Creston town council and Mayor Ron Toyota are getting a raise after passing a motion at Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
The increases, the first in nearly eight years, are based on a survey of the salaries of similarly sized community’s local government officials.
Since Jan. 1, 2008, the mayor’s remuneration has been $20,828 and councillors have been paid $10,730 a year. Effective Jan. 1, 2016, the mayor will be paid $26,000 annually and councillors’ salaries will be $13,000 annually. One third of the remuneration amounts are allowances for the expenses incidental to the duties of council members.
The new policy includes an annual adjustment based on the change in the BC Consumer Price Index for the previous calendar year. As well, surveys of similar sized communities in the province will be conducted every four years, starting in 2018, so that the council of the day can see where it stands in comparison.
Total increase to the budget for the remuneration adjustments will be $10,474, which will be included in the 2016 budget.
Council Briefs
•Council approved a request from the Creston Valley Forest Corporation to place wooden “cookies” on the town fence along Northwest Boulevard and Cook Street. The “cookies”, thin tree slices, will be painted by Grade 5 students working with the theme, “When you look to the forest what do you see?”
As many as 100 pieces of the resulting art work will be attached to the chain link fence above the Creston Valley Farmers’ Market site, adjacent to the colourful wooden sturgeon painted by students four years ago.
•Terms of reference were approved for a council select committee to make recommendations to town council regarding the Creston and Area Youth Engagement Strategy. The committee, yet to be appointed, will include two representatives from the Teen Action Committee, three whom are involved with youth programming, one member of town staff and two councillors.
•An application for a regional Community to Community (C2C) grant will be made. If approved, the town and Regional District of Central Kootenay will work together on a Family Day event.
•Council received a letter from Erickson Elementary School student Peyton Harms, who is serving as a Mathletics student ambassador. Mathletics is part of the World Education Games, which will take place in October.
•Creston Fire Rescue Chief Mike Moore reported that a fire engine designated to serve West Creston and a portion of the Creston flats will be delivered to the area on the day of the Corn Creek picnic.
•Council directed staff to meet with the owner of the property at 1025 Canyon St. and the operator of Golden Flour Bakery to discuss a request for freight unloading access for the business.
•Ross Beddoes reported that a resolution at the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities convention in Vancouver will promote discussion about making provincial funding available to reduce interface fire hazards on private properties.
“Creston is surrounded by forests, with many private properties interfacing directly with Crown land,” he said. With the high number of forest fires threatening inhabited areas this summer, Beddoes said it makes sense to be reducing hazards, even on privately owned land.