Rachael Lesosky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Valley Voice

Selkirk Planning and Design Ltd. was chosen to create the Village’s waterfront master plan. 

Selkirk will conduct online and in-person engagement sessions for the public to provide input. It will also use the Village’s Official Community Plan to guide the project. When designs are in hand, Selkirk will host an open house to present the plan, then finalize the designs using any feedback.

The company’s proposal was within the $50,000 budget that council approved at its April 22 meeting. However, Selkirk recommended a site survey be completed prior to beginning design work. This will cost extra. 

Before starting any future construction, the Village will need to have the site surveyed, said CAO Wayne Robinson – whether it’s done now or later.

Council approved setting aside $20,000 for the survey, plus a $5,000 contingency, for a total master plan budget of $75,000. Funds will come from the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) Legacy Fund. 

The Village also applied for funding from Columbia Basin Trust. Before committing, CBT asked how much the project will cost and how much the Village will fund, said CAO Robinson. His staff report from October 16 reads that the Village should be prepared to fund the entire project if required, due to its strategic importance. It is not yet known how much, if any, CBT will contribute.

ER closures 

Council directed staff to lobby the provincial government to include the Provincial Health Services Authority in its Alert Ready program.

The Village would like notifications sent out when there are emergency room closures. 

The Province’s Alert Ready program broadcasts alerts for situations that fit specific criteria: there is threat to human life; the threat is immediate; there are recommended actions that may save lives. 

Over the last few years, the emergency room at Arrow Lakes Hospital has closed several times, often with little to no warning. The Village’s letter would argue that emergency room closures fit the ‘threat to human life’ criteria, said CAO Robinson. If an individual spends precious time travelling to an emergency room that’s closed, there is greater risk of loss of life, he said. 

The Village does use a system called Voyent Alert, however it is subscriber-based so not everyone receives alerts.

With provincial Alert Ready, the reach is much greater; alerts are broadcast to all cell phones, TVs, and radios in an affected area. 

Currently, Alert Ready notifications are only sent by five agencies: Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (floods, wildfires, extreme heat, etc.); BC RCMP (amber alerts, civil emergencies); Environment and Climate Change Canada (severe weather events); Government of Canada (public emergencies across Canada); and Natural Resources Canada (earthquake early warnings).

It is not possible to opt out of receiving Alert Ready notifications, but Alert Ready doesn’t collect, have access to, or retain any personal information.

NADB community hub project

The Village will offer a letter of support for the Nakusp and Area Development Board (NADB)’s application to the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP). 

If received, the $500,000 grant would go towards establishing a multi-purpose community hub with commercial kitchen services, event and meetings spaces, storage space, and office spaces for economic service delivery. The hub will either be a new building, or a remodelling of an existing one. 

NADB is contributing $10,000 from its reserve funds and using an Economic Trust of the Southern Interior grant to meet leverage requirements for the REDIP application. 

Seven local and regional organizations have already expressed interest in participating in the enterprise. 

Councillor Aidan McLaren-Caux recused himself as he is employed by NADB as Economic Development Coordinator.

NADB signage and wayfinding project

The Village will commit $84,000 from the NACFOR Legacy Fund to go towards implementing the Nakusp Signage and Wayfinding Plan, created by the Nakusp and Area Development Board (NADB). 

Total project costs are $120,000. NADB said CBT will commit to funding 30% of the project if the Village commits to funding 70%.

NADB will lead implementation, while the Village will manage funding and paperwork. 

Councillor Dolly Edwards said she is grateful to NADB for taking on the project, and she is excited to see the new signs. 

Councillor McLaren-Caux recused himself for this item.

Tree cleanup

The Village will use up to $20,000 from unappropriated surplus to contract a tree cleanup service to remove trees damaged during the September 25 windstorm. Cleanup only applies to trees on Village-owned land. 

Trees obstructing traffic and on aerial lines were removed right away, but many more remain in hazardous condition. 

Director of Operations Cavan Gates said about 47-and-a-half trees on Village-owned land were lost in the storm.

Backhoe

A new backhoe will cost about $50,000 more than originally budgeted for.

Three bids were received from reputable suppliers. The lowest bid was $249,310. This bid also had the highest trade-in value for the old backhoe – $62,000. 

Councillor Mason Hough was surprised by the “fairly extreme” price increase; his research found backhoes for less money. He suggested staff consider other procurement methods in the future to make sure the Village gets a fair price.

Cavan Gates, Director of Operations, wrote in his staff report that competitive procurement is designed to avoid overcharging by contractors. Though higher than the original $200,000 budget, staff is confident that the Village received fair pricing proposals. 

Accessibility committee

The Village will withdraw from the RDCK’s Regional Accessibility Advisory Committee (RAAC) and instead form its own local committee. 

Struck in September 2023, the RAAC has had difficulty reaching quorum, said CAO Robinson, and has been at a standstill. The Village would like to get the ball rolling.

Staff will draft terms of reference for council to review. A call-out for committee members will be sent out promptly afterwards. 

Once formed, the Village’s committee will create a draft accessibility plan to guide how the Village can remove and prevent barriers in the community.

Accessibility committees are required by the Accessible British Columbia Act, passed in June 2021. The Act states that a committee should aim to have at least half of its members be persons with disabilities and/or represent a disability-serving organization. It should also aim for diverse representation and include Indigenous people. CAO Robinson said a Sinixt individual has already expressed interest.

Robinson believes the Village’s committee will be more successful than the RAAC, and that residents of the area will be more engaged.

Permissive tax exemptions

Council adopted the permissive tax exemption bylaw, which will provide tax relief for just two organizations in 2025 – the Arrowtarian Senior Citizens Society for four housing properties, and to the Nakusp Senior Citizens Society for its clubhouse property.

The term is for one year. Approved organizations will have to apply again in 2025 for the 2026 taxation year. Organizations that did not receive an exemption this time around can apply again next year.

Development application procedures

Council adopted a development application procedures bylaw, to increase application processing efficiency. 

By shortening required notice periods and giving the CAO authority to approve more permits, the bylaw will reduce red tape and processing times.

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