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City of Kimberley facility rental rates increasing
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On October 23, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.
Councillors Sue Cairns, Kevin Dunnebacke, Jason McBain, Sandra Roberts and Steven Royer were present along with Mayor Don McCormick. Coun. Woody Maguire was available by video link.
An archive of the meeting can be found on the City of Kimberley YouTube channel. Watch it here.
Recreation and Facilities Rental Rates Increase
Council approved a six per cent increase in rental rates for all city facilities. The new fees will take effect for the last two months of 2023 and all of 2024.
Nicole Halasz , Manager of Parks and Facilities, said the reason for the increase is “to address higher wages, inflationary increases, increased cost for utilities, equipment purchases and maintenance.”
Halasz also told council the fee increase will be “re-evaluated once we’ve received the Parks and Facilities Master Plan.”
Mayor McCormick said, “It’s important to note that all of our recreation facilities, we do not make money on them, nor do we intend to. However, we look at rates and fees regularly to make sure the hole doesn’t get any deeper. And, the fees to user groups are affordable.”
Property Tax Exemptions Approved
Chief financial officer Jim Hendricks presented to council the need to adopt a new Property Tax Exemption Bylaw before the end of October when the current bylaw expires.
This property tax exemption applies to community non-profit organizations and athletic/service clubs for the next five years.
According to Hendricks, the total value of all property tax exemptions is “$183,984.” The largest exemption goes to the “Kimberley Health Centre.”
Hendricks added, “In order to receive the exemption, everyone was asked to submit a very comprehensive application.” Every year the recipient submits a one-page document saying ‘they still own the property and they are still exempt.’”
If an exempt property is sold, it will fall off the list and become taxable.
Rainbow Crosswalks or Sidewalks
Responding to a citizen request for a rainbow crosswalk at Marysville Elementary School as part of the Active Transportation Network expansion, city chief administrative officer Scott Sommerville reported that while the project is doable, there are several considerations council must deal with.
Being located on the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure highway requires the crosswalk to be designed according to its regulations, which does not allow for multi-coloured painting that the city installed at the corner of Spokane and Wallinger (pictured).
Additionally, Sommerville pointed out the federal government requires paint to be “low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which does not hold up well in our harsh climate.”
He told council the cost for the Platzl crosswalk was $15,000 in 2022. The current cost for the same job would come in over $20,000. A current quote for painting any new crosswalks is $400/m2 which is “50 times” the cost of a white crosswalk.
Sommerville recommended painting the sidewalk by the school as it is city controlled, less traveled and would not deteriorate as much as if it were on the roadway. He also suggested other options such as painting benches or pedestrian bridges.
Coun. McBain said, “I like that idea. The key thing is the intent and the message of inclusion we are trying to foster especially at the school.” He concluded saying, “Using a sidewalk makes a lot of sense.”
Coun. Dunnebacke noted that anything on the ground “is covered by snow for half the year.” He suggested a flag pole, and concluded his comments saying he was “opposed” to the idea of painting a sidewalk.
Coun. Cairns supported the discussion around alternatives to a painted crosswalk, “I’d love to hear the options and costs.”
Coun. Maguire suggested it’s a good idea, but the cost seems prohibitive. “I think $20,000 is a lot for some paint.”
City staff will provide council with options and costs at a future meeting.
Kimberley city council meets twice monthly starting at 7 p.m. The next regular council meeting: November 14.
e-KNOW file photos
e-KNOW
