B.C. cities consider what to reopen as they chart their own 'new normal' in next stage of COVID-19

Local governments are as eager as everyone else to hear B.C. Premier John Horgan announce the province's strategy for increasing interactions in the next stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"We need to start thinking about how the city starts to reopen and reopen in a safe way a lot of the operations that have been closed down during the pandemic," said New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cot.

B.C. never issued a shelter-in-place order, so decisions around reopening parks and community centres provided physical distancing measures can be maintained will be made on a local level in the weeks ahead.

But going forward, municipalities face a greater challenge, one similar to what all individuals and businesses face: how to create a new way of operating, with no timeline on when COVID-19 will recede as an ever present threat.

"It was tough when the crisis first emerged;cities had to move really quickly," said Cot.

"But I think moving forward, I'm hoping that we'll .... put some more thought into how do we best get back to what will be the new normal? And what is the best way to serve residents and recognize we're in a new reality now?

Chicken and egg issue

Some things will move relatively quickly.

Mayors in Metro Vancouver are discussing their COVID-19 response plans Wednesday, and there'shope that things like local parks and community centres can be opened on similar timelines.

When it comes to policies that would help with the economy though, there's a chicken and egg issue: governments can't move efficiently until they have a sense of how much people will want to leave their homes or spend money on things they used to enjoy.

"I don't think it's going to be a light switch that will turn on and everyone will go back to their activities," said Cot.

It's why local leaders say they want to talk to people in their communities to get a sense of what measures would be particularly helpful.

"With respect to looking at outdoor eating spaces and patios, sure, let's look at that sort of thing," said Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West.

"But more broadly, there's lots of businesses that have been impacted and my own view is that the solutions should be brought forward by those closest to the ground and experiencing the new reality."

Resumption of rezoning debates?

If there's one debate that could become particularly contentious, it's one that was common before this pandemic controversial rezonings to allow taller buildings.

Many of those projects had been put on hold in the last two months because of the inability of municipalities to hold public hearings where the public could be consulted in person.

Last week though, the province gave cities the power to hold electronic public hearings. And while councillors in some municipalities have expressed concern of big approvals given global uncertainty, others argue cities should push ahead if the virus continues to be contained in British Columbia.

"We're not the only city that's struggling with how to do public hearings but I'm confident that our staff getting good ideas of best practices can be implemented here in an efficient and safe and productive way," said Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry.

Next week, Vancouver will have a test run of an electronic public hearing, and Mayor Kennedy Stewart will put forward a motion aimed at speeding up the process for building permit approvals.

Which means the days of contentious debates around Vancouver housing could soon return, even in the time of COVID-19.

"The reality is when we look at our budget, a lot of our capital infrastructure comes from developer cost levies and community amenity contributions," said Fry.

"We need to keep the wheels moving in the city. And that includesresponsible and appropriate development as well."