The future of Banff’s heritage corporation and heritage programs are uncertain following the elimination of a town planner in 2012 as part of recent budget cuts.
The three-year contract position of a full-time heritage development planner, which is currently held by Claire Wilkinson, is to be eliminated when it expires at the end of March 2012, saving $49,700 next year and $83,500 a year beyond that.
Not only do critics expect heritage to suffer as a result, but it’s expected the busy department’s workload will increase because more than half of the job involves traditional planning duties.
Council reduced the planning department’s budget as part of its move to keep tax increases down, believing that department’s workload will lighten when Banff is built up within its growth cap.
Randall McKay, manager of planning and development, said he respects and understands the difficult decisions facing council in budget deliberations, but believes this decision is premature given build-out has not yet been reached.
He said he does not yet fully understand all of the implications, but with only three remaining planners, one serious option is to recommend dissolving Banff’s heritage corporation.
“It’s anticipated we wouldn’t be able to take on the heritage-related work at this point, and we would recommend the corporation be dissolved,” he said.
“We didn’t anticipate losing this position in the foreseeable future. We originally went to a contract because we were still waiting to see where our overall workload was going,” he added.
“Obviously, it’s going to result in a reallocation among the staff, which we believe are already under a significant workload… I think the point to be made right now is we’re not at build-out.”
Herb MacAulay, chairman of the Banff Heritage Corporation, said the elimination of the planner is a blow to heritage within the national park townsite.
“I think it’s potentially a disaster as far as heritage is concerned,” he said. “Banff’s heritage program rivals anything anywhere in Alberta because of the resources that have been put into this.”
McKay heads up the department, which includes Wilkinson, senior planner Darren Enns, planner Keith Batstone and an administrative assistant.
Banff Mayor Karen Sorensen said the budget was incredibly tough, both in terms of recognizing the state of the economy and trying to offer the same level of service the community expects.
She said they considered a service review completed for the budget process, which suggested the heritage corporation meet every other month instead of monthly.
“Council made the decision to reduce the budget in the planning department… we were aware there was a contract position that expired in 2012,” said Sorensen.
“The decision was made because it was council’s expectation that demand for planning services will potentially decline as we approach build-out,” she added.
“Now, if we discover the planning workload does not decline – although we expect it’s going to – then council’s going to have to consider that.”
In 1998, the federal government capped the amount of additional commercial development at 350,000 square feet to protect the environment of the park.
Most of that space has been handed out through a random draw run by the Town, but due to varying reasons such as the economy, roughly only one half of that has actually been built.
For 2010, development permit volumes remained stable, and were above the five-year average. There were 62 permits last year, 64 in 2009, 48 in 2008, 54 in 2007, 71 in 2006 and 59 in 2005.
Most of this was smaller scale residential renovations, commercial redevelopment and leasehold improvements, retrofits, and changes of use.
On top of all that, McKay said planners are presently working internally on the complex rewrite of the land use bylaw, which requires public consultation and drafting of proposed legislation.
He said planning issues can also be more complex compared to similar sized municipalities, especially given the scope and context of the land use bylaw and other regulations and policies.
“I think we’re as busy as ever, with the land use bylaw,” said McKay.
On the heritage front, the planning and development department has supported the heritage corporation since it was formed in 1996.
A planner has traditionally worked closely with the corporation, which is involved in the promotion, preservation, protection, enhancement and management of Banff’s heritage resources.
The program, which includes installation of blue plaques and the popular Doors Open Banff, has been a high priority for the town.
On top of that, there are now nine municipally-designated heritage properties, with intentions that the Bayne residence will also get that recognition soon.
It’s part of a program that gives incentives, including financial, to owners to encourage protection of the town’s most treasured heritage buildings.
But Banff’s heritage fund is diminishing, with a current balance of $110,151, following a transfer of $35,000 to operating revenue in 2010.
MacAulay said it is very unusual for a town the size of Banff to have so many municipally-designated properties and such a strong heritage program.
“We have pioneered a bunch of initiatives that have been picked up by Calgary and Edmonton. We do a great deal of valuable work and Claire has been absolutely instrumental,” he said.
“I’m personally going to do everything I can to turn the mentality around here.”
McKay said that it is unclear the exact heritage role the planning department will be able to continue with given the elimination of the heritage planner.
“We’ve become a leader in the province in heritage planning and preservation, by virtue of the resources we put into managing heritage planning,” he said.
“If we look at the past five years and project that out another five years, with only three people to manage the current workload, it looks like we’ll have to seriously consider recommending eliminating the heritage corporation.”
