Moving the Financial Plan On; Dissent on Water Monitoring
By Sara Golling
Financial Plan and Tax Rate bylaws:
At a brief special meeting of Rossland City Council on Thursday, May 5, Rossland’s 5-year Financial Plan bylaw and the 2016 Tax Rate bylaw both received second and third readings. A resident who had been out of town during the public consultation on the financial plan asked a number of questions about it during Public Input Period, and seemed satisfied with the answers provided.
Request to hold Garden Festival Market
Council unanimously approved a request from the Rossland Mountain Market Society to close the usual Market location on downtown Queen Street from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm, for a special “Garden Festival” market on May 19 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
The Society also made a request to modify the terms of its agreement with the City, and to extend the term to two years to facilitate planning and administration of the Market. That request will be discussed and decided upon at Council’s next regular meeting on May 16.
Rossland Streamkeepers and Water Monitoring
Council discussed a request from Rossland Streamkeepers, submitted by Bill Coedy, for a letter of support for grant applications to fund a water monitoring program. Coedy’s 17-page document explains the benefits of the information from the proposed “citizen science” monitoring for use by the City in future planning.
Councillor Aaron Cosbey called the request a “no-brainer” for its benefits to the City. Mayor Kathy Moore agreed, but Councillor Lloyd McLellan cautioned that such monitoring “could leave the City open to real scrutiny about water usage.” Moore said she’d rather know what’s happening, and “forewarned is fore-armed.” McLellan said he doesn’t think Rossland has any problem with water, now that we have two reservoirs and water metering. Moore reminded him that in 2015, Rossland went to Stage IV water restrictions because of our long dry summer and low water levels.
The motion to provide a letter of support CARRIED with only McLellan opposed.
Mayor Moore then noted that although the agenda called for recessing to an in camera session, there were no topics for in camera discussion. A delighted councillor exclaimed, “You mean we can just — go home?”
The meeting adjourned and your reporter walked to Ferraro’s in a light rain-shower, feeling very grateful for it, particularly while contemplating the tragic destruction of Fort McMurray by wildfire in hot, dry conditions.
