UBC Tow Tank (old news, but interesting)

Some of the things that appear to have been lost with the spread of development south of 16th at UBC. The UBC Tow Tank for testing vessel hull designs was dismantled to make way for development. Question is -was it reassembled anywhere else on campus?

Late Update: No return of the tow tank, but a return to hull testing Oct. 29, 2019 [posted here October 30, 2021]

UBC Residents to pay bigger tax bill this year?

As a result of an agreement between UBC and Metro Vancouver in the mid-1990s that paved the way for development at UBC, university town residents may well be seeing big jumps in the UBC Levy, the portion of 'property taxes' paid in the university neighbourhood areas.

The service levy, first applied to Hampton Place residents as a term of their lease, was designed to cover UBC's costs for providing a range of municipal-like services to residents living in the new housing developments on campus. As housing expanded from Hampton to fill in the parking lots in the mid-campus area (now known as Hawthorn Place) the service levy morphed and, by the date of the 2000 GVRD/UBC Memorandum of Understanding, the ubc service levy was being presented as the tax base upon which the proposed society (University Neighbourhoods Association - UNA) would manage municipal-like services for residents on behalf of UBC.

Leasehold residents in the University Town (UNA) area pay a rural provincial property tax (which includes school taxes, among other things) and the UBC Service levy. The total of these two 'taxes' are set to the Vancouver municipal tax rate (note, the UEL residents have a different deal and have consistently fought to keep their equivalent fee down). Here's where the problem starts to emerge. Vancouver has been retrogressively shifting the tax burden from business properties to residential properties (the trend established by the NPA has been continued by the erstwhile left-liberal Vision Vancouver council). Plus, Vancouver City has picked up a huge Olympic debt load. Taken together it is being suggested that Vancouver residents will end up facing a 4.1% tax increase this coming year (plus facing serious cutbacks to services).

To make matters worse, Metro Vancouver is itself predicting that home owners will face a 50% increase in their taxes (with service cuts) over the next five years.

The long and short of it is that University Town residents may be paying bigger tax bills this year and we have little opportunity to say anything about it. The decisions being made about property taxes are happening in jurisdictions like the City of Vancouver, who have no responsibility to our local concerns.

It's time that decisions that directly affect our community are made by our community directly; not by non-elected university administrators, or city councilors who will never have to face us in an election. It's time for an autonomous government that has the power to make local decisions that count.

A 'Tweet' report from the Electoral Area 'A' committee meeting

The following are my ‘live’ tweets from the November 20th, 2009 Electoral Area ‘A’ committee meeting of Metro Vancouver. I have only reposted the UBC-related items. My twitter account can be found under the name charlesmenzies. Also in the audience actively tweeting was Samantha Jung, Ubyssey news editor.

I’ve posted the comments in chronological order for ease of reading.

• CRM: @ubyssey UBC isn't alone in opposing the anti-democratic actions of Metro. Check out http://utownnews.ca/ Though UBC motives are different.
• CRM: UBC tells Metro Vancouver to back off | Straight.com: http://bit.ly/hLGFA
• CRM: At the electoral area a committee meeting, planning bylaw and working group http://yfrog.com/4ih97j
• CRM: When asked who the decision makers are, cmtte chair Harris says she doesn't know!
• CRM: @ubyssey democratic deficit majour theme at electoral area a meeting
• CRM: Blake F., UBC AMS Pres, takes the stage. http://yfrog.com/1ema5j
• CRM: Blake says UBC planning flawed, ams in conflict with UBC
• CRM: Blake says UBC Board of Govs not approachable. Alledges UBC engaged in intimidation.
• CRM: Blake calls for majority student reps on working group
• CRM: UBC refusal to participate called bullying by Blake
• CRM: Blake says students worried their voice to be drowned out.
• CRM: Mike Feely, UNA Chair, speaks to committee
• CRM: Feely says local governance in UNA working well, metro shouldn't get involved.
• CRM: UNA includes a student rep on Board
• CRM: Feely, We actually have a form of governance that works
• CRM: Feely, "my community is different than other westside communities". Affordable housing area. It's a model for the region.
• CRM: UNA participation contingent on being the majority reps on community related working group
• CRM: UNA any decisions be subject to majority vote of UNA residents
• CRM: Feely says. OCP is working for local areas.
• CRM: In response to questions from Andria Remier, it seems that UNA elections look a bit poorly monitored
• CRM: Councilor Anton, asks if UNA structure really best? Is UNA open to discussion? Feely says currently system has potential to work. Hmmmm
• CRM: Electoral Area A committee moves to table working group report on UBC bylaw to next meeting and seek further consultation.
• CRM: UBC greenspace plan discussed, as metro moves forward to regulate UBC