Skatepark Association and YAN applying for CBT grant
During public input, Mike Kent, coordinator of the Rossland Youth Action Network (YAN), encouraged Rossland city council to support a combined Youth Action Network and Rossland Skatepark Association submission to the Columbia Basin Trust Recreation Infrastructure Grants Program by endorsing the project as the priority recreation project for Rossland for this round of grant applications.
“What this grant gives as an opportunity is for the skatepark guys to do some of the things that would not be prioritized in this initial build part; a lot of that being the landscaping, the berming, as well as relieving some of the pressure on the in-kind that is being sought and some of which has been confirmed,” said Kent.
The grant would also make it easier for YAN to refurbish its new building, including putting in a public washroom.
Later on in the meeting council voted to support the application, though Councillor Lloyd McLellan was concerned that YAN being included in the grant could jeopardize the chances of it being approved, as he wasn’t sure that the YAN project was as “shovel ready” as the skatepark. Heath Clement spoke on behalf of the Skatepark Association to assure council that the association didn’t feel YAN would jeopardize the grant and Kent assured council that the YAN building could be completed in 2016.
BC Assessment
Ramaish Shah, deputy assessor for BC Assessment Kootenay Columbia Region, gave a presentation to council to address Rossland’s recent assessment increase. Overall, Rossland’s valuation went up 4.75 per cent this year, with 64 per cent of properties changing somewhere between minus 10 per cent and plus 10 per cent. In particular council was interested in why Rossland’s valuation had increased, while Trail’s had decreased.
“We look at trends. So if we notice that properties, in general terms, are selling for more than what we have them assessed at — and I’m talking about the totality of sales — we’ll generally increase the values in that area. If we see a trend where the properties are selling for less that our assessed values then we’ll decrease the values in that area,” explained Shah.
The median sales price in Rossland rose 3.86 per cent from $259,000 in 2014 to $269,000 in 2015, while the median sales price in Trail decreased by 1.08 per cent from $164,733 in 2014 to $162,950 in 2015.
Water and sewer rates raised 4.5 per cent each
Council adopted the bylaws to raise both the water and sewer rates 4.5 per cent, having received no objection from the public.
New guest house approved
Council approved a new guest house at 2075 Thompson Ave.
Volunteers needed
The Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre needs volunteers to move things out of archives in preparation for Phase 1 of the renovation.
Show and tell
Darrin Albo, manager of public works, brought in a piece of damaged pipe that had been removed from a residence. There must have been a hole in the pipe for quite a while, as the water had worn a groove in the rock.