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Keremeos residents will just have to wait for public works improvements

Keremeos village staff presented a disappointing third quarter Public Works report at the regular meeting of council on September 3.

Keremeos village staff presented a rather disappointing third quarter Public Works and Parks report at the regular meeting of council on September 3.

It’s probably not a surprise to anyone in the village that planned improvements to Memorial Park washrooms will not take place this year. It was pretty much a given that by early July that the washroom project was going to stall for a year, it not being likely that the village would contemplate tearing up the park in the middle of the summer season.

I was under the impression that council was not too pleased with the state of several projects slated for the year, given that several questions were asked by council about projects in the village. In particular, council asked about a blocked sewage line at the treatment plant, planned LED street lighting and the Memorial Park washrooms.

The report  prompted me to ask, “Were any capital projects completed this year?” during question period.

 

Chief Administrative Officer Laurie Taylor said that the village had completed a number of items including:

- Victory Hall keyless entry system

 

- Village office upgrade

- Utility truck project

- Dike master plan (not really - engineers have yet to conduct an inspection on the dike this fall)

Taylor also said the sewage line blockage had now been resolved at a total cost of $5,000.

What was immediately apparent to me  - and disappointing as well - was, when looking at the list of items completed, not one has direct benefits to village taxpayers.

Village staff have upgraded offices, easier, more secure entry systems, and a utility truck - but what have residents received for their tax dollars this year?

“Things got away from us this summer,” CAO Taylor explained to council regarding the lack of forward progress on the washrooms.

Okay, so stuff happens, things don’t always go the way they are supposed to.

It’s just too bad that seems to be the case, more often than not, for public works that the taxpayer gets a benefit from.

An elderly Keremeos resident in the gallery (the only person in the gallery) - had issues with the state of  maintenance of the alleyway behind her residence.

“That property doesn’t belong to me,” she told council, “How can you make me responsible for maintaining it?

There are only five alleyways for the village to maintain in the whole community.”

As we left the building together, she said to me, (rather wistfully, I thought),  “It’s been years since I last went to a council meeting.

 

After tonight, I know why.”