No New Autonomous RCMP Detachment for $18.25-$24+ Million & No Removal & Development of Parkland For It: Demanding Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability to Pitt Meadows Residents

Every Pitt Meadows resident 18 years+ may sign. Multiple signatures per household permitted.
Please note: If you have already signed the paper copy of the paper petition please do not sign this E-Petition as it will duplicate your signature.

As of February 15, 2022:   523 Signatures (incl. paper copy)
Helps Us Reach Our Goal: 1,500+ Signatures

NOTE:  Council Meeting May 3, 2022 to discuss Options Building

Estimated cost for building alone now at $21.733 Million - see webpage below for Agenda pkg.  Specific information starts on page 52:

file:///D:/Data/Darlene%20Documents/City%20of%20PM%20-%20Gen/RCMP%20Detachment/Agenda%20Package%20-%20PUB1_May03_2022%20RCMP.pdf

Our Formal Petition Statement to Council is:

Petition Against Removal of Parkland & Formation of New RCMP Detachment

____________________________________________________________________
We the Undersigned*, call upon Pitt Meadows City Council to:

• Cease the process of rezoning Parkland at 12474/12484/12494 Harris Road (Harris Road Park & McMyn) for the purposes of construction of a (proposed) new, de-integrated RCMP Detachment & Facility solely for Pitt Meadows, and;

• Cease pursuing the application for and development of an $18.25 Million Dollar (per City website Mar. 12/21) Independent (de-integrated) RCMP Detachment in Pitt Meadows plus overruns, yearly costs & currently unknown financial costs, and;

• Remain an Integrated Detachment with the Maple Ridge Detachment, with all of its benefits and enhance these per the Consultant’s Report of January, 2020 by renegotiation of terms and services (pg 40-42).

*By signing this petition, the undersigned acknowledge that this document will become a public record and all information contained herein will be publicly available through an upcoming council agenda or other city records.

____________________________________________________________________

Feedback From 511 Residents Who Have Signed:

We can’t afford it
It’s too much money at $18.25 Million!
We don’t need it or want it
We don’t feel unsafe
The City should not build on Park Land

I didn't know they wanted to remove this much of our Park

The Art Gallery is perfect here in the Park
This Mayor & Council Is Not Listening To Residents
Fiscally Irresponsible
We are well served by the RCMP Maple Ridge Detachment and our CPO
What about spending on other public amenities?

There was never a Resident vote on this

THIS SHOULD BE A REFERENDUM AT THE 2022 ELECTIONS!

Background Information

Pitt Meadows City Council has pivoted 180 degrees on the need for more RCMP Members since their first Spring in Office (2019) - see Maple Ridge News Articles below these bullet points:

• Jan. 30/19 - Not needing more RCMP Members in our City (the same number of Members as in 2021); to....

• Nov. 22/19 - A Detachment ‘Model’ that must fit within a $6 million budget; to...

• Feb. 12/21 - A ‘must have’ first autonomous RCMP Detachment at $18.25 - $24 million plus other currently uncosted, expensive add ons - to be built on part of historic Harris Road Park.

Pitt Meadows has the lowest crime rate in BC for a City our size (19,717 residents). Mayor and Council are adamant that the perfect spot for a Detachment with an 11 cell jail is adjacent to a well used family park. Our children including Daycare tots, use the pool,  playground and spray park, skate park. sports fields and forested ‘free play’ areas at this location. Do you want a cell block next to a family park with detainees brought in and being released? 

Council’s reasoning on this location varies from ‘sending a strong statement of law and order by having a Detachment at the gateway to Pitt Meadows’, to ‘protecting our assets & local businesses from vandalism’ (see Councillor O'Connell's comments from the Jan. 30/19 article - "A cop on every corner won't stop crime").

