PERIOD REPORT
DATE: May 2, 2017 Report No. CSS-17-007
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director, Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Community Safety Services Department - 2017 First Period Report
Body
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Community Safety Services Department from January 1st, 2017 to April 30th, 2017.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Emergency Management
• Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP)
The NEPP program recruited two new volunteers this period and had a planning session to map out goals and objectives for the year. A NEPP Facebook page was created to advertise upcoming events and to provide additional emergency preparedness information to residents.
The NEPP facilitated several presentations and workshops including a presentation from Maria Chan, who was in the Taiwanese Earthquake, which was attended by 36 people, a presentation on what to expect the First 72 Hours after an earthquake with 12 people attending, an EP talk at the Grafton Lodge to 21 residents, a NEPP presentation for Block Watch group to 9 people, and a Tsunami Preparedness session that had attendance of 14 people.
• Emergency Social Services (ESS)
Two ESS volunteers were recruited in the period, and the team engaged in a planning session for 2017. The team helped to update the regional ESS supplier list, as well as updated and reviewed contents of level one kits and response protocols.
The ESS team attended a regional exercise in Saanich March 20 on how to plan for and activate reception centres.
Staff attended several ESS Directors’ meetings and helped to create a work plan for regional ESS activities and exercises in 2017. The ESS Directors are coordinating a regional ESS social and training weekend in June.
The Esquimalt ESS team hosted an ESS Group Lodging Course in Council Chambers March 11.
There were no ESS callouts during this period.
• Emergency Radio Communications
The team continues to meet each Wednesday and participate in the Region’s Net to ensure that we are able to communicate with the Province and other Regional EOC’s following a catastrophic emergency.
The team assisted with the IT department’s annual hardware audit for the radio room, and installed a VOIP HamWAN telephone. This will enable us to communicate via telephone with other HamWAN connected EOC's around Victoria and the Puget Sound regardless of whether cellphone towers, landline telephones and/or the Internet are down. All operators have been trained on how to connect the computers to HamWAN and how to send packet messages via HamWAN telnet if required.
The team had a successful “off the grid” exercise where all lights and other systems were running from the battery bank to ensure equipment was operational under these circumstances.
• Administration
Staff continues to collaborate with the Province and the Region through several meetings and initiatives. On January 12, staff had a community meeting with EMBC to help the Regional Emergency Management Partnership staff gain an understanding of the Township and its emergency program. On January 13 staff took part in a feedback discussion on the Framework for Recovery in the Event of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency with Health Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. A water survey has been completed for EMBC to build a baseline of the water capacity of BC communities following a disaster. Staff has been in contact with the Resilient Communities Initiative to add emergency preparedness content to their toolkit.
Staff took part in an EOC Applied Training course on January 18 in Sooke, and a Disability Alliance of BC workshop on February 21.
On January 19, staff took part in a planning session with the Local Government Emergence Program Advisory Commission (LG EPAC) to develop the 2017 work plan. Staff continues to Chair the Evacuation Planning Working Group and has completed several deliverables including regional training templates. As a member of the Public Education Working Group, staff helped to complete edits and add new content for the most recent edition of the Regional Emergency Preparedness Workbook which is scheduled to be distributed in May.
As Vice-Chair, staff participated in several Regional Emergency Planning Advisory Commission (REPAC) meetings to help determine how the group will tie in with the new Regional Emergency Management Partnership. Staff chaired the first meeting of the year on February 2 and facilitated a discussion on next steps.
This period saw the completion of in house emergency management electronic training modules to be launched during emergency preparedness week in the next period.
The desalination unit was successfully tested March 3, and research is being conducted for a chlorination system for the unit, along with a water distribution plan.
Staff and a NEPP volunteer participated in Macaulay parent education night on March 6 to provide emergency preparedness information as well as an overview of the emergency program, and acted as an observer on March 17 during their school reunification exercise.
