Council Matters: Rossland City Council Meeting, February 18, 2025
By Sara Golling
The real cost of having clean drinking water – and flushing away our poop; dementia cases are one the rise – help is being developed; dealing with the problem of encroachments; challenges for the Gold Fever Follies; and more …
PRESENT:
Council: Mayor Andy Morel and Councillors Stewart Spooner, Craig Humpherys, Eliza Boyce (remote), Jeff Weaver, Maya Provençal and Lisa Kwiatkowski.
Staff: Chief Administrative Office Bryan Teasdale, Deputy Corporate Officer Cynthia Añonuevo, Chief Financial Officer Mike Kennedy, City Planner Stacey Lightbourne, Deputy Manager of Operations and Infrastructure Josh Solman, and Executive Assistant Rachel Newton.
PUBLIC INPUT PERIOD:
Tammy Mclean stated that she was speaking on her own behalf only, not for any organization, and she wanted to know whether or not the information released and published in this column some time ago, about the in camera Council motion about the Gold Fever Follies’ use of the Miners Hall, was accurate. She stated that if it was accurate, the City owed the Follies an apology for implying that they were wrong to interpret the motion to not renew the Follies lease agreement for the Miners Hall as spelling the end of the Follies.
Joanne Tench, speaking for the Gold Fever Follies, thanked Council for listening to the Follies. She said that the Follies are now requesting two small adjustments to the draft agreement for the Follies’ use of the Miners Hall during the summer of 2025; first, that the stage be off limits for children’s summer camps, and that the Follies not be required to completely clear the Hall of every movable object every single day – just for special events.
Lisa Henderson, also speaking for the Follies, asked that the Follies be permitted to leave Follies’ props and costumes in the three storage lockers that have been dedicated to the Follies until now (five are used by the City), until the planned review of the Hall’s storage facilities has been completed in mid-September. She explained that the Follies really need to have at least one of the lockers for their costumes; she doesn’t see how they can function without that.
Darcy Caron, a resident of Redstone who had paved over a part of the City’s road allowance for parking for a suite without permission and had been ordered to remove it, is appealing to Council allow the concrete paving to remain. He explained that he complies with the parking regulations, and the paved area is just used for snow storage in the winter.
Cary Fisher spoke to defend Caron’s encroachment, commenting that there are encroachments “everywhere” and objecting to people using the terms “old town,” “Redstone,” and “Red base,” to refer to different parts of Rossland, saying “it’s all Rossland.”
Michaela Mclean explained to Council that Rossland’s Manager of Recreation and Events, Kristi Calder, and told the Gold Fever Follies to talk to Council before trying to finalize their agreement about the Miners Hall.
DELEGATION:
Nav CARE Dementia Project:
Since 2024, Coordinator Maggie Shirley has been working with Stephanie Haukaas of Trail FAIR’s “Better at Home” program and Jayme Fowler of the Columbia Senior Wellness Society, under the auspices of the Greater Trail Hospice Society, to address the growing problem of dementia, both by facilitating supports and by working toward prevention. The project is funded through UBC Okanagan, which received a grant from Health Canada to implement Nav CARE.
After introductions, Shirley asked everyone in the room who had a friend or relative suffer from dementia to raise their hands, and most people did.
Dementia case are increasing, including early-onset dementia. The three organizations are working together to craft an action plan to help people in our area who are experiencing any stage of dementia, and those – often family members — who care for them, and to find ways to prevent or delay dementia.
For people interested in volunteering, there is online training available. Rossland currently has one representative: Heather Anderson of Age Friendly. Shirley invited a representative of Rossland City Council to participate.
BYLAWS:
a. Road Closure Bylaw # 2846
A motion to adopt the bylaw CARRIED unanimously. This is part of the re-routing of the Green Link trail near Redstone, and helps to facilitate a land swap to enable development of private property while retaining park land.
b. Zoning Amendment Bylaw # 2841 – 1999 Second Avenue
The applicant wishes to rezone a southern portion of the Commercial (C-1) property which contains a stand-alone residence from the northern part, which contains two businesses, to enable the property to be subdivided. The proposed zoning for the residence is R1-I, Residential Infill.
The issue that must be addressed is parking. The residential property must be made to accommodate two parking spaces, with access from the alley, and those parking spaces must be utilized rather than street parking.
