Extended aquatic centre hours are coming to the Castlegar, Creston and Nelson Community Complexes from next week.

The expanded hours will be implemented at the Castlegar and District Community Complex on Apr. 14 and Apr. 21 at the Creston and Nelson Community Complexes.

“We are happy to announce, that we can now begin to offer increased hours of operation at our three main facilities.” said RDCK regional manager of operations and asset management, Craig Stanley.  

At the beginning of last year, the RDCK rolled out subsidized lifeguard, swim and fitness instructor and personal training courses, which Stanley said has significantly increased staffing at the community complexes.  

“With the increase in qualified staff, we are now able to offer increased hours of operation at our three main recreation facilities, with the potential of continued increases to come." 

The increased hours of operations for each facility are as follows: 

Castlegar and District Community Complex 

Nelson and District Community Complex

Creston and District Community Complex

*Notes increased hours

Anybody interested in pursuing their lifeguard, swim instructor, fitness instructor or personal trainer certification can visit rdck.ca/GetTraining for information on training opportunities. 

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mykootenaynow.com

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Tipping fees at landfills and transfer stations within the Regional District of Central Kootenay will experience a 10 per cent increase by the end of the week. 

A tipping fee, referred to as a user fee on the RDCK website, is the fee paid by landfill users based on weight. 

RDCK environmental services manager Uli Wolf says the increase will amount to approximately 25 cents per residential waste container. 

“The container price here in the central sub-region increased from $3.75 to $4, and the per-ton cost for commercial haulers that have larger volumes goes up from $137 to $151 per ton.” 

The RDCK already implemented a 10 per cent increase in tipping fees back in April. Wolf says both increases are the result of inflation and were inevitable, but adds that the RDCK didn’t anticipate January’s to be as significant. 

“We did expect some increases over the course of the year, given the ongoing inflation that was in place. The fact that we had to go as high as we did was a little bit of a surprise,” he said. 

“Part of it was that we had the implementation of the last increase in April, but the original budget had foreseen an early implementation of that. So, in reality, we had less tipping fee revenues than we had anticipated in the original budget in 2023, and part of that we need to compensate with the current increases.” 

According to Wolf, the increases will also help the RDCK replenish its diminishing reserves, which fund major capital projects. He says that over the last few years, inflation has resulted in other regulatory cost increases that have severely depleted the district's reserves. 

“Over the years, we’ve depleted any reserves that were in place, and that requires us to take out loans for capital projects. With the increased cost of loans, the borrowing cost for interest and principal payments this year is over $1.3 million. So that is something we need to compensate for and account for, and we try to compensate for that with increases both on the taxation side and the tipping fee side.” 

Wolf also explained that the RDCK relies on tipping fees and taxation to support its recycling program and a variety of subsidized waste disposal programs offered throughout the year for residents to dispose of certain materials free of charge. 

“The yard and garden waste that we accept for portions of the year for free need to be stored, transported, and ground up through a contractor. That's all a cost that needs to be recovered from the other waste materials or through taxation.” 

To try to avoid significant increases in the future, Wolf says the RDCK has brought on a consultant to review the district's waste and resource recovery operations, and rates, to point out where potential efficiencies could be gained for future budget planning. 

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay hopes to speed up the recruitment process for volunteer firefighters with a restructured program. 

In a media release, the RDCK said the program will help create a regional approach to training to get fire crews ready for active duty faster. 

In the past, each fire department has been responsible for recruiting and training its own firefighters. Under the new program, the goal is to hold a recruitment drive twice a year and train the incoming volunteers at an RDCK Fire Training Academy before sending them off to their respective fire departments. 

“By controlling the intake process, we believe this is the quickest way to get volunteers trained and ready for active duty,” said regional deputy fire chief Tristan Fehst. 

“Normally, it takes about 64 hours of training to get a volunteer up to speed and ready to join a department; this can take anywhere from a couple of months to years to complete, depending on the volunteer’s schedule.” 

He added that the new program’s objective is to create an accelerated process by hosting weekend boot camps and additional evening training to help get volunteers ready to join the department more quickly. 

