Regional District of the East Kootenay Board Highlights for October.
Solid Waste Management Plan Review Process Moving Ahead
The RDEK is currently completing a review and update of its Solid Waste Management Plan. One of the first steps is to form an Advisory Committee that will provide input to the RDEK staff and Board throughout the process. The Board has appointed 14 members to the Advisory Committee who represent a cross-section of public, industry, community group, First Nation and stakeholder interests. In addition, the Board has adopted the Terms of Reference for the Committee, which will hold its first meeting at the end of October. To see a list of the Committee members and follow along with the Solid Waste Management Plan process, visit the RDEK’s
Environmental Services Manager
Westside Legacy Trail Receives Additional Funding The Board has approved a Community Works Fund grant of $375,000 for the Columbia Valley Greenways Alliance for the construction of a portion of the Westside Legacy Trail.
Request to be Submitted for Re-Allocation of Funds
The RDEK is seeking permission from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to re-allocate a portion of the New Building Canada Funds remaining from the West Fernie Servicing Project. While the numbers are not finalized on the West Fernie project, it is expected to come in under budget and the RDEK is hoping the Ministry may approve reallocation
of these funds to two other RDEK projects: Lake Baptiste Dam and Timber Ridge Water Loop.
Area A Septage Disposal Fees Extended for West Fernie
The Board has approved an amendment to the Area A Septage Disposal Regulation and Fee Bylaw to allow West Fernie residents who are preparing to connect to the City’s sewer system to deliver waste from their old septic tanks to the septage facility at the same rate as residents of Electoral Area A until December 31, 2020. As of December 2017, all of West Fernie is part of the City and would have been subject to higher disposal fees.
Building & Protective Services Manager In Support of Connectivity
The Board has endorsed the Regional Broadband Committee’s Connectivity Strategy. The Strategy communicates the vision for a plan to have a highly connected region. The Strategy is overseen by the Regional Broadband Committee and covers the Columbia Basin and Boundary. In a separate resolution, the RDEK Board has also indicated its support for the Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation’s application to the Connecting BC Program for a broadband backbone build between Jaffray and Roosville.
Tie Lake Dam Project Receives Additional Funding
The Tie Lake Dam project has received additional Community Works funding to help cover costs associated with unforeseen soil and compaction issues. Construction is underway.
Board Amends Remuneration Bylaw
As a result of Federal changes on January 1, 2019 that will eliminate the 1/3 tax free exemption for elected officials, the Board Remuneration Bylaw has been amended to adjust the 2019 rates by 12%. The adjustment offsets the impact to the Board of Directors’ net remuneration due to the changes.
Rural Dividend Fund Application
The RDEK has taken over a funding application to the Rural Dividend Fund on behalf of Living Lakes Canada for a study on understanding the link between groundwater availability and resilient community development. If the funding application is successful, the RDEK will oversee the grant administration; however, Living Lakes Canada would be responsible for the project including the required reporting and applicant’s share of the funding.
Discretionary Grants-in-Aid (DGIA)
The Fernie Trails Alliance will receive $5,000 from the Electoral Area A DGIA account to go toward the Fernie Valley Pathway 2020 preliminary design and alignment validation.
Tourism Fernie will receive $2,000 from the Electoral Area A DGIA account to help offset the costs for a Tourism Master Plan for Fernie.
RDEK Area A Director Mike Sosnowski can be reached here mike@directorareaa.ca