A motion to give the bylaw first and second readings, subject to the parking issue being resolved, CARRIED unanimously.
A further motion to set a Public Hearing on the matter for April 7, 2025, also CARRIED.
c. Draft Water Parcel Tax Bylaw # 2848
This bylaw will increase the Water Parcel Tax by 10% for 2025; the previous year’s 10% increase, was the first adjustment since 2015 to address the need for additional funding to maintain and upgrade Rossland’s water infrastructure. Readers can find complete information at this link (at pages 71 to 116):
https://rossland.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/26273/?preview=31939
Boyce noted that, unlike property taxes, utility charges cannot be deferred for people in financial difficulties; Teasdale responded that the water and sewer charges should reflect the true cost of providing them.
The motion to give the bylaw first reading CARRIED unanimously, as did a second motion to give the bylaw second and third readings.
d. Draft Sewer Parcel #Tax Bylaw pp 64 to 66
Like the Water Parcel Tax Bylaw, above, the proposed Sewer Parcel Tax Bylaw will increase the amount payable by 10% for 2025, again to pay the increasing costs of flushing the stinky stuff away. For more detailed information on those costs and the state of our sewerage infrastructure, click the link provided above, and see pages 64 to 66 inclusive.
A motion to give the bylaw first reading CARRIED unanimously, as did a second motion for second and third readings.
STAFF REPORTS & UPDATES:
Requests for Council Decision :
a) Encroachment Bylaw Violation at 997 Redstone Drive
The encroachment consists of concrete paving on the City-owned boulevard well beyond the property line and without authorization. At the request of Public Works, Bylaw Enforcement issued a compliance order to the owner, who is appealing for an exception. Staff requested a Council decision.
Discussion:
Spooner made a motion to uphold the compliance order, requiring the owner to remove the encroaching area of concrete paving. He noted that the City does try to accommodate needs.
Weaver commented that they’re nice people, and this doesn’t feel fair – he understands a perception that not all places are treated the same, but some parts of town are much older than others, and Rossland only recently got a bylaw enforcement officer.
Boyce preferred not making the Carons remove the concrete until it got in the way of the City’s operations.
Humpherys said he didn’t think that removing an eight foot by twelve foot piece of concrete is “that big a deal.”
Provençal said she had mixed feelings, but leaned toward compliance; “turning a blind eye will only increase encroachments.”
Weaver opined that anything other than the motion to enforce the bylaw disregards Staff work, and sets a precedent. Boyce didn’t think that the public pays much attention to what Council does.
Weaver disagreed with Boyce, and said, “these people made a mistake and have to be accountable for it.”
Provençal said that the “wait and see” approach could backfire if the property sold.
The motion to enforce the bylaw CARRIED, five to two – with Boyce and Kwiatkowski opposed.
b) Rossland and District Senior Citizen’s Association Society Lease Renewal
Discussion: Spooner objected to the one dollar a year rate for the Seniors’ Hall, saying he favours helping the Seniors, but would rather have the value of the help acknowledged. He suggested charging the Seniors’ Association something closer to market value, then granting them funding to cover it.
Kwiatkowski raised the issue of how to guarantee that the City would continue funding.
The lease had expired in 2022, so Council agreed to bring the lease up to date and then discuss Spooner’s idea further at a later date; a motion to that effect CARRIED unanimously.
c) City of Rossland Integrated Climate Action Plan
A motion to adopt the Plan and its recommendations CARRIED unanimously, and Provençal thanked Sustainability Commission Chair Matthew Watkins, who was in the public gallery, for his work, and Staff as well.
Readers may be interested in the comments of Rossland’s Sustainability Commission, quoted here:
“Throughout the development of the plan, there were three key principles the Sustainability Commission consistently focused on, and we believe they should remain central when considering its implementation:
“1. Municipal action is essential for mitigation and adaptation – Over 85% of our local emissions
come from fossil fuels used in transportation and residential heating. As such, the city’s jurisdiction over land use zoning and building codes is crucial to meeting our emissions reduction targets. These areas of municipal control will also be key in adapting to the impacts of past emissions, such as wildfires, drought, and extreme heat events. Recognizing the city’s role as a powerful force in shaping both mitigation and adaptation efforts is a critical step in empowering council, staff, and residents to take meaningful action.
