Asbestos, mercury and PCBs will be removed from an old downtown building next week as the city makes way for construction of a modern library/museum.
Trail council considered two bids during Monday’s governance meeting before awarding low bidder Napp Enterprises with a $20,000 contract to remove hazardous and regulated materials from 1537 Bay Ave.
The city purchased the property for $190,000 earlier this year, with plans for a mid-July tear down. The lot will be used as additional space in the development of the Riverfront Centre.
The total budget for the purchase and demolition of the building is $250,000, but that could increase.
“Until the demolition is tendered, it is unclear if the budget will be sufficient but a major deviation is not anticipated,” reported David Perehudoff, chief administrative officer. “The new Riverfront Centre will benefit from the removal of this building and plans have been prepared based on this direction. Every effort is being made to expedite the demolition so the site is ready for construction later this summer.”
Raising rec
Council endorsed a fee increase for Trail recreational facilities. Effective in September, rates will jump about two per cent for a Sports Pass, gym and room rentals in the Trail Memorial Centre as well as usage in city parks and the Willie Krause Fieldhouse. “The cost of recreation is significant and offsetting costs with direct user fees in an effort to minimize the net property tax subsidy is an important goal,” Perehudoff reasoned. “The establishment of rates needs to consider the real economics in the context of supply and demand, including the elasticity of the demand curve so rate increases don’t have a negative impact and result in decreased total revenue.”
Park clean up
Parents no longer have to clean the bathrooms at Andy Bilesky Park after council agreed for the city to take over janitorial services. Historically, Andy Bilesky Park has been operated and maintained by Trail Little League. The concession and washroom were designed and constructed by volunteers and all grounds and building maintenance fell to key volunteers. Little League raised a concern that volunteers were performing janitorial services at Bilesky park, whereas no other user of baseball, soccer, rugby is currently doing the same. Trail council agreed in fairness, the city should assume the responsibility.
Sloping concerns
Any decisions regarding a do-over of the Trail Memorial Centre entrance have been deferred to mid-July pending more details about the final design and tendering of the project. At this point, a ramping system is council’s preferred option to make the front access more manageable for people with physical limitations. An amended design came back to the table on Monday, but council remains concerned about the slope elevation of the ramp. The project is estimated to cost upward of $20,000. “Clearly council needs to rationalize whatever they approve but again, when considering what is being proposed now and the “real” gain, it is viewed marginal at best,” noted Perehudoff.
Trail in bloom
Council approved one member, Coun. Carol Dobie, to attend the annual symposium for Communities in Bloom (CiB) this October. The three-day national event costs $2,000 including airfare and hotel. The funding will be expensed against Trail CiB’s $110,000 budget. Traditionally the local CiB chair attends the symposium and the group encourages representation from council to enhance the city’s presence. The City of Trail is competing in the Class of Champions, which is an evaluated competition between past winners that includes Castlegar, Beaumont Alta., and Charlottetown, PEI.
Youthful consideration
The YCDC (Columbia Youth Development Centre) in East Trail was granted $20,000 for one year. Council previously agreed to the grant over a three-year term but put the decision on hold after becoming aware of funding changes within Columbia Basin Trust to further support youth in the community. The city and 10 other local stakeholders are currently in the process of looking to develop a Youth Action Network (YAN) in Trail. With the YAN initiative in infancy, council agreed to a short term or one year term with YCDC.