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Council defends decision, apologizes for lack of communication

Lakecrest housing unit will be available to all future fire chiefs

Council apologized to residents on the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) waitlist this week for their lack of communication regarding an August decision to set aside a unit in the Lakecrest development in Alta Vista for the fire chief or assistant fire chief.

While the WHA and municipality have always had a policy of moving employees in essential services to the top of the rental waitlist this is the first time that they have moved a staff position to the top of the purchase waitlist.

The decision only came to light recently, prompting Mayor Ken Melamed to release a statement regarding the decision to employees on the waitlist.

“I can assure you Council did not make this decision lightly, knowing as we did that it would impact the employees and families on the wait list,” wrote Mayor Melamed. “However, you’ve elected us to make decisions in the best interests of the whole community, based on our shared values and considering our vision and priorities as stated in Whistler 2020. No one said it would be easy.”

According to the letter, the municipality requires essential personnel to reside within the Whistler community in order to respond quickly to emergencies, including the fire chief and two assistant fire chiefs. Through a new policy, the municipality is now contractually required to provide housing to meet safety obligations, close to the highway and fire hall.

“The unit at Lakecrest was chosen because of its proximity to the village and access to the highway, as well as immediate availability,” wrote Melamed.

The municipality secured the residence at Lakecrest on behalf of Fire Chief Rob Whitton, who purchased the unit under a special covenant. If he quits or retires, the special covenant stipulates that he must sell the unit to the municipality or to the next fire chief or an assistant fire chief. The municipality may rent the unit to another emergency staff member, put it back in the rental pool for other essential staff, or put it back into the housing pool.

Essential staff include fire, police, ambulance, medical personnel and public educators.

Only four units at Lakecrest were set aside for employee housing. The neighbourhood is considered desirable because it’s on Alta Lake and adjacent to Lakeside Park. The 23 single-family homesites in the complex start at $1,095,000.

According to WHA manager Marla Zucht, the remaining three employee units were offered to the top 20 residents on the general waitlist, and sold right away. Waitlists for those three units have not been created yet, but they will be added to the inventory.

Zucht says there has been a limited backlash from the community regarding council’s decision.

“There has been some backlash, but certainly not a flood,” said Zucht. “We’ve heard from the people that would have been affected in that they may have had a chance to get that last unit and kept their fingers crossed, and a few others that felt in principle that it may not have been the right decision.”

According to the mayor, the income of the fire chief and their prior living arrangements were not a factor in the decision.

“It was developed in recognition of the importance of a locally housed workforce to the success of the resort, to build a strong community of residents committed to making Whistler their home,” he wrote.

“I appreciate your frustration, but hope that you will continue to be as supportive, as Council is, of our resident housing program. With more than 1,000 new beds coming, at the athletes village, Holborn, Fitzsimmons Walk and through non-cost housing initiatives, and movement within the current inventory, options are expanding and I encourage you to remain optimistic.”

According to a land title search, the fire chief previously owned a condo in the Nicklaus North clubhouse building, which was sold in September for $619,000. It was purchased for $485,000 in 2002.

Because the decision involved policy and staff members, it was made at an in camera meeting. As a result all discussion was private, and councillors are not allowed to say how they voted.

Responding to an e-mail sent to the mayor and the councillors, municipal information officer Diana Waltmann did say that the vote was 6-1 in favour of the policy and decision to secure the unit in Lakecrest for the fire chief.

“Council is apologizing for the lack of communication, which fell through the cracks,” said Waltmann. “They really regret not bringing it forward.”

Waltmann confirmed that this was the first time that the municipality has moved to the front of the waitlist to purchase housing.

“We do have control of other units and rental units through the housing authority, as well as other housing that we’ve acquired and are renting out,” she added. “It’s been on the top of council’s mind, the municipality’s mind and the WHA’s mind to find and secure housing for essential staff for many years now, which was all part of the decision-making process that council went through.”

Although there are no immediate plans to acquire any more WHA units for essential staff, Waltmann said it was likely that council will acquire more homes for staff in the future.

Waltmann stressed that the decision was made regarding the position of fire chief, and not the person.