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City officials head to government conference

The AKBLG is the local government association that represents the municipalities and electoral areas of the south-eastern portion of BC.

Chris Stedile

Rossland News

Now that grant applications are officially in for the city, Mayor Kathy Moore is heading off to Nakusp to lobby for the city and soak up a little knowledge.

The city has applied for Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) grant funding for a full rehabilitation of Washington Street, marked as a top priority. The application included the basic necessities of sewer, water, sidewalks and paving but also some innovative ideas like mini-power generators inside the pipes and a cistern to capture and reuse storm water for downtown irrigation.

Furthermore, the city applied for funding for the similar Spokane Street project as well as additional much needed infrastructure uprgrades.

With these applications in, Moore takes leave for Nakusp and the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Government (AKBLG) general meeting and convention.

The AKBLG is the local government association that represents the municipalities and electoral areas of the south-eastern portion of British Columbia. The meeting is held April 22-24.

Moore explained, “All of the local governments in our region, from the East and West Kootenays, we get together once a year and one of the main purposes of this is for all the municipalities to consider resolutions that we want to put up to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) where all the municipalites come together.”

The UBCM come together to meet in September but at the AKBLG meeting the group will be putting together ideas and resolutions for things that they want to see go forward in their own home municipalites. These proposals then go to a vote between those in attendance.

“If you get the endorsement of your area association,” Moore continued, “it then goes on up to the larger association and then those resolutions that are endorsed go on to the provincial government.”

“It’s the best way for municipalities to be heard by the provincial government.”

In addition to the idea exchange, in attendance will be various key speakers and different workshops.

“I’m really excited,” the Rossland mayor admitted, “Nakusp has a waste water treatment plant that uses some innovative technology.”

Moore said this is interesting to her because  Rossland and the surrounding area will need to upgrade their own sewage treatment plant in the future, “so it’s nice to get ideas of what other municipalities have done.”

In an attempt to conserve funds, Moore said  council had to cut funding for trips and so not all council members could go. Travelling with Moore this time is Andy Morel.

This opportunity is not only a great opportunity for Rossland but Morel and Moore themselves.

“For me, as a first-time mayor, I’m looking to spend a lot of time with the other mayors. There’s lots to learn from your peers.”