The release said there are currently 16 volunteer fire departments operating out of the district's 17 fire halls, all of which are required to have a minimum of 15 volunteers, although ideally, the number would be more than 20 per department. 

Starting Dec. 1, the RDCK will be holding a six-week recruitment drive. Applications from volunteers anywhere in the district will be accepted until Jan. 12 to join the first cohort of the program. 

“We are always on the lookout for outstanding, community-oriented residents to join our team. This is a great opportunity to learn valuable skills, provide a service to your community, and work with a great group of people,” said Fehst. 

Interested individuals can find more information on the RDCK’s website. 

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A 93-year-old former elementary school in South Slocan will soon only be a memory. 

The RDCK-owned building was originally scheduled for demolition in 2021 but the costs associated with the project were unfeasible at the time.  

The demolition is set to begin before the end of the month, and Joe Chirico, general manager of community services with the RDCK, says it should take about a month to complete.  

The building was built in 1929 and operated as a school until 1977. The RDCK purchased it in 1987 and it has seen a variety of tenants. However, the community has never been taxed for its operations and Chirico says demolishing it ensures it doesn’t become a tax burden in the future. 

To complete the demolition, the RDCK has hired Hydraclean Disaster Restoration, a company with experience in handling and disposing of hazardous materials.  

 Chirico said whether the building was upgraded or demolished, hazardous materials were inevitably going to be present due to the age of the building.  

“Whether it be asbestos or lead paint or other types of material that we wouldn't use in construction anymore, those are most often always present in these old buildings and the company we hired is aware of those and will make sure that they are contained and disposed of correctly.” 

To help offset some of the costs of the demolition the RDCK proposed a plan last year to build a community structure on the site with the hope of securing grants and funding to see both projects through.   

Chirico says the community shelter plans are still in the works, but the demolition could not wait any longer.  

“What became very apparent was that the demolition itself was taking on a life of its own and it was complicating the movement towards the redevelopment of that site,” he said.  

“By bringing the building down, we haven't lost the long-term goal of building a shelter on it. It's just that we'll now be able to focus our efforts on what we're going to do with that property after.” 

Once the schoolhouse is demolished, Chirico says the district will resume consultation with the community to move forward with plans for the community space. 

Both projects combined have a $900,000 price tag. Chirico says the $150,000 allocated for the demolition has not changed, although the RDCK did award the project to Hydraclean slightly under budget.  

The RDCK secured funding for the demolition through the provincial Growing Communities Fund.  

Crews will begin identifying and clearing out any hazardous material in the coming weeks before tearing down the structure.  

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Area D director Aimee Watson has been re-elected as chair of the Regional District of Central Kootenay board of directors for the sixth year in a row.  

Watson was nominated by directors Aidan McLaren-Caux and Colin Ferguson. She was the only nominee for the position this year.  

“It is sincerely an honor to work for the directors of the RDCK,” she said. “All the diversity and the different things we have to consider and how we work together as a team, I'm honestly seeing a great improvement on that level.  

“Despite what we're facing in today's world, I really respect all of you immensely and it sincerely is humbling to be able to work for you. Thank you for allowing me to continue to do so.” 

For vice-chair, directors Diana Lockwood and Kelly Vandenberghe were nominated for the position. Vandenberghe declined the nomination, making Lockwood vice-chair for a second term.  

“It's been a great experience so far and I really appreciate the great manner of mentorship from the rest of the board while learning the whole ins and outs of the executive,” she said. 

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay has rolled out the next phase of public engagement for its climate action plan yesterday with the first of 20 open houses across the district held in Slocan Valley last night.

The open houses were postponed in May due to safety concerns for RDCK staff. In July, the RDCK announced that they were in the process of re-developing the public engagement portion of the plan after they received concerns that there wasn’t enough transparency and open communication between the district and residents.  

The redesigned public engagement portion began in July with six webinars to allow residents in rural remote areas to access and engage despite travel and scheduling conflicts. The RDCK also hosted "dialogue circles" for select residents to attend and engage in meaningful dialogue with RDCK board members and staff about the climate plan.  

