The City of Castlegar has increased the budget for the anoxic zone at the South Sewage Treatment Plant by $130,000. The budget for the project was originally $350,000, but after pre-purchasing pumps and mixers for the project, the city was left with $150,000 in the budget and a proposed contract for $279,918 with Maglio Installations Ltd. for the installation of the anoxic zone. At Monday night’s council meeting, council awarded the contract to Maglio Installation and voted to fund the extra $130,000 from the sanitary sewer reserve fund.
The anoxic zone will help manage the pH of effluent from the treatment plant biologically, as opposed to chemically. Currently the city pays $85,000 to $125,000 per year for caustic soda to treat the effluent chemically, and the anoxic zone will allow the city to drop the use of the chemical by approximately 90 per cent.
Maglio Installations was the low bidder, with an original bid of $392,192, but by negotiating and changing the construction plan, the city got the price down.
During question period, Cheryl McLeod asked how the project came in $130,000 over budget and received an answer from Chris Barlow, director of transportation and civic works.
“A number of components got added in through the tendering process. In addition the project was actually identified for construction last year and we weren’t able to get to tender, and so the budget did increase through the year,” said Barlow. “As well, when we were purchasing some of the materials — the pumps, some of the bigger components for it — through that process it ended up being that we needed to change out some of the pumps and it ended up being more expensive.”
McLeod also asked how much is in the sanitary sewer reserve fund. Andre Buss, director of finance, was unable to give an exact answer at the time, but subsequently told the Castlegar News the amount is $684,400.
Council moves ahead with smoking bylaw
Council gave three readings to a bylaw that would prohibit smoking in designated public parks and recreation areas. The penalty for violating the bylaw is a maximum fee of $100. The parks and recreation areas included in the bylaw are as follows:
- Millennium Park
- Zuckerberg Island
- Kinsmen Park
- Lakeview Street Park
- Zinio Park
- Complex ball and soccer fields, and tennis courts
- Tamerlane Park
- Branson Park
- Kinnaird Park
- Ninth Avenue Park
- Dumont Park
- Cone Hill Park
- Twin Rivers Neighbourhood Park Tot Lot
- Blueberry Park
Trish Hill, tobacco reduction coordinator at Interior Health, attended the meeting and spoke in support of the bylaw during the question period. She asked whether or not the bylaw includes an exemption for the traditional Aboriginal use of tobacco, which it does. Hill also offered to provide council with support for education or awareness campaigns.
Remembering Kevin Chernoff
Mayor Lawrence Chernoff, councillors and staff wore bow ties throughout the council meeting in remembrance of Kevin Chernoff. Mayor Chernoff began the meeting with a few words about Kevin and a bow tie was propped against his name plate for the duration of the meeting.
Council approves sponsorship and grant requests
Council approved a request from the Castlegar Hospice Society to sponsor a hole at the eighth annual Classic Rock Classic Golf Tournament on Sunday, June 19. The sponsorship is $300 and includes one golf entry, dinner, signage with the City of Castlegar name and logo, and acknowledgement in promotional materials.
Council also approved a $250 sponsorship for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Excellence Awards Gala on Saturday, June 18, and a $250 grant for the Stanley Humphries Secondary School Dry Grad 2015 committee.
Council approves parcel tax exemption
Council adopted a bylaw that exempts parcels with a width less than 7.60 meters from the annual parcel tax of $150. Width being defined as “the horizontal distance between the mid-points of two side lot lines that are located at opposite sides of the parcel.”
Students excited for trip to sister city
Six students from the 2016 Castlegar Student Delegation to the sister City of Embetsu, Japan paid a visit to council. They shared their hopes for the trip, looking forward to things like Japanese fashion, culture, food and history. They also looked forward to representing Castlegar and Canada.