AGM 2026 results

by

Here are the results of tonight’s AGM. I’ll fill in the blanks on some of this later, so be sure to check back.

  • BUDGET: Passed
  • Special Resolution #1 (Return funds to CRF): Passed
  • Special Resolution #2: Funding Phase 2 of the membrane project (special levy): Failed
  • Special Resolution #3: New Enterphone system: Passed
  • Special Resolution #4: Depreciation Report funding: Passed
  • Special Resolution #5: Patio bylaw amendment: Passed

Five of the seven current council members did not stand for re-election.

The five elected to council are:

  • Jeff Franchuk (current Vice President)
  • Shiraz Mohammed (current Treasurer)
  • Paul Kirchner (past president)
  • Richard Neumeier
  • Joss (did not get last name, will add later)

Congratulations to all on the new slimmer Copperstone Council.

I will have my own thoughts on how things went in another post.

AGM 2026 is tonight!

by

A reminder that the 2026 AGM is tonight, starting at 7 p.m. and will likely last about two hours. Attend and make your vote count!

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 7 p.m.
Where: Sapperton Community Hall, 318 Keary St. New Westminster
Who can attend: All owners and tenants of Copperstone

Owner registration (required to vote): 6:15-6:55 p.m.

If you are an owner and can’t make it, you can fill out the proxy form in your AGM package and give it to another owner so they can vote on your behalf.

Here’s how we recommend on voting on the special resolutions. You can find a more detailed post here.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #1 – ¾ Vote – CANCELLING THE PARKADE LIGHT PROJECT
How to vote: YES

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #2 – ¾ Vote – FUNDING PHASE 2 (TWO) OF THE MEMBRANE PROJECT
How to vote: NO

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #3 – ¾ Vote – FUNDING THE ENTERPHONE PROJECT FROM THE CONTINGENCY RESERVE FUND (CRF)
How to vote: YES

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #4 – Majority Vote – FUNDING THE DEPRECIATION REPORT (DR) FROM THE CONTINGENCY RESERVE FUND (CRF)
How to vote: YES

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #5 – ¾ Vote – BYLAW AMENDMENTS
How to vote: NO

AGM 2026, Part 3: Special Resolutions and Budget

by 
This is an ongoing series about Copperstone AGM 2026. Some parts will be information, some will be opinion. Opinion pieces will be categorized as such and only reflect the views of me, not council, or anyone else at Copperstone.

OPINION

This is an opinion piece where I will recommend whether to vote YES or NO for the budget and the special resolutions owners will vote on.

The budget requires a majority vote to pass (50% +1), most (but not all) special resolutions require 75% to pass.

Budget

How to vote: YES

The treasurer has looked over the line items and checked invoices, and it looks like everything is in order. I was expecting to see Sewer and Water split into separate line items, as they are different services that have different schedules for payment (sewer is annual, water is monthly). I’m not sure why this was not done. In general, we need more transparency in the budgets presented.

I don’t believe voting down the budget will accomplish anything that couldn’t be handled better through other means.

Special Resolutions

There are five special resolutions owners will be voting on.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #1 – ¾ Vote – CANCELLING THE PARKADE LIGHT PROJECT

How to vote: YES

As with most of the special resolutions presented, the explanation for them is often lacking.

In this case, the previous council asked for $35,000 to upgrade lighting in the underground parking. Owners approved this and over the next year, the council did nothing on the project, spending none of the allocated funds. They then went to the owners the next year to ask for another $20,000, which was rejected (and rightly so). Voting YES here just returns the original $35,000 to the CRF. Future councils will still replace old bulbs in the underground parking with LED bulbs on an as-needed basis, just not as part of one massive project.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #2 – ¾ Vote – FUNDING PHASE 2 (TWO) OF THE MEMBRANE PROJECT

How to vote: NO

The logic on this is bananas. I seriously do not understand how a majority of council thought this was a good idea (two council members, including the Vice President, were opposed).

That $700,000 levy council is asking for averages to about $3,000 per owner. If you want to throw away $3,000, please contact me, I can find ways to help you.

A few years ago Copperstone was awarded a settlement of $3.5 million for a defective membrane installation when the complex was built. The settlement was intended to pay for replacement of the faulty membrane, not to be treated as a fund for whatever other major projects council might decide to pursue in the future. There is no reason to have owners contribute to this—there are sufficient funds to pay for Phase 2 in its entirely (the CRF has over $4.5 million in it). The CRF, in the meantime, is topped up every year by over $100,000 (this is mandated by provincial law). It’s not going to be emptied by Phase 2.

