Osborn Community Space Service Establishment Bylaw

In British Columbia, Regional Districts cannot simply build infrastructure or offer new public services when they choose. Legally, they must first create a Service Establishment Bylaw (SEB) and receive majority support (more than 50 percent of people who show up to vote, voting in favour) of the new service for the bylaw to be adopted and the service created. 

A SEB defines:

The Service: What the Regional District is allowed to do

The Service Area: Exactly who will pay for the service if the referendum is approved

The Funding Types: There are different ways that the PRRD can fund a service including taxes, user fees, grant funding and/or loans

The Funding Limit: The maximum amount of property tax that can be legally collected to pay for the service

If more than 50 percent of people who show up to vote, vote yes for creating a new community space service, it will allow the PRRD to:

• Plan the construction of a small picnic shelter with recreation amenities and site improvements on the grounds
• Collect taxes for the operation and maintenance of the community space
• Use gas tax funding from Electoral Area B for capital construction costs
• Put money aside for operating, managing, future repairs and maintaining the community space

If the referendum is approved, the PRRD would have legal permission to create the proposed new service and collect funds for it up to the approved taxpayer limit.

It also allows the Regional District to move forward with the planning, budgeting, operating and construction decisions to build a small picnic shelter with recreation amenities and site improvements on the grounds at 17526 Siphon Creek Road. This is the option that the community said they wanted through public engagement with the Regional District in 2025 and 2026.

Any large-scale project still needs to reviewed with the community and approved by the Regional Board before any construction can happen.

Voting "Yes" for a new community space service means that you support giving the Peace River Regional District the permission to:

• Create a service area and collect taxes for the project up to the approved limit
• Create a sustainable operating and maintenance plan that includes insurance and administrative costs
• funding for future repairs and replacement
• Save for potential debt repayment costs

Voting "No" for a new community space means that you do not support creating a new community space service. The PRRD would not have permission to collect taxes for the proposed service, and the project would not move forward under a service establishment bylaw. The Regional Board may look at alternative options.

To officially establish the community space service, provincial law (Local Government Act) requires three levels of approval:

1. Regional Board: A majority vote of approval of the SEB (Complete)
2. Inspector of Municipalities: Provincial government approval of the SEB (Complete)
3. The Community: Approval from eligible residents in the proposed service area through a referendum vote (Decided on October 17, 2026, through the Local Government Election)

If more than 50 percent of people who show up to vote, vote yes, the service may be funded through a variety of sources.

The most common forms of funding are:

• Property taxes collected from properties in the benefiting service area (Osborn)
• Grant funding, gifts and agreements
• Revenues, or fees and charges that a user pays

Capital Construction Costs (What’s Needed to Build the Community Space)

The estimate to complete the construction of the proposed community space is approximately $413,270 and may change through the design and planning process. There is $500,000 set aside from Area B gas tax funding to fund capital construction costs if the referendum is approved. Note that property taxes are still needed to fund operating and maintenance costs. The $500,000 amount set aside is only for capital construction costs.

The capital construction estimate includes the following work:

• Professional fees
• Permitting
• Project management
• Contingency
• Construction costs

Operating and Maintenance Costs (What’s Needed to Keep the Community Space Running)

The estimated annual operating costs for the community space is approximately $58,000 per year. This includes:

• PRRD administration and service management costs
• Insurance and safety requirements
• Indirect operational costs
• Annual operating grant to an operating society
• Maintenance and repairs
• Reserve fund contributions
• First year recovery of referendum and service establishment costs

The operating and maintenance costs will be funded through property taxes from the people in the Osborn area in Electoral Area B if the referendum is approved.

Maximum Taxpayer Limit: The greater of $60,000 per year or $1.3834 per $1000 on the net taxable value of land and improvements is the maximum amount that can be legally collected for this service. $60,000 is not what each property would pay. It is the maximum shared total that the PRRD could collect for this service across all properties in the Osborn area in Electoral Area B.

If the referendum is approved with majority support, the PRRD would not automatically collect the maximum tax amount each year. This depends on annual budgeting that is set and approved by the Regional Board every year.

Annual Budgeting: The Regional Board will determine and approve the amount of money needed to fund the service each year. Taxes may be lower than the maximum limit depending on actual costs and adjustments to property taxes each year.

