Rotary’s spray park project will be completed this year thanks to early budget approval from Grand Forks City Council.
Following a presentation by Rotary Club of Grand Forks members Lynne Burch and Maxine Ruzicka at the Committee of the Whole (COTW) meeting earlier in the day, council voted unanimously at its regular meeting March 9 to approve $200,000 as allocated in the previous year’s financial plan.
Further, council approved the request that construction and installation of the project be sole sourced to Rec Tec Industries and Argosy Construction, due to their unique donations to the project.
Perepelkin Bench
The city will provide in-kind assistance to the Grand Forks Community Trails Society for the placement of a commemorative bench on the Observation Mountain Trail.
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the motion, following a presentation by society member Chris Moslin earlier in the day at the COTW meeting.
The bench would be known as the “Perepelkin Bench.”
“This trail development is part of the city’s trails legacy and planning for trails development. Peter Perepelkin was a trails patron who had donated $1,000 to the trails society specifically to develop this trail and to make it more,” the society’s formal request stated.
Pickle ball court
More information is needed before the city agrees to repurpose a tennis court at Barbara Ann Park into pickle ball courts.
That decision followed a delegation earlier in the day at the COTW meeting, which saw pickle ball player George Longden explain the request. There are tennis courts at Grand Forks Secondary School, but the courts at Barbara Ann are infrequently used—and there is, he said, a growing interest in pickle ball. Repurposing one of the tennis courts would create four pickle ball courts.
Longden wasn’t able to give any specifics as to the cost of repurposing (possibly resurfacing), but did say the City of Trail had recently repurposed a court and it cost about $16,000.
City staff was directed to prepare an analysis and cost of the project.
Request to support youth parliament
The question of whether or not to financially support the B.C. Youth Parliament resulted in much debate amongst councilors.
Local youth Jacob Noseworthy, Minister of the Interior of the 86th B.C. Youth Parliament, appealed in writing to council for financial assistance to help with the future of the organization. “With an operating budget of approximately $10,000, British Columbia Youth Parliament depends on the generosity of private donors in order to help fund our projects,” Noseworthy wrote.
The city has no grant-in-aid policy, confirmed CAO Doug Allin.
Despite that fact, said Coun. Colleen Ross, “I think it’s something we need to support as a habit, to get behind our youth.”
Coun. Julia Butler countered, saying the city’s main priority is to keep essential services running.
Council made a motion to invite Noseworthy to the next COTW meeting to describe the program. Butler was the only councillor to vote against the motion.
Deer feeding bylaw
Coun. Butler proposed a motion to instruct staff to enforce the deer feeding bylaw, which passed unanimously.
Municipal ticketing and information bylaw
Amendments to Bylaw 1957—Schedule 2 (re Noise Control Bylaw No. 1963) and Amendment Schedule 4 (re Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1962)—were given first three readings.
