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Rotary Drive speed limit debated; water report released
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On April 10, City of Kimberley council held its bi-monthly meeting.
Councilors Kent Goodwin, Albert Hoglund, Nigel Kitto, Bev Middlebrook and Darryl Oakley were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.
Animal Control busy in March
The city’s Animal Control Enforcement Officer (ACEO) was very busy in March, handing out tickets for “unlicensed and non-renewed licenses for dogs.” In total, 36 tickets, each a $100 fine, were issued for an unlicensed dog. The ACEO also investigated 21 dogs-at-large while speaking with 11 of the owners about controlling their pets.
The ACEO also reported dealing with 13 deceased deer and spoke to four residents about feeding deer within city limits, which is prohibited.
Building permit value down slightly
According to the Building Department Monthly Report, the total value of building permits for January to March 2017 was $1.9 million compared to $2.5 million for the same time in 2016. So far this year, only three permits were issued for new single-family homes along with seven permits for renovating an existing home. Seven sign permits were also issued in the first quarter.
Rotary Drive speed limit debated
Following the receipt of a hand-written letter requesting the speed limit on Rotary Drive by the skate park be reduced, council members voted unanimously to have city staff look into this matter.
During debate, Coun. Hoglund noted reducing the speed limit had been tried before, but it was “turned down.” He suggested the speed limit be reduced from the Aquatic Centre all the way to the Skate Park.
Mayor McCormick said the RCMP had not support the speed limit reduction because the distance was “too long a stretch.” He supported the reduced speed limit as the skate park is a “playground.”
Coun. Oakley also noted the RCMP had not supported previous efforts to reduce the speed limit as “people would not drive at the reduced speed for that distance.” He suggested motorists be advised to use Highway 95A instead of Rotary which is used as a short cut to downtown.
Coun. Middlebrook supported the reduced speed but also voiced concern about “who will follow” the playground speed limit.
Coun. Kitto suggested “all of Rotary should be slow” as it wouldn’t add “too much time” to a person’s trip.
City signs three service agreements
City council voted unanimously to enter into a service agreement with Jetson Consulting Engineers Ltd. (JCEL) to supply SunMine technical support not available from city electricians. JCEL has worked with the city since the beginning of the SunMine project. JCEL will test photovoltaic strings, analyze samples of transformer dissolved gases and provide “backup power design and coordination for emergency tracker operation.”
The city has been very pleased with JCEL’s performance and value for money.
Council also voted unanimously to have the city sign a three-year contract with Scanland’s Excavating for the disposal of municipal sewage sludge. Scanland’s will receive $2,000 per month for four loads with additional loads, if needed, priced at $300 per load. In the past year, since the RDEK closed the Wasa Lagoons to sludge, no additional loads over the contracted four were needed.
The Kimberley Transit Agreement (KTA) and the Annual Operating Agreement (AOA) with BC Transit were both approved by council.
The city’s share of providing transit service is almost $194,000. Council expects commuter service to increase with an additional morning and late afternoon connection between Kimberley and Cranbrook. This expansion is to accommodate the increased use by Kimberley residents who work in Cranbrook. Fares remain the same at $3 per trip, or a book of 10 tickets for $27.
Mark and Mathew Creek 2016 Water Quality Report
Aqua-tex Scientific submitted the annual water quality report for Mark and Matthew Creeks. It finds the raw source water quality “met all standards under the BC Drinking Water Protection Regulation.”
Over-all water quality for Mark and Matthew Creeks was rated as “good.” Aqua-tex sampled water 14 times during 2016 testing water from “10 sites in Mark Creek and three sites in Mathew Creek.”
One conclusion of the report stated, “Overall bacterial loads were low in Mark Creek and very low in Matthew Creek, though they continue to increase over time in Mark Creek.”
The report also noted the October 2016 “stream bank failure” that significantly increased the amount of matter in the water (turbidity) leading to a boil water alert.
Councilors Oakley and Hoglund both spoke of the need to “demand” BC Timber Sales for money to assist the Watershed Committee with its work because their logging of the watershed contributes to degraded water quality.
Mayor McCormick noted the stream bank failure was a geological issue not a logging issue, and as such, “demanding” anything from BC Timber Sales would not result in a positive outcome.
Coun. Goodwin noted there were other issues beyond logging in the watershed. He pointed to “treatment and UV disinfection.” The latter was the number one recommendation from the report, which states, “UV disinfection should be added to the system.”
Goodwin asked the mayor if UV disinfection was on the horizon. The mayor said, “UV disinfection is not in the capital plan.”
Another recommendation from the report suggested “the city should continue to pursue all options to ensure that access to the watershed, particularly by motorized vehicles but including non-motorized users, is restricted to authorized users. Increased recreational use places the watershed at risk of contamination from human waste and significantly increases the risk of fire.”
The mayor said that consultation with all stakeholders would be an on-going concern to ensure the water quality of Mark and Mathew Creeks meets the highest standards.
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 the meeting agenda. Click on the 2017 folder and follow the link.
The next council meeting is Monday, April 24.
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