Kimberley City Council Report

By Nowell Berg

On February 24, City of Kimberley council held its regular bi-monthly meeting.

Councillors Sue Cairns, Kevin Dunnebacke, Diana Fox, Woody Maguire, Jason McBain and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.

An archive of the meeting can be viewed on the City of Kimberley YouTube channel. Watch it here.

Drive-Through services debate

Council was presented with the formal introduction of ‘Bylaw No. 2780, Amendment No. 179, 2025 to City of Kimberley Zoning Bylaw No. 1850, 1994’ to prohibit future construction of gas stations and drive-through services.

Coun. Dunnebacke recused himself from the vote as he owns C3 zoned land.

Mayor McCormick made two points. First, estimated city infrastructure replacement costs are running at $12 million to $15 million per year. The city is only generating $6 million to $8 million in revenue, which leaves a $4 million to $6 million shortfall. Given that 86% of tax base is residential, the Mayor said, “that’s where it’s [the shortfall is] going to fall.”

The second point dealt with the economic impact of tourism. McCormick said Kimberley generates $24 million annually in tourism activity, which is the lowest of the 14 recognized resort tourism destinations in the province. He further pointed out that Rossland generates $44 million from tourism. The Mayor made an unsubstantiated claim that “the difference of $20m is getting settled into Cranbrook, primarily.”

The Mayor summarized his concerns:

1 – the ability of existing residential tax payers to shoulder the infrastructure burden

2 – “Whether or not we are open for business.” The ban sends “the wrong message,” he said.

Responding to the Mayor’s comments, Coun. Cairns said, “Corporate chains can come. They can set up in our commercial zone, the Marysville commercial or any number of locations including the Platzl. This bylaw does not interfere with that.” She stated that those who voted to prohibit drive-thru services and gas stations, “We all do want economic development.”

Qualifying her statement, she added, “We want long-term economic development, long-term sustainability” that gets beyond “restaurants and gas stations.”

She pointed to the need for regional “self-sufficiency” and the need for economic development that does “not export profits to shareholders outside the country leaving us poorer in the long run.”

Coun. Fox pointed out that when searching for a community to invest in and open her business, “We looked at a lot of communities and Kimberley wasn’t choice number one.” She eventually “chose Kimberley because it doesn’t have corporate chains, it doesn’t have that big presence.”

She stated that no big corporate chains is “an asset, it’s not a bad thing. I don’t know that paving the way for billionaires to come in here and make a lot of money is super profitable for us either.”

Making an impassioned statement, Coun. Roberts noted the precarious nature of the city after the mine closed and there was significant worry about its future. “I feel strongly about this. I’ve lived through this process when we thought the town would die. We lost the hospital, the courthouse, schools, we lost everything.”

She noted that the word ‘prohibit’ “raises her hackles because banning and prohibiting things, then we’re gonna take things backwards.”

Council will re-visit the issue as it heads toward second reading and a possible public hearing on the matter.

Active Transportation Fund Grant Application

Council directed staff to submit an application to the Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada Active Transportation Fund for the 4^th Avenue multi-use pathway connection.

The pathway would start at Wallinger Avenue and Boundary Street and proceed to Morrison Subdivision. The path is designed to increase “safety” by separating vehicle traffic from pedestrians and other active users. In part, the pathway would run beside the ball fields at Centennial Park.

The grant application seeks to raise $270,000, which is 60% of the total $427,500 construction cost of the project. Another Provincial Active Transport grant application of $22,500 would, if successful, be applied to the final design work.

Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel

Two Councillors, Cairns and Roberts, will sit with Troy Pollock, Manager of Planning and Sustainability, on the parcel tax review panel.

Krista White, CFO, said the review is to “ensure accuracy and fairness of the parcel tax roll.” This provides taxpayers the opportunity to advise the City if there are any “errors or omissions” regarding their property, as it pertains to the parcel tax.

Residents who want their complaint heard by the panel need to submit, in writing, their request to the city at least “48 hours” before the panel convenes.

The review panel meeting is set for April 14, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Kimberley City Council assembles twice monthly starting at 7 p.m.

The next regular council meeting: March 10.

e-KNOW file photo

e-KNOW

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