Posted in coal hill, Kensington Coastal Pointe, Kensington Island Properties aka KIP Costanza, 34083 Yukon Inc., Kensington Union Bay Properties Ltd., The Union Bay Community, Union Bay Estates, Union Bay Resorts

Union Bay Estates ‘time’ is different from real time. Another year of empty promises from this developer. Remember 2005 – still singing the same song 15 years later.

Posted on by allthingsunionbay

Note the date of November 30, 2018, and yet the fencing is still up to prevent people from accessing the coal hills. Upset because we followed the path along the south side of the creek to access the coal hills – you know -the contaminated area KIP dumped back on the province? https://allthingsunionbay.com/2017/09/15/kensington-island-properties-aka-34083-yukon-inc-pulled-another-fast-one-you-are-going-to-pay-update-on-the-coal-hill/

From: “sprtgrpbam” <sprtgrpbam@aol.com>
To: “Mary Reynolds”
Cc: “Alana Mullaly” <amullaly@comoxvalleyrd.ca>, “Doug DeMarzo” <ddemarzo@comoxvalleyrd.ca>, “Sylvia Stephens” <sstephens@comoxvalleyrd.ca>
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2018 4:43:59 PM
Subject: Re: Revised MDA with KIP Designated Parks and Trails

Alana… I understand that Mary Reynolds and XXXXX XXXXXX were indeed approached by the site security. As you are aware we are currently in the process of clearing some of the land on CD 3 and as such we posted notice in the local newspaper. With security of the public in mind we have also placed blue construction fencing around the property with Area Closed, Danger Construction and Active Falling signs highly visible throughout.Yesterday I observed both Ms Reynolds and Ms XXXXXX on the property. I am the one who advised the Site Security to endeavor to keep the public out of the area. Most everyone except the aforementioned duo has understood the area is closed for the next few weeks while the falling is taking place. We have only just started the project and we would hate to see anyone get hurt.
Thanks for your understanding.
Brian
Sent from my iPhone

Yes, it was just the two of us who breached the wall! No one else has gone there. 🙂

Posted in UBID

A step in the right direction. Trustees now have UBID email addresses, so no reason for a spouse to respond/insult landowners.

Posted on by allthingsunionbay

The ‘contact’ page of the UBID website now has the UBID email addresses for contacting the trustees. https://union-bay.ca/contact/

You might not think it’s important. Read the following excerpt from an article from Jan. 17, 2018 specifically mentioning the problems with personal email addresses: https://allthingsunionbay.com/2018/06/06/union-bay-improvement-district-trustees-wife-thinks-its-okay-to-respond-to-ubid-business/ The UBID has not complied with the FOIPP Act for the last 3 years and don’t seem to understand it is the law. It’s another example of the admin being unqualified. He didn’t have a clue about how email addresses work since he said this: “We have internal email addresses for the staff, and for the trustees, they use the addresses that are posted on the website.” Even residential internet providers allow multiple email addresses, so why was it so complicated to provide 5 additional email addresses? We are paying top dollar for unqualified staff.

“Currently, there are no plans in place to change anything,” said Mason.

“We have internal email addresses for the staff, and for the trustees, they use the addresses that are posted on the website.”

98.9 The Goat also reached out to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commission for British Columbia for further clarification on the rules governing personal email use by public officials.

While they couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Union Bay situation, the agency indicated that there are no regulations in provincial privacy legislation that prohibit the use of personal email accounts.

However, the use can “frustrate” the ability of public bodies to comply with their duties laid out in that legislation, with a focus on the accessibility, security, and storage of records in Canada.

The agency’s response indicated that under the Freedom of Information and the Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) in British Columbia, public bodies are required to take reasonable security measures to protect personal information in their custody, or control.

If personal email accounts are being used for public business, the messages are considered to be under the control of that public body.

Emails are also considered records under FIPPA, and are subject to freedom of information requests, which means the public body must be able to search for and retrieve records that fit those requests. According to the agency, personal email use could make this process difficult, as the public body may not be aware of emails that are responsive to the request.

Posted in Conversion, UBID

Union Bay Improvement District meeting Oct. 17, 2019

Posted on by allthingsunionbay

Short meeting. Didn’t learn anything about the finances. They set the dates for the by election. Looks like we’re going to the polls again in November.

EDIT: I’d like to make a prediction based on what I witnessed last night with 3 trustees guessing about locations, times, etc. This by election is going to be screwed up because the admin hasn’t learned from past mistakes and the trustees are unaware of what the admin should know – IF there are at least 2 candidates since there won’t be an election if there is only one candidate. Here’s the notice posted Fri. Oct. 18, 2019. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aye9Fvm0DzYTU4lWb_6VmHa79ZJ29prW#new_tab

Trustee Kaljur left after a dispute about an item not being on the agenda, again. How many times has this happened to Trustee Kaljur but no other trustee? Either the admin is incompetent or intentionally leaving items off. Kaljur provides information to prove she sent the item to be added to Hein Vandenberg but he stated he hasn’t received any emails from Kaljur in a couple of weeks.