These articles follow the trajectory of this turnaround by Mayor and Council - Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows News (Black Press) Articles:

January 30, 2019: “Pitt Meadows council approves 5.58 percent budget increase”:  Mayor Dingwall says “We don’t need additional RCMP”. https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/pitt-meadows-council-approves-5-58-per-cent-budget-increase/

November 22, 2019: “Consultant investigating an independent Pitt Meadows RCMP”:  Mayor Dingwall and some of Council tour White Rock’s RCMP Detachment with plans to use White Rock as a model for Pitt Meadows. Their hired Consultant from BlueLine says “It must fit within the $6 million budget”. https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/consultant-investigating-an-independent-pitt-meadows-rcmp/https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/consultant-investigating-an-independent-pitt-meadows-rcmp/

February 21, 2020: “Pitt Meadows police review trotted out to public”:  With only 100 or less residents in attendance (no head count was taken, no fill in comment sheets available), and 7/14 speakers opposed or in serious doubt regarding the proposal of an autonomous Detachment at the only public forum on the matter (February 20, 2020 cusp of Covid lockdowns), the Mayor stated that because 300-500 people did not attend that “They (the public) trust in us that we’re doing the right thing....and they’re not concerned.  Further, the City indicated 65% of respondents on the follow up "Have Your Say" opportunity were in favour, but never indicate the number of respondents that 65% was based on.  ”https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/pitt-meadows-police-review-trotted-out-to-public/https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/pitt-meadows-police-review-trotted-out-to-public/

February 12, 2021: “$18M for new cop shop”:  Council’s body of 7 elected representatives are adamant that Pitt Meadows residents need to pay for a Provincial loan which will be anywhere from $18.3-$24.6+ Million, repaid over a likely span of 25 years (per City Staff), for an autonomous Detachment. No increase in crime rate, it is all about ‘the feel of the thing’, and ‘getting to know the yellow stripe’ more personally. Note that these costs are estimates only, incomplete, and currently based on turning part of Harris Road Park into a Detachment facility. (This is a link to the Maple Ridge News eEdition, article on page 1 and continued on page 21)https://www.mapleridgenews.com/e-editions/?iid=i20210212020021348&&headline=TWFwbGUgUmlkZ2UgTmV3cywgRmVicnVhcnkgMTIsIDIwMjE=&&doc_id=210212100504-5b581b181f9d931f51a4e3b85729cb3bhttps://www.mapleridgenews.com/e-editions/?iid=i20210212020021348&&headline=TWFwbGUgUmlkZ2UgTmV3cywgRmVicnVhcnkgMTIsIDIwMjE=&&doc_id=210212100504-5b581b181f9d931f51a4e3b85729cb3b

Mayor and Council have desperately tried to convince everyone “It’s a Done Deal” when they know that this needs approval by the Solicitor General of BC, and the City will likely need Provincial approval for such a large loan.   Council is aware that they do not have verifiable, documented 'majority support' of  residents and businesses on this issue.   For over a year it seems the majority of residents were totally unaware of this landmark issue (as evidenced by comments from residents when Petition supporters went door to door).  Part of this Petitions' aim is to bring the Detachment issue into the light for everyone in Pitt Meadows.  An autonomous Detachment would be the LARGEST SINGLE SPEND IN PITT MEADOWS HISTORY according to retired Mayor of 4 terms, Don MacLean.

Mayor and Council have shut down the opinions and feedback of residents on this on every platform for several months.  Mention of the Petition has been scrubbed by admins. from FBs "Protecting Pitt Meadows' page.  Council promoted themselves last election as the Council that would listen. They have formally changed City Policy to barr residents from presenting as a Delegation to Council with any item that goes against Council's values or goals.  Residents are becoming aware that this Council is not prepared to listen, respect and heed the opinions of the voters who elected them.

Legal but Undemocratic - The AAP Used To Remove Park Land Designation

 Did you know about the AAP ‘vote’? You are in the vast majority of residents if you did not!

<----  Harris Road is to the left of the coloured outlines.  Heritage Hall at the bottom of the photo.