“2. Adaptation is not a substitute for mitigation – The effects of historical emissions are already visible and will likely intensify in the coming years. While adaptation will be necessary to safeguard the well-being of our residents and the prosperity of our community, it is equally important that we continue to prioritize emissions reduction. If we are to avoid the most severe consequences of climate change, and minimize the need for costly adaptation, achieving our emissions reduction goals must remain a top priority.
“3. If we can’t afford it now, they won’t be able to in the future – It’s crucial that we recognize the cost of inaction will far outweigh the cost of taking action now. For every $1 we invest today, we stand to avoid up to $12 in future costs. By understanding this, we can shift the debate from a false choice between action and inaction to the reality of acting now or in the future. [Acting now] is far more affordable than waiting, and every dollar spent today is an investment in our future. Being honest that action is the most affordable it will ever be right now will be important to helping council, staff and residents make the hard decisions that will be needed to meet our mitigation commitments and adaptation goals.
“With these three principles centered in municipal efforts, the Sustainability Commission is confident
that this Integrated Climate Action Plan will help the city make significant strides in its mitigation and
adaptation efforts in the coming decade.”
To peruse the plan, click this link and scroll to page 89 and following.
d) Active Transportation Fund Grant Application – GreenLink Trail
A motion CARRIED authorizing the Active Transportation Fund application for a capital project to construct the GreenLink Trail, confirming the following:
1. The local share of funding is available and supported.
2. The project is a municipal priority as identified in the Official Community Plan, Active Transportation Plan, Recreation Master Plan, Resort Development Strategy, Climate Action Plan, Accessibility Plan and Utility Masterplan.
3. The project will be completed before March 31, 2030.
4. The project is “shovel ready” according to criteria established in the Active Transportation Infrastructure Application.
The aim of this application is to obtain sufficient funding to complete the section of the GreenLink trail between Redstone and Warfield.
e) REACH: Recreational Enhancements for Children – Expression of Interest
A motion to authorize Staff to submit an Expression of Interest to the REACH Program in the amount of $50,000 to help support purchase and installation of natural and built infrastructure improvements at Nickleplate Park CARRIED unanimously.
Humpherys asked, “Why Nickleplate?” Teasdale responded that it is the easiest place to get the best value for the money spent, and Provençal noted that it is the most accessible playground and is used a lot by Rossland Recreation.
f) Cheque Register Report for January, 2025:
Humpherys asked about an item for Benedict’s Steak House for about $1961.84; Teasdale responded that it was an Age Friendly event.
A motion to approve the report on City expenditures for January, 2025, CARRIED unanimously.
FOR INFORMATION ONLY:
Communications: How much time do Staff members spend responding to how many phone calls, emails, in-person visits, website reports and enquiries, and social media? Quite a lot! Curious? Read the report, here, at pages 148 to 157.
Boyce commented on the decrease in calls concerning wildlife issues; “Something is working well.”
Monthly Reports to Council for January:
Building Permits
Building Permit Inspections by Type
Step Code Energy Rebates
Public Works and Water Production
Eye on Water
Bylaw Compliance
MEMBERS’ REPORTS:
Spooner had attended an information session at Red Mountain, as had several other Councillors. He also said that the City of Nelson has developed in-house capacity to do some, or parts of, “deep infrastructure” projects and wondered whether Rossland might be able to do that.
Weaver reported that he has seen an example of people going from the ski shuttle to their cars parked downtown, and said “we need to have a discussion about parking.”
Morel reported that there have been some “challenging” meetings at the RDKB, resulting in bringing down some of the forecast expenses.
Morel had also met with the new general manager of Teck, which has had some recent layoffs. Morel noted that Teck has historically been generous in supporting local communities, and plans to continue despite financial setbacks.
Morel asked for, and received, Council’s agreement to provide letters of support for continuing the program of Farmers’ Market coupons, and a plan for the Trail Airport.
The meeting recessed to an in camera session, and your reporter went home wondering why some people seem so irritated by others referring to areas in Rossland by the terms “old town” and “Red base” and “Redstone” – does that somehow differ from referring to different Rossland neighourhoods by names such as Black Bear, Iron Colt, Happy Valley, Pinewood, Upper Rossland, Lower Rossland, and so on? Is your elderly reporter’s failure to understand this a sign of dementia?
