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Offloading rumour by Province has RDCK chair Kettle boiling

Nelson Daily Editor
By Nelson Daily Editor
February 2nd, 2011

By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily

A rumour the Province may offload the cost of maintaining and insuring dikes and berms in the regional district has the chair of the board ready to throw down the gloves.

John Kettle was livid recently when he learned that an internal staff recommendation coming out of the Natural Resource Operations ministry could shift the burden and liability of over 1,500 dikes and berms in the Regional District of Central Kootenay to the local government.

Kettle said the move could cost the RDCK millions of dollars, plus the liability involved, and it could shut down every potential development in the district where there is a creek.

“We’re extremely upset that the ministry may be looking to download onto local government the maintenance and containment of all of these dikes and berms across the area,” he said.

“We’re not set up for that. We don’t have provisions for that, financially. If this is downloading, I can tell you right now we’ll fight this.”

As a result, Kettle and the board of directors intend to take the rumour seriously and bring the matter up at the next Union of BC Municipalities meeting, and strongly suggest to the ministry they “get their act” together.

“Most of the dikes and berms were created by the Province, so it is then unfair that the Province, in turn, comes to the regional district and says, ‘You guys take them over,’ even though they don’t meet any standard of any kind and need upgrading for millions of dollars,” said Kettle.

The move would halt development in the regional district, said Kettle. If someone is subdividing or building and there is a creek that runs through the land, they may not be able to build because the Province won’t give a sign off unless the developer takes on the responsibility and liability to repair the dike or berm, even though the developer or builder did not build it.

“If the province is serious about creating jobs and creating development … I think they need to take a hard look at this recommendation and see that it is flawed,” Kettle said.

editor@thenelsondaily.com

 

 

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