**(Re: the above aerial photo of the park site - the yellow outline is/was designated park area slated for rezoning, and the red outline surrounds the Pitt Meadows Art Gallery and surrounding area.  Everything within the yellow and red lines are proposed for redevelopment for a Detachment)**

Mayor, Council and Staff used the Alternate Approval Process (AAP) in June, 2021 to remove the Park designation (altered the Bylaw) from over 2,300 sq.m. of Harris Road Park (see above parkland outlined in yellow specific to Park designation) at its juncture with McMyn Rd. (rezoning formal Public Hearing TBA).   The AAP is a negative voting tool that is legal in BC for use by Municipalities.

The way the AAP worked was if you did not vote “No”, you were voting “Yes” on removing the park designation. So not being aware of this vote in May-June, 2021 and not registering a vote with the City by means of their website form meant you were voting Yes to allow park designation removal in order for Council to rezone this heritage park land and build a Detachment on the site. (For the form you had to physically print it from the Voting Opportunities website, sign, scan and email/drop off; or pick up a copy at City Hall if they had one, fill it in and leave it with the City),

Our elected Mayor constantly repeats Council’s success citing that “only 202 residents were opposed”.  This is illogical but pointedly calculated, trying to convince residents that every single resident in Pitt Meadows knew about, and consciously voted, or did not vote, on this historic Bylaw change removing Park Designation from part of Harris Road Park. This Park land was passed on to the City by the original 1940's Athletic Committee who was granted it by Mr. Frank V. Harris in his Will, ostensibly for the park and athletic enjoyment of all future Pitt Meadows residents.

Our Mayor repeatedly states that the City went ‘above and beyond’ Provincial guidelines for informing the public about the AAP Vote. Besides 2 Provincially obligatory legal notices in the local paper the City’s ‘above and beyond’ was a few Instagram and Facebook posts (not everyone I know is on FB and Instagram, how about you?). There was no mailer with information and a voting form to every household in Pitt Meadows on this important Bylaw change.  This was a choice by the City and resulted in predictably limited penetration of the information and availability of the mandatory voting form.

Residents we have talked to feel this was an undemocratic process, and were outraged that they never received information and a “No” voting form in the mail.

The Pitt Meadows Public Art Gallery, 9 mature shade trees, grassed areas with  picnic bench, team and City storage building (the brick building), bleachers and part of the Pee Wee Ball Diamond would be removed for construction (Ball Diamond may or may not move to S. Bonson).   Per KMBR Architects Report* to Council of Feb. 2021, all of the remaining parking would be reconfigured (made narrower, etc.) to make room for RCMP vehicles, administrative personnel parking as well as residents use (no decision has been made on whether underground parking would be possible for RCMP vehicles).  

Valuable historic and central park land gone. The Art Gallery proposed to be slotted into old RCMP offices in the Rec Centre with more investment required to renovate that space while unable to replace the current high visibility location. And where are residents who use this bustling park site and Heritage Hall supposed to park? It is often at capacity during tournaments and summer use not to mention Pitt Meadows Day!

Choices Council didn’t make: The Blueline Consultants Report* - February, 2020

• Putting more manpower we already pay for (currently 23 officers) in our current Community Police Office (CPO) near City Hall. Our current CPO was renovated in 2013 for $1.4M and per the Consultant, is “underutilized for its size, specialized space, and the tools it offers”. The office could possibly accommodate 11 officers and now regularly operates with 2-3 with the rest working out of the Maple Ridge Detachment.

• Option 2 of Blueline’s Report (page 40) “This option addresses the desired outcomes identified by Pitt Meadows for a service delivery model, without a significant financial impact”. This would be a Service Agreement that could see extra RCMP out of our current CPO with more ‘Detachment like’ services without the higher cost of building, outfitting and running an full autonomous Detachment.

