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Vol. 120, Issue 43
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Page 15
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Bridge plan puts other projects on hold
WELCOME WASH
BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
While the city has all its ducks in a row to tender a new bridge – other capital projects such as a new library and spruced up downtown have been temporarily put on hold. The Riverfront Centre and third phase of downtown revitalization remain on the back burner pending construction of the pipe/pedestrian bridge this fall and its subsequent usage. “We are in a holding pattern right now,” explained Coun. Robert Cacchioni, chair of the centre's building committee. “Everything has been finalized, in terms of engineering, with the pipe bridge. There is so much to be done with that right now that we need to hold off on the Riverfront Centre.” Trail council has two days of strategic planning this week to set timelines on the larger capital projects, said Cacchioni, adding that in his opinion, ground won't break for the new facility until 2016. First, the city needs to study how the walking bridge will affect people accessing the downtown core. “In reality, we are not going to be able to judge the traffic patterns until such time as you have that bridge in.” he explained. “We don’t know what's going to happen with people walking and biking two bridges again.” Sidewalk extensions and additional parking near the bridge site may need to be developed, he noted. “And we can't finalize a downtown plan until we see what impact the Riverfront Centre will have.” He said a new building on Bay Street means 60,000 annual visits to the facility’s current Trail Memorial Centre locale will be redirected to the south end of town. “Phase 3 of the downtown plan is delayed because it's such an expensive operation,” Cacchioni said. “Also, because those library visits will eventually be downtown, traffic flow will definitely be impacted. “We don't know what that will look like. See CHANGES, Page 2
LIZ BEVAN PHOTO
Ryan Andrews takes a hose to the “Explore Your Trail” banner hanging on the fence around the empty lot at Victoria Street and Pine Ave. in an effort to keep it bright and welcoming. The banner had accumulated dirt, dust and grime over the last few months.
Montrose seeks to limit tax rate increase BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
Montrose council is doing its best to keep a rise in property taxes as low as possible by picking budget priorities for the 2015 spending plan. Bryan Teasdale, village chief administrative officer (CAO), provided council members with a draft summary of spending at the most recent council meeting on Monday night, giving them a chance to make some decisions about what needs to stay in the budget and what can go.
“(The draft budget) was based on what we have already done, what the councillors want to do, things I know we need to do and some capital projects,” he said, adding that the draft made the assumption that Montrose property taxes would go up by three per cent. “(After the budget summary was read) the only direction given to staff was to take a look and try and reduce that proposed three per cent increase as much as possible. I am trying to get that number down to around two and a half per
cent.” Within the draft budget, there were some significant changes from last year, some numbers going way, way up, and others going down. Capital projects spending got a big bump to the tune of nearly $200,000, or 250 per cent, but Teasdale says most of that money is going to be coming from water system reserve funds. “We are looking at $175,000 just on reservoir roof structural improvements,” he said. “(That $175,000) is funded
through general taxation, user fees and $120,000 of that from the current water system reserve funds. That is the big change from last year.” The rest of the roof improvement budget will come from village user fees, which have already been collected for 2015, and general taxation. Rounding out the capital spending draft are new valves, fire hydrant replacement, general water system upgrades and sanitary sewer system improvements. See HALL, Page 2
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN866-897-0678 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242
Supporting our community Red Cross Load Cupboard
Medical Equipment & Supplies Outside entrance in Waneta Plaza next to Scotia Bank 250.368.9129
Canada Post, Contract number 42068012
Free kids playroom and ball pit
www.wanetaplaza.com
5 min. east of Trail on Hwy 3B