KOKANEE COLLAPSE: Biologists study big drop in returns to Hill Creek spawning channel - 10
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Weds., November 27, 2013 www.revelstoketimesreview.com Vol. 116, No. 48
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RMR Opening Day preview 12,13
Can revitalization tax breaks keep Mt. Begbie Brewing in Revelstoke? Aaron Orlando
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
Santa Claus made a special stop at the Revelstoke Railway Museum’s Trackside Christmas event on Nov. 23. He is the guest of honour for the Revelstoke Santa Claus Parade, which starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Revelstoke Courthouse, then up First Street, up Mackenzie to Queen E Park. Aaron Orlando/Times Review
The City of Revelstoke wants to develop a revitalization tax exemption policy and bylaw that will give tax breaks to businesses that build new buildings or renovate existing ones. The proposal was prompted by an Oct. 22 request to council from Mt. Begbie Brewing Co. president Bart Larson, who said building a new $2-million brewery in Revelstoke wouldn’t be possible because of Revelstoke’s high light-industrial taxation rate. A Nov. 18 staff report prepared by finance director Graham Inglis explains that provincial legislation allows for revitalization tax credits. The credits allow the city to exempt their portion of property taxes
Mt. Begbie Brewing, p. 11
Revelstoke City Hall runs out of money for city hall renovations Planning department gutted and workers displaced this summer will now have to wait until next year to return to office space Aaron Orlando
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
Renovations at Revelstoke City Hall have come to a halt after the city ran out of money to complete them. Announced on June 5, 2013, the renovations were part of a restructuring at city hall designed to improve customer service. The idea was to create a new public entrance on Second Street East where those accessing city services could have a onestop-shop experience. For example, you could apply for a building permit, a building inspection or a business licence in the new office. Tim Palmer, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Revelstoke, told the Times Review that the city ran out of money, and
Conceived as a customer service-oriented one-stop-shop, the new Second Street entrance to Revelstoke City Hall has ground to a halt mid-renovation after city hall ran into budget trouble and ran out of money. Workers from the office have been relocated to temporary workspaces elsewhere in the building. Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Times Review
that there is no firm estimate available on when work will resume. He said the city will explore budgeting more for the renovations in the 2014 budget. If so, that means work isn’t likely to resume until at least April, 2014, likely later. Palmer said that tax assessment appeals
had hit the city’s budget hard, causing the city to pull back from the renovations. “I had significant concerns about what the impact was from the assessment,” Palmer said. This contributed to a decision to stop the renovations. Palmer said an “anonymous” complaint about asbestos contamination also caused
delays. “There was a concern that there may be asbestos [contamination] from the demolition that occurred,” Palmer said. “It caused a little bit of delay.” Palmer said no asbestos contamination has been detected, but testing is ongoing in other parts of the building slated for renovations. There is particular concern about renovations completed when the old fire hall was removed from the building. “We will be testing in other areas that will be potentially under construction,” Palmer said. When the renovations were announced in June, the Times Review asked for a budget for the renovation project, but were told none was available. In a Nov. 21 interview, Palmer said a dollar value for the renovations is still not available, but might be in a planned update for council in the coming weeks. The renovations began hastily; the planning department was already being renovated in June by the time council was briefed on the restructuring plan. So far, the planning department has been gutted. That means staff such as the building inspector, planning staff members and bylaw department workers have been relocated to
CAO: Asbestos, page 11
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