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City wins award; calls to RCMP up
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On February 26, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.
Councillors Kent Goodwin, Albert Hoglund, Nigel Kitto, Bev Middlebrook, Darryl Oakley and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.
OCP adopted by council; see separate article.
City of Kimberley wins award
Mayor McCormick announced the city took home the Open for Business Award for a medium size community at the recently held 15th Annual Small Business BC (SBBC) conference.
The Open For Business Awards recognize and celebrate communities that best demonstrate they are promoting and adopting business friendly initiatives.
“Partnering with the Provincial government to deliver the Open for Business Awards at the Small Business BC Awards Gala has given us the unique opportunity to celebrate not only our local small businesses, but the communities that allow them to grow,” said George Hunter, CEO at Small Business BC.
The Award recognizes the city’s Investment Incentive Program (IIP) which provides a three to five per cent tax reduction on the increased business tax caused by exterior renovations or expansion of floor space to existing buildings, construction of new buildings and restoration of brownfield properties. The three per cent reduction is applicable to commercial businesses and the five per cent to industrial businesses.
“A zero per cent [tax] increase to commercial properties, implementing the mobile business license with Cranbrook and our CKDI partnership with Cranbrook were all part of the consideration,” said McCormick.
He congratulated Troy Pollock, Manager, Planning Services, for establishing and promoting the IIP. He also noted Kevin Wilson, Economic Development Officer, wrote the Award application.
“Entrepreneurs choose Kimberley to open businesses. They have led the revitalization of business here,” said McCormick. “This is really about our incredible business community and the positive vibe everyone feels in the community.”
Civic Centre accessible doors on the way
The city received a Federal Government grant from the Enabling Accessibility Fund for “the installation of accessible doors, a timber frame overhang, and a concrete ramp at the Civic Centre Arena.” The doors will be installed on the Splash Park side of the Civic Centre.
The grant covers 65% ($22,470) of the total project cost ($34,570).
Council unanimously voted to authorize the expenditure of $12,100 for the city’s 35% share of the project.
Coun. Hoglund said, “It will be quite the thing to have these doors, especially for seniors who use the walking track at the centre.”
Construction starts in May and should be completed by the end of August.
Official 2017 crime statistics released
Kimberley RCMP Detachment Commander Sgt. Chris Newel reported that total calls for service in 2017 were 2,064; 111 greater than 2016 (1,953). This represents just over a 5.5% increase, year to year.
Of the 2,064 calls for service, Sgt. Newel said the largest single offence was traffic incidents and suspensions at 343, which is almost 17% of the total. The next largest offence category, abandoned 911 calls at 160 (7.75%) followed by assist fire, ambulance or other agency at 123 calls (six per cent) with property calls at 121 (5.9%) and respond to alarms at 119 (5.8%).
Responding to a question from Coun. Oakley about the significant number of calls regarding a suicidal person (36), Sgt. Newel indicated that new ambulance protocols dictate that when a suicide call is received by the BC Ambulance Service or health officials they must now call the RCMP. The ambulance service now waits for the RCMP to arrive who are the first to enter a location where a suicide is reported.
Sgt. Newel also noted that detachment staffing, since November, has been “thin” due to two officers on medical leave. He hopes they will be able to return to non-operational work soon.
He also cautioned people about “using Facebook for news.” Over the course of one recent weekend, if you believed Facebook, it sounded like every car in Kimberley had been broken into or stolen. When Newel returned to work on the Monday, there were only two reports of vehicle tampering. His advice, “Lock your vehicle.”
Kimberley city council meets twice monthly. All meetings start at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. Check the city’s website here and select the date for the meeting agenda.
The next regular council meeting will be on March 12.
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