Kimberley residents have questions about the City’s plans for the proposed projects on both the 100 and 200 blocks of Norton Avenue.
On Thursday, April 5, Council held a special meeting with residents to discuss plans and answer questions. Approximately 30 residents living on both blocks of Norton Ave. attended the meeting.
Last summer the City held a similar meeting with residents of the 100 block after construction had already started, which resulted in some negative feedback.
Phase two, as recommended, involves removing the current sidewalk infrastructure and replacing it with gravel parking on one side and a paved multi-use path on the other, along with upgrades to curbs and gutters, as well as storm, water, and sanitary pipes.
Senior Manager of Operations Chris Mummery explained that the paved walking path is “considerably” more affordable than replacing the sidewalk with new concrete.
At the meeting on Thursday, Mayor Don McCormick explained that the City is struggling to replace assets since the tax base is entirely reliant on residential and business taxes.
“We are trying to fix that,” said McCorimick. “We are trying to bring in new taxes, industrial taxes, but we can’t keep doing things the way we are doing them.”
He added that 23 per cent of Kimberley’s population are seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes, and that the City has to take them into consideration with regards to property taxes.
“We can’t just keep raising people’s taxes to pay for [these kind of] projects,” McCormick said.
One of the issues brought up by residents was the fact that motorists tend to speed on Norton. Some say the new plan will not help with that issue, and that the road should be a one way street; removing access to Gerry Sorensen Way at the top of the 200 block.
The road will be narrowed in an attempt to slow down traffic coming down the hill, says Mummery, who has been working with Urban System Engineers on the project for nearly two years.
“There will also be electronic reader boards that will show people how fast they are going,” Mummery explained.
McCormick says that way finding signage is another initiative that will ideally help with traffic on Norton. In the City’s 2018-2022 Financial Plan, $100,000 of Capital Funds have been allocated for updating wayfinding signage.
He also pointed out that when people use Google maps to get to the ski hill, it often takes them to Norton rather than Gerry Sorensen.
Other residents wondered about snow removal, which Mummery explained will remain quite similar to the current system. A portion of the walking path will also be plowed in the winter with the City’s trail maintenance machine, to allow for pedestrian use year-round.
Other questions revolved around parking, the relationship between cyclists and motorists, and the option of a local area service.
A local service area allows residents to essentially petition for themselves pay for some of the additional costs through their taxes.
City CAO Scott Sommerville says that 53 years ago when the current infrastructure was installed, residents and Council agreed upon a local area service. This was at a time when the mine was still contributing a large amount to industrial taxes.
Another resident asked why the City doesn’t “wait until they have enough money” to complete the projects.
Sommerville replied saying that they are trying to spread out the funding they do have, which is largely reserve funds and grants, and that there are other projects in other neighbourhoods that need to get done as well.
“There’s just not enough tax base, not enough money, to maintain the curb to curb,” Sommerville said.
McCormick says that residents’ concerns and questions will be taken into consideration when Council makes a decision at the next Regular Council Meeting on Monday, April 9, 2018. More to come.