Additionally, Phase 1 of the membrane project looks to be coming in around $300,000 under budget, which will get put into Phase 2. And $3 million of the settlement was put into three equal GICs to generate maximum interest, totalling more than $400,000. We have the money.

It makes no sense to apply a levy now. If a levy is needed for a future project, then council can consider it then—in the future. The settlement money should be used in the way it was intended. Owners should not have to pay out of pocket for a fundamental defect in the design of the complex, particularly when money is specifically available to cover it. In a March 30th webinar on strata councils hosted by the CCI, it was stated that levies should be a last resort, not a first option, and their use often indicates poor or incomplete planning on the part of the council.

What happens if owners vote no? Council will need to go to the owners (likely via SGM) to ask for the money again, hopefully in a way that makes more sense.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #3 – ¾ Vote – FUNDING THE ENTERPHONE PROJECT FROM THE CONTINGENCY RESERVE FUND (CRF)

How to vote: YES

The enterphone system stinks. It is unreliable and in dire need of replacement. This is a no-brainer.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #4 – Majority Vote – FUNDING THE DEPRECIATION REPORT (DR) FROM THE CONTINGENCY RESERVE FUND (CRF)

How to vote: YES

The Depreciation Report is mandatory by provincial law, so it is essential that this gets passed. There is no reason to vote no. This is also a majority vote, not a 75% one.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION #5 – ¾ Vote – BYLAW AMENDMENTS

How to vote: NO

During the previous council term, the council agreed to create an owners’ committee to update existing patio bylaws, to better reflect patio usage by residents, while still disallowing obviously dangerous items, etc.

The current council picked up on the committee, but after some initial work, it saw little movement as the Vice President worked on other priorities. Before the committee could reconvene, one of the owners presented their version of the bylaw to council and said it should be accepted as is.

It was then modified by another member of council—who was not on the committee—and went forward as a special resolution, with no real feedback.

It is overly complicated. It contains sections of enforcement that are redundant (all bylaws are enforced the same way, it’s not necessary to spell it out in individual bylaws), it adds new restrictions that go against the purpose of the revision and generally would be harder to enforce because of how often it gets into weirdly precise specifics. It also contradicts existing bylaws, forcing them to also be reworked.

I think it’s important to revise the current patio bylaw, but not like this. A new council should continue to not enforce the current bylaw (except in cases of dangerous/flammable material) and work on something better to present to owners.

Below I have included the text of what VP Jeff presented as a counter to the resolution owners will be voting on. It’s much simpler, easier to enforce and does only what is needed.

It was not considered.

Reminder: The bylaw proposal below is NOT what owners are voting on. The full, long-winded text of the proposed bylaw in the special resolution can be found at the end of the AGM package delivered to owners.

Proposed patio bylaw revision by VP Jeff

Patios may be used in accordance with the following:

• Storage is permitted. Items must be kept in non-flammable containers in good condition.
• Items on a patio that is not on the ground floor must not exceed reasonable weight limits.
• Flammable materials, including but not limited to solvents, oily rags, etc. are prohibited. Propane tanks for gas barbecues are permitted.
• All hazardous or dangerous items are prohibited.
• Any floor material, screens, trellises or similar items must be non-permanent and not use nails, screws or anything else that would penetrate the building structure.
• Permanent enclosures or structural additions must be approved by the strata council.

Feel free to discuss this on the (very quiet) forum!

Water pooling at 240: An update (March 24)

by

Here’s an update on the issue of water pooling during heavy rain in front of the 240 building, first covered here.

A pipe to nowhere

Council VP Jeff did more exploratory work in the area and uncovered some interesting things.

The first is a small pipe that goes from underneath the north planter in front of the building entrance to…nowhere.

It was apparently intended to feed into the drain shown in the shot below, but as you can see, it doesn’t line up with the drain at all (the other pipe partly exposed is tied to the irrigation system).

A pipe that doesn’t actually connect to the drain.

At its starting point, the pipe is not connected to anything and was 100% clogged full of dirt. Since this pipe is normally buried and does not connect to anything, it would have been impossible to keep it from clogging as designed.

The pipe ends somewhere in the narrow gap in the Allan blocks.

