A clarification was needed about report in this article regarding the proposed extension of fire response to the west of Midway.
The wording in our article unfortunately gave the impression that not everyone responding to a survey by the village was in favour of the fire service proposal, which was inaccurate.
What Peters had actually told Council was that not all those wanting more information were necessarily interested in attending an information meeting.
We regret that our poor choice of wording may have caused concern or confusion.
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At their August 19, 2013 meeting Midway council voted to ask the regional district about the feasibility of expanding the food scraps recycling program to village residents.
According to a video on the RDKB website the process takes everything from backyard waste to kitchen scraps to diapers and kitty litter and other organic material. The program is said to divert over 40 per cent of residential waste from the landfill.
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Council gave three readings to a bylaw that would allow the corporate officer to consolidate the bylaws of the village. After several years of revision the village’s bylaws have become littered with references to past amendments. It is the intent of this bylaw to make current bylaws more convenient.
The issue will return to the next meeting for final adoption.
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Council voted to support at UBCM a resolution from the District of Stewart calling upon the Provincial Minister of Health to require the BC Ambulance Service to amend its service model to meet the actual needs of the communities, and for the Minister to provide adequate funding to implement that model.
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Council heard an update about a motion they passed last month giving support to Trail and other elected officials who were planning to meet with the province at UBCM in September to voice concerns that the debt held by BC Hydro might be transferred to the general taxpayer instead of being paid by BC Hydro ratepayers.
Trail has since communicated that they did not request the meeting at UBCM for three reasons: the Minister was not available, the group is not prepared to make it’s case yet and they were not successful in getting support from the Kelowna area.
Council was told the group is planning to regroup and come up with a game plan. In the meantime an information pamphlet is being prepared.
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Kamloops businessman Carl Drieger who came to Midway earlier this year with plans for a retail business on the main highway in Midway has been scheduled to attend the September 3 meeting to further discuss his business centre ideas.
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Council endorsed a letter of support for a gaming grant application being made on the fire department’s behalf by the Kettle River Lions.
“Midway Volunteer Fire Department and the Village of Midway are working with the residents west of Midway and into the Rock Creek area in order to find a way to help extend fire coverage to that region.
“Our fire department members are also actively engaged in assisting with training of new volunteer members who have generously dedicated their time in order to help rebuild Midway fire department’s depleted membership and see our fire protection project become a reality.
“In order to help make this project become a reality these volunteer members have also spent many hours dedicating their time and efforts to fund raising events and continue to actively seek ways to reduce start up costs associated with the expansion.
“Council of the Village of Midway endorses the efforts of the Midway Volunteer Fire Department and expansion to the rural areas surrounding Rock Creek and further appreciates and supports the application by the Lions Club to the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch for this rural fire protection expansion project.”
The motion to endorse was opposed by Councillor Marguerite Rotvold. She felt that the wording gave the impression that council has given final approval to the project, which is still in the planning and development stages.
The other members of council disagreed with her interpretation, saying that the letter simply stated that council supports the work being done toward extending the fire service.
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The village has received a large number of responses from the rural fire protection information meeting request sent out at the end of last month to property owners in the proposed rural fire protection area to the west of the village.
Acting Administrator Tami Peters said that while not all are favorable, a good number are and people are interested in an information meeting.
Kappes said the village and the fire department are now trying to pull together costs so a proposed agreement can be drafted. “They are proposing an information meeting just for interested parties to come and find out what exactly has happened, what still needs to happen,” said the mayor.
“They are going to want numbers too,” countered Schierbeck.
“Absolutely,” agreed Kappes, “But this was just to see whether or not it was even worth going through all that work. If there was going to be enough residents to make it viable.”
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A physiotherapist may soon be working a half-day per week in one of the basement offices at the medical clinic. Council agreed to propose a rental rate of $100 per month for six months; open to renegotiation should the hours increase.
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Councillor Darrin Metcalfe raised the issue of getting quotes for work on the arena compressors.
“I notice we are doing quotes on loads of gravel for $200,” said Metcalfe. “This is a big job, $8,000 or $10,000 - shouldn’t we be getting quotes on that?”
The mayor instructed the administrator to check with staff and report at the next council meeting.