Al Raine won a second term as mayor of Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality in November’s election. Raine, the municipality’s first mayor won his second term with more than 95 per cent of the votes while councilors Popig, Forster and Pozza remained by acclamation.
Raine, who won on the platform of experience, leadership, commitment and track record noted throughout the campaign that, “To be a great resort, we must be a great community.” After Raine’s swearing in on December 5, he and the council will continue the work they began in their first term, including working on a grant application to support a community recreation centre.
“We’re hoping to make an application under the community recreation facilities grant program which will be an application of $400,000 from the Province,” says Raine. “That has to be submitted before the end of the year and we have a lot of work to do to put the paperwork together to support the application.”
In addition to the recreational facilities grant application, council will focus their efforts on the resort’s security issues, short-term rentals and creating an Official Community Plan (OCP).
“We are mandated by the province to have an OCP,” says Bryon Johnson, CAO of the Municipality of Sun Peaks. “Until such time as we have our own plan, any zoning bylaws or anything affecting land use, we have to go back to the Province and get specific approval on any of those changes.”
Both the short term rentals and the OCP require community input.
“You have to understand what the community wants and it’s a matter of seeking input, understanding the vision of Sun Peaks unrolling in the future and then putting zoning in place to help to regulate it,” notes Johnson who is also planning on a community meeting in January to get further input on short-term rentals.
“We’ll bring up the Whistler Centre for Sustainability again to manage that meeting,” says Johnson indicating the agenda will include community feedback on the location of short-term rentals in Sun Peaks and what rules need to be in place to minimize the impact of short-term rentals on neighbours.
Both Raine and Johnson say Sun Peaks security and by-law enforcement are top priorities for council.
Johnson affirms, “We’re working on the security aspects of the community,” acknowledging the recent rash of break-ins is a concern for residents and homeowners.
“(The break-ins) have slowed down now that people are coming back to the municipality, but we want to have something locked in place for the end of the ski season,” says Johnson.
The first meeting of council will be December 19 in council chambers. All residents are welcome to attend.
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