It was smoking hot in the Nakusp Village Council Chambers at the July 9 meeting. Despite the heat, and without a fan running, council covered a fair number of topics in their last meeting before summer break.
Thank You Jesper! You will be missed
Last week’s Village council meeting began with Mayor Hamling presenting a plaque of recognition to Jesper Nielsen for his hard work, dedication and commitment to NACFOR and True North Forestry. Nielsen worked tirelessly and sometimes without full compensation in order to get the NACFOR project started, she said.
Hamling said he will truly be missed as he moves from Nakusp onto new adventures.
Financial and Annual Municipal Reports
CAO Linda Tynan presented the Village Audited Financial Statement, Statement of Financial Information, and the Annual Municipal Report for the year 2011. The recently completed audit of the Village of Nakusp showed the prepared Financial Statements to be acceptable by accounting standards. During the audit it was also noted that expenditures were consistent with the budget or financial plan, which should provide a level of comfort in the expenditures undertaken during last year.
Nakusp village cash flow improved compared to last year primarily due to an adjustment in the timing of how grant claims are being handled. But cash flow also improved as a result of increased borrowing. This improvement in cash flow will allow for the village to start funding reserves for future needs.
Nakusp’s Annual Municipal Report is quite comprehensive including all sorts of information: from our location and seasonal average temperatures to a listing of all the council committees, Nakusp’s three-year plan and financial standing. The report will be posted on the village website for the public to access after final revisions have been made.
All councillors and the mayor congratulated the CAO and new Chief Financial Officer Rob Richards on the report’s clarity and quality.
Training for future ferry building jobs
Selkirk College staff and administration have begun working to create some new programs with the objective of creating more opportunities for locals to be hired by WaterBridge Steel Inc. for the recently-announced $26.5 million ferry project. Selkirk representatives are in contact with Waterbridge Steel Inc. and other stakeholders to ensure the programs offered will match the skill needs for building the new ferry. Programs will likely be geared toward welding and grinding.
New Doctor in Town
Dr. Subzwari has arrived and is settling into the home provided by the Arrow Lakes Hospital Foundation and Auxillary, and awaiting the arrival of his family. The mayor would like to send a “great big thank-you to both organizations for stepping up to the plate” for providing housing for the new doctor.
If you have the opportunity, please make sure to personally welcome Dr. Subzwari and his family to our beautiful and friendly village.
Nakusp 120th birthday celebration
The birthday celebrations were wonderful despite the “liquid sunshine,” as Mayor Hamling called it. The council thanks everyone for their support around the event. Event button sales brought in $1,800 of revenue and $1,500 of profit which will be used for future July 1 Celebrations, to be allocated by the Chamber of Commerce.
What’s NACFOR up to?
Coun. Zeleznik updated the council on NACFOR’s activities. The current cut will be complete mid-July. Additional cutting permits are anticipated to be approved in September or October, and the Fosthall area plan is proceeding with the cut expected to occur in late October.
Additionally, NACFOR received a $35,000 grant from Forest For Tomorrow (FFT) for spacing and areas previously logged. FFT is a reforestation program funded by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
NACFOR donated a logging truckload of wood for auction during the 120th birthday celebrations. It raised $1,190 for future community events. Congratulations to Stuart Petterson for the winning bid.
Three-Year Priority Plan in place
Council reviewed the conclusions from the meeting held on June 19, approved the list of priorities created at that meeting and are moving forward with implementation of Nakusp’s new three-year priority plan.
Having the strategic objectives and organizational goals explicitly determined in a plan will help the council and village to better allocate time and money resources to the village projects with the greatest returns. As well, it will help all concerned stakeholders to better understand the priorities, hopes and dreams of the village administration.
Memorial marker to be installed for Nicole Hammond
The council approved an application to install a home-made stained glass memorial marker on the burial plot of Nicole Hammond, with a proviso that the village is not responsible for any damage that may occur to the marker over time or with normal landscaping activities. Hammond passed away on October 6, 2011.
Nakusp Rodeo
The Nakusp Rodeo is coming up in a few weeks and organizer J.R. Bruvall was present to ensure that plans for road closures are acceptable to the village council. The plans are for Mill road to be closed during the rodeo from July 26 to 29. Council made sure the safety of patrons will not be affected by limited emergency vehicle access as a result of any road closure plans.
Councillors also took the opportunity to look into other concerns surrounding the rodeo. Council ensured that parking has been organized in compliance of village property usage rules. Bruvall has secured parking on the property across from the rodeo site. Additionally, this experience has prompted Village staff to do some follow up with local residents to ensure knowledge of and compliance of Nakusp bylaws and village property usage rules.
UCBM 2012
Nakusp Village councillors are preparing to attend UCBM in late September by determining the village needs and priorities. The village council will have to focus on a few important topics since meetings with ministers, the premier, and other representatives are only 15 minutes in length. Fortunately, council now has the three-year priority plan to work from.
New Nakusp village banners in town
The Village will be replacing banners in town that had been removed due to age and obsolescence. Thirty new double-sided vinyl or mesh banners will cost approximately $133 each. Total cost for the new signage including time and equipment to hang them is estimated to be $5,500.