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Creston town council not supportive of Canada Post entering banking business

Nov. 12 meeting sees council donate to help Christmas hamper program, provide bursary for COTR farming student...
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Creston Town Hall is located on 10th Avenue North.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers proposal for Canada Post to get into the banking business isn’t likely to get much support from Creston town council.

The first item on the Nov. 12 regular meeting agenda was a request for support from CUPW to help stem service and job cuts to Canada Post. With the dramatic drop in demand for its services, Canada Post is faced with finding new ways to increase revenues or reduce services.

CUPW is asking local governments, businesses and organizations to push Canada Post and the federal government “to do everything in its power to prevent additional cuts … and instead deal with financial issues by adding revenue-generating services like many other post offices around the world, including lucrative financial services like bill payments, insurance and banking,” a letter to council said.

“Receive for information,” Coun. Wesly Graham moved.

The motion was passed unanimously without discussion at a meeting in which Couns. Joanna Wilson and Jerry Schmalz were absent for personal reasons.

 

Council Briefs

•In what can only be described as a bit of housekeeping, council received the minutes of the past four meetings of the Creston Valley Spirit Committee, all under the name of Schmalz, who was absent for three of those meetings.

•Council agreed to a request to pay $661.89 to help offset the rental costs at the community complex for the annual Creston Ministerial Association Christmas hamper packing and distribution.

•A discretionary grant of $1,500 was approved to provide for a bursary to a student, preferably a town resident, of the new beginner farmer training program at the College of the Rockies.

•A Creston Curling Centre request for funding to assist with the costs of hosting the 2014 Provincial Masters Curling Playdowns in March resulted in the approval of a $500 grant.

•The fire training grounds facility, which is used to train firefighters, got a $5,000 boost from the Creston Valley Rotary Club.

“We see the facility as a complex that can better ensure of the volunteers and the citizens of Creston Valley,” wrote club president Tim Park.

•Staff and council appointees will soon begin to create terms of reference for a community and business development select committee to work on improving the local business climate. When the framework is completed, several business and chamber of commerce appointees will be added to the committee.

•A request from First Creston Scouts for financial help was referred to the 2014 budget process. The group, which plans to send eight scouts and five leaders to an international event in Great Britain in 2014, was also encouraged to apply for a Columbia Basin Trust grant next year.

•Council received a draft report on recommendations from the Columbia River Treaty local governments’ committee for review.

•A rezoning application to allow a duplex in the 400 block of Ninth Avenue North to be expanded to a fourplex was given first and second readings, allowing staff to proceed with notification of area residents and a public hearing.