CBPOA - July 31st, 2018, Open Meeting Minutes

Directors present: Andrew, Ed, Beryl, Derrick.                            Alex Hall, Alexandra Neighbourhood House.

Call to order: 7:35PM

Presentation:  Fraser Smith, General Manager Engineering, the City of Surrey. Carrie Baron and         Matt Osler also attended from the City.

The presentation was a follow up to the presentation and discussion at the July 31^st, 2018 meeting.

Fraser began by stating, “Managed Retreat is off the table for Crescent Beach”. This was responded to by a round of applause from the 50 or so members present.

The City will be issuing a Media Release tomorrow, August 1^st, 2018, a draft copy of which was circulated for comment, stating:

 “- we are removing the Managed Retreat Option from the Crescent Beach study area. No further analysis will be conducted on this option and it will not be recommended by staff in the draft Coastal Flood Adaption Strategy to be brought forward in spring 2019. The city will continue to evaluate the Crescent Beach community’s preferred option of an Expanded Edge and its second preferred option of a Barrier Island/Spit”.

As we move forward with the development of CFAS, the city will expand its monitoring of:

-          Sea level changes

-          Ground subsidence

-          Long term beach erosion

-          Storm surge and wave damage

-          Seasonal water pooling.

An information report will be forwarded to City Council in the New Year with detailed analysis of Crescent Beach’s preferred long term option of an Expanded Edge. The City will continue further consultation with the residents and businesses of Crescent Beach in the development of the Coastal Flood Adaption Strategy.

Drainage improvement work will continue in accordance with the Climate Change Adaption Plan for the village adopted in 2009 and the 2016 storm surge study.

In the question and answer discussion, suggestions and requests were made for changes to the draft Media Release which subsequently occurred prior to its being issued on August 1^st.

Questions were raised concerning the City’s protocols for staff talking to the media and what had happened in this case. Fraser responded that the City does not have a policy, rather a practice where those most knowledgeable with respect to a study can be authorized to talk to the media. So what happened this time? Surely the onus is on city senior staff to be crystal clear on what messages they’re intending to put out.

There was a plea to be absolutely factual and open with respect to data being collected in the ongoing monitoring studies and the  information being used in the detailed analyses  – what is specific to Crescent Beach and what is more general/global in nature. Will it be available for review?

While there were very serious concerns with how the ball had been dropped in the recent communication issue with the media, the city was complemented on how it had innovatively dealt with the 2016 splash over event. Local innovations like this are seen by members to be a key component in any adaption plans and activities going forward.

Meeting Adjourned: 8:30PM.