Financial planning includes:

• Yearly operating and capital budgets
• Annual property value assessment and related tax impacts
• Long-term cost recovery strategies

The Osborn Community Hall at 17526 Siphon Creek Road was closed in 2019 due to structural issues and demolished in 2025. Since 2021, the PRRD has been working with the community to shape plans for the future of the space. Engagement activities included community meetings and surveys to gather feedback on potential options, estimated costs and willingness to support the service through taxation.

In March 2026, the PRRD presented six potential site options to the community for feedback:

• Small picnic shelter with recreation amenities
• Outdoor pavilion
• Outdoor pavilion with recreation amenities
• Small, basic, serviced hall
• Small, basic, serviced hall with recreation amenities
• No further development

The results of the public engagement show the small picnic shelter with recreation amenities as the preferred option, with 48.4 percent of respondents in favour and over 80 percent indicating that an outdoor recreation space would provide value to the Osborn community.

A detailed summary of the public engagement efforts for this project is available on the Have Your Say project page. 

Yes, but not immediately.  A “Yes” vote means eligible people support establishing the proposed service and giving the Regional District the permission to collect taxes for the project. If the referendum is approved, the PRRD would start planning, operating arrangements and approvals for constructing a small picnic shelter with recreation amenities and site improvements at 17526 Siphon Creek Road.

This is what the majority of the community told the Regional District they wanted through public engagement in 2025 and 2026. Based on this input, the Regional District is moving forward with a referendum to create a service establishment bylaw that supports the construction of a small picnic shelter with recreation amenities and site improvements on the grounds.

There is no timeline right now. First, the Regional District needs to hold a referendum vote to ask residents if they support a new service being created to collect taxes for this project. If the referendum vote is approved, a timeline will depend on planning, procurement, regulatory steps and Regional Board approvals.

If the majority of people who show up to vote, vote yes, the Service Establishment Bylaw will go to the Regional Board for final adoption. If approved by them, the Osborn Community Space Service Establishment Bylaw will be officially created. This allows staff to begin detailed planning, funding review and to make operational agreements to build. Actual building work would still need further planning, regulatory steps and Regional Board approvals.

If the majority of people who show up to vote, vote no, the Service Establishment Bylaw will not move forward. The PRRD will not have legal permission to collect taxes for this proposed service, and the Regional Board may consider alternative options or further community engagement.

These types of details would be finalized if the referendum is approved. This would include defining the PRRD's role in daily maintenance, staffing and asset management. The facility may be operated through an agreement with a non-profit society or another approved model, with PRRD support and oversight, subject to final Board approval.

A community space is a shared space to support community recreation, gatherings, meetings, programs and events

All residents in the proposed Osborn area in Electoral Area B, including homeowners and renters, who meet voter eligibility requirements are included. You can enter your address into our interactive elections map tool to find out if you are in the service area.

If you live outside this area, and own property within the service area, you may be eligible to vote as a non-resident property elector. It is recommended that you contact elections@prrd.bc.ca prior to voting day to learn about non-resident voter eligibility requirements and how non-resident property elector voting works.

If the referendum is approved with majority support (more than 50 percent of people who show up to vote, vote yes), property owners will pay for the service through property taxes.

The former Osborn Community Hall at 17526 Siphon Creek Road was closed in 2019 due to structural issues and demolished in 2025. Since 2021, the PRRD has been working with the community to shape plans for the future of the space.

To address the loss of the community hall, the Regional District is proposing the establishment of an official community space service. This would provide stable funding and a clear operational plan to build a small picnic shelter with recreation amenities and site improvements on the grounds. This option is what the public told the Regional District they wanted through public engagement in 2025 and 2026.

The PRRD does not have the legal authority and financial tools needed to establish a new service or build infrastructure in the Osborn area in Electoral Area B.

Establishing the service area bylaw unlocks the legal and financial tools needed to start developing the community space and create a stable operations plan.

No. Approving the bylaw does not mean the Regional District will immediately spend the maximum budget or start building works immediately. It sets the legal boundaries and rules.

If the bylaw is established, any specific large-scale project, contract or construction plan will still have to go through a public planning process and be approved by the Regional Board during annual budget reviews.