A media release from the RDCK says that the open houses are meant to provide staff the opportunity to share with residents what they have learned so far during the webinars and dialogue circles and hear other concerns from residents to ensure that the climate plan fits the needs of everyone living within the RDCK.  

During the dialogue circles, participants from diverse backgrounds revealed to the RDCK the urgency and importance of a collaborative effort with members of the community.  

The media release said the circles revealed common themes and concerns from residents that included an interest in working together, the importance of having shared values, concerns about adapting to changing climate, the need to consider a rural perspective, and to ensure the plan includes clear communication.  

They said that participants expressed concerns ranging from anxiety about climate change's impacts to losing personal freedom, but also a desire to work together to shape positive change and contribute to a way forward those benefits all.  

Staff also heard that residents have a desire to further investigate the reality of what impacts climate change and to develop a collective way to take action.  

Residents also expressed concerns about developing a plan that understands the unique challenges residents in rural areas experience. The media release stated that staff and participants discussed ways to raise awareness about some of these challenges and channel it into meaningful actions.  

The release also said the circles emphasized to staff that to maintain inclusivity, the plan needs to include clearer communication with simpler language, definitions and terminology to ensure all have clarity on what the plan is and how it will impact them.  

Stuart Horn, RDCK's chief administrative officer, expressed his appreciation to residents who attended a public engagement session this far stating in the release, "The dialogue circles have been incredibly valuable, fostering constructive exchanges and a mutual respect among all participants. The willingness of our community members to engage in meaningful conversations has been inspiring, and we are grateful for everyone’s active involvement." 

The open houses run until the end of October.  

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A fire that broke out near Goose Creek, North of Pass Creek on Tuesday, remains out of control.

The Southeast fire center responded to reports of the fire at around 1p.m Tuesday afternoon. Upon arrival, they estimated it to be around two-hectares. Today, B.C wildfire services report that it has spread to around ten-hectares.  

B.C Wildfire stated that ground crews responded with support from aircraft, including tankers, skimmers and helicopters. As of Wednesday morning, the fire center says it’s displaying rank 3 behavior- meaning a moderately vigorous surface fire with an organized flame front and occasional candling.  

The Southeast fire center has issued full response until they can get it under control, with aircrafts continuing to respond and support ground crews. No structures, communities or other values are threatened at this time.   

B.C wildfire also has stated that the increasing smoke in the area is mainly coming from large fires within the Kamloops Fire Centre district. However, hot and dry conditions in the Southeast have caused some of the fires in the region to display increased behavior and smoke. 

For more information on wildfire's in the region, visit B.C Wildfire's website.

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay has released its new plan for public engagement around its climate action plan.  

At the end of May, the RDCK decided to postpone open houses throughout the region that were scheduled to take place throughout the summer.  

The sessions are intended to give residents the opportunity to voice concerns regarding the RDCK climate action plan that was originally scheduled to roll out at the end of August.  

This morning in a media release the RDCK outlined its redesigned, two-step plan for public engagement sessions that includes both online and in person seminars for residents to engage regardless of their location or conflicting schedules.  

“The RDCK community has emphasized the need for transparency and open communication. We have heard you. We have streamlined the ways the public can get involved, both in-person and online, to provide feedback and influence the proposed climate action plan,” said the release.  

RDCK chair Aimee Watson says safety concerns that were partially responsible for the rescheduling have been resolved.  

“At the time those were canceled there were certain communications directed to our staff that I have heard have not continued. So, we’ve been able to have good discussions around healthy engagement. Even if it's dissenting. There's a difference between threatening and dissenting. Saying people to ‘watch their back’ or that they ‘need to be careful,’ there's a distinction between disagreement and threatening when there is disagreement,” said Watson. 

Watson also said the decision to reschedule was not made to avoid public concerns but to allow for meaningful conversations.   

“Engagement has never been an issue for us. We have no opposition to engagement. Even when it's dissenting, that's never been a concern. Getting it right and ensuring that there's space for the actual context of the plan as well as the debate on the science which overtook some of the conversations, just ensuring we get the format correct has been the focus.” 

