Town of Creston finance director Steffan Klassen reported on a multi-year policing plan created by the RCMP and province at Tuesday's regular town council meeting.
He told council it is in line with the town’s five-year financial plan projections. He said there is an argument to be made that Creston’s share of the policing costs should be dropped from seven officers to 6.5, based on the most recent statistics.
“If we could get that change, we could perhaps look at using the savings to help fund an additional administrative clerk,” said Klassen.
Staff Sgt. Darryl Hammond previously told council that new requirements have made it impossible for the three existing clerks to keep up with the administrative workload.
Council Briefs
•The meeting was preceded by a delegation led by BC Hydro presenting its annual operational update.
•Council is sorting out which parade invitations in the Kootenays it will accept. Each invitation requires a driver to tow the new float (photo here) and someone with knowledge about how to ready the float for display in the parade.
Town and Regional District of Central Kootenay logos will be added to the float, which is intended to represent the entire Creston Valley.
•A call will be put out for the application of permissive tax exemptions for non-profit organizations, and how to deal with applications will be further discussed at a June meeting.
•Council directed Lou Varela to investigate how the community garden on 11th Avenue North is being managed. She said she has had complaints about how the lock on the gate is controlled. Varela will report back when she has gathered information.
•An expression of sympathy will be sent to the family of City of Castlegar Coun. Kevin Chernoff, who died May 24.
•Coun. Jen Comer was appointed to be council’s representative on Fields Forward.
•Council is participating in a group effort to get funding for economic development project through the Fields Forward initiative. Other partners — Lower Kootenay Band, RDCK Areas A, B and C and Kootenay Employment Services — have made financial or in-kind commitments that would add to the project if it is successful in getting provincial government funding this fall.
KES representative Laura Hannant provided council with a summary of the proposal, which includes:
-Activating a regional agri-food value network (Fields Forward) — develop the structure, supports and skills for action-oriented collaboration among agri-food sector stakeholders (while also building a broader culture of local economic cooperation);
-Honing our comparative advantage — make strategic investments in the sector to improve agri-food enterprise viability and productivity (while also improving the general viability of small- and medium-size enterprises);
-Marketing our comparative advantage — actively promote our region to attract agri-food investment, enterprises, and workers (while also attracting other investment and residents); and
-Strengthening and diversifying our economy — grow the agri-food value network and activate other value networks (agri-, eco- and arts tourism, biofuel production, and primary and value-added forestry).