By Nowell Berg

City of Kimberley council met at its bi-monthly meeting September 12. Here is a summary of city business conducted at the meeting.

Four new substance use beds for East Kootenay

A presentation made by Terri Domin, Health Services Administrator – East Kootenay – Interior Health, included telling council that there will be four new substance use beds for the East Kootenay. A comprehensive search is underway to select a private company that will supply the beds and treatment services for substance users.

These beds should be in place by the end of the year or early 2017.

Regarding the opioid epidemic in B.C., Domin said, there is “not an increase in overdoses in the East Kootenay.” So far in 2016, there have been 22 overdoses here, “which is not an increase or spike from previous years.”

Kimberley Crossing update

Troy Pollock, Manager, Planning Services updated council on the latest developments with the Kimberley Crossing project. According to Pollock, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) requires more time to assess the impact of the proposed Bylaw amendments on the intersection of 302 Avenue and Highway 95A.

Further, the property developer submitted additional information “on the proposed facilities, the potential economic benefits of the proposal and an analysis of the existing and proposed traffic impacts.”

Subsequently, it was recommended that a second public hearing take place to allow residents and other interested parties to review and comment on the new information. The date of this meeting will be set after the MOTI has made its decision regarding the proposed Bylaw amendment.

August Building Permits remain strong

Four single family home permits were issued in August for construction of new homes. That compares to only two permits in August 2015. Also in August, there were eight permits issued to renovate existing single family homes, compared to nine in 2015.

The value of building permits, to the end of August, is $2.3 million higher than 2015 due to the increase in the number of new homes being built.

Hugh public response to Aquatic Centre re-opening

After a 110-day closure, the Kimberley Aquatic Centre opened its doors to a wave of swimmers. From August 8 to the 31, a total of 6,660 patrons used the facility. This number will increase as regularly scheduled programs return to full capacity. During August, fewer swimmers took a dip on the weekend compared to weekdays.

Kimberley Community Fair fast approaching

The 38th annual Community Fair is set to run September 24 and 25 at the Marysville arena. For the first time, there will be a small beer garden in the arena. A letter from Lorraine Woods, Secretary — Kimberley Community Fair Committee, requested the fair be designated a “City sponsored event.” Council unanimously passed a motion to that effect along with providing requested in-kind support.

Be sure to get out and celebrate the community. It will be a great time for all ages.

Kimberley: high Radon Gas risk

After smoking tobacco, radon gas is the next leading cause of lung cancer in B.C. According to the BC Lung Association (BCLA), Kimberley “is located in a region of the province potentially at a high risk for indoor radon.”

As the city is responsible for building codes, it is important to get information to residents about radon gas. In a letter to Council, BCLA urges the city of undertake a radon gas awareness program. Council will support such a program.

Coming up on September 27, in Cranbrook, at the Heritage Inn (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.) will be a ‘Building Smart with Radon Mitigation’ seminar sponsored by the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO). Cost is $70 and you can register at the Homeowner Protection Office website.

According to Tracy Wells, Senior Communications Specialist with HPO, this seminar is for homebuilders, homebuyers, health professionals, indoor air quality specialists, engineers and architects. It’s designed to provide people with comprehensive information about potentially lethal radon gas. The seminar will also cover why the Kimberley – Cranbrook area has higher concentrations of radon gas compared to other areas of the province.

To learn more about radon gas and obtain a home radon gas test kit, check out www.radonaware.ca.

Bylaw Enforcement Policy

In presenting the Bylaw Enforcement Policy, Dawn Attorp, Corporate Officer, outlined four parameters on how city bylaws would be enforced.

First and foremost, enforcement will only be by complaint. The city does not have enough money and human resources to “cover everything,” she said. Additionally, the city would not accept anonymous complaints. Further, responding to a complaint would be at “the discretion of the city and staff.”

Finally, any enforcement of city bylaws would need to pass the “test of reasonableness.”

Coun. Daryl Oakley stated the “no smoking” restriction on the Platzl should be strictly enforced. He added that there were people “taking advantage of the city’s flexibility” and smoking near restaurants.

Attorp responded saying that “no smoking signage had been moved” to make it more visible on the Platzl.

MayorDon  McCormick pointed out the Bylaw Officer’s August report where it stated, “New no smoking signage placement has made a difference.”

Council unanimously passed the bylaw.

Water Smart Ambassador Report

The Water Smart Ambassador Program is a Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) Water Smart Initiative (Water Smart) that helps municipalities reduce their local water consumption. The ambassador’s goal is to reduce outdoor water use in the summer, which accounts for a significant percentage of the water used in Kimberley.

The city receives $10,000 from the CBT to hire a student from Mid- May to late August as the Ambassador.

The Ambassador’s report can be found here. It is very detailed and covers water smart activities around Kimberley this past summer.

In terms of usage and abuse of the city’s water restrictions, the report indicates “Marysville area had the highest summer monthly average water usage of 51,543 m3 accounts for 45% of the total violations observed.” Compared to Townsite with “monthly average volume of 26,923 m3 which accounts for 14% of violations.”

The other key finding in the report shows that the City of Kimberley has done an excellent job of reducing outdoor water use for irrigation. According to the report May, June and July 2016 water usage was down significantly from 2015. In July there was a 42% decrease in outdoor water consumption compared to 2015.

This reduction is attributable to two factors: One – cooler, wetter weather this year compared to 2015, and, two – City actions to reduce water usage in parks and other outdoor public spaces.

New Telus ‘towers’ on the way

Council received a resolution from TM MobileInc (Telus) requesting that council sign off on Telus’ proposal to install a “wireless telecommunication tower” in Kimberley. The Telus resolution outlines the various city and public information and consultation activities it performed in accordance with Government of Canada regulations.

The “tower” will actually be extensions to two existing telephone poles. One is located on Moyie Street between 6th and 8th Avenue’s. The other location is at the corner of 302nd Street and 307th Avenue in Marysville.

Council unanimously supported the resolution, after which the mayor mused about hopefully getting “better service” in town.

Marysville traffic concerns

Jason Columbo spoke during the question period. He asked what the city plans to do about parking violations around the new Koffee Kan.

Columbo presented photographs of offending vehicles parked on the boulevard, alley and streets. He asked the city to enforce the no parking restrictions in the area and to at least post ‘no parking’ signs.

While Columbo welcomes the new business to the community, it has created a negative impact on parking and safety in the area.

Coun. Hoglund reiterated his point that the Koffee Kan had only been open for a couple of weeks. Hoglund said, “It was to early too start ticketing.”

Mayor McCormick told council and Columbo, “Its being looked into.”

Next meeting Oct. 11

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 for each meetings agenda. Click on the 2016 folder.

The next council meeting is 11 October.

It’s your city; get involved.

e-KNOW

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