Council received and approved the 2015 Annual Municipal Report at its regular meeting last Tuesday.
The 45-page report is available on the city’s website and includes the audited financial statements, grants in aid, permissive exemptions and highlights from the the city’s various departments.
Statement of Financial Information approved
The 2015 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) was also approved by council who authorized Mayor Walt Cobb to sign it for submission to the province by June 30, 2016. The report contains information on renumeration and expenses paid to or on behalf of each employee that was remunerated more than $74,000. The city’s former Chief Administrative Officer Darrel Garceau tops the list at $150,096 plus $5,118 for expenses.
Remuneration for Mayor Walt Cobb was $43,688 plus $7,919 expenses. City councillors each received $15,240, plus expenses — Coun. Ivan Bonnell $4,435, Coun. Scott Nelson $1,169, Coun. Jason Ryll $5,541, Coun. Craig Smith $5,541, Coun. Laurie Walters $5,241 and Coun. Sue Zacharias $2,261.
Council seeks advice on funds management
Responding to a request made by Coun. Ivan Bonnell, council unanimously agreed to direct staff to seek advice from the Union of BC Municipalities on procedures for reallocating funds from General Revenue to the Sanitary Sewer System fund.
“In budget 2016, council moved approximately $442,260 of storm drainage capital costs from the general revenue fund to the sanitary sewer system to balance the 2016 budget to avoid a tax increase in the general revenue fund,” Bonnell stated in a report to council. “The financial implications to both of these funds are significant; clarification is requested as to whether council can arbitrarily shift funds between these accounts, and if not, what is the procedure that council must undertake to accomplish this.”
Contaminated sites issues paper
Council will liaise with the North Central Local Government Management Association to review, assess and provide comments to the Ministry of Environment’s latest discussion paper covering the identification of contaminated sites. Comments are due on or before July 31, 2016.
In October 2014, the ministry issued a discussion paper on the topic and the intentions paper came out of the feedback.
Application to rebuild United Concrete
Surrounding property owners and tenants will receive notice of a development permit application from Tom Wittal for the redevelopment of the front facade at 28 Broadway Avenue. The application will come back to council for further consideration at its regular meeting on July 19.
An application from Paul Zacharias on behalf of United Concrete and Gravel Ltd. to reconstruct the concrete ready mix and aggregate production plant that was totally lost to fire on May 2, 2106 has been approved by council. The next step will see the notice of application go to surrounding property owners and tenants within a 100 metre radius, and brought back for further discussion at a future regular council meeting.
Sewer trunk upgrade contract awarded
Peterson Contracting Ltd. has been awarded the $3,271,430.65 excluding GST contract for the River Valley trunk sewer upgrade project. The other bids were from Quality Excavating for $3,333,3750 and from Acres Enterprises for $4,287,045.
“This is a huge undertaking and should take about two years to complete,” said Coun. Bonnell. “Two thirds of the project is being funded by government grants.”
Totem pole for Boitanio Park
Council approved to accept the gift of a totem pole from the Tsilhqot’in elders for installation at Boitanio Park and approved costs of installation in the amount of approximately $7,500.
Mayor Walt Cobb said he was informed the totem pole will not be ready in time for the Elders Gathering taking place July 11 to 154, 2016.
“But it will be brought into Williams Lake for a ceremony during the gathering, but then taken back out to Anaham to be finished.”
Carriage house zoning approved
The owners of the property at 301 Fourth Avenue North have been approved for a carriage house permitted use and increase height of an accessory building after it was given the green light by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Complex concession stand contract awarded
Karen’s Place Holdings has secured a three-year contract to operate the food concession at the Cariboo Memorial Complex, with the opportunity to extend it another two years.
The rental cost paid to the complex is $200 a month between May and August, and $525 a month from September to April.
