Grand Forks City Council has sent off its proposal for boundary expansion to the provincial government, but the process is far from over.
After months of public review, City Council approved the submission at the Monday, April 15 regular council meeting.
This is wrapping up the public engagement phase, explained Daniel Drexler, corporate officer and manager of information technology.The next step is ministerial review, which there is no specific time frame. The province is also forwarding the proposal to First Nations and in-house departments, because there is a provincially-held property involved that requires further scrutiny, he added.
If it’s acceptable, the province will come back with three options: if it’s acceptable, but conditions, good as-is, or a clear no. If it’s a yes, council will prepare packages for electoral approval, which the time needed is at their discretion, or do an alternate approval process.
If that is successful, it is sent as a final package with the chief electoral officer confirming that approval. After that, the Minister will sign off.
“We still have a lot of hurdles, this is far from over,” said Drexler.
While the proposal was approved, there are still lingering questions over several issues councillors brought forward. Councillor Rod Zielinski was quick to point out primarily if this would be in the best interest of city taxpayers.
Sending a proposal to the province is a signal council approves this, he explained, which he does not, entirely. His main concern overall, was how the city could service a larger area after reviewing the budget.
“Even if nothing happens, but we include this land into the city, we’ve just jacked up the tax rate for a bunch of people. We’ve included Coalchute Road and North Fork Road in our responsibilities at only $100,000 in pavement in our whole city budget,” Zielinski stated.
City calculations estimate annual taxes for the properties in the Area D Regional District Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) coming into the city would increase about 37 per cent, from $2,119 to $2,904. Council already voted on asking the province to phase in the increase over a 15-year period, slowing the increase to $60 per year.
Another major concern is having enough services for all those proposed new homes. The extension would add almost 95 hectares (234 acres) to the city including land for the proposed Copper Sky development, which he said could see up to 800 new homes and its own business area.
He said there could be up to 800 new homes, but there are no guarantees there’s enough water for 800 residents and a commercial core. He added there is a major issue with a second access, which he pointed out council knows the developer doesn’t have legal or physical access to second access to the property.
“We just raked a guy over the coals over a mobile home on his property (earlier in this meeting,) but we seem to be okay with 800 homes,” “Even if nothing happens and we include this land in the city, we just jacked up the tax rate for a bunch of people.”
Councillor Neil Krog said he has similar concerns to Zielinski’s in sending a proposal as a tacit approval, explaining this could upend the lives of some people that happen to live there. This could end up becoming a “land lift” and asked how much of this process has cost the city. CAO Duncan Redfearn explained the developer has paid for the consultants and engineers, adding if council wasn’t interested in the expansion, they could stop the process.
Councillor Deborah Lafleur countered with she’d be surprised if The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) looks at the development and didn’t dictate a second access. If they don’t, that’s what the planning department is for.
There’s been concerns about Copper Ridge for years, pointed out Councillor Christine Thompson.
It did want to be a part of the city, but the council of day turned them down, she said.
“This request has to follow a process and the province will review and determine if there are things that have to be looked at and certainly let the city know,” she said. “Taxpayers will have the final say. I don’t want to be like the previous council and say we don’t want to. I think water and sewer concerns are legitimate, but not the time to address them right now.”
Even with those concerns, Mayor Everett Baker said this issue has been going on for years and now the city is in a position where it must grow. A big question he gets is when is the city going to grow and start developing new homes.
This expansion will allow that to happen.
“I’m always being asked why the city isn’t bigger, so why not take in some areas in Area D that aren’t rural,” he said. “Copper Ridge is a density development, they belong in the city. Copper Sky concerns are shared with council and I do feel for people on the edge.”
“It’s not devastating to join the city. We’re city councilors. Let’s not make this sound like coming into the city is the worst thing we can do to these people.”
He added development options are limited in the area, pointing out farming isn’t an option because of the high, rocky ridges. Stakeholders are talking about when it’s built, it will meet necessities for amenities like roads and sewer. MOTI has some responsibility, he said, but the decision rests at council’s table.