Council Meeting for Tuesday, January 23rd.
Just The Facts.
Discussion of Powerhouse Road Sanitation Dump was put to the table. See full story: https://legacy.revelstokecurrent.com/2018/01/23/sani-dump-location-up-for-discussion-and-re-voted-on/
Columbia-River Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok gave a recap of his 2017 year and what he hopes to achieve in 2018.
Revelstoke Cycling Association: Robin Goldsmith and Carol Prince presented to Council seeking City support for the trail maintenance program. Tourism Infrastructure dollars have been a great help for this trail experience, and in order to keep the trails safe and groomed, funding dollars will be needed. The benefit to this is kids programs, the adaptive loop which is for those who have limitations, but still want to hit the dirt road and it is for a diverse range of people who love the trails and wilderness.
The RCA membership has increased from 300 members to around 550 with many of them locals. Volunteers have dedicated 715 hours for this labour of love and many different types of outdoors enthusiasts from cyclists to hikers of all age groups are benefitting.
The RCA are requesting help with payroll expenses, in the amount of $25,000 for City to consider.
Vacation Rental 218 Third St. E: The proponents spoke to Council indicating they are homeowners who will be present as they will be living in the dwelling daily, alleviating any issues. The proponents indicated they have spoken with their neighbours where the proposed parking stall was to be located and they agreed to the terms, happily. The owners of the address in question brought up many valid points for their home to be considered for Vacation Rental as they have no intentions of allowing a guest to arrive with a massive trailer and take up space in their family home.
The application will be revisited again on February 13th. Councillor Duke abstained as he declared conflict of interest.
100 Track Street: Multi-Family Development Permit was approved.
Rural Dividend Fund: Director of Community Economic Development, Nicole Fricot is requesting that Council endorse the submission of the application to the BC Rural Dividend Fund for support for a Revelstoke Fabrication Laboratory.
The BC Rural Dividend Fund provides $25-Million ($25,000,000) for four years- to help communities with less than 25 thousand in population, expand and diversify their economy.
The concept behind a Fabrication Laboratory is a project focused on rapid prototyping and digital fabrication.
“The primary goal of the Revelstoke Fabrication Laboratory will be to incentivize and provide opportunities for local entrepreneurs and companies to create and commercialize new marketable products through access to training and digital fabrication technologies.”
Entrepreneurship is growing in Revelstoke and is becoming a key component to the health of economic development. Staff have been working on a more intimate level with Community Futures, Mountain Co-lab an the Chamber of Commerce to develop a Start-Up strategy that will “strengthen the infrastructure that supports a sustainable start-up ecosystem”.
If received the RDF could potentially fund up to 60% of the costs. The burgers for phase one of the potential Fabrication Lab is 180-thousand dollars $180,000). Staff have requested 108-thousand dollars ($108,000) in funding, with plans to find alternatives income sources to fund the remaining 72-thousand dollars ($72,000). Council voted in favour.
2018 Fall Borrowing:
The City of Revelstoke is looking at borrowing from the Municipal Finance Authority of British Columbia, as part of their 2018 Fall Borrowing Session for both the Big Eddy Water and Thomas Brook Water and Sewer.
Big Eddy Water: is for the amount of 1-Million-Nine Hundred Thousand dollars ($1,900,000). The estimated costs of these upgrades was approved by Council in April of 2016.
Council has approved the resolution and a copy of the resolution has to be submitted to the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) by June 4th, 2018 in order for the borrowing to be included in the Fall 2018 MFA issue.
The interest expected to be accumulated over 20 years is estimated at One hundred- twenty four thousand dollars ($124,000) with an interest rate of roughly 3%. Council voted in favour.
Thomas Brook Water and Sewer: upgrade is Seven hundred and eight thousand dollars ($708,000) as authorized through Loan Authorization. Estimated costs of these upgrades was approved by Council in September of 2017.
Council has approved the resolution and a copy of the resolution has to be submitted to the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) by June 4th, 2018 in order for the borrowing to be included in the Fall 2018 MFA issue.
Annual interest and principal payments are roughly Thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000) over 30 years with an estimated rate of 3%. Council voted in favour.
Fire Emergency Preparedness Fund: Training Officer and Assistant Chief, Dwayne Voykin has requested that a 19-thousand dollar ($19,000) submission of application from the UBCM Community Emergency Preparedness Fund for emergency operations centres and training, be submitted.
The CEPF is designed to enhance the resiliency of local governments and emergency service teams to respond to emergencies, safely and efficiently. The funding is provided by the BC Provincial Government from the Ministry and Transportation Infrastructure.
“The City currently communicates emergency information to the public via radio ads, newspapers and social media. The City has been looking at options to improve emergency communications through the use of a mass notification via cellar devices. This is an activity that has been identified as eligible for funding under this program.”
The other side of this program implementation is the continual cost is $5000 per annum, which would be included in subsequent years of the Emergency Management Operating Budget. Council voted in favour.
Columbia Valley Skateboard Park- President, Matt Rebelo has written a letter to Council requesting that the City consider 100-Thousand Dollars ($100,000) towards the skate park, from the recently acquired Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation (RCFC) legacy fund.
In December, the CVSP learned their application to BC Gaming of $181, 839.00 was denied, the amount needed to hit the overall budget of $957, 390.00.
Rebelo’s concern about the missing dollars is it could it could mean a section of the park that is designated to the little ones, could be omitted.
“The implication for the project, which has already been scaled back from 20,000 to 16,000 square feet, is that it will be smaller than the existing skatepark by approximately 3,000 square feet. More importantly, this means that key elements in the skatepark, such as the beginner and street-style-oriented section of the park will need to be drastically scaled back, or left out.”
A deferral was set the next Committee as a Whole.
