Nanaimo councillors during budget discussions are weighing the pros and cons of adding managers at City Hall. (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

long term v short term

Nanaimo council puts off funding for social planning, backs climate sustainability manager

Dec 7, 2020 | 5:10 PM

NANAIMO — A manager of social planning isn’t currently included in the many management positions being created at Nanaimo City Hall.

Nanaimo councillors discussed the option in their Friday, Dec. 4 meeting but didn’t forward a motion to fund the position or allocate extra funds to the issue, which was the original goal.

The manager would have overseen the implementation of significant projects such as rental subsidies, more permanent housing to decrease the number of people experiencing homelessness in Nanaimo and promote affordable options.

Coun. Erin Hemmens, who originally brought the option to the table, said even though social planning staff are “run off their feet right now,” she never intended to fund a management position.

Instead, she wanted to secure funding to implement the goals of the City’s health and housing task force, which are currently in a draft form.

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“I was worried we weren’t putting any money aside,” she told councillors. “Rather than spitballing what the recommendations were going to be, I tried to take the money we would allocate to this position to just put the funding aside to operationalize the recommendations.”

The health and housing task force was created in mid-2019 to tackle longstanding issues in Nanaimo’s community stretching back nearly 15 years and have grown more severe.

A roughly 60-person encampment right behind the City’s Service and Resource Centre was recently evicted, sending campers into the bush since there’s not enough shelter beds or accommodations to handle them.

There was support around the council table for the management position.

Of the many new staff positions being proposed, coun. Ian Thorpe said he saw it as having “the most value.”

No motion was brought forward to support the management position or divert funds to implement recommendations from the health and housing task force, which will be dealt with at a later date.

While councillors delayed enhancing the community services department, they did approve a new manager of sustainability. The position would implement a wide range of emissions reduction and climate resiliency plans.

The two year position will add a 0.05 per cent increase to 2021 property taxes if implemented with assistance from a BC Hydro grant.

A motion from coun. Ben Geselbracht to create the position even if the grant isn’t approved passed 5-4.

“The cost to having to adapt to the changing climate, having to build a new way of doing business and an economy that functions is going to be enormous if we don’t start really putting energy and effort behind this,” Geselbracht said.

Coun. Tyler Brown said he would fund 10 of these positions if possible.

“Climate change is continually delayed and denied. We’re at the point where we are out of time solving it.”

Coun. Thorpe, who’d earlier signalled enthusiasm for a manager of social planning, said he could not support the sustainability management position.

“To me this is a nice-to-have but not a basic necessity for our citizens or the City at this time. I know in the long-term it would be great, but we’re in a special situation now where we have to be very careful of how we spend our dollars.”

The sustainability management position is one of six new management positions approved by councillors so far in budget discussions, including a new project engineer and buyer.

The 2021 property tax increase is currently set at 3.6 per cent.

The public can provide input about the increase during an e-town hall being held at 7 p.m. tonight.

A provisional property tax increase will be implemented for the beginning of 2021 and finalized by the spring. It can change before being finalized but isn’t expected to waver substantially.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt