Kimberley City Council Report

By Nowell Berg

On May 27, 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.

Animal Control and Bylaw Enforcement

As the weather warms, people and pets spend more time outdoors.

In a report to council, “The Animal Control Officer would like to remind dog owners that not everyone enjoys the sound of a barking dog.” Five such incidents are currently under investigation.

Eleven occurrences of dogs running at large were investigated. Nine verbal warnings were issued plus two $75 fines.

Bylaw Enforcement reminds all pet owners to renew pet licenses as they expired on January 31. License renewal can be done at City Hall.

Unattached trailers continue to attract Bylaw Enforcement’s attention.

Twelve written warnings were issued for unattached construction and cargo trailers. They are not allowed to be parked on City streets without a Street Occupancy Permit. Pick up the “no charge” permit at City Hall.

All business owners are reminded license renewal should have been done by January 31. Licenses cost $50 or $100 per year depending on the type of business. Details and fees can be found on the City of Kimberley website.

Drinking Water Report

Chris Mummery, Senior Director, Operations, was on hand to present council with the 2018 Drinking Water Report.

Key highlights include an 8.9% increase in the volume of water consumed by residents and businesses. Mummery noted: “28 water service lines were repaired or replaced, 18 new water services were installed and 10 water mains were repaired or replaced.”

Responding to Coun. Roberts’ concern over the increase in water use, Mayor McCormick pointed to the increase in population as one factor.

Mummery also said another cause is “leakage” in the pipes which the city has been working to fix. Mummery added, “A lot of it [increased consumption] was nervousness around the dry conditions and wanting to keep things wet.”

Coun. Kitto asked about the pressure reducing stations on the distribution system. “Are they making it easier to find leaks?” Mummery answered, “It’s helping and also reduces the amount of water we’re losing.”

For Coun. Oakley the increase in water usage is “a huge red flag.” Despite the population increase, any drought in August would mean the city’s conservation efforts would need to get “more aggressive.”

Coun. Goodwin suggested water could be “a limiting factor” in future growth. “At some point we may have to say we just can’t get any bigger. We don’t have the water to continue to grow, that would be fine from my perspective.”

Stage One water restrictions go into effect June 1. The city does this each year “to make sure people are being responsible with their water and irrigation,” Mummery said.

Stage One water restrictions focus on lawns. Even numbered addresses water lawns on even numbered calendar days from 4 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.

Odd numbered addresses water on odd numbered days from 4 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.

Garbage and Bears

A letter written by Kelly Bellingham to council requested it take a serious look at installing “community garbage bins.” Acknowledging the implementation of curbside garbage pick-up and its cost, Bellingham suggested, “augmenting our current practices would at least get us moving in a responsible direction.”

Her request for bins stems from “human complacency of leaving refuse accessible.”

Coun. Goodwin noted community bins were discussed in the past. “No one wanted to be right beside a community bin and no one wanted to be to far away from one,” he said. He suggested the community bins be part of the organics composting discussion.

Coun. McBain said it’s all about “personal responsibility.” He added that probably 95% of people in town follow the garbage guidelines. “If everybody was on board, I truly don’t think we would have as big a problem as we have.” He suggested that if a resident has too much garbage for the curbside bin, then take it to the dump where disposal is free.

“I don’t want to just pick on the bears, the deer eating garbage, the dogs out at night. It’s not just about the bears, it’s about garbage disposal,” Coun. Roberts said.

Mayor McCormick added, “Community garbage bins will only keep the bears out of the bin. They’re not going to stop the smell. Bears will be attracted into the community because of the smell.”

If bears get into your garbage, they won’t leave and will, ultimately, be killed.

Danica Roussy, Community Co-ordinator for WildSafeBC reported to council that two bears have been destroyed so far this year. “It wasn’t just garbage bringing bears in. It was people being not so mindful, bird feeders and barbecues.”

She also noted Fernie uses community bins in high-risk areas for shift workers and those who missed garbage day.

Councillors reiterated, people need to take responsibility to reduce bear attractants, secure garbage bins and follow the guidelines.

Kimberley City Council meets twice monthly starting at 7 p.m., open to the public.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is June 10.

Lead image from WildSafeBC

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