06/01/06

Building Wealth In First Nations Communities

The following is a summary of some of the projects that Reserve Management Inc. personnel have worked on in various employment and consulting capacities.

Okanagan Band

McKenna-McBride Cut-Off Land Claim - Acted as liaison between the Council, Band membership and the Band's legal advisors and researchers from 1978 to resolution of the claim.  Participated in negotiations with Office of Native Claims.

Arrow Lakes Claim - Acted as liaison between the Council, Band membership and the Band's legal advisors and researchers from 1978 to submission of the claim.

I.R. #l Boundary Claim and Commonage Claim - Acted as liaison between the Council, Band membership and the Band's legal advisors and researchers from initial identification to submission of the claim.

City of Vernon Sewage Outfall Settlement Agreement - Acted as liaison between the Council, and the Council's legal advisors and experts during a legal action against the City of Vernon related to the construction of a sewage outfall into Okanagan Lake. This action resulted in an agreement between the Band and the City in which the City agreed to increase the quality of the effluent that would be released into Okanagan Lake to standards recommended by the Band's expert which were higher than standards approved by Ministry of Environment.

Okanagan I.R. #l Forest Management Plan (Consultant: Hugh Hamilton and Associates) - Prepared terms of reference for development of a plan and coordinated completion of the plan.  The completed plan was used to guide forest management and development activities and to support applications for Job Development and other grants for silviculture projects.

1982-89 Capital Expenditure Plan (Consultant: David Nairne and Associates) - Prepared terms of reference for development of a plan to construct capital improvements required to accommodate existing and future housing needs. Coordinated completion and implementation of the plan which resulted in development of a new fire hall and replacement of most of the Okanagan Band's community water systems.

1989 Organizational Study (Consultant: NOVACORP Consulting Inc) - Prepared terms of reference for an organizational study and coordinated completion of the study.

Capital Projects - Responsible for the overall management and implementation of numerous capital projects including Phases I to VII social housing projects (72 units), Komasket Park, Six Mile Creek fire hall, public works building, and numerous water system projects.

Policy & Procedure Development - Provided advice and assistance to the Band Council on the development and implementation of numerous policies including Land Allotment Policy, Awarding of Housing Subsidies, Personnel Policy and numerous office procedures and systems.  Worked on draft General Band Meeting Regulations and Financial Regulations.

Round Lake Treatment Centre Designation Referendum - Coordinated two designation referendums (the second successful) related to a proposed lease to the Round Lake Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre Society.

Land Management - Processed a number of new head leases and permits and managed new and existing leases and permits on behalf of both the Band and locatees. This involved processing lease applications, managing rent reviews and processing lease mortgages, modifications and replacements. Also administered land transactions (i.e. land transfers) related to locatee land holdings and assisted the Dept. of Indian Affairs with estate administration.

Westbank First Nation

Local Services and Sewer Services Agreements With Regional District of Central Okanagan - Participated on a committee that negotiated sewer and local services agreements with the Regional District of Central Okanagan.  Acted as the primary contact between the Band and RDCO during negotiations, solicited legal and professional advice and drafted the final versions of the written agreements.  The agreements were completed in the fall of 1992 after extensive legal and policy reviews by the RDCO, the Band, the Department of Indian Affairs and the Province.

Tsinstikeptum I.R.#9 Water System Expansion - Coordinated a joint effort of the Band, land owners and developers to extend the I.R #9 Water system and implement delivery of water services to residential and commercial developments on the reserve.  This included land acquisition, development of right-of-way and users agreements, bylaw development and negotiation of an agreement between the Band, a landowner, a major developer and a major shareholder of the developer related to the financing and construction of the first phase (approx. $880,000.00) of a multi-million dollar water system expansion.  The latter agreement included provisions for repayment to the developer of part of the capital costs of the system from charges collected from future development.

Gallagher's Canyon (1991 to 1994) - Participated on a committee, from 1991 to 1994, negotiating with the federal and provincial governments and various local government authorities for the establishment of the Gallagher's Canyon lands as reserve. The Band had purchased the fee simple interest in these lands through a Band company.

Royal Bank Designation Referendum - Coordinated a successful designation referendum which resulted in a lease to a Band owned company and construction of a building by a Band company which was then leased to the Royal Bank.