In a follow up interview, Paris Marshall Smith, sustainability planner with the RDCK, stated the two-step approach is to ensure everyone gets the chance to have their concerns heard

“Starting in July to October, the mix of in-person and online engagements are an opportunity for residents to review all the information and actions, provide feedback, and interact with RDCK staff on how best to strengthen community resilience throughout the RDCK.” 

Marshall Smith also said they have extended the in-person open houses from two hours to three.  

“We wanted to allow for a longer period and also a diversity of people's schedules. Not everyone's available or wants to come out for an evening session and also make the most of our time in going to communities so that we could really have a chance to talk with people one on one,” she says.  

“We're here to listen and we're wanting to learn about people's experience regarding climate action. We are hosting longer sessions now and that allows time for a structured discussion, but also a more fluid discussion where people can come in and we'll have posters and people can chat with us and ask questions.” 

Marshall Smith says they have paused the roll out of the climate action plan until proper public engagement has been complete.  

“We're not ready to say what we need to do around the climate action plan. We want it to be informed by the engagement of the next six months. Then we're going to spend a lot of effort to compile and make sure that all the feedback that we've received goes to the board and is listened to and informs our next steps.”  

She said they are potentially looking at rolling the plan out in the new year. 

“We are tentatively proposing February of next year. We're definitely not taking action on the plan, but we do feel like this is critical work to build a stronger and more vibrant future. So, we're still committed to our goals around climate action, but we're just determining what makes sense and what is the best way forward for everybody.” 

The online sessions start this Monday and the rescheduled open houses will begin again at the end of August. 

For the webinar and open house schedules see below.

Webinars:
 

 Open Houses: 

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The RDCK will be holding referendums to approve loan requests brought forward by five fire departments in the district.  

At June’s RDCK board meeting, board members approved a loan authorization request brought forward by the West Creston Fire Response team. The fire service has asked for a $2.1 million loan from the district to complete construction at the West Creston Fire Hall and replace a frontline water tender and fire engine.  

RDCK board members approved similar requests from fire departments in Balfour-Harrop, the North Shore, Tarrys and Winlaw. The board approved the request and will be preparing loan authorization bylaws for up to $750,000 each to replace fire engines at the four rural fire stations.  

The loan requests will move forward after public consultation and voter approval which will occur with referendums.  

If approved, the organizations would be liable to repay the loans over the next 20 years. 

The referendum dates have yet to be announced. 

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 The Regional District of Central Kootenay is stepping up enforcement of noise control in the Slocan Valley this summer in response to resident complaints.  

A media release from the RDCK stated that in addition to enforcing their noise control bylaw, they will also be cracking down on large music events in the area if a special events permit has not been acquired. 

The crackdown comes after many Slocan Valley residents have vocalized noise concerns surrounding live music events in the area over the summer.  

The media release stated that the RDCK bylaw enforcement team and RCMP are working together to coordinate a response to noise complaint issues and enforcement procedures are being planned.   

“We have heard from a number of concerned residents throughout the Slocan Valley and we are taking each of these inquiries seriously,” said Jordan Dupuis, from the RDCK bylaw enforcement team in the media release.  

“Organizers of events are responsible to educate themselves with the noise control bylaw and the special events permit bylaw. Event organizers should expect to be contacted by RDCK staff prior to their event to be advised of the bylaw requirements. The RDCK, in cooperation with the RCMP, may enforce the bylaws if compliance does not occur.” 

It also stated that groups or individuals who violate the bylaws will face fines.  

Anyone planning on hosting an event where 200 or more people are expected to attend must obtain a special events permit which can be acquired by contacting the RDCK.  

Slocan Valley residents who experience a noise disturbance after business hours throughout the summer months can contact the RCMP to report the violation. Residents who are impacted by a large event can submit a witness statement to the RDCK bylaw team via email.  

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The upgrades to the arena floor at the Castlegar and District Community Complex is two months ahead of schedule. 

The arena floor was originally planned to be under repair until Oct. 15 of this year, but a media release has stated that the project is ahead of schedule and will be completed by Aug. 9.

