Grand Forks Gazette, June 17, 2015 by Black Press Media Group

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015

City invites feedback on water meters

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Graduating in style Proud papa Marty Skeet (driver’s side) chauffers daughter Jazlyn Skeet (top right in blue) with friends and grad Austin Trudeau-Brooks in the front passenger seat. In all, 68 GFSS grads took part in the commencemence ceremony on Friday at the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena. See Lupine Award winners and more photos from the graduation ceremony on pages A14-16.

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VOL 118 NO. 24

Music returns to park Page 28

Grand Forks Gazette

School District 51 trustees were able to come up with a budget for 2015-16 after consulting with staff from all district schools. Board chair Teresa Rezansoff said that the process to reach the budget went very well. The budget for next year was approved at the regular board meeting on June 9 at the board ofﬁce in Grand Forks. “It comes into effect on July 1,” said Rezansoff. “It was a great budget process this year. We did something a bit different. We always do consultations, that’s par for the course. These year we went out with three targeted questions.” Rezansoff said the board linked the budget process to the board’s goals with their achievement contact and educational directions. “We are linking the learning needs of the students to the direction we take in the school district and how the decisions we make in the budget supports all of that—so there’s clear alignment,”

she said. “It’s critical that when we make our budget decisions if we see there’s a need for extra teachers, extra education assistants, professional development or whatever it is—it’s driven by the needs of our students.” Rezansoff said the board has consulted with staff from every school and also had public consultation meetings at both ends of the district. “We asked those same questions at every meeting and we used all of that to steer the direction and make decisions on the budget process,” she said. “We were really pleased with it.” Rezansoff said the board feels positive about all the decisions they had to make. “We were really able to provide full support for all our schools,” she said. “We’re doing a lot of hiring this year. We have a big number of retirements. There will be a lot of new faces at our schools next year.” Rezansoff said the board had to take money from their contingency fund ($708,130) to balance the budget but emphasizes that there is enough

LD O S • See SCHOOL BUDGET page A8

Grand Forks City Council is giving citizens who have concerns about water meters until June 25 to put their thoughts in writing. Staff will collect feedback and prepare a report for council for consideration at the July 20th Committee of the Whole meeting. Feedback from city water utility customers, which must be under 500 words, will be accepted until 4 p.m. on June 25 by email, mail or hand delivered. Email info@grandforks.ca; mail to Box 220, Grand Forks, B.C., V0H1H0; or, hand deliver to 7217 4th Street, Grand Forks. The subject line for feedback letters much read “Universal Water Meters – Next Steps: Public Consultation.” Council made the decision to ask for further input following a presentation by a group of residents at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday. Beverley Tripp and Karin Bagn were the group’s spokespersons. The city’s lawyers had advised council that Mayor Frank Konrad and Councillor Julia Butler were in an indirect and direct conflict of interest, respectively; the mayor did leave council chambers during the water meter discussion. Konrad stated that his recusing himself was not an admission of guilt. “There is no conflict of interest; there never was,” he declared, “furthermore, for the record this action obstructs my ability to perform my elected duties as mayor for the citizens of Grand Forks.” Butler did not recuse herself. Tripp spoke, saying she was chosen to read highlights from a 264-page water meter manifesto “on behalf of its many contributors.” Tripp summed up the key points of the manifesto, including RF radiation concerns, non-compliance with the B.C. plumbing code and insurance liability. After the presentation, Tripp asked council for a one-year “cooling off period” on the water meter installation. Council accepted the report as information. Also on the agenda was a report from consulting firm Urban Systems on water meter options. Anyone wishing to view that report, entitled Universal Water Meters – Next Steps, can view it on the city’s website at grandforks.ca.

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