On Feb. 13, Pemberton council moved forward with an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) for a new fire truck, which means the Village of Pemberton (VOP) will petition members of the community over the next several weeks. The estimated cost of the new truck is $853,754.
At a council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, councillors received a staff report outlining the steps to secure long-term borrowing for a triple combination pumper truck.
The municipal Loan Authorization Bylaw has since been approved by the Inspector of Municipalities, and was given first three readings on Feb. 13.
The AAP process means electors must be provided with an opportunity through an elector response form to indicate they do not support council proceeding with the borrowing. If the number of elector responses received is less than 10 per cent of the total number electors, approval is obtained. The forms will be available in the village office and by email from Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Pemberton Fire Rescue Chief Cameron Adams stressed a new a triple combination pumper truck is desperately needed during the committee of the whole budgeting session on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
“The equipment is getting to 30 years old. We are definitely seeing that it is aging. To be able to replace that with something that is a lot more reliable so we can continue our service standards is needed,” he said.
“A 30-year vehicle looks like half of it is falling behind us as we drive. We have done very well in keeping our apparatus in good service for as long as it is. The recommendation is 20 years old, but we have been able to extend that life another 10 years.”
Mayor Mike Richman confirmed there will be tax implications when asked about the effect the loan would have on the community.
“The loan has payment implications that are being included in this year’s budget. It’s part of the operational budget for the fire service,” he said. “Everything that goes into the budget that isn’t funded through other sources goes back to taxation, so there is a tax implication in that sense. We have a responsibility to change over our trucks generally after 20 years.”
Pemberton’s 2024 tax implications will be determined through deliberations at council, and presented in the spring.
The Fire Underwriter’s Survey (FUS) determines the community's fire hall, apparatus and staffing needs. Mayor Richman explained if the fire hall’s apparatus is not up to snuff, it can affect people’s insurance, which can become a pricier affair.
“They evaluate a bunch of our equipment against a bunch of other factors,” he said. “At the end of this, they give us a rating, and this rating gets applied to people’s insurance. If our trucks are beyond the service ages recommended for us, then our rating goes down and folks pay more for their insurance.
“One of the reasons we do this is to ensure we keep people safe. The second reason is in the absence of this newer equipment, our FUS rating goes down, and people’s insurance will go up. This would probably be higher than the tax implication of the rent.”
Qualified electors signing a response form in opposition to the loan must meet all the following requirements on the day of registration: Be 18 or older; a Canadian citizen; a resident of British Columbia for at least six months; and a resident of the District of Pemberton for at least 30 days.
This week, council established a deadline of Monday, March 25 for receipt of signed elector response forms. The number of electors in Pemberton was determined to be approximately 2,940.
Meanwhile, Lil’wat Nation’s volunteer fire department will also receive two new fire trucks this summer. The fire trucks will “enhance the firefighting capabilities and help the team serve the community better,” the Lil’wat Nation said in a statement on Facebook.