Costs and More Costs - Blank Cheque From Residents

From the RCMP Municipal Police Service Agreement:

Pitt Meadows will be responsible for 90% of the cost base for RCMP policing (Feds pay 10%) for Members Pay (increasing by 24% in 2022), allowances, employer pension contributions, transportation, training, etc. $$$$

Pitt Meadows will be responsible for 100% of the cost of the Detachment buildings and all that goes with it, as well as cell blocks and civilian support staff and furniture. $$$$$

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Per Blueline’s Report “several known and unknown financial considerations ...would need to be further investigated”.   A prime example of this is the mandatory 11 person cell block for a Detachment which the Mayor indicated he was in favour of at the February 20, 2020 Open House (or we could contract this out at an extra undetermined cost to Maple Ridge Detachment).  A cell block, it’s construction, maintenance and manning is a very expensive proposition as mentioned by the Blueline Consultant, and is not figured into any currently released costs that I could find.

Update:  October, 2021 - The RCMP have now issued their (not released to the public) Property Survey to the City of Pitt Meadows.   This has been passed on to the Solicitor General of BC’s Office. The RCMP are required to do this Survey/Report when assessing a possible new Detachment and this informs the BC Government during its decision making process. I believe it outlines what would be required from Pitt Meadows to fulfill its strict obligations on build and location as well as whether the City would be required to buy its own squad vehicles, weapons, etc. As it is not available to the public it is impossible to be more specific as to its aims and content unless the City wishes to release at least a summary. 

There has been no City led best and worst case cost scenarios or proper Cost:Benefit analyses put in front of residents for their consideration before Council publically voiced the City’s committal to an autonomous Detachment.  The City has instead concluded that they have made a decision and residents and businesses will just have to pay for it (via increased taxes because that $20M+ will have to come from somewhere?).   City Staff has recently estimated a pay back period of 25 years for creation of an autonomous Detachment on top of other million dollar projects and expenses we are and will be committed to such as:

• $200 Million in Dyking Upgrades against Climate Change Related flooding (Pitt Meadows is primarily flood zone) - we will have to pay our not inconsiderable share;
• New Firehall cost now at $15 Million (was $12M);
• Upcoming December, 2021 Binding Agreement with CP Rail/Port Authority regarding the Harris Road Underpass and costs associated with anti-flood pump equipment maintenance and other possible financial encumbrances.

We have infrastructure that has been begging for help for years. Dyke systems still need upgrading, our outdoor pool was built in the 1940's and a planned total refit or replacement like what is happening in Coquitlam for their outdoor pool should have been started ages ago (our pool not open this summer); the washroom/change room facilities at Harris Rd. Park are ancient and ill outfitted; our ice rinks are in need of major refit; our Works Yard was slated for an upgrade pre-pandemic and is long overdue for upgrade particularly since taking over Parks Maintenance;  City Hall itself has been on past agendas ear marked as needing replacement or major refit. With all of Council’s talk about ‘protecting our assets’, before we dive into extreme debt for a facility and change in infrastructure hundreds of residents feel we don’t need, shouldn’t we be fixing and attending to what is necessary first, not to mention what residents really care about spending money on?

No Respect For Residents

September 28, 2021 - First Installment of our 466 signature paper petition was presented to Council, but not the way it historically would have been. This Council changed the rules of engagement regarding a Delegation to Council early in its term to barr residents and groups from presenting as a Delegation if they wanted to present something Council feels is against their goals (a copy of the present Delegation Policy is available from City Hall).  I presented the Petition in the couple of minutes allowed at the beginning of the Council Meeting to a cold reception afterwards by the Mayor.

Maple Ridge News, October 6, 2021 - “Partial petition opposing the proposed Pitt Meadows RCMP detachment reaches council chambers”  https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/partial-petition-opposing-the-proposed-pitt-meadows-rcmp-detachment-reaches-council-chambers/https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/partial-petition-opposing-the-proposed-pitt-meadows-rcmp-detachment-reaches-council-chambers/

Watch this video.  Link to the video of the September 28, 2021 presentation of our petition to Council:

https://pub-pittmeadows.escribemeetings.com/Players/ISIStandAlonePlayer.aspx?Id=c44a10ca-b827-4e9d-badd-598ef0b72406https://pub-pittmeadows.escribemeetings.com/Players/ISIStandAlonePlayer.aspx?Id=c44a10ca-b827-4e9d-badd-598ef0b72406

Presentation approx. at the 4 minute in mark with Mayor Dingwall’s comments immediately following. Some comments by other members of the public after the meeting.

