Civic news briefs

The City Council meeting from Tuesday, July 22, can be viewed in its entirety on YourLink/Revelstoke Cable Channel 6 starting at 10 am today, Thursday, July 24.

It will also be reshown at 4 pm and, on Friday at 7 am and 7 pm and on Saturday at 12 noon.

The meeting can also be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY8v7FqGLLw.

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City Council has passed a motion from the Finance Committee that it withdraw its offer of a $1,500 grant-in-aid that had been requested by the Revelstoke chapter of the Vintage Car Club of Canada.

“At its meeting on July 8, 2014, the Finance Committee received financial information from the Revelstoke Vintage Car Club that showed that its event was profitable and did not require assistance from the city,” said a report to Council.

According to the City’s Grants-in-Aid Policy:

“The City may make grants available, subject to budgetary constraints, to assist these organizations in accordance with the terms and conditions of this policy…

“The city’s intent is to provide assistance to those organizations involved in special events that are beyond the scope of their nomal operating revenues. It is not the city’s intent to subsidize normal operating expenses through the grant-in-aid programme.”

As the club made money from its show and shine, it did not require assistance. The money will be used to assist other organizations seeking financial aid.

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The City has awarded the tender for a detachable snowblower to Vimar Equipment Ltd. The company had the lowest of two bids for the opportunity to supply Revelstoke with a new RPM Tech LM 220 detachable snowblower.

It’s bid amounted to $141,880 plus tax.

RPM Tech Inc. had offered the same piece of equipment for $142,080.

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Bring it on! Council has approved the United Church Women’s application for a Public Special Event — to whit, a spaghetti dinner — to be held on Saturday, August 16th, from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Community Centre.

This special Homecoming event is subject to the following conditions:

  1. Provision of $3,000,000 liability insurance with the City of Revelstoke named as additional insured;
  2. Security plans approved by the RCMP;
  3. A Designated Driver Program must be in Place;
  4. Proof of ‘Serving it Right Certificate’ by the event organizer; and
  5. They must have all other forms and approvals as required by the Liquor Commission of BC.

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June was a relatively quiet month for local RCMP officers but there were some incidents of concern: Two assaults and a domestic assault where a police officer was injured.

Answering questions from Councillors, Staff Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky said the officer in question, whom he did not identify, is fine.

There was also a break-and-enter, which was actually a civil matter and, according to the detachment’s monthly report to Mayor Dave Raven, a variety of thefts such as bicycles, and several complaints of mischief to vehicles and property.

The report also noted that:

“The RCMP held a Memorial Service for the incident in Moncton. This was well attended by the public and provided an opportunity for both citizens and the RCMP members and staff to honour those lost.

“The RCMP members were actively involved in coaching soccer and at the schools as the year wound down. Several school events were attended to at a last minute basis due to the strike. DARE was not completed at Arrow Heights School due to the strike.

“The RCMP attended to the Cadet’s End of Year review and were involved in the Ride Don’t Hide activity in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association.

“The RCMP has liaised with BC Hydro in addressing activity at Revelstoke Dam as well as the siren being utilized notifying persons of the opening of the dam spill way. There was some angst regarding the horn.

“Auxiliaries: Our 6 trained and active Auxiliaries recorded a total of 120 hours.”

Please click here to read the RCMP’s monthly report to Mayor Dave Raven for the month of June.

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The City issued 18 new business licenses in June, bringing the total number of licensed business in town to 944, up from 874 a year ago.

The new licenses (Please note that unless otherwise specified these licenses are to locally based firms) were issued to: Revelstoke Carpentry Services; Revelstoke Vacation Company; DBP Construction Services; Line West Ltd., a road line-painting company from Okotoks, Alberta; Plumbwise Plumbing and Heating of Kelowna; Geotility Geothermal Installation Corp. of Kelowna; Arc Electric Ltd. of Canmore, Alberta; The Cube Hotel and Hostel; Mountain View Pilates; Alpine Adventure Guide; Red Iron Welding and Fabricating; NCR Self Storage; Southwestern Advantage; Eagle Home Sales of Salmon Arm; The Popcycle; Cota Contracting; Thom Tischik’s consulting service based in Kelowna; and Big Iron Hydrovac Services of Salmon Arm.

Three previously issued business licenses were cancelled in June. The report did not name them

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Acting on the concerns expressed by some municipal governments, the Province has decided that while licensed medical marijuana operations may be grown in the Agricultural Land Reserve, they are ineligible for fsarm classification for property assessment and tax purposes.

In a letter to Mayor Dave Raven, Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick and Coralee Oakes, minister of Community, Sort and Cultural Development, said:

“After careful consideration, we are pleased to inform you that the Province of British Columbia has made a decision to implement a regulatory change that excludes medical marihuana, and any other federally regulated narcotic, from being eligible for farm classification for property assessment and tax purposes.         This decision to treat medical marihuana as a restricted narcotic substance and a pharmaceutical is also consistent with the Province of Alberta. This change will apply to facilities located on both Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and non ALR lands.

“In addition, please be advised that the Province will continue to view medical marihuana production facilities as an allowable farm use on ALR lands. The Ministry of Agriculture’s policy position is that local governments should not prohibit medical marihuana production in the ALR. Any local government that has passed or is considering bylaws that address the issue of medical marihuana production within its boundaries may wish to seek legal counsel, as enacting such a bylaw may give rise to a constitutional challenge as frustrating a lawful initiative of the federal government.”

Please click here to read the entire letter.