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Tall Pines requests tree cutting permit
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On August 12, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.
Councillors Kyle Dalum, Kent Goodwin, Nigel Kitto and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick. Councillors Jason McBain and Darryl Oakley were absent.
Council Shifts Meeting Location
The city and council decided to move the meeting from City Hall to Garden View Village. This was done to give residents, who would not normally attend a council meeting, a chance to participate in local government.
Mayor McCormick indicated the idea to move locations was first broached by Coun. Oakley almost five years ago.
In a press release informing the public of the venue change, city chief administrative officer Scott Sommerville said, “Council has been discussing the possibility of hosting a meeting off-site for a while now. Several locations were mentioned but we ultimately decided to bring the meeting to the Seniors and the public at Garden View Village.”
Only one Garden View Village resident attended the meeting. Otherwise, the gallery was populated with the usual suspects, regulars, media and city staff.
Tall Pines requests tree cutting permit
Jim Wernham, Tall Pines Town Homes Strata Council member, presented to council a request for a tree cutting permit. It would allow the strata to remove two ornamental spruce trees and 11 natural trees that border the strata property and Trickle Creek Golf Course.
As Mayor McCormick lives in the Tall Pines community, he recused himself from the discussion and vote.
Based on a FireSmart assessment, Tall Pines wants to remove these trees because they “pose a fire threat” to the strata buildings. Wernham said, “Our mission is to become FireSmart certified.”
On May 1, Kimberley Fire Department staff conducted a survey of the Tall Pines community to evaluate its FireSmart preparedness.
This assessment determined there were a number of coniferous trees situated within the FireSmart Zone 1 and 1A (0 to 10m from the structure). The FireSmart report recommended the removal of these trees.
Wernham indicated the strata council would hire an arborist to professionally remove the trees in order to reduce any damage to the forested area between the buildings and golf course.
Council instructed staff to prepare a report on the tree removal and the city’s role in granting an exemption from a covenant attached to the property title.
After council reviews the report, it will make a decision on whether to instruct city staff to issue the strata a tree cutting permit.
Noxious Weeds
Council received the July Bylaw Enforcement report. It indicated that “15 written notices and two verbal warnings” were handed out to residents concerning weeds populating their property.
Allowing “the spread of invasive noxious weeds, wild grass and untended growth” on residential and commercial property is not allowed in Kimberley.
Coun. Goodwin raised the issue of Bylaw Enforcement going after residential noxious weeds. He said, “We have to be a little bit careful on how hard we push given that the city hasn’t done a perfect job of looking after noxious weeds on city property.” He noted there are city lands with “large patches of knapweed (pictured above).” He urged the city to “go gentle” with residential weed enforcement. He suggested the city go after RCR and Teck which “own large pieces of land that have fairly large infestations on them.”
Despite a gentler approach, residents should take responsibility and remove all invasive and noxious weeds from their property.
More Road Paving
Council awarded a paving contract to BA Blacktop, Cranbrook, for the 2019 Annual Road Rehabilitation Program. The contract is worth $314,860.69 plus taxes.
City staff identified seven locations as “prime candidates for pavement rehabilitation.”
- Church Avenue (south section);
- Kimbrook Crescent (north section);
- Montgomery Avenue (between Stiles & Caldwell St.);
- Banks Street (300 block);
- St. Mary’s Avenue (between Ross and Mark St.);
- Fernie Street (between 6th and 8th Ave.);
- Victoria Avenue (between McKenzie and Chapman St.).
Paving work on these roads will commence within the next week or so and be completed by the end of September.
Kimberley city council meets twice monthly starting at 7 p.m., open to the public.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting is August 26 at City Hall.
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