This is a brief and incomplete overview summary of proceedings of the 2025-09-03 GFPID general meeting. Limited transcripts are included.
Click the links to get the Agenda and Agenda Package for the 2025-09-03 general meeting. The official video of the meeting is on the Trustees Upcoming Meetings page.
1. Setting meeting length
The first order of business was a motion to cap the meeting length at two hours. Trustee Moher made a motion that outstanding matters from this meeting be referred to the October 1st board meeting, and that all board meetings be capped at two hours unless matters were considered vital and urgent, “because groups that have meetings once a month should not be doing meetings at over two hours, regardless.” Trustee Chorneyko moved an amendment capping the meeting at 2.5 hours. After debate the amendment was voted down. CARRIED:
To cap the time of the meeting at two hours, at which point any outstanding business will be deferred to the October general meeting.
The Chair asked that it be recorded that he and Trustees Bussler and Chorneyko voted against.
2. Re-ordering agenda items
The Chair suggested, and it was agreed by consensus, that two time-sensitive items be moved to the head of the Agenda following the adoption of the minutes of the previous meeting:
- Old Business item 6: Establish Bylaws for Removing Money from the Capital Reserve Fund
- Old Business item 2: Budget and tax levy 2026
3. Adoption of minutes
A number of corrections to the minutes were requested by Trustee Chorneyko. Discussion followed re the process for ensuring that the exact wording of original motions (with the use of motion sheets) as well as amendments developed and introduced during the general meeting.
Discussion of process and timing for including correspondence in meeting packages. Some August correspondence was received after the agenda package in August was distributed, so it was not included in either the August or September packages with other correspondence. Motion to include correspondence received too late for the August package with the September package—CARRIED.
4. Establish bylaws for Removing Money from the Capital Reserve Fund
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- 2024 Capital Upgrades to Fire Hall 1 (new Bylaw 111 - CARRIED)
- 2025 Purchase of Fire Truck (new Bylaw 112 - CARRIED)
[ADDED 2025-09-08] Re the purchase of Fire Truck #9, Chief Will Sprogis said: We’re pleased to announce that the new apparatus has arrived. … There's actually a crew training on it right now. We're very happy to get it into service. It's a four wheel drive apparatus that is pump and drive… at the same time if we need to attack a wildfire, grass fire, a very capable unit. It's also approved as a structural engine as well, so it can be used on a structure fire, dual purchase. When we were designing it we looked at getting into the 707, and other hard to get to spots on the island, and kind of designed it around those needs. It will serve at Hall #1 for at least the next 20 years as a frontline engine. ... Our new engine #1 that was purchased in 2021 will go down to Hall #2. It's also got pump and roll capability.
5. Budget and tax levy 2026
The 2026 budget is in not finalized yet, and further in camera and public Finance Committee meetings will occur before it is finished. The Chair notes that the draft indicates an increase of approximately 30%, a little more than double the increase that had been previously projected.
[UPDATED 2025-09-08 with more detail:] Considerable discussion, including
- Whether income from third party contracts such as the SOS fees received for training provided by FD personnel should be included in budget planning. The Chair notes that historically this kind of income is classified as Unbudgeted Funds and goes into the Operational account, recommends that they should be budgeted and accounted for in organizational planning. Suggests that a reasonable assumption would be that 50% of courses will run in 2026, with 50% attendance. Trustee Moher does not want to build a budget on revenues that can’t be guaranteed. Trustee Johnson asks Trustee Chorneyko if the expenses include guesstimates on the costs of the upcoming union contract, Trustee Chorneyko confirms that an amount is included.
- The Chair notes that there are consistent shortfalls resulting from discrepancies between the GFPID budget year and the RDN levy payment schedules, and suggests that it might be worth advance borrowing in January against the tax levy payment received later in the year, in order to avoid restrictions on capacity and lost opportunities. Trustee Chorneyko notes that the Finance Committee is beginning to talk about future internal controls, including liquidity guidance, and he would like to put in place monitoring metrics to help with more effective management. Trustee Moeller notes that they always see the shortfall coming, it’s a function of the timing gap. A big problem is that because of this discrepancy, when a budget is increased to reflect reality more accurately, the actual payments are still out of sync with the projected budget costs. Trustee Moher agrees with Trustee Moeller that this causes problems and doesn’t see borrowing against the next levy as a solution. Creating reserve funds and paying cash rather than borrowing helps with this problem, which is partly the result of years of under-budgeting and under-taxing after the new fire hall was built. Trustee Chorneyko says that the internal controls are fully intended to help monitor and manage shortfalls and other financial issues and that he is not generally in favour of borrowing.
- Budgeting wages: Trustee Moeller notes, “By putting in the budget an increase in firefighter wages in anticipation of the union, you are, in a way, kind of guaranteeing that increase. And we haven't received anything within the union requesting that yet. So it's kind of a chicken and egg problem. I understand that, but just wanted to point out that that is kind of encouraging it or guaranteeing it in some way.” Chair: “So if I'm interpreting you correctly, if we build a particular wage increase into our budget, it’s hard to negotiate for less than that when we get to negotiation.” Trustee Moeller: “Exactly.”
6. Correspondence
[UPDATED Oct 1/25] The Chair confirms that correspondence from Trustee Moeller comes from him in his private capacity, and moves that “we receive that correspondence for information, because it doesn’t require a response.” There is no objection.
MOTION CARRIED: that the correspondence from citizens Staniland, Rudischer, Bowers, Bussler, Arends and Mallinson be referred to the Communication committee for a response.
A contentious discussion followed the introduction of a new motion by the Chair.
