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It’s January already and I
hope you had a great holiday season with your loved ones and were able
to spend some quality time enjoying their company. City staff and
Council look forward to a busy and rewarding 2008 as there is much work
to do and many proposed projects. Over the next month Council and senior
staff will discuss the draft budget for the year and this will determine
which proposed projects will be approved. Public Works and Finance staff
are concerned with the cost of snow removal operations for the months of
November and December and the program budget will be in a deficit. This
deficit, approximately $377,000 will have to be reflected in the 2008
budget.
At our December 17, 2007
meeting Council heard from Jim Manson representing the BC Government and
Services Employees’ Union. His presentation and video about BC highways
maintenance was informative and provided Council with a checklist of
what to expect from the private contractors that maintain our highways.
He provided a resolution for Council’s approval that would ensure the
Ministry of Transportation enhanced monitoring and audits of work
performed by contractors, and provide regular reports on accidents and
contractor work performance to key community stakeholders. Council
adopted the resolution and will forward to the Union of BC
Municipalities for their consideration.
Council provided the
first three readings of Bylaw 1888 which establishes a local service
area for Clearview Heights. Property owners in Clearview Heights had
previously petitioned the City to provide a local area service for the
purpose of providing sanitary sewer service. The bylaw gives the City
authority to establish the local service area, undertake the service and
establish the method of cost recovery for installation of the local
sanitary sewer service. The net capital cost for this service is
$718,000 and will be financed by the benefiting area. Final adoption of
this bylaw will occur later in January or early February.
Staff provided Council an
update on the Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives Program and
advised that funding will be increased from $188,000 to $351,000 in
2008. This program has in the past provided funds for many projects
throughout the community and regional district and the additional
funding is welcomed. As in the past, Council will appoint a local
committee to adjudicate applications for funding from this program.
Council received a letter
from the Heart and Stroke Foundation advising that February is Heart
Month in Canada and the foundation will be canvassing throughout the
community. This is always a worthwhile cause to support.
Submitted by
Councillor Peter Frew
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