More professional, non-political oversight needed for Metro Vancouver, says review
Review recommends water and sewage operations receive more oversight by appointees with expertise in the area
An anticipated review into Metro Vancouver's governance is recommending more oversight of the regional government— but not by elected politicians.
Consulting firm Deloitte has made 49 recommendations to improve the district's operations, the largest of which calls for a new hybrid board for the water and sewage committees, overseen by appointed directors who have management and subject matter expertise.
"Metro Vancouver has outgrown its Board governance structure," reads the report, which was commissioned following months of news stories about the oversight, cost overruns and remuneration of the district's directors and senior staff.
"A new Board and Committee structure is required to provide more effective governance and oversight, to introduce a balance of professional experience, and enhance decision-making and risk management."
The review did not consider questions related to Metro Vancouver's $4-billion wastewater treatment plant, which is more than four years behind schedule and has more than quadrupled in budget since it was announced.
Provincial approval required
Under the imagined reforms, which would require provincial government approval, Metro Vancouver's patchwork of dozens of representatives from its 21 municipalities would retain final oversight on the overall board.
However, the boards overseeing the water and sewage functions that make up more than 80 per cent of Metro Vancouver's budget would be smaller and have appointed directors, similar to "a Crown or private sector utility Board structure."
Those chairs, in addition to the overall Metro Vancouver chair, could be independent and should be appointed to a four-year term, according to the report.
The report acknowledges "this may create some increase in remuneration costs, but this could be offset by the reduced size and improved governance and risk management."
Deloitte also had a number of recommendations it called "quick wins that offer high-impact, low-effort solutions well within the scope and mandate of the Board," including amalgamating committees, eliminating the extra compensation given to directors when a meeting goes over four hours long, and putting a cap on additional meetings per year.
The full report, which can be found here, will be presented to the Metro Vancouver Regional District on Friday.
Metro Vancouver Chair and Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley did not commit to pushing for any specific changes at an event on Wednesday, but said he would continue to advocate for reforms.
"There's a long ways to go yet," he said, adding, "the changes that need to be made will be made."
Initial reaction
While most mayors CBC News reached for comment said they were still reading the report and considering its implications, New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone, who stepped down from his role on the Metro Vancouver board last year, posted on BlueSky that "this is a good report, on initial review."
"A hybrid board structure where we have subject matter experts helping with oversight of the 'big money' waste and wastewater files with independent chairs, while a trimmed-down Metro Board continues its governance role and representation is a promising idea."
Daniel Fontaine, a New Westminster councillor and a persistent Metro Vancouver critic, said the report validated many of his concerns over the past year.
"The fact that, incredibly, there were 47 recommendations ... speaks volumes to simply how broken Metro Vancouver has been," he said, while pushing the provincial government to act quickly to enact some of the broader reforms.
"They're only going to be able to happen with the support of Premier Eby and the government in Victoria. And to date, there hasn't been a lot of interest on the part of the premier to dive into this file."
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