Information for Candidates: 2022 Election

Public Notices

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Candidate Questions and Answers

The following list of questions were submitted by candidates. The responses are being shared with all candidates. Please note where the information is publicly available online, links have been provided to assist with personal research.

If there has been an economic development staff person hired / if budget is approved to do so?

This position has been budgeted for and we have posted the job competition and are currently in the selection process.

Does Esquimalt have an organizational chart, and if so can you please send it to me?

There is an organizational chart on page 20 of the 2021 Annual Report located online at /sites/default/files/docs/related/Esquimalt_Annual_Report_2021-final.pdf . A more detailed organizational chart can also be found here.

When was the last time Esquimalt Mayor and Council officially met with Songhees and Esquimalt Nation Chiefs and Councils.

With the turnover of staff in key positions this information is not currently available. It doesn’t appear that that there was a Council to Council meeting during this Council’s term. The Covid-19 pandemic certainly impacted the ability to meet in person from 2020 onwards. There was work underway by the Mayor during this terms and regular meetings were held between the CAO and members of the two nations.

How often has the revitalization tax incentives been accessed and when?
Three applications have been approved. Two in 2019 and 1 in 2021.
Has the development capacity review been started? When is it set to be complete?

Staff will be taking a report to Council before the end of the year with the outline of subjects to be covered in the Development Capacity Report. Following this consultation with Council, staff will work to issue a Request for Expressions of Interest from which staff will develop a Request for Proposals. The exact procurement method has not yet been finalized.

Has the municipality received any amenity contributions from any developers aside from sewage amenity? If so, how much and for what?

There are more amenity contributions than just those received as part of the WasteWater Treatment Plant approvals. Please see the bylaws listed below for further details:

How many business licences does Esquimalt currently have / how many are issued by year, and has this number increased or decreased over the last 20 years? How does this compare to other regions?
Active businesses are located online here: /sites/default/files/docs/business-development/BLIC/2021_11_01_Active_Business_Licence_List.pdf.
Year over year comparisons are located in the period reports (January Period reports for each year).
Stats going back 20 years are not available as per the municipality’s records retention schedule. Staff do not have comparisons to other regions available.
What % of the population replied to the AAP process for the new safety building?

This information is available online: /public-safety/public-safety-building-construction-project

Can you provide me with the most current assessment of Esquimalt's I&I deficits, projected costs and what the overall response and investment plan looks like at this time?
In 2021 the Township completed an I&I Management Plan that was developed by a consultant. The consultant reviewed the pipe condition data available and completed flow monitoring to determine priority locations to address I&I. The outcome of this assessment is a multi-year plan to reduce I&I to four times the average dry weather flow by 2030.
A $220,000 budget was approved in 2022 to complete the scope of work identified in the plan, which focuses on investigative work in 2022.
A question I have been asked by a resident is regarding the inclusion of yard waste in our green kitchen scrap bins. I gather Victoria and Saanich are already allowing this. Can we expect Esquimalt to include yard waste as well? And if not, can you tell me what the constraints are?
Kitchen scraps are collected along with garbage using municipal dual waste trucks. These trucks have separate compartments for the two types of waste. The waste is then taken to Hartland Landfill which is operated by the CRD. The CRD does not permit yard and garden waste to be combined with kitchen scraps if the waste is being disposed of at Hartland Landfill. Other municipalities have combined yard and garden waste with kitchen scraps by disposing of the waste at other facilities on the Island instead of at Hartland Landfill. This is possible for Esquimalt, but it would come at a cost. The efficiencies of collecting the garbage and kitchen scraps at the same time with disposal at the same location would no longer be feasible. This would change the way we manage waste collection and would require additional fleet or contractors, along with new bins. The Township currently operates a yard and garden waste facility at the Public Works Yard in cooperation with View Royal. If this were to change, consideration of the agreements in place with View Royal and the contractor managing the facility would be required.

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The Nomination Period has now closed.

Candidates for Mayor (One (1) to be elected):

Barb Desjardins
Sonya Gracey

Candidates for Councillor (Six (6) to be elected):

Ken Armour
Andrea Boardman
Duncan Cavens
Jacob Helliwell
Tim Morrison
Chris Munkacsi
Darlene Rotchford

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The next general election will be held October 15, 2022. Elected candidates will serve a four year term ending October 2026.

To be eligible to run for local government a candidate must meet the following requirements:

be 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
be a Canadian citizen;
have been a resident of British Columbia at least six months prior to filing nomination documents; and,
not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office, or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Further information on eligibility can be found on the Province of BC General Local Elections website.