Kimberley City Council expressed general satisfaction with the latest building report at their regular meeting on July 13, 2020, with many councillors stating that it was much better than they had expected given the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report shows a total of 92 current permits, with a value of $9.5 million year to date. This compares to 102 and a $13.3 value last year.
“Single family renovations are down from last year,” Mayor Don McCormick said. “But major development projects are continuing, many of them not scheduled for completion until after the COVID-19 pandemic is hopefully gone. And it’s looking fairly robust for single family home construction.”
There are currently 10 single family homes under construction, compared to 12 last year at this time.
Manager of Planning Services Troy Pollock said they weren’t sure what to expect during this unusual year, but it appears to be right on track with what they predicted at budget time, before the pandemic.
Count. Darryl Oakley said he predicted that if a vaccine is developed, there may also be pent up demand.
“It’s pretty good,” McCormick said. “It’s down a bit from last year, but that was exceptional. Back in March when things locked down, no one predicted we’d be doing a happy dance in July.”
Pollock said it appeared things will stay busy through the summer and fall.
Count. Kent Goodwin said that given the steadily increasing growth in Kimberley it may be time to consider taking look at how Kimberley can continue to grow within the framework of its natural resources, especially its capacity to deliver water.
“We should be looking at water availability,” he said. “It’s good to see vibrancy but we must stay in front of it.”