Council Notes - March 9th
By Andrew Zwicker
Golden City Manor Board
Doreen Butler of the Golden City Manor Board spoke, calling on council to rethink the new Water and Sewer rate bylaws that passed first, second and third readings on Monday March 2nd.
“The board respectfully requests council’s consideration around (the new Water and Sewer bylaws) to be adjusted,” said Butler. “We would appreciate and ask for deep thought on our water and sewer dilemma with regard to such a rapid and high increase in these rates for the only low cost senior facility in our community. Realizing an increase is inevitable, your consideration with regard to this bylaw to be administered in a fair manor to our seniors would be deeply appreciated.”
No questions were asked following the presentation and, as noted by council later in the meeting during the fourth reading and adoption of the new water and sewer rate bylaws, this presentation would have better served the board the previous week when discussion occurred on the new bylaws.
Council Expenses during Conferences
Following a motion by Councillor Jill Spearn at the February 23rd council meeting to consider council member compensation for the hiring of replacement workers so that councillors may attend conferences without incurring personal expense, council requested that staff develop options for council’s consideration to assist a councillor financially if they have to pay for a replacement while absent from the workplace on council business.
City staff, through a memorandum from CAO Ron Campbell, presented four possible solutions. The four possible options are listed in the Agenda full package at www.rossland.ca
After a lengthy discussion which centered around Councillor Stradling and Councillor Spearn, as they are the only two employed councillors, it was ultimately decided that a slightly amended version of Option Two be adopted.
The adopted option reads as:
Provide a Councillor with up to $200 a day to cover the cost of a replacement worked with the same conditions as Option One:
•To a maximum of five days a year
•The compensation is solely for the purpose of facilitating a Councillor to attend one conference a year.
•The City will require written confirmation that the employer requires a replacement worker.
Grant Application: School Use Planning Program
A motion of support for the School Community Connections Program’s grant application was put forth.
The goals of the grant program are:
• To encourage and facilitate the co-location of services for students, their families and the larger community within school facilities
• To make greater utilization of available or new school facilities, and
• To encourage collaborative, long-term facilities planning that takes into account the needs of the community as a whole.
What Rossland would get out of it would be $8,000 to offset the $10,000 budget for undergoing a charette that will be undertaken by the school district.
The Application itself is due on March 31st. “Our school district, from what I understand, has indicated that they are not accepting any more applications and that the applications were due a month ago. That’s what I’ve been told by our trustee. We’re submitting our application anyway as it is very clear that the application deadline is March 31st,” noted Rossland CAO Ron Campbell.
Councillor Charlton noted that the grant application itself must be endorsed by the School Board at a board meeting. This is the main reason behind the board no longer accepting applications as there are no more school board meeting before the March 31st deadline.
“The grants have to be sent in by March 31st; anything that is sent in has to be approved by the school board at a board meeting. Our only board meeting in March was March 9th, therefore we had to have the deadline in before that. The next board meeting now is not until in April,” explained School district 20 Superintendant Jean Borsa.
Councillor Spearn also noted that possibly the reason they are no longer accepting grants is that that the School district may only submit three grant applications each year. Jean Borsa in a later conversation later backed that up, stating that SD20 has already submitted three grant applications for this year and therefore cannot submit this grant as well.
Ultimately the motion was passed by council.
Water and Sewer Rate Bylaws
The new Water and Sewer Rate bylaws #2433 and #2434 were both read a 4th time and adopted into law with only Councillor Charlton opposing.
For more information on the new Water and Sewer rate bylaws see city council’s website.
Now that this year’s rates have been set, water and sewer bills will be mailed out.
Additional Agenda items and Minutes
The preceding items from March 9th’s council meeting are highlights and do not reflect the complete agenda. For the full agenda and minutes please visit the city’s website.