Tsinstikeptum I.R.#9 and I.R.#10 Drainage Study (Consultant: Urban Systems Ltd.) - Coordinated the completion of a study to identify critical components of the surface water drainage systems within I.R.#9 and I.R.#10, improvements required to accommodate future surface flows, capital costs of improvements and a cost recovery strategy. This led to the development of a Surface Water Drainage Systems Development Cost Charge Bylaw which I also developed and implemented.

Design Criteria and Construction Standards and Specifications for Development (Consultant: Urban Systems Ltd.) - Coordinated preparation of construction standards and specifications for development to provide uniform, up-to-date standards against which development plans submitted by developers could reviewed and approved.

Development And Servicing Strategies (1998 to 2000) – Coordinated a review of servicing requirements and development of conceptual servicing strategies for Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No.  9 and Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 10.  Services reviewed included water, sanitary sewer, roads and drainage systems.  The Band has since implemented many of the major projects identified in the servicing strategies, including extension of Regional District sewer services to IR#10 and the expansion of the existing IR#10 water system.

Highway Severances Report (1998 to 1999) – Conducted extensive research and completed a detailed report on 41 small parcels of land known as highway severances and 5 pieces of abandoned road that were created as a result of the 1984 Highway 97 widening.  These parcels were the subject of conflict between the Band and various locatees since their creation.  The report led to the resolution of issues between the Band and locatees related to the ownership of many of these parcels.

Head Lease Development, Processing and Management - Developed and/or processed and managed numerous head leases including head leases related to the following developments:

General Land Management - Coordinated and managed numerous rent reviews and lease modifications and replacements.  Ensured compliance by the Band with terms of authorities delegated under Sections 53/60 of the Indian Act.

Miscellaneous:

Parker Cove Properties Limited Partnership

Sublease Development - Completed drafting of a new sublease agreement between Parker Cove Properties Limited Partnership and former sublessees of previous developer in a failed residential development. The lease to the original developer had been cancelled and the basic terms of a new sublease had already been decided upon. This project involved incorporating the agreed upon terms into an existing precedent sublease that was in use in another development.

Marketing of New Sublease - Met with former sublessees of the previous developer to explain and answer questions about new sublease.  Coordinated preparation and distribution of over 500 new sublease agreements and explanatory materials.  Coordinated processing and execution of returned sublease agreements.  Over 400 of the former sublessees of the previous developer eventually completed the new sublease agreement.

Miscellaneous - Coordinated the legal survey of over 600 existing unsurveyed lots. Coordinated preparation of presentation folder for distribution of marketing materials. Set up and implemented accounting systems using ACCPAC Plus accounting software. Staffed administration/sales office and grounds keeping crew.  Initiated completion of new development plan.  Coordinated administration of existing sublease agreements. Developed various forms and procedures (i.e. Assignment of Sublease) related to administration of new sublease.  Responded to media inquiries about the development, new sublease, etc.

T’it’q’et (Lillooet) First Nation

Sewer And Water Services Agreement With The District Of Lillooet – Provided advice and assistance to the T’it’q’et on a proposed sewer and water services agreement that replaced an existing water services agreement with the District of Lillooet and provided for the extension of the District sewer systems to the T’it’q’et reserve.  The agreement was a prerequisite to a major Indian Affairs funded sewer extension to the T'it'q'et reserve.

Osoyoos Indian Band (Sub-Consultant To Ronald M. Derrickson)

Tuc ‘El Nuit Estates (1996) – This project involved reviewing the results achieved on the project to the date of the review, providing an analysis and summary of findings and making recommendations for restructuring the project to enable the project owner to achieve its objectives.

Ronald M. Derrickson

General Advice And Assistance  – Worked as a consultant to Mr. Derrickson from 1995 to present on numerous matters, primarily related to the leasing, management and development of his on-reserve real estate holdings in Westbank, BC and the real estate holdings of certain of his family members and clients.

Okanagan Nation Alliance

Organizational Review – This project involved facilitating a review the mandate of the Okanagan Nation Alliance, reviewing existing operations and the development of an Organizational Development Plan to better enable the Okanagan Nation Alliance to achieve it’s mandate.

Various Certificate Of Possession Holders

General Advice And Assistance  – Worked as a consultant to various Certificate of Possession holders from 1995 to 2003 on numerous matters, primarily related to the leasing, management and development of on-reserve real estate holdings.

Various Developers