Several items of interest to the Upper Columbia Valley were discussed at the most recent Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors meeting.
The Upper Columbia Valley RDEK directors involved in the former Columbia Valley Directed Funds Committee — Radium Hot Springs mayor Clara Reinhardt, Invermere mayor Gerry Taft, Canal Flats mayor Ute Juras, RDEK Area F director Wendy Booth and RDEK Area G director Gerry Wilkie — were all appointed by the RDEK, during its Friday, September 4th meeting, to the Columbia Basin Trust’s new Columbia Valley Advisory Committee.
The three-year agreement between the RDEK and the trust that led to the creation of the directed funds committee has expired, and the trust plans to transition to a new program model.
“The Columbia Valley Advisory Committee is formerly the Columbia Valley Community Directed Funds Committee. This is the final step of transitioning from the RDEK to Columbia Basin Trust,” said Booth.
The new committee will serve in an advisory role in helping the trust figure out what that new program model should be and how it should work.
Windermere hall improvements
Among the discretionary grants in aid doled out by the RDEK directors this month is a $6,000 grant for the Windermere Community Association, for upgrades at the Windermere Community Hall. “The Windermere Community Association has worked really hard over the past few years on upgrades to the hall. The hall is an important asset for the community,” said Booth.
The grant will help pay for landscaping and fencing improvements.
Windermere water intake tenure renewed
The RDEK and its chief administrative officer Lee-Ann Crane have signed an agreement with the provincial government for a tenure over the Crown land for the Windermere water system intake. The term of the new agreement extends until August 2045.
“It’s pretty standard. It (the intake) has always been there; we’ve always had tenure. We’re just renewing it,” said RDEK engineering services manager Brian Funke, adding the previous tenure was for 10 years and with this renewal the term has been bumped up to 30 years.
A similar jump from a 10-year tenure to a 30-year tenure occurred when the RDEK previously signed a new agreement with the province for the Rushmere water system intake.
The intake for the Windermere water system is a pipe sticking out into Lake Windermere.