov. 19 meeting.
The proposed building is six storeys tall with 66, two-bedroom units of about 40 square metres in size. Each unit would include a shared kitchen and bathroom, and would be targeted toward WB's first-year and returning seasonal employees (four per unit).
Council endorsed the rezoning on Sept. 3 (read more at www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler/council-endorses-rezoning-for-whistler-blackcomb-staff-housing/Content?oid=14355594).
Vail Resorts plans to have a third party operate the building, which they will lease the needed housing units from. The mountain operator is asking that the third-party operator be allowed to rent the units to a wider market of defined qualified employees in times when the units aren't needed for Vail employees.
Prior to third reading, the applicant must provide an agreement on rental rates, resolution of employee services space allocation, determination of appropriate transit service levels at peak hours, and resolution of the number of car share vehicles provided.
A public hearing will follow.
PARKS AND REC FEE INCREASES
Council will also consider an amendment to the parks and recreation fees bylaw on Nov. 19.
The bylaw includes fee schedules for Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC) admission and pass rates, Lost Lake Nordic Trails day ticket and pass rates, indoor facility rental rates and outdoor facility rates over a four-year period.
Staff is recommending increasing the base rate at the MPSC by 25 cents (from $8.75 to $9) for 2020 and 2021 with another 25-cent increase for 2022 and 2023.
All other MPSC admission and pass products would increase according to the change in the base rate.
Over four years, the change would amount to a 1.4-per-cent increase per year in MPSC admission and pass rates.
Staff is also recommending increasing the base rate at the Lost Lake Nordic Trails by one dollar (from $22 to $23) for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, and another dollar for the 2022/23 and 23/24 seasons (an average increase of 2.2 per cent per year).
Interim fees at the Andree Vajda Janyk Sports Field are also set to be confirmed at staff's recommendation.
Introduced in March, the rates for use of the entire field range from $10/hour for local registered youth agencies ($35/hour for adults) to $100/hour for out-of-town commercial or admission-charging groups.
Local youth groups pay $20/hour ($40 for out-of-towners), while local adult groups will pay $70/hour ($85 for out-of-towners).
With no negative comments received from user groups, staff is recommending the interim fees be confirmed.
Lastly, staff is recommending a nominal annual percentage increase of two per cent for both outdoor and indoor facility rental fees "in the interest of offsetting annual department cost increases related to payroll, electricity, fuel, the municipality's share of school district operating costs at the community centres, and equipment and materials related to upkeep" of the facilities, according to a staff report to council.
The bylaw is scheduled for first three readings on Nov. 19.
Find the full agenda at www.whistler.ca/municipal-gov/council/meeting-agendas-and-minutes, and pick up Thursday's Pique for more from council.
