Transportation: ResidentsMriled ike about 128th Ave. extension. 8
Municipal: Banners honour Pitt veterans. 3
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Council approves hiring planners
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Four new positions will cost $400,000 a year By Phil M elnyc h u k pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
Maple Ridge council is moving ahead with a plan to boost the number of its planning staff from 11 to 15. And although building permit reserve funds will pay half of the extra salaries for the first two years, it will be up to the new council elected Nov. 15 to decide what combination of development or other fee increases will pay for the extra payroll beyond that time period. Total cost of hiring a planner, planning technician, plan checker and subdivision technologist works out to $400,000 for the first two years. But re-classifying existing positions along with current funding will pay for half that cost. See Planners, 5
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Nurse zombie Kyndra Burton lurches along 224th Street during the second annual Zombie Walk in downtown Maple Ridge on Friday. See more page 11.
Pool needs $5-million upgrade Leisure Centre leaks need to be repaired By Phil M elnyc h u k pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
It was a showcase three decades ago, but now the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre is leaking water and staff don’t know where it’s going, only that it needs to be stopped. Otherwise, with water leaking from the pipes beneath the swimming pool decks, the ground could
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In addition to leaky pipes, filtration and mechanical systems need work. For example, the 35-year-old filters that keep the pool water clean can’t keep up with the number of people using the pool. And when they break down, replacement parts have to be custom made, which is costly. When it comes to sanitizing the water, a new treatment system is needed, instead of the chlorine gas used now, which has leaked and resulted in evacuations of the pool. Once the pipes are repaired and
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Swift. A new chlorine water treatment system will use ultraviolet light along with either liquid chlorine or chlorine pucks, instead of the chlorine gas system currently in place. In July 2013, the pool was evacuated because of a chlorine leak, the fourth such leak in three years. The cost of the upgrade is part of the financial plan and won’t require any tax increases. Reserve funds, such as the facility maintenance reserve, will pay for the work.
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the leakage of “significant volumes of treated, heated and chlorinated water” is stopped, energy costs will be saved. No timeline has been set for the renovations, which will require the pools to shut down so the decks can be dug up and pipes replaced. When it reopens, people will see more wheelchair ramps into the pools so they’re accessible for people of all abilities. New decks will also be part of the renovations, if approved. “There will be significant efficiencies as a result of these changes,” said
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become soaked and the pool could weaken. That problem can be fixed as part of $5.5-million refit and repair, if council gives the go ahead next week to start design work. “Mostly, what we’re talking about is under the pool deck, mechanical, pool filtration, plumbing,” said parks and recreation general manager Kelly Swift. The problems were listed in July and on Monday staff will sketch out a work and design plan to fix that, among other problems at the centre.
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