Finance director Steffan Klassen presented council with a draft of the annual five-year financial plan that must be submitted to the provincial government later this spring. In it, he outlined a commitment to hold spending to little or no increase, except in policing costs.
The costs of the town’s share of RCMP police services will continue to be partially subsidized by a reserve fund established by a previous council. The fund will be exhausted in 2016, Klassen said. The municipal police tax will rise by 5.9 per cent despite the transfer of $250,000 from the reserve fund.
The property tax implication for a $200,000 residence is a $59 increase in 2014.
The financial plan and budget will be discussed at several meetings before the final bylaws are adopted.
Council Briefs
•After five years of helping the Columbia Basin Trust and the regional districts of Central Kootenay, East Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary work toward a reduction in their carbon footprints, Carbon Neutral Kootenays is winding down its operations. Project manager Dale Littlejohn made CNK’s final report to council on March 25.
Littlejohn reported that local governments have reduced their carbon emissions by more than 10 per cent since CNK was formed, and that three Kootenay communities have been deemed to be carbon neutral after purchasing offset credits. By making buildings and vehicle fleets more energy efficient, all have achieved reductions and, often, reduced overall operating costs with lower energy bills.
Local governments anticipate carrying on the CNK work now that they have systems in place to monitor carbon emissions and plans to reduce emissions.
“It (CNK) enabled shared learning about carbon neutrality to lead into shared actins aimed at energy conservation and GHG (greenhouse gas) reductions; in turn this has resulted in shared benefits across the region, whether it be tax savings for residents or more sustainable communities,” Littlejohn said in his report.
•Creston’s Marilin States has been named as a 2014 recipient of a BC Community Achievement Award. States, who is a physician recruiter for the Creston Health Working Group, is active in numerous community organizations.
•Council approved the use of properties on the north and south sides of Millennium Park for West Coast Amusements Ltd. to set up rides and booths from April 24-27. The company makes donations to the food bank and Creston Valley Blossom Festival in return for use of the space.
•Council waived the rental fee of Millennium Park for a teen event sponsored by the Blossom Festival on May 17. Last year’s event was “a huge success”, reported secretary Bev Caldwell.
•The town will be purchasing a new Tiger Mowers wheel loader boom mower after council approved a request from the works superintendent to move its order from the supplier ahead of the approval of the final budget. The mower is needed to mow boulevards is currently in limited availability due to unexpected sales demand.
•Four thousand dollars from the town’s portion of the Regional District of Central Kootenay community development fund will be put toward a fund to create business and marketing plans for the Wildlife Interpretation Centre in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. Of the total cost of $50,000 to create the plans, Columbia Basin Trust will fund half. The Lower Kootenay Band and Columbia Brewery have also committed to pay a share.
•A discretionary grant of $320.86 will be given to the Valley Mudders pottery group to assist with expenses for a community art show.
•The Creston Valley Bird Fest committee will receive $1,000 to help fund the 2014 bird festival. The money will come from the advertising budget.
•A $500 donation from the discretionary fund was approved to help the Prince Charles Secondary School senior girls curling team pay for costs of representing the East Kootenay at the provincial championships in Parksville.
•A request for financial aid to send First Creston Scouts to an international jamboree in England was delayed until CBT grants are determined.
•A request for a $300 discretionary grant towards the BC Senior Games was deferred until more information is obtained.
•Councillors were presented with a package of applications from organizations requesting funds from the CBT Community Initiatives Grants. Final decisions on the grants will be made on April 15 at committee of the whole meeting, which is open to the public.
•Street banners featuring logos of the town brand have been ordered and will be installed in the downtown core in April.