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Wednesday, May 25, 2016 The Valley Echo
ALLEY CHO
The Invermere
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Kicking Horse Coffee staff (left to right) Amanda Sharko, Steve O’Shaughnessy and Cattie Marchand will be participating in Bike to Work Week from May 30th to June 5th. See page 8 for the full story. PHOTO BY NIKKI FREDRIKSON
Local day care honoured with Legacy Award
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Norquay nabs silver in championships
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New taxes for multi use centre, reservoir upgrades STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com A long-anticipated major project — the new Columbia Valley Centre — is now underway in Invermere and the district is planning ahead for another project — upgrades to to the Paddy Ryan Reservoir — and financial evidence of both will turn up on Invermere taxpayers’ bills next year. Invermere council gave three readings to a series of five tax bylaws at its Tuesday, May 10th regular council meeting, one of which is for a new parcel tax to fund the multi-use centre, and another of which will generate revenue to improve the Paddy Ryan Lake Water Treatment Plant (which treats the community’s major water source). The bylaws were then formally adopted at a Thursday, May 12th special council meeting. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Invermere chief financial officer Karen Cote, speaking at the May 10th meeting
about the parcel tax for the new multi- said Invermere chief administrative ofuse centre, adding the money will be ficer Chris Prosser. Council members were unanimous used to pay down the $5.6 million borin their support for the new multi-use rowed to build the centre. Taxpayers will see the new parcel centre parcel tax. At the same meeting, councillors gave tax on their 2016 tax notices, and it will work out to $95.31 per parcel, said three readings to a bylaw repealing a sewage treatment parcel tax, which Cote. “This and previous councils wanted it had been put in place after the district borrowed a little under $100 per parmore than $1 milcel, so here you go.” “Taxpayers really lion in 2005 to pay “We really have no won’t see much of a for upgrades to its choice but do adopt sewer system. this, having already change.” GREG ANDERSON Cote told council come this far, and COUNCILLOR, DISTRICT OF INVERMERE that this loan had with construction been paid off, so the starting,” pointed parcel tax (which works out to roughly out Coun. Paul Denchuk. Council members briefly discussed $39 per parcel) is no longer needed. Council was also unanimous in supconstruction of the centre, which is already underway. Councillor Justin port for the new water treatment parAtterbury expressed surprise that the cel tax, which Cote said would work old bus garage was not already down out to about $40 per parcel and would generate about $100,000 for upgrading (demolition began this week). “They have to punch a hole in every the Paddy Ryan Reservoir, which the single brick and suck out the asbestos,” district is the process of doing. She
added that the new tax will apply to everybody connected to, or capable of being connected to, the community’s water system. “So we’ve repealed the sewage tax, which is about $39 per parcel, and we’re immediately adding a water tax, which is about $40 per parcel, so taxpayers really won’t see much of a change,” said Coun. Greg Anderson. Denchuk pointed out that the parcel tax collects $100,000 a year, but the upgrades to Paddy Ryan Reservoir are likely to cost $1.8 million. “If we are not successful in getting any grants or funding, it will take 18 years to raise the money for a project that will probably be forced on us if we don’t do it soon enough,” said Denchuk. The district had applied last year to a new grant funding program meant to assist small communities with major capital projects, seeking funding for the reservoir treatment centre improvements, but was unsuccessful. See A15
R E A C H Art Show High School Artists May 31st to June 12th Open daily from 11 to 5 pm Visit columbiavalleyarts.com for our current events calendar, or call 250-342-4423 · Pynelogs Cafe - Open Tuesday to Saturday 11 to 4 pm