The solution: Giving the pipe a purpose

The solution to this was the following:

  • Install a larger piece of PVC pipe
  • Connect the PVC pipe to the drain
  • Extend the PVC pipe under the planter and connect it to a curved piece of PVC pipe that can collect and direct the water to the drain
Step 1: Connect larger PVC pipe directly to the drain
Step 2: Direct the new PVC pipe through the planter and out to the other side
Step 3: Cap off the pipe before drilling holes and applying river stone
Step 4: The cap now has holes to allow water entry. River stone has been placed around the cap to allow water into the new PVC pipe

The other side: Strange connections

The pipe on the north side had additional holes drilled into it and was also capped off similar to the south planter. The area will be filled with river stone when complete.

River stone will be added.

The configuration of the above pipe is rather odd:

  • The end that points to the courtyard quickly dead-ends
  • The other end appears to run to the edge of the building, where it turns up and connects to a down spout. This means that water coming down the down spout will exit out onto the area in front of the 240 building–not ideal. Jeff thinks there may be a T-pipe that is buried under the planter that is intended to direct the water to the underground parking drainage. If this is the case, that T-pipe is likely plugged (and there is no way to access it without digging).

Generally, the construction of the pipes and drains in front of the 240 building was done in a haphazard manner. Drains should not be in the planters at all and obviously all pipes should connect, not just dead end. Jeff’s fixes should provide adequate relief when heavy rains occur, until proper drains and pipes can be installed as part of Phase 2 of the membrane replacement project.

The north planter, all tidied up and ready for the next big storm.

AGM 2026, Part 2: Running for council

by 
This is an ongoing series about Copperstone AGM 2026. Some parts will be information, some will be opinion. Opinion pieces will be categorized as such and only reflect the views of me, not council, or anyone else at Copperstone.

A strata council can have 3–7 members on it, per BC government regulation. Copperstone has had a full 7-member council for a few years now and usually one or two spots open up as some council members choose to not stand for re-election.

That is likely to happen again this year (though I do not have any knowledge of who may or may not be running again).

I want to encourage owners to run for council—but only if you can bring something to the table.

What Copperstone needs from council

If you’re thinking of running for council, here’s a short list of what is needed:

  • Building and property maintenance knowledge and experience
  • Finance and budget skills
  • Organizational, communication and research skills
  • Time and resource management skills
  • A basic understanding of how strata corporations operate
  • Familiarity with the Strata Property Act and other regulations
  • Familiarity with Copperstone’s bylaws and rules
  • Familiarity with strata resources, like the CHOA (Condominium Home Owners Association)
  • Being able to work as part of a group and respecting different points of view
  • A commitment to all residents of Copperstone

There are four officer roles that must be filled, chosen by council after election:

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary

This CHOA PDF details what each role is expected to do: The Roles and Responsibilities of Strata Council

This is a lot to know or understand before you make the decision to run for council, but it’s important, as you will otherwise spend time trying to “learn on the job.” It’s better to come in with at least some preparation.

What Copperstone DOESN’T need

Here are some reasons to NOT run for council:

  • You think it will be easy (it’s hard work and very time-consuming)
  • You think it’s just going to be some monthly meetings and voting on a few items
  • You want to see the finances in order to determine if you should stay or sell
  • You want to push through personal projects or your own agenda, regardless of how it might affect others
  • You want to enforce the rules over everything else. Council is not meant to be “strata police”–rules can be imperfect or become obsolete and council members need to adapt and evaluate how best (or whether) to apply them.
  • Conversely, you ignore rules, including informal ones set by council regarding its own actions. There’s a difference between being an independent thinker and wilfully acting against what everyone has agreed on.
  • You are unprepared to commit the required time (which is significant), especially over the full 12 months
  • You don’t work well with others
  • You are rigid and inflexible in your thinking
  • You expect others to provide you answers without having to do any of your own work

If you want to run for council at the AGM

If you think you’d be a good fit for council, here’s what you need to do:

  • Be an owner at Copperstone in good standing
  • Show up and register at the AGM. It’s on March 31, 2026 at 7 p.m. at Sapperton Community Hall, 318 Keary St., New Westminster.
  • Volunteer yourself or have someone nominate you when the call is made for nominations for council near the end of the AGM
  • Be prepared to offer a short speech to the owners on what you will offer to Copperstone as a council member

On the last point, here’s what NOT to do:

  • Offer empty platitudes like “I’ll work hard” or “I have plenty of free time”. These don’t mean anything, anyone can make generic promises.

Instead, offer this:

  • Tangible examples of skills or experience you can bring to council
  • Your vision for Copperstone as a community

Good luck to all who run!