In the media release, RDCK regional manager Craig Stanley said the early completion date is because they were able to avoid all the potential issues that could've arisen with a project like this.  

“With this type of project there are a number of potential issues or hidden hazards that could show up, but fortunately we were able to avoid all of them. This is the best outcome we could expect, which will allow us to have a normal start to the fall season.” 

Residents who use the arena were informed of the news at the ice users meeting on June 15.  

“This is fabulous news, especially for all the ice users,” said Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff, chair of the Castlegar and District Recreation Commission. “When you start a project of this magnitude you hope that it is completed on time and on budget – so you can imagine the commissioners reaction when we were told it would be finished two months ahead of schedule.” 

The Castlegar and District Community Complex arena floor was originally installed in 1976 and has outlived its intended life span of 35-40 years. The total budget for the project is $1.644 million. 

Crews will be pouring the cooling floor concrete on June 20. Community members are invited to join them at the arena at 8 a.m. to view the site.  

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The RDCK board has decided not to amend a bylaw to increase the amount rural directors can claim for mileage and other expenses while attending meetings on behalf of the district. 

The motion proposed by Area C director Kelly Vandenberghe, which did not specify an amount but asked for a staff review, was defeated during a meeting on Thursday. 

According to a bylaw already in place, RDCK directors are reimbursed 57 cents per kilometer traveled and receive a per diem allowance of $66 per 24 hour period when they are travelling.  

Vice-chair Diana Lockwood says she is not surprised the motion was put forward, especially when people didn’t know what exactly would be covered in their roles. 

“Directors engage continuously everyday through their home, or work,” she says. “I think it came down to the unknown factor of what the job entailed in local government.” 

Lockwood was one of many who voted the motion down, and says she opposed the motion based off the fact most directors want to serve the public and it should not be about the money. 

“I knew, with attending a lot of meetings before getting involved, what was involved with being involved with municipal government,” she says. “I didn’t go into this job knowing this was going to pave my way despite putting in over 30 hours for our constituents. 

“I think it that is what constituents need to understand is how much local government officials put in on their behalf.” 

Directors Tom Newell and Theresa Weatherhead supported Vandenberghe with the motion to increase renumeration.

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay has postponed their RDCK climate action open houses due to safety concerns.  

According to a media release the open houses were scheduled to take place May 23 to July 5 and are meant to give residents the opportunity to voice questions and concerns on the district’s four-year climate action plan.  

RDCK chief administrative officer Stuart Horn says he apologizes for the inconvenience but cancelling the open house is the responsible course of action.  

“The decision to postpone them at this time is due to some safety concerns around our staff and attendees at the meetings,” he says. “This is based on some commentary we received online and some conversation from people who were planning on attending the meetings.”  

Horn also emphasized that the safety of staff, attendees and the community is the RDCK’s top concern.  

“We understand the disappointment this announcement may cause; however, we firmly believe prioritizing the safety of our staff, attendees, and the community is paramount. The RDCK’s intention is to have a fulsome consultation process and the open houses will be rescheduled as soon as possible.” 

Horn says the RDCK is not cancelling the open houses altogether and hopes that they can use the time to prepare properly. 

“We are going to try and use this as an opportunity to make sure that we are properly planning the engagement process because of the feedback we have received to date,” he says. “We value the input from the public and want to ensure all members of the community have a chance to participate without the fear of intimidation.” 

RDCK board of directors have also decided against adopting their Climate Action Plan that was scheduled for August of this year, allowing staff more time to present recommendations following public consultation. 

Horn says although more time is needed to formulate a plan, they are hoping to have a new schedule soon. 

“We hope to have a new schedule set within the first couple weeks of June,” he says.” We are by no means planning on delaying this by 6 months, we are looking at getting this going as soon as possible.” 

The RDCK encourages everyone to read their draft climate plan on the district’s website and email them any questions or concerns.  

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay says taxes could go up an average of 11 to 12 per cent this year, although the exact amount depends on where you live.