Besides “that ship has sailed”, comments by our elected Mayor indicated He needed no referendum on this as He is the Referendum by grace of having been voted into office by 80% of those who voted. This is total hubris. He went on to liken the Petition to the recent Federal Election and wanting to repeal its result with a petition.  An illogical comparison and a stark contrast between a hugely advertised voting process ending with a strictly regulated assent vote (“vote Yes”) for specific candidates. If the Federal Election were run like the Alternate Approval Process, every single Canadian who did not vote would have had their absent ballot randomly assigned to a candidate.

Most importantly, the Mayor pointed out that if we didn’t like his vote on a Detachment, we could NOT VOTE FOR HIM in the October, 2022 Municipal Elections.   These are certainly words to remember and live by!

Misinformation?

At the Council Meeting of September 28, 2021 post Petition presentation, the Mayor said that there was an ‘appalling’ amount of misinformation circulating on this matter including Letters to the Editor and in social media (see above link to video of Sept 28/21).

What about our City’s website on the RCMP Detachment which states that “there will be no tax increase from this” as though this will be an unchanging fact particularly in the face of other multi-million dollar projects underway or projected?  The City doesn’t know (or has not released) the entire estimated cost of our first autonomous RCMP Detachment, how much over run there might be as this will take several years to transition to let alone build if gone ahead with.   How can the City guarantee this will not dramatically increase our taxes with many Cities already projecting possible tax increases from the 2022, 24% RCMP retroactive wage increases?

City Staff removed a corrected aerial photograph of the proposed park site from their website  that showed the public that the Pitt Meadows Art Gallery would also be removed. The absence of this information was pointed out to Staff during the AAP vote and Staff added a corrected photograph and comment including the Art Gallery as slated for removal, but now that is gone. Looking at this (the old version of the aerial), everyone’s impression of the site, unless they know differently, will be “Oh, I guess the Art Gallery will be left in place”.

$18.25 Million for a Detachment.   This is only an estimated base cost without all costs figured in including final site selection, architectural investigations and work, jail or no jail, outside contracts with the Maple Ridge Detachment, the 24% salary increase starting 2022 for all RCMP members... the list goes on. The City refuses to tell the public how much this could cost us and possibly they just don’t know - they just want a blank cheque from residents and businesses ahead of time.

While the Mayor keeps repeating this is all about “safety, safety safety” his public statements in the News indicate repeatedly that this is a Legacy Project.   Why do we need this with a low crime rate?    Recent (larger) Detachment builds range from $38 - $51 million (Moncton NB, Fort St. John, Prince George, North Cowichan/Duncan). Even a conservative estimate for a smaller autonomous full Detachment of 23-24 members (per Council’s wishes), will still likely reach $25 Million with cost over runs when all is said and done (feedback from retired Mayor MacLean and other sources as well as City Staff projections).

Be Informed. Have Your Say Pitt Meadows. 

 Thank you. Darlene Mercer, Petition Organizer

All of the links attached are correct and all information quoted from Reports are done to the best of the writer's ability.  Please satisfy your own due diligence by reading the Maple Ridge News Articles linked here (there are many more than these as well as many Letters to the Editor), watching the video link and reading the KMBR and Blueline Reports. Some of the above is based on the writers observations and opinions and feedback from residents.

* Please contact me for PDF copies of the 100+ page KMBR and Blueline Reports if you cannot find them on the City's website.

Darlene Mercer, Pitt Meadows, BC    Contact the author of the petition