Pamela (Pam) is a municipal solicitor with a Masters in Public Administration and is the past chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s BC Municipal Section. Called to the Bar in 2001, Pam provides advice on a wide variety of local government and First Nations matters, including liability, access to information, constitutional jurisdiction, the interpretation of local government legislation, planning and zoning, subdivision and infrastructure development and all aspects of real estate development.  Her recent work includes:

 

• Advising a local government on its constitutional jurisdiction related to the regulation of a large-scale industrial development project
• Negotiating and structuring purchase and sale agreements, land exchange agreements, leases, licences, 219 covenants, statutory rights of ways, easements and affordable housing covenants
• Advising local governments on development agreements and structuring security arrangements for the completion of on and off-site works
• Advising local governments on expropriation procedures and negotiating voluntary acquisition agreements and section 3 Expropriation Act agreements for a large-scale linear expropriation
• Advising a local government on procedural issues related to a public hearing and the receipt of information after the public hearing
• Providing advice to local governments on a variety of financial issues, including the imposition of school site acquisition charges, the issuance of tax receipts, and taxation requirements under the Ports Property Tax Act
• Advising local governments on their obligations under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and preparing written submissions to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
• Providing advice on liability issues related to flooding and slope instability and local government responsibilities under the Emergency Program Act
• Preparing laws and other legal agreements for First Nations in the post-treaty environment and advising on related governance issues
• Reviewing and advising on servicing agreements, joint venture agreements and protocol agreements with First Nations.

 

Pam has also spoken at many local government-focused seminars and conferences, including recent sessions for the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC (October, 2009, November, 2010), the LGMA Clerks & Corporate Officers Forum (October 2009), Capilano University (2005-2011), MATI Community Planning in Local Government Organizations (October, 2010), NCLGMA, 2010 Annual Fall Conference (September, 2010), and the BC Training Fire Officer Association’s Annual Conference (June 2009, June 2011).  In the balance of 2011, Pam will be presenting at conferences being held for newly-elected officials in the Northeast and Kootenays (November and December, 2011).