Home »
City councillor meets with Japanese sister city officials
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On June 10, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.
Councillors Kyle Dalum, Kent Goodwin, Nigel Kitto, Jason McBain, Darryl Oakley and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.
Kimberley Youth Action Network (KYAN)
Council voted to set the terms of reference for establishing a KYAN Advisory Committee.
Pam Walsh, Manager of Community Development and Communications, presented to council a report outlining the scope of the Advisory Committee. In that report, Walsh states the committee’s purpose, “to increase local activities and provide diverse opportunities for Kimberley and RDEK Area E residents aged approximately 12-18 years.”
The committee will work with community stakeholders to engage youth and assist with providing programs for them “to gain leadership skills, strengthen work readiness and work experience and learn new skills.”
Seven people will be recruited to participate in the committee that will include one city councillor, two youth 12 – 18, two members from the community-at- large, one member each from Selkirk, McKim and Independent schools and one person from an existing Youth Agency. The city will advertise and start an open process to recruit committee members.
“The existing committee has been involved. They have lots of knowledge and expertise around this particular project,” said Walsh. She added, “They will probably have right of first refusal” to continue with the committee.
Coun. Oakley volunteered to be the city’s representative on the committee. He said, “I am very passionate about it [KYAN] and would like to be involved with it.”
Barking Dogs Raise Residents Ire
With summer on its way, everyone wants to be outside including canine pets. This resulted in 11 complaints during May about dogs barking.
Once the Bylaw Officer receives a barking complaint, they issue a dog log which the complainant fills out. Recording the date, time and barking duration allows the Bylaw Officer to “determine whether [its] normal dog behaviour or if further enforcement is required.”
Corporate Officer Maryse Leroux told council, “We find that when people start doing that, start putting it on paper, they realize it’s not that bad.”
She pointed out that normal dog behaviour is that once turned outside they bark for about 15 minutes then stop.
Unsecured garbage remains a large problem. The Bylaw Officer dealt with 23 written notices to residents for not properly securing garbage to make it inaccessible to bears.
Bears will continue to return each night to forage unsecured garbage. For a first offence, a resident receives a written notice. Any subsequent violations, the resident will be issued a $75 fine.
Japanese Sister-City: Annaka
This past April, Coun. Nigel Kitto, while on a family vacation in Japan, stopped by Kimberely’s sister-city of Annaka (135 km northwest of Tokyo).
“I thought we should take the opportunity to visit and help continue our cities friendship,” Coun. Kitto said.
Like Kimberley, Annaka is surrounded by mountains. The nearby Mt. Myogi is a dormant volcano reaching 1,103m above sea level. Recreation and tourism are important to the city and area. They host the annual Samurai Marathon which draws 1,000 runners each year. “Former railway lines, converted to pedestrian paths, allow access to many tunnels and historic bridges through the mountain passes,” said Kitto.
“Annaka has lots to offer with stunning scenery, great hiking and an excellent selection of restaurants and accommodation,” he reported.
Kitto was greeted by Mayor Hideko Moteki and other councillors. They enjoyed green tea and discussing the many similarities between the two cities. In the past, students from the local Annaka high school have made trips to Kimberley. Kitto presented a Lori Joe painting and Kimberley branded gifts, hats, t-shirts and maple syrup, to the Mayor.
Coun. Kitto brought back commemorative gifts including a silk jacket promoting the marathon race and local Annaka banners.
Kimberley City Council meets twice monthly starting at 7 p.m., open to the public.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting: June 24.
Lead image: The women holding the painting is Mayor Hideko Moteki and Deputy Mayor Yoshiaki Awano is on the far right. Coun. Kitto is flanked by his wife Toni and son Christopher. Gentleman on far left unknown. (Photo courtesy Coun. Kitto)
