"NEWS photo Mike Wakefield ROBERT Eillioti Is one of the owners caught in a financial squeeze thanks to past water-leaking troubles at a condomini- um on Bellevue in West Vancouver. Friday, January 8, 1999 — North Shore News - 3 tax break request turned down Owners of leaky condo get no fiscal relief from council Catherine Barr Contributing Writer THERE’S no relief in sight for the owners of a leaky West Vancouver condo. Residents of West Vancouver's Belle Fleur building are $1.2 million in debt and are looking for some help, On Monday, spokesman Robert Elliott: appeared betore West Vancouver council to ask for some financial assistance, bur he was turned away, Elliott was hoping that the condominium owners in his Bellevue Avenue building would qualify for a municipal tax exemption to help alleviate their financial burden. Bur thanks to a pending lawsuit launched by the condo owners against the municipality, council said ir was unable to comply with his request. “It’s just_a plea for some help in a very bad situa- tion,” Elliott said as he stood before district council- lors. Coun. Allan Williams quoted relevant sections of the Municipal Act and explained that the nuunicipality could not legally respond to Elliote’s request. “It's just not within our power,” he said. Since 1995, Belle Fleur residents have had little help and virtually no support from any accountable organi- zation or company. They have also had to incur expen- sive legal fees to help solve the problem. Elliott, who is also the building’s strata council pres- ident, said the municipality is only one of 18 different defendants named in the pending lawsuit Others include the provincial = government, © Manet Developments and Natupsky Engineering. The eight storey, seven-wnit apartment complex was wrapped in plastic for approsimately 15 munths back in 1996-97 while the repairs were completed. Stop whining WV, says Moe Sihota Catherine Barr Contributing Writer MOE Sihota thinks West Vancouver politicians should stop whining about provincial grant cuts and get down to Business. “I's easy to engage in rhetoric,” said B.C.’s minister of public service. “(But they) should Jook at the finances and realize that it contains a benefit for them.” Sihota was responding to comments made Monday by West Vancouver councillors Russ Fraser and Allan Williams. Fraser and Williams are former provincial attorneys general, Fraser was a Socred MEA during the late 1980s, when he held suck posts as minister of education. Williams’ career in provincial politics with the Liberals and Socreds spans nwo decades. It includes stints as the minster cf Indian affairs and the minister of Isbour. During Monday's presentation of West Vancouver’s provisional budget, Fraser and Williams jomied their fellow councillors in expressing their disappointment in the NDP government’s unilateral decision to cut over $570,000 from West Vancouver's provincial grant. Calling it a “savage attack” on taxpayers, Wiltiams said such provincial downloading. is one of the “most regressive forms of taxation.” He said it was “the kind of conduct we (council) have come to expect from this (gov- ernment).” Fraser agreed. “We are disappointed, but we are not sur- prised (at the provincial government),” he said. According to a Dee. 30 press release, the unconditional grants transierred to West Vancouver have been cut by more than 90% since 1993: from approximately $2.4 million to this year’s total of $232,000. But Sihota said things are not as bad as they seem. “I think there’s too much focus on negativ- ity and not enough recognition of the positive things that are happening,” he said. He said the province-wide grant reduction did not target any municipality and that there is enough economic growth in greater Vancouver to make up the shortfall. Sibota added that Williams’ and Fraser's statements are nonsense: “Pm sure that people with the skill of Russ Fraser, who is used to cnt- tiny budgets, thar they (West Vancouver coun- ci) should be able to find a meager 2.5% out of their budget.” He said West Vancouver can make up the shortfall by applying for extra sewer and waste project funding. The government, according to Sihota, pays up to 50% of the projects related Costs, Meanwhile, the provisional budget) was approved Monday by council but, according to Coun Ron Wood, the budget will have to be reworked due to the provincial cuts. In November, municipal manager Doug Allan released his budget. In it, he called for a 1.9% tax increase. The recently approved provisional budget, an interim budget that allows the municipality to operate in the first few monchs of the new year, calls tor a 5.7% tax inerease. The number is usually higher than the final approved budget because, according to Wood, it represents a district-wide “wish list” that con- tains all the extra supplemental departmental Tequests for extra funds. The final budget, which will be approved sometime in May, includes only those wish-list items that council deems affordable. West Vancouver received only $232,000 of an expected $805,000 from the province. The result is that an amount equivalent to 1.7% of the 1998 property tax levy must be found else- where. District staff have recommended two cours- ¢s of action: council can either cut services or raise taxes by yet another 1.7%. Council also suggested that funds might be found by improving efficiencies at municipal hall. All three options will be considered. According to acting finance director Margaret Waller, 1.7% translates into an increase of approximately $20 per average West Vancouver houschold. “The condition we had ta five in was deplorable.” said Elliott. “If, through proper inspection and coordination berween the builder and all levels of government, including the municipal inspector, this kind of thing couid be prevented in the future, (then) it would be of benefit te evervane.” he said. The recommendation for tax relief for the owners of leaky condos comes from the recently completed Barrett Commission on Renewal of Trust in Residential Construction. The commission, headed by former NDP premier Dave Barrett, was formed in response to address leaky condo problems throughout the province. Recommendation 81 of the Barrett report suggests that permissive tax exemptions he allowed for “all homeowners vndergoing repairs related to the leaky condo problem.” This means that taxes like the GST, municipal and provincial taxes, and any taxes withdrawn from cashed- in RRSPs and RRIFs could be recovered by the owners of Jeaky condos, Bur according to a municipal report, the district does not recognize the Barrett findings because the province has not vet formally adopted the recommen- dations. Additionally, district staff do not support adoption of the Barrett report. They say it would set a problem- atic and costly precedent. “If taxes were forgives for one property, others with leaky condos would expect the same; the cotal cost could be significant,” reads the report. Meanwhile, the process continues for Elliott and his neighbours. “The legal system is very slow,” he said. “We have a court dare in April (but) whether it actually goes that way, who knows?” s NEWS photo Mike Wakefield Boitie drive In the meantime, Wood said council has THE 29th Capilano Mountaineers, including Jason Clarke (left to right), John extended the period for public budget input Snetling, Mark Snelling and Brett Jamieson, will be holding a bottle drive and from Jan. 18 until the tnd of the month. collecting donations for the food bank in North Van tomorrow, Jan. 9: