Council Strategic Priorities

City of White Rock waterfront with the white rock.

Message from White Rock City Council

When City Council approved the Strategic Priorities for White Rock in early 2019, we heard from the community clear priorities that included reopening Canada’s Longest Pier and the Waterfront Promenade, both severely damaged in December 2018 by a harsh and sudden winter storm.  

Today we face a different storm. The declaration of a COVID-19 global pandemic in March 2020 has left our world profoundly changed. Responsively, the City moved to online services, advocated to aid residents and businesses in need, and provided alternatives to in-person Council meetings, public meetings, special events, recreation and public engagement.  

Throughout this time, the City of White Rock continued to provide essential services, including fire and police, solid waste collection and recycling, clean drinking water, roads and parks maintenance, taxation and parking services. The City formed the COVID-19 Recovery Task Force in June 2020 to respond to the social and economic needs of White Rock during the pandemic.  

Council’s 2021-2022 Strategic Priorities maintain, where possible, the public input principles we heard in 2019 along with input from the community during the pandemic. We have refined our priorities and will focus on our Community, Environment, Waterfront, Infrastructure, Economy and response to COVID-19. Together, we will get through this storm, and build an even stronger future for our City by the Sea.

The six key priorities are:

strategic-priorities-community

strategic-priorities-environment

strategic-priorities-waterfront

strategic-priorities-infrastructure

strategic-priorities-economy

strategic-priorities-covid19

  1. Community
  2. Environment
  3. Waterfront
  4. Infrastructure
  5. Economy
  6. COVID-19

Our Community

We will make the best possible community decisions in collaboration with residents and stakeholders, providing an excellent quality of life.

Objectives:

  1. Guide land use decisions of Council to reflect the vision of the community.
  2. Manage the delivery of City services efficiently and effectively.
  3. Confirm the City is following best practices in governance.
  4. Select and complete the CAC projects to maximize the benefit to the community.
  5. Advocate on behalf of the community to senior levels of government and other stakeholder groups.
  6. Continue to nurture a respectful, trusting partnership with the Semiahmoo First Nation for the benefit of both communities.

Actions and Priority:

ObjectiveActionPriority Type
Guide land use decisions of Council to reflect the vision of the community.

Review the Official Community Plan (OCP)Top Priority
Town Centre Review (with DIALOG)Top Priority
Building Heights Outside the Town CentreTop Priority
Affordable Housing/Housing Needs ReportTop Priority
Review of Waterfront Design Guidelines for East Beach and West BeachHigh Priority
Coach House/Secondary Suites in duplexes/triplexesHigh Priority
Single-family home zonesHigh Priority
Confirm the City is following best practices in governance.

Governance and Legislation Committee to continue to review all Council polices
  1. Corporate Administration Policies
  2. Council Policies
  3. City Operations Policies
  4. Finance Policies
  5. Human Resources Policies

  6. Planning and Development Policies

Top Priority
  1. High Priority
  2. High Priority
  3. High Priority
  4. High Priority
  5. High Priority
  6. High Priority
Reserve FundHigh Priority
Manage the delivery of City services efficiently and effectively.

Multi-Family and Commercial Waste PickupTop Priority
Conduct multi-family and commercial waste pickup and analysisTop Priority
Consultant to prepare a report providing implications of waste pickup resulting from the analysisTop Priority
Review emergency alert systems for mass notificationTop Priority
Water Community Advisory PanelHigh Priority
Examine water quality results from Water Treatment PlantHigh Priority
Policing Service ReviewHigh Priority
Select and complete the CAC projects to maximize the benefit to the community.
Community Amenity Contributions ReviewTop Priority
Review Options for Adding Pickleball Courts at East Beach and/or West BeachTop Priority
Review Options for Adding Playground/Green Space in East Beach and/or West BeachTop Priority
Review Feasibility of Installing Year-Round Volleyball Nets on East Beach ForeshoreTop Priority
Review Options for Using Portions of Hogg Park for Affordable Housing ProjectTop Priority
Bring forward Affordable Housing Reserve Fund Bylaw and consider allocating $4 million to fundTop Priority
Update Council on Previous Centre Street Hillside Walkway ReportsTop Priority
Review Options for Upgrading Multiple Hillside Walkways (Road Ends) to WaterfrontTop Priority
Confirm Ability to Use Amenity Contributions for Improving Beach AccessTop Priority
Review Options for Upgrading Maccaud Park with Greener ApproachTop Priority
Confirm Locations for Current and Proposed Bus Shelters in Town Centre AreaTop Priority
Continue to nurture a respectful, trusting partnership with the Semiahmoo First Nation for the benefit of both communities.
Water Service AgreementsTop Priority
Relationship Rebuilding/PartnershipTop Priority
Communication Protocol - Memorandum of UnderstandingTop Priority
Sanitary Sewer Service AgreementHigh Priority
Drainage Memorandum of UnderstandingHigh Priority
Totem Pole (House Post) Restoration at White Rock Elementary School GroundsHigh Priority
SFN Infrastructure Investigation & AssessmentHigh Priority

See the complete list of the 2021-2022 Council Strategic Priorities.

BACKGROUND


Thanks to public feedback, Council’s Strategic Priorities Plan, for this term, has been created with aligned priorities from White Rock City Council, residents and businesses. The background of these facilitated sessions can be found below.

  1. 2020
  2. 2019
  3. Photo Gallery
  4. As Seen In

The City of White Rock held workshops on Sept. 3 and 4 to begin the process of updating Council’s 2018-2022 Strategic Priorities to ensure they meet the future needs of the community.

To view the recorded discussion, click here