Kimberley City Council Report

By Nowell Berg

On November 26, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.

Councillors Kyle Dalum, Kent Goodwin, Nigel Kitto, Jason McBain, Darryl Oakley and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.

Sewer rates to rise in 2019

In a unanimous vote, Council increased sewer rates by eight per cent starting January 1, 2019.

In anticipation of the future cost for construction and operation of a new wastewater treatment plant, Chief Financial Officer Jim Hendricks reported to council the city needed to start building reserves to pay for construction and operation of the plant.

With the treatment plant in the preliminary design phase, it is not known, at this time, what the total construction cost would be nor how much it will cost to operate. Hendricks suggested it was best to start building financial reserves now and prepare ratepayers for the level of sewer fees needed to cover costs for construction and operation.

With the new sewer rates, Hendricks said the city would be able to accumulate about $800,000 over the next five years in the reserve fund to help offset future costs.

“This is going to be…the single biggest infrastructure expenditure that the city has had in a very, very long time.”

“Being prudent on how we are collecting reserves is a good thing to do,” added Mayor McCormick.

Noting that in the past reserve funds were kept “artificially low,” McCormick said it was important for the city to build reserves now.

While water rates for residential and business properties remain unchanged, bulk water rates are set to rise by 10% “to $1.56 per thousand gallons” in 2019, Hendricks said.

Bulk water rates have not changed since 2004 and only cover “29% of what it costs us to deliver the water.”

The largest user of bulk water is Resorts of the Canadian Rockies which uses the water for snow making and golf course irrigation.

Open burning changes

Kimberley Fire Chief Rick Prasad presented council with changes to the Open Burning Bylaw.

The most significant change sees the annual renewal of a permit replaced with a one-time fee for a permit and inspection of an open wood-burning pit.

Prasad said the annual renewal takes up “excessive staff time” and the city is not able to recapture the full cost of inspections when there is a yearly permit fee.

Currently there are 235 open barbecue pit permits within the city. The bylaw is intended to keep smoke within the city to a minimum.

Mayor McCormick asked if there are issues around open burning. Prasad said the issue really revolves around residents not knowing they require a permit to have an open wood burning fire on their property.

He said that CSA approved propane fire pits are perfectly legal and do not require a permit.

Kimberley city council meets twice monthly. All meetings start at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.

The next regular council meeting is scheduled for December 10.

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