Waiting for pavement
Ray Ferguson has been waiting 20 years for his road to be paved since he first heard District of Invermere (DOI) Council talk about upgrading the dead-end strip of 14th Street that runs between 8th Avenue and 10th Avenue.
Six or seven years ago he said the District promised the dirt road would be paved, but the stretch remains as dusty as ever.
“It’s time that somebody look at it and let’s do the darn thing,” he said at the most recent DOI Council meeting Tuesday, July 17th.
Chris Prosser, chief administrative officer for the District, said the street has been on the priority list, but has been getting pushed down a year or two at a time. Road work is coordinated with sewer and water line repairs, he said, and the pipes beneath the road are not quite at the point where work is required.
Council directed staff to look into options for the street and to bring them forward as part of the budget discussion for the new council that will be elected in the fall.
Sewer bill
A resident submitted a bill for fixing a blocked sewer line, claiming the issue was with a section of pipe on DOI property.
Councillor Al Miller said the District needs to “verify where the blockage was, and if it’s on our property we pay for it.”
While it’s not always possible, Mayor Gerry Taft said the “best protocol” for a sewer blockage is to call the District first, rather than bringing in a private contractor.
Marina parking
Council approved updating and combining its previous marina and boat-storage agreements with Invermere Pointe Limited Partnership. Council wants the new agreement to include shared parking since most of the land near Pete’s Marina is private.
“We’d like a lease to legitimatize some of the parking that’s happening on private land,” Mr. Taft said.
Potential candidates
Two potential council candidates attended the meeting, which lasted approximately 40 minutes.
Looking at them, Mr. Taft joked: “The meetings aren’t always this short if you are thinking of running.”
Marijuana bylaw consultation
A handful of residents turned up for the DOI’s consultation on its proposed plans to regulate recreational marijuana. Mayor Taft characterized the discussion as a general conversation with questions about the legalization process. One commercial property owner submitted a letter opposing the DOI’s plan to keep marijuana shops off 7th Avenue between 9th Street and 13th Street. The proposed bylaw changes will come back to Council for a vote in August.
