about Vaucroft Improvement District
On January 11, 1965 a group of people petitioning for land on a small island off the Sunshine Coast were granted approval by the Minister of Lands, Forest, and Water Resources at the Executive Council Chamber, Victoria.
It was declared that this plot of land would become an improvement district and would be known as "Vaucroft Improvement District."
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The following is stated on the letters patent, which outlines the approval of land and regulations held to it, the third "regulation" defines what the trustees and administrator's jobs are:
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1.The tract of land within Group 1, New Westminster Land District and Vancouver Land Registration District, more particularly described as: Lots 1 to 46, inclusive, of Parcel A of Lot 1017, Plan 10306 together with all adjacent road allowances and all subdivisions thereof and all owners of land therein are incorporated into an improvement district under the "Water Act" and subject to the provisions thereof and to the conditions hereinafter contained.
2. The improvement district shall be known as "Vaucroft Improvement District."
3. The objects of the improvement district shall be the provision of water for waterworks purpose, the provision of parks and playgrounds, the acquisition of lands and the acquisition, maintenance and operation of works for such purposes and all matters incidental thereto.
4. There shall be five Trustees of the improvement district.
5. The persons qualified to vote at the first election of Trustees shall be Canadian citizens who are twenty-one years of age or older and are entitled to be registered as voters under the "Provincial Elections Act" and are owners of land in the tract of land hereinbefore described, and the persons qualified to be candidates at the election shall be the persons qualified as aforesaid to vote and their wives and husbands.
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The full Letters Patent can be found here: 1965 Letters Patent goes into detail about the inner workings and legalities of Vaucroft Improvement District.
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On January 20,1994. another Letters Patent was passed reducing the number of trustees required on the VID's board. The 1994 Letters Patent Amendment.
Now there are only three VID trustees.
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Improvement District Manual March 2006
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Improvement District Trustees Handbook 2012
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Vaucroft Improvement District Policies
POLICY ON REMOVAL OF DANGEROUS TREES ADOPTED BY THE VID TRUSTEEShhvb
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January 29, 2018
Trustees: Peter Busby, Matthew Wubs, Steve Rechtschaffner
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The VID will pay for the removal of a tree which is deemed dangerous under the following conditions:
1. The tree is on VID property and is a threat to personal safety or to buildings or structures.
2. The tree is on Ministry of Transport property and is a threat to VID buildings or structures.
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Should a tree be identified as a dangerous tree by the caretaker, in consultation with an
experienced tree faller or arborist, the VID will pay for the removal under the following circumstances:
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1. The tree is on VID property.
2. The tree is on property owned by the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Provincial
Government, or Federal Government, and is a threat to structures or equipment owned by the VID.
Property owners who have identified dangerous trees that do not meet this criteria may appeal to
the trustees. Upon agreement by 2 or more trustees the VID will undertake the payment to
remove the tree(s).
Please note that there will likely be an excessive amount of debris from the trees that you are
having removed. Property owners in the past have recognized when they have added an
excessive amount to the burn pile and have hired Dave Zogas to supervise the burning of the
debris.
***We have established the rate that Zogas expects is $500 for each lot for the excessive wood
debris burning. January 1, 2020 as per Shirley Higginson – This rate may be subject to
increases.***
Burn Pile Policy
1. The area of Lot 17 designated for the use of burning debris is for the sole use of people
who pay annual fees to the Vaucroft Improvement District (VID).
2. Items that can be added to the burn pile are:
a - bare, untreated, not painted lumber
b - plant material that has grown on island property
3. Items which should not be added to the burn pile include, but are not limited to the
following: plastic, masonry, plywood, oriented strand board, paper, cardboard, and
asphalt shingles. If in doubt, refer to section 2.
4. Fires in the burn pile area are to be lit only by the Caretaker of the VID, or someone
authorized by the Caretaker.
5. There will be a levy of $500.00 charged to those who add excessive amounts to the burn
pile. This levy is to cover extra costs for equipment and operator necessary to burn large
piles of debris. The levy will be charged at the discretion of the VID Caretaker.
6. The initial burn of the debris pile shall take place during the month of November in each
year. Any other burning authorized by the Caretaker shall take place after the initial burn
and before 15 February of the following year.
7. The burn pile area will be closed for the addition of material from 15 February until 01
March in each year.
Approved and officially adopted by the Chair Rechtshaffner, and Trustees Mervin and Nichols
December 2019.
WHAT WE DO Board Trustees Role and Responsibilities
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Each improvement district is governed by three or more trustees who are collectively called the "board of trustees". One of the trustees also serves as the chair.
The powers granted to improvement districts in the Act must be exercised by a decision made by a majority of trustees at a legally convened meeting. While the chair may have duties that are not shared with other trustees, such as the duty to chair meetings and sign bylaws, the legislation does not grant the chair powers that can be exercised unilaterally on behalf of the improvement district. Similarly, individual trustees cannot commit the improvement district to any particular action.
The powers granted to improvement districts in the Act can be enacted by the board of trustees by bylaw or by resolution - both instruments are legally enforceable.
A resolution is an expression of a decision, position, or intent by the board of trustees. A resolution takes effect once it is passed by the board of trustees and does not need to be registered or filed with the Inspector. Resolutions and bylaws are proposed by a trustee at a trustees meeting and decided by a majority vote of the trustees.
The board of trustees is responsible for ensuring there is sufficient revenue to finance the costs of operating, administering and maintaining the public services for which the improvement district is responsible.
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A board of trustees must make adequate provision in its budget to renew infrastructure when it is required and to raise sufficient funds for that purpose.
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A board of trustees has the authority to hire employees to manage the day-to-day operation and administration of the improvement district, to provide support to the board and to implement board decisions.
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The improvement district officer assigned responsibility for financial administration is required to prepare a financial statement for each calendar year. The financial statement must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for local governments and presented to the board for its acceptance. The board of trustees must appoint an independent auditor who provides a report to the board of trustees on the annual financial statement. The report safeguards the interests of the landowners and trustees by stating whether proper accounting procedures are being followed. The report must be in accordance with the form and the reporting standards recommended by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
The annual financial statements must be presented to the landowners at the annual general meeting. The annual financial statements must be submitted to the Inspector by May 15 each year.
Trustee Meetings
A board of trustees must convene a meeting in order to conduct improvement district business. The meeting must be called in accordance with the provisions in the improvement district's meeting procedure bylaw and there must be a quorum of trustees present. A quorum is a majority of trustees - the quorum for a board with three trustees is two and a quorum for a board with five trustees is three. If one or more trustees leave the meeting and a quorum no longer exists, the meeting cannot continue.
Voting on motions that are proposed at a meeting by trustees is how the board reaches its decisions and exercises its powers. People other than trustees are not permitted to make a motion or vote on a motion. A suggestion for a motion from a landowner could be discussed by the trustees if one of the trustees agrees to put the suggestion forward as their own motion.
The minutes of all trustee meetings must be recorded; however, the extent of the information recorded is determined by a policy adopted by the trustees. Some minutes only reflect the wording of motions and whether they were passed by the trustees.
However a board of trustees may decide to include additional information in the minutes, such as the opinions expressed by the trustees during the meeting and how the trustees voted on motions.
The minutes are usually signed by the chair and the corporate officer as being correct. The certified minutes form a critical part of the improvement district's historical record and it is the responsibility of the corporate officer to keep them safe.
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