Council Highlights – October 23, 2023
Council Highlights provide a summary of City of Castlegar Council meetings.
Certificate of Recognition
Council, RCMP and the Castlegar Fire Department presented Castlegar resident, Liam Harder, with a Certificate of Recognition. On September 12 at 12:45 a.m. Liam woke up to find two fires on his neighbour’s property. He woke his father and asked him to call 911. At the same time, Liam put out the fires using a fire extinguisher. Liam’s actions reduced property damage and may have even saved the lives of his neighbours who were asleep inside.
Community
Council approved donating items for an auction being held by the Kinnaird Park Community Church. A percentage of proceeds from the live auction will be donated to the Kootenay Christian Fellowship’s hot lunch program.
Exempt Staff & Castlegar Volunteer Fire Department Compensation Adjustment
Council received a report from the Director of Finance seeking approval to adjust the exempt staff compensation grid and the rates and stipends paid to the Castlegar Volunteer Fire Department members. The City’s Administrative Staff Compensation Policy 4-8 states that the annual cost of living adjustment is applied to the exempt staff compensation grid each year. The Policy provides direction that the adjustments be based on average annual change from comparable municipalities. The City contacted the seven comparable municipalities identified in the Policy, the average adjustment from the comparable municipalities was 4%. Council will consider this for final adoption at the November 6, 2023, Regular Council Meeting.
Bylaws
Council adopted the 2024 Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw which provides tax exemptions to certain properties in the City. Permissive tax exemptions are a way for Council to support organizations that enhance the quality of life for Castlegar citizens. The exemptions are at Council’s discretion and can be granted to an eligible property, on a partial or full basis, for a period that Council deems appropriate.
Communications