The range across the region is five to 24 per cent, with arena floor repairs at the Castlegar and District Community Complex worth an estimated $1.5 million driving the increase in that area.

Increases in fire protection service costs are also contributing to some of the more substantial increases, the RDCK said in a news release. Some of the change in taxation is also driven by shifts in assessment.

“Inflation and supply chain issues will continue to be a challenge in all services in 2023,” chief financial officer Yev Malloff said in the release.

“Prices on most goods and services that the RDCK purchases have increased substantially over the last three years and short term borrowing costs are also up significantly with an up to four per cent increase in annual interest rates."

The budget includes staff salary increases of 4.4 per cent. Last week the board approved several new staff positions, although some of the positions come with the provision that they paid for by increases through user and permit fees rather than taxation.

Malloff said the RDCK continues to pursue opportunities to reduce purchase costs by taking advantage of local and provincial group procurement agreements.

In Castlegar, and neighbouring rural Areas I and J, rec commission chair Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff told city council this week a home valued at $500,000 stands to see a tax increase of about $95, of which $60 will be contributed to a capital reserve to prepare for other issues over the next five years, including a roof replacement.

She said the reserve will raise $600,000 this year, and will increase by $100,000 each year until it hits $1 million.

"Things are falling apart," she said. "Our rec centre has not been kept up to par and now its age is telling. We have to start funding it appropriately. We have a pretty good plan but we need to tax appropriately to get there."

The current arena floor was installed in 1976 with a 40-year life expectancy, so it is already on borrowed time, she said.

Public budget meetings are planned as follows:

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Aimee Watson will serve her fifth consecutive one-year term as chair of the Regional District of Central Kootenay.

The Area D director was elected by her fellow directors at the board’s inaugural meeting Thursday over Area A director Garry Jackman. By board policy, the vote totals are not disclosed.

“I am really inspired by working with such a diverse team, communities and building community capacity which brings me a lot of passion,” says Watson.

She says after being on the executive for the last four years, and with 11 new directors on the board, she wants to see a continuum of the relationships they have already established.

Watson says this opportunity with a “new board” will allow the executive to make sure the same processes are followed and there won’t be more change for the board to adjust to.

“I am also very particular about process, I don’t like wasting time,” he says. “The ability to do this job will ensure the process gets us to where we need to be. It is really what I love doing.”

Watson says the biggest hurdle to get over is to make sure everyone is aware of the scope of what the RDCK does. 

“Being able to continue our work, while spending the time necessary for people to understand what we do is a necessity,” she says. “That complexity is where we need to have patience in the process to still achieve what we need to while giving lots of space for people to catch up.”

Watson acknowledges work needs to continue and now that the elections and inauguration are over it is time to get down to business and start focusing on some of the portfolios that were carried over from the previous board.

“Our resource recovery plan is currently with the ministry,” she says. “It includes the organic waste program, curbside composting, and some of the rule settings that are not only synonymous with resource recovery but also water system and subdivision land use.”

She says one of the biggest challenges that the district currently has to work on is how they deal with organics, and waste recovery.

Watson was first elected to the board in 2014.

Salmo mayor Diana Lockwood was elected vice-chair, defeating incumbent Walter Popoff, who represents the Slocan Valley.

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay will soon hire someone to figure out what it can do to encourage affordable housing in rural areas.

The district has received a $25,000 provincial grant to put toward finding a consultant to do the work.

Planner Dana Hawkins says it will include "tangible actions and strategies" that address local housing needs and complements a housing needs assessment completed in 2020.

"The needs assessment tells you the what, and the action plan gets into the meat of how we can solve those issues and work toward affordable housing in our region," she says.

Hawkins says that while some larger regional districts, including those around Nanaimo and Victoria, have tackled similar projects, in the Kootenays the work to date has mostly been completed by municipalities, including Nelson and Castlegar.

She says the plan will be tailored to the RDCK, taking into account "our rural nature, our topography, our lack of transportation, our small water providers."

Hawkins says there are three main areas they expect the consultant to look into: regulatory/policy changes, process changes, and incentives.

