Quite a few familiar subjects were under discussion at the monthly brown bag lunch at City Council Chamber, hosted by Mayor Don McCormick. The lunches are open to the public and provide an opportunity for questions on what’s happening around the city.
Flume project
As predicted, the Mark Creek flume rehab, and the recent decision by Council to go ahead with the project this summer, came under a bit of fire.
If the price of the contract was changing, why wasn’t the entire project re-tendered?
“If we did that, we’d be into next year for sure,” McCormick said.
After a few more questions and comments regarding the mishandling of Phase 1 of the project, McCormick said it was time to move on.
“We deserve to have our feet held to the fire based on our performance on phase 1,” McCormick said. “But we have to finish it. I will rise or fall on phase 2. I don’t want to talk about phase 1, it’s in the books. We are going to be held accountable on phase 2 but I would caution us to be critical of what we haven’t done yet.”
Building at Warren and Banks
Kimberley resident Dan Sullivan attended with questions and comments about the vacant apartment building on the corner on Warren Ave. and Banks Street.
Sullivan wanted to know what the city could do about the building as it was becoming a safety hazard.
“The building is falling apart,” he said. “There are pieces of siding on the sidewalk. It’s dangerous. The siding needs to come down before it hits someone. There are deer birthing in the long grass behind the building. It’s a fire hazard, kids party there. And there’s a lot of mice. There’s a good colony of them living there. It’s not just unsightly, it’s a health and safety risk.”
“It is really visible coming into town,” McCormick said. “And lots of homes on Warren Avenue have really been upgraded. It’s a pretty good street except for two or three properties and this is one.”
Because the city does not own the building, there isn’t a lot that can be done except suggest to the owner that the yard needs to be kept up and perhaps ask what his plans are for the building. However, it was suggested that the mice were a health concern and an Interior Health inspector could be asked to check on it.
Cenotaph
The possibility of the cenotaph being moved over to the now vacant lot owned by the city across from the Platzl was discussed.
The old gas and oil tanks in the ground are being filled and Teck will be removing two to four feet of soil from the site. That will be happening in the next couple of weeks and from there the site is a blank slate, said CAO Scott Sommerville.
Because of the fact that it was once a gas station, the only allowable use for the lot is another auto-related business or a park. Sommerville said Telus had expressed some interest in placing a hi-tech, small-sized home there as a display.
“We are getting some positive feedback on moving the cenotaph,” McCormick said. “It’s kind of like an island over there now. But we’re not moving quickly on it. It’s a discussion.”
It was suggested that with the flume rehab going ahead, the area where the cenotaph is currently located may become much more attractive.
Sun Mine
A ribbon cutting and opening of the Sun Mine is planned for July 27. BC Hydro is now doing final testing of the grid connection, Sommerville said. Once the Sun Mine is open public tours will be offered.