WEDNESDAY
S I N C E
1 8 9 5
Curling provincials coming to Trail
MARCH 28, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 62
110
$
Page 9
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
It takes more pay to play Recreation has biggest impact on City of Trail’s latest budget BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
the sewage spill contained within a few hours after the leak was spotted. Although the sewage pumps could not be turned off, the crews were able to send the liquid sewage through a bypass valve into the river, while solid waste went into a holding tank. As a result, the RDKB immediately informed the Provincial Emergency Program as to what was happening, what the emergency response plan was, how long
Recreation doesn’t come cheap in B.C.’s No. 1 sports town, if a look at Trail’s draft budget is any indication. The city’s budget is set to jump up by 2.55 per cent this year ($269,550) to $10.86 million from $10.58 million last year, with recreation counting for nearly 45 per cent of the total increase, “We’re seeing city administrator increases as David Perehudoff facilities age, as presented in council chambers Monday we try to keep night. the service levels This works out consistent and to an overall property tax hike of $20 we’re just having – $794 in 2012 from to dedicate more $774 in 2011 – for an resources as a average residential home with an assessresult.” ment of approxiDAVID PEREHUDOFF mately $184,000. “Definitely we’re seeing a slight decline in (rec) revenue so our user fees are sort of trending slightly downwards and then over and above that we’re dealing with the overall costs associated with the various facilities,” explained Perehudoff. “We’re seeing increases as facilities age, as we try to keep the service levels consistent and we’re just having to dedicate more resources as a result.” The Trail Memorial Centre tops off as the most costly recreational facility to operate at $1.3 million, with about 27 per cent costs recovered, while the Trail Aquatic and Leisure Centre isn’t far behind with $1 million attached to annual operations (39 per cent cost recovery). “Historically we basically would not charge anything for the use of our parks and it is a little bit contradictory compared to what we charge at the arena for example,” said Perehudoff. “Council has discussed this and we haven’t dealt with it this year but there may be a need to look at a more aggressive fee structure in (field) sports in the future.” Just over 70 per cent of recreation is financed through taxation with revenue picking up the remainder of the bill. User fees are projected to drop to $919,000 from the 2011 total of $939,000, but Perehudoff said this is no indication that a dual-fee structure implemented in 2009 under the Trail Residency Program is hitting the city’s pocket book.
See REPAIR, Page 3
See TRANSPORTATION, Page 3
TIMOTHY SCHAFER PHOTO
Regional district, City of Trail and local contractors — including Chinook Scaffolding and Rossland Mechanical — were quick and efficient after the main sewer pipe came apart on the Old Trail Bridge late Monday afternoon.
Busted line showers sewage into Columbia BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
It was a crappy situation at the Old Trail Bridge Monday. The regional district’s main sewage line came apart above the Columbia River underneath the bridge’s deck in late afternoon, spilling around 5,500 cubic metres of largely liquid sewage into the river over the next few hours. The regional interceptor pipe that services Rossland, Warfield, Rivervale, Oasis and West Trail was comprised of several sections of steel pipe,
held together with a clamp, securing it to the piers of the bridge high above the river, said Alan Stanley, director of environmental services with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. But the clamp’s failure was a mysterious occurrence, said Stanley, considering there was no normal operation of a pressure main that would result in the separation of a coupling. “We are investigating that for some alternative reasons as to why it happened,” he
said Tuesday. “At this point there are a bunch of ideas floating around, but until we have something more definitive we are a little reluctant to say exactly what it is.” The RDKB had an emergency response plan for such an event and it was activated soon after the line came apart, pulling in regional district, City of Trail, Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada officials by 5:30 p.m. Regional district liquid waste management crews had
Contact the Times: Phone: 250-368-8551 Fax: 250-368-8550 Newsroom: 250-364-1242
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