Council approved a letter of support for a temperature and water level monitoring project proposed by Bill Coedy, who started the Rossland Streamkeepers group. The project will monitor water temperatures and levels in four creeks in four different watersheds in the Rossland area. The reason for monitoring these two metrics is to collect valuable information on how climate change is affecting local watersheds, and for managing water resources.
Councillor Lloyd McLellan was opposed to supporting the project, because he felt there was a risk that it was “opening the door for scrutiny of our water usage.”
Local event planner hired for AKBLG Convention
Rossland will host the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG) Convention in 2017 and on Monday council agreed to hire local event planner Ann Damude to coordinate and plan the event for $19,000, plus GST. She has previous experience with the conference, having worked on the 2012 AKBLG Conference held in Trail.
Both Damude’s fee, and any city staff time spent on the event, will be paid for by money raised through the convention, not by tax payers. Any profits from the convention will be split between the City of Rossland and the AKBLG.
Rossland will participate in pilot project
Pilar Portela and Brian Fry of the Climate Change Disruptors gave a presentation to council about the pilot project they’re launching in collaboration with municipalities, businesses and Selkirk College. The project will measure the carbon emissions of fleet vehicles using sensors supplied by Selkirk. Council voted to participate.
Council recognizes CBT support
Council endorsed a letter written from Mayor Kathy Moore to Neil Muth, CEO of Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), acknowledging the Trust’s generous support of Rossland’s capital projects over the last few years and stating that the City of Rossland has no expectation of asking CBT for any substantial support in the next two years.
Council adopts budget and tax rate
Council quickly gave second and third reading to the 2016-2020 Five Year Financial Plan Bylaw and the 2016 Tax Rate Bylaw at a special meeting of council held last Thursday. Both bylaws were then adopted at a second special meeting on Monday. The residential tax rate for 2016 is $7.17 per $1000 of taxable assessment.
Council approves Garden Festival Market
Council approved a request from the Rossland Mountain Market Society to close Queen St. on May 19 for a Garden Festival Market. The market will run 3 to 6 p.m.