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January has been a busy month for Council and City staff and there are
no indications that city business will slow down. City Council heard
from two delegations on Monday January 22, 2007, the first was AJ LeRose
who is a member of the Revelstoke Boxing Club. AJ is the Provincial
Boxing Champion in his weight class division and will be part of the BC
Team that competes in the Canadian Nationals at St. Catharine’s,
Ontario, in February. AJ was seeking financial aid to assist him with
his travel costs and other expenses. Council wishes AJ well and looks
forward to hearing from him on the experiences he gains at the national
level.
Gail Bernacki a
representative of the Core Committee for the Revelstoke Unit Five
Project advised Council of the recommendations the committee has made.
The recommendations will be forwarded to the Province and implemented
once the Revelstoke Unit Five Project is approved. The recommendations
concern minimum flows, baseline monitoring, mitigation, environmental
and social issues, First Nations and other concerns identified by the
committee.
Revelstoke’s large
snowfall this year is welcomed by the Winterlude committee and planning
for this year’s events are well underway. Winterlude dates are February
3rd to 10th and Mackenzie Avenue is scheduled to be closed between 1st
and 2nd Avenues to facilitate the activities. Outhouse races will be
held on Saturday February 3rd and Downtown Rail Jam on Saturday February
10th. These events have been very popular in the past so make sure
you’re there early to get a great vantage point.
Council received the 2006
annual report for the Revelstoke Fire Department which revealed another
busy year. Total call volume was comparable to past years; however the
number of inspections completed by the fire inspector was down compared
to last year. The Revelstoke Highway Rescue Society also reported on
their 2006 calls, which was up 44% from the previous year. Thirty four
members contributed time to ensure the society continued to provide a
valuable service to our city and the traveling public.
Planning staff provided
Council with the building permit summary for 2006, the number of permits
issued and permit value are very similar to 2005. However it is
interesting to note the major difference in the construction categories,
as 2006 had 6.2 million for new residential construction while 2005 had
1.9 million.
The Community Economic
Development Strategy is currently being updated and staff is working
with consultants and a public steering committee. Part of this process
involved setting up a speaker series which identified some of the
community’s most important challenges. The first speaker topic was
workforce shortages and was held on Thursday January 18th. The remaining
two topics climate change and community/resort development experiences
are scheduled for January 29th and February 8th. Check the city weekly
newspaper ad for locations and times. These series have been set up to
provide information to the community on what challenges face us in the
next 3-5 years. The public will have opportunity to provide input to the
strategy through a community survey.
Council received a letter
from Canadian Pacific Railway advising that the Whistle Cessation
Agreement for Mackenzie Avenue crossing has now been signed and a
bulletin issued to inform all train crews. This is good news and puts an
end to a long standing issue.
Our public works staff
and contractors have been very busy this winter with the snow removal
and sanding program and at times driving conditions have not been the
best. I would ask that you be cognizant of this issue and give yourself
extra time to reach your destination. The crews are out there working
and will get to your street, however sometimes unforeseen events or
breakdowns occur that prevent the timely removal of the snow. Your
patience is appreciated.
Submitted by Councillor Frew
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