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New detachment commander introduced
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On September 8, 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.
New RCMP Detachment Commander
Cpl. Dean Kletzel introduced S/Sgt. Dan Biggs as the new Kimberley RCMP Detachment commander.
In his opening remarks, Biggs thanked Kletzel for his work covering the position since Woodcox’s departure.
Having served in six detachments over the past 14 years, most recently in Yellowknife, NWT, Bigg’s said, “This will be where we will plant roots for a little while.” With family in town, this was a natural spot for Biggs, his wife and children to live and work.
Biggs spent time with the Surrey major crime unit, the Maple Ridge investigative team, and, most recently, in the NWT he managed the plainclothes investigative team. “In the last five six years, I have a lot of experience with the entire range of investigations.” Community policing was also a part of his work in the north.
Concluding, Biggs said he was “looking forward” to working in the community.
Kimberley Nature Park Society (KNPS)
John Henly, Kimberley Nature Park Society President, presented to council the KNPS’s management plan for the largest municipal park in B.C.
The park spans 840 hectares within city limits and also includes 210 ha of the Horse Barn Valley Interpretive Centre, plus 72 ha special wildlife habitat area for Williamson’s sapsucker. The park contains over 50 kilometres of trails.
The Nature Park also has a significant biome diversity that includes 104 species of birds, 58 trees and shrubs, 148 different flowers, 34 grasses, sedges and rushes, 89 mushrooms and fungi, 46 mammals, reptiles and amphibians, 52 invertebrates and 155 microlichens.
“Our whole mission is conservation and understanding the impacts of human use as well as to help protect some of the unique features and wildlife that we have there,” Henly said. This means, “balancing conservation and education with recreation.”
He noted several key additions to the new management plan that include eliminating the need for continually updating the memorandum of understanding and license of occupation thus reducing that wor load. Developing a strategic plan and maintaining operational commitments is part of the new management framework.
Henly concluded the next steps were for the KNPS to register the management plan with Lands BC, once council has approved it.
Mayor McCormick said, “I want to thank you and the rest of the society for all the work you have done, specifically putting this management plan together.”
Bylaw and Animal Control Report
Council received the second quarter (April to June) report on Bylaw and Animal Control.
The Bylaw Enforcement Officer (BEO) received 185 calls for service during the quarter. This was down from 222 calls in 2024 and 208 in 2023.
During the quarter, 45 calls concerned streets and traffic, another 32 were about animal control and 32 calls about solid waste.
Three warning and nine tickets were issued under the Streets and Traffic Bylaw.
In terms of animal control, the report focused on pet licensing and getting residents to renew license. For spayed and neutered pets, the licensing fee is $23.00, for non- spayed and neutered animals, the fee is $57.50.
The BEO received eight calls regarding animals at-large. One warning and one ticket were issued. There were two dog attacks that occurred outside of the city’s jurisdiction, along with eight complaints about “aggressive dogs off leash.”
Kimberley city council assembles twice monthly starting at 7 p.m.
There is no second meeting this month, as councillors are away at the Union of BC Municipalities’ annual general meeting.
The next regular council meeting: October 14.
e-KNOW file photo
e-KNOW