She says that will likely include studying zoning bylaws and official community plans to see how RDCK policies can be more supportive of affordable housing, or taking advantage of tools in the Local Government Act that they are not presently using.

She adds that there may be ways they can make it easier, quicker, or less expensive for people to build affordable housing by adjusting their internal processes. Finally, they may able to provide direct incentives to encourage housing.

While Hawkins says the plan may result in some useful lessons for municipalities, unlike the needs assessment, this document will be focused on rural electoral areas.

A request is out for consultants and they hope to have one picked in June to get the project rolling. Based on the grant requirements, it has to wrap up by April 2023.

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You can ride the bus for free on Friday in the West Kootenay in recognition of Earth Day.

BC Transit notes Earth Day highlights the importance of sustainability and encourages people to make choices that reduce greenhouse gases and help protect the environment.

"Taking public transit is one way to make a difference," they said.

Buses in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, Regional District of Central Kootenay, and City of Nelson will all have their fares waived.

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The Regional District of Central Kootenay has approved a 6.55 per cent tax increase, blaming the continued impact of the pandemic for the larger-than-usual hike.

The RDCK says it has seen reduced user fee revenue in its recreation departments over the past two years as a result of restrictions that at times either limited the use of their rec centres or forced their closure entirely.

Services including fire and resource recovery will also see tax increases this year, although the exact amount that you will pay depends on where you live and what services you receive.

The RDCK hosted eight virtual public meetings and one in-person meeting through February and March to gather feedback.

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A new Regional District of Central Kootenay committee has been formed to oversee all 19 RDCK-owned water systems. The regional district says it will "streamline decision making and improve risk mitigation while still ensuring effective public input."

Environmental services manager Uli Wolf says until now the systems have operated under a variety of different models: some have no supervising body, some have advisory committees, and others have commissions of management, leaving governance "somewhat fragmented."

The new water services committee will be made up of all of the rural electoral area directors, except for Area I, which is not home to any RDCK-owned systems. It will also have representation from the Town of Creston, which gets its water through the RDCK.

Although the new committee won't replace the other governance bodies entirely, it will assume some of their responsibilities. Wolf says over the last 15 years staff have already taken over some duties formerly handled by those groups. Bylaws for most of the existing water commissions are expected be rescinded or amended later this year, but they would continue to exist as advisory groups.

"These committees are then an intermediary between staff and the residents in the water systems," Wolf says. "It allows us to get feedback about their preferences in regards to rate settings and other measures."

An inaugural meeting of the new committee is planned for next week and it is expected to meet six times a year from then on.

"This governance structure is an attempt to have an elected body that we present to and get feedback and direction from for strategic approaches in our water systems," Wolf says.

The committee will be responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the board on topics such as water metering and conservation standards, as well as acquiring new water systems. For many years the RDCK has had a moratorium in place on taking on any more systems.

"We have extended [the moratorium] because we feel this governance body needs to discuss if we are ready and willing and able to allow other systems to become RDCK systems," Wolf says. "That is a fairly involved discussion and if there is any appetite by the elected officials to do so we need to create with their support a structure that allows us to do so."

Wolf says that would include setting selection criteria and deciding how many systems they could add.

The new committee has been under consideration since 2013.

"As staff we are excited to finally have this in place," Wolf adds. "This was an initiative we have been working for a long time on. I think it will allow us higher efficiency in regards to strategic approaches overall for all of our utilities."

The post New RDCK committee to oversee water systems appeared first on My Kootenay Now.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay is a couple of steps closer to implementing its organic diversion program with the awarding of two contracts.

The RDCK has awarded East Kootenay company Border Holdings Ltd. the contract to build a composting facility at the central landfill site near Salmo at a cost of $2.3 million.

They have also approved GFL Environmental to handle operations and maintenance of the Creston composting facility for three years for $450,000.

The Creston facility is expected to be ready to go in May while construction of the Salmo facility is scheduled to start this spring and be completed by the fall.

The RDCK received a provincial grant to design and build the facilities, as well as separate funding to establish curbside pickup in Castlegar and Creston.

The post RDCK awards composting contracts appeared first on My Kootenay Now.