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ReDI grant program allocations forwarded
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On April 28, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.
Councillors Sue Cairns, Kevin Dunnebacke, Diana Fox, Woody Maguire, Jason McBain and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.
An archive of the meeting can be viewed on the City of Kimberley YouTube channel. Watch it here.
Resident Directed (ReDi) Program Grants Announced
Pam Walsh, Manager of Community Development and Communication, presented council with the final ReDi grant allocations chosen by the Local Selection Committee (LSC).
The ReDI grant program is funded by Columbia Basis Trust (CBT) and, in this area, administered by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK).
The use of the LSC in assessing grant applications is a new approach that council adopted in lieu of the past where the whole council was part of the process. Scaling back full council participation and adding staff support was meant to streamline the assessment process.
Given “the distribution actually seems fairly consistent to what we had done in the past,” Coun. McBain said the LSC was a “good idea … a good way to go.”
Walsh asked council to approve the LSC grants and have them forwarded to the RDEK board for its approval and dispersal of funds.
According to Walsh, “Grants support local projects that benefit the broader community and public good through community-based decision-making.”
She noted the city had $97.903.76 to allocate across 48 applications who requested over $226,000. The grant money has a “massive impact” on the 36 groups receiving funds.
The RDEK Board has yet to approve these grant allocations.
The largest grant went to LEES Spark Society for Youth ($8,911). Followed by Underground Mining Railway ($7,000) and the Rotary Club ($6,200). The smallest grant went to the Wasa Loins Club ($400).
Animal Control and Bylaw Enforcement Report
The Bylaw Enforcement Officer (BEO) presented council with an over-view of Q1 activity.
In terms of calls for service from the public, three bylaw areas stand out. Streets and Traffic (32), Good Neighbour (23) and Animal Control (19) were the most numerous concerns called in by residents.
When it came to bylaw driven service, streets and traffic accounted for 72 actions, dwarfing all other bylaw categories.
In terms of priorities during Q1, the BEO focused on two areas. The Short-term Rental (STR) Bylaw enforcement and pet licensing.
Regarding the STR Bylaw, the BEO said, “We’ve been consolidating with the provincial database … to confirm that our numbers and theirs match. This helps to identify if there are non-compliant short-term rentals.” The BEO noted that one “take down notice” was issued to an STR that was not licensed.
On the pet licensing front, January was the big month for renewals. Anyone who has not updated a pet license will face a fine if their pet is found wandering the streets. Although, every pet gets one free ride home.
Currently, there are 675 licensed dogs. The BEO noted that at the end of 2023 there were 830 licensed dogs suggesting the level of upcoming fines would be significant given the discrepancy between the two numbers.
Commenting, tongue in cheek, on the number of dogs, Mayor McCormick said, “I’d be shocked if we had less than 3,000 dogs in Kimberley,” which drew chuckles from the BEO, council and staff.
In the past quarter, there were 13 complaints about animals “at-large,” three dog attacks, three dogs off leash and one dog “deemed vicious” after attacking a person.
Administration Update
Chief administrative officer Jim Hendricks presented council with an over-view of the major projects and activities the city is undertaking.
Hendricks said, “One of the more visible projects is the St. Mary’s Ave reconstruction. That’s in full swing now.” Completion is expected in late September of this year.
Cominco Gardens rejuvenation, “a much-anticipated project,” will get started in early May. Expected completion in the fall. As is the Centre 64 Bandshell and landscaping project. “Another great addition to downtown,” said Hendricks.
Public works day is scheduled for May 21 starting at 8:30 a.m. “It’s always a great event for the kids.” Hendricks’ invitation was for “everybody to come out and participate.”
The Marsden Street active transportation project moves ahead as the city received a grant that it applied for. A sidewalk will be installed this summer.
The purchase an electric Zamboni for the Civic Centre is underway.
As part of the update, Hendricks turned to Troy Pollock, Manager of Planning and Sustainability, who reported on Q1 building permit activity.
Saying the activity “looks very positive,” he said the city issued 50 building permits in Q1. In 2024, there were 29 permits, and in 2023, only four permits in Q1.
Pollock told council the significant increase in permits was due to builders obtaining permits before provincial building code changes took effect in March 2025. Despite the large bump, he said, “It’s still looking like a pretty positive year.”
Of the 50 permits, 39 came from multi-unit dwellings, seven single-family homes, two duplexes and two secondary suites.
The total construction value for these permits is $19.3 million.
Kimberley city council assembles twice monthly starting at 7 p.m.
The next regular council meeting: May 12.
Lead image: Cominco Gardens rejuvenation will get started in early May. e-KNOW file photos
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