 Why pickleball explains a lot about the workings of local government | | |  | | |
These are near-universal problems in B.C. municipalities and are heavy subjects. It can be difficult to find solutions, or smile at local governments trying to improve the lives of the people they serve.
Which is why today, we’re going to talk about the Greater Victoria Pickleball Strategy.
And yes, that’s the official title.
“I think there were some hasty decisions made … that didn’t think about the impact,” Victoria’s Manager of Recreation Jeff Brehaut said on CBC’s On The Island, in announcing the launch of the strategy and a survey that people can fill out. As pickleball has grown, so too have the conflicts between the sport’s many converts and nearby residents dealing with louder sounds emanating from their local tennis courts than they’re used to.
Which is why Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay have teamed up, hoping to find solutions to court placements, bookings and regulations that will make everyone happy.
“Essentially, what we're trying to achieve is a collaborative approach … in an equitable way, while minimizing the impact that the usage is having on existing users,” said Brehaut, deploying the sort of bureaucratic language that only a communications department could love.
“We've onboarded a consultant, and that consultant has about five deliverables in terms of their strategy,” he added.
To recap: a new thing is popular with some people, but divisive with others.
In response, politicians have hired an outside advisor, will look at best practices, and conduct a supply-and-demand analysis before implementing a strategy nearly a year from now.
Depending on your perspective, it’s an example of municipalities being responsive, or the technocratic way many governments now move.
Of course, this being a heavily populated area of British Columbia, we can’t help but wonder: will a regional pickleball strategy lead to some sort of pickleball amalgamation, where pickleball regulations and bylaws are the same everywhere?
Have no fear: consultation is underway.
“From a customer experience standpoint ... if they're aligned, that makes kind of a seamless process,” said Brehaut.
“But part of what we're trying to determine is if that's in fact what the users are looking for.” | | |  | | | 1. Public hearings | | | Recently, Delta passed motions requesting the province to make it easier to pre-zone large areas for building permits and developments. It's part of a general trend in pro-supply municipalities to try and speed up the pace of approval and construction of new buildings — and as Dan Fumano pointed out this week, that has led to more discussions around the virtue of public hearings.
Read more in the Vancouver Sun | | |  | | | 2. Burnaby | But public hearings continue, and are part of the process of feedback, even in communities that are generally development-friendly. Case in point: a proposed Burnaby six-storey rental building was recently called a "monstrosity" and "like a skyscraper" — to which we imagine folks living in or next to skyscrapers might disagree.
Read more in the Burnaby Now | | | |  | | | 3. Merritt | For 15 years, Claire Newman had contributed to local government in the Nicola region as a councillor in Logan Lake and then Merritt, before being struck and killed in what police believe to be a hit and run. Her death led to an outpouring of grief in both communities, along with reflections on her contributions to civic life.
Read more | | | | | |  | | | 4. Vancouver | A viral tweet thread by a Vancouver homebuilder led to further attention on the city's somewhat infamous permitting process, which many argue is preventing the city from making progress on the affordability file. And speaking of Progress — the political party led by strategist Mark Marissen was disqualified from taking part in the next local election due to campaign finance irregularities.
Read more | | | |  | | | 5. Kamloops | In case you were wondering whether the maturity level in Kamloops was improving since our last dispatch, the mayor recently spent 18 minutes reading a report explaining in minute detail what he had been up to — "to prove a point that I'm busy and stuff" — while arguing with councillors over whether he spends enough time at events and is comfortable speaking in public. So, no, it really hasn't. Read more in Kamloops This Week | | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
forwarded to you. | | | | That's it for this this week! In the meantime, check out the latest headlines at cbc.ca/bc and follow our municipal affairs reporter Justin McElroy on Twitter. And if you have any questions you might want answered in a future mailbag, drop Justin a line at metromatters@cbc.ca. | | | |
