Kimberley City Council Report

By Nowell Berg

On March 13, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.

Councillors Sue Cairns, Woody Maguire, Jason McBain, Sandra Roberts and Steven Royer were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.

Coun. Kevin Dunnebacke was absent.

A video archive of the meeting can be found on the City of Kimberley YouTube channel. Watch it here.

Gymnastic Centre Construction Cost Jumps

Council received a request from Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jim Hendricks regarding a budget increase for the re-construction of the gymnastics centre.

Hendricks told council the city received notice from the project contractor that a budget increase is need “for the construction of an insulated concrete form (ICF) wall because the facility is being expanded beyond the original footprint.” The plan for the new building requires that it move closer to the house next door. This means the gymnastic building wall needs to be “non-combustible.”

The budget increase request is for $84,509. This would raise the initial budget of $1.142 million to almost $1.227 million. The expansion of the building footprint is supported by confirmed grants from Regional District of East Kootenay ($50,000) and Columbia Basin Trust ($47,000).

As part of the budget increase, “rough-ins” to accommodate future installation of two heat-pumps will be done at the time of construction. If the “rough-ins” weren’t done, then the cost for any future heat pumps would be “substantially more if it were to be done after construction was completed.”

The actual installation of heat pumps will “not be included as part of the project at this time.”

Bike Park Revitalization (Phase 1) gets Trust grant

Council received notice from CFO Hendricks of a Columbia Basin Trust (Trust) grant awarded to the city for the revitalization of the bike park, adjacent to the skate park.

The grant is $64,000 and covers 60% of the total construction cost. The remaining budget funds and in-kind costs are being shared by the city and Kimberley Trails Society.

The total project budget is $126,040. Project planning is underway with work expected to begin this year.

Three job positions funded

At a special in-camera meeting of council held March 6, council approved budget allocations for three job positions, which it made public Monday.

CFO Hendricks presented to council a request to approve funding ($44,404) for an Information Technology Coordinator (ITC), a new position, that would start in early July this year. The budget request also includes expanding the position from six months to a full 12 months in 2024 with appropriate budget allocations in subsequent years.

Council also approved a request to increase the “Operations and Planning Clerk positions from 1.6 FTE to 2.0 FTE for eight months.” The added cost will be $21,000. council’s approval also continues this expansion in the following years.

The creation of a Deputy Corporate Officer (DCO), also a new position, was approved with a budget amount of $52,635. This position will commence in early July this year. Starting in 2024, the DCO will be funded for 12 months with “any incremental cost being funded by an increase to the 2024 property tax collection.”

Kimberley city council meets twice monthly starting at 7 p.m. The next regular council meeting: March 27.

e-KNOW file photo

e-KNOW

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