HERE'S A QUICK LOOK at what you can expect at the Village of Pemberton (VOP) council meeting on Oct. 6. There will be a Committee of the Whole meeting at 1 p.m. and a regular council meeting starting at 5:30 p.m.
Park and ride facility pitched
Council will consider reapplying to the provincial government in the hopes of securing a 50-spot park and ride facility on Portage Road between Signal Hill Elementary School and the Crestline building at 1422 Portage Rd.
The first application to the Rural and Northern Communities Fund, made in January 2019 was denied in March 2020. However, in her report, senior community partnerships and communications coordinator Jill Brooksbank said the project scored well but fell victim to an oversubscribed program.
The new proposal incorporates feedback from the funders, encouraging a diverse use of transportation options and renaming the project to “regional multi-modal transportation hub” to reflect them. Among the additions are a small washroom/changeroom and covered bike storage.
The original cost was calculated to be roughly $1.3 million, while the project in this application is roughly $1.6 million. The project is eligible to be 100-per-cent funded, though the VOP would be responsible for maintenance, with those costs coming from the transit budget.
Water system performance assessment on tap
Assistant manager of operations and projects David Ward will present the Village of Pemberton Water System Performance Assessment Report to council.
The report contains findings that will require council’s attention in the years to come.
Firstly, wells within the VOP have tended to produce water with increasing iron and manganese levels over time, with the current main well, Well 3, surpassing the aesthetic maximum of manganese during this year’s testing, though it is within the Government of Canada’s maximum allowable concentration (MAC). The report concludes that the village has between four and six years before the levels surpass the MAC. As testing has not yet discovered a suitable replacement site, the report recommends treating the water for manganese and iron in the future.
Another concern is consumption levels. Though the town’s population growth has slowed in recent years, new development and continued growth will result in a 30 litre-per-second usage rate, the sustainable pumping rate for the source Pemberton Creek Fan Aquifer, within the next 10 to 15 years. The report recommends seeking a new source, improving leak detection and repair, and encouraging water conservation efforts.
Childcare solutions on the docket
There will be two separate discussions regarding solutions to the village’s childcare deficit.
Firstly, during chief administrative officer Nikki Gilmore’s report, council will discuss resubmitting its Childcare BC New Spaces Grant application, though no further information was available in the package.
As well, as discussed at council’s last meeting in September (HOTLINK: ), a group has expressed interest in opening a childcare centre on Portage Road.
Council will consider a zoning bylaw amendment to allow the centre to operate, as the current bylaw does not allow privately operated childcare centres to operate in commercial zones.
Council will consider first and second readings, and if it the amendment passes, will consider whether to hold a public hearing, which staff recommends.
As well, earlier in the day at Committee of the Whole, Pemberton Children’s Centre manager Bobby Boyd will appear as a delegation to provide an update on the centre’s operations and needs.
For the regular meeting agenda, visit https://www.pemberton.ca/public/download/files/152544 and for the full Committee of the Whole agenda, head to https://www.pemberton.ca/public/download/files/152542.