One thing Kaljur brought up was the fact the Admin wanted to bill a landowner $3000. for an FOI. I thought the one for $1300. for the KIP/UBID water agreement was ridiculous, but this is crazy. What the hell could take $3000. of the admin’s time?

When the meeting adjourned I made no secret of what I thought about how this board is conducting UBID business. I have to give Hein Vandenberg credit. Hein approached me and told me he was aware of how I felt. Hein spent quite a while speaking to myself and another landowner. Hein spoke to many landowners who stayed after the meeting.

The one thing I want to mention from my conversation with Hein. He stated he didn’t receive any emails from Kaljur so how could he know what she sent? When I asked him if he confirmed receiving emails from individuals, he answered ‘yes’. I then asked why he didn’t answer my email from a couple of weeks ago and if he received it. Hein admitted it was a fair point as he didn’t acknowledge receipt. Kaljur couldn’t know her emails weren’t received, just like I didn’t know if he received mine.

Let’s get this conversion done.

Audio only.

Posted in Imitation board, UBID

Secretive/dysfunctional UBID board meeting tonight @ 7 pm – no questions allowed even though landowners are funding 100% of the increases they have planned.

Posted on by allthingsunionbay

Any guesses on how much of an increase in Admin costs for 2020 landowners are funding? As you can see below, the costs doubled from 2017 to 2019. $91,981 to $184,052. I had heard the previous (qualified professional) Admin’s pay was around $65,000/year and had 2 part time staff. An Admin who responded to correspondence in a timely manner with correct information.

The current admin was hired in the spring of 2017. Then after less than a year the amount was increased an additional $27,620. That’s a hell of an increase. Then the whopper last year to $184,052 for unqualified staff.

Look at the wages for previous years when we had qualified admin and a competent board (Molstad). Can’t have one with out the other. You remember that board? The one who brought us back from the brink of bankruptcy and got rid of the white elephant the previous board purchased without clear title? We are being royally screwed. There has been a spending spree since the spring of 2017, just like the board up until 2011 who spent every penny brought in.

Posted in UBID, Conversion

Comox Valley Regional District agrees to Union Bay governance study.

Posted on by allthingsunionbay

Noticed this was on Susanna Kaljur’s blog. https://unionbay.news.blog it’s great to have Susanna’s and Paul’s https://newdaysinunionbay.com blogs providing more information to Union Bay landowners.

Is anyone surprised there has been no comment from UBID? “The Comox Valley Record has contacted the UBID office about the upcoming process but has not heard back.”

https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/news/comox-valley-regional-district-agrees-to-union-bay-governance-study/ Daniel Arbour is Area A director for the Comox Valley Regional District. Photo submitted

Comox Valley Regional District agrees to Union Bay governance study

Process will consider whether community should convert services to the region

The Comox Valley Regional District has agreed to take part in a process to look at governance in the community of Union Bay.

The growing community south of Courtenay is part of Area A in the regional district. However, the Union Bay Improvement District (UBID) looks after a few specific services provided to the community – water, fire protection and street lights. Other services and programs are administered by the CVRD.

“Their jurisdiction is limited to those three things,” says Area A Director Daniel Arbour.

However, the board that governs UBID has faced discord in recent years, and during the summer, then-chair Paul Healey sent a letter to the Province about reviewing governance. According to a letter on the UBID website, the Province responded saying it will consider a review with the participation of the CVRD. Healey then sent a letter to the CVRD asking about the willingness of Arbour, as area director, and the regional district to take a lead role in the process.

RELATED STORY: Union Bay Improvement District board lacks chair

At a committee of the whole meeting for the regional district on Oct. 8, board members passed a motion to work with Union Bay on the study.

“What we’ve committed to is having a governance study,” says Arbour. “It’s a study that usually takes about a year to complete.”

The CVRD staff report notes that the regional district in partnership with UBID can apply for a restructure planning grant and infrastructure planning grant from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to facilitate the process. This process should include looking at all the assets of UBID in terms of what services it provides and what would be involved should the community choose to convert services to the CVRD. It would assess UBID assets and liabilities, as well as analyze governance options and develop a communications plan. The study could begin later this year, with much of the condition assessment and community engagement work happening in 2020. The report also says if Union Bay opts to convert the services, a decision would have to happen by next September.

Initially, there had been an option for the community to consider incorporation as a municipality. The Province, in its response to Healey and UBID, said that incorporation can be a “contentious” issue for a community and that it would be “prudent” for Union Bay to look solely at whether to convert UBID services to the regional district at this time and perhaps consider incorporation at a later date.

“We will have to abide by that,” Arbour added.

The Comox Valley Record has contacted the UBID office about the upcoming process but has not heard back.

(The article has been edited to correct an error concerning the electoral area.)