Two potential areas of dispute between the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce and local governments were resolved amicably at the Sept. 3 Creston Valley Services Committee meting.
With the chamber now receiving funding directed through the Regional District of Central Kootenay, executive director Jim Jacobsen reported that the annual Santa Claus Parade was in jeopardy because the event will no longer be covered by Town of Creston liability insurance.
In recent years, the chamber of commerce has organized the December parade and Canada Day festivities in return for contributions from the town and RDCK, and a contract with the town qualified those events to be covered by municipal insurance. The contract is no longer in place with the new funding arrangement.
New RDCK chief administrative officer Stuart Horn stepped into the discussion, though, and said there was a simple solution.
“It’s easy for the events to have cost-free insurance by adding them to the RDCK policy,” he said.
A disagreement on the rental fee for Creston and District Community Complex facilities at this year’s Creston Valley Home and Garden Show was also resolved.
Facility manager Randy Fediuk reported that the possibility of a Creston Valley Thunder Cats’ playoff game forced the home and garden event to be moved into the curling rink. The move resulted in a drop of revenues (only 67 booths could be accommodated, down from the previous year’s 97) for the chamber of commerce, which was left with a shortfall after paying expenses.
RDCK directors voted to offset the shortfall of about $2,200 by reducing the rental fee by that amount for the next home and garden show.
•Also from the Creston Valley Services Committee meeting:
Consultant Wendall Marshall reported that the retrofit of Rotacrest Hall is on budget, with most of the work on the upper floor now complete.
Renovations have been undertaken to upgrade the facility, allowing the Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors to be accommodated on the lower level. Changes include construction of a kitchen where a manager’s apartment once was located.
The upper floor will become home to the New Horizons seniors group. Both floors will also be available for rental when they are available.
Total cost of the extensive retrofit is budgeted at $336,000.