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Building permits skyrocket in Kimberley
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On July 12, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.
Councillors Kyle Dalum, Kent Goodwin, Nigel Kitto, Jason McBain, Darryl Oakley were present along with Mayor Don McCormick. Coun. Sandra Roberts was absent.
The press and public were not allowed in Council Chambers.
The meeting streamed live on the city’s YouTube channel. Watch the archive here.
Building Permits Skyrocket
Council received the most recent building permit report.
Troy Pollock, Manager Planning Services, said construction activity is “well ahead of the pace of the previous two years. We’ve already surpassed that in terms of building construction value and number of permits.”
So far this year, 110 permits have been issued. Forty-seven permits directly apply to new single-family dwelling construction or renovations to an existing single-family dwelling. In 2020, only 92 total permits had been issued by the end of June. The current 110 total is 10% higher than the record 100 permits issued in 2019.
Total project value of all permits this year is $15.8 million which is a 66% increase over the $9.5 million recorded in the same time frame for 2020.
With more construction activity on the way, the city has added a new planner and a new building inspector to the planning department. Pollock said his team is up to full complement and will be ready to “meet the [public’s] needs for service.”
Pollock concluded his comments, “It should be a very good year over-all.”
Unspent COVID-19 Re-Start Funds
Council unanimously voted to support Coun. Oakley’s request that if there are any remaining funds from the provincial COVID-19 re-start grant that they be dispersed to local non-profits to assist them in their re-start efforts.
Specifically, Coun. Oakley asked city staff “to develop a policy and application process for the distribution of unspent COVID 19 Restart Funds in 2022 to not-for-profit organizations providing community core services.”
In supporting Coun. Oakley’s initiative, Mayor McCormick said, “It is important that we use money out of that pot to support staff prior to dispersion.”
Coun. Kitto said it would be important to have “a level playing field for anyone who may consider applying so they know what the process would be so its fair for all.”
Council will re-visit this in January 2022.
Resident recommends crow cull
Townsite resident Michael Labach sent a letter to City Hall claiming the crow population “has been significantly increasing in the last decade.”
Labach noted his neighbourhood “is overwhelmed with crows and the constant racket of cawing from 10 -20 individuals from daybreak to dusk is becoming very annoying.”
Labach recommends the city undertake a “crow cull” to lower the population.
Coun. Oakley requested, and the other councilors agreed, the “letter [be] sent to WildSafeBC coordinator for Kimberley.”
Kimberley city council meets twice monthly starting at 7 p.m. Due to pandemic restrictions, the public is not allowed to attend Council Chambers.
The next scheduled Council meeting: August 16, which is the only meeting that month. It live streams on the City of Kimberley YouTube channel.
e-KNOW file photos
e-KNOW