CHAIR: I would like to make a motion in response to correspondence […]
THAT the corporate officer compile the information requested in the correspondence from Mr. James Arends, that being the names of all members of the Finance Committee during years 2023 and 24; the names of the chair of the Finance Committee during those periods; the dates for the finance committee meetings; the minutes from the finance committee from those meetings; any forms, guidelines, policies and procedures regarding the use of any credit card use for the gift for the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District, annual Gabriola Fire Department; and any forms, guidelines, policies and procedures regarding reimbursement of expenses, annual disbursement supplies. Disbursements by the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District and/or the Gabriola Fire Department, that those be compiled and distributed to the board along with an electronic copy of the operational guidelines in use by the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department.
TRUSTEE MOHER: Sorry, I'm disappointed that you brought this up this early. I think some of this would have been addressed during our communications report, in that we are looking at how we would be responding to communications that may have fallen under an FOI request, which would fall under a specific category.
CHAIR: It doesn’t.
TRUSTEE MOHER: Well, that would be open for discussion.
CHAIR: So I'm going to interrupt, because all of this information is specifically identified in our freedom of information policy as being available without a request.
TRUSTEE MOHER: Yes, but we’re taking from—
CHAIR: [interrupts] This is not relevant to—I'm requesting that this information be provided to the trustees. That's my motion.
TRUSTEE MOHER: You have dispensed direction that all communications go to us. And now you are stepping out and making directions on one piece of communications. If you wanted this done, then what you should be doing is giving us direction on how you would like it—
CHAIR: [interrupts] So—
TRUSTEE MOHER: —as opposed to, I'm sorry, but you keep interrupting me and cutting me off, and it really bothers me.
CHAIR: My apologies.
TRUSTEE MOHER: I would appreciate if you are giving people autonomy on committees, that you give us the time to actually do the work that we're being asked to do. And I would appreciate the fact that we would have probably done the same thing, and we would have taken direction from you and then gone back to the communication committee and done the tasks that we were given to do, and I would appreciate the respect from you to be able to do the job that we were asked to do.
CHAIR: Well, I didn't give anyone any direction. That was decision made by—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] No, we were making a motion on something, and the Board did not make that motion or that decision.
CHAIR: But this is not in response to correspondence. Although—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] That was an email from him. How is that not correspondence?
CHAIR: I want this information. I requested it. I don't have it, so now I'm requesting—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] Oh! So you asked somebody to ask you to ask somebody to— […]
CHAIR: [interrupts] No.
[Both talk at once, so not everything is clear.]
CHAIR: I was curious about this same information. I want—
TRUSTEE MOHER: There was an email that came from Mr. Arends asking for the same thing, and now you're saying it too, because you want it and you don't have it.
CHAIR: Mr. Arends asked for some information—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] Can you clarify, please, who’s asking for this and who’s getting it.
CHAIR: So Mr. Arends asked for this information—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] Uh huh, and you said “I want it because I don’t have it.”
CHAIR: I read that email, and I said the trustees should have this information, because, to my knowledge, the trustees do not have this information. And so I'm proposing the motion, which has been seconded by trustee Chorneyko, that the trustees be given—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts, some is unclear because voices overlap] So there’s a secondary, there’s a secondary, I'm just asking for clarification as to why you were stepping outside of what you just asked us to do before, which is the communication committee deals with communication, and you've just answered that. Thank you very much.
CHAIR: Okay.
TRUSTEE MOHER: You want something, and this is your way of getting it.
CHAIR: Yes, I would like the names of all members of the Finance Committee—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] Thank you for clarifying that before me right now. Thank you.
CHAIR: —the names of the chairs—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] I really, no, I really appreciate that. It really helps me to see the problem going forward.
[An audience member calls for a point of order (which members of the public are not entitled to do at board meetings, because they are only observers) and there is a general outcry.]
CHAIR: Order in the room, please. There's a motion on the floor. I've spoken to it. Trustee Moher has spoken.
TRUSTEE MOHER: Yes. I’m done.
CHAIR: Would anyone else like to speak to the motion? It's been moved. It's been seconded.
TRUSTEE JOHNSON: I'm a little concerned that we're cherry picking the correspondence.
CHAIR: So—
TRUSTEE MOHER: [interrupts] Mmhm. That’s [?]
CHAIR: I don't understand how requesting that this information be provided to the trustees is cherry picking anything. I would like this information. I do not have it, so I proposed that the board move that it be provided equally to all the trustees. That motion has been seconded. Does anyone propose to amend the motion? No one proposes to amend the motion. I will call for a vote on the motion. [Reads the motion again.]
The vote is called; five trustees vote for, two vote against. There is one abstention; under GFPID Bylaws an abstention counts as a vote in favour, so the final vote is 6-2. The motion is carried. The chair asks if there is anything else dealing with correspondence or matters arising from correspondence.
TRUSTEE MOELLER: […] I think we need a correspondence policy. I just wanted to point out that I think the Department is taking on some liability by just publishing full correspondence without any editing or redactions. I think we need a policy on that.
7. Committee reports
Finance Committee (including timing of providing monthly income statements, internal controls), Communications Committee (recent correspondence has not been responded to by the committee because they are in the process of developing policy and templates), Hiring Committee (focusing on a flexible time management framework), Website Committee (many problems have been fixed), FOI Committee (to report in October), Policy Review Committee (focused on other work so have not done any work on this; would like to bring in a subject matter expert; a motion to set a timeline for the work and to include Letters Patent in scope of work was CARRIED).
8. Business Arising
(a) Fire Chief’s report
There was time within the two hour limit to receive the Chief’s report but not to pass motions authorizing payment for expenses. The limit was extended in order to permit the appropriate motions to be passed.
All other Business Arising (8 items) and New Business (3 items) were deferred until the next Board meeting on October 1st.