With budget discussions in full swing, Creston Town Council needed only about 20 minutes to rip through the agenda at Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
The meeting started with an appearance from new RCMP Staff Sgt. Ryan Currie, who spoke briefly to introduce himself. Much of what he said was a reiteration of the story in last week’s Advance.
In other Town Council news:
• An invitation from the BC Senior Games Society, sent to municipalities throughout the province, inviting interest in hosting the annual +55 BC Games in 2020, 2021 or 2022 was received for information. At a previous committee of the whole meeting no interest was expressed in holding the large event.
• Council will entertain an amendment to the Cemeteries Regulations and Operations Amendment Bylaw to define a “former resident” of the Creston Valley as having lived here for at least 10 years. In last week’s committee of the whole meeting, Council discussed a concern from the family of a previous resident who had moved after her husband died, and concluded that the lower cemetery fees for local residents should also apply to defined former residents.
• A Draft Communications and Consultation Plan: Fire Hall and Fire Protection Services were approved in principle. The plan includes budgeting and terms of reference for an ad hoc committee consisting of residents and elected officials, to be supported by staff and industry experts.
• Council will continue its previous interest in working with downtown property owners to create small, inexpensive green spaces on currently unused land.
• Council received presentations from the director of finance and corporate services, assistant fire chief and director of municipal services regarding core departmental budgets, which will be used for 2018 budget discussions. Also, the staff was directed to include 2019-2022 occupancy charges in the rents budgeted to be charged to the RCMP in the 2018-2022 Five-Year Financial Plan.
• A donation of Town of Creston items will be made to the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club for its annual wild game banquet. Couns. Adam Casemore will represent Council at the banquet.
• A letter from the City of Victoria requesting support to have the BC Motor Vehicle Act modernized was received for information.
• After receiving a request for a $1,500 grant from the People in Pain network, the organization will be advised to apply for a Community Initiatives Program grant. Grant applications are now being accepted.
• Council rescinded the Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw after a failure to correctly advertise the bylaw’s renewal was noted. It will be brought back for a vote after the required advertising is undertaken.
In the gallery for the meeting were several members of the Citizens for an Affordable Fire Hall, who stayed for committee of the whole budget discussions.