Pemberton's Olympic park-and-ride parking lots will be in operation starting Monday (Feb. 1), but B.C. Transit's enhanced bus service to and from Whistler doesn't start until Feb. 7 — which presents problems for residents who work in Whistler, Mayor Jordan Sturdy said this week.

(On Thursday (Jan. 28), after this article was published in the Question, the Village of Pemberton issued corrected information that increased Olympic bus service does, in fact, begin on Feb. 1 — the same time as the free park and ride service is offered.

“The mayor is happy to report that the information previously provided to him is no longer correct and he's pleased that the service will be commencing on Monday, Feb. 1, in accordance with the February 2010 Transit Maps available at all the Pemberton area bus pass sales locations,” said the statement issued by the Village.)

Pemberton's park-and-ride service will include three lots and will be free to local residents, said Russell Mack, public works manager. Council discussed the possibility of charging non-residents for long-term (multiple days) parking, but Mack warned against advertising the service until it's clear how many locals will be using the service.

He said the main lot, located on the Wye lands at the end of Prospect Street, will likely fit about 300 vehicles. Overflow and multiple-day parking will be available on Frontier Street between Aster and Birch streets and Birch to Camus.

The lot eyed for multiple-day parking will fit about 40 vehicles, Mack said. The Chamber of Commerce has received calls from people asking about being able to park for several days at a time.

Signage directing people to the park-and-ride lots was expected to be in place by Wednesday (Jan. 27), Mack said. Business operators within the village core will also receive signs to indicate two hours maximum parking time to allow parking for customers, he added.

The main park-and-ride lot will include two tent shelters where commuters can wait for bus pickup. Two parking attendants are scheduled to be on shift 24 hours a day from Feb. 1 through 28, Mack said. The parking plan may be adjusted after the first few days of operation, depending on how many people are using the service, he added.

Festival MOU approved

More than a year after B.C.'s Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) approved the continued use of the Ravens Crest land to hold the Pemberton Festival, council and the Squamish Lillooet Regional District this week voted to sign the memorandum of understanding that was a subject of the ALC's approval. The MOU must still be signed by the ALC.

Councillor Alan LeBlanc questioned why it has taken so long to get the MOU finalized, and why the main issues of liquor licensing and police costs still remain more than a year after they were identified.

“It's taken over two years of negotiations to get this festival back on track. What seems to be the problem?” he said.

Sturdy said the MOU was “sidelined” for a variety of reasons, such as the Pemberton-area fires during summer 2009. When Live Nation announced there would be no 2009 festival, it was felt to be less urgent, he added.

With policing and liquor licensing not under the Village's jurisdiction, the municipality can “facilitate, support and encourage” but not make decisions, Sturdy added. What was missing was a lack of leadership from festival producers Live Nation, he said.

Now, however, a “private group” is actively trying to move the process forward, Sturdy said. Though Sturdy declined to elaborate, Councillor Susie Gimse said it's the “property owner,” who is now working to bring the festival back.

Utility billing changes

Pemberton residents will have the opportunity to pay their sewer and water utilities charges quarterly in 2010, but billing will continue to be done on an annual basis, council voted this week.

Despite opposition by Councillor Lisa Ames, the majority of council also voted to discontinue the previously offered early payment discount. Councillor Ted Craddock was absent from the meeting.

Ames said she thinks people will miss the discount. According to a staff report by Roger Lundie, manager of finance, about 40 per cent of residents took advantage of the early payment discount last year.

Council also directed Village staff to roll utilities charges into property tax bills and offer a monthly payment plan for 2011.