Ground prepared for bus service addition to North Shore
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily
Bus service to the North Shore and rural areas west of Nelson is on the books after a resolution by a rural director passed at the regional district board level Thursday.
Area E (North Shore) director Ramona Faust met some resistance to her proposal during the Regional District of Central Kootenay board of director’s meeting in Nelson to incorporate an expansion to the transit service.
Faust had proposed that, in the wake of board approval of the West Kootenay Transit Master Plan, that the budget for the transit service (Slocan Valley to Nelson) be increased by a maximum of $6,000 for 2011 to provide for an expansion in service to Blewett.
And if a cost efficient transit bus could be provided, a second resolution called for the Area E and F portion of the Nelson-North Shore service to be expanded to incorporate a late run of 10:15 p.m. to service shopping and evening retail employees on the North Shore.
Both passed but not without some resistance, from unlikely sources: Area F (who benefited) and the City of Nelson.
Faust said BC Transit had met with the RDCK and, at that time, it was unknown if there would be some extra hours available for transit service because Nelson was redesigning its transit system.
She said the resolution would set money aside in budget in case transit “sorts itself out” in the West Kootenay Transit Master Plan and the Nelson changes free up some room for additional routes. If not the money would flip over into the budget for transit service for the next year.
Area D director Andy Shadrack said he wanted to be a participant in the service to the North Shore if it should happen. He felt the transit service should be extended to Ainsworth.
“If you are looking in the future for money around expansion, come back to Area D because we are looking that way for expansion,” he said.
However, Area F director Ron Mickel spoke against the resolution, mostly because it was late in the day as the board prepared to pass its budget.
“I understand the need in Blewett because it is almost desperate,” he said. “But I think we need to plan and get something on the table and instead plan for it for next year.”
Mayor John Dooley spoke to the first motion and wasn’t sure how the $6,000 amount was arrived at.
“How will this change affect the City of Nelson transit service?” he said.
RDCK administrative assistant Randy Matheson said the realization of the Blewett service would not affect Nelson. The $6,000 was originally downgraded from a $10,000 estimate from BC Transit because RDCK staff thought it was too much.
“So there’s no affect in Nelson at all from this run?” asked RDCK chair John Kettle.
No, Matheseon replied.
Mayor Dooley thought this shouldn’t happen since BC Transit was in Nelson this Monday to discuss the service, and he thought the resolution — and its subsequent funding and taxation — was premature since they still had to discuss its merits.
Faust said the people in Area E were asking for their tax money back on the service they are not receiving — one they have been paying into for years — and that would force her into a service review.
“This (resolution) is not to spend the money tomorrow and not to buy a bus, but it does give them something back to what they are contributing to and have been for four years,” she said.
The service to Blewett passed. Mayor Dooley said an allocation of $12,000 for the North Shore service would affect Nelson.
However, Matheson said the North Shore run is paid for by Area E and F taxation and it does involve the city on its run. Nelson provides the service but the participants who pay into the service are E and F.
CFO Grant Roeland said the resolution was to insure there was money in reserve to cover the change.
The next challenge is to see if the contractor who provides the service can do so, he said.
“It is the City of Nelson who will be the provider of the service if they choose to do so,” he said.
This is an additional budget allocation, an increase in taxation and an amendment to the budget.
A maximum of $12,000 will be held in reserve for the expansion until other “funding mechanisms” are explored to offset the cost of the service.
