Today - we will review Improvement Districts....
Improvement Districts were created before the time of Regional Districts' and as far back as the 1920's, generally in Rural BC for specific services (ie: water/sewer, fire protection) within a defined service area. According to CivicInfo BC records -- there are 196 Improvement Districts in British Columbia today with none remaining in the Cariboo-Chilcotin (there were 2 at one point -- one at Lexington and one at Hagensborg, both operating a water system but since have dissolved in favour of the nearby Regional Districts' -- Cariboo/Central Coast RD's)
Sections 673-734 of the Local Government Act apply as the legislation for Improvement Districts' in BC - click here while you can have a comprehensive overview of Improvement Districts', as provided by the Province of BC - click here
Improvement Districts' have a Board of Trustees - exact numbers depend on what is contained in the Improvement District's Letters Patent - and they generally have monthly meetings plus an Annual General Meeting each year. They are also required to have designated a Corporate Officer & Financial Officer as part of their staffing - click here
Unlike Municipal Councils/Regional District Boards' -- they are not afforded the same opportunity to attend local government training opportunities like Area Associations, LGLA, UBCM or FCM but the Province of BC has created an Improvement District Trustee Handbook - click here
One of the recent challenges to Improvement Districts' is that Districts' who operate water system and consequently are subject to Provincial drinking water rules are finding it difficult to operate their water systems to BC standards WITHOUT provincial or federal government grant support. That support is not forthcoming as provincial/federal government financial grants for water/sewer systems are only provided to Municipal Councils or Regional District Boards'. Many Municipal Councils'/Regional District Boards' have brought up this issue at the Resolution Debates at Union of BC Municipalities Conventions and unfortunately have seen their Resolutions defeated.... but I'm sure the conversation will continue onward...
I want to thank everyone who serves in the Improvement District system - whether at the governance table or at a Staff level. Your contributions are not recognized publicly in a substantive way but should be, given the amount of time you put into the Improvement District governance structure...
SF
Improvement Districts' have a Board of Trustees - exact numbers depend on what is contained in the Improvement District's Letters Patent - and they generally have monthly meetings plus an Annual General Meeting each year. They are also required to have designated a Corporate Officer & Financial Officer as part of their staffing - click here
Unlike Municipal Councils/Regional District Boards' -- they are not afforded the same opportunity to attend local government training opportunities like Area Associations, LGLA, UBCM or FCM but the Province of BC has created an Improvement District Trustee Handbook - click here
One of the recent challenges to Improvement Districts' is that Districts' who operate water system and consequently are subject to Provincial drinking water rules are finding it difficult to operate their water systems to BC standards WITHOUT provincial or federal government grant support. That support is not forthcoming as provincial/federal government financial grants for water/sewer systems are only provided to Municipal Councils or Regional District Boards'. Many Municipal Councils'/Regional District Boards' have brought up this issue at the Resolution Debates at Union of BC Municipalities Conventions and unfortunately have seen their Resolutions defeated.... but I'm sure the conversation will continue onward...
I want to thank everyone who serves in the Improvement District system - whether at the governance table or at a Staff level. Your contributions are not recognized publicly in a substantive way but should be, given the amount of time you put into the Improvement District governance structure...
SF
2 comments:
Thanks for this Steve. Our Spences Bridge Trustees could use that handbook for Improvement Districts. Could you email it to me please.
Thanks, Anonymous. If you can send me an email to sforseth000@hotmail.com, I would be glad to forward you the handbook via email
Steve
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