Raises for councillors, another step forward for Bighorn Meadows, and the fire department’s year in review were all discussed at the Village of Radium Hot Springs’ regular council meeting on Wednesday, October 8th.

A seat on the next Radium council will earn councillors greater compensation after a recommendation for remuneration was passed.

“Between 2008 and now there has been no increase,” said Radium mayor Dee Conklin, who will not be running for re-election on Saturday, November 15th. “It isn’t about the money, we all know that, but sometimes you need to entice new people.”

She said that the increase was modest, and that a position on village council is still not lucrative.

“Even with the increase, it’s still very nominal compared to what most of us put in.”

The motion passed unanimously.

Bighorn Meadows opts for lower density

Also at the meeting, Bighorn Meadows had a development permit unanimously approved, which will allow them to take the next step in their project by constructing lower density units than originally anticipated.

“It’s a whole new smaller subdivision as part of Bighorn Meadows that’s moving ahead,” Mayor Conklin said.

Review of Radium fire department

Prior to the new business, council was presented a 2014 incident summary by the Radium Hot Spring Fire Department. There were 26 first responder calls in the past year in the part of the valley the Radium department covers — the number is higher than years’ past, but all incidents were handled well. The only challenge was the time of day at which the crew would receive their calls. Due to occupational commitments, the volunteer members are not as easily mobilized during business hours.