Work continues on a crisis communications plan in collaboration with VicPD.
• Attachments
o Emergency Program 2017 Work Plan (Attachment # 1)
o Emergency Program 2017 Exercise/Training Plan (Attachment # 2)
2. Bylaw Enforcement
A new Bylaw Management Officer was hired in this period. Wayne Giesbrecht comes to the Township with a wealth of enforcement and investigative experience. He is adjusting well to his new position and has immersed himself in learning the Township’s bylaws.
Due to the resignation of the last Bylaw Management Officer the Township was without a Bylaw Management Officer for the month of January. An Auxiliary Bylaw Management Officer was identified and brought in on a temporary basis until the recruitment for the new full time Bylaw Management Officer could be completed. Demand for bylaw enforcement services remains strong within the Township; however, there has been a noticeable drop off in this period of both complaints and ticketing due to the lack of the full time Bylaw Management Officer. Staff expectx these levels to increase in the next period.
Tempest Training - Calls for service was provided to the Bylaw Management Officer and the two Auxiliary Officers.
• Bylaw Offence Notice (BON) Disputes
Three BONs were forwarded to the Screening Officer level in this period. Of those, two were cancelled by the Screening Officer and one was upheld with fines being paid by the offender.
One matter was brought to adjudication hearing in this period. The adjudicator decided in favour of the accused person due to a weakness in the way the contested bylaw was written. This weakness has been addressed through a bylaw amendment.
• Unsightly Properties
Unsightly properties continue to be an area of enhanced enforcement.
1106 Lockley has been demolished in accordance with Council Resolution and the lot is now vacant pending action by the owners. Invoicing for work done by the Township or contractors working on behalf of the Township will be sent to the property owners in the next period.
Work continues with numerous other properties within the Township.
• Attachments
o Bylaw Contraventions and Complaints/Municipal Tickets and Bylaw Notices Statistics/Animal Management Report (Attachment # 3)
o Unsightly Properties Chart (Attachment # 4)
3. Building Inspections
• See Attachment - Building Permits Chart (Attachment # 5)
4. Policing
Staff continues to liaise with Victoria Police Department regarding local and regional policing and public safety concerns, including the Victoria Police Department efficiency review.
The Director represents the Township at the public portion of Esquimalt and Victoria Police Board meetings.
Several meetings of the Esquimalt Community Safety Staff Working Group have taken place. This group consists of representation from Victoria Police Department, Military Police, Esquimalt Fire Rescue, Engineering and Public Works and Community Safety Services. Thus far, the group has examined multiple issues relating to safety. The creation of the Working Group allows for issues to be examined from a multi faceted standpoint and solutions arrived at fitting within each department or organization’s ability to make realistic changes.
5. Business Licencing
• The first period sees a lot of business licence activity due to January typically being the renewal period. The renewal notices were sent out a month early, in December of 2016, which was well received by existing licensees. This resulted in approximately 200 “early” renewals
• There are no outstanding balances on business licences
• 681 licences issued for 2017
• 65 licences closed from 2016
• 47 new applications processed
• Active licences are displayed on website and updated every three months
6. Public Consultation and Engagement
• See aforementioned NEPP and ESS information
• Numerous consultations with public re: bylaws and bylaw enforcement
• Ongoing general informal public consultation
7. Deer Management
• Work is ongoing with UWSS to launch a Public Education campaign in the next period. Additionally, a fall deer count will be conducted in conjunction with DND.
II. COMMITTEES
• No Community Safety Services Staff currently sit on any Council appointed committees; however, the Director and the Emergency Program Manager represent the Township on the Capital Regional District Local Government Emergency Program Advisory Commission and the regional Emergency Planning Advisory Commission, as well as on several regional and provincial working groups.
• The Director sits on a Provincial Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act Working Group.
• The Director chairs the newly formed Community Safety - Staff Working Group.
• The Director chairs the Esquimalt Emergency Planning Committee