Financial statements
Auditor Mario Piroddi of BDO Dunwoody presented the audited financial statements for the year ending Dec. 31, 2020. He noted that despite the pandemic, the Village of Clinton ended the year in a stable financial position, with an increase in financial assets and a net financial position of $4.4 million, up $500,000 from the previous year. He added that $373,000 of that was from the Province’s COVID-19 Safe Restart grant, which had not been anticipated.
The village has just under $4 million in surplus, with about $1.5 million available as unrestricted funds which have built up over time as a directive of council, to ensure financial stability. About $1.8 million in reserve funding is restricted, either by council or by senior levels of government (i.e. gas tax funding).
Office operating hours
Staff requested a change in the operating hours of the village office, so that it would be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.), instead of the current 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Chief administrative officer Murray Daly explained that the earlier opening would accommodate people who could not attend later in the day but could be there prior to 8:30 a.m.
Coun. David Park asked if there could be a three-month trial of the new hours, and then get feedback about the change. Coun. Sandi Burrage suggested four months instead, to take into account school staff, who are off during the summer and are among those who might take advantage of the changed hours due to their own work schedules. Council approved the change in hours, which will take effect as of June 7, 2021, with the change to be revisited in four months.
Joint bylaw officer
Council adopted the Inter-Community Bylaw Enforcement Bylaw, which has already been adopted by Ashcroft and Cache Creek. The bylaw formalizes the arrangement between the three communities to hire a joint Bylaw Enforcement Officer.
In answer to a question from Park about when a bylaw officer would start, Daly said that a job posting for the position closes on May 20. Following that, the administrators from the three communities will conduct interviews, with the hope of getting someone in the position within three to four weeks after the closing date.
All minutes and agendas for Clinton council meetings can be found on the Village’s website at https://village.clinton.bc.ca/. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26.
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