Snow removal
The impact of a series of winter storms was the only major topic of discussion during what was likely a record-fast Gibsons council meeting Jan. 10. With councillors Stafford Lumley and Jeremy Valeriote still away on vacation, council dispatched a short agenda in under 10 minutes.
Gibsons has seen the bulk of the snow that’s fallen on the Coast since early December. “The first snowfall really caught us off guard,” Mayor Wayne Rowe said during his council report. “One of our two snowplows broke down before it got out of the yard. That made for a difficult day.”
Town CAO Emanuel Machado said after using just three tonnes of salt on the roads last winter, the Gibsons public works department has brought in 200 tonnes so far this season. Buying salt and overtime costs mean the Town has gone beyond its snow removal budget. The Town set aside $17,600 for winter 2015-16 and $18,500 for this winter. Machado said a final figure for what they’ve spent won’t be known until the end of the winter, and they’re still calculating the costs to date.
Before the Christmas break, Machado said Town staff were planning a review of the snow removal policy and bylaws, including a look at the rule requiring property owners to clear sidewalks. He said they expect to have a report for council by mid-February.
Council appointments
Mayor Wayne Rowe used the Jan. 10 meeting to announce his liaison appointments for the coming year.
Coun. Stafford Lumley will serve as deputy mayor for 2017.
A previously decided change in Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) director will mean Coun. Silas White – who is now the alternate to Coun. Jeremy Valeriote at the SCRD – will take on several new liaison roles including: Gibsons and District Fire Protection Commission, Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives Society, Gibsons and District Public Library, Community Youth Awareness Group, and Homelessness Advisory Committee.
Budget amendments
Council adopted the final budget amendments for the 2016 fiscal year, to bring the financial plan in line with some of the spending decisions made over the year. They include:
• An increase to the capital plan of $125,000 for construction of a field for the Town-owned geo-utility to serve Phase 3 of the Parkland subdivision (funded by a loan).
• A $275,000 increase in the capital plan to account for increased investment in the Gibsons Public Market through capital reserves.
• An increase to the operating fund of $325,000 through community donations to the Gibsons Public Market.
• An increase of $40,000 to cover additional unplanned professional services costs throughout 2016, which were from surplus.
