& toys with | 0% tax yea ‘Staff instructed to examine money saving measures Marcie Good Contributing Writer AN effort led by three new councillors seeking a “tax holiday” for the residents of North Vancouver District received narrow support at Monday’s meeting. Last week, Coun. Doug McKay-Dunn wanted staff to look at ways of holding this year’s tax increase at 0%, without reduc- ing services or community grants. Describing several phone calls from seniors who say they cannot afford to stay in their homes, he urged council to support his call for a “tax heliday.” “We've got to promote a healthy economic environment so our kids can buy a house here and so our seniors can live here,” he said. “We've got to start thinking out way out of the box.” The draft financial plan, which must be approved by council on May 14, sets out a 4.3% increase to ratepayers over 1999. Taking into account a new $170 garbage and recycling charge and a reduction in water rates, the net effect is an extra $77 for the average home. McKay-Dunn’s motion was supported by Coun. Heather Dunsford and Coun. Ernie Crist, but was defeated in a 3-3 yote last week. On Monday, Coun. Bill Denault, who had been absent last week, tipped the balance. _| He and Dunsford advanced a motion asking staff for more information on items they had identified that could be cut from the $71-million financial plan in order to achieve a 0% increase. Along with a description of anticipated savings in money and staff, they wanted to know the consequences of cutting partic- ular items from the budget. That was supported by Crist and MceKay-Dunn. The items staff have identified for possible elimination from the budget include: Mountain Forest Cove Forest and Fromme . Mountain recreation use study ($50,000); Millennium tree planting projects ($15,000); a front door opener at the opera- “tions centre for those who use wheelchairs ($10,000); sidewalk program ($150,000); outdoor illuminated signage at the Grant ~ Connell Tennis Centre ($15,000); and several strect upgrade - projects involving Marine Drive, Capilano Road, and Indian . River Road. : ~ While Mayor Don Bell, Coun. Lisa Muri and Coun. Janice Harris all agreed that increases should be lower than 4.3%, they ‘argued that it is impossible to cut $2. million from the budget without affecting the services that district residents expect. : “] appreciate catchy phrases like ‘thinking our way out of the box,’” Bell said at a meeting Jast week. “But ‘tax holidays’ must be paid for.” : Picking up on Dunsford’s suggestion that several budget . jtems could be done without for one year, he noted that past decisions to delay paying for things such as buildirig mainte- ‘Aance only meant additional expenses down the road. ‘-°§ think our managerial team has been ‘thinking out of the box,’” he said, giving credit to the “fresh approach” offered by municipal manager Gord Howie and pointing out that budgets for the past several years have been slim. In the pesiod between _ See Options page & 5 Each Passe: mat A DON'T take the bis, take a cab! Sunshine Cabs’ general rnanager Sam Monfared displays a rate card for the company’s new multi-pickup service. Wednesday, April 19, 2000 - North Shore News ~ 3 nT UNIVERSITY of 5.C. Thunderbird Nicholas Leswick collides with St. Martin’s College Saints catcher Branden Florence in a Sunday baseball game at Nat Balley Stadium. Leswick had two RBIs in the T-Birds’ 7-6 win. See story on page 40. Dragon plies Bob Mackin Sports Reporter bmackin@nsnews.com THERE’S a dragon in Deep Cove. A dragon boat, that is. The Deep Cove Rowing Centre wel- comed the vessel into the waters off Cates Park Friday after it was transported trom the Okanagan. The arrival marked the start of a local dragon boat program. The goal is to send teams to the annual Vancouver International Dragon Boat Festiva! June 17-18 in False Creek. “Some. people don’t want to do row- ing, but they want to be out on the water,” said Colleen Miller of Foundation 2000 Plus. Foundation 2000 Plus is an initiative of Victoria rowing enthusiast Peter Copland. It provides equipment and staff to three Vancouver-area rowing centres, including Deep Cove. Miller, originally from Winnipeg, was a member of the rowing crew that won the world championship gold in 1990 in Tasmania. She also won the women’s lightweight double sculls title with Wendy Wiebe in 1993 and 1994. They came seventh at the 1996 Olympics in Arlania. “(Dragon boating is) totally differ- ent,” said Miller. “Often people are (into) one or the other. Rowing needs a lot of skill and time. The nice thing about dragon boating is that young kids can jump in them, they’re safe, they can just pick up the paddle and go. It costs a little bit less because you can get 22 people in there.” Cost to join is $70 per person or Deep Gove waters $1,000 for a team of 22. Paddles, per- sonal flotation devices. and coaching is supplied. Tie dragon boat will be sta- tioned at ths Deep Cove Yacht Club. “As lonz as there is interest we're going to keep the dragon boat there. There’s one .team that has signed up. There's goin: to be quite a bit of demand as people fiad out there’s one on the North Shore. It’s great for people not having to go back and forth over the bridge.” Dragon boat racing originated in fourth century BC China. Poet and statesman Qu Yuan, 2ccording to legend, hurled himself into the Mi Lo River to protest the corrupt Chou Dynasty. Local atmen raced to save him, but were too late. They beat their paddles on the water to purge it of evil spirits. Dragon boating became a local fixture in False Creek following Expo 86. Commuting by cab to low-cost option Sunshine Cabs set to offer multi-pickup service. Katharine Hamer News Reporter ; khamer@nsnews.com TIRED of the crush on public transit in the mornings? Well, you could always take a taxi. North Vancouver-based Sunshine Cabs is set to become the first cab company in Canada to offer a mufti-pickup service. The company recently won approval for the service from the Motor Carrier Commission. With a launch date of May 1, the new service will operate a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunshine general manager 13 hours a day: from 6:30 - Sam Monfared said there would be 15 routes running across the North Shore, with pick-up and drop-off points including Horseshoe Bas, Park Royal, Lonsdale Quay, Edgemont Village and Phibbs Exchange. ; Prices range from $1.50 (from Phibbs Exchange to the SeaBus) to $4.75 (Horseshoe Bay to the SeaBus terminal). Passenger costs are based on five people travelling on each route. Monfared said signs would be posted on taxis indicating their destination and that precise routes would be “designed by passengers.” He said customers would have a maximum waiting time” of half an hour for the service, with an average wait time of no more than 3-4 minutes. : “[’ve been after this for two years,” Monfared says. “We — knew there was a need for lower-income. people (to have access to a taxi Service).” . Sunshine hopes _ both school children and com- muters will make use of the: service as a public transit alter- native. Because of the selected. ~ hours and destinations, he said’ the service at the moment was “not for pub-going people and such.” ; Sunshine’s only competitor, © North Shore. Taxi, was also .~ granted permission to operate ~- a multi-pickup service, but has. ~ opted not to start one at this time, according to Monfared.: .