Over the past four years, I have had the immense honour of serving this community as a member of Town Council, and I am looking to be re-elected. This community has been growing and changing over the past several years and I hope to be part of the team achieving the goals and vision set out in our new award-winning Official Community Plan.
Since moving to the Creston Valley in 2010, I’ve worn a number of “hats” in our community which provide me with a well-rounded understanding of the issues facing our area. I currently manage Morris Flowers & Garden Centre on behalf of Lower Kootenay Band, which purchased the business in February 2018. From 2010 until 2018 I ran the Creston Valley Farmers’ Market, where we were honoured with the 2016 award for Best Medium Sized Market in B.C. I was also awarded with Market Manager of the Year, along with being nominated as one of the Top 40 under 40 in Kootenay Business Magazine that same year. The Creston Valley Farmers’ Market is now a thriving hub and generates an estimated annual $2.13 million of economic impact to the local community.
The Town of Creston has been able to grow while keeping taxes in line with provincial averages. Our community has seen so many improvements over the past decade that make it a desirable place for families. It takes a team of dedicated people (inside the municipality and out) to make it possible to get the millions of dollars in grants that have been rolling into our community lately.
We have been investing in economic development though the Economic Action Partnership and Creston Valley Kootenay Lake Tourism campaign. Sustaining current businesses and creating new economic development opportunities is bigger than just the Town of Creston. We need to work on this together and, if we all keep pulling together in the same way, there are greater things to come for all of us.
Our community needs a new Fire Hall. Council has recommended to move forward with a referendum asking residents to approve a maximum amount for the project. For an average home in Creston (approximately $250,000) the annual cost will be less than $60 a year (before reductions from grants). There’s still details to iron out (what it’ll look like, what it’s made from, and what services/groups will be in the space…) but from my perspective, a responsible council recommends borrowing the amount of money that un-biased BC industry standards outline for a project of this nature. We cannot sell ourselves short by not having the funds available to complete the project - forcing the next generation to deal with a problem that we should have solved.
These are exciting days for the Creston Valley, and I hope to see our community continue progressing the way it has over the past decade!
To find contact info and hear more about our accomplishments over the past four years and my goals for the next term, check out https://jencomer.com.